This is the final chapter to Part I of Shadows of Heroes! ENJOY!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs in this fan fiction, except the following:

Tsukuyomi Clan

Nero

Mashiko

Watanabe Tatsuya

Mokusei

Karen

A/N: Beginning is in Ruriko's POV.

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Chapter Eighteen: No Shame, No Shame! The Pride of the Family!

Sunagakure was hot, very, compared to Konohagakure's average temperatures. However, there was definitely wind there and today, thank the gods, it wasn't sunny. Heavy black clouds took up the sky, but there was no storm, despite the smell of rain in the air, mingling with the desert's thick sand dunes.

Walking in, I was surprised to see at least some crowds in the normally empty streets. Some mothers were yelling at their children and there was some music playing somewhere, but despite that…

It was the same home it was when we left it.

Kazuya led us home, although, Nero broke off at one point to trudge on his own lonely path to his apartment. The one he shared with his aunt and uncle. Two of the most useless shinobi of all time. A loud mouthed bitch and a blind pacifist.

Unfortunately, Nero's aunt wasn't the only loud mouthed bitch in Sunagakure. We hadn't even gotten that close to our house before Kazuya was practically ambushed by his former teammates, now somewhat best friends.

"Kazuya, you asshole! Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" Mashiko yelled, coming up to Kazuya with no shame and smacking him upside the head. Kazuya yelped, grasping the side of his head. If there was anyone who could bully and pick on their teammates without any shame, it was Mashiko.

Her hair was bloody red and tied into a curled side ponytail, her eyes a cold teal. She wore a skimpy outfit and had a tattoo and piercings. She was pretty, but she was a straight up bitch. Following behind her was Kazuya's less obnoxious, cat-obsessed friend, Watanabe Tatsuya. Dressed in a jacket and pretty much being covered in pockets, he was a medical ninja as well as Akira's medical trainer.

"He left you a note, Mashiko. Don't resort to violence." Tatsuya muttered, but Mashiko smacked him in the arm for it, then smirked at Kazuya.

"How'd your team do in the exams? Did they pass or fail?" She asked eagerly. Akira and I shared annoyed glares before both tugging on Kazuya's sleeves.

"Can we go tell Hioshi we're home?" We both asked in unison. Kazuya nodded, smiling a little worriedly before looking back at Mashiko and Tatsuya to have an adult conversation. Poor Kazuya. Nobody appreciated a ball of sunshine in Sunagakure.

Akira and I went back to our house, which was on the other side of the village underneath a cliff that hung out over the village somewhat. The house was nothing fancy and actually connected to several official buildings that spread out along the Cliffside. It was a tan, stone built structure with three stories, but one of them actually was inside the cliff, which was entirely Hioshi's floor; bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, work room, and all.

We walked through the black wooden door onto a hardwood floor, throwing our shoes off sloppily on a nearby mat. Akira went straight to the kitchen, yelling about food and home sweet home, but I ran up the stairs, stomping all the way up the first flight, then the second before I ran into the hall that led to Hioshi's work room.

No doubt he'd be in there!

I threw open the door, completely ignoring the DO NOT DISTURB sign. The work room was a mess with files and booklets, scrolls and posters. A black leather chair was sitting in front of a bunch of techy things.

"Tsukuyomi Hioshi! This is your sister speaking, you better not have fallen asleep on the job!" I yelled, smirking. I waited a second before a pale, bandaged hand appeared behind the chair.

"I'm here." He stated in a mature voice, then swiveled around in the chair. Hioshi, being twenty-three, was about five foot eleven, wearing a loose fitting blue long-sleeved shirt with a low collar and matching pants that hid his ninja shoes. His headband was worn on his left sleeve. He had black hair that looked like he had just gotten out of bed and a pair of icy cold eyes that were usually calculating and cold, but whenever he saw me, they softened from ice to play-doh.

"Ne, Hioshi! I really am I like you! I failed the exams, but unfortunately, I'm banned from ever taking them." I muttered. Hioshi blinked.

"What? Why the hell did that happen?" He demanded, folding his arms over his chest. I smirked, mocking his movements.

"Because I tried to eat my opponent, Osamu… His sensei's name is Kuromura Kotori. She said she knows you…" My voice trailed. Hioshi's eyes took on that cold look again, growing as sharp as the scalpels Tatsuya used.

"Ugh. Don't mention her."

"Why not? Did she kick your ass?" I asked with a grin. Hioshi twitched and he rose up off his chair, a first in a while probably, but he didn't stumble like he usually did. He walked right up to me and grabbed a handful of my hair, but not too hard. His face was a somewhat comical 'shut the fuck up' look, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"I'm going to make you regret coming home, baby sister." He threatened. I huffed, smacking his hand off me and straightening my loose ponytail.

"Oh, come on. I'll tell you that I lost pretty badly to Osamu." I replied, smiling innocently. Hioshi's eyes softened slightly, but only slightly. Like, maybe 10,000 out of a trillionth of a bit.

"Yea, she beat me. She left me unconscious and my stupid sensei had to carry me back to the village." He explained, studying my face to make sure I wasn't going to laugh. Instead, I smiled.

"See? It's not so hard to admit defeat."

"It is if she kicked your ass pretty good."

"Okay, I guess so." I sighed, then hugged Hioshi around the waist tightly, snuggling my face on him. If there was one brother I loved cuddling with, it was Hioshi because it was the type of person he was. That was why a favorite past time of his was to take naps on the couch with Akira.

"I missed you, Hioshi. Those exams were way harder than I anticipated…" I mumbled. Hioshi hugged me back, patting my head a little.

"Yea, I know how you feel. It's because of those exams that I don't leave this place…. Not to mention that I am sick of running into cocky people, like Mashiko. Stupid bitch barged in here a while after you guys left, ranting about where her boyfriend was." Hioshi muttered. I laughed.

"I still can't believe she and Kazuya are dating."

"It's not so much as dating as… Sort of… I dunno… Playing with each other?" Hioshi tried. I crinkled my nose, pinching it.

"Gross! I don't care about Kazuya's sex life! Icky!"

"Haha, that's what I said. Say, as a present for coming back in one piece, wanna help me do some work today?" Hioshi asked, raising an eyebrow and gesturing to the other leather chair across the room. I beamed.

"Let's do this! I learned a lot at the exams that I can't wait to tell you!"

Nero's POV

I didn't know if I wanted to take the long way home or the short way home, but either way, I'd get in trouble when I got back. I decided to take the long way, dropping off my file at the Kazekage's building before heading to the apartment.

I can't say I lived in the bad side of town, but it wasn't where Ruriko lived at all. In fact, across the village from her house. I climbed the stairs outside that led right up to the front door of the apartment. I took a deep breath and pushed open the rickety wooden door, peering inside the small apartment. A kitchen led into the living room as well as the hall to the bedrooms, mine and my aunt's. It didn't look like anyone was home at first, but I knew someone had to be. The apartment was never empty.

I stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind me, glancing around the apartment again. I saw some blood smeared on the floor, making me frown. I looked up into the kitchen again, seeing someone move out of the hall. At first, I thought it was my aunt so I stepped back, but then I recognized the ocean blue hair and the heavy layer of bandages over his eyes.

"Mokusei…" I said quietly to my uncle, who lifted his face up to me. He smiled a little.

"Nero. You're back… It's been surprisingly quiet without you around." He moved from behind to kitchen and I saw the source of the blood on the floor. He was bandaged up on his right forearm. He wore a Jounin vest and blue gauntlet sort of gloves, green pants and blue boots with a gold point in his heel.

"Where's the demon?" I asked. Mokusei shifted from foot to foot, still trying to smile at the thought of his abusive wife.

"Uh… She went out for a bit with some guy named Baki… I didn't bother to ask. She already got me yesterday." He sighed.

"With what?" I asked casually, moving into the kitchen. I could smell something cooking and my stomach was growling like crazy. Thanks to Ruriko, we were all out of money on the way home.

Idiot blew it off on some friends back in Konohagakure.

"A fork." Mokusei responded quietly, following me. I sighed, averting my eyes.

"I really wish she would just die already." I muttered, opening the fridge. Mokusei's smile went into a frown. I prepared for a lecture. Even though my aunt was an abusive, sadistic bitch, Mokusei said he'd never leave her alone. The apartment was under his name, so if they broke up, my aunt would be on her ass outside and Mokusei had way too much of a conscious for it.

"Nero, don't say that… Karen has taken care of you ever since you were little. If she heard you say that, she'd be heart broken."

"My heart or hers?"

"… Whichever. Either way," Mokusei came up beside me to mess with the food on the stove while I chugged a bottle of alcohol, "She's trying her best, working hard to- Nero! You're still drinking?"

"… Oops." I had forgotten that I lied to him. How did he know I was drinking it? He must have known what I was thinking because he huffed.

"I may be blind, but I know the sound of sake sloshing around in a glass bottle." He said, and reached out, taking the bottle away from me. I rolled my eyes.

"I went a whole, what? Month and a half without any cigarettes or drinking. I think I am going to reward myself for becoming Chuunin." I retorted. Mokusei dropped the spoon he was using to stir and turned to face me. I took the bottle from him, which was easy. I think he was shocked or something, because he wasn't moving.

"What?" I asked. Mokusei smiled a little, took the bottle back, setting in the counter.

"Hey-!" I started to protest, but gasped in surprise when Mokusei pulled me into his arms for a hug. It was a little awkward at first. One of those rare moments when Mokusei and I didn't argue.

"I'm so proud of you, Nero… I know you worked hard…" He said quietly, petting me like I was one of his cat summonings. I didn't pull away, though. In rare moments like these, I tried to savor it as much as possible, smiling faintly.

But wouldn't ya know it? It was ruined just like that.

The front door burst open and Mokusei and I both jumped, away from each other and into whatever was behind us. Unfortunately for Mokusei, it was his pot of food and it smashed to the floor. I looked at the door as my aunt came in.

Her dark brown hair was tied into a bun with gold jewelry hanging off it, some of the long hair hanging down her back. Her green eyes reminded me of a panther's or something scary like that. She wore a black turtleneck with a dark red vest over it to match the skirt that hung mostly down in the back, more gold adorning her waist.

"What the hell are you doing back?" Was her greeting directed at me. I dropped my eyes to the floor.

"The exams are over, Karen. I passed."

"That so," She brushed past me, giving me a little shove so she could get to the fridge, her long nails clinking on the fridge handle, "I'm surprised it didn't kill ya." For some reason, it annoyed me how she rolled her R's and her voice seemed to whine all the time. I hated that. I gritted my teeth over my tongue to stop myself from making a stupid comment.

"Karen," Mokusei protested quietly, wiping the mess up off the floor, "The least you could do was congratulate him… He worked very hard to pass those exams."

"Says you," Karen snapped and went to step on his hand, but Mokusei anticipated it and jerked it out if the way, "I've seen what he does in his room. Just lies there, sleeping until his damned sensei interrupts my relaxation time."

"Shut up! Kazuya's a good sensei!" I blurted. Mokusei lifted his face, giving me a 'why did you open your mouth' expression. Karen's green eyes locked on me.

"You have some nerve talking to me like that. Bite your tongue or I will rip it out." She threatened icily. I grimaced, gripping the counter behind me tightly and nodding. Karen paused, studying my face, then grabbed my jaw roughly to look at me closer.

"A scar. Why do you have a scar across your face like that?" She demanded. I averted my eyes.

"I just came back from the Chuunin Exams. It's just one scar."

"Who gave it to you?"

"Some girl-"

"Give me a name, boy!" Her nails dug into my jaw and I winced.

"Kamaya Mai!" I replied. Karen let go of my jaw and popped open the can of alcohol from the fridge, the heavy scent of beer reaching my nose. She huffed.

"She's a good girl. I hope I'll meet her someday. As for you, you're on lock down for snapping at me. Get your ass in your room or I'll drag you there." She ordered, smacking my cheek and heading to the living room. I gritted my teeth, wanting so badly to hit her, but Mokusei stood up and patted my cheek gently where Karen smacked it.

"Do what she says, Nero… Just be the bigger person." He advised quietly, smiling.

"I stand by what I said earlier." I muttered. Mokusei sighed, then took the bottle of alcohol, handing it to me.

"If it settles you down, just one bottle."

"Hell yea. I'm not gonna get drunk… That's for people with no sense of humor." I muttered, making Mokusei chuckle.

"I'm very proud of you, Nero. You're the pride of the family." He said before moving into the kitchen to ask Karen's dinner request. I sighed and went to my room down the short hallway, kicking my door open. I heard Karen bark at me for it, but I ignored her and shut the door behind me. Unfortunately, there was no locks or handles on the doors inside the apartment because Karen wanted to be able to barge in on you if you were doing something stupid or needed some yelling at.

My room was messy, mostly covered in clothes and bottles. That's when my eyes landed on my nightstand. There, in the light of my dusty light bulb, was a fresh packet of cigarettes.

"I love you, Mokusei." I grinned and went right up to it, snatching it up and the lighter along with it. I stuck the cancer stick between my lips and fell back on my bed, leaning my head out the window to stare at the desert and the village.

I wonder what life was going to be like later on… Still the same or maybe worse…?

END OF PART I.

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A/N: And the Shippuden chapter will begin after I post this one. xD Don't forget to send in those Shippuden versioned OCs! Or else they won't be making an appearance in he Shippuden! :O Well, I hope you enjoyed Part I! Now get ready for Part II, the Shippuden version! YEA! BELIVE IT. -smacked- ACK.

Nero: About time someone did that!

Akira: I'll say.

Tsukuyomi: Hey, both of you shut up and get out of my Author's Note D8!

Nero: One last thing… Thanks for reading everyone! Hope the characters are right on the button.

Akira: And your reviews are truly appreciated and loved! If they were people, I would so date them-smacked-

Tsukuyomi: HA!