Edited 26/10/2019

Third Person's POV

A cool dampness hangs in the air, as the small group of Leaf Ninja traipse their way through the forest, chattering in hushed voices and pointing at everything as they walk. This island was already nothing like their home in the Land of Fire. While the air had been warm out on the ocean and even at the small bay they had left their ship in, as soon as they had entered the forest, the temperature had dropped into a refreshingly cool climate.

The island, though seemingly small, is a remote place with a harsher landscape than the Leaf Ninja had initially expected. Only metres from the bay, the land already begun to climb upwards towards the sheer cliffs, leaving the group with somewhat of a hike to get through.

The lush green forest is calm and serene around them, trees with thick trunks stretching high into the sky and blocking out most of the sunlight, their canopies spanning metres through the air. Birds chirp as they flit in and out of the trees, their colour feathers flashing brightly when exposed to the small sun streams breaking through the dense leaves high above.

"I didn't think we were going to have to do so much walking uphill" Shikamaru sighs, sweat dropping.

"Yeah" Choji agrees tiredly. "I thought we'd be able to walk right through the middle of the island or something."

"Didn't you guys see the mountains?" Kiba asks smartly, grinning as he looks around. "What's the big deal anyway? It's so cool here!"

"Arf arf!" Akamaru barks, running alongside Kiba, his tail wagging. He just wanted to run around and sniff everything!

"How far do we have to go Kakashi Sensei?" Naruto whines, jogging ahead to catch up with the Jonin, who is leading the group. "This mountain is steep and-"

"I don't know how far we have to walk Naruto" Kakashi interrupts, looking straight ahead, "But the Village is in the centre of this island. It's in the centre as a defence tactic, because this whole island is surrounded by sheer cliffs."

"The Village is down in a valley then?" Sakura pipes up, a thoughtful look on her face. "So no matter which way we went, we'd have to climb up one of these mountains?"

"Exactly" Kakashi confirms. "This is the easiest way to get there anyway. Unless you all feel like scaling some vertical cliffs?"

Everyone shakes their heads vehemently at this suggestion, not wanting to have to try and climb such formidable things. None of them felt like falling to their deaths today.

Sakura glances back over her shoulder as everyone unanimously decides to stop complaining about the long walk uphill, her eyes landing on Ashley.

Trudging slowly behind the rest of the group, Ashley stares at the ground through hooded eyes, her hands gripping the straps of her backpack. She'd been dragging behind this whole time and hadn't said a word since leaving the boat.

Sakura had tried to ask her what was wrong, but Ashley had just turned her head away and ignored the question.

What was it about this island that was upsetting Ashley so much? She hadn't behaved in such a strange way for so long....

"......What interesting insects" Shino murmurs to himself, pausing long enough to bend down and inspect a shiny Beetle scuttling across a rock.

"How pretty" Hinata adds approvingly, watching as the Beetle opens its wings and flies off. "M-Maybe we'll have a chance to go looking for bugs l-later Shino-kun?"

"I hope so" the Aburame responds, straightening back up to walk alongside his teammate.

"Great, so there are cliffs that we have to climb and bugs everywhere" Ino sighs dramatically. "Aside from being pretty, this island isn't seeming so great anymore...."

Ashley's head jerks up at that quip, her eyes narrowing dangerously at the back of Ino's head. Her grip on the straps of her backpack tightens, as she struggles not to snap at Ino.

The blonde girl had no idea what she was talking about after all. This island was an incredible place. It was not only the most beautiful place Ashley had ever seen, but it was a natural fortress against outside attack. The weather could be temperamental in the warmer months, with storms starting out of nowhere and passing just as fast. But the cooler months brought nothing more than gentle snow fall and beautiful mountainscapes.

To say it wasn't great because they had to hike through some mountains, mountains that Ashley and her friends had run through every day of their childhood....It just seemed ignorant in Ashley's opinion.

"Hey look!" Naruto suddenly shouts, stopping short and jabbing his hand forwards. "We've reached the top!"

"Alright!" Kiba cheers, as he and the other Genin all break into a run to reach the top of the mountain.

"You can see the ocean from up here" Choji grins, shielding his eyes from the sun.

Towards the top of the mountain, the trees give way, allowing the sun to stream through and show everyone a stunning view of the sea far below.

"It's beautiful" Kurenai says, standing next to Asuma and Kakashi.

Ashley reaches the top of the mountain last and solemnly watches everyone look out over the ocean, not bothering with the view herself. She'd seen it before.

Kakashi glances over his shoulder at Ashley as she slowly turns her head, seemingly looking around for something. While she may be angry with him right now, Kakashi was worried about Ashley.

She was silent and listless, something that she hadn't been for a very long time. That was how she'd been when she'd first arrived at the Leaf Village, and Kakashi certainly didn't want her to travel down that path again.

He didn't know how badly this trip to Ashley's homeland would affect her, and now the Jonin wished he had argued a little harder against Lady Tsunade's suggestion to bring her along.

Kiba, having also been keeping a close eye on Ashley, turns around as the blonde girl walks off in the opposite direction. While he'd been maintaining his positive personality in an attempt to maintain some normalcy, he'd been keeping his distance from Ashley for the last twenty four hours or so. He'd seen how she had reacted when anyone tried to talk to her and while he didn't know what was wrong with her, he knew better than to make things worse.

"......It's still here...." Ashley murmurs to herself in surprise, coming to a stop in front of a statue and staring at it sedately.

Before her, a brown boulder stands up out of the earth, formed into the shape of a Wolf. While recognisable as an animal, the statue is rough and weathered, as if it had withstood a strong force.

Ashley reaches out and places her palm on the statue, running it down the stony chest and closing her eyes.

Her Grandfather, the Chief of the island, had sculpted this statue many years ago, when Ashley was only very small. It was made in honour of the man's Wolf partner, Arelle, although really, Ashley's Grandfather had just wanted to show off to his granddaughters by making the statue.

"......What is it?" Kiba asks quietly, walking over to the statue and looking up at it.

Ashley's eyes quickly reopen and flick over to the Inuzuka's face, her mouth set in a firm line. She glares at him for a few moments, before sighing to herself and looking away.

"It's a Wolf, obviously" she responds, crossing her arms over her chest, just as everyone else walks over to inspect the curious statue as well.

Kakashi remains behind everyone, noting the growing irritation on Ashley's face as the other Genin surround the statue, wondering what it's for or why it's even here.

"Hey cool!" Naruto admires, patting the Wolf's head gleefully. "What's a statue of a dog doing all the way out he-"

"Don't touch it!" Ashley snaps, stepping forwards and meanly shoving Naruto away.

He stumbles over his feet and falls to the ground, surprised by his teammate's reaction. He blinks a few times, before looking up at Ashley through wounded eyes.

"Why can't I touch it Ashley-chan?" he asks sadly. "You were patting it too...."

Feeling uncertain of that answer, Ashley stares down at Naruto for a few seconds, before guiltily looking away.

"....I don't know" she admits, turning her back. She didn't like the uneasy way the other Genin were looking at her, as if they weren't sure if she'd hurt them or not.

It didn't make Ashley feel good that they seemed so wary of her, but she felt so......so....

Well, Ashley didn't even know how she felt at this point. Her family had all been murdered in the Land of Ambience, and she had purposely been dragged back here by the Sensei that she had trusted.

She didn't want to be here at all and yet at the same time, she had dreamed of having the change to be back in her homeland again for a long time....

"Are you alright Naruto?" Sakura asks uncertainly, helping the boy to his feet as he dusts himself off.

"Yeah I'm fine" the blonde huffs, before jabbing one hand towards Ashley's back. "Hey, what's your problem Ashley-chan? Ever since we got here you've been acting so weird!"

"Naruto...." Sakura starts, hesitant to get involved. "I don't think you should-"

"No" Naruto interrupts, hands now on his hips. "We're all supposed to be friends and Ashley's acting like we did something to her! What are you so mad at us for?"

"......Drop it Naruto" Ashley instructs in a low voice, her nails digging into her arms.

"No way" Naruto reiterates stubbornly, taking one step forwards. "We're in this really cool place, on a really cool mission, and you're over here acting like you did when we first met! It's not right!"

"I think you should let it go for now Naruto" Kakashi speaks up, understanding the blonde's frustration, but also not wanting him to push Ashley's attitude any further. Who knew if she would blow up or not?

"It's not fair Kakashi Sensei" Naruto continues, shaking his head as he tries to understand. "We're all trying to have a good time on this mission and Ashley's trying to ruin it for everyone!"

Ashley whirls around at that, causing some of the other Genin to jump. She glowers at Naruto with her sharp teeth bared, though her eyes are wavering, almost as if she's struggling not to cry.

Kiba blinks in surprise at the expression on her face, not having expected to see her look so hurt. He had just thought she was mad about something but not hurt. Was she bothered by what Naruto had said, or was it something else?

"I'm so sorry for ruining everyone's good time Naruto" Ashley spits sarcastically, her reaction causing the boy to swallow thickly. He also hadn't expected a reaction like this. "But you have no idea how I feel! So don't stand there and accuse-"

Ashley suddenly cuts herself off, her head whipping to the side as she notices something hiding further down in the forest.

Kakashi, Asuma and Kurenai also look in the same direction, sensing a presence watching them. The Genin all gaze around with questioning faces, confused by the sudden change.

Kiba and Akamaru both sniff the air, when the Inuzuka's face grows more serious, his eyes now also focused down in the forest.

"There's someone down there" he announces, taking up a more defensive stance.

"Grrr......" Akamaru growls, his small teeth bared.

"Uh oh..." Ino gulps, ducking behind Choji and Shikamaru, both of whom are squinting into the trees, trying to see the mysterious person.

Sasuke takes step forwards, kunai in hand, when Kakashi and Asuma block him from moving any further.

"It's probably just the people who requested our help, right?" Sakura asks nervously, to which Sasuke scoffs.

"Coming from behind us?" he questions dubiously.

"It's only one person anyway" Kiba confirms, his keen sense of smell allowing him to pinpoint their location. "And they're right there."

"You may as well come out" Kakashi calls. "We already know you're there."

"......Leaf Ninja?" a female voice questions, almost sounding amused. "All the way out here? That's new."

"Who are you?" Naruto demands to know, throwing one fist up in the air. "Get out here where we can see you!"

"How scary...." the voice muses, as a teenage girl slowly steps out from the trees, though she doesn't approach the group of Leaf Ninja.

Everyone stares at the girl in surprise, not really sure how to react. She gazes right back through half lidded eyes, seemingly sizing up the opposing Ninja in her head.

Long black and white hair tumbles down her back, as she smirks at the group, sharp teeth visible.

Ashley's brows furrow as she glares at the newcomer, taking in the girl's appearance, her mind whirring. That hair.....and those eyes......

"I'm surprised you knew I was here" the girl comments with a sniff, seemingly unworried about her predicament. "I'm usually a lot better at following people undetected."

"We could sense your movements" Kakashi explains shortly, uneasy with this girl's sudden presence. "Now, who are you?"

"And why were you following us?" Asuma adds, looking serious.

It didn't matter if someone was a child or not. Anybody with enough skill could be a threat.

"I was curious" the girls answers simply enough, shrugging, though her eyes seem to be fixed on Ashley now. "I saw a ship incoming and.....Well, it's pretty unusual for anybody to come to this island."

Ashley feels herself bristle as the other girl's eyes narrow slightly, as if she is trying to figure something out.

"You look like....." the girl trails off, frowning to herself in thought.

"So you're one of the people who requested our help?" Kurenai asks suspiciously. "You could have just approached us."

"Requested your help?" the girl repeats, her demeanour swiftly changing as her face darkens. She bends her knees, something that immediately puts the Leaf Ninja on edge. "Oh no, I didn't request your help.....But if that's the case..."

The girl suddenly throws her arms forwards, sending two sharp scythes of water slashing through the air towards the Leaf Ninja. Ashley's eyes grow wide at the sight of the attack, while the others jump out of the way.

'No hand signs' Ashley thinks to herself, the older girl now baring her sharp teeth and growling quietly.

The water scythes easily tear straight through the trunk of a huge tree, before dissipating into the air as the top half of the tree collapses to the ground. The earth shakes and rumbles from the heavy collision, with the Leaf Ninja all landing on top of the now fallen tree in a defensive group.

"What was that?" Kiba exhales, running a hand through his hair.

"Her hand signs were so fast" Shikamaru sighs, crouching down. "I didn't even see them...."

"Neither did I" Kakashi admits, before rising to his feet. "Ashley, come back here. Get away from that girl!"

Not even bothering to respond to her Sensei, Ashley continues to stare at the now smirking girl, her heart thudding in her chest.

"You Leaf Ninja shouldn't have come here" she growls, holding out one hand as water begins to form around it. "Deciding to help them was a huge mistake!"

Ashley lets out a gasp as the other girl throws her hand forwards, sending a volley of water bullets shooting through the air.

'No hand signs!' she thinks urgently, quickly bringing up her arms, palms facing her attacker.

As the water bullets are about to hit Ashley, the blonde spins around, using her Katsuryoku to drag the water through the air around her. At the end of her spin, Ashley releases the now combined water bullets and throws them straight back at the other girl.

She sees the look of shock on the girl's face, before the water comes to an abrupt halt in mid air, suspended between the two. The girl with the black and white hair, her arm outstretched towards the water, stares at Ashley in disbelief.

"It's not possible...." the girl mutters after a few moments of silence, before her face darkens once again and she sends Ashley a venomous look. "You think you're being funny?"

"...What are you talking about?" Ashley asks, only to look down when she feels something cold around her ankle.

Before she can react, Ashley's leg is suddenly pulled out from underneath her. With a shout, Ashley is wrenched up into the air, the back of her head cracking on the ground on her way up.

"Ashley!" Sakura cries, just as Kakashi darts forwards.

Bleary eyed from the hard hit on the back of the head, Ashley is flung through the air by a tendril of water and thrown against a tree, a collision that forces all of the air out of her lungs.

"You think it's funny to impersonate one of us?" the girl with the black and white hair seethes. "You're trash."

As a breathless Ashley falls towards the ground, the tendril of water catches her by the ankle again, and slams her heavily into the dirt on her back. With a groan, Ashley is drawn back up into the air again, dangling upside down.

She lets out a cry of pain as the water tendril suddenly freezes in place, jagged ice poking into her skin.

Kakashi dashes past Ashley and runs straight for the girl who had attacked, forming hand signs as he runs. The girl bares her teeth at Kakashi, seemingly unperturbed by the lightning building up in his hand, when something else seems to catch her attention.

Her eyes widen slightly and in an instant, she lowers her arms and spins on her heels, racing off into the forest as fast as she can go.

"No!" Ashley cries out, struggling in mid air. "Wait!"

Kakashi skids to a halt at the girl's sudden retreat, the chakra fading from around his hands. He stares after the girl with a frown, before turning to look at Ashley, who is flailing wildly now.

"Come back!" the blonde shouts desperately, swiping her hands upwards in frustration.

With this motion, the water abruptly unfreezes and falls to the earth with a splash, causing Ashley to drop with it. She lands in a heap on the ground, lying motionless for a moment as she groans.

Kiba, Naruto and Sakura all run forwards at this point, with the Inuzuka dropping to his knees beside Ashley.

"Hey Angel" he addresses, helping the blonde sit up. "Are you alright? What was that all-"

"Get out of the way!" Ashley orders urgently, pushing Kiba over and leaping to her feet. Her eyes darting around, Ashley looks for the girl that had just run off.

Using her Katsuryoku, Ashley is able to sense where the girl is heading, only to break out into a sprint herself.

"Hey wait!" Sakura cries out. "Ashley!"

Before Ashley can disappear into the forest however, Kakashi darts forwards again and catches onto the girls arm. She immediately reacts to that, a wild look in her eyes as she jumps up and swings her leg around to kick at the Jonin's face.

Kakashi is easily able to block the kick with his free hand however and he quickly incapacitates Ashley, who is clearly not thinking properly.

"No!" Ashley shouts, squeezing her eyes closed. "Let me go! Let me go Kakashi!"

"Why are you trying to run after her?" the Jonin asks quietly, struggling to hang onto the Genin as she tries to pull away from him. "She attacked you."

"I...I don't know!" Ashley admits, though she doesn't stop struggling against her Sensei's grip. "But I have to go after her! She's......She's......."

Ashley suddenly stops moving and raises her head to look out into the woods, her eyes filling with tears. She turns her head to face Kakashi, who is taken aback by the vulnerable look on his Genin's face.

"It's probably not what I think it is, right?" she asks, her voice trembling. She shakes her head and looks away. "It can't be.......I'm an idiot......."

Kakashi eases his grip on Ashley as she tuns away and covers her face, not wanting the other Leaf Ninja to see her. He resists the urge to hug the clearly rattled blonde, unsure of how to comfort her. He feels a pain in his chest, seeing how hurt she is by all of this. Wishing he could do something more to take at least a little of Ashley's pain away, Kakashi places his hand on top of her head instead, sighing internally.

The Jonin had a vague idea of what had happened. With all of her conflicted feelings about being back in her homeland, had Ashley mistaken that girl's Jutsu as the power of a Katsuryoku?

"Ashley-chan!" Naruto calls, as he and the other members of Team Seven run over. "Are you alright?"

Sakura reaches Ashley and pulls her into a tight hug, though the blonde doesn't react at all. She stares into nothingness with a blank expression on her face, arms down by her sides.

"I don't know what's going on" Sakura whispers, "But I hope you're okay Ashley...."

Naruto looks to Kakashi with an anxious expression, though the Jonin doesn't know what to tell him.

"I'm fine Sakura" Ashley eventually responds, her voice listless as she places her hands on Sakura's shoulders and gently pushes her away.

"What kind of fighting was that anyway?" Sasuke questions, one eyebrow raised. "You're normally way more alert than that."

"Dude, is now really the time for that?" Kiba berates, walking over as well. From a short distance, he inspects Ashley carefully, looking to see if she'd gotten hurt.

Aside from her pride, Ashley didn't seem to have many physical injuries. A few scrapes and bruises, but aside from the soreness she'd be feeling later, her body didn't hurt too badly.

Rubbing at the back of her head, Ashley stares out into the forest with a forlorn look on her face. He head was throbbing and her shoulder was hurting again, but it was mostly the girl's chest that was causing her trouble.

It hurt so much, and Ashley didn't know what to do about it....

"Ah, here you all are!" a new voice says brightly, causing all of the Leaf Ninja to turn around.

A tall man with long green hair smiles at everyone kindly, two other men standing behind him with more serious expressions on their faces.

Kakashi and Asuma stare back at the three men warily, with Sasuke pulling out his kunai knife again. Naruto steps in front of Sakura and Ashley protectively, despite the fact that Ashley has her back to him, still looking into the forest. Kiba grits his teeth and glares at the newcomers, while Kurenai takes up a position in front of the remaining Genin, suspicion in her red eyes.

After a long silence, the green haired man tilts his head to the side and sweat drops, grinning sheepishly.

"Uh...." he says awkwardly. "It would seem we've stumbled upon a situation? My name is Sirius..........I am the one who requested the aid of the Leaf Village."

"Oh" Asuma blinks, relaxing his stance a little. "Sorry for the frosty reception, we uh....We actually did just had a bit of a situation."

"Oh, something did happen?" Sirius inquires curiously, golden eyes glancing around. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine" Kakashi assures the man, motioning for the other Leaf Ninja to relax. "We were attacked by someone, but we're fine now."

"You were attacked?" one of the men behind Sirius repeats, as the green haired man's face hardens. "By who?"

"We don't know" Naruto says with a shrug, before jabbing his hand towards the forest the girl had vanished into. "She ran off in there just before you guys got here."

"She?....." Sirius murmurs, hooding his eyes. "My, they work very quickly. You're lucky none of you were killed."

"Killed?" Ino squeaks. "She's that strong?!"

"Yes, she's very dangerous" Sirius sighs, rubbing at his temples. "This really isn't the place to discuss things though. If none of you are too severely injured, my men and I will lead you back to the Village."

"Ashley's injured" Sakura supplies, though her worry earns her a very sharp glare from said blonde girl.

"I'm fine" Ashley retorts, though Sirius makes his way towards her anyway.

Scowling up at the man as he suddenly stops in front of her, Ashley has to resist the urge to growl at him. He stares down with wide eyes at the blonde, seemingly in shock.

Ashley didn't have any major injuries though, so what was his problem?

"You 're....." Sirius says quietly, before vigorously shaking his head and closing his eyes, smiling pleasantly now. "No, no, I'm just being silly. Are you alright?"

Ashley hoods her eyes and takes a cautious step back from Sirius, uncomfortable by his close presence.

"I already said that I'm fine" she responds flatly, feeling her body tense as Sirius opens his eyes again.

"......Well, I'm glad that you're alright" he says kindly, his gaze lingering for a few moments, before the man turns away with a sweeping motion and walks back over to his men.

"What was that about?" Kiba murmurs, nudging Naruto in the side with his elbow. "What a weird dude."

"He seems alright to me" Naruto responds, shrugging his shoulders. "He's not trying to kill us at least!"

Pulling a face, Kiba turns to look at Ashley as everyone introduces themselves to Sirius and his two guards. The blonde keeps her eyes on the green haired man as well, a skeptical look on her face. After a few moments she heaves a quiet sigh and turns her head back towards the forest.

"If you run in there" Kiba speaks up, only half kidding, "You know I'm gonna have to drag you back right?"

"......I'm not going to" is all Ashley says to that, her mind too preoccupied to bother with Kiba's teasing.

Ashley's POV

"The Land of Ambience?" Sakura repeats, tilting her head. "I've never heard of it before."

Sirius laughs and nods his head, everyone following along behind, as he leads the way down towards the Village in the island's centre.

"Yes, that's understandable" he explains, waving his hand at the scenery around him. "Aside from the inhabitants of the neighbouring land, the Land of Lightning, not many people know about our humble island. As you can tell, it's very well secluded out here."

'Our humble island?' I think dryly, shaking my head. I've had to listen to this idiot of a man speak as if he knows anything about the Land of Ambience for the last thirty minutes, and it's really beginning to make what small amount of patience I have left wear thin.

I remain silent as I begrudgingly follow the group further into my homeland, fighting the urge to tell this Sirius guy to shut his mouth. While he hasn't done anything to me per se, I just don't like him. I don't like how he talks about my homeland, I don't like the way he looks at me and I don't like what that girl said before she attacked us....

We're making a mistake by helping them? Who did she mean by them? She had to mean this guy right? I mean, who else were we going to be helping?

On the other hand, why would her words make me feel so on edge like this? Is it because she seems so frustratingly familiar? Maybe it's because of what I saw her do. So similar to my own abilities.....And those eyes....

They were the same colour as mine.

"Ashley?" a voice asks, causing me to snap out of my thoughts.

I blink in surprise and turn my head, only to see Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto walking next to me. They must have fallen back from the group to be with me.

"You've been staring up at that mountain for ages now" Sakura says uncomfortably, avoiding my gaze.

"Yeah, what's so interesting over there?" Naruto demands to know, once again oblivious to my mood. "You weren't even listening to me when I called out to you!"

"....I didn't hear you" I reply quietly, turning my head to gaze back up at the mountain far to our left. I hadn't even realised I was staring at it. "It's....It's nothing."

It's not like I can see anything anyway. The trees are so tall that they cover anything down on the ground. Even if my house was somehow still over there.....I wouldn't be able to see it from here.

It's probably been destroyed by now anyway.

"Dude, if this place has a Kage" I hear Kiba discussing in hushed tones with Shino up ahead, "How come we've never even heard of it before?"

"I don't know" Shino responds, seeming to ponder the thought. "Maybe it has become a new-"

"Kage?" I repeat loudly, brows furrowing. "What do you mean by Kage? This isn't a Hidden Village."

Kiba and Shino look back in surprise, before the Inuzuka shrugs his shoulders.

"That's what I'm sayin" he agrees, pursing his lips in thought. "Doesn't make much sense to me."

"You're right about this not being a Hidden Village" Sirius calls from the front of the group, though he seems unconcerned. "At least, not yet anyway."

"Lord Zenchokage is doing his best to emulate the democracy of a Hidden Village" one of the guards speaks up, clearly impressed. "We'll be just like those larger nations in no time with his help."

"Z-Zenchokage?" Ashley repeats incredulously, stopping in her tracks. She scowls as everyone pauses to look at her with questioning expressions. "Is that a joke?"

"No?" Sirius answers, smiling as he turns to look up at Ashley. "Why would it be? Is there something so wrong with wanting my village to succeed?"

"Your village......" Ashley chuckles dangerously, shaking her head. "There has never been a Kage in the Land of Ambience, and this isn't your land to claim anyway."

"How do you know that Ashley-chan?" Naruto asks, feeling a little uncertain at the tension between his teammate and Sirius.

"Well, that may have been the case in the past" the green haired man says breezily, turning back around to continue walking. "But it's not like there's anyone left on this island to carry on whatever traditions you're talking about."

Ashley's eyes widen with anger, before she suddenly lunges forwards. How dare he just decide to name himself the new leader of this Village?! He had no idea about the generations of good people that had forged a living on this island!

Before Ashley can get far, Kakashi appears before the girl, his hands already on her shoulders, barring her from moving any further forwards.

"I know you're mad" Kakashi speaks before Ashley can snap at him, her head tilted back to glare at him with blazing eyes. "I get it. I really do. And you can be as angry as you want later. But you can't attack him."

"You're on his side?" Ashley hisses accusingly, eyes narrowing further. "He has no idea what he's talking about. He can't just-"

"You're right" Kakashi agrees lowly, much to Ashley's surprise. "What he's been saying doesn't make sense to me either. But for now, he's the client and he hired us to help. I can't let you attack him and start a fight between our Ninja and theirs."

Ashley's expression falters at the intense look in Kakashi's eye, as if he is silently trying to tell her something more.

Was....Was he suspicious as well?

".....What exactly is this mission" Ashley eventually asks, making sure to keep her voice quiet. Behind Kakashi, Team Seven watch on curiously, trying to peer around their Sensei to see what is going on.

"....We're hear to help Sirius" Kakashi answers automatically, releasing Ashley when he sees that she won't attack again. "....Until I decide otherwise."

Ashley watches Kakashi's back with ominous wonder as he turns and heads back towards the front of the group, apologising to Sirius for his student's bad temper. He tries to excuse Ashley's behaviour by mentioning her injuries again, to which Sirius waves it off with a laugh. He didn't mind at all.

Ashley didn't understand what exactly Kakashi wasn't telling her. They were here to help the client, but only until he decided otherwise? What on earth did that mean?

Nothing about this mission was making any sense.

"Ashley" Asuma turns back, waiting for Team Seven to catch up to the rest of the group, which he has already herded on ahead despite their curiosity about the fuss.

Holding in a sigh and expecting to be told off, Ashley looks to Asuma with a stony expression.

".....I don't know what Kakashi told you" Asuma continues in a low voice, rubbing the stubble on his chin with one hand, "But you need to remember this. Kurenai, Kakashi and I are elite Jonin. We may not know the full extent of what happened here, but we have eyes and ears, just like you. You're going to have to trust us, whether you want to or not."

Ashley's brows furrow at this.

"Hard to trust people that won't tell you anything" the girl growls under her breath, irritated. What were Kakashi and Asuma talking about? They didn't want her to cause trouble with the client, and yet they didn't seem to trust him either.

"What did Asuma Sensei even mean by that?" Sakura wonders out loud, Naruto and Sasuke walking along beside her. "Everyone is being so mysterious, it's making me uneasy."

"They probably don't trust that guy yet" Sasuke supplies, frowning in thought. "This isn't somewhere that we normally go for missions."

"You think Kakashi, Kurenai and Asuma Sensei are on edge?" Sakura asks.

"They all seem a bit touchy" Naruto decides, nodding wisely. "But then, so does Ashley-chan. What's your deal anyway? How do you know stuff about this island?"

"......I'm not supposed to cause any trouble" Ashley reminds Naruto in a gravelly voice, casting him a warning side long glance. "So it's best not to bring it up right now."

"Here we are!" Sirius announces, turning to grin at us all, his arm raised towards the tall building in front of us.

I deadpan at the sight of the structure in front of me, wrinkling my nose and forcing myself to keep any smart remarks to myself. I hardly need another lecture from Kakashi or Asuma.

"Welcome to our Village" Sirius adds, looking amongst us with proud eyes. "This is the Zenchokage Tower."

Turning away from Sirius' stupid tower, I gaze around at the Village, a strange lump finding its way into my throat as I take it all in. Villagers walk freely through the large open space, chattering with each other as they go about their business. People wearing the same armour as Sirius' guards, who I'm assuming are Ninja like us, carry weapons and supplies around the area, busily carrying on with their duties despite our unusual presence.

I eye the buildings, my mouth set in a firm line. They looked completely different to the structures that used to be on the island, and they weren't in the right places anymore. Where had all of the trees in the main Village gone? Had they been cleared out to make room for building all of these houses?

It seemed much more crowded than it once had. If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't even know I was standing in the Land of Ambience anymore. It looked completely different. Felt completely different.

I had been used to seeing people and Wolves walk around together.....But now, it was just busy people with places to be and agendas to further the island's existence to the outside world. Where had that relaxed atmosphere gone? Had it been drowned in the ocean when the island was flooded by my Mother?

I am taken aback by the sudden memory of fire, burning high into the sky. I blink my eyes a few times, seeing a bright light flickering on top of one of the buildings, the smell of smoke reaching my nose and making me cough.

I whirl around at the sound of a scream, the people around me suddenly running in all directions. I hear a ferocious roar in the distance, the ground beneath my feet beginning to tremble. As I turn around, I suddenly see three young children huddled in fear by a burning building, tears pouring down their faces as three small Wolves try to comfort them in the discourse.

My heart thuds painfully against my chest as the girl with pink hair is suddenly swiped up by a horrifying creature, the girl screaming for her life. I almost fall over as the beast speeds past me, only to look back at the two children left behind. Two girls with blonde hair watch on in horror, as their friend is snatched away from them.

"Kurai!" one of the girls cries out, the other girl holding onto her tightly.

I curl my fingers into my hair and drop to my knees, squeezing my eyes closed as I struggle to keep myself from hyperventilating. The ground continues to quake beneath me, the ocean roaring in my ears, as people scream and fall to the ground, dead.

"No..." I whisper, my body trembling. "No, no no......."

I hear Hakuba laughing in the back of my mind, the haunting cackle melting in with the chaotic scene around me. Is it the sound of my home burning? People screaming? I can't even tell what sound is what anymore, it's so loud in my ears. I feel the fire burning against my skin-

A gentle hand on my shoulder causes my eyes to fly wide open, my head turning to look up. My heart pounds fearfully in my chest, as I look up into the eyes of an alarmed Kiba. I feel myself breathing rapidly, almost uncomfortably fast, as I look around and see that everyone is staring at me, bewildered.

In disbelief, I see that the Village isn't on fire at all and the sky is clear. The earth is stable beneath me, though I can feel that I'm the one quaking right now.

What had just happened to me? Was that a memory? If so, I have never experienced such an intense memory in all my life. It was so scary, I don't think I can do this anymore.

"Angel" Kiba addresses me in a soft voice, dropping to one knee beside me. "Are you alright?"

"Ashley-chan!" Naruto calls out, his blue eyes wavering. "What's going on? Did someone do something to you?"

I look from Kiba, to Naruto, to all of the other staring faces and suddenly feel panic swiftly build up inside my body. I feel so crowded here. I feel wrong being here.

Shakily I climb to my feet, my face lowered towards the ground as I bite my lip. Kiba places a hand on either of my shoulders, trying to keep me steady.

I push his arms away though and turn around, fleeing away in the opposite direction. I hear all of my friends call my name, but I don't turn around. I run straight up the closest hill and disappear into the forest, running as fast as my shaking legs will let me go.

At this point I don't care where I end up, I just can't be here anymore. It's far too painful.

Third Person's POV

Kakashi's eyes widen as Ashley sprints away from the group, Kiba, Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke immediately running to follow after the blonde girl.

"Everyone stay here!" Kakashi calls out, though as he expected, none of the four Genin listen to him.

"Shikamaru" Asuma addresses, turning to the solemn looking Nara. "Can you stop them for a second?"

"Ugh....." Shikamaru sighs, dropping down into a crouch, one knee on the ground. "I don't really want to, given the circumstances, but I guess I have no choice.......Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

Four dark shadows swiftly spread out across the ground, stretching until they connect with the shadows of Kiba, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, rendering the four unable to move.

"What the hell?!" Kiba shouts, fuming.

"L-Let us go Shikamaru!" Sakura pleads, trying to strain against the Jutsu. "Something's wrong with Ashley!"

"We gotta find her" Naruto adds, also struggling to break free.

Sasuke, unable to move, glares into the forest, his Sharingan activated in frustration. He grits his teeth and tries to force his body to move, though Shikamaru's Jutsu is too strong to break free from.

"A-Asume Sensei?" Shikamaru grunts, sweating. "I can't hold the four of them for long at this distance. Can we make this quick?"

"Yeah" the Jonin confirms, looking to Kakashi for guidance.

Kakashi sighs and turns to Sirius, who is observing the whole scene with great interest, though his eyes are half closed.

"Please give all the details of this mission to my comrades" Kakashi requests, nodding his head towards Kurenai and Asuma. "I'll go and retrieve our runaway Genin."

"Of course Kakashi" Sirius obliges with a flourish, smiling at the Jonin. "I mentioned earlier to you where you Leaf Ninja will be staying during your time here, so please meet them there after I have concluded the brief. Of course, if you have any trouble, please come and find myself or one of my men. We're only too happy to help."

"Thanks" Kakashi says shortly, before jogging over to the still frozen Genin. "I'll bring her back guys. Just.....stay with everyone else and behave. Please. This sort of stuff can't keep happening...."

"Alright Shikamaru" Asuma finally concedes, allowing his student to release the others from his Jutsu.

The Nara sighs with relief, before Kiba, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke all fall onto their hands and knees.

"She seemed really upset Kakashi Sensei" Sakura says, her voice trembling as she raises her head. "I think something is really wrong.....Please bring her back."

"......I will Sakura" Kakashi promises with a smile. "Don't worry."

That said, Kakashi breaks into a sprint and chases after Ashley, hoping she hadn't managed to get too far.

As the man vanishes into the trees, the smile slowly fades from Sirius' eyes. The friendly sparkle in his golden eyes wanes as he stares into the forest, his mouth setting in a harsh line.

"Let's go inside and sort out the details of this mission" Asuma instructs, turning to look at Sirius.

The man blinks a few times, before closing his eyes and grinning back at the Jonin. He motions for the guards to open the heavy wooden doors of the Zenchokage Tower and waves a hand at the Leaf Ninja.

"Of course" he agrees. "Please, do come in my friends."

Ashley frantically runs through the forest, her heart pounding in her ears and her breathing ragged, almost painful. She didn't know what had just happened to her. It was a feeling she had never experienced before.

She'd never had the chance to have a nightmare about the destruction of her Village, given her poor sleeping habits, and she'd done everything she could to try and not think back on the experience over the years.

But that memory had suddenly hit her like a tonne of bricks. It had been so vivid. She could smell the burning fires and hear the horrifying screaming. The ground rumbling as the ocean covered the island had felt so real. And the terrified looks on the faces of herself and her little sister.....

Ashley slowly comes to a stop and leans her shoulder against the nearest tree. Panting, either from the panic of her awful memory or from all of the running, Ashley hangs her head and closes her eyes. She places a hand on either side of her head and massages her temples, trying to comfort herself and calm down.

After a few moments of silence, Ashley reopens her eyes and raises her head, turning to glance over her shoulder.

".....Please don't drag me back there yet Kakashi Sensei" the blonde begs quietly, as Kakashi slowly approaches her from behind.

"I'm not going to" he assures Ashley gently.

"I can't go back there" the girl sighs deeply, turning so that her back is now leaning against the tree trunk. "I just....can't...."

Kakashi watches his solemn student for a few seconds, noting the strained look on her face, before he also turns and leans his back against the side of the tree, arms crossed over his chest.

".....What happened Ashley?" he inquires, to which the girl sighs again and brings up her hands to hide her face.

"I don't know" Ashley admits, shaking her head. "One second I was fine and then.....And then I was back there...."

"Back where?" Kakashi prompts, looking over at his student as she raises her head, a far away look in her eyes.

"Back in my Village" Ashley whispers, sounding afraid now. "I saw it all happen again. It happened so fast.....Everything was fine and then.....I could see the fire."

"Fire? Kakashi repeats, confused. "There was no fire-"

"I know!" Ashley interrupts, surprising Kakashi as she whirls around and grabs onto his sleeve, an imploring expression on her face. "I know there wasn't really a fire back there but...

Here Ashley bites her lip and turns her head, brows furrowing as her grip on Kakashi's arm subconsciously tightens.

"I could see my Village burning again" the blonde explains lowly. "I could smell the fire and I could feel it too!.....A-And then.....And then I saw one of those monsters...."

Perplexed as to what Ashley could mean by a monster, Kakashi remains silent and allows the girl to keep talking. She had never, ever mentioned anything about what had happened to her Village and Clan, and while Kakashi was very concerned about her, he was also somewhat happy that she was willing to tell him about it. Ashley wasn't one to trust very easily and even with those she did trust, she was still quite a mystery.

".....It grabbed my friend Kurai and ran off with her" Ashley recalls, hooding her eyes. "It grabbed her from right in front of me and my sister........I never saw her again after that...."

Feeling self conscious, Ashley looks up at Kakashi through her lashes, the silver haired man listening to her intently. Though it wasn't something Ashley ever felt comfortable talking about, and despite the face that she had been furious with Kakashi for dragging her back to her homeland, Ashley fully trusted the Jonin. He had never given her a reason not to and if she was going to mention anything about what had happened to her Clan, it was going to be to Kakashi.

"I really try not to think about it, ever" Ashley says apprehensively, her voice strained, "But that memory, or whatever it was, really threw it all right back in my face. I was stuck with Orochimaru for nearly six years, and I don't think anything has shaken me that badly before."

Brows furrowing, Kakashi watches as Ashley releases his arms and tilts her head back. She rests it against the tree trunk, her eyes focused up on the sky, the clouds above beginning to darken.

".......I watched my Clan all die around me you know" the blonde murmurs, a sorrow in her voice that Kakashi had never heard. "I had to watch Orochimaru's gross experiments kill them all...........I saw them try to kill my Mom and my sister too."

"Ashley" Kakashi tries to speak, only for Ashley to continue, a morbid smile on her face now.

"I can't go back there" she laughs, though the girl is anything but amused. "I really can't be there, in that Village. I don't recognise it at all, but what I do know is, this is not the Land of Ambience that I remember. Nothing is where it's supposed to be and there aren't any Wolves running around either. It's not supposed to be like this....."

Ashley trails off as Kakashi reaches out and places an affectionate hand on top of her head, something that causes her eyes to flick up to the Jonin's face.

"I'm sorry about your family Ashley" Kakashi says sincerely, feeling a pang in his chest. He also knew what loss and heartache felt like, and to see his young students experience the same thing was painful for Kakashi.

He wished he could help them, but aside from try to be a comfort and a guide, there was nothing he could do to ease the pain.

"It sounds like you had a panic attack" Kakashi continues, Ashley's face softening slightly at her Sensei's care for her. "I understand the feeling very well. A vivid memory of a traumatic event can do that to even the strongest person."

"......It's never happened to me before" Ashley admits, feeling embarrassed by her weakness.

"Well, you've never been back to your homeland since it happened" Kakashi surmises, "So it probably hit you harder than you expected......I'm sorry Ashley. We didn't bring you here to cause you anymore pain. Lady Tsunade had hoped that, somehow, coming back here would be a healing experience for you."

Ashley blinks at that.

"This was Lady Tsunade's idea?" she asks, to which Kakashi nods. ".....Remind me to thank her when we get back...."

Kakashi can't help but chuckle at the irritated look on Ashley's face, a sound that makes the blonde look up at her Sensei again. She watches him for a few seconds, her head tilting to the side.

".....Thank you for worrying about me Kakashi Sensei" Ashley tells the Jonin genuinely, though her face is serious. "I know I'm a huge pain sometimes, but you always come through for me."

Kakashi smiles down at Ashley, closing his eyes as he does so. His heart had swelled at those words. Though he wasn't really one to show it, Kakashi cared for his students very much. He was glad to be able to worry for Ashley, as well as Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke.

"Before you go getting all soft on me" Kakashi teases, "We should go and meet up with everyone else. Your teammates are worried about you as well."

Ashley's shoulders droop at the thought of having to explain her embarrassing reaction to the others. She can't help feeling a little bit happy though, knowing that her friends care for her so much, even when her actions don't seem to make sense.

"I guess we better put them out of their misery and show them that I'm alright" Ashley sighs dramatically, allowing Kakashi to lead the way.

Asuma and Kurenai both turn to each other with uncertain expressions, before looking back to Sirius. The man watches them both with a straight look on his face, hands folded in front of his mouth and his elbows resting on a heavy wooden desk.

"He wants us to what?" Ino squeaks in Shikamaru's ear.

Hinata leans into Kiba a little, feeling nervous after what Sirius had just said. Kiba pats Hinata on the back, feeling protective. Choji swallows thickly, trying not to let his uneasiness show. Shino remains silent, though his gaze does fall to the marbled floor. He wasn't anymore comfortable with these instructions either.

Sakura's eyes are wide as she stares at Sirius in disbelief. They were only Genin, how could Sirius expect something like that from them?

Naruto huffs and folds his arms over his chest, confused by the whole situation, while Sasuke remains serious, hands in his pockets.

"Come again?" Asuma requests, hoping he had heard wrong. This wasn't what had been described to him and the other Jonin by Lady Tsunade.

".....When you come in contact with the enemy Ninja" Sirius repeats himself with certainty, "You are to kill them."

"What?!" Sakura can't help shrieking, only to immediately slap a hand over her own mouth and duck her head in embarrassment.

"We were told that we would be defending this Village from intruders" Kurenai is quick to point out. "Not that we would be instructed to seek them out and kill them."

"The mission request received from your Village was a B Rank mission at most" Asuma adds, frowning. "You've mentioned that these Ninja are highly skilled and that we were lucky that none of us were killed by that girl we ran into earlier. That would put this mission at an A Rank and these are teams of Genin. This is beyond their capabilities."

".....I reached out to the Hidden Leaf in hopes of creating an alliance with you" Sirius explains, unperturbed by the reactions of the Leaf Ninja. "The mission is to protect my Village from attack by those rogue Ninja. After the devastation they've caused, they cannot be allowed to live."

"But these Ninja are only beginners" Kurenai argues, sweeping her arm towards the group of Genin behind her. "They don't take on missions of this magnitude!"

"We can take em!" Naruto boasts, pointing at his chest. "We've defeated some pretty tough enemies before."

"Yeah but you've never killed anyone you idiot" Kiba speaks up flatly, to which Naruto purses his lips.

"I could though!" the blonde shouts back, throwing one fist out in front of him. "Just show us where those bad guys are! We'll take care of the-"

"Shut up Naruto!" Sakura seethes, wrapping her arms around Naruto's neck and grabbing him in a vicious choke hold. "Stop encouraging this!"

Sirius' mouth creeps up into a faint smile at the Genin's antics, only to fall from his face as Asuma takes a step forwards, his face stony.

"Our Genin aren't ready to take on a mission like this" the Jonin reiterates strongly. "We can't risk their lives by taking on a mission that they aren't ready for."

The two men standing behind Sirius' desk fidget nervously, looking at the back of their boss's head as he silently stares at the Leaf Ninja. What was he going to do if the Ninja refused to help? Would he get angry?

".....Those Ninja have killed my men and innocent Villagers alike" Sirius eventually tells everyone, his golden eyes drifting at the thought. "They've attacked children. We've managed to get rid of a few of them, but they're excellent at hiding. I can't even let Villagers go out into the forests and mountains without my men escorting them anymore. These rogue Ninja need to be disposed of and we really need your help. We're only a small Village, in its beginnings, and our resources are scarce.......You assistance with this situation would be invaluable to us all."

Asuma pauses at this plea, uncertain of what to do. He looks to Kurenai, only to see that the red eyed woman seems as conflicted as him.

"You've come all this way" Sirius adds, sweat dropping. "It would seem such a waste to travel so far, only to go home without at least trying to help our Village.....Wouldn't it?"

All of the Genin watch Asuma as he runs a hand down the back of his neck, closing his eyes and heaving a sigh. He glances back at all of the Genin, taking in their wary expressions, before sighting again and looking to Sirius.

"Look" the Jonin begins, "We'll stay for now and see how this situation pans out. But at the very first sign that this mission is too dangerous for our Genin, we're out of here."

"A wonderful compromise!" Sirius announces happily, rising from his seat. "I completely understand your predicament and am very grateful that you're willing to help us. We'd be indebted to the Leaf Village if you're able to succeed in your mission."

"Don't celebrate just yet" Kurenai reminds the green haired man. "We're yet to see if this is a mission we can handle."

"Yes, I understand" Sirius says with a nod, dropping back down into his chair and folding his hands in front of his mouth again. "It seems a little drastic, but I just can't have my people be in danger anymore."

"We'll do our best...." Kurenai mutters, before bowing her head slightly. "If that's all, we'll be heading to the inn for the night."

"Yes of course" Sirius smiles pleasantly, his eyes closing. "Please travel swiftly, it looks as though there is going to be some rain soon. Thank you Leaf Ninja and good evening."

Asuma and Kurenai head towards the door of the Zenchokage's office, with all of the Genin following close behind. They murmur amongst themselves about the circumstance of their mission, their voices fading as the door closes behind them.

The smile on Sirius' face immediately drops as soon as the Leaf Ninja exit his office, with the man leaning back in his chair and glaring at the door.

".....Kimitsu, Sagatarou" Sirius addresses, causing the two guards behind him to straighten up. "We seem to have a situation at hand."

"A situation my Lord?" Kimitsu asks, confused. "Is it because the Leaf Ninja don't want to kill the-"

"No" Sirius spits, annoyed. "They'll kill them. I'll make sure of it. As far as the Leaf Ninja know, they're sadistic rogues who have murdered our Villagers."

"What seems to be the issue then sir?" Sagatarou inquires hesitantly.

"Didn't you see her?" Sirius asks, his tone mocking. "The girl that ran off!......She looks just like one of them."

"Oh yeah" Kimitsu recalls, remembering his own shock when he'd first seen her. "Yeah, she did have very similar features."

"What are you going to do about her my Lord?" Sagatarou asks, though he's pretty sure he already knows the answer.

A dark look passes through Sirius' eyes, as a mean smile spreads across his face.

"If she's going to be a problem" he says ominously, "Then we'll have to get rid of her too."