Chapter 1
White.
A white blanket stretched for miles, endlessly covering the earth. It was all you could see until there, in the distance, you could barely make out a breach in which trees had taken form, disrupting the monotonous white of the un-pigmented prison.
Vague footsteps trailed behind me, however you could notice them due to an unfamiliar color that had been invading each print.
Red.
A color so unfamiliar until I look down at the fingertips that had become so unrecognizable. If innocence used to lie here, then why is this god-forsaken pigment taking occupancy?
I try to remove it, using this white blanket to my advantage. However the grotesque color only spread, it was contagious. My heart feels like its racing, my vision in a daze. My feet begin to wander, picking up pace as panic takes hold of what I believed to be my body.
A frozen pond lay ahead in the breach that I had come upon. I look in the reflection, only to see a girl covered in the hateful color of none other than red. Her ebony hair fall in front of her once pale skin; covering her sun-kissed, golden eyes. Who is this unfamiliar figure? Didn't she have a name….?
My mind raced through my memory; however it was all misconfigured, like a blur. I know the name, but whenever it reaches my tongue my mind goes blank. As if the name never existed. Frustrated with myself, I continue moving until I see a house in the forest. It was an average home, made of wood structures, topped off by a slanted roof. As I head towards the fusuma, in my heart I felt a sense of déjà vu. Something so familiar, almost as if this was a home…maybe that girl's home?
I continued on and slid open the door, only to be filled with a sense of trepidation. My heart slammed consistently into my chest, goose bumps raided my whole body as it became paralyzed. My lungs felt as if they were replaced with dead weights, my jaw locked in place while my eyes widened into a shape so abnormal, it was almost inhuman. I looked straight ahead to see a man on the floor, whom looked vaguely like the girl, with a katana plunged into him. The sword had created an opening in his stomach, allowing his entrails to protrude from his body. Next to him lay twins, a boy and a girl, whom were pale with their necks in misshaped, awkward positions, as if they had been snapped. They also resembled the girl from earlier. I then realized the man had been covered in the same exact color on my own hands. That dreadful color that created a great deal of panic and anxiety in my chest; it was as if my mind couldn't grasp it. The weights lifted out of my lungs, and I screamed in terror to the point where I felt as if I could have exploded into oblivion.
"Wake up! It's just a nightmare. Wake up nee-chan!"
I felt a small pair of hands shaking me. The room of the wooden home was soon replaced with my own room. My throat was dry, for I realize I had been screaming. I look up at the woman in front of me, only to recognize her as my own younger sister.
"I'm sorry Akiko. I didn't mean to wake you again." I frowned as I saw I really had awakened her. Her eyes were still swollen from lack of sleep as per usual. I often had nightmares of a past I barely remember.
"Don't worry about it," she said, always smiling, "That's what family is for. I will always care for you." Her smile always managed to brighten even my darkest moments. She's the only family I have left, and I appreciate her for everything she's done for me. I often envied her beauty, for it was even beyond my own comprehension. Her hair was short, and a beautiful, deep auburn red that put even the most crimson of roses to shame. Her eyes were a vibrant azure with hints of gold in them. Of course, her cheekbones were perked and perfect, complimenting her tall, slim figure. Indeed, my own younger sister stands taller than I ever could dream to be. Though, being small did have its perks.
"You can go back to bed Akiko. I'll be fine; I can just read or something."
"You know, those Make-Out Paradise books will be the un-doing of you. No wonder you have nightmares!" She says in retaliation to my statement. Her laughter mocked me. So what? I had a bad habit of liking suggestive books.
"Ha ha, very funny. Don't judge what you haven't explored!"
"I think I'll pass, but seriously, try to get some sleep. It worries me when you train until you're exhausted. Wouldn't want to take you to the hospital again." She left to her room, attempting to finish her sleep.
I often felt bad; she always would wake in the middle of the night to me screaming. She's only sixteen, and she's taking care of me when she can't even take care of herself. I hate myself for all the trouble I cause her. She's a jovial, lighthearted spirit, always smiling, never upset for more than a minute. She often finds herself letting troubles go, and putting people before her own needs. Not to mention, a promising medical ninja in the making, like she's always dreamed of becoming. Lately my problems have been affecting her, causing her lack of sleep and tension. Yet I still find her always smiling, no matter how bad the situations become. I always wanted to make it up to her, but how could I? She's the reason I'm even sane, and with her lack of sleep paired with her masked frustration with me, I feel I'm bringing her down with me into a never ending life of insanity. Half the time I can't even tell if this is fidelity, or if my dreams are taking precedence. I tend to find myself inflicting pain on my body to make sure I'm not abstracted, to make sure I am in reality. Maybe I am delusional, or just suffering. I could never tell; however I long to break my sister free of me.
As morning approached I had been summoned by the Hokage, Tsunade, for my reassignment. I was an Anbu assassin for years, now being thrown back into humanity, because I overstayed my welcome. I was one of the Leaf village's top assassins, because I was good at what I did. Killing people before they even noticed was what I did best, and I was humane enough to make it quick and painless. However my taijutsu wasn't exactly the best, so when things got up close, improvising and intellect were all I could rely on. However, I am glad to be free of the Anbu, for I longed to be with my sister. She had been staying with Kurenai while I had been away for ten years. Now that I'm back though, I feel I only cause her trouble. It's a complicated situation, maybe I just need therapy?
"Come in, Fuyami." Tsunade beckoned me, stern as ever. She was strong, powerful women, as well as a legendary sannin. I would never, EVER want to be on her bad side.
"Hai, Hokage-sama." I replied respectfully and entered the room.
"How is your sister, Fuyami Akiko is it?"
"She is well, though tired. I seem to cause her some trouble with her sleeping patterns, haha." I sighed into my laughter. This just got depressing. Her eyes seemed to be examining my very soul.
"I see, well I hope that changes. You two get along well, do you not?"
"We do, I mean sometimes we get irritated of each other, but overall we are happy together at home."
"I see." She answered plainly, what could she be thinking? She seems to be off topic, maybe she's trying to keep tabs on me considering my record?
"My lady, I don't mean to be blunt. I am curious, and anxious to know if you are indefinitely reassigning me?" My anxiety started to increase as I awaited my answer.
"You are indeed. You are of Jonin-level, however I'd like you to get into the swing of things. Being in the Anbu so long tends to cause some social interaction complications. I think it'd be best if you join team Kakashi, along with Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura. At the moment they're just preforming repairs from the war, so it may be slow paced enough for you to get the gist of things."
"I suppose." A feeling of relief came about me. Now that the war is over, there is a lot of work to be done around the village. The ten-tails jinchūriki has disappeared, and Madara had finally been suppressed. However, with the ten-tails missing, could we really be at peace?
"If there are no objections, you can be dismissed. They should be awaiting you now at the training grounds. I wish you good luck."
"Thank you for the opportunity and freedom, have a nice day Hokage-sama." I bowed respectfully and took my leave. I wonder if I'll even get along with this new group. I mean, other than Kakashi, these kids are of my sister's age and her friends. Not to mention, I happen to be an awkward, twenty-one year old, ex-Anbu assassin. What good could come of this new team I'm joining? I just know this is definitely going to go wrong.