Cautiously, a group of ninjas entered the jail cell within Konoha. When they emerged minutes later, they held a young girl within their grip. She was pale from her head wound, and her eyes shone with fear and tears as she peered around as though trying to figure out what was happening.

Footsteps and rough hands had awoken me from my past nightmare. I could feel the hands grip themselves around my arms, and drag me along with my toes trailing across the floor.
Maybe if I was thinking straight, I would have noticed on how their grips were gentle. They didn't want to cause me any pain.

I snorted, the familiar taste of dry blood entered my mouth again.

I most have been a tragic sight to see… I could almost feel their guilt and anxiousness.

My headband that was loosely held in my hand was suddenly taken by one of those dragging me. I didn't fight back, I didn't need the headband anymore.

A creaking noise told me they had open a door and pulled me inside a room. There was a strong smell of cigarette smoke in the room. I tried not to gag as I was pulled into a chair.

"Hokage-Sama, This is her."

"Hokage-Sama?"

My eyes widen. Hokage… That could only mean…

"Where am I?" I whispered.

"Konoha." came an aging yet gentle voice. "Do you remember this village?"

I nodded slowly. "Konoha… was my home. At less… I think it was." I placed my hand on my head as confusion begun to drift around.

A clang of metal, which properly meant my headband was being placed upon a desk, only a couple of feet away from me. Footsteps headed towards the door, leaving me and the old man alone.

"Do you remember your name?"

I nodded again. "Fukuko…"

"Do you remember what happened to you?"

I shook my head.

The Hokage was silent for a while. I wasn't sure on what he expected me to do or say, so I sat in silence.

"What do you remember?"

I kept my silence as the memories all flashed back at once. Slowly… I begun to stuck the pieces together… in order, so I could understand the horror in my past.

"You're going to love it here." Said a tall dark haired man. He glanced around at the crowded village centre before smiling down to the smaller girl beside him, "From what I heard, Konoha is very peaceful."


My younger self smiled sadly back at him, "I hope so."

"I had a brother…" I whispered. "His name was Hina… We moved to Konoha after my parents' death."

"Hey guys!" she cried out to her old team-mates as the ramen stall came into view. "What's up?!"

"Fukuko!" the two guys cried almost squashing her as they leapt upon her. "Long time no see!"

"Too long" she said linking arms with them, "Izumo and Kotetsu"

"I had friends here… I was happy… I begun to train… and was soon a high ranked ninja…"

The rain fell silently, as the sky continued to cry. The darkness was drawing in, and yet the dark brown haired girl continued to stand with her mask held tightly in her hand. In front of her was a light blue stone, with many written names upon it.

"I'll make you proud" She whispered, "I'll show you that I can protect Konoha with my life, just like you did"

"My brother was killed on a mission…"

My throat became tight. The memories were coming back, hurting me deeper and deeper as more recent ones appeared.

"Ready to leave?" asked a young silvered haired man wearing the same mask and white outfit as the browned haired girl who approached him.

"Hai" Fukuko replied her hand held tightly on the sword handle on her back.

"Let's go"

"Then… I was sent on a mission… It was a solo one… I was to act as a spy."

She turned with a smile and bowed as source emerged from a tree trunk. The person looked down at her with yellow eyes as his snake like tongue swayed in front of his pale face.


"Good evening, Orochimaru-Sama."

"I was to spy on someone called… Orochimaru."

"Before we send you on any missions," Orochimaru said leading her into a dark and almost empty room. "We will need to test your loyalty with us."

"Very well." Fukuko said with a bow, "I'm ready for whatever test you have in mind."


"That's what I like to hear," He smirked, "The test will be tomorrow, meet me in the dudgeons."

"I was given a task by him…"

Fukuko stared into the cell. She flinched slightly as Orochimaru opened the cell door and pulled out a man she recognised as a listed, missing in action ninja from Konoha. He was wearing torn clothes with blood everywhere. One of his eyes were black and his nose was broken. As he held out his hands to protect himself, she noticed that several of his fingers were broken too.

"Your test will be to kill this ninja. If you fail or hesitate, I will kill you."

Tears slowly begun to fill my eyes. My voice was becoming weak from emotion again. Yet, the Hokage waited patiently for me to finish.

Fukuko's heart skipped a beat. Laying there in a cell… was a tall dark haired man. He was thin from lack of food and pale from the lack of air and sunlight.

"I saw... My brother… he was held captured…"

"I don't-" she begun. She was suddenly cut of by footsteps coming down the stairs. The siblings glanced up in fear.

Hina quickly pushed her away and crawled back into his cell. "Go!" he hissed. "Leave me, and save yourself!"

"I won't leave you!" She whispered back hastily. "I promise you!"

"Go…" he said again, his voice suddenly softer.

"I crept down to see him… I escaped before I was caught…"

I watched my younger self as she picked herself up from the forest floor. She was bleeding heavily from a large cut across her head. She slowly removed her blood covered hands from her face to reveal a large slash across her eyes. The girl walked endlessly around, screaming from someone to help her.

"… That's the last thing I remember… before waking up… with this…" I pointed at my eyes.

"You know nothing of what happened between then and Orochimaru?"

I shook my head.

There was another awkward silence. I almost lost my breath as he mentioned the one think I tried to forget.

"What happened with you and Akatsuki?"

"I was a prisoner…" I whispered. I didn't know why I was explaining all this to him… He would never believe me. Yet, I had nothing else to lose now.

"They sent me out of missions, with two of them." I continued. "They threatened me with death if I didn't do what they wanted."

I balled my hands into fists and banged them on the table cursing myself. "I helped them! I helped them steal from villages! I helped them place villages in danger! All because I was too afraid of what would happen to myself!"

I burst into tears again and hit my head upon the table.

"I'm a coward…" I whispered after a while. "I'm just a selfish coward… Maybe that's why he left me…"

I glanced back up in the direction of the Hokage. "You must believe me… I'm telling the truth. I tried to escaped, but I was caught each time…"

I was taken by surprise as I felt a pair of arms pull me into a warm and comforting embrace.

"I believe you… I can see the truth in your eyes." The Hokage said gently. "It was entirely my fault. I should have never placed a young ninja on such a mission."

"Hokage-Same…" I said slowly confused once again.

"We will speak again, but for now, I bet you are hungry."

Hungry… I had forgotten about food after my sudden depression. I didn't realise how hungry and tired I was till that moment. I nodded slowly as the Hokage pulled away from the hug and ordered for some food to be sent.

Never before did I feel such faith and relief. I was home. After all that happened… they had forgiven me and most of all, believed me.

I smiled weakly to myself. I must have really looked like a mess for such pity.

Author's Note

Woot! Chapter 20 is finally out! Since it was the twenthy chapter, I decided to go for a recap of all her past memories and show them in order, for anyone that had became confused.

I know, the Hokage is way to forgiving in this, but Fukuko is safely back home now, and out of harm's way. And don't worry, I'm only half way through this story! There's properly about another 10 chapters to go...