In which Fuu returns to school, Yugito struggles with romance, and Yagura fears for his life.

O-O-O-O-O

Until Utakata comforted her, Fuu spent two weeks cooped up in her bedroom.

For those weeks, Fuu barely left her bed, preferring to hide under the covers. She ate only when forced to by her caretakers and slept for most of the day. Senji came in a few times to talk to her, but his words sounded like gibberish.

She ignored the other jinchuuriki too. They tried to talk through the Room, but she only wanted to wallow in her misery.

Fuu was very thankful to Utakata. He had known nothing about her except for her name. Yet, he had stayed next to her, letting her cry her heart out without prying into why.

Now, after two weeks of misery, she looked at the entrance of the Academy and gulped.

Fuu was anxious to return to school. She missed spending time with Hana and Rin and talking with them during lunch. Fuu hoped they didn't think she had dropped out. She missed Takumi-sensei too. She hoped he wouldn't resent her for being absent for so long.

Taking deep breaths in and out to steady her nerves, she grasped the straps of her backpack. She walked into the Academy while looking straight ahead. A few of the children turned to stare at her but Fuu only walked past them, her head high. She didn't relax until she reached the classroom and sat down.

"Fuu!"

She immediately heard a cheerful voice calling her name. She felt arms hug her neck from behind and Fuu startled at the sudden touch.

"What? Huh?" Fuu looked up and met Hana's eyes. She looked relieved to see Fuu although her eyes seemed especially shiny. Rin moved to stand in front of Fuu's desk, looking at the spectacle with her hands on her hips. Despite the stern pose, Rin looked equally concerned.

"I was so worried about you!" Hana shouted in her ear as she tightened her grip on Fuu's neck. "Takumi-sensei didn't know why you hadn't come to class and we don't know where you live so we couldn't visit you! What happened?"

Fuu wanted to answer but Hana's arms blocked her windpipe. She wanted to cry, and she wasn't sure if it was because of their concern or because of the lack of air.

"You're choking her, Hana," Rin said, voice calm.

"Gah! Sorry!" Hana apologized and immediately let go of Fuu's neck.

Fuu breathed gratefully and pondered how to answer the question. She didn't want to lie to them but she didn't want their reunion to start off with bad news.

"I'll tell you at lunch," she compromised.

Hana and Rin shared a perplexed look, but let the matter drop when they saw her face. Fuu gave them a shaky smile in return and the two relaxed as they sat down at the desks on either side of hers.

"So what did you learn in the last two weeks?" Fuu asked them.

At the question, Hana's eyes lit up. She started to ramble about multiplication, kanji, and the history of Takigakure. Rin interjected often with the correct information. Fuu listened attentively to both, trying to make up for her absence.

While they were still catching up, the bell rang to indicate that class would soon begin. All the children sat down and Takumi arrived in the classroom, carrying a large stack of books under his arm.

"Good morning, kids!" Takumi greeted with a smile.

"Good morning, Takumi-sensei!" they all answered.

The man looked around the classroom and his eyes fell on Fuu. She tensed and slid down her chair, expecting a scolding. However, Takumi beamed at her instead, smile wide and honest.

"Good morning, Fuu, I'm glad you're back," he said. "Don't be afraid to ask me anything if you don't understand, okay?"

Fuu nodded in gratitude and felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She had been afraid of her sensei's reaction.

The rest of the day passed like normal. They finished their classwork in the morning. Takumi answered all of her questions and more. In a desperate effort to catch up, Fuu copied everything Takumi wrote on the board. At her sides, Rin took studious notes while Hana stared out the window.

When lunchtime arrived, they headed to their usual spot under the cherry trees. Expectantly, Hana and Rin turned to look at Fuu, waiting for the full story.

Fuu grasped the hem of her skirt and exhaled nervously. She had been thinking about what to tell them all day. She considered backing away, but she had promised.

"The truth is..." she began. Hana and Rin leaned forward until they were only a few inches away from Fuu's face. Fuu gulped. She knew she couldn't tell them the full truth. Her status as jinchuuriki and her mother's past responsibility was supposed to be a secret. She had to omit a lot of information.

"Hisen-sama told me my mother died on a mission," she lied. If you count giving me her bijuu as a mission.

Hana gasped and placed the palms of her hands over her mouth. Rin jumped forward to envelop Fuu in a hug. Fuu was taken aback by the sudden contact but returned the hug. Soon after that, Hana jumped on her too, causing all three of them to fall on the ground in a pile.

"I'm sorry, Fuu," Hana said, and her voice sounded choked. "I bet your mom was really cool!"

"She was!" Fuu said, although with a pang she realized that she didn't know that much about her. She had been so young when her mother died. For a second, she worried if her mom was in actuality a loser. I hope not.

The three sat up and Fuu smiled at them, turning her head to the side. She had truly found good friends. Maybe one day she would be brave enough to tell them about her bijuu. She knew jinchuuriki were feared and despised, but maybe one day...

For the rest of the lunch period, they ate and talked about whatever came to mind. At one point, Hana complained that multiplication was difficult. Rin only sighed and told her that if she wanted to understand, she should pay attention to Takumi. Fuu refused to take sides in their argument, although she privately agreed with Rin.

When their break ended, they headed to the training area behind the school. Takumi had them practice climbing over smooth walls. Fuu was the first to reach the top. Upon her victory, she yelled down encouragement and advice to the other students from the top.

When they finished the task, sweaty and exhausted, Takumi led them back to the classroom. For the rest of the afternoon, he lectured them about healthy nutrition for shinobi. Fuu listened attentively and took notes. She had her caretakers at home, but based on the looks they give her, they wouldn't be there for much longer. Fuu knew that she would live alone once she was old enough to take care of herself.

Takumi told them their homework for the day to grumbles from the other students. The children ran out of the classroom, saying their hurried goodbyes to one another.

"Just a sec! I need to pack everything!" Fuu said as she dumped her school supplies into her backpack. Hana and Rin waited patiently at her sides.

"Wait, Fuu, I need to talk to you before you leave," Takumi said from the front of the class.

The three girls turned to look at him.

"Me?" Fuu asked, eyes growing wide in curiosity.

Takumi nodded. "Yes, there is something I want to tell you. It might take a while, though, so I think Hana and Rin can go home."

Hana and Rin gave her worried looks but obeyed their teacher. They turned around to leave.

"Don't worry, girls, Fuu is not in trouble," Takumi said. "I just want to speak with her since she's been missing for a while. I have to make sure she's not confused, that's all."

At his words, Hana and Rin relaxed and turned to look at Fuu one last time.

"Bye-bye, Fuu" Hana yelled. She waved her arm back and forth enthusiastically.

"See you tomorrow," Rin said with a small wave of her hand.

"Bye, girls! See you tomorrow!" Fuu answered as she walked to the front of the classroom. Hana and Rin departed, leaving Takumi and Fuu alone.

Fuu shifted her feet and bit her lip nervously. Takumi sighed and sat down at one desk, motioning for Fuu to join him. They sat together in silence and Fuu played with the hem of her skirt.

"What did you want to talk to me about, sensei?" Fuu asked to break the tension.

Takumi closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering. "Well, might as well just get it out there," he muttered to himself before turning his eyes towards her. He sighed before answering.

"Emi-chan, your mother, was my friend from childhood," he said, his eyes fixed upon her.

"What?" Fuu leaned forward, eyes wide.

"We used to work together back when we were genin," Takumi explained. "She was my best friend. I used to spend some time with you when you were born, but you were too little to remember me."

"You... knew my mother?" Fuu looked up at Takumi in wonder.

"I did," he nodded. "She was a great friend and we loved to spend time together." His eyes were full of grief.

Fuu remembered when Senji had first introduced her to Takumi. She had believed that Senji had interrupted to keep her identity as a jinchuuriki a secret. Perhaps it had been to avoid calling her Emi's daughter instead.

"What was she like?" Fuu asked desperately. "What color were her eyes? What was her favorite food? Did she like boring things? Was she a loser?"

Takumi laughed before smiling down at her fondly. "You are almost exactly like her in personality. She could have talked for hours without a break! She was always running around and climbing things. She would have lived up in a tree if anyone had let her. Though…" Takumi scratched his chin and grinned, "you don't look that much like her except for the hair."

"Really?" Fuu ran a hand through her hair and smiled. Blushing, she imagined a woman with Kushina's face but with short mint green hair.

"Really." Takumi nodded and leaned forward to ruffle her hair.

Fuu took the information and held it close. It wasn't a lot, but it was something she would have never known about her mother otherwise.

"Can you tell me more?" Fuu asked shyly. Despite the smile in Takumi's face, she could tell that it was difficult for the man to talk about her.

"I'll tell you anything. All you need to do is ask."

Fuu bit her lip and thought of what to ask first. She had so many questions in her head and she wasn't sure which one to go with first.

"What color were her eyes?" Fuu eventually asked.

"Pink," he answered. "Like cherry blossoms."

"Was her nose straight? Did she have thick eyebrows? What about her mouth? What did she look like?" Fuu leaned forward to ask her questions, increasingly desperate, placing her hands on her knees.

"Uh..." Takumi gave her a nervous smile at the onslaught of questions. "Well... it might be better to show her to you."

Fuu's heart began to beat faster and she beamed up at Takumi with hope in her eyes. Takumi returned her smile before standing up and walking towards his desk. He rummaged for a few minutes inside the top drawer before pulling out something and walking back to her. He held out a picture like an offering.

Fuu took the photo in her hands reverently. In the picture, a pretty girl with mint green hair stood in the middle of a group of three children. She sported a wide grin on her face as she looked at the camera, pale pink eyes glittering in happiness. She had pale skin and a narrow face, so different from her own. Nevertheless, Fuu saw some parts of herself there, like the shape of the eyebrows and the nose. My mother. So that's what she looks like.

"She's so pretty," Fuu whispered as she looked up at Takumi, who was smiling gently down at her.

"She was." Takumi nodded, eyes looking wistfully at the picture held in Fuu's hands.

Fuu looked down at the picture again and paid attention to the other two children. One was obviously Takumi as a child. The Takumi in the picture was tall and tanned, with gentle dark green eyes and short blond hair. He smiled at the camera.

On her mother's other side was a short boy with dark skin, black hair, and light green eyes. Unlike Takumi and her mother, he stared at the camera directly, face serious. He looked familiar and Fuu racked her brain to remember him. After a few seconds, she recognized him. She realized that it's the same man that had been in Hisen's office when she was told to join the Academy.

"Takumi-sensei! You were so tall as a kid," Fuu exclaimed.

"Thank you," Takumi replied bashfully. "We took this picture after we graduated. Back then, we didn't have jounin-sensei to lead the genin teams. Things have changed a lot in the village since then."

Fuu nodded. "But who is this kid?" Fuu pointed at the other boy in the picture.

Takumi frowned. "That's Ryuu. You don't know who he is? He assists Senji and Hisen with mission assignments."

"Oh," Fuu said. "I saw him before in Hisen-sama's office. He glared at me the entire time I was there," she complained. "I haven't seen him again, though."

"Hm, is that so?" Takumi smiled, but Fuu could see his eyes were full of fury. She changed the topic, although she burned in curiosity to know about the man. Who is he? Why have I never met him before? Was he my mom's friend, too?

"Do you have any more pictures?"

Immediately, Takumi's eyes softened and he smiled once again at her. "I'll look for them at home. I'll make some copies if I can for you, okay?"

Fuu nodded. "Okay."

Takumi leaned forward to ruffle her hair again. "Now, you should head home," he said. "You have a lot of homework to catch up on."

"Yes, sensei!" Fuu stood up, returning the picture to Takumi's hands reluctantly. She started to leave before remembering her manners.

She turned back and bowed her head down. "Thank you very much, Takumi-sensei."

"You're welcome, Fuu," he replied with a kind smile.

Fuu grinned and ran back home. She had a lot of homework to do.

O-O-O-O-O

Yugito stared at her reflection in the waterfall one more time. For the past five months, she had spent every day trying in vain to defeat her darkness. However, the monster that appeared every time was as strong as her and it fought exactly like her. Yugito had no way to defeat it. Nevertheless, she tried, waking up early for daily fights with the creature.

She had almost given up. In another life, she might have surrendered, content with the limited amount of control she already had over the Two-Tails. However, when there was a mercenary group possibly tracking down jinchuuriki, she couldn't give up. She had to keep trying, no matter how long it too.

Samui accompanied her to the waterfall each time. She provided moral support and a place to vent once she failed for the umpteenth time. Yugito loved having her at her side. It was the only point of happiness in her daily fights.

"Give it up, Yugito," the monster taunted. "You can't defeat me because I am you! You can't get rid of yourself. You resent the village too much for me to disappear and you are too weak to ever defeat me."

"I don't resent the village!" she yelled. "I need to do everything A says, no matter what! They have given me the Two-Tails for a reason and I will do whatever they ask of me!"

The creature laughed and sneered at her. "You can't even admit to yourself how much A and the village control your life, can you?" The reflection cackled as it walked to stand closer. "Just admit that you hate the control they have over you, Yugito-chan."

"I love Kumogakure and I will do anything for it!" she yelled. "There's nothing you can do to change my mind!"

Now in front of her, the creature met her eyes. Yugito stared into its red pupils and gulped.

"You're a selfish creature, Yugito-chan. You just can't admit it," the creature said as it placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not selfish!" Yugito protested as she slapped the monster's hand away. "I will do anything for Kumo, even if it kills me! But first, I'll kill you!"

Yugito lunged forward to attack, claws out.

Smirking, the creature leaped out of the way and responded with the same attack. Yugito dodged to avoid getting cut in half. The other Yugito took the chance and threw shuriken as she jumped in the air.

With a scream, Yugito opened her eyes. She found herself sitting on the tiny island in front of the Waterfall of Truth, panting from exertion.

"Are you okay, Yugito?" Samui's cool voice asked from behind.

Yugito forced herself to swallow and shook her head. She bent her head down and clenched her hands into fists. She ground her teeth and tried to think.

She knew that it was possible to pass the Waterfall because B had done it before. But she didn't understand how and when she had asked, he had refused to tell her anything. If he weren't so strong, she might have tried to torture the information out of him.

Samui walked closer and placed one hand on Yugito's shoulder. Yugito tensed at the touch. She was unfamiliar with any kind of physical contact. In recent times, she had noticed that Samui liked to get closer. Yugito didn't mind. She found the touch... reassuring.

"Was it the same as always?" Samui asked as she sat down next to Yugito on the island.

Yugito noticed that Samui's thigh was touching her own, but she didn't want to move away. She sighed before she answered Samui's question.

"Yeah, same as always," she admitted.

They sat together in silence, listening to the falling water. Samui's hand was still on her shoulder. Yugito really didn't want her to move. She knew that she should try again for the good of the village. Her body, however, protested and the only thing she wanted to do was sit with Samui. It felt nice.

Defeated, Yugito placed her head on Samui's shoulder. She groaned and closed her eyes. Samui didn't move away, leaning closer to Yugito instead.

"Thanks," Yugito whispered.

"For what?" Yugito could detect a quiver of hesitation in Samui's voice.

"For being here," Yugito answered. "I would have given up without you here."

"Really?"

"Really. Thanks."

Samui was silent for a few seconds. Yugito took the time to enjoy her presence. Samui had been there for her in the most difficult times. Ever since we were put on the same team.

"You're welcome," Samui finally answered.

Samui wrapped one arm around Yugito. Yugito leaned in closer. For a wild moment, she wondered what Samui's lips tasted like. She swallowed, opened her eyes, and looked at Samui. Samui's face was pink, and she looked at Yugito with wonder. Yugito leaned forward to close the distance. However, before their lips could meet, her logic returned.

Wait, what the fuck am I doing? Am I really trying to kiss Samui?

Yugito bolted up, breaking the embrace. She blushed as she turned her head away from Samui to glare at the waterfall. She clenched her hands into fists and tried to forget what almost happened. However, her brain replayed the scene, colorfully adding details to their almost-kiss.

"I'd like to be alone for a while," she told Samui, her gaze fixated on the rocks next to the Waterfall.

"Yugito, I-" Samui started before Yugito interrupted.

"Alone, please."

Yugito wanted Samui to argue. She wanted Samui to refuse to leave. Her traitorous mind created scenarios where they kissed to make up for harsh words. However, Samui didn't protest. She only sighed before turning around and walking away, leaving Yugito standing alone.

What the hell did I almost do? I can't let anything distract me. There's too much at stake right now. I have to follow orders.

Yugito bit her thumb and paced. As she walked, she got angrier and angrier. She had been trying to pass the Waterfall for five months and she had nothing to show for it. She wasn't sure if it was worth trying anymore.

She left the pond and stomped toward a tree. She punched the trunk in anger. It made her feel marginally better. She punched it again and again until her knuckles bled and her hands were covered in blood. However, thanks to the Two-Tails, she healed fast. Within minutes she could barely feel any pain.

She looked down at her hands with mild curiosity.

I'm a weapon for the village. A shinobi must always put the mission first. I don't have my own desires and I can't abandon this opportunity.

The monster had called her selfish. Despite all her sacrifices, she was wondering if it had been right. She had always followed orders, allowing A and the village to dictate her life, but it wasn't enough. She was a selfish person and the attraction she felt towards Samui was proof of that. She needed to cut all of her own desires away and focus on the village. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

With a resigned sigh, Yugito collapsed onto the ground. Tired, she relaxed onto the grass as she looked up at the sky. Despite not doing much for the day, she felt exhausted. She watched the clouds float by.

I need to try again, but my mind is a fucking mess.

Exhausted, she moved one forearm to cover her eyes. Maybe some time in the Room will calm me down.

O-O-O-O-O

Living in hiding to track down a mercenary company is more boring than I expected.

Yagura tried not to think about the hole in his wallet as he looked up at the ceiling in the Room. He had spent months doing small jobs, making connections with the criminal world, and pretending to be a mediocre ninja without a village. It didn't pay well, and he had to supplement his meager income by hunting and fishing for food. It was a difficult and boring lifestyle. It almost made him miss spending time behind the Mizukage's desk as a puppet. Almost.

He lay on the floor as he looked up. He tried to read the seals on the walls and ceiling, but he couldn't make sense of it.

Isobu had told him once that the bijuu had a shared mind space like the jinchuuriki. His bijuu had said that their space was rarely used because of their dislike for each other. Isobu described their space as infinite instead of contained like the Room. I wonder if it's possible for a jinchuuriki to go there, though.

Fascinated, Yagura traced the calligraphy with the tip of his finger. He had never seen a seal as complex. He could make out some parts of it, such as the information suppression and transportation component. However, everything else looked like absolute gibberish.

He wondered if the Room was created by an Uzumaki or if it was created when the bijuu came into being. He would probably never know.

Yagura was on the cusp of breaking apart one of the transportation seals when he felt an angry presence arrive.

He turned around and froze when he saw Yugito with a furious look on her face.

Yagura gulped. His first instinct was to run away. However, he was the Fourth Mizukage. He could deal with an angry teenage girl. With new resolve, he turned his gaze back on the ceiling and tried to concentrate on making out the patterns.

To his relief, the girl said nothing to him and he exhaled in relief.

Yagura heard Yugito performing some taijutsu kata. It would have been a calming sound. But instead of the swish of movement and the grunts of effort, he could only hear violent curses and swears. Yagura swallowed and failed to block out what the girl was saying.

"Stupid fucking B," he heard Yugito cursing. "Tell me what the fuck I'm supposed to do! Defeat my dark self! The fuck does that mean?"

Yagura was burning with curiosity. He had always seen B and Yugito as allies. He tried to peek at Yugito from the corner of his eye.

"The fuck you looking at, brat?" Yugito sneered at him when she caught him looking.

Brat? I'm at least twelve years older than you. Yagura wanted to answer back, but he knew it would be pointless.

"Uh... Nothing," he answered instead, pointedly avoiding Yugito's glare.

"That's right! Mind your own business!" Yugito yelled at him before continuing her kata. How can a teenage girl be so intimidating?

He lay in silence for a few more minutes, listening to her cursing loudly as she punched and kicked the air. He almost wished he had run away instead. After a few minutes of tension, he turned his head to look in her direction.

"What the fuck you want, you asshole?" Yugito yelled when she saw him looking again.

"Ah, uh, nothing. It's fine."

"What? Do you think I'm angry? That I have darkness in my heart?" Yugito asked him with a furious scowl. "How the hell am I supposed to get control over my bijuu like this?!"

"Get control?" I've always been too curious for my own good.

"Whatever, I already said too much. It's not like you can help me, anyway."

Frighteningly, her eyes, which had burned with anger before, become suspiciously shiny. She collapsed on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest and looking down. Her new reaction was scarier than anything he had seen her do yet.

Yagura sighed deeply. He thought about how to proceed. If he ran away, he would be a coward. If he tried to help her, she might try to kill him. He wasn't sure how, but it seemed as if she could manage it.

Yagura pondered his dilemma for a few seconds before he made up his mind. With a deep breath to gather his courage, he stood up and walked toward Yugito. He sat down cross-legged near her but kept a small distance between them, just in case.

"So you're trying to get control over you bijuu?" he asked curiously.

"Why do you care?" she kept her eyes looking pointedly away from him. He took it as a good sign that she wouldn't attack and he scooted slightly closer.

"Isobu and I needed time to learn how to work together," he said. "He was seen as only a monster for a long time, so it took a while for us to understand each other." He tried to gauge her reaction, but she was unmoving and glaring at the other side of the Room. "I know how difficult it is to work together with your bijuu. What exactly is the problem for you, Yugito-san?"

Yugito refused to meet his eyes as she scowled at the walls of the Room as if they had done a great disservice to her. When Yagura was almost certain she wouldn't answer, she spoke.

"I have to pass the Waterfall of Truth," Yugito explained. "I have to fight and defeat my dark self. I've been trying for months, but I can't even put a scratch on it. The monster in the waterfall is just as strong as I am and uses the same techniques I do. There is no way to defeat it."

"Why are you trying to defeat yourself?" Yagura asked, confused.

"What do you mean, why? B told me I needed to defeat my dark self." Yugito looked at him with a glare that could curdle milk.

"And you trust B?" Yagura asked her with a shrug. He liked the man and he could recognize Killer B's talent, but he was strange at best and insane at worst.

At the question, Yugito hesitated and bit her lip. Yagura sighed before moving closer but still far enough away to dodge if necessary.

"Yugito-san," he said, almost tempted to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He refrained. "There is no way to defeat your own darkness in a conventional sense. It's pointless to try. Everyone has darkness in their hearts and that's okay."

Yugito turned to look at him with an eyebrow raised but said nothing. Emboldened that she hadn't tried to skewer him, he continued. "A bijuu's first instinct is to take the hate in your heart and mold it for its own use. But it can only do that because you want to deny that this darkness exists. You can't get rid of it. Accept it as part of yourself."

When he finished, Yugito looked quietly at him. For once, she didn't have a frown or a glare on her face and she appeared thoughtful instead.

"I can't get rid of it, huh?" Yugito said to herself as she placed one clenched fist over her heart.

"You can't," Yagura answered. "There is nothing wrong with having those kinds of feelings. But your reaction matters. Don't let darkness win, but don't try to get rid of it either."

At his words, Yugito looked thoughtfully at the other side of the Room. She stretched her legs out in front of her.

"Part of me, huh?" she asked. She had stopped glaring. Yagura appreciated the lack of hate in her eyes. He allowed himself to relax marginally in her presence. He waited for her to speak.

"Hm," she finally answered. "Accept my dark feelings. I never thought about that."

Yagura shrugged. "It's part of who you are, whether you like it or not. People aren't made up of only positive things. We need to feel hate, and resentment, and anger if we want to survive. It's okay to be selfish sometimes."

Yugito grunted in agreement. "You look like a little kid, but you can be really wise, too."

"Little kid?" Yagura wanted to defend himself, but he knew it was useless. He bit his tongue instead. He didn't want to argue with her.

Yugito exhaled, long and deep, and closed her eyes in contemplation before speaking.

"Fine," she answered and Yagura relaxed. "I'll try it your way. Thanks."

Yugito turned to look at him in the eye and smiled. Yagura felt a shiver course through his body. It was the first time he had seen Yugito happy with anyone other than the children and the effect was unnerving.

"Well, I guess I'll go," Yugito said as she stood up. "I think I know what I have to do now."

With those words, she vanished, leaving Yagura alone in the Room. Yagura sighed in relief.

That girl is terrifying.

O-O-O-O-O

When Yugito woke up, she found herself resting under the tree where she had fallen asleep earlier. She blinked up at the tree canopy and tried to get her bearings. After the conversation with the tiny Mizukage, she felt much calmer. Facing her inner demons didn't sound so terrifying anymore.

She sat up and stared at her hands. They had healed completely, not even a scratch on them. To her dismay, however, they were covered in blood. For a moment she felt ashamed about breaking down so easily earlier.

With a sigh, she sat up and headed to the pond in front of the Waterfall of Truth. She dipped her hands into the water and watched the blood wash away and disappear. She was alone in the clearing. She wished that she hadn't told Samui to leave earlier.

Her hands clean, she stood up and walked to the islet. She sat down cross-legged on the grass and concentrated. She blinked and when she opened her eyes. The monster- no, herself- appeared in front of the waterfall, sneering down at her, red eyes full of hate.

"So the little kitten is back?" her reflection mocked. "You might have talked to the little menace, but you can't beat me."

Yugito closed her eyes. She was tired. She was tired of trying to pretend that everything she did was for the village. She was tired of sacrificing herself. And she was especially tired of the same useless fight.

"You're right," Yugito said as she stared up at her reflection. Her clone frowned and Yugito stood up to meet her face to face. "I will never win against you because neither of us is stronger or weaker than the other."

The other Yugito snorted. "You can't delete me from your heart either. I'm part of you, whether you want me to be or not."

"I know that," Yugito answered. "But I will not try anymore. It's like you said, I can't get rid of you. But talking with Yagura made me realize some things."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," Yugito answered calmly. "You're me. You know everything I do." Yugito met herself eye to eye. "It's okay to be selfish sometimes."

"I thought everything you do is for the village?" The reflection sneered at her.

Yugito shook her head. "I thought so, too. But... thinking about everything... It's impossible. I want to live my life with my own friends and make my own family. If that makes me selfish, then maybe that's okay, too."

"Is it really okay?" the reflection asked. "Is it okay to want and desire things for myself?"

"It is."

The two Yugitos stood in silence as they appraised each other. Yugito stared impassively at herself. She had only seen the reflection as a monster or creature, but it wasn't. Whatever selfish desires she had, they weren't wrong and they didn't make her a traitor to Kumogakure.

"What are we going to do?" the reflection asked as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I don't know," Yugito admitted. "But whatever we decide, we will do it together. I'm not going to pretend that everything I do is for the village anymore."

At those words, the reflection looked away to stare at the trees surrounding them. Neither of them spoke. Yugito didn't know what would happen next. But, she didn't want to be self-sacrificing anymore, either. She wanted to be herself.

The other Yugito turned back to look at her and smiled sincerely. She tilted her head to the side and walked closer. Yugito copied her to meet her on the pond's surface.

"I'm glad," the second Yugito said. "I'm tired of pretending."

"So am I."

Yugito leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her clone. They hugged but within seconds, Yugito was left holding nothing but air. She stared at the Waterfall of Truth one more time, but she saw only water as nothing came out to fight her.

With a sigh of relief, Yugito turned around and ran back to the resort. She needed to find Samui and tell her how she felt. She also needed to find B. She didn't know if she wanted to slap him or hug him. She might do both.

But first, Samui. I shouldn't have told her to leave me alone.

Yugito arrived at the resort and searched for her desperately. She found her quickly at the main lounge. She was sitting at a table, drinking a cup of coffee, and staring out the window. She hadn't noticed her and Yugito snuck up from behind.

"Samui."

Samui's shoulders tensed and she turned her head to look up at Yugito. A slight blush spread across her cheeks and she slowly placed the cup of coffee on the table.

"Yugito," she answered, voice as cool and collected as always.

The two girls stared at each other as they waited for the other to speak. Yugito swallowed nervously and sat down on the chair next to Samui's.

"I'm sorry I told you I wanted to be alone," Yugito began. "But I was scared."

"Scared?" Samui asked curiously. "I've seen you stand up to armies of enemy shinobi. What could scare you?"

Yugito sighed. Sometimes her reputation preceded her.

"I'm afraid of doing what I want to do," Yugito admitted. "I've been denying myself for a long time and I don't think I can do it anymore."

"Denying yourself?"

"I..." Yugito swallowed again and felt her face burn in embarrassment. "I want you."

Yugito looked away to stare at the ocean through the window. Samui fell silent and Yugito waited for her answer. Yugito's face felt hot, and she tapped her foot impatiently. She waited for what felt like forever for Samui's reply.

"Oh."

At the sound, Yugito turned to look at Samui. Samui's face was red, and she fidgeted with the cup in front of her.

"Oh?" Yugito asked as she leaned forward.

"I... uh..." Samui cleared her throat and swallowed. "I wished you would say that to me one day. But I didn't want to get my hopes up."

Yugito smiled and Samui copied her, beaming at her as she placed her elbows on the table and leaned forward. Yugito placed her hand on Samui's cheek and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Before she had time to reconsider, she leaned forward until they were only an inch away from each other.

"Is this okay?" Yugito asked, biting her lip.

Samui nodded and she swallowed. Her face was still red and her eyes were open wide. Yugito smiled at the sight. It was rare to see Samui so unfettered.

Yugito licked her lips and leaned forward to close the gap. She closed her eyes and felt Samui relax marginally. Samui's lips moved to meet hers and she heard a small sigh of pleasure from the back of Samui's throat.

It was a short kiss, almost chaste. Yet, when they broke apart, Samui's face was flushed and she looked at Yugito like she never had before.

O-O-O-O-O

A/N: Yugito is actually the scariest jinchuuriki.

If you want to talk to me, I'm available on Tumblr at waffledogwrites. Thanks for reading! Love you!

Next chapter: Rasa is a dick.