Chapter 1 - From Minor to Mature
A/N: I do not own Naruto!
I do however own Mari Kaede and any other OCs mentioned in this fanfic. Please ask permission before using them!
Warning: Contains Murder, Violence, Gore; Mental, Emotional and Physical Torture, Experimentation, Depression, Revenge and mentions of sexual activities.
Read at your own risk.
This chapter didn't actually take as long as I expected to write, about a day or two at best. I was happy with that if I am honest, I have so many longer chapters to write.
There will be a few chapters that follow this flashback sort of theme, I'll let you know when we get back to the present in this fanfic. XD
EDIT: I MADE A MISTAKE!! It's taken me six years to realize that the Fourth Kazekage was likely a child at the same time Kaede was, so now I have to go through and switch the Fourth Kazekage to the Third. lol
Enjoy!
Peace and serenity filled the hot, sand coated village of Sunagakure. Children were playing out in the blistering sun, giggling and enjoying their free time, while the shinobi of the village stayed on alert for any dangers from enemy nations. The top five nations of the world were preparing for war, and it was just a matter of time before tensions snapped and all hell would break loose.
Despite these facts, two of these ninja were having a better day than anyone else. A man and woman were in a special medical unit at the centre of the village. A man with short, spiked fire-like hair stood with his hands on his wife's shoulders, looking down at her with concerned, excited ocean blue eyes as he encouraged her through the pain of birth.
The woman, features warped with pain, sat with her fingers digging into the material she lay upon as her dark brown hair clung to her features and she cried out in agony. "C'mon Ayame...You're almost there!" Her husband urged with a nervous smile, looking down at the medical shinobi hidden behind a large sheet.
"The baby's almost here, just one more push!" The professional said her and the woman let out a broken sob before tensing up completely, letting out a hard wail as she put her all into this final act of force.
When the noise of a baby crying filled the small room with only three, now four, people inside, Ayame sagged down and gasped lungfuls of air with a hard, heavy chest as she recovered from the stress of birth. The man at her side watched with awe as the baby was cleaned and wrapped. "Congratulations..." The shinobi said, smiling as he handed the baby over to the man. "It's a baby girl, Hiroshi-san."
"A girl..." Hiroshi breathed, holding the small infant carefully as she wailed, her little firey flicks of hair sticking to her head, not yet grown, but still noticeable. "Ayame, it's a girl! She's got my hair!"
Ayame laughed softly at the excitement her husband showed as he grinned down at her, something that made her heart flutter every time she saw it. "A girl..." She repeated in her own soft tone, surprised when Hiroshi crouched down and handed the baby to her. "Hiro-kun?!"
"A mother, who had taken care of the baby for so long already, should be the one to hold her when she is named..." Hiroshi spoke almost poetically as he waited until she had a good support on the child's head before letting go and straightening his back. Ayame was stunned at the sight of the gorgeous little girl in her arms, with her chubby cheeks and little orange strands on her small scalp.
"She's beautiful..." The newly made mother choked, smiling with a quiver to her lips as her tears fell. The man, exciteable as he was, had the brightest eyes any father could have had at that moment. "Oh Hiro-kun, she's just beautiful!"
"She takes after her mother." Hiroshi said, touching the baby's nose gently, earning a small sneeze which caused both their lips to stretch into wide smiles. "Do you want to name her, love?"
Ayame hesitated, looking up at her husband who laughed off her concern, waving his hand dismissively. "Go ahead, I'm just happy she's here! Besides..." His smile softened into a look of affection as he met his wife's chocolate brown eyes. "I want you to name her."
She could have cried right there and then, just as their little girl was, and her lip quivered more noticeably. Looking down at the small baby in her arms, she recalled the name she had always wanted for a girl born with Hiroshi's red hair. "Kaede..."
"Kaede, hm?" Hiroshi stroked his chin and grinned when he realized what it meant. "Her hair is the colour of maple leaves in the middle of autumn! I love it, our little Kaede..."
"Mmhm." Ayame hummed, her exhaustion beginning to set it. "She'll grow up to always be happy, and to love those who love her in return..." Hiroshi gently took the baby and kissed his wife's cheek as she closed her eyes to rest.
"And we'll always be there to protect her..." Hiroshi continued, watching as little Kaede opened her eyes and brown met blue. His heart warmed at the sight almost bringing tears to his own. "To love, cherish and believe in her no matter what happens..."
So on that day, Mari Kaede was born.
~BHBL~
"Kaede!"
A young girl, about four in age with fire coloured hair tied back in a messy ponytail turned quickly from her mother, holding a little bag of pegs, to see her two best friends waving at her from the distance.
One was a serious looking boy with dark orange eyes and dirty blonde hair, smirking beside a timid little girl with lilac hair and deep blue eyes. "Ah Shinako, Takeshi!" the little girl known as Kaede exclaimed, her chocolate brown eyes alight with joy.
"Mama, can I go play with them?!" Kaede asked, bouncing excitedly as her mother felt her lips curl at the way her daughter acted so much like her father. Who coincidentally, was leaning his head out of the kitchen window with a smile.
"Of course Kaede-chan, just don't-"
The little girl exclaimed in cheer as her mother stopped mid sentence and watched with surprise as she dropped the pegs and ran out to see her friends. With an awkward laugh, Ayame bent down to collect the pegs, shaking her head slowly at the girl's unwavering energy. "Just like her father..." She spoke softly, watching the girl chase her friends, smacking them on the back a little roughly before running away herself.
"But she has your temper~" Hiroshi teased, a wet slap echoing as a tea towel made contact with his face, hanging over his features.
~BHBL~
Kaede hummed softly with a pencil to her lips as she kicked her legs playfully and listened to her sensei. She had been in the academy for over a month and she was so excited to finally learn about shinobi and their duties.
"Now, can anyone tell me what a female ninja is called?" Their sensei asked, and Kaede shouted out before anyone could raise their hand, causing irritation to those who were not her friends.
"A Kunoichi!"
"That's correct, Kaede-chan!" He said with a smile, only to turn strict and glare at her. "But do remember to raise your hand next time..."
"Eh heh, heh..." Kaede chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head as the others laughed at her. Her friends nudging her and giving her little teases, which she responded to with a bright, outgoing grin.
Throughout the day the girl showed no shyness or sorrow. Even when she was bullied, she just threw her spoon at the boy and stuck her tongue out as he ran away crying. She was a boistrous, wild little girl who didn't let anyone get her down.
This could both nourish and sabotage her school life, as she was often scolded for speaking rudely, yelling at bullies and even hurting them. But she would defend herself by saying that she was practicing being a kunoichi, they help their comrades and stop bad people from hurting others.
Of course none of the adults could find a good answer for that, other than 'don't do it again.' In the end she'd just grin and promise she wouldn't, before going off to play and learn once again.
A ball of fire, a burst of energy and a kunoichi in the making.
~BHBL~
"Alright, today we're learning about Ninjutsu!"
The entire class that Kaede had become accustomed to after being here for almost four years stood outside in the gardens by a log with a funny drawn on face. Their sensei was leaning against the log holding a clipboard with all their names on it. "When I call your name, I want you to step forward and try out a ninjutsu from your clan...Don't worry if you can't, this is just a practice test!"
All the children began to brag about their different ninjutsu skills and how they were already at Kazekage level, while Kaede stood there. Her hair cut short and spiky with plasters and dark marks all over her hands and chin as she waited for her name to be called.
"Shinako-chan." Their teacher called out, pushing away from the log and stepping back a fair distance to avoid harm.
However, Kaede's friend, Shinako, the girl with lilac hair and blue eyes, hesitated with a nervous frown on her lips. "U-uhm...I-I don't know any N-Ninjutsu..."
"Eehhhhhhh?!" All the children in their class, except Kaede and Takeshi chorused. This made Shinako's little face burn a bright red. "How do you not know any ninjutsu!" A boy said with a sneer, making tears fill her eyes. "You're weird!"
"Hey, Kai! None of that!" Their sensei scolded, glaring at the boy as he shut up. Sighing, the qualified mentor crouched down by the crying little girl and wiped her eyes. "Don't cry Shinako-chan, I'm sure you'll learn some powerful Ninjutsu soon...I'll be sure to teach you Suiton later, I promise."
"R-really?" She choked on her sobs and the teacher nodded, pleased to see a little relieved smile form on her lips. "Thank you S-Sensei!"
Standing, the man then returned to the clip board, putting a cross by Shinako's name. "Alright Kai, since you were so rude to Shinako-chan earlier, you can go next!"
Kai made a noise of disbelief, before blushing and making out like he had all the skills he needed. However when he tried, he ended up farting instead and burst into tears when everyone laughed.
Even Takeshi was in stitches at the fool Kai had made out of himself, while Kaede leaned against his shoulder and wiped a tear from her eye.
"Moving on!" Sensei interrupted, trying to regain order as the laughter began to die down, putting a cross by Kai's name before continuing. "Kaede, how about you? I know the Mari clan are very skilled with Ninjutsu!"
"You bet!" Kaede said with a grin, pointing her thumb at herself, making everyone aware at her roughed up appearance. Some of them questioned the plasters strewn across her features. "My papa's been teaching me Ninjutsu for a year!"
"Oh well then, we really want to see your skills now!" He told her, smiling as she stepped forward and got into a fighting stance. Slowly she muttered to herself as she tried to remember the seals, making the bullies snicker at her stupidity.
Then she let out a noise of realisation and moved her hands at a much quicker pace, forming the seals she needed. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" She called, inhaling a large amount of air infused with her chakra before exhaling a decently sized fireball.
Everyone watched in awe as it enveloped the tree and dispersed a moment later leaving nothing but scorched remains behind. Even their Sensei's glasses fell down his nose in shock.
Suddenly every child in the class let out noises of excitement and amazement before swarming around Kaede and asking her how she pulled it off. The little girl placed her hands on her hips and grinned with her chest pushed forward in pride.
Their sensei's shock wore off and he straightened his glasses, smiling down at her as she told them about her father training her and what she went through.
Maybe she would make an excellent Kunoichi after all.
~BHBL~
Standing in front of their mentor that had taught them for many years, each and every student of his class stepped forward one by one to collect their rewards. Kaede stood before him with her trademark grin as her tearful sensei picked up a stip of fabric embellished with metal and handed it to her.
"You did well, Kaede, I hope all of you do well in the future and become fine ninja..." He said, as the girl lifted the band and tied it around her forehead. The forehead protector she adorned with the symbol of Suna on it was her first step in becoming a strong kunoichi.
Now, she was a Genin.
...
Of course when she, Shinako and Takeshi ended up working together with their new sensei Nakada Daisuke, a Jounin put in charge of teaching them the way of the ninja, they did not expect a final exam, in which the four of them would spend the night out in the desert with only the clothes on their backs and nothing more.
Kaede ended up struggling the most out of all of them, unable to find anything suitable to drink while not having the option to ask her sensei for help. However Shinako came to the rescue when she used Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu to shoot a massive jet of water at the girl.
Of course Shinako panicked and ran over as Takeshi and Daisuke became aware of the situation and joined them, helping fish Kaede out of the wet sand. Instead of getting angry however, like Shinako expected her to, Kaede began to laugh and shoved Shinako with a playful rage. The poor girl was covered in wet sand and couldn't even open her eyes, but the sheer amusement of the accidental force behind the Ninjutsu alone made her tummy tickle.
Shinako apologized over and over as she helped Kaede regain her sight while Takeshi scolded Shinako for her inexperienced use of the obviously unmastered A-Rank technique.
It was then that Daisuke realized with a smile, that these three were born to work in a team and would make fine Genin.
~BHBL~
After being with her team for a short while, they had completed quite a few D-Rank missions, even a few C-Ranked missions on top. The three of them were developing quickly, with Takeshi as the intelligent, Taijutsu fighter, Shinako as the shy, but forceful Genjutsu user and Kaede as the wild, unreliable Ninjutsu expert.
They were in the middle of a C-Rank mission to collect water for an orphanage inside of the village. Kaede was coated with sand as she climbed dune after dune with Takeshi and Shinako while Daisuke watched from the distance, only to intervene if there was trouble.
Though they all had their own skills and methods of learning, Kaede was struggling with these missions more than the other two, though she was strong when it came to Ninjutsu, she couldn't fight in hand-to-hand combat at all and she was only just starting to learn some Genjutsu from Shinako. On top of that, she was irrational and tended to jump into things without thinking them through first.
He knew it'd take them some time before they would be ready for anything other than D or C ranked missions, and though the three of them were an excellent team together, Kaede's lack of talent in any other area aside Ninjutsu was holding them back.
His expression softened when he heard Kaede yelling down at him from a tall mountain of sand.
"Daisuke-sensei! We found an oasis!"
At least she had keen eyes.
~BHBL~
"What d'you mean 'we can't enter the Chuunin Exams?!"
"It means exactly what I said, Kaede, you and your teammates will not be entering the exams..."
Kaede stood before her sensei, nearly thirteen years of age, with a frustrated, begging expression on her face and her two teammates behind her. One of them disappointed while the other was saddened by the development. "We're ready Daisuke-sensei! Aren't we guys?!"
Shinoko nodded with a shy hum, but Takeshi huffed, his arms crossed as he turned his head away. "No we're not, Kaede..." He said, meeting her gaze with cold orange eyes. "Me and Shinako might be, but you're not!"
Kaede froze and her eyes widened in pure shock. "Wh-what d'you mean?!" She turned to him with an angry tone melting into her voice as her eyes sharpened. "I've been practicing my Ninjutsu for years! I should be ready-"
"It's not all about Ninjutsu, okay?!" Takeshi interrupted her with a glare of his own. "You lack the common sense of a shinobi! You can't do anything but shoot fireballs!"
His words hit her like a tonne of bricks and she listened with a shocked expression and nothing but silence on her end. Unable to think of a proper comeback to his harsh truths.
"You can't use Taijutsu and your Genjutsu has only gotten a little better since you started using it! Everytime we go out to collect water or food for others, you struggle to find even the slightest drop of hydration without help! How can you become a Chuunin with your skills?"
With a sharp tsk, Kaede grabbed Takeshi by the collar and dragged him up close, their noses almost touching with intimidating and sharp eyes locked in anger. "Who d'you think you're talking to?!" She snarled. "Is this the thanks I get for being there for you since we were four?"
"Get off me, Kaede. This has nothing to do with a 'thanks' and you know it!"
With a soft grind of her teeth, she shoved him away and walked off, crossing her arms with a hard curse thrown into the air. Daisuke sighed at the dark turn this debate had taken and turned to Takeshi. "That was a little too harsh, Takeshi..."
Takeshi stared off to the side, feeling only slightly guilty for his words. "I know she can be a good kunoichi if she worked on those areas..." He muttered, closing his eyes. "If no one told her straight, she'd have never figured it out."
"But Takeshi-kun..." Shinako started, trailing off before her soft expression hardened slightly and she ran after Kaede. Daisuke tried calling her back, but Takeshi told him to leave it.
"If anyone can get through to Kaede right now, it's Shinako." The boy said as Daisuke sighed and relaxed his posture, watching as Shinako caught up to Kaede and began to discuss what Takeshi really meant.
When he saw an argument start his concern began to rise. However, as time passed it slowly died down before Kaede hung her head low. He knew then that Takeshi had been right in leaving this to Shinako. Returning to them, Kaede hesitated before blushing slightly. "I'm sorry for overreacting, Takeshi..." She admitted, holding out her hand. "I should've known y'only meant well..."
Takeshi stared at her for a moment before he smirked and took her hand, giving it a hard squeeze. "Don't worry about it."
"I'll be sure to train up so we'll be ready for the Chuunin exams soon!"
"You'd better, I don't want to have to wait for you to catch up!"
Daisuke smiled at the sight of the two rivaling teammates, if they kept up the enthusiasm, her promise might just be fulfilled. They were a strong unit indeed.
~BHBL~
"Kaede!"
The door burst open to the medical unit as Ayame and Hiroshi rushed in with concern written all over their faces. On the furthest bed from the door lay her daughter with bandages covering various parts of her body and a tired, dehydrated look in her eyes. Running over, her mother dropped to her knees with tears in her eyes while Hiroshi stepping up behind her a moment later and placing his hand on her shoulder, looking just as worried.
"Oh thank God, I thought we were going to lose you!" Ayame choked, looking at the sixteen-year-old Genin. What unsettled Ayame the most was how emotionless Kaede's expression was. She was still so numb to it all.
"I...Lost, didn't I?" Kaede asked, having just regained consciousness less than ten minutes ago. She and her team had finally entered the Chuunin exams, now that they were a little more mature. They had even made it all the way up to the second test when the fiery redhead wandered away from her team in search of nourishment, only to go too far and lose them in the massive sandy abyss.
She had managed to last a while without water and food, but the blistering heat began to take its tole in the end. When she was just about spent and dehydrated, she was jumped by another team of Chuunin candidates from Amegakure.
After that, she didn't really remember anything.
"Yeah..." Hiroshi spoke honestly, looking just as sad about it as she was. She had waited so long for this, trained for so long, only to fail and wind up back at square one. He hadn't known anyone try as hard as her over the last four years, she would constantly be training, in Ninjutsu, Taijutsu and Genjutsu to the point of injury.
Yet she had fallen just as she was about to touch the sky.
"But there's always next time, there's another Chuunin Exam in six mo-" Hiroshi started, only for a knock on the door to interrupt him and a man wearing a white gown with a head full of dark blue hair entered.
"Third-sama?!" Ayame gasped, standing and turning to the man as he entered and walked towards the bed. Kaede turned her head away from him in a silent form of acknowledgment. She knew why he was here.
"Ayame...Hiroshi..." The Third Kazekage started, looking from one parent to the other. "Please don't talk so enthusiastically about the next Chuunin exam..."
"Eh? How come?" Hiroshi asked.
"Kaede and I had an arrangement so that she could enter this exam. I knew it was too soon, but she was adamant...Therefore I struck a deal with her if she failed this exam, which she has...She may only enter the exam once every year..."
"What?!" The once proud father looked down at his daughter, who clenched her fists tightly, despite the pain flowing through them. Her teammates had arrived moments ago, now stood at the door, overhearing the conversation with wide, horrified eyes. "Kaede, why would you make such a rash deal!"
"I didn't want t'make my team wait anymore!" Kaede shouted, turning her head towards them too quickly, and hissed when pain shot up her neck. "It ain't fair that Takeshi and Shinako have t'wait for me to 'mature' before they can enter, they're ready and I thought I was too! Are you happy, Kazekage?! Y'got your stupid reward!"
"Kaede, don't speak to Third-sama like that!" Ayame scolded her, but the girl just turned her head away once more, shaking now. She was so disappointed in herself, she hadn't meant to raise her voice.
"It's alright Ayame...She knows what she has done is foolish..." He turned to leave. "Perhaps next year you will understand the true meaning of maturity..."
The man of authority then left, which allowed Takeshi and Shinako to enter. Of course, Kaede shooed them all off shortly after, wanting to be alone. She was an idiot for trying to pull a hood over the Kazekage's eyes in the first place, this was her own fault.
There, alone in a room with no one watching her, she let tears of disappointment and anguish fall freely.
~BHBL~
The second exam passed quickly and this time she didn't even pass through the written part of the exam. While she stressed at home, her hair gripped in her right hand, she knew Takeshi and Shinako were still going through the tests, having been given permission by the Kazekage to continue without her. She was the one to suggest it, after all, it wasn't fair that her failure would keep them back as well.
It took some convincing before the pair of them finally caved and did as they were advised. Leaving Kaede a total mess, she was starting to think she'd never pass the Chuunin exams. Especially with such a harsh handicap caused by a reckless bet.
"Kaede..."
Kaede hummed and let go of her hair, raising her head slightly to meet her mother's gaze, her hand still raised, causing half of her face to be covered. "What d'you want, mom? I'm wallowing in depression here!"
Ayame let out a huff of laughter at her daughter's obvious attempt at humor. Recently it had just been the two of them in the house, Hiroshi having been sent off to assist Konohagakure in the Second Great Shinobi War. That alone dulled the mood of the household, so Kaede's humor was always appreciated.
Placing her hand on her hip she spoke with a smile curling her lips. "I have a way you can become stronger...But!" She quickly added as her daughter straightened up with an excited gleam in her eyes. "I have one condition..."
Kaede's enthusiasm dulled down as she prepared for whatever her mother would say. "You take a break from the Chuunin exams- Let me finish!" She scolded as Kaede went to complain. "I know you're an excellent Ninjutsu user, therefore I'll see if you have the capacity for Futon and if you do, I'll teach you some of my Ninjutsu..."
"Really?" Kaede asked, the excitement of learning new Ninjutsu taking over the condition for the Chuunin Exams. If she could learn some really powerful Ninjutsu, what was a year or two? "Alright!" She thrust her fist out with glee with a bold grin planted upon her lips. "I'm going t'be the best Chuunin in Suna!"
Ayame smiled at her daughter's enthusiasm, she didn't like her stressing out over the Chunnin Exams every year, it wasn't good for her health or happiness. She used this to give her daughter a break from that stress and give her a little more self-confidence as well.
Nothing was worse than a Genin who doesn't believe in herself.
"When d'we start?!"
~BHBL~
"Futon: Daitoppa!"
The eighteen-year-old Genin inhaled sharply, infusing the air with chakra before exhaling a gust of strong wind. She had been practicing this technique along with another for about a year. Of course, they were only C-Rank Ninjutsu, but that didn't mean they were easy to master.
Of course, today was another day she was doomed to fail, hissing harshly as the wind backfired and began to cut at her clothes and skin along with the rest of the landscape. "Ah crap!" She ground out as the wind stopped and she hugged her bleeding arm to her chest. This was the fourth time today that she had failed with this jutsu.
"Kaede, how many times have I told you to make sure you're concentrating at all times during the duration of the Jutsu?" Her mother shouted as she walked out from behind a faraway tree and made her way over to the young woman. "If you lose focus, the wind loses control and can injure both the enemies and allies in the disorder!"
"Yeah, I know..." Kaede sighed, lifting her hand to see a little blood on her arm. Replacing it, she laughed and her lips split into an awkward grin. "Sorry, mom, I guess a year ain't enough for me t'master your Ninjutsu, is it?"
Ayame frowned softly before placing her hand on her daughter's head, surprising the young adult. The woman was almost as tall as she was now, Kaede was growing up so quickly. "Everyone learns at different speeds, Kaede...You mastered Katon in a year. Even though you were nine, you were suitably adapted for that style. Whereas this is your secondary Chakra nature, it takes more time to unlock it's true potential..."
"Heh, at least I managed t'master the other move." Kaede boasted as she wiped the blood from her hand onto her trouser leg and stepped back. "Go and take cover, I'm going t'keep trying!"
"Just don't wear yourself out too much..." Ayame told her, going back towards the faraway tree.
"Can't make any promises~!" Kaede called, hearing her mother laugh before the young woman turned back towards the trees to avoid harming the older kunoichi and began casting once again. "I'll master Futon! I ain't going t'rest until I do!"
~BHBL~
Never had she felt so empty, so saddened by the scene playing out in front of her. She felt useless, disappointed and painfully angry as her friends walked out of the Kazekage's office in their flak jackets. Takeshi and Shinako were now Chuunin and she was still a Genin.
Nineteen years old and still a Genin.
Humiliation swept through her as Shinako spotted her and both her old teammates came over to tell her the good news. Of course, being the good friend that she was, she smiled happily and told them how proud she was to see them stood there, as full-blown Chuunin.
She had only mastered her mother's Ninjutsu a few months ago, but due to over-excessive training, she had been bedridden during the application process and had missed out on all the fun. Therefore she could only watch as her friends shifted to their own team and did missions that she could scarcely imagine.
They rambled on about their hardships during the exams while Kaede laughed and grinned openly. Bandages and plasters on her form from the early morning training she had done to strengthen her body. They weren't the only ones working hard.
"I wish you could have become a Chuunin with us Kaede-chan..." Shinako admitted, her voice soft and a little saddened. Even Takeshi's smirk faded, they had always been together, since they were mere toddlers, now they were to be separated until Kaede could finally prove that she was an eligible candidate for the promotion. "It's not going to be the same without you..."
Kaede's heart broke at Shinako's words and her smile turned soft with her turmoil of emotions, eyes dulled with sorrow. "Don't worry..." She said, slapping her hands on both their shoulders, her expression melting into the bold grin they had grown accustomed to. "Give me a year! I'll be back on track in no time!"
Though they could see the false bravado in her words, they both smiled and nodded. "We'll hold you to that..." Takeshi warned her, which she responded to with a wink.
"Go ahead, I could do with the challenge!"
It was then that she vowed she would pass the Chuunin Exams and become a Kunoichi her friends could be proud of, no matter what happened. She didn't want to fade away into the distance.
Not ever.
A/N: Please Review, all criticism and praise are welcome here, I take them all on a stiff upper lip and learn from them!
Japanese = English
Suiton = Water Release
Katon = Fire Release
Futon = Wind Release
Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu = Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique
Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu = Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique
Futon: Daitoppa = Wind Release: Great Breakthrough
(All of these names have 'Great' in them, I didn't realize that until just now. XD)
Also, the edits I've been making were to Kaede's speech patterns and small details like the name of the war.
Kaede is smart, but doesn't have severely elegant speech, like I'm used to writing, so I've just made it so she connects words more easily. But no 'Gonna, Wanna, Coulda.' She may have lowered speech than I'm used to, but not that much lower.
Thank you for reading!
