Okay, first chapter time!

What we have here is the classic "time skip." Both of the main characters have changed a lot in the three years since the prologue. Mara left Konoha when she was 15. Of course, I already said that at the end of the prologue. Oh well.

The Naruto ninja world does not belong to me.

Koudo Daichi belongs to Hokage, admin of the site Shinobi: Living Legends. There is a link to the site on my main page.

It has been almost three years since Mara was spotted in Otogakure. Several more assassinations have been attributed to her, but no one has found evidence enough to convict her of any of them, in the unlikely event she should ever be brought to trial. Konoha declared her an S-class criminal and first priority threat to the village. Despite numerous searches, no one has seen her since that night in Oto. Shimaru, her childhood rival, is among those still searching. The Hyuuga has risen in the ranks of the Konohagakure shinobi, and hopes to one day become the leader of ANBU.

-Konoha military report, filed by Koudo Daichi

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A tall boy, if he could still be called a boy, stood in front of a large dead tree stump. What had once been a mighty member of the landscape was now a punching target. Most of the bark had been stripped away, revealing the harder, slippery white wood beneath. But the stump hopefully wouldn't be around much longer. The boy brushed a strand of black hair out of his face and contemplated the stump. His eyes were pupiless and gray-white, like all the members of the Hyuuga Clan.

Closing his eyes to concentrate, Shimaru adopted the traditional Hyuuga fighting stance. He concentrated on his palm. Bright blue chakra appeared in copious amount and began to twirl and writhe like a snake, held under control by some unseen force. Suddenly he whirled around once in a 360 degree turn, a mere blur to the eyes, and did what appeared to be a palm-heel strike that landed on the air about six inches from the tree stump. A blast of blue wind of staggering power blasted from his hand and ripped into the tree trunk, tearing into it with hungry force. No, not focused enough. Okaji-sensei said it had to tunnel through the object. Using his Byakugan, Shimaru narrowed the stream of chakra down to a smaller, more concentrated force, visualizing it going right through the heart of an enemy.

The enemy.

Suddenly he lost control and was blown over backwards by the rest of the attack. Coughing, he pulled himself back up using a rock next to him, which he had been very lucky not to land on. Frustrated and tired from his elaborate jutsu, he brushed away the same strand of hair yet again.

Why? Even when she's gone, she's a nuisance.

At eighteen years old, Shimaru was a Chunin, almost ready to test for Jonin. He had been in the same year as a certain quiet, pathetic little girl whom he had bullied in the Academy. Sarutobi Mara hadn't seemed like much. But one day, when they were both new Chunin, he had gone one step too far and insulted her parents. The formerly shy girl and rounded on him and given him the worst beating he had ever received. He was unconscious for about an hour, and when he had hobbled painfully home, he had had to explain to his parents why he was covered in blood and dirt. The fight had become the hot topic of gossip for ninjas of all ages. Then the little upstart had had the gall to up and leave the village. What kind of ninja is she, anyway? Someone has to teach her that you can't turn your back on Konoha, and I'm going to be the one to do it.

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Silently, he watched the Hyuuga boy train. He hadn't been the same since Sarutobi Mara left the village. His determination was extraordinary, almost like the tales of Uzumaki Naruto, trying to get Uchiha Sasuke back. Shimaru... the figure thought silently. Daichi moved his hand over his slightly long blond hair, while his dark blue eyes focused on the training boy. Daichi quickly leaped down from the tree he had been sitting in and approached his former student.

"You want to bring her back, don't you, Shimaru?" Daichi asked, feeling pity for the boy.

"I've seen you. Ever since she left, you've trained so hard. Not even the ANBU black ops train this much. If it isn't crossing the line, may I ask why you are so determined to bring her back, the one who betrayed Konoha? That is why you're training, correct?" The Hyuuga clan trained strictly, but this was ridiculous. No one should train to the point of exhaustion, so often. Shimaru, are you the one who tore all the bark off that tree?

-----

Shimaru quickly stood and straightened his robe as the other ninja spoke. He had been so intent on pulverizing the tree that he hadn't noticed he was being watched. When Daichi first started speaking, he opened his mouth as if to protest, but he closed it again. He should have known that Daichi would have noticed, and any denial of his purpose would just sound childish. Nonetheless, it was hard to meet Daichi's eyes as he tried to think of how to explain.

"Omniscient as ever, Daichi-sama," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

But Daichi's eyes stared down at him as seriously as ever. Shimaru lowered his gray eyes.

"Yes, I want to bring her back." he said quietly, as if ashamed of the fact, which, partly, he was.

How could he tell Daichi that most of his determination came from mere wounded pride?

"I just feel...I don't know...like I'm responsible for her leaving. I just...need to know why she left."

Even as he said it, he realized that it was true. So what if he had another reason? Those two were true, even if they weren't what he thought about when he trained.

For years, he had secretly envied Mara. She had always gotten better grades, and had always looked like the better ninja. He had started teasing her because he thought it made him feel a bit more superior. Back in the Academy, her very presence had made him feel inferior. Whether she had known it or not, she had become his rival, the top bar that he had to surpass in order to be a great shinobi. It baffled him why someone with such promise would just abandon the village like that. It bothered him, because inwardly, he knew Mara was probably smarter than he would ever be. She had to have had a good reason. What would he do if that reason were, say, an irreparable problem with Konoha?

Daichi closed his eyes.

"I see, so you train to the point of bitter exhaustion every day, just to bring her back. It's not healthy. Besides, you'll be a Jonin soon. You won't have the time to train so often when you start getting missions, or students."

Shimaru said nothing, and Daichi sighed.

"At the rate you train, you'll be a Jonin in no time, then probably an ANBU. What will you do if you are assigned a mission to find and kill an S-class criminal named Sarutobi Mara?" The teacher stared seriously down at the student, waiting for an answer.

Shimaru blinked, confused for a moment. Truth be told, he had never really considered that scenario, which was odd. Mostly he had been worried about actually getting to that point, rather than what would happen afterwards. Do I really want her dead?

The more he thought about it, he realized that in his mind, he had always envisioned bringing Mara back alive, but in reality, that was not what happened with S-class criminals, and the Mara he had known was not the type to surrender.

Swallowing hard, Shimaru replied, trying to sound confident. "I would follow orders, sir. As an S-class criminal, she's a security threat, especially since she came from Konoha."

It was the textbook answer to the difficult question. And I will follow orders, he told himself, I just have a question for her to answer first.

It had been his dream to become a feared ANBU member, like his father and Daichi. He knew that was where he was headed. He just wasn't sure how soon he could get there. But lately, he realized, he had been so obsessed with becoming stronger, he hadn't thought about his dream much. Ironically, his new focus may have helped to speed his way towards the very goal he seemed to have forgotten.

Daichi walked towards Shimaru and rolled up his right sleeve. His voice was both sad and angry to Shimaru's ears.

"S-class criminals are a danger to the village, they have information that could destroy this very village. But I still couldn't kill the man who gave me this scar. Morino Taizen is an S-class criminal who put his name in for Hokage when the 8th Hokage died, before Nekobatsu Zane came in. He wasn't given the position, so he left the village. I was among the team sent to kill him, with some ANBU and hunter-nin." He paused looking at the scar then continued, "I found him. I was sent to scout ahead, being the fastest. My only choice then was to fight him, or he would've gotten away. I could've killed him, but I hesitated, because he was from Konoha. Taizen was my teacher when I was a Genin, but he did not hesitate like I did. I almost died that day."

Daichi stopped talking for a moment and removed the cloth around his neck, underneath were many scars, several leading down further.

"If my team had not caught up with me when they did, I wouldn't be here talking to you. All this because I hesitated for one second. The bond that Konoha creates is strong, and Taizen had taught me so much." Daichi narrowed his eyes, then continued his speech, "So, understand me when I say this. If you plan on stopping her, you better not hesitate, because you might not be as lucky as I was. Had I reached home a few moments later, I likely would've died from blood loss, so trust me when I say, S-class criminals don't care for their old bonds, or ties. They will kill anyone that could cause them trouble, even their own student."

Daichi took a step back from the shocked Hyuuga.

"Shimaru, if you want to prove to Mara how strong you have become... you had better be ready to kill, that... or be killed. When I went after Taizen, I wasn't ready, and that's what almost cost me my life."

Shimaru watched Daichi's face as he talked about his encounter. The scar that tore down the Joinin's skin seemed to burn itself into his brain. See this? Said the voice in the back of his head. This is what will happen if you hesitate. You have to finish the job. If you kill her, you'll have surpassed her once and for all. Of course, that was the reasonable part of his brain. No matter how much he resolved to finish the job, there always seemed to be a lingering seed of doubt that ate away at him. It seemed that the only way to find out what he would do in the end was to confront the situation head-on.

"I know, Sensei. Thank you." Shimaru said quietly, seriously sobered by what he had just heard. "But you don't have to worry. There was never a 'bond' between me and Mara unless it was one of hatred."

That was mostly true. The only thing that would make him hesitate was getting the answer to his question. Whether he admitted it or not, he respected Mara. But in the end, that wouldn't matter. Still, the situation that faced him was eerily similar to the one Daichi had described.

"Sensei...Morino Taizen...he's supposed to be in that same group as Mara, isn't he? The Kagai."

Daichi placed the cloth from his uniform back on his neck, and pulled the sleeve over his arm once more.

"Morino Taizen is with the Kagai. In fact, he's its founder, though he has no interest in leading it. His goal now seems to be to destroy Konoha." He said calmly, putting a hand on Shimaru's shoulder. "I made a great mistake in the past... but I am willing to make mistakes, if others are willing to learn from them."

Shimaru nodded. So, Daichi had a stake in this too.

"I think I have learned something, Sensei. I think there is something I understand better now." He said, smiling at his mentor.

Really, he was very lucky to have a sensei whose predicament had been, and was, so similar to the one he himself was now facing. I will fight...and I will win. He thought, clenching his fists by his side.

Shimaru knew now that leaving Konoha was not a sign of strength; it was sign of weakness and irresponsibility. Of giving up. To most children, rogue shinobi like the Kagai were fearful legends, but in reality, they were those who didn't have enough self-control to become good ninja. All these thoughts ran through Shimaru's head, filling him with a new sense of hope and confidence. Of course, you still couldn't underestimate the Kagai. But now, they no longer had a hold of fear on him.

Daichi smiled, and then removed his hand from Shimaru's shoulder. The sensei turned and examined the tree that Shimaru had been practicing on.

"You know, releasing chakra with perfect timing is a hard thing to do, especially during battle. I didn't master it till I was twenty-one. You have a good start though, and if you keep practicing, you'll do fine." He said.

Daichi focused his chakra in his own hand and struck the tree, making a deep handprint.

Shimaru watched him carefully, noting how he focused and held his hand. He raised his own hand to try the same thing, and then dropped it. He was already tired from his earlier session, and Daichi was right. It wasn't healthy to keep yourself in a constant state of exhaustion.

"I'll keep working on it, Daichi-sensei. I think I just get distracted too easily. I keep doing it too fast. At the speed I work now, it would be too easy to dodge in a real battle, but I think I've got my priorities straightened out now. Once I master the technique, I'll work on speed."

Shimaru contemplated Daichi's handprint next to his own effort, which had barely made a dent in the tree. As he experienced how much effort it took to get that good, he admired Daichi all the more. He wiped one dirt-stained hand on his black-and-red robe, then grinned ruefully.

"I don't suppose you could give me any hints on how to do that?" he asked.

"Well, if I tell you, you probably wont like it." Daichi said, running a hand through his unruly hair. "Time, effort, practice, but most important of all, will. The will to keep trying. But I think you're already doing that. Perhaps, you should think of something that will help you focus. Then, you could release the chakra when you feel it has a strong chakra flow, just by itself. I know it sounds like gibberish, but my sensei had told me the same thing."

"Of course, practice makes perfect." Shimaru said with a tired laugh.

It was a lesson that every ninja learned before they even became Genin. Once, Shimaru had asked why teachers insisted on repeating this lesson, and he had been told: "Because this lesson is the most important thing you'll ever learn. It makes the difference between failure and success."

Furrowing his brow, he considered his sensei's other bit of advice. Release the chakra when you feel it has a strong chakra flow, just by itself.

"A flow just by itself? That sounds like a riddle or something." he sighed. "I suppose that means I can solve it like any other riddle: with lots and lots and lots of thought and concentration. Ah well, at least now I have something to do when I get home."

Speaking of home, I should probably be going. I didn't notice it was so late. Indeed, the sun was just beginning to touch the horizon, although it had been straight overhead when Shimaru had started.

"I suppose I should go before I miss dinner," he said. He didn't really want to leave, especially now that Daichi was here. Daichi had a way of making him see things from another angle.

"I guess it could be a riddle, couldn't it?" Daichi said, laughing. "I wouldn't worry to much, Shimaru. You'll make a great ninja someday soon, but remember, you have to wait for the sun to rise on that day, after the night."

Shimaru answered with a mock salute, his spirits completely restored at the thought of dinner.

"Yessir, Sensei-sir! I'll be out here tomorrow if you think up any more riddles."

Picking up his pouch of kunai, which he had taken off to train, he strapped it back on and headed off for home. He walked a little ways, then turned back and waved to Daichi.

"Thanks for coming, Daichi-sama!" Then he was gone, over the ridge and out of sight, the riddling phrase still bouncing around his head.