Shadow Man

Koomahana

Chapter 7: Storms make trees grow deeper roots

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The day was bright and warm, the birds chirped and the squirrels squealed, even elusive kittens and pups came out to play. It was with these sights and sounds that she knew without a doubt that she was safe. When animals roamed nearby, fearless of even her, then she can truly be free to be she who has no name. No... that wasn't right. She had a name, several actually, she just didn't like them. They weren't right, they... they weren't her. Hisuiru, Jade blossom, an affectionate name from an affectionate little boy... a little boy she failed to protect. Mei, child of earth; it's a cursed, hated, spiteful name from a grizzly old man who lived too long in the dark. Mistress was less of a name and more of a title but those who used it rarely received her wrath as punishment.

Hisuiru, Mei, mistress; those are the names she goes by but they aren't her's. She knows those aren't her true names, she knows she'll never remember her birth name; the tricky-old man made sure to seal those memories. She knew those affection-accursed names weren't hers in the same manner that she knew the sky was blue and grass was green. When she thought about what her true name was, what her parents must've called her, all she can ever think of were flowers. Bright blooming flowers signature of spring, a sea of flowers, a never ending abyss of flowers... that was the vision that surrounded her when she thought what her true name was.

"Mistress," she sighed in disappointment, she knew there had been a curious little mouse wondering ever closer to her but that accursed brat of a boy desired to ruin the peace she was enjoying. "It is time to go, the mission will be starting soon..."

"How long are you going to follow me around?" She asked as she pushed herself up, her long dark hair rolled over her face like a silk blanket. Oh, how she hates the a cursed color black; it's no more her true hair color anymore then Mei was her true name. She tries so hard to out think those damn medics and their smelly black chemical that they use to permanently dye her hair for the year; but of course the damn show-off charmeleon decided to pay her table a visit when she wasn't looking.

That damn charmeleon, the next time she sees that disgraceful gray haired, medic-drop-out she's slitting his throat!

"Hisuiru-sama," the boy called again, she glared up at him, regarding his offered hand like one would regard a particularly large spider. "If we linger much longer, master will summon you." The muscles under her right eye twitched, a phantom memory of acid and fire threatened to devour her face. She hates the seal that's painted across her cheek. The bastard old man can find her, summon her, torture her, erase her all within a whimsical second. On her upper left arm was yet another painful reminder of her situation, it's another spiteful but useful trick of the old man. The seal painted on her left arm allowed her to teleport to his side regardless of the distance between them. She only ever used it when she knew she was pressing her luck with his patentice. Sighing in aggravation she pushed herself onto her feet with one hand, she took in a breath of the meadow's clean air before using the cursed seal resting on her left upper arm. The boy gently clasped her hand and together they disappeared in the morning sun. The next place they appeared was cold, dark, silent and stinking of sweat, death and decay. They both remained silent as the feeling of boulders settled on their shoulders, the boy retracted his hand to form a fist over his heart; together they kneeled before their master.

"There you are Mei, I was wondering if I was going to have to summon you here." Beneath her mask of black hair, her right cheek twitch in aggravation. He knew his summoning of her caused her near unbearable levels of pain. The first few times she was screaming mad in agony and had to be restrained in order for the medics to tend to her. She and her constant companion didn't budge from their location, knowing best that a twitch could earn a lashing.

"Join your classmates below you two," their master said coldly. "Your mission will begin soon. I expect perfection from the both of you." They said nothing as they disappeared from his side and reappeared standing at the front of the next group of agents in training. The boy quickly kneeled again, showing respect from his place a hold step behind his mistress but the black haired girl chose to remain standing. Her eyes were closed behind her veil of inky hair, her hands limp at her sides and her back straight to indicate her riveted attention on her master. There were several glances from both her classmates and the previous graduates, several of her elders reached for their blades, expecting the order for her death but their master did nothing but smirk.

"As I expected from the child of earth," the man drawled lowly. "Careful Ubume, to not get crushed by the bolder of which you carry." A fairytale creature, Ubume was the wandering soul of a woman mourning the death of her child. She wandered streets and paths crying out in hysteria for someone to take her child. When someone finally did, they would wander aimlessly with the child. At least, they wandered as far as it took for them to realize that the growing weight in their arms was actually a bolder and not a baby.

She was only called 'Ubume' when she was pushing her luck with his patience, it was his way of saying 'shut up and obey'.

"The bolder I carry is the fate of the earth." Mei replied courtly, "nothing is heavier than that." The man's smirk grew and he couldn't stifle his chuckle as he placed both hands upon his walking cane.

"Very good, you're learning to accept your fate." He nodded absent mindedly to himself, the graduates slowly released their weapons. "Now then, your mission is to go to the border of Kumo and Rain country. From there you are to kill a few shinobi, present them to Hanzo and of course, eliminate the red haired man with violet eyes." Mei nodded in acceptance, her missions were usually sparing lives, protection details and the like. This would be her first assassination job and based on the number of people in her team, her opponents weren't exactly on her level. They were strong enough to need an entire generation of ; agents in training.

"Who ever returns, graduates the training course." The man continues with a careless shrug. "But if you return and Konoha is suspected in the attack then you all will be executed for treason, understood?"

"Yes sir." Mei alone answered, court and sharp, she didn't dare hide her glare from her master's sight. She wanted him to know that she would bring everyone back, she would protect and guide her teammates, no one was going to come back dead and the village wouldn't be blamed for his choices.

This time he wouldn't have an excuse to slaughter everyone in her care.

"I await your return, child of earth."

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In the month of hail, a few nights before the night of a full moon, during a horrendous storm that blackened the sky and filled every house with darkness and chilled the hearts of the survivors; a group of wandering shadows slipped through the storm like whispers of ghosts. The class of 30 split into six teams of five, headed by their honored mistress Mei, they dared not allow their presence be known by the slumbering signatures of their enemies. Each team was tasked to locate, observe, report, strategize on each of their selective teams and after reassembling their teams, annihilate their enemies. Meeting atop the tallest tower of the village, Mei turned to look at the crouching group of children obeying her stepped towards one boy closest to herself, she had given them all proper names before they left the village but she did not give them their teams; it was here she made her choice.

"Yasu, you will lead the eastern team. Rin, Akira, Shiori, and Yoshi are under your protection and guild." Yasu stood and stepped forward, without hesitance Mei met him and clasped their forearms together. "Guild them well my brother." Yasu nodded and stepped aside, his four teammates quickly taking to his side.

"Makoto, you will take the south side." Mei ordered as she turned to another young boy. "Tsubasa, Kyou, Shun and Yuu are yours to protect and guide." Mikoto rose to his feet and clasped Mei's forearm with quivering fingers. "Bring them home ototo."

"Ha-hai mi-mistress!" Makoto stuttered out unsurely. He stepped aside with his teammates, awaiting to be excused but not daring to leave.

"Yuki, fly to the north and do not look back," Mei ordered as she stepped towards the youngest in their group. "Raise the cry should backup arrives. Yasu, Minoru, Hikaru and Kaede will guild you well, listen to their words but know you decide their fates." The young boy nodded solemnly, Mei patted his head and let him give her a quick one armed hug before darting to his given placement. The elder children quickly followed him, heads bowed but voices silent; they know better then to question their mistress.

"Takara, take Kohaku, Sora, Kaoru and Haruka to the west," Mei ordered as she addressed the boy. "Focus on the rain and be careful of traps. Yours is the trickiest of them all." The boy nodded but didn't dare rise from his placement; he felt no affection for this girl who defies their master with every chance. Sighing, Mei turned to the last group.

"Minato, Michi, Naomi, Ren, do not leave my side." Mei ordered as she turned once more to face the sleeping village bathed in storm winds and night fall. She took three steps and before any of them could react she drew her Tanto and pointed at the eldest boy in their ranks. The gray haired medic didn't twitch as the blade stopped a foot short of his shapeless mask; that didn't stop a shiver from rolling up his spine though. He maybe in their honored Mistress's team, given the name Ren, but he knew full well the level of hatred she had for him.

"We are the children born in embers and ashes, raised in the deepest darkness of humanity's humiliation." Mei said the words like a vow but it was a reminder of who they were. "Should our enemy ask us why, we shall fall with the words of our ancestors." She took a deep breath, as if steadying herself for an impossibility that was slowly growing into reality before her very eyes. "Storms make trees grow deeper roots. Never forget this day, for we will grow strong because of it." Ren felt pride swell in his chest as he rose and fluidly joined the blade of his Tanto with that of his mistress's. Not long after they were joined by the blades of the others in their immense team.

"Storms force deeper roots!" They each repeated their Mistress, pride sounding strong in their voices.

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Darui cursed as he raced through the ice-prick rain and slick mud that dared to defy him with every chakra powered leap. He was supposed to meet up with the informers four hours ago but they still had not approached his location; his worry grew when he smelled smoke on the wind. Now only twenty minutes out from the last checkpoint of his comrades, he could smell blood, burnt hair, acidic poison, and the shrill sound of a thousand screams seemed to echo in his mind as he pushed himself to go even faster than he was. He ignored the shattered remains of a village wall and the crumbling apart stone homes stained red and black from corpses and flame alike. Darui stretched out his senses, searching for the familiar warmth of his comrades but nothing more than a trickle of fear made itself known to him. With the blood and smoke in the air, it stifled his sense of smell. The raging storm of rain and ice blinded him, bidding everything but the flames stubbornly licking at stone. Even his hearing could only pick up the shrill wind, shattering stone, soft whimpering... whimpering! Only humans could make that distinctive whimper!

It could be a comrade of his!

Without thinking twice about it, he spun on his heel and darted into dark ruins of an alleyway. Appearing on the other side he barely managed to avoid the swinging katana aiming for his neck, but then there was a web of shinobi wire with motion detective mobs attached. He walked face first into a trap; literally.

"Darui-kun!" He turned carefully towards the voice, a flash of platinum blonde was his only clue before the familiar voice cried out again. "MOVE!" He leaped into the air, flying through a network of wires and tangling himself up in the elaborate web.

"Yukito-san! What happened?!" His voice was hoarse and dry, his comrade could only look away in shame.

"The others are dead," Yukito answered him sorrowfully, "I'll be joining them soon."

"Hell no!" Darui snarled, his chakra swarmed through his muscles to fill his blade; allowing him to sharpen his sword and cut through the wires without damaging his own body. In moments he was standing before Yukito, two swords ready for the next attack.

Except his opponents were children

"No..." Darui whispered, staring openly at the steadily increasing number of children. They were all dressed the same, long black yukatas with porcelain white shapeless masks. They all shared that haunting shapeless dark shadow figure...only their faces were plain white masks with their eye holes simple slits, as if they were glaring out at the world for the crimes held against them.

"Why are you doing this?!" Yukito yelled at them, her hand tightened on her wounded side where a steady stream of red and purple mixed together. "Shouldn't children be obeying their elders, not killing them in their sleep?!"

"We are children of embers and ashes." Yukito shivered as the shapeless shadows parted to allow, who she assumed to be their leader, another young child to approach. Out of all the children present, this silent leader was undoubtedly the smallest.

"We were raised in the darkness if humanity's greatest humiliation." Her short black hair was half pulled back into a high ponytail, tied in place by a silk ribbon stained crimson. Her mask was different as it was shaped into the overly elaborate look of a bird skull, framed by fried black feathers and its eye sockets observed by black tinted glass eyes. She wore the familiar black leather battle armor that Yukito has seen a dozen times on various high ranking Anbu operatives. She wore two weapons holsters, a very large and undoubtedly heavy back pouch, a small tanto strapped to her back beneath her black cloak of raven feathers.

"Should you fight us, we will fall with the words of our ancestors." The most terrifying part about the girl were her hands, they were wrapped in black leather gloves but the tips of the fingers were shiny silver claws that looked like bird tallens and on the backs of her hands were thick metal guards detailed with the carving of a scythe swirled twice over. Each of the shadows stepped back, kneeled and bowed their heads. Their whisper soft voices murmuring 'mistress' as if it were a chant that would protect them from her wrath.

"Storms make trees grow deeper roots," she stopped a dozen oases from them, head tilted to the side as if curious about the man standing before her. "Please dye quietly. We only need your bodies." Yukito felt her heart break with those simple words, as if the child thought that the request was simple and she didn't understand why they wanted to live.

"We can't do that little one," Darui answered slowly, his voice shook as he stared at the nightmarish image if a child. "We have a war to win."

"We have kin to protect," the little monster-leader countered easily. "Which is more important? Your lives or our siblings?" With that the children attacked, Yukito weeped as she released the demon sealed inside.

"I am the Niibi, demon of souls, I will guide you to the peace in the afterlife."

The girl stared up at the flaming cat, seeming unconcerned with the danger.

"...you can try."

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Does this chapter answer your question Guest-San? I'm not gonna spell it out for you or tell you point blank. There wouldn't be any surprises or suspense if I pointed it out and said "this is this person but it's a secret from the characters!" It wouldn't be a good story if all the readers could figure out the endgame before the characters themselves figured it out.

Please be patient, everything will be revealed in time.

In the meantime, I hope everyone liked this chapter!