Days passed, very slowly. I had spend them in my room, since Takashi didn't let me move around. Lee often came to visit, and he had nailed a few wooden planks to my window to temporarily fix it.. but it blocked most of the sunlight, and most importantly, my view.

Winter was also at our doorstep. Days were getting colder and colder, and skies were often filled with dark grey clouds day and night. It wasn't much fun.
My ankle was better though, I could stand and do almost everything again. Takashi told me that water can heal most of my wounds, like burns, cuts and gashes, but not quite broken bones or fatal injuries. It was some sort of gift I was born with. I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that I can also stay underwater a lot longer than anyone I know..

Anyway, daybreak was here, and of course I was up again. I woke to a nasty surprise of wooden splinters all over my bed.
"Ouch ouch!" They kept stabbing me, wherever I moved, something would stab me. I jumped out of bed and glared, until I saw the window.. the wood planks were broken, splinters and chunks of wood everywhere. Someone had broken in, again.

I run to the kitchen, and in a rather loud voice, explain the situation to Takashi who was sipping away at his coffee, looking miserable. We'd been on a shortage of funds due to my being unable to do missions, however Lee did everything he could to help out, offering us all of his mission money, but Takashi refused and told Lee to spend the money on things he wanted... so he bought more leg weights..
With a deep sigh, Takashi responded. "I know Setsuki.. I know.. the small amount of money Lady Tsunade offered us is gone. We wont be fixing your window any time soon either.."
"But Uncle! I-I 'm sure we can report this to Tsunade again! She could give us more money to replace-"
"No! Setsuki, we cannot keep badgering Lady Tsunade for money."
"But why?"
"It's just impolite." He paused with another deep sigh, and silence filled the room as he took a long sip of his coffee. "... We'll manage."
"U-uncle, I'm better now! I... I'll go get a mission, I'll get us some money!"
"... Come here.." I approached him. "You wont be going anywhere like this." He began pulling out splinters. I flinched and whined at each one until they were gone.

I ate, dressed myself, and left Takashi to find Tsunade. However she wasn't in her office. Shizune told me that Tsunade was on pursuit of some guy she owed money too, and that she wouldn't be back till the evening. Shizune also said that she couldn't give me any missions without the Hokage's permission.

So I left the building, expecting to run into someone. But I didn't. It was odd, I couldn't hear Naruto-kun shouting, or Lee bouncing around, or even Gai-sensei pursuing Kakashi-sensei halfway around the village.

I felt bored. Usually someone perks up at the sight of me... in fact, the main blondie to do that would be Daisuke-kun.. I haven't seen him or my squad for ages.
It was that moment when I passed a dark alley I'd never seen before, then I realized I'd wondered to a part of the village I've never been before. I stop and scratch my head momentarily, then I heard voices down that dark alley. My curiosity got the best of me, so I followed the voices down the alley, I couldn't see much, but it seemed to go on for a while. Then I saw a small building at the end. Two fire torches lit up the entrance on both sides of two wooden doors of bad condition. They looked like they would fall off any second. Suddenly the voices stopped muttering, it was quiet. The flickering of the fire stole the silence.
"H-hello?" I approach the two wooden steps, walk up and tap my knuckle on the door lightly. The door fell off the hinges, crashing on the inside. The sound made me jump.
"Hey! Get out of here!" A mean voice called.
"I-I'm sorry! Let me fix this for you!" I quickly rush in, pick the door up and hold it against the frame. "Do you have a hammer I could-" I was cut off by a hand slapping across my mouth. A voice whispered threatening messages into my ear.
"If you don't leave.. then I will kill you."
I had to do something. I wasn't going to take this! No! I am Setsuki! Konohagakure's Blue... Freak! Yes! That is me! Ame-chan refuses to take this kind of threat!
I swing my leg back, knocking the person over, or rather, people. Two small bodies fell to the ground with a small 'Aaaah!' and a thud. I saw a light switch, flicked it. The two people, or rather, children looked up at me with fear in their eyes.
"Y... you're just kids?"
"D-don't hurt us lady.." The small girl pleaded. The boy, who looked rather similar to her, stood up in front of her protectively, and was shaking in fear.
"Don't t-touch my sister!"
As I took a closer look, they had little Inuzuka clan marks on their cheeks. I rolled my eyes. "Great, more Inuzukas" I narrow my eyes irritated. I heard a loud bark from outside. Suddenly something hit me from behind, pinning me face down on the ground. I landed with an 'ommmph' and a small white dog stood tall and proud on my back.
"Haha, good job Akamaru!" An annoying Inuzuka voice chimed. "Hey," he stopped to sniff. "I know that scent.. Setsuki? What're you doing here?" Kiba practically growled as he said my name.
I didn't really have a reason. "Get Akamaru off me!"
"Grr, Akamaru, come here, sit." Akamaru obeyed his master. I sat up and frowned at Kiba. "You wont want to have hurt these kids."
"Hurt them? Do you know them?" I ask, the kids ran to Kiba's side, hiding behind him.
"... Yeah, these guys were orphans. I found em on the street, they ran away from Iruka-sensei's care, they don't like the guy. So I brought them here, where they have shelter."
"... Why not take them to your house?"
"Mum scares the crap out of em... and me.." He shivered just thinking about her.
"But this place.. it's falling apart. What if it caves in one day when they're in here?"
"Yeah.. well.. I ain't got no where else for 'em to stay.."
"They could stay with me!" I exclaim. Kiba cocked his eyebrow at me.

I took the twins back to my place, but upon the sight they froze.
"U-uh.. we can't stay here!" The boy said, he grabbed his sister's hand they ran off.
"H-hey! Wait!" I leap, and land in front of them. They fell to the ground in fright. "Why not?"
"... My brother and I... we-"
"No Marei! You can't tell her!"
"But.. nii-chan..."
"Tell me what?" I gave them a shifty expression.
"Nothing! We didn't steal money from that house!" The boy blurted as he got up to run, I grab his arm.
"Stole money?! So you're the little thief..."
The boy whimpered.

The twins, Takashi and I all sat in the living room together.
"And that is why it is wrong to take things from others." Takashi finished off this big lecture.
The twins dropped to their hands and knees on the floor. "We're sorry! We really are! We had no idea it was wrong.."
"K-Kiba-kun told us if we can take care of ourselves.. we might have a better future.."
"Yeah! Kiba said if we want something we gotta get it ourselves!"
They continued saying how Kiba told them this and that.
"Well children, it seems you have misinterpreted this Kiba's words." Takashi says. The twins look at him cluelessly. "What he meant was, if you can take care of yourselves, work for your own survival, then he will be happy. That doesn't mean stealing things to get through life, because stealing will put you both in jail."
The kids shivered at the world jail. "W-we don't wanna go to jail!" They cried.
I stood up, taking the spotlight. "Children! Come with me, we'll return everything you stole to everyone and do the right thing!"
They lifted their attention towards me, and wiped the tears from their faces. With a synchronised nod from them, we were off.