Kaori's POV (age 8)
-Dream/Flashback-
"Morning, Mommy!" I cheerfully greeted as I entered the kitchen.
My mother turned around from the window above the sink, "Good morning, Kaori. Did you sleep well?"
"Uh-huh! And no nightmares either!"
She placed a bowl of cream chicken flavored ramen on the dining room table, "Okay now. Hurry up and eat your food, sweetie. Your uncle will be here later for his monthly visit."
I looked up at her, a noodle hanging from my mouth, "Hmm? Do you mean uncle Nariyuki?"
"Yup. Your father is already grocery shopping for my big dinner I'm planning for later on tonight."
Slurping the last of my ramen, I jumped out of my chair, "Done!"
Running up the stairs, I entered my bedroom and changed into a pair of black shorts and a purple t-shirt with a panda face on it. After putting my shoes on and strapping on my shuriken holster onto my right leg, I ran back downstairs.
"Okay mom! I'm going to school now!"
She handed me my small, black and white panda backpack, "I've already packed your lunch. Have a good day, now."
I kissed her on the cheek,"Okay, mommy!"
With that said, I started running for the academy. On my way there, I saw my dad carrying a few brown grocery bags.
"Hi Daddy! Bye Daddy! I'm off to school!"
He saw me and smiled, "Okay, Kaori! Train hard and be good!"
I waved at him as I passed,"Okay! See you tonight!"
That evening, I was running back to my clan's part of the village.
"Ack! I'm so late! I hope I don't get in trouble!"
Turning a corner, I slowed down and started walking to my house, when I noticed that all of the lights were off. The entire street; not even a glimmer off candlelight.
The silver moonlight guided me home on this eerie, too quiet night. Then, I started looking around for any signs of explanation.
"W-why aren't any lights on? Normally, Grandfather Yuki would be telling old war tales to Keri and Nani as bedtime stories about now."
As I continued walking, I began to question a power outage.
Shaking my head, I sighed,"That can't be it. The lights at the academy and even on the next street over are working fine. What is going on?"
When I finally reached my house, it didn't look any thing like the place I called home that morning. Instead, it looked like an abandoned building that had been untouched for many years. It lacked the warm family vibe and gave off a strong, unbearable stench.
My eyes widened,"B-blood…?"
Suddenly, a crash was heard from inside. Quickly, I silently ran inside and began looking around for whoever, or whatever caused such a noise. Preparing myself to search the second floor, something made me stop dead in my tracks before reaching the first step. Looking up I saw a large shadow on the wall in the hallway upstairs. It appeared to be tall and masculine, which ruled out my mother. And the hair was long and spiked downwards, so it wasn't my father, because his was short and spiked upwards. I was about to call for him, when I saw the shadow pulling what looked like long hair. Glancing farther to the side, I saw a woman's shadow.
So many thoughts were racing throughout my mind. What was my uncle up to? Why is the house so gloomy? What is he doing to my mother? And why does every room give off such a large stench of human blood?
As I questioned that last thought, my 8-year-old mind finished putting the pieces together. My uncle was jealous of my father, his brother, because my mother married my dad instead of him. He's been plotting his revenge since they married. He's already killed my father, my clan, beating my mother and next…
I looked up at the shadow as I was paralyzed in fear.
"Next, he's coming after me!"
Frantically looking around, I began to search for an inconspicuous hiding place. Then, I remembered the small cupboard underneath the stairs, and behind the bamboo plants my mother grew. Making a hand sign I whispered, "Transform."
Turning myself into a small kitten, I dashed for the hiding place. After squeezing behind the vases that held the bamboo, I slid into the small hole and sat as still as possible. Not even a second later, my uncle pulled my mother by her hair down the stairs, entered the living room, and threw her onto the floor. She struggled to rest herself on her forearms, letting a few strands of her snow-white hair cover her face. I was shocked to see determination and courage in her eyes instead of terror and spinelessness. She glared up at my uncle with an angry snarl on her face.
"You, bastard!"
He smirked down at her,"Oh come now, there's no need for that kind of language here. I just want to talk with my favorite sister-in-law."
"I've got nothing to say to you except GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
My mother pressed her ear on the carpet and attacked my uncle with her legs, locking him in a scissor kick. Then, she pushed herself up, using her arms, and flipped him into the air, causing him to spin around. That's when she jumped into the air and powerfully kicked him in his ribcage. He flew into the wall near the front door. Nariyuki stood to his feet and pulled out a kunai knife and threw it at her. She dodged it and threw five of her own at him, thus cutting him across the face and pinning him to the wall. My mom cautiously walked over to him with a kunai in each hand. Nariyuki coughed up a large amount of blood, and smirked as it ran down the corner of his mouth.
"Heh looks like I underestimated you, Tsuna. You are after all, a highly trained Jonin of this village."
She pulled back and prepared herself to strike at him, "Fool. Flattery will get you nowhere!"
Just before she could stab him, a burst of smoke appeared in the two spots that the two of them were standing. When the smoke cleared, I felt my heart stop. Nariyuki had used a replacement jutsu on my mother. So now, my mom was the one pinned against the wall and he was the attacker.
"Even so, I am a rogue ninja, an S ranked criminal. So you're the one who underestimated me, foolish woman."
My mother looked up in surprise,"What…?"
He made a hand sign I had never seen before, "Any last words before I reunite you with your pathetic husband in the after life?"
She hesitated then hung her head,"What do you want with Kaori?"
My body began to shake in fear at the mention of my name.
Nariyuki was a little taken back by this question, but he pulled himself back together, "Tora, The Spirit of the Lunar Tiger that lives inside of her."
I felt a confused expression appear on my whiskers, "Lunar Tiger?"
My mother looked at him with a mixed expression of anger, surprise, confusion, and honor?
"You're an insolent fool, Nariyuki."
"Heh. And why is that?"
She smiled with pride, "She is the only one who can control the Spirit. Because of the standing fact that the blood of a Tsukiko and a Hoshiko run through her. You aren't even a real Tsukiko."
Blinking, I tilted my head, "What?"
"You're adopted, aren't you?"
Nariyuki gasped at this, and then he became furious, "THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF YOU! I WILL OBTAIN THAT THING INSIDE OF HER AND I WILL DESTROY ANYONE WHO GETS IN MY WAY OF DOING SO!!!"
He remade his hand sign into a different one, yet another I have never seen.
"I was going to show you some mercy before but you ticked me off, so this time, I'M NOT HOLDING BACK!!"
My mother and I gasped in unison.
"SECRET TECHNIQUE: FLAMES OF ETERNAL SUFFERING!!"
Looking over at my mother, I saw black and dark purple flames shoot out from the floor below her and surround her body.
She shot her head up and a horrifying scream escaped her mouth as the flames consumed her. While this happened, Nariyuki slowly turned his head and stared straight into my eyes.
"Don't worry. I won't kill your precious daughter just yet, Tsuna. She has to let her hatred feed off of her soul until she hates me enough to take my life as I so easily took yours and your husbands."
He turned his body towards me and made another hand sign.
"NOOOOO! KAORIII!!!" my mother shouted.
Suddenly, my body felt weak and my eyelids heavy. Feeling as if all of my strength had been sucked out of me, my jutsu canceled itself out and I fell onto the living room carpet. As I drifted off, I could hear my mother's screams getting softer and more distant with every passing moment.