A/N: Hiya! I'm back and I'm not dead, though some people might wish I am after reading this author notes. -clears throat- So first off I will be revising chapters 1-6 because writing in third person is much easier and more detailed... and I have a thing with everything being the same or I'll get twitchy. ╮(•́ω•̀)╭ And I'm sorry it took so long to post up this chapter.

Second, I will really appreciate if you guys give me some feedback. I keep on writing and I don't even know if you guys like it. I would love to hear people's take on the chapters and their opinions about the writing. What I should change or fix because sometimes my writing doesn't make sense and I would really like to improve my style in my writing too. So yeah...

(。_。) I'm forgetting something oh well whatever...Geez I'm getting off topic! (-.-') Onward with the story~

Happy reading!

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

·•㊨•·

Chapter Seven

Beep, beep, beep, beep…

A pale thin hand surged forward to stop the infuriating noise only to find air. The face of a young Kurogawa scrunched in confusion and buried her head deeper into the cloud like pillow. Golden eyes snapped opened, there were no pillows in her cell. Miyuki shot up from her warm bed and carefully examined her surroundings. In the early stages of her stay with Orochimaru she learned not to trust everything she sees. The snake-sannin the cruel man that he was would put Miyuki in genjutsu making her relive the night her clan members were slaughtered in cold blood. Almost breaking her already fragile psyche.

The room was...clean and simple, with a small side table decorating it. The annoying beeping noise came from a black box with little bright green squiggly lines always going up and down. (A/N: it's a heart monitor) Finally, noticing the clear tubes in her arm, Miyuki quickly ripped them out not caring that precious crimson flowed out of her.

BBBBEEEEEPPP!

The raven haired girl flinched as she hopped off the bed, taking with her a white blanket to stop the bleeding. She walked through the hallway passing many doors. 'Strange...you'd think they would've posted guards...or something.'

Rounding at the corner Miyuki saw two men, the oldest wore a long red and white robe reaching the floor and a wide hat almost covering his aged face. While the other was clad in navy blue pants with an equally blue long sleeve shirt, and a green vest. She immediately recognized the younger one as her blonde savior. The girl slowly backed away, not wanting to bring attention to herself. Instead, she hit a very warm sturdy wall. Looking up, Miyuki saw a ivory haired middle aged man with red lines running to his eyes down to his cheeks.

"H-hello", The amber eyed girl greeted, trying and failing to act nonchalantly.

"Next time when you escape don't leave a trail of blood for someone to follow."

"Hehe...oops."

Scrambling out of the way, Miyuki dove under the man's legs. But with lightening fast reflexes, the toad sage caught the Kurogawa child by the collar of her baby green hospital gown and lifted her small body up in the air. "Sensei! Look what I found!" The man smugly presented Miyuki to his other colleagues.

·•㊨•·

"Are you sure we shouldn't let them know? She's their only remaining relative."

"I'm well aware of that however I can't let her wandering around the village when she might be a danger to herself and everyone around her." The Hokage sighed, it pained him to see a child as young as Miyuki already experiencing the harsh reality of the ninja world.

The blonde ninja was about to say something when the boisterous voice of his old mentor interrupted him. Both men turned to face Jiraiya only to sweat drop at the white haired man's antics. "Jiraiya," the Hokage said in a scolding tone,"you should have brought her back to her room."

The said man pouted as Minato took the little girl away from him. Miyuki placed her head on the blue eyed jounin's shoulder, and released a sigh. Minato looked at the tired child, "You know you should have stayed in your room and rested." The midnight haired girl blankly stared at the white walls they passed. No matter how pretty or how much they dress it up with fancy words, this place was just a glorified prison cell. But Miyuki was taught manners though she never used it during her stay with Orochimaru, she knew when to express her gratitude. Especially since he got her out of that hell hole.

"Thank you...ninja-san for saving me." Miyuki whispered, a red hue covering her cheeks.

The blonde shinobi chuckled warmly at the Kurogawa heir. "You're welcome and please call me Minato."

The young girl recognized his name, she may have been isolated from everyone else but that gave her opportunities to read about the village near their compound including a certain Bingo Book. "You're Minato Namikaze the yellow flash of Konoha. I read about you..."

Minato smiled as her topaz eyes shined with excitement and placed her at the edge of the bed. He took out a white box with a red cross on the lid and wiped the blood off her pale arm and attentively wrapped it in bandages. While Hiruzen and Jiraiya slipped quietly into the room.

·•㊨•·

Ren stomped into the Konoha Hospital with one task in mind. Finding the bastard that kept him from his charge in other words the fucking Hokage. He almost fell as a navy blue gloved hand grabbed his shoulder to hold him in place, "Stop making a scene you fool." The younger Kurogawa twin hissed, only to be brushed off.

"How can you be so- so freakin' calm about this. The Hokage didn't even tell us! Hell, we wouldn't have known if it weren't for Rin! Of all people-."

"Enough Ren! This is a family matter and with you screaming your problem to the whole world. At least half of this miserable village knows about our predicament. Thanks to your uncanny ability on not being able to keep. Your. Mouth. Shut." But of course his message just flew over his brother's head. Ryuu rubbed his eyes in frustration and decided to ignore his counterpart for the sake of not losing the little control he had over his temper.

Ren being overdramatic, slammed the door open hitting the frog sage in the process. "WHAT THE HELL OLD MAN?!" An adolescent voice rang throughout the room.

"Show some respect brat!" Jiraiya yelled back, nursing bump on the back of his head.

The older Kurogawa boy turned to face the white haired man and crossed his bare arms over his black ninja vest covered torso symbolizing his Chūnin rank. "Well, if it isn't Jiraiya the pervert."

"No, I'm just a simple man whose greatest wish is to share his love of the female physique." He proudly corrected, his eyes sparking while red rose petals rained down in the background.

"So you're a lech..." Ren replied in a deadpan tone.

"I'm no lecherous fiend! I dedicated my life to spread and pursue the sexual nature of everything!"

The red haired raised his arms behind his head and grunted, "To-may-to, to-ma-to, no matter what you say old man you're still a fucking perver-"

Ryuunosuke shoved his idiot brother out of the way sending him tumbling down to the floor. "Why weren't we informed?" He coldly asked as Ren stood up and wiped his hands onto his dark red pants while mumbling about an assshole. Despite what people might think, Ren knew when not to cross the line with his younger brother.

Miyuki took notice of the red haired twins. She watched the boy with shoulder length hair clench his hand against the side of dark grey pants. It interested her how his stare intensified, when the adults didn't say a word. "Who are you?" She wondered out, then an image of two boys she always played appeared in her mind. They looked different yet the same. The older boy was more rugged, wild and had an animalistic gleam in his eyes. The three scars on his left cheek and unruly red hair only helped to accentuate it. However while his brother was untamed. The youngest radiated with a gracefully yet commanding aura, making up for his more feminine face.

"Ryuunosuke...Ren?" But they were too busy arguing to even take time acknowledge her.

"We were going to you as soon as she was stable"

"-it was for the best-"

"-looking for years, and now! You-"

"We didn't know the effects of Orochimaru's experiments could do to-"

Miyuki hated this-her eyes took slightly red tint-she hated how people automatically assumed that she was too young to understand. It made her feel weak... "Stop taking as if I'm not here!" The girl felt bitter, all years of neglect finally catching up to her. They turned their attention to Miyuki. She frowned at the shocked expressions painting their faces. "I want to know what's happening! And what do you mean by years? Where's Onee-chan?" Her voice becoming more desperate.

The twins glanced at each other with knowing looks and slowly approached their long lost relative. Ryuunosuke knelt in front of the nervous girl and gently put her hands into his as Ren gave her a side hug. "We thought you died-" He whispered into Miyuki's hair.

"we searched for you... for two years." Ryuu finished.

"Where's everyone?! Please! I wanna know!" She begged, wanting nothing more than answers. Though Miyuki knew; somewhere deep inside she knew her loved ones were forever out her reach.

"Maybe it's time to leave and let Miyuki rest." Hiruzen suggested, seeing that she was becoming more frantic.

"No! Tell me the truth!" The dark haired girl screamed at the top of her lungs, pushing both Ren and Ryuunosuke off her person. They never noticed the slightly shaking windows and the room getting darker.

Jiraiya saw the seals appearing on her body wrapping around her ankles and wrists. "Girl, calm down-" Trying to reason with the Kurogawa heiress only to be cut off by Ren harshly whispering for him to shut up while Ryuunosuke held his ward's face. "Miyuki, they're gone." He confessed, his voice slightly breaking at the end. She froze, her face drenched with tears.

Dull topaz eyes closed for moment only to come back like flaming inferno of gold. Miyuki slapped away the long haired twin's hand, "YOU LIARS!"

The Kurogawa heiress stood up on the bed, "This is genjutsu isn't!?" She let out an insane laugh and spun around, "Orochimaru~ where are you?"

"Miyuki," Hiruzen slowly said "Orochimaru is not here. Don't you remember?"

Cautiously the twins moved next to Minato. Ren carefully took a syringe from the table tray and passes it to the blonde ninja while Ryuu told Jiraiya seal room in case they couldn't get Miyuki in control.

The now red eyed girl grinned showing her sharpened canines, "You know, Hokage-sama I don't really like you."

"NOW!" One of the twins said making the ninjas jump into action. Ryuu colluded into Miyuki and held her to his chest while Ren tried to stop the girl's legs from kicking Minato as he injected a sedative into her arm. There was a moment of silence before all hell broke loose. They should've know better really. All of them let their guard down when a seemingly unconscious Miyuki laid her head near Ryuunosuke's vulnerable neck.

"Damn~ What the hell did they do to her?" Ren panted out and massaged his abused hands. Not knowing Miyuki's mind was swimming with unholy thoughts. "Drink...you've done it before..." A rough sounding voice told her.

She remembered the first time she heard them. It was couple of weeks into her captivement, Orochimaru had already done several experiments on her. At first it started as little whispers in her ear, then blacking out from time to time until one day she woke up in a puddle of blood with mangled bodies of rogue ninja around her. "Feed..." It snarled. Miyuki closed her eyes tighter as she fought the temptation to bite the skin separating her from her meal. 'So easy...' She mused. It would've been so easy to tear at the barrier holding the precious crimson.

Ryuunosuke absently nodded at his brother's comment. Suddenly before they could stop her, Miyuki pounced onto him and attacked his neck spilling the life giving liquid. "Shit!" Ren yelled, "Damn it Miyuki let 'im go!" He immediately sped forward to detach the possessed child the off Ryuu. The red haired boy, none to gently, grabbed her arm and pulled the wild girl to him. While Ren struggled to detained Miyuki, the adults come to check on the wounded boy. In the midst of all her panicking Miyuki never realized she was releasing unstable chakra, slamming everyone against the wall. She relished in the feeling of power flowing out her, it made her feel weightless, untouchable. However somewhere deep in the back of her deranged head a little voice called a conscious was screaming for her to stop. But why?

It was an amazing and horrible sight winds circled Miyuki creating a cyclone around her. Sparks came off as the seals on her body meet with the resistance of her tained chakra and struggled to keep it in control. The room become increasingly darker, and shadows emerged from the walls. They were strange to say the least, a combination of cursed souls and actually shadows. Ren remembered his father telling him about them, they were suppose to be myths- stories told to keep children in line. It was frightening, his instincts were telling him to get the hell out of there while his duty told him to stay and protect his ward from herself. But how could he? When he can't even recognize the girl front of him. Miyuki was a sweet girl, never being able to hurt a fly much less a person. This wasn't her...

"Miyuki snap out of it! Look at what you're doing! Look at what you did to Ryuunosuke!" Ren knew it was harsh but if it was the only way to get his Miyuki back then so be it.

The said girl flinched at his tone, to her it was an equivalent to a hard slap in the face. The wind stopped and dark figures faded just as sudden as they appeared. She crawled to the invalid Ryuunosuke and cradled his head while apologizing profoundly.

The Hokage stood up and reached for the shaken girl, "Miyuki..."

She recoiled at his touch, "NO! Don't touch me! I might hurt you!", scrambled away from the Ryuu's fallen body and moved into a corner.

·•㊨•·

Ryuu was drifting between consciousness and reality until he heard his obnoxious big brother's voice. "-ake up! Time to get up from your beauty sleep, princess." He swatted the annoying hand shaking his shoulder and opened his eyes. Groaning in discomfort the younger boy sat up from the bed only to be shoved down by his brother.

"Jacket. Off now." Ren rudely asked.

Ryuunosuke raised his eyebrow, "I did not think you thought of me like that brother."

Said boy blushed like a tomato and stuttered, "Y-you goddamn bastard! Here I am trying to be a nice responsible big brother and you're running your condensing mouth! You're so- "

"-amazing."

Raising his fist threateningly, "Why I outta-"

"-kiss the ground I walk on? Yes, yes you should." Ryuunosuke smugly stated.

"Just take off the damn thing!"

Minato gave the twins an amused smiled. They reminded him so much of his own student the way they fought. However there was major difference between the two groups of boys. Unlike Obito and kakashi, the Kurogawa twins when the situation called it, worked extremely well with each. He shook his head and tried to called out to the boys.

"Boys, that's enough. And Ryuunosuke try not to antagonize your brother he wants to help you."

"Hn..", Ryuu replied while slipping out of his bloodied light gray track jacket while mumbling about his favorite black t-shirt being soiled. As Ren stepped closer to examine the wound before dressing the bite. Standing, there for a moment. "You'll live...sadly." He unceremonially remarked.

"Tch."

The twins exited the room, leaving the blonde shinobi to clean up their mess. Minato sighed, "Well time to better get started." He told himself, picking up the leftover bandages.

·•㊨•·

The brothers made their way to their messy apartment, practically ignoring everything around them until they reached their home. Ren collapsed onto their second hand couch and turned to his brother, "Just I can't believe she's back you know...after two year of searching."

Ryuunosuke glanced at him for a moment and continued to scavenge the shelf full of scrolls, "Yes it does seem surreal to have our Miyuki once more with us. But what I would like to inquire about is how she possessed the ability to summon 'shades' when they are supposedly frictional beasts."

The oldest between the two flipped on his back and sneezed, "Keh, I don't know why you even keep all that old shit." He complained in a nazely tone while his counterpart scanned through the yellowed papers. Too busy trying to read the smudged ink on the aged scrolls to notice Ren 'borrowing' one. "Did you know generations ago it was permissible for a person to punish a thief by cutting off his hands? To would have been my right to take your hands from you." Ryuu nonchalantly pointed out making Ren freeze before putting the scrolls back where he found them and sat beside his brooding twin. "So...found anything."

"No, it seems we do not have adequate information here. We would have to go back there again" Ryuunosuke declared with venom coating his words.

"I don't get why you hate the compound so much." His brother tiredly admitted.

Causing Ryuu to shake in rage, "All I remember when I think of that wretched place is Miyuki coming to us bruises and beaten. Or did you forget Ren? I do not care for what happened two years ago it was retribution for their unjust deeds."

Ren couldn't not believe his brother said. Yes, Ryuunosuke had a special hatred for their family but he never thought it was to that degree. "Innocent children," staring at his younger with gaping eyes, "there were innocent kids that didn't know what their parents were doing! Why the hell would you-"

"Were we not once innocent, now look at us. Just yesterday we completed an s-rank assassination."

"Yeah, but we-" A knock interrupted Ren mid sentence. They cleaned the mess of scrolls and swiftly opened the door to see an AUBU member. "Hokage-sama requests your presence." At that moment they had no other choice than follow to the masked man. The brothers glanced at each other understanding their conversation was not over.

·•㊨•·

Hiruzen felt the on coming pain of a bad migraine, it took three shinobi to calm the girl down, himself, Jiraiya and Minato. They've been discussing different theories as to what occurred in the room. All with the same conclusion and now he was confused and worried for her, especially since Jiraiya told him he noticed a seals on her body. The white haired man pride himself on being a fuuinjutsu master, yet the combinations of seals on her person were foreign to him, which in turn did nothing to ease the Hokage's mind.

Minato gave a concerned looked to him, "Hokage-sama are you alright?" Hiruzen just smiled, it seemed like only yesterday that Jiraiya was teaching Minato Namikaze, but now he had his own students to point in the right direction.

The AUBU walked into the office with the twins at tow. "You're dismissed."

The masked figure bowed, "Hai, Hokage-sama" and poofed out of the room.

No one spoke, the three adults didn't know how approach the sensitive subject. The brothers kept to themselves, never revealing anything about their clan. They don't really interact with the civilians or other ninjas, only when they have to. Not including the pranks the twins did once month to bug the jonins.

Ryuu stayed silent, it was better for the Hokage to ask what he wants from them, instead of unintentionally giving out extra information. "What do you need of us gentlemen."

"You tell us kid." Jiraiya countered.

Ren smirked, knowing what they were doing was annoying them, "Tell you-"

"what exactly, Master Jiraiya?" Ryuunosuke finished.

"The incident in the hospital." The Hokage pointed out.

The older twin snapped his fingers as if he was remembering something, "Yeah that's...well we don't know-" Ryuunosuke shook his head and rolled his eyes in disappointment. Of course his idiotic brother didn't know, he was too busy observing their tutor's ass to hear anything. "There are stories- folklore to be more exact about those creatures other than nothing more can be found concerning them. Only legends used to scare children into listening to their elders."

"So where can we get more information." Minato wondered out loud.

Ren smirked while his brother inwardly sighed. They were going to bring non-Kurogawas to that place. If their ancestors knew what they were about to do they would be rolling in there graves cursing them for practically giving away family secrets. "The underground archives." The twins exclaimed or in Ryunosuke's case grumbled.

The bright eyed jounin decided to stay behind to watch over Miyuki while the others headed towards the abandoned compound. The walls were covered in black ashes some parts barely supporting it's own weight. Mother Nature taking over the once proud home of the Kurogawa's, tall dry grass, vines crawling up the sides of houses almost crushing the poor building. Passing the compound the young boys lead them to a seemingly normal cave however that was not the case. Once they entered the small opening they found a large door. The ancient iron wood was covered with rusting gears and in the middle sat a circular seal acting as a lock for the room that held every single important relic since the beginning of Kurogawa clan. The twins stood in front of the lock and slowly poured their chakra into it, loosening the gears in the process. Suddenly a deafening crack of an opening door was heard throughout the tiny cave.

"Welcome to the Kurogawa family library." Ryuunosuke announced.

Rows of shelves carrying scrolls and fragile books stood high abduction proud in the old room. "Consider yourself lucky gizzards, you're the first and hopefully the last outsiders to enter this cavern." Ren said.

·•㊨•·

Hours has passed since Minato-san came to check on her, .leaving Miyuki to sulk with her morbid thoughts. Dejectedly limped to the mirror across the room. A girl stood there her dull amber eyes looking back at the heiress, the bags under her eyes only defining her deathly pale white complexion. Was that person really her?

"Your weak..." The girl in the mirror stated.

"You should have died with them..."

"A monster in human form..."

"IT'S YOUR FAULT!-"

Miyuki swiftly punched the rectangular mirror contouring her reflection with spider web like cracks. "I won't let anyone die I swear on the blood of my ancestors." Hissing to herself. The raven haired heiress slowly walked to the window overlooking sleeping village and cradled her bleeding hand, "I'll protect them to my dying breath..." Never noting a black shadow creeping out the room.

·•㊨•·

A cloaked figure sat in dark corner of a poorly lit cavern, contemplating on the ever faithful servant's news. "It seems like a games a foot."

The person chuckled humorously as he fed the creature a piece of raw meat. The beast snapped it's beady red eyes to it's equally crazed master and grinned revealing serrated teeth. Carefully caressing the pet's black stitched head and leered, "I'll let you have your fun...Miyuki."

-oOoOo-

Who was the mysterious cloaked figure? Is Miyuki crazy? Find out on the next chapter…

A/N: Sorry it took so long. I'm not happy with chapter though but whatever… Oh next I'm going to update Chapter One so heads up on that.

Ja ne (´･ω･')