Chapter 2 - Casualties and Personalities


A/N: I do not own Naruto!

I do however own Mari Kaede and any other OCs mentioned, please ask permission before using her!

Warnings: Contains dark themes, such as depression, murder, experimentation, emotional, mental and physical torture and mentions of sexual activities!

Please read responsibly.

Hey guys, from Chapter 2 to Chapter 10, the files got corrupted while I was making edits to Kaede's speech patterns. I'm going through them as quickly as I can, so you guys can enjoy the story.

I'm sorry for the issues that have been created with these edits.

Please Enjoy each chapter as they're reuploaded.


'Don't stop, keep going!'

Every second or so she'd have to jump, dodge or avoid an assault of ninjutsu, they came in quick bursts, giving her little time to react and respond. This was truly the hardest test of her skills, the final hurdle in her mission. She couldn't afford to lose here, she needed to find an opening!

Right now Kaede was in the middle of a massive arena coated with sand, having just made it to the finals of the Chuunin Exam. Before her stood a Kirigakure shinobi named Akira who dealt with both fire and water style ninjutsu, against him, her own techniques were child's play. However, she would not be defeated.

Skidding to a stop as the shinobi slowed his ninjutsu assault down to nothing, catching his breath, she began to weave signs of her own. "Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!" Inhaling deeply, she spat out an array of small fireballs, which shot towards the enemy at high speed.

With a gasp, the slightly younger ninja began to dodge each of the fireballs, however, Kaede's serious expression melted into a grin as she inhaled once again. "Impossible!" Akira gasped as she spat out a large fireball straight after, which he barely managed to dodge, singing his arm.

"She really has improved her ninjutsu..." Takeshi commented from the audience, his arms crossed as he and Shinako stood side by side, watching the event. "I didn't expect her to master three different Ninjutsu in under three years..."

"Well, she was always better in that area than anywhere else..." Shinako replied, smiling as Kaede did a backflip to avoid a large torrent of water. She then used Futon: Renkudan to elevate until the liquid sloshed away from her. "She makes up for her lack of Taijutsu skills by increasing her speed and array of techniques."

"Maybe she has matured..."

"She is twenty...I personally think she matured a long time ago, when she took that break to train, it really opened her eyes to the difficulties a shinobi must endure..."

Takeshi nodded and smirked when Kaede ran around Akira, who was forming the correct seals for the same fire Ninjutsu she had used on him first. "Too slow!" Kaede shouted, kicking off the ground and diving towards him. Of course, she made a fatal error when she tried to thrust her fist out to connect with his face, her skills were too low and he ducked easily from the slow punch. Kicking her hard in the chin and sending her sailing into the air.

"Hah! You're the one who's too slow!" He called, creating the seals he needed. "Suiro no Jutsu!" A large jet of water spilled from his lips, which shot up towards Kaede with incredible speed.

Cursing, Kaede managed to flip herself in mid-air and gasped when she saw the water coming towards her. Inhaling, she spat two air bullets, both of them splitting the currents, but not stopping them. "Fu-!" She started, gurgling the rest when the water hit her and encased her in a bubble, a prison she could not escape from easily.

She let out a stream of bubbles as the prison began to fall. If she hit the ground, it was going to cause her some serious injury. Forming seals, fusing her Chakra, her eyes snapped open and she released a few more bubbles. Before they transformed into a torrent of wind which then started to swirl around the water prison, scratching and slicing at it.

The opponent grinned as he fused more Chakra into the prison, making it so the water would not be pierced by her wind. Gritting her teeth, Kaede forced as much Chakra as she could into the jutsu and a strong slash of wind split the prison.

With a harsh gasp of air, Kaede flipped mid-fall and landed on one knee on the ground. Coughing hard as she water slammed down on top of her, soaking her and the sand around her. "You're..." She wheezed, standing and wiping her eyes clear of droplets and her hand clear of wet sand. "Going t'pay for that!"

"Just try it!"

Kaede grinned viciously and her hands moved with dexerity. "Futon: Renkudan!" She spat out air bullets that travelled at a speed that only a bullet could. Akira was hit by both of them, but Kaede's eyes narrowed. That was too easy.

Her suspicion was correct as the shinobi melted into a water clone and sloshed into the sand. Tsking, Kaede looked around with alert eyes for the teen, but didn't react in time, as Akira appeared behind her and shot out a massive fireball, enveloping her in the flames.

"KAEDE!" Takeshi and Shinako cried out, diving forward simultaniously and holding onto the bars. They could hear her screaming inside the inferno. Their hearts sank as the flames died down and Kaede staggered forward, landing hard on her front. Her usually tanned skin was now charred by the heat of the fire, however, she remained conscious.

"A-aaaggghhhh..." She ground out, hissing when the shinobi kicked her hard, again and again. Akira gasped when a hand shot out and grabbed his leg, grinning, she yanked hard and caused him to topple over. Diving onto his chest and raising her fists she began punching him repeatedly until the weak skin of her knuckles broke and bled. Droplets flying through the air with each thrust of her arm.

"Even injured she doesn't give up..." Takeshi mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck, blushing slightly as it wasn't in his nature to worry easily. "She's even using Taijutsu...As long as her target is unable to move, she'll be fine, but if he manages to counter, her rash actions will cause her more harm than good."

Of course, the enemy wasn't going down that easily. Waiting until she went to punch him again before he shot his head forward to connect with her fist, injuring both his head and her hand. She let out a strong cry as she stumbled and landed on her ass, holding her bloody hand. He'd broken it, the way her fingers bent proved this.

The teen however didn't get out unscatched, he had a concussion and struggled to sit up. The Jounin in charge of the match raised his hand to stop the fight, seeing no reason for them to continue in their state. "Due to a draw between the two fighters, I am forced to decide the winner based on their injuries..." He said, thrusting his arm to the side and pointing his fingers at the Kirigakure shinobi. "Ike Akira is the winner!"

"YES!" Akira cried out with excitement, only to feel a sudden surge of dizziness before he collapsed. Kaede stared at the shinobi in horror before she ground her teeth and glared down at the sand beneath her.

She was so close!

Tears pooled in her eyes and she stood, only to sway, said eyes glossing over before she collapsed once again. Finally, the pain of her injuries had taken over and shut her body down. "Kaede!" Both her friends called, jumping over the railing and landing on the sandy arena floor.

As they crouched down to try and bring her back to consciousness, they were shooed off by the medical team, who had just returned after taking Akira to be treated. Standing, Takeshi stared down at the injured woman with a frown.

No one had worked as hard as she had these past few years. Not in training, or in battle.

"Third-sama..." He started, looking up at the Kazekage, who was sat watching the matches. His white eyes were transfixed on the unconscious kunoichi, as if contemplating her performance. "I hope you make the right decision..."

The Third's eyes narrowed as he mulled her actions during the exam as he exited the Kage booth to think about the selection of Genin and how many would become Chuunin.

~BHBL~

Groaning as a wash of pain rolled over her, Kaede opened her eyes, the world a blur in her clouded vision. Blinking several times, it began to clear and she realized she was staring at the familiar ceiling of the medical unit. "Great..." She mumbled, her expression one of distaste at the memories of her last two visits here.

Trying to sit up, the woman hissed and tensed as the various bandages over her body tightened around stinging wounds. "Ah yeah...Scorched..." She laughed awkwardly and tried to carefully sit back against the headboard in her condition. It hurt, but she managed it.

With a hum, she looked up as someone knocked on the door. "It's open!" She called, hoping to dear God it was so she didn't look like a fool. When the door did in fact open, she was surprised to see the Kazekage on the other side, his face stern, as usual.

Her surprise soon melted away and she huffed, looking at the wall with a glare. "Come t'gloat about my newest failure?" She asked, irritated at the man's refusal to make her a Chuunin on many different occasions. "I thought after four years it'd get boring..."

"Don't jump to conclusions." The village leader warned her, walking up to her bed and watching her as she glanced up at him with confused eyes. "I'm not here to rub your face in defeat..."

"Then what're y'here for? Can't y'see I'm trying to rest?"

"With an attitude like that, perhaps I'll take back the promotion I was about to offer!" His tone turned harsh, indicating a final warning.

Kaede's expression went from irritated to blank in a matter of seconds, processing the Kazekage's words. "Y'mean...?" She started, a grin slowly stretching over her lips. "I'm a Chuunin?"

The Suna leader stared at her for a moment before closing his eyes. "You have shown the same determination and maturity you showed during the battle in your recent missions and have improved your strengths to counteract the weaknesses...I believe that makes you worthy to be a Chuunin-"

"YES!" Kaede did an air punch, only to swear loudly when she hurt her arm, hugging it to her chest. "Aaaaaaggggghhhh! Crap!" She snarled, earning a chuckle from the Kazekage.

Somethings never changed.

~BHBL~

It had been two years since that rather eventful day and Kaede was now a more experienced Chuunin, having been sent off with a group of less experienced Chuunin for an important mission. This was an S-Rank mission and that meant they couldn't afford to mess it up.

Right now the four of them were at the Amegakure's border, having been told that a group of Konohagakure shinobi were going to pass through here to attack Sunagakure, who had weakened forces because of this war. Kaede had not wanted to join the fight, or battle in any way against the other nations, but it was her duty to do so.

The Second Great Shinobi War had been going on long since she was a child, in fact, she didn't really remember the day it started, having been too young to remember. She knew that war was an inevitable part of conflict, but wished there were ways it could be avoided.

"When y'see the enemy make any suspicious movements towards Suna, we attack, understood?" She asked, looking back at the three Chuunin, Taiga, the sensory type, Sayuri, the Taijutsu fighter and Hiro, the Genjutsu expert. "Our mission is to stop them before they get to our village, this is an S-Rank mission that needs t'be treat with urgency!"

"Yes Ma'am!" They all whispered and she blushed, grinning at them.

"Heh, less of that, just call me Kaede, I'm Chuunin like all of you!"

"Uhm, Kaede-san?" Taiga said softly, looking a little hesitant. He was a new Chuunin, so he didn't understand the role very well, but had a strong and tactical mind for it. "Shouldn't we plan how we will attack and escape before it actually happens? I feel a little unprepared..."

Kaede stared at him for a moment before looking down at the abandoned village, soaked with rainfall, from their place in the faraway trees. "A battle can't be planned, Taiga...Sometimes the rash actions are the best actions, and they've never failed me!"

"But your Chuunin battle-"

"Hey, c'mon, don't y'trust your superior?" She asked teasingly and the three younger members looked at one another with discomfort before whispering to themselves. However, their noise soon stopped when Kaede raised her hand, silencing them.

Ahead stood three Konohagakure Jounin, holding a scroll. Two of them were tall males, while the other was a shorter female. From their distance, it was hard to define their appearances but she could make out small details. One had dark black hair that went down to his waist, one had white spiked hair in a ponytail of sorts and another had blond twin ponytails.

Though their appearances were a little difficult to see properly, Kaede knew those flak jackets were from Konohagakure. She had visited the village a few times during her many exam attempts, so she could tell a Konoha Jounin from other Jounin easily.

"Is that them?" Hiro asked, Kaede hissing for him to shut up when the man with black hair turned his head towards the trees. Staying silent, the four of them felt sweat slide down from their foreheads to their necks as they awaited his movements.

Staring at the trees for a moment, the man turned back to his comrades and they pointed towards the city in the centre of Amegakure, jumping over some rocks and vanishing from sight. Breathing a massive sigh of relief, Kaede leaned back against the tree trunk. "Ahhh, that was close."

"Weren't they the ones we had to kill?!" Taiga interjected with wide eyes. Kaede blinked before looking back at where they had been heading. "No, Sunagakure is Southwest of where they were stood, they're heading North, towards Amegakure."

"But they're our enemi-"

"Even if they're our enemies, I'd rather not kill any more than we have to!" Kaede snapped, glaring at Taiga. "This war won't last forever and alliances will be formed, I don't want their blood on my hands unless they give me a reason t'have it there!"

Taiga went to shout back, worrying for the safety of his village, only to freeze, his eyes wide as he gurgled before falling forward. "TAIGA!" The three of them shouted as the man dropped from the tree, a kunai embedded deep into his back. "Shit!" Kaede growled, turning to see four Jounins from Konoha standing thirty feet away, smirking.

"This mission will be easier than I thought..." The leader said, holding up some more kunai. "That little redhaired fool let us know exactly where they were with her useless shouting..."

Kaede gasped, watching with horror as two more Jounin appeared behind her fellow Chuunin and killed them, breaking their necks. "H-Hiro, Sayuri!"

"You'd think she'd be a little more tactical, wouldn't you?" The leader jeered, before appearing in front of her, she was frozen, fear in her eyes as she fell back, sitting on the branch. "Now we'll finish our mission easily, Suna has no idea what'll hit them!"

'What do I do, what the hell do I do?!' Kaede thought, the paralizying terror she felt clouding her mind. She wasn't tactical, she was rash, but one move and she'd be dead. 'Calm down, think, think!'

The leader huffed and glanced back at his fellow Jounin, they looked as if they didn't want to be there, but he didn't care. They nodded in an urging motion, wanting to get this over with. "Let's clean up here and keep going..."

Lifting one of the kunai towards her, Kaede took deep breaths, closing her eyes. She needed to think calmly and come up with something. Her mind calculated different strategies as the Jounin pulled back his arm, and came to a decision just as he thrust it forward.

Her eyes snapped open and she grabbed his wrist, just as the kunai dug into her flak jacket. Coughing hard as a trickle of blood left her lips and the wound, she grinned with a nasty edge and spoke darkly. "That was a mistake...I'm really pissed that y'killed my comrades..."

"Crap!" The Jounin cried out, panicked now that he had been caught, unable to free his arm easily. Grabbing his other arm, she yanked him forward before shoving him out of the tree.

Kaede stood quickly and tore the kunai from her chest, hissing with pain as she tossed it at one of the other distracted Jounin, hearing a cry of pain as it hit him in the side of the head and he too fell from the tree. "Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!" She spat out fireball after fireball, hitting each of her targets as they were unable to move easily through the cramped branches.

Watching them fall from the tree, Kaede stared down at the one remaining leader with his injured and dead comrades. The fireballs having set the tree alight behind her, the glow making her seem dangerous. "Spare me!" He begged and the woman's eyes narrowed, pulling out a kunai.

"Spare you? After y'spared my friends?" She huffed and ground her teeth angrilly. "Like hell I would!" She roared, jumping from the branch, the kunai poised over her head as she fell towards him, thrusting it down as she decended into his point of view.

His screams filled the air, causing the three Jounin from before to stop and look back, wondering what life had been taken once again. It was the one with black hair that closed his yellow eyes with a grimace and continued onwards, his comrades followed behind with solemn frowns.

They hoped it hadn't been their own shinobi who had been killed.

Kaede straightened up and stood over the dead Jounin who had taunted and murdered her friends. He had been right, if it wasn't for her rash actions and loud words, they'd all still be alive and would have completed their mission with maybe just a little more ease.

Her vision fell to Taiga, Sayuri and Hiro, their eyes open wide and blank without a drop of life left inside of them. "I...I can't let anyone else die 'cause of my stupidity..." She murmured, walking over and crouching down beside Taiga. "...I'll improve my tactics, before I let myself take care of any more ninja...I'll become a strong kunoichi in memory of all of you!"

She closed their eyes one by one before standing and tightening her forehead protector, her own eyes filled with determination. She wouldn't let anyone else die by her hand ever again!

~BHBL~

Ayame was worried about her daughter, after coming home from the mission alone, she'd spend some time in her room researching tactics and how to formulate effective plans. The mother had noticed a change in her daughter's personality, she had become a little more serious but appeared to have no control over it at all. She could be calm and collected one minute, and grinning the next. This wasn't normal behavior for someone like her, who had spent her whole life being the girl who picks others up with her enthusiasm.

Kaede had explained her reasons for studying tactics, and she understood, but she seemed unaware of the change in her personality. Even when she was reading, she looked so severe, so concentrated.

She wished Hiroshi would return soon from his long missions to talk with Kaede. After all, her father was the most like her in every sense. He'd understand what to do.

Was Kaede going to be alright?

~BHBL~

"In light of the past three years, after your mistake in a vital mission to Suna, however successful the mission was, we have seen a remarkable change in your actions..." The Kazekage, a man known to have shunned Kaede for her maturity in the past, sat before the bowing woman now, though serious, his eyes shined with pride. "Though you find my actions since you became a Genin unfair, it was all to shape you for the future...Do you understand?"

"Yes, Kazekage-sama..." Kaede accepted his words easily, her tone soft, unlike her usual wild voice pitch. He would never have expected this much of a drastic change in her attitude since that event which still haunted her to this day. Perhaps sending her on that mission had been an irreplaceable learning curve for her.

Though he doubted she saw it that way.

"It is because of your recent successes and how you have grown that I will promote you here and now...Mari Kaede, from this day forth, you will be a Jounin, a kunoichi of the highest rank."

Kaede gasped and raised her head with wide eyes. A Jounin, she had achieved her dream of becoming a strong kunoichi, what she had strived for since the day she decided her future. "Yes!" The woman yelled, standing and flexing her arms with a bold grin. "Finally! I was hoping I'd be promoted soon!"

The Kazekage arched a brow, wondering if it was too late to take back that promotion. She still had a little bit of growing to do.

However he knew her personality would never truly change, therefore he sighed and pressed his fingers to his forehead. "Calm down and listen, would you?"

Kaede hummed, relaxing and looking at him curiously.

"There is still a war going on and now that you are a Jounin, you will be sent on many more missions to stop enemies from destroying the place we call home..." He saw her eyes narrow, she had been given various missions along that line since she was twenty two, she always worried about a repeat of last time. "Until this war is over, you need to be on high alert, you may be called out on a mission at any time, understood?"

"Yes, Kazekage-sama!"

"Good, now go and tell your family the good news...A full family of Ninjutsu masters all at Jounin level, I'm certain they are proud..."

Kaede grinned and placed her hand on her hip, giving him a quick two fingered salute before she turned and left without another word. He wondered if she was ready for this title yet.

Only time would tell.

~BHBL~

Standing alone in the sandy desert outside of her village, Kaede had her eyes closed, coated with burns as she took a breather from her training. The sun had long since set and she was exhausted, but she was so close to finishing her new jutsu, she didn't have time to rest.

The war was nearing it's end and she had spent a majority of her time as a Jounin in the battlefield. Now that she could return home and relax, she wanted to finally increase her abilities. It had been so long since she had trained alone.

Opening her eyes, the woman smirked as she flexed her fingers before forming seals a little slower than she normally would, cramp was setting in. "Katon: Kasai Suīpu!" She inhaled sharply and exhaled a large stream of fire, unlike her fireballs, this continued to spill from her mouth without end, like a flamethrower.

Leaning back, she swung her head round to spill the fire out in a sidesweeping motion. Stopping the breath, she was quick to form more seals. "Futon: Daitoppa!" Exhaling a torrent of wind, she jumped high into the sky and watched as the wind caught the blaze and the entire area was engulfed in an inferno.

Grinning with triumph, she landed as the flames died down and huffed out an exhausted laugh. She had finally mastered her move, after working on it for over a month already. Feeling dizzy, she fell on her ass and sat there, catching her breath.

Looks like her limit for this Jutsu is only once per day right now. She'd have to train further to increase it's use in battle.

"Ah ha ha...The training never ends..."

But as long as she had breath in her body, she'd continue to improve and protect her village from every threat that presents itself. She lived for her village and her family, and she would make sure her new dream would be achieved.

Smirking, she leaned back and contemplated this while staring up at the stars above.


A/N: Please review, all comments I get help me become a better writer.

(I even have to redo the Jutsu list...Ugh.)

Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu = Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique

Suiro no Jutsu = Water Prison Technique

Futon: Renkudan = Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet

Katon: Kasai Suīpu = (FAN MADE) Fire Release: Fire Sweep

Futon: Daitoppa = Wind Release: Great Breakthrough