Light among the Darkness – Raiyuko Touma
My intention upon engaging in this fight was to only cause damage to my opponent. There was most likely no need to kill the man, even if he was after my own life. But I guess due to the severity of the situation I had to…dispose of him. By coming in contact with me, it was his duty to kill me. And unfortunately for the poor man, he was not properly trained for the task. Inside, I feel a sense of remorse for him. His mission was to kill, but he was the one killed. And I would not have gone as far as to kill the man if I had not thought it was necessary to ensure the safety of my own well-being. Standing over his corpse, I begin to wonder whether or not electrocuting the man was the appropriate choice of death.
What is done is done. I do not have the power to reverse what has happened. I cannot resurrect this man. We were the same, but oh so different. He probably has loved ones to return to, friends to hang out with. I had cut his life short; Shorter than any man or woman would prefer. These thoughts, this pity…I am supposedly forbidden to feel. Even if the reverse was true, and I was the one lying there dead, the man would have not thought twice about what he had done. In my honest opinion, I think that this is wrong. People should not have to kill. And even if it was necessary, people should feel remorse for those whom they have killed. This "way" should change. This "way" is what I want to change. This "way"…of the ninja.
My name is Touma. I am a missing nin. I abandoned my village because I was against certain ways of the ninja. By going against these principles, I have, in some way or another, abandoned the ninja way that just about all ninja (missing or not) follow. The Cloud Village (my village) has been strongly adamant about me being captured or killed. Not only have I ran from my village, but I also carry with me an advanced bloodline of the Raiyuko Clan. The Raiyuko Clan advanced bloodline allows me to convert my chakra into electricity.
I had buried the man and paid him respect. He was an exceptional fighter, but was not on my level. I look up from my prayer and take a last look at his grave. I used his forehead protector as a tombstone. Hopefully, a comrade of his would find this and bring him back to the village for a more proper burial. Next to his forehead protector was his mask that signified that he was a hunter-nin. And the last thing was a note from me. It would seem very unnecessary and stupid, but I left my name. It would save the trouble of finding out who killed him and who buried him. And with that, I departed. I needed to get back to camp where my students should be waiting.
More Than Meets the Eye – Otakama Yumi
If my father had seen me now, he would have been so proud. He would have complimented my overall achievement. He would have told me how much I've grown. He would have treated me to ice cream. He would have taught me a new technique. He would have showed me how much he cared about me becoming a decent shinobi. And yet…this was the problem. He didn't care. I couldn't make him proud like my older brother had. He couldn't care because "I was a problem". He couldn't care…because I was a girl.
Years ago, when I was a baby, my older brother Kento was killed by a mercenary. My father was very upset and distraught for a long time. He and my mother tried to have another child- a boy, but after three years there were no positive results. Therefore, my father turned to me for hope and trained me. But in his mind, it wasn't the same. He believed that I was unfit. He believed I could never replace Kento. A girl didn't have the same potential as a boy. And because of this, he stopped training me. I had to train on my own. And a while after that, he stopped talking to me. Eventually, my heart tore as I realized that he…that he…stopped loving me.
This was why I, Yumi, decendant of a co-founder of the ANBU Squad, at age 15, left the Hidden Leaf Village. I was a Genin, but capable of holding my own. With my heart torn, I set off to become stronger. Eventually, I met another missing-nin like myself. Touma. A very kind-hearted man. I was surprised that a shinobi like him could have the type of personality he did. We became acquaintances and after a while, became friends. I told him my story about my brother, my father, and my quest to become stronger. I told him that my goal was to kill the man who had killed my brother so many years ago. I asked him for help, to become strong. He told me that he would help me only if I promised not kill my target but to just simply defeat him in battle. He told me that the results would be much more rewarding. He gave me a day to think about it. I did, and agreed to his terms.
I wanted to show my strength. I wanted to show that I am not just a girl…I am a shinobi! And I wanted to defeat the man who killed Kento; The Legendary Sannin Orochimaru.
Beginning to End, and Me In Between – Musarashi Zen
A shinobi is supposed to begin in a village. When they die, they are to be buried and honored in their village. It was troubling for my parents to answer where I was supposed to begin, and especially where I was supposed to end. You see, my family belongs to a clan that was kicked from the Hidden Grass Village. I was not told how or why my entire clan was exiled from the village, but I do know that we were now nomads and that we are being hunted…all of us.
At a young and tender age, it was difficult to understand all of this: the constant moving, the constant killing, etc. Over time I began to understand my clan's situation. I understood the reason my mother was killed. I understood the reason why I was to keep her forehead protector. I understood that I didn't belong anywhere. By staying with my clan, I would be guaranteed a short life. The Hidden Grass Village was strict when the issue of missing-nins came into play. They would not spare anyone. Because of this, not many Grass-nins have tried to disband from the village. And this brings up the question as to why my whole Clan was exiled. What did we do that would cause them to attempt to exterminate us?
At age twelve, I made the decision to abandon my Clan. I knew that staying with them would lead to death. I was from the second generation. Therefore, I was not required to wear a forehead protector (even though I carry my mother's as a keepsake). They had nothing to tie me to the Hidden Grass Village or to my clan except for my family name and fighting style.. But I even dropped my family name. My only ties to my past is Clan's fighting style, and my mother's forehead protector.
By doing this, I believed that I could start anew. That this was my new beginning. A new beginning with Touma also, who had found me while I was traveling alone. Even though his fate was almost the same as that of my Clan's…I felt safer with him. I didn't know how my life was going to end, but I try not to think about it.