I woke up in a hospital bed.

I shoot upright, only to slowly lower myself back down on the bed. "Ow. Ow. Ow," I mumble, clutching my head. "God, that hurts."

A shadow falls over me, and I glance up with a small smile, expecting Daisuke, Shun, or Sensei to be waiting for me. But the smile almost immediately slides from my face.

"Mother," I greet quietly, "Father."

My heart drops as I view their faces. There was no mercy, in their eyes. There was nothing. I would rather see anger, or disappointment or resentment than this stony indifference.

"You'll be coming home now that you're awake," Father informed me, no emotion flitting across his face. I nod, barely holding back hysterics as terror grips my heart. I nod again as they leave the room to check me out.

What had happened? One moment I'd been ready to fight Shri, and the next of been knocked out. Had I lost? I must've. How had Shri beaten me, though? Where was my team? Daisuke? Shun? Sensei? Did they not care? Had they not visited?

Confusion wracks my brain, but that's put on hold when mother enters the room again. "Come," she orders. I follow her into the bathroom, where she hands me my clothes and walks back out.

I change quickly, fear making my movements quick and precise despite my stiff limbs. I'm out of the bathroom quickly, and my mother takes my arm. To anyone looking on, she would look like a loving mother supporting her daughter. Only I felt the painfully tight grip bruising my arm.

We walk out of the hospital, Father leading, mother a half step behind, and me heeling besides my mother.

The moment we stepped through the front door of my home my father whirled on me.

"You failed me," he hissed, "You failed me, Fuzen!"

I flinch at the way he says my name; like the insult it is. Imperfect.

I have a theory that names hold no meaning. Kanji, meaningless scribble on paper, holds no power over someone. But the way their name is said... what their name comes to mean to others.... that's what can destroy a person.

"--embarrasing."

I realize my Father had been talking the entire time and immediately tune back in.

"Perhaps I should just call you that: Embarrasment. Or Mistake. Worthless? It was the preliminaries, Fuzen! The preliminaries! You should have been able to easily pass through that stagem but what happens? You're humiliated instead! You dishonored the name you don't deserve."

I take the insults and criticism without a word.

"Your sister became a chunin when she was ten! And passed easily!" I don't even bother correcting him. "Go to your room, Fuzen. I can't stand to look at you."

I keep my face stoic even as my heart shatters. How was it that I wasn't used to this? Why did my heart shatter no matter how many times this happened to me? How come I was unable to turn my heart to stone. Why couldn't I simply do what father wanted? Why couldn't I be a good ninja?

Why couldn't I be perfect?

***

The next day I'm woken early.

"Get up, Fuzen-san. Your bags are already packed."

I wake up as soon as the words register. "My bags are packed? Where am I going?"

"On a business trip, miss. It should last aproximately five weeks," The maid answered as she disrobed me.

"Is Mother coming or Father? Or both?"

"Neither miss. Your father is saying this is a chance to redeem yourself..." The maid trailed off sympathetically.

She seemed to feel sorry for me, but my heart sparked. This was it; a chance, after all these years, to win my Father's favor. He thought I was worth this, worth a chance. It was more than he'd given me in a long time.

I nod, sticking my hands through the sleeves if the kimono as she quickly ties it. I test my movement in it quickly and nod in approval. It was a traveling kimono, made for quick movement and durable.

The maid grabs my two bags, hoisting them up quickly. I eat the nutrition bar she hand to me and quickly down the glass of water. Then we both head towards the front door. I see Mother and Father waiting for me. The maid sets down my two small bags and immediately takes her leave.

"Fuzen," My Father greets coldly. I bow my head to him in submission.

"What would you have me do, Father?" I ask clearly. I would do anything. I would do this for him. I would succeed.

"You will be going to a business partner to renogotiate our trade aggreements. I want you to secure me a 15% increase in..."

I listen carefully as he tells me exactly what he wanted me to do, commiting his orders to memory. He was being extremely tough; the business partner would put up a huge amount of resistance to these terms.

I guess this is why Father was such a succesful business man.

"You're to leave immediately. A ninja team will meet you at the gates to escort you. Dismissed."

I nod, quickly exiting the house. The maid follows behind, holding my bags, so I assume she's coming with me. As I walk down the street, a familiar face stops in front of me.

"Sensei! Shun!" I greet, surprised. Hurt runs through me again as I think of how they hadn't visitted me in the hospital.

"Fuzen!" Shun exclaimed happily, "You're out of the hospital! How are you? Your parents wouldn't allow any visitors for some reason."

I clench my fist, trying to think up an excuse as fast as possible. "Well, I was recovering, and to help make it as fast as possible we didn't have any visitors," I explain with a smile.

"Oh," He nodded, "I guess that explains it."

"So, um... what exactly happened at the end of my fight?" I asked, embarrased.

"Your parents didn't tell you?" Sensei questions.

"No, I just didn't...ask," I mumble.

"Well, no one's really sure. Shri just sort of...glared at you, and you collapsed. Then he went, 'Hm, I may have overdid it slightly. But the... Uh, the... bitch... Annoyed me'," Shun recounted, "Sensei had to hold Daisuke back from attacking him," he chuckled slightly.

"But... But how did he do it? How is he able to force people to do what he wants?" I ask, confused.

"I don't know," Sensei answers this time, "It may be a Kekkai Genkai, or an original jutsu I've never seen before. I'll be watching him closely on the third round."

"Oh! Speaking of, did you pass, Shun?"

Shun kicks the ground, nodding with a smile.

"That's great!" I exclaim, "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," he grins, "But I have a lot of training to do to prepare."

"You're training Shun and Daisuke, Sensei?"

"Nah, just Shun, slowpoke."

The nickname stings this time. Even though I know he didn't mean it, it felt as though he was calling me out. I was the only one to not pass the prelims. I shake it off, trying not to let my failure bother me at the moment. "Who's Daisuke training with, then?"

"An old acquaintance of mine; a sword master named Piandao," Sensei says.

"So he's finally going to learn how to actually use that sword of his," I laugh.

"Actually, from the little I've heard from Daisuke, he hadn't touched a sword yet," Shun informs me, "Though he has painted several pictures." We share a look, then burst out laughing.

"Poor Daisuke," I laugh, clutching my stomach.

"Miss?" The maid interrupts hesitantly.

"Ah! Yes! Sorry Sensei, Shun, I have to go!"

"Where're you off to?" Sensei asks.

"Business negotiations with a trade partner," I reply over my shoulder.

"Will you be back in time for the third round?" He queries.

The question pulls me up short. "I...don't know," I say slowly.

Sensei smiles sadly. "I hope the negotiations go well," he wishes, "But you know you won't be able to go on these trips if it interferes with missions, right? Eventually you'll have to choose, Fuzen," he tells me gently.

I turn away, confusions and conflict ion filling my mind. Why would he tell me this right before I left? Of course I knew this already. But how was I supposed to choose? I wasn't that good at being a ninja, and I've never done a trade negotiation on my own. But Sister was obviously the ninja of the family...

"Yes, Sensei," I finally reply, then walk away, feeling their heavy gazes follow me.

How was I ever supposed to choose?

Then it hit me, and the weight lifted off my shoulders.

It never was going to be my choice. I would never have that freedom. Father would choose for me, and I would obey him to my fullest.

After all, isn't that what a perfect daughter would do?

___________________________

Hiiiii.

I'm sorry I haven't been updating frequently, but my life has been sucking, so yeah.

Life is shit. I've been getting bad grades and my mom has been riding me and I'm just so stressed so yeah. Sorry. Got my first ever B- on a report card. And I thought the reaction had been bad when I got an A-. Lol.

How'd you like this chapter? Please comment!

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Bye!

gaara119