Symone's "The Heart Of Rain" - A NARUTO Side-Story
[Chapter 33
"Returning Home: Kusagakure No Sato"
A new life for those tormented by the depths of evil. Tsunzaku No Sato restored to its past prefecture, though the memories of those inhabited by the loss of their love never will forget their torment; torment that harbored the souls of those at peace. Life will now return in those injured hearts thanks to the deeds of those who sacrificed and lived through the acts of the Kumogun Temple. A new stage now begins for those who remain among the living.
---
The clinging sounds of hammered wood seemed heard throughout the village.
A scene from above, lowering in was shown overlooking the landscape of the village as the inhabitants seem to be collaborating with eachother, rebuilding their homes and crop gardens.
Mikomi and Symone are then seen walking out of a house... a familiar house at that, as Renji exitted the house behind them.
"Thanks for letting us use your home, Renji-san" spoke Mikomi with an appreciation as Renji smirked, seeming as though he was accepting the thanks in silence.
"Renji-san... will we ever be able to meet again?" asked Symone, looking to Renji with her wide, beautiful eyes.
Renji smiles as he jokingly states, "Like I want to see people I never invited to this village in the first place? Psh!".
Symone smiles, thinking, "Will there be a day when he can actually give a SERIOUS answer?".
"Well, with that, it looks like we're off" states Mikomi as Renji replied, "Alright then. Kusa No Mikomi... Aisu Symone... thank you".
Symone and Mikomi look to Renji a little odd-eyed.
"You two helped me see. I can see a more clear image through these blue eyes of mine now. I lived so long only knowing the people here in this village, and saw everyone else from outside it as an enemy thanks to the torture of knowing that Genburori was out there... waiting to seize us. I know now I've got to see people as individuals... because who knows? They might be able to help... like you two have. I understand now the thoughts of Bangai, and now... who he was is now a part of who I am. Mikomi... Symone... Thank you" spoke Renji, smiling as he looks to Mikomi, and then to Symone.
"Renji-san" spoke Mikomi as he then hesitantly spoke, "Farewell" as he and Symone walk off.
Renji watches the two powerful Shinobi who helped save Tsunzaku walk off through the entrance they entered the village for the first time from, heading towards the sun that seemed larger than usual as it's orange vibrance glistened halfway over the Earth.
Renji watches on as they depart, thinking to himself, "That girl... Symone. Was she really the one... The one who defeated Genburori? Heh! You'll grow strong Symone-kun. Even across the hot sands and grass, I'm sure I'll be hearing of your name in the future".
"My dear Symone. Was she really that strong that she forced Genburori to sacrifice his life? Could it have been... that power?" thought Mikomi as he stares towards Symone with his glistening eyes from the sun as Symone notices, turning her head as her blue eyes penetrate through him as she asks, "Hm? Something wrong Mikomi-Sensei?".
Mikomi replies, "No, it's nothing... I'm just happy we could still be together... Symone".
Symone smiles angelically, tightening her eyes as she states, "Hehe! Me too, Sensei! I wouldn't let anything come between us!" as Mikomi smiles, putting his hand on her head as Symone gave out a cheerful giggle as they both walk off... returning home... home to Kusagakure no Sato.
---
Within the central city of the Northern Rain, the Government officials that were at Genburori's Kumogun Temple were seen inside, conversing with one another in a group within an official meeting as they each sit around a large, rounded table.
One of the officials states, "Two days ago, we received information from an unknown source that Genburori had been killed, with his temple in complete ruins. It seems we can't get our hands on Tsunzaku now to increase our Militia".
Another official replies, "Who could of been strong enough to kill Genburori? Teh! Either way, he was a scumbag who we couldn't trust. So one lame Shinobi died... I'm just interested in who his killer was. To kill Genburori, this person may be worth looking into".
The official who stated and declared to the others that Genburori was dead then goes on to state, "From doing a little research, we found that two of his own Captains had opposed him, along with Sanka Renji, that Tsunzaku No Sato scum. There were also two other Shinobi, who after we learned were not of either Tsunzaku, or Amegakure, or for that matter, even Sunagakure... but from Kusagakure No Sato. We learned this information from hired Shinobi we sent out in the area to check out what was delaying the war, and they claim they came in contact with a tribe harbored in Amegakure. This tribe had apparently healed the foreign scum after Genburori's death, along with Renji. Those two Shinobi went by the names of Aisu Symone, and her Sensei, Kusa No Mikomi. After the information, we did a little research, and only found rumors of the Kusagakure Shinobi, Mikomi that stated he was one of the legendary Ninja of the village who supposedly went on over a thousand missions, killing hundreds of enemies, and they say he carries an unknown Kekkai Genkai. As for the Kunoichi... Aisu Symone, it seems she was actually born in the Southern part of Amegakure, and at a young age, left after killing her family, and was never heard of again. The shocking part is her name..."
"Her name?" another official to his right states as the man talking continues, "Yes. Her name... AISU Symone. She is directly related to Aisu Souitai, The Aka-Ame No Ijin(Devil of the Red Rain)".
Alarmingly, an official across the table yelled, "WHAT!? If she's related to the Aka-Ame no Ijin, I wouldn't be surprised if she was the one who killed Genburori then! It's kinda scary to think about... having another Aisu alive".
The informative official then goes on to state, "Exactly the concern I have, but I see no reason for them to have any further business here now that Tsunzaku is left as is. Either way, we have no worries aslong as we have Makaze, though we can't let him know that Genburori's dead... because then... he might decide to rebel against us, and the last thing we want to do is give this broken Shinobi a sense of freedom".
The official that was alarmed before goes on to ask, "I am curious though. How was it Genburori managed to control Makaze if he was stronger?" as the informative official goes on to state, "Well, I don't have any details, but there's a marking on his chest. It's a seal embedded by an input of chakra. It seems that Genburori put an explosive amount of chakra inside the seal, and if Genburori released it, he would die. Now that Genburori's not around, this must be kept top secret".
A shadow looms over the doorway from the outside, appearing as if there was a body, mysteriously listening in on the conversation.
---
Three days have passed as Symone and Mikomi are seen walking through a wooded area.
"Mikomi-Senseeeeiii... How much longer?" moaned an irritated and tired Symone as Mikomi smiles, looking to Symone as he replied, "Just look ahead of you. We're here".
Symone looks on as her eyes brighten up, running towards what seems to be their camping grounds.
Mikomi smiles again, thinking, "Hehe, she sure got her energy back in a hurry"
Symone runs in to the tent that was still intact and cuddles against her sleeping mat, rubbing her face in it, smiling with her closed eyes as joy overtook her expression.
Mikomi is then shown entering the tent, taking his trench coat off and throwing it to the side as he relaxes against a wooden table.
"How lucky. It seems not a single animal raided the camping grounds while we were gone, though that's probably because they fear this area" states Mikomi as Symone replies, "It's probably because of that time you got mad and yelled in the woods, Sensei. Remember? You got mad at the bear and beat it up when it ate your fish, and you started chasing the animals around... even the little squirells... and you threatened them for dear life. It was... kinda uncool".
Mikomi looks on blank-faced as he then replies loudly, a bit over-enthused, "GOOD! THAT'LL TEACH THEM TO STEAL WHAT ISN'T THERE'S! BWAHAHA!".
Symone looks on with one eyebrow raising up as the other eye twitches.
"What's with that face?" asked Mikomi as Symone just sighs arrogantly, turning around, and walking away.
"Hehehe! I guess that time made her kinda mad. Afterall, it's only in an animals nature to hunt for food, and I was pretty rough on that bear now that I think about it..."
---
A reflective past is seen in the camping grounds within the woodlands of Kusagakure as Mikomi is shown walking from it's depths, back to the camping ground as he notices a bear over the fire that had been cooking the fish he had caught earlier.
The bear puts the fish to his mouth, but stopped halfway as he noticed Mikomi glaring at him with deathly eyes.
The bear and Mikomi stare eachother down, as if they were trying to intimidate the other.
Their frozen bodies just glare silently as Symone appears from out of the tent, looking on at the scene displayed before her eyes.
Suddenly, the bear decides to lift the fish closer to his mouth, chomping down on it as Mikomi's eyes brightened widely.
"THAT'S IT! YOU STUPID BEAR!" yelled Mikomi as he ran towards it.
The bear just quietly stares at Mikomi with its mouth full of fish as its widened eyes just stare blankly.
Mikomi jumps forward, punching the bear in the stomach, forcing the bear to spit up all of the fish as the bear lets out a painful growl.
"YOU BASTARD! DID YOU COOK THIS FISH!? NO! I DON'T THINK SO! STUPID BEAR!" yelled Mikomi as Symone watched on with her jaw dropped and eyes opened nice and big with a detested expression on her face.
Mikomi then throws the bear on the ground, jumping on top of it with his legs crossed over it's body as he just repeatedly slaps the hell out of the bear's face.
"YOU STILL WANT MY FISH, YOU BITCH!? HUH!? ANSWER ME!!!" yells Mikomi towards the bear he had been seen slapping across the face indiscriminately as Symone grabs him from the back, trying to pull him off of the bear as she begins yelling, "IT CAN'T ANSWER YOU IT'S JUST A BEAR DAMNIT! LEAVE IT ALONE!!".
Symone then finally gets her Sensei off of the bear as the bear runs away with the fish still in its hand.
Mikomi glares at the bear as the bear had stopped in its tracks for just a moment.
They stare eachother down just once more as the bear then goes on to take another bite of the fish as it smiles, running away in to the woodlands as Mikomi's face becomes heated with the hue of red.
"SON OF A BITCH! COME BACK AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN!" yelled Mikomi as he runs in to the woodlands where the bear ran off, escaping Symone's grasp as he looks around the area for it as he noticed a squirell running by, and stopping by his feet.
Mikomi glares down decrepedly at the squirell with his piercing eyes shooting through the body of the squirell as it freezes in it's track.
Mikomi then hesitantly speaks, "... Go on, little squirell... I dare you!".
The squirell squeeks a little as Mikomi then yells, "WHAT WAS THAT!? TOU WANT MY FOOD, TOO!? GO GRAB SOME NUTS YOU SON OF A BITCH! RUN! RUN FOR DEAR LIFE! DON'T EVER COME BACK!!" as the squirells eyes become tainted with fear, jogging off with much speed as Mikomi continues yelling throughout the woodlands, "ANYONE ELSE WANT TO DEAL WITH KUSAGAKURE'S NUMBER ONE LEGENDARY JOUNIN!? HUH!? IF ANY OF YOU BASTARDS COME NEAR THIS CAMP... NEXT TIME I WON'T JUST CHASE AND SLAP YOU!".
---
Mikomi shakes his head side-to-side, canceling the thought of that moment as he thinks to himself, "Damn... No more sake in the middle of the day for me again".
---
A few hours had passed as night had settled in.
Symone and Mikomi are seen around the camp fire they had built, sitting upon the logs circling it as they cook some fish they had earlier hunted after returning home.
Symone looks towards the fire with what seemed to be a depressive expression on her face, seeming as though she was lost in thought.
"Symone... are you troubled?" asked Mikomi as Symone replied as she continued looking in to the fire that reflected sparks within her eyes, "It's after I defeated Genburori... right before he died. He told me something that I haven't been able to let go, and I wouldn't believe what he said, but it's just that he knew some details nobody could possibly have known".
Mikomi then asks, "Is it... about Souitai?" as Symone's face becomes brightened with shock as she stared to her Sensei replying, "How did you know!?".
Mikomi replied, "I wasn't fully unconcious the entire time. I was able to hear some things, and I caught pieces of the conversation during the fight, though I'm unsure what happened. I didn't want to bring it up, so I waited for you to come out and speak when you were ready".
"I see" replied Symone as she goes on to state, "My brother... he's alive".
Mikomi sighs curiously as he looks to Symone.
"Genburori said that there was a man in Amegakure... a man more powerful than himself that went by the name of Makaze. He said this Makaze guy had some sort of details about Souitai... and that if I wanted to find my brother, I'd have to find Makaze" stated Symone as Mikomi replied, "I see. Then... would you like to find your brother?" as he then asked a question.
Symone's eyes widen again, looking to Mikomi as she replied, "I don't want to cause you any trouble. He's in the North part of Amegakure... it's dangerous, and if we encounter battles, I don't want to see you hurt like that ever again, Sensei".
Mikomi then states, "Genburori was an exception for me to be in such a situation. His abilities rivaled mostly everyones, making it hard to battle. I made a mistake, and it won't happen again, so don't worry about me Symone. My job as a ninja is to abide by and protect you with my life, and I won't leave you alone again".
Symone just stares to Mikomi blank-eyed, almost with love in her eyes as she stands up, walking over next to Mikomi, sitting next him as she plants her head in to his chest.
Mikomi wraps his arm around Symone, holding her tightly, allowing her to feel the love he had for her that seemed omnipotent as he gently twirled her hair with his pointer finger.
Mikomi then goes on to state, "We will rest here for a while and settle in. I need a little more time to heal, and we need the nutrition of healthy food. We'll get ourselves back to one-hundred percent, and then we'll leave... returning to Amegakure... to find... your brother".
Symone wrapped her arms around the waste of Mikomi as his eyes get shocked a little.
It seems that Symone had just then fallen asleep as Mikomi had noticed, smiling as he kissed her gently on the forehead.
---
The two Kusagakure Shinobi had returned home, finally! The war is over, and they now settle in peace. It seems a new mission is about to begin as the caring Shinobi hold one another, forming an agreeance to find Aisu Souitai... the Aka-Ame No Ijin! Next chapter will be entitled: "Back Already!? The Rain Falls Again!".