Chapter One: Knowing His Begining
Horoto Hitogama, at first you wouldn't find anything wrong with him if you just read his name. Of course not. Back then that name sounded pretty much normal for a young boy.
Horoto lived in the Land of the Mist. A ninja village prized for its stealth and assassinations
Horoto was only four or five years old at the time. One day dangerous news rang through the village. Horoto was sitting at home in the main room of the house, on the floor reading a book. His brother was in the kitchen talking to his sister, who was washing dishes.
"Jen come on! You can possibly mean that!" Horoto's brother Rato practically screamed.
Jen sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh please…" Truthfully, Jen and Rato looked nothing alike. Jen has long blond hair and blue eyes, while Rato has black spiked hair and brown eyes.
"Don't 'Oh Please' me, Jen! I thought you were going to train at the Academy! But no! You had to drop out!" He declared his knuckles turning white from the tight fist he was making.
"I have different priorities now a days. He said continuing her chores.
"But no Hito has ever dropped out of the academy."
"Well now one has. Now if you would, please be quiet! You're going to upset Horoto!"
Rato started laughing. "Oh yes! The 'Oh so wonderful Chosen'. Whatever, I can't wait till he takes the graduation test. I hope he-"
"Hope I what brother?" the small boy with blond spiked hair and blue eyes asked as he walked into the kitchen, Jen and Rato were dressed pretty casually, unlike Horoto. Horoto was wearing all black, except for the front and back of his shirt. On the front is had a red X formation, and on the back it displayed the sign of the Hitogama family in red.
"…Nothing you little brat…" He said looking away, on the outside it might seem that he detests his little brother, after all, Rato was 13(Jen looks the same age), why did he have to look after a little brat. But deep down he truly did care for the little brat that was his brother.
Horoto looked up at Jen. "…Jenny…Where's father?"
"I think he's out on a mission. I'm truly not sure." She said kneeling down smiling at the little boy. Since they had no mother, Jen treated Horoto like one. Not wanting him to grow up with the few smaller years that he had without a motherly idol around.
Horoto smiled brightly. "Ok! Hey Jen--" He was cut off suddenly by a huge crash as the door burst open, their father rushing inside.
"Something amazings happened!" He yelled. Horoto
smiled when he saw his father, Seth, unlike Horoto and
Jen looked like Rato, with black hair and brown eyes.
"Father? What's the matter?" Rato asked looking at Seth weirdly.
"At the Academy…Someone…Someone took them all down!"
Horoto blinked a few times. "..Huh?"
"Father…What do you mean?" Jen asked taking Horoto in her arms, standing up.
"Someone…someone's taken down…all of the graduation students. All of them! Every single one. Were not sure who. But we know he's very very strong unlike we've ever seen…" Seth said slowly trying to explain it to them. "He's not even
qualified to graduate yet. He's too young! He went to the graduation test and killed every single one of the graduation test students!"
Jen and Rato just stared, but Horoto didn't seem to
be affected by the news. "You mean…A small boy…Took down every one?"
"Yes! That's what I said! The elders a discussing the matter now!" He looked at Horoto. "What do you think of this Horoto?"
Horoto blinked a few times and looked at Jen. "..Jenny? I'm hungry…"
Rato glared at him. "Father asked you a question!"
Jen smiled and nodded. "Alright then, lets get you a
snack." She said grabbing something from the cabinet,
then heading back into the main room where Horoto's
book was.
Rato stepped forward to go after them, but Seth
stopped him. "Don't, it's not worth it."
"What in the world do you mean it's not worth it! He
didn't even answer your question!" Rato said clenching
his teeth.
"Your right. He didn't. But it wasn't a dishonor." He
said calmly. "To Horoto this news means nothing. This village is all about fighting. When he hears that something like this has happened, it doesn't affect him one bit. That's just how he was raised."
Rato looked over at Jen and Horoto. "Jen doesn't like
how he was raised."
"Of course she doesn't. Were the only ones that know her secret. Horoto has no idea."
"Mother wouldn't approve of this. You know that." Rato said softly looking back at his father.
"I know. Trust me I know. She wouldn't approve of keeping the secret from Horoto. But we need to. We need to until the time is right. If Horoto knows that Jen…" He paused. "If he knows. He'll get too attached. He's already attached to her; she's the only friend he really has. That's one part we didn't want. But that's Jens fault. She can't help but try to keep Horoto safe. It's only natural."
Rato sighed. "I guess so. Were telling him in a few years, aren't we?"
"Yes, that's the plan." Seth said looking at his
daughter Jen. "Its hard for her…The villagers know.
They look so much alike. They're spreading rumors."
Seth said smiling as he continued. "But Jen wants to
keep it this way for as long as possible. If she can't
keep it a secret. Then we'll just have to tell Horoto.
It might be the best. But about Momochi Zabuza. I've
heard rumors that if we have that graduation test, a
lot of people might die."
"Really? Get rid of the test?" Rato said questioning.
"Yes get rid of both. It's the only true way to fix our problem."
"Oh come on there has to be another way. Horoto hasn't even taken the test. Jen even dropped out!"
"You do know why Jen dropped out don't you?"
"…For Horoto. It was for Horoto." Rato said looking
down. "But I don't understand!"
"Yes. For Horoto. Jen wants to stay home and watch
Horoto live and grow up. She didn't want to take the
test. Jen is a great Ninja, yes. But she doesn't like
to fight. She doesn't want Horoto to take the test
either. She wants both of them to live together, she
wants to live to when Horoto knows the secret about
his life. So just don't bug her about it alright Rato?
It's all going to work out fine. Just keep Horoto and
Jen around for the Academy. I think its best, it'll
keep them safe."
Rato smiled and nodded. "…I'll help protect them father. I promise."
Seth looked at him. "…You know our plans. Horoto is
too be the strongest Nin in the lands…He is to be
better then that boy Momochi. To be better then
everyone!"
Rato nodded once again. "…I understand."
Years later, the man who defeated all the graduation ninja's was banished from the village, and more hope of Horoto becoming the best in the village, even stronger then village leader seemed to come into view. Horoto was now 14, and his brother was 21, and Jen looked the same age. Horoto's power was rising to an amazing extent. Jen started to fear the power that Seth was trying to build in Horoto. She started to wonder if Horoto was going to go out of control.
"Jen we need to get rid of him!" Rato yelled glaring at her.
"No we don't…Father has turned him this way! I won't stand for it! Horoto is mine and I won't let father control him." Jen said looking down.
"Father already is controlling him Jen. There's nothing that we can do."
"There has to be a way. There has to be! I'm going to tell
Horoto the truth about all this!"
"No. You know fathers forbidden it!" Rato said grabbing her arm.
"Who cares what fathers said? Horoto is…" She suddenly stopped when Horoto walked into the house.
"Hey Jen, Rato." He smiled at them brightly and walked over to Jen. "I'm what?"
"Huh?" He blinked a few times and nodded untying his headband.
Rato didn't like this at all, he looked at Jen, then at Horoto. He had to do something to stop this. He just had to.
"Horoto. You know that our mother died right?" She
said softly.
"Well of course." He shrugged.
"…She isn't your mother" She said barely above a whisper.
"She's what?" He paused. "I don't understand. How can she not be my mother?"
"She isn't your mother. Because I-" Jen suddenly froze as Rato darted forward, channeling all his energy into his hand as he quickly punched right through Horoto's chest. Jen screamed and covered her mouth.
Horoto's eyes went wide as he looked down at the
bleeding wound on his chest. "R-Rato…" He said softly.
"Rato no!" Jen pushed him out of the way and quickly
caught Horoto as he was just about to fall. Tears
started to form as she tore off part of her sleeve and
held it on the wound. "...Horoto. Come on. Stop
bleeding. I'm your mother please don't die."
Horoto smiled slightly. "…Y-you're…my mother?" He asked softly, closing his eyes tightly every now and then.
Jen put on a fake smile and nodded. "Yes, I am."
Rato just stared, and then he looked around and quickly
got a cloth and handed it to Jen.
Horoto coughed a few times. "I…I wont die mother…" He whispered. "…I'm going to be ok…Just stay here ok…?"
Jen nodded, tears going down her face. "Yes. Yes I'll
stay here don't worry. I'll stay right here until you get better."
"H-Hey Jenny…?" He said silently. "…I…I had a feeling
all along that you were my mother…" He smiled."You...were...so kind like one ya know..?"
Jen chuckled, tears still coming. "Just get some rest ok?"
Horoto nodded and winced, slowly falling to sleep. Jen quickly glared at Rato.
"What the heck were you thinking!" She almost screamed, her tears drying up.
"I was thinking….I don't know! I didn't want father to find out what we had done! He doesn't want Horoto to know! I just did that on impulse!"
"On impulse! You almost killed him!" Her eyes were flaming, she couldn't possible believe this. They had kept this secret for so many years. And now Horoto might die only to keep that secret.
"So what! He's supposed to be an elite ninja and he couldn't even block that! Not like I care" He looked away carelessly. Slap. There was a huge red mark on Rato's face as Jen picked up Horoto and headed for her room. Rato's eyes were wide as he moved his hand over to the mark and he
looked down. "..Jen...I..."
Jen tore the sheets off her bed, and set towels down on it, setting Horoto down on them. She pulled off his shirt and set it down, quickly tending to the gaping wound on his chest, hoping to actually give him a chance.
"…Well…I don't have much choice now do I, other then to wait." She said softly to herself as she sat down on the edge of the bed and just sat there waiting.