Stay ✓

Chapter 1: dead memories

"Hn. Eat your breakfast and train hard today, do you understand? And, remember, no ice release." Her mother's bored tone spoke again, walking over to her daughter and placing the breakfast in front of her.

Mai nodded, picking up the fork that laid next to the plate as she started to slowly eat the breakfast she had been served.

After a couple bites, the young girl was full. She personally hated eating so early in the morning, since she never had an appetite until late in the afternoon. But, she knew that if she didn't clear her plate she would be scolded.

Her mother's eyes drifted to her daughters plate, becoming dissatisfied with how Mai was eating. "Mai, you have to eat. If you don't, you won't train your hardest."

"I know, Mother." The girl spoke, yet again picking up her fork and forcing down the rest of her meal.

-

Mai and her father finally had arrived to the leaf villages training grounds, which usually had been packed even this early. However, it seemed only they were there as of right now.

Both of them walked silently to the Kunai targets, because even if they were father and daughter, they were not close in the slightest bit.

Mai bit her lip and sighed, not wanting to be here with her father. The young girl preferred to train alone, and to be alone in general. She did however, have somewhat of a friend.

Ino Yamanaka had always been somewhat kind to Mai, even though the young girl has a solemn personality. They weren't that close, but Ino usually invited the blue-haired girl to hangout with her group of friends.

"You see those four targets in front of you? I want you to use your chakra to push off of that tree behind you, then throw each Kunai at the targets at the same time. Also, you have to land each in the middle, no exceptions, or there will be consequences." The middle-aged man warned his young daughter.

"That's something I will learn in the academy, right?" Mai asked, knowing even if she tried her best pushing off a tree could cause her aim to be shaky.

Her father sped-walk quickly to the young girl, bending down so his face could be in line with hers. "Do what the hell I told you to do. I am your parent."

Mai shakily obliged, stepping slowly away from her alarming and angry father.

She took a deep breath, shifting her gaze back and forth from the tree to the targets. Mai forced her hands to stop shaking as she took four Kunai's from the side pouch that was located on her blue skirt.

"Okay," The blue-haired girl mumbled to herself, looking at the tree one last time.

She started running towards the tree as she focused her chakra to her feet. One foot pushed harshly off the wood, spinning her around so she was now facing the targets.

In one swift motion, she concentrated on each target and threw the four kunai directly at them.

As her feet landed on the dirt, her golden honey eyes started blankly up at the targets. To her surprise, she successfully landed each Kunai in the middle of all the targets.

Mai's eyes then shifted to her father, who had on a bored face, which happened to be his usual look. "Hm, okay then. Let's switch to your wind style chakra."

Mai was used to her father training her like this. He would make a command, threatening consequences if she didn't correctly do as he said. Then, if she succeeded, he wouldn't even blink an eye.

Then, suddenly, a cold voice spoke from behind Mai. "Are you guys done yet? I need to use these targets."

The young girl turned to face who it was, although she had already known. "You absolutely need to use these targets? Or do you just want to use them?"