Prologue.
Sayuri walked along the dirt road. Dust flew with every step of her brown boots. Her white hair blew in the wind as blood trickled down her cheek. She sighed as she helped her mother walk. They had been walking for several hours now, and her mother's life was hanging in the balance. She remembered what had happened only hours before...
4 hours before..
Sayuri finished sewing the thread into a silk purple dress.
What a way to spend your 8th birthday.... I'd rather be practicing my new technique! She thought excitedly. Her mother had asked her to help with the sewing, as they needed the money within the week to pay the rent on their 2 room apartment. Her green eyes scanned the sleeve, where she had just finished her embroidery.
Hmmm...That should do. .. She folded the dress neatly, and placed it in a small cardboard box. She tied the red silk ribbon with her delicate fingers, then walked to the next room. Not only was the house their home, but their place of business. Her mother ran a small clothing shop. Luckily, since their village was only a small trading town, the travelers would always come there to get clothing for the trip.
"Here's the dress." She told her mother, who was working on another one. Her brown hair was tied up in a messy bun, and her gray eyes had circles under them, proof of her exhaustion over the past few weeks. Not many travelers had come to the town, because the recent raider rumors. There was a savage clan on the loose, murdering and burning down every village they came across.
"Thank you Sayuri. You can spend the rest of the afternoon to yourself now." Her mother said with a sigh. She nodded, then stepped out the front door of the house. She took in a deep breath of fresh air, glad to be out of the stuffy house.
She walked down the street, leading to the forest. She received several odd stares, and some of resentment, especially from the mayor.
Hmmph. She returned the glare, and he averted his gaze The wind whipped at her white hair, as she took the worn path out of the village. She had decided that she would spend her birthday by the creek, in an old tree house that she had built. Little did her mother know, this was Sayuri's base of operations.
When times got especially rough, Sayuri would steal to get food. Her mother strongly disapproved, but it put food on the table. The girl had become very good at picking locks, and by her 5th birthday, she had mastered it.
She climbed up the makeshift ladder, made from fallen branches and a garden spade. When she reached the top, she sat on a branch.
The view is always beautiful from here... She noticed. She closed her eyes, letting the wind take her mind for a while. She knew that things were getting hard back at home. She had seen the bills her mother tried to hide, and they were on the verge of being kicked out.
She sighed as she watched the sky. The colors were a mix of orange, red, and pink. It was like an artist's masterpiece, with the sky as it's canvas.
She had been in the forest for nearly an hour, when something disrupted her.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" A scream pierced the air, followed by a clash and loud explosion, nearly knocking Sayuri out of the tree.
What was that?! She thought. She quickly climbed down the ladder, and ran down the path, the leaves scratching at her face. She hissed as one caught her cheek, drawing blood. She continued running, only to be horrified at the sight ahead of her. The entire village had been destroyed. Buildings were still burning, and she noticed the bodies littering the street.
She recognized her neighbors, even the mayor of the town. Blood was sprayed on the ground, proof that some had put up a fight. Her eyes began to water as the smoke filled the air. Her eyes widened as she came across the house she and her mother shared. It was in shambles, but she could hear some noise coming from within. She quickly darted up and over the wood, as it ripped her sleeves, leaving scratches on her unprotected arms. By now blood was dripping from her arms, but she was unaware, as she was to busy throwing the wood off of her mother's body.
"OKAA-SAN!!!" She screamed. "Hmn..Sayuri?" Her mother's feeble voice answered.
Her mother had been trapped under piles of wood, and the fire was coming closer.
I guess it's now or never... She was going to try her new technique.
They had no ninjas in their village, as it had only about 50 occupants.
She had found a book of Jutsu when she was younger that the traders were selling.
She decided to steal it, or in her mind, borrow without permission.
She focused her chakra to her hands, then used her mind to seperate her molecules.
She could feel her hand and wrist go in the wood, then solidified her hand as she grabbed her mother's arm. After dragging her mother out of the wreckage, she laid her down by the side of the road.
Her mind now hazy from the smoke, she picked up one arm, putting it over her shoulder, and began to walk to the nearest village for help.
End Flashback
Sayuri narrowed her eyes as she saw something on the horizen. A town? She thought hopefully.
That or I'm going insane...
She helped her mother up more, and continued down the road.
Half an hour later they approached at the village gate.
It was another small village, but certainly bigger than their own, now burned to the ground.
It was more of a tourist town, filled with people from all over.
She noticed that this village had some ninja. Most likely hired from another village..
Sayuri thought as she noticed the marks on their headbands. A bird? Who would have a bird as their village mark?
She stifled a giggle as a voice rang out, "Hey! Survivors!" Several gasps came from the people around them, as one stepped forward.
"There's a hospital up ahead, you'd better come quick unless you want her to die!"
A man in Anbu attire said. Sayuri followed him wordlessly, as he carried her mother to the medical center. She noticed he could only be in his early twenties, and had spiked silver hair focused on one side.
She watched silently as they lifted her mother onto a bed, and whisked her away into a room.
"You stay here while they try to heal her. Try to to get some sleep, okay?" the man said.
He walked past her as she stared straight ahead.
Sayuri walked over to a chair by the room slowly. Everything was beginning to sink in.
Her home was destroyed, her mother injured, even her arm was beginning to throb.
A nurse, seeing her, rushed over with a medical pack.
"What happened to your arm?" She asked, her eyes full of concern.
"I..." She was about to answer as she started shaking. What's happening?
"It appears you have some head trauma. The shaking should go away in a few days.
Did you bump your head?" The little girl shook her head; the nurse biting her lip.
"Hm. Well, let me bandage your arm and I'll go check in with your mother. Her case was rather severe.."
The woman wrapped the white cloth around her arm, then fastened it tightly, securing it from any more blood loss.
"Alright, you wait here and I'll see if you can come in." The nurse shuffled out of the hallway, down towards the room.
Sayuri waited a few moments, but her impatience was getting to her.
I need to see her! She thought.
She stood up from her chair, and stayed along the shadows of the wall, as she creeped up to the door. She put her ear to the door, then tried the knob.
Kuso...locked.
She pulled out a pin from her hair, and the lock was done in a moment. Heh, no head trauma could take that away..
She snuck into the room, and noticed several nurses and doctors crowed around the bed.
"She's not going to make it." She heard one say.
"The injuries are too much, besides, there was smoke in her lungs and her head must have hit something, she's shaking just like the girl." Sayuri panicked. Is something wrong with me? I didn't hit my head on anything... Then she rememberd.
The technique! That must be it! It re-adjusted her molecules, then put them back together again. She had only used the jutsu one other time, and only for a split second.
This must be the side effect. The book did say something about that..
Suddenly, the soft beeping that had been symbolizing her mother's beating heart went flat.
WOO!! Finally finished the first part of the prologue!!
btw, I have the pic of Sayuri and Miharu on my deviant art, Ericalw