HAHA! I'M BACK! I have bad timing, I know. It's the end of Fall break for me! How stupid am I? I've been editing and primping and resarching that I lost track of the days I had left. *Sigh* :D Well, Its finally done! (After months! :|) Sorry about the wait v.v' I am a failure as a updater. D:

Too tired to answer the reviews :\ Just read, I know you want to lol

I own nothing...except the things I own..(o.o)

Chapter 14:

Family

Something was wrong. Very wrong. He better not try anything stupid, or I'll kill him.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what was amiss with this picture. Natsumi was too quiet while her eyes flickered from right to left when she felt I was too distracted to notice, as Natsuko's naturally peaceful serenity turned on-edge and cautious. Well, I would be too if my older cousin was taking me a mysterious hideout that had his written all over it.

This wasn't something I planned but it had to be done. And if Sasuke wasn't going to do it, that left either my mother or me. Like hell would she willingly go to Orochimaru and talk to him, even if he could save her life. Okaasan really hated the sake Sennin. I was never told why, no matter how much I questioned her. She would glance at me and sigh, almost dejectedly. After the third or fourth time, I gave up and decided if anyone knew why Okaasan wasn't telling me, it would be Kayami-Bachan.

Kayami-Bachan was the more confusing of my aunties. She had a mysterious aura to her that no one could figure out. She wasn't scary; actually far from it. We all knew she was gentle and kind, though a push in the wrong direction would set her off in the matter of milliseconds. She liked to hid her emotions, but had a knack for voicing her opinion and thoughts whenever it was not needed. I personally loved how Kayami was so difficult and simple at the same time. Her confusing disposition reminded me of my Okaasan.

They were a like in many ways. From a outsider who had never known my family's history, which was surprisingly a lot of people, you would think that all of them were just really close friends, not siblings. They all had different styles and characteristics about them that made people wonder why in heaven and earth did God or whoever ruled the world placed them as a family.

It was strange. Very strange, at first. I thought I would never survive in a house filled with such a bipolar atmosphere. Everyone had told me just the surfaces of each of them; Jiraya-Sama told me that my mother was bent on revenge and evil doing. They had never seen eye-to-eye ever, as Haruka began to side with Orochimaru. Jiraya-Sama even told me his theory of how he knew my mother was somehow involved in all of the Snake's planning. Tsunade-Hime had been in a fit of rage as she summarized her rivalry with Ko'ori-Bachan, which was a very interesting story. Kurenai-Sensei and Asuma-Sensei told me stories of Kasai-Oji, they only had good things to say and both were still confused (along with everyone else in the village) as to why such a valued and loyal shinobi would turn his back on his cherished village. Yet, Hokage-Sama retold me all the stories he had with my family. He kept all of them in his heart and never in his wildest dreams would have thought they would be Missing Nins.

He told me about how Midori-Bachan was highly skilled in the medical field, enough to get Tsunade envious. The fact that Midori was able to communicate with plants and animals was an astonishing feat in our clan, and she was pampered because of it. Kayami, though her pride would never let her admit it in this life, was a bit jealous and decided that training was far more important than anything else, which caused her to become very distance to the family. Even at dinner or family gatherings, she found it was very awkward to be around her relatives, and always sneaked out to train or just talk with her older sister whom she'd always had a strong bound to, Haruka.

Kasai and Ko'ori had always found a way to pick a fight with each other, over things that mattered and things that didn't. Yet, at the end of the day, both hardheaded twins made up. Though Haruka was the oldest and the wisest of the children, she was very distance and cold to her family, especially to her father. There was something between her and Ojiisan that nobody got to figure out. Midori, always the one to try and find a solution to every little thing that went wrong, guessed that it was because their father had always wanted a boy first, to take over the clan. But his boy was after the first born. Not even tradition could break the clan's rule of "First Born, First To Serve" which translated to; "First Born, First To Lead." So either a male was born first in order to lead, or the oldest had to die to get the title passed down.

Though I was told that Ojiisan was always proud of Okaasan since she was so advanced in the ranks at such a young age. She made Jounin when she was at the age of thirteen. Hokage-Sama told me she was well passed that rank, excelling to ANBU in her early teens but they hadn't wanted a fuss about her age and her rank. He had over looked this as Itachi came into the picture. Sarutobi hadn't thought of the option that Haruka could turn the innocent child into such a monster in such a short time. Due to the war and tragedy the young Uchiha witnessed, Haruka decided it was her duty as his sensei to prepare him for anything. She had mistaken his quietness for acceptation. Though Haruka knew it wasn't her fault, but Itachi's blood relatives (Namely Uchiha Madara), she took the blame upon herself and stopped mentoring him once she realized the outcomes.

Kasai-Oji is, to sum it up in as few words as possible, just like Naruto in every single way. Always smiling, never one bad word or any person he knew, thinking positive and never negative. Bright personality and attitude. If there was a funeral, he'd be respectful and quiet and grieve, but he'd try to lift the tension with jokes and common things. He would do absolutely anything for his family and those close to his heart. Hell, he even helped and cared for people he didn't even know! There was something about him everyone loved. No one could pin-point what it exactly was, but it was there. He was so cheerful and full of life. Whenever someone had gotten hurt, even if he didn't know anything of the person, Kasai-Oji would be the first to rush into help. There was also a weakness in his body for children. He was playful and serious but loved to engage in childish games with his sisters, especially Midori. Kasai had always felt awful that Midori isolated herself as her and her twin became to take different paths. So every day, he'd barge into Midori's room wake her up and play, talk, train or just sit with her. He knew her feelings, since he was the only boy and his sisters seem to de-maculate him more often than anything else as they grew older. These were just some of the things Yume fell for in her husband.

Ko'ori and Tsunade had an never ending rivalry that still, to this very day, was not over. Ko'ori would tease Tsunade about her crush on Orochimaru and not being to par with her skills. She was the definition of a bully. Tsunade finally had enough and decided it was time to fight with the younger girl. At that time, the Senju princess wasn't furious at the younger; she was upset that she had gotten under her skin. To prove it to herself she was fine, Tsunade vowed she'd end this rivalry and be the bigger person. As they sparred, the blonde knew she wasn't a change with the child and immediately told her former sensei. It was shocking news. The fact that Sarutobi-Sensei didn't even know what the Ketsueki children's real power was scared the council. They ultimately decided to keep close eyes on the children.

Of course, Haruka knew immediately. Even though Haruka wasn't a sensor, not even close to it, she did have the power to feel the differences in people and control the emotions around her. It was her Ketsueki birth power, as Midori's was speaking to plants and animals, Kasai's was his inhuman speed, Ko'ori's ability to predict her opposites' next move, and Kayami's power to read the thoughts, memories etc. of anyone she touches.

Our family had very little in common. One; our blood was the same, for the most part. Two; the underlining need to be the best out of everyone we knew. Three; power.

Power is what my family, no matter how much they denial it, yearns for. It isn't an option; it's a necessity. We crave it just as much as we crave the need to spill blood on the battle field. There were some things that Ketsueki's couldn't live without. In the heat of the battle and the bloodshed is where my clan shines the most. We want people to cower under us and surrender. To beg for their lives as we take them away from this world.

We also tend to get carried away and show off. By taking lives, we have more and more power. Which gets everyone rattled up, trying to beat the other, then the next. If it hadn't been for the Nine-Tails, it would surely be the death of us. Our eyes were highly advanced but when it came to looking beyond gore and the rush of adrenalin when slicing up human bodies, we were rendered blind. It was the Curse of The Ketsueki Clan. No one wanted to be enemies of us, yet we had so many anyway.

One enemy standing before me with a wicked grin that looked plastered onto his sickly pale face. I spat his name with disgust. He made want to puke up blood.

"Orochimaru."

DONE! :D

Don't be mad with me, please. I had no ideas what so ever. Explaining before I got on with the story helped me A LOT.

Anyway, there is more about Hinata's almost-unknown family. Did it confuse you? I'm sorry if it did D:

REVIEW.

^Chikara~