Of Bone And Ice - Chapter 3

“No, I won’t let them take him! He’s too young!” kachina screamed as the others held her back. Shimo placed a hand on my shoulder and started to walk me away. I looked back at Kachina, she was in pain. Not physical but deep inside. “No I won’t let you!” she shouted. Breaking free of one of the men’s grip on her arm she started making hand signs with one hand. The other man quickly let go and jumped out of the way. Ice spikes rose up from the ground all around her and would have skewered both men had they not evaded. She charged moving like the wind towards Shimo and pulled out a kunai as she did. Shimo blocked the kunai with ice he had created around his hand like a blade.

“Kachina! How dare you, you know the laws!”

She didn’t care, all she wanted was not to lose me. Even in this world, mothers love was unbreakable.

“I won’t let them have him, to be used as a weapon! I won’t let him!” She pulled back from Shimo flipping backward as she did. she made a number of hand signs to quick for me to follow and ice spears formed around her. I couldn’t see Shimos face. But his aura said it all.

“Very well… You leave me no choice.” He flicked both hands down towards the floor, ice formed around his forearms and hands like blades. The two of them clashed, ice shattering on ice. “So this is what a battle between two powerful Kekkei Genkai users looked like.” I thought to myself.

It was beyond anything I had ever seen. No one could move that fast in my world and no one could use ice like that either. Kachina was trying her best but Shimo was clearly stronger. The ice on his arms as blades had blood on them now, it was Kachinas blood.

“This is your last chance, I don’t wish to kill you, Kachina!” He said his voice stern.

Kachina was breathing heavily now, the blood loss was starting to take its toll. She still had a defiant look on her face though.

“I won’t stop. I thought I told you, while I live I will not let anyone take him away from me!”

Shimo gave a heavy sigh. “You leave me no choice Kichina.” He vanished in an instant, taking her back and slamming a kick into the middle of it. She flew through the air and landed hard on the ground a few feet from me. I looked down at her and then up at Shimo. “Was he going to kill her? His own daughter?”

This woman had cared for me, provided for me for the last 5 years. Although she didn’t replace my mother from my old life, she came pretty close. Shimo was standing over her now, his arm raised. I had to do something, anything. I couldn’t let her die like this. Without thinking I dashed forwards willing myself to move.

Somehow I made it in time standing in front of Kachina my arm raised to block Shimos slash. “NO!” Kichina screamed. Time seemed to slow down again. Had I really done the same thing again? I had jumped into deaths embrace for a second time. No… I wouldn’t let it happen again. Not again!

Shimos ice blade hit my forearm and to my surprise stopped dead. His face was twisted in anger and horror. To my own surprise, I had managed to stop his attack without losing my arm. I looked a little closer and noticed that three white bones were protruding from my arm. That was what had stopped Shimos ice blade. It was the bone.

I pushed forwards and managed to push Shimo back while he was still in a state of shock. I looked at my own arm, it didn’t hurt at all even with three large bones sticking out of it. I didn’t have to think too hard about it and the bone slowly started to return into my skin like it was never there.

I looked behind me at Kachina, her face was full of dismay and she looked down towards the ground. I turned to look at Shimo. His face was void of expression, the others around us started to whisper and one word caught my attention. Kaguya. Shimo raised a hand to silence them before he spoke.

“You see Kachina, I warned you of this. He has not only inherited our Yuki clans Kekkei Genkai but the monstrosity of the Kaguya. Just like his infernal farther! The sad truth is that he is nothing other than the perfect weapon.” Kachina started to cry and gave out a scream. Shimo walked over to me slowly.

“Fuyona Yuki. You are the curse of the Yuki clan.” He turned his back and started to walk away. “He leaves today Kachina!” That was the last time I saw Shimo. Kachina was taken away so her wounds could be tended to and I was taken by two men I had only seen on my strolls through the village.

Kaguya… It all made sense now. I knew what it was and how strong it was. Watching Naruto for all those years really did come in handy. What I didn’t expect was the reaction from the others. Was this ability really so feared in this shinobi world? I had never been called a curse before. This was my life now and as crazy as it seemed I had to endure it, these abilities I had been given may be a curse to others, but to me. To me, it was a gift from the heavens.

The trip lasted two days as we traversed through and down the mountain terrain. It would have gone much faster but neither of the men was willing to carry me. I couldn’t jump far or run up and down walls. After all, I was still only physically five years old. On top of that, I had no idea how to use any charka.

It was the middle of the day when the village came into view. I recognized it from the pictures I had seen. it was the village hidden in the mist, Kirigakure. “Come on kid, we are almost there.” one of the men said not even looking at me. Man, these guys really hated me. We walked towards the large gate and were stopped by hidden mist shinobi.

“State your purpure!” One of them said.

I looked around and could count at least twenty guards around the wall and gate. They all had swords on their backs and wore the hidden mist flak jacket. It wasn’t the most recent one I had seen in the anime, in fact, it looked older. To be honest I had already pieced that together though. Given the fact the Yuki clan were still alive, the timeline must have been well before Naruto was born.

“We are from the Yuki clan. We have come to make our offering for the Mizukage.” One of the men with me said.

I noticed the looks the guards gave us. It wasn’t just me either, they really didn’t like us. Was a kekkie Genkai really so feared here?

“Open the gate!” The guard shouted as he stepped back spitting on the ground. “Let them in.” I was escorted in by my fellow clan members and we started walking down the street. I could certainly see why it was named the village hidden by the mist. This village was nothing that the hidden leaf had looked like. No, that village was full of life, people walking the streets chatting and going about their daily life. This place was the complete opposite. The stone buildings were run down, not many people on the streets at all and the ones that were looked to be in a rush to get off of them. I had never really seen much on this village other than the large building in the middle. I guessed that was where we were heading.

After walking through the village we finally arrived. We were escorted inside and up a couple of flights of stairs. There were no windows inside this building. Only one way in and one out. we entered a large stone room that was lit by gas lamps. two rows of guards lined a square shoji of translucent paper. I could see the silhouette of a person sat inside, and I bet he was important.

The two men kneeled down and pushed my head to do the same. One of the shinobi spoke through the paper wall in a whisper I couldn’t hear. he knelt back down and a deep voice spoke from behind the shoji. “Welcome members of the Yuki clan.” The voice spoke. The man to my right raised his head and also spoke.

“Thank you, Lord Mizukage. We have come with our offerings for the academy.”

I could feel the eyes of everyone in the room fall on me. Most of all the Mizukage I couldn’t see. Suddenly his deep voice spoke again. “Come closer child.” I looked at my fellow Yuki clan members and they both nodded. I stood up and walked slowly over towards the shoji. One of the shinobi raised a hand, “That’s close enough.”

I stopped and tried to get a better look at the shadow behind the paper wall. If I could just get a look at the Mizukages face it would help me place the timeline of this world. Not that it really mattered. I was pretty sure my presence in this world wouldn’t change much. Suddenly the shoji door opened and all the shinobi in the room quickly lowered their heads in surprise.

I wasn’t sure what to do and lowered my head in a bow keeping my eyes fixed on the man. He had long black hair with small beads running through it. It was the third Mizukage! “You wished to see my face child?” He said with a questioning look on his.

Oh shit. I didn’t think he would have realized. He walked a full circle around me and sat back down on his chair.

“You amuse me, child. How old are you?” He asked a small grin on his face.

I didn’t look up as I answered his question. “Five sir.” It was silent for a moment before he spoke again.

“Is Shimo really ok with this? He is very young.” The Mizukage spoke directing his question to the two other Yuki clan members. One of them spoke without hesitation.

“Yes my lord. This one is gifted.”

The Mizukage looked from him and back to me. I could feel the chill his gaze gave as it was fixed on me.

“Is that so?”

It was silent once more before he clapped his hands together.

“Very well. I trust that old goat Shimo. If he thinks he is ready then I will take him. But you know I can’t promise that he will survive.”

My fellow Yuki members didn’t even look up. “Of course Lord Mizukage.”

“You may leave now.” The mizukage said after a moment. I could feel his gaze on me even after I left the room. It was frightening.

I was handed over to two hidden mist ninja the Yuki members not even so much as saying goodbye. I didn’t care, I was pretty strong emotionally. I was escorted to a large barracks, here I was given new clothes and a name tag. The clothes consisted of a black training shirt and black training pants. After I had changed into them, I was taken to a classroom and left on my own.

The room was full of other kids all older than me. They had the same clothes on that I did. I guessed it was a generic protocol, I took an empty seat and decided to keep to myself. They didn’t look like a friendly bunch anyway. pretty soon a man entered the room. He was clearly a ninja with the clothes he was wearing, but the hidden mist headband gave it away.

“Alright you sorry lot, take your seats and shut it if you know what’s good for ya!” everyone quickly did as he said and the room fell silent.

“My name is Hotaka! You will address me as sensei. Is that understood?” The class answered with a loud “Yes sensei!” and he seemed pleased.

“Welcome to the academy of the bloody mist brats.”