Chapter 3: The sisters (Edited)

A/N: Greetings to all my beloved readers!

I hope you enjoyed the previous chapters as much as I did writing them.

Without further ado, I present to you the next chapter. I cannot wait to hear your thoughts and feelings on the latest developments, so please do not hesitate to leave your comments and feedback.

As always, thank you for your support and I hope you have a wonderful reading experience ahead!

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-- Akira POV --

The night was still and quiet in a small village on the outskirts of the Land of Grass. The moon shone down on the village, casting a pale glow over the thatched roofs and narrow streets.

Akira Nakamura layed in her bed, her eyes closed, listening to the peaceful sounds of the village at rest.

Suddenly, the silence was shattered by a loud crash. Akira sat up in bed, her heart pounding in her chest. She could hear shouting and the sound of weapons clashing outside.

Without a moment's hesitation, she leapt out of bed and rushed to the window. She peered out into the darkness, trying to see what was happening.

Her heart sank as she saw a group of dark figures moving through the streets. They were ninjas, and they were attacking the village. Akira's first thought was for her little sister, Emi. She had to protect her, no matter what. She was the last member of her family.

'The village is under attack'

Akira quickly got dressed and grabbed a small dagger that she kept hidden in her room. She rushed to Emi's room and found her little sister still sleeping.

Akira gently shook her awake and whispered urgently, "Emi-chan, wake up. We have to go. We need to hide. There are ninjas attacking the village."

Emi's eyes widened in fear as she sat up in bed.

"Ninjas? Are they going to hurt us?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Even though she asked this question she already knew the answer, she grew up listening to stories about the cruelty and viciousness of the shinobi world. Besides her new sensei was a ninja and taught her about the viciousness of the shinobi world.

Akira pulled her sister close and hugged her tightly.

"I won't let them hurt you," she promised. "We have to leave the village and find somewhere safe."

Emi nodded bravely, and the two sisters slipped out of the house and into the streets. They moved quickly and quietly, trying to avoid the ninjas as they made their way towards the edge of the village.

As they moved, they could see that the ninjas and bandits were everywhere, attacking homes and businesses, setting fires and causing chaos.

Akira could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she tried leading Emi towards the edge of the village. She knew that they were in grave danger, and that they had to get out of the village as quickly as possible.

She could hear the sounds of battle all around them, the clash of steel against steel, the cries of the wounded, and the screams of the dying.

As they reached the edge of the village, Akira could see that the ninjas were closing in. She knew that they were outnumbered and outmatched, but she refused to give up.

She turned to Emi and said, "We have to fight, Emi-chan. We have to protect ourselves and leave village." While she said that she knew that they are powerless but she refused to go down without a fight. For hers and sister' sake.

Emi nodded bravely, she also knew what's coming, and the two sisters stood back-to-back, ready to face whatever came their way. The ninjas closed in, their weapons glinting in the moonlight. Akira and Emi braced themselves, ready for the fight of their lives.

The fight was intense, with Akira and Emi fighting side by side against the attackers, apparently, they were just at bandits' level of strength.

Akira was a skilled fighter, though she can't manipulate her chakra since she didn't receive any formal training regarding it, using only her dagger techniques to strike quickly and efficiently.

Emi, despite her young age, was surprisingly agile and quick, dodging attacks and delivering swift kicks and punches. The two sisters fought with everything they had, determined to protect themselves and their village.

Despite their bravery, however, they were soon overwhelmed by the sheer number of the bandits and the arrival of new ninjas. Akira felt a sharp pain in her side as a ninja landed a blow with a heavy weapon. She staggered back, gasping in pain. She knew that she was injured badly and that she might not survive.

Emi saw the fear and pain in her sister's eyes and knew that she had to act fast. She gathered all her strength and unleashed a water ninjutsu technique that she had learned from her new sensei, Zumio Nikko. Even though the time she spends learning from her was short, under a month, she could achieve great progress, testament to her talent and potential.

Akira gritted her teeth and pushed herself up. She had to move. She had to get to Emi.

She stumbled forward, her steps faltering, her vision blurry, she started to panic. The sound of fighting filled the air, and she could see the flashes of metal as the rogue ninjas clashed with the village defenders.

She was almost there. Almost at her sister's side.

Suddenly, something slammed into her side, knocking her off her feet. She hit the ground hard, pain shooting through her body. She looked up, and saw a ninja standing over her, a cruel smile on his face.

"Hello, pretty little thing," he said, his voice dripping with malice.

"You look like you'd be fun to play with."

Akira's heart raced as she realized what was about to happen. She tried to scramble away, but the ninja was too fast.

He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her towards him. He tore her clothes off and started taking his pant down.

"No, please!" she begged. "Please don't do this!"

But the ninja just laughed and pulled out his 'kunai' and started pounding her without mercy. Like the savage beast he was.

Suddenly, there was a flash of movement, and the ninja was knocked off his feet. Akira looked up and saw a figure standing over her, her arms extended, a look of fierce anger on her face.

It was Nikko Zumio.

'Thank god you, you finally came'

Nikko Zumio rushed towards Akira. She grabbed the rogue ninja by the collar of his shirt, pulling him away from Akira's limp form. The other ninjas were still distracted, but they wouldn't be for long. Nikko knew she had to act fast.

She threw a kunai at the ninja in front of her, taking him by surprise. The ninja stumbled back, giving Nikko enough time to run towards the last remaining ninja. The ninja had turned his attention back to Akira and was reaching towards her.

Nikko tackled the ninja to the ground, pinning him down. She quickly finished him up. She turned her attention back to Akira, who was still lying motionless on the ground.

Nikko Zumio checked her pulse and breathing, relieved to find that she was still alive. She gently lifted her in her arms, and started running towards the village.

She could hear the sounds of chaos and destruction coming from the village, and knew that they had to get away from there as soon as possible.

As Nikko Zumio ran, she felt Akira's body shuddering with pain. She knew that she needed medical attention, and fast. She could see the outskirts of the village coming into view, and knew that they were almost there.

"Nikko-sama," Akira breathed, relief washing over her.

"You're here finally." While her eyes couldn't stop crying and blood kept running out and made the ground redder than ever.

Nikko Zumio gave her a quick nod before turning to face a sneak attack from another rogue ninja. The two of them clashed, metal ringing against metal. Akira watched in awe as Nikko fought, her movements graceful and precise.

Finally, with a fierce shout, Nikko Zumio landed a blow on the rogue ninja's chest, sending him flying back.

He hit the ground hard and didn't move.

"Nikko- sama" Akira said again, struggling to get to her feet. "My sister. Emi-chan. Please, you have to help her."

Nikko Zumio nodded once more, she already located her and were heading there together, they made their way through the chaos of the battle.

Akira felt weak, but Nikko Zumio supported her, her strong arm around her shoulders.

They found Emi hiding behind a building, tears streaming down her face. When she saw her older sister and her sensei, she ran towards them, throwing herself into Akira's arms.

"Akira-nee-chan!" she cried. "I was so scared. I thought I lost you. I thought I was going to die."

Akira held her sister close, tears streaming down her own face. She was so relieved to see Emi alive and unharmed.

But the battle wasn't over yet. There were still rogue ninjas attacking the village, and they had to be stopped. Nikko Zumio looked at Akira, her expression grim.

"I have to go back out there," she said. "I have to kill them all, and leave no traces of me being here. Can you take care of Emi-chan for me?"

Akira nodded, her heart heavy. She knew that Nikko Zumio was right, but she didn't want to let her go. She had already lost so much. She couldn't bear to lose anyone else.

But Nikko Zumio was already gone, racing back into the fray. Akira took a deep breath and turned to Emi.

"Come on," she said. "Let's find a safe place to hide."

"Nee-chan you are bleeding"

"It's okay, it's just a small scratch"

They made their way to a nearby building and huddled together, waiting for the battle to end. Akira was exhausted, and Emi was terrified, but they clung to each other, finding comfort in their shared fear.

Finally, after what seemed like half an hour, the fighting stopped. The villagers were slaughtered as well as the rogue ninjas. They all had been killed mercilessly.

Akira and Emi emerged from their hiding place, looking around at the devastation. Buildings were destroyed, fires burned in the streets, and corpses everywhere they laid their eyes on.

Finally, they reached a relatively safe place with the help of Nikko Zumio.

They set Akira down on the ground, and immediately started healing her.

-- Zumio POV --

Emi stood nearby, her eyes fixed on Akira's pale face. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her. They had been through so much already, and she didn't want to see her suffer any more.

She finished her examination and initial healing, and turned and with a grave look on her face towards Emi.

"She's in critical condition, I shouldn't take much time getting rid of those trash, if only I was in my peak I would've leveled the whole village with one jutsu, damn it" she said.

"Her injuries are severe, and I'm not sure if we can save her. I'll do my best, but you should prepare yourself for the worst."

Emi's heart sank. She couldn't bear the thought of losing Akira.

She was the only one who had ever shown her kindness, beside her sensei, and she couldn't imagine life without her. She sat down next to her, and took her hand in her.

For hours, Nikko Zumio continued treating Akira's body, watching as she struggled to breathe. Her efforts bore fruits and she could live for a few more years.

Finally, Akira fell asleep, her head resting on her sister's lap.

'I'm sorry my disciple, but this is for my son' admitted Zumio internally, with a tinge of shame and anticipation, while resting for a while before moving again.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Akira and her sister moved on to the small village where Nikko Zumio lived with her son and settled there.

…

-- Emi POV --

Two days after the death of Nikko Zumio, Emi and her big sister who her health was in continuous degeneration were still living in the house near Zemichi's house.

Emi found her older sister Akira sitting outside their home, gazing at the vaguely silhouette of sunset. She approached her slowly and sat beside her. "Nee-chan, are you okay? You shouldn't get out of your bed" Emi asked softly.

Akira looked at Emi and smiled sadly. "Yes, Emi-chan. I'm okay. Just thinking about things."

Emi looked at her sister with concern in her eyes. "Is it about what happened? About what those ninjas did to you?" she asked quietly.

Akira nodded, her eyes misting over. "Yes, it is, Emi-chan. But it's also about Zemichi-sama. He lost his mother just two days ago, and he's refusing to come out of his house. I'm worried about him."

Emi's eyes widened with surprise. "Zemichi-sama? He's still not coming out? But we have to help him. He needs us, just like you needed us when you were hurt."

Akira placed a gentle hand on Emi's shoulder. "Yes, Emi-chan, you're right. We have to help him. But we also have to give him some space. He's grieving, and he needs to process his feelings in his own way. We can be there for him when he's ready to come out."

Emi looked at her nee-chan with admiration. "Nee-chan, you're so strong. Even though you're sick and in pain, you're still thinking about others. You're still caring about Zemichi-sama."

Akira smiled at her little sister. "It's because of you, Emi-chan. You're my motivation to keep going, to keep fighting. You're the reason why I want to make sure that no one else has to go through what I did."

Emi hugged her sister tightly, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, Nee-chan. I wish I could do more for you."

Akira held her sister close, her heart breaking at the thought of leaving her behind. "You're doing everything you can, Emi-chan. You're the light in my life, the one thing that keeps me going. Promise me that you'll always remember that."

Emi looked up at her sister, her eyes filled with determination. "I promise, Nee-chan. I'll always remember. And I'll make sure that Zemichi-sama remembers too. I'll be there for him, just like you were there for us."

Akira smiled at Emi's words. "That's my girl. Always be kind and compassionate, but strong and vicious to our enemies, just like your sensei was. And always train hard, so that you can protect yourself and those you love."

Emi nodded, wiping away her tears. "I will, Nee-chan. I'll never forget your words. And I'll always be there for you, no matter what."

Akira hugged Emi tightly, savoring the warmth and comfort of her embrace. "I love you, Emi-chan. Never forget that."

Emi hugged her sister back, feeling the weight of the moment. "I love you too, Nee-chan. Always and forever."