FicWad

NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto or any of its characters! This message will not be repeated for every chapter but it applies to all chapters of this story! Thank you!

Hello to anyone and everyone reading this story! i haven't gotten around to working on this for a little while, so when I found time I went back to read through the story. I found that it really was not my best work, so I'm going through redoing all the chapters. They will be going up as I finish them. THANKS!- Art.


The Beginning


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The sky bled, all different hues of red and crimson dripped across the wounded clouds. Even the sand below took on a reddish tint, darker in the shadows so that the land looked more like an ocean of blood than a golden desert. My eyes matched the landscape, bloodshot, the skin around them pink from tears or mottled from lack of sleep. I looked horrible, and yet no urge to correct this made itself known.

All I knew was that my mind, my body, my soul, my heart…they were all hanging precariously by a thin strand, a strand that was (ironically enough) crimson in color. Crimson like blood, splattered across white tile. Like the ragged battle jacket that was now clutched in my hands, twisted around and around in my anxiety. Crimson. Crimson like his hair, so stark against my pale skin when my fingers trailed through it.

I don’t stop the strangled choke-sob that leaves my lips, tired of holding back the churning emotions inside me. But it’s okay. No one is around. They are all gone, off to secure the borders and send messages, or check the weaponry, or racing across the desert. Racing to make sure the one who I entrusted with my very being is alive or to save him from some fate that would take that precious spark.

But not me. Oh nooooo.

I’m here, locked behind this window, waiting as my heart slowly rips itself apart piece by piece. Here, where two Anbu stand on the other side of the door, watchful (as though I would try to escape). Here, where I will stay until he is brought back alive. If he’s not, then I won’t stay here. No. I’ll be taken away, somewhere where no one but those with the highest security clearance could ever hope to find me, and then they will take my life, as they will all believe I took his.

The smile on my face pulls at the dried salt on my face, traces of the tears. I wouldn’t stop them if it came to that, because if they didn’t end it for me, I would on my own.
I take a deep breath and lean my forehead against the cool glass of the windowpane.
Calm down, he’s going to be fine. Don’t start with the hysterics again or else someone might hear you.

I had successfully managed not to break down completely when it first happened, letting no one see the depth of my hurt and fear and pain and terror and-stop.

Just. Stop.
Breathe.

Another deep breath that shakes my chest enough to rattle bones clears my head a bit. Right, no one had seen that, I had stayed strong. I was a shinobi, a strong shinobi. Strong shinobi don’t collapse in hysterics on the top of a building surrounded by other shinobi.

That had been my mantra for a while (which is really quite sad now that I think about it).

Hoping this period of calm will last, my eyes flick to the sun, now beginning to sink lower in the sky, intensifying the colors. Two hours. Two hours until the moon rises high enough that I can sneak out of this prison. I sigh and turn away from the window; sliding off the chair I’ve been sitting on and taking a seat on the floor. Settling into a meditative position, I cross my legs and fold my hands in front of me.

I am not going to think about the present or the future. I can’t. I don’t want to think about what either is or could possibly be. So, the only option I have left is to go back.

Decision made, my hands switch positions to form a kind-of-triangle with my fingers. Another deep breath that rattles a little less than the one before and I sink into my mind.

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At first it’s like being thrown into a whirlpool that had merged with some F-class hurricane and then collided with a tsunami. But soon enough, I sink below my churning insides to my Place. It’s a spot inside myself I made when I was young, just after I came to this village. Here, it’s like a still pool of silver water, presided over by a continuously full moon. Stepping past the flat stones that line the edges, I keep going until I reach the middle, directly under the moonlight.

Okay, just breathe.

My inner-body does as my mind commands, and I feel air rush into my lungs. Releasing it, I lower myself to kneel on the ‘water’, my eyes half-focused. My finger twirls lazily, leaving trails of dark silver swirls and lines, the liquid cool on my skin. I keep my hand moving until finally an image fades into view. A miniscule smile crosses my face. Perfect. I sigh and dip my hand into the image, letting it pull me through.

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My first memories are from just before I began school. I suppose I would be around six or so at that time. My village, though small, was similar to the infamous Hidden Villages, best know for their shinobi. Where I lived had no official shinobi, but then we never had a use for them. The place was known, or really unknown, as a safe haven for those with powers or bloodlines that had been rejected from shinobi villages or where they had been feared as freaks.

I was the youngest child of the Tsukiakari clan or the Moonlight Clan. Ten years prior, my clan had been forced from their home in Amegakure for not choosing a side in their civil war, finally settling here. Only a few remained, my brother and I being the only children of the eight-member clan.

My best friend lived in the next compound over, Taiyoukousen Mizu. It seems that my clan and hers, the Sunlight Clan, would be related, but that isn’t so. The two are actually only connected through the acquirement of our kekki genkai, as both came from the Tomoshibi Seirei, or the Light Spirit. Mizu’s clan had been searching for a home for some thirty-odd years before settling here.

Because Mizu lived so close we were never apart and so it was only natural that we walked to the first day of school together. Mizu, always being the early riser, was at my door bright and early. I had sensed her aura approaching in my half-sleep state (evil alarms) and hadn’t bothered to get up. She would let herself in anyway.

Something as trivial as doors never stopped Mizu.

“Tsuuuuuuukiiiiiiii!”

As if it were a mystery as to whom she was looking for. My tired six year-old brain quickly came up with a snappy remark.

“Nuur?”

Ok, so snappy wasn’t the right word.

“Tsuki! Get up silly! It’s our first school day todaaayyyy,” she all but sang. Oh how I hated school, and I hadn’t even gone yet.
“I knoooooooow,” was all I could muster in the face of all that energy.

Of course letting it drop at that was not her style and she badgered me out of bed within the next few minutes. My mother walked in at some point to make sure I was up and getting ready. She was going to walk with us (as no self-respecting parent lets two a six-year-olds walk to school alone on their first day). Mizu and Kaa-chan chatted, as I got ready, mentally bracing myself for the day as my Tou-san had taught me. ‘Always prepare yourself, even if that means taking a moment to brace your mind.’ It was what he always said and I listened to Tou-san. He rarely spoke and when he did, it was always important.

“Are you done yet?” Mizu whined. Not bothering with an answer, I simply waved to my Tou-san as we girls headed out the door.

“Finally! Tsutsu, you’re so sloooooooow in the mornings!”

“I’m not awake by dawn ZuZu. Least I can stay up after dark.” HA! I totally won that one. She merely retaliated with a pout. When we reached the school grounds my mother handed us our lunches and gave us both a kiss on the head before leaving for the market.

Now Mizu and I faced the Greatest Challenge Yet of Our Short Lives, the first day of school. Cue dramatic music.

Dozens of kids from our age and up mingled around the schoolyard, waiting for the doors to open. Slowly, we made our way over to those our age. Mizu, being Mizu, jumped right in by marching up to the first person she saw and introducing herself. I hung back, nervous and not just a bit overwhelmed by the amount of noise and energy swirling around me.

Let’s get one thing straight: I’m not a people person. Never have been and Mizu is my only friend. Soon a large group of girls were gathered, all talking and chatting, and squealing. I was looking at the older students near the fence, spotting him quickly enough, his familiar aura popping out. I crept away from the squawking mass and slipped in next to my brother, Shichiyou, and some of his friends.

His soft, stone colored eyes looked down at me and smirked lightly as the other boys nodded in acknowledgement. I had met them all several times before, one of them being Mizu’s older brother. He was the youngest of three boys in his home, Mizu being the youngest child and only girl. He’s the one who smiled widest.

“Ohayo Tsuki-chan. Gotten tired of those little kids already or is it just my handsome boyish charm that’s got you over here?” He laughed as I tried to stifle a giggle.

“T-there was just…t-too many people…” I trailed off, though they all caught my meaning. A part of my clan’s kekki genkai is the ability to sense or see the aura of a person, only I was an oddity as I could do both. Most had to train for a few years to see aura and all of early childhood to master sensing it. I was born with both abilities well developed and I took it a step further with being able to sense thoughts at times, though I couldn’t control it. It could get…difficult to be surrounded by too many people.

The boys went back to talking, with me simply listening and laughing along at times. It wasn’t too much later that the bell rang and I quickly turned to try and find Mizu, but she was already inside. With a sigh, I lowered my eyes and moved into the building, the last to enter. By the time class had started, I had taken a seat behind Mizu as she spoke with the girls on either side of her.

“TSUKIIIIIII!” The shout nearly knocked me out of my chair. My head snapped to the source of the yell, finding my blonde haired best friend staring at me with small sparkles in her eyes. I looked at her warily, reflexively checking for hidden water balloons or things of that nature.

“…Yes?”

“Tsukiiiiii, this is Robin and Kana. You guys this is Tsukiiiiii.” Both girls mentioned had looked over when Mizu had yelled and were gazing at me wide eyed. I simply blinked.

“Umm…uh…h-hello?” Damn my stutter. That is why I don’t like to talk to people, they get me all flustered. One girl, I believe it to be Kana, found her voice.

“Tsuki, like…like Tsukiakari?” I blinked again and nodded, confused.

“Um, I-I, y-yes, I a-am?” She stared at me expectantly and I furiously tried to think if I had ever met her at any of the few formal parties I had attended. Kana (I think it was her) paled and narrowed her eyes. I held back the squeak that threatened to give away my already obvious discomfort.

She didn’t say anything more, merely stood and took a seat farther down the row, not looking back at us. I spared a glance to Mizu who looked annoyed and not just a little angry. I saw her aura go from pale yellow to violet around the edges, signaling she knew something I didn’t. I glared her down, allowing my eyes to brighten with chakra, a sign I was reading her aura.

“Later” she mouthed as at that moment the sensei walked in and began addressing the class. I watched as Kana whispered something to the kid beside her, whose eyes widened with her message. His aura became tinged with orange and I sensed fear and a little hate. But why? Surely not because of my clan. My family was nice. Sometimes, they could be too nice. So why was the fact that I was Tsukiakari a bad thing? I came back to earth when Mizu’s name was called.

“Taiyoukousen Mizu.” Many of the class fell silent and looked at my friend when she called “here”.

“Tsukiakari Tsuki.” Now they all looked and, instead of silence, whispers started. Mizu and I exchanged glances, showing she had no more idea than I did. I made a note to ask my parents when I got home.

The rest of the day passed normally I guess (as normally as it could with a start like that), with Sensei explaining the rules and what to bring and what was expected of us. We were sent home at noon, as the first day was short, really just to let us get a feel for the way things worked. Tomorrow was when the real schooldays began.

“What was all that about,” I questioned as we walked down the lane to our compounds. Mizu shrugged.

“Kana is from the Washi Clan,” was her answer. I nodded in understanding. The Washi’s and Tsukiakari’s never got along very well, ever since their clan leader had tried to stop our clan from entering the village, all on the basis that they were from Sunagakure and so enemies of Amegakure.

“But what about the others? I saw orange.” Mizu nodded, easily understanding. As she did whenever she was thinking hard, she uncorked a small canteen on her hip and water floated out of it, gathering around her fingers. Mizu’s clan had the ability to control water without using chakra and Mizu was a natural. She and I were kind of like twin protégées, not that we ever thought of our selves that way (besides the fact that I can’t even pronounce the word). Still more than a bit concerned, (try scared silly because I had to go back tomorrow!) I knew it was time to talk to Tou-san.

“Papa?” He merely glanced at me, but I could see his aura go from light to darker blue. I had his attention. Then a pale yellow. A question.

“School was okay…I guess, but… that’s what I wanted to ask you about. The others acted…umm…when they found out I was a Tsukiakari…they were acting funny,”

I let the ‘why’ hang unsaid. I didn’t have to say it. He went from yellow and blue to red, purple, and…black? That was a new one. Okay, so with Tou-san red meant anger, easy enough. It is for most people. Purple is knowledge, so he knew the answer or at least a part of it. But…black was a mystery.

“Your eyes are glowing.”

My head snapped up at his voice, and then blushed as I realized he knew I had been reading his aura.

“You know and you’re angry…and…something else…what’s black?” I had never encountered this color before and even he seemed surprised.

“Black?”

I nodded and he was quiet for a time. Slowly, he leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees and looked closely at me. I was confused (this seems to be a trend today), but met his gaze straight on like I did when we were training. His eyes lit up, surprising me even more, but I copied him and focused in on his aura.

Reading aura is not like reading a book or even reading minds (really, I would know). Words do not float in the air around people, clear and precise as though written by the most skilled of scribes. Nor do slideshows of past events and memories flick past. My clan ‘sees’ the colors of people, meaning that emotions, character traits, and even thoughts are expressed through a menagerie of pigments of all hues and shades. These colors hover around and within people; our clan refers to them as Outer Glow and Inner Glow.

Seems simple enough so far; learn what each color means and bam! You can understand. Nice, but no, things are never that simple. Because every aura is so closely linked to a person’s Inner Energies (or what many call the Soul), and each ‘soul’ is so different than the rest, colors change meaning from person to person. Yes, there are a few that don’t vary all that much, but for the most part it is extremely hard to define what means what to whom. That’s why our clan trains everyday from the day we are three, without fail.

It is necessary, or else in battle (just because I’m six doesn’t mean I don’t understand that people fight, and that it’s usually people from bloodline clans) we could be overwhelmed by information we wouldn’t understand. Which would be not helping. And yet, if you do understand that information, well, your opponent should offer his prayers to the Tomoshibi Seirei and hope she grants her mercy.

Aaaaanyway, as Tou-san looked at me and me at him, his aura shifted and glowed with his emotions and (thanks to my screwed up brain) his thoughts. I knew Tou-san very well, so his colors made sense to me. There was knowledge there (a royal purple) and questions (a light yellow), even anger (the faint wisp of red/pink meant it wasn’t a focused rage). My confusion tally went up a couple points, not seeing the connections to all these and a few others.

“Papa?”

“Sit down.”

I did and waited, eyes fixed on him, never losing their glow. He seemed to approve and leaned back again.

“You understand why the Washi did not wish for us to enter this village, correct?” I nodded, wondering what that had to do with anything.

“They were not the only ones,” his deep voice rumbled in my ears and I picked up the sound of anger in the words. My aura changed. He nodded at the unspoken question. Our family was quite good at that.

“Because we were so large and powerful in the old times, we and our sister clan, the Taiyoukousen, had become infamous in many places.”

“In-far-mouse?” (Seriously, I’m six and he’s using words like infamous?)

“Look it up,” he replied with a wave of his hand. I nodded and fell quiet, not wanting him to get annoyed with me and stop. This was the most any adult had ever said to me, and the most I had ever heard Tou-san speak.

“When we were persecuted in Ame, many of our family fell in the line of duty. Slowly we lost our power and shrank in size. My Tou-san, your ojii-san, made the decision to escape and find a new life somewhere else, finally coming here. Yet our reputation preceded us and it was a fight to gain entrance. The Taiyoukousen had less of one because they were less well known than we were.

I tell you this because many clans still have a fear of us, a fear that if we grow and gain back our power, we may try to take over. You and your brother are a continuation of those fears for many, and so that fear is passed on to their children. Do you understand?” he looked closely at me.

I had watched his aura move and change as he spoke, reading everything he had not said. I didn’t get all of it or what many of it really meant (there were waaaay too many words I didn’t understand), but I gathered his meanings behind his words.

“Yes Papa, I see.” We were feared, and yet I couldn’t stop thinking that the fear was silly. My clan would never bring war on purpose. We came here to escape war. But Tou-san was worried, and because of that, so was I. I thanked Tou-san and helped him get the table set for dinner, and then excused myself. If I hurried, I could tell Mizu and make it back for dinner. I didn’t want Kaa-chan mad at me.

Two large, owlish blue eyes stared at me.

“So they are scared…of us fightin`…. and takin` over…right?” I nodded. So she had heard me. She blinked at me for a little bit longer. I took to shifting from one foot to the other. I was going to be late to dinner, and Kaa-chan would be mad.

“Yeah, that’s what he said, and Papa’s always right,” I had long ago accepted that statement as truth. After no response, I shrugged and left her still standing there. What? I was hungry. Besides, I would find out exactly what she thought tomorrow anyway.


“TSSSSUUUUUUKKKKIIII!”

Oh Kami, she’d upped the volume. I heard my Tou-san jump in the other room, his aura going from pale blue to nearly white in shock. Ha, I had sensed her coming. Following the normal routine, I heard charging footsteps, a few more hollers, a slammed open door, a body dumped to the floor. Oh wait.

“Owwwwwwwwww! Tsuki, what was that foooooor?” I glanced up from where I lay sideways on my bed. I had pushed her into the closet. Anything to stop the yelling.

“Gomen, I slipped.” She just gave me the you-slipped-across-your-bed-and-just-happened-to-push-me look. Hmm…that was kind of a specific look. Maybe I sensed her thoughts in that one. Arr! I want to control that!

“..ki, Tsuki, TSUUKIII!” Oh the yelling. I merely looked at her expectantly, still laying sideways one my bed.

“Get uuuuuuup, we have schoooooooool,” and with that she raced downstairs to most likely steal my breakfast.




As we entered the school building, a small knot of worry and fear tightened in my gut. What if everybody was like they were yesterday? What if they didn’t like me? What if…what if they were scared of me? Then I would never make more friends!

Turns out my fears only had a small basis.

After the first few weeks of school, the others seemed to forget they were supposed to fear/hate Mizu and I, and so we were able to find a small group of friends to play with and talk too. Yet neither of us got as close to them as we were to each other. The school year continued with a few interesting events here and there, but the biggest shock didn’t happen in the first half of the school year.

No, what came right after mid-year break is probably why that year is so cemented in my mind. It was the year everything just seemed to…to change.

The day started out normally…er…as normally as anything did in a village like ours. After staying awake so late last night (it had been a full moon, something my mother and I always experienced together) I was still exhausted when Mizu came rushing over. If I hadn’t been so tired, maybe I would have realized something was wrong, but I didn’t. All I could think about was wishing I could kill the sun and go back to sleep. Pretty, pretty sleep. But no, my wish was not granted, not even a little bit.

“Tsuki,” why was that such a small whisper? “Tsuuuukiiiiiiii,” a harsher whisper came.

“Ung?”

“Tsukiiiiiiiii! Quick, get uuuuuuup! This is importaaaaant,” she hissed. I blinked my eyes open, trying to wake myself up. Finally, I managed to sit up and rub the sleep from my eyes, turning my attention to Mizu.

“Mizu! What happened!?” Her face was tight and unshed tears glistened on her lower lashes.

“C-come on. They told me to find you, but when I went up the stairs they started talking and I listened and they don’t know I could hear them and they said a bunch of stuff I didn’t get but then I heard that,” gasp, “that,” another long pause. I was worried. She looked really upset.

“What did they say, ZuZu?”

“T-they s-s-said-d w-we gotta become n-n-n-nnnn.” She couldn’t finish. I pulled her up onto the bed with me and hugged her. She hugged back and sobbed.

“I d-d-don wanna b-be one, T-TsuTsu. Th-they k-k-k-killed m-m-momma!”

My eyes got so big I was mildly concerned they could pop out. Ninja. She was talking about ninja, since they were the ones who killed her Kaa-chan. I didn’t know the whole story, only that Mizu was really, really little when it happened, just before they found the Village.

Ever since finding that out, Mizu had been terrified of ninja, even the word sometimes made her squeak with suppressed fear. We stayed like that for a while, me in some kind of shock and Mizu crying out her terror and confusion. I kept expecting someone to walk in and make it better but no one came. I heard murmurs downstairs, but no footsteps ever approached the stairs to the second-level bedrooms.

Eventually I pulled her farther onto the bed and threw the blankets over us. We laid huddled together for what felt like an eternity until each of us slowly drifted off into shallow dreams.

Near nightfall, Tou-san knocked and came in with my mother, Mizu’s parents (her Tou-san and his second wife) following behind. By that time both of us had woken up and were looking out the window from my bed at the dimming sky. Twilight, our favorite time. A time we both felt safe and most in tune with each other. At twilight, we really felt like sisters.

That night, I found out just what was going on. The Feudal Lord of the land our Village was built on had discovered our existence. Those who originally built our home had not asked his permission to use his land, and so he was very angry. But my Tou-san said we were lucky, our Feudal Lord had dreams of grandeur and very much envied the Hidden Villages for their power and wealth.

So, our village council had made a deal, the Lord would allow us to stay and rule ourselves as we always had, in return we must open a shinobi school and become a shinobi village to rival the power of the other Five Nations.

That meant that all students in Year Five and under were to be taught to be shinobi. Clans would once again teach their children the clan jutsu and fighting styles. Mizu and I were going to be kunoichi, whether we liked it or not.