Symone: A Naruto Side-Story - "The Heart Of Rain"
Chapter Fourteen: A Windy, Rainy Past.

Within the darkness of night in the small, yet enigmatically joyous village of Tsunzaku, Symone is seen being flung through the back wall of a villagers home as she is covered by debree and brick, laying on the ground for a moment as she kicks herself back up. "There's so many of them! It's so hard to keep up!" Symone then thinks to herself as she then begins to run forward towards four of the ninja that had been seen closest to her location. The ninja then chase forward at Symone as they meet each other halfway with Symone sending a roundhouse kick into the side of one of the ninja's head, twirling him back several feet as she blocks a punch from another, emitting ice from her right palm into a different ninja's arm, dropping him to the ground as the one she had blocked then gets kicked upwards a bit. Symone then jumps up with him, sending multiple flurries of kicks into his abdomen, and then spiking the back of his head with her fists as she plants him head first through the dirt in the ground as she lands back on to the ground herself, landing on one knee with the slightest of effort as the fourth and final ninja charges at Symone. The ninja pulls out a katana and slices to the side, stepping forward as Symone walks back, away from the swings as the ninja sliced downwards, and then to the right as Symone got fed up with dodging. The ninja then struck forward with his sword, but Symone had jumped up, quickly pushing off of the sword, sending a mighty side-kick to the cheek bone of the ninja, leaving him unconscious on the ground as she flips backwards, landing on both heels upon the green grass below her. Symone looks around, seeing a swarm of another twelve or so ninja's as she runs off towards them, gently wiping the blood she had been splattered with while attacking her foes.

Not too far of a distance from Symone, Mikomi is seen running forward as Shouten appeared, dodging multiple shuriken that Mikomi had thrown at that instant. "Christ! He's fucking quick!" thought Mikomi as Shouten jumps up in mid-air, swirling downwards with his arms crossed as he's seen holding a kunai in each hand. Shouten then clashes down at Mikomi, but luckily, Mikomi had discarded his own kunai's to block the attack as he still took damage, being brought down to the ground by the falling weight of his opponent as Shouten struggles to pierce Mikomi with his weapons. "You're... very strong, I see!" said Shouten as Mikomi had been pushing Shouten off of him with pure power. Shouten then delivers a sitting knee to the gut of Mikomi, leaving him breathless as he kicked up, twirling in the air a tad, landing on the ground. Mikomi coughs up a bit of his saliva as he pushes himself up from off of his back as he stands up firmly. Shouten charges at Mikomi, revealing his katana again as he used it to slay the dodging Mikomi as Shouten's attacks were swift, yet inaccurate to the speed Mikomi had now been showing off as he flips back a bit, sending a ducking uppercut into the chin of Shouten as he's hit back a few feet. Mikomi then forms a quick hand seal. "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!(Shadow Clone Technique!)" Mikomi screamed as about fifteen shadow clones of himself were seen. The clones then surround Shouten as he places his katana back into his sheath that had been placed to his side. Shouten then performs a hand seal of his own. "Ikazuchi Shigure!(Rain of Thunder!)" yelled Shouten as Shouten is seen releasing a blue aura of chakra into the air current, flowing it up to the clouds as Mikomi and his clones attack at once. Shouten continues the emanation of chakra as he fends off the weak clones of Mikomi with his feet, holding the hand seal he had formed. Shouten smacks a clone back a bit, disbursing it into a cloud of smoke, leaving only fourteen clones as Shouten jumps back a bit, yelling, "Ikazuchi Shigure, HOWL!" as light gray clouds had been seen above in the night sky, covering the moon, leaving the village in mostly pure darkness as streams of thunder come crashing down onto the village with an immense force! "Shit! No Good!" yelled Mikomi as he, and the rest of his clones scatter from the thunder that seemed to be crashing down like rainfall. One sharp strike of thunder disperses about five of the clones as a set of six that had been seen running in a different direction is seen being turned also into a cloud of smoke. Three clones were seen left running forward from the jutsu Shouten had performed as he sent his final bolt of thunder down hard onto them, knowing he had to of hit the real one. Smoke fills the disbursed clones as the real Mikomi isn't seen. Curiously, Shouten wonders what had just happened. "They were all... clones? That means... the real one has to be..." thought Shouten as a voice from behind was heard. "'The real one must be hiding somewhere' is what I bet you were thinking right? Well, I'm right here" spoke the voice of Mikomi as he is seen holding a kunai to the throat of Shouten. Shouten then releases his hands from the seal as he looks down to the ground, saying, "What can I say? You got me". Mikomi looks to him oddly as if he was thinking something wasn't right. Shouten laughs a little as Mikomi asked with much anger, "What's so funny?", stabbing the throat of Shouten with the kunai as Mikomi somehow had just gotten electrocuted as he pierced Shouten's body! Mikomi falls back as Shouten's body disbursed into a cloud of smoke. "Ikazuchi Bunshin No Jutsu?(Thunder Clone Technique?)" yelled Mikomi with a question of curiosity as he stands up. Suddenly, a voice was heard this time from behind Mikomi. "Now you're the one wondering where the real one is, huh?... Kusa No Mikomi!" spoke the voice as it appeared to be none other than Shouten with a kunai to Mikomi's throat, completely turning the tables on him. "Shit!" thought Mikomi with anger filling his expression.

You're now entering Renji country. Please keep your hands in the car at all times and please... do NOT feed the Bankoku's. Thank you. -Your favorite author... and apparently Zoo personal

Within the woodlands that have lead him to the country of Rain, Renji is seen charging forward as he jumped from branch to branch, trying to catch up to Bangai's murderer in the darkness of the disappearing moon. "BANKOKU! I'LL KILL YOU!" yelled the insanely furious Renji, knowing that the echo of the woodlands would allow Bankoku to hear his yell. Renji closes his eyes tightly, clenching his teeth as he screams ferociously in mid-air. Breathing heavily, Renji had said to himself, "I...will kill you this time...!", clearly referring to Bankoku as he recalls his past battle with this un-hesitant killer...

"WHO ARE YOU?" yells Renji as he had just ran outside of his home, hearing the scream of his friend Bangai just a moment earlier as he had been staring down an already brutalized body as it appeared to be Bankoku, standing in the night by his lonesome with a smirk. "My name... is Fuku Bankoku, and I am your assassin" answered Bankoku in reference to Renji's question. "An assassin? You Kumogun bastards! I dare you to try and move yourself a step closer towards me and my village!" said Renji with an intimidating aggression, tempting Bankoku as he takes a step forward, smirking as he tilted his head towards the side as blood mysteriously leaks down his tattered body. Quickly, Renji sends a whirlwind of kicks into the chest plate of Bankoku, knocking him back several feet as he had flipped up, standing once again with that same smirk as Renji jumps back a bit. "You hit as if you were just a mere child. Can you not show that emotion of yours with your fists... Renji?" spoke Bankoku, intimidating down upon Renji now as Renji screamed out in anger, pushing himself forward from off of his feet towards Bankoku as he revealed a kunai in the process, slicing down like an animal towards Bankoku as he had been dodging consecutively with much skill, jogging back some as he did so. Renji stabs down into the ground, pressing his body from up off of it, launching his heel into the chin of Bankoku, knocking him back yet again, but continuing the assault as he ran forward, delivering a massive flurry of fists into Bankoku's body. Bankoku is thrown back further, gliding across the ground a bit, scuffing himself up as he created more wounds to add to the mysterious wounds he seemed to already have as blood pours from his face. Bankoku stands up as Renji jumps back a bit. "You're serious in telling me such a beaten down bastard like you is a fucking assassin? As if you could kill me, you fool. You'll be subjected to more of my torture if you continue this" stated Renji with aggression lacing his eyes that had been infiltrated by raw aggression and detest. Bankoku looks to his own wounds as he discards a kunai. Renji looks to him, readying for an attack as Bankoku raises the kunai in the air. "Bangai! Get down!" yelled Renji to Bangai, seen several feet behind, thinking he was in possible danger as suddenly... Bankoku holds the kunai higher, and then brings it down with much speed into his own leg, taking it out and then stabbing himself again, but this time in between his shoulder and chest plate as he grunted slightly from the pain... laughing as Renji looks to him in awe. "W-W-...What's with this guy?" thought Bangai in shock as he takes a few steps back, frightened by the demented actions of Bankoku. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" asked Renji in question, sarcastically speaking. "Do you know why you see me in such a battered state?" asked Bankoku, licking the blood off of the kunai. "Enlighten me" said Renji as Bankoku replied, "You're not the first one I'm going to assassinate today. Actually... you're the last one. Just today, I have assassinated thirty-six men in total. Soon I'll make that a total of thirty-seven... depending on if my body will hold out from all the wounds I received from previous assassinations. That is why I have appeared before you seeming weaker than I really am!". Renji's eyes widen with much shock. "Th-Thirty-six men?" spoke Renji in question as he blankly looked down at the ground for a moment. "How interesting... because now I'll put an end to all of it!" yelled Renji as he ran forward towards Bankoku. Bankoku runs forward, catching up with him as Renji throws a shuriken at him, but Bankoku throws a kunai towards it, deflecting it away from himself as he meet halfway with Renji, delivering a quick and sudden knee to his gut, holding him up by his knee alone as he picks up Renji by the back of his shirt, now sending punch after punch to his gut as he then throws him over towards the side. Renji lands on the ground, rolling for a few moments as he stops himself, spitting up a little blood as he begins to cough a lot. Bankoku performs a hand seal. "Doton: Jishin Matsubara!(Earth Element: Earthquake Pine Grove!)" yelled Bankoku as he then slams his right palm onto the ground. Renji struggles to get up as he falls back to his side, coughing some as the Earth begins to shake around him, taking Bangai down to the ground as well as it calls the attention of the villagers as they come running outside, watching on. With his opposite hand, Bankoku holds his middle and index finger together, summoning the ground beneath Renji to shoot upwards in a grove of sharp rocks as Renji tries desperately to avoid them. Renji jumps up, avoiding the transforming land that is trying to kill him as he runs into Bangai, picking him up by his side as he had thrown him over his shoulder, continuing to avoid the attacks, as suddenly, a wall of rock from behind Renji swallows downwards on him and Bangai, slamming Renji back down on the ground with an immense force as he had thrown Bangai over to the side to save him, sacrificing himself to the jutsu as Bangai rolls away on the ground unconscious, yet safe from the danger. The spikes of rock made by the jutsu then pierce through the wall of rock that slammed down on Renji as Bankoku raises his middle and index finger higher, destroying everything within the distance. "Renji!" yelled a woman by her home. "Oh no! He got Renji!" then yelled a man outside of his home as he stands next to, holding his wife. Children from the orphanage are then seen with Jinra looking over at the disaster as they are all seen crying. Bankoku stands straight up, finishing his jutsu. "Number thirty-seven... complete" spoke Bankoku as he turned around, looking towards all of the villagers. "Your hero is dead! This village is now owned by the Kumogun clan of the North-Western Rain Country! If you wish to stay at home here, you will now be known as a Rain villager, and will obey the command of the Government, and the Kumogun! If you do not wish for this, approach me to receive your execution!" Bankoku had yelled out to the general public of the village. Amongst the whispers of the village, a man is heard saying, "This is no good! they finally found themselves a worthy ninja!". Another man had said to his wife, "Sorry, hun... I wish I could do something". The whispers continue onwards as Bankoku had said out loud to the villagers, "Good. It seems we have come to a conclusion then" as suddenly, thuds of four kunai were heard piercing the back of Bankoku as his eyes widen, turning around as he had seen Renji standing in a bloody mess, missing his vest while his black shirt hangs freely from the waste line of his pants, exposing his upper body as he's seen with his right leg back, bending the other one forward to the ground, along with his left hand held out, apparently being the one who had thrown the kunai's. "You're... you're still alive!" yelled Bankoku in anger. "I'm not dying... at least until I know my village is safe!" stated Renji, talking roughly with pain emanating from his bloody lips. Bankoku takes the kunai's from out of his back as Renji is seen performing a hand seal of his own to circulate his chakra. "Inisharu Jyuuken Hitokeri Renden!(Initial Gentle Fist & Kick Combo!)" yelled Renji as he glows for a moment with chakra, powering it all into his palms and right leg as he charges with an incredible speed towards Bankoku. Bankoku is shocked, knowing at the immense speed Renji had decided to use, he had no real defense as suddenly, Renji appeared within a current of wind almost completely unnoticed as he freezes for a moment, smirking at Bankoku. Quickly, Renji then sends what seemed to be hundreds of punches at the throat, chest & abdomen of Bankoku, though these punches then appeared to be open-palmed with chakra embedded as he continued the assault, pushing Bankoku back in a flying swarm of blood as quickly, he grabs Bankoku and throws him up a few feet, then performing a spinning heel kick, using his chakra embedded right foot to slam Bankoku sideways onto the ground as he is seen skidding across the ground for about twenty yards. Renji lands perfectly on the ground with his arms to his side, breathing heavily after his amazing Taijutsu performance as Bankoku twitches his body a bit, badly defeated. Bankoku tries to get up slowly as he desperately struggles for air. "You... can prove to be... very strong. Maybe... I should have... healed before killing you!" said Bankoku as he looks over to his side, looking at what appeared to be a deep katana wound, most likely made by an earlier assassination mission. "Come! Take me back to the temple!" generally yelled Bankoku, looking up to the sky as suddenly, three masked ninja swarm down with much speed, lifting Bankoku up and disbursing into the shadows once more as one of the ninja's stays behind, staring coldly at Renji as Renji is seen panting deeply. The ninja then runs off with much speed, following in the shadows. "What an... insane man he was" said Renji to himself with a smile as he passed out on the ground. "RENJI-KUN!" yelled some villagers as they ran over to him. "We have to heal him! Take him to Boyu-Baa's hut for medical treatment! Grab Bangai, too!" yelled a partially buff looking male to a few other men that were standing around him.

"That's right... I remember you, you bastard!" thought Renji as he's seen jumping across branches, trying to catch up to Bankoku still in the dark woodlands, launching himself forward with even more speed, disappearing from view.

"That damn ninja managed to start chasing me! I guess I'll greet him the best way I can. It seems he won't let me get away no matter where I end up" thought Bankoku as he is seen running through the woodlands from the ground as he quickly stops, leaning against a tree as he apparently waits for Renji to get close by.

Within the woodlands in a different location, a random ninja is seen implanting something into the ground, lighting it with a match as a wick seemed to be lit, fizzing flames from the ground and up to the sky as an explosion is heard, launching fireworks into the night sky with great speed, flashing lights for a few seconds around a one mile radius at the least as in another, further location a ninja see's the fireworks from a far distance just slightly as he stands by a cliff, lighting his own fireworks in the night sky as it explodes, lighting the entire sky and everything else within the distance in purple and blue lights.

"What the hell is this?" thought Renji as he had stopped, noticing the random lights that had broke the darkness of night.

Back inside Tsunzaku village, Mikomi and Shouten are seen fighting each other off with their kunai's as they stop, looking towards the woodlands Renji and Bankoku had disappeared into, noticing the brightness in the sky as the shining fireworks bring light into the village.

Symone is then seen twisting the arm of a ninja she had apparently thrown to the ground, breaking it as she kicks him in the face, looking up to the sky, noticing the explosive lights as she becomes curious. "What... What is that?" she thought, freezing for a moment as suddenly a ninja had appeared to her side as she quickly dodged a kick, backhanding the ninja to the ground as blood spun from out of their mouth.

"The ninja are declaring the beginning of the war to each other by exploding a chain of fireworks all the way back towards the sights of the Kumogun temple already. I hardly call it a war with only one ninja left back at the village and Renji following after ME" said Bankoku, smirking as he hears the rustling of the leaves in the tree's above him as he discards a kunai very slowly. Suddenly, Renji is seen jumping off of a branch above Bankoku as Bankoku had quickly turnt from the tree he was against and threw his kunai up in the air towards Renji with such grace and speed. Renji see's the reflection of something in the corner of his eye thanks to the very slight, diminishing light of the fireworks as he flips to the side, dodging what seemed to be Bankoku's kunai as he falls down into the woodlands, landing on the ground by his feet, sharply looking side-to-side for his foe. "BANKOKU! COME OUT! I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!" yelled Renji as Bankoku started laughing from behind Renji as he sharply turned around, staring at Bankoku with the aggression of a mad beast as he starts running forward towards Bankoku, screaming his lungs out in pure adrenaline as he's determined to slay the murderer of his best friend, but will he succeed?

Determined. Empowered. Angered. A confused Renji takes the offensive against his past foe, avenging the death of the departed Bangai. Now with a nearly fully healed Bankoku, does Renji stand a chance at capturing victory, or will he share the same fate as Bangai? Meanwhile, Mikomi handles his own fight against the powerful Shouten. So far, the fight has been a near stalemate, but who will make a move to differ the stature of the fight? Can Mikomi hold Shouten off from going back into the woodlands to accompany his partner Bankoku? Also, Symone has been fighting ninja without killing a single one, but causing some severe damage. Will she end up being forced to make her first intentional kill to help save, or will her inner angels tell her to go a different direction with her own way of the ninja? Too young to really push herself like her Sensei, she needs to do more to help the innocent survive. What will become of her battles?

"The fireworks were lit! Go report!" yelled a random lookout ninja outside of what seemed to be the Kumogun temple towards the other ninja that had accompanied him. "Right!" yelled the other ninja as he ran up the stairs to the inside of the temple, running down the carpet that lead to the backroom where the mysterious Genburori was seen sitting down with the back of his chair facing everyone, unseen by the ninja surrounding the room to his sides. "Genburori-Sama! Reporting!" yelled the ninja. "What is it you want?" asked Genburori in his aggressive voice. "The fireworks were lit. It seemed like the initiation of the war was a success! Would you like for me to ready the second unit to go into Tsunzaku now?" stated, then asked the ninja. Genburori responds, "I see. Go ahead and send in the next unit. Don't send in 'him' just yet. If he's needed, I'll call him on my own. Understood? Now go!". "Yes, sir!" yelled the ninja as he left the temple in a hurry, along with all the ninja that had been in the room with Genburori at the time, leaving him alone. Genburori pushes his chair back, standing up, showing his long black hair as he turns forward, showing his face as he's seen with long black hair over it, along with a long and pointed goatee, looking as if he was around the age of 54 or so. "It's time I get ready for the Government officials that will arrive here any minute. Things are looking more interesting than I first desired. How beautiful the night can be!" said Genburori to himself as he walks off into another room, apparently awaiting the arrival of Government officials, but for what reason?

Genburori has shown his face and had discarded a second unit of ninja; more for Symone to eventually handle! Along with this fact, Genburori also referred to someone as 'him'. Who is this other un-introduced character and how powerful can he be? Find out next in Chapter Fifteen!