[Truth 1]
It is a dark snowy winter night on the streets of Tokyo. The roads are covered in thin yet strong sheets of ice causing cars to slide all about. One car drives unsafely fast on this death trap.
"How's she doing back there?" Mr. Izumi, a traditional Japanese man dressed in his PJs and mix matched shoes, watches the road intently with sweat dripping down his face.
"I think her fever has gotten higher." Mrs. Izumi, in her PJs as well, sky-blue eyes tremble as she places her hand on her daughter's forehead. "Can we drive any faster?" she fixes a blanket so it's covering her six year old daughter completely.
"Mommy… I feel cold." The young girl huffs shivering her sky-blue eyes clouded.
"Hang in there sweetie we're almost there." Mr. Izumi pushes on the peddle a bit harder.
"Honey look out!" Mrs. Izumi points to a sliding car.
Mr. Izumi swerves hitting an ice patch himself. As the car spins out of control, Mr. Izumi fights to take control of the wheel again while Mrs. Izumi covers their daughter with herself to protect the six year old. The ice wins causing the car to hit a railing and the car tumbles down to the bottom of a snowy cavern.
Some people stop, calling the paramedics. When help arrives the only one that is even slightly alive is the girl. They rush her to the hospital to get the half frozen child stable. The doctors are amazed that she only has a dangerously high fever and a few scratches. They chock it up to her mother shielding her daughter from the impacts.
It is half a month before she finally wakes up in the hospital. The doctors try to hide her parents' immediate death from the girl, thinking it wouldn't be good for her recovery, yet are unable to hide it for long. After finding out about her parents she cries for days refusing to eat anything.
One sunny day she's staring out the window with her untouched food on her lap as her long ash hair blows in the gentle yet icy wind along with her butterfly locket twirling in the breeze. As she sits there, expressionless, a grandpa looking man comes in sitting next to her bed.
"You must be Rini Izumi." The man speaks gently, but gets no reaction out of her. "My name is Mr. Nao. I run Sunny Day Orphanage and you will be living with us for a while." He points to himself.
"Not…" Rini mumbles.
"What was that?" Mr. Nao questions happy to get a reaction.
"I'M NOT AN ORPHAN!" Rini whips around to face him causing the food to fall over on to the floor. "MOMMY AND DADDY WILL COME BACK FOR ME! THEY'RE NOT DEAD! THEY'RE NOT!" Rini yells tears streaming down her face as she hits his chest.
"I know. I know it hurts sweetie." Mr. Nao pats her back gently. "But you can't give up living because their gone. Life is meant to be lived. Don't wait it." He continues to comfort her.
"W-what does that mean?" Rini hics rubbing her eyes.
"It means there's more to be seen and you can't waist this chance you've been given." Mr. Nao goes into a bag beside him pulling out a bento and placing it by her bed.
"I don't…" Rini tries to push it away.
"Eat or don't. But just remember this, your parents died making sure you can live." Mr. Nao stands up then heads out. "I'll be back tomorrow. I hope by then your eating habits are better." He waves as he leaves.
Rini eyes the tin box for a few minutes. Unable to take her hunger anymore she opens the bento and starts eating. As she eats tears roll down her face again as she comes to terms with her parents passing and promising herself she'll live it happily no matter what happens.
Mr. Nao kept to his word and returned the next morning. He comes back many times with betnos and snacks until Rini is declared healthy and then takes her with him. Mr. Nao stops by the graveyard for her to say good-bye to her parents before heading to the orphanage.
Once at Sunny Side, Mr. Nao watches over Rini quiet a bit. He tries to help her get adopted and is saddened when she returns every time. Each time he reminds her of his saying and that she is a special girl. Rini always smiled around him and always looked for the silver lining in every thing.
Finally tired of watching everyone pass by such a sweet girl Mr. Nao takes Rini into his home, unable to official adopt due to his age. Rini is ecstatic to be with him. The two of them live happily at his home for many years. When they realize she had powers over plants Mr. Nao always encourages her to embrace her powers and find a good use for them.
Nine years later at a temple, on a snowy winter day. Everyone is dressed in black as they cry and pay their respects to Mr. Nao at his alter. Rini sits in another room with her knees up by her face as she stares at a smiling photo of him.
"You promised… you wouldn't leave me." Rini cries pulling her knees closer to her face causing her long hair to fall over her legs.
"Rini? Sweetie?" a woman knocks on the doors as she peeks in to check on her. "Do you want to join everyone?"
Rini simply shakes her head never looking up. The woman understands her need to be alone and leaves her be. Alone once again, Rini looks up at the photo rubbing her tear stained eyes as she remembers everything they had done together. Not wanting to stay in the temple she heads out to go for a walk in the woods to clear her head.
'What should I do? I'm alone again.' Rini trails through the silvery-white woods, not really watching where she's going.
As she walks she passes by a stream where the arctic water is raging and trying to pull a young fox pup under. Seeing this Rini rushes over to help.
"Hang on little one!" Rini reaches for the pup that's barely clinging on to a rock. "Just a bit… got you!" she grabs the pup.
After getting a hold of the shivering pup Rini looses her footing falling into the sub-zero water. Holding on to the pup for dear-life, Rini tries to fight the strong and stinging current. Unable to fight Rini starts to sink holding the half dead pup close to her as she thinks of Mr. Nao.
As she is just about given up a bright light surrounds her. As she slowly wakes up, she finds herself dry and in a never ending meadow. She stands up slowly looking all around.
'You really love to worry me, don't you Rini?' A familiar voice calls with a chuckle. Rini turns to see a smiling Mr. Nao.
'Grandpa Nao!' Rini runs to him hugging him tightly tears rolling down her face. 'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…' she shakes holding him close.
'Hey now.' Mr. Nao moves her back a bit wiping away her tears. 'You aren't dead little one. This is just a place for us to say good-bye.' He smiles warmly at her.
'What do you mean?' Rini rubs her eyes.
'A… benefactor has decided to let you enter into a world where you will be needed and excepted.' Mr. Nao brushes his hand on her cheek. 'You should be waking up soon.' He looks up at the sky.
'Waking up?' Rini seems confused.
'Yes.' Mr. Nao nods. 'Like I said, this is just so we can say good-bye. Remember to live a good life alright?' he smiles warmly yet sadly at her.
'Life is a made to be lived. So don't waist it, right?' Rini smiles with her eyes still filled with tears.
'Right.' Mr. Nao nods patting her head.
As he pulls his hand away Mr. Nao and the world around her starts to fade. Rini watches as it all vanishes glancing to the trees seeing a man hidden in the shadows before she slowly opens her eyes in a warm room. Rini looks around slowly, only noticing the people are dressed oddly yet familiarly.
"Oh good, you finally woke up." A woman with kind black eyes looks over her. "You had us worried, sleeping like that for three weeks." The woman's short black hair drifts in front of her face a bit.
"Wh-where am I?" Rini groggily starts to become aware of her surroundings.
"You're in the Leaf Village with in the Land of Fire." The woman checks Rini's pulls.
"You're joking, right?" Rini laughs.
"No I'm not." The woman shakes her head seeming to be confused by Rini's reaction. "Lady Hokage will want to speak with you soon. You're odd clothes and manner of appearing has left all of us curious about you. But for now get some rest." The woman finishes looking her over.
"Wait!" Rini sits herself up as she grabs the woman's kimono shirt. "The pup. I… I had a fox pup. Is he… did he…" Rini seems panicked with shaking eyes and hands.
"He's fine." The woman frees herself gently. "He's being treated by our best vets. I'll ask Kiba to bring him by later." The woman heads out.
'Kiba? Is she still saying I'm in the Leaf Village?' Rini seems completely confused. 'Well… at least the pup is…' she sighs with relief then looks out the window to see a familiar mountain shape.
Rini recognizes the stone faces carved into the mountain from her favorite manga, even the woman looked like Shizune and the hospital is exactly like the ones in the pages of the "Naruto" manga. In disbelief Rini jumps out of the bed then runs, more like stumbles, down the halls until she runs into someone.
"Are you okay?" Calls a familiar sounding voice. Rini looks up to see a clear blue eyed and spiked blond haired guy with what looks like whisker marks on his face.
"N-Naruto." Rini mange's to mutter before passing out.