TORN
Prologue: Summoning
The forest was quiet as thunder rumbled in the distance, almost as if Mother Nature was holding her breath.
Ominous, black clouds were rolling closer across the evening sky, the wind howling as it brushed through the trees and bushes, bringing the storm closer. The air was thick and heavy with the thunderstorm's energy, just waiting to be released in an explosive display of nature's own powerful and dangerous fireworks.
The young kunoichi didn't flinch when the first white flash of lightning danced across the dark sky. She was safely sheltered inside a shallow cave and was enjoying the first thunderstorm of the summer.
She sighed and leaned against the stone wall of the cave, closing her eyes. She had traveled for a very long time and could hardly remember the last time she'd stopped for a longer period of time. Having recently left the Land of Earth and now entered the northwest border of the Land of Fire, her body had reminded her the last few days that despite her impressive stamina, she definitely was not immortal.
"I am tired," the female shinobi whispered to herself, listening to the sound of the first heavy rain drops hitting the ground. She sighed as she stretched her weary limbs.
There was another flash of lightning and this time it was immediately followed by a loud clap of thunder. The storm was now completely overhead, heavy rain pounding the earth outside.
The young woman opened her eyes and turned her attention to the water bottle placed outside the cave. A lightning bolt lit up the area around the cave, but she didn't move an inch. Sighing, she reached outside and grabbed the water bottle before taking a swig. She smiled to herself as she relished the taste. Nothing beat pure rain water.
Another mission accomplished, she thought, putting away the water bottle. I wonder where I'll end up next time…
As another loud rumble of thunder boomed across the black sky, the kunoichi tensed up, her right hand instantly flying up to grab the sword that was strapped across her back. Her heart was beating hard inside her chest, her adrenaline pumping.
Someone's outside the cave.
The young woman closed her eyes, focusing on and concentrating her chakra and beginning to send bursts of it toward the hand holding the black, wooden grip of the sword.
When hearing an unexpected voice calling her name, she halted. A broad smile lit up her face when she saw a familiar figure appear in the cave opening.
"It's nice to see you again, Kikyou," the masked man said warmly.
She rose to her feet, eager to greet her old friend. "Tenzō!" she cried happily, resisting the urge to throw her arms around his neck and give him a hug.
The tall young man removed his mask, revealing his black, almond-shaped eyes and she was glad to see the smile on his face. "As always, you're hard to find. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"It has and sorry for giving you trouble finding me," Kikyou replied. She sat down and motioned for him to sit down next to her, which he did. She eyed her friend closely. "You've cut your hair since last time."
Tenzō chuckled, running a hand through his short brown hair. "Well, long hair can be quite inconvenient, you know?" He pointed a finger suggestively to her head – her raven black hair cascaded down her back and pooled out around her where she sat.
Kikyou laughed, twirling her finger around a strand of her hair. "Yeah, it sure can be…" she then said, her voice trailing off as she began to drift away into her own thoughts. "Papa once told me that girls should have long hair. I haven't been able to cut it since."
Tenzō watched her play with the strand of hair, sadness falling over her dainty features as she grew quiet. She was one of the few people he considered as real friends and seeing her like that always made him feel uneasy, mostly because he never knew what to say to comfort her.
Luckily for Tenzō he didn't have to this time. The awkward silence was abruptly interrupted when Kikyou's stomach began to rumble loudly.
He couldn't help but to burst out laughing, relieved the tension had been broken. "It looks like the thunderstorm is not the only thing making a lot of noise tonight!"
"That's not funny!" Kikyou huffed, her cheeks burning bright red with embarrassment.
Tenzō easily dodged the punch aimed for his head, still laughing. "Okay, I'm sorry," he said, still laughing while wiping away a few tears.
Kikyou glared at him and he loudly cleared his throat to stifle further laughter. "To be honest, I'm getting quite hungry myself," he then said, hoping to divert her attention.
It worked.
Her sky blue eyes lit up and she quickly turned around and began to search through her backpack. "I have something for you actually!" she happily declared, her back still turned to him.
He couldn't help but feel his curiosity being sparked. It wasn't often he was given presents. Smiling widely, Kikyou placed a little pouch in his hand. He eyed her questioningly before opening it and poured out a little of the contents in the palm of his hand.
"Walnuts?"
Kikyou giggled, eyes sparkling gleefully at his surprised expression. "Yes! They are your favorite, right? I passed through a tiny village a few days ago and bought some, just in case I would run into you soon."
Tenzō couldn't help but smile, genuinely happy that she had thought of him. "You're very kind, Kikyou. Thank you, I appreciate it."
He didn't think her smile could grow any wider, but somehow it did and it warmed him deep inside. He watched her turn to rummage through her backpack again and this time she pulled out a loaf of bread and some fruit.
"Share with me?" she invited, ripping the bread into two pieces and offering one half to him. Before Tenzō had time to either accept or decline her offer, Kikyou shoved the bread into his hands and then eagerly bit into her own half.
Tenzō looked at her in amusement and then quietly began to eat as well. They ate in silence, quietly enjoying each other's company as the thunderstorm continued to rage on outside.
Kikyou took a generous swig from her water bottle, swallowing down the last piece of apple she had just eaten. Sighing contentedly, she leaned back against the cave wall.
"It was nice to finally share a meal with someone," she then said. "Thank you."
"I'm the one who should say thank you, but I agree. It was very nice," Tenzō replied.
Kikyou smiled at him, but then her face turned serious. "I'm guessing that since you've come to find me, you have another mission for me, am I right?" she asked, pulling out a scroll from her backpack and handed it to him. "Here is my report from my last mission by the way, please hand it over to the Third Hokage for me."
Tenzō's smiled faded away as he accepted the scroll. "Yes…" he finally managed to say.
Kikyou frowned upon looking at her friend's face. "What?" she asked suspiciously.
Tenzō avoided her eyes and put the scroll into his own backpack along with the pouch of almonds she had given him. "Kikyou…" he began, feeling uneasy. "The Lord Third is summoning you home."
Kikyou tensed up, her eyes growing wider. "Summoning me… home?" she whispered.
He rose to his feet, giving her a sympathetic look. "I know it's not what you want, but it's the Lord Third's order. He expects you to be back in Konoha within a week."
Kikyou could only stare at him, her sky blue eyes shining with unshed tears and words she couldn't bring herself to utter.
Bending down, Tenzō placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. "Thank you for the gift, my friend," he said gently. "Be safe on your journey. I will let your brother know that you're coming home."
She couldn't bring herself to thank him and when she finally found the words to do so, he was long gone. She brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as warm tears began to roll down her cheeks.
Kikyou hadn't been home for a very long time and while the thought of seeing her brother again was heartwarming, the thought of returning to Konoha was agonizing.
The thunderstorm outside had begun to wind down, but the storm inside her heart was just beginning to stir.
To be continued…