Euphoria was all Sumiko could feel as she kept a hold on the mountain's lovely pictures. She wondered why Ino hadn't said anything yet, "Don't you feel it, Ino? I remember coming here on my own to feel the heart of the mountains like the Guardians. I always wondered why they never allowed the other villagers to feel such an experience."

She could feel Ino's hand in hers, but why wasn't she saying anything? Sumiko then let go of the mountain and turned to Ino. When she didn't see Ino standing, she wondered if something had happened? Then, Ino's skin had turned to an ashen gray, her eyes so blood shot that they held very little white sclera in them. What horrified Sumiko even more was how twisted Ino's mouth was; it appeared to have been a mix of a scream and a cry for help! Sumiko then realized she still had a hold of Ino's hand and yanked her hand away as she yelped.

What had happened!? Sumiko covered her mouth as she looked this way and that, fear wrapped around her brain. She went down on her knees and checked Ino's pulse. A wave of relief hit her as she did feel a faint pulse, but she wasn't out of the dark yet. Sumiko closed Ino's eyes and fixed her features so that it wasn't as obvious that there was a problem. What could she do? Regular visitors were banned and that was a sacred Guardian rule! Ayame. She would know what to do! Sumiko picked up Ino carefully, "I'm so sorry, Ino... Please forgive me..."

As fast as she could, Sumiko struggled to keep up Ino's full weight on her body as she leaped from boulder to tree-top all the way back to the village. She stopped at the outskirts of the village and panted as sweat beaded from her face to drip onto the ground. Carrying a full dead-weight body was harder than she had realized. Sumiko looked to Ino's face and felt such guilt for her actions. Perhaps she should've just insisted that things had not continued this way. But there was a real problem at hand: she couldn't take Ino's body into the village like this without having to explain everything. Leaving Ino in the wilderness was a risk she didn't want to take either.

"I don't have the choice..." Sumiko grumbled as she began to enter the village in the early hours of twilight.

As fast as a as she could, leaping from roof-top to roof-top, Sumiko leaped onto the side of the Elder's Manor. She held on to a pipe tightly while holding Ino's body as close to hers as she could. Now, she just had to find the window for her grandmother's room. Sumiko's hand gripped the pipe as tightly as she could as she crawled along the wall and peaked in the first window. It was with great luck that she found Ayame sleeping before she entered through the window as silently as she could before gently placing Ino on the ground. Ayame slowly blinked her eyes open, "Su..miko?"

"It was an accident, Gran," Sumiko whispered as she took a step towards her grandmother, "We were at the Sacred Stone and-"

"You took an outsider to the Sacred Stone!?" Ayame sat up in bed, "How could you be so reckless!?"

"Ayame?" a voice beckoned outside the closed door, "What's going on in there?"

Panic rushed through Sumiko as she went to grab Ino's body, but found Ayame had snatched her wrist, "You must own up to this crime, Sumiko. A woman is hurt because of your negligence."

"But Gran I can't-!"

The other Elder woman walked into the room with a lit candle and gasped at the sight of Ino unconscious, "Is...is she dead?"

"No!" Sumiko snapped as she pulled away from her grandmother's grasp, "She...she's not dead."

"She touched the Sacred Stone," Ayame got up from her bed and pulled on her robe, "Go wake the Guardians. Masaru must hear of this."

At the mention of the Guardian's chief, Sumiko felt her body go numb. Masaru was the one who spoke on behalf of the Guardians and was the one who made the final decisions. Knowing that she would have to answer to Masaru had Sumiko fearing that this situation could get out of hand and fast. She looked to her grandmother, resentful that Ayame hadn't allowed her a timely escape. Ayame returned the gaze as the other Elder female left to awaken Masaru.

Within the hour, the Elders had Sumiko carry Ino as they all went in front of Masaru's manor. He lived in a tradition home made of the mountain's tree oak as most of the Guardians stood to see what was going on. Sumiko did not release Ino from her grasp even as she stood in front of the manor waiting for Masaru to make his appearance. Then, her fear grew stronger as she heard Sakura pushing through the crowd. Sakura reached Sumiko and quickly took Ino from Sumiko's arms, "What happened!? Ino!"

"She touched the Sacred Stone," Sumiko spoke slightly above a whisper, "I didn't... I didn't think this would happen. No one told me outsiders couldn't touch the stone."

Sakura's face was contorted with both worry for Ino and accusatory towards Sumiko. She felt her stomach churn at the anger in Sakura's eyes as she stepped away from Sumiko. The mountain kunoichi was about to go to Sakura until a hushed wave went through the crowd as Masaru exited his home. He was a mountain of a main, standing over six feet tall and muscular as the boulders around the village. Masaru was an aged man though very strong for his age. A gray mustache just above his lips and sharp, deep brown eyes and a balding head; he wore only his black pants as he stood in front of his main doors, "What brings you Elderly onto the Guardian's domain at this hour in the night? What conspiracy to you bring me this time?"

"This is no time to quarell, Masaru," one of the male Elders commented dryly as he held his walking staff, "An outsider has touched your Sacred Stone and has fallen unconscious."

The Guardians began to talk amongst themselves as Sumiko kept her head lowered. Masaru's normally narrow eyes were wide as they fell upon Ino. He released a long sigh as he walked down the short stair down to where Sakura stood, "Her condition seems stable, but it is a risk each time a person who does not have Guardian blood. If she is living, then there is nothing to fear."

He then turned to Sumiko, "You are a kunoichi of this village, how could you not know the dangers of outsiders touching the Sacred Stone. That stone binds the Guardians eternally to the earth beneath our feet and is not meant for you or the other outsiders!"

"I did not think we would come to harm!" Sumiko tried to keep track of her words, not wanting to reveal anything even though the situation was dire, "I had heard the stories...but I did not hear the warnings."

There was a long pause as Masaru kept his eyes on Sumiko. His gaze was too intense for her to return. She crossed her arms over her chest as she turned away from him. It was as if he was trying to peer into her soul to retrieve the truth. Ayame the approached Sumiko and stood at her side, "Lord Masaru, my granddaughter has served as a loyal kunoichi to this village and fought along side you and the other Guardians. She is not a Guardian herself, how could she know the warnings without being a Guardian herself?"

Masaru turned to the large brethren of Guardians surrounding him, "Has anyone disclosed the warnings of the Sacred Stone to this kunoichi?"

Sumiko felt the urge to vomit as several of the Guardians began to raise their hands. She then took a step forward to Masaru, "This is untrue! I may fight alongside the Guardians but I am not a Guardian! I do not know the secrets or the stories that you share among yourselves!"

"Take her into custody," Masaru looked to the four Guardians around him, "I will get the full story when this woman wakes."

Sakura kept a tight hold on Ino as she looked to Masaru, "I know what Sumiko did was wrong and dangerous, but she's our guide. Without her we're not permitted to leave the village for herbs or supplies we may need."

"You will be given a temporary guide until we figure this situation out," a male Elder spoke to Sakura in a reassuring voice.

Masaru nearly yanked Ino from Sakura's arms as he went back into his home with many of the Guardians following him. Sakura went to follow where the four Guardians were taking Sumiko. She took a last look at the Elders to see Ayame actually held a look of concern for her granddaughter. The pink-haired kunoichi gave a simple wave, but Ayame had turned to return to her own home. A sinking feeling blossomed with Sakura's gut as she followed the Guardians to a small home that looked to fit only one family. They bound Sumiko's hands separately by wrapping each hand with duct tape then placed a binding jutsu on each hand to seal them from performing any jutsu together.

When they finished, they allowed Sakura a few minutes before saying she would have to leave for the night. Sakura and Sumiko stood in the barren, what would've been, living room in silence until Sumiko spoke in the midst of the silence, "I'm so, so sorry. I did not know Ino would be hurt. I will make this right."

As much as Sakura wanted to be angry at Sumiko for hurting her friend, she knew it had to have been an accident. Sumiko may not return Ino's emotions, but she wasn't a monster. Sakura then noticed Sumiko's shoulders slumping before she saw the tears brimming in Sumiko's eyes. Was her tears from guilt? No. She could see that Sumiko wasn't the type to cry over guilt or a simple scare. Sakura walked over to Sumiko and stood a few inches from her, "You're terrified at what Ino will say when she wakes up."

"She may not understand... She may tell them I touched the Sacred Stone and that I was unharmed," Sumiko did her best to speak clearly as the tears fell down her cheeks, "I... I can't say I blame her."

This time, Sakura embraced Sumiko and held her tightly against her. She didn't want to see any of her friends in this type of position. Sumiko was terrified for her life. Sakura's mind was a-buzz with thought as she tried to think of something that would diffuse the entire situation. There was little change that Masaru would let her see Ino. For now, she had to distract the village. Sakura then gently eased her grasp on Sumiko and had the kunoichi look up at her, "I will figure something out. Trust me."

"Sakura..." Sumiko felt Sakura wipe her tears for her, "I am bound to this village's customs. My honor tells me-"

"We both know that's bullshit," Sakura stated as her gaze became fierce as she gazed down at Sumiko, "You want to leave this village so badly that you can't think of anything else. Why else did you volunteer to be our guide? Why else aren't you so mournful about the rest of the Guardians losing their kekkei-genkai? You have your chance to leave, but you're afraid of leaving because you'll be alone."

Sumiko's emerald eyes were wide as she stood speechless at the truth entering her ears. Sakura continued as she placed her hand on Sumiko's cheek, "If you can trust me, you won't leave alone. You can come back to Konoha with me and Ino. This is your chance to be able to see the world like you want to."

Sakura didn't know what she was saying, but she knew that Sumiko would be in danger if she remained in this village any longer. Then, Sumiko looked away from Sakura. In a small voice, she then spoke, "I want to leave by my own accord. Your offer means a lot to me. But I just want the chance to do that on my own."

It wasn't exactly what Sakura wanted to hear. Sakura forced Sumiko to look back at her, "What will it take for you to trust me? Don't try to push me away like that, Sumiko. You're my friend now and I help my friends. Let me help you."

This time Sumiko kept her gaze on Sakura. She could feel Sumiko's wall slowly cracking as Sakura made one last promise, "No matter what, I will help you."

Leaving Sumiko in that barren house left Sakura feeling uncomfortable especially after she witnessed the four Guardians locking her inside. She prayed that Ino, though hoping she was safe, wouldn't wake up until tomorrow.

Dawn's arrival came too soon. Sakura's eyes flickered open slowly before realizing that the sky outside her window was red. As she sat up, Sakura instinctively turned to Ino's bed to wake her only to realize that Ino was not in her bed. Memories of last night flew through her mind and remembered the occurance. She ought to check on Sumiko, but her responsibility came first. Sakura went to her desk to see that she had left Sumiko's blood sample still in the microscope. But did she leave it like that? Sumiko had a slightly different name on the sample, but it still was important to keep a secret.

Upon checking once more, Sakura heard the sound of footsteps approaching from her side. Sakura glanced from gazing into the microscope to see the familiar guards that Masaru, "Good morning, I don't think I need any more samples for the day. Until my partner wakes up, I can't exactly work efficiently."

"Lord Masaru would like to speak with you," a young man, barely older than she, took a step forward, "And your friend hasn't woken yet."

At the mention of Ino, Sakura's features became more solemn. She felt guilty for worrying more about Sumiko's condition than Ino's. Sakura willingly followed the guards back to Masaru's manor, passing by Sumiko's holding-house. Her eyes were on the windows to see if Sumiko was awake or at least in a good condition. The same young man who spoke to Sakura earlier stepped in her line of sight before speaking, "We checked on Sumiko earlier, she has some bread and water to eat."

How could she eat? Her hands were bound! Sakura wanted to protest, but something told her that wouldn't really help Sumiko's position. The young man then continued to speak, "Whatever trial Lord Masaru will put her in is mostly for formalities. Sumiko has fought with the Guardians and had only just started to be accepted as kin. A few of us taught her a thing or two about what it means about being a Guardian, but nothing that should have lasted."

"Don't discuss this topic further," a stern-voiced woman stated sharply, keeping her back to both Sakura and the talkative Guardian, "This is inappropriate to discuss this topic. Besides, Lord Masaru isn't the one calling this waste of time trial. The Elders are the ones trying to play government with us."

Sakura entered Masaru's manor without the guards and entered through the main doors. So far she had no idea where she was supposed to go until Masaru appeared by walking down the main staircase. He really did resemble a mountain the way he stood so tall above her. Maybe if she did not know him in this position then perhaps she would see him as a warm person, but, at the moment, he looked rather menacing. Sakura gulped slightly before bowing respectfully, "Lord Masaru, you have requested to see me?"

"Requested?" Masaru raised a brow, "Look, child, I'm not like the Elders. We are both shinobi that do our jobs to our best degree."

Raising her head slightly, Sakura then asked, "But your title makes you the leader of the Guardians."

"Title? Bah!" Masaru chuckled loudly, Sakura could've sworn she had felt the ground shake beneath her, "The Elders like to play such political games and act as if they have any say in this village. Come, I shall explain why I wanted you to join me for breakfast."

He stood tall as he walked to this large dining room that held a number of dishes that ranged from typical sushi to three large, cooked turkies. There were salads, sandwiches, all types of drinks ranging from water to alcohol, Sakura stood in confusion. Was this breakfast? This had to be a feast! Masaru took a seat and began making his plate with the nearby food, "Take a seat, this isn't all for us. This home is always an open invitation to the other Guardians if they ever wished to join me for a meal."

"Thank you," Sakura spoke meekly as she approached the table and sat across from Masaru, "I have to say that you seem different from last night."

Masaru had been pouring himself a glass of water when he paused at the mention of the previous night. Sakura noticed and wished she had kept her mouth shut, but the information was now on the table. They both sat in silence for a few moments before Masaru placed the pitcher on the table, "Child, what Sumiko has done is a crime that has very serious consequences. If she had been a Guardian that had that woman touch the Sacred Stone, her hands would be chopped off. The Sacred Stone has been legend to be the original source of the Guardian's kekkei-genkai, what gave us our power. For some reason, it has taken our power back."

"But the Elders-" Sakura spoke up once again.

"The Elders say this is a curse from Kami for our desire to expand our village, but they know nothing of what we were capable of!" Masaru slammed his fist into the table causing Sakura to jump mostly from the impact instead of fear, "My apologies, child. The Elders are not what they seem and I ask that you keep that in mind. I had believed that having Sumiko fight with the Guardians and her grandmother as one of the Elders that the Guardians and the Elders could govern this village together. But, I can see that it will never be."

Sakura watched as Masaru ate a few pieces of food on his plate before continuing to eat. There was more he wanted to say to her, and she was beginning to understand why. She was now an affiliation to this 'trial' as the last one who had seen Ino with Sumiko and the remaining medical-ninja who was working on figuring out why the kekkei-genkai had gone missing. To be respectful, Sakura began to make a plate of food for herself and began to eat. When Masaru finished eating his first plate, he began to make another, "I would like to know how your research is coming along."

Swallowing a piece of scrambled egg, Sakura looked up at Masaru, "So far I have been able to get many blood samples from one of the branches of the Guardian district. I can't be conclusive yet with my research, but I have made a few discoveries."

"Eh? Tell me a few of them," Masaru sat back in his seat.

"Well, so far I understand how your kekkei-genkai works," Sakura began as she leaned on the table with her elbows, "Your chakra is linked the mountains to a certain degree. Though those without their kekkei-genkai are not sick, it just seems as if the link has been parted. There is still chakra flowing throughout the mountain ranges, but the chakra link has been blocked by an unknown entity. Whether or not it's from natural causes is unclear. When my partner wakes, we will have to dive deeper into this situation and let m'lady Hokage know of our research."

She watched Masaru's face with determination. He took in this information quite well and seemed almost happy to know what the situation was. Then, his eyes went straight to her own as he, too, leaned on the table to speak to her, "Normally I like to keep you brainiacs with the Elders to keep their bullshit busy with nonsense, but you actually make some sense. There has to be chakra in the mountain hell if it did a number on your friend. No offense."

"None taken," Sakura commented dryly as she bit into a piece of toast, "How is she?"

"I've got someone watching for her to wake up anytime. There has been only one other case that has happened like this before, and... Well, I told you what normally happens," Masaru shrugged as he began to cut into a piece of steak, "When she wakes up I'll be taking a full report on what she can remember. It'd break my heart to see a talented kunoichi like Sumiko without her hands, but I can't let something like this go unpunished. It's for the safety of the rest of the village."

Sakura found this most ironic due to the fact that the Elders were preaching how venturing out was prohibited because it was for the safety of the village. There were very few differences between Masaru's thought process and the Elder's thought process. Either way, they seemed like two extremists who were clashing in the middle. Sakura pushed her unfinished plate away and poured herself a cup of tea before realizing it was the same herbal tea that Sumiko had prepared a few days ago. The familiar scent hit Sakura roughly as guilt made her pour only a half cup. Sakura took a long sip of her tea before asking Masaru, "If Ino can't remember, what will the trial be?"

"Inconclusive," Masaru gave a long sigh as he patted his slightly chubby belly, "No charges will be against Sumiko and we'd all move on. I'm not as superstitious as the 'all-knowing' Elderly, if your partner claims that she can't remember what happened then there's no point in moving forward with the trial. Then anything Sumiko had said up to this point would be wiped clean."

Though it didn't make much sense, Sakura wouldn't argue with his reasoning. Her spirit began praying that perhaps Ino wouldn't remember or if she could at least see her just before Masaru to let her know. Almost on que, a young woman walked in and bowed low, "Lord Masaru, the blonde woman has woken and claims to be ready to talk."

A breeze wafted in through the slits of the ajar windows as Sumiko sat on what probably was once a couch. With only a cup of water and bread, it was supposed to last her until her trial. Her eyes were fixated on the half eaten bread she could only eat on the floor and the spilled water. As much as she wanted to see Ayame, it wouldn't be permitted at this point. It would jeopardize her grandmother's standing among the Elders and it could mean she could be kicked out.

"Stupid..." Sumiko grumbled as she kicked the half piece of bread away before standing up, "All of this..."

Is stupid? Sumiko stood tall and proud, then sat back down on the couch. Even in her position, she didn't want to say that this village or it's customs were stupid? All she knew were the two sides of the coin that balanced between this village. One side held the Elder's point of view and the other side held the Guardian's curiosity and their reasoning. Sumiko sighed deeply as she leaned her head back and stared up at the ceiling with dull eyes.

"I ought to be scared," Sumiko spoke to herself to try and break the silence, "I should be, at least. But i'm not. I know what I am and I know what I can do. I just... I just don't want to let anyone know. Then it wouldn't be fair."

Because she didn't lose her kekkei-genkai. That was why it wasn't fair. Sumiko felt the presence of other chakra around her, and then she felt Masaru's chakra. Even without his kekkei-genkai, it worried her of what he was capable of doing to her. Then, the front door was bashed in and the walls cracked before crumbling to make room for Masaru's presence as he entered the house. His demeanor was different from last night. Now, he was more terrifying than she had ever remembered. He snatched her hair before dragging her out of the house trying to stay on her feet and yelled loudly, "Villagers of Yama Village!"

Within minutes, the entire village had stopped what they were doing to gaze upon Masaru. The Guardians, at least most of them, seemed utterly pissed off as the Elders scuttled to the front of the scene. Masaru held up Sumiko by her hair, "The blonde woman has claimed that Sumiko of Yama Village had touched the stone and emitted the signs of the Guardian! This shall be a warning to the villagers to never touch the Sacred Stone, but also to the bastard children who wish to claim the title as Guardian!"

Sumiko felt the urge to vomit and did so on his feet. Chunks of bread scattered at the base of Masaru's shoes before he kicked her and emitted a groan of disgust. She took the kick as much as she could before grinding to a halt on the ground. Immediately, she looked to Ayame as her body quaked in agony. Her grandmother stood still and very stoic, her eyes meeting Sumiko's as well. Was this the punishment she would receive? Masaru then glowered at Sumiko before hissing, "On your feet! Bastard or not you are still a kunoichi and deserve an honorable death. I can at least proudly say that you are at a loss with the rest of the real Guardians. Without your undeserved kekkei-genkai, you have not truly experienced what we are capable of."

At least he didn't know the full truth. Sumiko slowly rose to her feet, doing her best to keep her balance as she stood tall and proud. If this was to be her fate, she would welcome Death with open arms if she could at least. However, the angle in which she faced Masaru was the same angle she could see the village gates and how open they appeared to day. The gates were so wide that it almost seemed as if they were beckoning the world. Masaru then got her attention back as he stated bluntly, "Approach me, Sumiko. If you were any other kunoichi, i'd give you a proper death. Yet, you are a bastard and shall be given a bastard's death."

"Stop!" Sakura, holding onto Ino, came in between Masaru, "Sumiko has the cure to give you back your kekkei-genkai!"