One small step for me, millions to reach my goal. (18+) M-Rated

The sun was setting as Kanara walked through the village towards the hokage rock. Slowly she watched and greeted the passing people on her way there, taking her time, trying to get a good look at Konohas people. Her people. The ones she would, if time came, protect by any means. Thinking back about it, she never felt too close to the village. Her childhood memeories were filed with endless hours of running in the dense forrests of the village. She wasnt running from any danger, but after her goal. Seeing a shinobi practicly disappear in front of her, only to realise he now was standing right behind her gave her this special goal. The goal of becoming the fastest shinobi in the entire village. The other kids simply couldnt keep up with her, once she decided to train specificly for this. Other people around her age might be stronger or in a better shape then her, but nearly noone could keep up with her. Thinking back about it, maybe it even was fear, that lead her to this goal. After all, how could anyone hope to defend himself against such people. Disregarding her thought she continued her walk.

Reaching the foot of the mountin she decided this was a good spot to begin her training. Beginning by stretching her arms a few times she let her mind wander about the things she wanted to do today. After a short while, a well known feeling came over her. While she noticed it made her weaker, it also made her even faster, as if her body took all its efforts to becomw even faster then she usually was. Starting in a slow jog around the foot of the mountain, she quickly sped up as she  let the events of the past few weeks pass in her head. After all she recently graduated from the academy, gaining her genin rank amongst konohas forces. Her training and her decision to often miss classes, were the reason she didnt graduate for so long, and the her training also being the reason why she finally chose to graduate. After all, how could she hope to find a shinobi willing to take her in as a student, if she didnt even have the rank of genin, even if she had the training for it? Her training wasnt all about speet either though. The uchiha, being a large clan in Konoha, and a clan that naturally utilised the fire element, Kanara often trained with a few members of it. It was there, when she learned abouther affinity for the fire element, there, where she got told about the spirit of fire, and there, where she unlocked the first stage of the Uchihas kekkei genkai. The famous sharingan. When she first activated it, soemthing inside of her changed, physicly and meantally. The fireball shooting in her direction shined bright red as she watched it move towards her slowly, its bright flames burning themselfe inside her mind like painted picture, while the world she saw before turned crimson red, even more so then before. While it was a dangerous situation back then, it also easily was the most exciting thing she ever experienced. Closing her eyes she still could see the the faces of her mother and father, who, while having both a shocked and a surprised look at her face, also looked proud. Shaking her head to snap out of her memory she continued her training.

Body flicker technique

Taking a break under the shadow of a nearby tree, Kanara took out the bottle of sweet tea, she prepared in the morning. Thirsty she chugged away a good third of the bottle in one swift gulp before thinking about her days plan. The body flicker technique. Thinking about the first time she used it, Kanara shuddered. Not only did she nearly kill herself with it, but also could have ruined someones day easily. Using the body flicker technique without a solid way to stop while in full momentum was the problem back then. Using it inside the city, without knowing when or rather how to stop on the spot, nearly let her crash into a wall next to some people talking. The only thing that saved her back then was a faulty string on her armour, catching onto a branch of a nearby tree and stopping, painfully, her movement, throwing her 2 meters in the air, before snapping and then letting her fall onto the street, while takin ghalf her uchiha clan armour with it. She learned her lesson, however it was good to experience this in training, as opposed to combat. The speed this ability gave someone truly was frightening and awesome at the same time. however she knew exactly the right spot to train something like this. Heading in the direction of a nearby spot with a soft soil, as well as not many people around, she got ready to train. Going for a distance of around 80 meters she got ready, only to stop before making the hand sign. Closing her eyes she focused chakra on her eyes, and opened them, the characteristic pattern of the sharingan on them now before starting. Chasing down the field she repeated the technique three times, each try going flawless. Deactivating her sharingan she sat down under a nearby tree. While not exhausted, she could feel the effects her training had so far on her as well as the pride of finally being able to safely pull off this technique.

340 words used

As the sun began to slowly set, Kanara grabbed herself a load of cheap, sweet riceballs, easily enough to feed 2 people, she headed back towards the rock where the faces of the hokage were looking majestically over the village. Standing in front of it, she made peace with the decision she just had. She would climb it. Secuing her food tightly inside her backpack she took a few steps back, before letting chakra run to her feet and starting to take off. As soon as her feet made contact with the mountain, her body got to feel the entire wheight she had 3 times more then usual. Running up hills and on even ground was easiy for her. Running up a mountain however was an entirely different thing. Gritting her teeth, she pushed through it, advacing steadily and fast towards the edge. Reaching the top, kanara pulled herself slowly up, before taking a few steps back off the ledge and letting herself fall into the grass. This truly was a worthy goal as her final exercise for today. Standing up again, she looked over the village. So close, and yet so far away. Ironic. In her head, this description fit really well with the village. While she clearly was an uchiha through and trough, she didnt really feel like she belonged in Konoha either. Shrugging her shoulders she put her backpack on the ground before taking out the riceballs. Opening one of the 2 boxes she sighed in relief as she saw them still intact. After all, when she dropped onto the grass, she forgot abaut them, yet somehow they survived both the fall and her body wheight on top of them. Taking one of them and guiding it towards her trembing lips she watched the cities busy people as she bit into it.

Jutsus used:

Cp
89/110

Breakfast was always a bit bleak in Yuichi’s home outside of the Uchiha district, but not today. Today, Yuichi ate breakfast with his dad.

Yuichi learned a good deal about what really went down during his stay in the hospital, from his fathers perspective, at least. When Yuichi returned to his old home in the Uchiha district, he found that it had been mostly emptied out. His father explained that he moved out after Yuichi’s mother died.

Yuichi could sympathize. After all, he was offered a place to stay in the Uchiha district, but he did not want to live there. There were too many memories and Yuichi did not want to be seen getting emotional.

The reason the two hadn’t talked is just as simply explained. They didn’t cross paths. It was about a month after his release from the hospital that his father came knocking on the door.

Nobody really had any explanation for the disappearance of Haru. According to his dad and his uncle, he went missing at around the same time Yuichi was placed in the hospital.

So now they got to eat breakfast in Yuichi’s apartment in a residential part of Konaha. Yuichi had taken many of his old belongings here, which meant that it was filled to the brim with various stuffed animals. Between Yuichi and his father sat the stuffed cat named Haku.

Yuichi had, like every morning for the last month or so, prepared grilled fish along with various vegetables and rice. His father couldn’t help but look a bit disappointed.

“This doesn’t seem like a lot of food.”

“I apologize. I simply doubled what I usually make.”

“Still not eating?”

“I eat enough to live.”

They sat in silence for a moment. The only sound in the apartment was his father eating. It made Yuichi a bit sick.

“So, listen, Yuichi, I’ve got a mission that will-”

“You’re leaving again?”

“Yes, unfortunately, I don’t really have a choice.”

Yuichi had been taught all his life not to question his parents. He had already interrupted him once. Even if he was a bit upset, he knew that his dad did not want to hear it. “Very well, father. How long can I expect you to be gone?”

“Only about a month, but don’t expect a visit when I return. I will probably be assigned another mission as soon as I am available again.”

“I see.” Yuichi hadn’t taken a bite of his food. He picked off a piece of fish and nibbled on it. He set it back on the plate and continued talking. “Where will you be headed?”

“It’s not important.” This was typical of his dad. He almost never shared anything about his missions.

The rest of the meal passed in relative silence, only exchanging a few words upon his father leaving. He never thanked Yuichi for the food. So he probably didn’t like it.

As soon as his father left the building, Yuichi took the time to throw out the leftover food and any dishes. As always, before leaving, Yuichi checked every cabinet, looked under the bed, and opened every door in the apartment so that as soon as he arrived he could scan it using his sharingan.

Yuichi felt a bit funny when he used it. The entire world slowing down could be handy, but it had its drawbacks as well. He experienced most of those shortly after unlocking it. Having the sharingan activate for the first time in a combat scenario was not ideal. He doubted that there was any pleasant way to achieve whatever qualifications needed to be met in order to activate it, though.

He refused to tell his dad he had it. Who knows what kind of training Yuichi would have been forced to undertake if his father knew that he was, infact, not completely useless.

Once he finished scanning the house, Yuichi stepped out his front door onto a dirt path. While his new home wasn’t in the Uchiha district, it shared one thing in common: no yard. He stood for a moment to take in the nostalgia. A year ago, he would have been preparing his brother for the academy.

He made his way on top of the roof of his house, and used his sharingan to scan the streets around him. After he decided they were safe, he began to make his way across the rooftops.

He found that this was an effective way of training both his acrobatic skill and his ability to use the sharingan. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop gave him a full view of the streets below. He could capture all kinds of details while moving. He could tell if someone's shoe was untied from all the way up here.

Yuichi made his way toward one of his training spots and happened to discover another Uchiha doing the same, or at least something very similar. She caught his eye because of how fast she could move. He thought that he was the fastest genin, but she made him second guess himself. She was certainly intense, and it made Yuichi hesitant to approach her.

However, she was an Uchiha, and Yuichi barely knew any besides his parents. He decided to follow her a ways, staying far enough away that he didn't think she would see him. She took a break to eat something under the shade of a tree. Yuichi decided that this was the time to make his approach. He began to make his way over, attempting to broadcast his presence stepping through leaves and making noise so he didn't take her by surprise.

Once he actually got over to her, he paused. He never considered what he was going to say to her.

Now that he was standing a bit closer to her, he could see that she had red eyes. Her sharingan was not activated, yet her eyes were a pinkish, red color. He wondered if this was a rare Uchiha trait.

He thought for a moment that he should just turn around and leave. After visible hesitation, he finally spoke up.

"He... Hello, I am Yuichi Uchiha. May I umm..." He trailed off when he she looked at him. He forgot what he was trying to say.

The other shinobis appearance took her by surprise. Kanara whirled around as she heard him speak, jumping back a step, before stopping herself, while putting her arms up to prepare herself for an attack that would never come. With all the blood coming back slowly to her head again, she must have dozed off a bit and not have heard him aproach. reaching the ledge with her foot, she painfully reminded herself herself of where she was, realising how she must looked in this very moment. Holding the box with sweet riceballs up in front of her, while standing in a devensive stance, she must look like a joke in this very moment. With her face slowly getting red from both embarressment and the now normalised bloodlfow she stuttered.

"Hey-y there..."

She mustered the person in front of her. The first thing she noticed was the height difference. Kanara wasnt large in any way, however compared to the newcomer she was at least a head larger then him. Although the shinobi was so much smaller then her, it seemed to be around the same age of her. Trying to catch herself and salvage the little bit of semi professional charisma she had left, Kanara held the box towards the stranger. Laying her blushing head to the side, she smiled as she inhaled, focusing herself.

"Hey there! My name's Kanara. Do you want some too?"

Thinking further, it couldnt be a coincidence, that this shonobi met her up here at this time of the day. However his Surname certainly rang bells inside of her. After all she was an uchiha too. She tried to remember if she ever saw him within the uchiha district, before disregarding her thoughts. She hadnt heard the name before, and even if she did, it was likely that she forgot about it at one point. Kanara was bad with names, so much that it took her 2 years of constant asking and forgetting until she could even remotely remember her classmates names in the academy. Deciding that the best way was to just tell her thoughts she spoke up.

"Have we met before? I think i never met before... and if i have, then please dont be mad... I am kinda bad with names."

Setting up a shy smile, she put her free hand to scratch her head, thinking about the reason the stranger followed her, before cotinuing:

"You see, im an uchiha too, but didnt see you in the clans district before..."

"No thank you, I have already eaten today."

She looked a bit lost before asking him if they had met. Yuichi used to live in the Uchiha district, but growing up he was not allowed outside of his house. Almost nobody knew of him as a result. He also was not a person with much of a presence, even if she'd encounter him at some kind of family meeting, she probably forgot about him. Most of the time, he preferred it that way. Now that he was beginning to have confidence in his abilities, he could talk to people. He was still kind of scared of her. But he was able to work through it and respond to her question.

"I don't believe I have met you, but you may have met my mother, Yuna. She was a pretty well-known jerk." Yuichi genuinely smiled. He usually only got to say positive things about his mom, but lately he'd been able to be more honest about his opinion of her. "She looked just like me, only taller and cooler. She had a mean, angry look on her face and talks like she owns you."

Though, he supposed that could just be Yuichi. She seemed to genuinely believe that her children belonged to her.

"It's been a few months since I spent any time in the Uchiha district. I graduated from the academy pretty young, so you wouldn't know me from there either."

She explained to him that she was also an Uchiha, which made Yuichi laugh a bit. "You are wearing the armor. Though I suppose it might have been presumptuous of me. I knew you were an Uchiha the second I saw you."

Most of the time, you could tell somebody was an Uchiha by their appearance. Yuichi didn't look or act much like your typical Uchiha, so he made sure to introduce himself any time it might matter. He was primarily interested in conversing with her because she was an Uchiha, so he thought that it mattered this time. Come to think of it, she didn't look that much like your typical Uchiha either. He didn't know her well enough to speak for her personality though.

I apologize, I was spying on you and I was impressed with your speed. Do you mind if I ask your age? Did you graduate the academy recently?"

Yuichi's answers surpirsed Kanara. She hadnt seen his mother, or at least spoken to her in any kind, that was for sure, however the thing that caught her attention exceptionally was how he was talking about his mother. From what she could hear, there must have been something more then just a slight misunderstanding. After all, her own family wasnt perfect either. In fact, while it was strong now,there was a time where it was the direct opposite. A situation that almost cost Kanara her life back then. However now wasnt the time to think about things like that. In fact, never seemed to be a good time for this kind of topic inside her head. It left a bitter taste in her mouth, thinking about her darker days. So instead she replied to Yuichi, after he finished:

"Oh well, i know what you mean. I havent met your mother. But mine isnt that much different. I mean not my mother now.. i.. just forget i said anything."

Hiding another wave of embaressment behind a smile she scolded herself. Again she was too much inside her mind to even realise that she nearly told a stranger one of her deepest secrets. Not just a secret in general, but a particularely painful one for her.

"So you saw through me right the second you saw me?" She let out a small chuckle. Kanara completely forgot about her armour. Wearing it day after day and having it fitted correctly, one could easily forget they were even wearing it, which of course still meant that is was very much there, open to see for all, so it wasnt a wonder he reciognised her. After all, the uchiha armour pretty much gave away her clan, even if she didnt tell it.

His last comment however gave Kanara mixed feelings. Spying on someone wasnt to be taken lightly, even if they were from the same village or the same clan. However she didnt feel any danger coming from him at the moment so kanara assumed it was just an exaggeration for something harmless. On the other hand, impressing someone enough so they followed them certainly made someone feel some kind of interested in return, even if it only was for their motives. However Yasui seemed nice, and the chance of something unpleasant happening in Konoha were slim.

"Well yes, i am pretty fast, but you cant be too slow either... i was running for half the day with nearly no breakes so you must have kept up with me then. As for my age, you maybe dont see it, but i am seventeen."

Kanara was right when she said that other people maybe didnt see it. While she was normal sizen for a girl around her age, standing with 1.75 meters, her face looked younger, which sometimes was bad, but also had benefits often.

"Also you are correct. I gradauted recently. Pretty late but not due to a lack of skill, rather... interest."

He was a bit surprised that she had not met his mother. Most people seemed to know her in one way or another. He was kind of glad in a way, actually, because it meant that she wouldn't judge him based on being his mother son. They were nearly opposites. She mentioned that her mother was not much different, but she didn't seem interested in elaborating much on the matter.

"You do stand out as an Uchiha. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing." Yuichi might not have wanted people's first impression of him to be affected by the fact that he in an Uchiha, but that might not necessarily be such a bad thing to some people. It seemed to match her better than it did him.

After he told her she was very fast, she commented on how he had been keeping up with her the entire day, and must be pretty fast himself. He had no idea she had seen him, but she was not wrong. Everybody agreed that Yuichi was very fast. It wasn't even hard for him. "I suppose I am quite fast on my feet. Though, you never know, maybe I can teleport," he told her. He hoped that it was obvious that the last bit was meant as a joke, but his face and voice both failed to express the sarcasm.

He took note of her height once she told him her age. He was in the habit of assuming all tall people were considerably older than he was. There was only around one more month until he was seventeen himself. He wondered if he would ever grow. As it was, he stood at chin level with her. Her face definitely gave away her youth, though, and that was the reason he had initially asked.

"You didn't want to graduate the academy? I'm a bit surprised they didn't force you. I graduated at twelve years old."

Kanara didnt let it show, though his question hurt her pride in some way. Though both her feelings, as well as his question were valid. Given her age, it was no wonder he was surprised about her late graduation. Even moreso with the fact that many people, like Yuichi himself, graduated way sooner then Kanara. However her explaination was also was right. While she was in no way a prodigy of any sort, she was more skilled the the average student at the academy. The things she had to learn there werent new for her as she recieved education earlier at home, and everything ninja related except techniques was a field where Kanara clearly dominated against her classmates. The only thing that really cought her interest back then, practise fights, got boring for her easily as she was more gifted then any other person of the class. No one was able to hit her and even if they came close to it, by the time they commenced a single strike, Kanara could deliver half a dozen, especially with her sharingan, leading to her becoming quickly unpopular for the fights, as they were onesided and short ususally.

As she answered his question, her cheecks turned even more red, and by now it was clear that she blushed as she said: "Well, they cant really force me if they dont catch me." Running a hand through her hair she continued: "But they didnt even try to force me. They said something about when the time comes i will choose my own path."

Throughout her speaking she thought about his comment about teleportation. It could be a joke, however if he actually posessed any way to teleport, this would make him either a strong ally or dangerous being to temper with. After all, archiving either speed that came close to teleportation or teleportation itself was one of Kanaras goals that she desperately wanted. Either way, yasui seemed interesting. Not only because he was nice and he followed her, but also because he could keep up with her.

"Soo, do i stand out because of the armour or it it something else?" While Kanara didnt have anything against being identified as a member of the Uchiha clan, she also saw the benefits of not being reciognised immediately. And knowing this kind of stuff would proove useful for the set of armour she was working on. Thinking about the drawings she created at home and even the raw blueprints she added: "If its the armour, then i recon i will change it soon anyways...", before taking another riceball, eating it in one swift motion, as her hand still held the box easily reachable for yuichi, should he change his mind.

Running had never occurred to Yuichi as a child. He might have been fast enough, but he would just have to go home at some point. Surely that would have just made things worse for him. He grimaced a bit thinking about it.

"Do you mind if I ask why you decided to be a ninja?" Only a short while ago, Yuichi would have believed that there was no good reason to be a ninja, but recent events showed him what good they could do. He still wasn't quite sure what his role was or what he was supposed to be doing with his life now that he actually wanted to be a shinobi. It seemed like everyone's reasons were different. Perhaps he could find his answers simply by asking the right questions.

That was, after all, why he had gone out of his way to speak to an Uchiha. He remained at a distance, and watched her reaction closely as they spoke.

"I knew you were an Uchiha because I saw your sharingan.

He has his own personal beliefs about the sharingan, but he didn't feel like it was necessary to have a philosophical debate about their mutual power.

"Although, the armor is certainly a giveaway as well. At first, I judged your demeanor as very typical of an Uchiha, but after our brief conversation I've concluded that I was wrong is some regards. I won't deny that you give off a certain air distinct to the Uchiha."

She offered him a rice ball again, but he remained at a distance. He still didn't know if he trusted her. She seemed nice enough. He looked at the rice balls. It seemed rude not to take one, though, so he reached over to take one. "Thank you.

He smelled it. Seemed fine. He took a bite. It was actually not bad. Much better than anything he could make.

Kanara looked at Yuichi taking a riceball hesitantly, before smelling it and eventually eating it. She could understand. After all the sweetness those riceballs had werent for everybody and every person had different taste anyways. However his question made her think. Why was she a Kunoiichi? A question she never seriously asked herself. Thinking sharply, she had no particular reason. Was it because of the fact that she had an affinity for things like that? Was it the fact that she strived to protect herself from her mother once the time came? Or was it simpler. Was it a craving for revenge she carried deep inside of her. WHile she never let this side of her show, revenge certainly was a part of her. Her expression became cold for a moment before it assumed its usualy warm smile as she answered:

"To be honest i dont know. Maybe because thats the only thing i am good for?"

Yuichi's comment on how her found her made Kanara sigh. PUlling our a small notbook she scribbled a note inside of it. After all her armour could be as good as she wanted. She would likely never be able to design something to make her eyes hidden wtihout taking away their greatest advantage. However he also said that the armour certainly was a part of it. Close enough. Luckily her new armour design didnt show any sign of the uchiha's characteristic armour except for the black hip cloak proudly carrying the uchiha symbol, which she wasnt even sure if she wanted to have it. After all, would she choose her own path or try to be a warrior of the uchiha, proudly carrying her clans sign, or maybe both? THose things werent mutually exclusive after all.

Asking Yuichi a bit shyly Kanara started: "So how am i not a typicla uchiha, and in a good or a bad way?" Laughing nervously she added: "I often heard the uchiha were supoosed to be arrogant." Guiding yet another riceball towards her mouth she thought. It was true that the Uchiha were often considered to be arrogant. Something she hoped she wasnt coming over like.

OOC:

Cp remaining:
89/110

[5]

The reasoning was basically the same as Yuichi's. He only stayed a shinobi because it was the only thing he knew how to do. Seems they had more in common than he thought. Perhaps it really was just what Uchiha did. The village only expected one thing of them, so it was what they learned to do. How disappointing.

He scowled and dropped the uneaten portion of his rice ball on the ground. What a terrible reason to put your own life in danger. It was all they knew. Nobody had ever been concerned with teaching them how to run a business or make something useful. Instead, they had only been taught to kill. With any luck, their skills would be match by a drive to fight or kill. This was not the case for Yuichi, but he couldn't speak for anyone else.

She wanted to know how she was different from a typical Uchiha. Yuichi thought for a moment before he responded to her question.

I wouldn't say that it is necessary a bead thing. You seem very confident, though I could just be imagining it. You don't act like your better than me, and I don't hear much anger in your voice. So, you are quite different from what I initially perceived you as. You came off as quite angry, but I realize that what I saw is probably just focus."

Yuichi had come to associate the Uchiha with several things. Firstly, they were usually very angry people. If they were mad at something specific, they were just mad in general. Secondly, they were arrogant. Every last one of them. Even Yuichi. Lastly, they were arrogant for a reason. They were superior to the rest of the ninja world. This wasn't just something that Yuichi believed was true. It was simple, observable reality. The Uchiha were the greatest shinobi in the world.

Kanara raised an eyebrow at Yuichis reaction. Appearently her asnwer wasnt what he wsa looking for. He even seemed troubled by the answer Kanara gave him. Was it the lack of interest in protecting the people of Konoha? Was it the fact that she said it so easily, or the fact that the will of fire wasnt really inside of her. She knew it wasnt. No, it coulnt be there. Her late graduation was only the top of the iceberg. Dying for the village seemed simply not to be worth it. Having those thought inside her mind she felt disgusted. After all she was an Uchiha, one of the largest clans of the village, prominent in many parts of Konohas military. It was her duty by blood to defend this village and yet she refused so easily. Yes, she would fight. Yes, she would give her best defending this village, her clan, but she wouldnt trow away her life. She wasnt a pawn and the village didnt do anything to help her when she needed help. Adding to her answer before she said:

"Well, there is one more reason i am a shinobi... to make someone very special to me pay... with all they have." As she said this she turned her back to Yuichi and overlooked the city and a light breeze ran through her hair.

Taking another of the riceballs she ate it absently, as she thought about said person. Either way they would find themselfes eventually, and if they did, she would be ready to kill her. Kanara was by no means a violent person. Every time she did soemthing involving violence it was either in training and agreed by both parties, or in order to fulfil her mission if time came or in defense of herself and others. However this would be the time she would break her ninja path. And until this person was dead, she would never be able to rest without her nightmares. Turning her attention once more to Yuichi she started speaking:

"Its nice of you to say that. You arent the ususal uchiha either. And i mean that in a good way." Her face had taken on an even paler pigmentation the she had nortmally. She really was looking like a ghost now and her voice was slightly quiter, yet somewhat filled with pain and resolution at the same time.

"Can you answer me a question? What do you see when you look at this" Ending her question, Kanara pointed at the village beneath them.

OOC:

Cp remaining:
89/110

[6]

So, she did have another reason she chose the life of a shinobi. Revenge. It was more similar to the answer he expected, at least. It still was not a cause he could sympathies with. Nobody ever betrayed him or hurt somebody close to him. Wxcept perhaps the leaf village, itself, which had inadvertently destroyed his family. He was not the sort to hold a grudge. He could not find the will inside him to get angry about it. He wanted to, on some level, but it just didn't happen.

He already knew that he was not a typical Uchiha. People had mentioned it every time he said his name. She claimed it was a good thing, but Yuichi couldn't help but think his life would be much less complicated if he was what people expected him to be. He would certainly be a better shinobi. He would have drive and passion for his job. He wouldn't get sick to his stomach when it came time to kill. At least this way people didn't assume he was a killer as soon as they saw him.

It was about this time that she asked Yuichi what he saw when he looked at the leaf. This was a complex question. He was still the same genin that attempted to flee the leaf only a short time ago in order to escape a fate he felt trapped in. He realized now, of course, that the world would just force him to be a killer no matter where he lived. It was what happened to people like him. If he left the leaf, somebody would hunt him just for his last name, even before he unlocked the sharingan. Now that he had, he really had no choice but to become powerful. He would almost certainly be forced to fight if he wanted to care about anyone, because now he was a target to countless people who envied his perceptive abilities.

He was trapped in a cycle of violence that started many generations before he was even born, and one that had been perpetuated by the village in which he lived. A system that turned children into killers and families into military assets. That is what defined the leaf. You would be punished simply for being born into a family they could use. It didn't stop there.

His clan was no better. When they weren't too busy quarrelling with the village, they were traumatizing Uchiha children to create better warriors and killers. It could make him puke.

He looked down at the village. A cool breeze blew over the two as he gave her a false expression of joy. "Similar to me, the village is small and weak. They do what they can to get by, and the rest of the world sees them as strong for what they can do. The truth is that the methods they use to stay strong crushes the vulnerable or forces them to become what they define as strong. In the process, they save just as much as they destroy. Perhaps that is enough to justify their actions. I can't say."

Kanara deeply inhaled as she looked over the village. After hearing Yuichis response she was silent. Her thought about the village went into the same direction. Using her speed she caught a single leaf from a nearby tree that the wind carried in front of her. Slowly she started:

"My thoughts are going in the same direction." Showing yuichi one side of the leaf -green, fresh and seemingly full of life- that she picked out of the dozens that the wind carried to them, she continued: "When i see the village, i see life, generations that not only survived here, but thrived. Thousands of people working together, prevailing against any storm thrown against them. I can see culture, love and all the nice little things the village stands for." Flipping the side of the leaf, showing the decayed, dead side of it, her tone changed and became colder, if only sligthly. "And on the other hand i can see the blood and bones that form its foundations. People running around on borrowed time, trying to stockpile the things that give them hope, because deep inside of them they know that peace is a lie. Its an endless cycle we are forced into. Villages, clans, families, friends torn apart in their quest for power in order to protect those things. And those finally strong enough to defend themselfes turn against each other, trying to steal their happiness. All for the so called way of the shinobi. An endless cycle of violence" Slowly grinding the leaf into small pieces, watching the smaler pieces being carried away from the wind, Kanara continued once more.

"I know about this hatred... I know what the quest for power can do to people that you think are close to you." After all it was no wonder she knew about hatred. Her clan was legendary for it. The curse of hate. It was said that the Uchiha looved deeper then anybody else, which was their greatest weakness in Kanaras eyes. It was the same reason that brought her to her decision to specificly kill one person eventually. Everything else seemed small to her, compared to the gravity of this mission she gave herself. While pausing Kanara brought her attention back to Yuichi. Looking him at the face she asked him:

"You said that the village is weak, just like you. How do you mean that, you dont seem too weak" Kanaras facial expression said that she meant it. He wasnt looking weak, and speaking openly about his, their clans weaknesses wasnt a feat the weak would do. After all the "weak" ususally wanted to hide their "weaknesses" by any means, while the strong didnt care.

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[7]

Yuichi listened to her patiently as she described how she felt about Konoha. She turned a leaf in her hand as she mulled over her thoughts. They mostly agreed on things, except that she also pointed out the good things about the village. Yuichi couldn't think of much to say. She seemed wise for her age. It must have been a hard life to have taken given her such a perspective.

She claimed she knew of hate and what the pursuit of power could do to a person.

He couldn't say he had the kind of hatred he believed she was talking about. He was angry at many things. He was angry at his mother for the trauma she inflicted on him. He was angry at him dad for being absent when he needed him here. He was angry at the Uchiha clan for condoning or overlooking the way his parents had raised him. The leaf betrayed him when they locked him up in the hospital. Now, he had killed for them and put his life in danger on their command, and all because they had expected these things from him. He hadn't been allowed to have a cause or dreams. He was also angry at himself for losing his brother. Surely, he would be fine and the two would meet up again and everything would be normal. It seemed unlikely, but he couldn't help but wish that it would end that way. An Uchiha alone in the world, though, that was a dangerous thing. Where ever his brother was, he had to be strong to survive. Strength came naturally to Haru.

"Honestly, I don't think I could ever really hurt or kill somebody out of hatred or anger. I love most people. Even the people who hurt me. It's why the life of a shinobi is so unnatural to me. Too gentle."

What did he believe made him weak? She told him he didn't seem weak. Yuichi knew that, for the first time in his life, he was very strong. When he unlocked his sharingan, something changed internally. He wasn't stronger than before; he simply realized his power and it made him capable. True strength was not raw power, but a will and a drive to stand up when the world beat you down.

Yuichi was silent for a moment, and when he finally spoke, he spoke very quietly.

"You know, the last time I was up here, my mother had just died."

He swallowed and took a deep breath, in and out, and then he continued.

"She died while out on a mission. I simply collapsed into self-pity and it destroyed my family. I spent most of my life passive and helpless when I have the potential to do anything. Now that I'm ready, nobody's left. I have no reasons to fight, except that it's all I'm good for."

[7]

Yuichis explaination about being not able to kill someone out of hatred made Kanara think. She often thought about forgiving her arch nemesis, but it wouldnt help anything. After all their harted for each other couldnt be clenched easily and even if Kanara wouldnt advance on her side, her counterpart surely would. It was an endless cylce of violence that was waiting to erupt, and while they hadnt seen each other in over 13 years, Kanara knew that it was destined to happen. They were locked in a trajectory that didnt allow them to evade each other, and only the one that was stronger would emerge victorious out of it, claiming it all. Survival. Power. Peace. It was even creepy for herself if she thought about it from an outsiders perspective. Her only hopes for personal peace were to kill a person that once was so close to her. Her voice taking on its normal, vibrant, happpyness sparking tone she mentioned:

"Well then you certainly are better then i am. My path is set in stone, and i am just waiting until i meet my nemesis. Although I also for my part think that shinobi get trained to hate. After all it makes the killing easier, dont you think?" And it certainly made killing easier to the point that i wasnt an option, but the primary solution for shinobi's.

Listening to Yuichi further, kanara swallowed hard as she heard about his mother passing away. She could certainly understand the grief he had about her, ad well as his emotions, although he himself said that she was a jerk, however kanara couldnt find any feeling inside of her that was actually bothered by these news. Of course it was terrible, however she simply didnt see it as a bad thing, although she knew it was wrong and she understood the logic behind of it. Did this make her an inhumane monster? Maybe. Did the fact that she admitted she would kill someone she once loved without hesitation make her one? Most certainly.

"Its not your fault. Shinobi are prepared to bring the ultimate sacrifice. The fact that you are still alive and breathing is a feat in itself. And i am sure that your grief isnt the reason your family is "destroyed". After all its natural and human." The fact that they were still alive... a feat Kanara wasnt able to archive on her own... it disgusted Kanara. While she didnt mind others weaknesses if they were allies, her own weakness made her sick even by thinking about it. muttering "At least most of us..." she continued after a short break: "If you have noone left, why not find people its worth fighting for?"

Adding another question to the one she asked just before she added:

"Also... do you belive in destiny?"


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[8]

Trained to hate? She wasn't wrong. He had been trained to do many things. His mother and his grandparents seemed to believe that was the correct way for a shinobi to live. They would destroy without hesitation. He had seen with his own eyes the things his mother could do to somebody she believed was an enemy. All that training and conditioning only made him numb, instead of angry. His mother's death was simply the first step in a process of recovery that had unlocked his sharingan. He was acutely aware of the ways he had changed recently. He undid years of damage in a short time.

Once, Yuichi had failed to defend himself against a bully, so his mom locked him inside of a dark closet in their house for what seemed like days. Another time, he found himself stepping out onto a frozen lake when his father had taken him out to train, only to end up beneath the ice flailing in the cold water. When his father saved him and got him home, his mother was furious with the both of them, and she took away all of his toys. She said that his games were responsible for his near-death experience.

"I can't say," he told her. He forced a smile and looked her in the eyes. " I doubt killing could ever be easy."

She tried to reassure him that it was not his fault, but Yuichi was not open to hear it. She hadn't seen it all go down. If he had been stronger, he would not have ended up in the hospital and he would have been able to keep track of Haru. Instead, he disappeared for months and during that time, his brother vanished without a trace.

She didn't seem to believe her own words, but she moved on before Yuichi could call her out on this. She asked him why have didn't look for somebody worth fighting for. He genuinely smiled for a moment when he thought of one of the many songs him mother used to sing to him about men in the army.

"Well, now that does sound practical, doesn't it? It's really not that easy, as it turns out."

She then asked a question that surprised Yuichi a bit. Did he believe in destiny? He'd never really thought about it. He worked it over for a moment before responding. "I suppose that I do, at least to some extent. Why do you ask?

Yuichis answer made Karanra thoughtful. He was certain that killing was never easy. Was this the same for her? Would she hesitate in the right moment if she had the chance? Focusing again on him she answered him:

"Why isnt it easy for you, if you dont mind me asking?"

Her face had taken on a confused look as Kanara seriously didnt understand. After all she never have had the desire to let people close to her intentionally. Either they became close to her and accepted the darkness residing inside of her, or they lost interest once they saw behind her polite and kind facade, even if she cared about them. Thanks to the things she experienced, and her lonely childhood she never went out actively with just the intend to find friends, however for the few friends she had, she cared deeply for. Neither did she ever need a reason to fight. When she was feeling down she always reminded herself about the imminent threat that was lurking and growing stronger with every day passing. And adise from that, most of the enemies she encountered so far choose their path for both of them. Disregarding her thought about this she paused for a momen, giving Yuichi a moment to respond before elaborating about the question she asked him further:

"I belive destiny guides our every step. It might be a harsh reality that we are living in, however it also has good sides."

Pausing a moment she hesitated to say the things on her mind. After all was it too early to tell him that she caught interest in him? How would he react? After all they have just met recently and more importantly, was it a sign of weakness if she said that she liked him? Mustering enough strength for what she was about to say her cheecks turned slightly red again, giving her a slightly embaressed look, as she ansered with a few word errors.

"What i mean is that this is destiny.." Realising how weird she must sound in this very moment she started making more word errors as her cheeks got even more red. "I... mean i like you. I.. you know, meeting you..."

This was all Kanara could take for the moment. Not only did she manage to f*** her sentence, but also she meaning up. Looking slightly away from Yuichi she waited for his answer.

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[9]

"Well, I mean, I've only killed a few people, and I always found it really hard." Yuichi seemed to be remembering something, and eventually his eyes lit up and he began again. "Like, this one time, I hesitated to fight somebody, and it nearly cost my life. I mean, I'm used to violence, but I'm always so conflicted about it when it comes time to get the job done. You know?"

To this day, Yuichi had only ever killed one person, and he was basically forced to do it. He had been forced to kill all kinds of animals in order to try and desensitize him. Somehow, it only made him more sensitive about it. She looked pretty confused, so Yuichi decided he should elaborate.

"I mean, I... I hate the smell of blood. The texture. The color. I get that feeling in my head, like a really loud ringing, but... different. Your whole body feels heavy, and breath gets short. You can feel your own heartbeat. And then it makes you sick, and maybe nobody sees it but it's the worst feeling in the world."

She told him how destiny guides there every step and that there are good things along with the bad things that life throws at you. Then she blushed and told him this was destiny. Their meeting was destiny. Her face was red, and she told him she liked him. Or meeting him. Or something. Yuichi wasn't sure, but she looked very red.

Was she feeling okay?

His expression was almost completely blank as he responded. "If destiny is real, this is definitely destiny. He paused as he looked at her. She was trying not to make eye contact with him. "Are you alright?

Wait a minute! Yuichi's eyes dropped as he realized what he thought was going on. She wasn't the first girl to have a crush on him. After all, he was gorgeous. He pulled on his scarf a bit as he thought about it. If she was interested in him the way he thought she was, he had basically just shot her down without realizing it.

She was quite pretty, Yuichi though. She seemed skilled and cool. He was staring at her at this point, trying to decide how he felt.

He found all kinds of people beautiful, but he never really found himself interested in somebody that way before. He always assumed it would happen at some point, and it just hadn't yet. He felt very confused. She was most of the things he thought he should like, but he felt nothing like that toward her. Was there something wrong with him?

I, umm... uh. I... Sorry. Umm... We... we can hang out more?" He had settled on trying to be her friend and seeing what happened from there. He really just didn't know what else to say.

Judging from Yuichis answer her words had exactly the effect she feared they had. Scolding herself in her mind she thought about what she should do next. Dissolving the situation was an option, however just jumpung from the cliff didnt seem so bad too, from her perspective. After all she wouldnt have to deal with her nemesis anymore, though the chances of getting reincarnated as a fish simply were too high. Suddenly bursting into a half surpressed laughter, as she thought about how she recently blew sereval fish out of the water by accident she was now chocking on some of her saliva. Trying to recover from it while gasping for air like a fish out of the water, her laughter got stronger to the point where she seriously was chocing and her lips turned slightly blue. Taking all the strength she could muster she hit herself on her chest, recovering her from her chicking nearly instantly. With trembing breathing she tried to recover from this ordeal. After all, not only did she just f*** royally up in telling Yuichi that she wanted to be his friend, but she also gave a performance just now that was beyond anything. She really must look insane to a person that didnt know her, however even her few friends would have trouble registering everything that happend in the short span over the last three minutes.

By the time she was ok again her lips slowly recovered from their blue ish colour. Taking a deep breath she turned around to yuichi, responding to his last sentence: "Well that sounds great. Maybe i didnt properly say what i mea... ppfft" Seeing her reflection in yuichis eyes she started to laugh again, which ended in her coughing sharply a few times. With her eyes that looked like she cried and her trembing lips she really looked like a fish. Who the hell was this boy that came into her life and how the hell did he dare to bring her into a position like this. She really was looking like a mess now. Though her clear skin still had the usual pale colour it always had, she looked like a small child, even if with her height, that got its candy stolen.

Trying to salvage the situation she created she asked: "Its getting pretty late, you know? Would oyu like to eat something? Im starving her." With her cheeks showing a hint of red again she added quickly: "As friends... of course.." Before bringing out a small laughter, hoping she didnt scare Yasui away with what he had seen so far.

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[10]

She was laughing. Had Yuichi misinterpreted her signals? She was starting to change color, and Yuichi was thinking about helping her by the time her lips turned blue. She managed to calm down before Yuichi had to intervene. Now he was the one blushing. She started to say something again, but started laughing again before she could finish. Yuichi was at a loss for words. He took a step back. Did rejecting her cause some kind of mental breakdown?

She didn't look sad though. If anything, she seemed like she was a bit embarrassed. Yuichi was pretty embarrassed too. Eventually she continued, and asked him if he wanted to eat something.

He hadn't eaten anything but that rice ball. He was a bit hungry, and he would never get any taller if he didn't eat. Still, after how awkward this whole situation was, he was seriously thinking about hiding somewhere. She added that she wanted to go as friends.

Yuichi let out a sigh of relief. "I am so sorry about that. I thought you were trying to confess something... um, weird. I was so scared." He played with a ribbon that he wore in his hair and looked at her feet. Her shoe size was the same as his. His gaze slowly rose until he was looking her in the eye. He smiled in an attempt to relieve some tension "Did you have anywhere in mind?"

At this point, Yuichi was eager to be away from here. He did not want to think about what had just occurred. He spun around and marched a few steps away, then spun back around to face her. "Lead the way. It's on me."

"Absolutely not." Still slightly giggling she continued: "I am gonna pay. And i know just the right place... Do you like grilled meat?" And in fact she knew a nice restaurant with acceptable prices nearby. Grabbing into her pocket she felt for the money she had with her. Her face taking on a pleased smile she noticed that she had enough money with her to stand true to her word.

The visible reliev her clarification had on Yuichi also printed onto Kanara herself. After all it was better to sort these things out sooner then later, before they became a problem. God, this poor boy really must be confused about her and judging by him taking a step back he was. However she couldnt be mad about it. After all she was surprised that he even hadnt left yet. Kanara was sure that the last few minutes were "interesting" say the least. That, together with the nature of their talking about shinobi stuff and killing and so on surely was bad combination. Finishing her riceballs she went and got her backpack, while caling herself down as she faced away from Yuichi. Running a hand through her hair she motioned him to follow as she made her way down the mountain on the long way, taking the path down towards the city. As she started to walk into the direction of the path she reflected about the things that happened today.

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[11]

She insisted on paying, and Yuichi wasn't going to argue the point. She looked pleased as she asked him if he liked grilled meat. Yuichi had always cooked for himself, and he was terrible at it. His diet was simple, mostly rice and vegetables. He ate plenty of chicken and fish, too, when he actually ate. He was embarrassed to say, he didn't know if he liked grilled meat. He just pretended like he did.

"I do enjoy grilled meat. Thank you."

He thought she was a bit of a strange person, but he didn't have many friends and this was the first Uchiha he had spent any time with besides his father in a long time. He followed her down the mountain hoping that she didn't turn out to be a bad person or something. She definitely had flaws. She had mentioned that she intended to kill a certain person, and that seemed kind of harsh. He didn't know her story though. Maybe he could ask her.

"Hey, umm... do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Leading the way towards the restuarant she mentioned earlier kanara was somewhat happy and relaxed, considering that she made a joke out of  herself on top of the mountain. However Yuichis answer made up for that point. Nearly every day she had to search for excuses no to go eat out every day. While she certainly had the money for now, it wasnt a good thing to do, and cooking at home was healthier too most of the time, however she simply was a sucker for meat. If it werent for the drawbacks of a purely animal based diet, she would be a pure carnivore. Everything about meat was something she enjoyed. From the taste, ranging to the texture as well s the thing it stood for. THe fact that humans were the apex predators of this planet, only weaker in certian situations.

Responding to Yuichi, who seemed to be a bit shy now, not to say strange she assured him:

"Sure, whats on your mind?"

Asking herself what his question might be she got a bit nervous. After all it could be anything ranging from harmless to dangerous. SHe didnt know him for too long too. Maybe he was actually spying for her nemesis, but even if he did that, Kanara was sure that she was on par with him.

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[12]

Yuichi could tell she was a bit nervous about his question, but it was mostly out of harmless curiousity. He probably couldn't help her. Maybe it would help just to talk about it though.

"Umm... You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but you said earlier that you have somebody you would like to kill. Can I ask who they are?"

He believed she would need some kind of good reason to have this sort of dedication. He was sure she was in a lot of pain, but killing somebody because of it just seemed so cruel. Maybe she was in danger if she didn't seek out this person. He wanted to believe she was good, just because she had been nice to him. He was sure she was stronger than he was, and he knew that if he made her mad it could end poorly for him.

He played with his ear rings as he thought about it. Maybe he was over thinking things. Having a grudge shouldn't make you evil. Just angry. Yuichi never held a grudge, and it made him wonder what could have possibly occurred in her life to lead her down that path.

Kanara walked ahead as Yuichi asked her. So precognition was right. After all, it always was a question people tended to ask as soon as they found out about her reason to get stronger. However there was something about that question that bothered her more then she would have liked it to. Not only who the person was, Kanare tried so desperately to kill, prepared for and allready made peace with her decision with. Also while she thought that yuichi would understand the hate she carried with her, she was sure that he wouldnt understand her need for "revenge". Hesitating at first, Kanara decided to tell him. After all it wasnt too big of  asecret and he seemed trustworthy anyways. Also she thought that she owed him a bit of explaination. As they walked now through the city, passing playing children and people happily sitting in small cafees, chatting baout thier lifes. Quietly starting to speak Kanara led them both now thourgh more decayed allyways, away from the masses of people.

"You know... i had a big sister once..."

Pausing in her explaination she brought he hand up in a motion to wipe dust out of her eyes, she secretly swiped over her wet eyes with hand, focused on not letting yuichi know how emotional she was about this, however the slight shine on her hand that wasnt ther before betrayed her in her try to hide. Not knowing this fact, Kanara further explained:

"I also had a mother and a father once... Until my mother decided that she didnt want to deal with our father anymore... So she killed him. My sister awoke her sharingan in response to that, only to be killed by her too and getting stolen her eyes. I got away before she was able to also get me..."

Staring at the clouds she watched as thy slowly drifted steady acress the sky., as she saw it again inher mind. Her never ending nightmare. Destiny truly was a cruel greater force. After all she got to see her sister every night, however also the event that took her away from her. Continuing with a emotionless voice she started again:

"When shinobi checked if she was still there, she wasnt. I know she is still out there. I know she is power hungry and even if i didnt go my path of revenge, she still would be dangerous to every person she encounters. I will do the world a favour by killing her."

However doing the world a favour wasnt her interest. After all the world that she knew hadnt done any favours to her. Her crasade was both about self preservation as well as revenge. THe most powerful tool the uchiha had at their disposal.

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[13]