Chapter Two

Word Count: 2349 words. (O_O!)

— Next Day —

Two people sit at a table, one all bloodied and missing an arm and one wearing a bright cyan shirt, both eating strawberry cake.

"Hiruzen is dead. Orochimaru has a Senju and a perfect water release user, or one can do both." The girl in cyan stated her eyes glazed over for a second then they focused.

"So far right." The girl injured takes a bite of her cake, a look of pure joy on her face.

"We have one tail locked up with his brother and sister, Suna is shut down to all foreigner shinobi and on the edge of collapsing. The possibility of one of the major nations coming to kick us while down is high, all our ninjas are being run dry so we don't lose any contracts. Morale is low, a fourth of our shinobi dead. Despite that, all gen̄in made it out safe. Civilian casualties low most coming from the stadium. Then they ask us to unretire this morning at the emergency council." The girl in the cyans debriefs the Kunoichi. She then bit a piece of cake, leaning back in her chair. She sighs in bliss. Her caramel-skinned cheeks puffed up.

"We have to protect the village in a time of need."

"We can say no, they still have a handful of Anbu, and all the jōnin sensei."

"Enough! I know you know that isn't possible. We may look away when it's our problems but not when it's a threat to the ones we love, the ones that have fought and helped us through our struggles. They have been kind and understanding we have to help them." The kunoichi scowls. "You have to get over this hurdle that is keeping us down. Having me taking this version of her is proof we aren't in the right place of mind right now. There is a reason why you have ten of us trying to learn a sensor technique. You are correcting your weaknesses. We were out, but now. Now we are at risk of war, even if we don't like we are helping."

"I hate myself." The civilian sighs and eats the last bite of strawberry cake.

"Nobody knows you better than well, me. Also, don't keep making us just talk about your problems. We both know it's lame. Talk to your therapist instead of lying all the time. Get your mourning clothes it's time."

— Mayu —

Resigning myself, she disappears in a puff of smoke. War I hate that word, all it brings is blood, empty promises, and countless work hours. I get up from the table pick up the dishes and clean them with water chakra and put them away. I walk down the lonely hallway that's covered in pictures. In my room, there is nothing to write home about. A queen-sized bed in the top right of the room with the leaf symbol patterned in the middle of the blankets. A wood nightstand to the left of it. My closet is to the left of that against the wall. Pulling out my funeral clothes I get changed. Using a hair growth jutsu grow it back to my desired shoulder-length curly hair. Attaching my blood moon earring I leave.

Releasing the shadow clones, memories flood my head. Looks like they have some leeway more on the naming side than the actual jutsu. Jumping out my bedroom window I make it down the main street. Sound Release: Vibration. Making any sound -I stomp my foot on the ground- I coat the sound waves it sends out with chakra that bounce off objects giving me a clear map of my surroundings. The more sound you make lowers the amount of chakra it takes and the risk of failure due to the number of sound waves. Grabbing a white flower I go up to the booth near the funeral.

"Hi, jōnin Mayu Nakajima." I say trying to get a ticket to get in line to put flowers on the Hokage's grave.

"Sorry I don't see your name here." Realization hits me.

"Ah, sorry instinct, I'm newly retired," I scurry away. Going down an alleyway, 'transformation Jutsu.' Going out of the alleyway as a short, chubby academy student with hazel eyes and brown curly short hair. Going back to the same booth.

"Excuse me sir can you guide me to my sensei." He looks at me annoyed.

"All the senseis in classes are a little bit forward in the line." He waves me off and gives me a ticket. Giving him a bow I march forward. Handing it to the guard I walk on. Suppressing my chakra I go half running and I bump into a ninja, canceling the transformation. Looking up at who I bump into I smile sheepishly. "Sorry, Kakashi," I mumble. Getting myself up. I brush off my clothes.

"No problem." He waves it off. He starts to walk, and I follow in step.

"I meet your students." I attempt to start a conversation.

"Hn." Oi I know he has a Sharingan but the grunt? We stand in silence while waiting in line. Passing through the chakra-restricting barrier, the smell of earth hits my nostrils, feeling sluggish, and my senses dull. My childish transformation cancels out. Someone lets out a startled noise behind me. When was the last time my body defenses were down like this? I think before Hamaki taught us how to protect ourselves. Lost in thought a mission pops up at the front of my mind.

— Sixteen Years Before —

"OWWW!" Clutching my hand I blow on it cooling it down. "Oi Katsu what's that for?" I half yell. A droning voice responds.

"You slept for too long," He glares at me. Katsu has brown dead eyes, brown spiky hair, a gray full moon earring, light-colored skin, is five foot seven, and has a lean-built body.

"Fine," No point in arguing as he sits at my desk and goes back to molding his clay with chakra. Sighing I open my closet and change into my uniform. Chainmail armor, a purple short sleeve overshirt, and black pants. Putting on my sun earring I open up my door, the cracks of lightning come from across my room in the dojo, but I smell food~ I turn left and skip to the kitchen. I grab a plate and utensils and help myself to a serving of eggs and rice. I sit at the island in the middle of the kitchen, manipulating my chakra I start to tame my wild black hair. Halfway through eating, the door to the dojo opens.

"How did the … training go?" I ask through some bites.

"Went ok, while the wind is calm and tame until it's not. Lightning is wild, it actively fights the control of the user," Mayu states as she wraps up her hands with bandages. Mayu, five-three, has brown curly hair, a blood moon earring peaking out of her hair, a muscular build, cyan eyes, a light orange shirt, and black pants. Going back to finish the bowl in front of me, I sigh blissfully. "Mayu~ may I suggest more pepper and milk when making the eggs."

"Haru I didn't make them." Mayu dismisses the claim. I quickly check my body, ok no, poison.

"Maybe Katsu made it?" I throw out a suggestion, but then we both quickly laugh. Katsu doesn't care about much besides molding and making structures with his clay, money, and himself. He became a ninja based on how much one makes it can support his hobbies. Not much his fault, he has Asperger syndrome although he has been getting better at social interactions. He did wake me up today. I rest my head on my hand and think. "OI KATSU! THE EGGS NEEDED MORE MILK!" I yell at the wall.

"I WON'T MAKE THEM NEXT TIME YOU PICKY LITTLE SHIT!" I put down my utensils, get up and push in my chair, take a step, and another.

"Dojo now!" The door opens with Katsu in his chainmail armor and gray pants. Dull brown eyes now with a little fire behind them meet fierce light brown eyes.

"Yeah, let's get this over with." He says as he stretches. Opening the door to the dojo I flip a lever to make the room empty. We move to the middle of the room.

"No ninjutsu. It ends after first blood," I tell him. He nods. I toss a kunai in the air, we ready ourselves. Clunk. It gets intercepted mid-air. The end of a katana is in the handle of the kunai.

"We have a mission," Mayu informs us I sigh, flipping Katsu off. I storm towards the door. Grabbing my jōnin vest off the coat hanger, I put it on and sit on the couch joining Mayu. Katsu takes a minute but sits down on the couch to give the katana to Mayu. Sitting across from us our sensei, Hamaki Mimura is reading a scroll. His short hair was wrapped in a bandana, beard, and normal shinobi attire, and his eyebrows furrowed. He wears a pink sun earring. He sets the scroll down.

"Mayu, Haru, and Katsu, you are being sent to the Suna border, and I am going to join the Iwa frontline." My eyes sharpen, my body loosens up, and my chakra hums in excitement. Almost opposite to my reaction I feel Katsu tense. The Iwa frontline? The one with the most casualties. Why does he go alone? I have a small frown.

"What rank is the mission?" Katsu asks and sinks back on the couch.

"B rank, being paid in merits." Katsu lets out a cry.

"When do we leave?" Mayu asks.

"Here's your scroll." He tosses it. Mayu catches it, opens it up, and reads the exact details.

"We meet up with the supply corps, get the restock, and then we go to the border and back," Mayu reads off the scroll her face brightens a little bit. I frown this mission is going to be boring. Although the Suna border has gotten a little bit more activity.

"See ya sensei!" I get up, skipping out the door. The others follow. Walking out of the building and onto the rooftops.

"It's a shame we didn't get to go with sensei," I comment. A large smile sprouts on my face at the thought. "It would have been so fun!" My crazed laugh gets carried on by the wind.

— One and a Half days later —

We get stopped by an ally. My nose twitches. Mayu hands him the scroll containing the mission details, and they read it. Their face was tired, I noticed tension in his shoulder.

"Finally." He mumbles under his breath. "You brats can pass." Smiling we run past him.

"Katsu~ it's been so quiet, we are on a B-rank doesn't that mean something is bound to happen." I pout. Katsu doesn't even look up from his current creation to address me. The nerve he has.

"Doesn't matter the faster we get back the better." He grumbles.

"Mayu isn't he being so rude." Holding a hand over my heart.

"I agree with him, maybe we just leave you to deliver the scroll and we stay back," Katsu says her hand twitching toward her katana.

"Nobody loves me!" I cry.

"The weak wind that blows loves about 3 and a half quarters of you."

"So cold." Katsu sighs, he molds the clay in his hands, tossing the now kunai in his hands.

"BOOOOM!" The exploding tag on it explodes.

"The half is gone," Katsu states.

"COME ON LETS PLAY!" I yell in glee.

— Third Person POV —

"Shadow Clone Jutsu" Two bored ninjas appear. "Go and deliver these supplies." The clone sighs and leaves towards the border. The bored ninja looks at the other clone. "Go deal with the traitor back there." It disappears.

— Haru —

Three prey appear before me on the ground. 'Lightning Prowl' Lightning sparkles from my feet. I jump down, landing on all fours gathering the earth from the spot I landed on. "Earth Release: Earth Shield!" Blocking the kunai, a water bullet whizzes past me. Thanking Mayu in my head I pop it attempting for it to spray on my opponents.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" A large gust of wind created by the Bird carries me and the water away. Noticing how the battlefield is now above me I flip mid-air, and my hind feet land on the trunk of the tree. Using too much chakra in my feet I explode forward, twenty kunai too many with webs attached shoot at me. The spider is trying to fight back. Good, I always liked a tough game.

"Seventh Form: Calming Current." Winds come from behind me and slash the webs holding the kunai. They lose momentum falling to the ground. The earth around muddies, swamp-like holding the spider in place. My hands electrified, wrap around the spider's head plant-like pattern appears on the head of the spider. It fries, my nails lengthened reinforcing and sharpening them with chakra. I slash decapitating the spider.

"YOU'LL PAY!" The bird yells. The scorpion has a furious expression. I laugh.

"I didn't account for fines when hunting" I mumble. "Katsu! Do we have the budget for them?" I dodge wind bullets, they are keeping their distance no fun. No response comes from Katsu. "I guess it's a no. A pity. Guess it's back to the bottom of the food chain for you." I form hand seals, 'shunshin' Now in between The bird and scorpion, I slash the bird's wing and kick the bird sending him flying. Catching the pincers of the scorpion as it tries to punch me. It screams in pain, its shell melting showing the joints. "That's not how you use those." I tilt my head oddly. The scorpion then spits poison mist out of its mouth. Jumping away from It I finish it off with a fireball. Feeling the bloodlust drop I looked toward where the Bird was, its head rolling.

"Mission complete," Katsu informs me. Scrolling the bodies as Kyra would like them we leave for Konoha.