Before there were peace there were hatred.
Before there were unity, there were once a warring state period.
Behind every leader there were people they failed to protect.
Behind a group of faithful ninja there stood one who break the faith.

But not many knows,
They are the one who valued loyalty the most,
For betrayal haunts them too much like a ghost.

Behind every rogue ninja there's a tale.
And this is her story.

THE SHAMISEN PLAYER
toshimi-senpai © 2016

The blaze of war has long ended a couple of months ago. The Allied Shinobi Forces had put an end to the raging war against Akatsuki, albeit it only lasted for about three days, bringing forth another peaceful period between the lands. Even so, the children who lost their parents in the war increased proportionally, and many of them had wandered on their own and eventually ended up in their small house located right at the border of Iwagakure; in the forest.

"Where's my shamisen?" She was searching high and low for her musical instrument, looking back and forth all around the wooden house.

Kira shook her head, then looked at all the mess she had made during the process; the left-opened closets, the disarrayed chairs and even searching into the refrigerator. She then looked up to the window, and her eyes transfixed by the sight; the children was having fun with her music instrument, flicking the cords experimentally only to pull again. And again. At this point, she thought it was only a moments away before the cords snapped.

She turned to Hanare's direction to tell her what she saw, but to her surprise, she had already gone. But later she heard a thundered voice outside the house and the cries of the children scampered away in fright.

"How many times is it now, Momiji?" Hanare stepped closer to the boy, her face dark. The boy just stood there in silence, neither shaken nor guilty as he stared back at the fumed woman.

"Please play us a song before you go, Hanare Nee-san!" He said with all of his heart, his eyes closed as she knelt before him, preparing for the worst, but later he felt a gentle pinch on his cheek before she pulled away, smiling.

"You know I will, do you, Momiji?" She said teasingly, her anger subsided. Though she not really that angry to begin with. From inside the room, Kira watched her gathered the children and began playing a song. The first time she praised her voice, she remembered she said that she was not particularly love to sing but she did enjoyed the rhythm of it. Apart from that, the shamisen she was holding now was one of the living proof of her former family background before she was brought to Jomiai Village to serve as a ninja.

This freedom now is so painful,

I'm holding onto a fragile dream that could be easily destroyed on the street.

But we can't abandon what is important to us,

We are flightless birds who can't soar through the sky,

Someday I'll chase it,

I'll chase your sunset.

Above all, she felt the lyrics of her songs somehow carried a much deeper meaning. Just as mysterious as the shamisen in her arms, she thought. There were once where Hanare was polishing her shamisen when she saw a small, gold emblem carved into the gentle curve of the wood of her shamisen. She knew what it was.

It was a royalty insignia.

Hanare... who are you exactly?