Two big clay birds were making their way to Iwagakure. It was silent between the three the whole trip.

Deidara looked at Ayame, who was standing on her own bird. "Hey, Ayame. Why does Itachi get to travel with you? Why can't you make one for him to travel on, un?"

Ayame didn't even glance at him. "Because he's my partner, and I would be wasting energy using 2x's the chakra to keep this bird going. You should know that fully well."

He kept staring at her for a moment. "Are you still mad about what I did, un?"

This time Ayame looked at him with a serious face. "I'm not just mad, I'm disappointed." She looked straight ahead again. He did the same.

It was quiet again until they reached their destination. "We're here, we should land now and walk the rest of the way, un." Ayame followed Deidara into the little forest area and walked to a little house outside the village.

Ayame just stood in the middle of the living room deep in thought, remembering the past with her brother.

-Flashback/Memory-

"Deidara-nii, promise you'll always stay with me." The 5 year old Ayame was sitting in the living room with her brother making clay sculptures.

"I promise. But you need to know for now, I gotta stay with mom and dad cause I'm too young to live on my own, un. So when I'm old enough, yes I'll definitely keep that promise."

They both laughed while going back to their clay sculptures.

-End of Flashback/Memory-

She kept standing there but looked at the couch and remembered another memory that was painful.

-Flashback/Memory-

The young Ayame sat on the couch, waiting for her brother to come. She had her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. The walls creaked making her curl up even more out of fear. And it was quiet, no sound at all except for the house creeking.

"..... Brother....." She was scared, alone and hated the dark, especially night, cause she was afraid people will come to kill her. She absolutely hated being alone. Then she started to cry silently in her curled up form.

-End of Flashback/Memory-

Ayame was on the couch in the same position. Itachi came over and sat next to her.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, just remembering some things."

"Well, we were gonna stay here for the night and go do the mission tomorrow morning. So you can relax for now."

"Yeah... at least I'm not alone this time..."

Itachi stared at her for a moment "You'll never be alone. You have us and the rest of the Akatsuki."

"Yeah, well-" she turned her head but noticed Itachi was unusually close and she blushed madly.

"Well... what?"

"... I-I can't say.... how reliable Deidara is... I-I'll go start making dinner now!" She shot up and went to the kitchen fast.

Itachi watched her go then got up and went to where Deidara was, which was outside. When Itachi found him, he stood right in front of him.

"What is it Itachi, un?"

"Tell me what happened to Ayame... everything."

"Why? I don't need to, and I don't plan on telling you especially."

Itachi lunged at Deidara and pinned him to a tree. "Ayame is depressed and suffering! If you, her own brother, won't try and help her then I will! Since I'm the only one who actually cares! Now, tell me already." His sharingan was activated. "Or do I have to use this again on you?"

Deidara had a shocking and annoyed expression. "... Fine, un..." Itachi let go of him and Deidara told Itachi the same story that he told Sasori. He also told him that he would always go visit her at night when their parents were asleep, but still try to see her during the day or during missions.

"Ah, I see... now I know why she said that."

"Say what, un?"

"That this time, she isn't alone. Meaning she was lonely whenever you weren't there."

"I didn't think she'd mind it... since she never said anything to me before, un..." Deidara was just staring at the ground.

"Well, I have no further need to be here. Since I got what I came here for." he left Deidara staring.

Itachi got to the house, soon after Deidara followed. They all ate dinner and after were getting ready for bed. Deidara went to his room and shut the door.

Ayame showed Itachi to the guest room, which was right next to hers. Finally, she went to her own room, across from Deidara's, and closed the door behind her.

Her room had a night stand next to the door on the left, with the bed next to it on the same wall. There was a window on the other wall on the left. Next to the window was a desk with many papers, some had drawings on it. The wall across from the door and bed had a book shelf, with clay sculptures lining some of it's shelves. The last wall, on the right, had another door.

Ayame opened it up and it was a closet, but she couldn't see the back wall of it. She moved some hanged clothes out of the way and it revealed a little hiding spot. She found more clay and paper on the floor, as well as a blanket and pillow.

-Flashback/Memory-

"....D-Deidara.....-nii....." it was thunder storming out. Though she loved watching the lighting, she hated being alone in one. Young Ayame was hiding in the closet of her room, under her blanket, scared. She drew a picture to calm her down, but what she drew just made her scared more. Young Ayame kept shivering in fear for the whole night, until she cried herself to sleep.

-End of Flashback/Memory-

Ayame found a drawing on the floor under some of the blanket and picked it up. It was the same drawing she drew that terrible night. The drawing was of her house being struck by lightning and causing it to catch on fire.

Oh yeah.... whenever I draw something, I tend to bring out my true feelings... I was really scared that night.... and I thought this would happen....

She kept looking at the drawing and noticed something that was in the house. It was a little head with a blanket covering the body, curled up in a closet. She figured that was her and saw a blonde-haired boy kid in the village holding hands with two other people she thought were her parents.

A tear came down her face and onto the drawing.

A hand was placed on her shoulder and she snapped around to find Itachi behind her.

"I-Itachi..."

"You need to get over it if we're gonna do the mission tomorrow."

"You don't get it!"

"What don't I get then?"

"I never met my parents! And now, I'm suppose to kill them?!"

"So you would rather have a relationship with them, have memories of times you don't want to forget or ever stop?! It's better to not have those feelings! Your brother made you stay here and not meet your parents for that reason! He was protecting you, Ayame!"

"W-what?... protecting me?... H-how would you know I shouldn't have those feelings or relationships?!"

"Your brother told me everything." And from experience....

"Deidara? What did her say?"

"... He didn't want you to get bullied by the others in the village and by your parents. Ayame, if Deidara hadn't protected you from your parents... you wouldn't be here right now... you would be dead."

"D-dead?... how?"

Itachi closed his eyes and sighed. "He told me, when you were born... your parents told him to dump you in a trash bin or some place you could die." His eyes opened. "But he didn't. He took you here and raised you on his own, even though he was really young at the age of 3 or 5! He was determined on protecting you Ayame, cause your parents wanted you dead!"

Ayame's eyes widened in shock. "My... my parents wanted me... dead? And Deidara... was trying to protect me... from them..."

"Do you get it now? But even if they didn't try to kill you.... you would have lived the same life as Deidara did. Hmph, you'd just wouldn't get it... how hard it was for him... cause it didn't happen to you." Though I don't really care about him, I need to get some sense into her at least....

"Wait, what? What happened to Deidara?!"

"Just wait till tomorrow when we go see your parents.... there may be an argument between him and your parents. So listen carefully tomorrow and you'll get answers." Itachi walked to the door. "Good night Ayame." He shut the door behind him after leaving.

Ayame got into her night clothes and got her bed ready. "Too much... information... about brother... all at the same time... overwhelming... and tired...." she fell on the bed and slept.

Deidara watched her sleep by the door for a while and closed it. "I'm sorry Ayame, for not telling you anything, un."

"Are you sure you didn't just want to tell her straight out what happened? It would have been easier." Itachi was standing in front of the guest door.

"Yeah, I'm sure. If I told her everything at once, she wouldn't be herself for a couple of days from the shock, un."

"I guess your right. We'll just have to see how she reacts to tomorrow's mission." Itachi went in his room and closed the door.

"Yeah, un." Deidara finally went to his own room, got in his bed and slept.

-Morning-

It was early in the morning now (probably around 5-6 am) and everyone was up, ready to leave.

"So, are we all ready to go?" Itachi looked at the siblings nod. "Then, Deidara, lead the way since you're the only one who knows where they live."

"Che, whatever, un." He led the way into the village, while they put their straw hats on.

People were staring a bit but then just looked away.

"We're here, un." They finally came to a big house.

Itachi just stared at it. I wonder if one of the reasons Leader-sama wants us to kill them is to take their money....

Ayame was staring as well, it was her first time seeing her, would-be, home "umm Deidara, are we.... suppose to be... rich or something?"

Deidara was silent for a minute, not wanting to answer the question "well... sorta, un."

She had an annoyed face. "So why, when we were little, did you say you didn't have enough money or you were poor when you came and brought crappy food!"

"Oi, I didn't think it would matter that much anyway, un!"

"My my, do we have guests? And this early in the morning?" A woman with long blonde hair, like Deidara's, was standing at the front door smiling. She looked to be in her 30s or 40s. "Come in, come in why don't you? Me and my husband were just having some tea."

"Yes, we'll like that." It was Itachi who spoke.

"What are you doing, un?" whispering to him.

"This will give us an excuse to go in, now we don't have to sneak in anymore. We have our hats and they don't know me. They might not know Ayame cause they probably forgot about her. At least she hasn't recognized you yet."

They all went in and followed Mother (I'm just gonna call her Mother for now on, same with Father ~.~) into the living room where Father was.

"Honey, we have guests!"

A man with brown hair stood up from a chair.

Ayame looked at the two in amazement. So that's why my hair is like this... She came out of her thoughts when she saw the man come closer.

"Well now, guests. Why don't you take off your hats and introduce yourselves. Then we'll talk about why you're here."

Itachi was the first to take his hat off.

The man's eyes widened in fear. "Y-you're .... Uchiha Itachi... the man who killed his whole clan... W-why are you here?"

"I guess I do not have to introduce myself since you already know who I am. And I do not intend to answer that question."

It was Deidara's turn to remove his hat. Just a glimpse of his blonde hair and hearing his voice they knew who it was. "Hey hey, what's with they shocked faces all of a sudden, un? Surprised to see your only son back visiting his parents?"

"No.... why.... why did you come back... to the village?"

"Why? Didn't I tell you?! I wanted to visit my parents one last time, un!"

The couple looked at the last one who was with them. "T-then.... who's... the third one?"

"Oh, we saved her especially for last. You'll love her, un. I just know you'll be so happy to see her. Go ahead, take your hat off, un."

Ayame finally took off her hat, revealing her long brown, blonde-highlighted, hair and sky blue eyes. She had a child-like face on, like when a child goes to a new place.

"Who.... who is she?"

"Oh that's right. I forgot the last time you saw Ayame, was when she was born, un."

Their faces were covered with horror and fear. "You... you mean.... that's .... ayame... the same one.... who has your damn mutation?! How is she still alive?! Oh god, she even has both our hair colors!"

Ayame couldn't believe what she had heard.

"What did you do Deidara? You did something that day when I told you to dump her some where she can die!" Mother was yelling from her husband's arms.

"Heh, your right. I did do something. But I did something right, un!" I wasn't gonna let the only family member and friend I had left that would love me for who I am and not judge me by any imperfection... die just because you told me too! Even though I was young, I still wasn't dumb or stupid enough to do something like that, un!"

"You... that's why you would always sneak out at night with food, or during the day sometimes." Father was the one who spoke this time.

"Even if that wasn't the reason, I would still sneak out to get away from you and getting abused everyday by you and the village, un!"

Ayame was listening to the whole thing, like what Itachi told her to do.

".... Then.... why are you even here... did you just come here to show us her and that she's alive?"

"Well, that's one of the reasons. Another reason, I've already told you twice now. I wanted to see my stupid parents and their reactions for the last time, un."

"W-why the last time?"

His pyromaniac face came into play, and he smirked. "I'm glad you finally asked, un." He went right in front of them with speed and looked right into their eyes with his maniac-looking eyes. "To kill you, un."

"Ahhh!" Mother backed away quickly sitting on the floor. "Honey, do something!"

"Yes, don't worry." He got a sword he used when he was younger and swung at Deidara but he dodged it with ease.

"Hahahaha! Hey, old man, did you forget how to use your jutsus and sword techniques already? Hehe, I get it came with your old age, un."

They were about to fight again but then ayame yelled.

"Wait!" Everyone looked at her. "W-why do you hate me so much, and why did you treat Deidara the way you did before?" the couple just stared at her for a bit.

"Because you're both freaks of nature, and freaks should just die... they don't belong in this world."

That made ayame snap. "Deidara.... I can see... why you hate our parents. Mom, dad.... I thought...." tears came down slowly from her eyes. "... I could get to know you a little and you would like me." She had clay being mixed in the hand mouths already and they spat out the blobs, now forming clay birds. "But.... I guess I was wrong! Deidara move!" She threw the birds, which started flaming when they got speed, heading towards the couple.

Deidara jumped back right before the bird hit their targets and made a big flame explosion, leaving the bodies burn in the fire.

"Hmph, weak as ever, un."

Ayame was panting a little from the stress she just received and from the amount of chakra she put into the little clay bombs.

"We should get some money while we're here and then burn the place." Itachi finally joined in. Why was I chosen to come with them anyway?

Like what Itachi said, they got some bags of money and placed them on another bird.

"Ayame, would you like to do the honors, un? I'm letting you set something on fire, at least."

Ayame's eyes changed to the pyromaniac look then she let loose several flaming clay birds into the house and all exploded at once, creating a huge mushroom fire cloud. They left while the house, with the bodies of their dead parents still inside, burn to the ground. Mission complete.

-Rest stop-

They got half way back to the base and stopped to rest for the night.

Itachi started the fire. Ayame sat down next to Deidara.

"Hey Deidara, I'm sorry I yelled at you before. I shouldn't have done that and should of gotten your side of the story first."

Deidara looked at her and smiled, then hugged her. "It's ok. You're like me in a way, un. You react before you think. And anyway.." he let go of her. "... I'm your brother, aren't brother and sisters suppose to quarrel once in a while?"

Ayame smiled back. "Yeah, I guess so." She turned her head to Itachi who was one tree away from them. "And thank you Itachi, for cheering me up last night. That really helped."

"I try to do my parts..."

"Eh, what was that? You always seem to cheer her up instead of me, un. You're always getting in my way when it comes to her. What's up with that, un?!"

"Maybe I just have a better way with girls then you do, Deidara."

"Oh yeah?!"

"Guys! It's late, I don't want to hear it this late at night."

Itachi looked at Deidara. "She's right Deidara, we'll settle this in the morning then. Good night Ayame." He laid down facing the other way.

"Oi! Why only say good night to Ayame?! And we'll definitely settle it in the morning, un! Good night Ayame." He too laid where he was and went to sleep.

Ayame looked at the two and smiled. She finally did the same and went to sleep with a smile.

_____________________________________________________________________________

. sorry it took so long! I personally like this chapter, cause Ayame finally meets her parents owo well, I'm hoping to get the next chapter up as soon as possible! In the meantime, review please! ~desu 3