A:N/ Welcome my brethren to another installment of Fallen Angel. This chapter marks the end of the mini arc of Naruto's year long journey. Please enjoy and Review.
Growth
XXX
11 months later...
A gentle breeze whistled through the empty trees surrounding the small open area. A bright full-moon illuminated the dark skies as our young hero sat calmly staring at the crackling flames thinking bitterly on his many experiences he had witnessed while on his travels around the elemental nations. For almost a year his journey had led him to many town and villages that weren't even on the map to begin with. He decided that his visit to the elemental nations that dominated their world today would be better left until he was older. He felt that he needed to know all these little town first before going to big. He needed to experience how life was really lived when comparing a shinobi to a regular person.
In that he succeeded for sure. So many heart wrenching moments plagued his body that it was absurd. He was sure many grown men would've just given up, but he didn't. He realized that it would be best to experience these emotions head on than to avoid them all together. As a result his locked away emotions began to open up little by little until finally he had a breakthrough. However, the emotion that his body had opened up to after so many horrible situations was sympathy. He had learned how to be sympathetic on his travels and who wouldn't. Honestly, after seeing so much turmoil on these scattered and isolated towns it was impossible not feel it.
Sadness was also a major emotion he had learned to experience. Pain and anger were also others that heavily influenced him now. So many failures plagued his mind that if one were to look closely on his brain you would see nothing but darkness. Kids that he interacted with on a daily bases were killed the very next day either from malnourishment or natural diseases. These places he visited had no such thing as a infirmary or any structure that resembled a government at all. These places and people were the remnants of the previous war that had plagued history. Even though he once believed that he had it hard in Konoha. It was a far-cry to what these folks out here had experienced.
If he were to be completely honest with himself he was pathetic for even thinking, even for a split second that he had it hard. People who lived in the villages had no idea what real misery and misfortune was. It came as a complete shock when his developing mind began to put the pieces together. In reality life was not a fairytale where everyone lived happily ever after. Seeing people joyful and living their everyday lives with a smile was not what he had seen.
People screamed in joy whenever a husband or son came back from hunting for food. They didn't know if they would make it back alive. Bandits and wild animals prowled the deep forests just waiting for folks like them to walk on by. Back on his village you just needed a bit of money and that was it. He once offered the people in one of the villages some money, but they just looked at it with faces that said, "What am I going to do with that." Their homes were made entirely of concrete which made the winter extremely harsh. What little clothing they had on them which strangers were kind enough to give to them, were given to their children. They believed that they were more important than themselves.
Seeing that scene was heartwarming and tragic at the same time. Money was a rarity and unimportant while hard work and struggle was a constant. If you didn't work then you died simple as that. It was a truly emotional and growing shift when he had visited his first village. A bittersweet moment hit him as he recalled the first time he was handed out a bowl of soup while he stayed at a strangers place. His view of life changed dramatically and with good reason. He didn't want to believe that there was people that lived with causing misery to others. Unfortunately there was and they are just waiting for unfortunate people to cross their paths.
Flashback...
XXX
A cloaked boy was currently walking up a winding road that was centered close to an enormous hill side. If it was just a bit bigger then it would be considered a mountain. His location was unknown due to him losing the map that Danzo had given him from the beginning. Honestly it didn't really affect him as much as someone might think. Previously he was just drifting about looking for something to do. So his situation right now wasn't radically different if you think about it. Still the fact remained, he was lost and he needed to find a town immediately. What food he had on when he had departed from Hitomi was long gone. He hadn't eaten anything for almost three days and no matter how tough the person is they still have to eat something.
His eyes finally began to see what he believed was the end of the trail. Planting his foot on the dirt ground his masked face focused on the little town just ahead of him. The sole reason he had even ventured up this huge hill was to get a better sense as to where exactly he could be. So seeing that town no matter how deserted it seemed was a spirit booster for sure. Though, he wondered where all the people had gone to. The sun was strong that day so it wasn't like they were sleeping. In fact his supernatural sense told him that people were indeed there just not outside.
Stretching for a bit he spoke to himself while his cloak billowed from the strong winds. "I should take a look while I'm here. Perhaps I could find something interesting to keep me occupied. Some food would definitely go a long way as well." His stomach grumbled as if agreeing with the boy's statement. Finishing stretching he pushed forward and dived straight down the hill-side with incredible speed. Skillfully he sunk into the canopies of the forest trees, jumping from branch to branch until he finally hit the floor below with a small thud.
Walking a bit forward he saw a wooden sign and grabbed it. The name plate was almost unreadable leaving only paradise on it. Iron considering this place seemed anything, but a paradise. Letting the beaten up wooden plate swing freely he entered the place easily. He walked until he was right dab in the middle of the 'town' if you could call it that. He could easily sense the people stationed inside their homes. They weren't many, but they were still there. He knew that they knew he was there. But why did they choose to remain inside? Perhaps they were afraid of him...That was a strong possibility considering his current attire. It didn't exactly portray good guy.
To his surprise someone did come out to greet him, but it wasn't what he was expecting. A little boy who seemed to be about 6 came bursting through the front door with a large smile on his face. Following behind the small child was a very stressed looking mother trying her damnedest to reel in her boy.
"Koichi-kun get back here right now! It's not safe! The tired looking woman screamed at him while the boy naively ran towards him like he was a long lost brother or something.
The little boy continued to run, giggling the entire way until he finally reached him and tugged at his black cloak. His charcoal black eyes stared up at him with curiousness written all over his eyes. "Ne, Ne, why do you have a mask on mister? Immediately after that he asked another question. "Ne, Ne, are you here to help us? His questions didn't stop there. He continued to assault him with plenty of questions.
The cautious mother quickly distanced him away and stared fearfully at the masked boy. While she clutched his son like his life depended on in she asked the cloaked boy. "...W-why are you here? We a-already gave you everything we had! We have nothing more...s-so please go." Her last sentence was barely a whisper clearly afraid of the ramifications of her defiance.
Yami frowned behind his mask after hearing the utter fear she had for him while she pleaded for her families survival. Just from looking at her once he could see that hard times were a constant in their daily lives. Dirt and grime covered her once pale skin. Her hair was dull and stringy. Her clothes were covered in holes and seemed like they hadn't been washed in weeks. Her nails were long and her teeth were a bright yellow. Her eyes showed him the most. Lifeless brown orbs gazed fearfully at him. Eyes that he knew were once jubilant with life at one time.
The woman's breath was bound as she witnessed her son reach for his mask trying to pry it open. Shockingly the masked man let himself become unmasked and the person behind it surprised her. She though it would be one of those men who had constantly hounded them for whatever they had on them. It didn't matter to them if they left them with nothing. As long as they were taken cared of they were satisfied. The scavengers would also wear masks when they came for their weekly takings. The worst part about it was that no matter how much they resisted in the end it was for naught. They were shinobi and they were just regular civilians. Most of the citizens that had tried to rebel were killed. Now all that was left were the mourning widows and their children.
The person in front of her was clearly not associated with them at all. This person was just a kid no older than 12. His eyes though definitely distinguished him apart from the other normal 12 year old's. He had seen things that were better left unsaid. His eyes were also a different shade, one being a dark red and the other being a brilliant blue. Never in her life had she seen such an oddity when it came to the eyes, but truthfully nothing was impossible these days.
Her son however was anything but afraid. He was completely enthralled by his eyes. Pointing at his eyes Koichi yelled. "Mister! Your eyes are so cool! He quickly escaped his mother's grasp wanting to take a closer look. He traced a line down his own eyes noticing the huge scar running down the strangers right eye. "Why do you have that big scratch there mister?
Yami gently took away the mask from the boy's hands and knelt down to be at eye-level with him. Tracing it himself he answered. "Bad people did this to me Koichi-san. You know what bad people are right?
The child's previous curiosity quickly disappeared, replaced with a deep scowl. He clenched his tiny fists and looked down. "Yeah... those bad men are always coming here and taking our food away. We barely have enough for Mama and Koji-k..." He wasn't able to finish his sentence as his mother quickly covered his mouth preventing him from saying his baby brothers name.
Yami saw her action and understood what had transpired. He slowly stood up and focused his eyes on the boy's trembling mother. "I know you've been through a lot and I understand wanting to protect your family at all costs. But let me ask you this. If my sole objective was to come kill you. Wouldn't I have done it when you told me that you didn't have any more food to spare? That is what those people demand right?
The woman's trembling stopped when she processed what the boy was saying. Removing her hands from his mouth she asked the seemingly harmless boy. "Then why are you here? Nobody every comes through here anymore. We were completely erased from the map after the war."
Yami chuckled alarming the woman a bit. "It's actually kind of ironic if you think about it. I'm just a wandering shinobi searching for his next journey and meal. I promise you that I am not involved with the people that come steal your food."
The woman narrowed her eyes not completely believing the boy. She pointed at his hands and asked. "Then what's with the mask? Those guys wear masks as well."
Yami looked at his white mask on his hand and explained. "I've worn this thing for a while now that's its turned into a habit honestly. My master gave it to me when I 'graduated' per say. It mean's a lot to me."
The woman's suspicion slowly began to crumble. Even she could tell that he was being genuine. Her shoulders dropped as she signaled for the others to come out.
Immediately a tide of people came pouring out after seeing their leader signal that it was safe. They were mostly women with a few men scattered here and there. Most men had died trying to rebel leaving the woman alone to survive. It was a miracle they had made it this long, but somehow they worked together and pulled through. Lately though food shortages ran rampant across the poor village. It was even worse when the scavengers began to come and demand food.
Yami was rapidly swarmed by the children wanting to see his eyes and his mask. If it wasn't for the boy's mother saving him he didn't know what he would do. "Alright that's enough. You've seen him so go back to your homes. I'll explain to him our situation alright." The woman's commanding voice rang throughout the village with an attitude completely changed from just a few seconds ago.
The children moaned in disappointment wishing they could talk to him longer. It had been forever seen they had seen someone new besides those evil men. Considering they were just kids it was no surprise they were curious. The adults meanwhile only had one thing in mind when seeing the strange multicolored shinobi. They needed some rescuing and that was it. They didn't know what he was capable, but if he was a shinobi like he had stated then they knew he was strong.
Yami heards a few chants of 'save us' from the adults before he was whisked away into the small hut of the woman's home. The inside wasn't very different from the outside. Few things decorated the interior like he had imagine from people that barely had enough to feed themselves. Various quilts adorned the floor. At the very center of the small house was a large pot that seemed to be stewing something right at that very moment. His stomach couldn't control itself letting out a huge grumble being heard by the woman immediately.
The woman's eyes stared at him and shook her head. "Don't you even think that you're getting anything from that pot. I barely have enough to feed my children let alone you." As if in command small foot steps could be heard making the woman smile at seeing her small child running towards her. His eyes though were focused directly on the strange boy standing right across his mom and brother.
Pointing a small finger towards the unknown stranger the smallest of her children questioned. "Mama, who is that man?
The mother chuckled not realizing that even she didn't know the strangers name. Her eyes traveled from her son's towards the cloaked stranger and asked. "I never did ask you for your name did I? Seeing him stay silent she pointed to herself and spoke. "My name is Misaki. Can I ask for yours?
Yami copied her movements and pointed to himself. "You could call me Yami if you'd like Misaki-san."
The mother now identified as Misaki shook her head. "Doesn't Yami mean darkness? Sort of foreboding don't you think?
Yami didn't react to her sarcasm, simply answering her question. "It is just a name Misaki-san. Whether you decide to let the meaning of a name rule over the feeling in your gut is entirely up to you."
Misaski recoiled a bit at how formal the boy was being. He looked like he 12 and he was the one being all serious in their current discussion instead of her. Very strange if you asked her. "I...guess your right Yami-san. Excuse me if you thought that was rude. I apologize."
Yami waved his hand dismissing her apology. "No need to do that Misaki-san. There was no harm done. So care to tell me about your current situation. Perhaps I can help."
Misaki quickly shook her head agreeing with the boy. Standing up she went towards the pot and served her children some food which they had been waiting for all along. After making sure they had been taken care of she went back to the boy and waved him away from the children. She didn't want to worry them anymore than they were already. She knew that Koichi was a growing boy and he was beginning to understand how things really ran around here. She had caught him several times trying to sneak out of the house saying he wanted to 'take care' of the bad men hurting their family.
Making sure they had gone a safe distance she began. "As you can see our major problem is our inability to create enough food to feed our family and give to the 'scavengers' at the same time." grabbing her hands she continued. "Our children our dyeing from the lack of food. If we don't do something about it our future will be destroyed." Her eyes began to water as she started to remember the happier times of the past. "When my husband was still alive things were so much easier. Things were simple yes, but when you gather around the pot and enjoy the meal there's nothing like it."
Yami noticed her fists tightened up as she practically spoke through clenched teeth trying to suppress her anger. "Then they had to come along. They ruined everything that we stood for. This place used to be teeming with people before. Now we've fallen so much we're not even on the map anymore." She unclenched her fists and let out a sigh. "No matter how much we resisted it was for nothing. Most of our men died within the first couple weeks we decided to resist them. Now all that's left are the women and their children."
He had processed everything that she had told him and asked. "When is the next time they are supposed to show up?
Misaki stared up at him unsure of what he planned. "Tomorrow is the day they're coming...why?
Yami merely gazed at her hopeful eyes and declared. "Tomorrow your peoples misery is over."
The next day...
XXX
The morning sun peered through the various holes of the small house. Of course Yami was much too worked up to have gone to sleep. The entire time he was just gazing at the small family which consisted of Misaki, Koji and Koichi. Feelings of loneliness plagued him as he stared at them huddled together near the fire trying to keep warm. The winter was especially harsh on these parts of the woods. Having barely enough blankets to cover themselves didn't help. Even knowing that they huddled together smiling even through sleep. It was odd for sure, but to him it just felt right. Mother, Father and their kids, the way its supposed to be. It made him seriously wonder for the first time in a while who his own parents were. Were they great people? Powerful? Good or Evil? Alive...?
So many questions plagued his mind when he saw the small family together like that. He saw the same scene when he peered into the other houses last night. He made sure not to be seen and since they were just regular people it wasn't difficult in the least. The scene however, still remained. Children cuddled with mother was apparent. Abandoned by the nations and left to their own devices. No contact and no hope of any help whatsoever. It was up to them to change their predicament. But like his master always told him during training. "Power goes a long way towards achieving something. Without power change will not happen." He also made sure that it wasn't just raw physical power that mattered. No, you also needed to be able to sway people to follow your own agendas. If managed to do that then you were also strong.
His thoughts quickly left him as the sound of children waking caught his attention. It was still very early and usually no one was awake during these times. But right before his eyes the eldest of the two, Koichi silently sat up making sure not to awaken his mother and little brother. For what reason well that was clear to his eyes. He wanted to escape without anyone knowing, but unfortunately for him he saw everything.
Yami's voice was quiet enough not to awaken the others that were sleeping, but loud enough to get the boy's attention as he neared the wooden door. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
The boy quickly spun around and gazed at his direction surprised that he was awake. "I-I t-though you were asleep." He whispered also not wanting to wake his family.
The masked boy quickly appeared in front of the boy startling him at his presence. "The real question here is why you are awake?
Koichi turned his eyes away and answered. "I-I wanted to go and beat them up. I'm tired of waiting for someone to come rescue us. It's been too long since we have suffered. Ever since Papa died things have only gotten worse." His eyes drifted towards his mother's peaceful slumber. "Mama thinks I don't know anything, but I do. Everyone does. The adults think we children know nothing, but in reality we know everything. I know we won't make it if our situation isn't fixed. The way things are going things will never get fixed."
Yami listened to the boy's explanation. It was a surprise to see him act this way. It was like he had grown a couple years. This is what happened when kids are forced to grow to early. Even he at his age just wanted to go out and play. Didn't matter if he had no one to play, but still he wanted to.
"It sounds to me like you know where these 'scavengers' hang out?
Koichi nodded with his response. "Yeah I do. Every time they come and steal our food I follow them wanting to get revenge. Every time I wimp out though. I don't have any power like them or you. I don't stand a chance, I know that already, but still I want to fight, like my father did..."
Yami for the first time was moved simply by words. "This is what Danzo-sama meant when he explained to him the power of words." He wanted to show the boy that even though you were weak things were still possible. "Koichi-san, where exactly do these bad men hang out?
Making a climbing motion he responded. "Just up that big hill in front our town. Why?
Ruffling his hair he smirked. "No reason, now what do you say I teach you something that will help your family directly. Interested?
The child had a curious smile on him when he heard that. Shaking his head he said. "Alright, but what is it really?
Grabbing his shoulder he guided him through the door making sure no one knew they were heading out. "You'll see now let's go before your mother wakes up."
2 hours later...
A pair of eyes fluttered open and immediately felt something was amiss. Looking over her shoulder she noticed that Yami was missing. Not only that her oldest son was also gone. Her heart rapidly began to pick up thinking only the worst. Doing her best to no wake up her youngest she went through the front door, going door to door asking for her son.
Knocking on what seemed to be the last house she asked with ragged breaths. "...H-have you...seen my...son? He barely managed to squeak out those last words to the sleepy mother.
The mother of the house saw her panic which quickly waked her up. Pointing to the forest on their left she answered. "I think I saw Koichi with that boy from yesterday. They headed into the forest very early in the morning. I was too exhausted to inform you...sorry."
Misaki shook off her apology knowing it wasn't her fault. "Don't apologize you're not the one who let him in the first place." Bowing her head she ran towards the forest screaming at her self the entire way. "I can't believe I was so stupid to be him! I should've known better than to trust someone again let alone a fucking kid!
She just hoped they were alright. She didn't know how she would handle loosing another of her family.
30 minutes later...
Misaki stood in shock as she saw her son and the mysterious Yami stand in front of her. She wasn't shocked because her son was fine, no. There before her very eyes stood about 4 exact replicas of Yami. On each shoulder they carried what looked like a large deer while his son carried some rabbits.
Koichi didn't expect for them to meet his mother out here of all places. He also didn't expect the bear hug from her rendering him breathless. "...Calm down mom. I only went with Yami for a couple of hours."
Misaki put even more force into her hug. "You shouldn't have left in the first place! Do you realize just how worried I was when you weren't besides me! I already lost your father I don't want to lose you as well!
The boy didn't know what to say to that. He didn't know it would affect her so much. Even so much as to mention his father which she never did anymore. Smiling he comforted her. "Sorry mom, I promise I won't do that again. But check what we caught! Raising the rabbits in mid air he exclaimed. "Now we don't have to worry about food anymore."
Relaxing her grip, through tear filled eyes she smiled as she looked at the rabbits hanging from his palms. "I see that. Did you catch them yourself?
His smile dropped a bit as he shook his head. "No. Yami-kun did all of the work. I just watched."
Misaki chuckled at his son's deflation. Standing up she went to the cloaked boy and bowed. "I'm sorry for thinking only the worst when I didn't see my son right next to me. I blamed you for everything and I apologize once again."
Yami's unmasked face stared at Misaki's apologizing stance. "It is I who must apologize and for that I bring the entire village with food. Also I will take your apology in the form of a meal. How does that sound?
Standing back up she smiled. She realized he hadn't eaten for how knows how long. "Sure, but don't expect anything extravagant. Just because I'm a mother doesn't mean I know everything when it comes to cooking. You got it mister."
Chuckling he gave a smile of his own. "Thank you Misaki-chan."
A faint hue covered the woman's pale face at being called that. It had been a while after all so you couldn't blame her.
The nine of them counting his clones went towards the village bringing food in tow. If one were too look from behind it would seem like you were witnessing a happy family on a walk. It wasn't that far-fetched either. Misaki was barely 5 feet tall. While Yami well over that. However you look it things seemed positive going forward.
6 hours later...
XXX
The time now was about 12 PM. After they had arrived most of the villagers were stunned at seeing so many copies of the boy. Also at seeing so much food in their hands. After being told it was for them they began crying which was very uncomfortable for him, but he took it in stride knowing they were suffering from food shortages. They hadn't eaten meat in what seemed like forever. All they had eaten was whatever Kami had blessed them from their crops. They didn't have the speed to catch the abundant of animals that shared the forest. If they had then their situation wouldn't be so grim. Nonetheless they were grateful and made sure to show the boy how much.
He had been kissed on the cheeks so much it was ridiculous. The women also weren't half bad so it wasn't like he was suffering. Currently he was sitting around a stewing pot waiting for his 6th meal of the day. Misaki didn't complain in the least knowing if it wasn't for him the entire village would still be suffering and stressing over what they would eat next.
As he was waiting for his bowl his ears perched up as a loud scream rang through the village.
"Oi, Misaki! Get your slutty ass out here and give us our food!
His eyes noticed her trembling as she heard the man's voice demand for her outside.
Without having to be told, he got up from his place, went to the door and spoke. "Let me take care of this like I had promised Misaki-chan. I will end this once and for all."
The woman tried to stop him not wanting to see him get killed, but she was too late. The boy was already out the door confronting the 'scavengers' outside.
The 'scavengers' outside totaled 6. Every single one had a cocky grin on their mugs as they watched the women cower before them. The only one who seemed to be capable of handling himself was the one directly in the middle. His eyes were focused squarely on the masked kid that had departed from Misaki's home. He commanded for his men to stop as he eyed the cloaked boy. Pointing at him he asked. "Who the fuck are you?
Yami remained in place, watching the 6 men stare daggers at him. Removing his small blade from its holster he gazed at it fondly. "Funny...I was about to ask you the same. Not because I didn't know who or what you came for. Just because I like to make my prey underestimate me before they're massacred easily." Pointing the shining blade towards him he added. "Are you the leader?
The man just stared at him not wanting to believe that he was being talked down by a mere child. After a couple silent moments he busted out laughing enticing the others to join him. "Hahaha, can you believe what this fucking brat is saying to me. Man this world is getting fucked up every second if a child has the balls to threaten strangers."
Spinning his finger in the air he commanded. "Alright men gather as much food as you can from these worthless trash. I want to get the hell out of this dump before nightfall alright! He screamed while his men saluted and began their torment on the defenseless women.
Yami let out a loud sigh as he shook his head in disappointment. "Like I said before, adults just love to underestimate me before they even begin a fight. Fortunately for you guys this will end quickly, however." Putting his blade back he declared. "I will not stain my blade with blood from the weak."
Crouching he sprang forward in a flurry of speed systematically delivering devastating blows to each of the fodder ninja trying to round up the food as they had been ordered to. Crushing the man's throat his vision turned towards the only remaining shinobi. "Like is said, you people are weak. If it weren't for them needing my help I wouldn't even bother with you lot." Looking at all the bodies strews across the dirt floor he added. "It seems like this is the end for you. Unless you have something else under your sleeve that would give you even a chance at defeating me."
The leader of the 'scavengers' was shocked at seeing his group of men be easily disposed of. Gulping he dropped to his knees and begged for his life. "P-please I know when I've been defeated. I-I promise I will never bother these people again. J-just let me go."
Yami shook his head, chuckling at how pathetic the man before him seemed. Just a moment ago he was ordering is men like some mighty leader. As soon as his men fell he turned into a sniveling buffoon begging for his life. Raising his arm like a gun he spoke. "Unfortunately for you I'm not to big on the whole mercy thing. Especially to people who don't know what mercy is." "Wind Style: Wind Bullet! The man before him quickly fell as the blazing bullet made of wind pierced his skull.
Putting his arm down he let out a sigh. The next moment the entire village folks came running out from their homes screaming in joy at seeing the men that they had feared for years, finally meet their demise. The children clung to his cloak constantly shouting how cool that was and mimicking his move to him. Misaki and her children also came to celebrate. Her smile in conjunction with joyful tears was something that he was never going to forget. All in all it was a time in the villagers lives that they could look back remember it was a day of joy. They were finally free from their oppression and could live and grow as meant.
Meanwhile sitting on top a hill, a lone figure watched his brethren be destroyed like it was nothing. They didn't even have a chance to use their powers at all. He wondered why he was sent by his master to watch over them. Considering they had done this countless times before, but now he understood. Somehow his master had learned about a mysterious masked shinobi that had stumbled upon the town. How he managed to find this town was baffling. This town wasn't even on the official maps anymore. It must have been pure coincidence that resulted in the slaughter of his friends. Turning his back from the town he whispered. "I need to hurry and report to master. He will want to know that his prediction actually came to fruition. This person is not to be trifled with that's for sure."
1 month later...
XXX
A month had passed since the 'scavengers' had been defeated. Yami was currently in the forest hunting for some prey. The villages food reserves were starting to get low so he needed to replenish them. Things in the village had settled down tremendously. The women were seen with smiles and the children played without worry. He had helped rebuilt parts of the village, mainly their houses after years of harsh weather had worsened their foundation to the point where they were almost falling down. All in all things in the village had returned to a time of stability.
Boom! A thunderous explosion sounded behind him as the aftershock shook the forest. "What was that ? It sounded like it came from the village. Damn it! Images started flowing into his mind as he raced towards the village in hopes that his thoughts were wrong.
"Ahhh, the village hero finally shows up." An ominous deep voice echoed in his mind as his eyes widened seeing the complete destruction of the village. Countless bodies occupied the streets. Leg's, arms, heads, and entire torsos were missing from their bodies from the powerful explosion that he heard just moment ago.
The man that caused this sensed that the masked boy's eyes traveled towards Misaki's home. He laughed and commanded his attention. "Are you looking for this?
Yami's face snapped towards his direction seeing Misaki be forcefully restrained. The women who he had seen countless times with warmth in her eyes had disappeared. Replaced by one with lifeless eyes after she witnessed her children be killed without mercy. "What...have you done! He growled feeling anger rising in his body every second that passed.
Wagging his finger he responded. "Now, now don't get your panties in a bunch. First of all let me introduce myself." Bowing he mocked. "You may call me Katsu-sama and these our my followers." Immediately dozens of men came out from the destroyed houses and forest completely surrounding him.
Not even caring about the dozens of men surrounding him he demanded. "Release her..."
Misaki eyes seemed to regain a bit of its previous light when her eyes registered the boy's image. "...Yami-kun...run."
The man now identified as Katsu smirked hearing her speak. "So his name is Yami huh. Kind of dangerous sounding if you ask me. How exciting."
Katsu image could be described as follows. His clothing was nothing to talk about. It was standard black shirt with black jeans. He had hefty boots to match. His hair was jet black and his eyes bright purple. His face had many scars over it after the many battles he had been a part of before. He stood at a solid 6 feet towering over everyone around him. His body was devoid of any sort of fat completely covered in bulging muscles. One look at this guy would tell you that he was not to be underestimated.
The purple eyed man picked up the former mother and mocked. "So Yami-kun you want this women to come out of this safely huh. Unfortunately for you my plans don't include her in the picture you get me." His bulky fist quickly collided with her torso, blowing a huge hole and killing her instantly. Letting go of her dead body he apologized. "Oops my hands slipped heh."
Yami's hope of saving her were erased in a second. Now only on his mind was vengeance.
Katsu had a pure malicious smile on his mug as he watched the boy's masked head go down after seeing her be killed. "I guess you really cared for her. How heartwarming." He laughed. His eyes widened a bit at seeing the boy beginning to cover himself in some sort of red chakra. 3 tails seemed to sprout out of no where behind him. He didn't know what it meant, but the feeling it was letting off was powerful.
Yami's anger was growing stronger by the second. Along that came the cloak of the Kyuubi feeling his anger as well. A total of three tails sprouted and he felt unstoppable. So much power was flowing through him it was mind numbing. Never in his life had he felt this much energy flow through him. It was even more than when he had lost his eye. Flexing his fists he saw his nails had become dangerously long. "Misaki...forgive me."
Katsu's grin disappeared as he went into defense after witnessing Yami disappear. He suddenly turned his back and grabbed the boy's fists just seconds before they collided with his face. His legs buckled from the intense strength that it took to keep him from pouncing on him. "Whoa I haven't felt this much strength in my life. Impressive for a twerp like you to make me sweat, but it's nothing I can't handle." His entire body suddenly exploded with electricity as he threw the masked boy over his shoulder with tremendous strength. Immediately after that he went forward looking to deliver an lightning infused punch, but it never came.
As he flew in the air he whispered, "Freeze! The world around him obeyed his command forcing time to stop in its tracks. That included Katsu who was now just floating in the air with a look of pure excitement on his face. Landing on his feet he quickly jumped even further away. Taking in a huge amount of air he shouted, "Wind Style: Vacuum Waves!
The time returned to normal as Katsu stood with an outstretched arm hoping to land a fatal blow to the kid. Stunningly he was no where to be found and to make matter worse a huge tidal wave of sharp wind blades were heading straight for him. "Shit! Crossing his arms across his body he braced himself as countless wind blades collided against him resulting in dozens of deep cuts across his torso and arms. Finally after seemingly forever the devastating winds died down enough for him to witness his entire group of men lay dead before his very eyes. Only him and the masked kid remained.
Katsu's excitement was no where to be seen after seeing all of his men be torn down like it was nothing. He had spent years bonding with these men and to see them be cut down like that was surreal. He would have joined them if he hadn't covered himself with a hefty amount of Lightning acting like body armor. However, since Lightning is weak to wind it was only able to protect him this much. He dropped to one knee as his breath became ragged. His vision was getting hazy from all the blood he was loosing. The next moment a harsh kick slammed into his face loosing a few teeth and breaking his nose in the process.
"What's wrong? Don't tell me your this weak. What happened to all that excitement before? How does it feel to be at someones mercy?! Another kick slammed into his face knocking the man almost unconscious.
Katsu was on his last legs. It was hard to believe that a brat like him managed to hurt him this much. No one he had met before was this strong. Not wanting to go down without a fight he charged his fist with lightning and lunged for the boy.
Yami easily swerved out of the way before delivering a Kyuubified fist of his own.
"Ughh! He moaned as the boy's fists slammed into his face sending him flying through several of the destroyed houses before finally coming to a stop. He tried his damnedest to stand back up, but his body wouldn't let him. It felt like the entirety of his bones were crushed beyond reparation.
Yami walked towards the defeated man as he tried to stand up. His eyes only held pure hatred as he watched the broken man beneath him. "You killed them and this is the result. As they were cowering under you now you are the one that cowering before me. I'll ask you again how does it feel to be under someones mercy?!
Katsu went into a violent coughing fit, but still managed to smile through blood stained teeth. "The strong survive and the weak perish. That is the way the world works. You should understand that now."
Yami clenched his teeth as he crushed the mans throat ending his life for certain. Looking at the man one last time he walked towards Misaki's deceased body. Sitting on his knees he gazed at her peaceful face for the longest time. It was his fault that all this had happened. He should've known that it wasn't just a couple of me responsible for their oppression. Someone is always behind the scenes pulling the strings.
After digging graves for all the villagers he looked back one last time and bowed, "Forgive me Misaki, Koichi, Koji...forgive me."
1 week later...
A group of Hunter-nin arrived at the destroyed village having heard reports that their target had passed through here. Imagine their surprise when they saw countless dead bodies beginning to rot away and their main target among them. Silently they approached the rotting corpse belonging to Katsu B-rank missing-nin from Kumogakure. "Who do you think did this to him Masato?
The man named Masato shook his head through his mask. "I don't know, but look at that." Pointing to the man's multiple cuts he theorized. "Clearly these are from a wind style technique. Powerful one if it managed to defeat him."
The man looked back at Katsu's body and added. "Do you think it was Konoha?
Masato shook his head unsure. "Don't forget about Sunagakure. They have much more wind users than Konoha. Anyways enough speculation let's get this done and return back to A-sama our mission is done."
Flashback end...
XXX
That incident was definitely something he wasn't ready for. Sure he had seen death before, but it wasn't the same. These deaths were from people that he actually cared for and to see them be killed because of him was not something he wanted to experience again. One thing he had learned from this was something related to his eye. He learned that if he used it too often his vision would be completely gone. It was a terrible feeling not being able to see from not just one, but both eyes. It also came with extreme pain that rendered him useless. So he decided that he would only use the eye given to him only in extreme situations. Against people that truly presented a threat to him not the pathetic ninja he had come across in the past months.
It wasn't all unsuccessful though. He did have some success on his travels, but those were few and far in between. In the past year he had grown both physically and mentally. He was now 5 foot 6 inches and his mind was strong. He had seen so much shit in the past year that it would tear apart a normal person easily. He wasn't a normal person though and he realized that a long time ago.
His clothing had remained the same. Only cosmetic changes could be seen such as cuts and dirt that came from everyday life. Since the incident with Misaki happened he hadn't taken off his mask. He didn't know why but he felt that if he revealed his face it would only bring misery. That was what he told himself, but more traumatic reasons were the cause.
As he sat there gazing blankly at the fire his senses picked up something hiding in the shadows. It smelled familiar so he wasn't alarmed. "No use in hiding so come out and tell me what you want."
A shadow appeared from the forest and into the light of the fire. He knelt and instructed. "Danzo-sama wishes for you to return."
Yami eyes behind his mask widened at the sound of his masters name being said. "There's still one month left isn't there?
The Root member remained on one knee as he explained. "You are correct. However, Danzo-sama wishes for you to return to be able to integrate yourself into the village via the academy. It is starting sooner than expected."
Yami nodded with his explanation. "Very well then. Let us depart as we are quite a way's away from Konoha." With a swing of his hand the fire extinguished and both of them vanished into the darkness.
Ongoing Stats (Out of 5)
Katsu
Ninjutsu: 3
Taijutsu: 3
Genjutsu: 1.5
Intelligence: 2
Strength: 3
Speed: 3
Stamina: 3
Hand-seals: 3
Total Score: 21.5
A:N/ and scene. Well tell me how you felt about this chapter. If you felt that the year went by too quickly then I'm sorry I just wanted for him to return so we can start the canon part of the thing. Be rest assured certain things will change since Naruto/Yami is not the same as in the anime. Please enjoy and Review. Until next time.