NARUTO: The Village Doused In Rain

© NARUTO/ Mashashi Kishimoto

Scroll Four: "Pondering: The Beginning of the Future…?!"

The next morning, Ena prettied herself up for her class book picture, which contained every ninja statistic of the graduating semester. She pulled her hair back for once and polished up her headband until her reflection beamed back at her.

The bite mark wasn't throbbing like it usually did, so the black-haired Kunoichi guessed that it was finally healing.

'Today seems like a lucky day,' she smiled at the clear blue skies, sensing no rolling storms over the horizon.

The photo turned out pretty well, and now Ena had to secretly sneak off to the assignment center in order to receive her daily mission (and the one she missed from yesterday).

Stepping up to the counter, the female Shinobi muttered the limited password of acception, known only by a few, in which allowed job requests to be handed out to minors without the guidance of a sensei or an adult.

"Oh, Ena-kun," one of the mission recorders whispered, "I saved the mission from yesterday for you…"

"Thanks, I--WOAH! A-Rank?!" she exclaimed, blown away by such a difficult task.

The recorder shushed her and added, "The Hokage is entrusting his faith in you with this one… the good part is: the date on this assignment doesn't expire. You can start it whenever you feel ready. As for today's dirty work, well... it's the usual."

Ena bowed with gratitude and pocketed the A-Rank mission in her pocket. It was a fortunate thing that she didn't have to worry about it now. Besides, maybe Kakashi could go with her on this one, since it was almost suicide to go on such a difficult journey as a single dispatch unit.

Heading out, she viewed Naruto in the distance.

"Hey!" the Kunoichi called over to him. "Hey, Uzumaki-kun!"

The blonde perked his head up and hopped over, happily greeting with a cheery, "So how do I look?"

Ena nearly lost her balance as she scanned over Naruto's face: it was completely covered in white and red face paint, making him look like a total buffoon.

"U-Uzumaki-kun!" the Kunoichi spazed with a hint of exasperation. "Don't tell me you're going to have your picture taken looking like that?!"

The hyperactive Shinobi chuckled and scratched his neck sheepishly. "It took me nearly three hours to get the face right! So I'm definitely going to be the best looking one in the class book! Believe it!"

The female ninja forced a twitching smile and breathed deeply. "Uh, good luck with that. Oh, and don't forget to attend school tomorrow!"

"What for?"

"So we can be put into out teams and receive our new sensei, that's what! I'll be hoping to join forces with you!" Ena explained short and to the point.

Naruto nodded and replied, "Same here! See you later!"

"See ya!" she waved as the comical blonde headed towards the photography area, which was perched a top a scaling roof.

"He certainly is going to make something of himself," Ena commented to herself, contemplating on the matter for a bit.

After ramming her head on future preferences, she finally grasped her mind from drifting above the cotton-candy clouds in the azure sky, and decided to visit Katone and Kiri for a change.

...

Katone's home was in the back of her family's candy shop, which, in comparison to Ena's humble abode, was almost mansion-like. Each member had their own bedroom, there were two separate bathrooms, a kitchen area, and a living room for chatting with guests. Kiri sat beside Ena on a comfy sofa, while Katone herself lounged in her favorite armchair. Their conversation constantly revolved upon her personal life.

"And guess what?" the auburn haired Kunoichi started. "After our candy shop has become so popular here in the Konoha leaf village, my mom's declared that we expand our shop to the neighboring lands, as well!"

Kiri blew a raspberry from her lips a giggled. "Trying to level up in order to be entitled with 'Okinawi Candy Corp.'? Pretty impressive."

Ena decided to break into the topic by adding, "Say, Katone-chan? Your family isn't forcing you to take over their business, right?"

"Yeah, but why do you ask?"

The black-haired female ninja gazed at her lap, a bit downhearted at what she was about to say. "So, uh, why do you still want to do it? Take over the business, I mean."

Katone folded her arms across her chest and thought for a minute, before answering bluntly, "Cause if I fail at being an elite Shinobi, I'll still have someplace where I can put myself back together and try again."

"But how can you say that so lightly?" Ena continued, still trying not to make any sudden eye contact. "Are you really that certain that you'll just fail? How can you… I mean, you just… uh, um…"

The heiress of the candy shop line was growing impatient of all the stuttering, and sharply bellowed, "WHAT IS IT WOMAN?! JUST SPIT IT OUT!"

Ena sighed and successfully put all her words together. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes I wonder why I, myself, try so hard… I don't know why I even attempt to be ambitious anymore."

Katone blinked in an unexpected manner. "Uh, huh… Oh! I get it now Ena! You want a job too so just in case if you fail, you'll have a second option as well! That's why you're so interested in my future! Well my reasoning for you is…"

Dramatic silence.

She then snapped her fingers with an idea and completed her speech with," … I don't know!"

Ena and Kiri almost fell off the couch. "Wh-wha…?!"

Katone grinned like she didn't have a care in the world. "I doubt I could figure out what course of action you should take, god forbid you don't make the cut... Besides, even if I do become the Okinawi Candy Shop head, it really doesn't change what I know or don't know. There's no guarantee that everything will be all fine and dandy. Hell, it might even end up being the worst decision in my life, where I'll think, 'Man I should've stuck with bein' a Shinobi!' Even so, what you shouldn't think about are the 'What ifs'. What you should think about are the 'what can I's' and 'how can I's', you know?"

This long pathetic monologue brought about a wide spread of laughter from Ena, who remarked, "Katone-chan, you are a complete nut-job! But… thanks anyway. You at least got one thing off of my buzzing mind."

"Ahh," she blushed conceitedly, "what're friends for? Anyhow, how 'bout a quick sugar break? I'm starving!"

Kiri frowned and playfully smacked her upside the head. "Fool! Candy doesn't fill your stomach!"

Ena nodded in recognition. "She's right you know. So how about some Katsu-don on the house instead?"

Katone jumped up and clicked her heels in glee. "Now you're speaking my language!"

And the trio ventured out into the streets, in seek of the Katsu-don restaurant.

...

The moon was waning in the gray, thick mist that hung in from the occluded clouds. Ena was once again on a search and destroy mission, but her target wasn't easy pickings. It seems that this particular Shinobi was gifted with the arts of a destructive jutsu that enabled its user to be able to melt anything that he or she wished. Long story short: he had to be stopped.

No trees or shrubs shrouded the Kunoichi's path; her surroundings were solemnly the dirt road and the still lake side that ceased after three yards. Besides that, Ena was as visible as a fox in a chicken coup.

At the end of her stroll, she confronted her enemy, who held proof of his baneful ability; a ruined corpse in a pile of goop, nothing left but the poor soul's clothing and belongings.

Ena kept her distance, all the while spouting, "That makes your nineteenth victim, doesn't it, Stebo Sudoredo-san?"

His rat-like complexion gave a wolfish grin. "And who the hell are you supposed to be? The frickin' munchkin welcoming committee?"

The Kunoichi didn't allow Stebo's words to pierce through her. "Don't underestimate your competition, Sudoredo-san. It might be the last thing you ever do…"

He growled from deep within his throat, and licked his fingers that were caked with blood. "Was that a threat, you little bitch? Are you actually asking me to a fight?"

Ena curved her lips into a light smile. "I'm not asking you to dinner now, am I?"

After finishing her sarcastic comment, Stebo roared and came forward like a raging bull. He performed several hand signs and his palms began to emit an eerie neon glow. He stretched his arms out towards Ena's chest, but she quickly backflipped and leaped over the assaulting ninja.

"I see you have some pep in you!" Stebo licked his lips and watched the black-haired Kunoichi with glaring golden-eyes. "But that won't change the outcome of your odious fate!"

The rodent dispositioned Shinobi flung a whizzing shuriken at Ena, in attempt to immobilize her, however, it was just a useless doppelganger that he managed to strike. For the real one was holding a Kunai to his neck, ready to end his pitiful life.

Stebo began to tremble as he weakly mumbled, "You damn..!"

The female Shinobi mercilessly scowled and shot, "I told you not to underestimate me, fool. And now you shall be punished gravely for your sinful deeds."

And just before she dug the sharp end of the kunai blade into her prey's flesh, a frightening trip brought her back to the day she murdered her own father…

He had been half dead when he screamed in agony, "PLEASE STOP, ENA! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!"

Ena screeched and told him to shut up, stabbing him again.

"NO ENA! STOP! STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP!"

Another slice to his chest…

"ENA!!"

Slice…

"ENA!!"

Gasping violently, the Kunoichi froze up and Stebo took this as his advantage.

He readied his hands and bellowed, "You're the longest lasting client, little girl! And because of this, I'm proud to pronounce that you are victim number twenty!"

'Shit!' she thought as everything moved in slow motion right before her eyes. 'I can't die here! I can't!'

And in a flash, more than a dozen shuriken flew in their direction and pierced into Stebo's temple, killing him on impact. Ena sighed and quickly turned around to view her liberator.

Her hazel-green orbs grew wide as she whispered, "Uchiha-kun…?!"

He looked sternly at her and inquired, "I was suspicious of you before, and now my resolve has been solidified. You're not a normal Genin, are you? You're apart of something greater... something secretive, am I wrong?"

Ena hung her head in defeat. "I guess you do deserve an explination, seeing how you've helped me out a lot these past few days. Let's just say that, thanks to Unc-er, Kakashi-sensei, I've gained special access to the village assignment center. So for the last three years, I've been going on missions like this--A and B rank--without fail."

The raven-haired boy chuckled out a sneer. "You don't seem to be so undefeatable now."

The Kunoichi tenderly touched her bicep, feeling the chilled metal of her headband that gave her reassurance, like a pacifier. "… I've been wondering about that, too. Ever since I was bitten by that mysterious, snake-like Shinobi--the night that I ended up at your quarters--I've felt as if my strength had been limited… as if I have a heavy chain around my throat."

Sasuke said nothing and observed her for a moment. Why did being around her make him feel so nostalgic...?

Anyway," Ena continued, forcing a twisted smile, "I'd best be back. Even though Uncle- er, Kakashi-sensei is out most of the time, he still expects me to be home before dawn. And, uh, Uchiha-kun?"

He continued to stare, a dazed look etched upon his coal-dark eyes. "Hm?"

"Why were you here? It's a bit far from the village."

Sasuke said only the following, "I sensed bloodlust," and started off down the suited path.

Ena couldn't help but snort. "You're the biggest mystery of them all, Uchiha-kun!"

"Whatever," he retorted, his back to her.

"Oh!" the Kunoichi remembered suddenly. "Don't forget that tomorrow we get put into squads, Uchiha-kun! So report to the academy bright and early!"

He remained silent and didn't respond. The moonlight gave him a handsome disposition, but Ena felt no feelings for him… Yet, she sensed a connection between them.

That's when the black-haired female made a realization. 'Uchiha-kun's clan was slaughtered, too, wasn't it? … Could that mean…?"

At that thought she raced back to the village and hurried home, starting to believe her almost absurd ponderment:

'Maybe I'm an Uchiha…?'

...

The boy whose clan was massacred as well... Maybe we're one and the same?

Ena is bumping into Sauske a lot, and this line: "He remained silent and didn't respond. The moonlight gave him a handsome disposition, but Ena felt no feelings for him… Yet, she sensed a connection between them," was put in for the sole purpose to make sure that the readers don't get the wrong idea... Ena's not going to be paired with Sasuke! She actually has an infactuation with Naruto, if you haven't noticed already...XP (There's more info on my OCs on my fanfiction account profile, so check that out if you want to know more.)

Oh, but Ena's slowly coming to a realization--is she an Uchiha? Well, we know as much, but again, the cruel irony of this fanfiction hides the truth from the characters. And Ena's internal conflict keeps her from actually believing this fact.

The title, "Pondering: The Beginning of the Future" comes from the hapless conversation between Ena, Kiri, and Katone. Ena doesn't really know what's going to happen to her in the future and it troubles her... However, she's pacified by Katone's nonchalant attitude and puts the matter aside for the meantime. The confrontation between Ena and Sasuke also hints a bit of foreshadowing for what's to come...

"Stebo Sudoredo"... that's actually a real person whose name I warped. XD I wrote this fic back in Middle School and back then, there was this guy that one of my good friends was dating... I really disliked him. He stole my friend and she never talked to me during their hook-up... I punished him with the power of fanfiction as a result. (There's a lot of this in my fics... I'm such a bad girl. XP)

That said, thanks for reading this fic! The next chapter will be coming at you soon... So please drop in a review if you want-ttebayo. ;3