The Future Hidden in the Past
- eyeSharingan
Prologue
The setting sun scorched down through crystal blue skies. It scattered past the evergreens, casting hefty shadows across the towering buildings housed in the vast village. Tracks cut through low hanging branches, paving a way for rattling trains filled to the brim with bustling crowds. The winding trails spiralled around faced mountains, circling down into the heart of the expanding village. The gentle hum of conversation draped over the lively streets, as the people within the village breathed life into the picturesque scenery. Audible shouts from the hard-working merchants and vendors stacked along the sides of each road added a rich texture to the unique tapestry woven around the base of a prominent red-roofed building.
Watching from up high in his humble office, the heavy-eyed Hokage soaked in the calm and peaceful scene. Under his mask, a small upwards curl of his lips formed. "Peace… finally… peace…" he hummed under his breath as he turned away from the breathtaking sight. Gently, he removed the crimson peaked ajirogasa from his head, holding it in his hand. His eyes fell on the desk directly in front of him, taking in the mountains of interwoven papers amassed atop it. A sigh escaped his lips, as he pushed the smallest bundle aside to rest his garment. Unfastening his horo, the lanky leader folded himself into his chair, flinging the item over the back of it.
Placing his elbows on the desktop, he pressed his hands against his tired face. He attempted to ebb away the aching headache brought on by his exhausted state, but it was futile. Rubbing his masked chin, he glanced at the contents of the swarm of papers strewn around him. Several pieces were stamped with angry red lettering telling him they were urgent. With an incredulous grunt, he leant back and ran his hands through his tousled silver mane. Stilling them at the crest of his neck, he took a few circular breaths, before slamming his hands upon the heavy oak. Grabbing a pen, he yanked at the nearest pile and began his monotonous work, stifling a yawn. In his mind, he couldn't help but wonder if this was all the excitement that a life of peace had to offer.
Unbeknownst to him, a few blocks down from the Hokage Office, an exhausted kunoichi was enacting the same scene. At the core of the hospital, crumpled behind a minuscule desk, in a minuscule office, a cherry blossomed head ducked low. The throbbing in her temple was growing more persistent, as she continued to pore over poorly written medical report after poorly written medical report. With knitted brow and a deep-set frown, she set her giant red marker to work. Resisting profanities, she professionally wrote constructive corrections.
As she placed a small-stapled stack and pen on her plastic desktop, she stifled a yawn that threatened to escape her lips. With her arms outstretched she clasped her hands together, pulling her shoulders forward to stretch her upper back. After some moments she rolled her shoulders back with her hands held above her head. Reveling in the stretch, she moved her head from side to side, glancing at the clock. "It's already 4:50 in the afternoon…" she softly whined. With a heavy sigh, she made to stand up but whacked her head on a floating shelf stacked with medical journals. "This office is too… freaking… small!" she raged, as she resisted the urge to pummel the entire space to dust. Rubbing the point of impact, she moved to gather her personal effects.
With one quick glance back at the bottomless paperwork stacked on her desk, she flicked the lights off and slammed the door behind her as she exited the space. In her mind, she couldn't help but wonder why living the reality of her teenage dreams left her feeling this hollow inside.
Notes: The first new publication from myself for a very long time. This is the opening set up for a much longer fic. that I have been working on. I hope to upload a few chapters within the coming week. Hope it entices you!
Disclaimer: The characters and setting represented in this tale are the intellectual property of Masashi Kishimoto, Studio Pierrot and Funimation Studios. They are represented in this tale for my own amusement and entertainment purposes.