Chapter 2
She saw the bodies strewn about the ground, kunai lodged in buildings and bodies, and the blood of her closest family covering her hands. "Mom…dad…Sasuke-nii-san…Itachi-nii-san…" Tears were running down her cheeks, mixing with the blood on her face. "They're gone…they're gone…because I couldn't protect them…" She felt herself being pulled out of the nightmare and saw Itachi shaking her awake.
She shot up in bed, a cold sweat moistening her skin and tears still on her cheeks. She still felt faint sobs wracking her chest and throat as her heart beat painfully. "Nii-chan…calm down…" She closed her eyes, letting the tears out, and gripping the covers tight. "Are you okay?" She felt her heartbeat slow down, stopping its painful hammering on her ribcage, and the sobs died away slowly. She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand, before saying, "I…I think so…" "What happened?" He questioned, getting a wet cloth and putting it on her forehead.
"…It was my nightmare again…" She held the cloth on her forehead, and noticed Itachi looked ready to go somewhere. "Where are you going?" "Nii-san wants me to help him throw kunai." "Can I come? I want to show you guys how good I got!" "Sure." She smiled, swinging her legs off the bed, and stood up. "Are you sure you're okay?" "I'm positive!" She changed into a black tank top with the Uchiha fan on the back and dark jean shorts before going outside.
She went to the targets, and waited for Itachi to come with Sasuke. "God! Sasuke, you're way too slow…" "No I'm not!" "God, little brothers are SO annoying…" "WE'RE TWINS!!!" "But I was born first." She said, smiling. "By an hour!" "An hour makes all the difference." Before the fight could escalate any further, Itachi said, "Didn't we come to train, not verbally attack each other?" "You're right, nii-san. I'll go first." Ayumi said, taking out kunai and shuriken. "You won't be able to do it." Sasuke said, not believing in her.
She jumped into the air, throwing the weapons quickly, and with deadly accuracy. When she landed, all of the weapons hit the center of every target, and she said, smirking, "Didn't you say I couldn't do it?" Sasuke's mouth was hanging open a moment, but he shut it, saying, "I can do that! Easy!" "Then do it." She stepped back. He took the spot, and tried. He really tried, but he didn't hit a couple targets, and Ayumi knew he was going to land on his foot wrong. "Nii-san!" She tried to catch him, but it was too late. He twisted his ankle. "Are you okay, nii-san?" she questioned, worried.
She kneeled by him, putting a hand on his back. She sighed, knowing it was her fault, and said, "I'm…sorry, nii-san…" "Sorry? For what?" He questioned, giving her a confused look. "I shouldn't have pushed you to do it. Because of me…you got hurt…" "It's okay. It doesn't hurt that bad…" She smiled, and helped him stand, with his arm around her shoulders. Itachi offered to carry Sasuke on his back, and they were soon heading home again. Ayumi said, "Nii-san…when you're a ninja, do you always lose lives?" "Not always, but it can happen…" "How do you prevent it?"
Itachi looked at her a moment, asking, "Why do you want to know, nii-chan?" Ayumi's gaze flickered to Sasuke, and she said, "…I don't know if I can protect the people closest to me…" After a moment of silent walking, Itachi said, "You just need to be as strong as you can be. There's nothing else you CAN do." They walked in silence until they reached the house. After their mother helped Sasuke with his ankle, their father called them. When they were all sitting before him, their father said, "Because of Itachi's important mission tomorrow, I'll be accompanying him."
Ayumi's heart sank as she thought, 'But what about the Academy Entrance Ceremony…?' She didn't say anything, but almost anyone could see the disappointment in her blue/white eyes. ALMOST anyone..."Then it's decided." Ayumi sighed, her eyes downcast and sad. She'd been looking forward to her father going to the Entrance Ceremony, but...life was unfair sometimes. "Actually, father, I'm going to their Entrance Ceremony instead." Ayumi perked, looking at Itachi with innocent, questioning eyes. "But this mission could make you an ANBU captain!" Their father protested. "A relative is required to go to the ceremony. I know Ayumi and Sasuke told you."
"Okay...I get the hint. I'll go to the Entrance Ceremony." Ayumi beamed, happy again, and smiled gratefully at Itachi. When they were outside the room, she hugged him, saying, "Arigato, nii-san! Arigato!" Sasuke was just as happy, and Ayumi said, "Let's go play a board game...at least you won't get hurt again..." After glaring at her, all three siblings went to the living room, and spent the rest of the day playing games and having fun...something Ayumi would remember for the rest of her life...