—— Prologue
My light feet steps puttered off the echoing walls.
I rushed to the dining hall, I can't be late to dinner after Haruhi's coronation...
I turned the corner of our long hallway hastily, and pushed open the door that took up the rest of the hallway. It creaked open, as I peered through I noticed my clans eyes on me.
I stepped in and let the door close behind me. They stared at me blankly, some with confusion some with irritation. I ducked my head and bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry for being late." After that apology I need to sit down.
The room had a long table in the middle surrounded by by pillows to sit on while you dined. I found my place next to my sister. I scanned over the food filled table, our formally placed cutlery hadn't been touched. They were waiting for me.
Life was complete for us, we're talented and Haruhi being crowned the successor so early in life can only bring us more benefits. The ideal age was 18, but Haruhi met all the criteria at 16. Our life was meant to be perfect, no matter what, we lived trying to be perfect. We enjoyed our perfect imperfect life.
I sighed quietly. My clan was no longer the strongest and largest clan in Takumi, we'd been hunted down. There was no need for us to act prim, however that's the only way we've lived. Sitting across from me was my grandparents, my uncle, on my side; my sister Haruhi, and my parents.
With our perfectly balanced life we forgot about the raging war in the shinobi world.
The whole ground shook, we heard screams of the villagers through the thick walls of our estate. Everyone rushed to stand up and leave the dinning hall. We dashed through our ancestral halls and passed pictures that had fallen from the shock.
We entered the foyer where my father ran to the door. "Wait we don't know what's out there." My mother's voice was panicked and urgent as she warned my father not to open the door.
He shooed her worry away, as he swung open the door. A moment of silence passed.
Then an arrow shot straight into his neck. I let out a blood curdling scream, my mother rushed to his side. Me and Haruhi fell to our knees. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight.
We heard an explosion and more screams. My mother stood by the open door. I wanted to scream for her to move but my voice was quiet.
A insane light lit up the sky, my skin burned and debris flew into our home through the door. The insane pressure threw us back.
I saw my clans bodies fly into the walls of our home. My back hit the wall shooting a shock of pain though my chest.
I plopped to the ground clutching my stomach.
My lungs ached, it felt like I couldn't breathe.
Haruhi rushed to my side. "Enyo?! Are you okay?!"
I shook my head and she sat me up and looked me in my eyes. "Deep breaths." I tried my hardest to copy her patterns of causing my chest to rise and fall.
Soon I was able to breath again and the shock of what happened wore off. I looked back up to my sister. How had she been thrown into the wall without this same effect?
I could not ask her, for her eyes were not on mine. They stared with fear locked onto them as she looked at our side. I turned my head,
My mother's body hung against the wall pierced by broken furniture.
Blood dripped down to the floor, she did not move. I couldn't hear the beating of her heart.
I covered my sisters eyes as I saw similar fates for the rest of the clan. I choked on the air I held in my lungs, holding in my tears.
Now I have to be strong.
I grabbed Haruhi's hand and ran to the front door. Father's body leaked red blood, as I passed it magnetized to me, his blood would give me strength. It clung to me and absorbed into my skin. It only happened in a split second, but the feeling of my father passing his life force unto me felt like ages. I pushed down my conscience worry and continued to run straight out of our home.
We saw the sky light up again, my skin tingled. An explosion from further in the village echoed though my head. We were running down a path that led to the exit of the village. It was dark, the forest ridden path was hard to navigate as my bare feet broke skin stepping on rocks and branches. Haruhi sobbed next to me.
How could i tell her not to cry? It's all too much to bear. The adrenaline of survival kicked me off, the reason I'm not balled up crying my hearts desire. The sky lit up again, when I looked back, it seems the debris flying through the air very well could have been a second hit to our estate.
I could see patches of our burning village through the trees. What an ugly sight. I clenched my teeth together hoping just a little longer will allow for us to reach the exit.
A figure hopped down from the dark trees. I skid to a stop and held Haruhi behind me. Haruhi was the predecessor and I was her knight.
The figure of a man circled us. Haruhi's sobs were now silenced. She had been frozen with fear. The realization our entire village was being attacked.
The figure lunged at me. My blood rushed to the tips of my fingers and formed a kunai. Its red color shone in the moonlight as I clashed it against his. I could hear him grunt. His long body maneuvered and he swung his foot out. I dodged out of the way pulling Haruhi with me.
Then another figure and another appeared. I gulped as they surrounded us. My hands trembled and I held Haruhi close to me. What could be done here?
One of the figures tore Haruhi's body from mine. Her red kimono was rustled and stained with dirt. Guilt held steady in my heart.
I can't protect her, I'm weak.
One of the men grabbed my arm, I pushed him away. "Stay away!" The men only drew closer and mocked me.
They pulled out a kunai and held it to Haruhi's throat. I froze. The men seemed delighted at my reaction and pulled my body, forcing me to comply. My skin burned as the began to poke at Haruhi, they messed with her kimono attempting to untie it.
My stomach bubbled, my eyes focused on the two men holding Haruhi. "Get away from her!"
As I yelled darts of blood shot from my palms straight into the chests of the men. Haruhi jumped away from them.
The man holding me was surprised. He stumbled over his feet. I stood up straight and held out my palm to his head.
"Wait don't ki-" Before he begged for his life I shot a bullet into his skull. A quick and painless death he didn't deserve, but I was no monster.
I turned around, Haruhi waited for me looking away. I dashed to her side and held her hand in my own.
She looked at me with her onyx eyes that matched my own. "Ready?" I asked her, I knew she wasn't ready, but she needed to be. We don't know what's next.
We ran closer to the exit of the village that was in our sight. I looked back as we ran down the steep muddy hill, I stared blankly at the burning village. I could hear Haruhi's cries from next to me. "...they killed everyone.." We could no longer hear screams of the villagers. Her sobs were painful, they made my heart ache.
"It will be okay." To think that my village was being murdered in-front of me. Fear filled me from my toes up. I gave it five seconds and pushed it out.
Don't be scared, be strong.
I squeezed Haruhi's hand tighter and looked up to the dark sky. "Jashin please...just spare us this once." If I just pushed some more chakra to my legs, just for a little while I can get in the woods.
I stopped and got Haruhi on my back. My body dashed further into the forest. I winced, my bare feet stepped on rocks and branches that broke my skin once again. I yelped in pain, it hurts...I can't stop running. If I stop running we will die too.
I jerked my head back when I sensed a presence in the trees above me. I looked up to see a man with blonde hair.
From the hidden leaf? But Takumi village has no quarrels with the leaf village.
He was clearly chasing me. He quickly caught up to me through the trees and jumped in front of me.
Haruhi screamed as we collided, my head spun and I felt his arms reach around me as we tumbled down the path.
I sat up quickly once my body skid to a stop.
The man kneeled and held up his hands. "I don't want to hurt you." I furrowed my eyebrows at him and guarded Haruhi. I can't trust anyone anymore.
Moments passed and there was silence.
"What do you need with me. I'm trying to get away...from the attack on my village."
He shook his head. "I'm maintaining the attackers who've escaped. But you're not an enemy." I sighed. "Well half of the village has been executed, o-our family..." My body shook as I held in my tears.
A few fell but I wiped them. His shoulders relaxed and he breathed in. "Get on my back."
I ushered Haruhi to get on his back.
He sighed when he looked down to me. Then he pursed his lips and whistled loudly.
A boy with white hair and a mask appeared at his side. The blonde haired man nudged his head towards me.
The boy was suddenly in front of me, bending down. He expected me to get on his back?
"I can bring you to safety, the leaf village can offer you a home." I looked from the blonde man to down to my feet that were aching.
Against my better judgment, I placed my arms around the boys neck and wrapped my legs around his torso. I adjusted myself and they jumped up into the trees and began to run though them.
Wind whipped through my hair and against my skin. My eyes closed, and before I knew it I had fallen asleep.
~~~~~
The next time I opened my eyes, I had been on a white haired boys back. The same one I had met what felt like moments ago. My vision was blurry. I cut in and out of sleep.
I looked around through my blurred and sleepy vision. I think it was only me and this boy.
I was now in a hospital room. He was staring at me. His pale toned skin and striking white hair, caused his dark eyes to stand out, he looked clean and his clothes were neat. Around his chest was a grey vest accompanied by black ninja pants. He had a mask covering his face.
I closed my eyes, when I opened them again it was no longer the blurry white haired boy.
White dressed nurses had me sit up straight, and began their healing jutsu on my shoulder and feet. My skin tingled and numbed before a warm sensation surfaced on my skin. The woman focused on healing me. They finished quickly, the leaf village had been known for its talented nurses.
A memory of the tales my mother told me flashed though my head. My Nishimura ancestors were healers, they were trained and talented, but because a lot of them were hunted, our clan became smaller. Till it was just my family left carrying the kekkei genkai.
Dragging me out of thoughts, they handed me a white hospital gown. I changed out of my dirty white kimono. They bowed, and began to leave the room.
"Wait!" One of the nurses turned back. "What of my sister?" The nurse smiled. "She is next door getting different treatment, please feel free to ask the next nurse who arrives about her."
I sat up, adjusting my position in the bed.
I looked around the room, I'd never been in a hospital. I expected them to be scary and smell like death. But surprisingly it was clean and smelled like fresh linen.
My worry was not the scent of the room, it was the room next door. What happened to Haruhi? I took a deep breath. I should wait for the nurse to come.
My eyes traveled to the walls and the window, this place really was new to me. It's not like my home. Antique furnishings and minka homes won't be found here.
I heard a small knock on the door, I looked from the window to see, the nurse walking in.
I took notice that she was friendly, she wasn't the same one that just healed me.
"Alright I'll just have you sit up here and I'll do some check ups. Nothing will hurt so just try to relax." She finished rather fast and dotted things down on her clipboard. She wiped down the dirt stains around my body, and brushed my hair. I felt refreshed when she finished, I had gotten some of my chakra back finally. Then she gave me clothes to wear.
I placed the white shirt over my head and the black shorts over my legs. Everything was quite comfortable. I sat back down and the nurse asked me questions that I tried my best to answer.
"How old are you?" In a small tone I replied.
"I am 13." She wrote it down. "Your gender?" I looked down to my obvious breasts sticking out from my shirt. "Female." It went on like this for a few more rounds of questions. Till the last one. "And finally, what's your first and last name." I started at her awaiting expression."Enyo Nishimura."
She smiled before writing my name down. "Your sister, her name?"
"Haruhi Nishimura." She nodded and wrote that down too.
"Your sister is in a coma. She suffered a blow to her head that Minato noticed traveling here. She will be okay, however we don't know when she will wake." She bowed and headed out of the room.
My stomach churned, Haruhi is in a coma? Was that the injury she sustains from the explosion?
I rested my head on the pillows and positioned myself into a comfortable spot. For the next half hour I stared at the door. My head pounded.
Time feels meaningless when your whole family and life has been erased.
-
I stopped staring at the door when I heard speaking outside. "Yes, the third has ordered me to take her." I heard rustling. "Okay! Yes she's all good to go." The door slid open.
That blonde man walked in. He was smiling at me. Did he have good news?
He held his hand up. "Wait right here."
I watched him scurry out of the room, and when he came back in he held a pair of sandals. He gave them to me, I studied the weird soft fabric and placed them on my feet. When I stepped off the bed, I realized that they were cushioned. And that my feet that had been previously injured were completely healed.
It feels so nice to walk without my feet hurting. "Let's go."
I looked back at the room next to mine as we walked further away. I silently wished her luck.
"Where are we going?" He looked at me with a smile, upbeat energy I was unsure id ever be able to keep up with.
"The Hokages office." He answered quickly but this time with more seriousness. "He wants to talk to you, and inform you of what will happen now."
We walked through the village, the walk was short but I saw so many things I'd never seen before. If I tried to pick out something that stood out I would choose eveything.
Minato, the blonde man had introduced himself to me. I suspected he was important to the village.
He stopped in front of a circular building, we entered, it had a large staircase leading up to the top floors. We reached the top and stood infront of a wooded door. He knocked.
"Come in." A old low voice called out from inside. He opened the door and I followed. The large office was filled with many scrolls, but it somehow looked organized.
I got dragged out of my thoughts by the two men speaking formally to one and other. I recognized the other guy in the room, he was the white haired boy. He really was an anbu, the tattoo on his arm was a giveaway other than the uniform.
I felt the Hokages gaze shift from Minato to me. I looked down. Embarrassed of why I was here, ashamed, but my heart was still aching.
Do look like I'm sad? Is that why the blonde haired man pitied me?
Minato, explained his success in assuring the whereabouts of the assailants who attacked Takumi village. He explained that he found me, and my sister, that we were the last survivors of the attack. My heart sank, I felt tears fill my eyes. I brought my hands up and wiped my eyes.
"There's no one?"
The man looked at me, there was words he needed to say but it was obvious he hesitated. He nodded, assuring me none of my family made it out alive.
"Enyo, stay strong." Haruhi's voice rang through my head, she had always been different towards me, unlike the others when I was sad she made sure I was okay. When I was overwhelmed and stressed with my training she would be by my side. Haruhi gave my life meaning, as long as she is okay.
The Hokage turned his focus to me. "How did you survive the attack of Takumi?" I bit my lip. "My estate was bombed. Me and my sister escaped and tried to leave the village...my Kekkei genkai saved me." I gave myself the courage to look at him.
Eveything in my body ached with sorrow. Yet when I saw his nonchalant expression, somehow it made me feel better. Did he not know the rare kekkei genkai of Takumi? "Blood release." I pulled up my shirt just enough to show the markings on my back. The seal of the Nishimura clan that held this technique.
(The Nishimura marking {eternal})
"So you're of Nishimura decent."
I nodded in response, I fixed my shirt and faced him again. The Nirshimura are a noble clan from the land hidden in the snow that bordered the land of fire. Our village was attacked during the summer, when our cold snow can't protect us from outsiders.
"My family was lucky enough for one of their children to carry their bloodline trait, my grandfather, and father were the last ones in the village before me to have this curse. My sister was just crowned clan leader, she is without the kekkei genkai." The Hokages gaze shifted to the floor.
"I'm sorry for what happened to you and your family. The leaf can offer you a place to live." I nodded accepting his offer. What more of a choice do I have?
"Minato, I assign you to house her. And her sister when she awakens." Minato smiled unsurprised. I watched as he bowed and thanked the Hokage. I copied him.
"Thank you lord Hokage, I'm forever in your dept." I could tell there was more he wanted to say as I stood up from my bow.
He flicked his hand for me to come towards him. As I approached he did the same to the white haired boy.
His steps were slow, quiet, like he was just an empty shell with no person inside. I looked back to the hokage.
"I want you to join Anbu, under hound's training. Then you'll join team sol, which he is currently in." I nodded my head.
If this was the price to live in the village I accept. But I felt nothing, no excitement, no anger, I felt numb except for my never ending curiosity.
I glanced at Hound who didn't respond. Was he upset with the Hokages orders?
"As you wish Lord third." He bowed, a submissive act that compelled his dominant and silky tone. He disappeared as quick as I blinked. Gone like a flash of light...
I hid my surprise as I turned back to the hokage. He smiled. "You are dismissed, and you'll be getting updates of what you will do next from Minato."
I bowed again and turned back to Minato. I followed close behind him as we left the hokage building. I still was sullen of my family, but breaking down and crying right now, I can't.
Instead I focused on how amazing it was that I was healed completely within hours. My curiosity kept getting the better of me.
"Are we going to your home Minato?" He nodded. We walked outside of the hospital I came from and onto the busy streets. My eyes lingered to the building, I don't like the separation between me and Haruhi.
As we walked through the village there were children running around in all types of clothing, and adults following. I saw a stand that sold takoyaki, it paid out customers and there were all kinds of street vendors. The leaf village has a lot of people.
Takumi was quiet even during busy street hours. The village respected quiet atmospheres and nobility. You wouldn't see them out of kimono or yukata, the culture was to dress the best you can and it was to respect the land we had to praise and thank jashin. I watched as people ate at tables in open diners, they didn't eat with multiple types of fancy platers and plates. Nor did they eat traditionally on the ground. Everything here was so different to me. Yet they were not disrespecting their land, only enjoying it.
——
Minato and I stood in front of the door to his 'apartment'. I'd never heard of an apartment before. He knocked on the door and looked down to me.
"Are you ready?" I nodded, the sweat on my palms would say the complete opposite of what I just told him.
I clenched my fists as I heard footsteps approaching the door. The lock undid and the door opened. I was greeted with the smiling face of a beautiful red haired woman. She wore a green apron and a white gown underneath. Her dark blue eyes contrasted the bright skin tone she had. Minato was a lucky man.
She opened the door further so that we could walk in. I took off my new sandals at the door. She kneeled down in front of me with her arms wide open. She wanted a hug? I walked into her arms she wrapped them around me.
I felt her bright chakra, yet I felt something dark within her. But the bright side was so overpowering you could just miss it.
She was warm and smelled like cinnamon.
Her warmth reminded me of mama. My eyes began to burn, but I held in my tears. I've already cried enough today. She pulled away and pat my shoulders.
"I don't know what you like but I have prepared a meal for you." She placed her hand on my back and led me to the kitchen where minato was already seated at a table in the middle of the room. There was three plates set with brown liquid and rice. "What is it?" Kushina sat at the seat next to minato. I sat at the seat across from them.
"Curry rice. It's one of my favorite meals to make, I hope you'll like it." I picked up the spoon, the single utensil in-front of me, and scooped up the curry rice, I took a bite. A delicious flavor filled my mouth. "Wow, it's really good." Kushina smiled at me.
"I'm glad you like it. And I'm glad to have you stay with us." I looked down, there was definitely a blush across my face. I could feel the heat.
I shoved more of the meal in my mouth and listened to them babble on about things happening in the leaf village. When I finished I set my spoon on the plate. "Enyo, I forgot to mention. The Hokage will give you until you're ready, to train with Kakashi."
I nodded. Kakashi must be the white haired boys name. I had thought it would be Hound as the hokage suggested.
I shifted in my seat. "I really don't know ninjutsu...maybe a few escape techniques and chakra control but I'm not trained like the others are." Minato chuckled.
"I can tell you're a strong girl, and if you don't think you are I can assure you that you will be."
I nodded and picked up my plate.
"Where do I bring this?" Kushina stood up and stacked my plate onto hers.
"It's okay for now I will just wash them. Minato can you show her her room." He stood up from his chair and handed her his plate too.
I followed him out of the kitchen to the hallway, there was a staircase leading upstairs. When I reached the top minato pointed the room on the right with an open door. "This is the room you will be staying in."
It must have been their guest room, there was a bed already prepared with bedding, a closet, and a nightstand. "Thank you minato." I bowed and he pat my back. "It's okay, you don't need to be so formal."
Something I never heard before. 'Loose your formality' has been taboo to me for my whole life.
I nodded, I walked into the room and minato walked away. I heard his footsteps walk down the stairs and soon after I heard mumbles coming from him and kushina.
My feet led me right to the bed. I sat down, the soft mattress hugged my sore muscles. I laid back on it. It was a lot more comfortable than the bed at the hospital. I started at the white ceiling.
"We've been given another life Haruhi." I'm sorry you'll have to wait just a bit longer. Wake up soon please. My eyes closed and I let my sleepiness overtake me.
—— ATN
Hey guys! I'm so sorry for deleting my Hikari story but I've been working on this new one. I hope you so enjoy it so much and support me.
I have been enjoying planning and writing this one. I'll be posting weekly uploads and hope you all tune in.
I've said it in the past and will say it again, I'll never give up on finishing a kakashi x oc. It's been a dire few years but I'm locked in and this time this story is my perfect one.
Thank you all and I love you <3
-Nelly
(Minato home)