Deidara's POV

"Ugh... Finally done." I said, relieved that I was finally done with the mission I had to do alone. Once I was near the base, I jumped off my bird, made my art disappear, and went inside. "You've been gone for quite a while." Kisame mentioned as I entered the base.

"Well, I would've finished the mission faster if I had a partner with me, un." I said. "Why didn't you take Tobi?" Zetsu asked. "Like I really wanna listen to his annoying voice, un," I rolled my eyes. "Is Nue back from her mission yet?" I asked.

"Yeah, she returned a few hours ago. She's in her room and hasn't come out since." Kisame informed. "Why? Is something wrong with her?" I asked. "Well, the kid seemed to be in a mood when she returned from the mission. Hidan and Kakuzu didn't come back with her though. Needless to say, they didn't make it." He said.

"I'm gonna go check on her." I said. I went to walk to her room until Tobi grabbed my arm. "Tobi thinks you should leave Nue-chan alone for a while." He said. "Why? Did something happen to Nue, un?" I asked.

"Do what he says, Deidara. It's best if you don't disturb her right now." Itachi advised. "Can someone tell me what the hell's going on? What happened?" I demanded, getting a little irritated. "We don't know what happened. Nue's been in her room all day. She won't eat or say a word." Kisame said.

I frowned. "I'm gonna go check on her." I said, heading to Nue's room. I walked down the hall until I was in front of her door. "Nue, it's Deidara. Can I come in?" I asked, knocking on her door. "Go away." Nue replied in an cold tone.

"Hey, are you okay? What's the matter? Is everything okay, un?" I asked. "I said, go away. Now... Or I'll kill you." She warned. Something's not right. I have to find out what's wrong with her. I slowly opened her door and peeked inside.

I found Nue on her bed with her back facing me as she was faced the wall. "Nue, are you okay, un?" I asked as I opened the door wider. "Are you deaf or something? I told you to go away. You must be pretty persistent to die, you blonde idiot." Nue said, her back still facing me.

"Nue, talk to me. What happened? Please, I wanna help you." I said as I catiously walked towards her. When I was close enough, the smell of blood hit my nose. "Nue, why do I smell blood, un?" I asked.

"Because I've been cutting." She murmured. Nue lifted her arm, showing me her wrist I saw blood oozing out of an open cut. "Are you crazy?! Stop!" I said as I grabbed her wrist. Nue put up a fight as I tried to pin her to the bed so I could stop her from hurting herself any further.

I failed to restrain her as she flipped me over and pinned me down to the bed. My eyes widened a little as I saw her eyes glowing red. "Nue...?" I mumbled. She didn't say anything as she stared at me. "Nue, please talk to me. I wanna help you, yeah." I said to her.

"Just shut up! I don't wanna hear it!" Nue snapped. I immediately shut my mouth and glanced at her body as it was covered in faded cuts. What kind of battle was she in? "If I had just been there for her... If I had just protected her like I said I would..." Nue said, trailing off.

Who is she talking about? "Nue, what happened? Talk to me." I pleaded. She didn't respond as her hair covered her eyes. I panicked when I saw Nue slowly taking out a kunai knife. "Nue, stop! Don't do this!" I said, quickly, afraid she'd might stab me.

"You don't tell me what to do!" She snapped, holding the knife against my cheek. I stayed still, waiting her for to cut me. "I have to get out of here." Nue said, quickly. She flew towards the ceiling, smashing through it as she took off.

"Nue!" I called after as I sat up. don't do this." I said. Where is she going? What happened on the mission? Who was Nue talking about?

Nue's POV

I flew far away from the base, going to who knows where. After I was sure I was far away from the base, I flew down to a tree that was blooming white, chameleon flowers. I frowned and began to punch it. With each punch I threw, the tree shook, making the petals from the flowers fall down.

I punched the tree harder and harder, breaking the skin off my knuckles. I was too angry to feel the pain. Every time I punched the tree, the thought of Iri came into my mind.

"You're such a klutz, Nue."

"Sisters till the end, right?"

"I think your wings and tails are absolutely beautiful!"

I punched the tree harder, making the tree shake more and more.

"I know, Nue. It sucks being alone. Believe me, I know. But it's all right now because I'm here with you."

"Whatever happens to you, good or bad, you're still you. And I'd never abandon you."

"From now on, we'll be together."

I punched the tree one more time before sinking to my knees, sobbing. I pounded my fist on the side of the tree as I pressed my forehead against the it. "I'm sorry, Iri! I'm sorry!" I sobbed. My hands clenched into fists as I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, tears trailing down my face.

"Excuse me, Miss. But are you okay?" I glanced behind me and noticed a boy with light brown and pink eyes, wearing clothes I've never seen before.

"I'm fine." I said, quickly as I wiped my eyes. I turned around, facing him. "Your hands..." He said, softly. I looked down at my knuckles as the skin was torn off and they were bleeding. The kid got down on his knees and got out some medical equipment and began to treat my knuckles.

After he was done treating them, he wrapped them in bandages. "Thank you. That was really kind of you." I said as I looked at my hands. "You're welcome." He said, smiling. "What's your name?" I asked.

"My name's Yukimaru. You don't look like you're from around here, are you?"

"That's because I'm not. I'm was just stopping by."

"Do you have a name?"

"It's Nue."

He reached up and picked a chameleon flower that had fallen in my hair while I was punching the tree. "Tell me, do you like the red chameleons or the white ones?" He asked. I raised an eyebrow at Yukimaru. How can he be so calm around me?

Doesn't he see the huge wings and tails that sticking out of my back? "Why do you ask?" I questioned. "Because I want to know which ones you like." Yukimaru smiled. "Hmm... I like the white ones because they don't have a specific color." I said.

"Why were you crying earlier?" He asked. "I wasn't crying." I denied, coldly. "But there's tears falling down your cheeks." He mentioned. I quickly wiped my face. " Are you still in any pain?" he asked. I shook my head. "No," I shook my head.

"It's just that... someone I loved recently died." I said. "Oh... Then, I guess... we're the same." Yukimaru said. I looked at him, confused. "Did you lose someone, too?" I asked. "I lost my mother a long time ago." He answered.

"I'm sorry." I apologized. I looked around, realizing I had no clue where I was. "Where am I?" I asked Yukimaru. "You're near a hideout. But I'm not the only one here. You see that guy over there?" He pointed at something behind me.

I turned around and saw Sasuke performing his Chidori. I frowned as my eyes changed color. "That's-"

"Sasuke... Uchiha." I growled under my breath, interrupting Yukimaru. "Is he a friend of yours?" Yukimaru asked. "No way in hell." I said through my gritted teeth. I forced myself to calm down and made my eyes change back to normal.

"Whose hideout is this?" I asked. "This is Lord Orochimaru's hideout." Yukimaru answered. "Don't trust Orochimaru, Yukimaru." I warned in an cold tone.

I stood up and started to walked away. "Can I ask you something before you go?" Yukimaru said. "Sure. What is it?" I asked, stopping in my tracks. "What are those things on your back?" He asked. "Sure did took you a while to notice them," I turned around so I was facing him.

"The red metallic-looking features that are sticking out of the right side of my back are my wings. The blue arrow-shaped features sticking out of the left side of my back are my tails." I explained. "They're very pretty. I've never seen anything with such beauty." Yukimaru smiled.

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" I asked with my arms crossed over my chest. "I don't think I have to be afraid of you. Do I need to be afraid?" He asked. "Well... No, but anyone who sees my wings and tails gets scared easily." I said.

"I don't think they should be afraid of you. You're really pretty than scary. You know what they say: You shouldn't judge a book by its cover." Yukimaru said as he closed his eyes with a smile. "You know... You sound just like the woman who raised me, took care of me." I mentioned, looking at the ground.

"Who was that?" He asked. "Her name was Luna Satori. She was my..." I looked off to the side as I thought of her. "She was my mother... and now because of what I did... She'll never forgive me." I said, lowering my head so my hair covered my eyes.

I turned around so Yukimaru wouldn't see my tears. I fell to my knees as my hands were in the dirt. Sobs escaped my throat as I closed my eyes tightly. "I've hurt so many people... and I've hurt the people they loved... It's unforgivable." I said, my fingers clenching in the dirt.

"Nue," I lifted my head and Yukimaru hugged me, my chin resting on his shoulder. "You shouldn't have the need to cry. I'm sure whoever you hurt, they forgive you." Yukimaru said. "No... I should just die. Everyone would be much happier... if I died." I said, gazing up at the sky.

"I wouldn't be happy. I'd actually be very sad. In fact, if you were to die, Nue, it would break my heart." Yukimaru said as I felt his hands in my hair. "It would break your heart?" I repeated. "Yes, I'd be devastated." He said.

My eyes widened slightly as I let a tear roll down my cheek. "I'm sure no one would want you dead. They'd be sad if you died. So, I would like you to continue living." Yukimaru said. "That's it... I understand now. I've been so blind when it was right in front of me." I whispered.

"Yukimaru."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you... for helping me understand," I pulled away from Yukimaru and smiled at him as I gently grasped his hands. "I know what I must do now. Thank you, Yukimaru." I said. "No problem," He smiled back.

"I made a braid in your hair. I hope you don't mind." Yukimaru mentioned. I raised my hand to my hair and felt a side braid in my hair. "I don't mind it at all," I let go of his hands and stood to my feet, smiling down at him.

"Let's meet again very soon, Yukimaru." I said. "It's a promise." Yukimaru said as he held out his pinkie finger. I softly smiled at him and entwined my pinkie with his. "Promise." I repeated. I let go of his finger and turned around to leave until a sword pierced through my heart, making me gasp.

My eyes widened when I saw it was Sasuke who had driven the sword through me. "Still slow as ever, Nue." Sasuke said with his Sharingan activated. He pulled his sword out of my chest and wrapped his arm around my waist to keep me from falling.

"Bastard..." I said, panting lightly. I was dying. Because Sasuke struck my heart, I was getting a little weak. You could say being a struck in the heart is what makes me weak. The rough part is, is that my heart takes the longest to heal, unlike the other parts of my body.

I frowned at Sasuke as my vision began to blur until I finally blacked out.

(Time skip) Nue's POV

'Idiot. I should've sensed his chakra. Okay, but in my defense, I was distracted by Yukimaru. I'm not blaming him for making me get distracted... Okay, I guess in a way, it's my fault' I thought to myself. I slowly opened my eyes and blinked a couple times.

Where am I? I sat up and looked around. A bedroom? I guess the question is: Whose bedroom? Maybe it's a spare bedroom. I don't know. I opened my eyes and found myself in a bedroom. "I'm glad to see that you're awake, Nue." I frowned when I heard the sound of his voice.

"What do you want, you damn snake?" I asked, bitterly. "Well, first off, I wanted to tell you how surprised I am at how easily you got captured, and by the hands of Sasuke." He commented. I glanced at him as his arms were crossed over his chest and his head was lowered slightly.

"He got a lucky shot at me. Beginner's luck. Besides, I can get out of here whenever I want." I defended. "So, why don't you leave now? Or are you too eager to kill me?" Orochimaru said, amused. "I just needed a place to rest." I said as I turned my head away from him.

"Why don't you admit that you let your guard down?" He said, closing his eyes with a smirk. "Why don't you admit that you're a sick bastard that enjoys ruining people's lives?!" I shot back. Orochimaru sighed.

"Even when you're all grown up, you're still stubborn as ever." He mentioned. "You took everything from me! You stole what I loved most!" I snapped, standing to my feet. I grunted and began to cough while clutching my heart, making me sit back down on the bed.

I panted lightly, trying to take deep breaths while my eyes were closed from the slight pain."You shouldn't move around so much after being stabbed in the heart." Orochimaru advised. "Shut up." I muttered, coldly.

I took a few more breaths before speaking again. "Remind me kill that little pet of yours later." I said, referring to Sasuke. "You think Sasuke is a mere pet of mine?" He questioned. "I think he's a worm and a coward for not finishing me off like a true ninja." I objected as I opened my eyes.

"He spared your life because he knows how important you are to me."

"Ha! Me important to you? As if. You just want to use me."

"You're a smart child, Nue. I admire that side about you."

"And that's what sickens me."

I took small, calming breaths as I tried to heal my heart as fast as I can. "For someone desperate to kill me, you sure are taking your time." Orochimaru mentioned. "If I wasn't so tired and weak, I'd kill you right now. Just wait until I'm healed. Mark my words; you'll get a taste of your own medicine." I said, frowning.

I lifted my head and Orochimaru was directly in front of my face. "Then why don't you tell me the truth? Why are you holding back, Nue? Is it because you're scared to kill me? Or maybe..." I frowned as he placed his hand on my cheek.

"It's because you don't want to kill me." He said, smirking. My face went emotionless as he began to gently caress my cheek. "Which is it, Nue?" Orochimaru asked. I frowned again and slapped his hand away. "Touch me again, and I'll cut off your tongue." I threatened.

"Stop fighting it, Nue. You know you want to join me. In return, I'll give you anything you want." Orochimaru said. "Anything?" I repeated, unamused. "Anything. You just name it." He said, smirking again.

I took out the kunai knife I had hidden in my sleeve and stabbed his stomach. He froze when he felt the weapon pierce his skin. "I want you to die." I said, my eyes glowing purple. I harshly yanked the kunai knife out his stomach and fell to the floor, landing on his side.

I stood to my feet and glanced down at his corpse. "That seemed way too easy." I mumbled, narrowing my eyes at him. I saw Orochimaru turn his head so he was looking at me and opened his mouth. I took a step away from me as I saw him crawling out of the mouth.

"Just as I thought. Way too easy." I repeated. "That wasn't very nice of you, Nue." Orochimaru said as he stood to his feet. "Who said I was trying to be nice?" I said, walking back from him as he walked towards me. Shit, I didn't think this through.

I continued to walk back from him until I felt my back press against the wall. I glanced at the wall, then at Orochimaru as he stood in front of me.

'This is your chance! What are you waiting for? Kill him!' I thought to myself. Why am I hesitating? This is what I wanted. So, why... do I feel like something's missing? I gasped lightly while flinching when Orochimaru unexpectedly slammed his hand next to my head.

I frowned at him. "Frightened, are we?" He smirked. "No." I denied, looking off the side. I looked back at him as he was still smirking. "You know, if you keep smirking like that, people are going to think you're a pedophile." I mentioned.

'You have another kunai knife in your sleeve, you idiot! Hurry up and kill him!' I practically screamed at myself. I closed my eyes tightly as I tried to think clearly. Why the fuck am I hesitating?! As if reading my mind, Orochimaru said, "You want answers."

I opened my eyes and looked at him. "What did you say?" I demanded. "You want to know why I killed your people, why I left you and only you alive." He said with a bored look on his face. "Out of all the people in the Houjuu Clan... You chose me. Why?" I demanded.

"Because you were the only one who was capable of wanting things to stay the same. You were the only member of the Houjuu Clan who saw things differently," Orochimaru took a step back before walking over to the bed and sitting down.

"I've heard many stories about the Houjuu Clan. Each member of the clan changes who they are based on how destiny puts it. For example, if a member of the Houjuu Clan was born evil, at some point during their life, they'll develop a much nicer, gentler personality. In other words, they have to accept what they become,"

He looked up from the floor, staring at me. "I knew if I attacked what you loved most, it would trigger your inner self, forcing you to stay who you truly are." He explained. Now, I get it. Because of how we change at a certain time, Orochimaru wanted to tap into something inside me to keep me from changing who I wanted to be.

That's how Eun was awakened. So, Ororchimaru was... helping me? I mean, I stayed who I am. I was cold and a bit bipolar in the past, and I'm still like that now. I'm confused. "Don't you get it now, Nue? I did it all for you." Orochimaru said.

I frowned at him. "I want answers, Orochimaru. Tell me everything. Now." I ordered. Orochimaru looked at me, seeing how I wasn't going to change my mind. He sighed and stood to his feet before walking towards the door.

I raised a brow at him as he opened the door. "What are you...?"

"Walk with me." He said before walking out of the room. "I don't think I like where this is going." I said before following him into the hallway.

Orochimaru's POV

"Do you remember when we first met, Nue?" I asked her as we walked down the hallway. "How could I forget?" She said, sarcastically, making me chuckle a bit. "Anyway, I remember how you used to put up a fake smile, just to fool your company. However, I saw past your smiles." I said.

"Enlighten me." Nue said. "While you were training outside your house, your parents were discussing about your situation. Your desire to fight..."

(Flashback)

"Your daughter despises humans?" Jiraiya asked. "In every possible way." Nue's father, Tatsuo, said. "Why is that?" Tsunade asked. "Well, a couple months ago, Nue's mother was attacked by ninjas and these ninjas... came from your village." He explained.

"What? Are you sure?" Jiraiya asked. "There has to be some kind of mistake." Tsunade said. "There's no mistaking it." Tatsuo said. We all looked out the window when we heard a crash. We saw Nue panting as her hands were on her knees while a tree was knocked down over on its side.

"She's certainly strong." I commented. "Thanks. Needless to say, she gets her strength from me." Tatsuo boasted. I watched as Nue stood up straight and walked back towards the house. She opened the door and glanced at us. "Training hard again, Nue?" Tatsuo asked her.

"Duh." Nue said. "Nue, be respectful to your father." Nue's mother, Hotaru, said, in which Nue rolled her eyes. "Nue, this is Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru. They're the Legendary Sanin of the Leaf." Tatsuo explained. "Okay, so?" She asked. "Nue, be polite." Hotaru said.

Nue sighed before facing us. "It's very nice to meet you." She said with a fake smile. I looked down at her hands as they were covered in blood with the skin breaking off. "I'm going to my room." Nue informed before heading upstairs.

I watched her go as the blood dripped from knuckles and onto the floor. "She doesn't seem to care if she gets injured, does she?" I said. "Huh?" Jiraiya asked. "Well... Would it be so wrong for the child to stay who she is? Not letting her change at all?" I asked.

"Are you insane?! She could end up hurting herself!" Tatsuo snapped. "Honey," Hotaru placed her hand on his shoulder before looking at us. "I'm sorry. My husband's just very protective of our daughter." Hotaru apologized.

"Do you mind if I go checked on your daughter?" I asked. "Not at all. Go right ahead. But please be patient with her. Nue's isn't too fawn of humans." Hotaru warned. I gave a nod and proceeded to Nue's room. "Nue?" I knocked on her door, then opened it slightly.

I found the child sitting on her floor, her back resting against the side of her bed as she tried to bandage her knuckles. I noticed she was having a bit of trouble. "Get out. I'm fine." Nue said, coldly. She used her mouth to wrap a bandage around her knuckles, but failed miserably.

I walked inside her room and kneeled down, assisting her. "I don't need help!" She snapped, pulling her hand away from me. "From the looks of it, it looks to me that you do need help," I began to search through the first-aid kit that she had opened.

"Don't you know you have to disinfect the wound before you bandange it?" I asked her. As I disinfected her wound, Nue hissed in pain. "It's bound to hurt a little." I mentioned. "Gee, thanks for the heads-up." She said, sarcastically.

While I treated her wounds, I noticed some scars on her arms. "Judging by the scars on your arms, I take it this isn't the first time you've injured yourself during your training." I said. She frowned at me, her wings and tails moving a little.

"Nosy." Nue muttered, coldly. "You seem upset. Are you angry that I helped you?" I mentioned to her. "Yeah! I said, I could handle it! You're so stubborn!" She snapped. I stared at her with a bored look before sitting by her side.

"Don't sit next to me! I hate you!" Nue said. "Why?" I asked. "Because I do! I hate all of your kind!" She answered. "Is there a reason why you hate us? We haven't done anything wrong to harm you." I stated.

"Ha! That's where you're wrong! You tried to kill my mother!"

"We didn't."

"You did! You ambushed her and cut off her wings and tails like the monsters you are!"

Nue created a fireball in her hand and threw it at the wall in front of her. She sighed and leaned back. "One of these days, I'm gonna get my revenge." Nue said. "Revenge?" I repeated.

"Yeah. I'm gonna become strong and kill every last human there is on this planet. I just have to keep getting stronger every day. But... It seems no matter how hard I try, I fail to succeed. I feel like I'm missing something. Like, some kind of hidden ability needs to be awakened or something like that. Like a snap, you know? Like the Sharingan or whatever. But..." I looked at Nue as she trailed off.

"I guess I should kiss that dream goodbye. My personality's going to change and I might forget about my goal. But I don't want to forget. I want to keep fighting. Fighting is my life. My love. My passion. I never give up. Mostly because I don't how to. Someday, I'm going to be so strong, I might fight even the strongest ninja in the world." Nue said with calm smile.

I stared at Nue as I noticed how sad she sounded about how her life was going to change soon. "Are you afraid of change?" I asked. "Of course not! I just... I just want to keep fighting and protect my family." Nue said. "You're a persistent child, aren't you?" I asked with a small smile.

"Persistent and determined," She giggled. "That's what my Dad always said." Nue mentioned. "Ne..."

"Hmm?"

"What's your name? Here I am, babbling, and I don't even know your name."

"Orochimaru. My name's Orochimaru."

"My parents must've already told you my name, huh? But then again, you probably forgot."

"What makes you think I forgot?"

"Because all humans forget things."

"Let's put that to the test, then."

"Huh?"

Nue looked at me and raised a brow before smirking. "All right, then. Let's take a quiz, then. We'll see if you remembered. What do I love most?" She asked. "Fighting and protecting your family." I answered correctly. "Why do I hate humans?" She asked. "Because of what happened to your mother." I answered.

"What happened to my mother?"

"She was ambushed by Leaf Village ninjas."

"What's my name?"

"Nue. Nue Houjuu."

"What's my mother's name?"

"Hotaru."

"And what about my father?"

"Tatsuo."

Nue stared at me, humming to herself. "I guess you're different from the other humans. But that doesn't mean I like your kind." She said. Nue yawned and closed her eyes before leaning her head on my arm.

"What should I do, Orochimaru?" She asked, sleepily. "About what?" I asked. "About myself. I don't want to change, and there's nothing I can do about it. So, what should I do?" She asked. I smirked. "A strong and persistent child, indeed. All you need... is a little push." I murmured.

"Huh?" I looked at her as she didn't hear me completely. "Just leave everything to me, Nue. I won't let you change." I said. "How... are you going to do that?" She asked as sleep began to take over her body.

"Trust me, my child. Just leave everything to me." I said, licking my lips in excitement. Nue yawned again. "Okay..." She said before falling asleep. I picked up the unconscious child and set her on her bed, pulling the blanket over her.

I placed my hand on her cheek before walking to her door. As I was leaving, I glanced back at Nue as she slept. "Sweet dreams." I smirked before leaving the young girl to sleep in peace.

(End of Flashback)

"I knew if I murdered your clan, I'd get you angry and it would prevent you from changing. That night when you fought, your destiny to change who you are faded. But it never occurred to me that you would run away. Then again, being frightened at a young age, I'm not so surprised." I said, chuckling.

"I didn't run because I was scared. I ran to get away from you before you could kill me with the rest of my clan." Nue said, coldly. "I was never going to hurt you, Nue. I was only trying to help you. After years of searching for you, I finally found you. In the home of Luna Satori." I said.

"I understand that you murdered my people just to prevent me from changing, but why did you have to kill Luna and her maids?" Nue demanded, coldly. I chuckled. "Luna was getting in the way of my plans. She had to be disposed of." I said.

"You had no right to kill her!" Nue snapped, her eyes glowing purple. "I agree in a way, killing Luna was a bit unnecessary. But what Luna and I had was between me and her." I said. "I don't care! She had no reason to die, you snake bastard!" She said as she stopped walking.

I stopped walking as well. "Nue, I don't expect you to forgive me. I know I've done a horrible thing to your kind and I deserve to be punished. You deserve to take your revenge. But I truly am sorry." I said with honesty.

Nue stayed quiet as we stared at each other until she punched me in the face. "That's for killing my people!" She punched me again. "That's for making me kill Iri!" She punched me one more time. "And that's for killing Luna!" She said.

I looked at her as blood ran down the corner of my mouth while Nue panted lightly in anger. "I deserved that." I said, rubbing my cheek. "You sure did." Nue agreed. I lowered my hand to my side as I stared down at her.

"There's no way in hell I can forgive you for killing my clan or Luna. As much as I want to kill you for putting me through so much pain... I just can't do it. Because I know if I do... It won't accomplish anything for me. I won't get anything out of it in the end." She said.

"But at least you would've avenged your clan." I stated. Nue shook her head. "My mother always told me that violence was never the answer. That it would never get me anywhere. It would only cause more destruction." She mentioned.

"But..." She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them as her eyes were red again.

"I can at least thank you for helping me stay who I really am, for keeping my passion to fight." She said. My eyes widened slightly in shock when Nue hugged me. "Thank you, Orochimaru." Nue whispered. I hesitantly rested my hand on her upper back while she hugged me, her head resting on my chest.

"What will you do now, now that you've given up on your thirst for revenge?" I asked while looking down at her. "Good question. I guess I'm going to move on... and figure things out." She said. She broke the hug and gave a small smile.

Nue vanished out of my sight and I gazed at the ceiling. "Hotaru... You raised a smart girl." I said, smiling. I walked down the hallway, returning to my test subjects.

Nue's POV

I walked outside the hideout, into the daylight. "Nue!" I turned my head to see Yukimaru running up to me. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" He asked as he stood in front of me. "No," I closed my eyes, shaking my head. "Not at all." I answered as I looked at him.

I looked down my knuckles as they bled through the bandages. "Thanks again for helping me earlier." I said to him, smiling slightly. I walked away and flew off. I wasn't going abck tot eh Akatsuki. At least not yet.

I found a spot in the woods and lied down on the grass, falling asleep. Like I mentioned before, I'm nocturnal, so I'm only active at night.

After I was well rested, I headed back to the Akatsuki base. Once I was there, I entered without being seen. Because it was late at night, I'm pretty sure everyone was asleep. I went to my room and grabbed my katana I got from Kenshin, then grabbed the rest of my stuff.

Once I had packed everything, I went to Kakuzu's room and grabbed his bingo book off his shelf, stuffing it in my bag. I exited the base, walking away from it. I walked a few yards away from the base until I stopped.

I looked down at my cloak before ripping it off my body, letting it fall to the ground. Underneath my cloak, I was wearing a black jacket and some black shorts. I flung my bag over my shoulder and took off into the air. "Goodbye, Akatsuki." I murmured as I soared through the clouds.