YA KNOW WHAT!? slams hands on table you're all making me sad with the lack of reviews. I know it's not the best, but somebody could say something! (besides Kaiseress, she rocks!)

Chapter 3: A Secret Revealed

The woman spoke, her voice laced with pleading and desperation. "Please, Ayumi, come back. If you don't, I have to fight you. And I don't want that."

"Well, too bad. He knows what I'm doing. I don't even see his problem with anything. I am fulfilling my purpose."

The intruder looked toward Sasuke, who had passed out. "Is that him?"

"No, that is one of his friends. Actually, that is Uchiha Sasuke." The ANBU gasped at this. "What? Tell me, seriously, Kinahaku, did you really think that even he could beat me? Just go, old friend. I don't want to have to kill you, but if you stand in my way, you give me no choice. And, Kinahaku, take off that fake mask, already." Ayumi held up her fan, pointing it at the girl's throat.

"Ayumi…please…" The girl backed away slowly. "I don't want to fight. Won't you reconsider? Even for me?" The woman removed her mask, revealing pale skin, dark brown eyes, and a petite mouth twisted into a grimace at the thought of her former friend killing her.

Ayumi was losing her patience, Kinahaku could tell. If something didn't happen to change the situation now, this could turn out bad.

"No, I'm sorry, but even for you, old friend; I cannot and will not stop. So leave now, or say your final goodbye."

Kinahaku held her arms out in defeat. "If you would kill your only friend in pursuit of empty revenge, then by all means, do so."

Ayumi raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "You would not fight me? You would not move to stop me? That is unlike you, Kinahaku. What is going on? Is this an ambush?"

The ANBU smiled sadly and replied "No, old friend. I am alone. But if you would willingly kill me for pointless vengeance, I would not stop you." She put her hands down to her side and wrapped them around herself. "I could not fight you anyway, dear friend, even if I wanted to."

Ayumi put her fan down. "You are expecting, aren't you." It was a statement, not a question, and Kinahaku nodded. "You mean he finally came to his senses, and you are having a baby? That fool! How could he send you, alone, when you are with child?!"

Kinahaku quickly put up her hands. "No, please, listen. I didn't come on his orders. I came by myself. I had no intention to fight you, only to try and persuade you to come back. So please, Ayumi, please, come home. Nobody blames you for what happened, or for the choices you made." The pleading in her voice was intense.

"Enough." Ayumi said coldly.

"Huh?" She exclaimed in surprise.

"I said enough. I don't want to hear it. I don't care about them, or what they think of me. I only want to fulfill my mission, my purpose, Kinahaku, can't you understand that? But I promise it will be over soon, and then I will return. Will that satisfy you?"

Kinahaku frowned. "No, it will not. Why won't you come back now? It took so long for us to find you. We just don't want to lose you again."

Ayumi thought about this. When she was a young girl, her family discovered she had inherited the family's talent, and she had been branded. They didn't care for her, only for her strength. She had not been ever cared for, except by the girl standing in front of her.

Flashback

A girl of no more than 3, with white hair and deeply tanned skin, stood in front of a teenager with pale skin and medium-length blonde hair. The little child had blood on her face and hands, and it was obvious she had been crying. She was panting, indicating that she had been running for hours.

The teen smiled and said "It's okay, Ayumi. I know someone who will care for you."

The child's eyes widened at this prospect. Someone who actually felt for her? For the girl as a person, not just as a tool or weapon?

"Would you like to meet him?"

The girl nodded her head shyly, and took the hand of the older girl.

The teenager smiled and said "Good. I think you will like this man. His name is Zabuza. He, I, and many others will take care of you."

End Flashback

And ever since then, Kinahaku had cared for Ayumi whenever Zabuza had 'trained' her. The lessons were brutal, and she often had multiple cuts and bruises. But after every time, Kinahaku had been there for her, tending to her wounds and listening to when Ayumi needed to cry.

But that was in the past. Zabuza had died, Haku had died, and Ayumi was sure Kinahaku had been dead, too. Until one night…

Flashback

Ayumi, now an older girl of fifteen years, stood at her former master's grave, her face a show of pure listlessness. She heard footsteps behind her, and reacted immediately. A kunai lodged itself in a tree some feet behind her, and the footsteps stopped.

A familiar voice chuckled and said "Well, Ayumi, I see your training has paid off. I knew it would."

She flinched at the familiar voice, and turned around to see Kinahaku smiling at her. Ayumi gaped in open surprise, and quickly his it under a mask of suspicion. "Kinahaku?"

"Yes, Ayumi?"

"How can I trust that you are really her? My master and his most loyal comrade lie here in their graves, and I had assumed Kinahaku went with them."

The blonde shook her head and chuckled again. "So, it is proof you want that I am who I say I am? So be it." She raised her left sleeve up to her shoulder to reveal a small crescent shaped scar. "You gave me this scar after the first training session with Zabuza. I will never forget that night."

Ayumi ran to the girl and embraced her. "How can he be dead, Kinahaku? He was strong. Who killed him? And, is it just him and Haku that are gone?"

Kinahaku embraced the girl she considered a little sister, and sighed. "I could tell you, but you would not like to hear the story."

"Please tell me, old friend. He was never kind to me, but I feel I should do something… Who buried him, anyway? Was it you?"

"No, it was not me that buried him. It was the jonin that killed Haku and his students."

Ayumi stared curiously at Kinahaku and said "Please tell me everything that happened. I'm sorry I could not have been there, but—"

"No, Ayumi, I understand why you were not present at the time. But I will tell you, because it concerns…him." And so Kinahaku told Ayumi the tale of the last Uchiha, the Nine-Tailed Fox demon container, and the Copy-Cat Ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and how they defeated one of the greatest missing-nin of the Village Hidden in the Mist.

End Flashback

And now Ayumi knew, Haku had sacrificed himself to save his master, and it had taken more than a dozen assassins to kill Zabuza.

That was one more reason Ayumi had to destroy Kyuubi. He had helped to kill her master. Maybe not the fox itself, but Naruto had used its power to destroy Haku's ice mirrors, thus setting off a chain of events leading to their deaths.

"Well, Kinahaku. I won't stop. You know why, now go back to the village and wait out your pregnancy. I will return soon, after my mission is complete."

"Ayumi, please…"

"No. Old friend, I am determined to do this. Just once, let me choose my own path."

The ANBU member sighed and shook her head in defeat. "I understand. And since I cannot fight, I suppose I wish you luck, little sister."

She was then no more, and one could barely hear the gasp of surprise that issued from the teenager. Kinahaku had never called her that before…and she had promised to never call her that until she had…

Wow…Ayumi thought to herself. Kinahaku must really believe in me if she…finally called me little sister…

Ayumi continued her walk back to the village before remembering Sasuke. Oh, yeah. I suppose I'll take him back to town. Kakashi might be suspicious, but he'll get over it once I form an alibi. Sakura…she's just a stupid girl. Maybe I should get earplugs for when she discovers her 'beloved' Sasuke has been quite badly injured. This should have an interesting effect on Naruto, as well. He obviously considers the Uchiha a close friend, not to mention a strong rival. I wonder which side will win out when he gets the news… It's the Kyuubi's influence, and Naruto's drive to become Hokage, that he dislikes the Uchiha so much, but Naruto himself, as a person, wants to be close friends with him.

Ayumi stepped toward the unconscious body and picked it up. I'll just drop it off by the hospital, and then get away before anybody discovers it. She set off over the tree branches toward Konoha.

In Konoha, At the Hospital

Ayumi landed in a tree near the Konoha Hospital, the still unconscious Sasuke slung unceremoniously over her shoulder. She dropped in front of the door and lied him down. There. Now to get out of here before anybody realizes I'm here.

Later that morning, at the bridge…

Sakura had been waiting for her teammates to arrive in the morning, and she was worried because Sasuke was late. That's not like him…I wonder what's wrong…

Naruto was walking toward the meeting place, just a little later than usual. He had hoped Ayumi would be there again today, but he had no luck, it was only Sakura. Then Naruto noticed something was off. What was missing? Oh, yeah. Sasuke wasn't there. That was weird. He was usually the first one. Oh, well. Nothing to do now but wait for their lazy sensei.

Speak of the devil, Kakashi poofed out of nowhere and landed on a tree a few feet away from the ninja. "Uh, I have some bad news." He started. Sakura quickly asked "It's about Sasuke, isn't it?" Naruto blinked. So what? Sasuke was late. No big deal. "Yes, Sakura. It is. Sasuke was discovered outside the hospital this morning, very badly injured. I have to stay with him, so there will be no mission today. He isn't taking any visitors as of now, but try after lunch and maybe they'll let you see him."

And Kakashi poofed out again, leaving a shocked Naruto and an…upset…Sakura.

Back in Konoha, a young green-eyed girl was finishing her ramen breakfast when an ear-shattering scream rang throughout the area. Yep. Should have gotten the earplugs.

Sakura... don't like her. Fan? Deal with it. If there were too many flashbacks and you're confused, just tell me in a review. 