Having awoken early the following morning, the group of four soon departed. Relon carried by Anko and Tayuya by Kurenai. Into the morning, Anko had sounded ecstatic over finally getting back to their village. The Hidden Leaf Village as both women claimed its title to be. A wonderful home with much to do within the safety of its borders. A place full of peace and tranquility as Kurenai had described it. With such praise, both were in even higher spirits than either adults had seen before. Not that they were complaining of course
Throughout the course of their journey, the forest's density wavered. In some areas it was so thick the four practically couldn't see in front of themselves whereas in others, it was clear to see meters ahead. There were times where they would break and others where they'd opt to walk on foot. During those moments, Relon and Tayuya would remain close to one another. Both adults would notice this and smile. It was a good sight to say the least. Both had just escaped from horrific tragedies and were acting as the other's support. They were only five but they were showing traits one could only describe as instinctive if that was even a possibility.
Watching them a little ways behind, Anko's own mirthful smile remains as Kurenai's own shifts to curiosity.
"Anko."
"Hmm?" She hums nonchalantly as noted by her hands in her pocket.
"Now that we have a moment like this, can I ask you something?"
"Mhmm."
"Are you serious about it?"
"About what?"
"You know what I'm referring to." Kurenai sighs.
"What? About bringing them to the Leaf? Well, duh. Why else would we have gone through all this extra hassle?"
Rolling her scarlet eyes at the answer, she turns her gaze towards the aloof woman.
"Anko..." She calls in a knowing tone.
Sighing, the snake-user rolls her head to face her fellow woman.
"You don't plan to drop them at the orphanage, do you?"
"Come on, Kurenai. Even I'm not that shitty of a person." She huffs in mock hurt looking forward.
"Then you're serious. About adopting them as your own…" A hum comes in response. "May I ask why?"
In response, she pauses retaining her neutral visage. Following suit, Kurenai's gaze lingers on the children as the inspect the wildlife surrounding them.
"My life was pretty shitty growing up. Given whatever hell they experienced, I figured someone who has some idea will be able to care for them better than those orphan idiots."
"Least it got better." Kurenai muses for a grin to break on Anko's face.
"Yeah. Thanks to you, Mikoto, Lady Kushina, and everyone back home. Best family a kunoichi could ask for." She smiles, bumping Kurenai's hip earning a chuckle.
"We gals gotta stick together after all." The red-eyed woman retorts, bumping her friend back.
"What do you think they're talking about?" Tayuya asks as both kids peer over at the adults releasing hardy laughter.
"Who knows." He shrugs, his vermilion eyes momentarily staying on the adults before looking ahead. "Whatever it is, it's making Miss Anko happy."
"Yeah… I guess you're right." Tayuya smiles.
Continuing on at their current pace, the group soon comes upon an opening.
Momentarily shielding his eyes, Relon soon takes in the bridge connect two cliffs.
"Are we gonna have to walk that?" Tayuya asks the dreadful question.
"Yup. Scared?" Anko grins for said young girl to pout.
"N-No! Not… at…" She pauses peering over the ledge down to gulp. "All…" Shutting her eyes, she clings to Relon.
Equally as nerved, though not showing it, he gives her hand a squeeze backing away towards Anko.
"Don't worry, you two." Both look up to Anko grinning with her usual confidence. "We'll be over it in no time."
Exchanging glances, both slowly nod.
With Anko taking the lead, both fall in line behind her with Kurenai bringing up the rear.
"Ready, you two?" Kurenai cautions to receive silent nods.
"Hold on to the rope and everything will be alright."
Slowly, they began. Each step on the creaky wood made both feel as though their odds of falling would only increase.
Giving a glance at the torn rope, a shiver runs up Relon's spine.
Please don't break. Please don't break. Please don't break.
"R-Relon, don't stop!" The voice of Tayuya hisses.
"O-Oh, s-sorry."
Taking a step, he bumps into something soft.
"Oof." He sounds bouncing off to take notice of Anko now motionless.
"Damn." She murmurs.
"What's-" Before he can ask, his vermilion eyes take notice of several individuals on the other side.
Focusing closer, the blood in his veins runs cold as he notices the sharp weapons each one draws.
"There are more back here as well." Kurenai says, causing both kids to whirl around. "Those outfits…"
"Hmpf. Hiding who they are so fingers can't be pointed. Sneaky little bastards."
"Language." Kurenai chides. "Still, for them to not have simply cut off the rope when we reached the middle…"
"Yeah." Anko nods, knuckles cracking in anticipation. "They want us alive."
At her words, the ninjas charge.
"Both of you, stay put!" Kurenai shouts weaving through hand signs.
"Stay low, and don't make a sound unless you're dying!" Anko calls out making signs of her own.
Looking back and forth frantically, boy childrens' eyes buck wide as Kurenai begins to vanish into thin air.
"Huh?!" Tayuya gasps.
"She's using Genjustu." Relon murmurs just loud enough for her to hear. "Illusions…" He explains simply.
Returning to Kurenai, they watch as the approaching ninja pause looking around before splashes of blood spew from their bodies before they're sent over and into the rushing watery depths below.
Turning around from the sight, their eyes instead see Anko literally beating the crap out of the ninjas. One after another goes over with the kunoichi seeming not at all fazed by the enemy's efforts.
"LOOK OUT!" A sharp exclamation shouts gaining their attention.
Recognizing it to be Kurenai's voice, both turn back around, catching something embed itself against a plank.
As if time begins to slow, boy Relon and Tayuya widen in recognition of the paper bomb attached to the kunai quickly sizzle.
Feeling his blood rush to an unbearable temperature, his body instinctively grabs Tayuya.
BOOM!
What comes next is a blur. One moment, they're watching both adults defend against the enemy's assault. The next; the bridge explodes sending him and Tayuya falling towards the rapids.
"Anko!" Kurenai calls out having dealt with the last of the ninjas on her side.
"I got them!" She clicks, chakra seeping from her feet as she anchors herself as the bridge crashes against the side of the cliff. "Striking Shadow Snakes!" Reeling her arm, she whips it forward for a cluster of snakes to surge forward through the debris.
Eyes beginning to stir, each blink wiping away more of the blurred vision, he catches sight of Anko unleashing snakes their way. At the same time, out his peripheral, he widens at a lone ninja nearing them with a kunai at the ready.
"Die!"
"Damn it, I'm not gonna make it!" Anko curses as Kurenai lands next to her with equal worry having caught the bodies of the ninja Anko had dealt with.
Looking between the snakes rushing for their safety and the lone ninja wishing to claim their lives. In that moment, voices surged to the forefront of his mind.
"You're quite the selfless one for a kid only a few years old. Your parents must have raised you quite well." The voice of Anko from previous nights.
"A good deed never goes unnoticed. Help those you can, okay?"
At that moment, he made his decision.
Coming to, Tayuya doesn't get the chance to question their situation as she feels his arms and legs push her off. Processing the sudden action, she can only call out as the snakes reach her.
"RELON!"
"Tch! Punk!" The ninja curses, swinging the blade for Relon to catch it weakly. "Die already!"
SPLASH!
Feeling bubbles swirl all around, his vision can barely keep up with the killer's wrists. More and more, he struggles to feel the ninja's feet kick his abdomen with surprising force sending him further down.
He could feel a familiar pain emanate from his chest. Was a rib broken? More? Something else entirely? He couldn't tell. Eyes blinking tiredly as the ninja swims at him, blade in hand, his vision ceases.
"The way things are, we'll never advance."
"What do you mean Grandpa?"
"In the state we are in, we'll progress far too slowly for our own good. Tell me, do you like how things are? Barely going out, living off of the same thing every other day?"
"Um… I don't know."
"Why is that, Relon?"
"I'm happy playing with everyone, being with Mommy and Daddy. Spending time with you. Is that… bad?"
A sigh escapes the elder for him to rustle Relon's head.
"No. It's not entirely a bad thing. When you're a little older, I hope you'll see things from my perspective."
"What makes you say that, Grandpa?"
"The world can be cruel, Relon. It's kill or be killed. Our village has been in a recovering state for far too long. Now, people are settling into this being the norm, not bothering to make our home better to any means. Wastes of talent the lot of them. Pah, if we're ever attacked, this reservation everyone has won't do them any good!"
Jumping at the sudden snap, his grandfather sighs.
"I'm sorry for scaring you. Remember this if nothing else."
Slowly, he conforms looking to his grandfather sport a different pair of eyes. His scleras having become a scarlet color as dark as blood and irises b leaving the pupil to morph into a lilac bar-shape.
"We cannot afford to go extinct. The Chinoike Clan is one of the few in the world with the capabilities to rival the likes of the Uzumaki, Senju, and especially those blasted Uchiha! Use this gift, the Ketsuryūgan, bestowed upon you to defend yourself. No matter what."
Carefully recalling a struggling Tayuya into her arms, her tearful display of distress was normal.
"Take her!" Anko pushes the child into Kurenai's arms as she's about to jump off.
Feeling an ill feeling resonate from his eyes, they snap open as his vision returns to the clear sight of the ninja before him. Arm surging forward, the words of his grandfather leading up to his departure from his home come all at once.
Before the man can comprehend anything about the child's eerie glowing eyes, he feels the small hand touch his vest. And then…
BOOOOOOOOOM!
All looking down, they raise their arms as the explosion of water reaches far past the cliff for droplets of red water to rain down.
"This is…!" Kurenai widens for Anko to vanish. "Kurenai!" She gasps holding back a still struggling Tayuya in time to see the woman dive into the water.
Mind racing to their last few days, Anko's teeth clench.
Relon…!
"... Who are you?"
"Anko. Anko Mitarashi. Well then, Relon and Tayuya, how would you two like to come back home with us?"
Don't you dare die on us!