Kairai ken Tsukurite chapter 1: Issho

(Title translation: Puppet and Maker: Meeting)

"Yes, you wanted to see me?" A blond girl with bright amber eyes who looks no older than 13 at the most, asks as she enters a hospital wing and is looking at a patient who looks like he's made an almost full recovery.

"Yes, I actually wanted to inform you that there will be a new practice course that the two of us will be training in, it would have been all four but the others are still recovering as you know." The elder of the two, the man in the bed, he has dark colored hair, a large scar that trails into three different areas of his face, and very dark brown eyes.

"If it isn't too much to ask, may I go check it out myself, Sokuryoku-Sensei?" the blond asked a slight gleam entering her amber eyes.

"I guess you can Naikishi, after all, you'll need the practice since you were unable to accompany us for the mission that caused all this; I heard Dakkai is in critical." The jounin said to his pupil.

"Y-yes of course Sensei, but in all due respect what caused me to be unable to leave with you all was an unexpected event. For that I deeply apologize." Naikishi said looking deeply sorry.

"It's alright, besides you're more of a sideline fighter, rather than a full front line one." The sensei said a smile crossing his face causing the blond to blush slightly, and then he asked a very important question to her, "How's the puppet master training?"

Naikishi Yaiba is one of the five last ninja, who can use the Puppet master jutsu; she was once trained by a different puppet master who was the first apprentice of Kankuro who had only two apprentices and each became teachers for future generations. Unfortunately she is the youngest being only 16 while others are in their late 30's, even more sad is that people think she is younger then she actually is because of her height and delicate skin. She was also a lot better at making puppets then controlling them, she could only control one at the least and two at the most, once again the other four puppet masters could control about four at their worst days and some at the maximum of ten on their best, three of them even call her control a disgrace but the oldest says they just do that because they are jealous of her crafting skills. Like Kankuro before all of them most of the puppet masters only used puppets that where made before their time and modified their traps, Naikishi on the other hand usually made her own but still mostly fought with the puppets her master gave her before his death, the Mother and Father puppets, he had said Kankuro gave them to him when his training was done because he was "the hope of the next generation" or something and shortly after he died in battle. For her it was told to her that they could probably help her finish her training. This will probably explain why she can't control that many puppets.

"It's coming along." The blond replied not making eye contact simply because she felt shame that after more than four years of training on her own she has yet to finish it. Her sensei then sighed and handed her a piece of paper that told of the location, when she read it she almost couldn't believe it, this was the same location that in history books said was the Akatsuki cave that fifth Kazekage Gaara was found and had the Ichibi, Shukaku removed. She may not look it but she loved history as well as historic places. "I'll be back Sensei." Naikishi said bowing her head slightly then ran off to the new training grounds. She was humming as she slowed down into a walk because of her excitement, another thing she loved was learning about things that even history books didn't know but the places of history did.

"I can't wait, this is going to be fun!" she exclaimed in excitement her eyes showing a lot of it and they practically sparkled. All of a sudden she stopped and the excitement disappeared for a moment, she felt a chill go down her spine.

"Note to self always bring a jacket or something to help keep warm." Naikishi muttered rubbing her arms slightly at the dramatic change in temperature, but that still didn't stop her from going.

Meanwhile in the hospital room with Sokuryoku he felt something in his pocket and pulled the paper out and went wide eyed.

"Oh shit, I gave her the wrong paper. That was my investigation mission I gave her." The jounin said out loud and got up as quick as he could and ran to try and find the blond.

*First person POV, Naikishi*

I had reached the peak of a cliff that over looked the destroyed cave area and smiled, excitement built in me as I began wondering what secrets this place would hold. The wait was starting to kill me and I then started my descent and made sure to apply chakra to my feet so I could have a safe trip and even walk across the water to reach the place. Before I even set foot on the land I felt another shiver go through my spine as if something was trying to tell me to leave, but my curiosity and desire to learn about the unknown kept me going but with each step I took I felt pressure that kept making me feel like it didn't want me there at all.

"No I will not turn back!" I exclaimed out loud determination going through me, and feeling as if there was someone there who was causing that pressure to let them know I meant busyness. I swore I heard a sigh and that caused me to pull out the scrolls that contained the Father and Mother puppets and unsealed them keeping them on the defensive. I looked around to see where the sigh could have come from but saw nothing; the person couldn't have hidden on the ceiling because there WAS no ceiling, there weren't a lot of rocks to hide behind and there were not any holes to hide in, well big enough anyways.

"Maybe it was just my imagination." I sighed and began resealing the two puppets, when something struck in my mind. If these puppets where Kankuro's then who made them after all Kankuro was only known for using puppets that were not his own nor even making his own. That was when a lot of questions filled my mind, and I hate unanswered questions, maybe Myoushu knew who the original creator was. Myoushu is the eldest of the puppet masters and the only one who's nice to me about my inexperience with puppet control, so he's the only one of them who I respect, except my sister I just wish she would be nice to me. My sister's name is Karei Yaiba she's older than me by five years and is also a puppet master but she like the others wears that ridiculous face paint that puppet brigade members are supposed to wear, I however choose not to because I find it stupid and want no part in that stupid tradition. Anyways my sister also strongly dislikes me because I had received my first puppets from our master, yes she trained under him as well but she had been instructed to make her own or get her own while I was given simply because he saw my wood crafting skills and ability to make puppets.

"…" I had thought I heard a whisper that brought me out of my thoughts I looked around again and saw the sun was starting to set; it was a beautiful red sunset today.

"Okay come out and show yourself or are you scared that you'll be beaten by a girl!" I cried out hoping that it would draw out who ever it was however I instead got a response.

"I already was." It was barely a whisper but yet it sounded like it was right in my ear and I rapidly turned around and saw nothing. I slowly started feeling fear creep into my heart and spread but I swallowed it thinking about how my Sensei would handle this situation.

"Who's there or better yet do what I said before and show yourself." I said paying close attention to my surroundings and noticed no one was there but me until.

"Naikishi!" I heard my sensei's voice calling my name I thought that now was a good time to leave, and I ran out of what was supposed to be a cave and right onto the water.

"Sensei, over here!" I called out and saw he was on the same ledge I was and he looked down on me as if wondering how I got down there.

"Sorry Nai, I gave you the wrong paper, this was supposed to be an A-rank investigation mission not a training ground." He said as I climbed up to his side.

"Well I defiantly investigated it and the only weird thing was whispering and a sigh that came out of nowhere." I replied while dusting myself off and feeling creeped out all the while and feeling like I
had an unfinished mission there. "So what where you going to investigate?"

"This pressure that prevents people from going further in then the forest and ninja's from this point how is it you got down so far?" Sokuryoku-sensei asked and now it was my turn to look confused.

"I don't know, I didn't feel the pressure till I was in the former cave area and started hearing the noises." I replied remembering that weird force and how weak it felt to me, could it be stronger to sensei if so why?

Back at home I sat in my room and pulled out some tools, I was going to give the Mother and Father puppets an upgrade, I try to upgrade them once or twice a month by adding on to their hidden traps or by updating the poisons, I try not to change the appearance of them because of how nice their designs are, and queue my sister coming in. Karei has light brown hair that she usually ties up into a weird pony tail braid mix, she has amber eyes as well but hers are a fiercer looking kind, she didn't have that stupid make-up on that would usually be about five stripes, one down her forehead stopping at the bridge of her nose, another going right across her nose two under her right eye and two under her left the last would be going from her bottom lip to her chin, she defiantly looked her age being 21 but acted more like a brat. If it was like 40 or 50 years ago we'd both be wearing headbands of the sand village but after the war the nations became united and no longer have the headbands, instead we wear specific armor plated light weight clothing but we wear different colors to show which village we came from, the sand village has a variety between tan, brown, light brown and red, most black coloring has been removed or is only available to the Anbu. So instead she wears a Light brown armor chest over a tan shirt same with her pants and she wasn't wearing her shoes because she was at home.

"What do you want Karei?" I asked not looking up from my work on the Mother, huh now that I think about it why were these puppets named Mother and Father? Maybe it was from a poor soul who lost his parents or something.

"You know damn well what I want, now give me back my stupid puppets!" she exclaimed, why someone like her is a puppet master is beyond me.

"First off your puppets are still being fixed and secondly they are not stupid in battle, or anywhere else." I said sending a glare over to her and she glared back at me with venom in her eyes.

"Well then finish the fucking puppets before you play with your stupid ones." She said then stormed away, and I just sighed.

"She's got to learn how to fix her own and not force it on me all the damn time." I muttered going to my closet and pulling out my sisters puppets, none of them have even a remotely human like appearance so trying to keep them under the same looks is usually difficult for me to do and will usually take about 5 or 6 hours minimum, mostly because all hers are big and bulky unlike human shaped puppets.

I was half way finished with the first one when I heard whispering. I didn't even turn around or look away from my work.

"Sis go away I'm working." I said knowing it's usually my sister probably muttering how much she hates some stuff or how I should hurry up and finish her "stupid puppets" however I kept hearing the whispering and sighed in agitation. I turned around, "Karei I said I'm…." that's when I noticed there wasn't anyone there, "working?" the whispering had stopped and I looked around again.

"Must be my imagination." I muttered getting back to work, it didn't happen again till I had finished the second one and was working on the final one that needed repairs. I tried to ignore it as I worked but then finally I snapped again.

"Whoever keeps whispering shut up, I'm trying to work so leave me alone!" I exclaimed turning around once again and this time saw, something for a brief 10seconds. It looked to be a red haired teen from what I could see but that's all I got to see before it just vanished. I continued to stare for a long time at that same spot. The stress must be getting to me if I'm seeing things. I pinched the bridge of my nose, "I'm defiantly getting stressed, time for a break."

I walked out of the room trying to clear my head of what I saw and walked right into the kitchen where Karei was cooking, who stopped and glared at me slightly.

"Finish them yet?" she growled and I sighed.

"I finished two and am close to finishing the last one I just need a break." I replied, I swear my sister has a one track mind, I can't believe I'm related to her, most of the time. I grabbed some juice from the fridge and looked at her, "So what's for dinner?"

"Grilled fish with rice, and ramen." She replied for once not growling at me, dinner was one of thoughts rare moments when we can get along and actually stand being near each other.

"Let me guess tomorrow I need to get more supplies if we're having ramen with our food?" I asked with a slight smile.

"Yeah, I'll be leaving on a mission and will be gone for a few weeks starting tomorrow." She replied turning the heat off on the stove.

"So that's why you're harping on me finishing your puppets." I smirked, as I have said, dinner is one of the rare moments we will get along.

"Heh, yeah. Speaking of which what caused you to stop so early?" she asked as I set the plates and we started dissing our food.

"The stress got the better of me and I thought I saw someone in my room and heard whispering as well." I replied and she just looked at me funny.

"Geez who knew working on puppets could stress you." She giggled and I giggled slightly back as we went to the table to eat. That was when I heard whispering again, but I noticed my sister didn't react, that or she was ignoring it. I sighed again and just went back to eating; ignoring the voice by imagining it was my sister on one of her bitchy rants about stupid things.

"So sis, meet any guys?" I asked wanting to strike up a conversation to help ignore the whispering.

"No but you should, after all Dakkai is in critical so there goes your hopes with him." She smiled and evil smile, she usually gives that to people she hates, who she will kill or if she's just giving a sick joke, and this time it's the latter.

"Sis I don't like Dakkai like that, he likes me like that but I'm just not interested." I replied taking a bite of the fish while Karei was eating her ramen.

"He's about the only guy who'd want you anyways little sister." She said which caused me to twitch.

"I'm not little hag!" I exclaimed, that caused her to twitch.

"Who are you calling a hag runt!" she yelled. Yeah the two of us know what causes the other to get pissed off. Mine usually involves my height or the fact that I look three years younger than I actually am, and her being called old.

"Oh I'm sorry I forgot you don't need hearing aids just yet, I'm off to my room." I said storming off just as she was about to rant at me how she is NOT old or anything like that. When I entered my room I instantly felt like I wasn't alone in there, and let's just say I wasn't in the mood to be around someone else. I looked around even in places people could hide and found no one other than the puppets I usually had, and the puppets I was fixing. I sighed and began finishing the last one, when that was done I went to my dresser and picked out my pajamas and did another sweep of my room because I still felt I wasn't alone in there. I then removed my tan armor that was over my red clothing and got into my light green pajamas and then proceeded to put my tools away and reseal my sister's puppets into their scrolls and put them on the table near my door. I then climbed into my bed and closed my eyes only to snap them wide open again when I heard the whispering again. Dear kami this was getting old, I rubbed my temples then looked only to see the red from earlier standing in the corner just staring at me, the whispers where also gone. I stared back at the red head and got a better look at him, he had pale skin, was male as I have stated earlier, was wearing a black cloak with red clouds, looked to be about 16 or so and had cold brown eyes but what scared me was the fact he seemed to be transparent.

"I must be insanely stressed and seeing things… I'm going back to bed." I said out loud and turned around and tried going back to sleep only to hear a voice hit my ear.

"You are not seeing things, brat."

Translation of names:

Naikishi: Dead Knight

Daikkai: Recovery

Karei: Beauty

Sokuryoku: Speed

Myoushu: Master

Yaiba: Blade