Prologue - Ninjutsu Training

By age nine we were introduced to three E-rank jutsu and I practiced them everyday. I wasn't good - hence the need to practice. Some ninja, like my cousins and sister, had natural talent. If I were to become strong one day it would be from hard work and effort.

Hand seals: ram-snake-tiger.

I felt the chakra I'd transmuted diminish. A single, poor excuse for a clone took clumsy steps before crumpling into the grass. It was transparent, and then it faded completely. The clone jutsu.

Hand seals: dog-boar-ram.

The rest of my generated chakra was used up. I tried turning into Grandma Kouga but all I'd done was make myself taller and wrinkly. With a sigh I fell over backwards, a puff of smoke returning me to my original self. The transformation jutsu.

I didn't need to master these techniques just yet, but I was tired of never reaching my expectations. The sun peered through the clouds, through the leaves of the branches above. I sat back up. This small, grassy plateau was empty so I was using it for training. I made the ram sign: hands together, first two fingers pointed up, the last two fingers of my left hand wrapped over those of my right, and left thumb covering my right thumb.

Hand seal: ram.

This one was used to knead chakra. I was bad at chakra control: I couldn't stand sideways on trees or buildings for longer than a few seconds and I'd tried many times. Using this seal was like a crutch to help my focus. With eyes closed I imagined my physical and mental energies combining. I felt my stamina decrease, and in tandem chakra returned to my reserves. It was circulating in my body. Now that I'd made chakra, I opened my eyes and attempted the third jutsu.

Hand seal: tiger-boar-oxe-dog-snake.

"Substitution jutsu!"

Chakra molded into the technique and I felt my body flicker. I crashed face-first into a thick branch instead of replacing myself with it. I fell into a slump and wiped my face with a whimper. Of course, only I could do that.

"Poor girl…"

Embarrassed, I lifted my head, still on all fours and looked around to see Suppai and her friend watching me. Gin was to my older sister what Shien was to me: her best friend since their Academy days. Like her name she had long silver hair. They'd trained together so much that they knew multiple combinations and could pull them off effortlessly. Their teamwork had been better than anyone else in their grade.

Unlike her fellow, Suppai showed no pity: "Heh. Pathetic."

"Shut up and go away!" I yelled and sprang to my feet.

"Have you mastered shuriken jutsu yet?"

"No."

"Check this out." Suppai whipped a shuriken from her leg pouch and tossed it. She weaved signs so fast I could barely see and then no less than eight shuriken lodged themselves into a trunk.

"Good joint aim," Gin praised in her airy way.

"You wanted to prove you're better than me?" I mumbled darkly, "I get it. Why don't you just go?"

"It's okay Amai," Gin comforted, "Just keep up your training and you'll get it."

Suppai watched me silently for several seconds, "You know we're both applying for Storm Operations, right? Uncle Reikou got us an interview with Lord Arashi."

"That means you won't be living at home?" I looked at her with wide eyes.

Even though we didn't like each other, she was still my sister. In our childhood there had been a few rare instances where I felt like we got along and were able to understand each other. I wanted to be strong like Suppai. Now she was going to leave me and our parents, get special training in another program and take on dangerous secret missions.

My eyes lowered.

"You need to get stronger," was all she said before Suppai flickered and was gone.

Gin gave me a sympathetic look before dashing over the trees as well.

"The Snake Scroll Jutsu is the first of our clan's secret techniques," Uncle Reikou was teaching me after I'd come home from classes one afternoon.

I was sitting cross-legged before him, and I'd not bothered asking how my sister's interview went. Likewise he didn't bring it up either, but I was almost certain she'd passed. Training with Dad was more light-hearted. Reikou was stern, but at least Kouga wasn't watching. The few times she sat in view my back was completely straight and I was too nervous to do anything right. She didn't join us anymore, and it was equal parts relieving and disheartening.

Reikou stepped over and passed me a green scroll. I turned it over. The material was fine, red detailing at the ends and a gold thread pattern hanging from the wooden center.

He watched me, "I put off teaching you scroll manipulation because it requires good chakra control, and that hasn't been your strong point so far. But given your relatively young age, you might be coming into your talents late."

I watched him turn and face the row of wooden dummies ten feet away. They were simple and covered in knicks from kunai practice. Reikou held up an identical green scroll. Hand signs: monkey, and then a simple one-handed seal.

"Snake Scroll Jutsu!"

The scroll unraveled, rearing overhead like a snake, then it whipped down with the sound of fluttering paper, binding itself around the dummy completely.

I stared. Reikou made another one-hand sign and the scroll whipped itself back together, spinning in mid-air before he caught it and turned to me.

"Our clan's offensive jutsu all rely on scroll manipulation at a minimum. The Snake Scroll Jutsu relies on only that. This skill is the symbol of our clan and you must master it before you graduate. Understand?"

I was then training at the academy, which had become a lot stricter. Shien was very good at genjutsu - the best in our class. I wondered if that meant she was from a clan that specialized in it. In all this time we'd never asked each other about our clans.

Taijutsu was difficult for me, mainly because I didn't like meat. I was a picky eater. Apparently that was why I couldn't develop much muscle mass. I was sparring against a girl called Karui whose red hair was up in pig-tails. She was smirking after each exchange in blows. I knew she was thinking I was weak.

"You can do it, Amai!" Shien cupped her mouth to shout from the stands.

"Take her down!" Omoi raised his arm.

Karui's friends cheered her on as well and I clenched my jaw; my determination against her confidence. The sensei walked around the sparring ring, keeping an eye on our stances and form.

I took a step and threw an overhead kick. She used a forearm to block then kicked out my support leg. I stumbled back but didn't fall, having to shake the pain away. Karui advanced, still grinning.

"Come on, little scroll girl. Show me what you got."

I dived forward, under her arm and into a roll. I came up with a punch but something hit me in the face. I saw stars then blackness for a few seconds, and could hear Sensei calling the match. My face really hurt but after a few seconds I concluded my nose wasn't broken, though it was bleeding. I was down on one knee and the teacher lifted my chin to examine me.

"You're alright. Go wash up."

But I wasn't alright. I needed to be stronger.