Alright, guys, let's get this show on the road! For those of you that don't know me, my name is Savvy, and I welcome you to my latest story! It's a revamp of a project I started many moons ago, when I was in junior high, before unceremoniously dropping it on its ass due to educational reasons. I decided to bring it back, since I have a bit of flexibility now that finals are almost over and my winter break is coming up. I'll probably write a lot during the break so that I can have a ready supply of chapters to release regularly in case I get swamped in college writing projects, math work, and Latin cram sessions—and I undoubtedly will. Point being, I'm going to be doing my damnedest to keep things rolling so that you guys can have a dependable schedule to keep up with the story, and I'll be less stressed about updating.

For those of you that already know me, you know that I've had commitment issues with stories in the past. But I'm confident that this is going to be around for a while, and if I'm wrong, you can tar and feather me for your troubles.

Quick public service announcement, the characters have been remastered and the plot is drastically different, but I think you'll find that it has real promise.

Prologue

The alley way was destroyed. Trash cans were flipped over on their sides, spilling their contents across the ground in a rainbow of broken glass, crumpled cans, and used paper products. The trash cans themselves were dented and battered considerably, looking as though they had been fallen victim to an enraged youth wielding a baseball bat. It was almost as though the alley had been struck by a low-level bomb or a sudden tornado.

Crouching in the shadowed space was a girl in an oversized orange sweatshirt. She had her head between her knees, eyes clamped shut and hands gripping fistfuls of her short, wavy blond hair as she pressed herself against the grimy wall of the alley. "It's okay, you're okay. Breathe, Nari, breathe. Everything is fine, just breathe," she murmured to herself in a small voice, trying to catch her breath as she hyperventilated hysterically.

The walls felt like they were closing in on her. It was too dark, too cramped, too hot. Nari shook violently, overwhelmed by the unrelenting pressure on her chest. It felt as though someone was standing on her torso, their weight slowly but surely squeezing the life out of her heart and the air out of her lungs. Nari hiccupped, struggling to take a deep breath to combat the shallow breathing that ensnared her. After several minutes, her breathing evened out. Once she successfully defusing her panic attack, Nari raised her head reluctantly, as though afraid of what she would see.

Her wide, sky blue eyes took in the scene with a dull expression. Slowly, using the wall behind her as an anchor, she began to rise to her feet with shaking knees. Overall, the girl looked tired. Her shoulders sagged as though the weight of the world was placed upon them, threatening to crush her small body under the pressure. Her sun kissed skin looked pale in the wake of the ominous semicircles that rested below her eyes. Nari's wild hair was missing its usual shine, the golden, waved locks looking less full and lively than they usually did. Her orange sweatshirt's sleeve hung limply from her right shoulder and her light blue shorts were coated with dust from her fall. Her dark blue goggles sat askew on top of her head, completing the disheveled look.

Nari's hand rested atop the forehead protector that rested against her collar bone as she surveyed the damage. She let out a deep sigh, heavy with exhaustion and discontent. A small sound caught her attention.

Faintly, a small meow came from somewhere further down the alley. A yellow tabby was crouched behind a tipped trash bin, its tail coiled around its small body. It was visually startled, eyeing Nari warily with vivid green eyes.

"Hey, little guy," Nari said softly. "Are you hurt? Let me help you."

She took a step forward and the cat sprang into action, tearing down the alley in a mad dash to escape her. Nari stepped back in surprise, alarmed and unsettled by the cat's reaction. She looked heartbroken for a moment, the rejection stinging deeper than it should have. The feeling began to rise again, burning a path from her naval to the rest of her body. Struggling to contain it, Nari clenched her fists tightly, every muscle in her body straining to stay in control.

Tears slipped down her face from the frustration and the overwhelming feeling. Suddenly, the control slipped from her fingers and a wave of raw chakra exploded from her small body, sending the present debris tumbling violently across the dirt. The exertion brought the girl to her knees, every muscle shaking in fear and anguish.

"Damn it…. DAMN IT!" Her small fist slammed into the ground as sobs racked through her body.

Looks like Nari has found herself in a tight spot, eh? Things don't seem to be going very well for her, sadly.

I want to hear from you guys, let me know what you think!

Ja ne,

Savvy