The story of Mirage
Chapter 1: the child
It is a dark night, and a sandstorm is raging fiercly outside. Inside a woman is screaming in a back room. 3 men are waiting in the front room. Two sit calmly watching the third man pace anxiously.
"Kotaro, relax. The Healer will do what she can. Pacing back and forth will do no good for any one. It will only wear a groove in the floor." Said one man
"He's right Kotaro. Akane will be fine."
Kotaro paused a moment and stared at them dumb-founded for a moment as if processing who they were the spoke "Hideaki, Hitoshi I appreciate that you are here… but you aren't fathers. You don't know what I'm going through here…." His voice trailed off as he looked towards the back room where another scream from his pregnant wife erupted.
Hours passed along with countless more screams of agony. Each scream shriller than the last and with each one Kotaro became more anxious. Then finally after a blood chilling scream there was silence.
Kotaro and his two team mates waited with Waited breath for the healer to come out. Finally after what seemed like an eternity she emerged from the room carrying a small bundle of sheets… but something was wrong… the bundle that carried his son was silent. Kotaro may never have been present at a birthing before; however, he did know that a silent baby was not a good thing. He rushed to the old healer and looked at his son expectantly, but the child was silent. Kotaro looked helplessly at the old woman who simply shrugged and said "He's alive. And near as I can tell perfectly healthy. I don't know why he isn't making a peep… very strange…."
All three men let out a pent up breath that they didn't realize they had been holding. Kotaro breathed easily for a moment then… "…. Lady Chiharu… how is Akane?" the old woman looked at him for a moment with a sullen face.
"Lady Chiharu how is my wife!" this was not a question anymore he was demanding an answer.
"Akane is alive… but the child has taken much out of her. For now you must take the child. The others are doing what they can, but it is no guarantee that she'll survive."
Kotaro staggered backwards. His heart fell straight through his stomach and continued through till it hit the floor. Hitoshi sprang from his chair and caught Kotaro. He gently guided the man back to a chair, then walked up to the aged healer and took the child from her then went and knelt next to his comrade
Minutes turned to hours, but it made little difference when each second felt like an eternity. Random people whose faces and names Kotaro once knew came and went all whispering condolences and congratulations. None of this registered with Kotaro however. His mind was elsewhere, he was too worried about his wife to care what others were saying to him. Finally, after countless eternities passed Lady Chiharu emerged from the room.
Kotaro jumped up and ran to Lady Chiharu looking at her expectantly.
It suddenly occurred to Kotaro that this Chiharu is ancient… she was considered old when his parents were born… what was he thinking by asking her here? It's a miracle the Chiharu didn't die from all of the stress… but too late. What's done is done. Besides, she was the best healer in the village.
Then out of nowhere the old woman smiled and said "Akane will be just fine. She should make a full recovery, HOWEVER you MUST keep her in bed. I know Akane is not the type to willingly rest. But if she does not she could well hurt herself and do grievous damage.
Kotaro yelped with joy and burst into the room to see his wife, then before taking two steps in ran out and seized his child from Hitoshi, much to the laughter of his comrades, and sprinted back to the room where his love lay resting.
After a short time Kotaro was dragged out of the room by Lady Chiharu. Kotaro looked helplessly at his friends who couldn't help but burst out laughing at his plight.
Hideaki spoke first "well well well isn't this a fine sight! One of the greatest shinobi of the Sand bested by a woman older than anyone can recall!"
Chiharu turned to Hideaki "I may be old but I am stronger than any five of you young fools!" then turned and walked back to the room were Akane rested.
Kotaro's comrades both embraced him. Hitoshi spoke first
"So what are you calling your child?"
Kotaro laughed "Well… we were thinking we would name him Mirage"
The other two looked at each other then back at Kotaro stunned
"What? Is that not a good name?"
Hitoshi spoke again "No! It's not that! We thought you and Akane wanted to name him after his grandfather…"
Kotaro laughed.
"They are." A deep voice resounded from the door. It was Kotaro's father Ichiro Iwao. "before I retired I was known as the Desert Mirage because I could easily disappear in the blink of an eye."
And so the child, Mirage, was born. Little did anyone realize however that Mirage carried a great destiny on his shoulders and would one day have the hopes of the world resting on his shoulders.
End chapter 1
