When Misoka walked through the door, she was greeted by an untypical silence. For usual, there was always some kind of noise, be it sounds coming from the kitchen, her father rummaging through his stuff because he had lost something again and so on. The list could be continued almost endlessly.
That day, it was different. However, Misoka didn’t think much of it as that day had been wholly different from the moment she had woken up.
With a big lump in her throat, she slowly stepped into the living room, nearly flinching at her footsteps echoing along the flagged floor.
“Dad? I’m back,” she managed to choke out and looked around. She didn’t say that she had just come back from the cemetery; he knew anyway. It had been him, after all, who couldn’t take it anymore and had left her at her mother’s gravestone about an hour ago. So where was he now? Misoka hoped that he didn’t do anything stupid like going to a bar and trying to drown his sorrow in alcohol.
Then a piece of paper on the small table in the room caught her eye. Her heart sank. Was that a letter? What had he left her a message for? Had he really gone somewhere else?
She went over to the table and took the paper hesitantly. It was, in fact, some kind of message, she figured. Her eyes scanned over her father’s handwriting.

“My dear Misoka,
By the time you read this, I will already be gone. The last mission I went on gave me the information I needed about the two bastards. The only reason I returned to Suna today was to be here for Yuki’s anniversary. Furthermore, I felt I should leave you a message so you won’t worry too much. I’ll be going to Iwa. Rumor told me they are currently staying at the outskirts of the town. It is unclear for how long so there is no time to waste. Since they are nuke-nins, I strongly believe they will move on sooner or later. I cannot lose track of them again.
The time has finally come. Please don’t worry. I’ll come back eventually. And if it’s the last thing I do: I will kill them, I swear. They are going to get what they deserve.
Take care of yourself. Moto-san will be there for you whenever you need anything.

Love,
Dad”

Her lips quivered as she felt tears welling up in her eyes; the tears she hadn’t been able to cry in the graveyard. What was he thinking? What the hell was he thinking? Why hadn’t he taken her with him?!
She clenched her teeth, anger rising inside her. He knew. He knew exactly that she wanted her revenge just as much as he wanted his. Nothing could ever bring a dead person back, but she would at least make the killers pay for what they’d done. She had told her father long ago and still…
How could he do this to her? And deep down, however, the reason was clear to her. He didn’t want her to get hurt; he wanted to have her safe in this village while he got his hands dirty. All the times he had laughed about her wish for vengeance, he had never – not even once – taken her seriously.
But she was dead serious. She wouldn’t get in his way; this time she would fight along with him and they would finally avenge her mother.
When she tore the sheet apart, throwing it into the chimney, her decision stood. There was no way she would wait for her father to come back or risk the chance that she might never see him again. She would find him. This was her fight as well.
With tears streaming down her cheeks, but a determined expression on her face, Misoka went into her room and got ready for something she had already pictured one thousand times in her mind. Ever since her mother had been killed.

--> off to Administration Building