Ayame opened her eyes, squinting up at the ceiling and growled when she heard the banging coming from outside. She tried to sit up but gasped in pain, falling back down. That was when the fight came back to her and her left arm flew up to where her right arm should be. Tears formed in the genin's eyes when she felt nothing but air.

She wanted to cry and scream but stopped when multiple people came inside her room, the first person shouting in joy, "She's up! She's up!"

Ayame gaped at Naruto, her mind trying to come up with a solution for why the boy was there. She looked at at who else was there and smiled when she saw Hinata, Tenten and Shikamaru.

"Naruto, keep it down." Shikamaru mumbled, sitting down in a chair.

Tenten ran at Ayame, flinging her arms around the petite girl and crushing her in a hug. "I was so scared!"

The brunette held Ayame like that for a few more seconds before letting her go, tears in the corner of her eyes. "Ayame. . ."

"I can't be a ninja anymore."

Ayame's voice was quiet but everyone had heard it, Shikamaru watched her, as if analyzing her. Hinata brought her hand up to her mouth in shock and Tenten just looked down at the ground.

Naruto stopped looking around the room, his grin faltering as he turned towards Ayame. "Eh? What do ya mean?"

Ayame didn't mean to be snap at him, her face settling into a glare. "My arm was cut off, Naruto."

Naruto stayed quiet for a few minutes, the silence making Ayame want to scream. But then he just laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Of course you can Ayame! You just have to train much harder!"

Ayame couldn't believe it, she stared in shock at the boy, tears forming in her eyes. They seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Naruto. . . You idiot," Ayame said, laughing as tears slid down her cheeks.

Tenten seemed to remember something then, reaching into the basket Hinata had in her arms and grinning like an idiot. "We brought you stuff Ayame!"

In her arms were a teddy bear, a bag of cookies, a rose and some instant ramen. Ayame wiped the tears from her face and laughed, instantly able to tell who the instant ramen was from.

"Thank you."

They all spent the next hour talking until Naruto and Shikamaru decided to go eat apples in front of Chouji to tease the poor boy.

Tenten was eating one of Ayame's cookies, claiming that she was making sure that Shikamaru hadn't poisoned them, and Hinata was setting the rose up in a vase with water.

Ayame enjoyed the peace and quiet but wished someone would say something. The pease was destroyed when a nurse entered the room, smiling at the Tenten and Hinata before moving over to Ayame's side.

"I need too change your bandages, is that alright?"

Ayame just nodded, allowing the nurse to do her job, unlike she had when she had first arrived in Konoha. The nurse just unraveled the bandages covering Ayame's right side and Ayame strained too see.

The nurse noticed, smiling softly beofre grabbing a mirror on the bedside table and holding it too where Ayame could now see the stitched up side and little stump she now had as an arm.

Ayame brought her left arm over, running her fingers against the stitches, wincing slightly. When she was done, the nurse started too wrap her back up, the bandages wrapping against Ayame's chest and around her right stump. her hospital gown was puled back over her head with the help of the nurse, who smiled and left the three girls alone once again.

Tenten suddenly grinned, but it was a devilish smile and looked at Ayame, "Ne, Ayame-chan, do you like anyone?"

The red-head blushed, her eyes widening and she tried avoiding Tenten's gaze. "N-no!"

"Liar!"

"W-well. . . I like someone but he hates me!" Ayame finally got out, looking down at her lap, blushing madly.

"Who?!"

"I-is it K-kiba-kun?" Hinata asked, shrinking back when Ayame looked up at the Hyuga, blushing even more then before if that was possible.

"H-how did you k-know?!?"

"It's o-obvious from t-the way y-you act a-around him."

Ayame grabbed her slapped her forehead with her left hand, groaning. She was hoping she hadn't been that obvious, she didn't want to like Kiba, but she just couldn't help herself.

The only downside was that the Inuzuka didn't like Ayame back.

++++++++++++++

Ayame sat in the hospital bed a few weeks later, blowing a piece of red hair into the air in front of her face, just too keep herself distracted. Shikamaru had just been there, the boy playing multiple games of shoji with Ayame. He left after Ayame had lost all of the games and couldn't handle being around him anymore, claiming she would break his neck if he didn't leave.

She could hear shouting coming from the down the hall and groaned to herself, recognizing the shout as Naruto's. She wasn't in the mood too see the blonde at the moment and planned too tell him too leave as soon as he got there.

However, once the door opened it wasn't Naruto who walked in, instead it was a women with blonde hair and a very busty chest. Next came a women with short black hair and lastly Naruto came.

"See, can ya fix her arm?!"

"I need too look at it first, brat," The blonde women mumbled before walking over to Ayame, who was slowly shrinking away from the women. The women noticed this, a smirk settling on her face. "I'm Tsunade, I just need too look at your arm, if its fixable, I can help you."

Ayame stayed still for a second before she nodded, not removing her eyes from Tsunade.

Tsunade glared at Naruto, who obviously didn't get the message, "Leave!"

Naruto tilted his head, his arms behind his head, "Eh? Why?"

Tsunade closed her eyes, an irk mark appearing on her head. "She's a girl, idiot!"

Naruto left the room before Tsunade could hit him. Tsunade lifted Ayame's hospital gown over her head, removing the bandages. Her eyes scanned the still stitched side and the little stump. A grin formed on her face and she nodded. "If they still have your arm or a sample of you somewhere, I should be able to fix that right up."

Ayame smiled, "Thank you so much!"

She was excited and Tsunade decided she would perform the surgery as fast as possible, which meant in two days time.

+++++++++++

Ayame awoke three days later, her eyes straining against the darkness. She hadn't expected too wake up during the nighttime and sighed, knowing she wouldn't be able too get back too sleep.

She brought her right hand up to rid the sleep from her eyes when she stopped, her eyes widening. Right arm?

Ayame sat up in bed, her eyes now adjusted to the darkness and bright her right arm in front of her face. A smile appeared and she had never felt happier. She had her arm back!

She wanted to scream in joy but stopped herself, remembering that it was the night and everyone would most likely be asleep.

That was when she heard it, the soft snoring coming from a chair next to her bed. Ayame looked at the sound, her smile spreading even wider when she saw Kurenai fast asleep.

She wanted to wake the women but decided against it, instead laying back down herself and forcing herself too fall back asleep.

+++++++++++

Ayame smacked Kiba upside his head, fuming about what he had just said. "You pervert!"

The Inuzuka rubbed his head in the spot where Ayame at smacked him, pouting slightly. "Ow!"

"You don't just say that about girls, pervert! Pervert! Pervert!"

Ayame was now attracting the attention of the adults walking by and Kiba flung himself at Ayame, forcing his hand over the girls mouth. "Stop it! People will really think I'm a pervert then, idiot!"

Ayame said something that Kiba couldn't understand when Shino and Hinata walked up, Kurenai following not even a minute later.

"Glad we're all on time for our mission!" Kurenai grinned, her hands on her hips as she took in the sight of Kiba and Ayame. "Kiba, let Ayame go now."

The Inuzuka slowly let the red-head go, fearing that she would shout something about him being a pervert then. Kurenai nodded at the two before she started walking off, her team following behind her without a question.

"Our mission is simple. We collect a scroll and bring it back for Lady Homage. It is aB rank mission because there is a high chance of us being attacked multiple times. Hinata, I need your too watch with your Byakugan for any enemies. Shino, please release some bugs to help as well. Kiba, use your sense of smell too help and Ayame, you'll be needed later on." Kurenai finished, looking back at her team with a smile.

They all nodded, doing exactly as she said. However, it wasn't needed seeing as they got too the meeting point without a single attack and Kurenai was confused. There should have been at least one attack, yet there wasn't.

The other ninja were already standing there and handed Kurenai the scroll without a second thought and instantly left. "That was weird. . . "

Kurenai and her team turned back around, starting their way back towards Konoha. "If we continue without stopping, we can get there by nightfall, Kurenai-Sensei."

Kurenai nodded at Kiba's statement, her eyes flickering at the trees when she heard a rustle. She dismissed it, remembering that her team would tell her if there was even a single person close by.

Ayame sighed, wishing there would be some kind of fight, she was itching to use her right arm in a battle, just too see if it worked like it used too.

That was when they were ambushed, all of them surprised. Hinata was scratched by a kunai on her face, Shino dodged his perfectly, Kiba had his jacket ripped open and Ayame was scratched on her side.

They all stood back to back as four ninja stood in a square around them, one for each of them. Kurenai was already in battle with what looked like the biggest opponent.

Ayame ran forward without thinking, her opponent a women with long, black hair and blue eyes. Ayame grinned at the women's choice of outfit, a long dress that certainly restricted her movements.

Ayame finally met her opponent, her kunai slamming against a katana. She growled, grabbing another kunai and slashing at the woman's stomach. She was obviously not prepared for this and gasped as the the middle of her dress was ripped and blood flowed a neat line from the slash.

"You brat!" The woman turned red from anger and brought down her katana full force now. Ayame stumbled back but kept her position, not allowing the katana to go any farther.

"Emi! We're retreating!" A voice came from somewhere else on the battlefield and the woman -Emi- jumped back into the trees, the others retreating as well.

Ayame wanted to go after them, defeat the women, but Kurenai ushered her team forward, wanting to get home quickly. She wouldn't tell them what the big man had said or that she was no match for him, but she could get them home safely.

++++++++++

Ayame pouted as she and Tenten walked around the streets of Konoha, her outfit being ruined from all the slashes and blood stains on it. She personally thought it made her look cool but Tenten wouldn't allow it and was forcing the girl to go shopping.

"Come on, Ayame!" Tenten grabbed the still pouting red-head's hand and pulled her inside a clothing store. She ran over to a rack, looking through it and realized she didn't know Ayame's size. She also realized Ayame's clothes she had on then were big on her and frowned.

"Ayame, what size are you?"

Ayame seemed too freeze, shrugging. She didn't know and didn't want to find out. Tenten sighed, moving around to the back of Ayame's shit and puled out the tag, eyes widening when she saw the extra small labeled there.

If this was big on the girl, then what would fit her?!

She groaned before moving to the racks once again, searching until her eyes landed on a simple blue shirt. She checked the tag, noting that it was an extra small but was still going to make Ayame try it on.

She put the shirt into Ayame's arms, moving on to the pants, grabbing a pair of simple, black shorts. She also grabbed the girl a tan weapon's much and a pair of black shoes.

She also grabbed some fishnets and some bandage wrappings, as well as some gloves with the konoha symbol.

Ayame's arms were now overloaded with stuff and she struggled to the changing room. Tenten waited for ten minutes before forcing herself into the changing room herself, her eyes widening when she saw Ayame.

The girl had her hair in a simple ponytail, but her bangs were framing her face while her headband was on her forehead. The blue shirt fit her perfectly - for some bizarre reason- and the black shorts matched the outfit. Ayame had tied some bandages underneath the shorts, the bandages coming to a stop right above her knees. She had a fishnet underneath the blue shirt, the top only peaking out from the v-neck. She had also tied bandages on her hands, putting the gloves on top of them.

Both girls stared at Ayame in the mirror for minute before Tenten nodded, her eyes still wide. "You look so pretty! That's the outfit!"

Ayame just blushed, not seeing what Tenten saw but didn't want too disagree with the girl. She paid for the outfit and left the store, Tenten grinning like an idiot beside her.

"Let's go get something to eat, okay?" Tenten smiled at Ayame and she just couldn't say no. The two girls went to the ramen stand where Ayame could hear the most overly excited person ever.

"Ayame-chan!" Naruto greeted her when she sat next to him, a noodle hanging from the side of his mouth.

Ayame laughed, nodding, "Hi Naruto-kun."

Tenten said her greetings as well and the two of them ordered their first bowl while Naruto was ordering his fifth.

Ayame ate slowly, noting how many calories was in the food but she didn't want to be a killjoy. She watched Tenten order her second bowl and felt a tad bit disappointed, knowing that she couldn't eat like that.

Ayame finally finished her first bowl while Naruto was on twelfth and Tenten had just finished her second.

They nodded at the boy, noticing that it was now getting dark out and Ayame knew she had too go home.

Naruto seemed to just then notice Ayame's new outfit and blushed madly, his eyes wide. "Nice outfit, Ayame-chan."

Ayame blushed as well, not very used to compliments and smiled, "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

Maybe she could get used to this. . .

+++++++++++++

I was gonna right more but then this book would be shorter then I want it to be, so I'm gonna stop there LOL

Double updates though, yay! Gonna start working on Chapter Twelve Now xD