This is the end... :'( so sad. Thanks for sticking with me so far! And don't forget! If you can guess who the Naruto character in this chapter is you get a giant invisible cookie.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with Naruto.

Zara swung her bag onto her back and made her way to the window. She opened it and stared out across the snow covered village, a village she no longer belonged to.

She jumped out the window, landing without making a noise. She looked back at her house. Her only regret now was how bad her parents would hurt. She was the only child they had left out of three children and now they'd have none.

Shaking off the feeling of guilt, Zara turned and ran to the place she was to meet Awai. Awai was already there and seemed to have put the plan into action already. She was talking to Kouu, steaming cups were in both of their hands.

Kouu caught sight of Zara and waved, causing Awai to turn and wave enthusiastically. She held out a third cup to Zara as she walked up to the two. "Hot coco!" Awai smiled. "Its already started to snow again."

Zara watched the flakes as she took the cup and offered a small 'thanks'. She blew on the liquid before taking a timid sip as to not burn her tongue. The coco was sweet just like Awai usually made it, too much chocolate mix and not enough water.

Awai gave Zara a look that seemed to go unnoticed by Kouu. Zara assumed it could only mean that she had already given Kouu something to make him fall asleep. She also assumed it was in his cup of coco.

Doubt filled her and she felt sightly sorry for the Amekagure guard. He would most likely loose his position over this and no matter how Zara looked at it, the boy had become their friend. But in the begining she had told herself that this wouldn't be easy. This doubt only proved her theory true.

Kouu smiled at her unaware of her inner thoughts. "Congratulations. Both of you." he turned to include Awai in his smile. "Here" He handed each of them a small package.

Awai shared another withering look with Zara before opening hers to reveal a black choker necklace with a rose in the middle. She pulled the necklace from it's case and with the help of Kouu placed it around her neck. "Thank you" she gave the guard a weak smile and turned to watch Zara open her gift.

She slowly opened the package, secretly hoping that it wasn't going to make leaving any harder than it was. When she unwrapped a bracelet matching Awai's necklace she could feel her resolve slowly slipping. She placed the charm around her wrist and offered a soft 'thank you' to Kouu.

The boy smiled at the two girls. "I'm glad you like them! I have to admit," He yawned, " It took me... Forever.. To ...fin-" Kouu's words where cut off as he began to fall. Awai caught the sleeping boy and laid him gently on the ground. She walked over to the bushes and grabbed a blanket out of her bag, placing it over their friend to ward away the falling flakes.

"We should go." Zara's voice was barely a whisper as she picked up Awai's pack and handed it to the kneeling girl. "The patrol should be by in ten minutes. If we hurry we could be a few miles away by then."

Awai stood and nodded before starting off at a run towards the woods behind the guard post. After a quick glance at Kouu Zara followed her friend into the forest.

They ran uninterrupted for half an hour. The snow had stopped and the moon shone on their path. The trees had started to thin as well so they knew they where nearing the border. They had started to feel a tingleing of power from a srom way off in the distance. The Arashi girls quickened their pace with the hope of reaching that storm.

As the girls stepped out of the trees they were ambushed by three armed Amekagure ANBU. "Arashi Zara, Arashi Awai! The leader shouted from the front of the line You are to surrender peacefully or we will use force."

Zara looked at Awai as they both drew their swords. This was it. The final test before they could truly be free. Their yellow eyes glowed as they jumped at the ANBU and an intense battle began.

Zara pulled her bloody katana out of the chest of an ANBU. The body fell to match the three other corpses that lied around her. As it turned out the first three ANBU had signaled for backup before attacking but now only four were left.

Zara faced her two opponents and prepared to attack. One ANBU lunged at her, throwing a few kunai ahead of him. Zara managed to deflect all but one. It lodged into her shoulder and she cried out in pain. She knelt and pulled out the knife, applying pressure to the wound with her hand. She had no time to think about it though as the ANBU swung his blade towards her. She threw her sword up to block with her good arm and she managed to stop the blade just before it made contact with her other shoulder.

She quickly pushed back from the ninja as she jumped out of range. She looked for Awai out of the corner of her eye. She was holding her own against the two other ANBU but she was still banged up. On top of that she looked like she was becoming tired. Her movements were sluggish and she seemed to be breathing hard.

Zara was pulled from her thoughts by a pain that shot up her back and quickly whipped around, slashing out with her blade. She managed to catch the Anbu who had slashed her back, hitting his shoulder and lodging in pretty deep. Pulling her katana out, she brought it back down to slice across his neck. She turned to her last opponent only to find him smiling back at her, his pale skin glowing in the moon light.

This one was different from the others. He had a black coat with red clouds on it, even though she could have sworn he looked like the other ANBU just a moment ago. His forehead protector had a slash through it. His smile seemed to be one of amusement. "Well then my dear, we shall meet again." his smile seemed to grow with each word. Zara started to feel a trickle of fear from the man. "You shall seek me out eventually and when you do, I'll be waiting." His own dark yellow eyes sought out her pale ones as he finally disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Pain flared across her back once again. She turned and took out another of the ANBU. She paused, staring at the body. 'Wasn't he fighting Awai?' she quickly turned her head to find her friend. Once she was spotted Zara's eyes widened and she ran towards her.

Awai was laying face down in the snow with a pool of red forming around her middle. Four bodies laid around her. Zara shoved them aside to kneel by her fallen friend. "Awai, no." she whispered as she turned her friend over and laid her head in her lap.

"Z-Zara?" Awai's voice was raspy and her breathing shallow. "I'm... Sorry."

Tears weld up in Zara's eyes as she shook her head. "Why? When there's nothing to be sorry for?" She tried to give her friend a smile but a single tear escaped and ran down her face to land on Awai.

"Don't... cry for me... Zara. I'm free... now." Awai coughed sending blood onto her lips. "Don't... look.... back. Promise... Me?"

Zara wiped the tears from her eyes and looked into Awai's. "I promise." she whispered, her voice small and cracked.

Awai smiled. "Good. Now go and... Kick... 'God's'... Butt." Awai's eyes where filled with familiar laughter for a brief moment, then they dulled. Zara hugged her friend for a moment, allowing her self a brief moment to grieve. Awai was the one person she could count on in the world. Now she had also lost her to God and his village.

Once she laid Awai's body on the ground she went to their packs, moving anything she needed into her own. She then used Awai's med-kit to apply bandages to her back and shoulder. Once finished she walked back over to her friend. The rose choker caught her eye and she knelt down. "I'm sorry." she whispered as she removed the necklace and placed it around her own neck. "I just need something to remember you by." she muttered to herself more than Awai. She touched the rose with the same hand that held her own gift from Kouu. "Something to remember you both by," she added. No matter how much Awai would've begged her she couldn't turn her back on the only friends she had.

After a moment of silence she got up off the grown and began walking towards the rain village, Awai's last words ringing in her head. She was going to avenge her family and her best friend, no matter the cost.

She didn't look back as she continued forward. She would try to forget her past life. She had promised Awai after all. She looked down at the bracelet on her wrist and offered another silent apology to her friends. Kouu because of the betrayal, Awai because she couldn't protect her and now she couldn't help but look back at their times together. Even if it was her friend's dieing wish.

Her mind left Awai's last words and became two sentences. Two chanted sentences repeated over and over in her mind.

'God will pay. God will die.'