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*~*Day 62*~*
Confident in her newfound aquatic abilities, Tenma decided to search for some rumored beads that not only had she heard whisperings about it amongst the younger Fujikos, but also in the halls of the Hokage’s office on her last visit. Apparently there was another Fujiko in Konoha and they, for the child wasn’t sure of the person’s gender, had tossed their beads into the lake surrounding the Fujiko temple. Why this person had done this was drowned in the rumors, but, it was not only a challenge, a point of intrigue for the girl. That is why Tenma showed up at the compound at the crack of dawn that morning – to find out for herself. If she could do this it would be proof that she had mastered the breathing techniques she had been training so intensely; not to mention this would be an opportune time to see how well she worked with animals. Unfortunately, these animals were far bigger, stronger, faster, and all around meaner than she had anticipated her first encounter with animals to be. Oh well, it was a matter of circumstance that she was willing to take on.

Upon arrival, Tenma was glad to see that the waters were cold enough to ward off the majority of the crocodiles. All she had to worry about now were the really hungry ones. No problem. Resting on her shoulder was a pack that contained a few minor medical supplies, a change of clothes so she wouldn’t have to worry about becoming ill, and a canteen that contain fresh water that couldn’t be located at the swamp. After taking off her shoes and strapping an empty kunai pouch to her leg, so she had something to place the fabled beads in, she took a step into the shallow edge of the water, shuddering slightly at the temperature. However, this was the perfect time is she was going to try. Her pack was hung out of the way on a nearby tree and most of the crocodiles were fleeing from the water and the canopy in search of sunlight of they weren’t already there. As silently as possible, the girl slid into the water, praying she didn’t draw the attention of the crocs, and began her floating descent towards the silty floor.

The aqueous solution around her was a mild brown that hindered her vision enough to stir discomfort in the pit of her stomach. If a crocodile decided to go shopping for an early morning snack she wouldn’t be able to see it in time to move out of the way. After a brief return to the surface in order to fill her lungs properly, Tenma began forcing herself down to the bottom, fairly certain that none of the coldblooded creatures around her would be looking to cool on the floor of the lake. From there she would scan the bottom of the lake, making certain to avoid anything she saw moving her way – or moving at all for that matter. After one lap around the lake the girl was certain that she knew where the beads were located, but unfortunately they seemed to be, for lack of a better word, guarded. Another breath of air for good measure sent her back down to the bottom with a hopeful plan in the works.

Sure enough there was an unfortunately large crocodile right over the wooden beads. The only reason Tenma had noticed them was because of the sudden movement from the beast above them. Unfortunately, being as large as it was, the animal was able to hold much greater amounts of heat for longer times, thus it had been able to stay under without worrying about a low body temperature. Damn the thing. Using her new found speed and power in the water, Tenma had managed to gather a considerable school of fish, or food in this case, and was driving it up behind the crocodile. If everything went smoothly she would dive in, grab the beads, and get the hell out of the way before the crocodile could double back after the larger snack. Some of the fish tweaked and twitched from fear as she began forcing them forward, though one or two would manage to slip away during the process.

Luck for Tenma, the wall of food was far too tempting for the crocodile to pass up, even though it wouldn’t supply much of a meal. As soon as the animal was cleared she dove to the floor, gathered the beads as quickly as she could and thrust off the bottom, her feet giving way slightly with the silt. A smile was plastered across her face as the girl broke the surface and moved towards the shore, allowing the beads to remain underwater as she travelled through in order to wash them off. Once at the shore she lifted her hand to peer at the swollen, discolored beads in her palm and she let them rest inside of her kunai pouch. Behind her there was a disturbance in the waters and, without bothering to look at what it could possibly be, she sprinted to the tree she determined safe and climbed as high as she could. Obviously that crocodile wasn’t content with the fish she had brought for it. Out of the way she allowed herself to look around, disturbed when she thought she saw a pair of eyes, but decided to shake it off as an effect of the swamp.

It took until nightfall for the crocodile to lose interest in the child, but when it did she made a very hasty scramble down the tree and fled to work, hoping she wouldn’t be late. That night there was an unwavering smile on the face of the quiet ramen shop wash girl.

*~*Day 63-78*~*
None of the staff at the ramen shop was able to pry the source of the child’s sudden small smile from her lips, she just wouldn’t tell. This was a victory that she was only planning on sharing with one person, and that was the Madam Fujiko back in Konoha. That is, if she could find her. Of not, Tenma would hold on to them until she could locate the woman; that or she would give them to the Hokage, maybe it would be better to receive the beads from someone she knew. Suddenly a truth managed to slap the girl in the face: she had no idea what she was going to do with the beads. Idiot. Oh well, she had time to contemplate that and to rest up, or in other words prepare, for going back to her grandparents house to see what the damage was.
*~*Day 79*~*
She hadn’t been able to sleep the night before so, as soon as the dawn broke the sky, Tenma was up and on her feet. Over the night she had absentmindedly thrown her possessions into her bag, not knowing when she would be returning to Konoha, so that she could leave quickly. Once more, as she had done on her first visit to the Fujiko temple, Tenma checked and checked again that her appearance was flawless so her grandparents, if they were there, could see that she had been able to take care of herself. After all, they had been allowing her to do things on her own in the recent past to see if she was growing up – or at least that’s what she assumed.

It was a hug filled farewell with the woman at the welcoming desk as the girl checked out, throwing one last smile back as she walked out the door. The rain was oddly light that morning, but it still instilled a cheery attitude bubbling up in the girl’s chest. She was going home to see if her grandparents were there, or to see what had happened that day she left. It was excitement that was threatening to explode out of her chest and to spill out, pooling in the streets along with the rain. It was suffocating yet invigorating, heavy and yet uplifting. At least, even if there was no one at her home, she would have a chance to see what had happened, to see why she had been sent away.

It took an hour at a comfortable pace, but it felt like forever, before the rickety little house came into view. Her voice caught in her throat as she saw smoke rising from the chimney that was in the kitchen. She could smell her grandmother’s cooking being carried out along with the wispy gray tendrils. Before she knew it, Tenma was running through the front door and grabbing the front of her startled grandmother’s apron in an embrace. The child had sworn to herself that she wouldn’t do this…but she lied. An elderly hand laid its palm on the child’s head she looked up to see overly watery eyes – her grandmother had missed her too. The sound of tools hitting the floor hinted that her grandfather too had entered the room.

Spinning on her toes to see him, Tenma was suddenly confronted by a worryingly red-faced grandfather. Was he that happy to see her? No, that wasn’t happiness: confusion, anger, bewilderment, frustration, maybe. Something was wrong and the child had somehow caused this. The man stormed out as a trembling hand took Tenma by the shoulder and led her to the table. The child allowed herself to be controlled by the hand and numbly sat in the chair at the table. In a matter of moments the girl had gone from exuberant celebration to seething hurt and confusion. What had she just done? What happened when she was gone? Did her grandfather not recognize her or…? A tear tried to fight its way to the surface, but Tenma forced it back down her throat where her stomach was trying to vacate. She had never felt like this before and she would never make someone feel like this…because it was the worst feeling that had ever laid its assault on her body. Physically she was trying to hold down whatever happened to be in her stomach. She couldn’t speak, but somehow words formed into a choking string of audible pain.
“What did I…what did I do wrong this time?”
Her grandmother’s eyes shot up from the knot in the table they trained on to see the white of Tenma’s as she stared out the window. Sakura knew that Takashi lied to her, that he hadn’t told Tenma. He had lied to her in order to get rid of the child he never wanted and he was now dumping the child on her. The pompous old fart.
“It wasn’t you; it was your grandfather, dearest.”
“You’re lying: you only call me dearest when you’re lying. Please, tell me…”
“Hun, it’s just that…grandfather and I can’t handle having another child. The first one didn’t turn out the way we planned and I know he couldn’t handle another disappointment.”
“So…you tricked me into running to Konoha instead of just talking to me. And…you think I’m a failure…”
Her grandmother opened her mouth to reply, but the wrinkled alpha male stood unhappily in the doorway.
“Tenma…I gave you that name for a reason, now leave. You may not return so long as I still live in this house. Get out.”
Without hesitation the child gripped her pack strap with a white-knuckled fist and practically ran out of the once familiar home. No, not home – house. The swamp blurred by, much as it had the last time she left in a hurry. Now she didn’t care if the tears began to fall, they streaked across her cheeks as her feet carried her further and further. Then, without warning, she stopped: simply stopped in the middle of a swamp without so much as slowing down. Up into a tree she then went and it was there that she curled up around herself. Devastation was slowly turning into rage, but hurt still wouldn’t allow its throbbing sting to fade away. It was like that Tenma fell asleep, wishing she had never gone home.
*~*Day 80-83*~*
Unfortunately, when Tenma ran off she managed to run the wrong direction, adding days and energy onto her trip. However, it also put her within a three day walk of somewhere she had always dreamt of visiting and, in order for her to allow herself to get over what had just happened; she was just going to change path and go. It was off to the north and Tenma was gone. With her nightly rest and the occasional stop for a meal Tenma made steady progress. Slowly but surely the scenery began to brighten: the clouds of Ame began to dissipate into the ocean blue sky, the constant drizzling rain smoothed to gently glowing sun, rocky mountain paths began to curve into loping hills and densely blackened forest shone with the vibrant greens of the foliage caressed by the spotting of newly bloomed wild flowers. This was the place of legends, beautiful beyond imagination. It was only once the calm serenity of silence was disturbed that you knew you were close. There was a rumbling that would vibrate into your chest as you approached. A thin mist would gradually build in your eyes as the face of a sheer cliff front came into view. Sight became unnecessary because there was a thick blanket of white suspended liquid in the air, chilling the skin as one passed through its core. Then, far faster than is came on; the sheet gave way to a nearly blinding sight of a sort of oasis. There was the front of a roaring waterfall that confronted you as passage was first granted; greens, blues, yellows, and pinks danced about in one’s peripheral view when they entered. It was here that some members of the Fujiko clan came together to meditate and to search within themselves. However, Tenma was going to use this place to gain her divine truth technique. She was physically stronger, faster, and she could hold her breath underwater for ten minutes; but it was time to do something for her spiritual self, for her mind.

It took time, but Tenma was picky about the place she was to meditate. She walked barefoot, as always, amongst the rock; feeling the smooth moisture slick against the bare skin. The spot she chose had a light mist hanging in the air that clung to your skin; the rock was smooth and slick against her legs as she crossed them, closing her eyes in the same time. Even breaths and cleared thought began her three days of meditation; of leaving behind all of her needs and of all her bodily desires, no matter how simplistic they were. After a time the child began feeling disconnected with her body, though still physically in contact. And after those three days were done she listened to the spirits as they spoke around her; with their blessings she was granted a shield against the untrue that she would inevitably come into contact with.
*~*Day 84-91*~*
With her training complete the girl allowed herself to rest in the clearing for a day as hunger and exhaustion set in. If she wasn’t sleeping she was eating and if she wasn’t eating she was sleeping. The breeze helped counter the heat of the sun while the foliage not only provided a comfortable resting spot but an abundance of edible plants. In her dreams Tenma saw her grandparents as they were before her trip and before she had been tricked into running off. It was a glorious fantasy that she clutched at greedily; but then she saw the Nara family. Their generosity and unconditioned love had been such a pleasant surprise that it would be heart breaking to leave them or, now that she had them in her life, to leave him. What had she been thinking? It was now obvious that she was content with where she was, who she was with, and what she was doing with her life. She had been set away for a reason and now that she knew life would go on as it always had. As she finally came to rest in her dreams the child’s body prepared for the journey back to Konoha that she would have to continue in the quickly approaching morning.

With the striking of the morning sun against her eyes the child rose from her warm, dry spot in the dew glittered grass to loosen her body from the binding holds of sleep. Even though she was so young, Tenma had somehow managed to not only come to terms with what had happened, but to reach an epiphany that concluded in her being alright. A bit of rationed food passed her lips and her final lingering desires for water splashed her face as she longingly gazed at the crystalline pool that she had to abandon. Her body felt refreshed and strong, even after going through such intense spiritual training; so much so that the child actually began to sing the songs of home, the ones that she would now only hear sung by her own voice. Occasionally birds and nature herself would chime in with a new melody that the child would harmonize to; a relatively easy task for a Fujiko with a musical background. Then with each passing day she gained and perfected her ability to walk up trees and on water. As she travelled on the dusty plain of earth she would walk but a tree, and then back down. If she was fortunate enough to run across a body of water, and drinking and refilling her water supplies, the child would walk along her path but atop the water for the sake of training. There were numerous times that she fell hard from the trees or had slipped through the water’s surface, drenching herself in the process, but all were errors that led to the completion of the technique. Soon, soon she would be back in Konoha; safe with the people she now considered family.
*~*Day 92-95*~*
Finally, after days of training and travelling, Tenma finally reached the gates of Konoha. After checking in with the guards, who actually seemed surprised that the child had returned, the girl ran home to the Naras. She was greeted by hugs and food that was accompanied by the stories that she hadn’t been present for. It wasn’t long before bellies were filled and tales had been told, though some of Tenma’s food had once more been claimed by the eldest male Nara, there was a smooth segue from eating to cleaning that the girl gladly took part in. Through the clattering of dishes and the splashing of water Tenma gladly listened to the people around her, but she wasn’t ready to offer up much information of her own: not yet. There was laughter, skits, exaggerations, but it was all a part of the fun of the night.

With spending the majority of the day with the Naras, Tenma was glad that the night had called everyone to sleep. She placed her hand on the cool doorknob, but a slip of paper hanging from too caught her eye. Almost hesitantly she took it into her room with her and went to her window to use the moon as a reading light.
Tenma,
How are you adjusting? I don't think I've totally warmed back up from that snowball fight yet. But you were right. It was kinda fun. My team leader has been making us run alot for training. My legs feel like jello every night but that doesn't stop him. I think he likes seeing us in pain.
Rhaim
There was the dumbest smile on Tenma’s face as she read the note left to her by her friend. It was all too sweet of him to keep her informed while they weren’t seeing each other regularly. Would she see him at all while he was with his new team? The child slipped the letter into her wooden box with her scrolls and then crawled under covers to drift off into the comfortable, warm, familiar slumber of the Nara’s home.

From that point the child fell into a routine that would allow for her body to recover from both the long journey and the intensive, both physically and spiritually, training that she had put herself through. After her morning meal and meditation she would go to the ramen shop, who cheerfully and happily took her back in because they knew about her trip before she left, and to the back in order to wash, stack, carry, load, juggle, and clean the dishes that came to the back. It was comfortable and familiar, which helped to offset the feeling of unease that still stabbed at her chest on the occasion; but this was something to be expected with the visit that she had just encountered with her grandparents. In due time it would all come to pass and she would again be at peace with herself.
*~*Day 96-100*~*
Solely working, meditating, and resting had effectively repaired the damaged muscles in her body and refreshed her mind within a short period of time. Now she could feel herself getting restless and eager to return to her training, to feel the aching in her muscles after a hard day of work. So, after her typical routine of meditation and work at the ramen stand, Tenma went back to the river to swim. That’s all she did: she swam back and forth, in circles, down to the bottom, sometimes she would see how far out of the water she could propel herself or how long she could hold her breath (which turned out to be a bit ridiculous ever since she gained her second genin rank). The child reacquainted herself with the water and its perfect ebb and flow that intoxicated her so. While in the water she could see and watch the spirit of nature all about her, it was the perfect way to reintegrate herself into the mode of training her body and spirit; by simply immersing herself in that she desired to imitate.
*~*Day 101*~*
Without a hitch her routine brought her to the point of needing to train. Her morning meditation, then breakfast, then working at the ramen stand all went smoothly that day; but she was feeling oddly at ease, almost as if she had finally come to terms and that her inner peace had once more been established. Everyone that knew her well could see the happiness return to her posture and to the constantly humming voice as she went about her day of work. It brought smiles to the faces of those who had come to know and love her: the Nara family, the people of the ramen stand, even a few of the shop regulars who had met her when she had been asked to clean up outside a couple of times. And when the girl began to splash around in her typical fashion that evening there was a graceful cheer to her motions that would remind anyone that the water was her home environment. It was where she belonged.

As the child slipped out the water she did notice one thing: all of the spirits that tended to visit the water had disappeared that day. They were nowhere to be seen, but it was soon to be explained why. When Tenma turned from the water she was confronted by the glowing blue eyes of the river spirit: the same one that had before confronted her. Her breath caught in her chest when faced with the most majestic of creatures. Its long flowing body rested on the ground before her, obviously awaiting her unwavering attention. The child slipped into her meditative position, showing her complete focus and respect for the mystical being.
I am glad you have returned, little fish. My fellow spirits have been keeping me informed of your activities during your absence from the waters.
Tenma’s mouth gaped a little in amazement that she had consumed this spirits focus so entirely. It wasn’t typical for this to happen, but she didn’t speak out about it, she just sat and listened to the being.
There have been many events in which I wish I could have lent my strength and wisdom to you, but it seems that you have mustered through just fine on your own. Do not allow your grandparents to have an effect of what you are doing, for you are becoming stronger and brighter every day I have the pleasure of watching you. You are headed towards greatness, little fish. And I look forward to being a part of your journey. Keep me in your mind and in your heart, for I do intend on becoming a permanent piece of you, my dear little fish.
It was with those words that the spirit left the child with, shivering from the cooling evening air brushing against her river dampened skin. Then, with the sun beginning to set, Tenma gathered everything she brought with her to assist with training and headed home; allowing the events to sink in.
*~*Day 102-150*~*
Once more the girl allowed herself to flow with a routine. Meditate, work, study, spend time with the Nara family; however, there was a new addition to her daily actions now that her body was repaired and energized: she was now beginning to learn the Kapchico Fighting Style. With careful and focused movements she would slowly go through a specific form or motion and then she would repeat it continuously until she no longer felt awkward and she didn’t mess up. After she was to that point she would repeat the motion at least a hundred more times until she was sure that there was no way she could mess it up. Then, after all of the forms and motions were perfected she would run battle scenarios in her head, fighting against invisible opponents. Once she began to run out of scenarios the girl began battling her own shadow clones who, as she did, continued to get stronger, faster, and smarter. As her energy based opponents continued to grow so did she as each strike escaladed to a dangerous point. However, it still wasn’t the same as having an actual opponent.
*~*Day 151*~*
Finally content in her abilities concerning the Kapchico Fighting Style, Tenma gave herself a day to, after everything else that she would typically do in a day, simply play in the water like she once had. The rippling liquid splashed over her body in a way that made this obviously contented smile rest on her features. For a while she would just float around, and then maybe do some underwater acrobatics, perhaps she would just swim around underwater since she could hold her breath for a little over ten minutes. It was the unwavering joy that the girl found in the water that kept her there; however this was soon disrupted as she rapidly stood waist deep in the river, caught by a voice on the shore. The glowing blue spirit rested on the soft earth as his intense eyes caught hers, his form gently flowing as the water would.
Hello, little fish, you have suffered much and yet you are still at peace within yourself. Like the water, you take the ebbs and flows of life in stride for it seem that you understand its very nature. This is a trait of yours that I myself have come to admire. It is rare to find in humans. This is a great honor, little fish, for I have been around for many a millennia and I have yet to find a Fujiko worthy of being my vessel. That is, until now. The way you work, the way you move, the way you think, and the way you flow through life is something that I have long searched for in my human carrier. You, my little fish, are worthy of great strength.
Her breath had caught in her chest long before the spirit finished because she knew where this was leading. The spirit had taken enough of a liking to her to become physically attached to the body. Before she could respond, even though she isn’t yet strong enough to reply to a spirit, the massive beast before her turned into a bright glowing blue ball of energy that quickly forced its way into her torso. Tenma gasped at the sensation of the once empty vessel being filled. She could feel the new energy flowing through her body as the strength took grip of its new host. When her senses came back about her, Tenma looked down at her palms and, surely enough; there were two perfectly round blue markings, one on each palm. As excitement wracked her body the girl gathered everything she had brought for training and headed home, not just because the sun was already setting, but in order to get her new markings wrapped in the enchanted bandages that she had stashed away.
*~*Day 152-160*~*
With a minor wardrobe change, Tenma was now wearing black fingered gloves to assist in protecting her bandages, the day continued on as usual until about noon. As she was in the back of the ramen shop cleaning frantically a young man came to the shop asking for her. When he was led to the back, the child recognized him as one of the men who had taken her back to see the Hokage. She put on a genuine smile as he explained that she had been called to a mission with his Genin squad, they were a man short. After being shooed away by the shop owner, Tenma met up with the man and two boys whom she had never met in order to do a relatively large mission, considering what sort of group had been chosen to take it on. Recently a local pet shop had an incident where the entire “inventory” had been set loose and it was their job to regroup:
- 7 felines
- 3 canines
- 9 birds of flight
- 1 bird not of flight
- 2 lizards
- 1 snake
- 3 spiders
Luckily none of the fish had escaped, that could’ve been a very messy situation. With their list in hand, along with very vivid descriptions, they split off into two groups: the two boys were off together and Tenma, because she was the youngest and newest, left with the group leader. This was finally it, her first mission! Even though it was a low level mission, she couldn’t ask for anything better. So off they went.

So far at the top of the priority list were the birds since they could cover far greater grounds than the other animals, not to mention the fact that they were also the most numerous. Binoculars were passed out to each member of the crew and, after some explanation; all the members used the tree walking technique to peer above the canopy. All four of them had nets attached to their belts so they could spring into action as soon as one was spotted. With the high day sun shooting glare into their eyes, it was near impossible to see. However, as the aves showed up on by one. Leaping between branches and tossing nets over the rapidly moving fowls actually turned the mission into the game for the group – scores began to tally. By the end of the aviation round the scores stood as follows:
Mako: 3
Taka: 4
Tenma: 2

With Tenma behind and all but one of the birds rounded up it was time to look for the dogs. This was an area that the girl felt confident with: there was something about four legged creatures that seemed to click with her. All were given their bait and off they went through the city. Darting around alleyways and quickly scanning the areas all the children were riled with the idea of competition. The girl’s lavender eyes sparkled with excitement as she ran along the walls of houses and businesses alike. One on a leash, two in tow and Tenma caught sight of Taka with one. As she turned back to return the animals there was a splashing sound, but no giggling children. Just to make sure, the child peered around the corner and there, before her eyes, was a penguin. Yes, the flightless bird, though she didn’t understand why in the world they would be attempting to sell a cold bird in the fire country, from the list. After attaching the leashes to her waist the girl picked up the penguin and earned an extra point for the round.
Mako: 3
Taka: 5
Tenma: 5

Now that she was tied up with Taka, the real competition was on. It was time to leave Mako in the dust, though that was unfortunate for him, and to focus on the boy tied with her for the lead. Seven cats were lost in the alley ways and it was time to break. This one would be a bit more difficult because each cat had to be placed in a box and brought back to the shop individually. So, now the children were really running because it was now who could do the most sprints. Thanks to all of the swimming and the perpetual training that she had been doing since the completion of the exams, Tenma was a leg up on the boys because she was so aerobically strong. Yes, she had luck with dogs, but cats were her specialty. Secretly, when she still lived in Ame, she had a pet cat that used to hide in the woods. Oh lovable Whiskers. With all three genin thoroughly winded, even Tenma, the score had shifted.
Mako: 4
Taka: 7
Tenma: 9
Finally were the creepy crawlies that couldn’t have possibly gotten too terribly far from the breakout point; three orange-legged tarantulas, two horn toad lizards, and one fully grown python where all that stood between the group and mission completion. This time the onslaught was much slower and children looked in crooks, crannies, and corners. This time lights were used to look in the darker crevices and yelps were used to alert the sensei that someone had been bitten. This was the longest, and most difficult round for the trio; but Tenma retrieved both of the lizards, Mako all three of the tarantulas, and it took all three of them to bring in the snake. Taka didn’t have the patience to find any of the smaller, faster, creepy-crawlies.
Mako: 8
Taka: 8
Tenma: 12
With a substantial win over the guys, the trio enjoyed dinner together, but had to shortly part ways. It had been a great day with plenty of learning and her first ever mission tucked away under her belt.
*~*Day 161-180*~*
Things had been quite as Tenma resumed her daily routine of train, work, train. Thanks to all of the swimming she was doing that little layer of body fat began to slip off of her features; but even with all of the strength training she was doing, her muscle didn’t bulge because of the lacking protein in her diet. None the less, she continued to grow in size, strength, and ability. But, with her continuous work, and lack of missions, the child heard more and more about the war that was going on. It had been quite within the citizen walls, but the shinobi of the village knew so much more. As she began to drift out of the kitchen and more into waitressing in the main room, she would hear rumors and scuttlebutt with details of recent happenings. However, her attention was soon pulled from the local war to the tragedies striking at her own life.
*~*Months 7-10*~*
After receiving a heart-straining letter from Ame, Tenma sat in the Hokage’s office as she listened to him. They would not be able to provide her any protection, but they could provide her a way out. She would have two months to get everything sorted out back at home, but that was all the time they could allot. There was a set time, date, and location; but she only had half an hour to pack and be at the meeting spot.

Once she had finished sprinting blindly through the village and quickly throwing together she met two men who escorted her out of the village. The letter ran through her mind over and over as she trudged along, weights attached to her legs in order to maintain her training. It had been so void, empty, but it weighted so heavily. All it said was that, since her grandparents were living outside the Ame boundaries, shinobi couldn’t reach them in time once an attack was launched. Tenma’s grandfather had information, and old secrets, but when he refused to give them up they were both killed. The last of her family was gone and the only sympathy she got was a slash of ink dashed across a scroll. It stung, she was never close with her grandfather, but it was like someone was ramming a hot poker into her stomach and she just couldn’t shake it. They were gone and there was no one there to protect them…if only she had been there, maybe they would still be alive.

Rain poured over her gradually slowing body as her feet were coated by the waves of mud created as she forged on ahead. Any stops were rare and short, but when they did occur she either ate or meditated. It was an exhausting journey, but as she reached the swampy edges of Amegakure there was a slight boost in her energy and she travelled amongst the trees in an attempt to avoid the prehistoric lizards attempting to warm themselves below. Her eyes were blurred with the vibrant greens of the foliage that she sped through; but a small yelp escaped from her lips when she saw a person standing on a branch before her. Yes, could it be? Surely enough it was that psychotic hermit that she had encountered on her last visit. She clearly recalled the conversations with this man, but the girl couldn’t predict what could happen this time.

“My, my, I’ve never seen one so young in my swamps. Who might you be?”
Never seen one so young? She was even younger the last time she had encountered him in the swamps. However, she also knew that logic didn’t seem to work with this character. As the branch swayed slightly beneath her feet Tenma decided it would be best to go along with this man’s incoherent conversions.
“I am Fujiko Tenma of Ko-Amegakure.”
Her breath caught slightly as she mentioned her country. With the negativity towards Konoha rampant through the country, it would be best if she left that part out. Hopefully she had corrected herself quickly enough for him not to catch on.
“Do you have a stutter, child? There is some fabulous hemlock tea that’ll cure that!”
“Hemlock is poison though!”
“Oh, psh, only for the first couple of years; you get used to it after a time.”
“So you drink hemlock tea?”
“Why yes, it is quiet delicious if I do say so ma’self.”
“I see…I’ll have to give it a try sometime.”
Tenma noted never to take tea from the local hermit…especially since he could be accurate in his identification of the hemlock plants.
“Oh – do you feel what I feel?”
“What? There is nothing to –“
The girl was cut short once she felt an energy source in the distance. Before she had a chance to react or respond she felt a callused hand gripping her wrist and forcing her to follow. Pulling her eyes from the energy she saw the hermit leading her. As to where she couldn’t be sure; but it was obvious that he didn’t like the energy supply that he had sensed. Without the energy or reason to fight back, the child allowed herself to be led away from that strange source.

Though it didn’t take a great amount of time, the two covered an impressive distance that reminded Tenma of how out matched she had been when she “fought” him during their last encounter. More like she had gotten tossed around the swampy floor the last time she was there. When they came to a halt it all Tenma could do not to run into the back of the withered man before her. His movements were quick, twitchy, and alert; and it was beginning to concern the small girl. Then, without warning, the man just sat down in the muck, paying no heed to the other human standing there.
“Be gone child, now we both have business to attend to.”
She didn’t have to be told twice. Tenma was gone and shortly at the still smoldering remains of her shortly abandoned home. Once more that pang returned, having been momentarily lost in the confusion, as her eyes scanned her charred childhood. Confliction arose as she recalled the smiles and happiness that often met head to head with the pain, confusion and strikes. Now the real work would begin.

Over her stay, the child stood by her grandparents as they were buried next to their family. Yes, she stood where the “standing heir” would since she was the last one to stand. Her family was gone, she carried that last droplets of their blood and their memories. It was a sobering thought, but one that she could quite contently live without. However, as the days wore on so the ceremonies came to a close and she began her work. Again she returned to the Fujiko library to study while she could still make it over to the country. There was no telling when her next visit could, or would occur. But she did know exactly when it would end.

In an attempt to take advantage of the time she had left in her homeland, when Tenma wasn’t in the library she could be found out training. Her days were long and intense; when sleep beckoned she would walk up the tree next to her grandparent’s house and drift into slumber inside of the little blanket hammock that she had constructed. From there her dreams would be plagued by nightmares with violent tossing and turning. If she was too far into the dream it wasn’t unheard of for her to be awoken by a vigorous encounter with the ground. Moans and groans would soon follow as her aching body rose from the ground. That was how the next month continued as the girl continued to grow and learn.

It was in the night that Tenma’s life decided to slap her in the face once again. Curled up in her makeshift blanket, tossing and turning as usual there were events unfolding that she could not predict. Before she had a chance to stir and react to the sudden spike in energy, the child was gagged and the corners of her blanket knotted over her head so she was contained within her new little prison. Though she kicked and squirmed and struggled, she quickly figured out screaming really wasn’t an effective option, the child couldn’t seem to find an opening. Eventually she calmed herself, realizing that she wasn’t going to get out. However, now would be the best time to prepare her for whatever was to come when they didn’t release her from the blankets.

Tenma couldn’t remember what happened: she recalled feeling smooth, cool ground beneath her and there was a sort of hissing sound, but that was where she passed out. When she did come to there was a flat stone floor beneath her freezing feet. The child was wracked with shivers as her drooping eyes caught only small amounts of light filtering in through the bottom of the door before her. What had happened? Why had it happened? Questions cascaded in a vicious torrent around her mind as she tried to figure out what was going on. However, soon her questions were to be answered by a highly energized fist.
“What are you talking about?! My grandfather would never tell me anything about his past!”
“Lies! You’re the last one left, so you’re the last one with the information we need.”
Once more a fist connected to the side of her face.
“Tell us where the scrolls are hidden, child! I don’t have the patience to spare your life if you decide to be stubborn.”
“I cannot give you information that I do not have!”
Then a thought struck her almost as strong as the man’s fist as it connected with her temple this time. As his fist rose one more time the child looked right at him, a slight surge of confidence strengthened her body as she found her way out.
“So you are going to kill the only person capable of uncovering the secrets?”
His fist paused and forcedly dropped to his side, though still clenched with white knuckles.
“What are you saying, girl?”
“I am saying that if you knew how to uncover these secrets then you would not be wasting your time with me.”
“We killed your grandparents because they were wasting my time and now you decide to do the same? Somehow I think you just killed yourself.”
At that a few more blows followed in rapid succession before Tenma had a chance to open her mouth.
“You know you need a member of the Fujiko clan to unlock my grandfather’s past. You know that he hid it all where some pathetic outsider like yourself could not find it without assistance. But you thought that since I am the youngest and that I just suffered their loss that I would be easy to break. Unfortunately for you I am not only lacking that information, but I have also been gifted with my grandfather’s legendary stubborn streak.”
Finally the man snapped and, with only a few more blows, the young girl was rendered unconscious. Though she wasn’t about to complain about that. At least she didn’t have to feel every single blow as it hit. No, she would just wake up and let it all hit her at once.

*~*Months 11-12*~*
Tenma’s eyes fluttered open to greet a blindingly white room. She flinched as a wall of pain suddenly fell onto of her. Unfortunately she wasn’t awake enough to call out, but she was aware enough to hold back the tears brimming on the corners of her eyes and focus on her breathing to soothe the pain. It wasn’t long before a woman in white came in and injected the girl with some sort of liquid that caused the pain to fade so that she could once again fade into the black of sleep. This became the ritual for three weeks. It was impossible to awaken the child without taking her off the pain medication, but as soon as she woke up they had to administer a dose for the sake of ethical practice. This would cause her to fall back into sleep and they couldn’t seem to figure it out. Time was all they could count on.

Eventually the girl was able to sit up and eat as her strength returned to her body. The nurses, as she discovered that she was in the hospital back in Konoha, were kind and would talk to her. However, the pity was evident as they recalled the child from her last extended stay in the hospital. She hated the pity, but she loved being able to eat, so she tolerated it. After she was able to have full, coherent conversations with the nurses a man came to visit her. He was obviously sent to see what she could remember, but Tenma made use of that stubborn streak that saved her life and refused to talk until she knew how she got to the hospital; much less how she got back to Konoha when she had been captured in Ame. Finally she won out and he began his short little story.
“Well, the day you were supposed to return to the village myself and a second op member were waiting at our meeting place. However, you never showed up. Just to make sure nothing had gone wrong, we did a quick sweep of the surrounding area and there you were; bleeding and unconscious on the ground where someone had evidently dropped you. Other than that we didn’t find anyone: there were no foot prints, no discernible chakra markings in the area – just a bruised and battered little girl.”
Tenma was tempted to slap him when he tossed in that last description, but decided it best not to.
“To be honest…I do not recall much of what happened. I had been in Ame for some time studying and training in clan specific techniques while I was in the vicinity. One night when I was asleep I was gagged and the blanket I was using to suspend myself was used to contain me. From there I recall a hissing sound and then I woke up in a room. This guy hit me a few times and demanded information that I did not have. Once he figured that out he hit me a few more time and I passed out…then I woke up here. That is all I can recall.”
The look on his face was of concern and curiosity. Without another word, though he did incline his head, the man left; which opened the door for Tenma to be swarmed by various Nara members. There were concerned looks exchanged and concerned voices voiced, but once they figured out the girl was alright everyone began to calm down. They really were like family and the child couldn’t help but smile at the thought.
*~*Year 2*~*
Once she was released from the hospital with a full bill of health Tenma immediately returned to the daily grind. What she didn’t know was that, while the operatives were checking around the village for her captors, there was a temporary suspension placed on her mission status to ensure that she wasn’t accidently slipped an out-of-the-village mission that would endanger not only herself, but her teammates as well. However, everything turned out to be clean and the year went quickly as the girl grew in both height and abilities. Her focus was with her spirit as they merged and formed into one being that moved and flowed together. Bonds grew with the females of the Nara family as Tenma’s food was continuously disappearing from her plate during meals. At the hospital she had no choice as to what she would eat, so she had grown accustom to eating meat, so the ever famous prawns eventually made their way into her diet. The boost in protein also added a boost to her training as she began to build muscle and incorporate weights into her workouts. Save for her dance and music practice, they really had no place there.

Two years had passed and Tenma found herself sitting on her bed, putting together her gear to meet her team in the morning. She gazed at the letter one last time, excited that she would finally get to work with her fellow shinobi.

This is not my full time skip story but since my computers are down and I have to keep flipping from machine to machine, I might as well save my time skip story here as I work on it.

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Month 1

The graduation ceremony was an important turning point for Shin, as it lead to a change in his perception of the things in his life. Before that event, he was just another young student trying to do his best and show those at home how great of a choice he had made by deciding to come to the academy. Only instead of it being a simple matter of going against the wishes of his parents, he was going against the history and tradition of his clan, a history of abstaining from the local ninja community as much as possible. His people were nomads by nature, craftsmen by trade and isolationists by desire. The act of not only involving himself with the village of Kirigakure but enrolling in their school system was met with outrage so fierce that an outsider might have thought he’d slept with his sister. Therefore his whole ninja career he was fighting against the odds, to do what no other from his clan had done before. He was doing it not for himself but to prove others around him wrong, appealing to their growing anger to tell him whether or not he was succeeding. He was putting on a show, being the ringleader of his own circus, jumping through hoops and standing on his head to impress them. That’s why at graduation when he finally got up on that stage, he was shaking and stumbling with nervousness and fear, for his show was over and he was waiting for the critics to come back with their reviews. But once that headband fell into his hands and he looked into the proud beaming face of his sensei, Shin realized that none of that other stuff actually matters. He realized he owed nothing to those who wished him ill and should really be doing well not to impress someone else or to prove them wrong but rather for his own development and desires. Thus he went into his genin-hood with the proper attitude, keeping up his high level of progress from the academy and then some, as he applied himself even harder to his studies.

Studies which like all things done by Kirigakure’s ninjas, was extreme. His lessons in the academy may have been tough and hands-on but the work he was doing now was on another level. From day to day, he was going on missions that weren’t what you’d expect a fresh genin to be doing. Gone were the days when a D mission would involve something as simple as catching a cat or delivering some mail, he was going on the much more difficult assignments. Missions that involved doing things like controlling the local piranha population or cleaning up an oil spill single-handedly. Tasks that made even the impulsive Shin take to moment to figure out just how he was going to tackle then and then force out as more sweat and tears then he held in his body as he tried his darnest to implement whatever crazy idea came to him. For example in the piranha situation, he decided to jump into the water and challenge the carnivorous fish to duels. A plan which is about as stupid as it sounds, if it weren’t for the fact that he took enough time thinking about this situation to pick an ideal spot for his undersea battles. Instead of tackling the situation on the shoreline or in the open sea, he found a narrow sea trench off one of Kirigakure’s smaller islands and funneled the fish there by placing chump in strategic locations. Once funneled into the small space, it wasn’t exactly easy to take down his teethy foes but it was less difficult than it could have been. Nonetheless it was one big workout in which he learned quite a bit about how long he could hold his breathe as well as interesting ways in which a kill stroke can be made. After several hours of such labor, the deed was done however Shin was not. The little ninja was not content with just learning and growing through the tasks handed down to him and still managed to make time each day in which he could partake of conventional training methods. Before he dozed off each night, he made sure he practiced his sword play on a wooden foe and took a few minutes to mold his chakra in an effort to improve his control over the vital metaphysical force. He held himself to such diversity of education for his own betterment and over time, he started to grow accustomed to his increased workload.


Month 2

In the second month of his "genin-ship," just at the time when he was beginning to become used to his new lifestyle, things began to change. Not as quickly or as profoundly as the month previous when he had come into his new title and responsibilities, but there were still enough changes that he took notice. For although the activities in his schedule stayed roughly the same, with a healthy balance of village work, missions and training, the environment in which those activities took place began to change. And not just the physical environment, as in location and time but the atmosphere as well.

It started out small enough, with subtle changes in the in the social-political climate. There once was a time when you could walk through the street and be greeted by joyful (or at least mildly satisfied) faces, smiles and waves of the common folk, stop and have a chat with a random passerby if you had some time to kill (not that Shin had much of that, but he took brief breaks whenever he got a chance). But nowadays people are not so friendly and people are more likely to whisper in corners than chat in the open. The country was just become a much more quiet and secretive place with everyone afraid of or suspicious of everyone and anyone. It probably had to do with the war of conquest raging outside Kirigakure's closed borders. The new lord of the Fire Country had not come knocking at the village's door yet but the country still shivered at the thought of another conflict on their soil. It was too soon, the country had only barely recovered from the near destruction that the Mistress and her ilk had brought down upon on the village, that wound was still tender and fresh. So it was not surprising that the people were none too eager to be involved in another debacle of that sort, yet they feared that was what the future held in store. So they stockpiled their weapons, scrambled for more and shrouded their military might in mystery. Afraid that the Fire Lord might have planted spies among the populace, people who waited and watched for the moment when everyone's back was turned to open the borders and let their master's troops in. Not to mention the fact that he wasn't the only danger to the country, for the warring factions inside the government were just as bad. They squabbled and fought, assassinating and bowing to each other in an never-ending game of cat and mouse with rules so convoluted and non-nonsensical that everyone played by their own rulebook. So since trouble and turmoil could come from any direction and that anyone, could be working for this or that enemy was what kept mouths shut and eyes closed. It's what sucked the life out of the village, as brother turned against brother in fear that his brother might do the same.

However Shin refused to feel that way, to give in to fear and dismay. He went about his business as if nothing had changed, with his head held high and spirits even higher. If nothing else he would be that speck of light in the dark and gloomy night. It didn't matter that he now got only half as much Intel on each mission, that he only knew where to go and had to figure out what to do when he got there. It didn't matter that his mission now took him further and further away from the village proper, to the point that sometimes he wondered if he was even still operating in Kirigakure anymore. He was unconcerned with the politics, so he just let all that noise wash over him. It was better that way, or so he thought. For when he would look back on these times, he would always wish that he had done things differently. Not that he had changed his attitude and fell in with everyone else but rather that he had should payed more attention to what was going on. Because then maybe he could have stopped it, It's not like he felt he could changed the world or even the village, but at least he could have stopped it from happening. But he didn't, so he couldn't. And thus it happened.

It occurred roughly two-quarters of the way through his second month as a genin. It was secret and hidden away from public eyes, and then revealed only once the dust had cleared. It ended one man's life and began that of many others. It shook Shin to the core and left him a mess for weeks. And it could have stopped, It could have been avoided if only he'd payed more attention. He didn't know how but he knew that he could have done something about it. If only....



Month 3

It hit Shin pretty damn hard, wracked both him emotionally and mentally to the point that he couldn't quite function right for a while. For a good couple of weeks he was there but not there for most occasions, whether it was a missions, a training session or simply a personal event like a birthday. It had simply blindsided him and then send him tumbling into the abyss, like a knife to the back. His mentor and teacher was gone, it had taken him away from both the village and his life. They hadn't been too close after Shin had begun going on missions and generally been too busy for house calls but it had always been reassuring to Shin that he had someone to talk to and go to for training if not advice. He had been Shin's safety net and then he was suddenly gone, exiled for life, unreachable in an instant. So it was only natural that it took him some time to overcome such a shock. What was not natural however was how some of his clan dealt with him in this state.

Instead of trying to ease his pain, instead of trying to help him move on or taking any sort of beneficial action, his people they took advantage of what they saw as a grand opportunity to further their own agendas. For the times were changing, for not only the village itself but within the individual clans and the Katanakanji specifically, in a very bittersweet way. The agitated political climate had raised tensions and put everyone so far on edge that everyone was but a hair’s length away from violence at all times. A man could lose his life just as easily as his wallet and thus it was natural for every man, woman and child to seek a means to defend themselves whether that means be found in a fist, dagger or sword. And that’s where the Katanakanji’s clan arts came in handy, for everyone knew they produced the greatest blades around and thus overnight their workmanship was suddenly in great demand. And there was no shortage of reasons that people gave when they came to purchase their newest dagger or long sword, reasons each purchaser was required to provide as the clan wouldn’t supply just anyone with their high quality craftsmanship. Where one man might need a blade to defend himself from a political enemy, another may simply want to dissuade the prowlers that came out at night, and another may simply be preparing for the invasion they all feared was coming, or simply to hold on to throughout the long, cold nights. There was such a high demand for blades that they could barely produce enough blades to keep up even with the forge fires burning all day and night and a rotating schedule of senior clans members. There were simply not enough hands behind the hammers, too much angst behind the anvils and nowhere near enough bodies working the furnaces, necessary to produce the volume of quality pieces that were required.

So the leaders of the clan demanded that more bodies were to be brought in to help shoulder the heavy load, for both this short term crisis and the long haul. Which meant that all apprentices regardless of where they were in their training needed to not only start working for the family immediately but that their training would need to be accelerated so that could be brought into the fold. What did this mean for Shin exactly? Well although Shin had advanced up in the ranks of the shinobi, in his clans eyes he was still a child in many ways. Age had nothing to do with this determination/ classification but rather this was based more on his skill in the clan’s chosen craft. He had created some decent blades in his time, having progressed much from the times in which he couldn’t make much more than a ceremonial dagger or a steak knives, to a level at which a full blown sword was not too far outside his grasps. However all that which he had made in the past were mundane items, common ilk that could be found in most weapon shops. Until he made a masterpiece of his own, a master work conceived by his mind and birthed by his own two hands, he would still be seen as naught more than infant in the eyes of his clan. Normally this would mean intensive study of the craft for several years before a pilgrimage into the wild to create his first masterpiece. But as said before, others with no thought for his well being took advantage of his emotional distress and the clan’s labor problems to further their hidden agendas.

Year One:

Kumiko watched as the new gēnin received their headbands. She was consumed with jealousy. She wanted to be up there, all eyes on her as she proudly tied her headband around her head, applause shaking the roof. Kumiko clenched her fists. I’ll get there, she promised herself. I’ll make you proud, Mum. I swear it.

Kumiko felt a light touch on her head. She looked up into her grandfather’s clear blue eyes. “Don’t worry, Kumiko-chan,” he murmured, giving her a warm smile. “You will become strong when the time is right. Not a moment sooner, nor a moment later.” Suddenly, he hunched over in a fit of coughing, drawing stares from the people around them. “Ojii-sama!” she whispered frantically, supporting him. “I’m all right, Kumiko-chan,” he said hoarsely, giving her another smile. This one, however, shook with the effort. Kumiko was worried, but her fears were somewhat assuaged when Sora stood upright.

Her grandfather’s words soothed her restless spirit slightly, but Kumiko still trained relentlessly. She accompanied Shinzu to the Academy in the morning, focusing on her ranged attacks, her naginata, and chakra control and occasionally sparring with Shinzu. She grew in strength, quickly becoming a skilled ranged fighter and tactician. She mastered the basic justus rapidly.

Shinzu was becoming restless, and often talked of leaving the village. Kumiko, however, didn’t think this was a good idea given the political situation of the village, and had warned him against it, suggesting that he wait until graduation. Kumiko, however, wouldn’t be going with him. She couldn’t leave her grandfather, because Sora was dying.

End of Year 1.

Year Two:

Kumiko’s grandfather was dying.

Of course, Kumiko had known he was ill for a long time, but this time she saw that he was on his last legs, and wouldn’t survive the infection. Sora pottered around trying to act like nothing was wrong, but Kumiko saw how his hands shook so much that the glass he held rattled, how his skin was paler than the newly fallen snow, how his eyes were as dull as a pebble, how easily he tired. The big dog Mamoru, always attached to Sora, stayed constantly at his side, whining and licking at Sora’s hand. Even the puppy, Sachiko, normally happy and bouncy, was cowed, spending most of her time underneath Kumiko’s bed.

The climax came one morning in the summer, not long after Kumiko had graduated, when Sora got up to get a cup of tea and dropped the cup because his hands were too weak to hold it. Kumiko cried out as her grandfather toppled to the floor. “Ojii-sama!” she cried, leaping to her feet.

“I-I’m all right, K-Kumiko-chan,” he said, trying to get up. Kumiko stopped him. “No, you’re not!” she whispered. “I see how weak you are, even though you try to hide it! Admit it, Ojii-sama, you’re dying!”

Sora looked up in surprise. He had not thought that his granddaughter would be so blunt. He looked into her dark blue, tearless eyes and saw sadness, but also strength. She grows more like her mother every day, he thought. “Very well,” he sighed. “You’re right.”

Kumiko looked at him, surprised, her sadness increased tenfold. She’d hoped that he would deny it, to say, “It’s all right,” like he always had when she was little. It finally sunk in that her grandfather, the only family member she had left and the person she admired most, was dying. Tears brimmed, but did not overflow. Kumiko blinked them away. “Let’s get you to bed,” she said, helping Sora to his feet.



The clock ticked peacefully. It was late afternoon, one month later, and Sora was for once sleeping calmly. Kumiko’s head nodded, finally drooping to land on Sora’s stomach.

Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!

Kumiko’s head jerked up as someone pounded on the door. Thankfully, Sora hadn’t been awoken. The pounding continued, and Kumiko jumped up, irritated. Rushing to the front of the house, she flung open the door just as the pounder began to shout. “C’mon, Kumiko-chan, open the damn d-oh, there you are, Kumiko-chan.”

“Shinzu-kun, when I said ‘knock next time’, I meant lightly,” she hissed in a furious whisper, stepping out on the porch and closing the door lightly behind her.

But Shinzu was in no mood for jokes. “Kumiko-chan, why aren’t you showing up for missions? Everyone says you gave up being a ninja, and if you keep skipping like this, they’ll take away your headband!”

Kumiko’s hand reached up and touched her headband. She bowed her head, and was about to answer when Sora’s weak voice reached her ears. “Kumiko-chan…can you-come here?”

Kumiko was instantly alert, forgetting Shinzu for the moment. She rushed inside, and was at his bedside in an second. “Yes, Ojii-sama?”she asked. “Can I get you anything?”

Sora smiled peacefully, reaching up to touch his granddaughter’s face. “You look just like your mother,” he murmured. “You…would make her very proud.” The hand dropped.

Kumiko’s anguished cry rang throughout the house. “Ojii-sama? Sora? Ojii-sama, speak to me! Ojii-sama!!”



White carnations littered the ground around the marble headstone. White carnations—the symbol of death. The other mourners had long gone, except for two.

“C’mon, Kumiko-chan, we should be going,” said Shinzu.

Kumiko nodded, still staring at the grave. “In a minute,” she murmured, taking out a kunai. She reached up and snicked off her long braid, kneeling down to lay it on the freshly dug grave. She placed the blade of the kunai against her palm and pulled. Shinzu hissed and made a sudden movement, but she stopped him with a wave of her hand. A few drops of blood dripped onto the grave. “I will always be with you, Ojii-sama,” she murmured.

Kumiko picked up a carnation, tucked it into her pouch, and stood.“Shinzu,” she said, her eyes closed, forgetting even to use the honorific. “When you leave—take me with you.”

End of Year 2.

I apologize for the over-dramatic-ness.

@NotQueenYet132: You are rewarded 267exp for your time skip story.

~Toshi's Story~

Month 1

Toshi walked out of kasuke's office and went to an empty training ground. He spent the next few weeks learning the replacement technique. The only thing on Toshi's mind was to try and get stronger so he can help people. He found himself missing home more then he had liked to admit. Finding it harder and harder each passing day he decided to visit the little village of Okazai. On the way to the village he wanted to continue his training. Grabbing a school book from his pack he slowly read through everything it had to offer. Reaching the village later in the week he spent the next two days sleeping off all of his training. Toshi's mother kept asking about Tsuneo but all he could tell her was that hes doing well and being well trained. A few more days of the same answer his mother stopped asking.

Month 2

Toshi opened his book and day after day he went to the forest on the mountain to train. Using the replacement technique every now and then to keep his skills sharp. His mind often wondered but he was to determinded to stay that way for that long. He trained using a few senbon needles his mother gave him. After awhile he started to get good. He regretted leaving his brother there but with the school to be rebuilt soon he hoped everything would be all right. Toshi spent a few more weeks trying to learn the cloak of invisibility jutsu. Toshi tried to hide from everything in the woods. A few times before he mastered it he found a little trouble when a couple of bear cubs were wrestling with one another mistook him for a predator. Exgausted from using so many replacement jutsu's and transforming into rocks and trees to get away. He ran through the entire forest with an angry mother bear chasing him to the village boarder. Luckly he made it out in time. He laughed his way home but for the next few days he never went farther then a few hundred feet in the forest.

Month 3

Toshi, having found his courage with the new moon decided it safe to go back into the forest deeper. There he pulled out a pack of explosive tags he took before he left Otogakure. Slowly he was able to get the hang of it. The first few tries the ones he didnt mean to blow up did nearly causing a tree to fall on him but through his misfortunes he still continued. The birds in the area barely few very far anymore. He tested to see how far he could use them though after a certain distance he figured it was to much to maintain. The next week he tried to incorperate some of the things he learned into his fighting styles. He'd use senbons with the tags attached and used them to set off traps to where he had to counter with more explosive senbons. Toshi came home bleeding through his shirts more then once. He figured that since in the village he should wear the traditional uniform so they didn't think he was turning his back on them. His mother, the kind and loving person she was, would sew all the cuts and slashes in his outfit for the next day. Though eventually she figured that he could just wear the same tattered ones to teach him a lesson. After the village elders scolded him he had less rips and slashes through them.

Month 4

After learning all of the academies jutsus he focused on his chakra control training. Day after day his gruling training carried on. He used so much of his chakra, on more then a few accounts, where he had passed out in the woods for a night. The mornings after that were very tough. The days he did come home he'd come home drenching in sweat. His mothers worried face was the only reasons he came back to sleep in the house at nights.... That and the food. He tried his best and eventually his chakra control got to the point where he could transform without a problem.

Month 5

A few Shinobi's passed through the village and Toshi begged them to help him. The shinobi's not knowing what he wanted to learned asked him. When he told them that he wanted to learn how to get out of genjutsu's they laughed until they saw his face staring blankly at them. With farther pestering they finally agreed. Toshi had learned the most basic of what there is to know about genjutsu. He was a little upset that they were short changing him but he figured it was better then nothing. One of the Shinobi who was very cruel put him into a genjutsu that made him want to claw out his eyes. Crying as the other shinobi's stopped the mean one he went home never wanting to learn anything to do with that stuff. A few days later after he had become himself once more he marched up to them and asked once more to be trained. The Shinobi to had come first to his aide helped him learn what he had to.

Month 6

Toshi learned how to break the cirrulation in his body to distrupt the jutsu. Thankfully none of the genjutsu's the Jonin had put on him was to painful. At times Toshi didn't get out and the Jonin had to stop it. Slowly learning more Toshi was able to break through the illusions and break it. He was thankful for the Jonin at being pacient and teaching him the art. He figured that he was going to mostly stick with Ninjutsu's. Toshi still trained with the Jonin till he could get the realease down. When the Jonin asked if Toshi wanted to learn how to cast Genjutsu his eyes went wide and jumped behind a tree. Laughing the Jonin patted Toshi on the head and went off with his team out of the village.

Month 7

Toshi was told to visit the elders. As he did so they jumped on him like a cat on a field mice. They quickly tied him up. Using the rope escape jutsu he jumped free as was ready. With approving smiles they nodded to one another and told him. "Would you like to use the affinity in which you were given?" Completely shocked he nodded his head like a puppet. 'What are they going to teach me? Is it one of the clans Jutsu's? Do I have enough chakra and control to even do it?' Questions raced through his head. One of the elders held up a hand as if knowing what he thought. "What you will be tought is not one of the jutsu's from our village. You are still young yet and there is war at our door step. If you even tried our Techniques you'd kill yourself." With a sigh Toshi's hopes were smashed. The Elder's eyebrow rose. "So you don't want to learn this Jutsu then?" With a look of shock Toshi looked at the elder that had spoken and said "But I thought you said I'd die if I even tried!" Nodding the elder knelt to be eye level with Toshi who was on the floor sitting on collapsed legs. "I never said that the Jutsu would be from our village. I only said that it was of your affinity. Either you may accept it or not but a Chunin from another village has come by and this person utilizes the Wind chakra. Though not like we can do." Toshi gave him a curious look. "Go outside and you'll see." Toshi almost to eager left before the elder was done speaking. When he ran outside he saw a Ninja with 4 blades hovering in air while she wielded two of her own. Toshi thought the man was battling ghosts right here in his village. The Chunin turned to look at Toshi and smiled. He then realized that the he he had thought was a he was actually a she. Toshi was stunned and smiled back like an idiot. "Are you ready for our lessons now?" He nodded. "Good. Now the real fun begins." As she continued he saw her words transform and her eyes took on a melevalent appeal to them. With a gulp Toshi swallowed all of his pride and courage. He was in for a long few months.

Months 8, 9, and 10

For the next three months all he did was train just as she told him. He slept when she said sleep and ate when she said eat. Within the next three month as doing just as she said he was able to learn the Jutsu. When they were done training she ruffled his hair as if he were her pet dog. With a smile she began to leave from the village. Toshi was glad to see her on her way and yet he was a little sad. Being the kid that he is he turned to watch her watch through the gate. When one of her feet just crossed the pole Toshi said "That's right you better leave." With a half smile on his face. Just then his face went pale white as she stopped and started to turn around. Toshi was almost to the point of tears when she came near his and got eye level. Her face showed nothing but angry. Toshi started started stuttering his appaulogies when like a switch her face was happy and smiling. "OH! I almost forgot to give you these. Take care of them." She reached into her bag and pulled out two fuuma shuriken. She set it in his hands and kissed his forehead. Toshi in pure shock of not being vaporized to dust let his legs fall out from underneath him. He was staring as she left not able to speak a word. Looking back every so often she'd smile and laugh. When he found his legs and were able to move freely once more he told his mother what had transpired. He knew she was upset cause she was using words he didn't know. A few of them being "Lolicon" and "Domenatrix." Toshi had once asked her after what they meant and repeated them. With a frown all his mother said was to go to his room.

Month 11

After several nights of his mother giving him side long glances he avoided her. Toshi headed back to the woods every day to work on everything he had learned. He'd come home exguasted and bleeding. His mother just gave him food and shook her head. He thought that she must be sad and wants him to quit being a ninja. He felt bad for a little while then remembered hes fighting to protect them all or well... at least take some of the burden off of the people actually protecting everyone. Toshi thought that his brother and cousin might be proud of him and what he had been able to do.

Month 12

Packing up his things to got ready to leave when his mother knocked on the door to his room. Toshi looked up shocked. "Going back to the city already?" His mother had said. Toshi slowly nodded and replied "I've been here longer then I should have already. I need to talk to kasuke about the genin exams next year and see when it is and where. Also what will happen if I decide to go to the next one instead of the one next year." His mother looked at him worriedly knowing what the genin exams had in them. She dug into her pocket and pulled out a necklace. The blue silver chain slowly withdrew from her pocket. Dangling at the end of it was a tigers eye long fang shape stone. Toshi knew the necklace was new. He blinked at her. "What's this for?" His mother just shook her head and tossed it to him with grace she put a hand in her other pocket and smoothly tossed an envalope at his face. Inside was five hundred ryu. Toshi looked at the front it said Tsuneo. He smiled. "Little brother will probably buy a mass amount of weapons with this." Smiling he put it in his bag. He saw his mother watching and wondered why. His mother was staring at the necklace. Slightly embarrassed he put the necklace over his head. The stone reached the center of his chest, easily hidden under his vest. Grabbing his bags he left back for Otogakure.

Month 13

After his trip back Toshi began to train daily only coming to the school once and a while. He set his bag aside and changed into his normal clothes that were thankfully clean. Toshi was so intent on training that he forgot to give the gift to his brother. Weeks went by till the month ended as quickly as it started Toshi had slowly went back to school till he was going everyday. He was so excited about the genin exams all he did was train. He watched his little brother grow and become a fine student. Toshi never said hi to his little brother though. Every time he had gone to talk to him he saw him with his nose in a book or training. He didn't want to distrupt him or throw him off. Sadly he stayed clear and watched from the shadows. Well when ever he had time to spare from his own training and schooling.

The next 11 Months.

The next months flew from one to the other seemlessly. Toshi hadn't learn anything new or push himself into hardcore training. He went to school. Learned all he could. The time he sent was a constant reminder of how close he was to becoming a ninja. Hearing news about the land of fire sent everyone a buzz. Toshi didn't really want to think about warring countries while he sat there and could do nothing. On the last month Toshi desided that he wanted to help the hospital but he kept forgetting.