Welcome to Gaia! ::

The snow fall muffled almost every other sound. A white blanket covered everything for as far as the eyes could see. There were so many graves dotting the land it was hard to focus on any of them. Yoruichi stood atop a hill, gazing down at the scene. These were all of her people, her home, buried beneath the cold, hard ground. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and began to trudge forward, carving a path through the snow. Her companions whimpered and whined behind her, feeling the sorrow flowing from her. Yachioshi, the larger animal of the two slowly walked forward, his tail and ears down. He brushed up to Yoruichi's leg and nosed her hand, trying to console her. Raja followed suit, pressing his warm body against her other side. Yoruichi reached down and caressed their heads lightly before continuing.

She had been a teenager back in those days, free and never thinking about the future. Every day was taken one by one, until Konoha came and destroyed Yukigakure. Yoruichi had luckily been away from the Village, partaking in one of the most grueling missions she had ever been on. Her sensei had sent her squad out into the freezing cold with very little equipment. They had to survive, depending on each other for warmth and supplies. Twice Yoruichi had come back with terrible scars and not a scrap of food, but they prevailed in the end. When they left that wretched cave and began to trudge home, a new meaning of Shinobi and Kunoichi in their minds, they only found destruction. Almost every last trace of her family had been wiped away. Only her little brother had survived, but Yoruichi had not known that for years to come after. That day had been the hardest for her, accepting her new life and the truth.

For years Yoruichi had rejected her family, not wanting to be the next in line to rule their clan house. It would have been a dull life, she had been sure of that. Yoruichi walked through the cemetery, eyes open for her family crest. Yachioshi was the one to find it first, letting out a soft howl to gather her attention. She stopped before the large monolith, the names of her kin and their companions engraved in the cold stone. Tears welled in her eyes as she put her forehead against it, closing her eyes and recalling the past she had taken time to bury. It hurt her the most that she had not been there to protect her family, to fight against the enemy and rebel against their fate. Yukigakure was a small but prosperous village, though they did not have an army the size of Konohagakure's. What they did have was a demon host, but Yoruichi had not understood her demon back then. Her hand clenched the stone as she bit her lip, fighting back the tears. She would trade her lonely existence in the blink of an eye if it would bring her family back.

And again her family had been torn apart. Her brother Kenshi had disappeared after the war in Konoha, and Yoruichi could not find him. She had searched the world, scouring every corner. Not a single scent could be found. This had been even harder for her to deal with. They had been the sole survivors, and now it was only she. Yoruichi raised her head and blinked, trails of tears falling from her eyes. A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she beheld the name before her. It was located near the top, befit her status in her clan. 'Yoruichi Shihōin'. She stared at it, wishing it was true. A ball of anger and rage boiled up inside of her, the pain and hatred she had been feeling suddenly gaining a face. *And you still wish for your death? At any moment I could give it to you. But I know you are not weak...* The voice spoke from within her. Yoruichi placed a hand on her chest, having not spoken to the Nibi for years. She had thought it rejected her, no longer wishing to affiliate with a weakling. "There is nothing more in life that I want...But I know I cannot die just yet. As long as Konoha still stands I can never rest. As long as they have not felt our pain, shed the same blood and cried the same tears I will not lay down and die." Yoruichi said, the Nibi growing complacent within her mind. She rose to her feet and turned away from the stone, ready to leave. Yoruichi paused, closing her eyes and exhaling before spinning on her feet and slashing the stone. She cut right through her name, and Kenshi's as well. No, they were not finished.