Summary: The lives of Owatatsumi Amaya and Hatake Kakashi slowly become more intertwined as the two become involved in a hopeless battle against genocide, treachery, deception, and abuse of power. Is friendship akin to weakness or strength? Kakashi X Original Character
四面楚歌
Shimen Soka
前奏曲
Prelude:
七年前に
Seven years ago:
An elderly shinobi stared up from the paper, sporting an ugly yet genuine smile. There were seven of him on the seven previous pages, each a year older than the one that followed. The current successor was a hideous drawing, but more than acceptable for a ten year old girl. Furthermore, there was a stark discrepancy between the newest shinobi and his predecessors. A little girl leaned on him, holding his hand and resting her head on his elbow. Her eyes were shut and depicted by two straight lines. A half circle of a smile filled up most of her face.
The ten year old artist stared blankly at her work and decided to add a caption at the top. She dipped her pen in ink and scrawled as neatly as she could, "They are my friends. We must abandon the mission." She smiled ever so slightly but stopped short as a vicious knock attacked her door. She slammed the notebook shut, smearing the fresh ink, and shoved it into her pocket as her father shouted.
"Umikage-sama has sent you on a mission, you insolent girl! Run to the docks now or you will be late, and I will be forced to beat sense into you when you return! If you return is still a question, you useless toy!" A bald, fierce old man with a foot-long beard burst into his daughter's bedroom and shoved her out the front door. "RUN YOU MULE!" He screamed when the girl hesitated.
Owatatsumi Amaya sprinted towards the docks, nearly slipping as the spring tides occasionally washed over the stone path. Friends. She studied the word as she made her way through the Village Hidden in the Sea. The only meaning of "friend" that she was aware of was closer to the word "ally." Someone on the same side in a war, in which case everyone in the village could be considered her "friend." But, there was something more to the word. Some strange, warm connotation she was not familiar with. Something that made her want to smile.
Amaya bit her lip as she approached the docks where her team waited. She had better not be caught daydreaming! It was bad enough that no one took her seriously, being the only female warrior in her village. The only Kunoichi.
"You're late," blacked-haired Tatsuo hissed, "Get in the boat, Owatatsumi-sama."
Amaya knew the honorary title "sama" coming from Tatsuo was simply obligatory considering her high social status. Tatsuo always injected as much sarcasm into the title as he could without getting in trouble.
Their third teammate, the middle-aged Obata, stared up at the pitch black, cloud-covered night sky with a detached, philosophical expression. Despite being a man of few words, his animosity towards Amaya was always present in the atmosphere. It was to be expected. These older, elite shinobi hated the fact that they needed a ten year old girl. Her noble status did nothing to abate their ill-will.
Amaya brushed their thinly veiled feelings aside, tied back her unkempt, ugly, dark-blond hair, and hopped lightly into the waiting boat.
Their voyage across the sea to the southeastern edge of the Fire Country was uneventful. All conversation between the trio was reserved to strategic plans for their most important mission yet- the assassination of the Third Mizukage, who would be traveling across the southern edge of the Fire Country to the River Country.
When they reached their destination, a small clearing in a dense, deserted forest, Obata and Tatsuo glanced at Amaya expectantly.
"Oh, so now I'm not just a useless little girl," she muttered almost inaudibly. "What are you waiting for, get in your guard positions and watch my back!"
"Just wait 'till she gets her period in a few years," Tatsuo whispered loudly to Obata, "She'll become even more bossy."
Amaya ignored him and promptly sat cross-legged on the forest floor, breathing slowly in and out, summoning her chakra into her brain.
Kukyou, she whispered with her mind. A full two minutes passed before she received a reply.
Yes, my dear? I have found your little target. He is SO cute...
Suddenly, a wave of images washed through Amaya's mind. She was rushing through the branches at inhuman speed, leaves and birds whirling past her. Several minutes passed until she reached her target. He was anything but small, and definitely not cute. He was hideous, overgrown, and had three hairy moles on his white face. The Mizukage's hair was flat, gray, and greasy and his eyes were small and cunning. He was accompanied by two scantily clad kunoichi who looked more like pole-dancers than fighters. Amaya's vision was forced to zone in and focus on the plump, sagging rear end of the heavier kunoichi.
EW! Kukyou! Stop! You can let me go now.
Oh, sorry, I thought you might be encouraged by the sight because they don't look like much competition.
Looks can be deceiving, either way—GROSS, STOP! I did NOT want to see THAT!
Amaya jumped to her feet with surprise when the unwanted image changed to Obata's back facing her. She sighed with relief.
"You found 'em? What kind of guards?" Tatsuo asked.
"Mizukage is a big, ugly, muscular guy. Not heavily armed, probably specialized in close-combat. He is accompanied by two kunoichi who look like whores. Don't underestimate them just yet, they are heavily armed," Amaya added as Tatsuo snorted at the word "kunoichi."
"That is quite a detailed vision you have there," Obata noted suspiciously.
"They are close by, and they had quit moving to rest. I did get a pretty good image..." Amaya said what she hoped was convincing.
The secret behind her tracking ability must never be known. It would put both her and Kukyou in serious danger.
"They're moving again! We should set up an ambush. Remember the plan."
Tatsuo scowled at her orders, grumbling as they got moving. He was not yet out of his teens, and he still did not respond well to authority, especially from a little girl.
The targeted trio was unwittingly approached the Amaya's team. Kunai flew and clashed. Water dragons rose from the previously dry forest floor. Blood and chaos ensued. What was supposed to be a quick, silent assassination turned into a raucous scene of fighting. The Mizukage and his girls had more fight in them than the attackers expected.