A while after the brothers had left, Kazue weakly crawled towards the boat and pushed the boat into the water. It took her a while and quite a few tries, but after the boat was in, she climbed in and directed the boat towards the island before passing out from the pain.

Kenji kicked a rock on the ground and let out a growl. "She was so close, almost dead anyways!"

"Just shut up!" Masaru hissed. He walked a few paces ahead of Kenji and gritted his teeth. "Y-You don't… get it… do you?"

Kenji paused in his steps and watched his brothers back as he walked on. He kicked the ground once more before sighing, pulling his mask down and taking in a deep breath before running after his brother.

"Look, I'm sorry, Masaru." Kenji murmured.

"What's done is done." Masaru murmured, keeping his eyes on the ground. "Don't bother apologizing unless you're gonna say it to the female too…"

Kenji shook his head. "Masaru, she is not anything like mother."

Masaru snapped his head up to glare at Kenji. "We never speak of that, you know that!" He hissed before walking faster again.

"Masaru! You need to let go of the memories! She is nothing like our mother, you don't need to compare them! So what if she's a woman, she's an annoying shinobi!"

Masaru stopped walking and turned to face Kenji, gripping his shoulders forcefully. "Nothing like mother? Really? She was emotional, married, with a child, and was already weak from being an albino! You don't compare any of that to mother? Nothing at all?" He screamed.

Kenji narrowed his eyes. "Mom was not albino. She was soft-spoken and didn't want to hurt anyone if she could help it. She was gentle and loving, and put everyone - no matter who it was - before herself!"

"How do you know that girl was not the same as mother, Kenji? You don't! Neither of us did!"

Kenji shoved the palm of his hands into Masaru's shoulder, shoving him back. " No one can be compared to mom! NO ONE!" Kenji screamed back.

Masaru gritted his teeth as he clenched his fists and closed his eyes. "At least you were not the one who murdered her!"

"It wasn't you, Masaru. If you had any sense, you wouldn't have killed her! I wouldn't have killed dad, either! Haraguroi Himitsu is to blame for this entire mess."

"Kenji… y-you know I could have stopped it… I-if only I fought harder… I-I already passed the stage you were in…" Masaru's voice had calmed as his shoulders relaxed and sorrow filled his voice.

"It's weaker at those stages, allowing for the person to tame it. It was stronger compared to the level I was at, allowing it to become stronger than it should of. That night, I was planning on going to get father since he was awake already and you were sleeping…but I was being lazy. It's my fault." Kenji lowered his head.

Masaru fell to his knees in the sand and lowered his head as he screamed in frustration. "I-It's not fair!" He screamed before gritting his teeth again, pushing back tears that were threatening to fall.

Kenji's jaw clenched as he listened to his brothers anguish. He hated to see his brother so upset. Slowly, he approached his brother and knelt down beside him and placed his hand on his shoulder. "No, it's not fair, Masaru, but that's how our life happened to end up and it's all we have to work with."

Masaru looked up at Kenji before closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around Kenji's shoulders tightly. Kenji's eyes widened for a split second before he leaned his head against Masaru's shoulder. "The most important thing right now is that we still have each other." He whispered gently.

Masaru nodded and tightened his hold. "N-No more a-attacking females… a-alright?"

Nikito yawned as he sat back in his chair and ran his hand through his shaggy black hair. He'd been doing paperwork all day and his eyes felt heavy. Suddenly a jounin burst into his office, panic on his face.

"L-Lord…. M-Mizukage! I-It's your wife, Kazue… w-we found her on shore in a boat. She's injured and has been taken straight to the hospital!" The jounin panted.

Nikito's eyes widened as he jumped to his feet and ran out of his office passed the jounin and to the hospital. He rushed to the front desk and was told where Kazue was. He quickly followed the directions and ran to her room. When he ran in, several doctors were in the room and stepped to the sides so he could see her. Her one arm was bandaged while her one leg was also bandaged and above the covers. Her body was bruised where her ribs would be. Tears formed in his eyes as he moved to sit in the chair beside her bed. He carefully took her good hand into his as he looked at her peaceful sleeping face. He turned to look up at the doctors.

"D-Do we know who did this?" He asked, his voice rough and cracky.

The one doctor looked to the others and sent them out before looking back to Nikito. "No. But the jounin that had been with her were not in the boat. We believe that they were ambushed…"

Nikito gritted his teeth and looked back down at Kazue. "Wh-What is her damage?"

"Three broken ribs, a dislocated knee cap, and a broken arm." The doctor said softly.

A few tears slipped from Nikito's eyes as he let out a shaky breath. "If she has not been told already, I want someone to go to Jatsu and tell her of what has happened."

"She already knows, Lord Mizukage." The doctor stated before walking out.

Nikito looked back down at his wife and sighed deeply before kissing her forehead. "I'm j-just glad you're alive, Kazue…" He whispered.

The door suddenly flew open and Jatsu stood in the doorway, Her eyes looked directly at Kazue and tears began to slip from her eyes. "O-Oh god… Kazue…" She sobbed as she slowly moved to sit in another chair that was to Nikito's left.

"I-I never should have sent her on this mission…" Nikito whispered.

Jatsu shook her head and rested her hand on Nikito's back. "Don't blame yourself, Nikito… this couldn't have been helped. At least she is alive. From what I heard, the jounin she was with are missing."

Nikito lifted his other hand to shield his eyes as more tears slipped from his eyes, a sob escaping his throat. Jatsu frowned and looked down at her little sister, letting out a shaky breath as she reached up to move some hair from her eyes. "K-Kazue… please wake up, my little sister…"

Kazue stirred, her eyes shutting tighter before they fluttered opened to look at her sister. Her eyes drifted from Jatsu to Nikito's crying face. The edges of her lips turned down. "N-Nikito…" She murmured and she took in a deep breath. The pain her broken ribs caused her made her gasp in pain.

Nikito slowly lifted his head to look at Kazue, tears still streaking his face. "I-I'm so sorry… Kazue…" He whispered, biting his lip as he squeezed her good hand.

"No, don't be." She smiled and weakly reached up to caress his cheek. "Be strong, Mr. Mizukage." She stared up at him with a soft expression as a tear slipped from the corner of her eye.

Nikito let out a shaky breath before resting his hand against hers that was on his cheek and leaned into it. "Wh-What happened? I-It was a simple mission…" He murmured.

Kazue looked away sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Nikito. I-it was my fault…"

Nikito shook his head. "There's nothing you could have done that deserved this… are the other jounin even alive?"

Kazue frowned and shook her head. "They…were killed." She murmured. She turned back to look at Nikito. "And it was my fault, Nikito. I…was acting childish. I haven't been out on a mission in a long time, and I forgot how pressing the sun was on me. It…stressed me out and I wasn't thinking clearly."

"No more missions in the sun." He whispered before closing his eyes.

"Who did this?" Jatsu murmured, lowering her head and clenching her fists. "I will kill whoever it was…"

Kazue turned her face to look at Jatsu. "I…don't quite know who they were. They called themselves the "Shi Brothers", but I've never heard of them before."

Nikito's eyes widened as he slowly lifted his head to meet Kazue's eyes. "Th-The Sh-Shi brothers? You're lucky to be alive!" He gasped.

Kazue frowned and nodded her head, turning her eyes away. "I-I know." She murmured. After a second she turned back to look at Nikito. He had that thoughtful expression again, and she sighed. "They mentioned that Konohagakure is in an uproar over them. It's on high security now, trying to locate the Shi brothers…"

"I'm going to tell all villages to do that…" Nikito murmured before closing his eyes. "I wonder if it's because you're a female that you're alive…"

Kazue's brows furrowed with confusion. "The one did protest strongly to not killing me." She murmured.

"Why would Kazue being a girl matter?" Jatsu asked Nikito. "Usually it's females males like to target."

Nikito shook his head. "The brothers killed their parents and fled their home. One of them clearly killed their mother. It makes me wonder if Kazue possibly reminded them or their mother…"

Kazue gasped. "H-Hows Tayori?" Her eyes were wide.

Nikito smiled softly to Kazue. "She's fine, don't worry, my love."

Kazue bit her lip and nodded. "A-alright." She murmured. "Please…don't leave for a while." She frowned.

Nikito shook his head and smiled. "I won't leave you yet, I promise. Do you want me to have someone bring Tayori to us?"

Kazue shook her head. "Maybe it's better she not see me like this."

Nikito nodded in understanding. "Alright." He turned to face Jatsu. "Could you do me a favour?"

Jatsu nodded. "Anything…"

"I need you to find Aniko and call him here."

Jatsu nodded slowly and stood up. She leaned forward to kiss Kazue's forehead before backing up and walking out.

"No more missions for a while…" Nikito murmured with a small laugh.

Kazue sighed. "I knew you'd say that."

Nikito frowned. "Do you blame me, Kazue?"

Kazue shook her head. "No, I completely understand what you're saying." She smiled and laughed lightly. "But I know that when you say a while, it'll extend to a while times three."

Nikito sighed deeply. "With me being Mizukage now, it makes it hard to know how you are. I was your only partner on missions. No one knows you like I do…"

Kazue smiled. "That's why I fell in love with you." She laughed softly.

Nikito smiled and closed his eyes, a tear slipping down his face. "I-I'm just so glad I didn't lose you." He whispered.

Kazue frowned and forced herself into a sitting position, gritting her teeth at the pain. "Nikito…" She winced. "I-"

Nikito shook his head. "Lay back down, please…"

Kazue shook her head. "I'm…fine." She murmured.

Nikito shook his head. "Please… j-just lay down… I'll worry less."

Kazue frowned as she stared into Nikito's eyes before giving in and lying down. "Fine." She whispered.

Nikito gave her a soft smile and he leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Thank you."

Kazue quickly caught him and pressed her lips to his. "I love you." She whispered.

Nikito rested his hand on her cheek as he kissed her back softly. "I love you too, my sweet."

Kazue sighed and pulled back to stare into his eyes. "Do you think I'm beautiful?" She whispered, diverting her eyes.

Nikito's face twisted in confusion. "Of course I do, Kazue. I think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever set eyes on."

Kazue frowned. "Despite my…condition…"

Nikito frowned and rested his hand on her cheek. "Kazue, you know I love you despite it. In fact, I think without it, it would make you less of the Kazue I fell in love with." He smiled. "Of course you're beautiful, even with your condition."

Kazue sighed, keeping her eyes turned away from him. "I just…feel like some alien on a different planet, Nikito. I'm not normal like everyone else… I don't fit in, I never have. You shouldn't love me…" Her voice cracked at the end and tears slipped from her eyes.

Nikito frowned again and shook his head. "Kazue, look at me…" He whispered.

Kazue shook her head and sniffed. "No…" she murmured.

"Kazue, please, look at me." He whispered again.

She shut her eyes tightly and shook her head, more tears forcing themselves between her lids. Nikito sighed deeply and shook his head. "Kazue… you're not an alien, and you do fit in. You're married to the Mizukage, have a beautiful daughter and a sister and father who love you to death. You can't look at all that and say you do not fit in. You're my beautiful wife that I'd give my life for a thousand times over. I never want to lose you, Kazue…" He sighed deeply. "Did those brothers say something to you that made you think like this?" He whispered.

Kazue rolled painfully over on her side away from Nikito and drew her knee's closer to her chest, letting out a sob. She used her good arm to wipe her face on her sleeve, rubbing her eyes. The eye liner she had put on partly came off on her sleeve and she frowned. "I feel more like a burden then anything. Mom and Dad always had to look after me specifically. Jatsu always had to be careful while playing with me. Even know, Jatsu and Dad always look extra carefully after me, and you have to choose the missions wisely so that I won't be useless or a burden to the team. If we lived somewhere like Konoha, I wouldn't even be able to spend the day with Tayori at the park…" Another sob.

Nikito frowned at Kazue and sighed deeply. "You sound like you w-wish you were killed today…" He whispered painfully.

Kazue frowned and buried her face into the bed. "I didn't want to, because I didn't want to leave you or Tayori…" She murmured.

"Kazue… you're unique. There's nothing wrong with being different. Nothing wrong with people wanting to look after you. Are you saying that if Tayori had been born with your condition you'd just look down on her and never look after her?"

Kazue shook her head. "It's different when it's your own flesh and blood."

Nikito nodded. "That's why Jatsu and Sora and even your mother have treated you as they have. And now that I'm your husband, I have that right as well…"

Kazue sighed and sniffled again. "I…something they said just struck me." She whispered.

Nikito nodded. "I understand, Kazue. But you need to listen to your family and your heart, not some idiots who kill like it's a game."

Kazue nodded and rolled back on her back, wincing at the pain. She let out a painful laugh and wiped her eyes again. "How horrible do I look now?"

Nikito smiled softly and reached up to wipe off some make-up that was smudged. "Beautiful as always."

Kazue let out a laugh and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah." She murmured