It's nice to meet you
Silently she opened the door to a room beside the bathroom where a younger boy slept silently. Carefully she sat on the bed beside him and stroked the hair from his sleeping face.
The touch did as intended and the boy awoke slowly with a small yawn. “What time is it Ane?” The girl smiled as she pulled him from the bed and placed him on the carpeted floor of the room.
“5:30 Kaji-chan.” He smiled sweetly and nodded as Mitsu left the room. Once in the bathroom, Mitsu looked at her reflection carefully. Small bags hugged the undersides of her eyes and her face was smudged and unclean.
Turning the water on to the quietest setting she quickly washed the grime from her face and brushed her teeth. She applied a small amount of clear lip gloss, a little mascara, and some concealer under her eyes. She looked more alive this way.
She set a toothbrush down beside the sink carefully, toothpaste already on the brush for her brother before walking down the stairs quietly.
In the kitchen, she pulled out premade Onigiri she had stashed in the back of the fridge. Two for her brother and one for herself. Her brother tiptoed down the stairs, his feet were clumsy and made soft thudding noises as he went.
He was wearing a black shirt that matched his sisters, and black hakama pants that were tied off at the ankles with bandages. She pushed his plate towards him on the table as she ate her own and walked towards the door. Her hands ran over the different fabrics of the many jackets on the rack before she plucked a black and white checkered haori and a small gray and burgundy sweatshirt from the rack.
Her brother smiled as she placed the sweatshirt beside him on the table. The fabric was warm and made with loving fingers, the inside lined with high-quality wool. Her own haori was thin but made of durable fabric that breathed well when she trained in it during class.
Both garments were handmade and sown with loving hands. Her present for herself for her birthday and a necessity she was more than willing to provide for her brother.
With the dishes washed and put away, Mitsu silently motioned for her brother to put on his sweatshirt. A glance at the clock told her that they only had 5 more minutes to be out of the house before their father awoke.
Opening the door, they both stepped out with bare feet before shutting it quietly behind them. The perpetual shadows found on the forest floor greeted them with familiar arms. Sitting on the porch they both slipped on their sandals before Mitsu crouched at the bottom of the steps. Her brother's small frame landed on her back with a soft giggle, his arms wrapping securely around her neck as she stood to start walking to the academy.
Looking up, foliage covered the steadily rising sun and prevented the dancing rays from touching the delicate ground. Down here the air was moist with dew and thick with the smell of life. Decaying leaves, budding plants, and freshly turned soil make up the landscape. The stillness of the early morning air kissed her skin with gentle dew-covered caresses. Each breath soothed her lungs with a cooling heaviness that settled under her skin like a comforting embrace.
The streets on the forest floor were hauntingly empty, but I watched silently as the lights began to flicker on in the windows of the houses we passed.
The people of the shinobi village shared a symbiotic relationship with the woods that housed them. If a tree decided to grow in the middle of a path, you let it grow and took the time to walk around it. If an inconvenient root blocked your path, you stepped over it. If the branches blocked your window, you found a different escape route. It was simply the way it worked. Without the trees, the village was left unprotected from the elements. Unprotected from the outside world.
When the people built their homes in the trunks, the trees continued to thrive. When the people piped plumbing, fresh water, and electricity to their homes higher up, the trees swallowed it all welcomingly as they grew. When a tree was sick the people got together to try and alleviate the sickness. Many jutsu had been created with the intent to care for the trees. Together the forest thrives, apart we are lost.
Besides the trees, the village was also protected by a towering cliff face that sported the Hokage monument. The towering rock provided protection and a sense of safety as the faces of those long gone watched over us in death. Imposing stone walls enforced with chakra steel and guarded all hours of the day surrounded the village, cutting us off from the rest of the forest that made up this portion of fire country. Long ago it had been named ‘The Forest of Foresight’, whatever that means.
Layers upon layers of genjutsu cloaked the village, keeping it completely hidden from sight through the trees. Once you entered the gate, the genjutsu disappeared, and you could see the village in all its glory. Hidden seals scattered around the village were constantly detected for foreign signatures and a seal barrier invisible to the naked eye acted as a final layer of protection.
Soon the entire village would boom with activity when the market opened for business at 8 am sharp as it always did. The academy opened its doors at exactly 6 am to provide students with time to study in the mornings before class, so I took full advantage of the early start to get Kaji and myself out of the house.
Walking through the village center was one of the only places in the entire village that weren't covered completely by tree canopy. Here the sun could beat down slightly and highlight the sun-bleached bricks that made up the road. Trees were more sparse here, and when you looked up you could see the blue of the sky and watch the clouds as they rolled by in beautiful swirls of white and gray.
A large circle of trees gave way to a large marketplace where one gargantuan tree lay in the center and stood protectively over the people. Hashirama-sama had paid special attention to the village center when crafting the forest we all call home.
“I wanna work there one day Ane,” His gentle hand pointed to the massive tree in the center of the market.
The tree was at least three-five meters in diameter, and the branches housed a large communications center and watch tower.
“One-day Kaji-chan. You’ll have to do all your homework, okay?”
The treehouse-esc building was built into the tree itself and was said to always be manned by at least 5 Chunin shinobi.
“Okay!”
The building acted as a nexus for the tree bridges and was known as the ‘nexus center’ and marked the center of the village for all patrolling shinobi. One other building was built into the tree, causing it to hold special significance to daily operations.
We had gone on a tour of the center last year; the highest point acts as the central messenger highway for carrier hawks. They delivered their message, the message was run to whoever had to receive it.
The hawks lived in the branches of the canopy and were taken care of by special operators that rotated through the central aviary and the aviaries found along the borders. When we got bad weather they were brought inside and cared for, same for when they were sick or injured. Large nests litter the branches and are protected by the operators and the hawks themselves.
The trees that circle the nexus center are laden with shops built in and around the branches and trunks. Pops of bright colours drew your eyes in every direction. Every few steps there was another building, another shop. Every branch supported a business that thrived here, banners and decorations hung from every available space. When the place opened it was best to avoid it unless absolutely necessary. It was a pain maneuvering through it now, imagine it overflowing with people.
Jumping up onto a suspension bridge I weaved through the maze-like structures with confident steps only accomplishable through years of experience. Learning to tree hop, tree walk, and run from branch to branch was an essential skill for any shinobi in Konoha. You couldn't get past year 4 without the basic skill.
Crossing over into the shinobi district brought only a few changes. Here the day had already long begun and the streets were alive with quiet chatter. Shinobi were arriving from their night shifts in their respective divisions, patrolling, leaving for early morning missions, arriving home from missions, and heading out for training.
Apartment buildings were nestled into the tight spaces between the trees. The buildings were built around the trunk of a tree in a circular fashion that allowed natural airflow. They would stretch up into the under canopy, spaces left open for the branches of the trees to remain. An apartment building could be built around a tree with several large branches in the underlayer and still remain sturdy. It was a feat only seen in Konoha.
Taking a wide road to the left, I walked into the large domed area where the academy was built. The trees here are tall and have long-reaching branches that create a dome-like cover over the empty space. The branches are a little thinner here, so the morning sunlight shines through and casts beautiful shapes of pale light onto the building. Climbing ivy and shorter wisteria trees with woven branches grows up the sides of the building and hangs off the branches of the trees. It's truly a beautiful sight.
Kaji hops off my back excitedly and takes my hand in his smaller one. His surprisingly strong grip for a boy his age pulls me into the building quickly. I smile at the students I know as we pass as we weave through the crowd to where Iruka-sensei's classroom is.
There is no doubt in my mind that Iruka is Kaji’s favourite academy teacher.
“Good morning Kaji-chan!” Greeted the energetic man.
“Morning Iruka-sensei!”
“Hey Iruka,” I saluted lazily as I smiled at the familiar face.
He raised a brow but didn’t comment on the lack of honorifics, only patting Kaji on the head gently.
“Ahma, it's good to see you,” He hummed as he sat at his desk once more.
“Come on Iruka, you know I prefer Mitsu,” I trilled.
“That I do,” he smiled. “But I think you best be off before you're late, he’s in capable hands," he nodded toward the now-distracted Kaji who was speaking animatedly with a blond-haired girl.
With soft eyes I nodded, exiting the classroom silently and making for the exit.
The training grounds were beautiful. Large trees surrounded the clearing. Three posts sat off to the side. The ground was slightly tuff here, the normal cushion of loose soil and moss absent. The leaves were all raked into the tree line where they formed an almost barrier-like structure. The shrubs and foliage between the trees were overgrown, thin animal trails being the only clear paths through the thickets.
The day went as it always does.
Naruto and Sasuke fighting and Kakashi-sensei doing nothing about it. It's so bad that we barely get one D-rank done in a day, never mind accomplishing anything during training.
We start in the morning with stamina training; 10 laps around the training grounds, 50 pushups, 100 jumping jacks, and a plank for as long as you can hold it. Naruto always finishes first, not because he’s particularly fast, but because he has never-ending stamina. The boy could run laps around the village all day and feel nothing, it's insane!
Sasuke finishes second and then proceeds to rile up Naruto, so they end up sparring while I finish my set. When I finish I’m huffing and puffing, my chest rising and falling erratically. My legs always burn and my aching limbs don’t help, but nothing can be done about that.
I’ve come to the realization that my teammates are monsters. I’m not quite as fast as Sasuke, and I don't have the same stamina as Naruto. I don't have any fancy jutsu, I’m clearly physically weaker than the boys, and Kakashi has at some point decided I’m not worth the effort of training properly.
I ask every morning if he will teach me something, but he doesn't, he just gives me a chakra control exercise and tells me to sit and watch the boys. If I’m particularly lucky he’ll allow me to meditate or read one of the books I’ve pulled from the library.
Place the civilian girl with good theoretical grades on the team with the second son of the head of the Uchiha clan and the boy the Hokage clearly favours, Uzumaki Naruto. She’ll act as cannon fodder should they ever get into a real battle. If we're lucky she might even die for them and motivate them to work harder! Yay... !
Our latest mission was to catch Diyamo's wife's cat, Tora. We couldn't even get through that without ending up dirty and covered in scratches. Shaking the thought from my mind I focused on the conversation happening around me. “Since young Naruto seems so determined, why don’t you take a C-rank escort mission.”
My ears began to ring as I silently panicked. A C-rank… We weren't ready for a C-rank. We could barely catch a cat, how are we supposed to protect anyone?! Turning to Kakashi I expected him to say as much, but he just nodded along and accepted the scroll.
What is he, insane?! I began counting in my head backwards from 10. Each deep breath accompanied a number as I went through the practiced sequence. Who would look after Kaji for me while I was gone? What would become of him if I died? I take care of everything pertaining to him, I’m even the emergency contact on his academy paperwork!
Leaving the room with the simple instructions to meet at the gates in an hour, I rushed down the stairs of the tower and shot off toward the house. I need to see Kaji, but first I need my things.
The civilian district came into view quickly and I ran through the street, weaving through people as I went. I went around the back of the house and climbed the tree beside my window. Holding my arms out on either side of me for balance I walked along one of the long limbs that made its way along the side of the house. I left my window unlocked, so I carefully climbed inside. No one should be home at this time of day, but best to be safe rather than sorry.
I grabbed my travel pack from the hanger on the back of my door, throwing in a book on theoretical Fuinjutsu that I'd managed to swindle a Chunin into grabbing me from the restricted section of the library, my notebook, a small set of charcoal to go with it, some ration bars from the stash in my nightstand, an extra change of clothes, some bandages, and my basic toiletries.
Dashing down the hall I stuffed some Ryo into Kaji’s pillowcase so he could buy himself food for lunch and dinner for the next three weeks, leaving instructions on how to find old man Azura’s place if he ran out.
Walking into the kitchen I dumped what was left of my allowance into the jar on the counter. That should keep him occupied enough while I’m away.
I made sure my kunai pouch was secured to my hip before climbing back through the window.
Going around the front of the house, I left a sticky note telling my dad I was away for a mission and didn't know when I’d be back. It was better than nothing I supposed.
Pulling my surprisingly small pack over my shoulders, I started jogging toward the academy. I passed through the market, down the familiar roads found on the edge of the shinobi district, and straight for the familiar road that would take me to my brother.
Once the building was in sight I slowed to a rushed walk. I entered through the front doors of the medium-sized building, not even stopping to admire the flowers like I usually did. I counted the door numbers as I walked to his class, my hand pulling the door open before I could think about the consequences.
The teacher paused, looked over my being and nodded toward Kaji with a questioning look. I nodded wordlessly and she motioned for my brother to go. He shot from the room and straight into my arms, I closed the door gently and carried him slightly away from listening ears. His hands fisted in my pack and he looked up at me with tears in his eyes.
“Are you going on a mission, Ane?”
I nodded as I whipped the tears from his red cheeks.
“Yes, Imouto,” He wrapped his arms around me and cried silently.
This would be the first time ever we were away from each other for more than a single night. I knew this would be hard on him, but we both knew this was coming.
“I’ll come back Kaji-chan, don't worry about me alright?”
He looked up with a pout on his face, “You say that all the time, but you always end up getting hurt!”
I sighed as I ruffled his hair. A sad smile stretched across my face, “I’ll be okay.”
He shook his head but did not try to verbally argue the words.
“Now, you remember how to get home?”
He nodded.
“Remember to take your keys with you in the morning, and wake up early enough so you can get out of the house okay? I won't be here to protect you and look after you, so you need to be a big boy and make sure you make it to bed.”
He nodded, digging his head into my chest almost painfully.
“I will.”
I pulled him closer and tucked his head under my chin.
“Be safe okay? Don’t stay out too late with your friends, and make sure you eat enough. If there's nothing in the fridge there are ration bars in my nightstand and old man Azumi will feed you I’m sure.” I stood, keeping my hand on his head.
“If it’s not safe in the house, I want you to go and stay with Sakura, okay? She’ll make sure you're taken care of.” He nodded as I led him back toward his classroom.
“I’ll be careful.”
Opening the door I ushered him inside with a painful feeling in my chest. I can’t cry, it will just make it worse for the both of us. His teacher smiled at me with an understanding look. Kaji turned around and dashed back into my arms.
“Come home, okay?” I nodded, my hands wrapped firmly around him, “Promise me.”
“Okay, Kaji-chan...”