"Then don't spill each other's secret." ~ Kurai Ōkami

Pyro's P.O.V.

As Kurai's eyes widened, she fell to the ground, frozen in shock. I couldn't help but hold my breath as I heard her words.

"You mean-... You mean, everything... Everything I know... They were all just-... You mean, my life-... All my whole life... Is nothing but lies...?" She whispered.

I slowly nodded. I couldn't keep secrets from her anymore. Zeiko did the same, looking down out of guilt, biting her lip.

Kurai raised her hands, and covered her mouth, as tears welled up in her eyes.

I couldn't bear the sight of her like this. She looked weak, helpless. I've been watching her since she was born. Her father saved mine, and out of debt, I sworn my loyalty on her without her knowing.

But I got attached. I began to think of her as my own little sister, my own family. When her parents was murdered, I watched the whole scene. I watched as their mother tapped their foreheads for the last time, blocking their memories. I was the one who brought Kurai, Mizu, and Hokeru, their brother, to Tamashigakure, with the help of my now deceased lover, Aya.

Another reason why I don't believe in love. Why I became overprotective over Kurai. I don't want to lose another girl.

And now I'm afraid. I'm afraid that she's gonna lost her trust in me. I'm afraid she's going to hate me.

As she started sobbing, my instinct took over. I went to her side and pulled her into a hug. She tried to push me away, but I only tightened my grip, in an attempt calm her down, saying "Forgive me" over and over again.

I'm not trying to make her feel better, I'm trying to make myself feel better.

She finally gave in, and cried even harder, clutching my clothes tightly and leaned to my chest. I slowly patted her back, looking at Zeiko asking for support.

Zeiko's P.O.V.

Pyro glanced at me, and my gaze softened. I let out a sigh, and crouched next to my jinchūriki, running my fingers through her hair.

"Please, Kurai, please forgive us. We know what we did must have hurt you a lot, but we need you. You are the last person who accepts us. We don't want to lose our only friend." I whispered.

Slowly, she raised her head. "Why...? Why don't you tell me? I deserve to know, right? I have rights to know, don't I?"

"Yes. Yes, you do. It's our fault for hiding it from you. We should have told you sooner, but we're scared." Pyro replied, his voice already shaking.

Kurai just shook her head. "Okay. Okay, I understand. But I got one more question."

We waited, as she wiped away her tears and looked at us both.

"...Who killed them?"

I shook my head. "I don't know," I replied, "but you do. And I'll tell you." I finished, before I tapped Kurai's forehead.

The ravenette's eyes instantly widened. She gasped, before her hands went up and grabbed her hair, clutching her head tightly.

Then she screamed.

But both I and Pyro know that we can do nothing. It's the only way to unblock her memories.

***

Kurai's P.O.V

My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself lying on a bed. I looked around and immediately recognized my environment. Only, everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. It somehow intrigues me how nothing changes in the room since I left.

It was perfectly same as it was long time ago. Every single thing was left untouched, abandoned for almost 12 years, giving out a lifeless aura, tinted with death and loss.

"My old room, huh?" I mused out as I sat up. My head was throbbing, but however, no matter how cliché it sounds, my heart hurts too much that I didn't bother to take care of my headache.

Leaving the bed, I started walking around the room, dragging my hand to trace the wall as I took slow shaky steps. It was like a switch. At everything I touch, at everything I hear, see, or smell, new memories resurface. I began to remember my childhood. My old habits. My buried dreams and fantasies.

And also my siblings. Mizu. My twin little sister, the light between us. She was the white. Hokeru. My little brother. He was the middle of everything. He was the grey.

Finally, me. Kurai. Just like my name, I was the dark. I was the black.

It was sad, really. We all were separated, far away from each other.

Hokeru is my little brother, but he's just about a year younger. Not a great age difference.

As I reached the window, I stopped, and looked through the dusty glass. It was already dark, almost midnight. I wonder if Konoha had already been looking for me?

Not that I care.

Now that I think about it, I was lucky. I was always a daddy's girl, his favorite. I was the only one who inherited his hybrid looks, the only one who had the Ōkami blood in my veins.

Mizu and Hokeru both are Hazanes, just like my mother. With their powerful kekkei genkai to be able to read, erase, and manipulate people's memories, they could have surpassed me, if only I didn't have Zeiko in me.

If I recall correctly, Mizu was actually more advanced than me. She awakened her kekkei genkai at...

Well, not long before they were killed.

Letting out a heavy sigh, I closed the curtains, and turned into the form of my favorite canine, before I curled up into a ball right in the middle of the room. Closing my eyes, I welcomed the sleep that I always hate, asking for a rest from it.

'Tou-san... I'm such a horrible Aneki, aren't I?'

***

Third Person's P.O.V.

Kurai returned to village, acting as if nothing happens. She smoothly passed the first part of the chūnin exam, answering all the questions with ease, since she also worked part-time as an informant. Long time ago, that is, when she was Zabuza's apprentice, not yet an assassin.

No one suspects a thing. Kurai managed to keep her façade, still as rude as ever.

The second part? The Forest? Technically, she dragged her team towards the tower while her clone killed another team and take the scroll. It was to be expected, as Zeiko said, an assassin wouldn't want to waste days in a forest just to get a simple scroll. Yuu and Mizu was pissed at first, but after hearing what happened to Team 7, the grudges disappeared.

And now, they were all still waiting for others to arrive at the tower.

".... Nee-san?"

Kurai abruptly turned, to find her siblings there. Reiji and Nami, both wearing their headband, grinning at her.

"You're here? I thought you guys are jōnins already."

"Well, we can ask the same." Reiji replied, causing his big sister to chuckle.

"Then don't spill each other's secret." she said, shoving her hands in her pocket.

Reiji nodded, "Anyways, believe it or not, we came as a team! Got the other member just a day before we came here."

"Hokeru, come here! This is my big sister, well, not related by blood..." Nami called, muttering the last sentence under her breath.

Kurai narrowed her eyes at the boy who approached them all.

"Hokeru Hazane." The boy muttered, not even looking at her. He had dark red hair with blue eyes, one of his hand was shoved in his pocket while the other one was playing with a senbon.

'That's your little brother! Aren't you shocked, even just for a bit?!' Zeiko yelled at Kurai through their mind link.

Kurai only sighed inwardly, 'As if. Your stunt with Pyro might have cause a permanent damage on my brain, and now I am unable to feel emotions similar to shock and surprise.' she said sarcastically, causing Pyro to cringe while Zeiko frowned.

"Three." The assassin replied, just as cold, "Wish you luck for the exam. I have to go back to my team."

"Don't need it from you, stranger." She heard Hokeru hissed at her.

But at those words, Kurai only chuckled.

'Interesting.'

*************************

First of all, greatest apologies. I was late, even from my so-said-hiatus. If you began to forget the plot and all, I understand. Even I'm thinking of doing a major editing on this story. Seriously. So many cliches I have to erase. When I started, I don't know much about Naruto. Hell, even until now, I never watched it. Too many mistakes here, to many cheesy useless lines and scenes. The fact that my laptop is still not fixed yet also doesn't help.

Anyways, well, this is a disappointing announcement.
I guess I'm going to put this on hold, officially. I think I need to finish my story one by one, and what I mean is, I'm going to finish What I've Done. It's the nearest one to its ending.

On the second thought, I'm thinking of deleting this story. A real piece of crap, this one. My first work. Even this, as a rewritten version (I never posted the first version here), still disappoints me. But really, may I?

I'm not even going to ask for votes or anything. And I'm prepared for the hate comments. Go ahead, I'm ready. No sarcasm intended.

Once again, sorry.