"Hokage…" Seina said a bit suddenly as she watches lifeless Rin. The Third looks at her with a calm yet curious look.

"Yes Seina?" He answers back, glancing back at Rin.

I am the slave of my beloved Hime-sama. Kyo's voice echoed in her head and she closes her eyes, "Nevermind." She says and gets up. "Good-bye." She walks out but the Third's words make her stop and look back.

"Thank you for carrying her all the way here…I hope you will be a good friend to her no matter what." The Third's eyes looked sad as he spoke his gratitude.

"You're welcome and…I hope I will too." Seina smiles a bit then turns her head back, continuing in walking away.

"…So many good, strong kids these days." His eyes trace back to Rin and he sighs, "It seems everytime I do see you is when you are unconscious." He chuckled a bit to himself as he got up, his hands meeting behind his back.

Rin stirred around as her eyebrows scrunched up together, distress spreading on her face. She sits up, a gasp escaping her lips. She breathes heavily and she locks stares with the Third. She runs a hand through her hair as she stares at him with cynical, cold eyes. "I know what you're thinking and i-"

"Do you really know Rin?" Third interrupted quickly with a calm voice, she glares at him. "Glare at me all you want." Rin grumbles a bit as she shifts to a comfortable position. "I need you to tell me the truth…can you do that?"

"Depends on the question."

"Why do you always seem to end up hurt or poisoned?" Rin's expression showed pure hate and detest at the question.

"Blame my shadow." The third raises an eyebrow at her response.

"Blame your shadow huh." Rin eyes narrow as someone entered the room. "Ah, Tsunade. Good, you came." Tsunade looked at Rin, examining her.

"You look like your mother." Tsunade commented, smiling a bit. Rin's heart ached, her vision getting blurry. She clutches the blanket covering her tightly as she gritted her teeth.

"I do not!" Rin yelled, anger written all over her face. Tsunade's mouth opens a bit in surprise. "I don't…." Rin eyes saddened as she couldn't see anything but blurry colors. Tsunade's face turns serious as she examines Rin confidently.

"Can you see me?" Tsunade asks.

"No. I just see colors." Rin replies, her eyes showing confusion at Tsunade.

"Nausea?"

"No."

"Any aches?"

"No."

"Headache?"

"I think one's starting now." Rin comments bluntly and Tsunade cracks a smile. Tsunade gets up and talks to them both.

"You only have a small dose of poison in you, it'll go away soon." She comments and walks to the door, she stops. "Nice meeting you Rin."

"Ya…" Rin said back as Tsunade continued to walk away.

"Rin." Rin turns her head to the Third's voice, her vision clearing a bit. "I want to give you something." Rin gets up as the old man leaves the room. She sits on the ledge of window, looking at the blurry sky. She glances sideways at the empty door then closes her eyes. A clank noise and a cold sensation made her eyes snap open, she saw a little singing blue bird in a cage on her lap. She looked at the Third with confusion and he smiles. "It's yours. Set it free, keep it with you or whatever you want. It's your choice." Rin presses her lips together and nods. The Third's smile widens and he exits the room.

"How about…killing you?" Rin stared at the baby blue bird who continued to sing with no fear. She bangs against the cage with frustration yet she still carries it with her as she jumps out the window. She sees Gaara on the roof of a building, looking straight ahead. She climbs up to him and sits beside him. Silence. Only the little blue bird's voice droned on and on.

"What's up with the bird?" Gaara broke the silence as he stared at the blue bird with curious eyes.

"I got it from the Third." Rin's vision soon clears up as she knew she had gotten used to the poison symptoms. Like so many times before. "It won't shut up."

"Well duh. It's a singing bird. Apparently it's supposed to bring happiness to its owner." Gaara replied.

"Guess mine's a defect since I don't feel anything right now." Gaara stares at her in a way that wasn't judging at all. Rin looks at him and they continue to stare at each other. "What would you do if you had this bird?"

"Set it free." He said it with no hesitation that it made Rin's eyes widen. Rin closes her eyes, her fist clenching in frustration. She gets up, walking to the edge.

"I got a request for you. Or a promise if you will." Gaara looked at with confusion and curiosity clouding his eyes. "If one day I come to destroy and kill everyone in this village, you and Naruto can kill me. No hesitation. Just kill me..." Gaara's eyes widen as Rin takes a step off the roof. "Thank you." Soon all that was left of view was her long hair then nothing. He sat there, stunned at her request. His face soon filled with pain as her words finally sunk in.

"What face was she making when she said that to me?" His eyes were filled with pain as he yelled in frustration. Why am I feeling this way? I honestly don't know.

Rin eyes turned hollow as she went through the forest, calm and composed. A figure behind her hugs her, she has no reaction. "Kyo." Kyo pouts at her reaction, his eyes trace to the cage. "What would you do to this bird if it was yours?" Kyo smirks evilly as he whispers in her ear.

"Kill it of course." He said it so confidently and fast Rin felt that it was what you should do. "Don't tell me you didn't think of that?"

"…."Kyo sighs at her silence.

"Your skills have gotten rusty."

"…It seems so."

"How many have you killed?"

"One." Kyo's eyes widen.

"That's it? Man you've gotten soft." Kyo unravels himself from her and pecks her on the cheek. She doesn't flinch. "This is good. You're going back to your old self. For the past few days you had such funny reactions." Rin walks back toward the village. "Where are you going now?"

"To make a choice."

"…Rin! Don't forget who you really are! They are only nice to you because they don't know who you really are! No matter how much you hate us, you are one of us!" He calls after her with a sideways smirk. "Only I can love you for you!" Rin stops, she turns her face sideways, giving him a look with half closed eyes.

"If that is true…then I guess being alone isn't that bad." She gives a stone cold stare to him then continues on. Kyo smirk grows as his eyes fill with amusement yet sadness.

"RIN!" someone yelled and Rin gazed at the culprit.

"Hey Naruto…what's up?" Naruto looked at Rin, worry hidden in his eyes.

"Nothing much-" his eyes pop out when he sees the bird. "Uh…Rin…you have a bird with you."

"Uh huh." She replies coolly.

"It's in a cage." He points to it limply.

"Uh huh. Your point is?"

"Nothing…it's cute." He bends down to look at it. "It has a pretty voice." He grins bigly at Rin whose face soon fills with pain. Naruto's eyes widen as she hugs him tightly. "R-?"

"Don't smile at me. I don't deserve it." She hugs him tighter, leaving Naruto speechless. She lets go of him and walks away, leaving him stunned.

"…..Rin?" Naruto managed to say as her expression burned in his memory. "Why are you acting like you won't come back…?" The words finally sunk in and his expression also shows extreme pain.

Thoughts rushed through her head. "It's yours. Set it free, keep it with you or whatever you want. It's your choice."" Set it free." "Kill it of course." "They are only nice to you because they don't know who you really are!"

It's for the best. Naruto and Gaara meet up, both having sad expressions. No one can love me if they knew. They run separate ways, Naruto speaking to Hinata and the others, while Gaara goes to tell the Third. After all, I am a killer. She leaves the cage in a room, closing the door as she walks out. Silence. The blue bird had stopped singing. Inside the cage was a bloody, dead blue bird. It was forced to stop singing. Forever. I made my choice.