Ashley's POV

"....I hope she's alright."

"Dashi, dear, you can just ask her when she wakes up."

".....I doubt she would tell me the truth anyway. I know that she doesn't want to disappoint any of us."

"She's your granddaughter Dashi. If you ask for honesty, I'm sure she will tell you."

"Even without your future sight, I'm already aware of the answer anyway.........I'm just worried about her Arelle."

"....I know dear, I know."

I release a low sigh and briefly close my eyes, lying on my back as I listen to the quiet voices whispering about me in another room. Arelle and my grandfather had been talking about me for awhile now, wondering why I had suddenly turned up at the temple last night and asked to stay over, when I had been so adamant about living away from it.

Grandfather was delighted to have me stay of course, though I had been able to see the curious look in his eyes, as clear as day.

I didn't know what to tell him though. I still don't. After the argument with Saffire, I just couldn't bring myself to go home and face Kiyumi. I knew she'd have questions to ask me, and I just didn't have it in me to answer them.

Ace had said it all for me really. He had admittedly been quite cruel in the way he said things, but I hadn't scolded him for it. I didn't even feel bad that he'd said it.

I feel guilty for thinking it, but the fact that those words had finally been said out loud had felt like a huge relief to me. I hadn't said them, but they'd been said. And the impact of those words had been felt.

I'd heard my sister start crying as I walked away, but I had been so angry with what Saffire had said to me, that in that moment, I didn't care that Kiyu was crying.

That makes me feel guilty too. I've never turned my back on my sister when she's cried before. It felt wrong.

But at the same time, I hadn't felt the I would be able to comfort her. I'm almost out of comforting words. I can feel frustration bubbling up inside me slowly, and I struggle more and more every day to even pretend like I'm happy here.

I know the others can see it, and I do feel bad for being so miserable around them all the time, but I don't seem to have much control of it anymore.

I reach up and place my hands over my face, groaning quietly.

Why can't I just be happy? I'm in my homeland, with my Clan again. Something that is so incredible, I'd never given myself the hope to even imagine such a thing could happen. After all of the pain of losing my family and being Orochimaru's prisoner for almost 6 years, I should be overjoyed with my current situation. Anyone normal would be. So why is the only thing that comes to mind when I think of happiness.........their faces?

It should be the faces of Kiyu, and my grandfather and the other Minami, but it's not....

Dropping my hands from my face, I open my eyes and sit up, staring at the door of my room, which is slightly ajar.

I hope my grandfather doesn't ask me anything. If he asks me any questions relating to my happiness right now, it may just open the flood gates. And he really doesn't deserve to hear how selfish and ungrateful I am.

"....Milady" Ace addresses me, his voice causing me to jump. He had been so quiet, I'd forgotten he was there.

He gives me a strange look as I turn my head, jumping down from the adjacent bed and stepping over to me.

"....You were staring at nothing again" is all the Wolf says, though I can tell that he wants to say a whole lot more. ".......Shall we join the Chief for breakfast?"

"Sorry" I apologise, climbing out of bed and walking over to my clothes to get changed. "Yeah, let's go."

Ace politely turns his head away as I change, before heading to the door and leading me down the hall and into the large kitchen.

"Good morning dears" Arelle immediately greets us without even turning around, seated in a chair at the long table.

I know she can see into the future and all, but it still unnerves me when she does stuff like that sometimes...

"Ah, Ashley, Ace" the Chief greets us cheerfully, looking up from his food, "Good morning. Have a seat. I've just finished cooking breakfast."

"Good morning" I respond automatically, dumping myself down in a chair and staring down at a plate of steaming food.

I continue to stare at it in silence for a few moments, really just wanting to avoid my grandfather's eye. I don't know what to say to him either, after overhearing his conversation with Arelle earlier.

It'd be easier not to be in the room with him at all to be honest, but it's a bit hard to avoid him when I'm inside his home.

"Did you sleep well Ashley?" the Chief asks politely, wanting to force me into conversation.

"......" I find that I am unable to reply, instead lifting my head to give my grandfather a strange look, wondering if he's trying to be funny or not.

The white haired man blinks back at me, clearly confused by my expression. Why does he look confused? I'm the one that's confused by his weird question.

"....Milady does not sleep" Ace informs the Chief, somewhat impatiently, as if we're both stupid.

"What?" the Chief replies, tilting his head slightly. "Why not?"

"The demon" Ace states, wrinkling his nose. "It gives Milady night terrors if she falls into deep sleep."

I choose to remain silent here. Night terrors were only the beginning if I fell asleep, but it's not really something I feel like discussing right here and now with the Chief.

"Night terrors?" my grandfather repeats, setting his spoon down and eyeing me seriously. "I was never told you were affected like this......Are you alright?"

"I'm fine if I don't sleep" I answer, finally lifting my own spoon and shoving some food in my mouth.

"Not sleeping is unhealthy Ashley" the Chief reprimands me gently, something that makes me shrug. I can't help smirking, bemused by his worry.

"It seems Milady has picked up many unhealthy coping mechanisms over the years" Ace comments slyly, to which I shoot him a warning look.

Ace folds his ears backwards and holds my gaze stubbornly, daring me to deny it out loud, while my grandfather looks between the both of us in thought.

I internally curse at Ace as I turn away from him, all of us going back to eating our breakfasts in silence. I feel a strange sort of tension in the air however, something that makes me feel a little restless in my seat.

I can tell that my grandfather really wants to ask about what happened last night, and I just have to keep hoping that he won't. If I explain it, then everything that I don't want to say will come out. I don't want my feelings to be fact, so if I can hold them in, then maybe, just maybe, I can keep trying to tell myself that everything is fine.

After a few minutes of more silence, save for the occasional chink of cutlery hitting bowls, my grandfather clears his throat awkwardly. I immediately look down, internally panicking about what he is going to say.

Should I quickly excuse myself from the table? I could pretend to be sick, and then jump out of a window. But then, won't that seem even more suspicious? It's not like I'd have the strength to subdue him either. Would Ace help me? I'm sure he would, even though he probably wouldn't agree with-

"I have some interesting news" my grandfather informs me casually, closing his eyes as he takes a sip of coffee from his mug.

"Huh?" I ask dumbly, not having expected those words at all. I feel a little embarrassed when my grandfather chuckles into his mug, briefly casting me a sidelong glance.

"You probably won't be very interested actually" the man states nonchalantly, "But I figure it's good for you young ones to know what's going on in the Village."

I slowly lift my spoon to my mouth, watching my grandfather with both intrigue and suspicion. Where is he going with this?

"I've been in communication with Lady Tsunade lately" grandfather says, something that causes me to freeze in my seat, my eyes widening as I look up at him.

"What for?" I ask immediately, seemingly unable to control my interest.

"The Hokage has reached out to me about setting up a treaty between our nations" my grandfather explains, to which my brows furrow in thought.

"But, we're not at war?"

"No, we're not" the Chief agrees, smiling warmly at me. "But Lady Tsunade has suggested that we become Allies, should anything happen in the future. I imagine she suggested it with you in mind."

I stare at my grandfather through glittering eyes, though I keep my mouth tightly shut, not wanting to accidentally say anything unnecessary.

Would Lady Tsunade really had reached out to grandfather, because of me? Or maybe Kakashi Sensei had convinced her to. Perhaps Naruto pestered her about it until she finally did something.

Either way, it's somehow comforting to know that the Village Hidden in the Leaves hasn't forgotten about me....

"The Hokage is eager to get things under way" the Chief continues mysteriously, though he looks to me with a knowing expression. "She is sending an envoy here, and they should be arriving in a week's time."

"What?" I ask emphatically, my eyes continuing to widen at the news that people from back home will be coming here.

Here, my grandfather averts his eyes and rubs the back of his neck, seemingly conflicted about something.

"I just....thought you might want to know" he says, sounding as if he is admitting to bad behaviour.

"....Leaf Ninja...." I repeat slowly, wanting to make sure I have things straight, "....Will be coming here......in a week?"

"That's right" my grandfather confirms, only to glance up as Arelle shifts in her seat, tilting her head towards me subtly.

Seeming to understand this strange movement, my grandfather heaves a sigh and closes his eyes, lifting one hand to massage the bridge of his nose. Confused, I glance over at Ace to see if he knows what's going on, only for the Wolf to meet my eyes and shrug.

He seems just as confused as me, although admittedly, his expression seems to lean more towards suspicion than anything else.

"....I-Is everything alright Chief?" I ask cautiously, to which the man drops his hand and smiles to himself sadly, nodding.

"......You know Ashley" he begins, his voice soft and gentle, as he seems to look off into the distance, as if recalling something. "....Your mother........"

I instantly tense up at the mention of my mom, not understanding where this conversation is being led. What does my mom have to do with anything?

"......She had to make a decision about whether to stay in the Land of Ambience or to leave and go to the Land of Fire as well" the Chief reminisces, almost like he's talking to himself rather than me.

".....She did?" I ask slowly, never having heard this before.

My grandfather nods, now looking to me with kind eyes.

"Yes" he confirms. "Your Father was from the Land of Fire, as you are aware, and your Mother was conflicted on where to live. She loved him, very dearly, but couldn't bear to part with us, her Clan, either. She spent such a long time worrying about what she should do........"

"Your Father wanted her to go with him of course, but he didn't want to tell her what to do. He understood that leaving her Clan would be hard for her, and he wanted her to reach her own decision. Your grandmother and I were hard against the idea of Aeri leaving us at the time of course, but.....considering all that happened here, I......I wish she had left...."

I feel a painful swell in my chest at the heartbroken look on my grandfather's face, his hands balling into tight fists.

While I can understand that he may feel guilty seeing as my mom died when the island was invaded, but I don't have the heart to tell him that it probably wouldn't have mattered in my family's case. If Mom had left, she'd have lived in the Uchiha compound with Dad......and the Uchiha didn't fair much better than the Minami in the end....

"My point is" my grandfather continues, regaining his cool and turning to face me head on, his fuchsia eyes boring into mine. "Your Mother always regretted her decision to stay. She never said it, but I could see it plain as day on her face every time he had to leave her, and you two girls, behind. But she stayed for us. She didn't want us to be hurt by her absence......"

I feel myself beginning to feel a tiny bit panicked at what my grandfather is inferring, only for him to continue.

"We would have missed her terribly of course" my grandfather laughs quietly, shaking his head, "But we would have been so happy, if she was happy............Ashley, I want you to be happy. I want you to make a decision for your own happiness. Not for mine, not for the Clan's and not for Kiyumi's. I'm not telling you what decision to make, just please..........Be happy."

I feel myself breathing shallow breaths, feeling like a small child, as my grandfather gets up out of his chair and walks around the table. He stands in front of me, that kind, warm smile on his face, before he leans down and gently kisses me on top of the head. He cups my chin in his hand for only a moment, before he turns to leave the room. Arelle gives me a quick glance, winking, as she jumps down from her chair and follows after my grandfather, leaving me behind, snivelling.

Third Person's POV

"What?!" Saffire screeches in horror, leaping up to face Atsui. "What do you mean that Leaf Ninja are coming here in a few days?! Why?!"

"Hey, don't bark at me" Atsui says defensively, holding one hand up to block Saffire's face from his view. "I'm just repeating what the Chief told me earlier."

Saffire grits her teeth and lets out a low growl, turning away from Atsui to pace back and forth a few times.

"Apparently they want to set up a treaty with our Village so we'll be allies" Atsui adds, leaning his back against the wall and folding his arms.

"Oh bullshit" Saffire spits, her distress taking on the form of anger. "They just want to take Ashley back home with them!"

While the girl was often impatient with Ashley these days, Saffire still loved her immensely and held onto the hope that one day, Ashley would be able to be happy again in the Land of Ambience. Why did those Leaf Ninja have to keep messing things up?!

Having them come here was only going to push Ashley into wanting to leave with them, and Saffire did not want that to happen.

"As if they'd waste their time coming here just for that" Atsui sighs in annoyance, though his words are blatantly and purposefully ignored.

"Should we try to keep Ley-chan away from them?" Kurai wonders out loud, worried about what the presence of Leaf Ninja would do to Ashley. "Or maybe, not tell her that they're coming?"

"Does Ashley know that they're coming?" Saffire asks urgently, her head whipping back to look at Atsui again, to which the green haired boy shrugs one shoulder.

"How would I know?" he scoffs.

"......We can't be dishonest with Ley-chan" Kiyumi speaks up, though she keeps her dark eyes trained on the floor, her face the picture of sadness. "I-I don't want to trick her again....."

"Kiyu-chan...." Kurai murmurs, sounding regretful.

"I already told you, we didn't trick her" Saffire huffs impatiently, rolling her eyes skyward. "She chose to stay h-"

"We manipulated her into staying!" Kiyumi cries out, her eyes filling with tears at the thought. "I n-never meant to do that and I feel terrible! I can barely sleep because of the guilt. I-I don't want to hide anything from my sister..."

Kurai shifts in her seat uncomfortably, only for Shimei to place an arm around the girl's shoulders in a bid to comfort her. Usually it helped, but this time, it didn't at all.

Kiyumi had certainly not meant to manipulate her Ashley, as she was a pure and kind-hearted person, but Kurai on the other hand?

Yes, she had been manipulative on purpose. She had thought that staying in the Land of Ambience was best for Ashley, and had pushed for the right decision to be made. Despite things going the way she wanted, Kurai hadn't expected things to go so poorly.

She had expected Ashley to immediately forget about the Leaf Ninja and be her old, happy self once they were gone. But Kurai couldn't even remember one time when she had seen a genuine smile on Ashley's face since they had left...

"I.....I want my sister to stay here with me forever" Kiyumi continues, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand, as Keilor nuzzles her cheek with his nose, "But I don't want my sister to resent me. Ley-chan is doing everything she can to keep me happy, but I know she's not happy and she'll come to hate me one day.......W-We can't be selfish anymore."

"How is wanting her to stay here, in her homeland, selfish?" Saffire demands to know.

Kiyumi looks up at Saffire with woeful eyes, something that makes the taller girl flinch, before she turns her head away, a bead of sweat running down the side of her face.

".....But what does my sister want?" Kiyumi asks everyone in the room, though personally, she already knows the painful answer to that question.

"Welcome to the Land of Ambience my friends" Dashi greets the Leaf Ninja with his arms wide open, as they walk down the wooden board from their ship, having docked at the pier. "Please, be at ease and make yourselves at home here. I am Chief Dashi, and this is my right-hand man, Arashi. Please see either of us if you have any issues at all. Oh, and this is my lovely partner, Arelle."

"Hello dears" the cream coloured Wolf greets in her velvet voice, something that seems to throw a few of the Leaf Ninja off for a second.

They had been briefed about the Land of Ambience and the Guardian Wolves of course, however to many of them, having an animal talk to them was a first.

Arashi bows his head in greeting, before he and Dashi begin shaking hands and talking with the newly arrived Leaf Ninja. As they talk, one man catches Dashi's attention as he walks down the pier, causing him to break away from the group.

"It's good to see you again my friend" Dashi says with a broad smile, his eyes closing, as he extends his hand out towards the other man.

Kurai, Saffire and Kiyumi watch on from their vantage point on top of the cliffs, each one harbouring different feelings as they stare down at the Leaf Ninja below. They worked quickly, looking like busy ants from this high up.

"Look at them" Kurai sighs, holding some of her long hair back as a chilling breeze blows through it. "There's so many...."

"I hate them all" Saffire states coldly, sitting with her legs dangling over the edge of the cliff, her nose wrinkling. "I hope they leave soon."

".....They only just arrived" Kiyumi points out gently, to which Saffire throws her head back and groans loudly.

Kiyumi hugs her knees to her chest, staring down at the Leaf Ninja through hooded eyes. She hadn't yet seen any Leaf Ninja that she recognised, but that thought was of little comfort to her. Kiyumi didn't know how many of them her sister was acquainted, and besides, they were so far away, it was hard to tell one hundred percent if Kiyumi actually recognised any of them.

"I haven't seen Ashley down there yet" Fang suddenly realises, her eyes searching through the small crowd way down below.

"Hey, you're right" Saffire says, abruptly lurching forwards and leaning as far over the cliff as she can to peer down below.

"Be careful Saffire" Kurai urges, placing one hand on the girl's shoulder and pulling her backwards a little, before also glancing back down at the pier. "....We've been here since they arrived, and you're right Fang. I don't think I've seen her either..."

"Maybe she's avoiding them?" Saffire suggests smugly. "Maybe we were wrong about her missing them all this time."

".....I doubt that" Kiyumi disagrees, though a small part of her wishes that Saffire was right.

There was no way Ashley didn't miss them, and there was even less chance that Ashley was going to avoid them. In fact, Kiyumi had expected her sister to make a beeline for them.

Feeling her heart beating loudly in her chest, Ashley stands with her back firmly pressed against a wall, her palms placed on the bricks. It didn't seem like they had seen her, though Ashley suspected that the two men wouldn't even know who she was anyway. She didn't recognise them.

Swallowing the strange lump in her throat, Ashley slowly peeks out from behind the wall, her eyes searching for the Leaf Ninja that she had been avoiding. Or spying on. She wasn't really sure anymore.

Only a few metres away, Ashley sees a small group of Leaf Ninja laughing with a few locals at a small shop stand. Seeing the Leaf insignia carved into their headbands, Ashley feels a pressure in her chest, as if someone had placed a weight there. That homesickness had become such a familiar feeling by now, Ashley could almost say that she was used to it.

It had been three months since she's seen someone wearing that symbol. That symbol represented her life back in the Land of Fire, and wearing it herself had been too painful, so Ashley had removed it from around her neck. It had been folded and placed in a box, way in the back of her wardrobe. She hadn't even been able to bring herself to look at it.

But now, seeing it again. That symbol represented something familiar and comforting.

Home.

Conflicted feelings wrestle each other in Ashley's chest, leaving her with nothing but a painful sting. The girl feels her brows pulling down in sadness, only for a voice to make her freeze.

"....What are you doing Milady?" Ace inquires, sitting out in the open and looking at Ashley with a deadpan expression.

"Gah!" Ashley squeaks in fright, not having expected Ace to find her so quickly.

Although not really sure why she had done it, Ashley had woken up early and very quietly left the house that morning, wanting to get to the pier before the Leaf Ninja had arrived. She'd wanted to be there to greet them, but had turned chickened out at the last minute.

"Would you get out of the road and hide?" Ashley hisses, urgently waving her hands for Ace to join her.

The Wolf doesn't move however.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want them to see you, or me!" Ashley insists, flailing her arms now.

Ace slowly turns his head to look at the group of Leaf Ninja nearby, only to heave a disappointed sigh, and turn back to Ashley.

"I do not know who those people are Milady" he informs the girl flatly, "And I can assure you, that they do not know you or I. You are being ridiculous."

Ashley's shoulders droop at this. While Ace wasn't technically wrong, Ashley still didn't want the Leaf Ninja to see her, just in case.

"Why are you really hiding Milady?" Ace asks, rising to his feet and walking over to the blonde. "You left early. Well, perhaps snuck out early, is a better way to describe it, seeing as you left me behind."

Here, Ashley averts her gaze and laughs sheepishly, not denying the accusation.

"You left early" Ace repeats, "To go and see the Leaf Ninja, and yet here I find you, cowering behind a wall. What is going on?"

Ashley tilts her head down, chewing on her lower lip for a few seconds, as she tries to think of an answer. It didn't really make sense to her either.

She had been so excited when she'd seen the ship in the distance, but as soon as the possibility of speaking to other Leaf Ninja had really hit Ashley, she had turned right back around and run off to watch them arrive from a hidden position.

What would happen if some of her friends had arrived? What would Ashley do then? Talking to them again would be wonderful, but it would also be painful. It would make things even harder for Ashley.

Even just seeing Leaf Ninja that she didn't know made Ashley's resolve weaken, so talking to them would be too dangerous. They were a direct link to home, and having them right there, only to leave again, would hurt too much.

"I just- ack!" Ashley lets out a choking sound as someone suddenly bumps into her, causing her to almost trip over her own feet.

A strong hand quickly grabs onto the girl's arm, steadying her, before releasing her once she has recovered her balance.

"I'm really sorry about that miss!" a tall man apologises, looking panicked as he glances over Ashley. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Good one idiot" a second man scoffs teasingly. "We've barely been here an hour and you're already flattening the locals."

Ashley stares up at the two men with wide eyes, having been about to dismiss the first man's worry, only to see the headbands they are wearing.

"I-It's fine" Ashley manages to mutter, before abruptly turning on her heel and breaking into a sprint.

Sighing once again, Ace rolls his eye and takes off after Ashley, leaving the two very confused Leaf Ninja behind in the street.

"Wait Milady!" Ace calls from behind Ashley, slowly catching up to her as she darts through the Village. "You are overreacting. This is silly."

Ace suddenly skids to a halt, almost crashing directly into Ashley as she drops down to the ground, ducking behind a large bush. Somewhat incredulous, Ace stares down at the girl, before looking back up. He deadpans as another small group of Leaf Ninja walk past, minding their own business.

Seeing a large, navy coloured Wolf, the Ninja all look to Ace with intrigue, only to feel snubbed as he rolls his eye at them and turns away. Ace hears the Ninja mumbling about him as they pass, though he doesn't care at all.

".....They are gone Milady" the Wolf informs Ashley, sounding completely done with his partner's behaviour.

"I know you think I'm being stupid Ace" Ashley is quick to defend herself, jumping to her feet and dusting herself off, before glancing around tentatively. "But I really can't talk to any of them. I don't even want to be near them. I thought I did, but I don't. I just want to get out of here."

Ace stares at Ashley in silence for a few seconds. She didn't know it, but her words didn't match the look on her face. How couldn't she realise that her eyes lingered on every Leaf Ninja she saw? That conflicted expression told Ace all he needed to know.

He'd been following Ashley for most of the morning, despite her trying to sneak out without him knowing. He had followed her all the way to the pier, followed her back up the mountains as she spied on the Leaf Ninja entering the island, and followed her through the Village as she watched from a distance.

He could see it clearly. Ashley wasn't hiding to try and avoid the Leaf Ninja per se. She had to do it to stop herself from being influenced to go back home.

'Despite what your grandfather said' Ace thinks to himself wearily, 'And despite all I have said, you are still choosing to stick with this ridiculous decision. Milady is so stubborn....'

"Let us go to the cliffs Milady" Ace eventually suggests. "You can watch from there without any Leaf Ninja seeing you."

Ashley blinks in surprise at this, only to glance back over her shoulder and pause, brow creasing as she seems to think about something. After a few seconds, she turns back to Ace, forcing a smile despite the wrinkle of worry in her brow.

"Alright, let's go" she agrees, trying to sound cheerful.

Ace watches as the blonde trudges past him, the Wolf able to read her like a book. A part of her wanted to be found by a Leaf Ninja and spoken to, but another part of her, that annoyingly selfless part of her, was scared of that happening.

"I want to go down and say hello" Rei whines, her ears back and her eyes wavering. "I want to hear news of the Leaf Village."

"None of them would know you dear" Ace points out, having to turn his head away as Rei looks to him with a pout.

"I know, but....."

"We can just fly down Aiti" Chi points out, bouncing over to the edge of the high cliff and looking down, his tongue hanging out. "I'll carry you!"

"I'll happily give you a push" Tiez smirks, only to frown when Jet steps past, giving her a warning look from high above. "You don't scare me, ya big mountain!"

"Stay away from the edge kid" Jet advises, ignoring Tiez as he raises one large paw and scoops Chi back towards safety. "Knowing you, you'll actually jump...."

"Don't worry Jet-chan" Chi grins, tail wagging. "I can fly! So I'll be fine, even if Tiez-icky-chan pushes me. And I can carry Aiti down, and I can carry you down too if you want! We can all fly down there! Except for Tiez-icky-chan. She has to stay he-"

"Call me that one more time punk" Tiez growls, puffing out her chest. "I'll get ya with my poison needles!"

"I'm not scared of needles" Chi barks cheerfully, flowers shining around his face. "Jet-chan, will you kill Tiez-icky-chan? Then I don't have to hear her anymore. Or see her. Or smell her. Or-"

"That's it!" Tiez snarls, sucking in a breath. "Torpid Nee- Ack!"

"Enough bickering Tiez darling" Aki croons, lying down besides Ashley and pulling the smaller Wolf in for a hug. "It's unbecoming."

"Who cares about that!" Tiez barks, flailing around as she tries to escape Aki's loving grasp. "My pride's on the line! Boss! Help me!"

"Psh, don't get me involved" Kai snorts, quirking one brow in amusement at the tiny Wolf's struggling. "He might try and do that to me too."

"I would never" Aki assures the large Wolf pleasantly, something that seemingly annoys Kai a little bit.

"Why have you betrayed me Boss?!" Tiez cries out, pushing against Aki's chest with her paws. "Aki, I swear, I'll kill you!"

"Ah, it's not a normal day until you've threatened me at least once darling" Aki smiles affectionately. "I can sleep easy tonight."

"You're a freak!" Tiez squeals, though she now can't help giggling a little at Aki's stupidity.

Rei, cuddled into Ace's side, also giggles to herself, her eyes half lidded as she watches the other members of the pack with a gentle gaze.

It was late evening now, and the sun had already begun to set, painting the sky in an array of beautiful colours. The cold season was well on its way, though Rei didn't mind the chill in the air at all.

"It's nice to be all together, isn't it" the white Wolf murmurs, to which Ace scoffs.

"I think I have a headache...." the Wolf states grumpily, much to Rei's amusement.

Glancing over at Ashley, seated in the middle of the pack and about a metre or so back from the cliff's edge, Ace sees the girl staring forlornly down at the ocean far below. She sits with her knees bent, arms around her legs and hands clasped together, her eyes half lidded.

Ace had been surprised when Ashley had led them all to the place where her old home had once stood. He had assumed that Ashley would want to watch the Leaf Ninja, but that didn't seem to be the case. She had instead, just sat down and stared at the ocean.

She hadn't spoken for a long time either, seeming to be deep in thought about something. The members of the pack hadn't minded though. Despite their antics, they all knew that Ashley was struggling, and had decided that the best thing they could do for her, was to be themselves.

Ace had gathered them on purpose. While he often grew annoyed with the behaviour of the pack, deep down, Ace found comfort in the familiarity of their insanity, and he knew that Ashley felt the same. And she really seemed to be in need of the support of the pack right now.

"Don't you think you baby him too much?" Ace's attention is brought back to the pack by a sharp comment from Tiez, who seems to have freed herself from Aki's grip.

"What?" Jet asks warily, clearly not Tiez's biggest fan.

"Yeah, he's not a baby" Tiez continues, tilting her head and shooting a glare over at Chi, who is bouncing up and down in place. "Well......He might act like one but..."

"Tiny insects should be quiet" Jet warns, his voice low. "Before they get stepped on."

"Oh yeah?" Tiez challenges, puffing out her chest and marching towards Jet. "Go ahead and try it big guy. Go on, step on me. I dare ya!"

"Do it Jet-chan!" Chi urges eagerly, his eyes sparkling. "Squash that Tiez-icky-chan bug!"

"I hope you like having needles in that big oaf foot of yours!" Tiez barks madly. "I'll shove em in there so hard, you'll never get em out!"

Jet feels his eye twitch as he glares down at the small, purple bug. She really got on his nerves, the way she was mean to the kid all the time.

As Jet opens his mouth to speak, someone else's voice catches everyone's attention.

"....Do you guys think I made the wrong decision?" Ashley asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

All of the Wolves fall silent and simultaneously turn their heads towards Ashley, question marks appearing above them.

"Milady?" Ace prompts, his eye widening the slightest amount. Did she mean what he thought she meant?

Ashley briefly closes her eyes and lets out a sigh, before resting her chin on her knees.

"......Did I make the wrong decision?" the girl repeats, sounding hesitant, as if she is scared to speak the words out loud. "Should I......Should I have gone home with the others?"

All of Ashley's Wolves blink in surprise, not at all having expected her to ask them such a thing, before exchanging looks with each other.

They had all discussed this exact topic amongst themselves of course, with even the newest members agreeing that staying in the Land of Ambience seemed to have affected Ashley quite negatively.

Ace specifically, hadn't been quiet in his feelings towards Ashley's decision to stay, though she had ignored him every time he had tried to lecture her about it. He knew she had heard every word, but he also knew that she had purposefully chosen not to take his words on board.

He had only had Ashley's best interest at heart of course, but the problem was, Ashley never had her own best interest at heart. And how could you convince someone who put other's happiness before their own, to do something selfish for once?

Ace glances around, seeing that the other Wolves are all looking to him with troubled faces, not sure of what to say. They all knew that it had to come from Ace anyway.

"......Milady" Ace says, his voice unusually soft, "The fact that you still call it home, should be answer enough for you...."

Seeing Ashley's brows furrow even further, Rei reaches out and places one paw on Ashley's knee, causing the girl to look up.

"You've always referred to it as home dear" Rei says tenderly, only for her face to scrunch up a little when she sees the anguished look on Ashley's face. "Oh, dear, please don't make that face....."

"I can't help it" Ashley replies, sounding a little choked up, as Rei rests her head on top of Ashley's. "I don't know what to do......"

"What do you want to do Darling?" Aki urges, his tone caring and warm. "We will support you in whatever choice you make."

"That is correct" Ace agrees, walking closer to Ashley. "But we are not mind readers Milady. You must tell us what you want."

Ashley stares up at Ace, clenching her jaw in a bid to keep her lower lip from trembling. She didn't think that she was going to cry, but having to say how she felt out loud felt far too selfish.

Ashley had everything she wanted right now. She was back in her homeland, she lived with her Clan, she had her sister by her side. She could protect Kiyumi and care for her every day, and her sister loved her dearly. Her grandfather too.

It was almost the cold season too. Ashley's favorite time of the year, when the whole island was covered in beautiful snow.

And yet....

Ashley feels the tips of her fingers gripping tightly onto the skin of her arms.

And yet it didn't feel like enough. It didn't make her happy, even though it should. It should make her happy. Anyone else looking at Ashley's situation would deem her to be incredibly self-centred and greedy to want anything more.

But deep down, buried below her immense guilt and sense of duty, Ashley knew that her heart wasn't in the Land of Ambience anymore.

It was back in the sunshine, in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. In the hands of her friends. Friends that had become so dear, their prolonged absence made Ashley feel as pained as if she were missing a limb.

Ashley squeezes her eyes closed.

"I can't" she whispers, more to herself than anyone else. "I just...I-"

Ashley opens her eyes at the faint sound of Rei's intake of breath, both her and Ace taking one step back from the girl. At the sound of a footstep behind her, Ashley looks up, only to see a joyous Rei staring at something over her head. Even Ace seemed to be trying to hold in his relief, at the sight of whatever was behind Ashley.

"So, what's it going to be Ashley?" a voice asks, causing the girl's breath to hitch in her throat, before she abruptly leaps to her feet and spins around.

"What do you want to do?" Kakashi finishes, his visible eye crinkling a little as he smiles down at the girl under his mask.

Ashley stares up at the silver haired man in a stupor, her eyes wide and her mouth open. Despite his sudden, jarring appearance, Kakashi stands before Ashley as casually as he always did. His weight resting more on one leg, both hands in his pockets. It was almost like he couldn't care less.

But that intent focus in his visible eye as he stares at the blonde girl before him, made it obvious to anyone, that he had come here solely for her. That he wanted, more than anything, for her to come back home with him.

Watching as Ashley's face slowly begins to scrunch up, her eyes welling up with tears from deep within, Kakashi can't help the affection that fills his chest. He had heard from Chief Dashi how much Ashley had been suffering, and to be honest, the other three members of Team Seven hadn't been fairing much better.

Kakashi hated to see his students suffering like this. Bringing Ashley back home again would fix it all. And despite how much he masked his feelings as wanting to make his other students feel better, Kakashi could at least admit to himself, that he missed her. Her rough attitude, her secret, child-like fear of rejection and her over the top pride....Kakashi missed every annoying thing about his student.

All of his students were incredibly annoying, and yet, that's the thing that he found he missed the most. Ashley hadn't been there to try and irritate him, and the other three had been too depressed to revert to their usual antics.

"K-Kakashi Sensei" Ashley whimpers, before suddenly diving forwards and wrapping her arms around the Jonin's waist in a tight hug, much to his surprise.

"Oof" Kakashi grunts as the girl collides with him, not having expected her to hug him. She hadn't done that before.

Ashley cries into Kakashi's vest for a few moments, unable to contain her immense relief at having seen him there. He'd come to take her back. And she would let him.

"I want...." Ashley sobs, barely able to speak. "I-I want to....go home.....I want to go home!"

Kakashi smiles to himself at this, as the members of Ashley's pack all heave sighs of relief. They had been hoping for this decision to be made for three long months, and finally, it had been made.

"Alright......" Kakashi says quietly, reaching down and placing one hand on top of Ashley's head. "Then let's go home."