Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, just my characters
Sayuri means 'small lily' in japanese. Laito means 'light' in japanese. Joryoku means 'evergreen' in japanese. Ani means 'big brother or brother' in japanese .Hai means 'yes' in japanese. Daijobudesu means 'i'm fine or i'm ok' in japanese. Imoto means 'little sister' in japanese.
War is the enemy of all living things. The dirty homeless boy thought to himself. The wisps of black smoke stung his eyes, making them tear up. Grey as the stormy seas. And as the smoldering remains of their villages households, and the dying memories of happy seasons gone pass. Those eyes shone with anger and misery, as the boy scanned the horizon for any sign of the obsidian clad ninjas who had came to his village in the thousands. Burning the timber houses, killing and raping the residents. Robbing the village of their profit, shelter, children, women, cattle and their hope. A feeble sob drew the boys attention down to the fragile silhouette lying broken on his soot stained and muddy lap. The boy gently rested her head up against his chest. Just between his shoulder and collarbone.
"Shhh.. Sayuri..my sweet sister, everything will be fine"
He brushed her tears away with his thumb, leaving a smudged mark down her cheek. Her wet metallic eyes up to his own ones.
"Ani.. Ani i'm so scared.."
She choked out through the tears, fear raking through her small frame. Her brother soothed her whispering comforting words to her, his breath warm on her hair. They laid there locked in that sweet embrace until the morning's light.
In the first hours of the morning light, the two children climbed over fallen trees. Turning their backs on the place they once called home. There was nothing there for them now. And if they stayed, what if the ninjas came back? This was the reason they choose to start again somewhere else. The girl was being carried on the boys back. Being a fragile child since birth, she was always too exhausted easily. Her name was Sayuri Joryoku. Sayuri watched the world play around her, with her big grey eyes peeking through her ebony locks. Sayuri had a small structure, though she was of fifteen years, she appeared to be only eight or at most ten years old. Sayuri looked up at her elder brother, as they moved slowly but steadily over and under the branches of dead pine trees. His bright mercury gaze ahead on the obstacles in his way. Her brother felt her gaze, and his eyes darted sideways at her.
"Whats with the spaced out look, Sayuri?"
He teased. Then more worried and caring, his voice changed.
"Are you ok? Are you comfortable? Are you feeling faint again?"
She smiled.
"Hai, daijobudesu"
He relaxed, flashing a bright smile. He was Laito Joryoku. The girl's elder brother who was the world to her. Laito shared her grey eyes, that was either was filled with mischief and compassion at equal times. He had soft black hair, that unlike Sayuri's had a oak sheen to it. The village joked about how Sayuri looked like a boy with her slender build and short hair. And how Laito looked like a girl with his long locks. Both of the sibling's fringes and bangs had the habit of getting into their eyes or covering their faces from view. Laito had a more healthy skin tone than his sister. Developed after the many years of playing and working outdoors. Sayuri was of course too sickly and fragile to leave her room. Laito had come to a sudden halt. Sayuri looked around wildly snapping out of her daydream.
"W..What's wrong? W..Why are we stopping Ani?.."
She asked her brother fearing the worse. Laito started laughing. His laugh was like ringing bells. No more like molten gold or honey. Sweet and captivating to listen to. She stared up at him confused. He finished smiling warmly. He tenderly set her on the grass, smoothing her hair.
"It's fine my Imoto..Shhh now your trembling like a leaf"
He rubbed her back, calming her nerves.
"We are just stopping for a break"
Sayuri blushed slightly in embarrassment at her mistake. I thought that the ninjas had found us. She sighed in relief. And returned his smile. Laito got a fire going, and Sayuri huddled close to it. No matter where I am, Ani will protect me. She reasoned, as she watched Laito rumpled through his bags contents. He pulled out the wrapped bread loaves in their mother's wore teal cloth. Laito had scavenged the loaves from the charred planks of timber from the deserted and destroyed houses. He scraped off the singed bits, making the bread consumable. But not tasty unfortunately. Laito cleared away the remaining morsels of their only food. He clothed the remaining loaves up and nested it back into his bag. He stocked up the fire, and positioned himself beside Sayuri. She cuddled up to him, shaking from the cold wind of the night. He wrapped his arms round her small frame. As his little sister drifted into sleep, Laito laid awake still, the screams of men and women crying for help. And the dying sobs of the month old infants. And the roar of the flames eating away at the houses walls. The frightened blawing of his sister as she clinged to him. And the flashing deadly gleam of the kunai knife as it cut through his mother's pale throat like her flesh was softened butter. The memories churned, swam around his thoughts. Permanent scars. Preventing him from sleep, replaying moments in time, a movie on a loop. Laito's eyes burned with tears, dampening his cheeks. I did nothing! Nothing to save her. To save any of them.. He mentally screamed. He sobbed quietly, his cries making Sayuri stirr. Laito wiped the tears away, sitting up he stared into the fires licking flames. Sayuri rolled over still in deep sleep. The flames enlightened the anger in Laitos eyes. His silver orbs gleaming like striking blades.
"I am going to get stronger. To protect the ones I love. I swear I will protect them, till my last breath"
The boy's words were spoken in the dead of night. An oath spoken in a cold bitter winter night in the forests of wild beasts. His face was cased in dancing shadows from the flames that illuminated the determination set in his cool metallic eyes.