Letters to Moirae

A Naruto Fanfiction

by midnightdragoness

"A heart is what makes a mortal. Because only mortals can love and live; and yet having that heart is what kills them in the end."

Amaterasu warned them from above, her golden cloak now a dusky bronze hidden behind the clouds. Without the Lady Sun's radiance, shadows crept farther onto Konoha; glad for an abdication of their corners. The heavens held a dry, deadened shade of slate that stole vividness from the slack world below.

She frowned back at Amaterasu, as if her opinion could force the goddess to shake off her drab and reappear. From the depth of her soul, the girl knew that this was a sign. Just as she knew the name of the wind and the sun and the moon. But each day that passed, they became harder to grasp. Subconsciously, she shivered and pulled the navy cloak closer to her shoulders. The movement caused her locks, darkened to crimson by the somber light, to swing lightly. It was the foreboding, rather than the cold the kunoichi was fending off. Silver eyes narrowed, searching for some color against the darkening of the day.

Blue eyes, blond hair and violet eyes with a cocky smirk drew itself into her mind's eye. All thoughts of signs and brooding vanished; the quell of her stomach vanished as her feet quickened toward a familiar route. I was abrupt, her switch between menial walk to unbridled sprint. Her thin frame was swift, and cut corners with crude skidding rather than comfortable grace. Running, the gennin reveled in it—wind biting her cheek, long strands of red flying as a war banner behind, white cheeks staining with color. It was alive.

So caught up was she in the freedom of the movement, that the girl missed her mark by a few feet and had to wheel around and propel back towards the apartment complex.

She threw open the doors, keeping her pace as an elderly man heading out for work stopped to gape in surprise as a tiny jet of red shot past him and down the hall.

Up to flights, around the bend, and a skid to the last door on the left. Finally stopping, the girl pushed on the door. It stayed shut. She jangled the knob. It was locked.

Colorless eyes scanned the frame and stilled at the largest crack in the worn hardwood. Pale fingers pulled a kunai from the folds of her listless cloak. The young female nin shoved the flattened side of the sharp edge into the whole, and gave a hefty push. The aged wood splintered but did not break.

Little Red gave leaned heavily against the door, pushing all her weight into the kunai. Two more good hits and the material finally gave in; shattering with a fly of chips.

The girl pulled a hand up to guard her face against the sharpened pieces of wood, but an elongated one managed to sneak by and slice into her white cheek.

As the dust settled again; she swiped at the blood once and pushed a hand through the hole of the door. Her grasp caught the persistent knob and easily twisted the lock. It gave a click and opened. Satisfied, the intruder withdrew her hand and pulled the now useless door open.

The female member of Team Jiraiya stepped into the apartment of her comrade.

It was a small, two room set-up she had seen before on that rainy afternoon. A corner kitchen in one section, a bathroom off to the left and a bedroom taking up the most room. The neat little bed with a folded green comforter occupied one wall while shelves of ramen and other dried foods. An ovular coffee table lined the other side, below a window. Several ninja scrolls and spare weapons lay neatly on its surface. Everything was here, except...

She blinked. "Arashi?"

He hurled another kunai, expertly and with a heaping of disdaining grace. The metal rocket wound towards its target with precision...

And then a well-aimed shuriken zipped across the field to catch the ninja weapon in its open center; causing them both to wheel away.

A tick formed above his twilight eyes as he turned, fuming to the figure slouched on the ground. He had to bend down to a squat to speak face-to-face.

"Izanami, enough already!" Sakumo snapped at his teammate, growing more irate at the way she held her sharp face away as if ignoring him. "I know you're mad at us for starting without you--but really!"

Without replying, the kunoichi twisted her head farther away. Storming, the boy stood right in front of her and shook her shoulders while emphasizing his words. "Would you quit it! We couldn't find you and we have to train. Is that so hard for you to understand, you stupid girl?"

"Sakumo, don't hurt her." Arashi strode up between his two teammates and stopped down as well.

They weren't quite angry, but at the very least darkened, gray eyes fixated on his fair face. "I was looking for you two. Your apartment was empty,"

Her gaze turned toward the blond. "and you even locked yours so I had to make a hole in the wall."

Blue eyes widened and the other shinobi backed down and stood back up, coughing to hide his laugh.

"You broke my door?" Uzumaki swallowed, looking defeated.

Of course, the odd child had no concept of remorse. "It was locked and I was looking for you."

He put a golden hand to his forehead, rubbing it and breathing in patience before sighing at her total oblivion. "And why were you seeking us so desperately?"

At his question, Hatake finally managed to stop chortling behind his forearm and listen.

Their female comrade blinked. "Because it was dark, and you are bright."

Both boys stared at her in confusion until Sakumo turned away with a careless gesture.

"You stay and figure her out if you want. I have training to get back to."

Arashi was left to glare at the gennin's black jacket back before returning his attention to...

"Izanami?" He questioned as the girl stood up and followed after Sakumo.

At his voice, the kunoichi looked back to face him. "We have to get back to training, right?"

Biting his lip, the young nin nodded and straightened up and traced her steps.

"Oi, brats!" White hair stood out against the dullness of the day as the man stepped towards them with an easy smile.

"You're late." The silver-haired shinobi noted coolly without turning around from his target practice.

Jiraiya winked it away. "Ah, but there is a very good reason for that."

"Huh?" The blue-eyed boy looked up at the scroll his sensei was waving around.

"A mission scroll?"

The frog sanin smirked triumphantly. "Yup, you brats have your first C rank."

"A retrieval mission... in the Rice Country?" Arashi clarified as he listened to his sensei's briefings.

The head of white shook. "Yes, our client needs this... Dagger of Wakahiko. In the description, he stated that it was misplaced while traveling and there is little chance of contact except for any stray thieves. Some information states that the blade was last seen just west of the border village. He has men guarding it so we can collect the weapon."

"Wakahiko..." The female gennin murmured tonelessly to herself before looking up at their confused glances. " Ame-No-Wakahiko, the failure god."

"A failure god?" Sakumo scorned coolly.

She nodded slowly. "Ame-No-Wakahiko was supposed to rule the earth, but then he was killed by Takami-Musubi, the god of the sky."

Jiraiya started in surprise. "Eh?" He leaned in on his knees to glare suspiciously at his pupil. "How is it you know so much about mythology and yet can't even talk to the blacksmith who makes your shuriken?"

Her gray focus didn't meet him as she replied, keeping that distantly perplexed visage. "I have always known of the gods and the spirits. I can read their symbols and that of the Moirae, but lately..." A pale hand raked the red scalp once.

"Is something wrong Izanami?" The too-bright boy asked softly, deep irises pooled with concern.

The kunoichi shook her head, removing the head and clearing her face. "No,"

Hearing her answer, Hatake turned back toward their teacher. "When do we leave?"

Grinning once again, the frog summoner rolled up the mission scroll. "Day after tomorrow, before daybreak. We'll meet at our usual spot." He gestured over to the new bridge.

Smirking, the fair boy stood. "Well, if that is all then I should like to go clean my weapons before it gets too late." He gave a careless wave over his shoulder.

Uzumaki stood next, bowing to the sanin. "Thank you for this opportunity, sensei. I shall take my leave now too. Goodnight, Izanami."

As his smile faded into the waning light of dusk, leaving only the pair of them. Hazel eyes switched back to her small form, and the look of... unsettled, perhaps; contorting her features. The man frowned, ninja eyes catching even her shallow show of emotions.

"And what is wrong with you?"

Without looking at him, little red took to her feet. "Nothing is wrong with me. I am going back to the apartment now."

Without waiting for her teacher's reply, the child was gliding swiftly into the growing shadows, back to her place of residence. The white-haired shinobi followed her movements in the aging twilight, still frowning to himself. When she had finally retreated far enough into the dark horizon that even his keen sight couldn't spy; Jiraiya unfurled the mission scroll again.

Izanami... the damned goddess of the dead who steals 1,000 souls. This girl... at first I thought it may be ironic acrimony, but how does she know so much about the gods? And spirits too, she said spirits as well... Yet she never seemed to have basic human interaction...

The sanin's brown eyes listed skyward again to catch the few sprinkles of early stars.

Who is she?

A crescent moon reflected upon the sharp silver edge of steel as it flickered through the night.

Thunk. Metal skewered deep into the thick hide of the tree, a glint of light from the yards away.

Horse. Dog. Dragon. Fingers were bleached white by the luminescent glow as they bent into a calculated sequence of postures.

Eyes of twilight were deepened to ebony night by the darkness. Narrowed in relentless intent at the pinprick of silver against the tree.

Index fingers formed a 't', the final signal completed. Within a moment; stance had widened, knees bent, and one sharp inhale.

"Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu!"

On the exhale, the oily color of night was broken by a stream of inferno orange and reds. The river of fire flew straight from his thin lips across the empty field.

One yard, Two, Three—Five. The deadly stream kept its destination true.

Seven yards—Nine and it began waning, puffing out and smoking more than a chakra fire should.

Come on, come on. He pressed, tightening his cramping muscles which begged for the oxygen he fed the flame.

Ten, Eleven—he was going to make it, just a little further.

Two inches of the kunai blade, so close the light danced along the crooked lines of bark, singing to dull; raka-color black. Two inches away, and he ran out of air.

The jet of fire sputtered blindingly yellow before vanishing silently as another victim of the night. A lean frame was doubled-over, clutching a throbbing stitch in his side and panting for breath. The entire body, fair skin against the blending black of the clothing, was shaking. A minute or more passed, and the trembling stopped.

He stood rigidly, proudly and used one hand to swipe and longer silver bangs from his sight. Orchid eyes shone with purpose that was almost maddening.

"Damn it," Sakumo clenched his teeth and evened out his breathing.

Again. I'll do this again and again until it's perfect. I will be able to do the Ryuuka no Jutsu for the mission! I will have mastered it by then, even if I have to spend tomorrow night in this damn forest!

"I will learn this jutsu." He breathed into the moonlight, which caught the light of his sweat and locks.

Legs apart, knees bent.

Focus. Eyes on the target.

The fingers unclench and begin to dance again in their familiar steps. Horse-Dog-Dragon—

Breathe. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale...

Because if I can't even learn this simple Katon jutsu...

Metallic bitterness swished around his tongue from his lips as they cracked under the fire's heat. A thin trickle of blood wound dribbled down the sharp slope of his chin. The mists of night gave way once again for the rocket of burning tangerine.

...Then what can I achieve as a shinobi?

His eyes were piercing azure, almost cat-like, in the lack of light of his bedroom. Distantly, they roved over the familiar silhouettes and contours of the sparse furniture. The hulk of a worn desk, black blob of a low-setting table, thick square of an organizer, defined lines of a door...

A door with a hole in it. The occupant thought wryly as he spotted the slightly shaded blotch in the woodwork. His restless thoughts turned over again.

Izanami... Sakumo... the day after tomorrow is our first real mission. No more missing cats or weeding community lots.

He shifted again under the evergreen blankets; turning toward the wide window and staring into the effervescent stars.

It's only C-rank, a weapon retrieval. Why am I so worried?

A gentle wind rocked the twining boughs of the trees outside. If the night knew the answer, it kept to silent encouraging.

But... It's our first test as a team. Are we really ready for it?

Vermilion hair, swinging loose and neat at her thin shoulders. Skin bleached of color and wide, unsettling silver eyes. She only learned not to kill heedlessly. If this mission requires her to defend herself, what will happen?

Platinum hair with long bangs and a cropped back hid amethyst eyes like a cage. Fair skin contrasted with his preferred outfits of black. And what about Sakumo? He always seems to tolerate us at a distance, but no more.

A faint splash of orange arose from some grove a distance away, and was gone too soon for him to be sure. Arashi's eyes widened for a moment before a soft smile settled on his lips.

And now I am hallucinating. What a group we make.

Somehow, he had a feeling that this mission would decide them. It was either make or break with the threesome.

What right do we have to be called a team? What do we really know about each other?

His pre-teen body turned away from the window, so the boy could face the ceiling for better inspiration.

Sakumo and I went to the academy together, but he was always off by himself; always throwing himself to studying and accelerating his skills. Only girls could really get anywhere near him; all males seemed to be... rivals. And Izanami... I don't even know if that is her real name.

The glowing orbs shut, and one low breath was heard in the quiet.

And if that is all I know of them; what could they know about me?

His clock ticked in the suffocating lack of noise. A little, warning noise that resembled the clunk of sand grains at the bottom of an hourglass. Little by little, it was moving too fast.

How can we work together without even knowing each other?

Sure, they had been an official team for the past four months and spent almost every living moment training or on D-rank missions. They had been forced to cooperate for a common goal.

But we are not a team.

Guilt reared up and bared its fangs in his stomach. If only he hadn't antagonized Sakumo so much; if only he had been more patient with Izanami...

His eyes reopened with a snap, two pools basking in moonlight and churning with deep determination.

"It does not matter how much I like or know about my teammates." His hair seemed white in the silver light. "I will protect them if anything happens."

The vow calmed him, quelling the guilt residing in his gut and allowing weariness to finally begin its toll.

Maybe I will go talk to Koharu tomorrow.

Amaterasu stayed behind her gray, cloudy veil on the appointed day. The dreary overcast, dry and breezy, caused her brow to furrow and lips to twist down.

It was a bad sign—the lack of sun or storm. It only meant trouble.

"Hey, what are you sulking about?" Jiraiya stuck his face inches from hers and had she been anyone else; Little Red would probably have reacted poorly to that.

As it was, the gennin didn't flinch but brushed him off easily. "Nothing."

Wary, the red-streaked sanin retreated with a final glance at his only female student.

Why do kunoichi have to be such pains? The ivory-haired shinobi mentally sighed, thinking of a certain blond who had proven to be just as bothersome.

The gods must hate me. Tsunade and Izanami?

However the approach of his third student broke his inner empathy. Brown eyes flashed. "Arashi, you are just on time. All prepared?"

The boy bowed. "My apologies for making you wait. I am all ready, sensei."

Jiraiya waved it off carelessly. "Yeah, yeah. Well, if you're all ready to go; let's get a move on it. It'll take us at least four days at your pace to reach the destination."

"That's trusting you can read the map right." A voice murmured from behind him.

The frog summoner's visage broke into one of outrage before regaining a false composure. "Hatake,"

His fist came crashing down none-to-lightly on the commenter.

"Just try and say that again."

With more of a bruised ego then head, the purple-eyed shinobi retreated to under-the-breath comments.

"Stupid bastard calls himself a teacher... I'll knock his fat ass from that high throne..."

"Sakumo, would you please refrain from insulting our teacher." Uzumaki asked softly.

His comrade threw a glance. "I suppose if it is too delicate for you, hidosugiru akarui, then I can stop."

He blinked a the new nickname, but gave a hidden smile. "Thank you then, ikkou akarui."
The young shinobi made a scoffing noise, but there was a trace smirk under his longer silver bangs.

Jiraiya smirked knowingly and made a humphing sound before turning back toward the path. However, the kunoichi blinked in... surprise?

"Hidosugiru akarui and ikkou akarui ... too bright and not bright?"

A lilac orb winked at her. "Well you are the one who gave us these names, are you not Izanami?"

She didn't reply, but kept looking at the duo with that strangely shallow imitation of emotion.

Their sensei sighed. It's going to be a long trip.

The clouds held their heavy burden well into the night, when the four travelers stopped to make camp.

Arashi laid the last boughs of tinder in a pile and began to organize them into the tepee formation while Jiraiya set up the tents. As he worked carefully in the failing light; his fair-haired companion returned from the river where he had gone to collect water.

A dangerous gleam lit his violet eyes as Sakumo watched the other shinobi.

"Hey hidosugiru akarui, move."

"Huh?" The blond turned in time to spot a stream of fire heading towards him.

In a fast step, Arashi cleared the deadly path and managed to land, clothes ruffling and hair swinging. The wood ignited, creating a roaring bonfire before it kept going, heading straight toward the tents.

"Sensei!" His voice was heightened with fear.

The man moved so hastily it was hard to track. His hands formed a series of seals and then the water gathered in the bucket took the form of a water dragon, swallowing the fire jutsu whole before evaporating into a bath of blinding steam.

Uzumaki coughed into his sleeve, squinting to see the result amidst the fading grayness and growing darkness. Faint footsteps caught his attention and he turned around to face them.

Silver eyes blinked at the scene—a suddenly serious sensei, a determined if put-off gennin, and the other crouching some distance away.

"What happened?" The girl asked, still holding her wrapped bundle.

The frog sanin had never seemed so angry; it darkened his entire visage.

"Hatake here thought he would be a smart ass and light the fire with a Katon jutsu. However, the idiot couldn't control it and used too much power." The brown eyes were alight with the fire, as if it had been he who had swallowed it instead of the water creature. "So tell me kid, did that make you feel like a ninja? Almost burning your teammate to a crisp?"

Sakumo glared defiantly and found himself staring down the older shinobi, acutely aware of the throbbing mass of chakra he excreted. Finally, he turned away, hiding behind his cage of silver.

"Tch, whatever. He's fine, isn't he?"

Jiraiya continued to bore holes into his head before stiffly switching to the other boy. "You alright?"

Slowly, gaze on the black-clad figure, the too-bright boy nodded. "I am fine sensei. Are you alright?"

The shadow lifted easily off his face and he was once again a joking pervert as he brushed past and ruffled the golden hair with a laugh. "Ha, it'll take more than a second-rate Katon to hurt me. Now then, Izanami, what do you have?"

The red-head once again focused on her teacher. She unfolded the gray cloth to reveal four decent-sized, white-bellied fish. She pushed up the offering.

"Food." One of the creatures gave another flip of the navy fin.

The elder ninja clapped his hands excitedly, accepting the bundle and patting her on the head lightly with a look of ecstasy on his face.

"Well this is certainly better than dried up ramen. Knew we kept you around for some reason, Izanami."

As the white-haired man made his way back to the fire, skewering the fish and smiling; Arashi had a slightly crestfallen look on his face.

"But I like ramen."

They traveled by day on the road, and slept in the forest by night. Jiraiya pushed his team at a fast, bearable pace. They were good little troopers, what with Sakumo going temporarily mute after last night's incident. With any luck, they would make it to their client by tomorrow night.

Fed and warm by the fire, Arashi watched from his sleeping back as the silver-haired boy once again took first watch, staring aimlessly into the dancing flames with his hands folded under his head. He frowned, reading his teammate's sullen behavior from the night before.

"If you are concerned, you should go talk to him."

The golden shinobi blinked in surprise from the toneless voice beside him. "What?"

She wasn't facing him in her sleeping bag, and didn't seem to feel the need to turn at all as she spoke. "His condition is bothering you. In order to fix that, you should speak with him."

Despite the lack of soul behind her words, the blue-eyed boy gave a soft smile before returning his gaze to their sulking guard. "Are you worried about him, Izanami?"

The pale face shifted to meet his look. "Why should I be?"

The gennin sighed gently and then shook his head; standing up. "He's your teammate, Izanami. We all have to look out for each other."

Arashi left her with those words, moving the cloth flap that served as a door for him to step into the chilly outside.

The firelight sharpened the shinobi's features. Shadows ran along his straight nose and hollowed out the area between cheek and eye bones. The taut skin of his neck and chin seemed lengthened, and the garnet hue caused his hair to seem a washed-out copper. The amethyst pools had shifted to fuchsia as they contemplated the inferno.

Hatake made no movement as he heard the approaching steps, and the other gennin sat silently beside him, eyes staying their same miraculous shade of blue as he searched the campfire for words. A minute passed, and then another.

The tension began to wash out of them, transforming into an easier companionship under the night. Finally, one of them spoke.

"There are no stars out tonight." The blond shinobi was looking upwards to the ebony skill of the heavens.

"Stupid. Is that the best way you can think of to start a conversation?"

Uzumaki stared back down, that gentle sloping smile on his features; which was half-obscured by the shadows. "At least I did begin a conversation. It is more than you can say."

The paler youth glanced away, hiding once again behind silver bars without commenting.

"I am not angry with you."

The black-clad nin snarled. "You have no right to be angry..." As he progressed his volume lessened and his attention shifted back to the withering fire. "...but I would be—am angry."

"Well then I suppose you should be glad that I am not like you." The preteen was still smiling. "We are all just learning, Sakumo. It is only human to make mistakes. Next time, just try to give me a warning sooner, alright?"

The look of surprise gave way to a bemused expression on the other's face. "You really are a sap... hidosugiru akarui."

His teammate chuckled. "Only trying to make up for your heartlessness, ikkou akarui."

Sakumo startled to give a muffled laughter at this, and soon both orphans were smoldering the sounds behind their hands and in their shirts so as not to wake the rest of the team.

A pair of brown eyes watched the pair shake and felt a short chuckle escape his own lips. He leaned against a tree, using darkness as a cover for his bright features. "Well, I suppose I should do something about that brat's jutsu... Hm, I think its time to teach you kids chakra control."

Jiraiya eyed the two again, and wondered in the quiet.

Just maybe... they can really make it as a team.

"We all have to look out for each other." The kunoichi bit the inside of her cheek as her the words pounded into her head again.

They were causing a headache and distracting her from her observations. The gray-eyed girl was sure she was missing some very distinct symbol, an important message. However, every time she tried to focus on it...

"We all have to look out for each other." His voice, again. Annoying, all together too-bright words.

What do they mean anyway? Protect people, it was a strange concept. From all she could recall; you were supposed to ensure your life was safe and not worry about anyone else.

But then again, even these remembrances, as if encoded in her being; had begun to upturn and sift in the sea of change.

What is all this?

She bit harder, and blood poured into her mouth. Instantly, the taste calmed her. The abandoned preteen felt the pain subside and allowed the words to drift away. The red-haired girl focused on her environment, noticing the world outside her mind again.

Jiraiya was talking to a scrawny looking man ahead, while Arashi and Sakumo listened in intently. They were standing outside of a little shanty. In fact, they were in a town.

"This is it!" The white-haired author beamed at his students. "You brats ready to get to work?"

The thin man stepped forward, bowing. "Thank you all for coming. I am very grateful."

Silver eyes sharpened. Distracted or not, the kunoichi could read the man's aura as easily as if it was painted in the sky.

He is hiding something.

A/N: I know the preview seemed like more action, but getting the team there took more time then I thought and I wanted to get an update out to you. The next one is the actual mission, promise!

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