[center][b]Midori Sato[/b][/center]

Panic, it had settled down in her bones along with the feeling of indecision. What was she supposed to do right now? What was the right thing? What was the safe thing? There were too many questions and too many that she was incapable of answering. She didn't like it.

The girl was currently standing in one of the many alleyways of Kumogakure just after leaving Asami's house. Her hands were still shaking and her thoughts were still jumbled. She had to force herself to keep her breathing calm as she assessed what she would have to do. There were two options. Find her team. Deidara had been poisoned too and she would have to help her. But she had to go home too. She really had to go. Only one thing was possible however and she knew she had already decided. She had to go home and see her mom. Asami wouldn't kill her, not now when Midori had co-opperated, but Midori still desperately needed to make sure. The thread hadn't fallen on deaf ears. Raspberry-sensei would be fine. With all her heart she believed that he could take what Asami would throw at him, but her mom.... Her mom was not a ninja. It wasn't fair at all!

Midori pressed herself against the wall as if the stone could swallow her and take the problems away with it. How had it come to this? Was this what she had signed up for when she had become a Jinchuuriki? Did the same happen with Kiyomi? She closed her eyes and swallowed some rising bile. She had to go, but her mind refused to work and her body refused to move. How was she going to do two things at once? Then suddenly the obvious solution dawned at her. She was not alone! Fumbling she formed the handseals. It took her two tries to create a proper ink clone and let Gyuki take it over. 

[b]"I... Could you... Deidara and Reyna need help."[/b] She said to him. She didn't need to explain much to him anyway. He knew her thoughts or at least most of them. She explained her thoughts anyway as if speaking them out loud made her decisions better and more set in stone. [b]"You need to help them. Please? Please, Gyuki I need your help. Please."[/b] Her voice sounded desperate, but then her eyes set. She pushed herself away from the wall. [b]"I need to go home. My mom... I need to see if she is okay. Please don't punch Deidara again."[/b] And with that the girl turned around and sprinted away. Gyuki would do what she asked. He always ended up doing that even if she didnt know it. 

It didn't take her long to reach home. It looked exactly like when she had left. Which was obvious but for some reason that made Midori glad. Somehow she had expected Asami to have blown it up or someting. She sprinted to the door, fearing that it might disappear if she stood before it for too long. However, before she could place her hand on the doorknob her eye caught the letter perched on the doorstep. For the first time since everything had gone wrong a smile reached Midori's face. There was only one person who send her letters like this. She bended over and picked up the envelope. 

[b]"Ryo."[/b] She breathed, pressing the letter against her chest. Then she stormed into her house. 

It was quiet inside. But not the quietness that came with dead. Midori halted, removed her shoes and then bit her lip, standing silent in the hallway. She couldn't let her mother worry about her. She had done that enough when she had lost her voice, Midori knew that even though her mother never spoke of it. No, she had to pretend everything was fine and she had just come home early from training. Feverishly she tried to remember what she normally did. She opened her mouth twice and closed it again, swallowed and then called out. [b]"Mom! I'm home!"[/b] Did her voice sound shaky now? Midori didn't know, but she was scared it did. Never the less she moved to the kitchen. Normally she would make tea. From upstairs a sound came that made Midori know that her mother was awake. That brought another smile to her face. She reached for the kettle and put water on the stove. As she leaned back against the cupboard she flipped it around to open it only to find a marking on the back. Ryo had send her something? Midori almost felt excited again. He hardly send things. What could be so important that he had to send it now? Without thinking twice she bit her thumb and placed it against the seal. There was a poof of smoke and then something heavy lay in her hand. Patiently Midori waited for the smoke to settle to see what her boyfriend had send her. 

It was a sword. 

Confused Midori stared to it. Why... would Ryo send her a sword? She wasn't at all good with kenjutsu, only once gotten some training with it before. He knew that. She shook her head slightly. Silly Ryo. What was he trying to accomplish here? It was a nice sword though, she thought as she flipped it over and looked at it from different angles. Still not sure what to think of it though she placed it next to her on the cupboard and opened the letter. At the same time the water started boiling and the whisteling sound filled the air. Half interested in the tea Midori turned around, her eyes on the letter while her hand reached for the kettle. 

[hider=Letter~][i]Dear Midori,

You have been written this cause something went wrong. This is a letter that I am not longer active as a shinobi, due something has happened in a mission or an event. I have written in my last will that this should be sent towards you. It are my last words. I am sorry for it. Know that I had it great with you, more than any other person. I am really sorry and know that this won't ever help you to overcome the sadness or make me really be near you, but I hope this will help.

It was not that I didn't love you,

I still do, wherever I may end up.[/i][/hider]

With a bang the kettle landed on the floor, broken into a thousand pieces, water gushing over the wood. Midori stood frozen into place, not caring that boiling water was clinging to her shoes. Not caring that the favorite kettle of her mother had been shattering. She didn't even register it. She could only stare at the letter. Wh-what did that mean? Something went wrong? No. That could not be possible. He must be joking. He was an ANBU. He was strong. He didn't do stuff wrong. Ryo [i]didn't[/i] do stuff wrong! She took a step back as if that would distance herself from the letter, but the paper of course moved along, the words staring her in the face. No. It was not true. This was not his last will. His last wish. It was not true. Suddenly her eyes shot to the sword. Sure, it had looked familiar, but she didn't know stuff about swords. For all part they could all have looked the same. But now she could remember. It was his. Why would her send her his sword unless-

[center][i]Unless he didn't need it anymore.

Unless he was ....

Dead.[/i][/center]

Midori shook her head. This couldn't be happening! It shouldn't be happening! [b]"Ryo..."[/b] She let out a sob, her fist closing around the letter so fast that it hurt. Ryo was dead. Why would he do that? How could he? How did it happen? How could anyone let that happen? The questions raced through her head and she sobbed again when a voice came from the living room.

[b]"Midori, what is going on? I heard a crash and-"[/b] Chie entered the kitchen and her voice stopped as she saw her girl standing in the broken pieces of her kettle, water on the floor, a sword on the counter and tears on the face of her daughter who was holding a letter. Carefully Chie made her way forward, wrapping her arms around the girl. At first Midori didn't move, but then she dug her hands in the fabric of her mother's kimono and pressed her head against her chest. [b]"Shhhh, what is going on? Did something happen on the mission?"[/b] Chie asked as she dragged her fingers through Midori's orange hair. The girl sobbed again and slowly the sobs started to turn into wails where her whole body was shaking. 

[b]"Mom,"[/b] she said through her tears. [b]"Please... Pl-please don't die. You have to promise me. Promise me. You will not die. Not now, not ever. You can't... can't leave me. Please don't leave me."[/b]

[b]"I won't Midori. Tell me what happened."[/b] Chie said almost demanding. In response Midori only raised the hand with the letter and with a quick look Chie understood and she knew, that there was nothing she could do right now but just wait until the sobs would die. If they ever would.