'AGHHHHHHH!'
'Where did they come from..!?'
'Help me! I can't find my child!"
'It burns!!'
'Mommy..!!'
Waking up to sounds of a screaming, a girl with light brown hair sat up with a startled expression. She glanced over at her younger sister worriedly, the screams only getting louder and more panicked as time slipped past her.
Gently shoving the younger sister's shoulder, she woke up groggily, but stiffened at the sounds out of their room and home.
"Nee-San... what's everyone screaming about..?" The younger girl muttered, her hold on the blanket only grew more tight as she heard their pained screams. Her dark chocolate like hair was messily draped over the right side of her face, covering the blue eyes that all females in the clan had. Her face was a bit rounder compared to the older sister as she was a bit lanky when she walked sometimes.
"Stay here, let me go check out what's got everyone all loud..." The older girl climbed off the large bed, covering the younger one in her covers and placing her bunny plushie, Shiki, in her arms to hug softly.
Walking on the soft carpet that tickled her toes, her long sleeping robe dragged behind her. Her light brown hair shifting in front of her eyes as she slid the door over. Peeking out of the room she looked down the hallway hearing the screams echo down the many halls outside.
As soon as her bare feet touched the wooden floors that creaked with each step. Little flickers of ember floated in front of her face. The flecks of burning wood and blood filled the air and surrounding wind. She stepped out onto the porch to see the sky turn bright red and grouped smoke blocking out the sunlight that used to shower the gardens in front of her family's home.
She gazed out into the distance to see flames scorch and scour the surrounding homes around her. The screams only had pierced her ears when she had walked outside.
'Help me!!'
'Leave us alone!'
'Run! We gotta leave this place!'
The older sister's eyes widen in pure terror, her legs quivering in fear as her hands shook at the gravity of what was happening in front of her.
Her breath got caught in her throat as she slammed the door behind her and raced back inside. Her feet thumping loudly down the halls until she reached her room. She was already out of breath as she rushed over to the large bed that covered her dear little sister and picked her up, sitting her on her hip hurriedly.
The smaller form was startled back awake as she snuggled into her older sister's neck, trying to find warmth she craved back in her bed.
"Sorry but we have to get out of here now!" The older sister's voice cracked in panic.
"W-why..? What's wrong, Nee-San?" She tilted her head, her arms wrapped around her plushie tightly, she could feel the fear that radiated off her older sister.
"Everyone is burning, Momaru! We can't stay here or we'll be next!" The older sister panicked, the tattoo on their foreheads glowing a bit with the blue dots. She was rushing around the room gathering blankets and cloths that they might need in a bag that can be wrapped around her shoulder.
Now rushing out into the front lawn, the flames were roaring ahead of them, scorching the ground in front of them.
They're village was surrounded by a giant wall guarding and protecting them, the only way out was the front gates that let people in and keep people out. But it was also a curse right now that kept people locked in if a enemy blocked their escape.
The older sister was rushing through the building filled flames, people were scrambling around trying to get away from their unknown enemy. Her bare feet burning with each step, ash tainting her pale skin as she ran. People around them were being shot at random, their screams filled the sister's ears.
Wrapping her sister in the blankets that she rolled up in, she covered her face to block out the terrorizing sights that were happening around them. It was pure chaos and terror.
"Takeo!! TAKEO! WHERE ARE YOU!?" A shout erupted into the flaming air. The older sister stopped in her tracks and took in her lost breath. Her eyes darting around her in a panic filled motion. Her arms tightening her hold on Mamoru.
"Dad!? WHERE ARE YOU!? I can't see you!!" The older girl shouted out, she felt her voice crack at the panic that filled her mind.
A lanky tall man in Jonin wear and chocolate colored hair just as the younger sister had, a headband on his shoulder but close to his elbow. He had a bloody wound crossing from his shoulder across his chest. He came running through the crowd, shoving away anybody in his way to his children. As he made it in front of his children, he knelt down on one knee, sheathing his blade back onto his hip.
"Are you girls okay..!? Any injuries..!?" He traced his hand around their body checking their health and situation. His face relaxed from the hard look from earlier as he let out a breath he held as soon as he saw them.
"Yep! We're both all good, I came out to run for it with Mamoru. Where's momma??" Takeo questioned, leaning into his hand that held both their cheeks gently.
"She's already out fighting along with the other Senken users in the clan to defend the village. Don't worry, you'll see her not too soon." He said with a gentle smile, as his amber eyes squinted with his smile.
"Momma's kicking butt isn't she?" Takeo giggled.
"Yes, I feel sorry for whoever crosses her path along with her group of Senken users." The father laughed nervously, already sending a quiet prayer for a quick death for them.
"Come on, we better get to the safe haven." The father grabbed hold of the older daughter's hand and started jogging across the fire raging buildings and screaming citizens.
Once they made it close to the gate, a large towering flame erupted in front of it. A horde of darkly cloaked men flew out of the flames, their hoods shadowing their faces, hiding any emotion they might show as they started slaughtering the screaming people.
Three of them came dashing towards the little family as they pointed their swords out to them.
"Hand the Senken users over, and we'll spare you... Maybe." One of the larger cloaked men growled out the statement, tilting his cloaked head towards the little girls that hid behind the father.
"Funny thing to say in front of their father, especially when you may not live after you dare speak such disgusting words." The father barked out a angry laugh.
"Come at me, Asswipes!" The father grinned like a madman, whipping out his blade, already holding his arm out in front of the girls. His stance was low to the ground, his right foot almost spread out in front of him. His arms raised up like a pair of wings that might take off any moment.
"Have it your way, then." The larger cloaked man raised two finger and tilted them just a bit to have the other two start sprinting ahead. The two cloaked men dashed forward at a quick speed that they were a blur. The father used his left leg that was behind him to propel forward and swung his sword at the men. The two tried to attack his legs but the father did a little hop in the air and his feet met both their faces on either side of him by doing a quick split. As they were dazed for that second, he tilted his body to the one on his right and grabbed their shoulder. Gripping his cloak and tossing him at his companion. Both men collided and fell to the ground on top of each other. He quickly pinned both men with his foot and stabbed his sword right down the middle of there torso's.
He flicked his sword away from his body to get rid of the blood, not wanting to rust the blade. He wiped the blood on his cheek away to keep his eye sight clear. His amber gaze then shifted towards the last man as he had already took out his sword.
He did a little hop in his spot and hopped right back into his sword stance. A grin on his face as always. Even in the most hellish of places on earth, he would still smile when he fights.
"So you aren't just any Jonin either, huh? I'm assuming your that 'Smiling Devil' of the Majutsu Clan?" The bulky one taunted.
"My my my, they really talk about my devilish smile? Damn, no wonder I won the most beautiful woman in the Majutsu village." The father rubbed his chin in satisfaction, already happy about the name the people gave him.
The sister's grew a bit annoyed at their father for a moment until the bulky one attacked.
As soon as they clashed, sparks from their blades flew into the air.
"Now why don't you tell me why you assholes attacked such a peaceful village like this one hm?" The father hummed, a smile still on his face. But his eyes showed a different story. Pure hatred an anger, an emotion that could kill with just a glare.
"A special person had payed our organization to go and slaughter the Majutsu Clan due to their Kekkei Genkai. He paid us much to get rid of all the females in the Clan, apparently he ranted on saying that only the females are able to awaken such a power, he said that if he can't have it then no one can. And there you have it." The man shrugged, not caring what happened to the clan as long as he got his pay.
"What a sick bastard...!" The Father seethed with anger, his hackles raised a bit in fury at such a reason filled greed.
"A very wealthy bastard too if I might add." The bulky man chuckled out, already swinging his thin blade around his body and twisted his body to swing upward at the father.
Just barely dodging the swing, a bit of his hair was cut off. The father twisted his body swinging his right arm forward first as he slashed at the attacker's neck. The attacker quickly retorted with his own swing as he cut down his blade down the father's right eye.
"Papa!!" The two girls screamed out in terror.
"I'm good! I'm good!" The father screamed back annoyed as he wiped the blood from his eye, stinging it in the process. He got back into his stance and dashed forward and cut upward, deflecting the blade out of the bulky man's hand, and then quickly plunging his blade into the attacker's chest.
The cloaked man fell back after a strangled cough. His body met the ground with dust and ash flying everywhere.
The father sheathed his sword back onto his waist. Already running back to his daughter's safety.
"Papa... I can't do this anymore.. I want to go back home.. This is scary...!!" Mamoru started to tear up, clutching her plushie tightly, her other arm wrapped around her sister's neck.
"Hey, hey, hey.." The father placed his dirty ash stained hand on the little girl's head, trying to calm her down, "It's gonna be okay, but you can't go back to the house. It's not safe there now." He cupped the youngest cheeks carefully to not smudge blood on her.
The surrounding flames were burning more brightly now, they were for the skies now, inching closer to the family than ever.
Racing through the burning streets that were once filled with, laughing and cheerful people, the family stopped in their steps to hear a blow horn sound off around the village. The group could see the cloaked people retreat back out of the village for some reason.
"Did we win..??" Mamoru questioned, her statement droning on as she was still sleepy.
"Just wait a moment... I don't think them running back is a good thing.. they had us pinned, so why retreat..?" The father questioned to himself.
His face slowly turned from a confused to a look of frightening realization.
"Get to the wal-!" He didn't get to finish his sentence because as soon as he figured out what they were doing, they had already attacked.
Looking up at the sky, the citizens could see thousands of little flames high into the sky, almost looking like stars on a clear night.
But the thing here is...
The sky was not clear at all.
The little flames started to fall downward, all of them rained down on the people that tried to run for it, hundreds getting shot by the flaming arrows, people getting burned at an instant as they get shot.
The sight was just as horrifying as the rest. People dropping like flies around them, but instead of the burning sensation of a burning arrow. The little girls only felt the embrace of protective arms wrapped around them. Their heads tucked into the bleeding chest of their father. The soothing sound of his breath, almost lulling the girls to sleep.
After that wave of arrows the girls quickly shot their heads up to see the damage that had taken place. The only sound in the air was mortified wails and cries for the fallen.
"PAPA!!" Mamoru coughed out a cry, the smoke worsening the air to breath by the minute.
Their father was leaning over them both, about a dozen of arrows were sticking out of his back. The daughter clung to his jacket as desperate as possible, trying to make sense how this was happening and why did it have to be them. The youngest cried first, tears bursting down her face.
"Papa! We gotta g-go..!! Get up..!" She shoved his jacket, trying to pick him up with her small little arms. The father softly smiled at this, trying not to laugh.
"Okay.. okay.." He coughed out. A line of blood trailed down his nose and mouth. The wound on his eye didn't help things either.
He used the sword's sheath to help himself walk together with the girls, both the girls on either side of him, holding on both his hands.
"Momma is coming soon, I swear. Then it'll be one big happy.. family reunion.." He smiled softly.
As they continued to walk past the many dead corpses and crying families, they had finally reached the gates leading out of the village.
As they were just about to walk out together, the father squared down painfully and placed his hands on both their shoulders, making sure he's eye leveled with them.
"Takeo. I want you to try and give these to whatever closest village or Kage there is.." the man handed the oldest daughter two scrolls that had a dark blue ribbon tied to seal it, with blue decorated marbles at the end of the ribbons.
"What are these for..?" Takeo asked, having a dark feeling about this whole thing.
"These are entry passes to a village of your choosing, I don't know where you'd want to live but you gotta live on your own for awhile." He smiled sadly.
"Papa.. What do you mean, living alone..?" Mamoru whispered scaredely, as she hugged her bunny.
"It means, Papa isn't gonna be with you for awhile and momma has to stay here and protect the others while you run away from here.." He explained as happy as possible.
"But I don't want that... I want to live with Papa AND Momma! I hate that we got attacked a-and, and..!" Momaru started crying at the sudden events that had happened just a few hours ago. It wasn't normal for a five year old girl to have such a thing happen to her at this young of age.
"Momaru. Listen to me very closely. Life doesn't care what you want, it's always been like that! It's either you wait around for a miracle to happen or..! You chase after that opportunity and take it by force yourself!" He said seriously. His wounds only seeping through his jacket more.
The little girl nodded with a few sniffles. Her grip on bunny was so tight, she could've choked it to death if it was alive.
"Now Takeo, as the oldest sister, your in charge." He teased with a soft smile, seeing the older sister pout for a moment.
"Well, we'll, well! If this isn't heart touching!" A cloaked man came from around a burning building, and soon many others followed suit.
"That is, if you even have one." The father slowly tilted his head towards the cloaked men. All of which were holding thin blades swords.
The father took one look at his petrified daughters and ruffled their hair to distract them, which succeeded, "Just like the game we always play, Ninja Hide an Seek." He winked before getting up and pulling out a few arrows out of his back to loosen the weight. He walked slowly towards the group, a smile painted on his face.
"I'll give you boys a dance of a life time. I'll show you why they really call me the Smiling Devil."
And just like that, the gravity around them shifted in a dark and serious one, the group of cloaked men stepped back a bit. Frightened at how such a man could make it feel as though the air around them could make them suffocate.
The father took a peek behind him and winked towards Takeo, who stiffened at first but then understood what she needed to do. She turned to swiftly pick Mamoru up and raced away from the gates and outside of the village.
"Tell me fellas, is this the rest of ya?" Their father grinned, as he slowly unsheathed his weapon and raised it towards them threatening.
"Oh you think your so scary!? You want more people!? I'll give you more people to dance with buddy!" A cocky cloaked man had spoke to something in their ear and hundreds of more cloaked men spilled into the village.
"How do you like this!?"
The father's grinned only widened as he said the statement, "Oh I think this is wonderful!" He waved his sword around happily, a s he wiggled himself over to a contraption and cut a rope that connected to the gates.
The gates were slowly closing behind him as he was locking the attackers and the village from the inside.
Momaru was peering over her sister's shoulder seeing the gates slowly closing, as they ran the opposite direction.
"Wait.. wait wait wait..! Takeo let me go, Papa is still in there! Takeo! DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME!? PAPA IS STILL IN THERE!!" The little girl cried out, trying to get out of her own sister's grip, her arm stretched out to reach the man that raised them, took care of them, loved them with all of his heart.
"PAPAAAA!!" Momaru cried out, tears rushing down her cheeks.
The shouts of his children trailing away were music to his ears. But his smile faltered for a moment as he then realized that he might not make it out of here alive. Meaning he won't see them grow up, train, become ninja, get married, he won't see them grow up to be the people they dreamed to be.. he then thought, 'Wow that's a depressing thought.'
"HAHAHAHAHA! What do you think you are!? Do you really think you could defeat all of us by yourself!?" The same cocky one barked out laughing, many others laughing as well.
Well I don't really expect myself to kill you all even when I die, my wife would totally kick all of your ungrateful asses! And guess why..?~The father grinned ear to ear, singing the last part.
"Because I locked us all in here, that way we can all die together tonight!" The father laughed out.
"Whether you like it or not.~" He leaned over and flicked his blade to the side, plucking out more arrows as he walked forward, looking even more bloody than ever.
"A-a demon..!"
"No! It's the Devil!"
"R-Run..!"
Many of the cloaked were so scared they stabbed themselves with their own knives. Others were so scared they couldn't move nor speak, and then there were some who could only fight to the death.
"The least I could do for my wife is lessen the load for her by half!" The man laughed loudly into the air, already dashing into the crowd of frightened men.
This marked the day, the fall of the Majutsu Clan's Smiling Devil.
Fun fact: Momaru's name means 'Protector' in Japanese.
~Word count~
3508