CHAPTER ONE: Death! Unwelcome Greetings
disclaimer: I do not own Naruto! All I own is Aguri, Akari, Eiichi, Ryoma, Hayato, Ryuu, Kairi and Yuuma. They are my own original characters. But Naruto, as much as I wish it was, is not mine.
summary: Akari is a princess that belongs to every nation. As a princess and as a member of the Shinaho Clan, she is extremely unique. One day, her families compound is attacked and both her parents are brutally murdered by Hayato of the cloud. She goes into an intense state of shock, which is broken when she is kidnapped, by a genjutsu. The genjutsu is broken and she remembers nothing that happened. After, she is forced to stay in Konoha, where they believe she will be safe. But the thing is, is anywhere truly safe from those who seek her power
a/n: okay, so I am really not sure what you will think of this story. It all kind of came to me at random, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
The rising sun rests over the rolling hills of Sunagakure. The angling of the sun casting long shadows across the dry desert sand.
As the sun rose higher, dry heat filled the air, replacing the cool desert night.
Off to the west, out of the city, resting in the shadow of the largest Suna sand dune lay the beautiful temple of the Shinaho family. The outer walls were high, to cast their own shadows, each wall decorated proudly with the clans symbol. As the sun light slowly began to hit the Shinaho walls, the water dragons seemed to dance, and shimmer in the light.
Inside the walls, was the traditional Japanese style mansion of a famous, royal clan.
In the yard, the Shinaho prince stood battle ready, Kunai in his hand and a smile on his face.
The man's daughter stood just feet away from him, breathing heavily.
He was sure she would have given up hours ago, but once he saw the sun begin to rise, he was extremely surprised. His daughter was more determined that he had anticipated.
"Yuuma, don't work our daughter too hard! She is still just a child!" Princess, Kairi Shinaho shouted through the kitchen window.
Akari growled. "I am not a child, mama!"
Yuuma laughed whole heartedly. His daughter was such a bright light in his life. He closed his eyes and became so consumed in his laughing fit, that he hadn't noticed the glint in his daughter's eyes.
Akari ran full force towards her father and jumped at him, pushing him to the ground and sitting on his chest.
Yuuma let out a loud 'oomph" and before he could react, she snatched the kunai from his hand and giggled.
"Rule Number One, daddy: Never let your guard down."
Yuuma laughed again. "You're right, darling. Now how about we go get something to eat, yeah?"
The child jumped off her father and ran into the house, yelling how she had beaten her daddy, again. He smiled at his six year old. He would never understand how children had so much energy.
As he entered the kitchen, he kissed his wife, as was the daily ritual. Early morning training till the sun rose, kissing the love of his life, send his daughter off to school, and then go to work.
"This is the life." He murmured against his wife's lips.
Akari starred down at the table, seemingly not noticing her father's and mother's show of affection.
"You know, mommy, one day I am going to be a kunoichi! One of the best ever! I'll even be stronger then papa!"
Kairi looked at her husband, and said, very seriously, "I know, darling."
Akari hadn't noticed the seriousness in her mother's eyes, nor had she noticed her father's sad look.
Rather, the oblivious child continued starring at the table in wonder.
"I say it's time for a history lesson." Yuuma declared, still looking at his wife. His attention turned to his daughter, erasing the sad expression from his face before catching her attention.
"Aka, do you know where mommy is from?"
Akari nodded her head slowly, not taking her eyes from the table. "From Sunaga…ga-ga-kure." She found it hard to say the name, but she seemed to see the word, in her mind, spelled out on the table and sounded it out slowly.
"Yes, Aka. And where are we from?"
"Sunagakure." Akari answered, this time not needing to sound it out.
Yuuma smiled at his daughter. "How I wish you were right." He said more to himself then to her.
"Aka, look at me."
Akari looked up at her father, wondering why he would need her to turn her fascination away from the table.
"I need you to listen very carefully, okay?"
Akari simply nodded, starring her father down.
"We are from Konohagakure. Can you say that?"
"Uh… uh huh." She nodded. "Ko...no...ha…gakure?" she smiled. "I like that name. Konohagakure!"
Yuuma smiled. "Yes. It's the village hidden in the leaves. Our family came from their many years ago, understand?"
Akari nodded, as a question formed on her tongue. "If we are from Konohagakure, then why are we here?"
Kairi and Yuuma laughed at their daughter's straightforwardness. "Kairi, I think she takes after you the most in personality."
Kairi giggled. "I will believe that when she falls in love and then punches the boy in the face."
Kairi had been referring to her own relationship with Yuuma. When they had first met, she instantly fell in love. But then he opened that mouth of his, and she punched his face, hard.
Yuuma and Kairi both turned back to the six year old, who starred at them curiously. "Well?" she demanded.
Kairi was the first to give. "You see, darling. A man was after the clan for their powers." Akari looked at her mother quizzically.
"Mama, you weren't there. I want daddy to tell me."
Kairi sighed. Maybe her daughter was just like her; blunt and always wanting to keep her facts straight.
Yuuma repeated something similar to what his wife said, adding at the end, "You are a princess, dear. Our clan is of a royal lineage. We have decided not to take a direct line of power, for our own protection, but if we see a Kage is unfit, we do have the right to take over their position. Any of us could also become a futile lord. Because of our power, many people are after us. So, you grandparents decided to leave Konoha, to throw them off our trail. You understand?"
Akari put a finger to her chin as she looked up towards the ceiling, thinking hard. "Hmmm…" she thought.
Deciding she understood, at least most of what her father said, she threw her fist in the air and gave a shout. "Yup!"
"Good." Yuuma gave a closed eyed smile as he ruffled his daughter's hair.
"We are telling you this, Akari, because we are worried about you."
Akari looked at her father, puzzled. "Don't worry papa! Nothing bad is gonna happen. I am going to be the best kunoichi ever, one day! Maybe I'll even become a Kage or a lord-thingy!"
Yuuma couldn't help the smile that took over his face. No matter how worried he was, no matter the stories or the rumors, he couldn't help but smile at the girl who made his world shine.
Kairi grunted, mumbling something about the time, when Yuuma finally caught on.
"Now, I suggest you get off to school. Wouldn't want to miss out on your training. You want to be the greatest kunoichi, yeah?" Kairi asked, referring to her daughter.
"Yeah!" Akari shouted jumping from the table. She was still in her training clothes, that her dad had given her. Black pants and a black shirt that rested over mesh armor. She had wraps on her ankles, wrists and waist. There was also a wrap, underneath the mesh armor, that ran all the way up her neck till it was just under her chin.
Akari ran to the front of the complex, throwing her shoes on as she went.
"I'll see you later, mama, papa! I love you!"
She barely heard her parents call out, "I love you, too." As she ran straight out of the Shinaho complex and straight to the school.
Akari was among one of the most naturally talented students in the Academy, as was stated constantly, by her teachers; and the Shinaho families captain of the guard, Aguri.
Also, Aguri was her favorite, out of all the teachers at the academy.
Aguri had taken the job, originally so he could keep an eye on the heir to the clan and young child princess. An order that was sent out by Yuuma, himself.
Although Aguri grew to love the job, he hated the reasoning why.
His duty was to the entire clan, not just one member who couldn't even reach his hip, yet.
He felt that his friend was simply paranoid, if anything. But, he couldn't argue with the prince, and he most certainly wasn't about to say he was wrong. In fact, Yuuma was perfectly correct in his reasoning.
Akari ran into the classroom, just as the bell rang and sat in her seat.
"Hi, Aguri-san! I would've been here earlier but papa wanted to tell me something! It won't happen again." Akari stated, stretching her arms in front of her as she leaned back in her seat with a lazy grin.
Aguri smiled at the child and nodded. He'd heard her say that before, and no matter what, she never kept that promise. The child princess was so much like her mother, and yet, carried her father's genes. Her dark brown hair, lined with auburn and blonde highlights, and her rusty bronze eyes were just like her fathers. So much so, that if her hair had been shorter, she would have looked just like Yuuma had, as a child.
Akari brushed her long, wavy hair back; feeling annoyed with it and pulled it into a ponytail.
She listened half intently as her sensei began to speak, taking semi-careful notes of what he said.
"Today class, we are going to discuss how to handle your chakra output. If you use too much, you waist it, if you use too little, the jutsu fails. The point of this is to teach you how to let out the right amount of chakra. Once you can do that, you can do just about any jutsu."
Several kids in the class became increasingly more fascinated, eyes growing wide and mouth forming a large 'O' shape.
Akari, on the other hand, had been through all of this before.
She wrote what he said, as he spoke, just to spite herself, out of boredom.
"Papa already taught me this." She grumbled.
She sighed, quietly as she began to zone out.
She stared out the window, seeing grey and sand colored clouds gathering together miles out.
"Hm… a sand storm. I hope I can make it home before it hits."
She had remembered hearing adults talking about how a dangerous man was roaming free, at the moment, and she really wanted to be trapped at home, if she had to be trapped anywhere at this point. "I wonder…"
"Akari-hime, please, pay attention." Aguri asked, in exasperation.
"Sorry, Aguri-san."
Aguri's hardened face softened considerably as he looked at the girl. "Right."
Aguri continued the lesson, as Akari feigned interest, knowing full well Aguri hadn't really cared that she had been zoning out, and that he had said anything because it was a requirement as a teacher.
Hours passed quickly, as she became lost in her day dreaming.
"We are told, from a young age, what a ninja should be. We are taught to protect what is most precious to us. To find our nindo—our ninja way."
She had just begun her inspirational speech when her day dream had been interrupted. "Alright class, you can go home now."
Akari got up from her chair and ran out of the classroom as fast as she could.
She was determined to get home as soon as possible, so her mother could help her write her future speech.
"I want to let you all know, that men are not the strongest. Those men do not have some kind of power over us. Kunoichi can be as great as or greater than any Shinobi."
In her head, a silent round of clapping began, as she made a pause for her words to sink in.
"We are the next generation. We are what will make this world, in one way or another."
She giggled, at that thought. Her mother had said that her father once.
As she continued her internal speech, she finally made it to the front gate. "Home!" she shouted happily.
She ran through the gate, and to the front door. "Mama!" she shouted as she pulled her shoes off. "I came up with my famous kunoichi speech today! It's perfect." She giggled.
"We are the future!" she shouted, looking at the ground as she slid open the rice paper door.
"We will make this world, one way or ano—." Her words were cut short as she took in the sight, her mouth left agape.
She would have screamed, but her throat constricted so tightly to the point she couldn't breathe.
There was blood covering the floor, a thick trail leading to a body and moving to the next room.
She ran to the heap of skin, and rolled the bloody figure to see its face.
"Please, oh god, please… don't be…"
"Papa!" she cried, hugging the dead man tightly. She cried into her deceased fathers shirt, screaming through her sobs, roughly, not caring that his blood was now matted into her hair and her clothes.
She heard a crash coming from the other room, and a growl. She stood in a battle ready stance, quickly.
"They're still here…"
Silently, as she had been taught, she crawled along the side of the blood trail that lead into the other room. She kept her body low to the floor, in the hopes she would go unnoticed.
She reached the corner, where the blood trail turned into the living room, and snuck her face just beyond the edge of the wall.
Her eyes widened even further, as she took in the sight. Her mother was bloody but still breathing. A tall man had a hand wrapped tightly around the older princesses' neck. Kairi hadn't been fighting.
Suddenly, Akari stood up, losing control of her body, and walked into the room.
She was angry, she was scared and she was sad. "Put her down!" Akari demanded.
"Aka…" Kairi murmured.
Kairi's bright blue eyes flashed with something unintelligible as her eyes darkened to a steel grey.
The man's attention turned to the young voice who had presumably addressed him, and Kairi took her chance.
She filled her hand with chakra and punched her fist to his skin. Not even a second after she made contact, her hand cut through his skin. He let Kairi go, with a shriek of pain.
Without a second thought, Kairi pushed past the man, and ran for her daughter.
"She has to know." Kairi thought.
Kairi threw her hand out, just as the bounty hunter got back to his feet.
"Almost there!"
The hunter reached his hand out and grabbed Kairi's wrist to prevent the transfer jutsu, but he was too late. Kairi's hand brushed Akari's and suddenly every thought in Kairi's mind and the thoughts Yuuma left before he died, flooded the young girls mind.
The hunter grabbed for his knife and slammed it into the woman's spine, as the killing blow. She fell to the ground with a scream, as her daughter followed after.
"She passed out from shock." He muttered, starring at the child who had interrupted his fun.
He looked down at the bloodied woman who was still moving. "I am amazed you are still alive." He stated, watching Kairi in curiosity.
The elder Shinaho clan member crawled to her daughter, dragging her legs behind her and leaving a pool of blood.
Her hands were shaky as she reached out to her daughters face, gently.
She brushed the child's hair back and smiled at the angelic face she saw. Akari looked so much like her father, and yet, also resembled her mother. "You're lucky to not have gotten my black hair or blue eyes." she thought, running her hands through the wavy streaks of hair.
She could see it in her child's face. "She is the one they talk about. She will become something extraordinary."
Her daughter was destined for greatness.
Greatness that she knew would be achieved. A greatness that could kill her.
But her daughter would become great.
"Forgive me." Kairi whispered as her hand fell to the ground, leaving behind a deafening silence.
Deciding the woman was finally dead, the hunter walked to the child, knife still in hand.
He nudged the little girl with his foot, rousing her from her shock induced sleep.
The young princess looked up at him, with one bronze eye opened, lip trembling, but holding a determined glare.
T he man above her wore a dark smirk, and his tiny slit eyes sparked evil. He had two vertical scars running over both eyes, and a dark deep scar running horizontally across the left side of his face.
She would have hated him by his look alone, not to mention what he had done.
The man's smirk grew and he opened his mouth to speak.
"I won't kill you, yet. You're power isn't raw enough. But be warned child."
The bounty hunter stepped on Kairi's limp hand, to emphasize what he meant.
"This will be your fate."
The scarred man made his way to the door, when Akari spoke.
"What is your name?" she asked, staring at the ceiling lip no longer trembling.
The man smirked and looked towards the sky in thought.
"I am Hayato of the Hidden Cloud."
And with that, the man disappeared.
After that, Akari fell into a deep silence.
It was three days later, that anybody bothered to look for the Shinaho princess.