Asami appeared right where she had performed the jutsu just as Tomomi said she would. She stood in the grassy yard just off her bedroom, the sun low in the sky. It was late afternoon when she first left, so she must have been gone for some time without even realizing it.

"Forgive me, but I won't be sleeping indoors," said Mayu as Asami stepped up onto the engawa off her bedroom.

"That's perfectly fine." Reassured Asami, laughing softly at the crow. "I can leave the door open for now so you can get some fresh air. Does that sound alright for you?"

Mayu hummed. "Sounds wonderful."

Asami quirked a brow at the sight of the closed shoji door to her bedroom. She didn't remember shutting it, but it was slid shut, so either she had closed it and didn't remember, or someone had come into her room looking for her and closed it. Hopefully she hadn't freaked anyone out with her absence when they came to talk to her.

Asami reached to slide the door open and step inside, but before she could it was forcefully yanked open. It slid open and hit the wall with a bam! the strength blowing the hair back from her face and leaving her standing with a dumbstruck expression. Mayu squawked and flapped her wings, also frightened by the sudden action.

Asami blinked, Izuna staring at her with a flat expression from inside her room. They both stared at each other in silence, Asami unsure what she was supposed to say to him. How had he just known to stand there waiting for her? Unless he heard her and came to her room to scold her again... but still, it was kind of freaky.

He stood expectantly, arms folded as though he was disciplining a small child. He was wanting something from her, but she still didn't know what that was.

"...Hi?" Asami offered, cringing and waving a hand at him.

"Where the hell have you been!" She was met with an angry Izuna, eyes sharp and face pinched into a glare. "You disappear for hours without saying anything to anyone and then just come home casually and say hi?! Both Madara and I went looking for you. We couldn't find you anywhere! No one had seen you in the compound either. It's as though you up and disappeared!"

It seemed 'Hi' was not the correct response after all.

Izuna threw his hand up, the other still tucked underneath his elbow as he looked her up and down. "What is going on with your appearance? You look like you got into a fight with a tree! Did you walk through the compound like that?"

Asami looked down at herself, having temporarily forgotten that she was attacked by a bunch of trees when she fell through the sky after using the summoning jutsu. Her yukata was practically torn to shreds, and she knew her cheek was bleeding earlier, but maybe she looked a lot worse than she thought.

He gestured to the bird perched on her shoulder, pointing a finger at it. "What the hell is that?"

Mayu made a noise of irritation. "I have a name, thank you. I'm Mayu, which you would have known if you asked nicely from the beginning. It's very rude to not ask for someone's name."

Izuna stared at the bird, dumbfounded. "What."

Asami gave a sheepish smile, holding up her arm for Mayu to perch herself on. The crow obliged, crawling down from her shoulder and hanging onto her forearm. The bird was heavy, but she could support it with ease. Asami gestured to Mayu, before looking back at Izuna. "I made some friends. This is one of them that came back with me. She's my main summon."

Izuna looked from her to the bird, then back to her again.

Begrudgingly, Izuna turned around with a huff, heading down the hall. "Just come inside. You can explain this to Madara and I both at the same time..."

Asami stepped inside and shut the door behind her, resisting the urge to laugh at how confused Izuna was at the situation. She hadn't considered how she was going to tell her cousins about the crows, too distracted with signing the contract and meeting Tomomi. All the prophetic and cryptic information Tomomi had given her was only one of the many things weighing on her mind, so she hadn't thought about what to say to them.

Even so, she hadn't anticipated Izuna's response to be so... amusing. She wasn't sure he was fond of the bird, honestly.

She dropped her arm to take off her shoes, Mayu choosing to crawl up her arm and sit on the curve of her back as she hunched over to undo her sandals. Mayu made herself comfortable on her makeshift perch, looking around at the inside of her room.

"It's very plain in here. I like it."

Asami snorted, standing up. "I'm glad you do."

The crow flapped its wings so it didn't fall, retaking its spot on her shoulder. Asami made her way out of her room and down the hall, following the same path Izuna had taken to the living room. She slid the door open, the voices falling quiet as she came into view.

Madara sat at the square table, the fireplace lit with a warm fire and basking the room in warm light. He looked up, eyes widening at the sight of Asami, but also at the large crow that continued to perch itself on her shoulder. Izuna sat by his brother, his arms crossed in what could be interpreted as a grumpy pout, eyes narrowed at her and the bird.

"Why did you bring that thing in here?" Izuna grumbled, still eyeing the bird.

Asami frowned, actually a bit offended he was having an attitude. "What's wrong with Mayu-san?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with Mayu-san?" Repeated the crow, chiding her cousin.

"It's a bird, and birds are supposed to be outdoors!" Cried Izuna as though it was the most obvious thing on the planet. Asami could tell he was annoyed before, but now that Mayu seemed to be chiding him it was only making him more irritable. Izuna gestured to Madara, the oldest Uchiha only blinking owlishly at the interaction. "Madara doesn't bring his hawks indoors."

"...My hawks don't speak." Said Madara, staring at the bird as though it was otherworldly. His gaze trailed from Mayu to Asami. He looked her up and down, blinking at the sight of her messed-up attire. "How did you come across this.. bird?"

Asami came over to sit down beside Madara, Izuna across from her. Mayu hopped off Asami's shoulder and sat on the ground beside her, not saying anything more, instead choosing to stare at her oldest cousin with a sharp gaze. Madara was not oblivious to the special attention he was getting, looking right back at the crow. Izuna was still scowling at the bird, but he wasn't giving any more complaints. He also took note of the staring Mayu was doing at his older brother.

Madara looked away from the bird to refocus on Asami, his lip quirking at her appearance as he gave her another once over. He reached forward to pull a black feather from her hair, holding it up in front of himself with an amused expression. "And... what exactly happened to you? Brought back a souvenir?"

Asami looked at the feather, flabbergasted that something like that had been in her hair the entire time. Mayu made a noise beside her that sounded like she was also amused, the crows already leaving their mark on her. She shook her head, deciding she should delve into her explanation.

"I went to my room because I was... particularly upset and felt I needed time to process what I had done... and what my choice to spare Sasuke meant." She started carefully, looking through the ends of her hair to see if there were any more black feathers tangled in the strands.

Madara hummed, urging her to continue.

"Then... Mayu-san came over and started talking to me. She told me the crows had been watching me for some time, and that I had been chosen by them to sign their contract. So, I performed a jutsu that took me to their home to sign the contract. They called it Dōsatsuryoku forest, I think it was somewhere in Lighting country, but I could be wrong." Asami looked down at her lap, a little embarrassed at how her story sounded.

Izuna and Madara shared a look that Asami was not oblivious to. She couldn't help but shift uncomfortably after beginning her explanation. She knew what this sounded like. The situation was a little strange and her decision was impulsive. The choice she made could easily be considered a stupid one too as the crows approaching her could have very well been a trick. It wasn't looking good for her, especially when taking into consideration the little stunt she pulled with Sasuke.

"I know what this sounds like!" She said suddenly, holding her hand up.

She cut off Madara who had just begun to open his mouth, his eyes wide. He recoiled, not having expected her outburst, but his mouth clamped shut, letting her speak. Izuna looked from Asami to his older brother, blinking at her strange behavior. Asami wasn't one to cut anyone off, especially not Madara... so this must have been very important to her.

Embarrassed, Asami dropped her hands into her lap. She looked away from her cousins to meet Mayu's gaze, the crow already looking at her. Asami let out a deep sigh, closing her eyes. "When I met the crows, I met their leader. She told me... she told me a lot of things that I'm not sure what to do with."

Madara leaned in with interest, disregarding his distaste for her impulsive decision to hear her out. "Such as?"

Mayu picked at her wing, the crow seeming to not have an issue with Asami telling her cousins what Tomomi said.

"She told me that I was destined to experience pain and loss for the rest of my life. That I was going to undergo challenges and pressures that would make me someone unrecognizable from who I am now," Asami said flatly, the sickening feeling she experienced the first time she heard this returning. "She said... she said I would experience pain in this life, and much more in my next as well. She said everything I fought to create in this life I would destroy in the next, but I would keep something there that I didn't here."

Asami looked up to meet Izuna's eyes from across the table. He looked at her in horror, mouth parted and eyes wide. Her gaze flickered to Madara, his face devoid of any emotion, but he was a tad paler than usual. The silence settled in the room, her words shocking both of her cousins just as much as they had her.

"She said I had much to withstand and encounter, and the crows were there to guide me along my path," Asami shifted again, frowning. "I figured after all my stupid choices lately... I needed all the guidance I could get."

Madara breathed deeply, closing his eyes. "I see."

Izuna frowned, distraught. "What does the leader of the crows mean by you'll 'destroy everything in the next life you fight to create here'? Are you to do something terrible?"

"I don't know," responded Asami, as equally upset by the information. She raised her hand to her face, sighing as she could feel a headache coming on. "It's been eating me up since I first heard that. I don't know what to make of it or what to do."

Mayu finally chimed in, giving Asami a firm look. "As Tomomi-sama said, that isn't something for you to concern yourself with. You have enough to do in this life that you don't need to be concerned with the next."

Izuna looked a the crow pointedly. "You know what she's going to experience? If so, why don't you tell her so she can prevent all the pain and loss from happening? If you have information that would be helpful you should tell us! Especially if you look out for Asami, as you are so claiming."

Mayu turned her sharp gaze back to Izuna. "I can't do that. Besides, only Tomomi-sama knows everything that'll happen. We only know what is necessary."

"That doesn't make any sense." Izuna clenched his fist, glaring at the crow now. "That makes no sense at all! If you can save someone's life or prevent the turmoil from occurring wouldn't you want to stop it?!"

"Izuna," Madara said, looking at his younger brother. "Calm down."

Even if Madara was trying to get Izuna to calm down, it didn't mean he was pleased with this either. If these birds knew there were tragedies to be had and had information that could prevent them from happening, it was infuriating to know they were withholding it from them. Asami continued to frown, looking between Mayu and Izuna, her cousin continuing to glare at the bird.

Asami certainly felt like this was a sticky situation. She didn't like how she never got a clear answer from the crows either, but it also seemed like that was just how the crows spoke. Besides, if the crows were willing to help her, and even wanted to help her, who was she to turn them away?

"You are dealing with something much larger than yourself, Uchiha-san." Mayu continued to give Izuna a firm stare, her small black eyes sharp. "There are things that we cannot control or change, things that are meant to happen a certain way. Even if we were to interfere, it would only sprout other tragedies or even worse disasters to occur. People will always die and pain will always happen. It's only a matter of who dies and who continues to live with the loss."

"Besides," Mayu looked up at Asami, the youngest Uchiha giving Mayu a pained look at the way the conversation was going. "We are already doing our part by stepping in to help Asami-san. She needs the guidance more than most."

"I can't sit quietly knowing you are doing nothing when you have information that can prevent the deaths of people we care for." Izuna was not shouting anymore, but he was still understandably upset.

If these birds knew about who would die, whether it be Madara, Asami, or even one of the regular shinobi who went to battle with them, he felt he had a right to know. It was absurd in his mind that these birds had the knowledge of certain deaths and did nothing. He didn't care whether it was 'destiny' or not.

"I think you also misunderstand what it is we actually know," Mayu began, attempting to clear the air. "We don't know the exact people who die, when they die, or what happens. All we have are fleeting glimmers of the future or possible futures. Time and events that trigger other outcomes are too mutable to have just one destined outcome."

Mayu bristled, not enjoying the turn the conversation took. "It offends me that you think the crows are so heartless to just let someone die when we could prevent it. Especially if it was an innocent person who had never done something wrong in their life. There is no desire to kill someone just for the sake of having a death. That would be ridiculous. In any case, Uchiha-san, I understand your frustration. A loss is always painful. I may be a bird, but I'm not a stranger to it."

Izuna didn't seem satisfied with this response, but he didn't have anything more to say. He clamped his mouth shut and stared at the bird with narrowed eyes. Mayu was unbothered though, picking at something in her wing.

"If there are multiple futures and you're hesitant to get involved... why did you approach me?" Asked Asami, re-entering the conversation.

Mayu looked up at her curiously, urging Asami to continue. The youngest Uchiha sighed, the talk of destiny still making her feel dizzy. "You said you only see possible outcomes of the future or fleeting glances, but to you, it was enough to approach me? You made it sound like it was too finicky to attempt to affect anything, but here we are..."

"I see," the crow said, understanding what the Uchiha was getting at. "Asami-san, no matter what glimpse we got, you always ended up at the same place. No matter where you went, or if other things were changed, there was always the same result. Of course, there were a few things that were different, but in most, you ended up at the same spot. Besides, as I said before, we don't know everything. It would be impossible to be an all-knowing being, especially when we're only crows. However, we make do with what we do know."

Asami looked away from the crow, staring at her lap with a heavy frown.

She still wasn't sure she was satisfied with these responses. Asami wasn't as angry as Izuna, but the mysticism and lack of answers to her questions made things difficult. It seemed as though the crows only wanted to help her and do what was best, but in a way, it felt like she was following blindly. These birds told her she was destined to walk a certain path no matter what. She always ended up in the same place and did the same thing no matter the scenario, which made them feel confident enough to approach her.

While the consistency of her place no matter the future would be intriguing to some, and the predictability could maybe even be considered comforting, but Asami only found it sickening. Tomomi claimed she would face pain and turmoil throughout the rest of her life, which meant in every future no matter what she did, no matter what choice she made, she would be destined to be miserable.

Knowing that made her feel sick.

"While with each answer you give there are only more questions, I think your presence for my cousin is beneficial." Said Madara after a long silence. He looked over at Asami with a tired expression. "After the choice she made recently, I think the extra guidance could be helpful."

"I am glad to be of assistance." Mayu nodded in acknowledgment, seeming to be pleased the Uchiha clan leader was accepting of her presence. Even if Izuna still was not.

Asami shrunk under his gaze, embarrassment flooding through her at the mention of her choice to spare Sasuke. She wished she could shove her mistake into a little box and set it on fire so it wouldn't be spoken about ever again. The choice to spare someone's life in an attempt to end a cycle of revenge was not a choice she would make again.

"Speaking of," said Izuna, grimacing at her. "The Uchiha elders want to discuss the happenings of that. What went on with the Shimura, Sarutobi, and Senju. It seems as though they're wanting us to attack. This means that you will be part of this discussion, Asami, as you've been the cause of most of these events."

"Attack?" Asami blinked, trying to make sure she had heard him right. "But we just returned from a battle this morning."

"We've been doing a lot of sitting and waiting when it comes to the Senju," Pointed out Madara. "The battle where my father died a few months ago, they were attempting to attack our compound by advancing on our lands. Then they followed that attack with another where they came at us with not one, but two other allied clans... the Senju are trying to tear us down with more aggression than normal. We've been the ones facing the brute of most of these attacks and acting on the defense. It's time for the Uchiha to strike."

The consistent fighting was normal, but when they had fought that morning, it was a surprise to Asami that they were already plotting their next move against the Senju. There was always a rift occurring with other clans, whether it be on a large scale like the tussle with the Senju and Sarutobi as of late, or something on a smaller scale like a routine mission.

There was never a time when the clan was peaceful and devoid of any danger. Missions were always being handed out whenever the Uchiha got them to keep funds coming into the clan—the Uchiha were not only the most powerful but one of the most wealthy for a reason. They hardly ever turned down a mission.

"Do you have anything else to add about your encounter with Sasuke?" asked Madara, not letting the subject go much to Asami's dismay.

Asami frowned, looking at her lap again so she wouldn't have to look either of her cousins in the eye. She fidgeted with her figures, overcome by the same feeling of shame. Both Madara and Izuna looked at her expectantly, waiting to hear her pitiful explanation. Her body language made it obvious she was upset about what she had done, but just being upset and regretful didn't cut it. Izuna and Madara shared another look before returning their attention to their younger cousin to hear her out.

"I know I did something I shouldn't have," started Asami, still not looking at either of them. "Please don't be mad at me when I tell you this, since I'm only trying to be honest with you two."

Izuna turned his head, brows furrowing at how she was starting her explanation. It made her sound like she was guilty of something she hadn't brought up before. "What do you mean?"

Asami pointed to her eyes, looking up from her lap. "I got him with my mangekyou. As I told you before, I can put people in another dimension and have total control over it. While using it I still have awareness of my body, but to speak or control the other dimension I have to use utmost focus. I spoke to him in there."

"How the hell did you do that on the battlefield?" Asked Madara, dumbfounded.

"His body was crushing me. I probably looked dead." Said Asami flatly.

Sasuke Sarutobi was a large man, so the crushing wasn't an over-exaggeration. If she wasn't such a tall woman he would have probably covered her frame entirely.

"Ah." Madara leaned back, placing his hand on his knee. He lifted his hand and waved her on, humming. "Continue."

Asami took a deep breath, fidgeting with her fingers again. She looked at the grain in the table, not wanting to meet either of their eyes as she confessed what she did as though it was comparable to setting the compound on fire. "Sasuke asked me what it was I wanted from him when I struck up the deal. I told him I only wanted the forces to retreat and for him to throw away his idea of revenge for his brother. He called me a liar. Told me that it couldn't be that easy, that I had to want more from him. I told him that I didn't want more."

"How could you not demand more?" Izuna shook his head, rubbing his face. He was frustrated beyond belief with her, unable to comprehend where this thought process had even come from. He grumbled in distress. "Asami, you had the perfect opportunity to get literally whatever you wanted out of him. The possibilities of what we could have gotten... what you could have done with him under your thumb..."

Asami bowed her head in shame, hating the disappointment that was filling her again. She hated this so much. How had she been so stupid to much such a stupid mistake? Stupid!

"What did you say to him after that?" Asked Madara, cutting off Izuna.

He looked to his younger brother who was very distressed, hands covering the lower half of his face as his glare burned holes into the surface of the table. Izuna shifted his gaze to Madara, the look he gave not going unnoticed by Asami. She wanted to hit her head on the table. It was frustrating and humiliating to relive what she had said and thought while interacting with Sasuke.

"I told him... I told him that I wanted nothing more than to be left alone." Asami confessed, pulling her hands into her chest. She closed her eyes, frowning as she waited for the angry response.

But, there was only silence. No one said anything, not a peep to her confession. Had they heard her? Maybe she didn't explain what had gone on well enough so they hadn't understood what she said... or maybe they were angered beyond belief and had no way to put their emotions into words. Yes, that had to be it. They were both so disappointed they could only look at her in silence.

Finally, there was a heavy sigh. Asami willed herself to open her eyes, gaze trailing to Madara who was staring at her with a tired look. A heavy frown was on his lips, blinking slowly at her. She tore her gaze away from him to look at her other cousin, Izuna giving her a look similar to the one his brother wore. Izuna's expression was filled with much more pain than Madara's, his dark eyes sad.

"I think..." Madara began slowly, gaze straying to the tabletop again. He furrowed his brows, grimacing in discomfort at the thoughts running through his mind. "I think you've been under a lot of pressure lately, and it's a result of you acting out of character. Hana's death is still fairly recent, and while you seem to be acting 'fine', I don't think that's the case at all. You're still hurting, and it's pushing you to make choices you wouldn't normally."

Asami felt a sharp jolt in her chest, looking at Madara in shock.

Out of all the things she had expected him to say, she had never thought he would bring up Hana. She didn't think she would be a topic of conversation at all here. Asami was fine. She had made peace with her sister's death. She missed her terribly, but she was okay, wasn't she? Asami went about her day as normal, and completed her tasks... what more did she need to do to prove she was fine? How was Hana related to anything here? Asami certainly was not connecting the dots.

Asami opened her mouth to protest, but Izuna spoke this time, cutting her off.

"You want to be left alone." Said Izuna as though the meaning was as plain as day. He gave a tired sigh at her lack of understanding as Asami only stared at him. "You simply want to be left alone. Asami, you cannot tell me those aren't the words of someone tired and... frankly, a little lost. You... I..."

Izuna sighed again, placing a hand on the side of his face. "I feel like an idiot for not noticing this sooner."

"Have you gone into Hana's room?" Asked Madara suddenly.

Asami felt panic consume her at the question, but answered with a firm tone of voice, trying to hide the fact she knew where this was going now. "I hardly see how that's relevant to anything here."

"Answer the question."

Asami grimaced, shifting uncomfortably. She could lie, but it would be obvious that she wasn't telling the truth to the both of them. Lying to her cousins was not something she did often and was not well versed in it.

"...No. I haven't." Said Asami reluctantly, already knowing the answer was not something Madara or Izuna wanted to hear.

Madara crossed his arms, looking off to the side. He had a perplexed look on his face, lips turned into a frown.

Asami wanted to deny that her mistake had been made out of grief. To insist that she had made her choice to let Sasuke go while in sound mind, even if it made her look like a fool. It was better than admitting she was still hurting, that she was still in pain and that she had not healed. The churning feeling in her gut and the heavy, almost unbearable pressure in her chest forced her to face the truth.

Her cousins had brought something to the forefront of her mind, and it wasn't just the grief that had been pulled to the light, but panic that she had been sought out.

She had been doing so well, hadn't she? Going through the motions and not paying attention to her grief. She wasn't crying, she wasn't a withering mess... what more did she need? What more did they need? What did anyone need from her to prove that she was fine?

This conversation had shattered the mirage that Asami was fine, that she was unphased and alright.

Asami knew she was not alright.

A hand was placed on her wrist, her gaze drifting from her lap to the calloused hand placed on hers in comfort. Asami hadn't been aware that she was shaking before, but with the steadiness of the hand, she could feel herself shaking like a cowardly animal.

How pathetic could she be to tremble at the thought of her grief? She wasn't in the midst of a battle or a dangerous, life-threatening situation. She was only faced with her own emotions.

She slowly looked up from the hand, meeting Madara's gaze. His hand was still resting on hers, giving her a firm look, though his eyes betrayed what he was showing her. He appeared disappointed, though Asami felt as though this disappointment for the first time today, was not directed at her.

"When I told you not to let yourself waste away at the loss of your sister, I did not mean for you to shut yourself off and refuse to acknowledge how you feel. Asami, this is the exact opposite of how you were before. Instead of landing somewhere in the middle, you went to the opposite side of the spectrum. You refuse to acknowledge how you feel." He stated, not even giving her the chance to get a word in.

Asami let out a harsh breath, the pressure in her chest increasing. She squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to allow the burning behind her eyes out, especially when she had done enough crying in front of Madara already. She didn't want to cry and hadn't cried since the night he spoke to her.

"I'm going to chalk this business with Sasuke up to your grief," Said Madara, removing his hand and leaning back. He placed his hands on his knees, still frowning. "Do not let it happen again."

"I won't." She said, forcing herself to open her eyes to look at Madara.

He nodded. "Alright. We can talk more about our discussion with the elders at another time. For now, get some rest."

Asami nodded at the both of them, before getting to her feet and heading toward the door. Mayu flapped her wings, taking her perch on Asami's shoulder before she could get too far.

Izuna watched her walk out without another word, frowning as she shut the door, leaving both Madara and Izuna in silence. The state of their younger cousin left both of them heavy with worry, but neither of them expressed it verbally, only sharing another knowing look.

Asami padded down the hallway, heaviness in her chest increasing as she came up to Hana's room. She stopped walking but didn't turn to look at the door, choosing to stare straight ahead at the end of the hall. She didn't move, face expressionless and stiff. Mayu didn't make a sound, sensing the sensitivity of the situation.

Part of Asami was screaming for her to rip open the door, to shatter the illusion that Hana was hidden inside, to rip the comfort avoiding that room gave her to shreds. This was a weakness, and hiding behind the little illusions she told herself, allowing herself to believe that leaving that room untouched and unopened helped her handle her grief, was leaking into other areas of her life and causing problems.

Even so, she wasn't sure she was strong enough to open the door today. No, she knew she wouldn't be able to handle it. Even just acknowledging the fact she wasn't alright had almost made her break down in tears in front of her cousins. Pathetic.

"Mayu-san, if you would please give me some privacy for a bit." Said Asami, her voice controlled despite the swarm of emotions in her gut.

"Of course. I will return tomorrow." The crow vanished with a puff of smoke from her shoulder, leaving her alone in the dark hallway.

She took a shaky breath, before forcing herself to continue down the hall to her room.

Once she reached it, Asami stepped inside and shut the door behind her. The door to the backyard was still open, but as it was nighttime now, the lack of light concealed her from prying eyes. She was in the privacy of her own space now, with no one to watch her break down or have her pathetic moment of self-loathing. She was alone, free to wallow in her grief.

Asami leaned on her door, a quiet thump sounding out as the back of her head hit the wood patterns on the shoji door. She squeezed her eyes shut as tears streamed down her cheeks, the hot liquid running off her chin and hitting the floor. She didn't make a sound, face scrunched up as she cried, every part of her body aching as her shoulders trembled.

It wasn't messy sobbing consisting of unintelligible noises and feelings of agony as her first breakdown had been. This one was filled with dulled pain and loss, lack of direction, and disappointment. This was a cry from the suppression of wounds that was long overdue.

Asami just missed her sister. She wanted her family back.

If she was destined for more pain, pain worse than this, she wasn't sure she was going to be able to keep going.

Asami didn't remember falling asleep, but she woke the next morning sitting on the ground with her back against the door to her bedroom. There was the distant chirping of birds, the cool morning breeze drifting in through the open door to the backyard.

She remembered sitting down at some point, but when she had fallen asleep was unbeknownst to her. She must have passed out from emotional exhaustion at some point from how much she had cried.

Getting up with a sigh, Asami walked over to her vanity table and took a seat on the bench placed at it. She glanced at her reflection, frowning at the mud, twigs, and feathers tangled in her hair. There was a nasty scratch under her eye she earned from being whipped by a branch, it just beginning to heal.

Her disgusting appearance reminded her that she hadn't even changed her clothes from the day before or bathed after returning from the crow's forest. The thought made her want to gag.

She was right about needing to retire her yukata too, the many holes and tears littering the fabric making her certain it was unsalvagable. While Asami certainly wouldn't want to, she would probably need to visit Ume to get some new clothes.

Asami frowned, pushing her finger through a little hole in the fabric by her stomach for emphasis.

Looking back at her reflection, she began to pull the twigs and feathers from her hair, grimacing at the pile that was increasing in size as she set them aside. There was an uncomfortable amount of feathers tangled in her thick hair, the black color of the feathers making them hard to find since they were close to the same shade as her hair.

Once she was certain there were no more things hiding in her hair, Asami grabbed a change of clothes and went to bathe. She was grateful to get the grime and dirt off of her. While she liked visiting the crow's forest, she did not like smelling like birds. Asami was a shinobi, but she was still a woman too, and she wanted to smell and look like one. No one said ninja had to lack hygiene, anyway.

Asami was still sensitive after the conversation with Izuna and Madara the day before, so she was glad to know they weren't home. Even if they hadn't said anything to upset her, she was still upset over the revelation that she was not alright with her sister's death. Which was a silly thing to think in itself, since of course, she would never be content with her sister's absence. But Asami had done a good job of pretending her sister hadn't died at all, even.

Maybe she hadn't been thinking this way on purpose, but it was easier to imagine that Hana was on some long trip and wouldn't be returning for some time. It was easier to think that she was alive and kicking, and Asami just couldn't see her. It was easier than accepting that her sister was truly gone, never to see her, touch her, or speak to her again. If she pretended that she was just out of sight, it was easier to have that sliver of hope that she may see Hana again.

But she knew that was a false sense of peace given by lying to herself.

Asami sat in her usual spot off the engawa to her bedroom, her bare feet brushing against the grass. A book sat open on the engawa beside her, Asami running a brush through her drying hair as she read. She was clean now, dressed in a navy blue yukata as she detangled the knots from her hair and enjoyed the fresh, spring air.

Asami had always enjoyed reading, especially when she was younger. She had learned to read at a young age and picked up on it quickly, not having much trouble. She learned to read much faster than her sister had, which meant Asami would often read the books Hana couldn't to her when they were young.

She could recall a few specific memories when she had read out loud before bed, the oil lamp being their only source of light in the dark room, the both of them curled up together in blankets and pillows. Asami would tell the story of a female traveler that went to civilian villages to lend a helping hand to those who needed it. She couldn't create miracles, but she was kind and wise, often noticing the bigger picture of what was going on around her and adapted to what she saw.

As a little girl, Asami wanted to be like that. Strong and wise. Though now she had grown up, and the thought of putting herself into the limelight to be a form of guidance was at the bottom of the list of things she would want to do. The attention and responsibility was something she would want to avoid at all costs.

"Knock knock."

Asami looked up from her book, blinking in surprise at the sight of Kousuke standing in the grassy area of her yard. There was an open walkway that led from the yard to the front of the home, so it was easy for someone to comfortably stroll back there... it was just most did not find it comfortable to do such a thing, especially since it was the clan leaders home.

Kousuke wasn't like most people, though.

He looked at her expectantly, his hair as wild as ever with curls hanging in his face. He gestured to the spot beside Asami. "Do you want some company?"

Asami wasn't in the mood to screw around, so she hoped that wasn't his intention here with coming by. She almost had the urge to say no, but she wasn't that rude, so she resulted to humming quietly. "Sure."

She looked back down at the book, continuing to run the brush through the ends of her hair. Kousuke came over and took the spot beside her, hands placed on the lip of the engawa as his legs dangled over the edge. He leaned over, not saying anything, and Asami wasn't saying anything either, it still appearing as though she was reading.

Kousuke gave a breathy laugh, shaking his head once he got a better look at what she was reading. "Is that the same book you're reading all the time? About that female traveler?"

Asami couldn't help the ghost of a smile pulling at her lips. "Yes. The one I hit you with when we were kids."

"Yeah, that one." Kousuke laughed, looking up at the sky. He was quiet for a moment, a look of thought crossing his face before he spoke again. "I was a real jerk when I was a kid. I think I was just saying whatever came to mind, or whatever I heard the men my Tou-san met with say. They always said that stuff, about 'men protecting women' and how they shouldn't be shinobi. They said those things like it was their oath to live by. I just started regurgitating that stuff without even thinking about what it meant."

"Honestly, I think it's a good thing you hit me." He added.

"I could do it again if you'd like." She said without any thought, continuing to brush her hair.

"Let's not, especially because you really can pack a punch now." Kosuke recoiled a bit, leaning away from her at the thought of getting struck by the book with her matured strength. He shook his head, getting back on track. "Anyway, I came back here because Madara-sama told me about a mission he's going to assign us. We're to go restock supplies at the Uchiha hideout. It's going to become a rendezvous point for our attack on the Senju coming up, so everything needs to be in order."

Asami stopped brushing at this, turning her attention away from the book to look at him. "He didn't say anything to me."

"Apparently this is something he just crafted up with my Tou-san and Izuna-sama. It's pretty fresh, so I only happened to know since I was coming to get my Tou-san for my Kaa-san. She was pretty fired up about something he did, though I don't know what it was." Kousuke shrugged. "Madara-sama also told me you could use a friend."

Asami sighed, setting her brush down. While she was appreciative of the thought, it wasn't needed. Madara had been thinking of her and was trying to look out for her, so she couldn't dismiss that. His thinking wasn't totally flawed either. Kousuke was someone she was comfortable with, having known him for years, but she wasn't sure that if she needed support she would lean on him in favor of her cousins.

"Hey, what happened to your face?" Kousuke leaned in a bit, furrowing his brows at the scratch on her cheek. "That wasn't there when we got back from fighting the Senju."

Asami grimaced, touching her cheek. "Long story. I can tell you later, but it was from a tree."

"You're a shinobi, and you got hit by a tree?" Teased Kousuke, grinning at her as he referred her comment about his chicken kerfuffle.

Asami looked away with a huff, ignoring him. "When are we to leave?"

"I think he said tomorrow, but the plans were still being solidified, so you'd probably want to speak to him first," Kouske said, leaning back on his hands. "I haven't been to the Uchiha hideout in a couple of years."

Asami nodded in agreement. "I went about a year ago. I'm sure there isn't that much restocking to be done."

Kousuke grinned at her. "We'll see! Empty your bags, Asami-chan, you're going to be carrying some heavy loads."

Asami scowled at him as though he was the biggest idiot she knew. "We'll use sealing scrolls, idiot."

Kousuke gave her a deadpan look. "I knew that. I was only messing with you. Better get used to the torment, since it's just you and me going on the mission together."

"How lovely." She said with a roll of her eyes, though secretly, she knew that in her current state of mind, the one person she knew she could tolerate that wouldn't put more pressure on her was Kousuke. She was honestly a bit thankful for the opportunity it gave her to get a break. A little trip to the Uchiha hideout wouldn't be too bad, even if it was to prepare for the upcoming battle that was bound to be exhausting against the Senju.