Chapter Text
The sun was beaming down with an insidious glare reflecting off the sharp katana blades. A group of men slowly surrounded two female travellers, blocking their way on the trail. The woman wasn’t tall but she wasn’t petite either, this couldn’t be said about her little child who accompanied her, now holding tight to her cloak. The dense trees lining the trail rustled with irregular gusts of wind. Heavy clouds of an autumn afternoon storm had slowly dispersed, leaving behind the crisp scent of rain and wet grass. The gathered men’s feet sank into the fresh mud.
‘Didn't they warn you in your village that these parts are dangerously unsafe for lone women with children?’ one of the towering men sneered, while the others grumbled and laughed wickedly. ‘Where is your husband?’
‘Excuse me, sir, my husband died during the Third Shinobi World War, and I am returning to my home village with my daughter to visit my sick mother… We are bringing her medicine…’ The woman stepped forward, shielding the girl who timidly hid behind her.
She was young, very young. Her sharp facial features and composed, emotionless gaze betrayed a wealth of experience. Thick, raven-black hair tied back with a red ribbon fell loosely down her back, clinging in strands to her still-wet-from-the-rain long dark coat. The girl clutching her sleeve resembled her mother only in her deep, piercing eyes. Her face was sprinkled with freckles, and tufts of warm blonde hair framed her slender face in a cascade of shoulder-length curls. Both wore distinctive open-toed footwear, now covered in mud and dust, a testament to the long journey they had travelled on foot.
‘We would gladly offer protection, but it will cost you,’ the band’s leader said, stepping closer until the woman could feel his vile breath on her cheek. Under her coat, she had wakizashi hidden, on which she slowly laid her hands, watching the men’s every move warily. The attacker placed a hand on her hip, squeezing with a repulsive grin. He made a fatal mistake.
‘Hey, isn't that Midori Nanusake…?’ one of the bandits began, recognizing the woman as the famous warrior from the port village clan.
With a swift motion, Midori unbuttoned her coat and flung it far behind her, revealing her ninja attire. In each hand, wakizashi appeared instantly, which had been hidden moments ago under her disguise.
A flash and a slash. The girl didn’t have time to blink, feeling in an instant the splatter of blood from the deeply cut throat of the attacker. The band’s leader didn’t manage to grab his throat before falling to his knees, his face hitting the spot where Midori had stood moments before. She wiped the blood from her eyes with the back of her hand.
‘Who's next?’ she asked in a deep, cold voice, challenging the others to a duel. The shinobi stood completely thrown off balance. The easy prey had transformed before their eyes into a hungry predator. ‘Akira, listen to me now,’ she said to her daughter without taking her eyes off the opponents, ‘hide at a safe distance but do not take your eyes off the fight. I want you to learn. Remember every step.’
‘Yes, Mom,’ the girl responded quickly, running to the nearest tree, her eyes scanning the surroundings to ensure it was safe. She crouched down.
‘Take shelter!’ her mother shouted after her. Akira formed a jutsu sign with her hands, and soon a swarm of moths gathered around her, serving as both a shield and a threat detector. For Akira, this was just another practical lesson, one of many her mother, the esteemed shinobi Nanusake, had taken her to.
Midori lunged forward, not giving the men a moment to think. They were quick too. The first blow was parried, followed by another, a pirouette, a transition to the third opponent, a dodge, a strike to the thigh. She jumped aside, rolling to the left as the shinobi charged at her from behind, one stumbling and landing in the mud. Midori seized the opportunity, slicing smoothly into the unarmored spot under his ribs, using the second wakizashi to parry another sword attack.
Blood spurted from the side of the fallen man, Midori leapt back and decided to finish him off, ensuring he wouldn’t rise again by cutting his tendons beneath his knees.
The scream of pain startled birds from the treetops, showering Akira's hiding spot with dried autumn leaves.
An arrow hissed through the air, speeding toward the oblivious girl. Thanks to the moths swirling around her like a living, pulsating shield, she survived as the arrow embedded in the tightly packed bodies of insects, missing its mark. The girl jumped aside and gasped. Her instinct and chakra-infused moths sensed the threat from the side.
Midori’s pitch-black eyes didn’t miss what had just happened. Dodging another blow, she turned her head toward the hidden danger lurking in the bushes from where the arrow had flown moments ago. She frowned in fury.
‘Not my daughter…’ she growled through her teeth.
‘Aaaaghrh!’ a shinobi behind her swung again, but the woman was quicker. She ducked, pirouetting and dragging her swords along the thighs of her attacker. Another managed to grab her arm, momentarily throwing her off balance, pulling her sideways. Trying to break free, she deftly turned one sword to grip it in reverse and forcefully thrust her elbow back, feeling the blade sink into the man’s stomach, who had attempted to restrain her from behind.
She withdrew the sword quickly, with a hiss, blood dripping in thick drops, mingling with the mud. There were seven of them. She was alone, her daughter hiding at a safe distance, but was she really safe? Midori rushed toward the hidden opponent in the bushes, another arrow flying at her, revealing his position. The kunoichi was faster. She dodged and rolled, leaping into the bushes like a cat. Her black eyes saw everything in the dark, gaining a decisive advantage over her opponent. The archer didn’t yet realize how unlucky he was, hidden in the branches of an old tree. Midori sheathed her swords again, reaching with her right hand to the pocket on her back, from which she pulled several kunai wedged between her fingers. She didn’t stop running, this time climbing effortlessly up a tree opposite the archer. He aimed another arrow at her, which sliced past her face, cutting a strand of hair, causing her to gasp for a moment. That moment added another surge of adrenaline, sharpening her senses. She knew where to aim; every second was precious. She had to eliminate him and return to the trail to protect Akira. A snake hissed nearby on the branch, slithering away into the deeper bushes next to Midori’s hand, but she didn’t let it distract her. She purposely exposed herself to provoke the opponent into another shot, making him peek out of hiding. A fraction of a second was enough. She saw him. She aimed and threw the kunai. Two of the three struck with force into the man’s eye and cheek. He didn’t even have time to scream. Midori shot back to the main road, where the thieves were already closing in on her daughter.
‘Hey!’ she shouted, drawing her swords again, ‘I’m here.’ She stood in a challenging stance, extending her right hand with the wakizashi towards the men. They didn’t think much and charged at her. Their frustration was growing.
‘You bitch, you’ll regret this…’ one of them roared, joining his hands in jutsu signs, ‘Fish Spit Jutsu!’ A violent stream of water shot from his mouth towards the kunoichi, missing her. The girl ducked. So they were starting to use ninjutsu.
She sped up to circle them, quickly glancing towards Akira to check if she was safe.
‘I’m safe, mom! Watch out, behind you!’
‘Ah!’ Midori jumped aside as another water bomb whizzed towards her with a hiss. Seven. Out of ten. One of them made a mistake, feeling more confident, protected by his colleague who had switched to using chakra. He leapt forward, trying to block the advancing Midori. He was wrong. A pirouette, the wakizashi blades flashed in the air, blood mixed with water splashed. The kunoichi jumped back among the men, slashing mercilessly with measured and calculated moves. Her gleaming teeth in a wild grin added a sinister expression to her face.
‘It’s a demon…!’ one of them screamed in terror, seeing her pitch-black eyes. Midori gauged the distance from each opponent, spinning again, making another dodge as they lunged at her with their batons and swords. She threw one of her blades, hitting the throat of a man too far to reach. A turn. Her free hand grabbed another, leaping onto his shoulders like an acrobat. Slashing his throat, she jumped off and struck with force, parrying another blow from another opponent.
Five. She suddenly stood in a pool of blood mixed with water, hearing another command from behind her.
‘Raiton!’ Midori couldn’t evade the attack, and struck by lightning, she was flung several meters away, tumbling on the ground. At every possible moment, she turned her head to check on Akira. She got up from the ground, feeling the drain on her chakra and the pain of the shock, which slowly faded, drowned by adrenaline and her body’s rapid regeneration. The shinobi rushed at her, taking more assured steps, but they slowed down, seeing Midori rise after the electrocution, surprised by her stamina.
‘I would have gladly spared at least one of you to return to your comrades and tell them about the massacre at the hands of the Moth…’ she began, shaking off and wiping the dirty blade on her trouser leg, ‘but I’m afraid none of you will leave here alive today.’
‘Are you so sure of that?’ one of them gasped. Either truly brave or exceptionally good at hiding emotions. He whistled through his fingers, and from behind them, more figures emerged from hiding, weapons in hand. Midori took a deep breath, taking them all in.
'Demons have no right to exist; you’ll die here with your brat in a moment!’ a man roared, echoed by the others, feeling more confident thanks to their numerical advantage. They began to circle her.
‘Akira,’ the order given in her mother’s deep, firm voice made the blonde girl leap from her hiding place and run to her without hesitation, “stay close to me now. I will show you the true jutsu of the Great Moth.” She sheathed her wakizashi, simultaneously activating her chakra, which enveloped the kunoichi’s body in a magical turquoise glow.
‘We’ll kill you, and then…’ he didn’t finish, seeing Midori raise her arms above her head, twisting her fingers into claws. She lifted one knee, and her black eyes gleamed demonically.
‘I am Midori Nanusake, and this is the farewell song of the Great Moth,’ she took a deep breath and brought her entire body down on her raised leg, which stomped with full force, thrusting her hands forward. From her throat came an inhuman scream at unearthly frequencies.
All those gathered suddenly groaned in terror, clutching their heads and trying to cover their ears. They burst out as if in a trance, writhing on the ground, trying to drown out or stop the demonic song. Paralyzed, they couldn’t take a step towards the woman. Akira stood rooted to the spot, completely fascinated by the power of her mother’s potent jutsu. She didn’t need to cover her ears. As a member of the Moth clan, she was immune to the deadly songs, also endowed with their gift. 'One day I’ll be like mom…' the girl thought with hope.
Midori howled, twisting her tongue and demonic grimace, turning in all directions to feel each opponent. The sound was a nightmare. Blood flowed from noses, eyes bulged in terror. The shinobi, one by one, grabbed swords, kunai, claws, trying to scratch out their ears. The crunch of breaking eardrums and skulls, blood spurting from holes in heads. One by one, they fell like insects struck down by ultrasonic waves. Midori watched carefully until she counted the last living opponent. She ended her song, then leapt at him with wild satisfaction. Akira watched as her mother tenderly embraced the boy paralyzed with fear.
She dashed to her mother, trying not to look at the bodies lying on the road, overcoming fear and trembling. She had to be brave; there was no room for weakness here.
‘Mom...?’ The last groans of the dying enemies ceased as she hugged her mother from behind, still apprehensive about looking her in the eyes to check their colour. Midori’s chin fell onto her heaving chest.
‘It’s over,’ Midori said, raising her head, struggling to catch her breath. A sudden spasm shook her body, forcing her to vomit blood. Seeing her daughter’s terrified expression, Midori wiped her mouth and forced a smile. ‘Hey. Chin up. It’s nothing.’ She tapped the girl’s chin with an outstretched finger, lifting it slightly, looking into her eyes with her warm, turquoise gaze. There was no trace of the black sclera. ‘War is cruel, and people can be just as cruel, even in times of peace. A shinobi must always be ready for any scenario, knowing that your life or the life of your comrades is at stake. Don’t forget that. Above all, the most important thing is completing the mission, even—especially—when a band of attackers surprises you on the way to its success.’ She gestured over the battlefield. Akira nodded obediently, swallowing and furrowing her brow in concentration. Her mother was right.
‘What do we do when we know one of the opponents uses the lightning style?’ Even in a moment of extreme physical exhaustion, Midori didn’t miss the chance to test her daughter.
‘We avoid contact with water at all costs,’ young Akira replied without hesitation. Her heart was racing with excitement and adrenaline, still flowing through her veins.
‘Good girl. I’m proud of you,’ Midori smiled, acknowledging the mistake she had made during the fight.
‘I’m proud of you too, Mom.’ A broad smile spread across the freckled face of the girl as she hugged her mother tightly, burying her face in her now tangled black hair. Midori returned the embrace, freezing after a few seconds. Her cold fingers clenched her daughter’s hand. Something was wrong.
A slow clap echoed from a few steps ahead. Akira, in shock, couldn’t believe she hadn’t sensed his chakra, convinced just moments ago that all present had been eliminated.
‘So impressive,’ Akira snapped her gaze upward to see a tall man with sleek black hair framing his shoulders. He wore a navy shinobi outfit, adorned with a red whirl symbol on his arm. A shinobi from the Leaf Village, she deduced from the headband he wore on his forehead. An ally... yet something about him was off. His skin was pale, almost ghastly white, his nose narrow and pointed, and those eyes hinted at something reptilian about him.
‘What do you want?’ Midori growled, gathering her strength to brace herself for further combat despite the exhaustion from the Siren Jutsu. ‘Wait... you’re one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha. I remember you from the war. We fought on the same front.’
‘That’s true. You have a keen eye, dear Midori,’ he smiled, though there was nothing friendly in that expression.
‘Akira, be ready,’ Midori raised her arm, signalling to her daughter.
‘Perhaps I should get to the point; I’m not here to fight you today,’ the stranger replied, though Midori didn’t lower her guard. Her wakizashi were too far away to reach faster than the man could attack. From the pouch strapped to her thigh, she pulled out a kunai and raised it to her face. ‘I am Orochimaru. You see, ever since I learned of your clan’s existence, I’ve been fascinated by it. Your lineage, composed solely of female warriors, is hard not to notice, especially due to the successes of your talented kunoichi. During the war, you earned particular recognition. Especially you, Midori; you have no idea how pleased I am that we finally met.’ He paused, contemplating for a moment whether to approach and help the woman up, but she managed on her own, overcoming the trembling in her legs. Perhaps she didn’t have enough chakra to handle the strain that elite jutsus required, but she made up for it with spirit and bravery.
‘You see, I hope you won’t hold it against me that I hired a band of mercenaries to observe your skills firsthand, to see your potential…’
Midori gritted her teeth but held back a curse, sucking in air with a hiss, ‘I suspected as much since we crossed paths with them at the inn.’
‘Your daughter intrigues me greatly…’ he continued, ‘perhaps you would agree to let her be my apprentice when she grows up a bit? Maybe even now?’ He extended an open hand towards them, a slimy smile never leaving his face.
‘Keep your hands off my daughter!’ the kunoichi growled. Akira furrowed her brows, trying with all her might to make a menacing face at the intruder, but Orochimaru laughed, placing his hand on his heart.
‘How adorable she is!’
‘I warn you,’ there was no warmth in Midori’s voice, and a dark coldness slowly began filling her energy.
‘Dear Midori... know this. I don’t give up easily. And my patience is infinite,’ the smile began to fade from his face. A serpentine tongue flicked out over his lips, making Akira’s teeth chatter with fear. ‘I will eventually come for what is mine and get what I desire. I will come for your daughter when she is older, whether you like it or not. Akira,’ he turned to the girl, crouching down, ‘remember me. Train, train hard, and let every snake remind you of me, until your time comes.’
Darkness enveloped Midori's eyes at that moment, and a scream like the cries of hundreds of predatory birds emerged from her throat, but Orochimaru was quicker, dematerializing and leaving them alone.
The wind howled one last time through the treetops as the last rays of the sun sank below the horizon, slowly shrouding the forest in the darkness of an autumn night. A few moths took flight to dance above the Nanusakes, settling gently on their shoulders.