AU: The Island
This story is about an island.
Utakata looked at the map, "We have to go through these forests, and then we're heading towards the capital."
"There are 4 Main one's right? If I remember correctly there is Kawaha; which is our Kuni and where we are from. There is also Kuroha, Kiriha and K-k-?" Ino trying to remember the others.
"Kazeha. That's right and we are heading to the capital Kawa-to (Kawaha to Kawa-to), luckily these roads are all linked but we have to be careful of the Kikenju that could be dawdling." her childhood friend warned.
Ino quickly put her hands in her bag and started eating an apple, "Ringo-ringo!". "Stop shouting out the name of everything you eat!" is the reply she got.
Ino looked up with her eyes wide open, Utakata looked back at her. "Uui Ino. What's wrong?". She pointed at what was in front of her, it was a bear shaped monster with swords as its claw. It's a normal beast he thought to himself
Both prepared a knife at hand. The bear started running, Ino looked at it "Kimoi~!" she started charging at it and jumped. The bear looked at her in the air, whereas Utakata appeared behind it and sliced at its belly until Ino jumped on its back Tsukisasu (Cut through) and jabbed her knife inside it.
They both found pieces of treasure sliding out of it. "Huh?" Ino reacted. Uta put his hand on his chin, "I've heard of this happening. You kill a monster and treasure pieces can be found after its destruction."
He grinned and saw Ino gathering all the treasure with a bun in her mouth. "Auw mime mow", she started running forward towards the capital Kawa-to.
A vein appeared on his head.
In the City of Kawa-to
The city is not much different. There are glowing street lamps and item or food stalls for adventures like us. The houses in the city are much bigger and there are more inns here.
The purple-lover put her hands flat on her forehead and bent forward as she 'zoomed in', "Hee~ it's not much different from our village. The night sky here is so pretty and there are more lamps and slightly better technology along with the bright and big houses!". She thought again, "Yeah it's totally different."
"I'll go look for an Inn." Her friend dressed in blue said.
Ino pouted, "I bet you are going to runaway and find a women because you are-", before she could finish she felt a punch to her head. "Damarinasai!" he said to her.
"Itte-itteyo!" she said in pain, rubbing the lump on her head. He picked her up princess-style and said "look exhausted".
Ino blinked a few times and then threw her head with her tongue out making 'Phew Phew Phew' effects. Utakata sweat-dropping, and started walking to the closest inn called 'Lovey-Dovey'
Inside the Inn
"Excuse me, do you happen to have any room vacant for the night? As you can see, my friend is exhausted from travel." he said to the counter women.
"For a couple right? It costs less.." she tempted him but she booked it down anyway. Ladies started looking at Utakata, "What a handsome young man, holding his girlfriend. He and Kanojo-san are like Chocolate and Vanilla." they laughed.
The counter women swayed him away and said, "This way to your room". She opened a door and said "A bed for 2"
After she left, Ino 'woke' up. "Why am I sharing a room with you!? Want to see me naked again!?"
"Saving money" he said to her.
The Next Day
Ino woke up stretching her arms, going down to see Utakata at the check out lobby. She hurried herself and got her stuff.
Outside. She asked him where will they be going. He answered her question with the reply of "The closest Kuni is Kuroha."
Towards the border of Kuroha there was a house atop a hill with a huge cherry blossom tree covering it.
As they had gotten closer and closer, they opened the door to the hill-house to see that it was empty. "There is not much in here," both tired and exhausted by travel started resting there and falling asleep.
Meanwhile, in the city of Kuroha; outside, a girl scraping metal through the open streets - with a bag full of ingredients. A girl who carries an axe and cuts wood for money, bored of life. Some kids throw small rocks at her because she has so much strength to wield her axe, making her look deadly.
Her axe/ono being pulled along as she was exiting the capital; where her family was well respected. A few male kids got rocks and started throwing them at her, "Bakemono!"
One hit her head - as it tilted, she looked at the kids. They got scared of her but a few more were thrown, she picked her Ono up without any effort and blocked off the 'projectiles' as she had learned to fight alone.
Walking towards the hill she lives on, she noticed the door wasn't concealed properly. "Intruders?"
She entered to find two people sleeping on the floor. She bought in her belongings and placed them on the table; as she was changing her clothes to another plain long sleeved dress or should I say robe with an apron on top. She does not really take interest in fashion.
The girl also tied the apron on herself properly and started cooking food with the groceries she had bought.
The two woke up, smelling a wonderful scent. Utakata hazed falling back to sleep. Ino awoke giving herself a stretch, "Something smells good!"
"Ohio.." the person cooking replied.
Ino noticed someone; not Utakata cooking. "Ah! Intruder!"
The girl looked at her, "This is.. my house.. "
Ino looked at her. She had long and bright sakura coloured hair, but she couldn't see the face of this girl. The girl looked at her, "Watashi wa Haruno Sakura. Well just Sakura now."
"Yamanaka Ino, also just Ino."
"Kare-wa? Your friend?" Sakura pointing at the brown haired man. Ino nodded, "Utakata"
Sakura glanced over at Ino, "Relative? Friend? I'm assuming he is your love" - to which Ino's face went pink.
Before Ino could say a word, she went and opened the window.
The blonde looked at her, "Your hair looks pretty." Ino looking at the girl who's hair was waving around in the wind; window is open to let out the smoke.
"Th-thank you. You look very pretty yourself. Um, how old are you? - if you don't mind"
Ino replied, "17, kimi wa?"
Sakura counting how many years she was alive for, "I'm 17 too."
Ino looked over to the fireplace and saw a picture with a younger Sakura. "Is that your family? Are they on vacation?"
Sakura stopped cooking, "Shinda(Dead).." as she continued stirring the curry.
"Gomen.." Ino looked down.
"It's fine, they died when I was around 7. I heard a Kikenjuu killed them - if I ever see it. I WILL kill it. The houses on this hill were burnt down that day, all the people killed by others brutally and those that had the power to control the Kikenjuu, from a different country - A smaller hidden Kuni I hear."
She continued her story. "They burnt this house and killed my parents, my dad's axe is what I have left from that day, the one near you. My uncle and his friends helped me the following day to bury them and rebuild this house. Shortly after he died naturally. I spent my time learning from books, cooking, hunting, working as a Kikori (Woodcutter) to earn."
The purple clothed girl looked at her once more. "The same thing happened to us too. Our parents, mine and Utakata's were murdered by.. possibly the same group, this all because of the Kisei from the life tree. We are on a journey to balance the Kisei and to shorten or stop wars."
The cherryblossom haired girl looked at her surprisingly. "You know about the Kisei?" Sakura asked her. Ino nodded, "I know not many our age do."
"I'm was soon going to go on a journey for the same thing, but I needed more money. I have a little more than enough now." Sakura told her.
"Come with us!" Ino told or more like requested her. She tilted her head, "I'll think about it."
A noise was heard from the sleeping boy wearing light blue. He rubbed his eyes as he woke up.
The axe-wielding girl put three plates down on the table. "Utakata, I am Sakura. The owner of this hill's house."
Utakata got up and at the food she prepared. She explained the exact same thing that she told Ino about her life. Utakata gave his part of his life info to her.
"Eh, so you are 17 years old and you live in the same village of Kawaha with Ino. Ino asked me to join your journey earlier, hope you do not mind if I ever do so." she informed him of the request.
He simply replied that he doesn't mind. "Arigatou," is the reply he received.