~"LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP! I'LL BE JUST FINE ON MY OWN!!"

"My dear boy you are hurt, your body is weak and you need to eat... Let me help~"

"NO!! Just... go away... I don't, want your pity... I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF"~

"Ukai?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you, ok?"

I turned my gaze from the village below me to look at my sister as she spoke.

"Yes, why do you ask?" I ask, standing straight against the rail of our balcony.

"You just seem off since you got back from your mission... Did everything go ok?" Sarada asked leaning on the rail with me.

"It was easy, nothing two experienced ANBU couldn't handle," I answer.

"I mean, did something happen to... I don't know, upset you or something? You just seem so in the clouds," Sarada explained her concern.

"Hmm..." I breathed a chuckle.

"How observant of you," I teased her and ruffed her hair.

"I'm serious!" She swatted my hand away.

"Why do you always avoid talking about your feelings?" She pushed.

"..." I watched her with a blank expression.

"I want to know what happened to you! But mom says to give you time, that it might be a sore spot but I'm your sister!" Sarada looked up at me with hopeful eyes.

"I want to get to know brother!"

"Enough Sarada," I silenced her calmly, which I think might have scared her more than if I had shouted.

"I don't... and probably never will... want to discuss my past..." I said plainly, shocking her.

"Not even with you..."

"Now don't you have a mission to report to?" I tilted my head pointedly at her.

Sarada shook her head, turning and angrily walking back into the house, grabbing her forehead protector before she slammed the front door as she left. I sighed, running a hand through my long hair as I walked back into the house, leaving the apartment and heading for the streets.

'I'm sorry Sarada... But that piece of my life is something you don't need to bear,' I think as I place my hands in my pockets and walk.

It was another normal boring day in Konoha, people were walking around looking at shops, chatting with friends. I feel so out of place... I'm too on guard, too tightly wound for this kind of life...

"Ukai!" I pause my walking and turned to face my caller.

"Kazane."

"Hey, how are you doing?" She slowed her jog and stopped in front of me, smiling nervously.

"I should ask you that... How is your arm?" I deflect.

"Oh it's fine, the nurses said the treatment you gave me saved it from infection, but it's fully healed now," She smiled, showing me the unscared skin of her upper arm.

"I'm glad. Now if you'll excuse me," I bow, turning to walk away when she stopped me again.

"Wait, that wasn't the only thing I wanted to talk to you about," She added.

I turned to face her again, waiting for the rest.

"I just saw Lord Hokage, he told me one of the spies in the small village just off the north reported seeing people in cloaks and owl masks a few days ago, headed this way." She told me, her face turning serious.

"... Are they in the village?" I narrow my eyes.

"Lord Hokage isn't sure yet, but he has assigned us to the patrol detail seeing as we have made contact and know who we are looking for, we start patrols immediately." Kazane finished.

I nod, jumping away with her to join the other ANBU searching the village.

"We'll have to split into teams, Kazane and I will need to be with teams focused on patrolling entrances and exits to the village. The sooner we catch this gang the better." I explain, looking over all the porcelain masked ninja.

"Sir!" They nodded, jumping away in their teams.

I looked toward Kazane and nodded, pulling my mask to my face and tying it before jumping away with the two ninja in my team.

"Who are we looking for sir?" One of the two asked.

"Currently anyone out of place. The Byakuya Gang usually wears a long dark cloak and an owl-type mask." I answer as we run along, scanning the wall edges and ground for anyone.

"You don't think they'd just walk in like that do you sir?" The other asked.

"No, I'd expect them to be more vigilant... especially since Kazane and I know the appearance of two of their higher members..." I answer, jumping from tree to tree, my Sharingan darting back and forth over the ground.

"Can we be sure the boy is part of this sir? I mean you never actually saw him with the others,"

I stopped jumping and turned to look at the ninja who asked said question.

"... No... I can not be sure he is part of this... it is our duty, however, to identify and eradicate any and all threats to this village, if you are incapable of doing so because the enemy may have a 'child' in their ranks say so now!..." I sheath at the shinobi, holding my blazing red eyes with his green ones.

"N-no sir," He answered.

"If you see the child inform me... I will decide whether he is a threat or not..." I finished before continuing our patrol.

"Sir!" Both the ninja nodded, following after me.

As we were jumping my Sharingan picked up movement in front of us. I held my hand up and the ninja behind me paused. I watched carefully as a timid-looking man walked forward out of the shadows. He acted normal but seemed off... I watched as he walked back toward the main part of the village before seeing another man walk out into the light. He had light brown/red hair and a pleased smirk on his face. I tilted my head to get a better read on him but he must have sensed me, raising his gaze to look up at the three of us before suspiciously walking back into the shadows.

"Follow the other, we will tail this one," I tell the ninja to my left, watching him jump off the wall and run after the timid man.

The second ninja and I follow the second male back into the woods. He walked calmly, but I knew he knew we were there. I followed his moments while simultaneously staying hidden before he walked past a tall bush and disappeared.

'Crap,' I think jumping down, my backup in tow.

We walked cautiously, looking around before multiple kunai were thrown at us. I did multiple backflips, deflecting as many as I could before landing and readying myself for a fight. My teammate stood with his back to mine, his own kunai in his hand as he put his guard up as well.

'Where are you...' I look around.

My ears caught movement in the bush next to me and I snapped my head at it, only for dust to be thrown my way, hitting my mask and getting into my eyes.

'Damn it!' I stumble, shoving my arm under my mask to rub my eyes.

"Watch out!" I looked up in time to see a member of the Byakuya aim an attack at my head.

I jumped back, shifting my Sharingan into my MS, following my opponent's movements, and using my jutsu to cancel his. He shot balls of fire my way so I grabbed a small capsule from my pocket and broke it, waving the water into balls and sending them on a collision course with the fire. I then activated my Earth manipulation and used the ground underneath my enemy to attack him.

He jumped away just in time and paused, watching me and debating on whether or not to continue fighting. My teammate threw shuriken at him but he deflected, stepping forward for another attack only for me to activate two earth clones, each armed with Chidori. The Gang member stepped back, turning tail and sprinting as fast as he could away from us. I sent a clone after him but a sudden pain shooting through my eyes made me spaz and hesitate the attack.

'Ah~ Damn it...' I pull my mask off and wipe my fingers under my eyes.

Sure enough, my fingers met liquid and when I pulled them back they were tinted red.

"Sir, he's getting away!" My teammate commented.

"I am aware!" I hiss, turning my head to glare at him.

"... Sir... your eyes," He seemed to malfunction.

I blinked, my vision fading in and out, my pupils refusing to focus. I ground my teeth together, wiping what blood I could onto the bandages on my forearm, blinking a few more times before tying my mask back on and turning to my teammate.

"Go find Kazane, tell her what happened," I tell him, fumbling on my feet a little.

"What about you sir?" He asked.

"I'm... Forget about me, I need to tell the Hokage about this," I told him.

He looked hesitant but nodded, jumping away. I grabbed my head groaning slightly at the pain before heading toward the Hokage office. I'd need to head the hospital afterward, not that there is much they can do to help.