Hotaru left up to her room to play her violin. Michiru asked what she was going to do today but Hotaru replied back saying that she didn't feel like being with her friends that day. She saw them for her birthday and for a good part of the week at school; she just wanted to have a day to herself to practice her violin. Besides, tomorrow night she'd have to perform at a concert with her school's orchestra. Who knows how many people were going to show. Hotaru went to a top of the line arts school and well...everything the school did the whole city knew about it. Nonetheless, Michiru shrugged her shoulders as she watched Hotaru exit up the stairs. When she heard the door shut, she walked back to the kitchen table to finish her tea.

xxx

Haruka paid close attention to the meeting, not because it was interesting but because it involved the Tomoe family. As she knew since she was 14, the Tomoe family may not have the same blood line as the Tenoh's, yet they do have the same qualities. As a result, the Tomoes' have been apart of the Tenoh's family ritual meetings for generations. However, there is only one Tomoe family member who still resides in Japan, the others live in America. Some live quite close to Techi and were invited to her wedding. They shall all be attending. Thinking about the wedding, Haruka has to tell Michiru that she must attend it. Well, her and Hotaru must attend it. Haruka placed her hand over her brows; she was starting to get a migraine from all this thinking! Nonetheless, she set up straight in her chair and nodded occasionally at her father when he spoke.

Most assume that its the Tenoh family that holds the most blood on their hands; that is not true, well-maybe it is. But it was the Tomoe family that called for the assassination of the Michiru's father.

SIX YEARS AGO.

Haruka could now call herself a teenager; she was fourteen and ready to mingle...make friends at her new school. That day would be different though because she had to walk a small seven year old girl to her grade school. That was when Haruka met Hotaru. Hotaru Tomoe came from one of the other richest men in Tokyo; in fact, the richest family in Japan. People believed that Hotaru's father was just a school's head master but he was more than that; just like Haruka's father was more than he put off to be. Haruka's whole family put on a front to all those that didn't associate themselves with the business.

The Tomoe family moved back from off the coast line of Japan and back to Tokyo. They were day on vacation and so be it, they were back.

Haruka's mother told Haruka to walk Hotaru to school; it would be a great opportunity to chat with the young girl.

"A seven year old, mom, in elementary school. C'mon."

"Do as I say."

Haruka did has her mother told her. She walked a little down the street and turn a block onto another street. Haruka's father was having tea with Hotaru's father at Tomoe's house. There was no need for Haruka to ring the door bell since the two dads were sitting out on the front patio.

"Hello...and you must be Haruka? Is that right?" Mr. Tomoe asked.

Haruka didn't say anything; she only nodded her head.

"Speak up girl; I didn't raise you to be a punk to even that of strangers." Her father said boldly.

Haruka blushed and spoke up. "Yes, I am Haruka. It is nice to meet you. I am here to take your daughter to school."

"Do you know my daughter's name?" Mr. Tomoe asked.

Haruka thought for a second; her mother told her the name of the seven year old. The walking must have caused her to lose the name somewhere in her short memory.

"Hotaru." Haruka said. "I remember; her name is Hotaru. Where is she, sir?"

Mr. Tomoe smiled. "Hotaru, hun, Tenoh's older gal is here to walk you to school."

The three of them waited for a couple of minutes until they saw a short little pale skin girl. Her hair was short just below her jaw line. The hair was black with a light skim of purple highlights. Her purple eyes were big and shinny but, oh-they were also watery. She had been crying. Her father notice and hugged her and whispered words of advice in Hotaru's right ear. Now and then, Hotaru would giggle at a little joke her father told her to make her smile.

While watching, Haruka noticed that Mr. Tomoe was quite handsome. He were a white lab coat with blue jeans; his glasses were pretty big but suited him well. His white hair hung loose over his blue eyes and his smiled was similar to Haruka's own father. Haruka smiled heartedly.

Mr. Tenoh stepped down from the steps of the patio and walked over to Haruka. He put his arm firmly on Haruka's shoulder. He didn't have to kneal down to reach her height. Over a year, Haruka stood 5 feet and 6 inches tall. Not as tall as her father but close enough. To think, she was only 14 and many Japanese girls her age usually range from 4 ft- 5 feet tall.

"Listen here, Haruka," he glanced back at Tomoe and his daughter, "do not play with her the way you play with your friends."

For a second, Haruka didn't know what he was talking about until she remembered her time in the institution.

"Of course not." Haruka said which gave her father a sigh of relief. "She's way too young..."

Mr. Tenoh laughed. "Tonight you will be going with one of your male cousins to see someone off after their concert."

"Which one male? Will it be Sukao or Nutsu or Nela?"

"I don't know just yet. But there's a family at the concert that we'll be attending."

"What concert and what family? What action will take place?"

"I'll tell you later on tonight. Now go on."

Mr. Tenoh stepped back as Hotaru ran up to Haruka, and grabbed her by the hands to lead her down the street.

Later that night, Mrs. Tenoh dressed Haruka in a nice black suit to hide away her gender. They saw it as a bonus that Haruka had turned so tom-boyish; as a result, it would be harder to identify Haruka if she were to commit a crime. Not only that but in the law of Japan, she's too young to get arrested; its a double bonus towards the family. Mrs. Tenoh kissed Haruka and wished her to have a nice evening at the concert hall that night. She would be attending it with her father, cousin Sukao who had two different color eyes because of a accident that happened when he was younger; Mr. Tomoe and littler Hotaru.

That night at the concert hall, they were schedule to see Mr. and Mrs. Kaiou, along with their younger daughter, Michiru, were to perform that night. If all worked out correctly, it would be Mr. Kaiou's last performance of his life.

A nice, white limo pulled up at the concert hall in front of the parking entrance. The doors open and out came Tomoe holding his daughter by the hand.

"See you all in there." He said. "Me and pumpkin are going to search out our seats." The Tenohs' saluted him off and watched him enter inside, with hundreds of people following after and before him.

Haruka knew that the family was going to carry out a family buisness that night; for one, her blade was in the right pocket of her suit jacket on the inside. Her father looked at her and smiled.

"Are you nervous, Ruka?"

Haruka shrugged; she didn't want to admit it but she was. She was also starting to feel quilty of what she might have to do. "Father, Sukao will be carring out the mission and not me, right?"

"Well," he said, "that was the original plan."

Sukao stepped from the limo. His hair was dark purple and his eyelashes were dark and long. He was handsome and tall with a bright smile though he usually grinned. He was 18 and was going to start college that fall. He put his hands in his white suit pockets; he approached Haruka and roughed up her hair.

"Well...the original plan was for me to carry out the order but he though since you're 14 now, maybe you should have your first shot at completing a family mission." Haruka gulped and looked at her father. "Are you scared, Haruka? I hope not because Tenohs don't get scared."

"She's been a bit shaken up since her visit to the institution when she was 12." Her father exclaimed. "It's okay, Ruka, we'll map out the plan once we get in our seats on the balcony."

That's exactly what the three of them did. Tomoe and Hotaru sat down below in the front rows of the stage watching Mr. Kaiou play the chello and his daughter play the violin. The reason for Tomoe to be there was so he could be a 'out witness'-an person who plans to witness a crime on the behalf of a suspect; when investigated, they give an story that plays for the defense. He watched the entire performance, not once looking up at the balcony. Not once noticing that Haruka sweated next to her father.

Haruka was 14 and at the age of 14 for the Tenoh family, it is time for the relative to complete their first mission on behalf of the mother or in Haruka's case, the father. It was the original plan for her cousin to do it but Mr. Tenoh resided and changed the plans. He gave Haruka instructions on how to carry out her mission from the balcony of the concert hall. Haruka was so nervous and shaken up, she missed the opportunity to strike. When the show was over and when Mr. Kaiou was in his dressing room alone, she was suppose to enter and kill him. She didn't because she waited to long. Mr. Kaiou opened his dressing room door and saw Haruka standing outside. Because she looked distracted, he asked if Haruka needed help with anything.

"No, sir, I'm fine...I'm just lost." At that, Haruka left down the hall.

She figured that when she got back to her father, they would all just go home; no, that's not how it happened.

Haruka, her cousin, and her father waited in their limo as the Kaiou family pulled out of the parking lot. Right behind the Kaiou's luxury car, a white mini van pulled out as well. The mini van set trail behind the car to follow it back to its destination. Mr. Tenoh called in for reinforcements. Mr. Kaiou would die that night no matter what the cause. He called for back up to follow the whereabouts of the car and once they did, report back to him. When everything would be calm, he would easily drop Haruka off.

He was upset; Haruka could tell. She messed up when she didn't take Mr. Kaiou out when she had the chance. The limo pulled up to the manson of the Kaiou's placed. They lived on a hill and their house consisted of a gate outside the front entrance.

"Get out and do what you was suppose to do at the concert hall." Mr. Tenoh said in a low voice.

Haruka got out the limo slowly and as she did, the limo drove off. After she was done, she would have to walk home.

Michiru stood in the isle of the store with a shopping cart next to her. She was frozen and her mind had trailed off again to when she was 13. She didn't think of her father much; it only occur when she would engage in something that could cause her to remember, and she did. She stood facing a freezer with salmon in it. Her and her father would often come to the store and buy salmon to make the sushi with. And every time she thought about her father, she would think back to that night where she woke up. She awoke because she heard a noise coming from down stairs in the kitchen. She didn't think much of it because her father often went for a mid night snack, but that night was different. How different it was from all the other nights.

I know some of yall are asking questions...a lot of questions about this story...well-continue reading and they'll be answered.

thank you :)