𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄
.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡⛓+..｡*ﾟ+
It has been four years since the death of Sakuma's family & friends. The girl has been training hard, alongside her cousins. She wants to activate her Kerria Eyes & she hopes that'll happen soon.
Toru was now fifteen & had already taken his first kill but Sakuma wasn't worried about him. She was worried about her other cousin, Ryo, he was turning twelve soon meaning he would go on his first mission, taking his first kill.
He's like Sakuma when she was younger, kind by nature with gentle eyes. Sakuma changed to a cold & quiet personality & all because she lost her family & continued killing, she doesn't want that to happen to Ryo.
Toru, on the other hand, didn't care about killing, if he had a mission to get done, he does it as soon as possible. The boy had always been like that, which is why Sakuma wasn't worried about him.
Today is Sakuma's birthday, her seventeen birthday to be exact. She was going to be sent off soon to take the hunter exam in six days. She has been training for the past years & of course, she will be for the next few days for this exam.
Sakuma woke up from her sleep to the noise of someone knocking on the door. She got up & went over to her mirror before she went out of her room. She ran her fingers through her hair & rubbed her eyes, she didn't know who would come around early in the morning.
Once she was done, she walked to her nightstand & put on her eyepatch, now that her mother was gone she didn't have to wear it but she did because she was just used to it, at least that's what she told herself, in reality, she wore it because she wanted to respect her mother's wishes by wearing the eye patch.
Sakuma left her room passing both her cousin's room seeing them still sleeping.
She opened the door quietly & saw her grandfather with a small smile & a basket of different fruits for his grandaughter & grandsons to eat for breakfast.
"Happy Birthday!" he said happily as the girl stood there with a straight face, "Oh, c'mon at least try to look happy." he said & then pushed his way through the door. "Did you think I'd forget about your birthday, especially if it's your seventeenth birthday." he said but Sakuma didn't answer.
She closed the door, she didn't care about who remembered or didn't remember her birthday. Isao, the grandfather, set the basket down on the table, "Did I wake you up?" he asked seeing as she looked tired. "Yeah." she said walking over to the table to pick up the basket. "Toru, Ryo, & I stayed up late training." she informed him as she set the basket in the refrigerator.
"Are they still asleep?" Isao asked as he pulled a chair out & sat down. Sakuma nodded leading against a cabinet. The room was quiet for a while, "Are you ready?" the grandfather asked her, "Yes." was all she said showing no fear. "Of course you are." he said with a small smile.
She then remembered what she was going to tell him. She knew he was going to say 'It's tradition' but she still wanted to try.
She looked down, "I don't want to do the ceremony." she looked back up & saw him look somewhat shocked but he kind of expected it from her. "You know the seventeenth ceremony is a tradition & not to mention special." that's what she expected.
The seventeenth ceremony is sort of like a birthday party but instead of cake & presents, they get good luck from the people of the village & are challenged to a fight to see if they are actually worthy of taking the hunter exam & becoming a ninja hunter.
Sakuma didn't believe in good luck & in needing it which is why she doesn't want a ceremony.
"I'm sorry if you don't want one but you'll need to do it. You know your mother would want you to do it." she looked over to him angrily. She hated it when he would use her dead family for her to get something done.
He sighed, "Why don't you want to do it? Are you scared of who will challenge you?" he asked his granddaughter. "Of course not." she immediately answered.
Isao stood up, "Well then, I'll see you later. Continue training with your cousins." Sakuma nodded as she pushed herself off the counter to open the door for her grandfather.
Once he was gone, she closed the door & went to go change. After that, she began making breakfast for her & her cousins.
"Goodmorning!" Sakuma heard from behind her knowing it was her youngest cousin, Ryo. The girl didn't answer keeping her eyes on the food cooking. "Yay, breakfast!" Ryo said happily as she sat down.
"Has Toru awaken yet?" she questioned ignoring what he said. "No, he's still asleep. He must be really tired after last night." he said getting up & grabbing himself a cup of orange juice.
"Wake him up, the food is almost ready & get changed." she told him. "Okay!" he answered cheerfully & began running off but stopped as he remembered something.
He ran back toward Sakuma & hugged her around her stomach since he was shorter. "Happy Birthday Sakuma." he said with a smile. She was shocked, of course, she'd expect something like that from him but it had reminded her how much she would hug her siblings when she was younger.
Ryo ran off to his & his brother's room while Sakuma still stood there stunned.
Ryo was always happy, even when they would be training all day. He reminded Sakuma of herself when she was younger, she was always smiling & always happy.
After a while, Toru came out to the kitchen with Ryo, who was now wearing different clothes. Toru didn't say anything, he just sat down & waited for the food which made Ryo angry.
"Toru! Did you forget?" he asked angrily. Toru looked up confused, "Huh?". Sakuma knew Ryo was trying to get Toru to say 'Happy Birthday' to her but she knows Toru pretty well & she doesn't expect him to say it.
Ryo sighed knowing his brother didn't remember, "Sakuma is going to have her seventeen ceremony tonight!" he practically yelled to his brother. "Oh, yeah, that." Toru said as if he didn't care. "Ugh, you better-" Ryo started but was cut off.
"It doesn't matter, Ryo." the girl simply said as she put the plates of food in front of each of them. "Of course, It does, Sakuma." the younger one continued. "The Seventeenth Ceremony is just something they do before sending you off to your death." Toru explained & began eating.
Sakuma sat down joining them, "But you will return, won't you, Sakuma?" he questioned saddened. The girl wasn't good at comforting people when they were down, it took her a while to answer, "Yes." she began eating.
"Tch." Toru said making the other two look up at him. "You shouldn't say stuff you won't be able to keep." Toru was always looking at the negatives, always had been.
Sakuma doesn't remember much of Ryo's & Toru's dad since she was five when he left his family & the village. But what she does remember is Toru & his father have the same personality. Ryo was more like his mother while Toru was more like his father.
"You don't think I'll come back? I've been training my whole life for this." she wanted to know why he thought she wouldn't come back. "I wasn't saying I don't think you'll come back. Your fighting skills are good but you'll never know what will happen out there. My mom was also a good fighter but she never made it back, so did your family."
So, that was it, he was comparing to what happened to his mother & the girl's family to her. He was actually worried she wouldn't come back like the rest of their family, he just didn't know how to show it.
"I believe you'll come back, Sakuma! You're a great fighter & you'll easily pass the hunter exam!" Ryo said happily making Toru annoyed. "Thank you, now eat." she said with no emotion.
After breakfast, the cousins spent the rest of the day training & now it was the afternoon & time for Sakuma's ceremony. Sakuma was going to wear a ceremony outfit she got from her aunt, her father's sister, that she wore for her seventeen ceremony.
Sakuma's aunt wanted her to wear it for her ceremony & gave it her before she died.
Since Sakuma, Toru, & Ryo are the only living relatives of their grandfather they would seated with him. Normally the one having the ceremony would be seated with the reigning family but since it was Sakuma having the ceremony it would only be them with their grandfather.
Sakuma's outfit has a burgundy cape & black boots, both with yellow details. A glove that went up just above her elbow on her right arm & then another one on her wrist on her left arm. She also wore yellow paint on her face as it was necessary for the one having the ceremony to wear it.
A lot of people went to Sakuma's ceremony to give her good luck on her hunter exam but they were mostly there because she is the granddaughter to Isao & the next in line to lead the clan. Her cousins can also become the leader but since she is the oldest, she is the next in line.
For Sakuma, the ceremony was boring, her people we're just going up to her to give their good luck but like she told her grandfather she didn't want any of this.
It also looked like Toru didn't want to be there, the both of them would have rather been training. Ryo & Isao were very happy to be there, Sakuma was Isao's only living granddaughter & possible future successor, so he favored her over his grandsons.
They were very close when the girl was younger but then they drifted apart when they're family died. Isao tried to be there for her but he was busy being the leader of the clan, she also started pushing people away so it was hard for him to have even one conversation with her.
It was now getting late meaning some people would start to ask to battle Sakuma. She wasn't scared but it's not like she wanted to fight her own people just to see if she worthy but if she had to fight them, she will.
Isao stood up with a glass & a spoon in his hands, he hit the glass gently with the spoon to get everyone's attention. Everyone turned towards him, they knew it was time for people to challenge Sakuma & they were excited.
"The ceremony's battles will begin in a few moments where any of you will be able to challenge my granddaughter, Sakuma Gin." Isao put the cup & spoon down on the table as Saukma stood up, "I, Sakuma Gin accept anyone's challenge to a battle." she said & everyone immediately started clapping.
The village favored her to be the next leader instead of her cousins. They believed her to be a good leader & a great fighter. They would hear tales of how quickly she would end her opponent's life when she was on missions.
Just after everyone stopped clapping Isao sat down & a buff & tall man began walking to the long table Sakuma, her cousins, & grandfather we're sitting at. Sakuma & Isao in the middle with Ryo by the girls side with Toru by his grandfather's side.
Sakuma had seen the man before from previous ceremonies, he would always challenge who was having the ceremony. He would win pretty much always but he would lose once or twice but very rarely.
"We must have our first challenger." Isao asked the man. He nodded, "Yes. I, Jiro Gin challenge you Sakuma Gin." he said making Isao smile. "Very well then, our first battle of this ceremony will begin in a few minutes while our fighters ready up." he finished up & the people clapped. Sakuma got up to change, she could feel the man, Jiro, staring at her as she walked away.
Sakuma changed into some training clothes, she didn't want to fight in the clothes her aunt gave to her as a gift. She left the face paint & of course her eye patch, as she always did besides when she slept.
She sat down on a bench making sure her katana's were ready. The handle part of her katanas we're red & gray, the blade silver, & the cases were black. She holds these katanas very dear to her, her siblings & father helped her pick out the designs for them.
Just then, she saw Ryo coming her way. She put the katana's back in their cases, "Sakuma, It's time!" he said now standing next to her. The girl stood up, "Okay." she put her katana's on her back & picked up her black gloves that we're on the bench.
She began walking away, "Wait, Sakuma." she turned back toward Ryo, "Kick his butt!" he said with a smirk & a fist up. A normal person would have given this eleven-year-old a smile to make him happy but all she did was nod.
Ryo looked up to her, he didn't care how she treated him, he just wanted to be as strong as his cousin.
Once Sakuma returned to the ceremony with Ryo, she saw everyone around in a circle in the middle with Jiro waiting in the middle. A path cleared for her to walk through the crowd, she walked toward the middle to Jiro. "Now that both of our opponents are here we shall begin." Isao said as he stood up from the table he was sitting at.
Sakuma went ahead & put on her black gloves, "But before that, the only rules are that as always the first battle will be to the death, so someone must die before we move onto the next battle." he said as the two opponents stood side to side looking toward their leader.
"& now, you maybe begin." he sat down & sighed, something Toru noticed, "You're worried." he noted with a straight face. "Of course I am, that man was a student of your uncle for awhile," he mentioned Sakuma's father. Toru was stunned, Sakuma was going to fight someone who was trained by her father.
Sakuma walked to one corner as Jiro walked to another. He took out a broadsword & threw the case on the floor & waited for Sakuma to pull out her weapon.
Sakuma walked to the corner where Ryo was at, she took her katana's out of their cases & gave them to Ryo to hold so they wouldn't get in her way. "I'll take care of them." he knew how much she loved her katana's & even the cases. "Thank you." she said, Ryo's face immedietly lit up as he saw Jiro running their way ready to attack Sakuma.
She noticed it & realized Jiro was going in for an attack. She immediately turned around & both their weapons clashed, she pushed him back with her left leg. He stumbled back as Sakuma twirled her katana's in her hands getting in a ready stance. The both of them held up their weapons ready to attack looking each other in the eyes. Both ninja's ran toward each other at the same time. Both weapons clashed, Jiro pushed her back going in for another attack.
She dodged it & moved back still holding both katana's. The older man twirled his broadsword & went in for a strike as he turned around. The crowd cheered as both fighters had serious looks the whole time. His attack failed, Sakuma went in for another one.
A lot more attacks occurred but each one of them were neglected. Jiro turned around quickly, he hit her face & then stomach with his elbow & then tried to drop her on the floor with his foot but she quickly reacted & did a back flip. She looked up at him angrily that he got a hit on her, she immedietly ran toward him to attack with both her katana's.
Jiro was moving around more like he was starting to worry about her attacks. If Jiro had the Kerria Eyes he would have used them by now but he hadn't activated them yet, Sakuma had also wished she had activated her Kerria Eyes as well.
Jiro got another hit on Sakuma, the both backed up, Sakuma could see her breath since it was cold. She looked down & saw blood running down her ankle. Isao & Ryo began getting nervous, Jiro had a little smirk as he thought Sakuma hadn't got a hit on him, but he was wrong, blood began running down his cheek, he touched it realizing he was bleeding.
A cold breeze came by as they stared at each other still in the same place. Sakuma's hair got in her face, she removed it to make sure she saw if he attacked & she was right, she saw him runnning toward her with his broadsword ready to attack. She got out of the way since she wasn't ready, he quickly went after her & she got another cut on her left shoulder, this one was bigger then the other one.
She tried moving away so she could catch a breath but the circle they were in wasn't too big, she couldn't move around much. Not too much blood was coming out & she was used fighting while bleeding so she was still able to fight.
A few second later after more fighting, Sakuma had finally got another hit on him, blood was coming down his face. Sakuma was starting to feel more confident but that quickly went down when she felt a cut go through her glove on her right hand making her drop the katana in that hand. Jiro quickly kicked it away, leaving her with one katana.
She went in for another attack with the one katana in her left hand but it then too ended up on the floor. Jiro quickly knocked her on the floor, she fell on her back. She looked up & saw Jiro staring her dead in the eyes, she knew if she tried to stand up Jiro would instantly kill her. The crowd now stopped cherring & stared at Jiro looking down on Sakuma. Isao was now standing as Ryo held tightly Sakuma's katana cases scared of what was going to happen next.
Jiro held up his broadsword geting ready to stick it into Sakuma's heart. For her, It felt like it was happening in slow motion, am I really going to die? after all I've been through she thought to herself. She closed her eyes remembering her dead family, she could see her family sitting outside on a sunny day. Her father & her brother, Obuko, were training with stiletto knifes. A six-year-old Sakuma, Arita, her sister, Asano, her brother, & their mother sat on the grass looking at them.
Their father & Obuko turned her way & gave her a smile. She opened her eyes & saw Jiro's sword was closer to her chest. Not yet she thought & quickly knocked his sword out of her hand with her right leg as she reached into her pocket & pulled out a stiletto knife.
She sat up & sliced his ankles making him fall to his knees. She then slit his throat, she got blood all over her face as Jiro fell to the ground grabbing his neck.
Bringing another weapon into the match was allowed but not much people knew about it so they didn't do it.
Isao let out a breath relieved his granddaughter made it out of the match alive. Ryo was amazed of how the match ended, "Woah." he said quietly with a smile as the crowd applauded.
The girl stood up & picked up her katana's. Isao stood up, "The winner is Sakuma Gin who will move onto going to the Hunter Exams." he said as the crowd cheered.
She took off her right glove where she got cut on, she was already tired from just that match but immediately another person came from the crowd wanting to challenge her.
She looked over to her grandfather signaling that she wanted a break. "Before we begin with any other matches, we will first have our winner patched up. he announced.
The silver-haired girl walked over to her younger cousin to get obtain her cases for her katana's. She instantly saw him looking at her with his sparkly grey eyes, "You were amazing!" he said as he handed her the cases. "I almost died." she replied putting her katana's in their cases.
"But you still won & now you're worthy of taking the Hunter Exam." he said. "& she'll pass that too." Isao said standing behind his granddaughter. He handed her a handkerchief to wipe off the blood on her face.
The both of them began walking away so that the girl could get bandaged up. As that was happening, Isao kept telling her how proud he was & how much she has accomplished in just the four years since her family died.
After Sakuma got a break, she went through three more battles & was currently on her fifth one. The other three were easy for her, just as the person she was currently battling.
Sakuma was standing overlooking the middle aged women as the girl held the tip of her katana to the women's throat signaling that this battle was over.
Isao stood up from his chair, "& once again, Sakuma Gin is our winner," he said as the lady stood up walking away grabbing her throat making sure it was okay. Isao sat down waiting to see if anyone else wanted to challenge his granddaughter.
Toru began standing up but before anyone could see, Isao grabbed his hand, "Sit down." he demanded. "You can not challenge your own cousin." Toru was stunned, he didn't know his grandfather knew he wanted to challenge Sakuma.
"Anyone can challenge her." Toru stated. "Yes, I know. Sit down before anyone sees you." he told his grandson as he starred straight ahead not wanting to cause any attention toward them. The older brother sat down wanting to hear why his grandfather didn't want him to challenge Sakuma.
"You didn't know I knew of your jealously toward her?" he questioned but Toru didn't say anything. "It was pretty obvious, I wouldn't be surprised if she knew. I understand the jealously, she has natural talent, she's praised by the village, & she's next in line to be my successor. Your mother-" Toru turned his head toward his grandfather at the mention of his mother, "envied your uncle's natural talent but she wasn't jealous of him like how you are of Sakuma."
They both looked toward her standing in the circle, "If you were to say you wanted to challenge Sakuma right now, you would be disrespecting the reigning family & the people of this village would see it like that as well. So in reality I'm saving you from being hated by the entire village." he continued on. "Fine." Toru began getting up again, "Just maybe If I was born first then her I would get treated better." he said & began walking away. "You know that's not t-" before he could finish Toru was already at a far distance.
Isao looked toword where Sakua was standing & noticed no one else had said they wanted to challenge her. He stood up, "With no one else challening my grandaughter, this brings the end of the Ceremory Battles." he said making the people of the village clap.
Sakuma immeditely began walking away, she was tired & wanted to go home & sleep but first she had to go to the infirmary so she could have her wounds checked properly.
After the nurses finished checking her wounds, it was already dark out. There was no one out, everyone was pretty much getting ready for bed now. She continued walking as she carried her katana's on her back & as the street lights shinned above her.
As she made a turn, just around the corner she saw Toru sitting on a bench with a street light shinning above him. She walked toward him, "Are you going home yet?" she asked. "Yeah, in a mintue." he was still mad he didn't get to chllenge her earlier & show his people that he's just as strong as her.
Toru stood up, "You'll be leavinng to take the Hunter Exam in a few days." he said. "Yeah." she simply said, she looked down to her left hand that was holding her gloves then to her other hand that was bandeged up.
"Do me & Ryo a favor & return in one piece." he told her & began walking home. As much as he was jealous of her he still loved her. Sakuma was stunned of what he said but she intenned to do just that.
She'll return home to her cousins & grandfather then she'll get the vengence she's been waiting to get.
author's note.
first off, i apologize for making this prologue so long but i wanted y'all to see sakuma's relationships with her cousins, grandfather, & the village. also i suck at writing fight scenes so i also apologize for that. i just wanted to say sakuma got her red eye from her father & she was the only one out of the four children to get it while the rest got light green eyes from their mother. toru got his red eyes from his mother who is sakuma's fathers sister while ryo got his gray eyes from his father. also if you haven't noticed yet, i put face claims for toru & ryo because i thought they deserved some.
sakuma's, toru's, & ryo's outfits during the ceremony. sorry the photo is kinda blurry but they'll be more flashbacks between sakuma & her family.
word count, 4311