Writer: GrimSpeck18
Title: The White Wolf
Rating:M; for swearing, adult jokes, sexual innuendos, violence,gore, and extreme situations that deal with moral issues. BEWARE: I will not stand for bad comments in regards to these things. You read at your own discretion!
Summary: What if Sasuke wasn't the only person to deviate from their village and travel to Sound? How would it change the story line we all know? WARNING: Rated M for a reason.
***Note, I'm saying their names like "Sasuke Uchiha" and "Naruto Uzumaki" since I'm from America, and that's how we position our names. It wouldn't make sense for me if they were speaking Japanese and saying names backwards from me. So, I changed it. While I don't really support things like "Believe it" or the English translations, I figured that if Naruto originated in my country, then it'd be like this. So, that's my logic. If you don't like it, don't read.***
***Note, I'm also making their ages similar to my own, which is 19. With some of the adult and violent themes that would be suggested or played out in this fiction, I feel I wouldn't be comfortable typing it out to the ages of 13 or 15. It's just...not comfortable for me. Please understand that this fiction mostly takes place in Shippuden and then into the later chapters of the manga. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE MANGA BEFORE READING THIS FANFICTION, BUT READ THIS FANFICTION ANYWAYS, BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE SPOILERS. IF YOUR EXPERIENCE OF THE MANGA OR SHOW IS SPOILED, DON'T COMPLAIN TO ME. I WARNED YOU. ***Thank you for understanding.***
-Prolouge/Introduction-
Sunlight trickled down through the tree tops while the soft 'pit-pat-pit-pat' of the afternoon mist rains created a hush over the forest. It was quiet, but not everything was peaceful. Shapes shifted and moved swiftly through the undergrowth, steadily nearing a small herd of deer. The deer's ears shot up at the sound of the approaching group and they immediately took off. Their speed was too great for the now visible hunters to follow.
The first hunter, a teenage girl with dark long hair and narrowed black eyes, swore quietly, while the large black wolf next to her growled at the stamped grass where the deer had been. The other two hunters were older men who had decorated masks covering their faces. Their wolves were quiet and barely moved.
"Let's give up chase. The other packs probably went for slower game. And our chase was only training anyways..." The girl (obviously the leader) said to her silent companions.
"I say we follow them and rip open their throats." The black wolf growled menacingly in the direction that the deer had fled. The human girl chuckled softly and then adjusted the weapons that were strapped to her back.
"There's no need, Kana." The girl told her partner, "We should be heading back anyways. Tonight is Mai's ceremony. You know how important that is. Let's go." The girl easily moved onto the black wolf's back and the wolf slowly began to turn around. The other hunters did the same.
"Alright, alright," Kana replied, "Just remember you owe me a kill."
-*-
In the small village of Morigakure no sato there were many things that were important. For instance, the close relationship between the wolves and ninjas of Honshu tribe.
In the Honshu tribe, each human child that was born was given a wolf partner that would be bonded to them for life. Each child would then be given a path to follow, leading them to either become a healer (medic), a warrior/hunter (ninja/anbu), or a tribesman (villager/council member). It was the main, large tribe that most of the inhabitants of the Village of Mori were from.
Another important part of Morigakure was the other, smaller tribe: Hokkaido. The Hokkaido tribe were different than the Honshu tribe in many ways. For one, they were only allowed one path: to act as the mediators between the forest and the village. They lived in a small section of the forest, apart from the village. Each individual was taught how to speak to the trees and animals of the forest and learned how to take care of each aspect of creation. It was only after learning all the ways of the forest and earning their place in the clan that they were awarded a ceremony similar to the one the Honshu tribe held for their children.
And today, was the day that a new Hokkaido child would be awarded the ceremony.
-*-
Mai had always been different. Unlike the other inhabitants of the village who all had dark hair and dark eyes, Mai had shockingly bright red hair and teal/yellow eyes that looked like a cat's. According to the Hokkaido Seer (an old woman she lovingly referred to as Grandmother) she had been found as a baby, abandoned at the base of the Great Tree in the forbidden Holy Ground of the forest. No one knew where she came from, but Grandmother always told her she was the forest's child. 'When I found you,' Grandmother would say,'The wind blew through the trees, which sang songs of joy and wonder. Their leaves danced and moved with their happiness.' And so, Mai was given her name, "One who dances".
After being found, Mai was raised by the Seer herself. She quickly learned the ways of the forest, and was named a prodigy of the Hokkaido tribe. The other Hokkaido children looked down on her for her looks and abilities, but Mai never let it get to her. She made friends with Honshu children instead, two of them in particular. Mai's two best friends were the two sisters of the Honshu tribe leader: Iwa and Kimi. Iwa was the eldest, and she was destined to become the strongest warrior in the tribe along with her wolf partner , Kana. Kimi, the younger sister was a prodigy of healing, and she was known to have saved more lives in her short span of years than all the other healers combined with the help of her wolf partner, Taru.
Mai was nervous for once, and her normally calm demeanor was in shambles. Tonight was the night. She was going to be given the ceremony that would finally prove she was worthy of being the only Hokkaido to ever be personally taught by the Seer.
At the moment she was standing in her room, being fitted into her ceremonial robes: A pure white gown that had an empire waist. Placed on her head was a ceremonial crown of small white flowers and leaves that only grew in the Holy Ground. Around her left wrist and left ankle were many bracelets, each one made special from each of the Hokkaido elders. Her neck was bare and her hair hung naturally long down her back in it's rich shades of red and orange. Her feet were left bare so she would reflect her bond with the earth. The women to were fitting her had finished and left, and now she stood in front of the polished mirror and stared at a girl, no a woman, whom she didn't recognize.
All of the sudden, the door to her room burst open and in marched Iwa and her black wolf Kana. Iwa's black hair flew about her like some kind of black whirlwind, and it made Mai giggle.
"Mai!" Iwa shouted, and she jumped forward to draw Mai into a huge hug. "I'm so proud of you! You're like a little sister to me! I couldn't wait to see you all dressed up for your ceremony!"
"Indeed," Kana said with a wicked grin, "She was so excited she forced me to give up a hunt."
Mai's head shot up, and she grinned in spite of the flash of slight betrayal that Kana shot her for being happy for her unhappiness.
"You didn't kill? That's great!" Mai said. Like all the Hokkaido, Mai didn't eat meat and didn't always agree with the killing of animals. So she was always pleased when Iwa chose to reign in her wolf whose blood lust was considered only second to her father's (the head of the wolf clan).
"Yeah, I figured I wanted to be early and see you all dolled up." Iwa commented, and then before she had time to say anything else, her younger sister, Kimi, burst through the door with about as much grace as an elephant.
"MAI!" Kimi shouted, while Kana growled in annoyance. Taru, Kimi's brown/red wolf followed behind her calmly and quietly, quite the opposite of her partner.
"Hello Kimi," Mai said, breaking away from Iwa to get tackled by Kimi and be drawn into a crushing hug. It made her happy though. It was one of the many blessings in her life to have such loving and faithful friends.
"So," Kimi began, "You ready for the big day?"
"I guess so," Mai said with a sigh.
"What's that sigh for?"
"Well-"
But before Mai could say anything, Grandmother was standing in the doorway. The old woman was petite and she looked to be around 200 years old. Her hair had never been cut, but it hung in huge braids that looped around her shoulders many times, so it appeared short. Her robes were intricate and had many layers. Around her neck was a simple necklace that had a tiny bell on it. No one had ever heard it ring and it was said to be older than the forest itself, but nevertheless Mai found it beautiful. Just like her Grandmother.
"It is time," Grandmother said.
The occupants of the room fell silent and nodded their heads, and then, they slowly followed the old Seer out of the small room and into the large wooden hall. They continued until they found themselves in front of the room that the Clan head, the tribal leaders, and the Elders inhabited. At this point, only Mai and Grandmother were permitted to enter usually, but since Iwa and Kimi were the daughters of the Clan Head, they were allowed in as well. However, they still bade Mai goodbye and good luck and then made their way over to a different entrance. Mai's nervousness spiked again. Grandmother turned to her and took Mai's small hand into her old arthritic hands.
"My child, daughter of the forest that dances, you will be fine. The Great Tree and the earth have watched over you since birth, and once again you will prove yourself. I have faith in you."
Mai smiled.
"Thank you, Grandmother."
The old woman smiled a small smile and then turned towards the door. She knocked twice and the large wooden doors opened to show a huge room lit by torches. Inside, hundreds of eyes watched the old woman and Mai walk towards the center of the room.
To Mai's front, the Clan head, Raiden sat along with the head of the council, Denji. Raiden was a tall, strong looking man that was scarred and battle worn. He had dark hair and a long dark beard, and his deep black eyes stared forward with no emotion. Denji was a skinny, willowy man who was bald. He sat in an Indian position, calmly looking towards Mai.
To Mai's left, the honorable members of both tribes sat, watching, while to Mai's right, the whole council sat, waiting.
Overall, it was very intimidating. And so, the ceremony began.
-*-
"We have come today to witness the coming of age ceremony of a child of the forest, a daughter of the Hokkaido, the chosen apprentice of the Seer," Raiden began.
Kimi sat quietly, watching her father, Raiden, begin the ceremony. Iwa sat to Kimi's left, her hands clutched tightly together in nervousness. Of course, she had every right to be nervous. Even though most ceremonies were simple, and everything went well, there were always the ones that ended badly. Why? One reason: The prophecy.
In each ceremony, the Seer would light the Sacred Flame in the center of the proceedings, and would look into the future to give a message to the person for whom the ceremony was held. Whatever the Seer saw would happen, regardless of what people would do to try to change it. For example, a few years ago the Seer foretold that the Hokkaido in question would commit an ultimate sin. Regardless of the actions taken to prevent it, the child later committed murder, an unmentionable sin in the Village.
Kimi shook the horrible images and thoughts out of her head and focused on the proceedings. Her father's speech was over, and the Seer had moved on to begin the offerings to the forest, while Mai began her dance of life in praise of the Great Tree. The whole room looked on. Kimi smiled softly to herself. She knew Mai had been nervous, but befitting of her name, whenever she danced, Mai was in her comfort zone. She was obviously pleasing the council, because there were no hard faces. And most people from the Honshu family looked kindly upon Mai, so things seemed to be in her favor.
By the time Mai had finished her dance, and the music had stopped, the offering was finished as well. Mai kowtowed on the ground, while the rest of the room moved to face the altar in the front of the room where the old Seer stood. The smoke and incense from the offering filled the room with a strange mist, and then the whole room waited with baited breath for the Seer to begin her prophesy. The old woman began to shake, and then she fell flat on the ground. For a few minutes, everything in the room was creepily silent, and then, suddenly, the old woman stood upright abruptly. Her eyes were glazed over, and she stared at Mai's bowed form. She pointed, and began:
"I have seen your future One Who Dances,
You will find Happiness and
Ride the White Wolf that will return
He shall be your Partner.
I have seen your future One Who Dances,
Dark skies will cover the blue
The trees will burn
The village in the Forest will be no more.
I have seen your future One Who Dances,
You will travel the world
Those who accompany you will protect and love you
You will live in the darkness and light.
One Who Dances,
You have been chosen,
You will be lost,
You will be found.
I have spoken."
The old woman seemed to stiffen, and then she fainted, only to be caught by two attendants and placed on a small cot to the side of the room. There was silence for a while, and then, an uproar. The voices of everyone in the room joined, some yelling 'Blasphemy', other's shouting 'She'll be the end of us'. It continued for a minute or two before Raiden stood tall and dark and in the strongest, deepest voice ever heard, demanded 'Silence!'. Once again, it was quiet, everyone waited.
"The Seer has spoken. No one can ever disobey the Seer's prophecy. One can only rise to meet it on the road to one's destiny. Mai of the Hokkaido. Stand."
Mai stood tall, albeit shakily, and faced Raiden directly. Raiden nodded to her, and then began again.
"Now all who will listen shall hear the words of the Seer and understand. The Seer has told you that you shall find 'happiness' and ride a white wolf who will be your partner. This is troubling for two reasons. One, the 'happiness' and wolf she speaks of are one in the same. His name is Sanyu, meaning happiness, and his fur is the whitest of any wolf ever born to our Clan. He is the only living brother of my wolf partner, Clan head Orion. He was never given a partner, and instead has traveled far beyond the mountains to travel the world and learn all it has to offer. He is the only one ever to leave the village. On that note, the second reason it is troubling is because he has never returned. While he is still considered a most honorable Brother of the Clan, he is also considered an outlaw. Another reason I find this troubling, and I'm sure many others in the village will as well, is the fact that you will be the first Hokkaido to ever have a partner, if you do take Sanyu to be your partner." He paused and Mai nodded that she understood. Then he continued.
"The Seer has also said that the destruction of our village lies in your future. If that is the case, then it appears that there is nothing we can do to prevent the end of our way of life. We will need to prepare for it. As for your traveling the world, it seems it is written in stone. Sanyu has already traveled, and perhaps on your journey to meet your destiny in the outer world, you will find him. As for those who will accompany, protect, and love you..." Here he paused for a long period of time, and he looked to the sleeping body of the Seer before he once again looked back to Mai.
"I can think of no others who fit that description better than my own daughters, Iwa and Kimi."
The whole room seemed to gasp at the same time, and Kimi and Iwa shot up from their kneeling positions. Even the council stood. Raiden quickly turned to Kimi and her sister and raised a hand towards them.
"Although it goes against everything our village has decided and trained you for, I give you permission to accompany Mai of the Hokkaido on her journeys outside of the valley to find Sanyu, her partner. In this way Iwa may use her warrior skills to protect her, and Kimi may use her healer abilities to heal her. There will be no arguments from you. There will be no sour words from the Council. This is my word. This is my decision." Raiden lowered his hand and once again turned to Mai.
"The last words of the healer are for you and you alone. Only you can discern their meaning through your life time and your travels. From this point onward, you and my daughters are no longer part of our village. You will all pack, and by Sunrise tomorrow you will be gone. As you know, we cannot see you go, for it is against our laws. I wish you safe journey and long life. Farewell." As he finished his speech, Raiden knelt down and kowtowed to Mai, as did the rest of the room, except for Kimi and Iwa, who still stood, shocked. Raiden then stood, and walked out of the room, the rest of the room following him. The Seer was carried out on the cot. By the time the room was empty, Mai had slipped from her standing position to the floor, sobbing on the wooden panels, while the sisters stood there and watched.
Kimi stood, at a loss for words. For once, she wasn't sure if the prophesy was good or bad. And for once, she didn't care. All she cared about was her best friend, laying on the hard wooden floor crying as if her life was over. Which, in a certain sense, it was. Kimi knew, that for a Hokkaido, being separated from the Holy Ground and Great Tree was similar to having your soul separated from your body. It was a testament to Mai's iron hand on her emotions and her love of the Seer that she wasn't clawing her eyes out in desperation right now. She obviously understood that leaving the forest was necessary and that if she disobeyed it would be death, however tears were just as necessary. Even though she'd never fully been at home in the valley, or the village, it was still her home. Kimi knew that her sister was probably thinking similar things.
"Mai," Iwa spoke, shocking the red haired girl from her crying, and forcing her to look at the two sisters who had moved to kneel by her on the floor, "I understand that you're upset. We are too. But we've got to get going. We need to be packed and leave before sunrise. That's in 4 hours. Come on. We'll take you back to Grandma." Iwa moved to grab Mai's arm and help her stand, while the two wolves helped her from behind, making sure she was balanced and not swaying on her feet. Mai shook her head in agreement, numbly, and then followed the sisters towards the two large doors.
Once they got back to Mai's room, the two sisters helped her pack her belongings, and then they agreed to meet at the Great Tree before dawn, before they left to go pack themselves.
-*-
Mai was upset, but she had to hold it in. She had to be strong. Hadn't this been what Grandmother prepared her for? She had already packed her small amount of belongings, thanks to her friends, but that only left her with more time to mull over the unfortunate events of the day. She figured that she didn't feel like spending her last few hours in the forest in her room, so she gathered her bag, slung it over her back, picked up her bo staff (that she had been given for her birthday when she was little), and made her way out of the building to and into the forest.
As Mai walked, the trees whispered condolences to her, and sighed with the wind. It was comforting, hearing their familiar voices in her mind. By the time she reached her destination, it was already getting lighter in the sky. In front of her stood the Great Tree, taller than a 12 story building, it's wide trunk around 4 stories wide. It was a magnificent sight, but it wasn't just it's size that made it the Great Tree.
-Greetings, One Who Dances- the Tree spoke in her mind. It's voice was created of many voices overlapping, but that's because it was the voice of the forest. -Why does your heart weep with sorrow? Do not be weary and saddened, for I too have heard the Seer's words and seen the future. Not all is as bleak and dark as you perceive it to be.-
"But I will have to leave you and the forest, Great One!" Mai cried out in desperation. "I don't want to leave you! You are my mother! You are my father! You are part of me! I grew up climbing on your roots, hearing your voice in my mind! When I was sad, it was you that comforted me! When I was angry, it was your leaves that rustled and calmed me! What will I do now? How can a child of the forest live outside of it? Without it?"
The Tree seemed to pause, and then almost chuckle.
-My Child. Quiet your heart. Yes, you must leave and walk where my boughs cannot shade you. All parents must wait for the day their children leave. It is inevitable. Every tree is prepared for this. Do we not have faith in our seeds that we leave to the wind? Do they not survive and sprout anew far from our mothering branches? Have faith in yourself as I have in you. You will always be my child. You will always have my love. This I promise. Remember, you are not alone.-
Mai was about to say more, but she was cut off from a hand on her shoulder. She quickly turned around and was met with the wise old face of Grandmother. The old woman moved to stand beside her, but she didn't remove her hand.
"Indeed, as the Great Tree says, you aren't alone, my precious child, remember that. The day I found you, I was prepared for this day. All who nurture young ones prepare for it. Someday, when you have your own children, you will understand fully." The old woman paused and nodded to the Tree, and then turned to Mai so they were face to face. "I understand this is difficult but it is your destiny. It is your duty to rise to meet it."
"But Grandmother! This all seems hopeless! And now I've been forced to burden my friends with it as well! How will I find Sanyu? Isn't the world a huge place?"
The old woman suddenly cackled. Her harsh old laugh seemed to shake the small clearing. After a while, she calmed down and looked Mai in the eyes. She lifted a hand to the tiny silver bell at her neck and when her finger reached it, her eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief.
"Child, there is always a way when you have faith and a will. I was the one who sent Sanyu on his journey. I was the one who told him that his destiny was to travel the world. And it is I who will help you find him."
"But how? You can't leave the village!"
"Child. Be at peace and listen closely. Sanyu left the village long before you were found. Before Sanyu left the Prophecy talked to him. He was told that a child with the blessings of the forest would call him and he would answer. She would be his partner. Now, you will call him using this." The old woman fingered the bell once again.
"But Grandmother, it doesn't ring."
"For me," the old woman said, "It doesn't ring for me. It was my duty to protect this bell and pass it on to the woman who would be able to make it ring. You."
Mai stood there, looking at the old woman she had known all her life, and for the first time, she felt like she didn't know her. It was all so sudden, but when she thought about it, she'd never actually touched the bell herself. Only Grandmother had touched the bell. And everything suddenly made sense. The old woman slowly raised her hands and took the necklace off. She gently put her hands over Mai's shoulders and tied the necklace onto her neck.
"Now, the bell is yours. May it ring beautifully for you and your partner from now till the day the sun and earth fade away." With that, the old woman stepped back, and quietly left the clearing. There was no need for a goodbye or tears. The passing on of the bell said it all.
-*-
By the time the two Honshu sisters entered the clearing, the sun was almost up. Mai nodded to the sisters, who nodded in return. The wolves were silent.
Mai looked up. For that first and last time, since the day she was born, the trees danced. It made her smile softly. And then, she and the sisters turned towards the direction of the mountain pass to the West, and began their journey.