The fall of a hidden village within the Fire Country. Two survivors, both of the same clan. Acquaintances deepen, one of them leaves. Suddenly, death befalls the Leaf, chuunin and jounin alike struck down randomly. Now, one who has known the bitterness of surviving his clan members must help track down the murderer and save the village...But at what cost?

Prologue: Darkness

Shadows. Silent, moving, floating all around.

Where...Where am I?

Unable to move, not even a finger. Panic builds, chest tightens. Calm down...breathe...calm down...

Is this...a dream?

No sound to be heard; no sound at all. The air, bitter...no, not air, not wind...

W-water! What -

"Onee-chan!"

Turn, quickly!

"Who-"

No one.

"Onee-chan! Please..."

That voice again!

Where have I heard that voice before...?

Footsteps, slow, light. But whose footsteps?...Oh.

But wait... Wasn't there water before? Dry ground all of a sudden; not a drop of moisture anywhere.

The voice, gone now, only an echo on the wind.

Breathe in, breathe out. Heart pounding...

Calm down...

Still, darkness. Shadows within shadows, grinning, leering, laughing...everywhere.

"Hello?"

No answer. Glancing left and right. No one there.

So...who called me?

Running now, feet pounding the ground, wind howling. Louder and louder. Deafening. Thundering.

"Onee-chan!"

Again, the voice calls, panic-stricken now. Don't stop, ignore it; it's a trick! Keep running!

Finally!

Light...up ahead. Run, run towards it, before the darkness -

Someone - no, something reaching out. A hand, grasping and clawing. Pull away! Get to the light! Quickly! RUN!

Yes! Light...salvation. No more darkness. No more confusion. No more tricks... No...more...

Gasp for breath; back in the darkness again, treading water once more.

Didn't I leave this place already?

Confused again...clear your mind! You have to think straight! Get yourself out of this!

Glance left, glance right. Still no one, still nothing there. Just water, a neverending ocean...endless, fluid darkness

But why!

"Can you hear me?"

Another voice...a man's. Where is it coming from? No one's there! Jaw moves, ready to shout back an answer...

Wha-? Eyes widen, horror and surprise. My...my voice! I - I can't...

"Are you there? Please answer me..." Another voice, another girl - no, a woman - this time.

"Onee-chan!"

"You don't have to talk; just move. Show us that you're still...alive. Please, Kotone..."

The man again. Kotone...? Oh, yes...that's my name...

How could I have forgotten...?

"Kotone-neechan, it's me..."

What's this?

A hand, small, pale, thin, reaching out...out of the darkness.

No! Get away!

No use; it grabs on.

What the-?

It's warm, but trembling.

Whose hand is this?

"Kotone, can you hear me?"

I can hear you! I'm here!

Try again; still no voice. What's wrong with me?

Move an arm, a hand, a finger. Still no response. Brow furrows. Why? What's happening here?

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Yes! My voice is back! And I can move!

Slow footsteps, fading into the distance. They're leaving! Stumble to your feet...now run! Run again, as fast and as hard as you can! You can still catch them!

"Hello! I'm here now! I can hear you! Where are you?"

Run, go straight. Don't stop, keep running...There!

That must be them!

A man, short brown hair; the woman, wavy black hair; and a tiny girl, around eight, brown-black hair in pigtails.

"Wait! Wait for me!"

"Come on, Chitose, Kaoru. Let's go..."

"But-" The girl protests, eyes welling up. Why is she sad?

"We have to tell the village elders about this, and we must act quickly."

"But, Papa-" Tears start flowing now. She's crying? What's wrong?

Now why am I crying?

The woman, Chitose, moves, a hand on the small girl's shoulder, comforting, persuading. "Come along, Kaoru; your father is right: we have to move now."

"I don't want to leave Onee-chan!" A vehement cry. Why all the fuss?

The woman named Chitose looks angry, brow creased, mouth turned downwards. "Kaoru!" No gentleness, no patience in her. "Don't you get it! Your sister is dead now! We don't know what attacked her while on the way back from her mission, but she's gone!"

Who's dead? Wait...Kaoru...that's...that's my sister! And...I'm dead? What mission? What the hell is going on?

"You're wrong! She's not dead! She can't be!"

Yes! I'm not dead! Please...Mother, Father...listen to her!

"Well, she is! Now...please..." Chitose stops shouting, a hand to her mouth. Her eyes are teary, too. Her voice breaks.

Go closer now...yes, touch them...maybe you can help...Eyes widen.

No way! My hand...

What's this? You can't touch any of them; hands, fingers, just go right through!

No... Am I really dead...? Am I dead and just don't know it? But...that's can't be...

The man, woman, and now-wailing child slowly fade away. Catch up to them! Hurry!

"Wait! Wait, please!"

Only the darkness left now, closing in. Faster, faster still. No time to look for an exit, no time to escape.

No! Not again!

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

A/N: Yes, everyone, another story. I'm kind of stuck on ideas for 'Hikari' right now - I've been studying for finals (not helpful in the creative area). Anyway, I came across this in my archive - I'd written it two weeks back - and decided to post it. I might take this fic down later, or I might not. Anyway, time will tell.

I know, this 'prologue' is nigh confusing, but, really now, we can't always have a prologue that says right up front who the characters are and stuff, right?

Dewa mata! Peace out and God bless!