Chapter One: With Eyes of Blue, a Life Anew
Fire- it was everywhere.
Its greedy tongue licked at the remains of countless buildings; turns out that the previous meal consisting of several humans and wooden structures was not yet enough to satisfy its everlasting hunger. The smoke was slowly clearing as the wind picked up, yet the flames continued to brightly burn, flickering as they made contact with the invisible force. Now it was made clear that even the barren landscape had been made full –its usual earthly tone dyed a sickly red. Though, in the midst of this disaster not all had been lost. A single girl remained –a young child at that. She lay by a lone, wood framing that had, by some miracle, managed to survive.
Her body lay motionless, giving any on-viewers the immediate thought that she was already in death's cold grasp. But getting closer I noticed her piercing deep-blue eyes struggling to stay open. Her breathing was rapid; the occasional cough parting from her dry lips. Each sounded no more than a croak. Parts of her clothing were tattered and teared revealing numerous patches of charred skin. This fortunate soul, or possibly unfortunate girl, I soon realized to be me.
A crack sounded to my right as the fragile piece of wood had finally taken more than it could handle –it would be sent crashing down in mere seconds to follow. The me of this dream clamped both eyes shut, preparing for her demise. Through all of this, a small smile found its way to her lips; my own as well. Maybe this was for the best: no child could survive in this world. A world where war and bloodshed would track down even the most peaceful of villages. Besides, this way she and I could once again be in mother and father's arms. A sickening crack sounded upon her skull, and everything fell to darkness.
And then there was silence.
Both my eyes fluttered open hungrily examining the scene that lay before me. A dimly lit room is where I sat, the slight specks of light revealing silhouettes of ancient furniture. Clutching soft sheets in hand, a dumb-struck expression made its way to my face. The windows were wide open, a gentle spring breeze fluttering across the room. Judging from the lack of light, it must have been daybreak. To top all that off, I had no such memory of how I had gotten here. Everything was...-black. Well, it seemed that I wasn't lacking anything mentally; only my past a clouded mess. Slowly, I swung a leg off the bed, my exploration beginning. Such was cut short by the pain pounding at my head.
Both knees buckled my body falling victim to the beautiful thing known as gravity. Rubbing the back of my head, a slim finger soon found an abnormal line jutting out. I ran my finger over it once more. Jagged it was, pulsing from about the center of my head to nearly the curve of my neck. I presumed it to be a scar. A cry soon parted from my lips –a natural reaction to yet another shot of pain that found its way to me. Its target: my brain? An assumption was that my memories were attempting to find their way back to me, though; it made things a hell of a lot more difficult when they were rejected. Pressing both hands to my temples, my fingers moved in a circular motion looking for a way to escape the aches.
"It seems that my dear princess is finally awake." A foreign voice echoed in the hollow room as the oak door creaked ajar. Blue eyes locked with gold ones. This foreign man easily towered over me, by three feet at the very least –such was noticeable as he sauntered across the room. My body began to tremble as he stood closer to me than I would have liked. He had raven hair longer than my own, a feat in itself, as well as a set of narrow eyes that couldn't help but make me feel as though he were staring right through me. A shiver crawled down my spine. Hand laced with piano-fingers, he held one out to me, palm open. "My child, don't be so afraid." His outstretched hand gently cupped the right side of my face and slowly the thumb began to caress my cheek. This scene in itself near made me want to slap the stranger.
"Who...-who are you? Why am I here?" It required some effort, but finally my voice had found its way to me. An awful lot deeper than I would have thought it to be...-but I wasn't one to complain over that.
A light-hearted laugh escaped the male's lips, probably out of shock of hearing me finally speak up. "My name is of no importance -as of now." Removing his hand, he straightened his back, giving off the air that a speech was on its way. Though his stance was regal, the gleam in his eye was radiating more than simple terror. "But you, you are a special girl. Skilled, strong…-beautiful. I can see it all in those gorgeous eyes of yours. I wish to know your name."
"I…-I can't remember it." Not only did tears sting my eyes as from pondering, but the pounding headache reared its ugly mug for a third time so soon. My hands clenched into fists, trembling from the force placed on them. Such was an okay way to deal with the pain, but an even better way to release my anger. And, I swear that for more than a moment, my fear disappeared.
"No problem at all, we'll simply have to give you a new one." Placing a pale finger to his lips, one could visually tell that the male was in deep concentration. "China? Haru? Raina? No; doesn't suit you quite right…" A few more minutes passed in this simple, awkward manner until my host finally snapped his fingers. "Kiyoko….-it has a nice ring to it. What do you think, my lovely?"
"It's pretty and unique. It'll work." Free of stuttering, I nodded in approval of this man's choice in a name. It seemed fine, besides, I was the slightest bit frightened to see what would happen if I said 'no'. Damn emotions...
"Excellent." He purred a slight hiss accented on the 'x'. A silver-chained necklace of sorts was tossed in my direction, something that I frantically struggled to catch, and failed. It soon hit the ground with a satisfying snap. Curious, I extended an arm to pick up this piece as a way to further examine it. Stringed to the chain was a polished charm; heart-shaped with the word 'Kobayashi' engraved on its surface. "When I found you this was with you. I for one believe this may be your surname."
"Kobayashi…." The word seemed foreign, though it did in fact stir up something inside of me. If only I could know more...
The pale man nodded in approval, a smile clear on his lips. "Kiyoko Kobayashi….-you will be my child; my little, pure child…" Without another word he began to part from the room.
"W-wait! What am I supposed to do now?"
Immediately, my "friend" stopped in his tracks. Though his back was turned, it was undeniable that a smile had crept onto his lips. "Follow me, my dear; we have an awful lot of training ahead of us. Besides, I have a little gift for you."
With the slightest trace of a grin, I raced after this man; this man who had saved my life. Or so I assumed from the dream that had passed my mind while unconscious. Besides, he seemed nice enough –though the slightest bit...-creepy. Sure I had no memory of the past, but maybe that was a sign that now I had to focus on the present. With my fingers crossed, I slowed to a steady pace by his side. A shaky breath passed my lips as I looked up to this man.
"Training? What do you mean?" My eyes regarding him with curiosity, lungs still struggling for air.
"If you want to be a kunoichi of the Sound, it'll take more than dashing good looks." The man smiled, placing a hand atop my head, a scowl finding its way to my face. "After all that happened to you, I want to make sure you can protect yourself." I swallowed. Hard. The thought of killing with the chance to be killed it frightened me. Or so, I wished upon each and every star that it would. Instead, the thought was exhilarating; the sight of it all pumping adrenaline through my veins. I sighed.
"And what about the present?" He chuckled.
"All in good time; all in good time..." The tone to his voice made me want to run to the shadows, something more than just a little bit tempting at the time... Ushering me forward with a sturdy hand, my hopes of escape met an unwelcome end.
Complying with the walk, my eyes absorbed the scenery before me as I knew deep in my heart that now would not be the last time my figure would pass by these dark corridors. They were relatively empty; deserted of both doors and people. Though, in the distant the anguished cries of many could be heard. I only prayed that I would not find myself among those unlucky people.
While pondering I had been hastily brought into a small room, a room which took the breath from my lungs. It seemed like a laboratory of sorts, the kind where experiments would be conducted. The space was quite crowded, a hospital bed stationed near the center of all the commotion. Along the wall was a computer, one used both for surveillance and information. Throughout all of this, the sense of a third person was undeniable. Searching frantically, I only stopped when I caught sight of another male. Though his hair was of silver hue, it was quite obvious that it played no role in hinting at his age.
Removing a pair of framed lenses from the bridge of his nose, the boy polished the glass with the fabric of his shirt as he began to visually inspect me. With little interest, might I add. When he finally spoke, the tone of his voice was a hollow monotone.
"Ah, so the girl's finally awake." Toying with the glasses, this new man strolled over to me with a little more than a scowl on his face. Furthering his examination only the slightest bit, I was relieved when he remained at a standing position. The look on his face sparked my curiosity; too bad mind-reading was a skill I didn't possess. "I assume you brought her here for testing purposes?"
The man I had grown to know quite well didn't nod, but he didn't say no either. My breath was held as he pushed me forward towards the lone mattress. "Close, but not quite..." A sound of approval passed by the silver-haired man's lips as he slowly began to comprehend.
"I understand."
The next few moments passed as a blur: one second I was on my feet, the next I was not. Attempting to fight for freedom only reduced my stamina and caused those two males a headache. With a sharp prick to my arm, everything fell to darkness for a second time. Even while unconscious, I braced myself for the worst.
Author's Note:
It took a little bit longer than I would have liked, but I finally got around to posting this piece. But nonetheless I do hope you look forward to reading this piece, and as always, I look forward to reviews whether they be positive or negative -I only wish to improve! It will take some time, not an extensive amount, for the Leaf ninja to be introduced, so please bear with me if that is what you're looking forward to!
Aaand I apologize for scaring you all off with pedo-Orochimaru...-please forgive me!
+Edit+ Thank you ZuzVaiyo for the advice on what I could do to improve this chapter and give the plot more sense.
Kiyoko Kobayashi (c) Moi~ (The Lost Arts)
Orochimaru and the other Naruto cast to soon be introduced (c) Masashi Kishimoto.