Once upon a time, there was a vast kingdom of sand called Sunagakure.
They were known far and wide for having only the strongest shinobi, hardened by the desert and it's monsters, for unlike the creatures that roam kingdoms like Konohagakure or even the Elemental Nations, none of them are friendly.
They were ruled by a king, the Kazekage, who had three children: a daughter, the eldest, followed by two sons.
But in gaining his third child, the Kazekage lost his wife, and he went mad with despair.
The boy was punished for it night and day, growing up to become a selfish, untrusting creature in order to survive.
One day, an old beggar woman came by their castle asking for shelter, with only a desert rose as recompense.
When the Kazekage refused, dismissing her, the beggar woman warned him not to judge by appearances and to rethink his answer.
Enraged at being disobeyed, the Kazekage ordered for his guards to kill the beggar where she stood.
It was then that the beggar woman shed her disguise, revealing herself to be a great desert spirit in mortal form.
But it was too late for apologies; she had been slighted, and like the desert itself, she gave swift, brutal punishment.
The desert spirit embedded the soul of a demon into his youngest son, and the boy went wild, killing his father in a fit of madness.
She was not satisfied, and put a curse on the entire kingdom; unless the demonic boy could find his true mate, someone who could love him despite the demon and his bloodlust, everyone was bound to him.
If he was alone, unloved, on the eve of his eighteenth birthday, they would all be doomed to madness for eternity.
They say the boy took on the mantle of Kazekage, gaining power from the desert demon within him, but no one can be sure.
Sunagakure has been cut off from the world since then, and no one dares enter.
The people wait, hoping for someone to come and break the curse…
Big blue eyes blinked away the story's spell, shining like the ocean on a clear day as they snapped up.
"Is that the end, otousan?"
The old man smiled in a grandfatherly way, ruffling the little girl's long white hair.
"There is no such thing as endings, musume." He replied, closing the book gently. "Only lessons."
"What was the lesson?" She wondered, allowing herself to be tucked in.
"You should never judge someone by how they appear." Her father stated, kissing her goodnight on the forehead. "You never know who is an angel and who is a demon until you get to know them, so treat everyone with respect."
The five-year-old nodded, curling onto her side as he headed for the door.
"…Otousan?"
Pausing in the entryway, he looked back at heartbroken ocean eyes.
"Do you think a person's soul can heal?"
He stayed silent, hearing the underlying tones beneath it, the fragile hope, and was unsure what to say.
"…Only if they allow themselves, musume. Not a moment sooner."
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