Everyone went back inside so my mother and could talk in private while Manda sat in front of us. "Nue, what you just did... No one else in our clan could has the powers you have." Mom explained. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"Nue... You are very special, and you were born with unspeakable power. More power than the clan elder. But you must be careful, Nue. For this power is also very dangerous." Mom warned. "But... can I control this power... right?" I asked.

"Maybe. With the right mind and the right amount of focus, I believe you can control this power." She said before looking at me with a smile. I smiled back.

"Wait, if I can reanimate the dead without any hand signs or chakra, that means I can bring back our people, right?" I asked, getting a little excited. "Slow down, Nue. The power you hold could have some consequences. We don't know anything about this yet. We have to take one step at a time and learn more about your powers." Mom said.

"Your mother's right. Even with your unstable power, you could end up killing us all." Manda said. "Right. I'm sorry." I apologized. "Even a girl like you wouldn't be able to fix the consequences." He added.

"Okay, I get it, Manda. No need for more insults." I said, deadpanning. I turned my attention back towards Mom. "Do any of the scrolls say something about this power? And how do you know about it?" I asked.

"Well... The day after I gave birth to you... The elder told me..."

(Flashback) Hotaru's POV

"You have a beautiful baby girl, Hotaru."

"Thank you, Elder-sama."

"Have you thought of a name for her yet?"

"Yes, I have. Tatsuo and I have decided to name her 'Nue'."

"Just like the name of our species. How very thoughtful." He smiled, in which I smiled back as Nue slept peacefully in my arms. "Would you like to hold her, Elder-sama?" I asked. "Sure." I handed him my baby girl and he gently cradled her in his arms.

Suddenly, the elder gasped as his eyes turned completely white. "Elder-sama?" I asked, slightly panicked. The white glow in his eyes faded as his face remained shocked. "Is everything okay, Elder-sama?" I asked. "Um, yes... Everything's fine." He said as he handed me back Nue.

"Elder-sama, please tell me what you saw." I said. The clan elder has the ability to see into the future. Whenever he gets a premonition, he jumps slightly while his eyes turn white. "That child..." He pointed to Nue.

"I'm not sure what it means... but that child... Hotaru... your child... is the most powerful being in this Shinobi World." He said. "Don't be ridiculous, Elder-sama. Nue's just a baby." I said with a small giggle.

"This isn't a joke, Hotaru. The vision I saw... Nue is going to grow up to be something else. Something powerful, and dangerous." The elder said. "Are you saying my daughter is a threat to this clan?" I asked, frowning.

"Of course not."

"Then, why is she dangerous?"

"As Nue grows older, she will grow up to be more powerful than anyone in this clan. So powerful, not even the humans will stand against her."

"Then... what should I do? Is Nue going to be in any danger?"

"I can't be certain. But I suggest you keep an eye on her."

"But Nue is... safe here, right?"

"Of course, Hotaru. Nue is safe here."

I looked down at my baby girl as she continued to sleep in my arms. "Elder-sama, could you do me a favor?" I asked. "Of course, Hotaru. Anything." He said.

"I want you to keep this between us. Do not tell anyone else about this. I don't want the members of this clan to be afraid of Nue. She doesn't deserve that kind of life. To be hated, to be rejected, to be feared by the clan. Please... This must stay between us. I beg of you." I pleaded.

The elder sat beside me on the bed while placing a hand over my shoulder. "You have my word." He said. "Thank you. Thank you so much." I said, bowing my head in a sign of respect. I can't imagine my little girl suffering rejection and pain by her own people.

I want her to grow up and be happy. I looked at my baby girl as she smiled in her sleep, making me smile softly at her. Was my little Nue really going to grow up to be something more powerful than any ninja in this world? So powerful, that she'll be feared by others?

I don't want her to be feared by her own people.  It's hard enough our clan is feared by the humans. Nue must... She must have the life she deserves. I want her to be happy.

(End of Flashback) Nue's POV

"As I watched you grow up, you were so happy, so innocent. But after I was attacked by the humans, something inside you changed. That sweet little girl I gave birth to turned cold and more serious. But I knew she was still my daughter." Mom explained.

I stared at her with a bit of shock. "I knew... as I was getting older, I was different from the rest of the people in the Houjuu Clan. I remember how my friends would watch me use my powers and tell me how jealous they were because I could use them without any problem. But on the inside... they were really afraid of me, weren't they." I said.

"No, Nue. Of course not. They were never afraid of you. Everyone loved you." Mom convinced me. I stood up and walked over to Manda, gently placing my hand on his skin. "What if... my powers will only bring destruction? Then again... they already do, don't they?" I asked Mom.

"Of course not, Nue. Your powers will bring peace to the Shinobi World. I know they will." Mom said as she walked over to me. She placed her hand over my shoulder and smiled at a reassuring smile. "Thanks, Mom. Now, to our next order of business... How the hell do we get Manda out of here?" I asked.

"Just do what you usually do when you're finished using your summoning. He's your summoning now, after all." Mom said. I followed her instructions and made Manda disappear to the summoning world. It was a lot easier than I thought.

"So, what should we do? How do we learn more about my power?" I asked my mom. "I say, we get back to work and test out Nue-kun's new powers!" Megumi said as she popped out of nowhere and stood in between us with her arms in the air.

My mom and I screamed at the same time as she popped out from out of nowhere. "Megumi, what the hell?! What are you doing?!" I shouted at her. "Oh, nothing. Just eavesdropping on your conversation." She admitted before climbing a tree.

"Megumi-chan, it's rude to listen on other people's conversations." Mom said as Megumi hung upside down from a branch. "I know. That's why I did it." She replied, making my mom and I sweat drop. We got back to work, mastering each technique from the scrolls.

I trained with Jugo as he helped me in taijutsu, giving me some pointers and other ways to strike. "Nue, can I tell you something?" He asked. "Sure, what is it?" I said as I panted with my hands on my knees.

"I've noticed the way you fight, and I think you should try a different approach." Jugo said. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, when you attack, you're always on the offense side."

"Yeah, so?"

"Instead of fighting on the offense side, you should try a different tactic."

"Okay, like what?"

"Defense."

I blinked before thinking about it. "Defense, huh..." I repeated. "Your defense could use some work. Whenever your faced with an opponent, you always go for the kill first." Megumi said. "Basically, they're saying you should try defending yourself more often." Suigetsu translated.

"I got it, thanks." I said. "Let's work on genjutsu. Suigetsu, you be the guinea pig." Megumi said, pointing at him. "What? Why do I have to be the guinea pig?" He complained.

"Because Jugo's been sparing with Nue-kun all afternoon and I've been sparing with her in ninjutsu. Plus, there's no way Nue-kun would try a genjutsu on Karin." Megumi explained.

"It's true. Nue would never do anything bad to Karin, seeing how she's a princess." Mom agreed, referring to when I first found Karin and took her in. "Ugh... Fine, okay. I'll be the stinking guinea pig." Suigetsu mumbled.

"Thanks, Suigetsu." I said. "Yeah, yeah. Just hurry up and get it over with." He said, waving his hand at me. I shrugged my shoulder and activated my kekkei genkai, placing him under a genjutsu.

Suigetsu fell on his knees before falling face first into the ground. "That was fast." Megumi said. "He should be able to get out of it any second now." I said. We all watched Suigetsu as he laid there on the grass. "Any second now..." I said.

Ten minutes later, and Suigetsu still wasn't out of the genjutsu. "Is he faking it?" Karin asked. "Hey, Suigetsu. Get up. Enough is enough." Megumi said as she nudged his shoulder with his foot. "Uh, Megumi... I don't think he's faking it." Jugo said.

"Oh my... Nue, maybe you should go and undo the genjutsu." Mom advised. "Right," I undid the jutsu, ran over to Suigets's side, and flipped him on his back. "Suigetsu, wake up." I said as I shook his shoulder.

"Ow... My head... That was the worse genjutsu I've ever been in." He said as he held his head with one hand. "Are you okay?" I asked as I helped him up. "Not really. My head won't stop pounding and I don't have full control of my body." He said.

"Perhaps Suigetsu should lie down until he's feeling better." Mom suggested. "Right. Here, lean on me." I said to Suigetsu as I lead him inside the cabin. After I got him settled on the couch, Mom said, she would look after him, and I got back to training.

During my break, I would meditate and try to communicate with Eun, but she wouldn't respond. I thought back to what my mother told me, how I turned from sweet and innocent to cold and serious.

Maybe that's when Eun was created. That day I changed, she must've felt my hatred and anger towards humans. So, how come she didn't show herself then? Why did she wait until a few days after I moved into the Leaf Village? Was she lying low, waiting for the right time to show herself?

"Come on, Eun. Talk to me. I know you're there. Why are you ignoring me?" I murmured. "Dammit." I opened my eyes and gave up on trying to communicate with her. I went back inside and found everyone asleep in the living room.

"They did help me train hard. They deserve the rest." I said. I grabbed a blanket for each other them and draped them over their sleeping forms. "Mom?" I called. I went upstairs and went into her room. "Mom?" I looked around as the room was empty.

"Maybe she's in the kitchen." I mumbled to myself. I went back downstairs and entered the kitchen, but she wasn't there either. "Mom, where are you?" I called. I checked the basement and the bathrooms, but my mother was nowhere to be found. I began to panic.

"Guys!" I ran into the living room and shook Karin awake. "Karin! Karin, wake up! I can't find Mom!" I said. "Huh? What?" Karin sat up and put on her glasses. "What's wrong?" She asked. "It's Mom! I can't find her! She's gone!"

"Nue, calm down. Maybe she went out for a walk." Karin suggested. "What's going on?" Megumi asked with a yawn. "Mom's missing! I can't find her anywhere!" I told her. "Nue-kun, take a deep breath. Calm down and-"

"I can't calm down! Mom!" I ran out of the cabin and cupped my hands around my mouth. "Mom, where are you?" I called into the woods. This is unlike her to disappear like this. Where the hell did she go?!

"Nue, come into the backyard. There's something you gotta see." Karin said. I followed her through the cabin and into the backyard. When I got there, an unwanted guest was waiting for me. "Zetsu." I growled. "Long time no see, Nue." He greeted.

"How did you find this place?" Karin asked, frowning. "That's my little secret." He replied. "Where is my mother? Where did you take her? Tell me!" I shouted.

"Relax, we haven't harmed her. Well, not yet, anyway. If you ever want to see her again, come to the Akatsuki hideout, and come alone. If anyone else shows up with you, your dear mother dies." Zetsu said. I glared at him as he went back into the ground.

"What are we gonna do now, Nue?" Karin asked. "Not like I have a choice. I have to go to the hideout and save my mom." I said. "What?!" Everyone said at the same time. "If you guys come with me, there's no telling what he'll do to Mom." I said.

"Nue-kun, don't you see? That's just what Madara wants you to do! He's trying to bait you!" Megumi said.

"Well, I just can't let her die! She's my mother! I have to save her!" I told her. "But are you sure you're ready to face him? What about the unspeakable power your mother was talking about?" She said. 

"I can handle it." I replied. "Nue, this is a trap! What if Madara ends up killing Hotaru, anyway?" Karin said.

"I'll kill him before he gets the chance."

"Let us come with you."

"I already told you, you can't! I have to do this on my own!"

"Maybe you don't have to." Megumi mentioned.

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking at her with a confused expression. "I have a plan."