The White Flash

Tracking and Assassination

            Gentle fingertips ran along the velvety petals, their ombre of yellow and orange glowing in the spotted sunlight. Shining through the breaks in the canopy. The meadow formed a blanket that stretched from the path to her grave. Ayumi sat at the foot of the willow tree, kneeled in front of the headstone. Many thoughts had passed through her mind about these flowers. The old man may have put a protective order on them, but they're not exactly protected. Here, out in the open, for any shinobi or Danzo to sneak a flower from the masses. From what she's seen, they are like some kind of drug to others and that not everyone can handle the chakra that over runs the body.

            Her mother sacrificed herself to keep the power of the Hellflower safe. How could she not do the same? The first step that she could think to do was to rid Konoha of this grove. Tsunade had a flower to conduct research on, which she would keep either Kakashi or her in the know with the details; considering what it was about and the fact that she required their permission to take a flower as per the protection order. There was no need for this meadow any longer. It was just a bad incident waiting to happen. Still, it wasn't necessarily easy to do. The warmth that reached her skin from these flowers. It was comforting. As though Yachiru were sitting right beside her.

            Taking a deep breath, Ayumi stood with her back to the willow tree. Eyes closed she formed seals. "Fire style: Ryuuka no Jutsu." The fire blast was aimed at the flowers. Each taking flame, she walked through the meadow harmlessly. Igniting each and every flower before finding a seat once again at the headstone. With pales of water on her left, she watched the fire burn away the flowers. Being sure that it doesn't go out of control.       Ten minutes is what it took before Ayumi walked along the meadow with the pales of water. Dousing any remaining flames.

            "Yu-chan?" Emerald moved over the charred earth to meet the icy gaze of her teammate. "What are you doing? It's almost time to leave."

            "Cleaning up loose ends." Stacking the empty pales together, she moved towards Hiro. "I asked the Yamanakas to put in new flowers here."

            "But those were..."

            "Flowers that turned shinobi crazy and very powerful," she finished. Her own travel bag leaned against Onimaru near the path back to the main road. Shrugging it on, she led the way from the grave. "The less Hellflowers in the world the better. Knowing that Rat, he'd be likely to get his hands on one after finding out that Tsunade-sama is studying them."

            "That's true." Hiro took half the buckets from Ayumi's hands as they reached the main road.

            "Darling!" Kohei threw himself from the entry way and cleared the distance to her. Receiving a boot in the gut.

            "Put a sock in it."

            In a daze, he lay in the ground with a goofy grin. "We finally get to go on a mission together again! I'm so happy!"

            "It has been a long time since our squad has been put on a mission together," Hiro agreed.

            Setting the pales inside the gate, Ayumi nodded. "Now that I think it, yeah. It has."

            "Yu-chan! I missed you!" A flash of blond accompanied a grip that put Gai's to shame. Tight around her shoulders, enough for it to seem her bones were close to breaking. "Ko-chan and Hiro-kun, too! You all come here!"

            "I call by my Darling!" Before any complaints could be muttered, everyone was pulled into a group hug. Kohei's cheek nuzzling against Ayumi's. Her arms were trapped at her sides, hands in shaking fists.