Kioshi was five years old when it happened. The night was cool and there was a full moon shining brightly in the sky. His father had needed to do some farm work earlier that day, so their training session had been held in the evening.
After three hours of sword training, Kioshi was exhausted. He was excited to get back to the house. His sweat was cooled by the soft wind, as he walked down the dirt path with his father towards the soft glowing light of the kitchen. He could already imagine the delicious food waiting there.
Crickets chirped in the dark green grass, and the wind rustled the leaves of the trees surrounding their little farm. It was a peaceful night.
Kioshi's thoughts were altered when his father suddenly froze in the pathway. Kioshi stopped walking as well, becoming concerned.
"What's wrong?" Kioshi whispered, and stretched out his senses. Focusing, he was surprised to pick up two signatures inside the house. They were different from anything he'd ever felt before. They felt human and we're currently near his mother. A shadow passed by the light in the window.
"Kioshi go back to the barn." His father said softly, urgently. "Stay there and don't come out until I get you."
Kioshi nodded and walked quickly back the way they had come. He took one last look at the house, before going inside the barn. What was going on? Who were those people?
Kioshi set his lantern down on the straw-covered floor in the corner and paced back and forth in front of it. This was the first time anyone had visited. Were the people in the house dangerous? His father had always been an example of strength and knowledge. Seeing him react in such a way, caused a lot of concern.
A flare of chakra suddenly hit his senses. Kioshi tensed and looked around. The room was silent. The cow and donkey were out in the field, and the chickens were fast asleep. There was nothing but the sound of the whistling wind.
He didn't feel a foreign presence, but the chakra flare had been close. Kioshi looked nervously around the room.
The sound of crunching straw made him whirl in the sound's direction. The boy picked up the lantern and held it out in front of his body, trying to see into the dark corner. The crunch had only happened once, but Kioshi knew his ears hadn't imagined it. It had sounded like someone's foot.
Silence continued as Kioshi scanned the shadows.
"Hummm…" a voice suddenly hummed. The tone was deep and dark.
Kioshi flinched. The voice had come from the dark corner he was trying to illuminate. "Who are you?!" he squeaked, trying not to bolt. Living so long alone with his parents made the foreign voice even more fighting than under normal circumstances.
A tall dark form moved from the wall in response, coming closer and stepping into the light. The form appeared to be a human, clothed in a long black cloak with a deep hood. The hood was deep to the point that Kioshi could only see the bottom of the person's chin. Below the chin, around the person's throat, was a red piece of cloth with a rectangular metal plate attached to it.
The man walked up until he was standing right in front of the boy, peering down at him. He then placed a palm on the boy's forehead, and Kioshi felt a shimmer of energy.
The man was silent for a moment, then took a step back.
"Who are you?" the man asked back, soft and accusing.
Kioshi looked around the barn to see if there was any sign of his father. This was not good…He did not like the feeling of this man. Actually, the lack of feeling was what disturbed him. It was like standing in front of a void. The tone of the man's voice also indicated that the man was not happy with him.
"Who are your parents?" "the man continued when he didn't receive an answer.
The voice was harsh, and Kioshi swallowed. "I-I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," he stumbled out lamely, not realizing until now how frightened he was. Technically, his parents had never told him this, but it seemed like a good thing to say to get the man to leave. Please…please leave….
The man was silent for a moment. Then as if coming to a decision, he suddenly reached forward and grabbed the boy's collar. Kioshi inhaled and held his breath as he was then dragged roughly out of the barn.
As they travel through the moonlight, Kioshi wondered if he should retaliate. There were several different strikes he could make in this position.
Could he beat the stranger? Not likely. This man seemed graceful and strong, and the lack of the man's aura told Kioshi that he wasn't normal. Animals and even plants had auras. Every living thing could be felt in some way. Was this man a zombie?
Through his thoughts, Kioshi didn't realize that the man was taking him to the house until the man opened the door and shoved him inside.
The conversation taking place in the living room came to a halt.
"Shinobu, what is the meaning of this?" One of the strangers in the house asked. The man had large muscles and wore a red sleeveless tunic with a brown leather vest. Like the cloaked man, he wore a red piece of cloth with a rectangular metal plate attached to it. His, however, was tied around his head. His partner, in turn, was a strong, leaner man with spiky red hair. He also wore a red headband with a metal plate. Kioshi swallowed.
"I found this boy in the barn outside." The cloaked man said flatly in answer. "These people seemed to be hiding him."
Kioshi glanced at his parents across the room who were staring at the situation in shock and horror.
The muscled man furrowed his brow in confusion, before looking down to study the small boy. His eyes widened when he noticed the red and purple rings in the boy's eyes. "Is that a Dojutsu?" he asked in slight disbelief.
"Yes." The zombie man again answered flatly. "The boy is also C-Rank."
This caused the muscled man to whip back and study the boy again as if he had missed something. "Impossible. Only a prodigy could be one at his age."
"You know my abilities." the cloaked man said darkly. "I scanned his system. His chakra levels and system are like one of a graduated ninja. I'm sure of it."
The muscled man turned and glared at Kioshi's father. "Who is he?" he growled.
Kioshi's father glared back fiercely. His eyes held a threat that Kioshi had never seen before. "The boy is none of your concern," he said lowly. "Leave now and there won't be a problem."
The muscled man's eyes narrowed at the disrespect. His indignation quickly turned wary as he met the farmer's dark unflinching gaze.
"You guys are ninja aren't you?" the man stated as if just realizing it. "That boy is your son. You've been training him!" He then turned to the cloaked man. "Shinobu, scan them," he snapped. "See their rank."
The cloaked man in response left Kioshi and headed over to the pair of farmers.
Kioshi's father clenched his fists and glared at the approaching man, the threat in the farmer's gaze causing the other to stop. "We are not your enemies here. We are peaceful farmers. All we wish is to be left alone."
The muscled man shook his head. "Being an unregistered ninja is illegal in rock country. Hiding a bloodline is even worse. The Tsuchikage will not be pleased. You are under arrest. If you cooperate, you will not be harmed until our lord can decide what to do with you."
Kioshi swallowed again. This couldn't be happening. His parents were going to get arrested? His mother and father didn't look too pleased with the fact either. Their eyes turned to one another, and a silent message was passed.
Before Kioshi could register what happened, chakra flared he was outside of the house. Harsh wind pushed at the back of his head, forcing it against a warm person's chest. He was being carried by someone, and they were moving fast.
Strong chakra vibrated out of the person, filling in his senses. Distant flashes of Chaka were also felt in the distance, towards the place they had been. Those signatures quickly became fainter and fainter.
Kioshi recognized the person carrying him as his father. The man was holding him tight against his chest, rushing through the forest at astonishing speed.
After about a minute of running, his father slowed down to a more visible pace, the trees becoming individual again, passing by like blinking stripes. His father changed direction many times, taking sharp turns to the left and right, and sometimes cutting off his chakra and backtracking.
After hours of running in various ways and directions, the man finally stopped, his breathing slightly labored. By this time, Kioshi was in a daze, and he felt like he could be sick. "Okay, I think we can rest here for a minute," his father said, setting Kioshi down on a rock. "I'm sorry this happened. You must have questions."
Kioshi blinked. He had figured out the base of the situation. He did have one question though. "Where's mom?"
His father looked grim. "We split up" he answered, "She can't run as fast as I can, so she went another way. I think she will be okay though. The ninjas want you more than her."
Kioshi looked down wearily. This was all his fault.
At the boy's downcast expression, his father sighed. "I should have told you a long time ago, but I didn't want to worry you. You're special Kioshi. Your eyes are special. They aren't like most in the world. If a person sees them, they will know that you are different. People will think you are dangerous."
His father smiled grimly at this. "And they're right. You are dangerous. You have an amazing gift. Because of this, bad people will try to use you for their own purposes. I can't let that happen."
Kioshi nodded solemnly.
His father smiled softly then, putting a hand on Kioshi's shoulder. "It's going to be okay. Your mother and I have a place where we can meet. After that, we can find another home. Then we can…"
His father trailed off.
Kioshi felt it too. There was a thrum of chakra in the distance. It was quickly getting closer and stronger. Three auras were soon felt. One was the aura of the muscled man, the other two foreign and new. "Impossible.." his father breathed out, quickly picking Kioshi up and speeding away.
Somehow the muscled ninja had tracked them, and he had company. Had the man called back up? Someone besides the cloaked man and spiky red-haired man?
This was bad. If there were more than three enemies, then they were all in trouble. Both his father and his mother would be outnumbered.
The ninjas following them also seemed to have strong tracking ability. No matter how fast his father ran or tried to deceive, they couldn't hide. They had already traveled so long and far. How much chakra did his father have left? Would this come to a test of endurance?
After three more hours of running, his father seemed to decide that it was hopeless. It was best to surrender or fight.
As they traveled through a canyon of trees and tall rocks, Kioshi's father stopped at a mountainous rock and quickly hopped up its various ledges to the top. He set Kioshi down on a ledge near the peak. "Stay up here and stay out of sight," he said. "Don't come down."
Kioshi nodded, his heart thumping with worry. His father looked resigned. Did this mean his dad was going to cut a deal? Worse, was his father was going to fight? His father's chakra levels couldn't be that high after running for so long. He was outnumbered too. Kioshi was willing to go with the ninjas if it meant his father would be ok.
Lowering himself close to the ground, Kioshi peered slowly over the rocks ledge, only going as far out as necessary. His father had told him to stay out of sight, but he had to see. Kioshi was cast in shadow, so that gave him some comfort. The full moon to his back brightly illuminated the canyon floor below. His father was currently standing out in the center of the flat open space, watching as two large shapes in the distance approached.
It was the shapes of two men riding on top of two giant lizards. They were traveling quickly but slowed to a stop when they came within a few yards of Kioshi's father.
So the foreign auras had been lizards. Are those the things that tracked them?
"So you have finally decided to stop running," the muscled man said from on top of the beast, his voice distant, but clear to Kioshi's ears. The muscled man dismounted his lizard, and the zombie man to the side did the same.
"Do you have any more need of us boss?" One of the lizards asked, voice deep and gravely.
The muscled man waved dismissively. "No, You may go. I will summon you again if I need you." The two lizards nodded and then poofed into smoke, leaving the two ninjas facing their opponent alone
"Where is the boy?" the muscled man asked.
Silence filled the empty plain.
"Humm, he's up on the ridge," the cloaked man replied after a moment, and Kioshi's father tensed. Apparently, the question hadn't been for him.
The muscled man smiled at this, relaxing, and then studied Kioshi's father. "You know… your one fast bastard," he said conversationally. "You got a bit of endurance on you too. The Tsuchikage might find a use for you. Surrender and we may show mercy."
"I won't let you take my son." Kioshi's father replied resolutely. "He doesn't belong to you."
"Everything here belongs to the Tsuchikage!" the man snapped, causing Kioshi's father to flinch. "This is his land. You'll do well to remember that!"
A tense silence filled the air for a moment after the outburst. Apparently, the man was angrier than he first let on. The muscled man then calmed a bit. "I am sick of playing this game. Surrender or die. This is your last chance."
In response, Kioshi's father formed a long sword out of pure energy. It glowed brightly in the dark night. The two ninja's tensed and also flared with techniques.
What followed was a series of attacks that were too fast for Kioshi's eyes to follow. Blurs, flashes, and explosions set the night a blase. It was frightening. So frighting that his heart seized. How could Kioshi ever compete with such power? The boy had thought he was skilled, but he was wrong. This was an entirely different level.
The earth shook with a shock wave when the muscled man appeared out of a blur and slammed a palm down. The ledge that Kioshi was on cracked off due to the force and Kioshi slipped.
The earth still shaking and rocks falling, Kioshi tried to find a grip as he slid down the steep rocky slope. A broken tree branch growing out of a crevice slashed deeply across his side and he cried out in pain. Kioshi focused and strengthened his body with chakra, finally managing to find a grip, hanging on off a lip of the rock.
The field had gone silent. Turning his head to see what was going on, Kioshi froze in horror. All three figures were now still, and the cloaked ninja had a hand thrust through Kioshi's father's chest. The cloaked man then vibrated differently and Kioshi's father fell down through the spearing arm like it was made of air.
The shock of what occurred made Kioshi lose focus again, causing him to fall the rest of the way down to the ground. The impact knocked the air out of his lungs. Rising shakily off the ground, he quickly hobbled over to a pile of boulders and hid behind them, hoping that they would provide some cover.
Peering through them, he saw that his father was now lying still on the ground.
The muscled ninja walked up and towered over the prone man. Kioshi could hear him talking lowly to his father, but couldn't make out the words. The muscled ninja then pulled out a knife.
Kioshi's eyes widened at the gleaming blade. No! The ninja was going to finish his father off! That couldn't happen!
The boy flared chakra into his eyes and sent out two purple wisps. The action made the two standing men glance at him, but Kioshi didn't stop, sending the wisps straight into their chests.
The muscled ninja immediately flared his chakra, the technique dispelling the wisp. The cloaked ninja in turn, immediately changed his vibration to the energy Kioshi had felt before when his arm had passed through his father.
Seeing that the purple wisp was still inside the cloaked man, however, Kioshi immediately spun it into a portal. A CD sized disk flared to life in the darkness, and Kioshi moved it up through the man's chest and out his throat.
The man jerked and his chakra vibration returned to normal. When it did, blood exploded in every direction.
The muscled ninja, caught off guard by the gore, was suddenly blasted by a dense bolt of lightning from behind. It slammed the man into the canyon rock face.
The bolt of lightning had come from Kioshi's father. Not wasting any time, Kioshi made another CD-sized purple portal and sawed the stunned man in half.
Silence filled the air. Kioshi's hands were shaking with adrenaline and fear. Stumbling over to the center of the field, Kioshi stopped when he saw the gore he had created. Blood, bone, and body tissue were all around him. The cloaked ninja was in taters. It looked like a wild animal had ripped him apart and gobbled up his insides.
It was monstrous and it had been instinct. What did that say about Kioshi? Kioshi looked over at the muscled ninja. He was lying in a wide pool of blood, looking like a cut burrito, intestines and organs spilling from his split core. Kioshi almost vomited.
His mind was snapped out of it when he heard his father croak weakly. Rushing to the man's side he knelt down. "D-Dad. Dad are you okay?" Kioshi asked, eyes tearing up. He knew it was a stupid question. Blood had soaked into his pant legs as he had knelt. His father's entire chest was covered with blood.
Kioshi searched for the wound so he could apply pressure. To his horror, his tiny hand sunk completely down into his father's chest cavity.
"D-dad, tell me what to do. Please tell me what to do!" he cried in panic. There had to be some way to stop this. A technique that could reverse or help heal the damage.
His father slowly reached up and grasp his tiny hand in answer, squeezing it gently "I'm sorry…" He whispered weakly, eyes staring up at the sky and distant. "I'm sorry…"
Kioshi sobbed. His father's aura flickered. Sorry! He was the one who should be sorry! If he had just hidden in the barn better or helped out sooner, maybe this wouldn't have happened!
"I love you…" His father said, voice fading. His aura faded as well.
Kioshi wailed when it was gone. He bent over and cried brokenly into the shoulder of the dead man, the fabric and flesh beneath muffling his sobs. His father had been one of the only people that he had known in this world. He was kind, brave, and strong. How would he live without him? Was his mother even alive!? If she was dead, then Kioshi was truly alone.
There was no sign of the spiky red-haired ninja. Kioshi assumed that that man had gone after his mother. Even if she was alive, how would he ever find her?
Kioshi laid there by his father till moring. When pink light filled the sky above, Kioshi stared blankly at it in a funeral pose. His tears had long since dried, but his eyes were bloodshot. He hadn't been able to sleep a wink.
His side ached where he had been slashed by the branch. The slash had soaked his shirt with blood, but it had finally stopped due to him keeping firm pressure on it through the night. Kioshi was afraid that if he moved, the wound would open again. His body was also littered with bruises. Kioshi knew though that if he didn't get up, he would probably die here.
He turned on his stomach and slowly rose to his feet.
He needed bandages. This would help keep pressure on his side if the wound opened. The ninja didn't have any supplies, so he resorted to cutting off strips of the ninjas' clothing, and knotting them together. He didn't have the heart to cut anything off his father.
After wrapping his torso with the haphazard cloth, Kioshi then made a red portal with his eyes. His throat was dry with thirst, and he had water in his golden realm. Looking through all his bubbles, Kioshi was now deeply regretting not putting more things in them. Simple food, clothes, or medical supplies would be a lifesaver right now. What had he been thinking! The water was only there because of his experiments!
Bringing the red portal above his mouth, Kioshi tilted his head back and it drizzled water into his mouth.
Glancing around afterward, Kioshi tried to think what to do next. He was lost, he didn't have food, and he was injured. It was also possible that there were other ninjas around. He had just killed two of their comrades, which most likely labeled him as a criminal in this country. He needed to get out of here.
There was also his father to think about. He couldn't just leave him here to rot in the sun. Kioshi also didn't want to keep him in his golden realm. Seeing the dead body right now was bad enough.
Kioshi would need to bury him. Here was as good as a place as ever as it was the place he had died. Perhaps someday he could come back and visit.
Kioshi twirled a purple wisp around his father and formed a large purple portal under him. Gravity caused the man to sink into it. Kioshi then made another purple portal the same size and tunneled it into the ground. A red portal was then made which dropped his father from it into the cylinder hole. Then Kioshi made another red portal which dropped the dirt he had just tunneled out back into the space.
The whole process took less than a minute. It left him exhausted but a lot less than if he had done all of that physically.
Kioshi then started to make his way out of the canyon.
000000000
Days passed, and during that time, Kioshi traveled with a mixture of fear and worry. He knew he had to find a place with food and shelter. It either had to come from nature or civilization. What were his chances? The type of people in this place was unknown. They might not be willing to help him. And surviving in nature was becoming slimmer and slimmer by the day.
The wound across his side was infected. It had started as a dull throbbing but it now oozed with pain. Kioshi believed he had developed sepsis. He felt weak and fevered.
Time was not his friend. His wound was getting worse, not better. The skin refused to heal over, too full of infection to do so. If this continued, the sepsis could develop flesh-eating bacteria.
His stomach also ached with hunger. He'd eaten some leaves and a few roots, but most things he couldn't identify. He didn't want to poison himself.
Another day passed, and at this point, Kioshi didn't care anymore. If a ninja found and killed him, that was fine. At least it would stop the pain.
Kioshi doubted that would happen though. He had walked more than a hundred miles and he still hadn't come across any human life. Kioshi didn't know if this was just chance, or if this place was really that deserted, but he was beginning to suspect he would die alone.
The boy couldn't take another step. The only thing that had kept him going up to this point was his chakra. When his physical muscles couldn't take it, he had flared chakra into them to keep them going.
His chakra reserve was almost gone now though, and Kioshi doubted it would ever replenish. His ability to build chakra had decreased with his body's physical state. The two were connected. He would die before he got the chakra or physical strength to continue.
Kioshi laid down by a tree root as the forest sounds faded and became distant.
Sinking into oblivion, the boy failed to notice a small unique chakra signal, flickering softly above him in the trees…
