Welcome to New Zack Island! A place of paradise, parties, and pretty ladies of plentiful proportion! Come out for fun in the sun, where you can cool off and ride some waves on the clear water ocean, or play volleyball along white sandy beaches. For the night life, enjoy the twilight kissed skies and vibrant fireworks, accompanied by energetic crowds and casinos. We, Nikki and I, invite you to relax, let loose, and forget all your worries on the Island of Eternal Summer!

And that's exactly what Kasumi planned on doing.

This would be the second time she received an invitation to the appropriately renamed "New Zack Island", and she wasn't going to let the opportunity of a two weeklong vacation pass her by. Recollecting everything that she's been through the last month or so, the chestnut haired kunoichi felt she was quite herself lately, and could use a breather.

Her usual cheerfulness had been sullied by a shadow of despair that manifested via events of the fourth DOA tournament: her attempt to stop her siblings from attacking DOATEC resulted in a physical encounter with her sister, then she was nearly shot at by newly the instated head of DOATEC, Helena Douglas, and she barely survived a showdown with a genetically enhanced clone of herself. Luckily, neither her, nor her family were critically injured during the collapse of the lab and central headquarters, however the clone, aptly dubbed Alpha-152, had escaped without a trace.

All things considered, it could've turned out worse, but as the days of her exile went on, Kasumi found herself more worried about her clan than ever before.

It wasn't ignorance that she fret over; she nor her clan were strangers to DOATEC, having encountered the international weapons research and development company numerous times, but Alpha-152 was more fearsome than any foe they had ever faced. Just recalling the tussle she had with the inhuman creature, the supernatural strength and ghastly ambiance, shook her to the core and broke her focus, making something as simple as meditating quite troublesome. Combine that with the added anxiety of being a nukenin, quite troubled was the least that could be said. Zack's invite couldn't have come at a more perfect time.

It was risky to leave her refuge and venture to the outside world, but because how smoothly things went for her during her previous stay, she wasn't too worried. Sure she'd run into the other DOA girls, but she was mostly concerned about Ayane.

Despite sharing the same blood, the two girls shared a rather rocky relationship. Most of their recent interactions with one another would end up in a fight to near death, in which Ayane would bitterly voice her hatred of the brunette amidst punches and kicks. Kasumi on the other hand, not wanting to fight at all, would only counter in the name of self defense.

Oddly enough, however, they were rather cordial during their prior visit to the island, mostly likely due to Zack's "No fighting allowed" rule. They even teamed up and got a victory over Tina and Lisa in a friendly volley ball match. Now that she thought about it, Ayane had also stopped Kasumi from jumping into the flames of the fallen DOATEC building, prioritizing her sister's life over Helena's, to whom Kasumi attempted to rescue. That alone expressed a sentiment of concern that Kasumi never observed from her younger sister. Even still, the nukenin was still catious about seeing her. Perhaps the newly constructed resort, which now hosted three brand new hotels, would be large enough so that they would never actually see each other?

Her contemplations vanished as she walked through the automatic sliding doors of the Coral Reef Hotel. She gazed in awe at ocean blue stone tiles partial to the floors and walls, the enormous potted reef life plants, and even an aquarium right behind the check-in counter filled with exotic aquatic life. She giggled to herself as she found the oceanic themed hotel, not only charming, but also quite inspiring. She lost her self to the atmosphere, allowing her worries to be at ease. After checking in, a hotel porter helped put her luggage on a trolley and escorted her to her room.

The theme was definitely not lost upon constructing the rooms either. The porter opened the door to a living area, which came complete with an enormous ceiling fan, two sofas on opposite sides of a wooden cocktail table, vases of flowers located on end tables in the corners of the room, and a flat screen TV bolted directly above an entertainment center. All of which was adjacent to a small, open ended kitchen to the right of her. Kasumi twirled in the middle of the spacious room after placing her luggage on the floor, smiling brightly to herself. She then noticed that there were two doors on opposites sides of the room. Those must be the bed rooms, she thought, but why would Zack put me in a two room suite?

As if there was a cue being waited upon, the hotel door opened behind her, and Kasumi's startled stare found another woman standing in the doorway. She was the same height as the brunette, but wore short-straight, bright violet hair with a dark-purple colored bandana, and striking crimson eyes.

"Ayane!" Kasumi exclaimed, shocked to see the one person she desperately sought to avoid.

A nervous shiver ran through her body and she swallowed hard to steady herself. It hadn't even been an hour since she arrived on the island, and she was already looking her assailant in the face and, by the looks of her luggage, she would be rooming with her too.

Ayane seemed just as surprised to see her older sister standing before her, both brows raised, but then quickly narrowing when her shock became petulance.

"What are you doing here?" Ayane demanded.

"This... is my room," Kasumi answered timidly, anticipating that this wasn't going to end well.

"You've gotta be kidding me. Don't tell me that idiot Zack set this up on purpose!"

Kasumi dared not reply to the rhetorical question.

When the Mugen Tenshin clan judged Kasumi as a nukenin and marked her for death, they burdened Ayane with the task of finding her. Although Kasumi has always bested Ayane in combat, she was very aware of how ruthless Ayane could be.

When ordered to kill her foster father, whom was found guilty for traitorous acts, Ayane did so without hesitation. However, since then, it would appear Ayane's animosity towards her older sister had lessened, but Kasumi felt that spending two weeks in the same space might be pushing her luck.

The nukenin was beside herself as Ayanel continued to bore orbs of ire right through her. After an extended tension filled silence, Ayane clicked her teeth and brushed past her sister, apparently taking claim of the room to the left of the entertainment center.

"Listen. I'm not here to kill you," Ayane said with her hand on the handle, "but if you get in my way, I will not hesitate to end you."

With that, she slammed the door behind her, causing Kasumi to flinch. She sighed, gathered her luggage, and went into remaining available room. That could've been a lot worse.

She slept rather well, best sleep she had in a long time thanks to comfortable bed provided. It was rare for her to sleep in an actual bed, having nothing but a shikifuton back home, so she thoroughly enjoyed the plush support of the queen sized memory foam mattress. Sheer white curtains dangled in front of large window that sat directly behind the bed, allowing the morning sun to bring to life the soft blue and pink colors that blanketed the room. The bedrooms also had their own bathrooms, eliminating the need to decide who would freshen up first. After a morning shower, Kasumi started to prepare for a day of summer beach activities.

She took a moment to tie her hair up before putting on her bikini; a green camisole with a lattice front and white lace, and a pair of g-string matching bottoms and white sandals. After letting her hair back down, she walked into the living area to find Ayane already heading out the front door. She wore a blue-and-purple halter neck tankini with a flower pattern and a pink beach towel in hand. She eyed Kasumi momentarily before pointing to a card on the cocktail table, and then she left without a word. Kasumi picked up the card:

All guests are invited to the First Morning Feast Meet and Greet at the Gemstone Suites!

Knowing Ayane though, she'd probably wander off alone to avoid the crowds. Still, Kasumi was thankful that Ayane had shown her some courtesy. Any other time, Ayane would of more than likely ignored her, or outright pretend she didn't exist. Maybe they would be able to get along after all? Or maybe she was letting her optimism feed her naïve wishful thinking?

The Gemstone Suites encompassed an entirely different vibe than the Coral Reef Hotel. Replacing the only hotel that stood during her first visit, the Gemstone Suites was much bigger in size and designed to be a first-class hotel with up-scale taste. Every room had white decor, a large mirror, a double-space bed, and a veranda out looking the beach. Though she rather enjoyed the dazzling, laid-back environment, Kasumi was glad Zack didn't make her reservations here. This place was a bit too 'rich' for her and was more suited for someone like Helena or Christie, she thought.

A hotel attendant showed her down the hall to the grand dining room. There, she saw the other DOA girls gathered around the buffet in the front of the seating area. A wide spread of fruits, pancakes, breakfast meat, croissants, and even pickled vegetables lay before them and Kasumi's mouth watered just looking at it all. Before she could make her way to the line, she felt a hand upon her shoulder. She turned and was surprise to see Helena standing behind her wearing a golden silk nightgown.

"It's a pleasure for us all to be meeting here again, don't you agree?" Helena said with a smile that couldn't quite break through her business like demeanor. Her eyes held an intense focus, making her whole face look rigid.

"Yes, it is nice to see you, Helena." Kasumi said hesitantly, returning the smile. Helena must've noticed Kasumi's uneasiness because her features dramatically soften in a blink of an eye.

"Pardon my abrupt request, but would you join me for breakfast? There is something I wish to discuss with you."

"Sure. That would be nice."

After greeting the other girls and making herself a plate, Kasumi joined Helena at a nearby table. Needless to say, Kasumi was still quite nervous, considering the last she saw older woman was at the barrel end of a pistol, and the awkward silence between them wasn't making things any better. She watched as Helena took a sip of, what she assumed was tea, before making direct eye contact with her.

"I would first like to apologize for what happened the last time we saw one another. I was… in frantic state of mind and behaved poorly towards your caring gestures." said Helena.

"It's alright." Kasumi reassured with a shake of her head, "I understand, really. It's my fault that I'm a bit jumpy. Things have been rough for me lately as well."

"How so?"

Kasumi paused for moment, unsure of where to start, but decided to spare Helena on the day-to-day trials of the life of a rogue kunoichi. "Well just yesterday, I found out that I would be rooming with Ayane during my stay here."

"I see." Helena mused as she another took a sip of her tea. She placed the cup back on its saucer before curling her index finger around her chin, seemingly deep in thought. It wasn't until she sighed that Kasumi gave her a questioning look.

"What's wrong?"

"It seems Zack has made some devious arrangements this time around." Helena answered, sounding a bit irritated. "I had my suspicions that it was done on purpose, but your circumstance confirms it."

"What do you mean?"

"We've been paired with our rivals from past tournaments."

It suddenly made sense to heri. There always seemed to be some sort of catch in order for Zack to lure all the girls here. Previously it was an invitation to a tournament, but that was actually a hoax to get everyone to travel to the island. Now it seems there were some other ulterior motives. But rooming everyone with their rivals, what exactly would that accomplish?

Helena shook her head with a sigh of dismay, "Can never tell what that crazy man is thinking."

"So does that mean you've been paired with Christie?" Kasumi asked.

Helena nodded reluctantly as she took a bite of her apple slices to calm her nerve. "We have a room in one of the skyline suites on the top floor. You can imagine how perturbed I was to find out I would be spending my vacation with such a vile woman. If it weren't for those damned rules, I'd - "

Helena stopped herself, wiping her mouth a napkin and regaining her composure. "My apologies, I didn't mean disturb your breakfast."

Kasumi simply smiled at her after swallowing some of her omelet. "It's ok. Maybe we can find Zack and see if our rooms could be changed?"

Helena shook her head again. "It seems he is deliberately avoiding us in fear of retribution. I believe Tina was first to deliver death threats in the form of a 'Sky High Pile Driver' for not having her own room, but to no avail."

"I see. Then I guess there's no helping it." said Kasumi, a bit more optimistic than Helena would've expected.

Kasumi tried to look on the bright side of things; this could be the only opportunity to communicate and possibly repair her relationship with her younger sister. As detached as Ayane could be, she wasn't a bad person, she just wasn't very trusting. Despite this, Kasumi made up her mind and became determined to see this through, although she couldn't suggest the same for Helena. How do you find a way to make nice with the murderer of your mother?

Finishing her breakfast, Kasumi bid Helena farewell, but not before Helena quietly relayed information pertaining to Alpha-152. Based on geological satellite scans she received over a week ago, the clone was predicted to be nearby, if not already on the island. She also explained that DOATEC is currently running constant satellite surveillance over the island, just to be safe.

"It was a faint reading, and since most biological data and records were lost in the collapse, we're not quite sure if it was that thing or not." said Helena. "However, if I hear anything back from my command, you'll be the first to know."

"Thank you. I greatly appreciate you for telling me this." Kasumi said with firm nod.

As she strolled down the walkway of the hotel, she could hear someone calling her in the distance. She peered out onto the beach and saw a long, black haired woman running towards her.

"Kokoro?"

Kasumi could see her more clearly as she got closer. A slim, almost pale figure wearing a cream yellow crop top and a pair of green bikini bottoms running excitedly across the sand. When the girl caught up to Kasumi, she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around her shoulders with tears of joy. Kasumi nearly fell over, but was quick to catch her balance and tend to her friend.

"Kokoro, is everything ok?"

Kokoro hugged her tighter as she rubbed her cheek along her Kasumi's chest. "I was so worried about you! I saw you go into the DOATEC building, but then there was explosions and gun fire… you were nowhere to be found! I had no idea what happened to you." she cried.

Kasumi remembered briefly speaking to Kokoro during the fourth tournament, but hadn't seen her since.

They met each other during the third tournament, where Kasumi was disguised as a student to throw Ayane off her trail, but it was a fruitless effort. Kokoro found Kasumi passed out with a fever while walking home from school and offered her refuge. Although Kasumi refused Kokoro's help as she fled, Kokoro stood strong against Ayane when she questioned her on Kasumi's whereabouts. Kasumi then later found Kokoro to thank her and two became friends soon after.

Smiling to herself, she returned Kokoro's embrace "I'm sorry. I have not been able to reveal myself as of late. I appreciate your concern."

"Is it Ayane again?" Kokoro questioned, pulling back enough to meet Kasumi's eyes with a worried stare. Kasumi kept a hand on Kokoro's shoulder for reassurance.

"No, you don't have to worry about her. Everything is fine now."

"But she's here, isn't she? I think I saw her heading towards the jungle!"

Kasumi frowned upon hearing that. So she did go off by herself. It's probably best to leave her be for now. Kasumi's inquisitive look only made Kokoro more suspicious and she took Kasumi's hand in her own to grab her attention.

"Kasumi!"

Right, better not worry Kokoro.

"Hey, I heard that there's a marine race course on the south end of the island." said Kasumi, quickly changing the subject. "Why don't we see if the other girls are there yet?"

Kasumi rushed towards the beach, helplessly dragging Kokoro behind before she had a chance to deter the suggestion. She figured it would be best not to tell Kokoro about her current living arrangements.

When they arrived at the docks, Kasumi was relieved to find a few familiar faces lined up in front of the rental shack. Lei-Fang and Hitomi were getting ready to head out onto the water with their wave runners, and Kasumi hurried her pace to catch up to them, urging Kokoro to follow along.

"Oy! Hitomi-san!" Kasumi called out with a friendly wave.

Hitomi glanced up from the water and waved back as she spotted the pair coming upon the shoreline. The ladies exchanged greetings and compliments on each other's swimsuits. Lei-Fang wore a white-and-blue halter neck skirtini, while Hitomi wore a pink t-shirt with a printed image of a tropical scene paired with dark blue bikini bottoms.

"Long time no see. Did you swing by the Gemstone suites this morning?" asked Kokoro.

"Naw. Lei and I decided to skip breakfast to go hiking. We'll probably get some lunch later." said Hitomi.

"We were just about to hit the waves, you ladies wanna join us?" Lei-Fang chimed in.

"Definitely, sounds fun!" Kasumi replied.

"C'mon, we'll show you how to get your rental."

The group of friends walked to the nearby shack, where Kokoro and Kasumi learned that all of Zack's invitational guests receive free passes on rental equipment for the duration of their stay. After a brief tutorial by an instructor on the controls, the girls were off dashing over the calm and clear waters.

She was surrounded. Shadowy figures gathered around her, drawing closer and closer. All of them taller than she was, looking down upon her, stalking her. All of them faceless and fluttering back and forth in a wave like motion. All of them haunting. All of them blaring in an array of voices, merciless and relentless.

There she is, the cursed child!

She doesn't belong here!

Keep her away from our heir!

We should let her die. She shouldn't have been born in the first place.

She couldn't see past them. It was as if this place, wherever she was, was completely comprised of these beings. Every where she turned, there was nothing but darkness. She looked down at her hands. They were shaking and much smaller than she remembered. Actually, she couldn't remember much of anything, like how she got here or even why she was being subjected to such ridicule.

Something hard and heavy crashed into her back, causing her to fall forward onto her hands. More heavy collisions came raining down on top of her, the side of her, forcing her face into what felt like wet mud. Burning and aching bruises formed all over her body. It was hard for her to breathe and she tried to yell for the shadows to stop, but her voice denied her plea. Blood and tears dripped past her mouth as the assault continued. She couldn't tell the shadows apart any longer. They all seemed to mesh into a endless void, uninterrupted by any signs of light. After a while, the blows stopped and were replaced by droplets of rain. The voices became scarce and far away. She was cold, unable to move and barely able to see. She heard very pronounced footsteps approaching, like someone was walking along concrete rather than the mud she lay in. She tilted her neck in an attempt to get a better look. She couldn't quite make out who it was, but she was to able tell that it was an actual person instead of a shadow. A man that spoke in a low and raspy voice.

Well now, it appears you are quite the fighter. Tell me child… what darkness lies trapped within your heart?

A playful ray of sunshine flickered across her face, causing the man before her to dissipate into a bright light. Her bruises were gone, rather they were never there begin with, she quickly realized when she moved her arm to block the sun. A soft, irritated sigh past her lips as she brushed off the memory of her nightmare, and sat herself upright inside the hull. Two oars lay on either side of her, followed by miles of rushing water and lively wilderness. Sounds of many insects and animals accompanied the gentle wind blowing through the lush foliage of the Brilliant Jungle.

Despite how peaceful it was, Ayane could argue she's had better rest in more dangerous settings. It perturbed her to think that even way out here on New Zack Island, she still couldn't escape the persecution of her past.

She paddled her way back to the shack where she rented her canoe. Upon reaching shore, she reached for the sky with one arm behind her back, stretching her restless muscles. Not sure what else to do, she figured she'd find a nice spot over by the Tranquil Beach and soak up some sun, but just as she was exiting the jungle, she heard something rustling in the brush behind her. She stopped, her shinobi senses focusing on a continuing noise that seemed to be close by, but was wary of keeping its distance. Footsteps?

They were faint, but Ayane was able to keep track and distinguish their movement from the rest of the jungle's commotion. She reached for her hip and bit off a curse when she realized she wasn't wearing her holster. She kneeled down, grabbed a few pebbles, and tossed them into the brush where she speculated the intruder resided.

"I know you're there. Show yourself!" she growled

She didn't get a response, aside from the jungle wild life carrying on around her. It was clear that whoever was following her had a visual, and running would only make it harder for Ayane to pinpoint her enemy. For now, she remained calm and waited for the next move. The wait was short lived as the same pebbles came hurling from where they were thrown, and she wacked them away with her forearm. The intruder didn't reveal them self, but they did speak.

"My, my. Why so wound up on the island of paradise?"

The voice had a feminine husk that Ayane was sure she heard before, but she couldn't quite pinpoint who it belonged to. A pale woman with short snow hair emerged from the brush. She wore a silver snake skin bandeaukini with a golden ring between the cups, and a devious smirk upon her lips.

"Oh. It's you." Ayane groaned, rolling her eyes as she straighten her stance.

Amused by Ayane's gesture, Christie placed one hand on her hip and casually approached the kunoichi in a runway-model like fashion. Ayane turned away and thought to ignore her, but when dealing with Christie, she knew that walking away was easier said than done. Crossing her arms, she took a deep breath and released, submitting herself to the inevitable annoyance she knew was to come. "What do you want?"

"On the contrary, I have no business with you. I'm simply here to enjoy myself, just as you are."

"Somehow I doubt that."

Talking to Christie, let alone sharing the same space as her, always got under Ayane's skin, no matter how hard she tried not to show it. Her arrogant tone, snobbish smile, and obnoxious flirting always led to some form of deceit or manipulation. Most of the DOA girls knew if Christie was around, you can guarantee nothing good would follow. However, Ayane was never one to back down from a challenge, no matter how troublesome she knew it could be. She's had enough run-ends with the older woman to know her game, so she definitely was not going let her have her way.

"I speak the truth, I have no qualm with you." Christie slithered her way to Ayane's side to whisper in her ear. "Here, I'll even help you relax if you'd like."

That's it. Ayane spun on the ball of her foot, bringing her leg around in a fierce roundhouse kick. Christie quickly jumped away, her smirk returning, frustrating Ayane even more.

"Stay away from me, unless you want to die." she threatened.

"Now, now. No violence is permitted without the consequence of being escorted off the island. We wouldn't want that, would we?" Christie mocked as she plucked some kind of fruit hanging from a tree. "Seriously, you really ought to learn to relax. It's not every day shinobi get the day off, right? I'd say this an exquisite opportunity to let your guard down. Or maybe even complete some unfinished business?"

Ayane clicked her teeth. "What are you getting at?"

"She's here isn't she, your beloved sister? I'm sure Zack put you two together in the same room. Why not save yourself some time?"

God, this bitch is annoying. "Like I'm going to take advice from a snake. Didn't you miss your target? Why don't you try seducing her instead?"

Christie burst into laughter, which wasn't quite the response Ayane was expecting from her.

"You and I are a lot alike Ayane, whether you believe it or not."

"I believe that tengu feed on vermin like you. You don't compare to me."

"Is that so?" Christie's tone of voice shifted into something more ominous. "Care to put your theory to the test?"

Ayane knew it was a trap. Her comment couldn't have possibly provoked Christie that easily, and now she's contradicting her own words by starting a fight. It didn't matter though. After her 'relaxing' nap, blowing off some steam could do her some good. She settled into her fighting stance, but raised a brow when Christie responded with just a mischievous grin. Then suddenly, she tossed the fruit she was holding towards Ayane, who was getting ready to grab it and toss it back, but instead quickly moved out the way. She looked behind her to find that the fruit had been pinned to a tree by a small blade. When she turned forward again, she saw Christies running off towards the beach.

"Hey, get back here!" Ayane yelled as she gave pursuit.

The ocean waves shimmered with the reddish-orange hue of the setting sun. The girls were famished after their long day out on the water, and decided to settle at a bar on the beach for rest and refreshments. Kasumi ordered a parfait with vanilla ice cream, strawberries, and sponge cake. The sweet mix of flavors delighted her taste buds, and she couldn't help but hum her contentment. Lei-Fang and Hitomi sat to her right, discussing something about exploring caverns, while Kokoro sat at the end of the bar to her left enjoying a soda.

Kasumi paused before she took another bite as a sudden thought struck her. Being surrounded by friends and summer festivities was a change of pace for the nukenin. She couldn't remember the last time she felt relaxed, at peace, or any other sense of the word. She gazed out to the horizon, trying to capture this moment in her mind's eye, and commit the feeling to memory. Kokoro noticed her staring off into space and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to grab her attention.

"Hey, you ok Kasumi?" she asked.

Kasumi's dreamy daze became a cheerful smile, her chest swelling with a happiness that she couldn't contain. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Kokoro's shoulders, startling her friend.

"Woah! Kasumi what's wrong?" Kokoro gasped.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" asked Lei-Fang as the two best friends looked over their shoulders.

Kasumi was silent for a moment before releasing Kokoro from her embrace. "I'm sorry. I'm fine. I just... had so much fun with everyone today," she said, "and I guess I'm little overjoyed."

"Me too!" Hitomi chimed in."Fighting with everyone is cool and all, but relaxing and having fun is much more satisfying,"

"Agreed. Hey, we should all get together tomorrow as well!" Lei-Fang added.

"Sounds good to me!" -Kasumi turned towards Kokoro- "What do you say?"

It was now Kokoro who was stuck in daze, but her eyes didn't mirror the glee Kasumi

had just moments ago. She peered past the bar, out towards edges of the jungle, where she saw two women in the midst of combat.

"It's Ayane," she spoke softly.

Kasumi looked to where Kokoro was pointing and watched in shock as Ayane relentlessly chased after Christie in a fury. She knew Ayane could take care of herself, nor would Ayane want her butting into her business, but something tugged at Kasumi and compelled her to chase after without further consideration. Kokoro saw the flash in Kasumi's demeanor and reached to stop her, but Kasumi was already out her seat heading towards the quarrel.

She's toying with me. Despite Ayane's vicious offense, Christie kept her cool and dodged her attacks with ease, but she had yet to throw a single punch back. After missing a soaring dive kick, Ayane halted her advances and allowed Christie to create some distance.

"First you instigate a fight, and now you're refusing to attack? What are you really getting at?" said Ayane, not bothering to hide her irritation.

Christie's smug smile had returned coupled with a simple shrug as her response. Not taking too kindly to that at all, Ayane decided to get serious. She stood completely upright while performing multiple hand signs, and began citing the incantation for a shinobi art. Well aware of what Ayane was up to, Christie still made no attempt to attack. She kept her distance, cupping her elbow in her palm while holding a thoughtful digit to her cheek. Ayane merely grinned as powerful chakra gathered in her hand, ready to explode upon impact.

"Ayane, stop!" Kasumi yelled out once she finally caught up.

This caught Ayane off guard and interrupted her concentration, defusing the progress of her jutsu. It wasn't that Ayane couldn't hold her focus or is easily distracted, rather, she was puzzled at who it could possibly be that called her name. Needless to say, she was not too pleased when she got her answer.

"Please Ayane. There's no reason to be fighting now." Kasumi pleaded.

The purple haired kunoichi casted a deadly glare over her shoulder, making the nukenin freeze in her tracks.

"Oh my. It seems big sister has caught you in the act. You've been a bad girl Ayane." Christie teased, not missing the opportunity to antagonize her some more. She walked on over, flashing a mocking sneer at Ayane as she passed, but making sure to put it away when reaching Kasumi.

"What's going on Christie?" said Kasumi, her voice holding a bit of apprehension.

"Just having a bit of fun is all, but now that you're here, I think I'll take my leave". said Christie, and with a lazy wave, she continued down the beach towards the Gemstone Suites, but not before giving a flirtatious wink. "See you around Ayane..."

Kasumi watched Christie until she was halfway down the beach, only to turn around to find Ayane staring her down. Fuming crimson eyes beamed into brown ones, sending shivers down Kasumi's backside as she struggled not to look away. Ayane strode over, stopped directly in front her, and maintained eye contact in the moment of silence that followed. Then, without warning, there was loud clap and Kasumi felt her neck jolt in the other direction.

"I told you... stay out of my way!" she growled.

The residual sting burned her cheek, and she said nothing as Ayane took her leave.

After witnessing what happened, the other girls hurried their way to Kasumi's side.. Kokoro was the first to reach her, examining Kasumi's now flushed face.

"Are you okay? We should find an ice pack." she said.

" I'm fine." Kasumi muttered, her voice lacking her usual vitality.

"That's not true. We should really get that looked at."

"It's okay, really. I'm fine. I think... I think I'm just going to go back to my room."

"What? No! We need to make sure it doesn't swell. Or at least, you can stay with me at -"

"Kokoro…" Kasumi interjected, taking dark haired girl's hand in hers before forcing a smile. "Thank you, but I just want to be alone right now."

Kokoro was at a loss for words, and turned to the others for an answer. Although they appeared to share the same concern, the two friends shook their heads, silently agreeing to let Kasumi have her way for now. Defeated, Kokoro withdrew her hand, casting her eyes down at the sand as she nodded at Kasumi's request.

"Thank you, all of you, for today. It was really great." said Kasumi.

"It was our pleasure, thanks for joining us!" said Hitomi, "If you're up for it, we'd love for you to meet us for breakfast tomorrow."

That would be nice. I appreciate the offer."

"Just... take care of yourself Kasumi, ok?" she felt the need to mention.

Kasumi shed another a smile. The smile wasn't hers to bare, but alas, she waved the girls goodbye and walked away.

The Coral Reef wasn't too far from her, but the walk back felt like it took hours. Her head hung from her shoulders and her feet dragged, allowing sand to clutter in between her toes. The sun finally fell under the shoreline just as she entered the main lobby.

She made her way to her suite, unlocked the door, and drifted into her room, not bothering to turn on any of the lights.

Hot droplets from above slithered past her shoulders and down her body, dousing her. Though her shower was soothing to the skin, her mind was still lay in disarray. Her plan to get along with Ayane had ended before it even started. The hopes and assumptions she once held vanished in an instant. She reached up to caress the slow burn on her cheek, recalling the anger she saw her sister's eyes.

She heaved a heavy sigh as she shut the water off and drew back the glass door. After wrapped herself in a towel, she took a seat at the edge of her bed and glanced around the room. The only light being the moon beaming through her window. All was silent except for the perturbed thoughts pummeling her brain.

Why does she hate me?

The two girls had been best friends the majority of her childhood, and she doesn't recall doing anything to make Ayane so unforgiving towards her. It's a conundrum that has troubled her even prior to her leaving the village. But, if becoming a nukenin was the disturbance that fueled Ayane's undying ire, then why wouldn't she allow Kasumi to explain herself? She meant no harm to her sister, truly none at all, and she's never had the chance to properly apologize. Unfortunately, Ayane seemed dead set on not opening up to her, and the brunette was forced to consider that maybe there was nothing she could do about it.

She fell back onto the mattress behind her, exhausted and drained. So drained that she didn't bother to wipe the tears that threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes.

- tbc