She... she said we'd see each other again! S-She promised!

Had it been her plan to go down fighting? 

Had she wanted to die this entire time? 

When she used that strange power, I thought she was... invincible. I had never heard of, or seen, anything like that before. She lit a person on fire! With her eyeballs! And those people who attacked us, who were they? Why did they have to come?! If I hadn't gotten sick; if during my birth I had been even just a little more lucky... my parents, and Makara-sensei, they wouldn't have had to sacrifice so much. Their family, their lives... For me.

Why... is this happening? Why does it have to be like this? Why did my family have to sacrifice themselves... for me?

"I... I can't cry! I swore... I swore I... I-I wouldn't cry." I take a great, deep breath, and quickly wipe my face. "... I have to get to the Hidden Leaf."

"I... um..." I scratch my head and glance down at the map for the seventh time in the past two seconds. "I... should've turned left... back there..." I turn around and run the other way.

"I already turned left! How the heck am I still lost?!" I should've already been at the village's gates!! So why aren't I?! "Oh. Wait a minute." I stop walking. "I turned right... didn't I? That means I have to go left... all the way... again."

"Yes! Finally!"

This has to be the place. I suppose the giant gates with the symbol of a leaf painted at the top of them would be a dead giveaway, which makes me wonder why it's known as the Hidden Leaf Village, because it's not that very well hidden...? Regardless, it is a relief to finally arrive here.

But now, I feel like I'm going to be sick.

I'm nervous down to the snow-soaked socks in my snow-soaked boots.

What a strange feeling, this nervousness, mixed together with the feeling of excitement... and guilt.

I know I've said it so many times before, but I... I left my Sensei alone with those dangerous people, and she had known what would happen if I had. But why wouldn't she let me help her? I still don't understand, even after all of this, after all the time I had to think about all that had happened back in the Hidden Snow.

"Who were those men?"

"Why did they attack us?"

These questions have been repeating in my mind since that night two days ago. I will not forget that night. Ever.

I've entered the village and, well, I'm not sure what to do after that. Maybe I should go look for that Hokage person? Tightening the straps on the backpack, I step through the gates-praying that I won't get lost trying to find where the Hokage is.

I look around, hoping for a clue of some kind.

On my right is a heavily-wooded dirt path toward a large house. On my left is a small shack-type hut with two sleeping men in the chairs behind the desk. Even from this far away, I can hear them snoring. Perhaps they are stationed as guards, to watch for who and what enters and exits the village. And maybe it's a bad thing to come here without informing them. What if they think I'm an intruder? Considering how differently I'm dressed compared to them, it is a highly probable scenario. I wouldn't want them to get into trouble.

So I carefully walk over to them, not wanting to wake them up and scare them. Pulling my bag off my shoulders and setting it down at my feet, I nervously clear my throat.

"H-Hello?" I say loudly. One of the two men spring up, slamming his hands down on the desk in front of him, startling his still-sleeping partner, and myself.

"Damn it, we fell asleep again!" the spiky haired man exclaims, his eyes wide with exhaustion and surprise. He shakes the others' shoulder. "Oi, Izumo, wake up!" When he doesn't respond, he hits the man named Izumo in the back of the head. "Wake up!"

"W-What?" Izumo looks around, blinking as his eyes struggle to adjust to the blinding sunlight above our heads. He groans, rubbing the spot where he had been hit while stifling a yawn. He then glances up at me and blinks several times again. "Who're you?"

"M-My name is Kari Yamada," I say, trying to think calm thoughts to ease my now-racing heart. I haven't spoken to anyone but my Sensei my entire life, so after my encounter with those border guards, and now these two, I'm terrified, and because I'm so terrified, my voice is failing on me. "I'm l-looking for a Hokage?" I take a breath and sigh inwardly at my failure.

"Sorry, kid; you'll have to speak louder," Izumo says, raising his eyebrow at me. I grimace. This isn't going well, I'm sure.

"I-I'd like to speak to... your Hokage," I repeat, slightly louder, subbing out a couple of my words.

"What business do you have with Lord Hokage?" the other asks, and instead of answering, I kneel down and reach into my bag to pull out Makara-sensei's letter to him.

"I have this for him," I say, holding it out for them to see. Craning their heads, their eyes widen upon seeing the name on the envelope. This Hiruzen man must be special, I figure. They both share a sideways glance at each other before standing up abruptly. I step backwards, anxiously awaiting whatever it is they stood up for.

"Do you see that large building way down the road?" Izumo asks, pointing off to the left. Looking in the same direction, I notice a large red structure and nod. "The Hokage's in there in the top room. All you have to do is get an audience with him and you can give him your letter." I sigh in relief. Maybe it went well, after all.

"By the way... aren't you a little young to be travelling all the way from the Hidden Snow to here by yourself?" the other inquires.

"I d-don't know," I say with a frown. "Am I?"

"What're you talking about, Kotetsu? She looks as old as a Genin," Izumo argues. What's a Genin? "How old are you?"

"I-I'm twelve," I answer.

"See? She's not young at all."

"Whatever you say," Izumo says with a shrug. "So yeah, it's down there."

"Thank you v-very much!" Shoving the letter back inside my bag, I pick it up, bow, and walk away from the entrance. Maybe now they can go back to sleep. I look over my shoulder and see them rest their heads in their arms.

Looks like I was right.

The further I walk into the village, the more tired I become. I haven't had a good sleep since I left-- actually, before that, even. I'd been so sore from training that I didn't have the chance to properly rest up, and then chores, and then the ambush... I guess it doesn't matter now, seeing as I'm already here. I wonder if I'll be able to find a place to stay for the night tonight?

It's incredible, seeing all of these people here in this place. Even when I had left the mountainside, the main village below hadn't been as busy as this place is. Aside with the times with Makara-sensei, I've never been happier-or more scared. I've never been around so many people before, so this will have to be the first time I've ever encountered a anxiety like this.

Shifting in between them and stepping out of the way to let a small group of running children pass me, I'm finally able to make it away from the crowded road and into a more slow-moving area within the village, one that is just outside the building Izumo had told me to go to.

It is a lot bigger than it had appeared from back at the gates, and now at close range, I can see that the kanji for "Fire" is painted on a plated circle at the top on the roof's edge.

So, I guess this is it.

I'm meeting the Hokage. I'm going to give him my Sensei's letter, and... what happens next? I'll be living in Konoha from here on out, if he lets me. I'll get stronger here, I know it. My Sensei had told me that I'd learn how to become stronger by coming here... and I'll do it, too, for her. And only for her.

For her honor and on her honor, I have to find that man. I must. I'll... I'll avenge her. 

I step inside the large building, wary of the small group of people who stand in a circle off to the right. I gulp, my legs threatening to give out any moment, and I take another breath to try and calm myself down.

I glance around, taking in what is a ginormous foyer, with the ceilings painted a light blue, making it look like the sky outside. I use my hand to keep my mouth shut. Looking off to the left, I see a large staircase that leads up to the higher floors, and I cross to them, taking my time in climbing each one.

When I finally reach the top, my limbs are completely numb. I stare down the corridor. Pinching my thighs, I force my legs back into commission. I walk down the hallway until I reach a door with another "Fire" kanji on it.

A-Alright. I ball up my fist, turn my hand, and let my knuckles crash quietly against the wood. Let's do this.

"L-Lord Hokage?" I call, trying to raise my voice. But it remains a whisper. So instead, I clear my throat, which ends up being louder, and a faint voice replies with a hoarse, "Come in".

As soon as I open the door, I'm consumed by a large cloud of smoke. I start coughing, unable to hold my breath any longer. It burns my nose and makes my eyes water, which is a feeling that I don't particularly like. Peering through the smoke cloud, I see an old man sitting at a paper-cluttered desk, holding a small, wooden pipe between his fingers. Taking a final puff, he sets it down on an ash-filled tray and lets out a light cough. Furrowing his snow-white eyebrows, he glances over at me, putting his elbows up on the desk and propping his head up with his hands.

"And who might you be?" he asks. I gulp again and step forward. This man is a Lord, so formal greetings will probably be required. It all feels so surreal, being in this place, with actual people. All I have ever known has been taken from me, and now I can't get it back. My sensei and grandmother is dead, my parents are dead, or at the very least, missing or sealed away. I'm all alone now. What if the Hokage doesn't even let me stay here? Then what will I do? I bet those men that attacked us would have no problem taking me in.

"I-I have come from the Hidden Snow Village," I begin, bowing to him. But I don't know what to say after that. I'm completely speechless.

But this man, he catches how speechless I'm, and just smiles. Why? Oh, wait! My name!

"My name is--""I know exactly who you are," he interrupts, "and I've been waiting for you... Kari Yamada."

Updated January 12th, 2020 | 1,962 words