Chapter Two: The Truth Can Hurt

The Mine family made it safely to the safe house at the edge of the Land of Wind. Their escort was ordered by Lord Kazekage to stay with the Mine family to keep a sharp eye on Isuzu. Kaname didn't find it necessary to have the escort stay with them, but the young Suna Anbu agent took her job seriously and insisted to Kaname that she was there for their own protection.

Throughout the years of staying at the safe house, Isuzu's control over the Shukaku and her own ability to control sand were quickly improving, thanks to the crystal that Lady Chiyo gave to Kaname who in turn gave it to Isuzu. Takuto was going through the training of studying the scroll that would help neutralize the Shukaku that lives inside Isuzu, in case she would ever lose control. Every day, Takuto would study the scroll that his father gave him, which he was quick to study to understand.

Isuzu, now twelve years old, had gotten word about the upcoming chunin exams being held at the Hidden Leaf Village. Excited about the possibility of getting to participate, Isuzu trained even harder to prove to Lord Kazekage and the Hidden Sand that she is a great ninja, but then, a realization crashed down on her. She was the only one in her family without a Hidden Sand forehead protector. Kaname noticed that his daughter became extremely depressed and wasn't training as often like she us to.

"Isuzu, what's wrong my child? Why does your eyes hold so much sadness?" Kaname found Isuzu sitting outside of the safe house, playing in the sand.

"Father...when can we go back to the Hidden Sand?"

Kaname looked at his daughter as her eyes became sadder and tears started to build up.

"I'm sorry Isuzu, but I don't know if we'll ever go back to Suna. Lord Kazekage never said when we'll be allowed to return to the village."

"But, why did we have to leave? Did we do something wrong? Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh Izusu..." Kaname wrapped his arms around Isuzu, trying to do the best he could to comfort his little girl.

"Daddy, what's wrong?"

"Oh, my dear Isuzu, I should have told you this a long time ago, but you were so happy and full of smiles that I didn't think it would matter if I did or not. But now I see that I was wrong. Do you remember the night when you first met Gaara and when we got home your head started hurting?" Kaname pulled away from his daughter.

"Yes, I remember."

"It's because of that, that we had to leave the village."

Isuzu's eyes widened with sock but also confusion. What was her father talking about? How could something like that be a reasoning fro having to leave the village?

"I-I don't understand. Why is something like that a reasoning for us to leave? Was I not supposed to meet Gaara? We weren't allowed to become friends?"

"There's a reason why you and Gaara have a special connection, there's a reason why the two of you can control sand at will. You and Gaara are what are known as Jinchūriki and the two of you have the Shukaku or the One-Tails sealed inside you. There's a total of nine tailed beasts that we know of. We, of the Hidden Sand have the One-Tails, the Hidden Stone has the Four-Tails and Five -Tails, the Hidden Cloud has the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails, The Hidden Mist has the Three-Tails and Six-Tails, The Hidden Leaf has the Nine-Tails and the Hidden Waterfall has the Seven-Tails. Lord Kazekage thought it would be best to seal the power of the Shukaku into two hosts. Since you and Gaara's due dates were so close together, the two of you were chosen."

It was all too much for a young Isuzu to take in at once. She knew that there was something different about her, but she didn't know it was something like this.

"I'm deeply sorry about this Isuzu. Your mother and I have been keeping this from you in hopes that your life would be full of happiness, but instead it has separated you from your friend and has taken you from your home. I am truly sorry."

Tears started to form in Kaname's eyes. Thinking that his loving daughter was going to hate him now. Getting ready for his daughter's outburst of well-deserved rage, Kaname was surprised when Isuzu tightly wrapped her arms around her father's neck. His eyes widened in surprise at how tightly Isuzu was embarrassing him. He too wrapped his arms around his darling Isuzu.

"It's alight daddy. I don't blame you or mommy, in fact, I don't blame anyone. I was chosen for a reason, right? I'll just have to do my best and hope that I can please Lord Kazekage with my progress in my training, so we can go home to the Hidden Sand."

His daughter's courage was nothing more than impressive. It's one of the many things that Kaname loves about her. The fact that she was able to look at the brighter side of a situation rather than looking at the darker side made wise beyond her years. His grip on his daughter grew tighter and tighter to the point that Isuzu couldn't breathe.

"Daddy...can't...breath..." Isuzu tapped on her father's shoulder to make him let her go.

Quickly, Kaname had let go of Isuzu, allowing her to catch her breath. "I sorry Isuzu!"

"It's...alright...daddy..." Isuzu manage to say in-between her gasps fro air.

After the long father-daughter moment, the Anbu agent that was staying with the Mine family had a message from the Kazekage.

"Kaname sir, Lord Kazekage requires an audience with you and Miss Kiyoshi."

"Is he coming here?" Kaname was a pit shocked to hear that Lord Kazekage requested to see him and his wife.

"No sir, he would like me to escort you and Miss Kiyoshi to a secret meeting place about an hour away from here."

Kaname didn't want to leave his children alone for such a long time, but if Lord Kazekage wanted to see him and Kiyoshi then it had to be something important.

"Alright, I'll tell Kiyoshi and we'll meet you here in ten minutes."

"I'll be waiting sir." The Anbu agent then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Kaname took Isuzu back inside the safe house and told Kiyoshi that Lord Kazekage wanted to meet with them and that Isuzu and Takuto would have to stay at the safe house by themselves. Just like Kaname, Kiyoshi didn't want to leave her children alone for that long of a period of time.

"Do you think it's a good idea Kaname? Leaving the children alone out here for such a long time." Kiyoshi looked at her husband with worried eyes.

"Don't worry Kiyoshi. Takuto is at an age when he practically takes care of himself and Isuzu....well, let's just say that if we were living in the Hidden Sand she wouldn't need a babysitter. They'll be fine." Kaname tried his best to reinsure his wife that everything was going to be fine. But Kiyoshi still had a worried look in her eyes.

Takuto tightly took his mother's hand when he noticed how worried she looked. "Don't worry mom. I'll look after Isuzu. We won't go outside until you guys come back home. I promise, everything is going to be alright."

Kiyoshi's worry seemed to at eased but she was still worried about her children. Kaname, Kiyoshi, and the Anbu agent headed out, leaving Takuto and Isuzu alone at the safe house. Once his parents were out of sight, Takuto used a Genjutsu to hide the safe house from others that might pass by.

After an hour long walk through the white sands of the Land of Wind, Kaname, Kiyoshi and the Anbu agent finally made it to the meeting place that Lord Kazekage said to meet at. It was a cave in the side of a cliff that are often found throughout the Land of Wind. The cave was lightly lit by candles that hung from the stone walls. When they came to a giant clearing in the cave the Kazekage and some of the council men were waiting for Kaname's and Kiyoshi's arrival. Kaname and Kiyoshi took a set at the stone table that sat in the middle of the room.

"Sorry for making you wait Lord Kazekage." Kaname apologized.

"It's fine Kaname. Let's get started."

The discussion that the Kazekage, Kaname and Kiyoshi had was about Takuto and Isuzu. Takuto was at the age when many ninja were at the next level of training. He was to return to Suna for two months of special training. Isuzu on the other hand was not to return to Suna. Although her progress in controlling the Shukaku has been impressive she was still considered a threat. Since she was not allowed to return to the village, the Kazekage and the council members agreed that Isuzu would be given a Hidden Sand forehead protector. A symbol of her hard work and accomplishments.

"Thank you, Lord Kazekage. Isuzu will be extremely happy to finally have a Hidden Sand forehead protector." Kaname stood from his seat and bowed his head, Kiyoshi did the same.

"This is a unanimous decision that we have made. Your daughter has indeed become strong, maybe just as strong as my son, but having them both in the village is totally out of the question. Continue her training and we'll have another meeting in six months. I will also be sending another escort to bring your son to the village. You and your wife may return home." Lord Kazekage closed the meeting and headed out to return to the Hidden Sand Village.

Kaname, Kiyoshi and the two Anbu agents made their way back to the safe house. The sun was quickly setting, giving the dessert skies an amber red color. Like a beautiful watercolor painting. Coming up over the last sand dune Kiyoshi and both Anbu agents were surprised to see the safe house missing, Kaname just smiled.

"Looks like Takuto has been practicing his Genjutsu." Kaname did some hand signs and released the illusion around the safe house.

Entering the safe house Kaname and Kiyoshi were greeted by their children, but the cheerful moment had to be put on hold. Kaname told Takuto that he was going to be returning to the Hidden Sand for two months for special training, but Isuzu was to stay at the safe house with Kiyoshi and himself. Isuzu burst into tears and ran up to her room. She didn't want her only brother to leave her. She loves her brother with all her heart and she didn't want to be alone. Takuto quickly followed after his little sister to her room to find her crying on her bed.

"Isuzu, please don't be sad. I'll be coming back after my training in two months and I'll be stronger than ever, so I can protect you like a big brother should."

Isuzu continued to cry her eyes out. Takuto suddenly had an idea. Biting the tip of his thumb to draw some blood, Takuto did some hand signs to perform a summoning jutsu. Coming out of a puff of smoke sat one light brown and whit fox and the other was black and white fox. Each wearing a bandanna around their necks with the Hidden Sand symbol on them.

Takuto started to rub Isuzu's back, trying to get her to calm down. "Hey, Isuzu, look who wanted to say hello."

Isuzu lifted her head to see what Takuto was talking about. The tears stopped falling at the sight of the two creatures that sat on the floor. One jumped up onto the bed and curled up in Isuzu's lap.

"Tell you what sister, one of these little guys can stay with you in my place. You do remember them, right?"

"Of course, I remember, how can I forget. The one sitting on my lap is Yin and the other one is Yang. Father would summon them, so they could play with me.

"Then which one of the two would you like to stay with you?"

Isuzu looked at the two foxes, trying to decide on which one she wanted to stay with her. She knew both Yin and Yang very well, but there was only one that she got along with the best.

"I pick...Yin." Isuzu wrapped her arms around the small black and white fox that sat on her lap.

"Alright, then I expect Yin to look after you and protect you until my return."

The small fox pup looked up at Takuto and gave a small bark. (Guessing that it meant yes).

Takuto packed a bag that was good for two months, said his good-byes to his parents and his sister then walked off into the night with Yang and one of the Anbu agents to the Hidden Sand.

During the first month of her brother being away, Isuzu trained harder than ever. Waking up early in the morning and training till the late hours of the night. Her hard training was paying off at an even faster rate. Being able to use Wind, Earth and Fire style, she even took it a step further and started Dust and Magnet Release style jutsus.

During her training with her father, they decided to take a brake and rest up a bit. As Isuzu sat down next to her father and chugged down two bottles of water she watched Yin roll around in the sand. Yin loved rolling around in the sand, it was like he was giving himself a sand bath. Kaname laughed at the sight. It had been a long time since his summoning partner had a chance to stretch his legs and frolic.

"Isuzu," Kaname stood up and looked down at his daughter. "I want to try something a little different today."

"Different? Is it a new jutsu?!" Isuzu jumped up in excitement of the thought of a new jutsu.

"Yes, it will be a jutsu that I believe will help you in the future. Since you know fire style and you can control the Shukaku's sand and regular sand willingly, you can combine the two together to make a whole new jutsu."

"Combined to two? Make a whole new jutsu?"

"That's right. By combining the sand and the intense heat of fire style the sand will turn into glass and since there's grains of sand in the glass you should be able to control the glass like you do with the sand. Want to give it a try?" Kaname pointed to the targets in the distance.

"Yeah!"

Isuzu looked off into the distance to see one of the targets that her father had set up for their kunai and shuriken practice. Sand started to surround Isuzu and with a slight movement of her hand the sand shot foreword towards the target. Quickly, Isuzu made her fire style jutsu hand signs: Snake → Dragon → Rabbit → Tiger

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

Fire shot out from Isuzu's mouth towards the racing sand. Once the fire hit the sand the two started to fuse together. The small grains of sand started to group together and smooth out over and over aging until it formed clear, sharp shards of glass.

The shards of glass started to fly faster towards its target. Isuzu was in complete control of what she was doing and then...they hit their mark. Several shards of glass were sticking out of the torso and there was one shard sticking out of the head.

"Very good Isuzu, just what I expected from my daughter."

"Stop dad, you're embarrassing."

While Isuzu'straining was going well so was Takuto's. His special training was goingextremely well. He was training to become a Suna Anbu agent and from what theAnbu leader had said, Takuto has been one of the best Suna has had in a longtime. He's been staying in his family's original home. Nothing has been changedwithin the walls. He didn't want to change anything until his family's returnto the village.... to their home.