Chapter Text
The dawn break of a new morning skimmed across the towering trees. Birds took flight for their day's beginnings as those who lurk in the shadows began their slumbers. Meanwhile, there were others continuing their journeys at day's first break. Humans in particularly started their days, some which journeyed on horseback or those with the ability leaping through the branches above the more traveled pathways. But for those seeking cover from pointed eyes and bounties, usually the roads less travel are the best ones to take.
An older gentleman wearing dark travelers pants, dark green long sleeve and a sandy cloak covered nearly all identifying markings. White wisps of hair escaped from the hood and only glimmered when the sun managed to peek through the leaves from above. His journey had been ongoing for nearly a month and it would surely take him only a few more days to finally reach is the goal and if there was an agreement – sanctuary.
He paused though and cocked his head ever so slightly in one direction. "You sure about that?" His voice was like gravel under the pressure of a cartwheel. He stuck his pinkie into his right ear and tweaked it around. "I don't sense anything." He continued with his one-sided conversation.
"Hm."
Jerking his head over his shoulder, no one was behind him and with is progress there was enough space between him and his pursuers. The wheels in his mind continued to crank as he followed imaginary directions to something deeper into the forest, slightly off of his path route. For a moment there was a break in the collection of trees where he was finally able to find the object of... desires? No, rather the disturbance in the 'force' as it had been put to him. Remaining in the cover of the trees he observed on.
Beneath a young tree was a young girl who leaned up against it. The young girl had [color] hair at [length], face serene and relaxed, slumbering beneath the young tree. Her clothes... were peculiar? For him at least. Never had he seen anything like that in his home country.
"You're saying that this is the disturbance?"
Again with the one-sided conversation. He sighed and pulled back his hood to reveal long white hair in a thick braid, multiple scars across his face. Eyes like liquid gold glared at every dark shadow, daring anything to come out of the shadows. Heaving a sigh through his nose he finally took confident strides forward until kneeling in front. With the back of his hand, he felt her forehead.
No fever at least, small thanks to the Gods.
He prodded further with chakra into the young one's system and he became puzzled. "I see what you mean... but there's something else, you sense it?" There was silence in response but he grunted with whatever voice responded back. Pressing further he found the problem and released it.
The moment that his hand pulled back he learned that this young girl had [color] eyes.
You ached all over and you had no idea why. It felt like you had been run over and the damn thing backed over you again for extra measure.
Blinking the sleep out of your eyes you tried to focus on the bright light of the sun. The grass was green, but it was like that stupid lime green crayon that you were forced to use because someone stole the green green crayon. Your eyes focused more on black sandals and then you noticed that there was someone standing in front of you. You followed the legs to an older man crouching in front of you.
If you could, you would've thrown yourself further away. You hadn't been expecting an old man with plenty of scars on his face.
"W-Who are you!" You squeaked out, your hands threw back against the tree, nails digging into the young bark.
He stood up and scratched the back of his neck. Lips moving but nothing came out of it until he released a sigh, a heavy one that knew something. Slowly a smile appeared on his face and suddenly those scars didn't look all too intimidating. "My name is Hisashi, what's your name?"
Hisashi? You mumbled the word in your head because it was odd, odd for you that is. Something was off and it felt like it was a big red warning sign but you couldn't understand what it was. What were you trying to remember that was a warning? Was it a "stranger danger?" No, that's stupid. It was something else, something that was laughable honestly. You mulled over your thoughts as an onesided conversation was carried out in front of you, but your thoughts were loud enough for you to ignore it.
Finding footing underneath yourself, you stood up and pulled your head out of the cloud of thoughts. "A-Ah... my name? It-It's... [Name]." It was a terrible word vomit of a sentence but you stuttered over it. A name... [Name]. That's it right? Your name was [Name]. It had to be otherwise why would you say it?
Hisashi smiled and nodded his head. "That's a rather pretty name, [Name]. If you don't mind me asking, why are you just out here... sleeping?" He cocked his head to the side while watching your expression. He watched as it became confused and then scared. Huh. You didn't even know why you were out here? Hisashi could tell there wasn't anyone around so it wasn't like this was a trap for him. Hell, there wasn't anyone anywhere near this clearing.
"I don't know..." You whispered while inside you were terrified. Why couldn't you remember anything? It wasn't even like you could remember the last possible thing you were doing before being woken up. You looked at Hisashi in the eyes and felt like pleading with this stranger into telling you what's happening. Hisashi laid his hand on top of your head and ruffled your hair slightly.
"C'mon kid, if I leave you here something not great will probably happen."
Hisashi had grilled you on possibly anything that he could think of.
Home? Nothing.
Parents? Don't know.
Pets? Your response was a shrug.
All the while the insistant voice in his head was telling him to ditch you like a load of rocks.
Gods if he made it to the village with you and tow, then there should be good karma coming his way at least. Not like the voice agreed with the concept of karma. "Don't worry kid, we'll figure it out."
The entire time that the two of you walked your eyes were watching the scenery. It was beautiful and peaceful but at the same time, you thought you were feeling eyes everywhere that you went. You rubbed your arms slowly and kept your eyes straight ahead. There was something about Hisashi that you felt safe with and knew that if there was danger then he would've known by now.
"So... um, Hisashi." Your guide gave you a simple hum of acknowledgment. "Where are you going?"
The walk continued with a few minutes of silence until the two of you came across a small creek. Hisashi pulled out his cantine and began to fill it with the clear water. As he was filling the cantine you were simply taking in the sights, there was something in the back of your mind that screamed this was weird but it was a weird familiar. Like a dream or a memory? Your thought bubbles were popped when a freshly filled cantine was put in your view.
Massaging his face Hisashi looked in a direction with his eyes squinted. "A village called Konoha. I've got some business there, sort of important."
But... with you in tow now there was a chance that wouldn't be possible. Goldeyes glanced at you and could sense the fatigue that your shoulders were carrying. It didn't help that you seemed to be suffering from amnesia. Constant thoughts of the unknown didn't help with the fatigue and would only lead to mental exhaustion. "Ah, don't forget its Where are we going."
A blossom of warmth flowed from your chest at Hisashi's comment about it being the two of you going to Konoha. He could honestly ditch you here and now and say 'good luck!' and be done with you. But instead, he was showing an interest in your well being. The traveler refilled the cantine before the two of you took off again and it wouldn't be until the setting of the sun that the two of you would stop again.
Hisashi found a secluded part of the forest where the two of you could sit in front of a fire, you had watched in amazement as Hisashi made a series of hand movements and suddenly fire came out of his mouth! He had smirked when you gave a small gasp.
"What was that?" You whispered in awe while he dug around in a small knapsack and pulled out some minimal snacks for the two of you.
He laughed and threw you one of the bigger portions while he enjoyed a small bag of mixed nuts. The irritating voice was scolding him for giving away a precious energy source. "Minimal chakra direction into an element. Do you know anything about chakra?" Hisashi raised his brow in curiosity, sure anyone knew about--,
"Nope."
Goldeyes widened in surprise and for a moment he was speechless. Where in the world did you come from that you didn't know anything about chakra? Hisashi scratched his jaw, his stubble was coming in irritatingly so. "Well... this world is made up of an element called chakra. The trees have it, the ground has it, it's all around us. Humans can train in controlling chakra and using it to their advantage. Between my stamina and the chakra that I have inside, I was able to convert my chakra into the fire element."
Gods, if you had a notebook you'd be furiously writing it all down. Hisashi warmed at your interest, it was all over your face. "Can I do it?" You asked innocently.
He hummed in thought, wondering could you do it? During his exploration he could sense very little chakra in you at all, his voice called it a pitiful amount that couldn't even fill a shot glass. Hisashi dug back into his bag and found a piece of paper, looked like it was from a newspaper he had to ditch a week ago. "C'mere." He scooched back from the fire and spread his legs and pat the spot in front of him.
Side eyeing him for a minute you moved and sat with your back to him. Hisashi circled his arms around your shoulders and gave you to scrap paper. You tried focusing on the writing until he tapped your nose. "Focus kid." A little nervous you took a hold of the paper with both thumbs and index fingers. Hisashi put his hands on your wrists and told you to pay attention to a scrap of paper and feel.
Feel what?
Pay attention.
Scoffing with a pout you tried... you really did.
Sighing after five minutes you put your arms down and looked at the sky. "Can... everyone use chakra?" You whimpered out sadly, it was really cool so of course you would be bummed in not being able to do anything. Hisashi sighed at your disappointment and even his voice could feel a bit of pity for your disappointment. "Not everyone, but it takes a long time to train even to do simple things."
Looking over your shoulder you looked at your protector and huffed. Opening your mouth to say something you weren't expecting the burning sensation on the tip of your fingers. "Hey!"
The scrap paper dropped to the ground with a slight clunk sound. With that interesting sound both you and Hisashi looked at it. White smoke was wafting from the scrap as it burned against the ground. It appeared stiff with a slight reflection of the campfire. Hisashi picked it up and could barely tolerate it himself before flinging it into the fire. In the fire, it hissed with displeasure until it melted and then burned to ash.
"So... what was that?"
Hisashi expected his fingers a bit before nibbling on his thumb to get rid of the stinging feeling. "Looked like ice to me, usually it's a four-element detection test. I don't remember the last time I saw that happen."
Despite the interesting development you yawned loudly and obnoxiously. Rubbing your eyes, you felt a heaviness as a warm cloak wrapped around you. "Go to sleep kid, I'll wake you at dawn."
It didn't take long before you were sleeping with his knapsack as a pillow. Meanwhile, Hisashi was there in his thoughts and his intruding inner voice. "She's young... I know, I know. I've already got a backup plan." In front of Hisashi was a blank scroll that he was beginning to detail his thoughts onto. "You want to die? I didn't think so." Hisashi's whispered voice was so haughty with knowing.
At most he had a day and a half... two was pushing it but it would be a two and half-day ish journey to the village. If he attempted to use any chakra beyond what he did for the campfire they would zero on his ass like flies on shit. He couldn't do that, especially not with you around. You were an innocent civilian for right now. You deserved a normal life if he made it, and if he didn't... you deserved a fighting chance.
The next morning was the beginning and Hisashi didn't have the heart to wake you up, so instead, he maneuvered you onto his back and began the early morning journey that way.
You're growing soft.
It was morning by the time you woke up with that thought in your head, it was a sassy, sarcastic voice that had hot air behind it. You could feel Hisashi carrying you while the side of your face was pressed against his back. That voice was so distant like a whisper that you had to strain your ears for. "You know when I put you down, you're gonna have to carry me."
Pressing your face fully against his back, you were blushing terribly. You knew it would be so, so dark. Hisashi was giving a hearty laugh.
It was probably noon when you finally asked him a question, walking beside Hisashi when he knew you had woken up. "Where are you from? You don't live in Konoha do you?"
Hisashi shook his head at your question. He was planning his backup and if that was the plan then you were gonna need a background on the important stuff. "I'm from a place called Land of Demons," His eyes picked up your scruntched face as you mouthed 'fake'. "It's just what foreigners call it, it's probably what you're going to hear it referred as is all."
Adjusting his knapsack, Hisashi continued his explaination. "There's a lot of little villages, the continent is huge. Sure we have some hub villages and one large city in the center. I'm from a village called Ash'tella in our language. We have certain way of learning how to use chakra but we can learn the 'right way'." Hisashi created quotes when he said the right away and wanted to roll his eyes at it.
"What's Konoha like?"
Hisashi shrugged his shoulders and put his arms behind his head. "It's busy and a lot of people live there. I hear the village gets a lot of jobs, so their shinobi aren't usually idle for long."
His voice sassed him at mentioning shinobi. "Right... forgot that part."
You knitted your brows together when he talked to himself. Even when he thought you weren't paying attention you noticed him talking to himself a lot more than a normal person.. probably.
"Shinobi are those who are trained in using chakra and often become ninjas, protecting their village and taking on different ranked missions as jobs." In the corner of his eyes, he noticed how your interest peaked again. Good. "Why, you want to become one?"
You were mulling the idea over in your head silently for a couple of minutes before nodding your head with a gigantic grin. "Can I?!"
He laughed with a grin of his own. "We'll see what the Hokage says."
Once again Hisashi continued his explanation into terms of the ninja world.
Hokage = Leader of Konoha.
Konoha was situated in a country called Land of Fire. there were other countries with different names, villages and leadership positions. You were soaking all of this up like a sponge and Hisashi couldn't have been prouder.
When it came time to stop and camp Hisashi mused to himself that you both were much closer to Konoha than he thought. At this rate, everything would work out and... no there was no use in getting himself worked up until the two of you were safely across the gates.
With being so close Hisashi didn't sleep that night. As the night grew closer to witching hour he knew that his back up plan would have to come into effect lest everyone perish. The scroll was put into the bottom of the knapsack and his cloak was clasped around your neck as you slept for a little while longer.
He went to work by biting his index finger and drew on the grass with his blood, creating an intricate design between himself and you.
For one last time, Hisashi conversed with himself until the voice got quieter and quieter. The design in the grass caught fire as it burned away in a lavender blaze, the secret technique was lost. Looking at you one last time Hisashi wondered is this what it felt to be a father? Or have a fatherly love for a child? He didn't get to experience that life with his troubles and responsibilities. But here in this new land... you would have more protection than he did at home.
You woke up to Hisashi shaking you from your dreams and immediately you felt sick. Something was weird, you felt super weird. You couldn't focus on that though when you saw Hisashi's face. There was a strictness to it. Your heart began to race and you felt intense fear.
"[Name] you need to listen to me, and follow everything I say." His words were low and whispered but with force. Hisashi helped you stand and that's when you realized you were wearing all of his things. "I was traveling to Konoha for safety reasons... but now you need to go alone."
You sucked in a breath of shock and your eyes watered in fear. "Why aren't you coming with me?" You whimpered, clutching the sand-colored cloak closer to your body, suddenly feeling cold. His frown didn't make you feel better as he kneeled in front of you, rubbing your arms.
"The people following me are dangerous and I need to distract them. You are a very special person [Name]. They're not after you but... know that this world is dangerous. They may learn of our connection and it can put you in danger." Hisashi's words were kind but they needed you to understand that there is a danger to come and to be strong. His calloused hand cupped your face and wiped away those tears. "Become a ninja [Name], you hear me? Become strong and powerful. Protect yourself and the people you'll love."
Deep in your heart, you knew this was goodbye for your old guardian. Yeah, you've only been traveling for a short time but he showed you better when you knew nothing and remembered nothing. You hugged the odd man tightly as a cold feeling in your heart welled up strongly as if you've known him your whole life... no his whole life.
"Go."
That's when you ran in the direction that Hisashi pushed you in.
You ran... and ran... and ran... faster and faster even though you felt like collapsing in dispare and fatigued already. There was a heaviness in the air and it wasn't because of the fear in your mind. At one moment you stopped running to catch your breath despite this weird feeling in your head screaming to run... RUN. A whimper escaped your lips in pain at this feeling in your head. It pulsed like a raging storm.
Collapsing against a tree you slid down to the ground clutching your head. You gasped sharply when suddenly you saw something... something not through your eyes.
You saw three figures standing in a clearing bathed beneath the same moon above you. Two were men and one was a woman. All three were wearing masks with odd designs carved into. The masks themselves were black like darkness... but darker than that. Their masks designs were created out of delicate and odd designs. Their body language screamed threat and danger. You couldn't tell what else they were wearing beyond dirty mucked up cloaks like the one Hisashi was wearing.
The woman approached as your view changed into a defensive position. You felt sick realizing you were seeing this through Hisashi's eyes.
"Why aren't you running Hisashi? Are you finally willing to give up?" The woman's voice was sickly sweet and charming, her head tilted slightly in mock. Her mask didn't have any holes for eyes or a mouth but it carried on the breeze like she was in your ear. That's when you noticed a glint under the moonlight of a weapon beneath the cloak.
The two men behind her ... it felt like they exchanged looks that only they knew about and you wanted to vomit.
Hisashi chuckled and pulled weapons out of what felt like nowhere. "Oh I just missed your face is all."
There was snarling sound and in a blink of an eye, there was a bloodbath.
Hisashi and his enemies fought furiously, moving faster than you could have kept up with. It felt as if Hisashi had the upper hand until you felt something. There was a connection, a warm one that reminded you of a new dawn or a campfire. In a moment you and Hisashi felt each other.
Then there was pain, both you and Hisashi cried out at once. In the vision, you saw a blade protruding from his abonmen. It was the woman's blade.
Her voice was like a viper's hiss. "Oh, sweet Hisashi... what did you do with it? You didn't go and free it..."
There was a choking laugh filled with blood as it sputtered out and dripped on the ground. You felt the searing pain of the blade, but without the actual infliction. "It is free.... as free as I wished I could have been."
She snarled and twisted the blade and you screamed at the darkness. You didn't like this darkness.
It was dawn... it was beginning of a new day and somewhere there was death but now here. Here was something new beginning.
"Do you sense that?" A lazy body becoming rigid as it stepped out of a box. Looking inward it saw nothing but the pathways leading into the village and turned, and froze. "Kotetsu!" The voice hissed loudly while keeping eyes on the thing in front of him. Another body joined outside of the box and saw the same thing that his partner saw.
Standing ... or barely able stood a young girl with [Colour] hair in disarray. [Color] eyes are bloodshot and half-closed. Tear marks down her face.
You looked up and saw two new strangers, unable to remember when you got here. All you could feel was sadness and loss in your soul, you felt more lost in this world than before now without Hisashi.
Trembling lips parted before you lost your self to fatigue.
"He's gone..."