Young Writers Society

Ayumi shot an uncontrolled warning glance at the blonde, then silently sped off for the village. She had her teeth clenched as she ignored the ever increasing pain in her leg; it felt like her kneecap was on the right side of her joint, misplaced entirely. She wouldn't voice it, though; she didn't have the time to worry about it. Her fists were still clenched in rage; she had let herself be played the fool, and let one of the most wanted criminals in the Fire Nation slip through her fingers.

"Damn it," she hissed, racing ahead of Emi. She needed to get away, to be alone, to vent... But you can't. You need to check on Kakashi and any others that might have been hurt... Fuck!

After a few agonizing moments, the village came into view, with its vast mountainside backdrop and expansive urban structure. The hospital walls gleamed in the sunlight. Ayumi made her way toward it, not slowing her pace. She could hear Emi behind her.

Emi watched Ayumi. The girl's fists were clenched and Emi could almost feel the heat of her anger.

"Ayumi, wait!" Emi called, speeding up to run next to the girl. "You need to calm down. You can't go into a hospital like this." Ayumi's jaw clenched, but she said nothing. "Ayumi, just take a deep breath. Don't think about it. Focus on breathing, okay?"

Ayumi hesitated, but took a breath and unclenched her fists.

"You're attitude matches your jutsu. You need a little water to calm your flames."

"Don't get spiritual on me." Ayumi grumbled.

"And don't rain on my philosophical parade." Emi returned, joking.

A small smile appeared on Ayumi's face and the pair stopped in front of the hospital. They entered through the front entrance. Emi said a few words to the nurse at the front desk, who told them where to find Kakashi, and then the two kunoichi headed off down the hall.

Asuma, Gai, and Kurenai were there when they came into the room.

"Good to see you two are okay." Asuma said, turning to look at the girls.

"A little worse for wear, but otherwise okay." Emi said.

"So what happened?" Kurenai asked.

"Well, I'm assuming the two you three faced were the real Akatsuki members, but they replaced themselves with clones by the time we caught up to them." Emi explained. She saw Ayumi tense beside her, fists clenching again. Emi leaned over and whispered almost inaudibly in her sister's ear. "Breathe."

She then moved to stand next to Kakashi. "How's he doing?"

"No physical problems." Asuma said. "We're not sure what that Uchiha did to him."

"It was a powerful mental attack. A horrible genjutsu that makes the mind believe the body is being tortured for hours, days, or years, all in a small amount of time." Emi watched Kakashi breathe, reliving her encounter with the Mangekyou Sharingan.

"How do you know this?" Kurenai asked. Emi said nothing, but closed her eyes and forced away the memories.

"We'd better go. We have to report what happened."" Emi said after a moment. She opened her eyes and turned to the others.

Ayumi nodded, but decided to sit down. Her leg was becoming unbearably painful; she could barely stand. Thankfully there was an extra chair in the room, not a few feet from where she was. She limped over to it, plopping roughly down into the cushions.

"Ayumi?" Kurenai asked. All eyes turned on the young brunette.

Ayumi said nothing, only biting back a hiss of pain as she began to roll up her right pant leg, gingerly over her knee. She let out a painful - and annoyed - breath when she saw the damage. Her knee cap was literally an inch too far to the right, resting against the ball of her femur; her skin was also an ugly, reddish purple color and she was beginning to swell. Her knee was dislocated.

"Shit, that guy's strong," she mumbled, gripping her thigh firmly in her hands. She lifted her gaze to the other Jounin. "If one of you aren't willing to help twist this back into place, then we'd probably better send for that nurse. I can't walk like this anymore."

Emi walked over. "Here, let me help." She kneeled down and took Ayumi's leg and reset the kneecap. Ayumi sucked in a sharp breath, but relaxed once the job was over. "I can reduce the swelling and bruising. It'll feel a little uncomfortable, though."

"When did you learn medical ninjutsu?" Asuma asked.

"I haven't, it's a useful jutsu I came up with. I was out on my own for six years. I needed some type of self-medical treatment on hand." Emi explained, then turned back to Ayumi. "Just relax and breathe."

Emi ran through the handseals of a basic water-manipulation jutsu and then added her own personal handseal at the end. Lining up her left middle finger with her right index, she laced her other fingers together as chakra poured into her hands. A small orb of water coalesced in her palm and she held it over Ayumi's injury. The orb separated into tiny, microsopic particles and entered Ayumi's skin. The girl tensed as the water particles went to work. Emi's eyes were closed as she focused on her healing jutsu.

Finally the job was done and Emi pulled the water from Ayumi's leg and opened her eyes. The leg was back to normal size, and the bruising was now a dull purple-blue.

"Amazing." Kurenai said. "You developed that yourself?"

Emi nodded. "It's not completely perfect. It uses too much chakra."

"Thanks, Emi." Ayumi said, standing and testing her leg. "I can't feel much of the pain anymore."

"You're welcome." Emi smiled.

Ayumi sighed, casting one last look at Kakashi. He hadn't stirred at all; he just laid there, frozen as though in a coma. How long will you be out of it, Kakashi? And what the hell did he DO to you?

She tore her eyes from him and nodded at the others. "I'm sorry I had to be an extra burden to you guys" - she gave Emi a long, gratifying, and sorrowful look - "and I'll see you in a little while." She turned and walked, just barely limping, out the door and into the hall.

"Let us know if anything changes," Emi said, and followed her sister out.

Once the two had left the hospital and had started toward the ANBU headquarters, Ayumi scoffed. "I hate you had to do that for me, back there."

"Hey," Emi responded, taking on that typical authorative tone, "things happen. We all get hurt sometimes."

"Yeah, well... Thanks."

"Anytime." Emi said. "Once we get done reporting in, I want to head back and see Kakashi again. Hopefully he'll wake up soon." Emi wanted to worry about his mental state, but she knew Kakashi's mind was strong. Still, she wanted to be there when he woke up.

The pair arrived at the ANBU headquarters and went in, passing through the security measures and entering a dark room.

The meeting didn't take long, and they were out in no time. Emi glanced back at the ANBU building. There was a time before she'd left on her mission when she had wanted to join the Black Ops, but now she was unsure. If she joined the ANBU, she'd have to give up her ambassador position, and she loved that job even though it kept her away from the village for extended periods of time. However, coming home had made her realize how much she'd missed her friends and family. She'd missed so much while she was gone, and neither the ANBU or her Ambassador job would allow her to see them.

With a sigh, she turned to Ayumi. "I'm going to visit Kakashi. I'll see you later."

Ayumi smiled. She knew it, but she didn't want to say it. Not aloud, at least.

You love him, she thought, watching her speed off to the hospital. She could already picture them: Emi sitting on the bed beside him, either stroking his face or holding his hand, whispering kind words to him...

She didn't need to hear Emi's thoughts to know, either. It was written all over her face, in her tone when she spoke of him, in her eyes and manners...

Lucky little witch, she sighed. At least Emi had someone like that. The best thing Ayumi had was Iruka, and they weren't at all serious. He was engaged to someone else. Not that those thoughts cross my mind anyway. I don't have time for that.

Ayumi stood there, just staring at the sky for the longest time. The clouds passed by slowly, and, before too long, the sky began to turn a pale pink in the west. The sun was going down. Ayumi's thoughts traveled, passing through memories of her childhood and dreams of the future, into the deepest depths of her most emotional times, to just a little while ago...Itachi...

She frowned, growling to herself. That bastard... He had made a fool of her, deceiving her so easily and then leading her to believe she were the more powerful ninja. He had slipped right through her fingers, and she had let him. Like she were a Genin again and didn't know a thing about the ninja arts...

You won't escape again. I promise you that. Not even realizing what she was doing, she made her way toward the Hokage's office - more specifically, the councilroom.

Emi made her way back to the hospital and to Kakashi's room. He was still unconscious. She moved the chair that was in his room and set it next to his bed and sat down. She place a hand on his forehead, though she knew he wouldn't have a fever.

His eyebrows came down slightly and he opened his eyes. One of which held the Sharingan. His gaze moved and focused on Emi.

"Morning, Scarecrow." She said. "How are you feeling?"

"What happened?" He sat up.

"You should rest your mind. That genjutsu is nothing to mess around with."

Kakashi just gave her a look. So, he felt fine, apparently.

"Well, after your little run in with Itachi's Sharingan," Emi explained, "those two intruders took off right as Ayumi and I showed up. We went after them while Asuma and the others got you to the hospital." Kakashi frowned at her, but she ignored it. "We caught up to them, engaged in one on one fights, but-"

"You took them on by yourself?" Kakashi asked.

"One-on-one. I fought one, while Ayumi fought the other." Emi said, crossing her arms and leaning back. "You have such little faith in my abilities."

"You haven't changed very much, have you?" Kakashi sighed.

Emi continued. "Anyway, we fought, but we managed to overpower them. Unfortunately, the ones we were fighting turned out to be clones. Very convincing ones."

"They're S-ranked ninja." Kakashi said.

"And they apparently have some important business with a nine-tails." Emi added. "Itachi mentioned 'the ninetails was on the move'."

"What?" He sat up straighter. "They're after Naruto?"

"Is that the name of the jinchuuriki?"

Kakashi nodded. "He's one of my student's."

Emi nodded and grabbed his forehead protector of the small table next to the bed. She stood and handed it to him. "Well, I guess we'll have to postpone dinner until you find Naruto. Just let me know if I can help."

Kakashi looked at her, then took the hitai-ite.

Later, after saying goodbye to Kakashi, she found herself in front of Danzo Shimura and Kiharu Utatane, the Hokage's advisers.

"We recieved a message from the council of the Sand. They request that you attend the Kazekage's funeral." Lady Kiharu said.

"You can also use this time to assess the situation in that village." Danzo added.

Emi frowned. He didn't mean for her to spy on the Sand while the Kazekage was being buried, did he?

"I shall leave as soon as I can." She said, bowing respectfully.

***Will we time skip again? After you do your Itachi suff? Maybe to Sasuke's running away?***

***Yeah, why not? There's not much else to do. Sorry if my post is a little rough; I can't think straight right now...***


Ayumi knocked on the door to the vast chamber; the voices inside went quiet. One of them answered her knock. "Come in."

She opened the door and entered the room, closing it firmly behind her. "Forgive me for my interruption."

"It's fine, Ayumi," he said. "What do you need?"

"Your permission, Coucil, to go after Itachi Uchiha - "

Startled shouts began to drown her voice. She spoke louder.

" - and put an end to the Akatsuki terrorism. I need only your permission and your blessings, my lords."

"This is suicide!" one of the councilmen shouted.

"Are you insane?" another called.

The men shouted doubts and insults at her, left and right. Her head began to hurt again, overloaded with the intense volume and the overlapping phrases. She closed her eyes and growled. She finally took a step forward and slammed her fist down on the table, sending a pulse of chakra through it; it shook beneath the force, thunderously crashing to the floor.

"Do not assume I am one of your common Jounin, running about like a well-trained dog! I fought Itachi not an hour ago, and held my own against him! Only by deception did he escape me!"

The shouting began to die down. She had their attention.

"Now, all I want is a chance to track him and his punk-ass companions down, and take them out! One at a time, if I have to! That would do this entire world a favor, giving us the chance to focus on things we need to worry about: Orochimaru, the potential war that could be brewing, and our nation's economic and military status!" She took her hand off the table and stepped back, pulse slowing.

Say yes, she longed. Hopefully, they would see the advantage, and grant her the permission she desired. Ayumi didn't realize, however, that her words and actions were anger driven; she didn't want to just spare her nation from terrorism. She wanted revenge. She wanted to redeem herself. She wanted a rematch. And she would get it...she would...

The councilmen huddled together, muttering softly. Ayumi waited, almost impatiently; she unconsciously began to tap her foot in the silence. What was taking them so long? If it took them this long to come up with a 'yes' or 'no', she feared how long it would take to figure out some kind of solution to a major crisis - like the Hokage's death and the Sand's betrayal...

The men finally separated, taking their seats. Only one stood, and he seemed uneasy. "It is the opinion of the council...that your talents...are needed here. I'm sorry, Ayumi. We cannot let you go to your death, noble as it would be."

She felt her arms tense, her jaw locking. She nodded once, and left. She stalked away, walking furiously down the hall. Anyone who saw her ducked away, avoiding her at all costs; she paid them no mind. She ignored everything until she got outside, walked down the roads, and back out to the KIA Memorial's training grounds.

She perched on one of the poles, balancing on her toes, and stared at the sun. Now, what? Should she obey the council's wishes and help her village in whatever way they deemed necessary? Or should she go after Itachi anyway, risking her freedom...and life?

She leapt, focusing chakra into the soles of her feet before landing on the river's surface. She began to run across the top of the water, simply following its flow. If there was nothing else to do, she could at least run off some steam.

Emi had just been dismissed when a member of the council hurried up.

"Pardon my interruption." He said then whispered to Lady Utatane and Danzo.

"What?" Lady Kiharu gasped. "It was foolish of her to even suggest it!"

"As much as we'd like to attack them head on, one woman could never hope to match the Akatsuki." Danzo grumbled. He turned to Emi. "I suggest you find some way to control that sister of yours before she goes and does something ignorant, like gets herself killed."

"I've long seen how she allows that temper of hers to control her actions." Lady Kiharu said. "Her talents are great, but her anger is greater. It is a handicap that she needs to be rid of."

Emi sighed and placed her forehead in her palm. That hadn't changed in six years. Ayumi's temper was almost legendary. Helpful in a close fight, but otherwise it was a pain.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure she doesn't do anything stupid." Emi said. "I'll come and report in before I leave tomorrow."

"Very well." Danzo said. "You may go, now."

Emi nodded and left. She walked casually through the village. She was going to find Ayumi, but there wasn't much need to rush. Ayumi may have a temper, but there's a brain in her head. Ayumi wouldn't run off after being told to stay still, not because of her anger. It would take alot more for her to defy orders...she hoped. It had been six years.

Emi continued to walk until she came to the place she had guessed Ayumi would come to. She paused by the monument that held the names of fallen ninja. That war had taken the lives of many ninja she'd once fought beside. She never saw the frontlines, she was keeping the Leaf's allies close.

Emi knelt at the memorial and read the names inscribed on it.

***Okay, I said earlier that Emi didn't know why Kakashi had changed so much. Well, I didn't realize that there was an error in my timeline. She didn't leave the village until three years after Obito died, which means she does know. So scratch the whole not knowing part. She already knew what had changed Kakashi.***

Ayumi didn't run far. Just two miles downriver and then back. By the time she made it back to the memorial, she was worn out, calmer, and ready to retire for the day.

"Ugh," she groaned, stepping onto the ground and releasing the chakra in her feet. "I hate days like this..."

"At least you didn't make it worse and run off," a voice mused. There was a disappointed tone to it; Ayumi knew it was Emi.

"Don't start with me on that. That option was very tempting."

Emi got up from where she had knelt and brusquely approached her. "What the hell were you thinking? Asking to go after the Akatsuki? Losing your temper in the councilroom?" The blonde shook her head. "What's gotten into you these past six years, Ayumi?"

Ayumi scoffed, walking away from her. "Nothing. Just life, is all."

"Wait. Talk to me."

"I'm going home, before I kill somebody." Without another word, she vanished, making her way toward the apartments.

Emi sighed rubbed her face. She didn't even get to tell Ayumi she was leaving in the morning. Oh, well, she'd find out soon enough.

Emi sat down by the memorial, soaking in the sight of her old training ground. She'd be gone for a week in the Sand, so she'd better enjoy her time home while she still could. Who knoews what will pile onto her plate in the coming days.

Two Kage funerals so close together. Emi put her head in her hands and took a deep breath. This had not been how she'd imagined her welcome home. She leaned back and gazed at the darkening sky. Small stars had begun to appear.

The sound of approaching feet turned her head. Kakashi came walking down the path. He caught site of her and waved. Emi stood and waited as he came up.

"What brings you here, Emi?" He asked.

"A troublesome sister." Emi said.

"Ayumi?"

Emi nodded. "She tried to convince the council to let her go after the Akatsuki by herself. She's mad that she was fooled by Itachi." Emi looked at the memorial. "I'm guessing you're here to pay respects to Obito."

Kakashi's face was serious as he nodded. He placed a bouquet of flowers on the memorial and said a silent prayer. It had been thirteen years since Kakashi's teammate was killed in action. Thirteen years since Kakashi had receieved his Sharingan from him. Kakashi had not let the years dull the memory.

"So about dinner. Why don't we go get it, now? I'm anxious to hear how you spent the last six years." Kakashi said.

"How about we get barbeque?" Emi suggested. Kakashi nodded and the pair walked off together.

Ayumi reached her apartment with no other trouble; she entered the five room suite and locked the door, striding over to her radio. She turned it on and turned the volume up; Girugamesh blared, vibrating the pictures on the walls.

She liked living here; she had been able to take the plain white walls and turn the space into one that reflected her. Semi-opaque screens separated the living room from her work-out space, where a standing punching bag, weights, and a multi-purpose bar could be found on a wide pad. There were more pads tacked to the walls in that corner. Her bedroom and bathroom were oriental havens, both decorated with various pieces of artwork depicting native flora and wildlife. Her kitchen and closet were ordinary - well organized, clean, and full of just every day objects.

Ayumi removed her ninja gear - her hitai-ite, her kunai and shuriken cases, a senbon pouch - and dropped them on the coffee table in the middle of the living area. She strode over to the padded corner, slipped her hands into some fingerless gloves, and went to work on the punching bag.

She forgot how long she was at the bag, for she was covered in sweat, stiffening, and fatigued when she finally put the gloves down. She staggered over the couch and plopped lazily into it, simply staring at the ceiling.

Thank God this day is over, she thought, at fell asleep.


***If it's about 5 in the story, I'll probably have her wake up in a couple hours, around 8:00ish... ***

It was finally done. The village had been restored and everything was returning to what it was before the attacks. Well, almost. Without a Hokage, it was a little difficult handing out ninja missions. Emi had only been on two since she returned from the Hidden Sand. Which had been an interesting trip.

The Sand had not only wanted her to attend the funeral, but they had wanted to apologize to her. Apparently Orochimaru, while in the guise of the Kazekage, had pinned her as a spy that was betraying their trust. There had been a plan to assassinate her, but she'd stayed that extra time in Hidden Rain.

Now, a month later, things were peaceful, though some of the fear Orochimaru had caused still lingered. Emi sat on the edge of the cliff that held the Hokage Faces, looking out over the village. She was off from her ambassador trips, for now. A small vacation to make up for the six-year mission, she'd been told. In all honesty, though, she was ready to do a real mission, non-ambassadorial.

Emi smirked. She'd had a quiet competition with Kakashi since she'd reached the Academy. She'd almost matched his time spent in each ninja level, and she'd kept up with his mission numbers. But she had fallen behind after she left. She was a little old for that little competition anyways.

Emi returned her attention to the village. Rumors had spread, telling that Tsunade of the Three Legendary Sannin was taking over as Hokage. Emi was curious to see how that turned out.

Ayumi raced through the trees, swift and stealthy as a tiger. The three Genin were so obvious, stomping their way about the woods and yelling at the tops of the their lungs. How like a Genin...never knowing the meaning of "silence"...

Speaking of which, there was one of the right there, just three more paces in front of her, back turned... So easy. She leapt from the shadows, flipping over the young girl's head and landing directly in front of her. She reached out with two fingers, jabbing the preteen on the forehead with two fingers, marked with red ink. "Captured!"

The girl yelped in surprise and fell backwards, onto her backside. "Aw, man! You always get me!"

Ayumi sighed, standing up. "Because you're obvious. Like I told the other two: you're a ninja, now; you must learn the art of stealth - hiding effectively, avoiding your pursuers, and tracking them unnoticed in return."

The girl hesitantly nodded. "Where are the boys?"

Ayumi smiled. "Already got them. I dismissed them for lunch; you should go join them."

The girl nodded again, getting to her feet and quickly making her way toward the village. "Thank you! See you tomorrow, Ayumi-sensei!"

Ayumi groaned; that always ruined the mood. I'm not you're sensei... I'm just a substitute... But knowing she was respected and appreciated... That felt good.

Ayumi looked at her watch. Noon. It was time for lunch...and to find Emi.


***The Genin are just random kids. I couldn't think of anything else to do... ***