A/N: Hey readers! I have a question for you guys, should I move the rating up? Or am I just being paranoid? -.-

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything except my OC's.

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

-oOoOo-

Chapter Four

Miyuki POV

I heard the crunching of dead leaves as we ran. We had to get back to our compound before they lock the gates for the night. "Onee-Chan why did Hatake-san look scared?" I asked while I tried to hold onto Ryuu's back.

She just gave me a cold shoulder, and kept on running. I wondered why was she so quiet. 'Is Onee-Chan mad at me?' Ryuunosake noticed my discomfort. "Don't worry she'll probably tell you when you get home." He said reassuring me. 'Ryuu you always know what to say.'

Ryuunosake was the calm and smart one, between the three of us. Ren was... Ren. He was funny and a -cough flirt cough-. It's strange that they're twins but couldn't be any different from each other. Ryu's hair was mahogany and Ren's was a mix of red and dark orange. Their eyes too... Ren's was azure blue like the sea' while Ryuu had sliver-blue eyes that you could melt in. 'Yes' I thought. 'Their my yin and yang'

I finished my musings and took in the scenery... the tall evergreen trees, the full moon illuminating them. Shadows playing on the ground, the animals of night scurrying as we neared them. The smell of the soil and cool fresh air. The forest was our home this is where we belonged. I like the village too, but the air was so polluted and the noise and there were so many people.

"Home sweet home..." Ren mumbled, breaking my thoughts.

We reached upon the familiar ironwood gates. The 100 feet high walls that surrounded our compound were covered protective seals. To keep the creatures of the forest from getting in.

"Lady Jun your Lady Hatsumi is looking for you."

"Tell her I will see her immediately."

The guard ran off leaving us there. I noticed the Ren and Ryuunosake tried to sneak away. "Wait! Don't think your off the hook yet. I'll see you when I'm done talk to Lady Hatsumi." Onee-chan said while glaring at Ren. "And Ryuunosake keep your brother out of trouble."

The two headed back to their house and I started draw circle on the ground with my foot. 'This weird... I always feel safe with Onee-Chan. But now I feel awarkard.'

We walked around our compound, the traditional Japanese house were still in good condition. As we walked farther into the town the the houses became bigger and more extravagant. But all through out our little village the street were eerily quiet and only a few lanterns lit the way. Finally we crossed the gates that lead to our house. It was the biggest one with trees surrounding it and unlike the rest of the houses, ours was a mix of traditional Japanese and Chinese.

As we reached the entrance to our mansion, a servant told us that mama was in the tea room. When we got there almost everything was destroyed, and in the middle was our mother smoking her pipe. She snapped at us. "Where we're you brats?!" Her dark green kimono slightly opened and her blonde locks tangled, a clear sign mother was pulling her hair out again.

We got on our knees. "Milady it's my fault that we were late." Onee-chan apologized. "Very well... I don't expect this to happen again. Now get out of my sight."

I got up and started to walk out of the messy room. "Wait! Not you Miyuki, stay here." I gave my Onee-chan a pleading look. But she just gave me a sad smile and a pat on the head. I heard her slid the door close and walk away.

"Come child, let us go somewhere more private."

She lead me to an empty room which held a door covered in vines, when mother opened it there was nothing but darkness.

"Tell me Miyuki, what do you see?"

"A void of blackness."

"Very good and what about now?" She closed the door and a few hand signs. When she opened it again a garden appeared instead of the darkness.

'Wow' I thought 'How did mama do this?'

The garden-if you can it that- it was basically a personal mini forest with tall evergreens and cherry blossom trees surrounding the place. A small river slowly flowing in front of us and lake at the horizon.

"Amazing isn't it? This was my older sister's garden." Mother said as we walked on a bridge. Her gaze becoming distant, like she's lost in thought.

"Mother, are you all right?"

"No... I'm not all right." She bluntly replied. "I'm being eaten by guilt... Miyuki, I have not been truthful to you. My Onee-chan came to me at night three years ago, asking for sanctuary her daughter."

I was confused, 'Why's mother telling me this? And who was the girl?'

"When I saw her, I was angry that she left me alone that I did not notice my Onee-chan didn't age a day, she still looked like a twenty year old. You see my sister ran away from our compound, she told me that she wanted to leave the life of violence. But by doing this she ignored her duty to the people and so she was named a traitor."

"Umm... if auntie came back, then where is she?" I asked in my child like voice.

"I took in her daughter, and killed her as was my job to end her life."

I had a nagging feeling in the back of my head. "Y-you're not my mother are you?" She let out a homorless chuckle. "Miyuki you're too damn smart for your own good." We came across a bench, and sat there in silence. "Do you know how our clan came to be?"

"No, Milady." I replied. I didn't know what to think, all my life I was being lied to. 'Is that why she rejected me? If Lady Hatsumi isn't my mother then who's my father.'

"Centuries ago, there were two brothers." Mother said. "The oldest was prideful and brave, while the youngest was humble and quiet. One day the brothers found an evil creature lurking in the forest.

So they pursued it and fought with it for many days, until they sealed it in a tomb of stone. But the brothers sustained great injuries and were spirits saw this and healed them and a gift to each of them. The eldest was given the power over elements and the other had the power of the kagami- the looking glass.

The kagami... was very special. It had the ability to look in to an enemies memories, to see their secrets and some even say it could see though your soul."

"So... what happened to them, Milady?" I quietly questioned.

Lady Hatsumi sighed and shook her head. "Sadly, the oldest was consumed by a demon of greed, he wanted more power and so he planned to steal his brother's eyes. The younger brother heard of this he tried to stop him, they fought, until finally oldest gave up.

But the youngest was too trusting and did not see the evil in his older brother's heart and when he dropped his guard. The oldest took this opportunity and killed him."

'H-he killed his brother! Why?' I thought.

"Miyuki in this world their are people who only care about power. They will not care who you are or what you are. They will kill anyone who gets into their way."

I felt tears escaping from my eyes. I couldn't take it anymore. First I find out my mother is actually my aunt and now I find out the world is filled with betrayal and power hungry people."B-but why... why?"

"Because they can. This is the survival of the fittest, if you are weak, then you'll be the first one to be struck down." Lady Hatsumi coldy said. She stroked my hair and tried to comfort me as she took off my mask and wiped my warm tears oof my face. "Don't worry Miyuki" Mama whispered. "The story's not over yet... one spirit in paticular saw this and took pity on the young man and gave him eternal life in exchange for his services.

You see, this spirit needed someone to be his heir and he said to the man 'I have not brought you back to life for nothing. I'm in need of a replacement and your smarter than the normal humans here.'

"Ano...who was the spirit?"

"The shinigami, the spirit of death."

"Milady if the youngest became the shinigami, what happened to the oldest."

"The oldest became sick in mind with madness. The elders were worried of what he could do, and so they banished him. But not before his wife conceived him a son... Miyuki we are of the bloodline of the oldest, (name) Kurogawa."

My face scrunched in confusion. 'Why was she telling me this?' She broke my thoughts and calmly stated. "Listen to what I'm about to tell you. Your father was.."

BOOM!

Suddenly we were interrupted by an explosion. Lady Hatsumi stood up and cradled me in her arms and started a dash to the main house, dropping my mask to the ground. I saw her eyes narrow at the sight that greeted us. There were bodies laying on the ground... women, men, children... they were every drowning in their own blood with several kunai knives sticking out of them.

"M-mother.." I turned to see my sister covered in blood and dirt. "I-I'm so s-sorry. I tried to keep them out, b-but their were too many!" She cried.

"It's starting..." Mother whisper to herself. "Jun take Miyuki and hide her." She gave me to Onee-chan and ran out, leaving us in the bloodied house. Onee-chan limbed through the maze of hallways while hugging me close to her chest.

"Onee-Chan... what's happening!?"

"Shhh. Miyuki we have to stay quiet"

"Onee Chan, I-I'm scared." I mumbled.

"D-don't worry we're almost there" she breathlessly said

When we got to my room, she put in the closet. "Stay here and I-I'll come and get you okay Miyuki." But I knew I may never see her again. The way she talked to me felt like she was saying good bye.

In a trembling voice, I said "Onee-Chan... don't leave". But before I finished she closed the closet door, leaving me in the dark. My breath quickened, I started to sob. I was afraid, afraid of what ever was out there. ... I heard screams every where. I slowly opened the door, only to be welcomed a man. Frozen with fear, I stared into his eyes.

"What a waste of a pretty face." The rouge-nin mumbled. Before I could understand what was happening, the ninja roughly pushed me to the ground.

"I'll make this quick little girl" he said in a raspy voice. The monster nibbled at my ears and licked my neck. I didn't know what to do. I looked in his eyes and saw lust.

In that moment I bit him in the shoulder. "YOU BITCH!".He grabbed me by my hair and threw me against the wall.

"I was going to have my fun with you. But now, I'm going to enjoy killing you little bitch."

'H-have to run away and get to Ren and Ryuunosake.' Just when the man was about to kick me in the stomach, I jumped up and sprinted outside. I could feel warm crimson liquid dripping from my forehead. I was so focused on running away,I never saw what was in front of me. Tripping as my foot caught on to a tree root. As I looked behide me, and saw a strange looking man...

The man had a dark and evil aura surrounding him. I felt his gold snake like eyes rack over my dirty body. I trembled in fear as he approached me, the gleam of the moon made his already pale skin paler. "You are a fine specimen." He stated.

I backed away from him and I ran as fast as I could, my feet crunching the grass in the dark forrest. 'Run, run away' I screamed in my head. Tree after tree passed me. My feet were bruised and bloody, my body ached all over. I felt like prey being hunted. Suddenly something jabbed my neck, making me fall face first. I lay there for a moment... numbness, was the first words to come to my mind. No matter how much I tried I couldn't move.

I heard rustling, the snake-man bent down in front of me, his black silky hair slightly covering my face. His breath tickling my sensitive ears. "That wasss a bad idea.." he angerly hissed. Then he struck one of my pressure points.

My eyes began to close...

-oOoOo-

A/N: Lady Hatsumi tells Miyuki of their family origins. Miyuki still thinks of Lady Hatsumi as a mother (if your wondering why she still refers to her as mother) Then the compound is attacked by rouge ninjas and Miyuki gets kidnapped by Orochimaru...so yeah.

Anyway please Review! And tell me if I should move the rating up.

Ja ne