"Rise 'n shiiiiiine!" My eyes had snapped open before the lights flicked on. I allowed a half dressed Aisa to bound on me. I figured it wouldn't do any good if he started asking questions such as, "When mommy comes back will she be able to move as fast as Cashile when I tackle her!?"

I groaned as I let his body flatten over mine perpendicularly.

It was 5:30 am. "Why are you up?" I asked groggily, smashing a pillow into my face, tired and irritated. Sure, I didn't get any real sleep when I was a Claw, but now that I had the opportunity to sleep I wanted to take it.

"I thought I could spend some time with you before class! You know I'm graduating soon, right right right? You'll come to my graduation, rigghhhhht?"

The heavy weight is lifted off of me. "Aisa, stop bothering Cashile. She had a long night," Aiden lectured, coming to my rescue. He looked at me, eyes softening. "A long, long night."

It's true, I did. I spent half the night explaining to Aiden (not in detail) about the Rising Phoenix and what had happened to me. He ended up giving me the bed and napping on the couch last night, quite chivalrous if you ask me, although the couch would have been more than enough. But hey, I'm not turning down a bed.

Then again, this was my apartment. My old bed. Huh. Why did I have a bed? I usually either didn't sleep or ended up crashing on my comfortable leather sofa. Now that I think about it, it was rather silly to have Aiden sleep on the couch when, in all honesty, I would rather sleep there.

We still had to discuss living arrangements. It would all be very complicated now, thanks to my declared death. I do suppose Aiden and Aisa are better than coming back to some old geezer living here.

"Aw, Nii-chan!!" Aisa protested.

I pushed off the blanket and tied my choppy hair in a low pony tail behind my head.

"What are you doing?" Aiden asked, "You know you don't have to listen to him, right? He's just really excited that you're back." His grin disappeared and worry replaced the light in his eyes. He reached forward and touched my bruised jaw. I suppressed an eye roll and let him.

"It's fine," I stated. I knew he was beating himself up for it. "And besides," I continued, "You have other things to worry about."

This time I smirked. "Such as where you're going to live now that I'm back from the dead. I'll be taking my stuff back."

Oh yes, the perfect thing to discuss bright and early in the morning.

He grinned, shaking his head. "Nope, sorry. You left everything to me. It's not my fault that you came back from the dead."

My jaw dropped. He was refusing to give me back my property and life savings?

Part of me felt intrigued. That was not part of my predictions for the future.

I straightened my back. "So, what am I going to do? Without any of my money and my apartment which was given to me by the third hokage?" I asked in a challenging manner.

He smirked. "You're problem, not mine."

I was ready to kick his ass out of the apartment when his smirk turned into a cocky grin. "Relax, I'm kidding. I'm sure our kind can co-exist in harmony while we figure something out." He laughed, a twinkle sparkling in his eyes.

A look I've only seen in him when he looks at Aisa. Huh, perhaps it was just my imagination.

"What exactly is 'our kind'? You speak as if we're different creatures altogether." I said, narrowing my eyes playfully.

Our little bickering was interrupted by Aisa. "Nii-chan, I'm hungry!" He yelled.

A light flicked on inside of me. Oh how I missed cooking real food. I grimaced thinking of what I was fed in the organization.

The minimal, just enough to keep my body functioning healthy. Bland oatmeal type food for breakfast and dinner, unless I was being punished.

I almost drooled at the thought of sushi, and a nice warm cup of tea.

And a large chocolate cake drooling insane amounts of goopy sugary frosting.

Aiden must have noticed my eyes glazed over at the savory thought of food, because he touched my shoulder gently. I took a half step away from his touch, and his hand drops to his side. "I can bring you something if you want, you can stay in bed and rest," He offered.

I snapped back into reality and yanked myself off the bed entirely. "No way!"

I marched into the kitchen and started exploring for items to cook with. Behind me I heard Aiden order his brother to get ready for school. Aisa complied without question, as he always did.

"What are you making?" Aiden asked me inquisitively from behind. I started the water in the kettle and started chopping some onions and tomatoes-- all the veggies I could find.

"I'm making myself and Aisa a decent breakfast," I replied, hastily cracking the egg and throwing the onions and tomatoes into the sizzling oil. "Don't suppose you learned how to cook?"

A sheepish look crossed over his face. "We eat ramen every other night."

I clicked my tongue, not bothering to hide my disgust. "I may take Aisa out of your custody for that," I joked.

"Or you could stay!" Aisa squealed, coming out from the shadows fully dressed for school.

"Just to make sure you're fed real food, I might," I replied casually, but I felt Aiden tense behind me and I started to feel self conscious.

"Would you really?" He breathed.

Oh. He wanted me to stay. Huge relief swept over me. Poor guy, he probably wanted a decent meal every now and then too. Now I had a place to stay for the near future: the cause of my relief I'm sure.

"Just eat," I ordered, finishing up the third omelette.

Aiden sent me his soft yet dazzling smile. "You're impossible," he grinned. And somehow, when he said it, it wasn't an insult at all.

I ignored him and dug into my first bite and almost tear up at the exquisite taste of real food.

I cannot wait to bake my cake today.

I felt satisfied as I looked over the boys as they scarfed down what was left on their own plates. I rolled my eyes. What morons, eating ramen every other day.

The clock in my head struck 7:00am. "Thank you Cashile!" Aisa squealed, attempting to tackle me in a hug again. This time his attack was unsuccessful, as I pushed against his forehead.

Aiden took his hand. "Come on buddy, time to go." He then looks up at me gratefully. I nod in acknowledgement.

"Go wait outside the door for me, Aisa," Aiden said, shoving him slightly out the door. When Aisa was gone he turned to me. "We never fully repaid you, and the second you come back we're in even more debt to you," he said.

I shrugged lightly, "Don't worry about it. You'll just owe me a favor," I smirked at this, remembering old times.

"Yeah," he whispered, staring at me as though I was impossible. I suppose, in a way, I was. "Take care of yourself while we're gone, okay? Aisa will be home around 3 and I'll be home around 8, if they let me out on time. He's really glad to have you around here."

"Will do," I chirped. I knew exactly what I would be doing. Baking baking and more baking.

"Alright, see ya, Cashile," he said, shutting the door behind him.

As soon as they're gone I turned back and started to clean up the omelette in order to start baking the cake. As I reached for a teacup I suddenly froze.

That wasn't a teacup recently used.

That was my teacup.

That was the mug I'd set next to the sink when Kakashi came and told me Tsunade had summoned us for a mission. For that mission. For the one I didn't return from.

Aiden had never moved my teacup.

That hit me harder than anything had yet. It was like he was holding onto me, or somehow waiting for me to come back, all in the simple motion of not moving my teacup.

I turned and scanned the apartment. My chessboard.... He hadn't put it away in almost three years.

But he had changed it.

I drew closer, studying the board. He'd moved one piece, a bishop. I smirked. It wasn't a half bad move. But I had one in response.

I moved a rook, then turned around and went back to the kitchen. Let's see how he would respond to that move.

***

Just as I put the cake in the oven there's a knock on the door. Immediately there's a knife in my hand and I'm in the most advantageous position in the room if I'm forced to fight.

I stayed silent, watching the door in anticipation.

"Cashile?" A voice rung out, "I'm coming in...?"

I didn't relax at all when I heard Kakashi's voice behind the door. It could be anything, anyone: a transformation, someone mimicking, Kakashi held hostage...

There was a 97% chance it was Kakashi, not anyone else, but hey... You could never be too careful.

Kakashi opened the door and I readied myself, staring silently. He took a moment to spot me but when he did, he immediately froze. Raising a hand in a placating gesture, Kakashi took a slow step forward. I watched with narrowed eyes.

"Cashile," he called, "It's just me."

I stayed in my defensive stance, not saying a word.

"I'll prove it," he said. I waited as he slowly reached into his pocket, pulling out chakra inhibitors. He placed them on himself. "See? Not a transformation."

"Could be fake," I responded carefully.

Kakashi took a step forward and I finally relaxed. "Sorry about that Kakashi," I set down the knife, "Couldn't be sure, y'know?"

Kakashi looked confused. "How can you know now?"

I pointed towards the camouflaged trap. "A Claw would have seen that and under no circumstances would it allow itself to stand where a trap could strike, even if trying to earn my trust. You saw it," Kakashi's eyebrows shot up at this, "Yes, I noticed you saw the trap, and yet you deliberately set yourself in it's path to give me the control. No Claw would take that risk."

"Kakashi? Everything alright?" Ibiki's voice floated up the stairs and around the corner.

I wrinkled my nose. "Seriously, does he have to be here?"

Kakashi sighed. "I swear, all you two want to do is apologize to one another and make up, but your both stuck in 'hostile' mode."

"Stunning deduction, Kakashi," I responded sarcastically.

Ibiki's heavy footsteps sounded up the stairs. He appeared in my doorway, glowering. "Come on, brat," he grumbled. "How long are you planning on making us wait?"

I winced, trying not to think about what's in store for me. "I have a cake in the oven," I tell him.

A look of horror spreads across his face. "Y-you're? You're?" I stared at him, confused as he spluttered. "You're p-p-p--" Red blossoms on his face.

Realization hits me hard and I started laughing. "You're thinking of 'bun in the oven'," I snorted. "Jesus Ibiki, I'm barely..." I stop, confused. "I'm only..."

"You're sixteen now, Cashile," Kakashi informed me softly, sadly. "You'll turn seventeen soon."

I nodded, trying not to show my discomfort at not knowing something as simple as my age. "Then Aiden's almost eighteen? Is he still seventeen?"

"According to the papers he's twenty three," Kakashi joked. "The Hokage let him in even though he knew Aiden was lying."

"Are we done here?" Ibiki interjected, "Safety of the village and all that."

"I have a cake in the oven!" I protested.

"Too bad. We have work to do."

***

"I know about my parents."

Ibiki nodded. Kakashi winced. Tsunade glanced through the papers, scanning.

"I thought you might," Kakashi finally said. I stared straight ahead. "How much do you know?"

"They arrived in Konoha before I was born. My mother was pregnant with me, due to the fact that a pregnant woman isn't as suspicious. The fourth Hokage approved of them staying for long term residency. They became ninja of Konoha, and ascended the ranks quickly. But then they betrayed the Hokage, stole secrets, forbidden jutsus, plans and weaknesses of Konoha. They didn't escape, and they were caught."

"That's all correct," Kakashi nodded.

"But the Hokage never could find where they hid the secrets, and my parents were killed by an assassin before you could interrogate them," I drone emotionlessly. "Then the question became centered around me. What to do with me."

"I suppose now we know the assassin was the Claw of the Phoenix," Tsunade said thoughtfully.

"Many people thought I should be exiled from the village. I was the daughter of two spies. I myself could be a spy, or at the the very least a spy in training. But the Hokage saw me not as an enemy but as a three year old girl. He gave me a second chance, locked away my memories before the age of three, gave me a new life, and put me into an orphanage. I never realized until now that the headmistress of the orphanage was an ANBU. And when I got my own place, my own apartment, he put me under ANBU watch."

"Correct," Ibiki conceded.

"What the Hokage never guessed was that I was the hiding place," I murmured. "My parents sealed Konoha's secrets into my mind for safekeeping. And eleven years later, The Rising Phoenix received those secrets."

I lowered my head. "I could not keep them from obtaining the secrets despite your training, Ibiki," I said, "That's the door that was shattered open when all the others were closed."

"So you know the forbidden jutsus now?" Tsunade asked.

"I have knowledge of them," I corrected, "That doesn't mean I can perform them. While my chakra has significantly increased, I can't make hundreds of shadow clones like..." I searched for the name for a moment, and when I found it it fell heavily from my tongue. "Naruto."

"Very good," Tsunade paused in her scribbling, "What more can you tell us?"

***

I sat at the kitchen table, staring at the burnt black rock that was supposed to be a cake. The silence was deafening.

I shuddered as a memory of the torture ripped through me. Remembering, recalling everything I could was painful. But they insisted. Even when I was begging, even when I called for a break they insisted on continuing. Occasionally someone would get me a glass of water or a meal or pause to ask me if I took my pneumonia medicine today but overall it was a day of remembering without a break to catch my breath.

It was fairly upsetting.

Traumatizing.

I heard the door click open and almost immediately recognized it as Aiden. "Sorry I'm late!" He called out, "Aisa decided to stay out after school so I had to pick him up from the park. Sorry if you worried about him. He should be home in about five minutes."

I stared at the burnt cake in silence, struggling to find a mask of strength to slide over my face before Aiden stepped into the room. But then it was too late and he was there and he saw me.

He froze. "Cashile? Are you okay?"

I can't help it. I burst into tears.

His eyes widened, unused to such displays of emotion from me. But then he's all action, hurrying around the kitchen table to comfort me, offering  tea and reassuring words as I sobbed.

"What's wrong, Cashile?" He rubbed my back, "What's wrong?"

I think about the torture and the remembering and wishing I was dead and killing all the people and staring at my pinky as it was being sewn back on but I choose none of these to say out loud.

"The cake," I finally choke out between my tears.

"I burnt the fucking cake."

__________________________

Hey guys! How emotional was that?? :'''( I cry.
Anyways! hope you liked it!!!

Sorry, no long authors note, but definitely comment and vote!!

Thank you for all the support <3

Adios!

Okay sorry for slightly late update my mom kept me away! Here ya go! Comment!

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Ja ne!

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