Chapter Six: A Warm Memory, A Lovers Strength

Ayame managed to stay around long after most of the people left. Still in her maid disguise she aided with all of their other duties and managed to witness the red head flow a fuse when that blond alcoholic managed to pull a pretty dumb move and piss her off. The entire scene was pretty entertaining to say the least; it seems that everyone already knew the full extent of Saikos wrath and fled the scene right away. Now after finishing up the work she had to do she managed to slip away from everyone and made her way far from the tsuchikages tower. She had shed the pink robe she had took of the woman she killed and was back in her normal ninja attire with her black hooded black draped around her and her Cat ANBU mask concealing her face. She was very relieved to get away from there because she had come close way to many times on blowing her cover and she knew it was only a matter of time before they realized she was out of place here.

The land of earth and the village hidden in the stone were very interesting places. The entire structure consisted of Rocky Mountains and a lot of grassy areas but the vegetation was nothing compared to the hidden leaf village located in the land of fire. She had only been in the land of earth once in her life and much life the hidden cloud village it was very mountainous but more rocky than cloudy. Within the borders of the village and south of the tower there was an area covered in trees that she managed to take shelter in. She was forced to mask her chakra because she didn't want anyone coming out to investigate. Night had fallen and it had become very dark because of this with the only light coming from the full moon out. Tiredness came over her but she fought it. It gave her chills. Being in this place gave her chills, chills of fear and anxiety. The idea of aborting the mission had come back to her once again. She didn't know why but she had a bad feeling about being here. Her village could find another way around losing the war against the hidden stone, but gathering info on the inside by herself was not the answer. Her strength alone could not bring success to the mission. Finding her way up a tall tree she settled down with her back against the trunk and her fan under her legs. The feeling of sleep became far too strong at that moment, she body feeling heavier and heavier and before she knew it, her eyes were closed and she drifted into a deep rest.

"Hey! Ayame wait up would you?"

It was an average windy day in sunagakure, the wind was blowing and the young 22 year's green hair was flowing in the wind, making it easier for the 10 year old girl to spot her in the distance. She stopped walking, hands casually at her sides, as she waited for her baby sister to catch up to her.

"Karina what are you doing out this late?" she asked, looking down at the panting girl. Ayame noticed the young girls' shorts were filthy and her blouse was dirty as her.

"Big sister! Mommy wants you to come home. She says if you don't come home for dinner, you're going to be in big time trouble." Ayame had to giggle. It was cute seeing the girl trying to act all serious around her. But her giggles fading when she realized what her sister just told her.

"Karina…..tell mommy that I have duties I must attend to. I will be home for dinner as soon as I can." At hearing this Karina raising her finger, retaining her serious expression.

"Mommy said she knew you would refuse so she said if you don't come home for dinner, she's going to get big sister Akari to come and drag you home." Ayame let out a heavy sigh, rolling her eyes. It was much like her mother to try and turn everyone in her family against her. She knew her mother wasn't bluffing and she was far too tired to tangle with Akari at the moment. The little green haired girl knew that ayame was going to give in; she had memorized that expression very well. She smiled with pride knowing she had won this battle with her 22 year old sister.

"Alright, let us go home then." Ayame smiled, taking her little sisters hand as they walked down the sandy path toward their home. "By the way, what is for dinner sis?"

"Grandmothers famous fried noodles and vegetables! Mommy knows how much we all love it so she decided to make it" she was right, ayame did love that recipe. Her grandmother was an amazing cook and during her lifetime she made amazing dishes for her granddaughters all the time. Her grandfather would often joke that he wouldn't have survived without her amazing cooking, ayame felt the same way a few times. She wondered what was the occasion that mother would make such a special dish. Her thoughts of her favorite dish were interrupted by her little sister yanking on the skirt of her long white flamboyant kimono. "Sister are you listening!?"

"Oh I'm sorry. I spaced out for a moment" she apologized, removing her sisters hand from her robe, "So what were you saying Karina?"

"You always do that, it's annoying." She pouted crossing her arms. "Anyway, do you think mommy is going to let me get more ear piercings like you soon? Or am I still too little?"

"I am not sure babe. It is up to mommy. I'm sure you will soon because Akari, Maki and I both got all of our piercings young, so I don't see why you cannot. Of course, little Hani is far too little for all the piercings I have, but she's almost at the age where she can get her first piercings!"

"Awww but Hani's a baby. She should wait." She whined, sticking out her tongue.

"She's almost the same age as you when you got yours." She pointed out ruffling her curly green ringlets.

"Pff whatever."

They soon arrived back to their home, karina ran upstairs very excited to inform their mother she had brought her sister home.

"MOMMY! MOMMY!" she screamed running through the door to the warm cozy kitchen. Her mother, clad in a long red robe with an apron over it and hair in a ponytail, looked down at her daughter in concern.

" Karina do not shout in the house." She scolded her.

"Sorry mommy…but I just wanted to inform you I found big sister ayame!" she said proudly revealing her sister as she awkwardly walked into the kitchen.

"Great and I found a pet fairy." Akari said sarcastically from her seat at the table. Maki and Karina ignored their stoic sister, brushing off the bad attitude that they had gotten used to by now.

"Akari, is it me? Or just me in general you dislike so much?" Ayame asked, hands on her hips as she looked down at her younger sister.

"It's more that ugly face of yours." She sneered.

"Akari no need to be such a bitch." Maki commented.

"Maki it's not worth it. She'll never change." Ayame pointed out, a smirk across her full of lips. It was in that moment that Ayame chose to look away, a Kunai came fly toward her. She dodged swiftly and watched it land on kitchen wall with a thud, her mother and sisters let out a scream. Eyes wide with surprise she turned to see her sister's eye boring at her, fuming indigo eyes surrounded by the messy locks of her green bob.

"Akari what the hell?!" She heard herself shriek, but her mind was in shock at the moment and she couldn't hear her thoughts because Karina was shrieking, Hani was crying, and her mother was holding her and screaming a stream of words at her. Despite her state of shock she was prepared for her sister to leap over the table and wrap her long slender fingers around her neck, successfully pinned the older woman to the ground.

"So, I'm a bitch eh? And I always will be? You say I can't change?" she snarled down at her. She felt her long slender fingers tighten around her neck as she clutched her younger sister's bulky Sand village vest.

"AKARI GET OFF HER!" she heard her mother scream. At hearing her voice, ayame finally snapped back into reality and gave a chakra enhanced kick sending akari, much to everyone's horror, flying right through the large window in the kitchen. The sound of glass shattering filled the air and ayame heard her akari crash into the ground with a large thud. Realizing the horror of what she just did, she following her frantic mother out the front door to see if she was alright.

"Maki stay inside!" she cried, following her mother down the hall to the door.

"Don't worry I'm not going anywhere." She said sarcastically trying to restrain her two youngest sisters who were crying hysterically.

'Dear Kami please be alright.' She thought to herself as she ran outside; they found akari outside on the sidewalk of the compound. She was on her side trying to stand up, little bits of glass were protruding from her black pants and her arm looked like it was clearly hurt.

"Oh my god!" her mother shrieked as she ran down the steps barefoot toward her injured daughter and gathered her in her arms, "Baby are you alright? Ayame what the hell were you thinking?!"

"She attacked me! She fucking attacked me! What the hell was I supposed to do?!" She wasn't aware that her words were coming out of her mouth in a loud angry shriek. Akari attacked her, of course she was going to react out of self-defense; Akari attacked her with killing intent.

"You…You stupid cunt!" Akari screamed struggling to get up but was restrained by her mother. "Mother let go of me!"

A loud cracking of flesh against flesh filled the air and her mother's hand print appeared across her cheek.

"You stupid girl," she spat at her, bright blue eyes locked into hers. At this point both sisters were able to grasp the reality of what they were causing. Akari felt acid tears coming to her eyes.

"Mommy-" She said holding back a sob, reaching for her but her mother coldly pushed away from her and stormed past Ayame into the house. There was silence in the air, ayame watched as she sister sat there on the ground, tears streaming down her face and the clear pain of her hurt arm preventing her from moving that easy. She looked back to see her mother already cleaning up the broken glass in the hallway, it looked like she was holding back tears as well. Well who could blame her, her own flesh and blood was Shinobi, the thing she hated the most.