Aya woke up, her eyes not meeting the familiar white of her ceiling, but instead a sky that was beginning to light up with the sun.

That's right. I'm in the middle of a mission with my team.

Aya's gaze shifted from the sky to the ground where her teammates along with her sensei and Shoutaro slept. So far, the mission had been rather uneventful.

However, as Ino had decided to grill Shoutaro with a thousand and one questions Aya had been on pins and needles most of yesterday.

She eyed the blond who slept in her own sleeping bag that was next to Aya's. And there's still four more hours of travel to go… Aya sighed at this thought, her gaze wandering over to where the boys slept.

Aya found herself staring at a certain pony tailed brunette. So he sleeps with his hair still up? He probably finds it too troublesome to undo. A smile turned up at the corners of her lips.

Another thought drifted into her mind. But I wonder what he looks like with his hair down?

"Ouch!"

A sudden burning feeling distracted Aya's musings. Her attention immediately shifted to her left arm, her lips pulling down into a frown. It was reminding her that it needed sunlight and air. It hurt now, but she knew that if she waited until they reached the village, the pain would become unbearable.

I should give it some light and air while everyone is still asleep.

Aya's eyes danced around the clearing again, confirming that everyone including her sensei was still asleep. She nodded to herself and began to carefully make her way towards the woods.

I'll just go a little bit into the woods away from camp, uncover it for a bit and then come back.

As she made her way towards the woods, the hummingbird suddenly zoomed into front of her. It chirped at her as though chiding her for leaving it behind.

It's chirping quickly made Aya glance back at the camp. She let out a breath of relief as everyone was still asleep.

"Shh!" She quietly scolded the little bird as she continued towards the woods again.

Aya sat in a patch of sunlight her arm uncovered and soaking up the warmth and fresh air. As the vines hummed and shifted in contentment and the usual pleasant tingling feeling filled her left arm, she couldn't help but hum a little to herself as she watched the hummingbird zoom around from flower to flower.

"Aya?" At the sudden familiar voice, Aya's humming stopped. Her eyes widened and she became momentarily frozen as she stared into the brown eyes of Shoutaro. She hadn't even heard him approach; she was too distracted.

It was quiet for a moment as Aya stared at Shoutaro and he stared back at her.

Then Aya realized where he was staring. Her arm.

Stupid, stupid, Aya…you shouldn't let your guard down so easily. She scolded herself as she hastily grabbed her sweatshirt to throw over her tank top.

"Aya, you don't have to do that. It needs light, right?" Shoutaro words caused Aya to glance back up at him.

Seeing that he had her attention, he continued, "You have no reason to hide it from me; I already know that it's there."

Aya hesitated, looking back down at the sweatshirt that she held. What he said was true, but…

"Look, won't it cause you trouble later if you don't give it enough light and air now?"

Aya nodded, her gaze still focused on the sweatshirt.

Shoutaro sighed. "Stop being so stubborn Aya. I know that it is there, but they don't, right?"

Aya flinched at his words. She knew what he was getting at and he was right. Making her decision, she dropped her sweatshirt and sat back down. She looked back up at Shoutaro to find him looking at it again. Him looking at it made her feel uncomfortable and it made her want to cover it up again. She wanted to yell at him not to stare at it, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Chirrrrp!" The hummingbird interrupted Shoutaro's staring as it zoomed in front his face.

"Woah! Hey there!" Caught off guard, Shoutaro took a step back.

The hummingbird continued to twitter at Shoutaro.

It was seeing the hummingbird stand up for her that made Aya finally find the words to speak. "He's telling you that it's not polite to stare."

Shoutaro's gaze returned to Aya's again. "Oh, sorry. I don't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything. It's just-I don't get it Aya. Why cover up your roses? You used to love them so much. What changed?"

His words again caused her to flinch. He was able to talk about it so casually. Her stomach was already twisting into knots at the mere thought of it. And how can he ask that? He knows; he knows better than anyone.

As though he could read her thoughts, he spoke, "Aya, I already told you that was an accident. Accidents happen."

No. Aya shook her head. He doesn't understand. Just like he didn't understand the day I left. Aya felt the same panic that filled her the day before beginning to return.

"Aya…" concerned flashed through Shoutaro's eyes and he took a couple of steps toward her.

At Shoutaro's approach, Aya took a deep breath. She had to keep it together and she needed him to understand, so she had to tell him. "No Shoutaro. You don't understand. You almost died. Because of me. I almost killed you Shoutaro. You're right it was an accident, but it doesn't matter because I couldn't control it. That's why I had to leave you and Kari. What if it had happened again? What if it had been my father or Kari?"

Aya was hoping that her words would finally make him understand but knew she had failed by his stubborn expression. "No Aya, you're the one who doesn't understand. Without your roses-I would have been dead. I would have died from the same illness as your mother, but you saved me."

Aya shook her head, frustration starting to mingle with the panic within her. "Maybe I helped you that one time, but that doesn't change the fact that I almost killed you Shoutaro."

Shoutaro shrugged. "That wasn't even your fault Aya. It only happened because those jerks were insulting your mother. If it's anyone's fault than it's theirs."

Aya clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. His shrug rubbed her the wrong way. He still wasn't taking the matter seriously enough. He still didn't understand. "It still doesn't change the fact that I lost control Shoutaro!"

"Oh come on Aya! You were only eight years old! Give yourself a break!"

"Give myself a break?! I almost killed you Shoutaro! I almost killed one of the few people that I cared the most about! Why don't you understand that this-" Aya jabbed at her left arm. "is dangerous. Yeah, maybe it healed you, but that doesn't erase the danger of it!" Tears finally began to slip from her eyes. Aya hastily wiped the tears away with her right hand.

Aya knew Shoutaro had seen her tears, as guilt flitted across his expression. Guilt of her own squirmed its way into her stomach. All these years and I'm still causing him pain. Why did he have to come to Konoha?

Shoutaro finally spoke, his voice at a normal volume and his tone controlled, "Okay, fine. I admit it can be dangerous. But your solution to that danger was to run away and leave behind those few people that you cared about? You say you left to protect us, but do you know how lonely we were without you? You were Kari's hero, you were the one who saved her and then you just left. You left your father all alone, right after he had just lost your mom. And me…You…" Shoutaro trailed off, his eyes clouding over. He shook his head, "Look, all I'm trying to say is that it's about time you forgive yourself. I know you're lonely too Aya. I see how you are with your teammates-I know you want to be closer to them. But Aya how close do you think you can get to them without telling them about your arm? You'll never be able to truly be close to them if you keep that secret."

Shoutaro's words left Aya speechless. She didn't know what to say as he had voiced all of her doubts. And what bothered her the most was the fact that he was right. He was right that she would never truly be close to her teammates as long as she kept her left arm secret….But I already knew that. What I have with them is enough…It's not worth the risk. At that thought an image of Shikamaru lying on the ground, his skin tinged green and his breath ragged filled Aya's mind. It was the leftover remnants of the dream she had the other day and it still made her sick to her stomach.

She shook her head. No it's definitely not worth the risk.

"AYAAAA!"

A very familiar loud voice suddenly filled their surroundings. Aya's eyes widened. Ino! She hastily reached for her sweatshirt again.

"Look Aya, I don't agree with you bandaging your arm, but I know it's not my decision to make." Shoutaro's words caused Aya to freeze; she looked back up at him.

He flashed his familiar devil may care smile. "Look, I'll go meet up with your search party. Meanwhile you can quickly bandage up your arm again, okay?"

At his words, Aya felt a little bit of her panic subside. She nodded, "Thank you Shoutaro."

"Hey, what are friends for?" He flashed her trademark smile once more and then hurried out of the clearing.

Aya watched him go. He's still helping me…Even after I left him and Kari…Guilt and sadness pricked at her heart. Why does he have to be so nice?

"Chirp!" The hummingbird twittered at her.

She gave the little bird a small smile. "You're right. Now's not the time to worry about that." Right, Aya pull yourself together; you still have a mission to finish.

Aya reached into the pockets her sweatshirt to grab her bandages.

"CHIIIIIRP!"

Aya looked up in alarm. She froze as she realized she and the hummingbird weren't alone. A dark green haired stranger stood about ten feet away from them. He looked to Aya to be in his late teens.

Aya felt goosebumps form on her arms; she didn't like the look in his reddish purple eyes. She was pretty sure he was bad news. Her hand moved to where her shuriken pouch usually was, but it wasn't there. In her haste to get into the woods, she hadn't taken any weapons with her.

Aya briefly scolded herself and then focused on other options. Okay, so forgetting my weapons was really stupid of me. But I still have one more option. Aya began to bring her hands together to start the first hand seal for her genjutsu.

"Tsk, tsk." She immediately froze as the green haired stranger's words pierced the air and then right before her eyes he vanished.

Crap! Where did he go?

But before she could do anything, he reappeared right in front of her face. In a matter of seconds he had grabbed her left arm in a tight grip.

Aya tried to break his hold, but his grip only tightened.

"Stop your fidgeting it's troublesome." His words immediately made her blood turn cold and she stopped moving immediately. What? Who is this guy and why did he say that?

He chuckled. "Looks like I hit a nerve, huh?"

"W-who are you?" Aya forced out.

"Who am I, hmm?" He paused, redirecting his gaze down onto Aya's left arm. "I guess you can say that I'm a plant lover."

"What?" His words left Aya confused, but dread continued to build up in her stomach.

He sighed. "Yes I'm just a plant lover. And I feel so bad for your roses. You deprive them of light and air; you refuse to let them bloom. The poor dears are so very sad; they cry out in pain, yet you do not listen to them."

His response made Aya palms clammy and she could feel her heart racing. This stranger… he wasn't a normal human. The way he speaks about flowers…it's like he talks to them… Aya's eyes widened as something occurred to her.

"Y-you are like me." The words tumbled out of her.

His eyes narrowed and his words came out in a hiss. "I am nothing like you. Don't even compare us. I cherish and respect plants; you clearly do not." He then pulled out a needle that was clearly coated in something.

Aya's eyes widened at the sight of seeing the needle. She began to struggle again. She needed to get free.

"I told you not to struggle," The stranger repeated, his words cold. But this time Aya wasn't going to listen. She continued to struggle. However, she suddenly stopped, but not of her own free will.

I can't move!

Aya glanced down to find that vines wrapped around her legs anchoring her to the ground. She looked back up at the stranger meeting his eyes. He really is like me. He has to be.

"That's better." With those words, he quickly brought down the needle, poking it into Aya's left arm. Aya flinched feeling a moment of pain, but then it quickly subsided and she was left feeling the same as before.

Wait? Where did he go?

He was no longer holding her. She glanced down, the vines were also gone.

She looked up again to find that the stranger was back where he had first appeared. "It takes about one hour for the poison to start working, so that gives you plenty of time for you to let your flowers bloom and neutralize the poison within your body. However, if you don't let them bloom the poison will spread and you will die within the day. It's my own special made blend, so any other quick cure is out of the question."

It took a moment for the words to sink into Aya's mind. I'll die if I don't let it bloom…

"Hey, don't be so worried, just let them bloom and you'll be fine."

Aya could only stare at him. The situation didn't seem real to her. She still didn't completely understand why he had attacked her.

He shrugged. "Well it's not my concern. Either way your roses will be free, so my job is done here. See ya."

The stranger gave her a parting wave and then disappeared as quickly as he had appeared. Aya continued staring at the now empty spot.

Who was that? And was he serious about the poison? There was clearly something on the needle, but was he really telling the truth? Will I really die if I don't let it bloom? A sickening feeling washed over Aya.

"AYAAA!"

Ino's yelling interrupted Aya's thoughts. She sounded even closer than before. Aya shook her head, trying to get rid of her previous thoughts. Then she quickly picked up her sweatshirt, pulled it on, and zippered it up. She didn't have time to re-wrap her arm; she would have to do it later.

Shikamaru sighed as he stared up at a completely cloud free sky. Great. They still had a little over two hours until they reached the village and he didn't even have any clouds to look at to pass the time.

Man, what a drag.

"So your father's a doctor Aya?" Ino's voice caused Shikamaru to shift his glance from the sky to the trio who walked in front of him.

"Yes," at Aya's reply, Shikamaru found himself staring at the back of her head. Her hair ribbon has strawberries on it… The corners of Shikamaru's lips twitched up into a small amused smile at this observation. For some reason, seeing those strawberries on her ribbon put him in a better mood.

"Yeah he's a great doctor; he's patched me up a number of times." At Shoutaro's voice Shikamaru's gaze shifted to the red head that stood on the other side of Aya. Shikamaru's slightly improved mood soured again as he stared at the red head.

A frown crossed Shikamaru's face along with a pang of irritation as he noted-for the second time that day-the change in Aya's attitude towards Shoutaro. It wasn't much, but she didn't seem as tense as she usually was around him. And there was the fact that she was walking right next to him, whereas yesterday, she had seemed intent on having as little contact with the red head as a possible. This change bothered Shikamaru more than he liked to admit.

"Aya? Are you feeling okay?" Shoutaro's words brought Shikamaru out of his reverie.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. She's lying. Her tone was too normal and he also caught the way her eyes shifted briefly to her left arm. He had noticed her glancing at it on and off all morning.

"You sure? Your face is flushed." Apparently the red head had picked up on the same thing as Shikamaru.

"I'm just a little tired; I'll be fine." Again another lie.

"Is your arm bothering you?" Another point for the red head.

"N-no. I'm fine," Aya continued to insist, an edge of panic clearly audible in her voice. As though to prove her point, she began to walk a little faster.

However, she didn't get very far as she let out a small gasp. As her legs buckled underneath her, a sick feeling filled Shikamaru's stomach. Something was wrong with her. Something was really wrong with her.