A small girl with snow white hair traveled down the dirt road alone. Trees loomed over and casted ominous shadows everywhere. She walked slowly before stumbling and falling over. The figure lay on her side in the middle of the gravel road for a moment before rolling over onto her back to look at the stars above. At her side lay a sheathed sword that was roughly the length of one of her arms. The hilt was a simple grey and the sheath itself was black.

Shiori's stomach growled loudly and she moaned in pain. Her chakra may be able to heal her quickly but it couldn't do anything for hunger pains. Most travelers knew how to find food and hunt, but Shiori didn't know any of that at all. She hadn't been outside of the castle in almost her whole life, never mind actually being outside her village. This was the first time actually since she had been found outside the gates of the Village of Swords.

Around her the wilderness was oddly quiet, most likely because the air was chilly and the breeze was making it even chillier. The year was coming to an end and Shiori's thin, torn pink shirt and her worn out blue shorts didn't offer much warmth. That wasn't as big as a problem as her hunger and thirst though since she could use her chakra to warm her up.

Finally deciding that she couldn't waste any more time lying under the stars, Shiori pushed herself off the ground and collected her fallen sword. She reached around to attach the sheath securely to her shorts before attempting to continue on. If she stopped for too long there was the chance that she may not get up again.

For a few minutes she struggled to make sense of the things in head. Hunger and extreme thirst did funny things to people's minds. A few times she thought the trees had started talking to her. Trees don't talk.

It took a couple of minutes for her brain to finally register that the voices were real; they may not have been coming from the trees but they were real. Out of reflex her right hand flew to her sword's hilt and she stood rigid for a minute as she listened closely. She feared that it could be bandits, but she feared even more that it may be someone from her village that had come to get her finally.

She had no problem holding them off but that means that they'd know where she was. And that meant that more forces would follow soon.

Shiori drew her sword out halfway as she listened closer and identified three different voices.

The voices suddenly got quieter. Had they realized that she was listening?

Her brain finally realized that in fact she had fallen on the ground. The only reason their voices seemed lower was because one of her ears was pressed to the ground. Shiori could feel the mystery people getting closer. Out of fear she attempted to push herself out of her collapsed place but failed.

She lay down quietly. If they wanted to kill her then they could. She couldn't do anything about it by this point. Her body's limits had almost been reached; she wasn't surprised though. During one of the many tests that the scientists had performed on her they had tested hunger and thirst. To their extreme surprise, despite her body and chakra's ability, she too had her limits.

Her eyes closed and Shiori stopped fighting.

A scream broke the air and as a young girl with white hair shot up in her bed. It had startled the two men who had been sitting near her having a conversation a couple of moments ago. They watched in silence as she started to come to.

The girl's brain had finally noticed that it wasn't any bed she had seen before.

Then, as her brain finally began to kick into gear, she noticed that she wasn't alone in the room.

She began to panic. Her eyes were struggling to adjust to the new light, and it didn't help the room was painfully bright. The girl was having trouble getting a grip on reality. The older male watched in interest as her breathing began to labor. The younger male however seemed to be worried.

As she got ready to scream out a blood curdling scream again she was interrupted by the voice of an elderly man.

"It's okay. You are safe here."

Shiori sat up straighter and rubbed her watery eyes in a vain attempt to fix her vision. After a couple of minutes her eyes were finally adjusted and she able to see blurs. Slowly they became more defined.

Her eyes widened greatly and Shiori bowed her head deeply. She didn't know exactly where she was but the people didn't look anything like someone from the Village of Swords. Figuring that the elderly man's words had be truthful and his apparel seemed rather respectable she decided to be respectful.

"Oh my. I'm sorry sirs if I have disturbed or disrupted you in any way. I apologize deeply."

"It is quite okay." Shiori looked up from her lap to study the noble looking man before her as he continued to speak, "We are actually more worried about you."

We?

"You were unconscious and very dehydrated when we found you." Skittish as always Shiori jumped at the sound of a new voice and turned to find a young man with a scar across his nose. "Are you okay?"

Shiori smiled softly while looking at her hands that were folded before her. She had been taught to always keep her hands in her lap so she would look like a respectable lady.

"I'll be fine," she giggled softly at her little inside joke with herself. "Trust me."

"Well I am the Third Hokage." Shiori studied his hat with the kanji for fire on it and nodded. That seemed reliable to her; even if she had limited knowledge on the current events.

"My name is Iruka Umino." The young man with the scar smiled politely at her.

"Uh- Shiori." She bowed my head once again before trying to get out of the bed, "I'm sure that you don't want me here though. My apologizes."

She flinched back as Iruka reached out to prevent her from getting up. He babbled on incoherently about needing rest, which Shiori thought was slightly funny since she felt fine. Nonetheless though she complied and sat herself on the bed.

"And why do you think that, Shiori?" The Hokage rubbed his chin in wonder.

Shiori studied his face quietly trying to guess his age. He had to prod her again with the question to get her to finally answer, "They didn't want me in my old village."

The Hokage's face didn't change with in reaction to her response, but Iruka's did. He looked rather concerned for her.

Shiori thought that was rather odd. Someone being concerned for her didn't seem very possible- but it was happening. At least that's what it seemed like. She knew what concern looked like for she had seen people feel it towards others. Shiori had never experienced someone having concern for her though.

The Hokage broke her out of the trance and began to question her. "Do you have a last name?"

A shake of the head. "Not that I know, sir."

"What village are you originally from?"

"The Village of Swords."

The Hokage hummed at the new information and Iruka's face changed to confusion.

"Village of the Swords? I've never heard of it before…"

"Ah yes," the Hokage began before any words could come out of Shiori's mouth, "It's not a village that many of heard of and it hasn't always been known by that name. By my knowledge I don't remember that being a hidden village with shinobi though…" He looked at something next to Shiori pointedly.

She followed his stare to see that he was looking at the chair next to her bed on the opposite side of him and Iruka. It was there that Shiori's sword was lying harmlessly. Then a thought flickered in her head. He thinks she was lying.

With a quiet voice Shiori quickly explained that in fact they didn't have any shinobi and that they weren't a hidden village. She stressed the fact that even though they were a normal village with no shinobi, everyone was usually very well trained with swords and other weapons like swords. To ease their curiosity Shiori also made sure to go into detail about how no one could learn ninjutsu or genjutsu or really use their chakra in any way if they weren't part of one of the four noble families.

Iruka looked baffled but the Hokage was unfazed.

Shiori admired the Hokage's ability to keep such a poker face. Though, she thought Iruka's constantly changing expressions was nice; it was quite the welcomed change from growing up in an environment where everyone was so cagey with her around.

"I believe that is because that village is run by the Senshi clan. It had been taken over by them many years ago and they had evicted the ancient Hiroaki clans.

It's well known that don't have much chakra or chakra control so they resent other clans that do. It would make sense that they would do something like that. Not much is known about that village though. Much of the Yuu, Hiroaki, and Saya clans that had lived in there were killed during that time."

Shiori nodded at the Hokage's statements, "My father- er, master was a Senshi. His grandfather was the one that established the Village of the Swords. From what I know, it had been known by a different name before though. Village Hidden in the Petals I believe."

It must've been about an hour of questions and answering before the Hokage got to the question Shiori could tell he had been itching to know the answer to for a while.

"Why was it that they didn't accept you?" The Hokage's face was stoic as it was before. Usually that'd make Shiori feel uncomfortable but his voice was warm.

A young nurse with a comforting smile walked in and informed everyone that she needed to take some blood from Shiori to make sure that she hadn't suffered any damage from her starvation and dehydration. Shiori knew if she had it'd all be healed by now. But they didn't know that yet.

She walked over with a syringe and Shiori watched quietly as it sunk into her skin. The nurse pulled and the tube began to fill with some blood; once it was halfway filled she stopped and pulled it out slowly.

Shiori watched unfazed by what made most people squeamish. Blood flowed form the round injury like a little stream. She was beginning to feel the normal telltale sign of slight burning at the site of the injury.

"Because of this…" Shiori held her arm up timidly to let them have a clear view of injury and blood. Once the burning had stopped she slowly raised her thumb and wiped away whatever blood that was left on the puncture. Unsurpringly Shiori's skin was completely smooth. There was no sign, besides the blood that was still on her arm, that there had ever been an injury.

Even the nurse looked mildly surprised before she got her facial expression under control.

"What…?" Iruka was beside himself with shock and the Hokage said nothing; Shiori personally translated that as confusion as well. She couldn't be sure though.

No one moved or spoke a word as Shiori leaned over and picked up her sword. A word didn't break air until she pulled it quickly from its sheath and went to slash her own stomach.

"No!" Iruka flung himself out of his seat to stop Shiori. However she was able to put my foot up in time to keep him at bay. Iruka watched in horror as he couldn't move fast enough to stop her self-mutilation.

Within a second the blade had Shiori's own crimson substance on it and the slash across her stomach, which was bleeding rather profusely, showed where it had come from. The nurse looked at the dripping sword in a frozen state of shock and even Iruka stopped trying to push his way towards the young girl; he watched carefully with wide eyes.

The slight stinging and burning sensation covered her stomach for few seconds before it stopped. Shiori placed her weeping red sword tastefully on the white sheeted bed with her then used some of the torn fabric from the cut hospital dress to wipe away the blood that had pooled on her stomach.

It was as if there had never been any injury to start with. Like she had taken some fake blood and splashed it on herself and the hospital gown before putting some on her sword's blade. The white fabric of the dress was soaked with the tears of her body but her body showed no signs as to where they came from.

The nurse looked like she was about to pass out. Iruka was still frozen. He hadn't moved from his spot of leaning on her foot in an attempt to stop her. The Hokage hadn't moved the whole time either, but instead had just been watching the same watchful expression that he had now.

The nurse excused herself to go see another patient then left the room in a hurry.

"I don't have a tailed beast inside me," Shiori explained softly while wiping the liquid sin off her blade with the edge of the gown, "it's just… a curse."

"A kekkai genkai?" Iruka sat back in his earlier seat and let the question out breathless as he attempted to gather himself.

"No." Shiori suddenly corrected him harshly. "A curse."

The Hokage simply nodded before he stood from his seat. He told Iruka to stay with Shiori until he returned or until he was summoned to his office. Then he was gone. The room was now a little emptier and Shiori began to feel a little more in the limelight.

Iruka remained silent as she expertly sheathed her sword once again and placed it gently on the chair it had been on. Shiori scooted myself back onto the bed but didn't let herself get too comfortable. He may seem nice, but regardless Shiori still didn't really know him.

The clock hanging on the white wall next to the door ticked the seconds by slowly.

"Am I going to have to leave…?"

Shiori's nervous voice had dragged Iruka out of whatever thoughts he had been caught up in; he looked at her, studying her face, and then looked away. "I don't think… No. You won't. We're a lot more accepting here than it seems your old village was like."

Shiori smiled softly at the thought of possible happiness.

She could do what she wanted to now. Learn what she wanted. Be happy when she wanted. Act lazy when she felt like it. She could be a normal human now. Well… as normal as a girl that heals this quickly could be.

"Iruka?"

Her reserved voice got his attention once more and he turned to the girl with a shock of white hair. He caught himself getting a little too caught up in her eyes earlier, that's why he had to look away. But now- now when he looked at them he saw something very familiar. He couldn't place it though.

"Thanks." Shiori fiddled with her hospital gown as she attempted to close the gap she and her sword had created in it, "Thanks for caring and trying to stop me. No one has ever done that for me before. I appreciate it." Shiori beamed at him since she really was genuinely happy with this whole scenario.

His face turned slightly red and he wouldn't make direct eye contact, "It was uh- it was no problem, Shiori." They sat in quiet for a minute. "So there anything else your… curse… can do?" He sounded uncertain calling it a curse.

But then again he hadn't experienced it like she had. Nevertheless, Shiori appreciated him remembering her corrections and respecting them.

"Venoms, poisons, and gases… stuff like that doesn't have any effect on me- well- okay it makes me feel uncomfortable but it won't kill me or do what it's supposed to do. Um," she racked my brain for more information, "As you saw, I heal quickly. I heal slower when it's an injury caused with chakra though or fire; those two things usually leave pretty bad scars too. I can get rid of the scars from those but it takes chakra and a lot of effort." Shiori's fingers danced nervously and she bit her lip.

Iruka noticed Shiori's signs of nervousness because he pulled his chair closer to her bed in attempt to feel closer. He found that it was usually easier for him to comfort someone this way.

As he got closer he could all the details of her face better. He was surprised to find that that Shiori actually had a very fine scar on her right cheek. Iruka had to surprise his want to look away from her; when they had first found her lying there he had been worried. He didn't really care that she looked like a matted Big Foot. Now though- now he felt flustered just looking at her. She seemed almost too pure.

Iruka persevered and looked at Shiori's eyes directly, "We don't mean any harm to you Shiori. It doesn't seem like you're trying to pull any scams so you don't need to worry."

Shiori's response was a deep frown and she whispered, "I don't like the idea of you trying to tell me how to feel. You haven't seen or experienced what I have. I mean," She pushed some fresh snow colored hair behind her ear as she fumbled for the best way to word it, "I'm sure you've had your bad experiences but we're all different in our responses to those."

"I wasn't trying to sound bossy or come off in that way! I'm sorry, Shiori." Iruka looked slightly flustered as he tried to backpedal. His face heated and he instantly felt guilty for making Shiori feel upset.

Shiori shrugged and watched the clock's hand tick intently, "I've had a lot of people experiment on me because of my curse and treat me poorly. I don't know how else to feel when I tell people about it I guess." She shrugged once more, "I have a feeling that you'll be passing this information onto the Hokage though so I guess I might as well attempt to not get so worked up."

"That's a good way to look at it. We're just trying to help is all." He gave a strained smile. Iruka had been actually trying to make her feel better but had accidently made her more upset and slightly indifferent. It was odd not knowing what to say for once.

"Well the 'scientists' that did all of those experiments on me also found that if you cut an appendage off, like a leg, it's possible to reattach it just by holding it back to its original spot." Iruka's face looked slightly sickened by the thought of a person cutting off another person's limbs for science, "it's also possible for me to take injuries to the head and brain and have them heal; although I guess I lose consciousness for a minute or two depending on how bad it is."

Shiori could tell that Iruka was struggling with trying to keep his horror off of his face. His imagination was probably running wild with scenarios of gory experiments.

Iruka in fact was trying to keep up the indifferent façade, but he wasn't as gifted at the poker face as other ninja were. He only hoped that he wouldn't make Shiori feel any worse.

"As I said earlier, injuries from fire or chakra heal slightly slower and leave pretty nasty scars. My healing can also be slowed down by lack of food, sleep, or water. I'm affected by starvation, dehydration, and tiredness like any normal person; however it seems to take a little bit longer for it to really affect me. They never did get to testing to see what would happen if my heart was injured so I don't know if I'd be able to recover from an injury like that… My legs can be paralyzed if my spinal cord is broken but that heals too. They were pretty sure that the only surefire way to kill me would be to decapitate me completely."

His face had gone to an odd color of green as he pictured all of the possible experiments that came to mind. He struggled to shove away the images of people hunched over innocent looking Shiori and cutting limbs off and stabbing her.

Shiori's eyes began to burn, but not as a sign of healing. Tears wanted to break their way out but she wasn't going to let them. "Through all those tests they forgot something though…"

His eyes dug into hers as she continued, "They forgot that like any other normal person, I feel pain. Despite my healing abilities I can still feel pain- I do still feel all the pain. Every time they cut off a leg or an arm and watched it heal itself, I could feel that. They didn't care though," Another deep frown pulled at the corners of Shiori's mouth, "I was just a monster to them. The White Demon."

The clock continued clicking away steadily like water dripping out of a leaking faucet.

"Well don't worry Shiori because you're definitely not a monster here," he gave her a strained smile. Shiori could see that he was trying to push down the pity and not feel bad for her. She had to admit that that was the reaction she had been expecting.

Her heart felt warm though; no one had ever acknowledged what she needed to feel better and acted on it before. Shiori had a feeling that accidently finding the Hidden Leaf Village had been finally been some good luck for once in her life.