For Shinobi everything is about deception. From the moment that my older brother was exiled from the village and I assumed the title of Hikarigakure's sixth Keikage, I learned over the next twelve years of my life I would deceive more people than I would have cared for...
Especially...
---
The trees in Hikarigakure were legendary.
Before the war that supposedly wiped out the Village of Hidden Light, people - shinobi and civilians alike - would come to visit, just to see them.
Why so much fuss over a tree though? Very simple.
Whereas normal trees had brown bark and green leaves - depending on the breed of tree and time of year, Hikarigakure had much more special trees. The tree hugged close together and numerous in number, were so large around the base that a full grown man could not wrap his arms around it. And while the trees had no leaves, its bark was a bright silvery blue that looked almost white. And at night, when the moon fell, and the stars came out, if it was just the right temperature, the trees would start to glow. And on the rare occasion, the trees would even sprout a few faint lavender blossoms that had their own glow. They rarely flourished.
You can just imagine how beautiful it would have been during the night.
But...
Hardly anyone came now. Everyone has been led to believe that this wondrous forest is haunted by the angry spirits of the shinobi who once inhabited the village.. Now if you had been the skeptical person, you would have instantly disregarded any such claim, but many of these poor fools who venture into the forest and simply disappear.
Mei...
Someone was there nonetheless.
---
Morning was Mei's favorite time of day. The air was crisp and clean, and it was chilly enough to keep cool during her run. It was also during this time of day that she could bear silent witness to the tree's fading brilliance as their lights distinguished for yet another day.
Mei paused, leaning up against a tree to steady herself as she caught her breath. She smiled, "Phew. This is the first time I've had to stop to catch my breath all morning. I'm getting better." She wiped the sweat from her brow and turned her gaze to the dark sky. If she squinted hard enough, she could count the number of stars that had yet to disappear.
I should probably get going now, She sighed,Don't want to be late.
---
Akimiyo Medatsu was a fairly simple boy. He was the oldest of three children born to the main house of the Akimiyo clan. There was his father, Akimiyo Toshida. His younger twin sister Shai and their youngest sister at the age of eight. Their mother had died some years before. Now, Medatsu was for all purposes a simple, average shinobi with average skills aside from his family training. Aside from that, he was also a very simple boy with very simple hobbies. And one hobby was like so many other young boys. He liked to annoy his younger siblings.
"Come on, Shai! Spar with me for just five minutes!" Medatsu pleaded, "Not even five minutes!"
"No!" Shai countered in an irritated manner, continuing to wrap bandages along her arms and fist, "Go pester your buddy Shin or something."
"Why? Its much more fun to pester you!" Medatsu grinned.
Shai grit her teeth and picked up whatever object was closest - which just so happened to be her tea cup, full of hot tea, "Get out of my room!" She shouted and threw it at him.
Medatsu cried out in surprise and ducked out of the way. "Holy crap..." He muttered while walking down the hall. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "Onee-chan's just no fun anymore."
---
Shiori was hardly different over the years since that battle before the Sacred Temple. She was a stern as ever and her aura and beauty had failed to diminish. She was like a portrait - constant and unchanging. A young girl, no older than the age of twelve walked three steps behind her.
"Reira..."
Reira fell into step with Shiori, "Yes, oka-sama?"
"Where's your sister?" It was more of a demand than an actual question.
Reira's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "Her?" She asked venomously, "Probably still in bed. Should I go wake her?"
Shiori made no attempt to appear like she had heard her daughter's reply. "I know that you will agree with me. You won't disappoint me today."
Reira stopped and bowed as her mother continued to walk into the foyer of their home, "Yes, Oka-sama."
---
Mei ran through the streets, carefully weaving through the slowly amassing people. Hikarigakure may have been small compared to others, but it still had its fair share of people.
"Morning!"
"Good Morning!"
"H-hey... Mei-san!"
Mei skidded to halt, almost tumbling over. She caught herself by holding onto a fruit stand. The person that had called out to her was one of her classmates, a small timid looking girl by the name of Himitsu.
Himitsu was a cute girl with deep crimson eyes that contrasted nicely with the pale skin of her face. She had brown hair twisted into two spiraled buns. She wore a white kimono with a pink trim collar. It ended mid-thigh and the shoulders were cut free from the collar making the sleeves hang limply. The kimono was held shut with a light pink obi and tied into a gigantic bow in the back. In the centre of the obi was Light's symbol. Her socks rose up to where the kimono cut off and the toes were cut out. Her shoes, unlike everyone else which were a violet-blue, were white.
"Himitsu-san," said Mei.
"A... Are you heading to the academy now?" Himitsu asked.
Mei nodded yes, "As a matter of fact, I am."
"Would it be alright if I joined you, then?" She asked.
Mei hesitated, shifting her feet slightly before smiling ever so slightly, "No. Not at all."
Himitsu put on a meek grin as the continued towards the end of the street, "Are you nervous as well."
Mei smiled, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "Yeah, maybe a little bit... Maybe a lot."
---
Reira walked out of her room, carefully closing the door behind her, making sure it locked securely before walking away. She started adjusting her hair in it's twist-tie bun accordingly as she passed an open door. She hesitated. Looking through the crack, she glared at the figure sprawled out across the futon in the middle of the room. Her longish blonde hair played out across the pillow and her tanned skin glowed slightly under the sun's rays that poured in through the window. She was snoring rather loudly with her mouth hanging open and she was drooling in a very un-lady-like manner.
"Chh," Reira scoffed, angrily muttering, "Idiot!" before walking away once again.
---
"Shaai... Come oon..." Medatsu whined, trailing after his little sister, "Five minutes, it's all I'm asking!"
"No way!" She replied irritated, "And stop begging! You sound like a homeless puppy. Have more dignity than that!"
"If the shoe fits," Medatsu grinned impishly.
"Shai scowled, "I'm going to school now."
"Five min-" Medatsu began.
"No!" Shai threw a shoe at him, "Imbecile! Leave me alone!"
Medatsu easily dodged it. Smiling at Shai, he said, "Why? It's so much more fun to bug you."
"Argh!" Shai cried out angrily.
---
Shin sat nervously at the back of the class, fidgeting nervously. His foot tapping consistent with the clicking of his finger on the surface of the desk. Almost time, almost time, almost time! He thought to himself, looking anxiously at the clock, "Any second now..."
He gasped when the door to the classroom suddenly slid open and admitted two students. Mei and Himitsu walked in as Shin shot up from his seat - knocking it to the ground in the process - grinning like a kid at Christmas.
"Mei-san! Himitsu-san! I, uh, saved a- I mean, some seats for you!" He gestured nervously at the two empty seats next to his own, "Would you like to perhaps - I mean, you don't have to, but maybe you would like to... uh maybe...sit..." He stopped when he noticed that both Mei and Himitsu passed him and were sitting down near the front of the class. Shin flopped down dejectedly, expecting his chair to be there. Of course, he hadn't noticed earlier when he knocked over his chair so naturally he fell onto the floor. "Damn it..." He moaned.
He righted his chair and glanced down at Himitsu. His head dropped down onto the desk with a loud thump, "Damn it!"
"Whoa, Shin. What's up with you?" Medatsu asked as he sat down in one of the empty seats next to Shin.
Shin groaned, "That seat was meant for Himitsu-san..."
"What was that?" Medatsu cupped his ear and leaned towards Shin. The Reira slid the door open and started down the steps toward her seat.
"Hey Reira-sama. Where's Rikku?" Medatsu asked.
"Still asleep," Reira stopped but she didn't turn to look at Medatsu, "where else would that failure be?"
"What? Why don't you ever wake her up?"
"It's not my fault that she can't wake up on time," She continued to stalk down the stairs past the two boys.
Shin watched as Reira walked right down the front and sat down in the center, "Those two... are they really sisters?" Shin mumbled.
---
"Why doesn't anybody ever wake me up?!" Rikku jumped across the rooftops towards the academy building. Once she caught sight of the roof of said building, she decided to run the rest of the way. Jumping from he rooftops, she landed in the street - starling a few people.
"Hey, watch it!" cried a few angry voices.
"Sorry! Look out! Out of the way!" Rikku dodged several people, carts, cats and dogs. As she tripped over another person, she turned and apologized, "I'm sorry-"
Rikku turned around too late and bumped into someone much larger than herself. She didn't see much other than the fact that the person wore the village's jounin uniform before she was off again, running down the street towards the academy.
The man shook his head and continued in the direction he had started in, "Snot-nosed kids."
---
"Everyone, please take your seats. I really don't want to have to explain this more than once. If you don't hear me, it's your own fault," The teacher explained, "Now-"
The door slid open abruptly, cutting off the teacher's speech as Rikku came sliding in, panting heavily.
"Safe!" She shouted, falling over on her backside. Some students laughed while others just rolled their eyes.
"You're late, again, Sukka-san," The teacher smirked down at Rikku, trying to ignore the annoying tick at her eyebrow, "Please, take your seat."
Rikku sighed and stood up, brushing the dirt off her back, slowly trekking up the stairs towards an empty seat near the back. The teacher cleared her throat, "as I was saying. This is a very important day for all of you. Today is the day that decides if you become a genin and stay here for yet another year."
"Graduation exam."