The Konoha group had been gathered at the woman, Mairu's house for some time now. Maybe a little bit shy of a day, and at the moment Ibiki, Shin, and Akito were gathering the plants while Akai talked to her old friend.

"How have you been feeling lately, Little Red?" Mairu asked suddenly as the two girls were sticking random items throughout the store, making sure that everything was where it was suppose to be with proper tags.

"Fine." Akai replied, but Mairu just continued to stare at the girl, completely stopping what she was doing. Akai glanced over at the woman and raised her eyebrows at her and threw her arms up in the air. "What, tashikani?!" She screamed playfully at her.

"Akai, you know what I'm talking about. How are you feeling lately." The woman repeated with a stern tone of voice. Akai rolled her eyes slightly and gave a soft sigh.

"It's not as bad, tashikani. I haven't been as sick lately, so maybe that's a good sign?" She said, but it came out more as a question than a statement.

"I'll go get your medicine." Mairu said as she grabbed the girls hand and pulled her back with her to a small back room. Akai fought and struggled the entire way back.

"Let me go, tashikani!" She screamed, before Mairu popped her on the house. Akai screamed loudly in pain before she started swatting towards Mairu. "Ow!" She shouted loudly and Mairu just rolled her eyes.

"You're just like your mother, Akai." She said with a gentle laugh. Akai gave her a small look before nodding and glancing off in the distance for a moment.

Mairu seemed to notice this change in Akai, and she gently grabbed the girl and hugged her close. "She would have been so proud of you, Akai." She said with a smile.

Akai scoffed. "Yeah, right, tashikani... No parents would be proud of a rude, clumsy, weak, useless daughter who stole things for fun."

Mairu frowned. She crouched down in front of Akai, their eyes on the same level. "Don't say that, Akai. You may be a criminal, but inside here," she said, before pointing at her chest, "you're a good person. Look at you. You managed to survive with only your cousins, taking care of them, and when they're gone, you didn't give up."

"And remember that you were only 9 years old when you earned that title. You managed to fulfill his wish."

"Mairu-san..."

"Listen, Akai. Even if you're not proud of yourself, I still am."

Akai fell silent. She continued her work, but froze when she saw the flower vase in front of her, with some purple hyacinth, a red rose, and some sweetpea in it.

Mairu noticed this, and smiled. "Take them, Akai. I think they deserves your visit."

"But, Mairu-san, they're your-..."

"My guts told me you're coming, that's why I bought those. Go, Akai. It's alright."

"... Thanks." Akai finally said, before she gently pulled out the flowers and tied a thin blue ribbon around them, before she made her way out of the house.

| * | * | * | * | * |

Akai slowly kneeled, and put down the flowers in front of the 2 gravestones.

"Mom... Dad... It has been a long time, right? Sorry I didn't visit last year, I was in Suna. You're right, Dad. The weather there is horrible." She muttered the last part, chuckling bitterly more at herself, "I finally understand why you guys never took me there now." She finished, and she began to fiddle with the headband around her neck.

"Oh!" She said, glancing at the headband and then back at the gravestones. "I became a ninja, just like you guys wanted! I live in Konoha now..." She trailed off. "I finally understand why you loved Konoha so much, Mom. I mean, the people I stay with aren't that bad.."

"I'm on a squad with two boys named Akito and Shin. They're pretty okay sometimes," She continued, smiling to herself, "and my sensei is named Ibiki. I actually live with him, and he's kinda really annoying.. but he's alright sometimes." She said, mumbling the last part to herself as she stared at the two names on the stones.

With a gentle hand, she reached forward and ran her fingers gently along names on them. Her tears formed in her eyes, and she sniffles slightly. "I miss you guys so much.." She said, and the tears slowly fell down her cheeks.

"I don't want to be a criminal.. I don't want to be alone. I just want you guys back." She said quietly as she cried, keeping one hand on her father's stone, and one of her mother's.

"You really miss them, don't you?" Shin said quietly from behind her, causing the girl to jump up, and turn towards him with a defensive pose.

As soon as she recognized him, her eyes twitched. Her shoulders relaxed, as she watched Shin and Akito looking at the two graves.

She weakly nodded, as she once again kneeled there, tears threatening to spill.

"... What are you doing here...?" She finally asked. Akito frowned, hearing her now cold tone.

"We were looking for you. Mairu-san said you're here, so we came."

"Ketsueki... Fuka..." Shin muttered, his gaze locked on the gravestones, "Why are there no last names?"

Akai frowned. She stood up, and turned, walking away.

| * | * | * | * | * |

As all of them sat in front of the dining table, Ibiki looked up, staring at Akai.

"Where were you today?"

"Helping Mairu-san, tashikani." She replied shortly, as she starts eating.

Ibiki grunted. "Really? When we returned you weren't here."

She narrowed her eyes. "It's none of your business." She said, but Ibiki hardened his glare.

"You are my student. You must tell me where you are, especially that this is not Konoha. You-..."

Akai cut him off. "I don't care about your status. You have no right to watch me 24/7. Besides, this place is my home, you idiotic bastar-..."

"Akai!" Mairu instantly snapped, as she hit the back of the ex-thief's head, "Language! You're even worse than your uncle-..."

"Don't mention his name!" She yelled, slamming her palms on the table.

Everyone froze. Everything fell silent.

Mairu was the first one to speak. "...Why can't you forgive him...?"

Akai looked away. "He left. He broke his promise to his own sister. If he didn't, I won't lost them."

"He's a good man, Akai. He wouldn't-..."

"You only said that because you love him." She stated, before she walked out of the room.

Mairu sighed, and followed her. Ibiki turned at his remaining students.

"Is it just me, or you brats know something about this?"

Akito shrugged. "She said that she has 5 people that she called family. Three is dead, one is kidnapped and the last one left her."

Shin nodded, "We already know that her parents are dead. Then that means, his uncle left her. After that, one is dead, and the other is kidnapped. Right?"

Ibiki nodded. "But there's many rogue ninjas from Kiri. For example... Zabuza Momochi, Kisame Hoshigaki, the Demon Brothers, and many more."

Shin shrugged. "Why think about this? It's her own privacy."

"Besides, I don't think it's an important information." Akito added, staring at his sensei.

Ibiki grunted in reply.

| * | * | * | * | * |

It was later in the evening now, and Ibiki had been searching for Akai for a little bit. Of course he knew that Mairu went after her, but he didn't know  where they went.

"Akai!" He screamed out, and he heard sniffling coming from a tree in the surrounding area. He walked over to the tree and glanced up. "Akai, is that you?" Ibiki said, softer than he ever had been with her before.

"... What, Scarface." She mumbled out, wiping her eyes slightly.

"Get down here, brat." He said, and Akai rolled off the tree branch she was on, and began to fall to the ground. She rolled as she fell and landed on her feet, staring up at Ibiki.

"What do you want, tashikani?" She asked, and Ibiki just placed his hand on her back and they began to walk back to the house They were staying at.

"Just needed you back, brat. Akito and Shin are worried about you, and I have to keep an eye on you." Ibiki said with a roll of his eyes. Akai just scoffed and she quickly ran off from him, back towards the house.

"I'm gonna kick your ass!" Ibiki said as he started to run after Akai.

| * | * | * | * | * |

"You were crying." was the first thing that Shin said when he saw Akai. She turned away and let out a heavy sigh.

"So?"

"What's wrong?" Akito asked, but her reply is something totally different.

"We're leaving tomorrow. Tell Mairu and Scarface."

Leaving her teammates, Akai made her way towards her room, and closed the door. She sat on her bed, hugging her knees, before her lips start trembling.

Her hand reached out to the small photo frame on the nightstand. Her gaze locked upon the picture inside.

It was a picture of all of her family. Everyone, even her parents.

Her mother was smiling softly, her hand rested on Akai's shoulder. Fuka, her mother,  had straight long dark blue hair, having a bit lighter shade compared to her brother's. She has light blue eyes, so contrast again her little brother's. Akai sighed. Her uncle has always been the weirdest among the six of them. The scariest, the strongest. He was holding a large sword over his shoulder, grinning at the camera.

Then her father, Ketsueki. His large hand was ruffling his daughter's hair, and he was chuckling. He has spiky snow white hair, and light purple eyes. Next to him is his wife, behind his daughter, and on the other side are his nephews. Akai's cousins.

The older one was laughing, holding his sword is one hand, his other hand was making a peace sign behind his brother's head. The younger one had his arm slung around Akai's neck.

Akai sighed, as she examined herself. Unlike the others, she had light blue hair. It's not spiky, but it's not straight, either. She has grey eyes. And she's the only one who doesn't have sharp teeth. She's the only one who possess both their kekkei genkais.

It has always been like this. She's always different. She never has a place where she fits in.

Everything has changed, though. Her mother's gone, due to the sickness she had. Then her father was killed. His uncle left, and then her cousin was killed. His little brother was kidnapped. And she was left all alone again.

Akai put the frame down, and ran her fingers through her messy hair, letting out a sigh as she stare at the ceiling.

As tears began to fell, she lifted her arm, and covered her eyes, letting out soft sobs.

| * | * | * | * | * |

"Please tell me you will come to visit again." The woman begged, staring at the blue-haired girl, who merely shrugged in reply.

"I'll try, Mairu-san." She simply said, before she walked away.

The woman sighed heavily, as she watched the group left the place.

Akai was bouncing ahead of the rest of the group, literally almost jumping with every step.

"Slow down, brat!" Ibiki yelled, and Akai did something she had never done before. She listened. She slowed down, but was still slightly ahead of them.

"Why don't you speed up, tashikani?!" She screamed back at them, as if she was pretending she never slowed down. Ibiki stared at her, his eyes showing the iteration they normally showed when he stared at Akai.

It was quiet for a while, a long while. Akai trailing ahead of them, her hand placed on her dagger as it normally was, and she was barely paying attention.

That is until a senbon needle flew across her face, just barely missing piercing through her nose, but still breaking the skin on the bridge of her nose.

"Holy sh*t, tashikani!" She screamed out loud, glancing around as she pulled out her dagger from its holder.

A deep, terrifying laugh came from her the left of her, and she glanced over at area. She was practically shaking in her spot. She knew that laugh.

"Well, well, well, Little Red." The voice said mockingly, but Akai didn't react.

"Who's there?!" Ibiki called out as he ushered the other two students of his behind is back. "Akai, get over here!" Ibiki called out, but she didn't move.

"Too scared, Little Red?" the voice asked with another laugh.  "It's just me."

"Just me. Ha." Akai stated, a hint of annoyance in her voice, glancing in the same direction, only slightly glancing back at her team. She held her dagger close to her chest, waiting for the moment she had to defend herself, should it come.

A figure jumped down, landing in front of the group. Ibiki's eyes widened in shock.

"Hello, Zabuza Momochi. Long time no see, tashikani?" Akai asked, as she twirled her dagger.

The missing-nin smirked, holding his large sword over his shoulder.

"Indeed. Hello to you too, Akai Kiri."

| * | * | * | * | * |

Here you go! Did you enjoy the chapter?

Anyways, Akai Kiri (赤い霧) means Red Mist. Believe it, tashikani XP

Don't forget to comment and vote! Ja Ne!

~MidRav