Disclaimer: Naruto and all Naruto related stuff is (c) Masashi Kishimoto. All OCs and original storyline/plot/imagination (c) of ME!!

A/N: I shouldn't have been writing, but, I couldn't study… but I'll most likely be off for a week or two cos I've got 3 midterms and 1 paper within this week… 2 exams and the paper all by Monday… oh this weekend is going to be torturous… anyway I wrote most of this out over the week in my notebook, so I just needed to type it out… and here it is… ENJOY!
WARNING: FLASHBACK CHAPTER!! (lol… in fact, flashbacks within flashbacks!)

THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!!

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TREASURED
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"haah." The man exhaled deeply as he longingly looked up at the bright blue sky.

The sun had already traveled halfway through its daily journey; villagers were moving along the crowded streets; happily going about their days. It seemed like a normal morning; just as bright, just as lively, just as happy. By all accounts, the village seemed the same as it did every other day.

But it wasn't the same as every other day.

"ahaah." Oushi mournfully sighed; tears threatening to spill out of the corners of his eyes, as he once more lifted his head, from observing the crowd below, up toward the sky; an attempt to keep his composure.

Why had it turned out this way?

Oushi was grateful that his good friend and teammate had survived the disastrous mission he had been sent on; but it was bittersweet. Ryoku had returned, bruised and broken from his mission with Tereya; but sadly, the kunoichi had not been as fortunate. The explosion which caught the pair by surprise, had not only taken the Raiden girl's life, but had been so devastatingly disastrous, that no identifiable remains could be found.

Ryoku has spent days searching for the girl, whom he treasured as much as if her were his own younger sister; not knowing whether she were still alive. Eventually ANBU had discovered the injured man limping through the mountainside where the mission had taken them, and immediately brought him back to the village to be attended to.

Tekinai had not taken the news well.

What little hope the bereaved brother had held on to over the days since the duo's disappearance, had quickly turned to raging anger, upon realizing that only his sister had not survived.

.:..:..:..:..:.:..:..:..FLASHBACK..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:.

"AHHH!" The silver-haired ANBU angrily charged at the injured Ryoku, as the semi-conscious weapons master lay beaten on a stretcher inside the hospital emergency room.

"Tekinai!" Oushi stepped between the two men; holding the furious man, along with three other ANBU, away from the injured Furi-iki.

"HOW COULD YOU!" Tekinai accusingly yelled at the barely conscious man. "YOU TOOK HER FROM ME! YOU LET HER DIE!"

"TEKINAI!" Oushi yelled louder. "This is not the time, nor the place." The ANBU captain sternly reprimanded his subordinate.

"SHUT UP!" The enraged ANBU yelled back; pushing the older man off of him. "THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU!" He turned back toward the broken man drifting into unconsciousness. There were tiny sparks emanating from the suffering man's midnight eyes, as he glared venomously at his childhood friend. "YOU TOOK HER FROM ME! IT'S YOUR FAULT!"

The lightning-wielder's hair began rising at its tips. Oushi knew this was a sign that the man was beyond his usual level of anger. He could understand, of course, why the Raiden would feel so strongly; he had, just lost his most treasured person. However, if things continued on as they were, Oushi was certain there would be a lot of damage; not only to the surrounding medical equipment, but also to the people currently within close proximity of their group.

"Get him out of here." Oushi ordered the other ANBU.

"Don't you -" Tekinai fought back the operatives who Oushi had ordered to restrain the angered ANBU.

Sensing a rapidly escalating catastrophe, Oushi quickly grabbing hold of a nearby syringe; though not specialized in medical nin-jutsu, Oushi knew enough to recognize the contents as a sedative. In an instant, the ANBU captain, along with the three others, quickly tackled the electrified Raiden and immediately administered the full contents of the syringe, which successfully served to numb the raging Tekinai; effectively stopping his lightning jutsu.

"You…" Tekinai drowsily looked at up Oushi as his body fell limp. "I won't forgive this." The silver-haired ANBU accusingly glaring at the older teen, before falling to the floor; no longer able to put up a fight from the surrounding ANBU he held him down. (1)

.:..:..:..:..:..:..:..END FLASHBACK.:..:..:..:..:..:..:..

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"The armory?" Oushi looked questioning at the older man; his expression a mixture of solemn severity and confused apprehension. "But the compound is nowhere near the armory. Why attack the compound?"

"It is assumed the purpose was to locate the armory." The middle-aged man sitting in front of the ANBU captain replied, as he rubbed his temples wearily; placing his white hat on the desk in front of him.

"With all due respect Hokage-sama," Oushi addressed the older man. "But it only requires one Furi-iki clansman to attain access to the armory. It would be pointless to attack the entire clan. Especially given that the Furi-iki clan, well known throughout the five nations not only for their skill and crafting exceptional weaponry, are equally praised for their unmatched ability to wield said weapons. Only a fool would take on the entire clan."

"I do not disagree, Oushi-san." The Hokage nodded. "However, the weapons armory is not something a Furi-iki clansman would so willingly give up." The older man pointed out. "It would be easier to find a key to an armory, once the clan was eliminated, then to try and convince a clansman to divulge its location."

"If that is the case," Oushi wearily countered. "Then are we to assume that the attacker, or attackers, knew where the location of the armory was before the seizing the compound?" He paused momentarily as he considered his own question. "Would that not mean that the attacker would have to be a member of our own village?"

"That is precisely what we are attempting to determine." The Hokage replied; his brow furrowed, as if the mere idea of one of their own betraying one of the village's most esteemed clans deeply disturbed the village leader. "We will continue to investigate this. Until then, we must seek out Ryoku and tell him of what has occurred."

"Please allow me to see to that." Oushi plead.

He knew what it was like to lose everything. Living in a state of imminent war, a shinobi was lucky to have even a few people whom he could treasure. Oushi had not been one of those lucky people. He had been raised an orphan of war; his parents having had lost their lives to the way of the shinobi. But he hadn't let that get to him; he didn't allow himself to be alone forever. He had made many friends along the way; wanting and striving as much as possible to create bonds with those around him.

To Oushi, Ryoku was not only his friend, but his brother in spirit. It pained him to know that his best friend would have to go through something so horrible.

He wondered how his friend would take it. The last time he had lost someone, it had not gone well.

.:..:..:..:..:.:..:..:..FLASHBACK..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:.

"Ryo-san." Oushi called out to the brooding teen.

A month had passed since his miraculous return to the village. His wounds, which had seemed impossible to have endured, must less live through, had all but healed. Only fresh scars of that fateful mission now remained.

But scars fade.

"It wasn't you fault." Oushi tried reassuring the younger man.

"…" Ryoku stared out the window to his hospital room.

It seemed impossible to think, but it was as if, with each passing day, Ryoku spoke less and less. Losing his childhood friend had created a wound in the young man that didn't appear to want to heal. Oushi could understand that; he too felt the penetrating stab at his heart whenever he would stop to think of the girl with the lightning-colored eyes.

"Don't worry." Oushi placed a supportive hand over the younger teen's broad shoulder; looking past him at the figure standing on the street below. "He's trying."

The man below gave one last look in their direction, before continuing on his way toward the monument sitting on the other side of the Hokage Mountain.

He was trying…

But one could only push themselves so far after losing the person he treasured the most.

.:..:..:..:..:..:..:..END FLASHBACK.:..:..:..:..:..:..:..

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TBC
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FOOTNOTES:
(1) Remember, at this point Oushi is around 16-17; Ryoku and Tekinai are 14-15.

A/N: two things. (1) Some of you may have already guessed it before, but if not, this chapter should have made it oh so plainly clear (what our conflict/who our bad guy will be)… and (2) please go vote for the final poll of what Neji and Tenten's daughter's name should be… Mayuki or Nayuki (the poll is on my profile with explanations and stuff; but if you can't be bothered, just review with either name, thanks XD).

OMG it's 10 minutes to midnight... I've actually written something before 2am... ok, off to bed now (wow... another victory!)...