Hello again! I'm here with a new story for everyone... Set in a time not so long ago, in a place far, far away. Within the chapters of this story you will find characters you may already know, with the same surnames, but different first names... Why? Because this is the present! Now, when making this story, I had the intention of excessive gore in mind. It will occur, but not for quite some time. For now, I shall simply focus on the mystery behind this all, the mystery behind the demise of Konoha...
I don't own Naruto.
Case Study 13: An Investigative Report
Part 1: The Prologue
Chapter 1: Recessive Genes - A Complex Fate
It was an early monday morning and the days were gradually getting shorter. Winter was fast approaching. Usually at five o'clock in the morning, the citizens of the Fire Country were fast asleep, not even beginning to wake for another hour or so. But if you followed a little path - one nestled past the ruins of old complexes and ancient training grounds - you would find a tiny building. It was as old as everything around it, and seemed to be a product of nature, just like the trees surrounding it. In this structure, someone was awake, and had been for several hours...
The sweat dripping from her high, arched forehead began to form pools on the freshly waxed hardwood floor of the century-old Dojo. Her face was contorted into what could only be interpreted as cold hard determination. The muscles in her arms were tight as they supported her body during yet another set of push-ups. Her jet black, shoulder length hair was slick with the product of her training, but she would not stop, she could not; For torturing her body with physical labor was the only way she could stop the emotional pain that ripped through her every day and every night.
"That's enough, Mariko!" declared a voice from the doorway. It was five thirty in the morning, far too early for anyone in their right mind to be up. The girl was delirious, ignoring orders and continuing the physical strain.
The short, stout man dashed to his student's side, catching her as her limbs gave out and she collapsed. Her eyes opened slightly, staring out blankly from under her dark lashes before she fell into unconsciousness. He inspected her for a moment before picking her up gently, and moving her to a small couch placed in the lobby.
He made sure she was comfortable before retreating to his office. He grabbed his phone, fumbling with the cords a moment before securing it to his ear. What he had seen in Mariko's eyes needed to be investigated, and he knew just the guy to call.
About half and hour later, Mariko's eyes fluttered open, wearily observing her surroundings. It was still dark and the lights were out. But, despite the lack of lighting, she knew where she was. She spent the majority of her days at Rousoku's Dojo, she had ever since her parents passed away, so she knew it like the back of her hand.
She sat up slowly, knowing full well the scolding she was in for from Tanaki-sensei. Even if he was not her legal guardian, he still looked upon her like he was. In a way, he was a better guardian than her Aunt who was supposed to care for her. For he was not a drunk who went through booze and boyfriends like it was going out of style. At least Tanaki knew how to provide the basic needs a teenage girl like Mariko required.
Tanaki Rousoku was a karate master who owned the Rousoku Dojo. He had inherited the Dojo from his father who inherited it from his father and so on and so on. The actual date the building was created was a mystery. All society knew was that it had been their before the second Great War, it was one of the oldest buildings in the Fire Country. However, the building had reached it's hay-day long ago, and ever since the way of the shinobi was lost, no one bothered with the little Dojo tucked in the outskirts of town. Only the descendants of the Village Hidden in the Leaves' greatest routinely came to train and learn more about the amazing, almost mythical feats their ancestors performed.
Mariko, of course, was right. Within seconds, Tanaki burst into the small lobby, already raving about her behavior. "You're actions are going to have consequences one day, Mariko! You cannot let your emotions get a hold of you like this! What would become of you if I took a day off and you decided to go and punish yourself with training? What do you think would become of me if you killed yourself from physical strain?"
He paused for a moment, his face red and his breathing labored. "Kami-sama help us..." Mariko stood from the couch quietly and wrapped her arms tenderly around his neck. Tanaki sighed and gave her a pat on the back. "Why must you do this to yourself?"
Mariko shook her head solemnly. "Tanaki-sensei, when I'm not training it feels like I'm just wasting time. There is something inside of me stirring. It's telling me to strive to better myself and I'm going to push myself until I find out what it desires." Tanaki pulled away from her, straightening up to his full five feet, five inches.
"You think there's something, but there's nothing but your own childish imagination. You need to stop thinking you're destined for something spectacular, just be yourself and things will fall in place." He put his hand on her head, ruffling her hair a bit. Placing his other hand on her shoulder he led her out the door. "Come now, I have breakfast ready, and after, I have a surprise for you."
Mariko halted at the door, "When do we train?" Tanaki just frowned.
"Patience is a virtue. The shinobi of Konoha did not become great in a day," he replied calmly, pushing her onto the dirt path outside.
"See, sensei? You wonder why people call you an old-timer, but it's because you keep talking about those old legends like they're real," Mariko stated bluntly, but Tanaki took no heed.
"Tsk, you children think you know everything... Here, I'll make you a promise. I shall prove to you that shinobi did exist then let you train with a special instructor for the afternoon."
Mariko brightened, "Are you bringing Sarutobi-sensei in?" Sarutobi Asuka was directly related to the oldest of all military figures. As far as history stretched, the Sarutobi clan was there, playing different roles in Japanese culture.
Tanaki chuckled, turning to his front walk. "No, no... It's someone different this time. They're from the region to the North, someone named Iziro. He specializes in ancient ninja techniques. I called him in to help you study different fighting styles... you seem bored with the ones I teach." Mariko opened her mouth to protest, but became distracted by the tantalizing scent of omelets wafting from the kitchen.
She dashed in, quickly slipping a pair of shoes on before entering the household. When Tanaki entered, she had already devoured an omelet and was onto her second. He had made plenty, he knew that Mariko would go days without eating if it gave her more time to train.
He sat contently in a nearby cushioned chair while she ate, it was good she had such an appetite. She was thin, her body just could not take the strenuous exercise it received. He glanced at the clock briefly, noting the time with disapproval. "Hey, weren't you going to go to school today?"
Mariko turned, her face full of food. She swallowed quickly and laughed nervously. "I um... I know you won't want to hear this, but..."
"You were kicked out again, right?" Tanaki offered. Mariko nodded ashamedly.
"Auntie never pays the fees, so the school board already had their eye on me... I swear I only hit the kid in self defense. Well... psychological defense..." Mariko pleaded, not wanting another scolding so early in the day.
Tanaki simply nodded, scratching his short brown beard. "They were mocking your parents, weren't they?" Mariko nodded again. This occurred often. The students would make fun of her for her bad grades and tom-boyish attitude, often blaming her parents for bringing her up badly.
"They shouldn't speak ill of the dead," Tanaki said somberly. Mariko's parents passed away in a car accident two years prior. Well, if you call having your breaks cut an accident. When the police found the vehicle, it was so badly mangled they couldn't tell if they were cut before or after the collision. Needless to say, it wasn't investigated for long.
"They don't understand what it's like," Mariko mumbled, placing her chopsticks down and wiping her face with a napkin. The pair fell into silence for a moment before Tanaki recalled what he wished to show his student.
Standing from his armchair, he walked over to the closet. "I found something under the floorboards of the Dojo yesterday. I can safely deduce that a relative of mine wore these at one point..." From the back of the closet, Tanaki withdrew a decrepit outfit, made entirely out of spandex.
Mariko studied it seriously for a second before bursting into fits of laughter. Tanaki put his hands on his hips, "It may not be the most stylish of all clothing, but I'm sure it was great." He unfolded the fabric, holding it up. The once-green spandex was full of holes and was spotted with dirt from being underground for so long.
Still laughing, Mariko replied, "You mean to say one of your great shinobi ancestors actually wore that? It's ridiculous!" Tanaki sighed, replacing the outfit.
"Alright, alright... Get into the Dojo. I have a history lesson for you about your parents."
Mariko froze, wondering what could history have to say about her parents? Her father was an American businessman who came to Japan and met her mother, not much of interest there. But still she went, eager to get on with her training.
Once inside the Dojo, Tanaki threw a yoga mat down for Mariko to sit on while he went to his office to grab a few books. Mariko sat crossed-legged on the mat, watching the sunbeams slowly stretch across the floor. There was still small puddles of sweat on the wood from her earlier endeavor. The sun hit it, making it reflect and glitter. Mariko really wanted to train.
Tanaki reentered with a stack of books, each old and worn. "Alright, here we go." Mariko sat up straight, making sure to pay attention. "I'll start with the general history of the area..."
"Here in the Fire Country, or the Center region as you've been taught, resided the most powerful of all ninja villages. It was called Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The ninjas of this time knew how to harness their body's energy, something they called chakra. This chakra allowed them to perform amazing techniques, which is why they are only regarded as myth now."
"Where do my parents come in?" Mariko piped up, yearning to get on with her training.
"Patience... Now at one point, during the reign of the sixth Hokage, which was Konoha's leader, tragedy struck. No one knows exactly what happened, but for some reason everyone perished. The village was abandoned and with it's destruction, the whole shinobi way collapsed. We can deduce that a war occurred during this time, what we call the second Great War."
"Now, your mother, Namiko Uchiwa, -I'm using her maiden name here- had descended directly from the infamous Uchiha clan. The -ha was changed to -wa sometime after the second Great War. Now, in old legends you've read, you probably heard of the tale of Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha, right?" Mariko nodded.
"Well, they were no myth, the two brothers existed, in fact... you are related to them. Your mother came from Sasuke's line, since no one knows what became of Itachi. A tragic tale indeed..."
"However, there was something about the Uchihas that made them formidable opponents on the battlefield. Do you know what that was?" Tanaki's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Mariko shook her head, completely caught in the story now.
Tanaki chuckled, "Well you will... It was the Sharingan. An eye technique or doujutsu with seemingly endless possibilities, all revolving around illusions. Also, know that the Sharingan was a bloodline limit, a recessive gene and unless both your parents were Uchihas, you wouldn't get it. Even then, the ability was rare." Tanaki tapped his head.
"But... we haven't come to your father yet. Matthew Collins was American, yes, but he was still part Japanese. His great-grandfather immigrated over many, many years ago. After studying the few history books I have, and your continuous drive, I have come to a conclusion." He paused for dramatic effect.
"Come on, what?" Mariko called out, almost dying from suspense.
"I have come to the conclusion that Matthew Collins was a descendant of... the very same Uchihas as your mother." There was a silence as Mariko digested the information.
"So this means... I could have the Sharingan?" Mariko asked hesitantly.
"Well it's not for sure. There's only about a 0.03 chance that anyone on the planet could have it, so if you do, you are one lucky girl."
Mariko exhaled loudly.
"It is quite a lot of information for a young woman like you to handle, isn't it?" A voice said from the doorway. Mariko snapped her head around to face the intruder. She was expecting one of the regulars to walk in, but instead saw a stranger.
He was tall compared to Tanaki and herself, five foot nine inches. He had a long, sculpted face with long black hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. His thin lips were pulled into a tight smile that didn't quite reach his honey-colored eyes. He looked to be about twenty five or so.
Tanaki gave the man a bow. smiling widely. "Mariko, this is the man I was speaking of earlier. Let me introduce you to Iziro-san." Mariko stood and gave a bow.
"So this is the child you spoke of... how delightful," Iziro said smoothly, looking Mariko over carefully. "So, Mariko-chan... how long have you been studying here?"
Mariko furrowed her brow, "Um, about ten years, Iziro-san." He nodded in response. He took out a notebook from his long black jacket and withdrew a pencil.
"How much do you weigh?"
"About a hundred pounds, I'd say," she answered these questions without objection.
"Good, and how much do you know about the shinobi way?" He asked this bizarre question without faulting.
"I only know what Tanaki-sensei had taught me. I don't go to school." She hoped by telling him this, he'd lose interest and leave her alone, but this seemed only to please him further.
"Perfect. Your mind has not been corrupted by the ridiculous ideals of society. We will be able to start fresh..." he trailed off, scribbling on his pad of paper.
"Start fresh, sir?" Iziro ignored her comment, continuing on.
"Would you allow me to test her karate skills, Rousoku-san?"
Tanaki seemed puzzled. "So soon? I thought we could discuss the condition of her possible kekkei genkai first, over some tea or something."
Iziro's eyes flicked over to Tanaki, causing him to fidget nervously. "That will be required later on. At this time I wish to investigate another possible genetic characteristic of this child. You see, Sasuke Uchiha had more than just the Sharingan. There have been records that he possessed a curse seal that gave him incredible strength and determination. I wish to find out if that was passed on to his offspring or not."
"Curse seal? Why don't any of the history books have record of this?" Tanaki asked the stranger.
Iziro seemed annoyed at the constant interruption. "Because, Rousoku-san... I am one of the only people alive at this time that know of it. Now let me test your student."
"H-hai..." Tanaki had never felt intimidated by anyone before, but this man made him quake. Mariko wasn't doing so well herself. Iziro just gave off a vibe that made her want to run, run and never look back. How could one person possess this kind of energy?
Iziro kicked the yoga mat away from its place on the ground. He walked to the center of the room and stood in a defensive position. "Now, Mariko-chan... Attack me." Mariko just stood her ground.
"W-with all due respect, I do not fight without being pr-provoked," she stuttered, not meeting his eyes.
Iziro straightened, this insolence only annoyed him further. "Your ancestors believed this was the proper way to train. Do you want to carry on their legacy? If so, attack me. You will not harm me, I just want to see how well your technique is."
Mariko turned to Tanaki for support, but he only tipped his head to Iziro. Mariko sighed, if sensei willed it, she would.
Approaching her opponent, she calculated his range, speed and flexibility all with one glance. This was a simple enough task, she had been studying the art of karate for a decade now, she had her black belt to prove it.
To test his defensive ability, she made a swift punch aimed at his face. Iziro blocked it with ease, but his technique was definitely not karate. After a few more test punches, she knew he was practicing an ancient shinobi technique. Tanaki had given her brief lessons on it in the past, but even Tanaki didn't know the specifics of the taijutsu.
Rotating her arm back from the block, she continued her motion to fuel her kick, standing on her hands for balance. The kick too, was blocked. She stood quickly, immediately issuing out a complicated series of movements her sensei had taught her. This combo was guaranteed to take down a full grown man, there was no way Iziro could block it all.
After the third punch, she knew something was wrong. Iziro was just taking the hits. She brought her leg up high for the final kick, but recoiled back as the space before her burst into smoke. Somewhere in the background, Tanaki cried out a protest, but it was lost in the chaos.
When the smoke cleared, Mariko saw Iziro was no longer in front of her. Instead, the yoga mat had switched places with him, all in the blink of an eye.
"That was all very good, Mariko-chan," stated Iziro from the other side of the room. Mariko was dumbstruck, what she had just seen was magic.
"W-what... what did you do?" she quivered, still in shock. Iziro ignored her and turned to Tanaki.
"Do you see her eyes? That is the Sharingan, but not the one the Uchiha's possessed," Iziro declared excitedly. "I figure that over time it mutated. I'm not sure of it's capabilities now, but I'm sure it's different. Just take a look at the tomoe, the pupil-like markings... They're perfectly circular, whereas the Uchiha's were more comma-like." Iziro's eyes were wide with amazement. He ran his tongue along his upper lip, almost as if savoring his discovery.
For the moment, Iziro's magical feat was forgotten as Tanaki ran up to Mariko to study her eyes. They were just like he had seen earlier that day- red with two black circles.
"Mariko, can you see me?" Mariko nodded, bringing a hand to her face. She blinked a few times, not noticing any difference in her vision.
"Do I really have it?" Iziro smirked as he approached her, she was so naive.
"Hai, you do. You, Mariko-chan, may be the first person in over a hundred years to acquire the Sharingan, or whatever it is you have," his voice was mystical, almost revering, "You have no idea how long I have been searching for someone like you."
Mariko laughed nervously, it was a lot to take in. She stood awkwardly as Tanaki and Iziro both studied her, but soon remembered her earlier question. She turned to Iziro, "What did you do back there?" Iziro stopped and looked her in the eyes.
"I think you already know how I did it, Mariko-chan. Just focus on what you saw my hands do, and copy it," he said the last part harshly, biting into every word with a grin on his face.
"Wh-what do you mean?" Mariko asked hesitantly. What he was requesting was impossible, wasn't it?"
"I think you know exactly what I mean. Using your Sharingan, you should be able to recall every movement I made in incredible detail." He stood back a bit, crossing his arms impatiently.
"O-okay..." Mariko strained her mind to remember what exactly she saw. Placing her hands together slowly, she formed the first seal. Iziro let out a triumphant sneer, nodding at her to continue.
Gradually, the Sharingan began to process her movements. The seals were formed faster and faster, until she felt a strong tingle from her core. Placing her hands together for the final seal she felt a sense of overwhelming release in her as the chakra in her body broke free of its dormant state. With a puff of smoke, she disappeared and was replaced by the couch in the lobby.
Tanaki stood with his mouth agape, glancing from couch to Iziro to Mariko and back again. Finally, he regained his composure. "I see... So that was ninjutsu then?"
Iziro had a smirk on his face and his eyes were gleaming. "Yes, yes it was. That was the replacement jutsu." He waited a moment before turning to Mariko who was entering from the lobby, "How did that feel, Mariko-chan?"
The tingling feeling was engulfing Mariko, although it was concentrated mostly in her eyes. With her new doujutsu, she could see all. She felt invincible. "I feel... phenomenal."
"That's what I thought. I had a theory about dormant chakra coils for quite some time now. It seems that the moment you tapped into those stores, the mental barrier blocking its use was destroyed. You are now able to access your chakra."
Mariko nodded, scanning the area. She could pick up on anything- see everything. It was a little overwhelming for her. Then, all at once, that feeling ended and she fell to her knees roughly. Tanaki rushed to her side, carefully bringing her to her feet.
"What happened to her, Iziro-san?" He asked urgently. Iziro only shrugged. Mariko stumbled slightly, holding her head woozily.
"It seems she is too inexperienced to control her chakra effectively. She cannot deactivate the Sharingan."
Tanaki shook her shoulders gently as she threatened to fall over again. "Tell me what to do, Iziro!" He lowered to the ground, supporting her head like a small child.
Iziro stroked his chin for a moment, contemplating his options. He walked briskly to he side and checked her pulse. "She's fine for the moment, but she needs to be trained in the way of the shinobi. She needs to be in the care of someone with experience."
Tanaki clued in to his request. "You want to take care of her?"
Iziro nodded, "I think it would be best for her, besides... I still need to know if the curse seal has genetic properties. She will be great for my studies."
Tanaki glared fiercely at Iziro. "I refuse! I will not let my prized student become a lab rat!"
"I'm afraid that it's not up to you, Rousoku-san," Iziro replied calmly, pulling Mariko out of his grasp. "She needs someone to help her control her chakra. If she doesn't get the help she needs, she will die." He held her tightly in his strong arms, brushing the hair from her flushed face. "You have been through so much, Mariko-chan..." he cooed.
Holding the frail girl in one arm, he reached into his jacket pocket and took out a business card. "Here, you can take this. On the bottom there is the address where you can reach me at almost anytime. My work number is there as well, please do not hesitate to call or visit anytime." He walked out the door with the new kunoichi, not looking back.
"Wait, what about her Aunt?" Tanaki called helplessly. Iziro was not fazed and called back over his shoulder.
"All the arrangements have already been made, Rousoku-san. She is in good hands now." With that, Iziro made a few hand signs and disappeared into thin air, taking Tanaki's pride and joy with him.
How was it? Now everyone, this is just a sampling of the story. The actual starting of it may begin sooner or later, depending on the response I get here. Now, if you really, REALLY want to see more, go vote on it in my poll. Either way, I'm glad you read it. Thank you