Scroll One

The rocky ledge above the waterfall echoed the dull roar of the falling water. Early-morning mist filtered pale sunlight into different spectrums of color. Two figures stood, silhouettes in the silvery brilliance left in the wake of a cloud temporarily blocking the out the sun.

The first, a tall male with messy brown hair and lively green eyes. He had a build that suggested power without the burden of too much weight and moved with a confident step. He had a friendliness about him that could be seen in any member of his family, which had roots in the lands around Konohagakure.

The other figure was a shorter girl with light brown hair and large eyes. She was built like a gymnast: slim and flexible, with long limbs which gave her a stride that bettered that of a grown man. Her pale skin and expressive features were exaggerated nearly to the point of being exotic, for her family clan hailed from a far off country.

The pair were shinobi of Kagegakure, the village hidden in the shadows. Not only that, they were two thirds of the best ninja team in Kagegakure's history and the youngest ever to be ranked as Jonin. On top of it all, they had been best friends since their toddler years.

"So what do we now, Gussu?" asked the girl. Her voice carried a strange- though not unpleasant- accent. Her companion, Gussumaru Kenji, shrugged. His clan specialized in fire-based chakra control, and each member- Gussu included- had three piercings in each ear.

The speaker's name was Baratoge Kaori, though she went by "Kazari," which was a nickname she had been given at a very young age. She was the youngest member of the Baratoge clan, which mostly specialized in botany-based chakra control and jutsu. Quite a few of the Baratoge were esteemed healers or makers of poison and potions, and Kazari even had an uncle who ran a successful herbal brewery business.

Gussu sighed. "We need to find him soon. Seikage said he wants to make plans to meet up with our correspondent from Konoha. He claims to sense danger on the horizon." The "him" he was referring to was the last member of their team, Karusen Kyosuke. Kyo's chakra control focused on ice, which was fitting, for the young man had a cold heart. He did have a strong sense of duty, though.

"Looked everywhere we have!" Kazari brushed her lengthy bangs out of her eyes, only to have them fall right back into place again. She crossed her arms and walked to the very edge of the rocky cliff, looking down to where the water crashed far below. Gussu watched her. He could almost see the gears working in her mind. Kazari's eyes lit up, and she smiled. It was an expression that could make most young men melt on the spot. "Know where is our partner this Kazari does."

Gussu grinned. Now that he thought about it, he had a pretty good idea of where Kyo would be. Channeling chakra into their feet, the two ninja made their way smoothly down the rock face, slipping behind the waterfall itself. There, an opening appeared in the living rock, barely big enough for a grown man to enter. But as Gussu and Kazari went through it the passage widened, eventually into a large cavern, every surface of which was covered with glittering, shining crystal of every color imaginable. Gussu cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "KARUSEN! Seikage summoned us!"

When there was no answer, he called again, "C'mon frost face! We're needed NOW!"

His voice echoed around the cavern until the sounds were just a mesh of unintelligible syllables. Suddenly, what the pair had taken to be clear crystal around their feet expanded from the cavern floor and encased Gussu's feet. Alarmed, Gussu blew a stream of red fire from his mouth.

"No need to shout, kitten." Kyo stepped out of the shadows, his hair burnt and smoking slightly. Honestly, Kyo's most remarkable feature was his lack of color. His hair was snow-white and his skin was pale. His narrow, piercing eyes were ice-blue, and even his voice seemed colorless. It wasn't monotone, but it was neutral and seemed to have no extremes, much like the tone someone would use when speaking with a small child.

Gussu frowned and sent a heat-wave of chakra to his feet, melting the ice. The two young men glared daggers at each other until Kazari stepped between them. "Act like children later," she insisted, taking one of their hands in each of her own, "for now see Lord Seikage we must." With that she utilized her Displacement jutsu and all three of them disappeared in a flurry of fragrant flower petals.