9-22-2006
Chapter One
11:28 a.m.-
The moon's blue light penetrated it's way though the trees and dappled the forest floor with its' light. The wind gently rustled the leaves of the surrounding trees creating the illusion people were hiding in every corner. Two of the three members of Team 13 were resting soundly in the comfort and protection of the trees.
A young female nin was propped up quietly against a tree trunk, her eyes closed. Her chestnut brown hair was pulled back into two loose pony tails that fell mid-length down her back; they were tied by two green hair ties. Perched on her nose was a pair of round wire rimed glasses that normally reflected the light around them so one could hardly see her eyes that lay beneath. But when the light shifted her piercing grass green eyes glimmered back at you. Small brown freckles dappled her cheeks and nose.
She wore a zip-up hoodie, the same color as her eyes and it was two sizes to big. The sleeves were black and the cuffs, which were also grass green, were rolled up three times but still too long and fell down to the first knuckles on her fingers. Underneath the hoodie was a simple black T-shirt. Her headband was wrapped snuggly around her right arm two inches below her shoulder.
Tight plain black shorts covered her legs down to about inch below the knee. Her Shuriken holster was tied around her left leg; she was left handed obviously. Unlike her teammates she wore the green version of the ninja sandals. She wasn't asleep yet, but another four minutes and she may very well be.
About several branches up was a young male nin his eyes weren't closed, not that you could tell, but he was fully aware of his surroundings. His shaggy black hair fell down around his ears and continually into his eyes. That didn't matter much though because his eyes were covered by his headband. He wasn't blind, no, far from it; he wore it like that only for training. Due to this his other senses had become increasingly acute, his hearing was amazing, and he could tell what was going on around him before anyone else could, he could tell who you are by your smell, touch, or basically anything else. During the rare occasion he did pull his headband up onto his forehead his eyes, well, one of his eyes were ice blue, while the other was a darker shade of blue.
A long sleeve mesh shirt clung tightly to his body, the sleeves stretched all the way down to the first knuckle on each of his fingers and his thumb poked through a small hole in the side. On top of that was a snug plain black T-shirt.
His pants were slightly baggy and black and ran all the way down to his black traditional ninja sandals. A white sash about three inches thick wrapped around his left leg, his Shuriken holster was slung around his right leg.
He reached up and peeled off a piece of bark from the tree he was sitting in. He dropped it down and it landed with a dull thump on the female nin's head below.
"Kori, wake up." He called down in a stern voice.
Her eyes shot open and she peered up at him picking the piece of bark off her head and tossing it to the ground.
"Wh-what was that for Kitsu? I wasn't sleeping….." she questioned him.
"Your breathing slowed, you were about to fall asleep, so I figured I should wake you up before you even considered falling asleep." He replied, crossing his arms across his chest.
Kori sighed and rubbed her weary eyes with the back of her hands. She glanced up at Kitsu and the focused abruptly back on the ground. How did he do it? They had been up since, well, they hadn't slept in two days and she was ready to fall asleep, standing up if need be. She yawned and forced her eyelids open again.
"Hey, hey, you two don't be doing anything nasty while I'm gone." Another nin forced his way through the underbrush, a small pile of thin logs cradled in his arms.
Unlike his brother, Kotsu's hair was in jagged and short ridged spikes on top of his head, which could, well, impale an extremely low flying bird. The tips were dyed red while the roots remained black. His head band was laced around his neck; he wasn't even going to try to place it around his hair. His eyes were ice blue that seemed to be outlined with a navy blue ring right before the color met the whites. He had a jagged scar stretching from his left ear to his left nostril bestowed upon him by an unknown attacker; he didn't like to talk about it though.
Also a long sleeve mesh shirt clung tightly to his body, the sleeves stretched all the way down to the first knuckle on each of his fingers and his thumb poked through a small hole in the side. Layered on top of that was a blood red vest, the same color as the tips of his spikes. It resembled the green or orange chunin vest with the pockets, but instead of holding scrolls they held slender vials of different colored liquids. They were poisons, he was very interested in the art of using poisons and they were his specialty.
His pants were slightly baggy and black and ran all the way down to his black traditional ninja sandals. As you probably can now see, since he and Kitsu were twins, there outfits resembled each other. A red sash about three inches thick wrapped around his left leg, his Shuriken holster was wrapped around his right leg.
He dropped the logs, hardly fit to be called logs, more like sticks, down on the ground and sighed. He glanced down at Kori then up to Kitsu.
"Oh, so send me out to do the fire while you two just sit here and relax." He flopped down in front of the pile and rubbed his eyes.
"Keeping guard." Kitsu muttered.
"Huh?" Kostu peered up at his twin brother.
"We were keeping guard so keep your whining mouth shut." Kitsu rebuked.
"Well, maybe you were but Kori here-"He jabbed his thumb in Kori's direction.
Kori's legs had been pulled up to her chest and her head was lying on top of her knees. Her eyes were closed and she had fallen asleep about three minutes ago.
Kitsu sighed and peeled off another piece of bark; he held it out and aimed for Kori's head.
"Hey, let her sleep, we're not all nocturnal like you." Kotsu called.
Kitsu sighed and chucked the bark at his brother instead. The bark landed in the spikes Kotsu called his hair.
Kotsu mumbled something inaudible and brushed the bark out of his hair. He raised his fist and shook it at his brother. He reached down and made a few simple hand signs. Fire appeared at his finger tips and he reached out and touched the logs setting them a flame. Quickly withdrawing his hand he shook it and the flames disappeared.
Kitsu leapt out of the tree and landed alongside his brother. He pushed his headband up onto his fore head and rubbed his eyes like everyone else had. The warmth of the fire seemed to breathe life into his weary body; he sat down and let it embrace him. He shivered quickly and rubbed his arms. Kotsu sat down next to his brother and rested his hand on his shoulder.
"You get some rest; I'll look out, okay?" He grinned almost as if trying to reassure his brother he could handle it.
Kitsu shot his brother a disapproving look, "No, I can handle it," he pushed some of his long black hair out of his multi-color eyes, which when reflected in the fire, looked incredibly sinister, "Plus I don't think you could handle it."
"You and Kori have been up for two night's straight and even she's finally given in. Don't worry I won't poison any of you, burn down the forest, cause' the apocalypse-"
"Okay, okay, I get it, but if you screw this up, I swear." He pointed his fingers threateningly at Kotsu.
Kotsu laughed and shook his head, "Don't sweat it, I'll only be the down fall of you all," he joked.
Rolling his eyes, Kitsu laid down on the ground and curled up in a ball facing away from the fire. He closed his eyes and pulled his headband back down over his eyes. Wrapping his arms around his chest he fell into a light sleep.
Light sleep was the only sleep Team 13 had gotten lately. Ever since they had delivered that strange shaped package to an even stranger man who lived up in the mountains, they all had the odd sense some one was following them. No one had been spotted but it was still an odd feeling no one could shake, especially Kitsu.
This was a 'training mission' as Tsunade had called it. They were newly promoted chunin, Kotsu at 16, Kitsu at 16, and Kori at 15. Team 13 was to be sent out into the woods with no supplies but a small package and then make a three day trip to an old cottage up in the mountains. Where they were to deliver the package to a creepy old man who would inspect it for any damage then let them go.
This was there second day on their trek back to Konoha and needless to say, none of them could wait to get back. There they would meet up with Oakimachi-sensei and continue their training.
Kostu sighed, wrapped his arms around his chest, and scooted closer to the fire so that he was now completely wrapped in its' light. Winter was fast approaching and the nights were growing colder. Sighing he reached his hands out and let the fire warm the up, he rubbed them together slowly.
Kori's eyes fluttered open and she stretched her stiff legs out and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands. She looked up at Kotsu.
"Get enough sleep?" Kotsu asked.
Kori nodded and yawned again, "Kind of, I guess."
She shivered and crawled over to the fire. "Winter, bleh, cold, misery." She muttered. Yawning she curled up into a ball and covered her nose with one of her arms and rested the other under her head.
"Go to sleep, I've already worked it out with Kitsu. I'm taking watch tonight." He nodded and motioned to a now sleeping Kitsu.
Kori nodded a silent word of thanks and closed her eyes, within minutes she was asleep again.
Kotsu sighed; it was going to be a long lonely night.
