The wild wind was gusting through the village in an angry fit. The thick woods creaked and groaned in the lively wind that came through around the same time each and every day. I closed my golden eyes as the wind began to blow through my chestnut brown curls that were blowing in trundles behind me. I pushed my glasses up on the bridge of my nose as I took a deep breath and began to run off to the area where I would train.
I was ten, now a genin of Hoshigakure, a village found in the Land of Bears. The village was remotely small and held little to no value to the neighboring villages. Even with our radioactive star and unique training —which was dubbed, 'Star Training'—the other villages refused to acknowledge us as strong enough shinobi. As far as I knew, the Hoshikage had been thinking about stopping the star training. Many side effects and drawbacks were now going noticed by not only the star users, but the citizens around them including the Hoshikage. Most students, once finding this out, no longer desired to partake in this training. Thus leaving very few of us to sit in the small cabana and train our chakra to its limits. Most saw it as too much of a risk, my sister and I, however, saw it as an opportunity, a chance. A lot of the times we were left on our own while our parts ventured out as Hoshi Jounin, completing various missions or keeping watch over Devil's Ravine. Making sure no intruders would come and try to take the star.
"You better not wimp out this time." My sister, Mika would usually mutter to me as we entered the small wooden confinement, the meteor resting within the claws of an Eagle. For the most part, I would just sigh and say nothing back, as I knew she was just picking on me. Our small hands pressed together into the sign of the Ram, this was the sign used for all ninja training their chakra. Taking a deep breath, I would feel the rock's strong and potent release. My own chakra nature at this point was unknown due to only using and practicing the Mysterious Peacock method.
After an hour or so of chakra training in the small cabana, my body would usually reach its training limit, leaving me to lower my hands in my lap and sit there a moment relaxing before I would go and work on my jutsus.
My older sister, Mika, she would still be sitting strong, unaffected. That was something I always envied…her ability to keep going and to really reap the benefits of the star. Her diet was tailored around keeping her insides strong to counter the star's effect on the user's body. She knew which days to take off and just practice jutsus and which days to sit and strengthen her chakra. She was also familiar with her natural chakra nature, which was in fact fire.
My father's natural chakra nature was Earth and my mother's was Fire as well. This left me with the question, 'who's chakra nature did I inherit?' Or 'What if I had a differnt nature like Wind or Water?' the mystery of it killed me.. Perhaps one day I would be able to trigger something or get a sign of some sort, but until that day came, I would swear by the Mysterious Peacock Method and use my Star chakra.
Training and using the star chakra was much harder than using a primary or base chakra nature such as Earth, Water, Fire, or Wind; at least that is what my sister and parents told me. Knowing this made me work even harder to be the best Star chakra wielder in the village. Of course I never had the desire to become Hoshikage like a few of my friends, I planned to leave and move to a larger village once I knew I was capable to fend for myself using the methods and jutsus taught here. Being a part of the Maggio clan, I also had a Kekkei Genaki, a bloodline trait. My parents told me once I showed more strength and potential, they would focus on training me to use it.
The first ever jutsu I leanred to use was chakra rope. These were used to capture the messenger birds in our village. Of course, we were always gentle but it required good aim and concentration. After that day, a few more jutsus slowly but steadily came to me and I progressed, impressing not only my parents but sister too! I loved seeing the faces of my parents when they were proud or impressed, it gave me the feeling that one day…I could be a strong shinobi.
Things continued on a set pace upward to the point that I was one of the best skilled users for my graduating class, I'd say third or fourth. My sister, Mika, by this age had accomplished a bit more, but I was told by my parents to live my own story and have my own progression and to not use her as what I should be. After all, my sister and I were never alike and probably never would be.
Star training was a rather hard and difficult time in my life as a young child, it was like falling down and getting up over and over again, I also risked my well-being to get through. Luckily for me, I knew my limits. This of course, would not leave me completely fluent in this unorthodox training, but it would give me the sweet taste of what previous star ninja were capable to do. From that, I know I would be able to train and practice to be one of the few great Star ninja to come from this small unknown village.
My name is Dominique Maggio, and this is my story.