Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto
Thank you for deciding to read my story. I warn you now this is my first attempt at a fan-fiction, so please be constructive in your reviews not destructive. With that being said, enjoy. =]
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The night air was still and peaceful, with only the sound of the rickety wagon being pulled behind a panting horse. The driver whistled a soft tune as he continued his journey across the land to sell his wares. He was a traveling merchant, buying and selling items between the five great shinobi nations. "Well old girl," he said speaking to the horse. "Looks like we're about to hit the border leading out of the Land of Water. Just a few more miles to go. Now I know you don't like it but we'll have to take a boat from there back to the Land of Fire." The horse responded with a soft neigh and continued to pull the cart forward.
After a few more minutes of silence, the man turned to check on his cargo. In the wagon were things you might expect a traveling merchant to have; foreign food, exotic fabrics, cultural clothing, along with other odds and ends. Then his eyes rested on the young woman sleeping among his softer wares. She slept quietly as she cradled the bundle of cloth wrapped in her arms. The old man smiled at the sight. "You two must have had quite the night," he whispered to himself, not wanting to wake them. "Don't you worry. Soon we'll be at the port and heading out of this war stricken country. Then you'll be safe little ones."
The driver turned back to face the road and as he did so the young woman opened her eyes, having never been asleep in the first place. She looked down at the bundle in her arms and smiled at the infant as he slept, cuddled up against her in the warm sheets wrapped around him. Her smile faded as she looked back at the road behind them, her memories of the night still fresh in her mind.
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The night was filled with screams as the small village was overrun with ninja from the Village Hidden in the Mists. They were searching the houses, under the orders of the current Mizukage, to find any person related to the known clans that possessed a kekkei genkai. Anyone they found who possessed such a power was killed immediately then had their house set aflame. The night was filled with the light of the fires and the screams of the villagers as more and more houses were being burned to the ground. The Mist ninja showed no mercy, killing any who got in their way; men, women, and children alike.
In one house, a baby boy was crying in his mother's arms as she and her husband fanatically gathered the few provisions they had to try and make a run for it. "Take only what we need, nothing else," the man said as he packed a few blankets into his sack. "If we take any more than that it'll just slow us down." Just as they finished gathering the last of the food their door was smashed down and three Mist ninja loomed in the entryway. "We have nothing here you want. Please just leave us be"
"Oh? Now I don't believe that for one second. We know very well what you're capable of," said one of the smirking ninja. "Now if you'll come with us we'll make this quick so you're pretty little wife can start mourning." One of the other ninja stepped up and whispered something in the leader's ear. The lead ninja then looked to the woman and noticed the infant she was carrying. Getting a sadistic smile on his face he then said, "Oh and it looks like she'll be mourning the loss of her little brat as well."
"You will not lay one finger on my son," the man yelled at the three ninja. Pulling out a hidden kunai knife, he charged at the three invaders. Being unprepared for the sudden charge, one the the three ninja was killed instantly, having the blade penetrate his heart. The man looked back at his wife, "Run!" One of the ninja started to chase after the fleeing woman and her infant, but was stopped in his tracks as the kunai the man had was thrown, piercing his spine. "Like I said," he growled, turning to the last of the three ninja. "Not one finger."
The woman had almost made it out of the village when she heard her husband's pain filled yell. Turning to take one last look at the village, she saw a giant pillar of ice rise from the ground and produce hundreds of frozen spikes that rained down upon the invading ninja throughout the village. With that display of icy power she knew that was her husband's final stand. With tears streaming down her face, she turned and ran from the burning village, holding the wailing baby in her arms close.
The woman ran for what seemed like hours. When she decided that there wasn't anyone following her she slowed to a walk and continued on, without any real destination in mind. She just needed to keep her mind focused on moving forward, trying not to think of what had just transpired. She suddenly collapsed to her knees, realizing how exhausted she really was. She sat there for a while, absentmindedly rocking her baby in her arms. Then she felt something cold touch the back of her neck. She looked up to see that it was starting to snow. With wonder in her eyes, she looked down at her baby boy and smiled at the look he was giving her. His bright bluish purple eyes were shining up at her own brown eyes as his toothless smile spread across his face. "Don't worry little lotus. As long as I'm here, I won't let anything happen to you." With a small tear trickling down her cheek she said, "I'll protect you in your father's place. I may not be as strong as him, but I won't allow anything to happen to you as long as I'm around."
The two sat there gazing at the falling snow for a while, until they heard the sound of clicking hooves on the road getting closer. The woman turned around to see a horse pulling an old creaking wagon start to get closer. At the reigns was an old man, whistling a soft tune. When he spotted the woman, he slowed the horse so that the wagon stopped next to them. "Good evening little miss," he said with a kind hearted smile one his face. "What brings you way out here at this time of night?"
With the memory of her loss still fresh in her mind, she looked at the ground and said with a saddened tone, "Our village was attacked. We barely made it out before it was burned to the ground."
A look of sadness washed over the old mans face. "My dear that's terrible. Is there anything I can do to help? Can I offer you a lift somewhere? I'm heading to the port myself. On my way to the Land of Fire next. I'm a traveling merchant you see and was just on my way out of the country. You're welcome to ride along in the back if you don't mind sitting with my wares. I have some blankets and food too if you need them. It's pretty cold out and this snow came out of no where"
The woman smiled with gratitude and nodded, looking down at the infant in her arms. "Thank you. You're very kind."
The old man smiled and helped her onto the wagon, grabbing a fresh blanket for her and the baby from his piles of merchandise. "Well this old man has a soft spot for people in need. Especially when they have a little one to care for. Besides, I wouldn't mind the company for the last leg of the trip. My name is Hayao."
"Thank you for your help, Hayao. I'm Hikari. And this little one is Ren."
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"You can see the port from here, Hikari," Hayao said from the front of the wagon, snapping Hikari out of her train of thought. "Just a few more minutes and we'll be there. You're welcome to join me on the boat as well. I don't think they'll mind two more passengers."
Hikari moved to the front of the wagon to sit with Hayao. She saw the port in the distance and could hear the sound of the wave's rhythmic moment. "The Land of Fire, huh?" She looked down at her baby, Ren, and smiled. "What do you think little lotus? Ready to go make a new home in a new land?" Ren stirred in his sleep but didn't wake up. Hikari turned to Hayao and smiled. "I think it would be good for him to be raised somewhere without this civil war going on."
With a nod, Hayao returned her smile and said, "I'll make all the arrangements when we get to the port then."
"Thank you for all of your help. If you hadn't come along when you did, I don't know what might have happened. How can I ever repay you?"
"Oh you don't have to do anything to repay me. It's my pleasure, really. You just take care when we get to the Land of Fire and be sure to say hi if I'm ever in the area," he laughed.
Hikari smiled and looked ahead to the port. She would make sure that Ren grew up safe and away from the Hidden Mist Village's Mizukage and his civil war against those with kekkei genkai. Despite the horrors and sorrows she experienced that night, she had hope for the future and knew someday her baby boy would grow up and do great things.
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And with that the story begins. I hope you all enjoyed the prologue of The Leaf's Snow Lotus. I don't know how often I'll be writing but if more people start to enjoy the story I'll try to upload more often. Thanks again everyone!