Akio's P.o.V.

I had such a great interaction with Yuki! It was great. I told her I was from Amegakure (which isn't a total lie because I was a nomad) and she was interested. We got to talking- well, I did most of the talking while she just sat in silence and nodded at appropriate moments- and I managed to find out that she is fourteen (dammit) and her teammates and sensei are M.I.A. and working on some skills, which is what brought her to the humble noodle shack known as IchiRaku's Ramen.

However, after a time, it began to rain and the background characters- I mean- the people that littered the street ran for cover. Yuki seemed to look concerned, but feigned disinterest in the weather. She claimed she had to getting back home, so I bid a reluctant farewell. Since nobody would be outside and wanting to get ramen, I decided to take it upon myself to close up shop and head home. I made sure to leave a note for Ayame when she came back, though.

I started to head home, thinking about my new acquaintance. I could see the deep down pain in her eyes. The sadness that was dormant within her heart. It was a feeling I had become familiar with. It was the look of abandonment and the inability to truly trust anyone. Maybe her team is lucky- maybe she is willing to entrust her life to them, but that must have taken a lifetime of bonding.

I sighed as I turned the corner of my street. The rain was only getting harder and I could only imagine the effect this would have on the Chunin Exams. The street lamps lit up the dark path that led to my flat. I walked up to the first floor door and saw someone sitting there. She had her knees close to her chest and, due to the lack of an awning, she was soaking wet. Her long hair was draped over to one side of her body. I walked over to her and squatted next to her.

"Hey, are you-"I stopped myself when I realized who she was. It pained me, knowing it took so long to recognize her.

"Hey, Onii-san," Ayame whispered.

. . .

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" I asked Ayame as I sat her on my couch. I quickly grabbed a blanket from a shelf. I wrapped the blanket around her shoulders. "I get it if you wanted to hang out or whatever, but you should have just gone straight to IchiRaku's! And it was raining, so you should have gone home! You're going to get sick and that is going to affect your performance for the Exams!"

Ayame wouldn't look at me. She kept her knees close to her body and her grey eyes were glued to the floor. I couldn't help but remember how much she looked like my mother. Aside from the eyes, her face looked just like Kitai's. I only knew her for four years of my life, but when she left, I would always look at her pictures on the walls of the house Haruno and I were living in.

I sighed as I walked to the kitchen. I put a kettle on the stove and turned on the heat. I drew two cups from a shelf above the sink and got some tea leaves from a jar on the counter. I leaned on the counter as I waited for the water to boil. There was shuffling in the living room. I looked over there and saw Ayame was now lying down on the couch, curled up in a ball. She had to have been freezing. I had no idea how long she was out there for. I walked over to her and crouched down again. I was at eye-level with her and she kept her eyes closed.

"I'm sorry I raised my voice at you," I apologized. "I shouldn't have. But what was so important that it was worth sitting out in the cold?" Ayame shifted into the blankets before answering and even then, she replied with hesitation. She opened her eyes, but didn't looked at me.

"Am…Am I a freak?" She asked me. I blinked. "Sakura kept saying all these thing about Yuki and how she couldn't be trusted because she was different. I'm…I'm different too. Does that make me a freak?" Ayame finally looked at me, straight into my eyes- into my soul, looking for lies behind my answer. I sighed and rubbed her head.

"You're a special girl, Ayame," I said honestly. "So is Yuki. Sakura's a moron." I earned a chuckle from my sister.

"Fair enough," She sighed. I tilted my head.

"What else is going on up there?" I asked, poking her head. "What happened earlier? When you up and passed out." Ayame rolled over on her back and stared up at the ceiling. I backed up and sat on a bean bag chair (won it in a game of cards, but that's a story for another time) and waited for her to speak.

"I saw mom again." She said after a time of silence. I heard the kettle start to whistle from the kitchen and reluctantly got up to turn it off. Her seeing mom didn't really surprise me, seeing as it had been happening rather frequently, but it worried me. I didn't know what kind of stress this was causing her- or the emotional trauma for that matter.

"It was just a memory, though," Ayame continued on as I prepared our tea. "Of when we were visiting Sunagakure. I don't know why we were there, but all I managed to see was a younger version of me befriending one of the residents. This resident, however, is currently participating in the Chunin Exams and he doesn't even remember me."

"Well," I said as I walked the tea over to her. I handed her a cup and she sat up, accepting the tea. "There are a few questions already."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Do you think it's mom who is making you remember these things or are they just coming back to you? They seem to be happening at random intervals, so I would think it's the former." I suggested. Ayame pondered as she took a sip from her cup.

"That is a wonderful question," She sighed. Lightning cracked, and thunder boomed not too long after. "Sadly, I don't have an answer. What is your other question?"

"Why did you remember that moment in particular? What's so important about it? Is mom- if it is her after all- trying to warn you about this guy?"

"Where did you become so good at asking questions?" Ayame groaned, rubbing her forehead. "I don't know, Akio. Any easy ones?" I smirked at this one and leaned back in my chair.

"Are you mad that this Suna-nin doesn't remember you because he's," I pretended to swoon, "dreamy?" Ayame's face flushed bright red.

"N-Nani!? What the hell does that mean!?" She managed to bonk me upside the head and I laughed like a lunatic. "Ugh! That is so like you! Dammit, I have Sasuke-kun! Ugh!"

"All right, all right," I laughed, brushing away tears from my eyes. "Yeah, but anyway, who is this kid?" Ayame sighed.

"Sabaku no Gaara. And I don't know what it is, but there is something…different about him," She started. I waited for her to find the right words. "I think it was his chakra signature. I could feel it from where I was standing and I wasn't even close to him. I think he might be like me. A demoted Jinjuriki, or maybe even a real one," She sighed. "But then again, that's really unlikely and I could just be trying to find an excuse to have something in common with him so I can befriend him once again."

"Okay?" I blinked. "I'm not lost at all." Ayame rolled her eyes.

"Boys are so stupid," She said to herself more than anyone. She set her cup on the coffee table and stood up. "Thank you for having me in your home, but I should be getting to mine now." She bowed respectfully and headed for the door, but I beat her there.

"It's raining like Ame out there," I said. "You're staying here for the night."

"Ugh, you're such a me," Ayame whined. I poked her cheek.

"Hey, I was born first. You are such a me." I retorted. "That's some bad grammar, but oh well. Come back and talk with me. I enjoy your company for some odd reason." I smirked and Ayame rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Yeah I guess you're kind of growing on me, too," She said, elbowing me. "Like a wart."

"Oh, ouch, that one hurt." We laughed and went to sit back down at our spots.

"So, big brother," my sister began to say. "Can you tell me some stories about your nomadic adventures? Please? Just humor me." I sighed and put my hands behind my head as I reclined in my seat. I realize that I don't talk about myself much, but there are some things that should not be spoken of.

"Okay…what would you like to know?" I asked and she thought. She giggled softly after a bit.

"Did you ever have a girlfriend?" She asked. My breath got hitched in my throat. Ayame was looking at me with an innocent smile and soft grey eyes, but I couldn't bear to look at her. I turned my head and cleared my throat.

"Ask something else."

"H-Huh? Why? What's-"

"Ask something else!" I growled. Ayame recoiled. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I don't like that question, okay?"

"I…okay. I'm sorry," She said softly. Neither of us spoke for a long time. I sighed.

"She was my Hikari-hime," I began. "And I loved her. She was the person who made me believe that people can change for the better. She was a nomad like I was and we traveled around together and camped and did crazy, fun things. She was the only thing that kept me from training sometimes. She would distract me from stressful things and I could have never repaid her for some of the things she's done. She took care of me- I wish you could have met her…

"And don't let her name fool you. 'Light' might be her name, but she had a dark sense of humor and style. She would always wear black- black dresses and shirts and pants and shoes; even her make up- whenever she would occasionally wear any- would be dark. She was so beautiful. From her beautifully soft and ironically white hair to the sparkle in her soft green eyes.

"But one day…I was out on a training mission and Hikari-hime stayed with the campsite. She wasn't a ninja, you see, and she was the sweetest girl. She never raised her voice or threatened anyone and could never hurt a fly. But…But some animal thought he could steal her from me. I was gone for two days. How can things be destroyed so easily!? I was so happy! I almost forgot all about my mission of killing my sister just so we could run away together and- and now she's…my Hikari-hime is-"I didn't realize I was trembling until Ayame started to hug me.

"Shh, Onii-san," She whispered. "Shh, it's okay, don't say anymore."

"B-But they k-killed my love and my ch-child," I barely managed to choke out. I hugged my little sister as I shook. Lightning kept on cracking and thunder kept on booming, regardless of what was happening inside these walls.

"Hush, Onii-san. It's okay." Tears began to streak my face and my grip got tighter. "I-Itai," Ayame whispered. I was holding on so tightly, I was causing her pain. I released her immediately.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm so sorry," I kept repeating that. Not to Ayame anymore, but to Hikari-hime and the baby. I lost them so quickly- too quickly for anyone to be able to handle.

"Akio?" Ayame asked. My head was in my hands and my breathing was haggard and labored. "Are you all right? Do you need some water?" I shook my head, a no to both of her questions. "Onii-san, look at me." I slowly raised my eyes to meet her face and read the sincerity etched in it. "There was nothing you could do to save them. You didn't know that would happen. They forgive you. Believe me." I sniffed and wiped my brow, sweaty from holding back more tears and sobs.

"I envy you, Onee-chan," I admitted. The stunned silence echoed off the walls.

"N-Nani?" She asked. I sighed.

"You apparently have this power to speak with the dead. Assuming they are willing to talk back, that is. I would give anything to talk to my Hikari-hime again. Anything," I ran my fingers through my short hair. "Anything. The only thing that sucks is you don't know how to use this power."

"Whoa, whoa. It's not a power." Ayame objected. "There are no such things as super powers. Kitai said that I was just more sensitive than you are for whatever reason that is. She's as clueless about this as we are."

I thought about this. Could this sensitivity have anything to do with what Ayame is? A demoted Jinjuriki? I would definitely have to do some underground research on this one. I can do this while Ayame is preoccupied with the Exams. But for now…

"Onii-san?" Ayame called me out of my thoughts. "Are you okay? You got quiet." I waved my hand in dismissal.

"It's late and I'm just tired. Plus, story time got out of hand tonight." She looked at me with worried eyes. "I'm fine. Let's just get some rest for the night, all right? Don't you have to study tomorrow?"

"Ah, right. I do. Sleep is a good idea." Ayame agreed as she lied back down on the couch, covering herself up with the blanket. "Thanks for making me stay for the night."

"Anytime," I smiled. "Sleep well, Onee-chan." I flicked off the light in the living room and went to my bedroom. I jumped in bed and stared at the ceiling before letting my eyes slip shut for a night's rest.

OMG I TAKE SO LONG FOR STUFF. Please accept my humble apology for my extremely short chapters and for not updating as much as I should. MOMMA STILL LOVES YOU.