The following morning, Kaiya could say she felt better. Still tired, and in some pain, but relatively better than the evening before.

She woke up earlier than expected, just as sunrise appeared. Greeted by what felt like way too many relatives -many of which she could only recognise by sight- Kaiya walked down the forest to a nearby river. It seemed like the Kobayashi chose their basecamp very strategical on that matter- they were placed in a zone of a forest that was hardly visited by people. And when they did, the locals knew to just stay away.

As for the river, all you had to do is to follow a thin pathway and carefully climb down a small, hill. Kaiya knelt down by the river and began to wash her face with the cold water. It was quiet until Kaiya felt how a pair of eyes locked on her from the other side of the river. For a moment, she froze. However, when she looked up and localized the person looking at her, she cracked a smile, relaxing. On the other side of the river, a particular green-clothed boy was looking at her, curiously.

'Good morning, Lee.' Kaiya greeted. 'Where were you?'

'I wanted to see more of the surroundings.' Lee answered as he stepped carefully on some rocks on the river, trying to get on the other side.

Kaiya watched the boy's careful steps with great attention. 'Alright but next time, take someone with you. You don't know who might be out there and something bad... might happen.'

Just as she finished her sentence, Lee lost balance and fell in the river. Luckily for him, the river wasn't very deep, hardly a few centimetres deep. Unluckily for him, it was an November morning, which meant that the water was ice-cold.

'I thought you said outsider people hardly pass by this place.' Lee said, getting up.

'Hardly, yes. But I never said never.' Kaiya corrected. 'Thing is, one can't really know when someone will pass by. They all come and go, and sometimes, someone will pass by. We never know if they're friend or foe. We stopped taking those kind of risks a long time ago.'

'Hm? Why?'

Kaiya shook her head.

'Because reasons that shouldn't concern you.'

'That's... not a really satisfactory answer.'

'I never meant it to be satisfactory.'

It was a fact that she didn't want to give a particularly satisfactory answer. In truth, she only gave the answer just for the sake to do so. For the reasoning behind, she just didn't like to talk about it. For why they didn't like coming in contact with the outsiders, she didn't know. Maybe it started with her biological father, maybe even before. Perhaps the realisation didn't fully kick in until more serious consequences came it. Just like her existence, and her brother's death.

With that, Kaiya got up on her feet. "The coronation will start soon. Are you coming?"

Lee nodded. Honestly, the idea of becoming Alpha never really fazed Kaiya. She did aspire being one at some point, but the idea didn't appeal her interests anymore. But what could she do now other than take the place? She could pass it on to her brother later, but for now, it was all up to her to fix the things the previous Alphas broke. Especially her aunt. She was not a coward.

While Kaiya saw it as an obligation, her family all saw it as a feast. As soon as she entered the basecamp, all eyes turned to her as she was greeted respectfully by various people.

"Oi, Kaiya!" A familiar voice said as someone tapped Kaiya's shoulder.

"What is it, Kouta?" Kaiya asked as she looked at the mass of people agitating.

"Everything's ready for your coronation. We even got to force aunt Ichika out of the big tent!" Kouta said, beaming with excitement.

Because of their status and importance, the Alpha had a separate, larger den for themselves. Most of the times, the Alpha died in battle before getting to see the new Alpha reign or be very old and sick and die within a very short time in the healer's tent, but since Ichika didn't live in either of the situations, she was forced to leave her tent and move into another, normal tent in order for Kaiya to fully take her place as Alpha, along with its advantages.

"Oh yeah, I guess the tent's mine now."

Suddenly, Kaiya frowned as a strange, stingy smell invaded her nose. It seemed like everyone sensed it, as a panicked agitation began to spread in the clan.

'What's wrong?' Lee asked.

Kaiya shook her head lightly. 'There's something...'

'Kaiya-sama!' One of the women that greeted her when she arrived the other hurried to her. 'Someone invaded the territory. They say they're an enemy.'

'Oh, the audacity. Please bring me to them. Everyone, prepare your weapons, just in case.'

She wasn't even crowned yet with the title of Alpha, but people seemed to find her the closest thing they had to a leader at that moment. Everyone did as she asked them, as Kaiya was led into the forest at a fast pace. Soon enough, when the scent became very strong, the woman stopped and pointed quietly at something in the distance. Kaiya focused to where the woman was pointing, to see a slim figure of a man.

With short blue hair, a cloak and a height that was surely not over 1,60 metres, the man was standing still, with the back at them. He still looked pretty young, though. In his mid-twenties, maybe.

'Thank you.' Kaiya told the woman, quietly. 'Please go back to the basecamp and make sure everyone's prepared for any attack.'

The woman nodded, before turning around and hurrying back to the basecamp. Slowly, Kaiya stepped towards the intruder. In her time as an ANBU, Kaiya learned how to mask most of the sounds that would give out her presence. In a sense, she could make herself invisible.

With each step she took closer to the man, a frown grew bigger and bigger as a feeling of recognition grew upon Kaiya.

'What are you doing here?' Kaiya said, her voice booming into the silence, leaving its mark through a long repeating echo. 'What's your business?'

Hearing her, the man jumped a little as he turned around. At the sight of his surprised face, Kaiya stopped dead in her tracks in shock. She knew him. She met him before. All those years ago when she first became a shinobi serving for Konoha, he tried to kill her and her teammates. The man smirked.

'Hello, Kaiya.'

His voice could be heard clearly through the forest. Without even seeing him move, the man was standing a little closer to Kaiya, a smile stuck on his face, hands in his cloak's pockets.

'Temon.' Kaiya acknowledged. 'How do you remember my name?'

'The same way you remember mine, my dear.' Temon said, quietly. This time, he found himself behind Kaiya, his hand gripping a kunai in his pocket. 'Some things are simply unforgettable. It's nice seeing you again after all these years.'

Kaiya didn't even realise how her body was shaking until that moment, as her heartbeat got out of control.

'What are you doing here?' Kaiya questioned, trying to be reasonable.

'Simply a visit. Nothing more, nothing less.'

Unlike three years ago, Kaiya was much more perceptive of other's gestures. She grabbed her tachi out quickly as she turned around, just in time to block the man's attack with a kunai.

'My family,' Kaiya said while jumping a few meters back, dodging some hits from the man's kunai, 'has no business to share with you. There's no point for your visits. How do you even know us?'

'Kaiya, dear, I'm a rogue. I've been a rogue even before you were born. I know this land's many secrets. There are more secrets and unaffiliated clans like you than you'd expect.'

'Rogues are usually caught within a few years of their unaffiliated. They're either killed or imprisoned.'

Temon's kunai was quite old and used up- with a greater effort, Kaiya hit the kunai hard enough to cut it in two. Unluckily for her, this only offered Temon a better way to attack from a closer range.

'I never did any crime bad enough to deserve being looked for.' Temon searched for an opening in Kaiya's defensive attacks, but to no use. 'Everyone thinks I'm dead. Besides, have you never heard of the story boy rescued by the Kobayashi?'

Kaiya's eyes widened a little. 'I did.'

'I am the boy.'

Kaiya jumped and landed on a high tree brach as she looked down at Temon. The lost boy rescued by the Kobayashi was a classic story that everyone in clan knew. Basically, about two decades ago, a small boy around the age of six stumbled upon the Kobayashi basecamp. It was still in the middle of the third great shinobi war, and the clan was careful about any outsider approaching.

Under many layers of mud and blood, the boy had many scratches and wounds, everything mixing under his constant tears. Carefully, a Kobayashi Elite approached him and asked what his name was and what he was doing there all alone. He then informed the Elite he merely responded to boy, and that he got separated from his parents, who were merchants in Konoha who tried to reach the land of Wind. He said his parents were taken away by some masked shinobi, who told him to run.

The Elite was no fool, and felt her heart ache- she was a mother herself, and the fate the child and his parents were pushed to was terrible.

'Boy, you will stay with me from now on, okay? You're safe now.' The Elite said, calming the boy down. 'And you need a name. A nice name. What do you think of Temon?'

The boy nodded as he wiped off his tears. 'Y...Yeah. Will mama and papa come after me?'

The Elite bit her lip. She couldn't lie to him. Give him hopes and dreams that would only disappoint him- it would hurt more than the truth. 'I'm afraid not. They were called to serve this world for a great price. It's terrible, but honourable at the same time. I'm afraid your parents won't be able to come and get you.'

The boy didn't understand the reasoning behind it very well, but he understood what one thing that the woman- his parents weren't coming back. It was confusing, but he didn't know what else to do. He grabbed the woman's hand and followed where she lead. He never liked woods. They were all the same- dark, cold, bloody. Yet, in the middle of the forest, as he held onto that woman's hand, he felt safer. How that was possible, he couldn't tell.

It was all fine for about a year or two. The Kobayashi took him in as the woman cared for the boy as if he was her own son. Kids would play with him and people would teach him their techniques. All well until the boy began questioning his roots. The Elite that took him in explained everything, without holding back anything. The night she found him, his parents were killed, while he was spared for whatever reason. The boy then accused her of holding him away from his home in Konoha and, even after the woman's pleads and attempts to reason with him, he fled back to Konoha.

Unluckily for him, Konoha didn't acknowledge him. In truth, the war was still going on mercilessly. They couldn't trust nobody, and a wild child that appeared out of nowhere, saying that he used to live inside Konoha wasn't something to play with. They send him away, leaving Temon all on his own. The stories say that Temon attempted returning to the Kobayashi, who also exiled him, much to his adoptive mother's pain. The story stopped after that, leaving the fate of the boy unclear. Little did they know that the boy somehow survived the war as a rogue, until he eventually found another runaway. They teamed up and they were inseparable from then on. That until death took a decision for their fate a long decade after being together.

Kaiya closed her eyes for a moment. 'How dare you stand before my eyes, just like that? On my territory! As soon as your foot hit my ground, shame should've boiled inside you. Be gone!'

Without giving him a single chance to defend, Kaiya jumped from the tree and threw herself towards the man, slashing his back with her tachi without holding back a single second. The cut was deep and hit his spine quite well. Temon fell on the ground immediately, screaming in agony as pain shot through his entire body. As she looked at him, Kaiya didn't feel any emotion. No empathy, regret, nothing.

'It's a pity you must die like this,' Kaiya told him, raising her sword in the air, yet again, 'but you should've thought about your deeds and their consequences before stepping on this ground.'

Relaxing her hand, the tachi fell upon the man's head, silencing him once and for all, sparing him from any more second of pain that he might've felt in that moment. When she returned to the basecamp, all people suddenly knelt down, occupying every possible spot, except a line that would lead her to the Alpha's Tent, where her mother was waiting for her, still standing. It was a tradition that implied that the assistant of the last Alpha would honour their master and crown the next Alpha. Kaiya frowned- they were all waiting for her. Quietly, the guard woman that led her to Temon earlier approached her.

'Kaiya-sama, is everything...?' She whispered.

Kaiya leaned towards the woman's ear.

'He's dead. Please take some people with you and bury him once the ceremony's done.'

The woman nodded before disappearing in the mass of people. Careful not to step on anyone's hands, Kaiya walked through the people, towards the Alpha's tent that was soon going to become hers. Through the masses, Kiba watched the scene unfold excitedly. His sister would've killed to see a crowning in person! She'll be so jealous when he'll tell her.

'That's my cousin there.' He told a man next to him. 'Kaiya's my cousin.'

'She's my cousin, too.' The man answered. 'Don't flatter yourself like an idiot and be quiet.'

Kiba imited the man under his breath, pissed by the answer, before returning his attention to Kaiya. She had reached the tent and her mother was telling her something he couldn't catch.

'Are you ready?' Fuzasane asked. 'To become Alpha, I mean. It's a big responsibility, and you're still only 18. God, you've missed a lot of stuff, and-'

'Mum,' Kaiya said softly, 'it's fine. I'm ready.'

Fuzasane nodded lightly, obviously nervous. 'Right. Stand like this, facing the people.'

Kaiya did as she was asked to. For a moment. she felt how anxiety crept on her as she came to a realisation. All those people looking up to her. How could she lead them all correctly? She had great responsibilities as a shinobi, and an even greater loyalty for Konoha. She couldn't leave it all behind!

'Kobayashi, stand up to face your new Alpha!' Fuzasane called out. Everyone obeyed and stood up. 'I, Fuzasane Kobayashi, daughter of Alpha Chihiro Kobayashi, assistant of Alpha Ichika Kobayashi, daughter of Alpha Chihiro Kobayashi, will crown Kaiya Kobayashi, daughter of Fuzasane Kobayashi, under the title of Alpha, so she may continue to protect you from all harm and lead you to eternal peace.'

It was a long speech, but such formalities were meant to be kept, no matter how disliked, boring or long they were. While many disliked it, Guy was astonished.

'So, Kaiya's grandmother and... aunt were both Alphas? Amazing!' He told Lee. 'Did you know that?'

'Only about her aunt. She never talked about her grandmother with me.' Lee asnwered, not taking his eyes off the ceremony.

'Kaiya Kobaiyashi, daughter of Fuzasane Kobaiyashi,' Fuzasane continued, 'will you protect this clan from all harm at all costs, including your life?'

'I will.' Kaiya nodded.

Fuzasane took some dirt in her hand and proceeded to stick some on Kaiya's forehead.

'Kaiya Kobayashi, daughter of Fuzasane Kobayashi, do you swear to do your best and lead this clan into eternal peace?'

'I will.'

Another mark of dirt was put on Kaiya's right cheek.

'Kaiya Kobayashi, daughter of Fuzasane Kobayashi, do you swear to be loyal only to the clan and raising it?'

For a moment, Kaiya hesitated, and Fuzasane knew why. In a way, many people guessed. She was very loyal to Konoha. They offered her possibilities that her clan couldn't. Yet, what could she do? She couldn't back away. Not then. She'll find a way to fix it. She didn't know how, but she knew that somehow, she would.
'I will.'

The answer raised some quiet murmurs in the crowd, that stopped as soon as they started. There was another mark placed on Kaiya's left cheek.

'Then I, Fuzasane Kobayashi, daughter of Alpha Chihiro Kobayashi, name you, Kaiya Kobayashi, daughter of Fuzasane Kobayashi, the new Alpha of the Kobayashi. May you reign long and in peace.'

Aligning quietly, people each came to Kaiya, bowed, and send their best wishes along with a small gift. Some brought plants, others brought furs, and some even brought small animals like rabbits.

'Guy-sensei, we have nothing to give her.' Lee said, quietly.

'It's alright. We're not part of the clan.' The man answered as he watched the scene unfold from afar.

Lee shifted on his legs, annoyed at the situation. How could he not give Kaiya something for her ceremony of becoming Alpha? It was disgracious!

After what seemed to take ages, everyone in the clan gave their gifts -hell, even Kiba brought something!-, Kaiya walked inside her new tent, as the gifts were brought inside, along with her. To be fair, Kaiya never entered the tent before, but she couldn't help but feel surprised.

The tent was much more spacious, and practically speaking, much more comfortable. The furs that covered the ground were thicker and fluffed, the bed had a much closer resemblance to a normal bed in Konoha than the ordinary Kobayashi beds, and the skins conjuring the bed were beautifully decorated in a multitude of coloured feathers of all shapes and sizes. Quietly, Kaiya sat herself on the bed, recollecting her thoughts.

'Well,' Fuzasane said, entering the tent, 'this place's much better without Ichika, if you ask me. Or anybody.'

'It still smells like her, though.' Kaiya commented.

Fuzasane sat herself next to Kaiya.

'It'll go away with time. Have you thought about an assistant?'

'Oh yeah. I didn't.'

'It doesn't have to be me, if you don't want to. I was only Ichika's assistant. With her gone, I'm nothing more than just another member now.'

'You're talking about her like she's dead.'

'I sometimes wish she was dead, honestly.'

'Don't talk like that. She might hear you.'

'I know. But she kills me sometimes with some stupid ideas of hers. Conservative bullshit.'

'Hmpf.' Kaiya shrugged. 'Can't really say much on the matter. Kouta's nothing like that, and Jun... I wouldn't know. Probably nothing like that either, but... y'know.'

Silence fell between the two for a while, both with the same thought in mind. Jun.

'Maybe Kouta wants to become my assistant.' Kaiya said, breaking the silence, 'He'd make a good leader.'

'What?' Fuzasane frowned. 'Leader?'

Kaiya bit her lip. 'I'm not going to remain here forever, you know it.'

'Then why-'

'I didn't want to leave aunt Ichika to continue to lead. Everyone hates hers, you said it yourself.'

'So what's the plan, genius? You're still the Alpha.'

'I know. If Kouta wants to in the first place, he'll become my assistant. I'll return to Konoha and leave him in charge. If he's good at it, I'll let him become Alpha. If he doesn't want to have anything to do with it, I'll look for someone else.'

Fuzasane sighed, standing up. 'You do you, Kaiya. You're in charge now. Just think well about what you do, okay?'

Kaiya nodded.

'I will.'

As she made her way to exit the tent, Fuzasane stopped for a moment as she turned her head around, looking at Kaiya from over her shoulder.

'I'll tell Kouta to come at you, okay?'

Kaiya nodded, again. "Okay.'

As soon as Fuzasane exited the tent, two people clothed in green entered in the tent, one of them the same age as Kaiya storming in excitedly, while the other one, in his mid-thirties, entering more calmly. The boy sat next to a startled Kaiya, before planting a kiss on her cheek.

'The ceremony was amazing!' Lee said, excitedly. 'Nothing like I've seen before. Not- Not even Lady Tsunade's ceremony of becoming Hokage!'

For a moment, Kaiya rubbed her eyes as she looked at the boy. 'Is that so?'

'Yes! Isn't it, Guy-sensei?'

'It is.' Guy stated calmly, as he sat cross-legged in front of Kaiya. 'It was definitely youthful. Also, the whole protocol! Your mother always specified who's whose daughter. Why is that?'

'Women are very valued in my family- especially mothers. They are all viewed with lots of respect as some sort of... special beings because their unique ability to give life. Many of my male cousins say that they wished they were born female to... to be capable to do that.'

As he listened, Guy's face relaxed. 'Interesting.'

'Eh.. Excuse me.' A voice said, shyly.

At the tent opening, a tall boy with similar facial features to Kaiya stood with a hesitant curiosity on his face.

'Kouta, right.' Kaiya said, remembering, as she turned to Lee and Guy. 'I would really appreciate if you would let me talk with my brother alone.'

'That's your-' Lee paused for a second, regaining control. He stood up. 'Right. Let's go, Guy-sensei.'

Guy nodded and, as they passed by Kouta, Lee muttered a nice to meet you to Kouta, leaving him even more confused.

'Who were they?' Kouta asked as he sat in front of Kaiya. 'Those weirdos.'

'Oh, the man's my sensei in Konoha, I told you about him.'

'The one that helped you become a shinobi? Guy?' Kouta raised an eyebrow.

'The very one. The other one, that boy's my teammate. He's... He's my boyfriend, actually.'

Kouta now raised both his eyebrows as he blinked in shock. He leaned back and raised one of his hands as if he signed stop.

'That's your boyfriend?'

Kaiya nodded.

'You have a terrible taste, nee-chan.' Kouta put his legs together and leaned his head on his arms that stood over his knees.

'You just don't know him, that's it.' Kaiya scoffed.

'Anyway, what did you want to talk about? I'm sure it wasn't your love life.'

Kaiya snorted, amused.

'Don't worry, it isn't about that. I was wondering if you wanted to become my assistant. Alpha's assistant.'

Kaiya could swear that she's never seen her brother so surprised before, ever.

'Me? Ah-Alpha's as-assistant? Are you insane?'

'Last time I checked, I wasn't.' Kaiya shrugged. 'You're a great, qualified person that I trust. Besides, I won't be here most of the time, and you know it. People probably trust you more than they trust me.'

'Wait... so you won't remain?'

Kaiya bit her lip, regretting her words. 'I won't. I have my responsibilities in-'

'You promised!' Kouta said in arousal. 'You promised loyalty only to the Kobayashi! To us!'

Kaiya said nothing, feeling how a wave of guilt hit her. Her brother couldn't understand the connections she made in Konoha and how she couldn't just leave it all behind. Yet... he was right, in a sense, and Kaiya knew it very well.

'When are you leaving?' Kouta asked, coldly.

'In two or three days, maybe.'

Kouta stood up. 'For one time, I actually hoped you'd stay and keep your promise. One time, Kaiya.'

And with that, he left the tent, leaving Kaiya alone. Her nose was burning as a tear rolled down her face onto the furs she was sitting on. It was a confusing moment- she never cried. Not because of her brother. Her brother and she had many arguments in the past, but none of them affected her the way this one did.

Maybe it was the self-consciousness and guilt on the matter that brewed it all into this result, but it was still an odd reaction. How could she, the Alpha, cry?

But even Alphas have feelings.

For the rest of the day, Kaiya remained inside her tent, staring at the ceiling. It was true that her parents were worried, but no one dared to bother her.

When seeing Kouta storm out of the tent, Lee and Kiba realised that something was going down and that it was, perhaps, for the best if they'd just let Kaiya be alone for the moment. It was, but as night began to come around and Kaiya still gave no sign of willing to give any sign of existing, they realised that maybe things were worse than they thought.

Out of all people, Kouta was probably the most worried and affected by it. He felt happy with the offer but outraged at the fact that his sister would leave again. He didn't mind any post he got but hell, he just wanted his sister. With her gone all the time, it was just like she was in no better fate than his brother. No, he realised, that's a terrible thought. She's doing better mostly words thrown in anger- he didn't mean them. He knew that now, and he regretted it. But mostly, he was afraid of his sister's reaction to it.

'Hello?'

Kaiya's eyes lingered from the ceiling to the tent entrance. 'Hi.'

'I- You haven't come out in a long time, everyone's worried... Are you alright?' Lee asked.

'I've been better.'

Lee sighed. He entered the tent and lay on the furry ground, a meter or two away from Kaiya, as the girl's eyes followed him. 'Do you want to talk about it?'

'I don't know. My brother told me some stuff, that's it.'

Lee nodded. 'Hm. Mean stuff?'

'Not necessarily, but I, eh... Look what the deal is. I've become these people's leader, and they want me to remain here. I understand it perfectly, but I can't just leave Konoha behind, and now everyone's pissed.'

'By they, you mean...'

'Yes, my brother.'

Lee didn't say anything, as he thought for a while. 'Don't be too angry him. I mean, how would you react if Lady Hokage would be gone all the time?'

'I know, but I'm not Lady Hokage! I didn't even want to be Alpha. I'm trying to get these things settled without triggering people, but if my brother won't listen, I-'

'Calm down, think about it. Your brother seemed really worried today after he talked to you. Try again to come to terms with him and if you can't come to terms with him, just choose someone else.'

'If it was only that simple, Lee. I gambled everything on my brother accepting.'

'That's not a very youthful plan.' Lee commented, under his breath.

'Shut up.' Kaiya groaned as she turned with her back at the boy. 'I don't know about you, but I'm honestly exhausted. Aren't you tired?'

'A little.'

'Lucky you, I guess'

Lee smiled a little to himself. He had no right to judge the girl's attitude. Yes, she wasn't very nice, but she wasn't going through the best time of her life either. The best thing he could do at the moment gives her time, respect and support. Lee stood up in a sitting position. Kaya turned her head around and locked eyes with him.

'You know, you can remain here overnight if you want.'

'Really?' Lee asked, wide-eyed. 'But isn't this the Alpha's tent?'

'Yes. If the Alpha wants, their partner can use this tent as well.'

Lee smiled, as he laid back down, on his back. 'That's nice.'

'Yeah.' Kaiya smiled in return, before making herself comfortable again in her bed. 'It is.'

'Goodnight.'

'Goodnight. I love you.'

'I love you, too.'

A/N

Hello, everyone! How's everything going?

Here we are, with an extra long chapter of 4.6K of words! I must say, I really enjoyed writing this part, as we got to bring Temon back and give him some closure, and we took a deeper look into the Kobayashi traditions and stories! Also, we got to see a little of Kaiya's relationship with Lee, which is now officiall g.

In the future chapters, I'll bring some temporary closure with the Kobayashi and look into the aftermath of Pain's attack in Konoha. What do you guys think?