Chapter 3
Location: Leaf Village Lake
Fear shot through Rein’s eyes. "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! WHY WON'T YOU PEOPLE JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?" she screamed. She turned and began to run for the forest. 'Why does this keep happening?' she thought to herself angrily as she ran towards the trees.
He gave the other Anbu the signal to retrieve her. They formed a loose circle around her, effectively blocking her exits. They all had their short swords drawn. He walked up behind them and drew his own sword from the sheath on his back. “Running will only seem to further your guilt. If you didn’t do it, who did? he asked calmly.
Komadori watched as this was happening. "What's going on over there?" she asked herself, 'Th- that man just stopped Dragons wrath! ...C'mon Shadow." Using her wings, she flew over to the man. The other Anbu had already stopped Rein. Shadow came up behind her as she landed in front of the man. "May I ask what Mist Village Anbu are doing in the Hidden Leaf Village?" she asked him.
"I don't know who did it... But if you take me back to my village they will kill me for sure." Rein was shaking and fighting back tears.
He looked towards the other girl and handed her the report.
Ninja wanted for the murder of the Tsuchikage. If found, the subject is to be captured and brought back to the Village Hidden in the Stones dead or alive.
Gender: Female.
Age: 15
Physical Characteristics: Blond hair, green and golden eyes, has scars on her left arm, back of her right leg, chin, left cheek and back.
Abilities: Uses Wind and Earth style jutsu.
He then walked quickly towards the girl in the circle.
Rein was beginning to get frantic, if the Hidden Stone Village ninja got a hold of her again, they would surly kill her. She was looking for somewhere to run.
"Excuse me! I won't be shrugged off like this!" Komadori yelled as he walked over to Rein. She realized she was losing her temper and stopped for a moment to collect herself. "As the Hokage I want to know exactly what is going on here," she said as calmly as she could muster.
He looked at Rein and then back at his Anbu. He gave them a sharp nod and they all sheathed their swords. He sheathed his own and walked over to Rein, removing his mask. His short black hair showed as he looked her with his silver eyes. “Your village will kill you, you say.” He sat down on a nearby log and stared into the blue sky.
"Y-yes... That's why they want me back at the village... They have n-no intentions of talking about this... They made that clear the first time they tried to... to... kill me." Rein was still shaking badly.
“A killer is not what I see now.” He sighed softly. “The Village Hidden in the Mist won’t try to kill you; but we will find who killed the Tsuchikage.” His gaze remained fixed on the sky.
Komadori heard Rein say this. 'What?!' she thought. Now she was becoming annoyed with being ignored. She walked over to the Anbu sitting on the log. "Excuse me sir. I would like an explanation as to what is going on here." She was trying to remain calm.
"But... I have no idea who killed him..." Rein collapsed to her knees and cried.
“The Hidden Stone Village believes she killed the Tsuchikage because they were close friends and she had the opportunity. She escaped and now the Stone Village is asking other villages for help,” he explained while still looking up at the sky.
After a moment, he stood and went over to comfort the girl. “It’ll be okay. I’ll make sure you don’t die, I promise,” he said looking straight at Rein.
"To declare something as serious as that based on assumption is terrible!" Komadori said, her calm quickly disappearing.
Rein stopped shaking a little but continued to look at the ground.
He glanced back at Komadori. “Who are you again?” he asked, clueless.
Without waiting for an answer, he looked at the other Anbu and nodded. They all quickly departed. He turned back to continue to comfort Rein.
Rein wiped her eyes with the bandage wrapped around her left arm and looked at Komadori and then the man.
He looked at Rein. “My name is Alister, what’s yours?” Alister asked softly, smiling gently.
"Rein..." Rein replied quietly.
“That’s a nice name, Rein,” Alister said with a smile. “Well Rein, I haven’t yet told the Stone Village where I thought you were, so you are safe for a time. The Mist Village will not attack you again, I can promise you that.” The sun made his silver eyes shine brightly.
"Thank you," Rein replied quietly, her emerald green and golden eyes still slightly wet with tears.
Alister dug into his kunai pouch, fished out a tissue and gave it to Rein. “Tissue?”
Rein took the tissue with a somewhat shaky hand and wiped her eyes. She looked at the man again. "Thanks..." She looked back at the ground and made sure her mask was still in place.
An Anbu of the Mist returned with a large package. “Lord Mizukage, we’ve brought your robes,” he said as he knelt.
Alister turned his head to look at him.
Rein jumped slightly when the Anbu came. She stared at him.
Alister stood with a genuine smile on his face. “Yes. My robes are here.” He graciously accepted the package from the Anbu. “Thank you ever so much,” Alister said.
“You’re welcome Milord,” the Anbu replied before making a few hand signs and disappearing.
With the package in his hands, Alister quickly opened it and pulled out a set of blue trimmed robes; Kage robes.
He looked back at Rein after he had dressed himself. “I know when an unwanted guest is here. Don’t worry, I did promise that I wouldn’t let you die.” He smiled softly.
Rein looked at him. 'He's a Kage?' she thought to herself.
"What’s wrong?" Alister asked.
"Nothing," Rein said quietly. "Thank you."
Alister sat down on the ground again. “Now, who might try to kill the Tsuchikage, Rein?” he asked seriously.
"I- I don't know... It just happened..." Rein crossed her legs and continued to sit were she had collapsed earlier. "They didn't even tell me he was dead... He was my best friend... They didn't even tell me..." She began to cry again and cupped her face in her hands.
“Were you his student?” Alister asked.
"Kind of. He taught me some things, but we were best friends before he became the Tsuchikage. When we were younger, we always used to play and get into trouble together. We always made each other laugh..." Rein paused. "Even after he became Tsuchikage, we still acted the same as when we were kids, like nothing had changed. And then, one day, he was just dead... he was dead..." She wiped some tears from her face and got lost in daydreams of the past.
“I see. Do you have any parents, a place to stay?” Alister asked, concerned.
"No. My parent's turned on me, along with the village." Rein looked at the ground. "I've been living in the forests around here since I left." She wiped away more tears.
“Your parents turned on you?” Alister sighed softly. “Well, you will always have a home in the Mist Village.”
"Thank you very much." Rein stopped crying and wiped away the remaining tears with the bandages on her left arm again. She looked at Komadori; she wasn’t sure how her new friend would take all of this news so suddenly.
Alister dug inside his robes and pulled forth a picture. He smiled as he gazed at it. “So, Rein, how did you come by this village?”
"I don't know. I just ended up here when the ninja from my village stopped chasing after me." Rein began fiddling with the bandages on her arm and leg, Making sure they tight.
"I see...I think a meeting between the five great villages should be called,” Alister said.
Rein looked up at him. "What?" She asked startled. "What if that just makes everyone angrier?" She trembled at the thought of having the ninja from her village chasing after her again.
“Who says you have to be there?” Alister chuckled.
"But... they could still get angrier..." Rein looked at the ground nervously.
“It’s just a thought. The main idea is to find the real killer,” Alister shrugged.
Rein nodded quietly in agreement.
“How do you feel about me being the Mizukage?” Alister asked Rein thoughtfully.
"Well... It's nice to know that the Hidden Mist believes me at least." Rein looked up at Alister. "I thought all the Kages would hate me because what my village has blamed me for," she said quietly.
A young man came upon the lake and smiled in relief. He noticed a few people on the opposite shore but decided against making himself known. He knelt down and cupped water in his hands splashing it on his face; he hadn't slept again and he was tired. He sighed deeply and dried his hands on his pants before lying down on the grass.
Komadori stood there, shocked, speechless towards everything she had just heard, not to mention angry at being forgotten! She walked over to Rein, "You can stay in the Hidden Leaf Village if you like," she told Rein, now that she was regaining her calm, "I believe you too and I can honestly say that you have the support of the Hidden Leaf behind you." Komadori smiled.
"Thank you." Rein began to smile underneath her mask.
Komadori smiled again and then turned back to the man. "By the way, to answer your earlier question, I am the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. And I take it you’re the Mizukage?"
Alister glanced over his shoulder at Komadori. “Yes, I’m the Mizukage, my Lady Hokage,” he said with a smile.
"OK then. I would like a full explanation as to what you two were talking about," Komadori asked while taking a seat next to Rein.
Alister sighed softly. “Rein could explain it much better than I.”
Komadori nodded slightly, then turned back to face Rein. "Then would you mind explaining it to me?" she asked.
Rein sighed. "When I was living in my village someone killed our Kage. The village blamed it on me because I was the closest person to him. They ordered me killed and I had to run away from my village. The ninja that were sent after me chased me for days but eventually gave up, and that's how I ended up here," she said quietly, looking at the ground.
'So that's what happened,' Komadori thought. "Is that why you wear that mask? To hide your face?"
Rein nodded. "To hide the scars my village left me with... It’s the same with my arm and leg," she almost whispered.
"I understand," Komadori told her quietly. "You will have my support and that of my village. I'll help you clear your name. Until then, you can stay in the Hidden Leaf."
"Thank you, I appreciate that." Rein smiled again under her mask.
Komadori smiled back then turned to face the Mizukage. "I'm going to take Rein back to my village now. If there is anything else regarding this that you find out, I would appreciate it if you'd let me know."
Alister stood and faced Komadori. “I’ll do my best of course. Make sure Rein is safe.” He smiled softly before making a few hand signs and disappearing.
The young man had been zoning in and out, half-listening to the conversation the other people were having. When he heard the one man say he was the Mizukage, he froze a moment; he was near one of the great leaders. When the moment passed, he sighed deeply and closed his eyes; it was getting to the point where he didn’t even really care anymore. He looked up at the sky and relaxed his body before standing up and stretching.
Komadori watched Alister leave. When he was gone, she stood. "Well, what do you say we head home?" She asked Rein, extending her hand to help the girl to her feet.
Rein took Komadori's hand and got up. "I'm alright still living in the forest; you don't have to go out of your way or anything. Besides, it's really peaceful out there at night." Rein didn't want to cause any more problems than she already did, and she didn't want to cause more stress for Komadori either.
"Don't worry about it," Komadori said cheerfully. "You’re my friend; I don't see any problem."
"Ooh, Thank you." Rein smiled. "It's been a long time since I had a friend," she said to herself quietly.
Komadori continued to smile. "Well I'm glad we can be friends."
"So am I." Rein smiled and adjusted her mask.
Komadori started to turn and walk in the direction of the village. "Hey, where'd Shadow go?" It had just struck her that Shadow hadn't been around for a bit. She made a quick sweep of the trees. "Oh there you are boy! C'mon, we're heading back to the village." She beckoned, and he came. He walked beside her as they headed towards the village.
Rein followed Komadori and Shadow.
Location: Hokage’s Office
A young woman smiled slightly as she pulled up her hood to conceal her face. She was far too recognizable for her liking. She slipped over the wall surrounding the Hidden Leaf village followed closely by her trusted familiar, a great white tigress. Avoiding all spectators, she slipped into the Hokage's office and waited patiently for the Hokage to appear. She knew of the Tsuchikage's killer and of her presence in the village. She figured that the Hokage must know something about the girl.
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