Kari turned side to side looking at the cousins sadly. She then faced Aya. Her eyes were questioning. Without knowing how, Aya answered her mute look.

"I want my own identity, Kari-sama...I don't to be you or have to live up to the standards you created...and I don't want to live under your shadow anymore."

The voice, the most beautiful voice Aya had ever heard, rang out like falling silver. "And killing Hiromi will help you gain more personality is that it?" she said, just a tad sarcastically.

Aya was silent. Her cool logic stung like a slap in the face. Kari's eyes narrowed. "You know nothing of such standards. Do you forget? I was their Auralen! Their claim to fame. Their reason why Konoha was so special. They had a pair of twins so rare they were only seen once every few thousand years. If you believe that you are enduring anything that I was not put through, you are an ignorant and selfish girl!"

Throughout all of this, Hiromi had only stared in awe. Kari soon turned to him. "Deceiving your cousin and bringing her here to kill you was perhaps not the greatest thing to do if you wanted to meet her. Remember this, both of you." She certainly didn't need to tell either ninja to pay attention to her. "Power means nothing. You can be the strongest shinobi living and it amounts to absolutely nothing if you don't remember the fact that you indeed have a soul." Kari turned to face her niece. "You are told that I was killed because I could not control my feelings? No...I was killed because Sasuke failed to remember the things that are more important than power. True strength, Uchiha Aya, is the ability to know when your power is not nearly as needed as the people who you share this planet with."

Kari then spoke to both of the cousins. "I did not die for your fathers' sakes to watch his children destroy each other." Her ebony eyes fell to the ground. "You will both be forced to make a choice. Choose each other's well being or choose power, identity, or whatever else you put before the other. I hope...you will learn to make the right decision." The voice faded away along with the woman. Uchiha Kari had disappeared.

Both shinobi remained standing, too shocked to move and too thoughtful to care about the other one at that moment. Aya's mind wandered...

"Father?" Aya had tilted her head up to look at Sasuke. He looked down at her, one tear slipping down his cheek. He had just finished telling Aya about his past, about her aunt's death, and about his brother, Itachi.

"Yes, Aya?"

"Everyone says Kari was killed because she couldn't control her emotions. People are telling me all the time that feelings are not part of a shinobi's job. But...well do you agree?"

"No, Aya, I do not. Your aunt was perhaps the epitomy of what a ninja should be. If you sacrifice everything, even your heart, to gain power and strength, you are nothing. You have failed as a shinobi. Feelings keep you alive. Feelings also kill you. But without them, you cannot possibly live the life you are supposed to. Always remember that, Aya. Power is nothing without a heart as strong as your most powerful techniques."

Her father had said that. But...this was her mission. What was she supposed to do?

Power is nothing without a heart...

This wasn't fair. Now, just as she was about to do the one thing that would have made her identity certain and separate from Kari's...she could not wholeheartedly say she was prepared to kill this boy...her cousin.

Aya shook out of her reverie to look at Hiromi. He met her gaze and smiled sadly. "I already told you I would not kill you, Aya. My father taught me that lesson about Kari a long time ago. I knew I would never put power ahead of someone else important. Not even a mission from my feudal lord who has always been kind to me..."

Aya felt tears falling silently down her cheeks. She hated war. She hated how it tore people apart. She despised how it split families and the best of friends. She hated how there was death and destruction, all of it silly and irrational in hindsight.

Why! Why did she have to make this choice? Why was this her burden? She didn't want it. She wanted Itachi to have always lived in Konoha and her and Hiromi having grown up together. Not this...not this horrible situation.

I can't kill him...it's my mission...but he's my cousin. And the world would mourn the loss of someone so powerful, someone so talented in the ninja arts. I can't...do this...

Aya clutched her head again. It had begun throbbing. She began to cough and felt very feverish. "What...else did you do to...my food...Hiromi?" she gasped.

Hiromi's eyes widened. "I didn't...do anything. Aya? Aya!"

The boy ran over, crunching snow under his feet, and caught a stumbling Aya. Lifting her in his arms he carried her back over to the cave. Her forehead was covered with beads of sweat and she continued to cough and slipped into a delirium...

"Father...father...mother...Tsunade-sama...no...I'm not like...her...I'm not..."

"Hush, Aya," whispered her cousin. He bathed her head in cool water and built up the fire. Fixing up some blankets, he laid Aya down in the makeshift bed. She must be sick...she's probably not used to the cold here...

Aya's eyes opened for a moment. "Hiromi...my head is about to burst...I..."

"Shhh, Aya. It will be ok. You're just a little sick that's all." But Aya had already dropped her head, her heavy breathing a sign that she was fast asleep. Hiromi eyed her warily, his face full of concern. This is bad...if I can't get her fever down... The boy shook off his thoughts and busied himself making cold compresses for Aya's burning forehead. He was pretty sure he had seen some medicinal herbs around the mouth of the cave. They might help calm her fever. Hang in there, Aya.

Aya opened her eyes, her vision blurred for a second, but quickly coming into focus. She was back in the cave. She vaguely remembered being bound by Hiromi, the encounter with Kari, and falling...everything after that was a blank. Was I dreaming? No, her painful headache reminded her. I must have been ill...why am I still here?

Hiromi came into her line of vision. He was carrying a pail of water into the cave and hand several rags in his hand. Setting the pail down, he began to wet one of them and turned to Aya. Seeing her awake, he hurried to her side and went to his knees.

"Aya! You're awake...thank goodness...I was afraid..." He switched the compresses on her head. Aya, who had sat up as he came over, tried to get to her feet, but Hiromi gently pushed her back down. "Not yet, Aya. You're not strong enough. You need to relax."

He walked over to the fire where there was a small pot filled with a brown bubbling substance. Hiromi filled a clay bowl with it and brought it over to Aya. "Eat this. I promise there's nothing in it this time." He added.

Aya thanked him and began to eat it. The stew was not very flavorful, but it was substantial and tasted better than anything else she had been eating lately. "How long was I asleep?"

"Three days." Aya blanched. "Don't worry, I took care of you as best I could. You scared me to death too at some points. Your fever just wouldn't go down until last night, when you finally started to cool off. I wanted to get you better care, but I couldn't bring you back to the capital...they would have killed you."

The girl looked at the ground. "Thank-thank you, Hiromi. I didn't mean to put that burden on you. I'm sorry."

Hiromi was silent for a moment, stoking some coals in the fire thoughtfully. He then turned to Aya. "We're family, Aya...that's what we do for each other, you know?"

Aya stared at the ground. "Well...yeah, I guess."

Hiromi looked at his cousin and smiled. The two of them remained quiet for a long time. Aya finished her stew, put aside the bowl and laid back down again. Hiromi walked over, switched the compresses and crawled to his own bed.

"Good night, Aya."

Aya didn't answer for a moment. She waited until she heard Hiromi's breathing began to slow and turned on her side to see him sleeping peacefully.

"Good night...," she whispered as she began to slip away into a dreamy slumber.

The next morning, Aya awoke to a warm breakfast in a tin next to her head. She sat up and ate hungrily. The pain in her head was finally subsiding and she could look around without getting dizzy.

Aya ventured to stand up and, not feeling queasy, proceeded to walk out of the cave to gather some sunshine. The sun had not yet risen, but pink and yellow light was beginning to gather on the eastern horizon, just below the treetops. Hiromi was practicing some ice techniques in the early morning hours and, smiling at the sight of Aya, trotted over to his cousin.

"I'm guessing you feel better."

"Yeah, I am. Thanks again...breakfast was good."

"I'm a better cook when I'm at home, but this is the best I can do in this wilderness."

There was a pause, but it was not as uncomfortable as the night before. Aya, for once, returned her cousin's smile and thanked him again for taking care of her.

Later that night, the two of them were sitting by the fire, talking merrily as if they'd always known each other. They were both, at the moment, lost in thought when Aya popped an unexpected question.

"You could have killed me these past few days, Hiromi, and fulfilled the duty you were sent to do. You could have been famed for taking me down. I was open and vulnerable, the easiest target." Aya's eyes were questioning. "Why didn't you?"

"I already told you, Aya. You're my cousin. If my father was still alive, he would despise me if I killed you. He used to tell me there had been enough death in the Uchiha family, and if I ever turned out as he did, he would be ashamed of me the rest of his life. Even when he's gone, I don't want to do something that I know would make him hate me.

Aya managed a tiny smile. "I wish you had always lived in Konoha...things would be easier that way."

"Life is not easy." Hiromi's eyes were grave. "It never will be. There would have been something that went wrong. Wars like these split families whether they will or no. The only factor that humans really control is if we succumb to circumstance or rise above it."

"But still," continued Aya, "I would have liked to have other family. It makes me feel like my family is not as extinct as I thought it was."

"Yeah, I know."

The two of them looked at each other and smiled. Aya's smile was rather sad. "I need to leave tomorrow. I don't what I'm going to tell Tsunade-sama."

Hiromi nodded. "I don't know what I will tell my feudal lord either. He has never given me a reason to be unfaithful to him. He was always so kind and he was the one who raised me when my father died." Hiromi sighed. "There are tough choices either way."

"But at least we are family and not enemies. I guess that counts for something."

"Yeah," Hiromi smiled. "Well, I'll send you off tomorrow. You might as well sleep some more before you leave. That fever was a killer I bet..."

"It was. But thanks to you, it's ok now." Aya smiled and laid back on her bed. "Good night, Hiromi."

"Sleep well, Aya."

Grinning, Aya drifted off into heavy sleep.

Aya woke with a start. There were two figures struggling and it took a few moments for Aya to realize it was a shinobi of the Snow and Hiromi.

"Traitor!" cried a strange voice. "She's a danger! She's from Konoha, our great enemy! How could you harbor her?"

"She's my cousin, Tetsuo. Leave this cave. I'll take care of things myself."

"The Feudal Lord will hear of this!" cried the voice, "I leave you to your foolishness." That being said, his heavy footsteps left the cave and faded from earshot.

Hiromi was breathing heavily and glanced over at Aya to see her eyes widened with fear. She stood up immediately.

"I have to leave."

"No you don't, Aya. He won't come back. They fear me. They all fear me."

"I don't care. You're in enough trouble. I can't put you in anymore danger as it is."

"Aya-"

"No," she said stubbornly. "I'm leaving now. You need to get to the capital and try and smooth things over with the feudal lord."

"As if I care what they think, Aya! You're still weak. You need to rest more."

"I'm fine, Hiromi. I'm worried about you now. You should come with me. The Hokage would grant you protection. You could..."

"They sent you to kill me, Aya. The Hokage would not be so willing. You need to wait a few more hours."

"No...I'm leaving now. I can't be a danger to you anymore..."

"But-."

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be Hiromi. Please? I'll be fine." Aya turned to leave.

"Will I see you on the battlefield?"

Aya stopped cold. "I don't know...we'll worry about that when the time comes. Good-bye." With a rustle of leaves, Aya disappeared into the tree tops, blinded by tears and thinking something very unexpected. I almost wish I could hate you, Hiromi...