'4 years...'

'4 years since he left,4 years since I had a partner.. . A small part of my mind wonders why he came back.. And why he still didn't visit Ren. Another part already knew the answer..He just doesn't know what to say'

Flashback:-

After I got off the floor and finished changing ,I immediately went to next morning Ren woke me up crying

" Nee-san, Nii-san's gone"

"WHAT?"

I got up with a jolt and saw Ren holding a letter in his hands,he was holding it with such force that his knuckles were white.

'No..this... can't be happening'

I looked at Ren's tears as he stared at my side-table, or more specifically ,at the letter that was on it .

With shaking hands, I took the letter and started reading.I vaguely remember Ren telling me to come down when I was done but the letter practically stole all my concentration.

(Dear Ayano,

I'm leaving. I have something I need to take care off. I don't know when I will return or even if I will return at all. I'm not sorry for all the time I've spent with you but I am sorry if I ever hurt you . Goodbye princess.

-Kazuma)

Short and to the point, just like Kazuma.

Going down to the meeting room, my dad and Kirika just pointed out that he really did leave and that he told them not to try and find or contact him and dad specifically looked at me when he told me. I just snorted and said that it was good riddance , then I got up and left. No one tried to follow me and no one tried to stop me . Once I left the kannagi compound I started running...

Present:-

I was standing by one of the lakes in the kannagi compound feeling the wind rush through my hair. After he left , a lot happened to me, things I never told to even my dad or Ren . I discovered truths which left me crying for days , friends who I had forgotten .. and a purpose which I must fullfill . I smiled slightly... I know that if he was there,I definitely could not have kept it from left the same day I was going to let him in on my secrets,..my past,..my suspicions ,...everything. I looked up to see him land on the roof and then jump in front of Ren .'In a way ...him leaving kept me from making one of the biggest mistakes of my life '. Ren looked up from his book that he was reading. His eyes widened and tears began to form . Then he tackled his brother with such force that they both fell down . I was watching from on top of a tree away from their sight of view and smiled. Ren wasn't a little kid anymore. He had become as handsome as his brother. As predicted , he got up and started to run towards me . I jumped down just in time for Ren to appear and shout

" Nee-san, Nee-san's back. "

I didn't turn, I had decided that morning that I won't pretend anymore .

So when my brown- haired ex-bodyguard appeared from between the trees and said..

"Long time no see, princess"

...I simply turned and replied

"Same to you, ... Kazuma".

Kazuma's POV:-

I took in her appearance . She was wearing black shorts that ended above her knees ,her red-checked shirt was tied around her slender waist and she was wearing a sleeveless , tight, black tank- her clothes were drenched in sweat and her skin was shining in the sunlight.

"Like what you see?"

My eyes slightly widened as I looked at her face to she her smirking .. Smirking. At. Me.'Good thing I'm good at keeping a poker face.'

"My,my princess, flirting with me already?"

I was surprised at her reaction , instead of yelling at me or trying to kill me, her smirk disappeared and her eyes darkened with an unknown pain ,she lowered her head so that her bangs covered them and then an almost sarcastic smile grew on her lips as she looked up at me and replied with a simple , dark and nerve-cracking voice.

"You wish.. ".

I mentally flinched,sure I didn't think that she would be the same kid-like Ayano I knew but right then it felt like she was a different person and at the same time ...it didn't.

Ren put his arms around our shoulders 'dang,he really grew' and led us to the kannagi meeting room to tell Jugo and pops that I was back. On the way there I snuck a peek at Ayano while Ren kept chatting happily. In all honesty... What I saw frightened me. Her lips were set in a smile but she was far from happy. In all my years of experience I have learned how to read people quite well and Ayano ,being an en-jutsu artist, was never good at hiding her emotions, whether positive or negative ,...especially around me. She was smiling but her lips were set in a tight curve and her eyes were... blank and calculating with traces of worry and sadness as well. I suspected it when I first talked with her but now I was certain.. Something happened, not just me leaving for nearly 4 years but something else, something bad, and judging from Ren's carefree happiness ,Something too personal or too painful to share with even her cute , loveable , trust-worthy cousin .As we reached the entrance to the meeting-room Ren and Ayano went inside with smiles on their faces, one was real and the other was fake ,But I paused to compose myself and to push a lingering thought to the back of my head.'Was it worth it?...was my selfish reason for leaving worth it if staying meant that...I could have protected her beautiful ,innocent smile?'

As soon as I realised what I was thinking I pushed open the doors, mentally steeling myself 'Yes, It was worth it and besides how could she become the next leader of the kannagi clan if she can't even go 4 years without a bodyguard ...Yes, that's right , in the end, she took care of herself all these years without me and now, I will always be there for her if she needs me .I did what I had to do and now I am willing to face the consequences .'

" Good afternoon ,... Jugo."

Above the house ,a man with spiky blond hair looks down at the meeting-room with a frown on his face. He is standing in mid-air , using the wind to cover his physical and spiritual presence. If he was a normal wind-user ,the contractor below would no-doubt have sensed the man's use of the element of which he was in complete control of ,especially at such a close distance. But for some reason ,the blond man felt no worry for the fact that if he was found out, he would probably have to face off with a clan of fu-jutsu artist hating flame-artists, no , at that moment , as he listened to the conversation between the members and ex-members of the head-house ,the only worry he felt was for his best friend ,the girl who saved his life so many times and in so many ways .He knew that she was aware that he was there .He will always be there for his partner...till the very end .She knew that.

'Stay strong Ayano, show them that you're not the weak, innocent ,little princess they think you are.'

A.N:-

This is my first fanfiction story..So reviews and comments will be greatly appretiated. Thank you for reading.

PS: A special thanks to Alexkitkat for pointing out my Japanese writing mistake.