Chapter 31: Wolves

Yuri's POV:

Bored…

That's the only word she could think of. They had been at the village but nothing had been happening. No one had seen anything since they were contacted, it had been silent. No wolf attacks, even in the surrounding forest. It was becoming a small little drag doing this.

Here she thought it would be exciting and fun, but sitting around and not doing anything isn't her idea of a fun mission. At least they should be tracking the wolves. Even with her abilities, she couldn't track anything. Asmua was also getting worried, since they hadn't found anything.

She and Shikamaru were talking and she noticed Ino and Isamu were keeping their distance a little more. It was strange, they were talking up a storm when they had all left the village and were planning on hanging out after the mission. So Isamu and Ino not talking to each other was strange. After that first night Isamu was always trying to be paired up with Yuri.

And Asuma allowed it.

It annoyed her since she and Shikamaru were finally talking again… but she couldn't do much about it. She was going to be working with others eventually and Isamu is on her actual squad. It would be easier if Kenji was here with them. She didn't know who divided up the teams, but they didn't think it through.

Her, Isamu and Kenji would have been fine for this mission. And would have been easier.

Regardless, Yuri was bored. They were staying out of the village and were merely waiting for this pack of wolves to come around and attack them. Which… wasn't a fun task. Sure, Asuma and Shikamaru were playing shogi when they got a chance. Ino and Yuri were training together, giving Isamu a chance to practice his medical ninjustu. Plus, Asmua liked to give them all different tasks, even Asmua was teaching Yuri about the blades he carried. It was taking her a minute to get it though.

He claimed Asami sensi told him to keep up their training, so they wouldn't become lazy.

Yuri could see it. But Asuma wasn't as chaotic as Asami was. She could tell when things coming, and Isamu clearly could tell as well. It became a game for the three of them. Trying to catch Asuma before he attacked Yuri and Isamu.

She and Shikamaru had been waiting at camp while Asuma went to gather wood, and Ino and Isamu went into town to get some food. Yuri and Shikamru were sitting in silence mostly, which was fine with her. He managed to talk her into a game of Shogi, and rarely could she beat him, even with her cheating. And she knows sometimes he lets her win. It just showed how good he was at thinking ahead.

While annoying, she is glad to be on Shikamaru's team rather than against him. He would beat her one on one if he tried. She knows he can outmenuver her, but he can't for long since she has more chakra than him. Asuma made him train with her, and she had to play against him.

Yuri was in the middle of her move, carefully thinking about her next move, wanting to do something he doesn't have a backup plan for. She has the next 5 moves planned out and if she changes–

Until something throws Yuri off. She takes in a sharp breath and forgets her next few moves she was thinking about. It tastes weird… almost distorted. While her entire focus had been on the game, her head now snaps up and looks around. Needing to find the taste.

It's nothing like she's ever tasted, and she can't even tell what the base it. Let alone describe it. Nothing connected with her. While Yuri could focus on a game, this taste is fully thrown her off.

"Shika… something might be coming towards us…" Yuri stands up.

Shikamaru stands up and gets ready. Not saying anything to her at that moment, she doesn't need him to though. Their campsite might be a battle ground soon. He looks in the opposite direction than Yuri. But the taste only gets stronger.

Almost overpowering. Even with being close to Shikamaru, she can't really taste him at this moment. Or she has to focus to taste him. The overwhelming taste nearly makes Yuri gag, its so bad, and it keeps getting worse. She doesn't bother reaching out for Shikamaru's hand, it wouldn't help her in this moment.

"Where is it coming from Yuri?" Shikamaru asks.

"I… I don't know… it's all over…" Yuri looks around.

Yuri backs up so she is back to back with Shikamaru. It's the middle of the day, they were told the wolves only attack at night. Not during the day. That worries Yuri a bit… wolves breaking their patterns? Rarely did humans break patterns, and animals also kept a pattern. It was strange to her. It was a game of shogi, the game Shikamaru was so good at, even without knowing who he was fighting.

A pair of eyes are looking at Yuri, but she doesn't think they are human… and she can only stare back. She can feel like she is shaking, those eyes terrify her for some reason. They seem soulless and that taste… the taste is throwing her off. She doesn't understand it. It isn't like anything else she has tasted. While there is an underlying taste, she can't place it.

It bugs her. But the taste isn't natural. That much she can tell.

Why did Asuma and the others have to be gone right at this moment? She and Shikamaru could handle this… but they might need some help.

"What… what the hell?" Shikamaru asks.

"I… I can taste them… they have chakra." Yuri mumbles.

This causes a small pause from Shikamaru. She could taste ninja animals, but wild animals? She isn't sure what is happening, but she needs to keep a clear mind. They need to think this through and get out of it.

"What a drag. We have to fight wolves with chakra?"

Yuri nods her head. "And no one here to help us either… it's all on us."

With her hand on her kunai, Yuri remains staring at the wolf. But it only takes a moment, and a small rustle when she glances and spots a wolf coming at them. She throws a kunai and lightly elbows Shikamaru on the back.

A plan has to form quickly so they can survive this.

She knows he is thinking, but they might not have time and she might have to buy them time. Which Yuri is okay with. It works well enough for Yuri.

"Shika… do you think it's the whole pack?" Yuri asks.

Shikamaru snickers. "I think so. I can try to capture them but I can't hold them very long."

"You think of something…"

"I have a plan, Yuri. Contain them as best you can."

Yuri smirks. "On it."

Yuri and Shikamaru split, she goes after a wolf that seemed to have been eyeballing Shikamaru. Making her turn her back on the one she was facing. She knows contain means to get them all together. And since Shikamaru knows something other than his shadows, he just says it's a drag to use.

Plus, he only knows it because he lost a bet against Yuri when they were younger.

As two wolves come after her, she subs herself out and draws out a third, the one she hit earlier. With the three chasing her, she realizes she lost Shikamaru. She knows this means he is preparing. But she needs to keep her eyes on the wolves coming after her. All she needs to do is dodge and try to not get hurt. The wolves have chakra and it could be bad for her.

With her running around and annoying the wolves, they keep their attention on her. Seeing Yuri as the threat and not Shikamaru. While she could barely taste him, she knew he was around.

All the better for her that Shikamaru vanished though. Yuri can delay them while Shikamaru sets up and draws out the others. She throws some more kunai, hearing another one yelp in the area, Yuri goes over and draws another out of hiding.

Four…

There are four of them. And it's only getting harder for Yuri to move away from them, she knows Shikamaru needs time, but she is going to get hurt at this point. Yuri is backing away when she feels her back hitting something. A smirk comes to her face. He was building a barrier.

Yuri goes underground and pops up behind the wolves. Throwing a rock at them so she can keep their attention. They turn around and chase her and she tries to lead them in a circle. Finally she spots Shikamaru and he nods.

He finally had everything built and he held up a piece of paper. It was a barrier. And he needed Yuri out of there so he could seal them off. It was going to be bad if Yuri got caught here. She didn't want to be eaten by the wolves.

Going back under, she pops up next to Shikamaru and he places the final barrier. And the wolves hit it. Yuri lets out a sigh and shakes her head. Leave it to Shikamaru to come up with this plan, and who knows how long he has had this plan.

"Glad you understood." Shikamaru looks at her.

And she can see the small smirk on his face. She squats down next to him and smiles. She doesn't see his face getting red, as she only remains there for a moment. Standing back up, Yuri lets out another sigh.

Of course she would know. She's been friends with Shikamaru long enough, and trained with him long enough, to figure it out. It was a matter of her not getting hurt, and Shikamaru was here to capture the wolves so Ino could take a peek into their minds if she was able to.

Yuri shakes her head. "I figured you might be doing something like that."

"Yuri! Shikamaru!"

The two look over their shoulders to see Ino and Isamu running to them. Asuma walks behind them. She wonders what happened to them. Isamu looked tired and like he had been underground. And Ino barely looks better.

She can only guess what happened. If the wolves decided to attack them now, they might have been attacked as well.

"What… What the hell?" Isamu walks up to the barrier and a wolf lunges at him.

Causing him to fall on his butt. Yuri only blinks, that wolf moved so quickly to get to Ismau. He was on the other side of the barrier, Yuri barely even glanced away and it felt like the wolf moved faster than she expected. Puzzling her, no wolf should be able to move that fast.

Ino looks between the two of them. Putting her hands on her knees. Yuri can tell they ran to their camp to see what was happening. She can only guess what they had gone through, seeing as the wolves attacked, could mean a number of things.

And by the look of Asuma, he ran into Ino and Isamu, by the small rising and falling of Asuma's chest, they all were running. Seeing as Yuri and Shikamaru were alone and they had no idea if they had been attacked.

"I see. They even attacked you two." Asuma lit up a cigarette.

Yuri and Shikamaru exchange glances. It wasn't much of an attack.

Maybe it was, but Yuri and Shikamaru were able to handle it. They had the tools to avoid getting hurt, but Ino and Isamu were the backline of the four of them. So them getting attacked wasn't the plan. Since it was daylight, they thought it would be safe for them.

"They did. We got them trapped though." Shikamaru comments.

Yuri speaks up. "I thought the wolves were attacking at night though. It's weird they are attacking in the middle of the day."

There is a pause as Asuma takes a drag from his cigarette, seeming to be thinking. Yuri remains standing as Ino straightens up and Isamu comes over to the others. He stands next to Yuri as they all wait for Asuma to speak up.

None of it makes sense. Even less that the wolves attacked in daytime. Yuri is worried, and their taste is still in her mouth. Even holding onto samu, Yuri can't get it out of her mouth.

Asuma nods his head. "It is. But you two managed to capture four of them, I had to kill two to save Ino and Isamu."

"Asuma, there is something else." Shikamaru says. "Yuri could taste them. These wolves have chakra."

Ino and Isamu's eyes widen. They all look at Yuri. She lets out a sigh and plops down next to Shikamaru. She thinks back to her first taste of the wolves, and how much it threw her off. Even the taste of them now, she looks at them in the barrier and they are all pacing around.

Something is unsettling about them. But she still doesn't know how to explain it to anyone. Let alone to herself. The taste is hard to pinpoint, even with all the gross things that Asami made her eat. Nothing could come close to describing it.

"Yes. It's really distorted and has a more bitter taste. I can't tell… I don't have any other words for it."

"Disorted? That's weird." Asuma lets out a puff of smoke.

"I don't know why. I haven't tasted anything like it." Yuri looks at Asuma.

Asuma and Yuri only stare at each other. Neither of them says anything as it seems they are both thinking about what to do next. Yuri doesn't know what to do now, she is at a standstill. Looking at the wolves again, she doesn't know if it's natural for them to have chakra. And even then… It seems like it was forced on them. But it tasted so bad to her.

No one speaks for a moment while Asmua thinks for a moment.

She and Shikamaru share a look. Nothing about this is right. If these wolves were forced to have chakra, it could explain the distorted taste. But even then… she shouldn't be tasting it so distortedly. It should be clear at least.

"Well all we can do is tell the people they are captured, sadly though, we have to put them down." Asuma finally says.

Yuri's eyes snap over to Asuma. Put them down? He doesn't mean that they are to… of course he is. They can't let them continue to attack this village. It would put everyone in danger, which is something no one wants.

"Put them down?" Ino asks.

"Yes. Since they are attacking the town, we were tasked with eliminating the wolves."

With that, Asuma asks Shikamaru to take the barrier down and Shikamaru and Yuri hold the last four wolves down while Asuma takes them out.

Days Later, back in the Village:

They had been back in the village for a day, and Yuri was blown off by Sasuke. Much to her annoyance.

In the morning she asked Sasuke to hang out, and he told her he had a mission, but after they could. She agreed and said that she would wait for him in their normal spot. Spending the day relaxing a little and even making a little food for her and Sasuke, she wanted to start off on a good foot after her mission. So she showed up. And waited. She didn't see him. It was an hour past the time Sasuke said he was going to be.

Getting up she began to walk. She felt humiliated once again. Maybe she and Sasuke weren't going to last. They had been together for two months and he wasn't even treating her the same when they were just friends. She didn't even feel like a friend to Sasuke, she felt like when they were younger and he didn't want her around. It felt like he was avoiding her… and it didn't feel good.

Luckily, Yuri ran into Doki and he agreed to train her a little more. It's what she needed to get her anger out about Sasuke. It would help her, and she could let her mind think while she was distracted by training.

They had been working on Yuri's speed and throwing her kunai. Needing to be pushed hard and Doki was more than happy to train her hard about it. With that, she had almost forgotten about Sasuke leaving her alone. She was getting better, but she was never going to be at the same level as Sasuke and the rest of the Uchiha's. She was only trying it out. But once again, Doki kicks Yuri away. Sending her stumbling away.

"You seem unfocused." Doki comments.

Holding her head, Yuri lets out a sigh. She was unfocused. Remembering and focusing on what had made her annoyed. Sasuke. Yuri was annoyed at Sasuke once again. Nothing she seemed to think about helped her, even moving and training wasn't helping her like normal. All of it was becoming too much for her.

It was too much to think about. Sasuke not even treating her like a friend.

What was she going to do? Sasuke blew her off for who knows why!

Yuri shakes her head. "Annoyed at your cousin. He said we could hang out and was over an hour late."

"He is an idiot. He seems to be hanging out with Sakura a little more. And training with your sensi after. Saying he needs to get better and Asami seems to be his choice since Kakashi is out." Doki explains.

Groaning, Yuri should have expected that. Sasuke to be consumed by training. And it annoys her that he is hanging out with Sakura more and more. Sure, she is his teammate. But she didn't like it. Since she knew Sakura had feelings for him. It annoyed her. Not to mention he is training with her sensi.

Sasuke needed to grow up.

All of them did. But Sasuke especially did. He was treating her like a stranger, and he wasn't even hanging out with her. It was getting on her nerves. With everything, she would think Sasuke was going to be there. She thought they had gotten over this, but maybe she was wrong.

"You have to be kidding me." Yuri sits down and shakes her head.

Doki scoffs. "He wants to catch up to Naruto. You know how strong he has gotten and he is even traveling with Jirya."

It takes everything in Yuri not to lay down. She rubs her temples and shakes her head. It makes sense for Naruto to travel with Jirya, he is Narutos guardian. And the taste of Naruto. She didn't get a chance to ask Master Jirya about it, but she had a few questions about Naruto's taste, especially after what she knew about Gaara.

She told Naruto they had to get ramen once he got back. She felt less ignored by Naruto than Sasuke. She didn't know what to do about it.

"I know. Luckily Sasuke is actually training. Asami sensi is a good teacher. I've heard Sakura is training with Kurenai as well. Kenji basically waited for Asuma so he could teach him. But I heard you and Kenji trained a few times together as well."

At a dinner last night, Kenji filled Yuri and Isamu in on everything, how he was put on a mission with Sasuke and Sakura. How Sasuke was walking Sakura home each night or going to train with her. It was even annoying Kenji. So he decided to train to get his anger out. He was being nice to Sakura and trying not to fight with Sasuke at the school. Yuri couldn't help but laugh, Kenji really did like Sakura, and Sasuke was dating her.

It was a mess. She tried to explain that Sakura and Sasuke are on a team and they should train together like they do. Of course, Kenji counters, saying it sounded like Yuri was also trying to convince herself as well.

And Isamu finally told Yuri he told Ino he didn't want to date her since he knows she is still hung up on Sasuke. It explained their fight since Ino claimed she wasn't, and Yuri didn't know if it was true or not. But it caused a big enough disagreement between them that Ino and Isamu didn't talk that much. He didn't want to discuss it further but Ino kept pushing it. It was part of the reason they were almost hurt with the wolves.

Doki smirks slightly. "I am glad you are gathering information. And your team is all seeking guidance outside of your sensi, yet all go back to her for teamwork. It is impressive, and it seems the other teams are following your lead. Even Sasuke is asking for my help in training."

"So," Yuri begins. "If we are training with others, it helps to make us stronger, since our sensi's might lack the area we need. Seeking help isn't a snub to them?"

Yuri wasn't worried about it with Asami sensi. She was the one who told them to learn from more people. Hell, Asami sensi was the reason she was working with Doki in the first place. And why she trained with Asuma and Kakashi when she could. Doki was better to train with since he knew many things and copied people as well. It helped her a lot.

Doki shakes his head and sits next to Yuri. "From what I heard, Asami seems to be thrilled that you are all finding others to train with. She wanted to encourage it, so when you all come back as a team, you are stronger."

Yuri slowly nods her head. Even when they hung out last night, it was fun and felt normal. They wanted to have a team meal with Asami sensi tonight, and they were going to. After they trained with her. Stating that if they could pin her for 5 seconds, she would buy them dinner, if they couldn't? They all had to buy her dinner.

It was something they had done, and they hadn't been able to pin her down. It ended in a small yelling match. It wasn't ever something awful, but she was always glad for it. They had gotten to 4 seconds, but she had a feeling Asami sensi was playing with them normally.

"That makes sense… I prefer working with Isamu and Kenji. They know my patterns and can figure out what I am going to be doing."

Doki puts his hand on Yuris head and squats down in front of her. "That is good. A strong team is hard to break. I hear you guys don't fight, and point out flaws. You seem to be a strong team with Kenji being a close to mid distance, along with you, and Isamu being a healer. It's a good balance. Don't forget that. A good balanced team is important." Doki stands up. "You should rest. I heard your mission was hard, but it went well."

Ino's POV:

She was so mad!

Isamu really believed that she still liked Sasuke! Why would she like that lame loser? He was awful to Yuri and she had no interest in him. Especially if he was still going to act like a child. Sasuke wasn't her type now. It made her so mad and even madder that Isamu tried to avoid her on the mission. Though they ended up bickering at every chance they had. It was annoying to her, he couldn't see she actually liked him! Ino knew he liked her too.

Ino had a plan though. And she knew just the person to ask.

She was trying to find him and ask if he would be interested in her little plan. Could mean two birds with one stone. Ino spent the whole mission and their walk back planning it out. Even thinking of the repercussions and possible fallout from this. To be honest, Ino didn't really care. She just wanted to make Isamu jealous.

Walking through the crowd, she spots the spikey ponytail she had been looking for. And she takes off towards him. Tugging him away from Choji, both Shikamaru and Choji are yelling. She smirks. Pulling Shikamaru into an alley and pushing him against the wall.

"What the hell Ino?!" Shikamaru yells.

"I have a plan and wanted to know if you want in on it?"

Ino has her hand on the wall behind Shikamaru, and one on her hip. Shikamaru bats her hand away, causing her to almost lose her balance. Ino was worried that he would wave her off. Some people only saw her as the girl who was obsessed with Sasuke.

Well, Ino grew out of that. She was going to show it.

"No."

Ino hums. "It involves Yuri and Isamu."

This got Shikamaru's attention. "Why does it involve them?"

With a small smirk, she knew she had Shikamaru. Ever since graduation day and she started paying attention to Shikamaru and Yuri, she noticed how Shikamaru is with her. It's how she was feeling around Isamu recently. And she knows he doesn't like Yuri with Sasuke, he never voiced anything, but the look on his face told Ino a lot. He cared more about Yuri than she thinks he is willing to admit.

"Oh, I want to make Isamu jealous, and I am hoping you'll join. And maybe push Yuri to break up with that loser Sasuke." Ino puts her hands behind her back.

In truth, she wanted to also make Yuri jealous and get her to break up with Sasuke. He was awful to her, and she wanted Yuri to date Shikamaru. Ino was going to play matchmaker. Maybe it would get Sasuke to grow up, with losing Yuri and her going to Shikamaru. How cute would it be?

Ino knows if it was her or Sakura dating Sasuke and he was being just as mean to them, Yuri would have already talked to them. But Ino doesn't think that will work. So she has to sneak around to make it work.

"What? Finally admitting you like Isamu? And what's the point of breaking them up?" Shikamaru smirks.

She knows that look in his eyes.

He is interested in her plan. For what reason, Ino didn't know fully. It was going to be a fun moment for her. Shikamaru was listening to her, normally she would listen to him. She was going to be the team lead on this one, and she was more than happy for it.

"I do and I told him. I thought 'dating' would show Isamu I have moved on from Sasuke. And I know that look in your eyes Shikamaru. You want to do this. Don't lie to me."

Shikamaru crosses his arms. "Say I wanted to, how would we even go about this? And how long would this even be?"

"Two months tops. I wouldn't want to drag it out. We would just need to be like a couple for a while and show Isamu I've moved on."

Shikamaru pauses and seems to be thinking. Probably weighing his options. She gave the two months so he knew she was thinking this through. Only when they were around Isamu, and possibly Yuri would they act like a couple. It was a good plan.

One that could get them both what they wanted. She wanted Isamu and Shikamaru wanted Yuri to at least be single. Not with Sasuke.

"I have some conditions." Shikamaru starts. "One, only hand holding around Isamu, Yuri and Sasuke. Two, after this you can tell whoever you want and say I asked you out. But, when we have our break up, it has to be mutual. None of this one of us breaking up with the other. Three, you have to wait for at least 3 weeks after the breakup to date Isamu, not to raise suspicion of this little fake relationship. Lastly, keep an open communication with me about this whole thing, I don't want to deal with things I don't know. Anything you come up with, tell me."

Ino thinks about this for a moment. This seemed fair.

If it means Shikamaru would be part of it, Ino would take it. She wasn't going to pass up on an opportunity like this. Make Isamu jealous and get Yuri out of her awful relationship.

"Fine. I'll tell you right now, I will be telling people you asked me out. That's it. Nothing more and nothing less. I'll tell them to come to you on why since it's a mystery to me as well." Ino turns and waves her hand. "I feel this is a good plan. This is going to be fun!"

Asami's POV:

A few days later:

Walking down the hallways of the hospital, Asami shakes her head. Her team wanted to train with her over and over again. Claiming to want to work on their teamwork… but she knew they just wanted to pin her. They haven't successed yet, but they are getting stronger. Asami was noticing she was using her sword more and more. She hadn't unsheathed it against her students, but having to fight all three of them off was getting to be too much. Yuri had such a wide variety of justu's and Kenji was becoming better with his family's justu. Isamu being the healer he is, he was able to keep those two up and he even was good at surprising Asami as well.

Who knows, maybe by the end of the year they would pin Asami down. And she would have to buy them a meal, she had bought them a meal before, but not for pinning her down.

That thought brings a smile to her face. Her students were shaping up to be great ninjas, and they were all training with others for the improvement of the team. Yuri's training with Doki seemed to be going so well, her mind was becoming calmer. That was the first thing Asami noticed with her, and it only got worse as she learned more. Kenji was bouncing around to other teachers, currently it was Asuma but he trained with Guy for a while. Isamu was training with the medical teams, but he was going to Kakashi a lot to help with earth style.

Asami needed to speak to a certain Uchiha, and Mikoto thought she would be able to get through to her. Asami wasn't sure, while she could try Asami and Kakashi had been worried about Izumi for years. She remains lost in thought, until she hears voices from the room she was going to visit.

"Izumi… please. You can't go after him like that. I was worried about you." That is a male voice, and it comes from the room Asami was planning to go to.

Asami pauses and leans against the wall, the door is slightly opened and she closes her eyes. Focusing on listening to the conversation about to unfold before her. She could only guess what this is about, and she doesn't want to add fuel to the fire.

Right now, someone else is already talking to Izumi, perhaps she might finally listen. Though… What else are they able to do? Izumi is bent on getting Itachi back for what he did, which Asami has a lot of questions about. While Itachi is a talented shinobi… taking out a whole clan by himself at the age of 13 or 14 is hard to believe.

And knowing what she does about Itachi through Kakashi… it seems strange he would go on a killing spree.

"I can and I will. Itachi deserves to die!" Izumi shouts.

"No… Izumi. You're going to destroy yourself at this rate." The man says.

Something is knocked over. "He destroyed me the night he killed everyone in our clan!"

Asami pauses and thinks. No wonder Guy ran away right after Izumi ran off. She went after Itachi, and it was a wonder she was even awake, Kakashi hadn't woken up yet. Itachi must have gone easier on her than he did with Kakashi. Asami found out that Izumi and Itachi were arranged to be married, but all that fell apart when Itachi attacked.

Izumi was never as gifted with the sharingan, she was known to faint if she used it. So the fact she was awake before Kakashi, who had been training with the sharingan and had mastery over it. It must be an Uchiha thing to be able to wake up like this.

There is a heavy sigh. "I understand, but we have some of us. Think, what if we hadn't been invited out of the village? We would be dead."

There is a long pause. And some crying begins to fill the silence.

Giving Asami a moment.

She remembered the day Itachi killed everyone, it was heartbreaking to think. But she heard from Kakashi that Danzo was a force within the backdrop of the Leaf. It was something to marval at, the fact a family invited Mikoto specifically and told her to bring 3 others from the Uchiha's specifically. Yuri seemed to also have a knack for knowing when bad things were coming.

What's more… Itachi was still at large, and the fact Yuri saw him in her home was something to be feared. And the fact her own family didn't send her away or the other children.

It worried Asami, but she didn't know how to help Yuri. It seemed she knew when danger was coming for others, but she never knew if it was coming for her.

"It doesn't matter, Itachi still killed them all…" Izumi finally mumbles.

Asami gives it a moment longer. She didn't want to walk in there, not when she seemed to have found someone who could get Izumi to talk. Asami leans against the wall at waits. Should she even talk to her? She was here for a few more days. Another day might help.

"He did. But that doesn't mean we can't be better than that. Please Izumi." The boy pleads.

Another silence. This one is longer than before. Making Asami wonder what the girl is thinking. Until she hears some rusling in the room. Knowing they might have finally taken notice of her.

"Come in here Asami sensi. I know you're there."

Asami smiles. Heading into the room to only check in on Izumi.

Notes: Wow! Thank you guys for your support of the story! It means a lot to me and I am so thankful that this story has been getting attention! I know, its been a long story and things are still moving! I hope you guys are enjoying it and are excited for what comes next!