Chapter 1:
Kira Hara paused on the rugged stone walk, gathering her cloak tightly around her. Swirling vapors blanketed the winter-browned land, filling the low hollows and rills, curling restlessly about the trees to spread ever onward in an eerie sea of fog. With a quick sigh, she reached down and collected the basket of medical supplies that was resting at her feet before she straightened, smiled and turned to the man beside her.
"The mists are quite heavy this morning." she stated before she started forward, "Come, Michio." She added, sparing the man, who was in a standstill, a friendly glance, "Lead on."
Wordlessly, the young, scruffily clad man scrambled up to walk alongside the young woman and together, they hurried into the enshrouding whiteness. Grasping his long, gnarled walking stick, Michio plowed through the dense mists as if he saw directly through them, his steps sure and bold from years of traveling the beloved terrain.
Kira was not quite as certain and kept close company, her basket of herb powders, potions, and salves clutched tightly at her side. As she walked, her thoughts raced ahead, planning the childbirth preparations. It was Hirumi's first, and Michio's young wife was frightened half to death. Only the promise that Kira would attend her had calmed the girl's fears.
Though barely twenty, Kira was already renowned for her skills in the healing arts. Both noble and poor alike called for her in their hour of need and, unstintingly, she gave to one and all.
"I'm grateful, ma'am." Michio suddenly spoke out while slowing his steps to hers, "…I know how busy you are and I know our house is kind of out of the way…" he stated pausing for a quick second before his eyes closed, "…If it wasn't my Hirumi's time, I'd have never asked."
The young woman smiled warmly, "Think nothing of it, my friend." She replied, "…I shall always lend a hand to any who ask for help." with this said, her pace quickened, "Now, time is short; Hirumi needs us."
"Aye, ma'am." Her sturdy companion agreed with a sure nod of his head. However, his eyes proclaimed things a bit differently. Kira could read his uneasiness as clear as daylight. She couldn't blame the man of course; new fathers are kind of known to be on the antsy side. Reaching a hand out, she laid it gently on his arm. Surprised by her touch, the man glanced down on her with wide, brown eyes,
"There's nothing to fear, Michio." She assured.
He swallowed, "Aye, ma'am…" he murmured, his trusting voice soft, like a whisper, "…as you say; there's nothing to fear." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"That's it. That's my girl." Kira praised, gripping Hirumi's hand in hers. "You're a strong, strong woman and will soon have your sweet babe. Are the pains still strong? Then take a breath and push again."
The young woman called Hirumi glanced up, a weak, trusting smile lighting her face; she was a tiny woman, her form more than a few inches shorter than Kira though she was five years her senior.
"Yes…a sweet babe…" she whispered. Then, tensing, she bore down with all her might. The contractions soon passed and she fell back, exhausted. Her face was damp with perspiration.
Giving Hirumi's hand a brief, encouraging squeeze, Kira reached over to the small table next to the bed that she had Michio set up to hold some of her provisions and prepared an herbal concoction. With practiced hands she measured out a simple powder remedy and added hot water.
Kira then lifted the cup and brought it to the girl's lips. "Drink this, deary. The raspberry leaf tea will hasten your birthing." Her brew was immediately sipped before Hirumi fell into a deep slumber.
It wouldn't be long before the next pains came, Kira knew, but until then rest was the best thing for a laboring mother. Sitting back on her knees, Kira looked about her.
It was long past darkness, the day having come and gone. She hunched her shoulders in an effort to ease the ache of hours spent crouched beside Hirumi, then tucked an errant stray of burgundy-colored hair behind her ear. Of course her hair would be falling out of its holdings; one can only keep it pinned back for so long.
Reaching both hands up behind her head, Kira gently tightened the knot of the white-cotton bandana that she was wearing before naturally feeling her long, braided hair that she had coiled and secured right at the base of her neck. It was falling loose too, but hair problems at the moment were not going to be her concern. She had only one mission; and that was dear, frightened, trusting Hirumi and the new life she was trying to bring into the world.
Hirumi stirred, a sleepy grimace twisting her face.
"The pains…" Kira thought knowingly, "…they come again."
A sudden, damp blast of air swirled through the small house. Glancing up and behind her, she saw Hirumi's husband, Michio walk in; his arms laden with squares of dry peat to stoke the hearth fire. At that instant Hirumi moaned, her pale blue eyes snapping open in sudden anguish.
"Blessed Saints! I…I…the babe!"
With the declaration came the crashing sound from Michio as he dropped what he had in his arms to the floor.
Kira swiftly scooted down to check her, then looked up at Michio who had by now hurried on over to the bedside. Meeting his wide gaze, she nodded her head, "It's time." She confirmed calmly, "Come, help me." She then motioned towards Hirumi's head, "Hold her, talk to her while I guide the baby through." Michio didn't have to be told twice.
The minuets passed as they worked, Michio encouraging his wife while Kira attended to the slowly emerging infant. Her heart leaped to her throat when the head finally appeared followed by a knot forming in her stomach when she saw the cord tight around the baby's neck. Keeping her face expressionless, so that she didn't stir panic within the two awaiting parents, Kira held her silence.
"It is absolutely vital for the babe to be free of that choking noose as quickly as possible." She sternly reminded herself.
But there was very little she could do to hasten the emergence of the shoulders, which suddenly seemed too large for the passage. Sweat beaded her brow as Kira struggled with the difficult birth, praying to God as she continued to encourage the straining mother. At last the shoulders slipped free. The baby was born.
A tiny girl child now laid in her arms, unmoving, her body blue and lifeless. Reaching down the front of her shirt, Kira pulled forth a small dagger that she always carries between her breasts and swiftly but carefully cut away the cord before she rubbed the infant dry. The babe still remained silent.
In an instant slowed in time, Kira harked back to the day when Hirumi had first revealed her pregnancy, of the look of joy and anticipation of the young woman's face, of her eager plans. Hirumi and Michio had so little with them living off of his sailor-salary. But they were rich in generosity and love. Of that, they had an abundance, for each other and for their babe; they were looking to her now, she was all they had.
And so Kira would not fail them! Looking down at the little, limp form that she held, her sharp, lavender gaze scanned the tiny, perfectly shaped girl. "Dear God…" she silently implored, "…Let me give this child life!"
Kira lifted the little girl up and lowered her head down, settling her mouth over that of the baby. Gently at first, then more confidently when she saw the tiny chest rise with each breath, she blew small puffs of air into the infant. At first, nothing happened, the only sound of her own panting breaths mingling with the ragged rasps of the two parents. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, the babe gasped, then choked, uttering a strangled cry.
The sound weak at first, grew in strength until it filled the small house. And with each shuddering, indignant little breath, the joy, the immune satisfaction, grew within Kira. She then lifted her purple gaze to Hirumi and Michio and smiled brightly.
"It's a girl." She informed breathlessly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was nothing more heartwarming to Kira then seeing the adoring looks on a young couple's face when they finally get to hold their newborn child safely in their arms. Kira quickly had the tiny girl bathed and snuggly wrapped up in a fresh blanket before she had the privilege of placing the babe in her parents' awaiting care.
When she received her daughter at last, Hirumi was stifling back sobs of joy as she gazed loving down on the new life she and her husband had created together. Even Michio's brown eyes were misting over with unshed tears as he reached a timid hand out and stroked his child's head for the first time.
"She's…" he murmured out loud quietly before swallowing his deep emotions, "…she's so tiny…"
Hirumi smiled, "She's perfect." Turning her head to gaze into the face of her husband, Hirumi leaned to the side and rested her head against his chest, "…thank you for making me a mommy." She added.
Michio instantly wrapped his arms around his wife frame, being careful not to hold her too tight for both her sake and the baby's. He then leaned down and placed a tender kiss on top of her head, "Thank you for making me a daddy."
Watching the scene before her, Kira couldn't help but smile too. All was well. Her job was done. Silently, not wanting to disturb the precious moment between the young family, Kira swiftly gathered up her things and collected her cloak. As she started towards the doorway, she stopped briefly in her tracks when she heard her name get called.
"Kira?" Hirumi called after her. Naturally, she glanced back over at the couple. "….thank you." Hirumi continued, "…thank you, so very, very much."
The burgundy-haired woman smiled warmly, "I only wish I could more." She replied. "I left some of my special herb tea for you on the table." She informed before she glanced over at Michio, "…make sure she has a cup at least once a day for a week. It'll help speed up her recovery."
Michio grinned happily, "Aye ma'am. I'll see that she does." He promised.
Kira nodded her head with approval. So that was that, now she could go home.
Upon stepping out of the couple's house, Kira drew the hood of her cloak up and over her head before she set off down the rugged stone road at a swift but easy pace. The sky was ebony black, the air crisp and cool. Casting her eyes up towards the heavens, Kira momentarily watched the twinkling stars, using their light to guide her way down the path. After a couple of minutes, the road veered off the left, taking Kira into the woods. The trees lining the trail stood tall and still. Only the sound of the wind lightly rustling their leaves broke the silence that was following Kira.
As she continued on her way, every now and then glancing out of the corner of her eye to observe her surroundings, a thick ghostly mist floated out from up ahead. At first, it had slowly swirled about her feet, but the further she walked on, the larger it grew till she and the whole pathway she was on was engulfed in its whiteness. With the fog all around, it was harder for Kira to see things clearly. Even the trees seemed out of shape now, looking like nothing more than towering shadowy figures.
Shaking her head softly, refusing to be swayed by the inconvenient mist, Kira pushed her way through with a fierce determination in her step. She was tired, stiff, and just wanted to get home so that she could crawl into bed and get some rest before the sun came up and she was once again working.
Suddenly, randomly, a chill ran down her spine; the sensation traveling all the way down to the soles of her sandaled feet. At once Kira slowed and stopped in her tracks. Something was off. She felt like she was being watched, and intensely too; another warning tingle that left her body shivering softly beneath her cape only added to her growing awareness.
Her eyes narrowed fearlessly behind her hood before she raised a hand up from her side. With the palm up, she focused some of her chakra into her hand and instantly, unbelievably, a flaming fire sprouted from its center. Both its heat and light helped clear away some of the surrounding fog, giving her a better view of the area around her. Then cautiously she made a slow circle, her eyes scanning the trees for any presence of life besides her own. But there was nothing to be seen. Nothing but trees.
"Hmm…" she thought to herself quietly, "…I could've sworn that I felt someo…"
Her thought was immediately cut short as her eyes landed on something standing in between two thick trees angled off to the right. At first, she didn't know what she was looking at since all she could really make out was its silhouette. But as she squinted her eyes, forcing her vision to get a better picture, her eyes widened at what she saw.
Tall and cloaked, with a wide-brimmed hat with a veil around it covering the head, there was no doubt in her mind that this figure was a person; and from what she could deduce from its size, it was safe to say that this figure was male too. As Kira stared the figure down, beneath her gaze, he moved as well. It was a very slight move, a simple lift of the head, but it was enough to bring forth a gasp from Kira's mouth and cause her to drop her basket.
A pair of blood red eyes practically glowed from beneath the rim of the hat. And they were staring right back into her lavender ones. Though she couldn't feel it before, the same moment they made eye contact, his chakra presence hit her just then like a fist to the face. Kira lost her focus underneath such intensity, the fire in her hand extinguished in a heartbeat and instinctively, she stumbled back a few paces before she felt herself run into something from behind. A tiny cry of alarm escaped past her lips while her head snapped around to face her supposed opponent.
But it was only a tree. Whipping her head back around front, she half expected the figure to still be there. Only, he wasn't. Eyes darting, heart racing, breath short and swift, Kira searched for the red-eyed silhouette hiding somewhere in the trees. But all traces of him were completely gone; she couldn't even sense his chakra presence anymore. Nor did she feel like she was under surveillance.
Forcing herself to calm down, she took deep breaths in through her nose, and exhaled out through her mouth. When at last her heart rate was normal, she leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes. Perhaps she had only hallucinated the figure. It was not uncommon to have delusions when walking through the mist.
But…
Kira's eyes fluttered open.
She had sensed the figure's presence hadn't she? As she recalled what it had felt like, a shudder ran though her body.
The presence was strong, powerful….dangerous. She couldn't deny the fact that when she locked eyes with those two, glowing red orbs, she had felt terror stir from deep inside. That figure, whoever or whatever he was, was frightening. Whether he was real or not, Kira could not say for sure. But there was one thing she was certain about. She did not want to wait around and find out.
Before she could give it another thought, Kira pushed off from the tree, and fled the scene; not even daring once to glance behind. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two pairs of eyes watched the young woman leave.
A low chuckle gently broke the silence, "Well that was easy enough." Came the voice of Kisame as his eyes followed after the girl's cloaked form as it faded into the mist. "You would think she would've been a bit harder to find." He added thoughtfully before he turned and glanced down on his companion.
"So?" he inquired, "….are we gonna take her now, Itachi-San?" he asked curiously with a sharp toothed grin.
The younger man remained silent for a few seconds, "…..No." he replied; his voice incredibly low but smooth like velvet. His own eyes, red from his activated Sharingan, stared off after the girl. "..Not yet."