Reposted the chapter with the help by Wynter Spite. Thank you for revising the chapter. The chapter is reedited as of 10/8/15.
Disclaimer: Naruto is not owned by me.
Deep in the forest of the Fire Country, a lone horse-drawn cart made its way through the barely-visible forest path. It was a late summer evening, and the birds were the only things in the forest awake and singing, the only other noise in the otherwise quiet forest. Even though it was late evening, the sun was beating down on the dirt pathway, casting a glare on the earth disrupted only by the overly large trees native to the Land of Fire, creating cool shady spots under the intense heat.
Holding the reins and controlling the horse was a young female. The first thing that was distinguishable about her was her white hair; the color was so pure white that one could mistake even the freshest powdery snow for being gray. The strands were smooth and straight with no particular style, and reached a little over her shoulders. Her bangs were parted at the side of her face. Some of her hair covered her forehead, but hung slightly over her eyes, like she was hiding behind them. Perched on her nose, behind her bangs, were a pair of glasses which had a tint to them to obscure one's ability to see her eyes clearly.
Apart from that, the rest of her clothing was ordinary. Light blue t-shirt and regular gray traveling pants that hung to her calves, covering her lightly tanned skin. On her feet, she wore a pair of white open-toed boots. Both her wrists and her ankles had what looked to be a wide, solid silver bracelet around them. The most flashy, eye-catching part of her person and the only other out of the ordinary, uniqueness to her besides her hair and hidden eyes.
She sat alone in the cart, directing the horse as if it were second nature. In the four-wheeled cart were crates, some tarp, and supplies for traveling. Pulling the whole thing was a large chestnut horse with a black mane. The only thing currently seated beside the girl was a large brown satchel. It was old and worn, showing signs of wear but obvious love.
So, what was on her mind, this child? Just tranquility. There wasn't much thought crossing her mind other than the occasional mental inquiry of what bird was chirping now or if that was one of the large predatory snakes that are known to roam the Fire Country. Especially closer to the Land of Fire's own Konohagakure no Sato.
She could see that the sky was clear with only a few clouds, predicting it was going to rain in a few days, judging by the faintest scent of water on the breeze, but the wind blowing in the air was refreshing; crisp, cool under the sunny sky. The gust of wind was able to pick up and scatter her hair, blowing back the smooth tendrils.
It was something one would have to experience, to be able to understand the feeling. It's refreshing when traveling. Just her, the trees, and the many animals that live there.
'Don't forget about me...' reminded a familiar voice in her head.
'How can I forget about you? You live inside of me,' she mentally replied back with a ghost of a smile.
'Humph! I'm making sure you know I'm still here,' said the voice, sounding a bit indignant.
The white-haired girl cracked the faintest of smiles and mentally rolled her eyes at the female voice in her head, knowing the other wouldn't care that she did.
'We can do more than cart across this stupid forest to the next village. It would be easier and faster, since we are carrying the stupid merchant bag and stuff,' the female voice said, whining in the back of the cart handler's skull.
'No, we are not doing that. It will be an overnight rest and then we will hit the main path to the village gate by early noon, if I wake up early. They can have shinobi check the last village we went to if they suspect something. The last thing we need is to make up a story of how a "normal" person is able to travel so quickly, despite cutting across a forest,' she calmly explained to the voice. The ghostly-haired girl could mentally see the one talking in the back of her head pouting, but she knew the other female agreed with her.
Sighing and focusing on the path ahead, she continued on through the forest.
A few hours later, after her "guest" had stopped complaining, she stopped at the tree-line that broke out towards a large clearing with an open stream, just as planned.
The girl stopped the cart and got off. Walking to the front, she unsecured the equipment on the horse.
"Thank you for your help, Ayumi. You can go home today. I hope it wasn't any trouble for you." A pause, then she reached out and gently ran her fingers across the muzzle of the powerful animal before her.
The horse moved her jaw and a woman's voice came out. "No trouble at all. That was a pleasant stroll. I do love to travel in the mortal realm. Will you need me again?"
The child nodded her head.
"Alright, see you tomorrow, then. Have a pleasant afternoon." With that, the horse vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving no trace that she was there just moments before.
After packing the harness and equipment in the back of the cart, the girl walked back into the tree-line. She quickly went around, gathering firewood. It didn't take long to gather all that was needed. Back at the campsite and away from the forest edge, not wanting it to catch on fire, she piled the wood in a neat tent shape to hold the flame.
After picking herself up, she looked at her handy-work with pride. Then she raised her right hand, with her empty palm facing out. Out of nowhere, a small ball of fire appeared in the center of her hand. It didn't burn or hurt her, it just felt warm as it flickered brightly. Since it was still early, the traveler decided to play around with the little ball of heat.
First changing its size from a rubber ball to a cannon and back. After that, she messed around with the color from flaming red to purple, blue, and even pink. Then, the girl made it multiply into small spheres of flame with each a different color, and juggled them around. Flying in the air in swift, smooth movements, she created a figure-eight midair. A small, childish smile crossed her face despite her age.
'Show off,' the voice in her mind spoke again after her previous prolonged silence.
Not flustered by the sudden echo, the main body said, 'Oh, you've finally returned. And just so you know, I'm not showing off.'
She heard a chuckle in her head. 'Yes you are. Anyway, it makes no difference. Too bad we can't show it to others.' She needn't say anything more. The white-haired girl knew very well why such things couldn't be shared.
The girl went to playfully glare at her counterpart. However, she knew the voice was right. It was simply revenge for the earlier remark.
Quickly extinguishing and putting a halt to the little show, all apart from one ball, she made sure it was the correct color before skillfully tossing it to the firewood tent, not wanting a pink fire burning. Although, she couldn't deny it to herself that it would have been cool to see.
After feeding it plenty of wood, the girl walked closer to the shore line. Reaching into her personal weapon pouch, she crouched down silently and waited. It didn't take long for the first few unlucky fishes to jump out of the water. Aiming three kunai, each at a separate large fish, she reeled in the attached wire, catching the fish midair.
The child quickly cleaned them and let them cook by the fire. Walking back to the cart and looking through it, she pulled out some fresh seasoning and a plate for the meal. After they were finally cooked and seasoned, the girl went and sat under the tree with three perfectly cooked fish on her lap in the plate.
"Itadakimasu," she said politely before eating the fishes, leaving one aside. "Gochisōsama-deshita."
'That was good.' She happily thought. She rubbed her full belly, happy at how good her meal had turned out.
'Why can't I have a bite?' The voice returned.
"Do I have to answer that question?" The girl asked. The voice grumbled at the question. "And stop reading my mind; you have your own separate area to go to."
'But it's fun to read your mind, despite sometimes being as boring as watching paint dry.' The girl made a displeased noise at the comment. 'So can I eat too, sis?' the voice pleaded.
The girl didn't answer the question, instead closing her eyes. A few moments later, the girl reopened her eyes, but something was off. Something about her had changed ever so slightly. And suddenly she smiled. "Itadakimasu." Then she finished off the last fish.
"Gochisōsama-deshita. That was delicious! Thanks for letting me out, Hikari."
'You're welcome, Daaku. Now let's switch back and you can wait while I clean up.'
"Fine, fine. Just be quick about it," Daaku whined impatiently, the corners of her lips turning downward. She closed her eyes and switched with her counterpart. Standing up and stretching a bit, Hikari mentally envisioned Daaku retreating back, waiting for her to come join her sister inside their mind.
Hikari and Daaku were two minds in one body. They used to have two separate bodies, but something happened and Daaku now lived with her sister in her body, for now. It hurt Hikari's head, thinking about the circumstances that lead to their new living arrangements, but ultimately it was something that they could work with. Despite the few issues that popped up every once in a while.
Hikari gingerly picked herself up. Switching minds is taxing on the body since it has to adjust to two different people going back and forth. It doesn't happen all the time, but it's annoying to have to deal with on the off chance that it happens. One switch back and forth is fine, but doing it multiple times wears the body down quickly.
Wanting to quickly join her sister, Hikari washed the plate and doused the fire completely. After repacking her plate and cleaning the site of any sign that someone had camped there, she camouflaged the cart with some forest underbrush and branches, but not before taking her satchel and some ropes. Walking further into the tree-line and stopping by a sturdy tree not far from the shore, Hikari jumped up high along the sturdy trunk and gracefully landed on a branch without making a sound. She tied the satchel securely and made sure it wouldn't be knocked down by the wind or any wild animals that ran across it.
Leaping to a tree limb across from it, Hikari made herself comfortable, since she didn't know how long she would be away.
She turned her head to look down at what other people consider a dizzying height. Not even the slightest hint of fear was shown at the prospect of falling at the insane height she was sitting at. After checking the surrounding area for any human presence, Hikari closed her eyes and dove into her own subconscious.
Hikari was inside her mind. Stepping onto the floor, she wore her clothing from the real world but her glasses were no more, revealing bright purple eyes.
Using this method was useful for a lot of things. As of the moment, she was in the neutral area of the mind that connected her sister's half to hers.
The room was large, with black and white checkered tiled floor. A couple of pillars were scattered about, reaching to the dark void of a ceiling, nothing hinting at how tall they were. There was no indication as to whether there was even an ending or if there was only a beginning to this mindscape. That it extended upward into oblivion. Or infinity.
There were two doors on either side of the room. One of the doors was completely black, metal doorframe included. The metal shaped the archway in elegant but sharp shapes that made the door more ingenious and dangerous. The other door was made of white ivory, while the doorframe was marble. Intertwined with the archway were vines with roses in multiple colors that, in reality, didn't grow.
The middle of the 'limbo room', as they called it, Hikari saw a wooden table and two chairs. Sitting in one of the chairs was her sister, Daaku.
Daaku's physical appearance mirrored Hikari, as they were near-identical twins of sorts. Daaku had long, midnight black hair that was pulled back into a high ponytail style. Her t-shirt was black with red flames, and below that were a pair of simple blue pants. Like her sister, Daaku wore wide, solid metal bracelets, but they were gold instead of shiny silver. Unlike Hikari, she didn't wear any fake glasses. Her eyes were a bright yellow that held some sort of spark that sent chills down any normal, sane person's spine.
Daaku lazily waved a hand to the empty chair across from her, indicating that Hikari might seat herself. Hikari went and sat down at the opposite side of the table, facing her sister.
Daaku had a bored expression plastered on her face. "Finally, you've come." She sighed. "I wondered if I would have to get your attention again." She had a mischievous glint in her eyes at the possible prospect.
Hikari remembered the last time and blushed. Daaku's look turned irritated. "You're so innocent! How we are related is a mystery..."
Hikari forced a small cough and focused on trying to get the attention of her twin back to the reason they were there. She raised her arm and reached out for the scroll that appeared out of thin air. Daaku thought it would be a great time to make a gavel appear and shout, "Hear ye! Hear ye! The official meeting between Kami of Heaven and Hell is now in session! Let the mortals tremble in fear of what we are planning!" Daaku banged the gavel a few more times before making it disappear. Hikari giggled at her sister's antics.
To describe them as gods or 'Kami' in that dimension was slightly inaccurate. They did live for so long as to be considered like one, but they couldn't be called Kami.
Hikari commanded the Heavens while Daaku controlled Hell. Even better wording would be that it was like they were assistants or guides that helped in the deciding and governing of the realms. They were powerful, in retrospect, since they dealt with many of the residents on both realms and earth.
So, why were they there? Once in a while, both sisters thought to understand the humans better, and they had to live among them to do so. And so, after picking a dimension to start in, they tried to survive the world they had chosen.
After a few centuries of creating a sturdy container - a functioning human body – and the difficulty of living as 'normal' humans, they saw more than most mortals could. The divine beings had felt, lived, 'died', made friends, and walked alongside humanity. Their two sets of eyes had seen many of the great and horrible things brought on by humans.
After the crossing to that universe land, two beings of high status sat at the opposite sides of the table. With their next destination, they could change the course of history around them.
Spreading the scroll across the table, both girls could see the whole map on it. Hikari touched Fire Country land and the map zoomed in. Now it displayed the villages and landmass that covered the whole place.
"So we are here." She pointed out the place they were camping – well, the tree, really - beside a body of water.
"As I said earlier, if we continue to travel the path we are on, a dirt path should go directly to the village gate...here." She directed her finger to the location in question. The village was labeled as Konohagakure.
Daaku didn't look like she cared, but her eyes hardened at the location. "Is that the next one?" she asked leisurely, despite the slight shift in her eyes.
Hikari nodded her head, "Yes. I don't know how long we will be there this time, but that is where most of the problems will manifest, start, and be most destructive. It'll bring lots of people to it, both good and bad."
Daaku sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose. She really didn't like the situation, and the main problem was that they only had one working body. They did a two-person recon when staying in one location. Since they could attract different people, they got a lot more perspective of the village. They didn't have a gender, so roles could be switched, depending on the situation.
Now with only one body, it would be harder. She hated to be a burden, and it was her fault in the first place that they had been put into this situation. Daaku was thankful that Hikari found a way for her to stay in the mortal realm, and that she didn't have to wait in her realm for her 'body' to be repaired first. Daaku brooded when she thought of herself getting her hands on the person responsible for their situation. She had a 'special' gift ready to show him in Hell.
Breaking out of her plotting thoughts, Daaku asked, "What's the plan? Infiltration, or stay underground?"
Hikari answered with some worry. "There are no plans yet. It's better if we start by being a merchant seller/traveler for now. We can't draw too much attention to ourselves. I'm going to research the village when we have a stable story. It's been a few years since the last time we officially stayed there."
Daaku nodded. "That's true. It has been a few years." Then she got an idea. "Hey, let's become a shinobi this time! It would be easier to help in the direct line of fire and information." She grinned brightly at the idea, watching her sister's face closely for signs of disapproval.
Hikari rolled the idea around in her head. "True, we can do that." A pause, then: "But in the position we are in now, it will be hard. No previous family history, since we agreed to be 'orphans', and new rules have been created for recruiting young ninjas from the last war. So until we get a solid notion of what to do next, we need to think of a way to get inside." She scrunched up her forehead. "Although… Thanks for mentioning shinobi. I need to check on the body's chakra when I return."
Daaku pouted that the idea somewhat failed, not wanting to acknowledge that Hikari was right.
"Fine!" Daaku raised herself sharply from her seat, frustrated. "Now, will you excuse me? I really need to check if anyone needs my help. Some lazy bum of a demon let lose some souls and they are investigating the situation. I'm going to have an appropriate punishment ready." She was grinning evilly, training her eyes on Hikari. She jabbed her finger at her. "You need to tend to your reports, too. Hope the plushy heavenly beings of all-things-good don't choke on their halos. See you later, Sis." Rising from her chair, she moved to the black door and stepped inside, firmly shutting it behind her.
Silence was heavy in the air. Hikari didn't mind that her sister had walked away, knowing that she was thinking about the area where they would be staying. This time, it wouldn't be a quick stop and go. They would be living there for an unknown length of time.
She knew that Daaku had not forgotten the promise that she had made to a certain resident who had previously resided there. Other situations also needed to be dealt with, so as to make sure this world didn't crumble irreversibly. Crazy scientists, plots behind peoples' backs, and unsuspecting danger lurking in the shadows were a few things that, if not prepared for, would determine the fate of the future.
On another note, she felt a bit of pity for the demon that Daaku was thinking of punishing. Daaku didn't like the notion of a dangerous soul returning to the living world to reap trouble.
Thoughts of cleaning up in her mind, Hikari mentally cleared the table, map, and chairs - after she got off of her own seat, of course. Having that mind palace was pretty useful. Both girls could be there for hours and the real world would tick slowly by until they thought of returning.
Walking to her door and getting ready to finish her important duties before going back to reality, Hikari knew that there was going to be a long night of crucial 'godly responsibilities' to finish. With all the long hours there, then dealing with reality, it was a wonder how they managed to do it while others would go insane. Hikari gently grabbed the doorknob and pushed, letting herself inside the compound of her own mind. It was going to be a long night, followed by an even longer day.
AN: Hi! Thank you for reading! Here are some information I thought to put here at the end:
1) Ayumi translated as "Walk". Like to thank Watermelonsmellinfellon for the name.
2) I know that Itadakimasu is said before eating meaning "Time to Eat", and Gochisōsama-deshita is "Thank you for the meal". Don't know its correct but that all I can say about it. Sorry if I'm wrong.
Hope you like the story so far, write a review if you can so I know what you think of it so far.
