Aaron lived in the Village Hidden Among Snow. He was twelve years old, and fairly unusual to the people of his village. He had a thin yet physically fit body which played to his advantages in matters of speed and agility. Aaron was a little over five feet tall and had short brown hair that always stuck up in weird places which he never bothered to comb and he had yellow eyes, an unusual combination for someone of his village. To make matters worse, Aaron could not channel chakra. This alone made Aaron an outcast to his village, not being able to use chakra was considered an unforgiveable flaw, and Aaron was constantly ridiculed for it by his peers, mentors, and at times, his parents.
While Aaron could not use chakra, he had impressive mastery with swords and knives. Aaron could always be seen challenging someone to a fight in his village. While they used chakra based jutsus, Aaron used his sword as well as kunai; Aaron usually won his fights, but he still could not earn respect from those of his village. His village would not even allow him to wear the headband that symbolized his devotion to the village as a ninja.
Aaron was currently in the village square fighting a group of boys who had been picking on Aaron earlier that day. "Icy Wind Jutsu!" They all shouted making hand signs and releasing a gust of hail at Aaron who deflected the hail with his sword, a katana that he had found in the snow as a child. Aaron flung a constant barrage of kunai at them which they used their jutsus to deflect. Aaron then began slashing at them rapidly with his sword while they continued manipulating their chakra to summon animals made of ice that Aaron carved to pieces with his sword. Aaron kept attacking them and defending against their attacks until they collapsed from exhausting their chakra. Aaron used their moment of weakness to his advantage as he barraged them with kunai and then pinned them to the ground holding his sword to one of their necks. "Forfeit?" Aaron asked holding the blade to one of their necks and staring at him menacingly.
"Fine, you win. Guys, let's leave this loser before his reputation rubs off on us." He said walking away with his friends.
Aaron stowed his sword in the holder on his back and sighed as he walked off only to be confronted by a woman who appeared to be a messenger. "Aaron, you have been requested to appear before the village leader." Aaron groaned; whenever the leader wanted to see him it was never good.
Aaron walked to the leader's office and stood at the door glaring at the older gentleman sitting at a desk. "You wanted to see me?" Aaron asked irritated and glaring at him.
"Take a seat." He said motioning to a chair. Aaron ignored him and continued to stand as he began speaking. "You are a fine fighter Aaron, but because you can not channel chakra, you are an outsider to this village and not fit to be a ninja,"
"Get to the point." Aaron said irritated by the words this man had said to him countless times before.
"The people of this village want you to leave. They think that you are a nuisance and a threat to the image and traditions of this village. Your parents have also agreed to this." He said holding up a document with his family's crest on it.
"How long do I have?" Aaron asked coldly.
"I have allotted you two weeks to get your affairs in order." He said.
"I'll prove to you that I'm worthy to be a ninja of this village by then." Aaron said as he bowed and walked out of the room. Aaron walked to the library of his village and went to the village history section as he began looking through the scrolls for something that would let him stay in the village.
Aaron looked through the scrolls and the same thing came up constantly. They all referenced a mountain range in which legendary ninja of the village had all gone to forge weapons and armor of pure perfection. The flames of the forge were legendary and said to be made of ice so cold that it burned; only those who were deemed worthy by the spirits of the mountain would be granted the ability to use the forge's great power, and weapons could only be forged under a full moon.
Aaron decided that going to the forge would be his best chance of being accepted by the people of his village. He obtained a map of the mountain range as well as a detailed copy of the legend. Aaron packed his bags and dressed in a fur cloak as he stowed his sword on his back and began making the trek up the mountain. Aaron's parents didn't really care when he told them when he was leaving on a journey up the mountain; they thought that it meant that he was leaving early. A few people heard of Aaron's journey; they told him that he was unworthy to climb the mountain and was a bigger disgrace to himself and the village for deciding to climb it. Others just thought that he would not make it and would die from extreme cold or something.
Aaron decided to start climbing immediately after he gathered his supplies. Aaron walked to the base of the mountain and saw two large paths. He opened the scroll and read one of the riddles written at the bottom. "At the base of the mountain, anyone can climb the two paths, but the third is a bit harder."
Aaron read the riddle over and looked at the snow covered paths; in the middle there was a large glacier making sure that you chose a path. Aaron saw the snow covering on the first two paths and walked over to the glacier. He brushed off a bit of the snow and saw the mark of his village carved in to the glacier. Aaron took off one of his gloves and touched the mark. The mark glowed red, and Aaron watched as the ice melted away revealing a tunnel that had old looking stone stairs going downward. Aaron walked down the stairs and watched the glacier seal behind him. Once the glacier closed, several torches magically ignited illuminating Aaron's path. Aaron walked down the stairs which seemed to be endless until he reached a stone wall. Aaron put his hand to it and tried pushing it, but nothing happened.
Aaron looked around the small cavern and saw an intricately carved pedestal. There was writing carved in to it, but it was tarnished and fairly hard to read, but Aaron was able to make it out.
Lay down the items which cause harm, violence, and war. A true ninja needs not these items.
Aaron read it again to make sure that he was not making any mistakes. Reluctantly, he removed his shoulder strap as well as his kunai and set them on a pedestal. The writing on the pedestal glowed blue and Aaron's weapon's followed suit; they then turned to snow and covered the stone wall which turned to ice and shattered. Aaron walked down another hallway illuminated by torches.
The whole time Aaron felt like someone was watching him, but he paid no attention to it as he continued moving. He saw a skeleton nearby, probably someone who failed in their journey to the top. Aaron looked at the remains and saw the headband of The Village Hidden Among Snow lying there. Aaron picked it up and tied it around his left wrist. "I won't disappoint my village." Aaron said as he finished making the headband in to a wrist guard.
Aaron approached the next room where the floor was covered in ice. Aaron took a step and a kunai made of ice was shot at him; Aaron quickly jumped back. He opened his pack and pulled out the scroll with the legend written on it.
A ninja is graceful, agile, and fast. Prove your heritage.
The scroll's message was pretty straightforward. Aaron dashed on to the ice performing various flips and jumps as he dodged the spikes and kunai that appeared out of nowhere. He used the ice to pick up speed as he ran by. When he finally made it across, Aaron looked at himself and saw a kunai lodged in his shoulder. Aaron pulled it out quickly and winced in pain as he felt the cold sting of the kunai. Aaron tore up part of his cloak and wrapped it around the wound; Aaron took the remaining part of his cloak and wrapped himself in it as he decided to rest before continuing onward.
When Aaron woke up he read the next part of the scroll.
The forge is near, but you must obtain the ore with which to forge what you desire.
"How do I obtain the ore though?" Aaron asked himself as he closed the scroll in frustration. Aaron walked forward and up some stairs which were the most that he had ever seen. At the top, Aaron could see light. As he got closer though, the light turned to dark clouds bombarding down a mix of snow and hail.
"I need to keep going. I'm going to get that ore and go to the forge." Aaron said to himself as he pulled his cloak tightly around him and pulled the hood up. Aaron trudged slowly through the snow; the combination of the high altitude and the weather made it hard for Aaron to move. Aaron looked over the edge of the cliff and knew that he could not make any mistakes up there. Aaron continued moving still feeling the presence he felt before of someone watching him.
Aaron ignored the feeling as he continued moving upward. Aaron saw something hanging from the edge of one of the cliffs. He ran over as fast as he could and looked over to see a snow leopard-like creature dangling by its claws which were barely clutching the rock. Aaron didn't hesitate as he grabbed the creature's paw and lifted it back up on to the cliff. The creature looked exhausted, and Aaron saw a cave nearby, so he used the last of his strength to drag the creature back to the cave. Aaron leaned against the cave wall trying to catch his breath. He then rummaged through his bag and pulled out a small white package that he started unwrapping; it was some dried fish and the last of the food rations that Aaron had packed with him. Aaron held the fish up to the creature who eventually took a bite and continued eating the food.
"I'm glad that you're okay." Aaron smiled briefly at the creature before he let out a loud yawn; Aaron was exhausted from the hazardous weather he was trekking through, and saving that creature drained the remaining bit of his energy as he fell on to his knee. Aaron laid down on his cloak and quickly fell asleep. Aaron didn't even feel the creature lifting Aaron on to its back and carrying him off.
Aaron woke up and found himself lying on a mat made of straw inside some sort of cavern den; several of the snow leopard creatures were looking at him as he woke up. "Oh, you're awake." One of them said putting a paw to Aaron's forehead. "And your fever has gone down significantly."
"What do you mean? I'm fine." Aaron said looking at himself with slight shock; the wound on his shoulder had been mended and he was wrapped in some sort of blanket. "Thanks for saving me, but why?" Aaron asked.
"You saved me, and we thought it only best to return the favor." The creature that Aaron saved earlier said.
"We have been watching you this whole time monitoring your progress. Our leader would like to meet you if you could please follow me." One of the snow leopards told Aaron motioning for him to follow; he was different from the other creatures in the sense that he wore some sort of silver collar with a green gemstone in the middle. Aaron followed him through several tunnels in the cave and he was led to another den where a snow leopard with a chest plate adorned with several gemstones in it stood proudly with other leopards by his side.
Aaron got done on one knee and kneeled before the majestic creature. "Rise up child." Aaron did as instructed. "We have been monitoring your progress. You have done very well to make it this far. But I must ask. Why do you not possess your own headband of the Village Hidden Among Snow?" He asked pointing to the band wrapped around Aaron's arm. "Is it because you can not channel your chakra?"
Aaron hadn't told them this and was confused. "How did you know that?"
"Our species was brought about by a legendary ninja of the snow. Our divine duty is to protect the forge from those who are unworthy. One of our gifts granted to us is the ability to see the chakra of others." He told Aaron looking at him with his piercing eyes.
"Like Byakugan?" Aaron asked.
"Yes, but this ability is unique to us alone." The leader said. "Now, you have saved one of our own and are truly worthy to wear the mark of your village. However, we still must repay you for your generosity. You live by the ninja code and deserve to be treated honorably by us."
"Can you show me to where the ore is?" Aaron asked.
"We will do more than that for you. We shall give you the ore and grant you safe passage to the legendary forge, but the full moon is not until tomorrow night, so until then we invite you to rest with us." The leader said to Aaron who smiled and nodded his head as he was led back to one of the dens where he could rest.
One of the leopards who was rather motherly made sure that Aaron was comfortable as she wrapped her arms around him and snuggled him closely to her. Aaron enjoyed the warmth and comfort that she provided him as he smiled in his sleep. Aaron was woken up from his sleep by one of the elite leopards who brought Aaron back to the leader's den. "What is it?" Aaron asked rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"The tribe members and I have spoken. We have decided to grant you more than what you wished for." The leader told Aaron who was curious by what they were going to offer him. First two leopards walked over and handed Aaron triangularly shaped armor plating for his shoulders and his lower legs. "This armor was crafted long ago in the forges by us. It is impenetrable and shall never dull, tarnish or wear."
"Thanks." Aaron said as he strapped on the plates which fit him perfectly.
"That is not all. We have decided to perform an ancient ritual to grant you our abilities." The leader said looking at Aaron as the leopard that he saved approached.
"This was my choice. I want to thank you for saving me, and the most honorable way to thank a human is to grant them our power. Of course I'll have to sacrifice myself to do it." He told Aaron who grew nervous.
"I don't think that I'm comfortable with that." Aaron said ready to leave, but pinned down by several of the other guards.
"I'm sorry, but once this has been decided you have no say. Hopefully you'll accept the power." The leader said as the other leopard leaned over Aaron and bit in to his upper right arm with his sharp teeth. Aaron winced in pain and closed his eyes struggling to fight the pain.
Aaron passed out and found himself in a cold mountain setting; the leopard who bit him was standing in front of him. "My name is Silver. Our souls shall become one and our powers will be shared."
"Why would you do this? I'm not worth your trouble. I can't even channel chakra." Aaron sighed.
"I chose to do this because you are worthy. You are an honorable ninja who deserves recognition for his skills. Plus you saved me. Without you, I would not be here." He told Aaron smiling. "Now, accept my power!" He roared loudly causing Aaron to wake up.
Aaron clutched his chest sweating as he woke up. One of the leopards pushed Aaron back down on the floor and instructed him to relax. She told Aaron that the power was settling in as she motioned to the bandage on his arm. Aaron tore it off and looked at his arm; on it was silver lines that came together to form the head of a cat. "This is the gift of our people. With it your reflexes shall be enhanced and you can access the power of our piercing stare." She told Aaron who touched the mark on his arm; it started glowing and Aaron's eyes glowed as he looked around and saw the heat being given off by everyone in the den. He could even see through the walls at all angles. Aaron touched the mark again and blinked as his eyes returned to normal and the mark stopped glowing.
"Don't worry. You'll get used to the power eventually, but right now you need to rest. Tomorrow we shall take you to the forge so you can accomplish what you came for." She said wrapping Aaron in her arms forcing him to lay down as he closed his eyes and fell back asleep.
Aaron woke up to one of the leopards nuzzling him. "It's almost time and we have a long journey to the top. We need to get moving." She said as one of the other leopards motioned for Aaron to follow. Aaron grabbed his bag and strapped on his armor; another leopard handed him a heavy chunk of metal and rock. They told him that this was the legendary ore and he had to carry it to the top. Aaron did as instructed and followed a group of leopards who were leading the way through several tunnels and snow covered passes. After several hours, they made it to the top and the moon had just become visible.
Aaron looked down and saw a pit with blue flames rising from it. An aurora could be seen overlooking the peak of the mountain. Aaron heard a voice commanding him to throw the ore in to the flames; Aaron did as instructed and watched the flames lick the ore and the stone melt away.
"Worthy ninja, what is it that you request?" The voice asked as the refined ore floated upwards.
"A sword that will command respect." Aaron said. With that, the metal started changing shape until a sheathed katana floated towards Aaron. Aaron unsheathed the blade and examined it; the blade was perfect. The metal was incredibly sharp and it was perfectly balanced and light weight as Aaron swung it; even the grip seemed to be unique to him.
"This blade is perfect and only worthy to be owned by an honorable ninja. Young boy, you have proven yourself worthy to wield this weapon of perfection. The metal shall never wear, tarnish, or dull. The legendary metal of this mountain is now in your hands tempered in the blue fires of the legendary forge. Use the gifts of the mountain wisely. Very few have been given the gifts that you have." The voice said before fading away.
Aaron sheathed the katana and put the shoulder strap over himself as he was taken back down the mountain. "You shall always be welcome back to the mountains here. That mark is a symbol that you are part of this tribe now." One of the leopards said motioning to the cat mark on Aaron's arm.
Aaron thanked them and made his way back to the village as the sun started to rise. Aaron walked through the gates of the village and saw several people staring at them. He walked directly up to the chief who was standing in the square. "I made the journey to the mountain and to the legendary forge." Aaron said kneeling before the chief and unsheathing the sword and holding it in both of his hands.
The chief as well as several others stared at him. "You should have perished in the mountain. It would have been more honorable. That headband that you wear around your arm brings shame to this village. You are no ninja. Leave now." The chief commanded.
Aaron sheathed the sword and stood up and looked the chief directly in the eye. "I've done everything to try and prove myself to be a worthy ninja of this village. Clearly you're not worth it." Aaron said as he walked right out of the village standing tall. Aaron saw a train leaving the village, and he hopped aboard hoping that it would take him far away. Aaron fell asleep on the train.
Aaron woke up in a dream. He was in the mountain again with a large group of leopards nearby. "Aaron, we saw your struggles with the people of your village. With the mark of our tribe, we can see what you see and communicate with you through dreams. We are very sorry to have seen this happen. Please know that we will keep an eye on you. Wherever you may go." The leader said.
"Thank you. I hope to find a place where I can fit in." Aaron said before the dream blacked out. When Aaron woke up, he found himself still on the train where the sun was coming up; Aaron was in The Land of Fire near the Village Hidden by Leaves. Aaron jumped from the train and stealthily made his way to the woods nearby. Aaron pulled an ax from his bag and began chopping at the trees until he had a large pile of logs. It took a few weeks, but Aaron had finally built himself a small cabin in which to reside. He spent a few more weeks starting to farm and getting water running from a nearby stream to the cabin via a canal. Other than that, Aaron started hunting for food; his kunai along with his sharpened instincts pierced through the animals and were quickly collected to be butchered and cooked by Aaron.
Aaron changed his outfit. He wore a pair of long pants, no shoes, and no shirt. He kept the armor plating on his shoulders and his lower legs. The only thing on his chest was his shoulder strap which supported the sheathed katana on his back. Aaron kept the headband from his village on his arm as a reminder of where he came from.
People from nearby villages had started to notice the cabin and a few even approached it. Some of them started challenging Aaron who easily defeated them with his katana and the power granted from the snow leopard tribe. Aaron had started doing something a bit untraditional as he won; he would take their headband if they lost, but he would give them one if they won. Aaron hung the headbands from a tree that he had planted. People from other villages and tribes had started challenging Aaron as a sort of unofficial exam; others just saw Aaron as a rogue who was nothing but trouble and needed to be dealt with. Aaron's collection of headbands typically grew which made his legend as a fighter grow and spread. Aaron did not limit himself to one person at a time when he fought; he always wanted to challenge himself further and heighten his reputation, so he challenged multiple people at a time to demonstrate and test his strength. While he did not win all of the time, he won a majority of the time. When he was not fighting, he was training himself further and tending to the chores around his small house which included cleaning, farming, cooking, and hunting. Whatever surplus of meat that he gathered, Aaron would trade with local villages for supplies like pots, pans, utensils, tools, and a few other things that he needed.