Chapter One: Age 8

A man stood over a woman's body with a cruel smile on his face. He enjoyed the feeling of killing her, the woman he had once loved. That little voice in his head had told him to kill her, that he would enjoy it, and so he did. He laughed now, what had started off as a dark and quiet chuckle slowly became uproarious hysteria. He looked around at all the blood, the broken glass, the upturned furniture. He laughed so much he started to cry.

Two small boys hid in the next room; huddled together, holding each other's hands. They were twins; only eight years old and they had just witnessed their mother's brutal murder at their father's hands. The younger twin, Reita, was crying and holding desperately to his brother, Arata. Reita couldn't believe what he had seen. Arata pulled them both into the next room, quickly, his mind quickly filling with panic and fear. He knew he had to protect his brother no matter what, now that their mother was gone.

An intense pain ripped through his chest; their mother was gone. She had died because of him. Overcome with fury, Arata rose, shaking off his brother's protests, and ran into the room where his father stood laughing. Taking a shard of broken glass from the floor Arata ran towards his father. He jumped onto the overturned couch and launched himself at the stranger who no longer acted like the father, nor the man, he once knew. The man turned, surprised that his son was attacking him, and barely had enough time to block the boy's attack. Arata managed to thrust the shard of glass into the arm his father had used to block the attack, piercing him through. Roaring in a mixture of pain and anger, he kicked the boy hard, sending him flying to the opposite wall, and watched as he slumped to the floor.

Arata picked up another shard of glass and ran to his father again. His fury and hatred compelled him to keep fighting until the man lay dead. Faking to the left, his father followed suit, but at the last moment Arata shifted towards the right; he stabbed the glass below the man's rib cage and pushed upwards.

The man gasped as blood spurted out of his mouth, evidence that his lung had been punctured. He dropped to the ground, holding his wound. Arata ran back to the room he had left his brother in; Reita was still frightened and crying. Arata grabbed his brother's arm and pulled him out of the window and onto the streets. The pair didn't stop running until they reached the Konoha ANBU watch station and reported what had happened.

In another village miles to the east, another small boy was hastily packing his bags. He couldn't believe his father's decision. He was only eight and his father had promised the Hoshisaki clan he'd marry their daughter? The Hoshisaki clan, of all clans? He was crazy! All that time he'd spent on becoming the next clan leader, wasted. He was furious. He wanted to go up to his father and run an icicle through his gut that minute and end it all! … But he knew better than to do so. The clan wouldn't support a leader who had killed their predecessor. So his only choice was to pack and run. He didn't know where he would go, but he'd run as far west as he could. He took enough clothes as he could carry, as well as his weapons, scrolls, and other necessities. He put on his weapon's strap, slung his ninja bag over his shoulder, and jumped out his bedroom window. He ran to the gates of his clan's private enclosure. The clan enclosure was like a smaller village, located right off of The Hidden Mist. He looked back at the house he grew up in, the beautiful white two story house. He used to play with his cousin, Akairi, in it's surrounding gardens he. He saw the pools into which he would push his little brother, Yuujo, into. Teikaru took a deep breath and turned back around to leave, but he found his path was now blocked by a person, a young someone around his size. He stared wide eyed at the girl who was shaking her head, tears forming in her eyes.

"You can't go, Teikaru." She exclaimed, "You can't go!"

"It's none of your concern, Akairi!" He yelled back at her. How could she possibly understand?

"If you insist on leaving, I'll follow you and beat you and drag you back!"

He didn't understand why this amused him; after all, he cared for Akairi more than any of the others in his clan, but they both knew he out-matched her in almost everything they did. Her making threats like that was down-right hilarious.

"Oh Aka," He said, "Why don't you and go home and save us both some trouble?" He paused to laugh, "We both know you haven't got it in you."

She pursed her lips, about to break into hysterical tears; but instead stomped her foot, a determined look crossing her face. She pulled her hand back and twisted her wrist. It was the Sakurana clan's version of hand signs, which most people mistakenly thought the clan didn't use. She pushed her hand forward and a shower of ice shards went straight for Teikaru. He ducked and rolled off to the side. He came up to a crouch, wrapping one hand around his fist, concentrating his chakra into his hands. He pulled his hands back and then thrust them out towards Akairi. A snake made of ice slithered onto the ground and wrapped itself around Akairi, holding her in place, the very top covered her mouth. He knew the chill of the ice would not harm Akairi; after all the cold never bothered any of the clan, in fact, it made them stronger. But Akairi would not be able to break the ice. She squirmed about, trying to free herself, but the snake gripped tight, not letting go of her. Teikaru took the opportunity and ran for his freedom.

The Yankaru's were seated around the dinning room table, enjoying dinner and conversation about everyone's day. Daichi received top scores in his exams, Yuria passed her genjutsu exam, Dani hit every one of his targets during his kunai-throwing practice, and Shuroii stayed quiet. She had failed the Substitution Jutsu exam once again and was afraid to report it. She was afraid that her parents would look upon her with mere disappointment. She was a failure, compared to her siblings.

"You're quiet, Shuroii," Her father, Tekiro, said with a smile, "How was your day, sweetheart?"

"Um... I-" Was all she could say before there was a knock at the front door.

Tekiro frowned, wiping his mouth with a napkin before rising from his seat. Sayuka, his wife, looked at her husband's retreating figure with concern. Daichi looked at Shuroii with a mixture of pity and understanding. He had already heard of Shuroii's unsuccessful attempt. Shuroii tried to ignore his gaze, looking down at her plate.

Tekiro came back with a subordinate from his ANBU squad. Because he was wearing the ANBU mask, Shuroii couldn't tell the man's identity.

"I have to go out. Something happened at the Sutaki estate that needs to be investigated." He moved over to kiss Sayuka's cheek. "Don't wait up." He whispered in her ear. He stood up and smiled at his children. "I'll be back late." He looked at Shuroii and winked. "I expect a full report of your day when I get back, young lady." Then the pair left.

Shuroii gulped. She knew he was only kidding, but telling him everything that happened that day? The idea was horrifying.

"So," Said Yuria, "Am I the only one who heard that Shuroii failed the Substitution Jutsu exam again?"

Daichi glared at Yuria, opening his mouth to yell at her, but Shuroii had already run out of the room crying.

"So, what happened?" Tekiro asked as he changed into his ANBU uniform and mask.

"According to his elder son, Koruko lost it and attacked his family. Kitimiko jumped in Koruko's way to protect the boys, but was killed instantly." The ANBU officer reported.

Tekiro walked out of the locker room and headed to the Sutaki Estate, the ANBU officer followed closely. Tekiro had had dealings with Koruko Sutaki before, but he never imagined that that kind man would kill his loving wife and then try to harm his children. But, of course, things were never as they appeared when it came to the Sutaki clan.

The boys were huddled close again, Reita crying uncontrollably now. Arata was trying to comfort his younger brother but was not having much success. He too felt like crying but knew he had to be strong for Reita. Now orphaned, they needed each other more than anything. Tekiro looked over them with pity and sadness. Children always suffered the most when it came to family tragedies. He thought of his own children, he thought of their fates in a similar situation, and found himself grateful to be wearing the ANBU mask when a single tear rolled down his face. He approached the boys and knelt in front of them as the others in his ANBU squadron swarmed the house to collect evidence. Being leader meant he took on the role of interrogating witnesses; he was not looking forward to questioning these heart-broken boys.

He cleared his throat, unmasked himself and wiped his face of perspiration before looking at the boys. Reita looked up at the man but continued to cry. Arata scrutinized him with a distrustful gaze, he was trying to figure out whether this man was friend or foe. Tekiro understood, after all, this kid had just been to hell and back again.

"What are your names?" Tekiro asked, even though he already knew them.

"Arata," the boy spoke, "and this is Reita." He nodded towards the one who hadn't stopped crying.

"How old are you boys?" he asked then.

"No disrespect sir," the boy named Arata said, "but you already know us. Shuroii is in our grade at the Academy. Just get on with your questions about what happened."

Tekiro blinked in surprise and then chuckled. These boys may look like their father, but they definitely had their mother's attitude. At least this one did.

"Fine then, Arata. How about you tell me what happened?"

And so Arata did, not leaving out a single detail as Tekiro looked at him in horror and disbelief.

Haji didn't understand what the man was saying. All he could see were his lips moving, his mother on the floor crying, his siblings in shock around him, and he felt like he was separated from the world, watching from a bubble. He could no longer hear, no longer feel, and no longer felt like he could even smile. A messenger coming at this hour of night could mean only one thing: his father was dead. This news meant he would have to run the clan now, as its head. He was only 12 years old, and he would have to take on the role of leading and entire clan.

He fell to his knees; they could no longer support him. His hand went out in front of him instinctively, moving without his realizing it. He stared at the floor in complete shock. It felt like the whole weight of the world was now placed on his shoulders. How could his father, the most accomplished man in the whole clan, have died? Everyone said the war with Konoha was going to be easy, quick, and without causalities. But there stood the messenger; his mother wept and held her pregnant belly, his siblings submitted to the same state of shock. Hiruka was the first to come out of shock and burst into tears. Yuna drew close and hugged Hiruka, murmuring softly to her. The twins had done as Haji; dropping to the ground, staring at it in shock. Suzu was the only one who remained standing, the only one in neither shock nor tears. She glared at everyone, a look of disgust etched onto her face.

"You think your tears will bring Father back?! He knew what he was doing when he left us to go join a stupid war! He LEFT us, and this is what he gets!" She screamed at them all. "We don't need him!"

In a fluid move, Haji rose and tackled his little sister. He couldn't believe her words, her coldness. Here she was talking about their father that way? He would not stand for it. He pulled back his hand to hit her.

Suzu made to spit on his face; what came out, however, wasn't spit, but yellow lighting. It cut right across his face, from below his right eye to his left jaw. He jumped off of her, and held his bleeding face as he screamed. Their mother ran towards him in a panic. She pulled Haji's hands away from his face and inspected the wound. It was shallow, but would most certainly scar.

Suzu stood up, glaring at everyone, as if daring them to reprimand her. Her meaning was clear: should anyone say anything to her, the same would happen to them.

But no one really knew. Despite her hateful and uncaring facade, she was crying and hurting just like the rest of them.

Tekiro couldn't believe all he had heard. This abuse had gone on for more than just this night. Those attacks on small villages outside of the Hidden Leaf were all Koruko's doing. Tekiro was in shock, at how much destruction the kind man he grew up with was capable of doing. All those lives taken and destroyed, all because of him. And now he had destroyed his family. His wife was dead, his boys were now alone in this world. He knew what the Sutaki clan would do to them, and a surge of anger coursed through him. He knew he couldn't do anything about it, but it didn't stop him from feeling angry, and helpless. Looking at these boys, in pain and desperate for a friend, pained him more than he thought was possible. He couldn't imagine how any father could do this to his children. He made a silent vow: he would never do anything to harm his children in any way.

"S-Sir?" Reita finally spoke.

"Yes?" Tekiro responded.

"W-what's wrong?" His lip trembled, as if to start crying again. It hadn't occurred to Tekiro that he was scowling.

He quickly flashed the boy a reassuring smile, trying to make him feel better. He couldn't image how scared the young lad must be.

"Tell you what boys, how about you come home with me for the night? We can't have you staying here while the investigation continues," he offered.

Too Tekiro's surprise, Arata nodded understandably. He expected protests, he expected they demand to stay with a relative; but looking into Arata's eyes, he knew the boy understood. They would not be welcome anywhere on the clan estate after tonight's events.

"Thank you, sir," Arata said.

Shuroii was in her room, on her bed, crying into her pillow. It wasn't her fault she couldn't do any jutsu! She tried and tried, but nothing ever worked. She worked tirelessly to do the most simple and basic ninjutsu, but it was impossible. She did fine in her other classes, hand-to-hand combat was forte, she had more than decent aim with shuriken and kunai, and was a quick thinker. But jutsu? She could never do any of it. The Academy had tested her Chakra System for development issues, but everything was normal. It was beyond frustrating.

She heard her bedroom door open and close quietly, and assumed it was her mother. She gripped her pillow tightly, determined not to let her mother see her cry. She also wanted to avoid the look of disappointment on her face.

But the hand she felt on her back was much smaller than her mother's. It was rougher too, callused over from working hard with a particularly huge sword…

Shuroii spun around to look at her older brother, Daichi, smiling at her in the dark. Seeing her brother, Shuroii wanted to start crying all over again. He was Father and Mother's pride and joy. He was perfect in everything he did; top of his class and made everything he did seem simple and effortless. She was constantly compared to him, constantly told to be more like him. Other kids in her class would always pick on her for being a failure, while he was so perfect. All the girls chased after him, but he never seemed to notice. All the boys hated him, but never dared pick a fight with him. Instead, they came after her. They ignored Yuria, her older sister; after all she instigated most of the attacks on Shuroii. Dani, her younger brother, seemed to be following in Daichi's footsteps, so was hardly ever the subject of attack. Shuroii, however, wasn't brilliant like her siblings, so she was an easy target.

She wanted to yell at Daichi for making her life so difficult, yet looking at his worried and caring face, all she could do was jump up and hug him. She needed to feel that at least someone was by her side in all of this.

Daichi put his arms around her and held her tight. Shuroii couldn't see his face, but could sense he'd stopped smiling then. In that moment, it was as if she could read his thoughts. He felt responsible for her pain, for everything that happened to her; maybe, he often thought, if he weren't himself she could be happy. Shuroii pulled back to look at his face, to tell him it wasn't his fault she was a failure, but the words died in her throat.

He flashed her a quick smile, though a second before his face bore complete anguish. He seemed about ready to cry, himself. Shuroii had never seen her brother like that. He only ever seemed calm and confident, like throwing a kunai 200 yards and hitting a target dead-center was no big deal, although, Daichi himself considered being able to do the same while blindfolded with his leg tied to a stump was a much more impressive feat. Now Shuroii realized that he wasn't always so, and she didn't know how to feel about that.

"I came to check on you," he started, "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Shuroii nodded, "I'm fine. I just didn't expect it to come out like that…"she trailed off.

Daichi nodded, he was always able to read Shuroii like a book. Despite her buried bitterness towards him, Daichi treated Shuroii like his favorite sibling. They were very close, ever since they were really little. He always understood Shuroii, even when she didn't say a word; he always knew when she was upset, and always tried to make her feel better.

They both turned towards her door then, as the sound of rushed footsteps and hushed voices passed by. Daichi was the first to reach the door, followed closely by Shuroii. Daichi opened the door and looked out into the hall. Dani had emerged from his room at that moment as well, a curious look on his face.

"Mom just went running down the hall," he said, "I wonder what's going on."

Daichi immediately stiffened, adopting that calm and calculated demeanor that came so naturally to him. He rushed down the hall, his siblings followed in pursuit. They came to the living room, where they could hear their parents voices form the entrance hall.

"What was I supposed to do, Sayuka, leave them out on the street?" Their father's voice asked.

"A little warning would have been nice! But do not make a habit of this! This is not a foster home!" Their mother responded in a hushed yell.

The siblings all looked at each other. They had guests? Perhaps it was someone their own age? They couldn't be with their parents now, though; there was no way either Tekiro or Sayuka would speak that way in front of guests, so where were they? The siblings started towards the kitchen, the only possible place they could be.

Shuroii gasped when she saw the two boys; they shared dark hair and the way they both carried themselves, as if either could, at any second, burst into a fight and win without contest was unmistakably recognizable.

It was Arata and Reita Sutaki, two of her classmates.

Arata turned at the sound. He knew the three at the doorway from the Academy; Daichi, the oldest, Shuroii who was in many of his and Reita's classes, and the youngest one, Dani. He knew he should have expected to see them, but was surprised all the same. He couldn't understand why, but Shuroii was looking at them with horror. Daichi looked confused, like he was about to ask a thousand questions. And Dani looked like he didn't know whether to say hi or call for help. Arata was slightly amused by that.

At that moment, the ANBU captain, Tekiro Yankaru, came in. He also seemed surprised to see his children. It was well into the night and it was expected of them to be in bed. Close behind him was their mother, whose name Arata did not know. She frowned at her children.

"I'm surprised Yuria is the only one following curfew," she scolded.

They looked at each other in embarrassment, Shuroii's cheeks turned bright red. They mumbled apologies.

"I guess it's alright. This way only one of them will be surprised by two additions to the breakfast table in the morning," Captain Tekiro said with a sigh. He looked nervously at his wife, who returned a rather annoyed glance. Arata couldn't blame her for being upset. They had just popped up without warning.

Tekiro smiled at his children then. "You all know Arata and Reita from school, right?"

They all nodded, exchanged hellos and other nervous pleasantries. Daichi still looked as if he wanted to shoot out questions at the newcomers like gunfire. For as long as he could remember, Daichi had proved to be a source of irritation for Arata; though not for the reasons his classmates held. It infuriated Arata that Daichi, the crown jewel of the Yankaru clan, excelled at everything so effortlessly. Arata didn't care that all the girls flocked to Daichi; that was childish, but he hated him for being naturally talented in the shinobi arts. Everything came easily for the famous Daichi Yankaru, while everyone else had to work hard for what little they had.

It was why he secretly admired Shuroii. She put on a brave face everyday, stood up for herself when everyone came at her with nothing but insults. She worked harder than anyone he knew, studied for every test harder then should be humanly possible, and never gave up when she failed at performing a jutsu. Arata didn't think there should be more "Daichi's" in the ninja world, but more "Shuroii's," of course, he'd never admit any of this out loud.

Reita moved farther out of sight, hiding behind his brother. He was nervous and shy around others, and being stared at from all directions was not helping him much. He whimpered a bit, grabbing onto Arata's shoulder. The instinct to protect sparked within Arata. He let his brother hide behind him, lifting his chin up slightly, ready to defend him.

Daichi cleared his throat and spoke, "Dad, w-"

"They are our guests, for now. They were unable to stay at home for the night, so I offered they stay with us," he immediately interrupted, giving his children a look which Arata didn't quite understand, though they seemed to. They all looked down at the floor nervously, perhaps with guilt. It confused Arata.

The woman, the captain's wife, turned to look at the boys again. Her annoyed demeanor and appearance had all but dissolved now, replaced by sympathy. Arata almost wished she'd look at them with aggravation rather than pity; he didn't want anyone's pity.

She then turned to her children and spoke. "You three should be in bed."

It was all three children needed to make a hasty retreated from the kitchen and run down the hallway. There was the clever din of doors opening and shutting, but Arata guessed the siblings were all in one room, discussing the events of what had occurred and were most certainly not sleeping. Two of the noises had been a cover.

The woman seemed to suspect the same as Arata, but took a seat at the kitchen table instead of leaving to expose her children.

Reita seemed to relax once the others left. He took a half step from Arata, but still stayed close.

"Are you boys hungry?" Tekiro asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Both shook their heads, in sync with the other. Both shifted nervously on their feet. Both looked about.

"They must be tired," the woman said. "Honey, why don't you show them to the guest rooms?"

Tekiro mused his wife had not fully forgiven him, as he led the boys down the hall. Hushed voices froze when they passed by one of the closed doors. Arata's mouth twitched at the corner, almost smirking. He had been right. Tekiro frowned at the door, taking a mental note to break up his children's midnight talk after getting his young guests settled in.

Arata insisted they only needed one room, seeing as Reita would most likely wander into his room anyways. Tekiro left them, leaving them alone for the night. The two brothers laid together on a bed, one much bigger and plusher than any they were used to, in an fancy-looking room. Arata tried to swallow the bitterness in his mouth; it must be nice having as much money as the Yankaru Clan obviously had. But he was grateful at the same time. He would not have a roof to sleep under if not for the Captain. He looked over at his brother, who had fallen asleep instantaneously, hugging a pillow.

Looking at Reita then, it truly sunk in that they were on their own now, he knew what his Clan would do to them eventually. They would be thrown out, kicked out and forced to live as outcasts. They would not be allowed to partake in anything Clan-related, never allowed to have contact with any of it's members again. That suited Arata just fine; he'd never had many friends in the clan, never liked many of them. Reita, however, got along with everyone. It would probably make him start crying again: knowing he wasn't welcome, disliked…

No. Arata thought. I refuse to see my brother in pain again. I refuse to let anything happen to us. I will be stronger, I will work harder than anyone. I will become the strongest Shinobi to come out of my Clan. I will have them begging on their knees for our forgiveness, for our return home. They will regret the day they ever tossed us out like trash.

I refuse to lose, at anything, no matter how small or large. I will never give up, never back down.

From this day on, I will never, ever, lose.

From the moment the Yankaru siblings had left the room, they had had no intention of going to bed. Dani and Shuroii opened and shut their doors as they walked past them and all three went to Daichi's room, where they were surprised to see Yuria awaiting them.

"You guys are so lame," she snapped, glaring at them, "can't even sneak out of bed at night without being caught."

Daichi tilted his chin back in defiance. He didn't like the way Yuria talked to people, as if she were better than everyone else and their mother. He definitely didn't like her criticizing him.

"So you were up!" Dani exclaimed.

Yuria rolled her eyes. "Like I was going to miss that? And, I even know why they're here."

The three siblings crowded about her expectantly.

She sighed, telling her story in a rather bored monotone, occasionally inspecting her nails. "Seems like old man Koruko Sutaki lost it. Went totally psycho. He's the one responsible for all those attacks on small villages outside of Konoha. He's killed over 300 people for his shear enjoyment. And tonight, he trashed his place, ripping it all apart, and killed his wife right in front of Dumb and Dumber across the hall."

Shuroii hands moved to cover her mouth, in shock. Dani looked like as if he'd just been smacked in the face. Daichi was boiled over with rage. She dared insult two boys, the same age as Shuroii, who had just had their lives torn apart? Telling the story in that way?

"Get out," Daichi growled.

Yuria raised an eyebrow. "That's what you say to someone who just fed you intelligence? How un-shinobi like of you."

Daichi grabbed her by the collar, dragged her to the door, and pushed her out into the hallway, locking his door without a sound.

"D-..Daichi?" Dani began. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, Dani," Daichi said, taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Yuria got under his skin like no one else. She would have a great career within the interrogation squad, purposely using her words to tear people apart as she seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

"You think…they'll be staying with us awhile?" Shuroii said nervously.

Daichi could tell what she was thinking, he always could. She hid most of what happened to her at school from mother and father, and was worried that the presence of the other two would oust her secret. She'd never voice this worry knowing what had happened to the two siblings, all-the-same she didn't want them to spoil her secret.

"I don't think so," Daichi said, not just for her benefit, but because he really believed so.

"Why?" Dani asked, a confused look on his face. "I mean, they need a place to stay. Why not here?"

"Because," Daichi began, "you saw Mom. She was furious Dad brought them home. She has enough to deal with, raising us. Adding two more to that load? No way. I'm sure she wants to help them, but it would be too much raising us all."

The way he put it seemed cruel, knowing the situation was much more complicated than that. But, he knew of his mother's growing sickness, the others didn't; and he'd promised his parents he wouldn't say a word. Sayuka could barely handle her own kids; there was no way she could take on two more, for her own health. He also had the feeling that Arata didn't want to stay here long-term. His younger brother, Reita, would go wherever he did. Daichi knew he'd follow his siblings anywhere too.

Dani looked down in disappointment. "It would have been cool having two more brothers…" he mumbled.

Daichi smiled, then heard footsteps out in the hall. It must be Dad, showing the boys to their rooms, he thought.

Once the footsteps had passed, Daichi peeked out the doorway. He waited until his father and the pair had disappeared into a guest room, before moving Shuroii and Dani into their own rooms, biding them good night before returning to his.

As soon as he jumped into bed and settled in, his father opened the door, expecting to break them up and send them to bed. He frowned when he only saw his eldest son, but came in and shut the door behind him, nonetheless. He moved towards and sat down next to Daichi.

"I know you're not asleep, young man," he said.

Daichi opened his eyes, flashing him an apologetic smile. He had expected to be greeted by his father's grin, not looking as if he'd aged ten years in a matter of four hours. This worried Daichi. He sat up, smile forgotten.

"What's wrong, Father?" Daichi ventured after a moment of silence.

Tekiro looked at Daichi then, looked straight into his eyes. There was a nuance in his father's eyes that Daichi couldn't decipher, and that worried him.

The man remained silent for what seemed an eternity, but when he finally spoke, his words rippled down Daichi's spine.

"I know what made their father snap. There's a risk that couples the Sutaki Clan's Kekkei Genkai: Reverse Possession. And the spirit which haunted him is now inside his son, Arata."

Next morning

Arata woke with a start, bolting upright. At first he wasn't sure where he was. Then he remembered the proceedings of the night before. He shook his head in a vain attempt to make the memory disappear, not wanting to re-live it anymore. He needed to get past it, move on.

He heard a shower running and realized his brother was no longer by his side. He looked over his shoulder and noticed the bathroom door in their room was shut. He wondered what time it was and for how long they'd been asleep. It was bright outside, he deduced it was an hour his father would not have approved of their waking; but at the moment, Arata didn't give a damn.

He slid off the bed and attempted to straighten the covers. Neither of them had used the covers the night before, merely laid on top of them. He couldn't pull the covers back to tight perfection they were the night before, but tried his best. He gave up when his brother came out, dressed in clothes they had hastily packed the night before. Arata ducked into the bathroom to change, taking the bag he packed with him. He wondered how they had appeared in the room during the night without their noticing.

He came out again to find his brother pacing about the room, nervous.

"You alright, Reita?" Arata asked.

Reita looked up, slightly startled. "Y-yeah, fine. I just…didn't want to leave without you."

Reita was always nervous around others, especially those he didn't know. But once he'd broken out of his shell, it was hard to have him act normal again. Once he felt comfortable around a person, he would bound off walls and be "the life of the party." It amazed Arata how easily he could change personalities.

"C'mon, squirt," Arata grabbed his arm and pulled open the door.

He dragged his brother down the hall, noting that the house didn't seem quite as immense in the morning. He could see clearly, and the morning's splendor destroyed the illusion of an eternally long hallway imposed by the shadows of yesterday's dark night. Arata stepped into the kitchen, which, given the time of day, he figured would be empty. To his surprise, it appeared all the children had also just woken up. Dani rested his head on the table, obviously falling asleep. Shuroii yawned and Yuria seemed to lack the required energy to wear her trademark scowl. Only Daichi appeared wide awake; which infuriated Arata, for no reason at all.

Captain Tekiro came in through the other door at that moment. He looked Arata and Reita over and smiled. He motioned to the empty seats next to Shuroii, offering them. Shuroii looked uncomfortable at the notion; Arata paid no mind and sat down next to her, Reita sat next to Arata.

Tension loomed over the dining table. Arata felt it thicken, he mused it would become visible at any second. The six children looked around the table at each other; all became fully alert as a staring contest materialized, each wondering who would be the first to break. Arata figured his only competition would be Yuria, he had heard of her reputation of being able to cut apart a person with a single look.

Reita and Shuroii seemed to break and whimper simultaneously, they lowered their heads. Dani, who was seated next to Shuroii, quickly followed. Arata looked at both Yuria and Daichi, an easy feat as the two were sitting next to the other. Two pairs of Yankaru eyes narrowed then, scrutinizing Arata, sizing him up. Arata took note of Daichi, who bore a smug air, as if he'd never lost.

The thought sent a chill down Arata's spine, and caused him to remember the promise he'd made last night. I will never, ever, lose. Even as childish and small as a staring contest was, he wasn't about to lose this either.

It seemed Daichi couldn't handle it anymore and looked away. In turn, Yuria, sensing her back-up was gone, glanced towards Daichi with a hint of concern and slight annoyance which quickly dissipated. She looked down at her hands.

Arata let himself wear a triumphant expression, for a moment, as his features soon contorted to their usual inscrutable state.

All the while, Mr. and Mrs. Yankaru looked on with a mixture of confusion and curiosity, throwing the other the same humored expression as they handed out breakfast to the children and watched them as they ate in silence and looked only at their plates. When it was time to leave for the Academy, they each politely said their good-byes and thank-yous before bolting out the door at full speed.

Teikaru was bleeding. He was tired, hungry, and thirsty. He hadn't brought much in the way of rations and found himself regretting this. He knew which plants were edible, however, and was even able to take down a wild deer with his Ice Jutsu; unfortunately, he was unable to keep a fire going long enough to properly cook his findings. He may have been able to withstand heat better than most in his clan, but even he felt prey to heat stroke when exposed to an open flame for extended periods of time. Teikaru rubbed the black marks on his cheek, and remembered the time he was tested on his ability to tolerate heat. It was known that children's resistance to heat within the main branch was improving, however, this tolerability was incomparable to that of a normal person's. Teikaru was the first who's tolerance reach close to that level. Hot weather didn't bother him much, but open flame shocked his nervous system. So now, he tended to avoid hunting for meat and would instead scavenge for plants.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept, or how long he had been on the run. Nine hours, maybe? It was full light now, the forest started to awake from its slumber. Still, Teikaru ran; he no longer worried about being followed. He'd taken a dip in at least five streams, changed course eight or nine times, and had covered his tracks well; after all, he'd been trained by the best. Their mistake, as he would now make them pay.

He'd make them all pay one day. How dare they run their heir out of his own home? How dare they push him into marriage? He was Teikaru Sakurana, the eldest son of the Clan leader, the most gifted of all the youth in the clan. He'd be back one day, and exact his revenge on them all. He'd wipe out the Hoshisaki Clan for requesting such a deal! Every last one of them! He'd lead his Clan to glory, conquering their most vile rivals. He'd lead the charge against the barbarians himself; with his father on his knees, begging for forgiveness.

Forgiveness, something Teikaru was not willing to confer.

At the Sakurana compound, all was silent. No one on the outside looking in would think anything was wrong; just a lazy morning for the Sakurana's as per usual. No one would think that only a handful of adults were left, looking after the children in the main house, protecting them.

Protecting them, while the rest of the clan was off at war. Lord Sakurana accused the Hoshisaki of abducting his son; accused it was their play all along, not for peace. He led the slaughter on the oblivious Clan, who had just celebrated the end of their blood feud. Not many were spared; only ten percent of the once great Clan was left. The main branch had been completely wiped out, except for three children; the Sakurana could not bring themselves to harm children. The boy, the eldest, held his little sisters. Lord Sakurana looked around him, he saw the slain and the fallen, and realized his son was not amongst them, was no where to be seen. There was no evidence of his ever setting foot upon Hoshisaki grounds.

He slowly came to realize the damage he had caused, all in vain. Realized he had just made the biggest mistake of his life, and his son was forever gone.

He fell to the ground on his knees, pounding the ground with every sob that ripped through his body.

Suzu sat at her window seat, which overlooked the garden that circumvented the entire Kushito mansion, sharpening one of her arrows. The repeated back-and-forth motions lulled her mind, calmed her down. Her thoughts slowed down, dulling her mind, when she focused on the to-and-fro motion.

Back, forth, back, forth, Her father was dead.

Back, forth, back, forth, She had declared her hatred to her entire family.

Back, forth, back, forth, She had caused Haji's injury, a heartless act.

Back, forth, back, forth, She was a monster, no longer able to feel.

She gripped the shaft of her arrow so tightly it snapped in her hand. She realized she was bleeding only after she saw her blood. She didn't feel the pain.

She didn't feel the pain.

She looked into her mirror. No tears came from her eyes. It was as if she was unable to cry, unable to show any signs of grief or sorrow. She, herself, was starting to believe she didn't know how to. The fact that she couldn't feel anything at all anymore should have scared her, but it didn't. She thought of how proud her superiors would be as she grew older. How she could cut all feeling from herself and work robotically. She started to think of her future, a future which no longer included her father. She waited for the pain of a broken heart, but it never came. She wasn't even sure if she'd ever felt any pain in the first place. Perhaps her mind had made it all up, merely let her experience what it expected pain felt like. Suzu was starting to believe that she imagined her pain.

She slid open her window and jumped out. She picked her way to one of the many garden hoses and washed her wound. It wasn't very deep, and bled little. She returned to her room where she wrapped her wound as best she could, before grabbing her bow and quiver and jumping back out. She made her way to her homemade target and began shooting. It sometimes bored Suzu, she always hit bull's-eye. She once shot an arrow clean through another on her target, completely shattering it into unrecognizable pieces. Her father had been so impressed he threw her over his shoulders and walked about the whole estate, telling anyone they came across what she had done.

Suzu paused again, lowering her bow and arrow for a second, waiting for the memory to turn painful, or even joyful. No emotion came. She raised her bow again and shot an apple right out of a nearby tree, the apple itself remained intact. The same could not be said about its stem.

In her dreams, Suzu could feel again. Her dreams were a mixture of images, mostly of her father under a bloody sheet, laying on a table. But when she awoke, all feeling left her. After awhile, the dreams faded. Suzu excelled at all her classes, and graduated at the top of her class. Instead of being assigned a regular team, she joined the Kumo Archers. She would be assigned to different teams who needed her expertise when called upon. When it came to test for rank, she would join other archers who were also testing. It would be months before she gained enough experience for that. She had to go on multiple missions in order to even be considered. Her brother, Haji, would look at her with disapproval. He was only 14, but acted like a full-fledged adult.

When her mother had a miscarriage the day after the news of her father's death arrived, Suzu didn't care. When she took a new lover, Suzu didn't care. When she became pregnant again, Suzu didn't care. When her mother died in childbirth, Suzu didn't care. Suzu went to the funeral, and watched Yuna who held their new half-sister. The girl's father vanished after the birth; no one knew where he went, and Suzu didn't care. Her brother, however, cared much about these things. And because he cared so much, he couldn't comprehend how Suzu could care so little. He couldn't believe that this robot was once his little sister.

However, there persisted a small part of Suzu, buried in a deep, dark place within her, which cried out to be heard; instead, it was suppressed by all of Suzu's will and was not allowed to surface.

Suzu knew subconsciously this little piece of her would shatter everything she'd worked so hard to achieve. She knew she would feel again, if this piece surfaced. And she would never let that happen.

No matter what.

Five days passed before Teikaru finally arrived in Konoha. He'd become lost multiple times. He was close to death, severely dehydrated. Ninjas on watch duty saw him coming, and rushed to help him as he collapsed outside the gate.

He awoke in the hospital, 3 days later.

Teikaru slowly opened his eyes. He felt the sting of the sunburn that covered his body. He tried not to move too much, knowing it would ease the pain. He looked to the side, sensing someone was there next to him.

The man was very old, he was dressed in the traditional Kage attire, with the discrepancy that where the Mizukage wore blue, he wore red. His hat was in his hands, bearing the fire symbol instead of the water symbol. He looked slowly up to the man's eyes. There was a curious glint in them, but also a lot of pain and sorrow. Teikaru knew immediately this man had faced much tragedy in his life. It humbled Teikaru slightly, being in this old man's presence. It was the first time in his life Teikaru could remember ever feeling humble.

"What is your name, young man?" The old man asked.

"Teikaru," Teikaru replied. Hoping the man would not ask for his surname in fear he would recognize it.

A pause. "And your last name?"

Teikaru knew it was a long shot anyways. But he couldn't bring himself to lie to this old man. "Sakurana." He said at last.

The old man whistled. "Long distance you've traveled by yourself. And judging by that mark on your face… you're from your clan's main branch, aren't you?"

Teikaru was taken aback by how knowledgeable this man seemed to be. So, it wasn't only tragedy this man had seen; he'd been around.

The man chuckled. "Don't look so surprised. I have my spies in many places." The old man winked at Teikaru. He bore an air of mischief that didn't really reach his eyes; they still looked sad.

"E-even in the Mist? That seems impossible… That they were found out." Teikaru said.

"They are very good at what they do. Now, why have you come here Teikaru?"

Teikaru told him his story, the old man's facial expression gave nothing of his inner thoughts away, which greatly bothered Teikaru. He was used to being able to read people like books.

"I see…" Was all the old man said.

Teikaru waited for more, but nothing came. He started to fidget as the silence continued.

"Well, " he said at last, "it seems we'll need to find you a place to live, and then get you enrolled at the Academy here. But not a word to anyone on where you came from. Lie, if you have to, but do not say where you are from. Most people here do not know of the Sakurana. Only we old folk remember. You will be able to keep your name."

Teikaru nodded understandingly. He was now at his new home, for better or worse.

Teikaru arrived side-by-side with the Hokage, introducing himself. Teikaru had already figured as much, still it was nice when the Hokage made his intention clear. The Hokage would find him an apartment and pick him up after the day was over to bring him there. Teikaru was nervous, something he wasn't used to. He always did well at Kiri's Academy, but how would he do here? And how would the other children react to him? After all, the Hokage himself had escorted him in. He didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb here, like he did back home. He, for once in his life, just wanted to blend in. His cockiness started to fade as reality set in.

"Do not worry; it seems you weren't the only one late today."

A boy, older than he, with dark blue hair and bright green eyes stood arguing with someone younger than him, probably around Teikaru's age. He had black hair and really bright blue eyes. They seemed to glow, as he spit out angry words at the older boy. A boy, who had to be the younger's twin, as they shared the same dark hair and bright blue eyes, stood next to his brother, failing at prying him away from their elder peer. Three others were with them. These had to be siblings of the older boy, as they all had the same green eyes. There were two girls and one boy. The taller shared the same blue hair as the eldest, though lighter, while the shorter had dark hair that shone purplish in the sun. The third, the youngest one, was black-haired. The four siblings shared different shades of tan skin, though the twin brothers were darker. It wouldn't surprise Teikaru if one of their parents bore a very deep skin color.

The boys' argument seemed to escalate quickly. They seemed ready to hit each other. He couldn't really make out what they were saying, as each was trying to talk over the other. He only caught swear words and insults, all too awful to repeat. Their siblings were trying to pull them apart from each other, but only managed to hold them back. Both boys seemed incredibly physically strong.

The Hokage cleared his throat and all of them stopped talking at once. Teikaru wasn't sure how they managed to hear him, but they all turned towards the Hokage in horror, except for the one boy with blue eyes, the elder twin. He seemed genuinely annoyed over being interrupted. Teikaru was starting to like this guy.

"Shouldn't you all be in class?" The Hokage asked.

They all ran towards the door, but the Hokage stopped the twin boys and the girl with purplish hair before they could get by. She seemed to be more of a nervous wreck than Teikaru was.

"Why don't you three show Teikaru around?" The Hokage spoke again. "He's new to the village and needs help getting around today. His name is Teikaru."

The one twin smiled at Teikaru and raised his hand in a wave. "My name's Reita. Reita Sutaki."

The girl offered her hand and Teikaru shook it. "My name is Shuroii Yankaru. Pleased to meet you."

The other boy remained silent, looking over Teikaru, clearly sizing him up. Teikaru waited for him to introduce himself.

"Arata," was all the boy said after a while.

Teikaru nodded, smiled nervously and said hello. He wasn't used to this, feeling so awkward. He was used to instant respect because of his lineage, but realized it wouldn't be like that here. Here, he would have to earn respect.

"You three play nice." The Hokage said with a chuckle as he walked off.

Shuroii was frightened when she noticed the Hokage standing there. She thought they would have all been in deep trouble for being so late. But now, she found herself showing the new boy, Teikaru, around. It was rare to have someone from another country immigrate here and start the Academy. She knew what it was like to be outside the norm, so she tried to strike up a friendship with him. He was very nice, if a bit shy from being in a new place. Arata was mostly silent walking with them, but Reita had joined in on Shuroii and Teikaru's conversation.

"So dude, you haven't told us yet! Where did you move from?" Reita asked.

Teikaru paused for a second, but quickly recovered. It was something she knew very well. It was something Daichi did when one asked him a question he was hoping he wouldn't be asked. Shuroii thought that was very weird and made a mental note of it.

"The water country. I'm from a very small village. And it's a lot colder there than here," he answered.

Reita was amazed. "Wow, that's really far!"

Teikaru smiled at Reita. He seemed to grow more and more relaxed.

"Yeah, it took me a long time to get here. Had to walk all the way here."

Reita looked at him in awe. His expression made Shuroii want to giggle, but she didn't want to embarrass him.

"Oi," someone said behind them, a voice Shuroii recognized. She immediately stiffed. She could feel the blood drain out of her face. It was one of the kids that always picked on her.

Arata looked at her over his shoulder, while the other boys turned to look at who had spoken, confused.

"Can we help you with something?" Teikaru said.

The kid, a boy in Daichi's grade, was one of the biggest students in the Academy. He looked much older than eleven, as if he took steroids. Shuroii had once voiced this to him and was smacked across the face in return. She wore a bruise for days. His face bore that permanent scowl which didn't make him at all attractive, neither did his constant bullying every of any kid who looked his way.

He approached Shuroii and, when he got close enough, grabbed her low ponytail and pulled hard, nearly lifting her off the ground. She cried out in pain.

"You were supposed to carry my books to class this morning, Yankaru! Now, you've forced me to be late! You know what I do to kids who make me late?!" He pulled on her hair harder, lifting her off the ground for a second.

"How about you just carry them yourself?!" Teikaru yelled.

He looked at Teikaru then, forgetting Shuroii. He let go of her hair and she threw him a warning-look trying to say: stay out of it. It was bad enough she got beat up, there was no need for any of them to be hurt as well.

"What did you just say to me, punk?!" He tried to land a punch on Teikaru, but Teikaru was lightning fast. He ducked under the boy's heavy fist and swung a kick towards his rib cage. The force of Teikaru's blow knocked the wind out of him and he lumbered to the ground. But Teikaru didn't stop there. He kicked him in the stomach, knocking him on his side before kicking him in the face. Blood poured out of the boy's nose as he groaned in pain.

Shuroii stood frozen, in shock. This all happened in seconds, even if her mind had captured the scene in slow motion. She had only ever seen one other person move like that before. Daichi.

Then Arata snorted, stirring Shuroii, "Small village, eh?"

Teikaru looked embarrassed and looked away. "We should probably leave before any teachers walk by."

The three ran to their classes.

At recess, later that day, they met up at the wooden swing outside. Shuroii sat in it and Reita pushed her. As the days passed, during the time Arata and Reita stayed with her family, Shuroii and the latter had grown incredibly close. Arata remained distant and never talked much, but Shuroii and Reita got along very well. She never would have thought she would have much in common with him, but they shared a similar trait in constructing jokes out of anything someone said. They never stopped laughing when they were together.

Arata watched the pair, whilst leaning against a tree as Teikaru walked up. He amused the three with the latest rumor: the boy had said he'd tripped and fallen and broken his nose.

"I guess he didn't want to admit an eight year old kicked his ass," Arata said.

They all laughed accept Arata, who looked at them blankly. This made it all the more amusing and the three laughed harder. They talked about how their day had been thus far and Teikaru would often point out other kids and ask for their names, and would tell a story about the person he pointed out. Many of them seemed to give him a hard time, but Teikaru didn't seem to mind at all, like he was used to it. Shuroii wished she could be more like that, not able to care like that. But at least she had friends now. She knew Teikaru would stick up for her, and that made her feel a lot better. No way would anyone get to her now.

Arata didn't buy Teikaru's story at all. He had some training before coming to Konoha. No way in hell was he from a small village. Still, Arata liked him. He seemed only to lie about where he came from, he was honest about everything else. Arata could understand the need to hide something, after all he'd hidden his father's affairs for quite some time. When the Hokage arrived to pick up Teikaru at the end of the day, Teikaru turned and waved and left with him. Arata, Reita, and Shuroii walked back to the Yankaru compound. Arata was extremely nervous, though he had begun to perfect masking his emotions. Tonight it would be made official. They would go to before the Sutaki Clan leaders and be exiled. They would be branded around their wrists as Clan enemies and be cast out. Arata just wanted to get it over with.

But, he was worried about Reita. He hadn't told him what would happen tonight. He didn't have the heart to. But, he would be there for his brother afterwards. They would be alone again, forced to live in a place the Clan thought suited them. They wouldn't return to the Yankaru complex, or to Shuroii after that night.

Five days had passed. That was all it took for Arata to like that place enough to know he would miss it. It infuriated him that he had to "report how his day was" at the dinner table. He hated talking, especially in front of people. The bed he slept in was way much too soft for his liking. The place was far too fancy and there wasn't an area where there wasn't something to look at. Shuroii's mother, whose name he now knew to be Sayuka, had warmed up to them and would tuck them in at night. It all annoyed Arata, every last bit of it, especially Prince Daichi; but, it ached his heart knowing they wouldn't return again. He knew it would ruin Reita.

When the three returned, Tekiro awaited them. He asked to speak with Arata alone. Shuroii pulled Reita, who didn't want to leave Arata, away. He was grateful that Reita trusted Shuroii enough to be around her without Arata 's presence. He knew his brother didn't like being away from him.

Arata followed Tekiro into a room he hadn't noticed before. Apparently part of the wall slid into the wall next to it. Inside he found a library of scrolls, which covered every free surface from floor to ceiling. Ladders where attached to rolling slides at points all about the room. The room was large. It seemed to run the entire length of the house, at least 100 yards. Arata was amazed he'd missed this.

In the center, a circle had been drawn. Symbols were written all about it's circumference. Candles were lit at certain spots. Arata grew nervous.

"Were you performing a seal, sir?" he asked nervously.

Tekiro remained silent, and merely led Arata towards the circle. Arata started to fight against it. He was growing nervous. Something in those markings didn't sit well with him. Something inside him told him to run.

He found himself swelling with anger, now angrier than he'd ever felt before in his life. He lashed out at Tekiro, trying to hurt him, blinded by fury. How dare he try to make him do something he didn't want to do? He wasn't going any closer to that circle. He'd kill Tekiro before he drew closer.

And Arata almost did. He would have if Tekiro wasn't as skilled as he was. Arata aimed a punch so fast and square at Tekiro's nose that his fist would have lodged into his brain had he not stopped the punch. This only infuriated Arata more, and he charged.

Tekiro was expecting this. Now he knew without a doubt that Arata was possessed. With how fast he switched from his normal self to acting like a caged animal, it was certain. He had done a lot of research on the effects of the Reverse Possession. He had developed a seal that would help Arata, but not cleanse him. He was not as skilled with seals as his sister, the top sealer of the Clan, was, but couldn't ask her for her help. It was better for Arata if less people knew about this incident.

If Arata's Clan knew about this, they would sentence him to death immediately. They would kill their father and possibly Reita. Tekiro owed the boys this much: to keep them safe.

Tekiro side-stepped Arata, who was growing increasingly worse. He stepped closer to the circle and Arata followed. He could tell by the slight glow to Arata's eyes that he was currently possessed. He wouldn't realize this later. He would think it was all him, when it's not. Tekiro had found that much out. That was the danger. Very much like the normal Sutaki Clan jutsu, no one knew when they were being Reverse Possessed. It was like the user's own jutsu was being used by the dead soul of its last victim on the user. Because of this lack of knowing, there was no way to help or stop it until it was too late. Only someone who knew what they were looking for could recognize it. And Tekiro recognized the signs.

When he crossed into the circle, he expelled chakra into it immediately. He waited for Arata to spring towards him before closing the seal.

Now, neither of them could leave until either Tekiro died or the seal was complete.

Tekiro knew he would have to work quickly. The dead human's soul that possessed Arata would give him both strength and chakra to fight him. He would find himself at a disadvantaged, in trying to keep the seal going and fighting simultaneously. So far he was able to dodge all of Arata's advances, but wouldn't be able to for much longer. He had to end this now.

Tekiro spun around behind Arata. It wasn't a move Arata was expecting, and it was much too late to do anything. Tekiro grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket and slammed him to the ground. He hoped he hadn't hurt him, but he had to complete the seal now.

He quickly performed hand signs while Arata remained stunned. Symbols picked themselves off the floor and hovered over Arata's body, then drew ever close, until they disappeared under his clothes. He was pinned to the ground, unable to move at all. He snarled like an animal, thrashing about. He was no longer the boy Tekiro had come to know. He tried to push aside how disturbed he was and preformed the seal.

Arata started screaming in agony. He was screaming words at the top of his lungs, but Tekiro tried not to focus on them. Tekiro could feel the seal forming, a small design on his spine, close to his heart. He could feel the spirit suppressed inside the seal, fighting to break through. It was just as Tekiro had feared: the seal would need to be strengthened at least once every year. If not, it would break and Arata would be more dangerous and uncontrollable than if he'd never been given the seal.

Tekiro wept silently while holding the unconscious boy, who had begged him to stop while in agony. He couldn't believe what he'd just done.

Neither could his daughter, Shuroii, who had watched the entire thing from the start, from the door which had been left wide open.

Tekiro explained what had happened to Arata when he came to. Arata hurt all over, especially his head. All he wanted to do was sleep, but he understood what had occurred. He was afraid at what could happen if the seal ever broke. Tekiro informed him that the seal was only as strong as his will. If Arata willed it hard enough, the seal would stay in place. But if his will ever wavered, it would break. After that, Tekiro didn't know what would happen.

His and his brother's trial came and went. It proceeded exactly the way he thought it would. Thrown out, cast away, and forced to live in disgrace. But he did something that he didn't expect to do. He stood up straight and glared at them all, in turn, until they fidgeted in discomfort and said: "Good riddance to all of you." All before storming out, pulling his brother with him. They were moved into a small room and were made to hold out their hands. Their wrists were covered in a paper-like wrap. A man made a few hand signs and the paper burst into flames. Reita cried out in pain, but Arata bit his lip so hard he tore through flesh and started to bleed. He refused to show he was in pain. After the ritual was concluded, they were dropped off at their new home. It was small, with one decent sized room which functioned as both living room and kitchen and led off to three small bedrooms and two bathrooms. It was already furnished, with what looked like all that had remained intact of their old home.

When they were finally left alone, Reita slumped to the ground and began to sob. Arata knelt and held his brother until it was bright outside.

Shuroii confronted her father the second he returned home after dropping Arata and Reita off at the Sutaki Compound. She demanded to know what he had done to Arata. Tekiro, surprised and worried by what she had seen, pulled her into his study, the room hidden behind the wall, and told her all that had happened. He made her promise not to tell anyone, that it could cost Arata and Reita their lives if she said anything, and she promised. She never told anyone, not even Arata, that she knew this secret.

As the years passed, Shuroii, Reita, Teikaru, and Arata became close friends. Arata talked less and less, but they began to understand his silent language. Teikaru and Arata took up the duty of being Shuroii's bodyguards. No one messed with any of them, after all Teikaru and Arata were tied for top of their class. Arata exploded with talent after he was disgraced; he refused to remain in that state, and Shuroii admired that about him. Reita started to become more confident and didn't do badly at the Academy either. Only Shuroii still struggled. She was able to do some basic ninjutsu by this time, but not much. It had taken her years of practice to finally do what she could do now. When they all graduated, they sat together when they were assigned teams. Teikaru's name was called first, and then Mikota Higura's, a shy boy who was more into weapons than anything else, and finally Maika Kanoka's, who was from the Higura Clan as well. Teikaru gave his friends an apologetic smile and withdrew to join his newly-formed team.

Arata, Reita, and Shuroii's names were called together, officially making them a team. Reita and Shuroii simultaneously shot out of their seats and shouted with joy. Arata sat there, his perfected poker face not giving way to any emotion.

As for the rest of Shuroii's siblings. Yuria graduated two years before; she was already a Chunnin, working at the hospital to become a medical ninja. Her whole family found themselves in shock that Yuria would want to help others by becoming a medical ninja. Dani would graduate the Academy the following year, but was doing well in his studies.

Daichi, on the other hand, was already a very successful shinobi. His entire team passed the Chunnin Exam on their first try, only after a year of being Genins. He was in a team with twins who hailed from one of the most prestigious clans in Konoha, the Tsuchigami Clan. Hyosuke was Daichi's best friend, and his sister, Yoko, got along very well with him. They were all Jonin by the time they were 15. Moreover, Daichi and Hyosuke were selected to join the Hunter Corps, a small, elite, subdivision of the ANBU Black Ops, whose members were tasked with hunting down rouge shinobi. Yoko was devastated she was not selected as well, and refused to talk to either of them for a very long time. Hyosuke and Daichi would travel the world hunting shinobi that abandoned Konoha, working as a tag team. The pair had left for training months ago. It would be a long, intense, training period.

As the newly formed Team 20, Reita, Arata, and Shuroii waited to meet their sensei. Reita and Shuroii did most of the talking. They were the last ones waiting. All the other kids' sensei had been on time, but not theirs. Reita and Shuroii talked about what they had hoped their sensei would be like.

At last the door opened and in saunter a towering woman. She wore a cape with a hood, so they couldn't see her face. Thick locks of pale blue hair cascaded from under that hood.

She was very tall and walked with smooth grace. Her footsteps hardly made a din. She made her way to the three, lowering her hood before smiling. Shuroii gasped, though it wasn't because of her appearance. Sure, she had pale silver eyes with cat-like slits, had fangs which protruded from between her lips, and it was all a bit frightening. Still, that's not what made Shuroii want to faint.

She was Daichi's old sensei, the one who didn't disclose her name and wished to be known only by: Sensei.