*Sorry for the late update. Please enjoy the chapter.*

Asuka, Neji and Kiba all stood in the Hokage's office.

"According to Neji's report... You slapped Amaya?!" Tsunade raged at Asuka, "Are you out of your mind?! Doing stuff like that reflects badly on us as a whole. You should consider yourself lucky that she chose to cover it up for you."

Asuka simply stood there. She knew this was coming and she knew she deserved it. Neji was right, she shouldn't have let her feelings effect how she preformed on the mission.

Tsunade took a deep breath.

"Did she deserve it?" Tsunade asked.

Asuka was shocked at this change in attitude.

"Ma'am?"

"Did she deserve it?" Tsunade repeated simply.

"Yes, Ma'am." Asuka replied.

"Then I say good for you. You're dismissed."

They all bowed and made their exit.

Asuka went home, flopped on her bed and passed out. When she awoke again it was about 3pm. She ate, showered and headed up to the place Neji had showed her above the Hokage faces.

I'm glad Neji showed me this place... I wonder if still sees me the same way after everything that happened... I still can't believe that Amaya popped back up like that...Why did she cover for me with her dad? Was it a ploy to try and get me to trust her again?I hate her for what she did to me! Did she really think it would be that easy to fix things? She betrayed my trust and made it difficult for me to trust anyone who wanted to call themselves my friend. Just as I was starting to open up and try and move past the whole thing...

Asuka's thoughts continued to ramble as she tried to make sense of everything. At about 7pm the sun began to set.

"Feeling better?" Naruto asked startling Asuka.

"Naruto you jerk! You scared me half to death!"

"Sorry about that. I just wanted to come see how you were doing. Kiba told me what happened on the mission so I asked Neji where he thought you would be."

"Thanks for checking up on me. I'm doing better now, but I just never expected to see her again."

"Glad to hear you're feeling better."

Asuka's stomach growled loudly.

"I guess I must be hungry."

"How about we go to Ichiraku's? My treat." Naruto offered.

"Sounds like a plan to me."

Asuka and Naruto headed to Ichiraku's and chatted as they ate. Once they had finished eating Naruto walked Asuka home. When they arrive Neji was waiting at the front door.

"I'll see you later Asuka, it looks like Neji wants to talk to you."

"Later Naruto." Asuka responded.

Asuka then offered for Neji to come in and he accepted. They both sat down in the living room and Asuka waited for Neji to start the conversation.

"I want to give you a chance to explain what happened on the mission." Neji stated.

"There really isn't much to explain. I've told you all about what happened with Amaya. I know as a Leaf shinobi I'm supposed to keep my feelings in check but when I realized who she was... it was like I couldn't control myself. I don't know if I can ever forgive her."

"If there is anyone who can understand the hate you feel in your heart, its me. I know that you can keep your head in difficult situations. You proved that with the Feudal Lord's son. I just ask that you try your best to not let it consume you as I let my hatred do." Neji comforted.

"Thanks Neji. I'm sure I can do that with you by my side." Asuka said as she shyly reached out and touched Neji's hand.

They gazed into each others eyes for what seemed like an eternity.

"I had better go," Neji said breaking the silence.

"Alright." Asuka replied as they got up and walked to the door.

"Thank you for hearing me out and being so understanding." Asuka said.

"You're welcome," Neji leaned in close and tucked Asuka's hair behind her ear, "I'll see you later."

"Bye," Asuka almost whispered as Neji walked away.

With the door closed behind her, Asuka went to the kitchen and made herself some ramen. Once she had finished eating there was a knock at the door. Asuka cautiously opened the door and found Amaya standing there.

Asuka's rage flared.

"Asuka. Please don't slam the door in my face. I came to apologize." Amaya said as she bowed low.

"How could you think that this pathetic apology would make up for all the time you spent torturing me!?" Asuka shouted.

"I don't think that which is why I want to offer my services." Amaya explained remaining bowed.

"And what service would that be exactly?" Asuka asked a bit curious.

Amaya stood up. "I know you might not believe this but our encounter as kids changed me. You left without saying goodbye so I had no idea what happened to you. I didn't even know if you were alive or dead. I felt so guilty that I decided that I was going to work at bringing people together instead of push them apart. I searched all over for you and any time I got close you disappeared again. Finally I discovered you were in the Leaf Village and asked my father to ask for a team to 'rescue me' in hopes that you would be part of the team to come."

"You mean the whole thing was staged?!" Asuka wasn't angry anymore just shocked.

"Yeah, the girls that held me captive were actually my old friends who I convinced to join me in my transformation." Amaya explained.

Asuka stood there speechless.

"How do I know you're not just lying and making the whole thing up just to try and get close to do more damage?"

Amaya pulled out a scroll from her pouch and opened it. On the scroll Asuka could clearly see written: We promise to dedicate our lives to bringing people together. To seek forgiveness to those we have wronged and to give forgiveness to those who have wronged us. United we stand.

Then several signatures in blood followed, including Amaya's.

"Okay so who is it you want to bring me together with?" Asuka asked still a little suspicious.

"Your father."

Asuka laughed. "You really think you can find my father? My mother spent the last part of her life trying to find him and turned up nothing. Besides I'm not sure I ever want to meet him. If the guy didn't want to be found then he obviously wasn't very interested in me."

"But aren't there questions you want to ask him?"

"Of coarse but that doesn't mean that I'll want to be friends with him."

"No one says you have to. My job is to bring people together even if its just for closure." Amaya explained.

Asuka stopped and thought about everything.

"So let me get this straight. You want to earn my forgiveness for everything you've done to me by reuniting me with my father? No strings attached?" Asuka asked.

"That's right."

"What if you fail?"

"I never give up till I either find the person I'm looking for or find out what happened to them if they have died."

"So if I agree to let you do this for me, I won't see you till you have found some sort of information?" Asuka asked.

"Exactly."

Neji's words echoed in Asuka's head, I just ask that you try your best to not let it consume you as I let my hatred do.

"Alright. If you are serious about earning my forgiveness then I will let you try to find my father."

"Thank you! You won't regret this! Now do you have any information to help me get started?"

"Come on in and sit down. I'll see what I can find." Asuka offered.

Once Amaya was sitting at the table Asuka went and searched her boxes and finally found the folder on her father that her mother had kept. There was a birth record from his home village and some old school report cards.

Asuka took the folder and placed it on the table in front of Amaya.

"This is all that my mother managed to find. One of our homes burnt down when I was little and so all of the pictures my mom had of my father were destroyed. I was too little to remember anything so I don't even know what my father looks like."

"It's a starting place at least. And as I said, I am not going to give up till I either bring him to you or the news of his death and how he died." Amaya encouraged.

Asuka studied Amaya. Something about her is definitely different. The fact that she would go to so much trouble to reunite me with my father is something the old Amaya would never do even to get close. That would be to much work. Still... I have a really hard time trusting her, but if she is sincere and does what she promises then it will show she had changed. I'm not going to get my hopes up though. Mom couldn't find much why should I expect Amaya to be able to?

"Something on your mind?" Amaya asked.

"Nothing important... So when will you leave to begin your search?"

"I will leave first thing in the morning, which means I should probably get back to the hotel so I can get a good night's sleep." Amaya stood up and headed for the door.

Asuka followed.

"The next time you see me I will have your answers." Amaya said as she ran off.

"Good luck." Asuka called out.