- Prologue -
Akarin Kurama —-
My name is Akarin Kurama. My eternal love, Tsukokori Sameshi, is all that matters to me. Well, that and the child I just birthed. We decided to name him Aoyuurei, the blue ghost. It is a bit strange admittedly to call one's child 'ghost' but it seems to suit him.
Our relationship isn't something my clan favors. The Sameshi clan is not well-known and therefore my family thinks he's a bad match for me. All they care about is power - furthering the clan's reputation - but that is not my concern. I will stick by him and my son no matter what.
Aoyuurei or 'aorei' as we have taken to calling him, is the spitting image of his father. He has Tsukokori's dark skin and the same orange hair that seems to illustrate burnt leaves. A handsome color in my opinion. What does trouble me are his eyes. They are unlike anything I've ever seen before.
The coloring is ... odd. The right eye is blue-violet, while the other is ... well, a strange shade of yellow that Tsukokori calls 'ocher'. The sclera of his left eye is a curious copper color. I fear this may be an ill omen. Kurama clan members' eyes gain a second color (usually green or blue) when they unlock the clan kekkai genkai; seeing two colors still rare due to the fact that the kekkai genkai is so seldom seen in the family. I am not sure if he will get the kekkai genkai, but if he does I wish him luck. Some have gone mad with that power and I do not want that for my son.
Akarin Kurama, 5 years later —-
I held my son against my chest as he slept. He'd grown into a sweet strong boy, looking more and more like his father every day. Tsukokori leaned against the wall beside us, content to just be near. He was extremely quiet today, unsettling since I usually could not get him to stop talking.
"What's wrong?" I asked, knowing that must be it. He seemed to have senses I lack, as if knowing things before they would happen.
"Someone's here. Someone who has not been given entry to the property."
Property was a bit of an exaggeration. We'd moved so far from the Kurama compound that we practically lived in the forest.
"Can you tell who it is?" I asked, clutching my son tighter.
"Not yet, but be prepared for a fight."
I gently shook Aorei awake.
"Mom what's going on?" he asked in that cute voice of his, rubbing his eyes.
"Your father said we should be alert. We are going to have a ... visitor." I told him.
"Visitor? You don' want them here do you?" he asked, looking me in the eyes. I suddenly felt trapped, his eyes held the same knowing that my lover's did.
* How much does he know? He is half Sameshi after all. Tsuko's clan is strange ... *
"No honey we don't." I told him, gesturing for him to go upstairs.
"Get dressed and don't come down unless one of us says it's alright."
I heard him grumble unhappily as he climbed the stairs, but at least he'd be safe - for now. When this visitor got here there was no way of knowing what would happen.
* I only hope he lives. Kami if nothing else grant me that. *
— — —
I grit my teeth as I was thrown across the room. Tsuko lay beside me now, a pool of blood slowly growing around him. The 'visitor' came in the guise of his brother, which under normal circumstances would have been welcome. Aorei would have been happy to see his uncle again. But no, this man, this snake-bastard, had to be the one to come. He was the reason why the Kuramas lived out in no-where Stone country - because he was hunting us down and killing us. Him and his people that is.
I snarled, flinging a handful of thorns from the pouch at my waist into the snake's face. He hissed in pain, giving me just the distraction I needed.
"Earth release: crushing vines!"
I let the jutsu take me over, hoping I could kill him. He was getting way too close to the stairs for comfort and I had to protect my son. I knew I was dying (my ribs broken - one arm twisted at a horrible angle) but I would do everything in my power to keep him safe - safe and alive. Aoyuurei had to live.
* Forgive me Tsuko, I must do this ... *
I poured all my remaining chakra into the jutsu, strengthening it further. Somehow though the jutsu crumbled to dust. I looked up just in time to see my son coming down the stairs (running frantically) as a kunai was shoved into my stomach. I cried out in pain and tried to speak, but my voice cracked and died before I could tell him to go back upstairs.
* Run! Aorei you have to run! *
It was hard to keep my eyes open through the pain, but I managed. The snake's eyes went glassy as Aorei came down the stairs. My son's eyes were black and chakra practically leaked out of every pore in his body.
* Good. You do have the kekkai genkai. It's too bad I wasn't able to teach you to use it properly. *
Gashes appeared along the bastard's arms and legs, and I grinned despite the pain it caused.
* At least he will live ... you will have nightmares for weeks Orochimaru. *
That was the last thing I remember before everything went black.
* Live on Aoyuurei. Live for all of us ... *
Orochimaru —-
He almost got me with that technique. A child (one so young!) almost killed me with one look. His eyes (which were two different colors) turned solid black as he surveyed the room.
* Seeing his parents dead must have activated it. *
I hissed out in pain as an insistent itching started throughout my body, centering mostly on my arms and legs. As I looked down bloody gashes appeared, my arms staining with red liquid quickly. I could feel blood trickling from wounds on my legs as well. I swayed slightly, but was able to turn my head in time to see the bitch's eyes go blank in death.
* Couldn't save him could you useless woman? Maybe if you'd spent more time training him he'd actually be a challenge for me. *
The boy's kekkai genkai was strong, and I was hopelessly caught up in it.
* This is so embarrassing ... Where is that fucking medic! *
A low chuckle broke through my thoughts.
"Having fun playing with your food Master?" Kabuto asked as he came into the house. His eyes swept the room approvingly and he snorted at my condition.
"Thought you were smarter than this. Really Master, a child? You're being beaten by a child."
I growled in fury. "He's a Kurama. He's obviously got their kekkai genkai."
"Ahh so that's the problem." He looked the boy over and shrugged.
"He doesn't seem so tough. I can take him."
* You are an idiot if you think you're strong enough. Even I can't break this ... *
"He can only focus on one person at a time. I'll use my genjutsu and take care of him."
"You do that."
* Why didn't I think of that? Oh right, you're not the one being cut up you lousy medic! *
And that's how we captured the boy. Kabuto's jutsu (I did not pay attention to which one) knocked him out. With the boy out cold the kekkai genkai released me. The blood stayed unfortunately.
* He could have killed me! *
"Your orders Orochimaru-sama?"
"Take him to the base. I'll follow."