Chapter 4
Ayumi was heading home after a couple hours of training, and just wanted to relax...when she noticed three policemen go to her front door. Curious, she hid on the roof, and heard Itachi open the door. She heard them talk about the death of Shisui Uchiha, which made her gasp silently, and heard the hidden meaning of their words. 'They think Itachi did it?' she thought, moving to see more clearly, when Itachi quickly defeated them. "Nii-san?" She questioned, and she saw him freeze. She jumped off the roof, asking, "Nii-san...what are you doing?" He didn't say anything as she walked closer. "Itachi-nii-san...is something wrong?"
Before he could answer, her father asked, "What's going on?" Ayumi froze, and her father repeated the question. The men explained, and her father said, "I don't know what to do..." "Father, don't be so hard on him. He's been stressed out from ANBU missions, and they accused him without evidence. He just got mad, father." "Don't get into other peoples business, Ayumi." "This is my nii-san, father. It IS my business." She said stubbornly. He gave her a look saying that he was going to punish her later, but she didn't care. "Fine...I'll keep an eye on him from now on..." The men reluctantly agreed, and their father walked inside.
Ayumi looked at Itachi with an innocent, curious gaze before noticing Sasuke at the front door. "Nii-san..." Ayumi sighed, and forced a smile, going up to Sasuke. "Come on, nii-san. We can practice with our shuriken out back." Sasuke nodded, his eyes still wide, but she eventually led him out back, casting another questioning gaze over her shoulder at Itachi. They practiced for a couple hours, when her father called her into his study. She walked slowly, dragging her feet as she walked in, closing the door. "Ayumi...you're my daughter, and as my daughter, you must obey me."
She looked at him stubbornly, wondering what he was getting at. "You go to school, become a powerful shinobi, marry a man of my choosing..." "Since when?" She questioned. "I'm going to marry whoever I want. You can't choose who I fall in love with!" He smacked her so hard she fell to the floor. "You WILL do as I say! You WILL marry whoever I say to." A lone tear ran down her cheek as she said, "I guess being myself isn't enough for you..." She looked up at him defiantly, "But it's enough for me. If you don't like who I am, then too bad!" He tried to kick her, but she dodged, standing.
"Why can't you just accept who I am?!" She yelled, wiping the lone tear away. "You're supposed to be who I tell you to be!" "Screw that idea! I'm a human being, and I can make my own decisions!" He smacked her again, and she said, "Do your worst...you can't break me." He was about to try just that when the door opened. "Father...that's enough." Itachi said, walking in. Their father said nothing as he left. Ayumi rubbed her cheek, cursing darkly under her breath. "Who teaches you those words?" Itachi questioned. "Nobody...I just pick them up..."
After a moment, Itachi said, "Come on...we'd better go eat." "Fine..." They went to the dinner table, and Ayumi sat as far away as she possibly could from her father. When her mother put her food in front of her, she smiled, saying, "Arigato." She ate quickly, and washed her dishes before heading to the shared room. She sat on the bed, thinking, 'If Naruto had parents, I wonder what they would be like...' She changed into her pajamas and snuggled deeply under the covers. She started falling asleep, knowing the nightmare would soon take hold, and almost welcomed it with open arms. Anything was better than what she was going through...sometimes, she wished her father was dead...