I found myself in an alleyway. Before you ask, I only know names of things because I sort of "steal" it when I test them in the Heat-Haze. I was in my finalized human form. I had white and black hair (as in not dyed all natural) wild hair that went to my ears. I wore a red shirt with a black jacket and hood, with black pants and red shoes. So my entire wardrobe was red and black. How appropriate. My first thought? "This isn't the Heat-Haze." So what did I do? I went out to see the world. And it was nothing like I expected. It was just a mirrored version of the Heat-Haze. A serious letdown. So I just wandered. At least, until I found Konoha.
Before we go anymore ahead, let me clarify that Konoha did not remember being Haruka. His snake is to blame.
Anyways, I met Konoha while walking down a street. He looked exactly like me; lost, confused, and other worldly. His ideal body that he created looked like a game character! So of course, I approached him. I was worried that he would recognize me, but I assured myself that he had never seen my body. The conversation was extremely awkward, but gradually got better. I asked him if he was okay, and he said he was searching for two children. So I said I would help him. He said they were called Hibiya and Hiyori (which I had already guessed), and introduced himself as Konoha (which I also knew). When he asked for my name, I stuttered for a bit, but called myself Haze. It seemed to fit me, and Konoha seemed satisfied. We walked and talked for a while, but eventually it got dark. He said he had to go, and so I lied and said I had to go too. We parted ways, and was alone again. I slept in a local park, not feeling the cold or heat, or feeling hungry. I know those are natural responses for a human, but I suppose I'm not human. I didn't need to sleep either, but I felt like it would be more human to do so. For a few days, I did nothing. But once, as I wandered through the streets of Haribote, the city we were in, I met Konoha again. And Hibiya, as well as lots of people once in the Heat-Haze. Konoha introduced me to the group, but I already knew them all except Shintaro. I knew their ability too. Their fears, their dreams, everything. Even Ene, who used to be Takane. And, I suppose, it was natural for me to be with them. To be with people who at least knew what the Heat-Haze is. We exchanged words, and eventually brought up the topic of the Heat-Haze (through a lot of pushing and hinting). I'm not even sure how, but I convinced them I was like them. Perhaps it's the fact that my eyes are naturally bright red, or that I can create illusions. But they invited me to their base, to join "Mekakushi Dan". I told them I had no family or ties, and they said I should live with them. So I accepted. They took me to a apartment 107. The whole experience was quite surreal, like a dream. It was interesting to watch them grown up. They were a lot different than when they were stuck in the Heat-Haze. The days I stayed with them blur together in my mind. And then, of course, the SOCE had to come in and ruin it. Kenjirou, the former body of the SOCE, died as the SOCE possessed Konoha instead. Kuroha, the SOCE in Konoha's body, had to ruin everything. Here's what happened. One day, we were in the base when Konoha groaned and dropped his head. When we asked him if he was okay, his clothes melded black, as did his headphones and hair. When he looked up, his eyes were yellow. He was smiling like a maniac. He raised a gun. Where the heck he got a gun, I don't know. He activated his power, which was to negate other eye powers. You see, if you didn't get this before, if you had a snake as a surrogate body, you had a power. Kuroha's power didn't affect me, though. Why? Because like I said earlier, my power doesn't come from a snake. As he raised that cursed gun, I enveloped Kuroha in an illusion. We stood in a plain field, no one else. He looked at me, and said "You weren't here all the other times. Who are you?!" I smirked at him, replying, "Don't you know me? I'm the Heat-Haze."
