3 Chapter 3

I was alternating between pacing around my apartment and staring off into space as I waited for the Mizukage's inevitable summons. When someone finally rapped against the door, I bolted off my bed, took a moment to compose myself, and opened the door, face carefully blank.

I stiffened at the sight of the war hawk across from me. "Gather your things. We're leaving for Konoha," his voice was scratchy and emotionless, but I could see the triumphant glint in his eye, the smug smile threatening to break his composure.

I gave a curt nod before closing the door gently. I stood there, seething, if this bastard thought I would just up and leave to a strange land to serve and obey his every whim, he was dead wrong, emphasis on the 'dead' part. A sinister grin curled on my lips, I was not going with him, but I was not staying here either. Why should I stay in a place that would give me up to the enemy like cowards? No, there was nothing worth staying here for, the village hidden in the mist had given me everything it had to offer, it was time to make myself scarce. But soon, they would regret betraying me, I wasn't a tool like any other shinobi, I was going to be the one wielding the tools.

With that thought, I slipped on my gear and disappeared into the shadows.

~~~~~~

'Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.'

I parried the blade and ducked under the other, rolling to the left and letting the shinobi skewer his comrade. Damn, these root agents were persistent. A spear of earth shot towards me, and I dropped to the ground, imbuing my own chakra into it and watching as it impaled an anbu in front of me.

I sprang up, grabbing a branch overhead and swung up, landing gracefully on the tree limb. My hands whipped through seals, and a huge ball of fire raced towards them, the searing heat stinging my face for just a moment before I was off, rocketing away from the now-burning forest and the shinobi scrambling to find me in the confusion.

I leapt swiftly from tree to tree, letting the wind run through my hair as I closed my eyes briefly. It was nice here, nothing like the choking atmosphere in the mist. The air was fresh and soothing, unlike the air back there, the one that always had the taint of blood swimming through it, the oppressive and sinister feeling.

I opened my eyes and let a grin spread across my face. I was free! Not just temporarily, on a mission that would likely bloody my hands and stain my clothes. No, I was free, and no one, was taking that away from me. I was born to be free; I was born to run wild. The leash that tethered me to that wretched place was gone. A bird is meant to fly, a shark is meant to swim, a wolf is meant to run, and I, I am meant fight, to kill. But not under someone else's orders. No, I follow my own will, my own destiny.

I landed among the brush, slipping my forehead protector off and placing it almost reverently on a tree stump close by. I grabbed a kunai, watching as I pulled chakra out and heated up the weapon. It glowed faintly in the fading light, and I held it over the only thing signifying my allegiance to my home.

My former home. I relished the feeling as the heated kunai slashed easily through hardened metal. "It's so easy to give up everything I ever stood for," I mused out loud, dark amusement shining in my eyes, "of course, it's not like anyone in that damned village even cared about me. There was nothing there that meant anything to me, it was just the place that I slept, nothing more, nothing less."

And there, in the middle of nowhere, I gave up my allegiance to the only place that could've even remotely qualified as home. In front of nothing more than trees and dirt. Or so I thought… Maybe I was too exhausted escaping from them, maybe my emotions were too high strung, maybe I just didn't care enough to make sure I was alone. Whatever the reason, as I reattached my newly scratched through hitai-ite, I didn't notice those sky-blue eyes watching me, surprise, confusion, and even a shred of hope running through them as he took note of my ice-blue eyes and bloodied blond hair.