Hey guys! I know it's been a while and I'm really sorry for not posting! :( Well... I've been going over my works and editing them... a lot... so this is an entirely new version!! Hope you enjoy it and PLEASE review!!! I really need it!
Thanks,
~Okamira
Three ninja made their way stealthily across the dense forest to the hidden Village of the Leaves, Konoha. No any traveler or onlooker it would seem that they were flying but, if one were to observe them closely, they might see the split second where their feel would brush a tree branch, or hear the soft, almost silent thud of sandals on wood. Suddenly, one of the flying ninja, a man with silver hair stopped. His two companions were quick to notice and quickly rushed to their leader's side.
"What is it Mizuki?" one of the men said, his hand lingering by his weapons pouch as if expecting to be attacked.
"I thought I head something." Mizuki replied in a low monotone, eyes darting around the forest, "Fan out."
As soon as the order left his mouth the three men disappeared in blurs, scouting the surrounding area for the source of the noise.
"Guys!" one voice came cutting through the silent wood, "I found something."
Mizuki and his other companion materialized instantly to where the discovery had been made. What they saw surprised them. It was a girl. A girl who could not have been more than ten years old was laying facedown in front of the three ninja soaked with blood that was still slowly seeping from a wound positioned squarely between her shoulder blades. The weapon, a long deadly, twisted dagger still lay embedded in her flesh. Mizuki kneeled down next to the girl and grasped the end of the dagger, gently removing it from the unconscious figure who gave an involuntary shudder at the removal of the blood soaked weapon.
"Mizuki," one of the ninja said uneasily, "She's lost a lot of blood and, by the looks of that wound the dagger's been in there for a few days now. We should get her back to Konoha as soon as possible..."
The silver haired ninja gave a faint nod, the only sign that he had even heard his companion speak. He quickly snaked his hands under the girl and turned her over careful so they could now see her face. Her skin was pale, a perfect contrast to her long raven hair. But, under a slightly closer inspection he discovered that the skin under her eyes was not red because of the vas amount of blood that covered it, but it seemed natural, permanent at least. The same was to be said about the two dots at the start of each of her dark, thin eyebrows. Two bands of cloth, the same color as the 'dyed' skin, bound her hair; one around her right bangs about two inched from the tips of her hair and the other around a small bunch of hair near her left ear. She was like nothing he had ever seen...
"I can carry her Mizuki," one of the ninja said.
"No," Mizuki replied abruptly, "I'll carry her."
As Mizuki carefully lifted the girl she opened one of her eyes weakly, revealing a sea green orb that flashed with fear and panic as it took him in, but as suddenly as she had opened the solitary eye, it closed once more.
"Let's go"
And with that the three ninja took off into the night.
The first thing she remembered was his face. His skin being framed with what looked like a shining silver light and eyes that looked at her in wonder. Who was he? Had he been an angel sent to take her to heaven. No. If he were anything it was probably a demon to take her to the fiery depths of hell where she belonged. But... he had looked so innocent... The next thing she was conscious of was the voices. A male voice and female voice that were near her when she had no strength to even open her eyes.
"Mizuki, what has this girl been through?" it was a female's voice. One that was only slightly harsh with an edge of concern to her alto tones.
"I already told you Kurenai, I have no idea. My team found her like that. We don't know what happened... I hoped you could tell me."
"She's been through hell, that's what. It was obvious from the examinations that she has good control of her chakras... the entire system was suffering from over usage and several bones had been broken as well. It looks like she got beat up pretty badly."
You should have seen the other guys...
"Is there anything more you can tell me?" the masculine voice was pleading and the hardened voice of a professional had dropped.
"I'm sorry Mizuki. She'll live but I have no idea when she'll awaken. I promise I'll tell you when she's well enough to talk."
"Thank you."
A door closed and one set of feet left the room and the sounds lapsed into a dull at the back of the girl's mind.
When the girl finally opened her eyes almost four days had passed. She took in her surroundings with weary eyes. It was a room. Something she had not stayed in for years. But it was not a regular room, it was a hospital room. Why was she in the hospital?
The door began to creak, a sign that one was about to enter. The girl quickly untangled herself from the covers and, in a flash, was behind the intruding figure.
"What am I do - ah!" A searing pain came from between her shoulder blades as her brain tried to comprehend the immense pain. She found her legs giving out from beneath her and her hands shot out in front of her body to break the fall.
"You shouldn't be moving." the 'intruder' said gently, lifting the young girl and placing her on the bed once more. "I'm surprised that you even managed to get behind me in that condition."
"Who are you. Where am I."
The woman sighed. "My name is Kurenai, I'm a temporary nurse here at the Konoha Hospital."
Konoha? I really must have traveled further that I thought...
"What's your name?"
The girl snapped out of her thoughts and replied carefully, still not sure if she should trust this 'Kurenai' figure. "Kajira. Takashi Kajira."
"Well then, Kajira, you should thank the heavens that Mizuki's team found you when they did. One day later and you wouldn't have made it."
"Lucky me." Kajira replied dryly. Not particularly caring for this woman's motherly instincts.
Kureani sighed once more. This really was an interesting child. "How old are you?"
"Ten."
"What village are you from?"
Kajira stared at the woman. "What makes you think I am from a village."
"Well, your chakras seemed to have been trained. I just assumed-"
"Anything I know is not thanks to a village. I taught myself what I needed to know to survive."
"What about your parents?"
"Killed when I was five."
"You've been on your own all this time?" Kurenai could not mask the surprise in her voice.
"No. I was taken in by an old couple who were retired ninja from the Hidden Rain."
"What happened to them?"
"Murdered. And before you ask another question I'll answer a few of them and save you the trouble," she let a slight sneer into her voice as she said the last part. She was growing tired of this stranger poking holes into her life but, she asked for it... "It was three years ago and I was out hunting. When I came back they were dead. Murdered by a group of rogue ninja. And yes, I've been living on my own since then."
"I see." Kurenai said softly, pretending not to notice the tears beginning to well in Kajira's green eyes. "And your injury?"
Kajira paused, a look of evil contentment slowly crossed her features as she replied quietly, "I found them. I finally found the bastards who killed them and I made them pay." A sadistic tone crept into her voice, "They didn't know I existed, never thought I'd find them. But after three years I had them cornered, my plan was flawless. I found their camp and killed them all. But not right away. I wanted to make them suffer for putting me through this. I maimed them, cut their Achilles tendon so the couldn't run, watched their tendons fold back each other. Their screams... it was amazing. I let them suffer and finally, after an hour or two, took mercy on them. But I wasn't good enough. One of them was missing and he managed to sink a dagger into my shoulder, but not even he was fast enough. He met the same fate as his friends!"
Kurenai stared at this child. How can she talk about killing in such a way?! This... this is just surreal to me... "I see." she said, regaining her composure, "I will be back soon. Please don't try to leave. You are in no condition to be moving about."
Kajira stared at Kurenai steadily before inclining her head to show that she would not move.
"Thank you." Kurenai said softly, closing the door behind her as she leaf the room. I need to get to the bottom of this.
