Chapter 1
Sometimes, I wish I could just disappear into the wind like smoke. She thinks to herself. She sits in a tree, looking down at an almost lifeless body that's bruised and smashed up from their fight. Slowly, she exhales smoke from her lungs and puts out her cigarette on the tree branch next to her. She jumps down with grace, feet barely missing the poor man's face. Crouching down, she turns his face towards her.
He takes a shallow breath, "Who….are you?" The man stares into her pure gray eyes, hoping to receive the answer to his final question.
Face unflinching, she opens her mouth to grant his last wish. "I am Kaya." She places her hand on his chest, above the heart. "Goodbye." He gasps in pain as he feels his life slipping into her fingertips. Her hand glows bright silver as lines escape from his chest and onto her skin. She closes her eyes as pain starts running up her arm and through-out her body. After just a few seconds, he exhales the last of air that was in him, and lies limp.
Kaya rises and dusts off her pants. "I guess it's time to see what this one looks like." She unbuttons her shirt to reveal a multitude of black marks all over her body, appearing to be tattoos. A tiger lies above her heart, still red from just appearing. She re-buttons her shirt and starts walking back down the path towards a village.
"I really hate it when people get in my way."
Walking down the path, she remains thoughtless, her black boots silent against the dirt path. She takes a deep breath, "This is what I have to do." She looks down at her feet, "What I'm meant to do." Suddenly she stops, her head snapping up. "Show yourself!"
The forest remains still for a couple seconds, then out from behind a tree, a figure in a black cloak with red clouds appears onto the path. "I've been watching you, Kaya." He stands to face her, "Join the Akatsuki."
Kaya stands staring at the hunched figure before her, eyes narrowed.
"Don't keep me waiting for an answer."
"I have no answer for the likes of you. Now if you'd please, step out of my way." Kaya spoke assertively, but still he stood in front of her.
"I am Sasori, one of the many members of the Akatsuki. We need you as a weapon. Come with me and see. You'd be treated better than the Leaf ever treated you."
"I am not a weapon!" She clenched her fists. "I am nothing to you or to anyone else! Step out of my way or I will move you myself!" Kaya stares down the one named Sasori. In her mind, she's wishing she doesn't have to move him.
Sasori stands his ground. "I hate to be kept waiting."
Kaya takes a deep breath and stands up straight. "I see." She disappears. Sasori's eyes go wide, he looks to see where she had gone. "Then you die." She takes a tonto made of chakra and send it through his back and out through his heart. He gasps with pain and amazement.
"How….did you know?" His breaths get more and more shallow with every passing second. Kaya presses her lips against his ear, making sure that he hears her.
"I told you I'm not a weapon." She sinks the glowing blade deeper. "I'm just better." A tear rolls down her cheek, concealed from Sasori. "Better than you can ever be. Goodbye." She then pushes chakra through the blade to make it expand and kill Sasori in an instant. She lets his body fall to the ground, Hiruko breaking off from his body.
Kaya stands on the path with her head down, tears falling from her face, wetting the ground below her. "I really hate it when people get in my way."
He awakens with a gasp. A boy around the age of 16 sits up in bed, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Red marks lead down his face, he places his head in his palms, knowing he has to get up and set out on missions.
He gets dressed in his black jacket and pants, and heads towards the kitchen to grab a bite to eat and wish his mother and sister a safe journey on their missions. A loud bark echoes through the house and heavy foot falls shake the floor.
"Akamaru! Good morning!" The large white dog jumps on top of the boy and licks his face. The boy giggles, "Yes, yes I know. Let's grab food and see what lousy D-Rank missions we have today." The dog named Akamaru barks with agreement.
"Why good morning, Kiba! Sleep well?" A woman with similar red marks along her cheeks asks the boy in black.
"I guess you can say that. Akamaru is starting to snore more than usual." Kiba states while looking down towards Akamaru. The dog snickers and continues to his food. "How about you, Mom?" Kiba picks up an apple and peels it with a Kunai.
"Well I slept. As much as I can say." She giggles and smiles, fangs showing like the rest of the family. A few minutes pass as Kiba cuts his apple and eats it. "Kiba," his mother starts, hesitating. "There's something I need to tell you." Kiba stops mid-bite and puts down his apple. Akamaru raises his head in worry.
"Don't tell me someone's hurt."
"Oh no, no, no! Nothing like that! Sorry, should have said that differently." She smirks, but it quickly fades. "Do you remember a girl from the Academy? She graduated with you."
Kiba looks confused at this question. "Well of course, there were a lot of girls there."
She sits down at the table with Kiba and looks at him in the eye. "A different girl." She takes a few breaths before continuing. "Kaya." Kiba stops breathing and gawks at his mother.
"Please don't speak of her. You know why."
"I know, I'm sorry for bringing her up. But I need to let you know-"
"No!" Kiba slams his fists against the table and stands up. "There is nothing you can say that'll make it any better! She's never coming back! Just leave her be!"
She stands up and yells over the boy. "She's alive!" Kiba stops. His eyes go wide.
"You lie." He stands breathless.
She walks over to Kiba and puts a hand on his shoulder. "No. They found an Akatsuki member dead on the path heading out of the land of fire. Her chakra was read there. He was killed by her ability."
Slowly, Kiba shakes his head. "No. It could have been someone else's. She's not the only one-"
"Yes Kiba. It was hers. I know what this means to you. That's why I told you before Lady Hokage did. She wants to speak with you." She grabs his face and looks at him deeply. "About her. She wants to bring her back."
Kiba gasps. "Bring her back? Here? To the village?"
"Yes." She speaks softly. "She belongs here. She's still a Leaf Village ninja. She needs to come home."
"No. She's not the person to take orders. She won't come back just because the Hokage says she has to." Kiba keeps shaking his head slowly. His mother can't see it, but all the old emotions he had for her came flowing back into him. Knowing the girl that he once loved never did die takes him to the edge of crying. But he stays strong and holds in his emotions.
"I know that, Kiba. But you need to go talk to Lady Hokage. She has a mission for you and wants to know more about Kaya. Okay?" She rubs his back. "Will you be okay?" He stands still for a few moments, gathering all of what just happened in the past few minutes, soaking it all up and letting it set into his mind. "Kiba?" His mother asks with a worried face.
Kiba snaps back to reality. "I'll be fine! It's not like she matters to me or anything. I thought she was dead for the past 3 years. Nothing's changed but that she's alive. I'm fine, Mom. Don't worry. I'll go talk to Lady Hokage and set out on missions." He grabs his pouch and straps it on. "Akamaru, let's get going." The large dog barks and follows Kiba out the door.
As the boy walks through the town of the Village hidden in the Leaves, he hears laughter all around him, but it sounds so distant. Memories of him and Kaya fill his brain as he walks slowly. Akamaru confused since Kiba usually rides on the dog's back like a horse. Kiba's toes dragging along the ground with each step. She didn't die...we were all so sure that she was gone...How did she live? He thought to himself.
Kiba stops by the park and sits under a tree, Akamaru lying down next to him. "Hey, Akamaru," The dog lifts his head and perks up his brown ears, "You remember Kaya, right?" Akamaru yelps in surprise, letting Kiba know he does remember the girl. "Yeah, she loved you. Always petting you and sneaking you jerky." Akamaru smirks and licks his lips with the memory. Kiba laughs, enjoying the memory other than cringing. Kiba rests his hand on Akamaru's head. "It looks like she's still around. Hopefully she'll come home, soon." He looks down, confusion over his face. "But...where has she been these past three years? She's been training. But," He gazes up at the clouds as if to ask the sky and the gods, "Where has she been training. And who with?"