Who would've known that an unexpected turn of events would occur on an ordinary, yet beautiful day?

A light breeze passes through the small, yet peaceful village. The inhabitants of the area were kind-hearted, reserved, tranquil.

However, not many knew the village was home to the strongest of elites; a powerful clan that carried warriors with the blood name, Akai. The identity of these shinobi was hidden away in a small, yet beautiful village that sat at the base of a nameless mountain. Secretive as they were, they carried their name with honor and pride. Very few shinobi have recognized the emblem, yet not a single soul had lived to tell the tale of how powerful the Akai ninja truly were. The clan was bountiful and respectable, but most of all, they were feared. They possessed a powerful Kekkei Genkai which struck terror in the hearts of others, and it was this fear that commenced a tragedy.

The day the world was turned upside down was so ordinary, it was almost ironic.

The girl was four at the time. A red-haired, happy energetic little girl. And like any other naive child, she believed the world was kind and peaceful.

The sun was out and not a single cloud has drifted into the clear blue skies. The slight breeze blew in from the west, keeping things cool. The little girl, Akemi Akai, was out in the nearby forests playing hide-and-seek with her older brother.

A red-headed boy, at the age of fourteen, tucks his hands into his pockets to keep the afternoon breeze from prickling his sensitive skin. He silently counts down with a smile crossing his boyish features. Who would've known such a childish game as the one his sister suggested would have brought so much joy to his own heart? "Akemi, have you hidden already?" The boy calls out and stifles back laughter as he takes sight of his baby sister's crimson strands of hair billowing from behind the trunk of a tree.

Unable to resist flaunting his skills, the older boy weaves several hand seals before deeply inhaling, and releasing a gust of water which gushes from one side of the tree and sweeps the child out from the other.

"No fair, onii-chan!" The redhead girl huffs and stands, completely soaked from head to toe, "You can't use ninjutsu when we play games! I haven't learned it yet!"

"That's precisely why I need to use it," He responds with a bright grin. He hoists his younger sibling up who erupts in a fit of giggles and props her on his shoulders, "You're a quick learner. You might even surpass me when it comes to ninjutsu!"

His heart soars at the thought of his younger sister outperforming him in ninjutsu. Most would be jealous of the better skill that one would hone. In his case, his sister was his pride. She was a bud waiting for the right time to flourish into a beautiful flower. With enough care and lessons to teach her, she would head down the right path as one of the great Akai's. "I need all the help I can get if I'm going against you."

Akemi giggles as she props herself on her big brother's shoulders. With her head resting on the top of his, the small girl glances around from her fresh vantage point. Her smile fades as she spots something curious peeking over the trees. Was that... smoke?

"Onii-chan... Look!"

The little girl points in the direction of the mysterious fumes directing her brother's attention. The red-headed boy peers back and pales at the sight of the rising smoke that emerges from their village - their home.

What was going on? What was happening? And why was this happening? His heart races at the thought of intruders assaulting the people of the village. Maybe, it was a fire that one of the residents had forgotten to put out. Maybe, it was the group of village punks that were messing around and had accidentally set off a katon jutsu. However, his assumptions sink at the sound of metal weapons clashing and horrific screams resonating in the distance.

With trembling hands, the red-headed boy lifts his sibling off from his shoulders and sets her to the ground. He inhales deeply, hoping to ease the nerves that were screaming out with such intensity. Little Akemi stares up at him, emerald eyes brimming with fear and confusion. His heart tightens at the sight of his younger sister gazing with such worry. He knew that he couldn't bring her. No way in HELL was he going to lead her into a battlefield. The boy kneels down to his younger sibling's level, meeting eye to eye.

"Akemi, I need you to stay here, okay?" His throat threatens to constrict at the sight of Akemi deflating at his words, "It's too dangerous for you to follow me. I need you to stay here and keep yourself hidden." The boy clutches both of his sister's small shoulders before pulling her into a tight hug, "No matter what happens, do not leave until I come back, you hear me?"

The young girl trembles and nods in response. The sudden seriousness from her brother struck fear in her hammering heart. She knew not to question him, yet there were so many answers she wishes to seek. She wraps her lanky arms around him and squeezes her eyes shut as she gives one last hug.

Too soon, her brother pulls away from her reach. The older boy ruffles her unkempt hair and flashes a nervous smile, "I'll be back before you know it, 'Mi-chan."

The little girl's lower lip trembles as she watches her older brother sprint towards their troubled village. The instant her brother left her sight, the red-headed girl crawls and tucks herself inside a fallen log. She pulls the moss over the mouth of the entrance to further conceal herself and anxiously waits for her sibling's return.

Little did Akemi know, her brother's promise wouldn't be fulfilled.

It had been over a decade since the tragedy of the Akai clan. The rest of the Kirigakure nation called it a triumph to decimate the clan. The growing Akai clan had almost become enough to match the village in strength and numbers. Fear of their familial strength on top of their cohesive community, the head of the clan refused to bow. There were rumors of the clan planning to declare independence from the nation, thus the kill order was issued and executed. Kirigakure were known for their efficacy and the clan was not ready.

Disaster struck the Akai clan on that ordinary day.

While the Akai's main militia was out on nonsense missions issued by the nation, the entire village was slaughtered in cold blood. The shinobi that were assigned on the so-called missions were executed by their own comrades. The entirety of the clan was betrayed and massacred. They paid the ultimate price and all of them perished - all but one.

Akemi - she stayed in the log for weeks. She drank the rainwater that cascaded into the stump of the tree and picked at the insects that clung onto the side of the wood. She dared not venture out for the fear of her own life. It was only until a stray distant aunt of someone who married into the clan wandered by the wreckage of the village to say her farewells did Akemi crawl out enough to be found. Starving and malnourished, the small girl had peeked out from the mouth of the log at the sound of her aunt's familiar weeping voice.

She was taken in by this aunt - an elderly lady who raised her until her death. Akemi was raised as a civilian, far from the shinobi influence, and blossomed into a beautiful girl. Akemi was talented, a quick learner and despite everything that had occurred, she shone brightly, a smile always alighting her face. She pushed back her darkest memories to the back recesses of her mind, but alas it was not to be allowed. The girl who hid her name and identity was raised near the outskirts of Kirigakure, hidden away in the mist below their very noses. Raised for revenge but soft-hearted as always - Akemi never made a move.

It was until one fateful day that she was able to grasp an opportunity to work for the vengeance she longed for.

Akemi forages through the thickets and shrubs of the forest, approaching the familiar areas of wild fruits, nuts, and berries. She had gone out for a walk, hoping to pick some wild berries for a small treat. The girl hums a small tune and reaches down to pluck the small fruits from the bushes.

To her surprise, the tips of her sensitive fingers brush against a wet, sodden surface. She quickly pulls her hand away from the physical contact and to her horror, her slender fingers were coated with a hue of crimson. Her emerald eyes widen at the sight of blood that nearly triggers the terrible recollection of her clan's massacre.

Something was wrong. A lifetime of hiding had made her hypervigilant and Akemi could sense it from the heavy aura that suddenly emerges. She approaches the clearing that came to her view.

Akemi almost gasps at the sight that unravels before her, but she clasps both hands over her mouth.

There was so much blood, the field was practically enclosed by it. A mere distance away, the dark figure of a silver-haired male stands in the midst of a littered field of corpses. The air was polluted with the thick, pungent smell of death. Dirt and grime blanket the bone-white uniform and the color of crimson paints the mysterious killer's exposed skin.

Hands twitching and nose scrunching in displeasure as the coppery scent of blood waft towards her nostrils, Akemi stills in an attempt to conceal any possible noises. The scent of death hung low, bathing her where she hid. Her ears strain and pick up the sounds of the ominous man's nearing steps which patter over the puddles of blood. The squelching noise of drowning grass spells out her doom. Was she to meet her end here?

Akemi holds her breath, squeezes her eyes shut, and silently pleads for her life as the killer slowly approaches her hiding spot with a bloodstained blade in his hand.

A/N: This fanfic was originally released on Wattpad, but I've decided to revamp the fic and publish it here. Hope you guys enjoy the read! :)