Blood Blackened Leaves: 1

Village of Blood Blackened Leaves
Chapter One

Stars shone like diamonds in the clear moonless 4 o’clock sky over Leaf Country’s largest and densest forest. Nothing moved in the forest, save for the few lone nocturnal critters that dared leave their homes; at least, nothing harmless moved. If a bird chose to fly over the direct middle of the forest, it would be startled to find that the tallest tree seemed to be home to a very tiny, yet very bright ball of flickering blue fire. And if that bird were brave enough, or stupid enough, to fly closer in order to inspect the origin of this intoxicating light, it would find said origin to be the left hand of a very ominous looking young man. Or at least, the bird would think it was a man. Then again, what would the bird know? And why would it care in the first place? Well, if you saw something out of the ordinary in your home, you’d want a closer look, wouldn’t you? Then again, the bird was hypothetical in the first place, but the young man? No, he’s still there, sitting in the highest branches, of the tallest tree, in the densest forest in all of Leaf Country.

The young man was juggling the blue fire from one finger to the next, seemingly contemplating something. He stared straight ahead at the tops of the other trees surrounding him, while the fire danced and shot eerie shadows across his more than pale face. His line of sight shot straight at the faint watchtower beacon of a rather large village by the name of ‘Konoha’. His eyes narrowed as he settled on a single thought. This thought prompted his right hand to move with fluid and efficient strokes over a rather tattered piece of parchment, thick black symbols flowing out of the end of his calligraphy brush. He finished his letter with a flush of his hand, and set it on the branch next to him to dry. He sucked the organic ink out of the bristles of his brush, before depositing it into a concealed pocket on the inside of his coat. He then capped his ink pot, and slipped it in next to the brush. He zipped it closed, and released his coat, allowing it to drape over the branch once more. He broke his deathly stare away from the faint light and ran the tip of his index finger over the letter and determined that it was indeed dry. He folded it neatly into thirds and unzipped a second pocket next to the previous one and pulled out a thick block of near black wax. Utilizing the ball of blue fire, he heated up one end of wax, and let it drip sloppily over the seam of the letter. As the last drop fell, he cooled the end by blowing on it, and returned it to his coat, retrieving a short wooden square in turn. He pressed the square onto the wax, and placed it back into the pocket again He zipped up that pocket as well before setting the letter on his lap. This allowed him to create a circle with his right thumb and forefinger. With a swift and nearly unnoticeable motion, he pierced the pad of his index finger with his nail, and blood welled up to and out of the wound. He smeared it on his thumb, and then pressed his fingerprint at the bottom of the wax seal.

The fire extinguished as his left hand felt for a leaf. He plucked the first one he found with ease, and brought it back to his lap. Moments later, the once pristine green leaf was now nearly dripping with his blood. He then licked the excess from the end of his finger before blowing on it as well. His skin seemed to seal and mend as he did so, but he paid it no mind. What he did do was speak. He spoke very quietly, but with extreme purpose. Now, if that bird had indeed existed, and if it indeed could tell between the human sexes, the voice it would be hearing would have it rethinking its knowledge. The bird in question would have seen a man, but would be hearing a rather feminine voice. Granted, the bird would have been stupid, because as the normal human being should know, one’s voice is only determined by the length and breadth of the vocal cords. And these cords evolve and grow over one’s life, and therefore, one also knows that a male with a feminine voice is not uncommon. But this does not matter yet again, because there still is no bird.

Soon, the speaking halted, and moments later another flash of light could be seen in the highest branches of this seemingly unoccupied tree. When the light faded, the tree was silent again; but it was not to last. The blue fire reappeared, and now the young man was not alone. A tiny white cat now sat on the branch in front of him, his letter clutched in its teeth. He then pointed towards the light, the cat’s head turning to follow the direction of his hand. The cat nodded, and then jumped from the branch. It plummeted towards the ground, seemingly unaware of the fact that it would perish if it came in contact with it’s destination when it landed on a lower branch, then jumped to the next one, and yet another, on it’s way to the village. The young man watched the cat disappear into the forest before blowing out the fire again, only this time he smiled at the fact that there was no smoke to say that there was even ever fire to begin with. He sat there watching the stars for several minutes before unbuckling his coat, shrugging out of it, and bundling it up to use as a pillow. He fell asleep with a smirk on his lips wondering how the Leaf Village’s first female Hokage would react when a simple white messenger cat carrying a rather strange application letter would disappear as soon as she took hold of the parchment.

As the world turned in it’s infinite and unyielding rotation, the diamond casting stars mirrored this phenomenon by seemingly being the true moving celestial body. They ticked the time by in millimeters and light-years, and soon it was 5:30 on the small, blue planet. The forest was once again silent, but it couldn’t be any less empty. Movement could be seen through the thick branches of the trees, but if one turned to look, it would be nothing but a flickering thought. If one did happen to catch a glance at the origin of said ‘flickering thought’, one would wonder if that flash was even alive. All that would be seen, or distinguishable at least, would be a streak of dirty beige, and what seemed to be the darkest brown possible. It was gone again as the wind blew outward from it’s previous location and rustled hundreds of leaves in all directions. The displacer took no notice of his actions, for he was meters away from any disturbances long before they appeared. His feet flew over the ground; never truly touching it, and never did a sound or indent betray his position. And then, for a split second, another would appear, mere feet from the first, mirroring his movements and silence, before being lost to the darkness once more.

As this young man approached his destination, his flight slowed, and what was once a blur of pale color fell into place on his body, and the streak of shadow previously indistinguishable from the tree trunks descended from the wind onto his shoulders. He blew a strand off of his nose and studied his new surroundings. The edge of the forest that concealed him and his doppelganger so eloquently brushed up against a rather tall, slightly menacing, but certainly ascendable wall. A wall that housed his current objective; the city of Konoha.

He motioned to his double to scale the stone, and the other nodded, and jumped, his feet connecting with the halfway point of the wall before he broke in a sprint. The distance from his first connection and the apex of the wall closed in, but he did not slow. Not until he reached the last meter of the wall did he resign himself to climbing, hand over hand, slowly, and even though the wall was as smooth as marble, he gripped it as if his hands and the wall were coated with Velcro. As soon as his hand felt the crest of the wall, he hoisted his body over with ease, and sat on the balls of his feet surveying the city below him. Not a soul could be seen; the guards had gone slack in their duties to protect the city. He crawled along the top of the barrier, behind and around several buildings to make sure all entrance points were devoid of life when he stopped on a crack and hunkered down.

Iruka stopped in his steps having noticed a slight movement out of the corner of his eye. Not daring to warn any intruder that might notice his attention, he kneeled as if to remove a twig from his shoe. His eyes glanced back towards the movement, but all he saw were stars. He stood, and looked around him. The streets were empty, and the wall vacant of any suspicious beings. A cat mewed somewhere behind him, and he spun on his heel, shiruken buried in a tree above the cat’s right ear. Shrieking, the cat ran off into an alley, and Iruka’s hand went to his heart. A sigh of relief escaped him and he straightened to retrieve his weapon. With the star back in its hold, he turned to complete his walk home. Several steps passed and he found himself beneath the branch of a strangely short oak three. Suddenly, a hand came out of nowhere, and struck him cold.

Standing from the now unconscious Chunin, the intruder took in his current surroundings. To his left, far in the distance was the mountain of Hokage’s passed. To his right, the current Hokage’s present location, her office. He jumped from the street, landing silently on the nearest rooftop, and hopped the distance to his destination in a matter of seconds. His last jump landed him at the door to the Hokage’s building, and he walked in casually.

Hearing the sound of a body falling, a tall, silver haired Jounin slunk out from an alley. He nearly tripped over a ruffled looking cat, and cursed slightly to himself. As his head rounded the corner, he spotted a young woman standing over a body, her knee length hair obstructing any view of her body or face from him. She then turned towards him, and he ducked back into the alley. Seconds later, he heard her jump onto a roof, and jump away. He ran out from the alley to see the body of his friend Iruka lying prone on the ground. The man was alive, just a bump to the forehead. He would wake soon, but with a throbbing headache. Kakashi leapt to the nearest roof, and followed the intruder, closing the distance faster than the human eye can see. He was nearly on the young girl’s heels, but nearly is never good enough.

The young trespasser found his way to the Hokage’s office. Silently, he opened the door to see her occupied in paperwork. A single light illuminated her desk, and tiny square spectacles sat on the end of her nose. She seemed all too relaxed for a Hokage, and the young man smiled. His hands danced in the darkness, and he strode to stand before her desk. His back straight, and his hands at his side, he waited for just a split second for her to take notice. His stance altered, and the door flew open. Kakashi ran into the room, several kunai aimed at the intruder, and Tsunade looked up. She let the world seep in, and a look of curiosity settled on her face. It then changed to that of wonderment when she realized that his eyes were completely red. ‘His sclera as well…what on Earth…?’ The young man hesitated no longer, and he fell into a bow. He spoke for the first time.

“Madame Hokage. I have come to join in your village’s Chunin exam. For if I ever hope to become an Anbu, I must first become a Chunin. May I have your permission to participate?”

Tsunade and Kakashi both stood in disbelief. Neither could speak. Tsunade sat back against her chair, and removed her glasses. Kakashi sheathed his kunai, and walked to stand beside the apparent Genin. As the voice had hinted, Kakashi saw that the child with the long hair was in fact male. He inwardly apologized for the mistake in gender, but did not mention so. Tsunade nodded, and replied.

“I will hear your plea, but first we must know who you are, and why you are here. What is your name? How old are you, and where are you from, for we have never seen you in our walls before.”

The young man stood, hair flowing behind him, and answered her questions slowly, but clearly. “My name is Sen Tenugi. I have lived for twenty springs, and I hail from the Sound Village.”

Kakashi and Tsunade jerked in their respective shoes, and both exclaimed, “What?!”

“How do we know you aren’t one of Orochimaru’s henchmen?! Who are you!” Kakashi yelled.

“I suppose you don’t, now, do you? I did work under him for much of my childhood, but I soon came to realize that not only was he a skilled and deadly genius, but he was also a mad and twisted soul. I had no intention of dooming my own to however many pits of hell he will eventually see. And would a devoted lackey, even one trained by Orochimaru, speak so ill of him?”

Tsunade relaxed slightly, but replied with hesitation in her voice. “Just because you speak of nothing but hatred, how do we know that you do not follow him any longer? He had many ways to corrupt the young.” She finished with sorrow in her eyes.

“I understand how one voice cannot speak alone in this respect. But I assure you, my brother shares my feelings.”

“Brother?” Kakashi asked. “I followed one into this building, not two.”

“Then you were mistaken sir. Stand up Shuiita.” At the mention of his name, another, identical young man stood from behind Tsunade. She leapt from her chair as Shuiita stepped out from behind the desk to stand next to his brother.

“Twins…?” Kakashi whispered, stunned that he had missed the second one, not giving him another glance. “How did you elude me? Tsunade, I believe that having escaped my knowledge should count for half of their acceptance. The other of course being whether or not we believe their story. Can we trust these two young men?”

Tsunade looked from Kakashi to Sen, and then his brother. She calmly sat back in her chair, and straightened the papers she had been looking over. Her fingers entwined together and her head bowed. “If we cannot believe these children, then what has become of the world?” Her head lifted. “I shall allow these two to participate if they can find a third.”

“Third?” Sen asked. “A third what?”

“A third Genin whom you shall call your teammate. No one shall be allowed to participate on their own. You must be accompanied by two others.” Kakashi explained.

“You shall have until noon tomorrow to find a third teammate. If you cannot find someone to join you, then you shall have to wait until the next exam, six moths from now. If you find someone to join your team, return to this office to begin your training with Kakashi-san. He shall now escort you to your living quarters for the rest of the night. Or morning as it turns out to be. It seems the sun has risen, and unless I’m mistaken, none of us have had any sleep. If you wish it, I shall move the deadline to tomorrow?” Tsunade asked, the sun gleaming in through the window behind her.

“That shall not be necessary, Madame Hokage. We shall be here with our third by midday. Thank you.” The twins bowed, and turned to Kakashi, who then motioned that they exit the room. He followed, and closed the door behind him.

“I don’t know what you two are playing at, but I shall have my eye on you young man.” Kakashi winked, although he could have blinked for all anyone could see.

“Which one? Your normal eye, or your Sharingan?” Sen smirked. Kakashi’s eyebrow twitched, and he smiled.

“I suppose that is a good question. I took notice of the fact that your eyes are like that of those with the Byakugan, only red, is that any indication to your powers?”

“As they are now, no. It is merely a genetic malfunction of my bloodline, or so I believe. It is an abnormal pigmentation of the Byakugan as far as I’m concerned, nothing more. However, if I so choose, then yes, there is.” His lips curled slightly, but he did not exhibit any example. “But at the moment, the discussion of my eyes seems rather less than important. If I were you, I’d inquire as to the purpose of our current visitor.” Sen finished, pointing behind Kakashi. The taller ninja turned to see a tiny white cat standing behind him. He bent down having noticed that it had something in its mouth. He extended his hand to retrieve the object, but was hindered by a quick swipe from the cat’s rather large paw. It then growled, and moved to walk around him. Kakashi stood, injured hand in his other, and watched the animal walk up to Tsunade’s office. It then sat, and pawed at the foot of the door. Kakashi just stood staring at the cat and nursing his scratch. He then looked to Sen, who nodded. Kakashi nodded back, and ambled to stand behind the cat. He then opened the door, and the snow white feline raced in. He opened the door wider, and cleared his throat to gain Tsunade’s attention once more. She looked up at him, and he pointed down at the floor. She followed his gaze, but was soon startled as the cat jumped up onto her desk, and sat down. She watched the cat hesitantly for a moment waiting to see if it would attack, for in this world, everyone in power is paranoid. The cat was becoming impatient, so it stood, and stepped closer to the female Hokage, thrusting its head outward.

“I think it wants you to take the letter.” Kakashi ventured, still rubbing his hand. Tsunade nodded, and plucked the parchment from the cat’s jaws. It’s job done, the summon vanished in a puff of smoke. Tsunade coughed and waved the smoke away. She then flipped the parchment over to see a black wax seal with the kanji for hailstorm, and beneath it a bloody thumbprint. She then broke the seal, and unfolded the letter. She read through it quickly, and then a second time, slower. She then read it aloud to Kakashi.

“Dear First Female Hokage,
I have one intention to relay through this letter, and to put it simply, it is this; I must pass the Chunin exam to fulfill my own desires, most of which need not be mentioned here. However, if for some reason you feel it important to know why I wish to pass, then I’m quite sure you’ll have ample opportunity to revisit this matter later this fine day at high noon. Though let me make one thing clear; my reason for secrecy is not as interesting as I make it seem. Also, let this one last tidbit of information cross your mind as you process whether or not to allow me access to your test; I was once a plaything for one, Zabuza, and good friend to another, Haku. If these names in any way deter you from allowing me participation in your assessment of my skills, then feel free to set guards at the entrance to your fine city with bells attached to their belt buckles.” She paused. “Bells? What is this person expecting, cats? How absurd.”

“Then don’t give them bells, and allow this person an audience. And from the sound of it, the writer doesn’t seem to know of their mentor’s fates yet. It seems the least you can do is tell them of their demise.” Kakashi suggested.

“But wouldn’t it be all the more appropriate for you to say so? You were there. In fact, wasn’t it you who disposed of Zabuza? Besides, I’d much rather you be the butt of their anger than I.” Tsunade smiled. “That’s basically the gist of things, I just figured I’d get your opinion. They seem sane enough to you then?” Kakashi nodded. “As long as you stay within reach, I’m sure the meeting later today will go, well…as smoothly as possible. Oh, and bring the boys back in here.” Kakashi bowed, and then walked out of the office into the hallway. He waved a hand at the twins, and they walked in slowly.

“We were beginning to wonder what had happened to you. I was about to send Shuiita in to check if you had been dispatched by that cat. It seems however, that I was thinking prematurely. It was a summon then?” Sen asked as the three stood before Tsunade’s desk.

“Yes it was. And it seems it was also the messenger of your third teammate.” Eyebrows raised and questions brewed, but speaking was left to Tsunade. “The author of this letter plans to make their way to my office at noon today to inquire about joining the Chunin exam. If this is not the most perfect example of fate, then I don’t know the lay of the world any longer. You two shall be here in this room later today when the author comes to talk with me, as will Kakashi. Unless this person already has a team and neglected to mention so in this letter, then all shall flow smoothly later. Kakashi will come for you at thirty minutes after eleven, so if you’d like some sleep, you’ll have the time. Thank you, and you may go.” She dismissed them much more impersonally this time, and Kakashi herded the twins back into the hallway.

He then led them to the end of the hall, and down two flights of stairs. They were diverted away from the stairs, and escorted into a guest room. There they were introduced to their beds, and shown the adjoining bathroom, and then left to their own devices. Sen then proceeded to open the nearest window to which he ushered his brother out. He set the stopper in the bottom corner, and sat on the nearest bed. With his face in his hands, he sat there, either thinking or waiting, but perhaps both, until his head rose to find his brother knocking on the slightly open window. Sen stood, and removed the stopper as his brother opened the window and tossed a rather worn looking sack onto the floor below. He then climbed back through the window, closed it, and then disappeared.

Sen, considerably tired and weary, picked up the bag and tossed it onto the other bed before walking to the door and locking it. He walked back to his bed, sat down, and unlaced his dark leather boots. He dropped them next to the wall and centered them between the two beds. He then grabbed the lose piece of linen at his toe, and proceeded to unwrap his foot. That single piece was wrapped around both legs, but in order to free the few strips that spanned his waist he had to undo the other piece that enveloped his torso. He loosened the end at his waist, and unwrapped his hips and crotch. This exposed the rest of the first strip, which he continued to remove. He wound up the first strip and placed it next to his shoe. What he removed next was the real surprise. Beneath his linen ‘clothes’ were hundreds of paper-thin reflective sheets of silver. Although they were thin, they proved the perfect protection. They were held together by several hundred chain-mail links at each corner and strips of leather at his waist like chaps to which he unhooked and removed. He folded them into a neat square, and placed them on the other side of his boots. Picking up the second piece of linen, Sen continued to undress. This one wrapped around not only his torso, but also his neck. This one was rolled up as well, and placed next to its twin. It was now that he removed his black fingerless gloves, and placed them neatly into his boot. He then tugged at the corner of the third roll at his wrist, and unwrapped the remaining linen from his arms and shoulders. This was placed on top the other two. His chest armor hooked over his shoulders, and at either side of his ribcage with more leather strips, but the armor on his arms was two connecting tubes that attached to the straps on his shoulders, and at a hinge at his elbows. He folded them as best he could and laid them over his shoes. Now all that was left was his underwear, and his headband, to which he pulled off of his head, and dropped over his armor. The last thing he was able to do with a clear mind was close the blinds, and fall face first onto the bed. He fell asleep almost before hitting the pillow. In fact, he was probably asleep as soon as his hand left the window. Either way, it would take a full four minutes of knocking to wake him later that day.