Chapter 1/Prologue: The Girl in the Rain

The soul of a shinobi, huh?

If Sasuke embraces the true essence of a shinobi as a powerful fighter behind the scenes, supporting the Hokage and protecting the people without ever stepping into the spotlight. What does that make me? What does that make us?

A woman who has become close friends with Death.

A foolish girl that shares eternity with her best friend.

An immortal who has learned the grave consequences of attempting to play god.

Gods, or the "God," will never make their presence known to man. I have never encountered them – or it, whichever you prefer – in my whole existence, nor do I ever believe they might "grace" us with their presence. So, what about all those stories and legends you've heard? Simple answer: just humans playing god.

I am merely a cursed immortal.

I am no god.

I exist solely to continue legacies and protect my loved ones, as selfish as that might sound.

I've adopted many names and loved them all, but my favorite, and my beginning, came from the name Namikaze Shizuka.

Don't be mistaken, I'm not telling you a tragedy. I'm not telling you all my mistakes so you can learn from them. Just if you wanted to know, if you were interested. Who might be protecting those of you who are protecting everyone.

I wasn't always an immortal. That was simply a consequence of a foolish decision I made. My best friend was never an immortal either. I was the one who put the burden on his shoulders. Neither of us planned for it, but then again, life never goes perfectly according to plan, as much as one might wish to believe.

But to understand how I became an immortal, to understand what I do and who I am, first you need to understand how I became who I was…

One rainy morning in late June, the newly appointed Fourth Hokage was strolling done the dirt road with his predecessor to set up his new office. The well-aged Sarutobi would chuckle every now and then at the golden-haired man before replying to his words.

"You are one lucky man, Minato. Biwako would never make me a cloak even if I begged her," the Third Hokage looked up at the cloudy skies as they approached the small, wooden doors that would lead to the Academy building.

Minato smiled sheepishly before lightly tugging on the thin red string that held his white cloak in place. "Kushina insisted. I wouldn't have been able to say anything even if I wanted to." He gently nibbled on the corner of his lip, speaking in a mere whisper, "sometimes I think she's more excited than I am about becoming the Hokage."

"Well, well. Woman have their days," Hiruzen uncrossed his arms with a hearty laugh. "Might I warn you, though, being Hokage isn't all it's painted out to be." Minato's shoulders tightened when a chilly breeze, at least for the summer, blew between the two of them. He shifted his grip on the large umbrella that shielded them from the cold rain that had begun to fall at a faster rate. "Speaking of, have you and Kushina thought of how many children yet?"

The younger male twisted his head to the side in surprise, his jaw-length bangs swaying as he moved, a heated blush appearing on his pale cheeks. "I-i-it's too soon, Lord Third! We've only just – I, I mean, she – we haven't even thought…"

Again, the middle-aged Sarutobi gave another friendly laugh. "Please, drop the honorifics. The village is still asleep, and even then, I wouldn't mind, Lord Fourth," he smiled warmly as he leaned forward just a little from his own laughter.

He took another step towards the locked door of the Academy, pulling out his own set of keys that he would soon hand over to the new Hokage. Realizing that his fellow shinobi hadn't moved when he felt the absence at his side, he turned back to look at the Yellow Flash. "Minato?"

The golden-haired man had stopped a few feet away, his head turned to look at something. Following the younger man's gaze, Hiruzen's eyes landed on a small girl, wrapped up in a thin gray blanket. Her long, pure white hair reminded the elder man of his own sensei's hair. A clear and clean white, the color of freshly fallen, untouched snow.

Minato slowly approached the sleeping girl, kneeling by her side. His large hand lightly shook her small bare shoulder, revealed by her crooked over-sized shirt; her skin was freezing cold despite the warmth of the summer. With his other hand, the Yellow Flash pulled the rain-soaked blanket off of the girl.

At that moment, the girl's eyes fluttered open. Her large, golden-red eyes looked into his bright, sky-blue ones with great curiosity. When she lifted a small hand up to touch his long blonde strands, her other hand unconsciously gripped tightly onto the edge of the gray blanket tightly. A small tear slipped from her clear eyes as she stared at the young man, holding his attention for what seemed like the longest time. Her eyes told him a story of sorrow and pain, captivating the young man.

"Minato."

Snapping away from the girl, the Fourth Hokage turned his attention to his elder. Pulling the blanket away, he picked up the small girl in his arms. "What's your name?" Minato spoke softly to the girl, she opened her mouth, only to close it again before she hugged her arms around his neck. She buried her face into the crook of his neck, holding onto him tightly without a sound.

She made no further move to communicate, and lightning flashed across the sky. Another tear flowed down from her unclouded eyes and the droplets of water seemed to get heavier. Her fingers tightened onto the back of Minato's cloak, prompting him to gently pat her back in an effort to comfort, to help her relax.

"Why don't we get you inside?" Minato spoke in a hushed tone to the young girl, holding her to his chest tightly. He tried to remove the wet blanket from her hands, but she refused to part with it, one hand clutching onto it with impressive strength for a toddler. Reluctantly letting her cling onto the soaked and dirty cloth, he shifted her weight before following after the Third Hokage.

As they stepped through the open, grand doors of the Hokage's Office, neither of the men noticed the shadow in the tree that caught the girl's eyes. Another tear made its way down her cheek, her fiery eyes stared into the darkness as if silently saying a sad goodbye to whatever, or whoever, it was that watched as she disappeared into the building.