The Little Mute Girl Prologue
Once upon a time deep into the Land of Fire there was once a happy merchant family. A pair of lifelong lovers had married and had seven children. The count was six boys with the youngest being a little girl. For a while there was tranquility and peace until tragedy struck this lovely family.
Now long after the daughter was born the mother fell victim to a horrible illness soon perishing as a result from it. This left the father to raise his children alone. While he mourned at the loss of his beloved wife the father valiantly shoved it aside to properly look after their surviving children.
For a time peace and tranquility returned to them, but this did not last.
As a merchant the father would travel to many places and make dealings with all different types of people. Most were good, but there were times when darkness would touch their lives. And it was here that would be his and the children's downfall.
One day while he was trading in a village the father encountered a ninja. This shinobi carried no mark distinguishing which territory he originated from so there was no way for the father to identify him especially with the mask he wore. The shinobi threatened the father trying to exploit him for money and any other valuables he may possess. The father refused showing great courage in standing up to this great bully. In such a public place in the market the shinobi could not act without there being repercussions of some kind. So there was no other choice for him to retreat.
This was far from over.
Naively believing he was safe the father finished up his business and made his way back to his home unaware he was being followed by someone with malignant intent in their heart.
The moment the father returned to his families homestead the children burst out from the door to greet him. All except for the sister for she was inside cooking something for their supper.
It was here while the males in the family were distracted that the shinobi came out of hiding and struck. Quicker than any of them could react the father was struck down by a kunai straight through the heart. This monster killed this kind man instantly.
The brothers were stunned.
The shinobi then used a jutsu to create what he saw as a permanent transformation technique on the brothers changing them into swans before any of them could even blink. The technique he used is a jutsu long since forbidden because of what it wrought. Apparently this guy didn't get the memo.
The six brothers were changed into swans by a horrible jutsu cast by a wicked shinobi, but in his haste the ninja somehow overlooked the sister. He'd basked so deeply in what he had done that she didn't even notice her. So she was fortunately was spared by the effects of this curse.
As the days went on it was discovered that the brothers could not return to their human forms. None of them were shinobi themselves so they couldn't reverse what had become of them. There was very little hope for this family. There was a great fear lingering over them that this jutsu would never be broken leaving the brothers as swans forever.
All seemed lost.
The sister was devastated saying she'd do anything to save them if she could. She was left to spend most of her time in solitude neglected and lonely with despair in her heart.
But then during the spring equinox a few days after all this a very rare and possible solution presented itself.
It came to the sister in a dream as strange as that may sound.
That night as the sister was sleeping she was flying through the clouds. A huge cloud castle appeared towering over her. As she approached the sister she saw a woman in the doorway and in the woman's hand there was a nettle. The woman explained that these stinging nettles could help the girl free her brothers. Unfortunately the anguish she must endure is great.
The sister must only gather this type of plant that grows in mountainsides, graves, and certain spots in forests. They would cut, blister, and sting her skin, but the sister must crush them with her own hands, spin the flax, weave, and knit into shirts. The barbed stems would cut and the spines would tear at the flesh. There will be no brother to comfort and bathe the sisters' ruined hands. She will weep in silence, biting her lip not to cry out in pain. After all the hardship there would be a just reward if she remained true. Then when the six years are up she must throw the six nettle shirts over her brothers. Immediately the jutsu will be broken and all will be set right as it's supposed to be.
There was a warning that came with this valuable information. For six years the sister will be obliged to never speak to anyone or laugh out loud. As soon as she awakes from this dream if one word should fall from her lips all her work will be to no avail. Basically there will be no cry, no song, no whisper in any form. Nor will she tell their story in pictures, or in any other way to a living creature. The very moment the very first word she speaks leaves her lips will pierce her brothers hearts like a sword. Their lives are in her keeping. She must be silent as the grave or each of her precious brothers will be doomed to die.
When the sister voiced her concerns on how to communicate with anyone and the messenger said that she would be able to speak without words with the heart and images of the mind.
This person said that one boon would be granted to the sister. When the sister woke up she was allowed to speak to her brothers to tell them of this news, but that was it. Anymore would be far too dangerous.
The sister vowed a solemn promise for six years she will not utter a sound or laugh and create six shirts out of stinging nettles as she'd been told. The brothers couldn't speak in their swan forms, but they could definitely still understand her. She knew this because of the tears the sister saw dripping from their eyes.
So the very next day the sister got right to work and that would be the final time she would speak for six long years acting as their protector and savior in one go.
All or nothing, you decide.
Think Arrietty can do it?
Authors Note:
I love the show Naruto. I'm literally crazy for it. Basically just by looking at my username on this site you can definitely tell that. But I've recently watched shows and read books about the legend of the wild swans and the sister that saved them from a dreaded curse. It's one of my favorites. Suddenly as I was reading one of the many versions an idea crossed mind.
What if I combined it with the world of Naruto?
I've been contemplating on how and when to get this up for a while now and here it is.
I really hope you guys like this. There's still some polishing to do with some of the ideas, but I have a strong feeling that this is going to turn into a masterpiece in the making.
Just as a heads up I'm going to try to do this episode by episode where it comes to updates in chapters, but I make no promises.
Also, where it comes to the fights I'm going to go by the English versions not Japanese.