Aftermath [finished]

[Kazegetsu Matsu]

The air was thick with the pungent smells of decay and singed flesh, the obvious aftermath of that god forsaken war. All around him pillars of smoke rose from the cadavers and ruins, reaching towards the sky like tendrils of corruption and death. Through this sea of despair Matsu walked, His nose wrinkled in disgust at the odor which seemed to saturate the surrounding villages and forests. It wasn’t just this one village either; since the young Samurai had left his homeland in the land of Iron to search for survivors of this idiotic engagement all he had seen on his long journey was death, ruin, poverty, and theft.

The few survivors Matsu had seen up to this point had been a mixed bag. Some were honest men and women, just trying to rebuild their lives; others had much darker intentions. There was one man, a crazed look in his eye, who attempted to take the corpse of a female shinobi back to his cabin for what could have only been an unsavory act. Matsu had warned him, and when the man attacked, Matsu slew him. Afterwards out of pity, the young Samurai buried the woman and had continued on his way. From what the young Samurai could tell, this village had no survivors. All that was left here in this village were the soulless, rotting carcasses of dead shinobi and the scorched and crumbling ruins of once great buildings.

Matsu continued his search however and perhaps by chance, no maybe fate, heard a faint sound. The noise was far off to his right and it was quite soft but it was there. It began as what sounded like groaning and quickly escalated to what could only be described as a pained shriek. Without waiting another second the young Samurai scaled the remains of a collapsed building to his right and peered through the smoke at the scene which was unfolding before him. In the distance among the bodies and the fires were two figures, one young and one old. From what Matsu could tell from his vantage point it seemed as if a father were dragging his daughter back inside. Deciding to make his presence know, the young Samurai approached the pair. As he got closer however he could see that this was not the innocent scene he had originally thought.

The young girl, who couldn’t have been any more than four, was struggling with all her might to get out of the man’s grip. “Get off me! Mommy, Daddy help!” she cried, tears streaming down her face as she strained against the adult, reaching out towards two bodies that whose limbs were interlaced.

This alone was all that Matsu needed to hear; he would put a stop to this insanity.

[Kazegetsu Matsu]

The young samurai’s pulse quickened as he sprinted down from his perch upon the hillside, his strides lengthening with each heartbeat. How could anyone do this? the boy wondered as he continued his descent. Still nearly ninety meters away the young shinobi could see the situation worsening and could feel a knot growing in his stomach as the situation continued to unfold.

The man, most likely in his late forties, cursed the young girl, and pulled her all the harder. “Scream all you like, you little bitch. No one will come to your aid, especially not your ‘Mummy and Daddy’” he hissed, a cruel smirk appearing on his face with those last three words. “You’re mine now… and you will obey me!” He cried, striking the young girl. The young girl began to wail louder as her legs buckled under the force of the man’s blow.

“Stop struggling! It’ll all be less painful for ye’ if you don’t make such a fuss and just relax!” the old lecher cried, beginning to tug at the young girl’s clothing. Finally becoming fed up with the resistance coming from the young girl, the pervert drew a large kunai from the pouch on his back and pressed it to the young girl’s throat. “I said shadd’up!” he cried, flicking the kunai downwards, stripping the first button from the child’s coat. Slowly the man began to quiver, his anticipation getting the better of him. He would savor this moment, savor the fear in this child’s eyes before he had his way with her and left her to rot. The little girl’s eyes widened with fear as she saw the old pervert flip the knife around in his hand, preparing to stab her. This fear fed the wretched old beast; this is what he lived for.

Faster, faster… damn it I need to move faster! Fear filled the young samurai, fear that he would arrive too late to help the defenseless child. Finally Matsu was within twenty meters of the pair, finally he would be able to act. “Get…Off…OF…HER!” the swordsman roared. With all of his strength Matsu ripped the sword from his sheath, sending a shockwave of chakra from the length of his blade hurtling toward the older man. The blade made a solid connection with the man’s neck, sending him sprawling off the girl and rolling in the dirt. Surprisingly the pedophile's was still attached to his neck, and Matsu soon saw why; around the man’s neck was a headband with the symbol for Mizugakure.

[Aiko Yukina]

Aiko rushed through the dying forest, her eyes fixed firmly ahead. The sound of cracking branches echoed in the distance as the creatures began to close their distance. They were gaining on her, and there was nothing she could do about it. What were those disgusting beings? What were they doing in Kiri? The Genin willed her legs to work harder, to move faster, to carry her more quickly across the landscape. They were getting closer... they were going to catch her...

[/center]

The sound of a high-pitched shriek jerked the young woman out of her slumber. ~ What the hell...? ~ Yawning, Aiko uncurled herself from the ball-like shape that she had been resting in during the evening. It wasn't the most comfortable position for sleeping, but in the ruins of an abandoned home, there weren't many other ways to remain unseen. She had already run into an unruly bunch who had attempted to have their way with her earlier on her way... it had been their worst mistake, and their last.

To make matters worse, Aiko had come across a Yukina child during the sunset. The poor shinobi had died, eyes wide open, headband removed, a look of pain plastered on her face. Upon closer inspection, the Genin had discovered a large amount of dried blood between her thighs as well as a large stab wound in her chest. Aiko knew those signs... that girl had not died without great suffering. After closing her eyes and encasing her in coffin of ice, she had continued her search for the hidden leaf village. The area clearly wasn't very safe, leading the young woman to bed down in the ruins of an old home. Unfortunately, that rest had been noisily broken.

As the second scream reached her ears, Aiko leaped to her feet, grabbed her bag, and stepped out of the cover of the building. She was now wide awake and highly alert, wondering who was making such noise. After hearing it for a third time, the girl turned to the direction of the sound and took off. She wasn't really sure where she was headed at that point, but wasn't really concerned either. The noise sounded like a little girl screaming for her life. Aiko recognized that sound... she had made that sound. Determined to put a stop whatever was happening, the Genin pressed forward. The screams were still very faint, but they were getting closer.

**Note: I have permission from Matsu to post in this thread. Contact Matsu with questions **

[Kazegetsu Matsu]

Slowly the older man rose to his feet, rubbing his now bruised neck. Old trembling fingers ran across one of the bruises, causing a string of obscenities to flow from his mouth. “Son of a bitch…” he muttered, as he staggered. Still reeling from the shock of the blow, the man had still not yet taken stock of his situation. What the fuck was that? His eyes fell upon the Samurai who was now no more than five meters away. Instantly fear came into his eyes, but then the brigand remembered something; he had the headband and the weapons from that girl earlier in the day. A cocky smile came to his old face; he would bluff his way out of this.

“Now you’ve done it,” He hissed, pulling another kunai from his belt. “You have two choices, leave this girl in my wonderful care,” he said, his smile widening showing a mouth missing many teeth, “Or…You can die.” Despite his strong words, the brigand knew he couldn’t match up in a fight with someone who spent years training with masters; all the fighting skills he possessed were those picked up on the job.

Matsu stepped forward, both hands still holding the katana toward his enemy. The forehead protector around the lecher’s neck was one from the infamous Mist Village, a place known for its brutality. If I’m going to stand any chance against this bastard I’m going to have to strike fast… “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you have her.” The samurai replied, readying himself for the assault. Something about the shinobi before him bothered Matsu; he couldn’t feel any significant chakra emanating from him.

“Fine then… Your funeral,” the pervert replied. Fuck… looks like he’s not gonna back down. Too late now… The bandit held the kunai at eye level, making it appear that he actually knew what he was doing with it; in reality, the poor man only had experience with the machete at his waste. Clumsily the man through the kunai, a sloppy spin causing it to proceed much slower than it should have. Without missing a beat however the man had drawn his machete and was charging after the kunai.

The young samurai cocked an eyebrow at the atrocious throw that the Mizu Shinobi had made and instantly swatted the poorly thrown knife out of the air as he drew his sword. Regardless of how horrid this throw was, he would still end the ninja before him; his own personal feelings and his mission dictated that he must. The young samurai charged his enemy, a sense of blind rage fueling his actions. Once within the man’s range Matsu began to rain a series of blows down upon his machete unlike the bandit had ever seen, the final blow knocking the lecher flat on his ass. Matsu didn’t waste a second, as soon as the bandit attempted to sit up, the young samurai’s blade was pressed to his forehead.

“You’re a disgrace to your village,” Matsu hissed through clenched teeth. “Attacking a young child, have you no fucking shame?”

“My village eh?” the bandit inquired. At this point he knew he would die, why not piss the samurai off further before his demise? “You’re referring to this right?” he asked, grabbing a hold of the forehead protector he wore around his neck. A cackle escaped the dead-man’s lips. “I stole this off some runt Yukina girl after I had my way with her. You shoulda seen the poor thing, both her legs and an arm broken. Some guys musta gotten her before I did.” The old man sneered, a dark glimmer in his eyes. “You shoulda seen the fear in her eyes as I toyed with her, the scream she made when I en-“ the man’s sentence was cut short, replaced with the gurgle of blood as an extension of Matsu’s chakra shot from the end of his blade, piercing the bandit’s forehead and nailing him to the earth. "Sick fuck," the man spit, his rage beginning to calm.

Matsu used his foot to push the man’s carcass down as he withdrew his blade from the bandit’s head, allowing the chakra he had used to travel back up his blade and into his body. Slowly the young man turned his eyes to where the little girl was. As his glance reached the spot a horrifying realization took over, the girl was gone. Behind him he heard the child's squeal and all of his rage vanished. It had been replaced by a new emotion; worry.
((yup she's good))

[Aiko Yukina]

A few meters away, Aiko stood. She watched the events unfold, her eyes glazing over to hide the inner rage burning inside like a thousand suns. The culprit had been found, the swine that had brutishly attacked the young Yukina child. The bastard had tortured the poor girl in her dying moments, shattering her peace and shaming her even in death. He was truly a despicable man. People like him were the scum of the Earth, the kind of people that made the woman sick to her stomach. Just thinking of people like him made Aiko feel physically ill.

As he gloated before them, laughing as he recalled his torture of the girl the Genin's hands clenched into tight fists. She wanted nothing more than to grab that man by the collar and run her chain's blade violently though his nether regions. He deserved to suffer the same pain and torture that he had subjected all of his victims to so many times before. The only thing keeping Aiko from doing as she wished was the man draped in black. This was a battle between him and the murderer. He seemed more than capable of finishing the man himself, so she would not interfere.

As the tip of his blade extended and ran through the man's forehead, Aiko took a step back in surprise. She had never seen such a technique before. What form of swordsmanship was this? The kunoichi could only watch as he used his foot to remove the corpse from his blade, letting it fall to the ground with a dead thump. This was not a man that Aiko wanted to mess with. Her mind began to formulate a plan as her eyes drifted to the unattended headband around his neck. There was something that she had to do.

Raising her right hand in front of her chest, Aiko made a number of hand seals. She would return that headband to its proper owner, but she would have to find a way to do so without alerting that man of her presence. What if he were to turn on her as well? His sword would bring about her end within moments. Unwilling to take that risk, Aiko had instead decided to use the child as a distraction, giving her more than enough time to make her escape.

A few inches from the little girl, the moisture in the air began to condense and take form. A small, jello-like ball formed on the bottom, it's form a bit softer than usual. A second, smaller circle appeared on top of it, a goofy smile plastered on its face. The snowman giggled, its belly jiggling cutely. Unlike others of its kind, this particular snowman was soft, its torso splashing around with its movements making it resemble a mobile water balloon. The creature poked the little girl, getting her attention and smiling at her. The child gave the tiny snowman a poke of her own, causing it to giggle and jump before darting away.

The child squealed with delight, chasing the little creature as it wobbled away. The man turned his head at the sound, walking in the direction of the happy child. Aiko's lips curled into a smile as the man turned away. Her little diversion had seen successful. Feeling a bit more secure with his attention away from her, the kunoichi began another set of seals, willing the moisture in the air to condense for a second time. A small swallow flapped its icy wings as it circled above her head, searching for it's target.

After a few moments, the bird locked on and bent its wings. With a quiet screech, the swallow zoomed towards the man neck, its talons outstretched in position for attack. Upon reaching its target, the bird slowed its descent, hovering just long enough to wrap its talons around the cloth of the accessory. Ascending, the bird ripped the head band from the thief's neck and returned to its master. Aiko stood waiting for the bird, her hand stretched towards the sky.

The bird soared towards the young woman, dropping the headband and melting as it reached its destination. Aiko waited until the fabric touched her palm before closing her fingers around it. With a smile, the Yukina woman closed her eyes, and held the head band close to her chest. She hadn't known the child personally, but she knew that she was a member of her clan and that in itself was reason enough to justify what she was about to do. As she opened her eyes and turned to make her way back to the girl's grave, she noticed something. The man had turned around, his eyes gazing right at her. ~ Shit! ~ Without a second thought, Aiko darted off at top speed before the man could have a chance to approach.

[Kazegetsu Matsu]

The Samurai had begun to swiftly make his way towards the sound of the child’s squeal when he heard the shriek of a bird. Slicing winds rushed past his neck, just above his collar bone as a small, white blur shot passed him. Instinct took over as the Samurai turned; his sword already half drawn. What the man saw slightly confused him. The bird was dripping; small beads of water cascading from the creatures wings as it hovered over the pedophile’s corpse. Matsu stood and stared at the bird in wonderment as it slowly lowered itself until the creature’s talons were wrapped around the headband on the man’s neck. With a sharp tug the forehead protector came free, allowing the bird to take off once more. This time, Matsu could see the creature’s path.

Trained eyes followed the creature back to its point of origin and too his surprise, Matsu realized that he and the small child weren’t alone. Matsu had no idea how long the beautiful young girl had been there, only that she now coddled the headband in her arms. The bird that had brought her the headband now collapsed into water, tipping the young man off to the girls clan; she was a Yukina. The young man had heard of this clan from his sensei; apparently they were nearing extinction. What shocked the young man even further was the realization that the girl wore no forehead protector, from what he could tell she only possessed the one she had just retrieved from the pedophile. Something clicked in the young man’s brain, and the words that the dead man had spoken only moments before came flooding back to his brain.

“I stole this off some runt Yukina girl after I had my way with her. You shoulda seen the poor thing, both her legs and an arm broken. Some guys musta gotten her before I did.”

Matsu’s eyes locked with the girls and he couldn’t make himself look away. Her eyes captivated him, the icy blue pools seemed to pierce his soul, to see straight through the young man. No way… is she, is she a ghost? A sudden sickness invaded the Samurai’s stomach as his mind began to race. The pale skin, the sudden appearance, the disturbed man’s words…they all fit… Matsu was a superstitious youth by nature, and while he didn't fear spirits, he didn't entirely trust them either. Ethereal creatures often were mischievous little things that enjoyed messing with travelers; Matsu had never seen a ghost before however. Once more the child’s squealing penetrated the Samurai’s eardrums and his head instinctively swiveled to the direction. When he glanced back however, the ghostly girl was gone. All the better… the young man thought as he began to sprint in the direction of the squealing child.

[Kazegetsu Matsu]

He could see her now, the small child that had caused him so much worry. The tiny girl was chasing after something, but whatever it was the Samurai couldn’t get a good luck at it. A sigh of relief washed over Matsu as he realized the girls shrieks weren’t of pain, in fact they weren’t screams at all; the girl was laughing! The samurai slowed his gait and approached the child and her prey curiously, trying not to spook the two. The two shifted their direction, now running perpendicular with Matsu path, and when he saw the tiny child’s target he couldn’t help but choke on a small laugh; the girl was chasing the most retarded looking snowman he had ever seen.

Suddenly the demented little creature stopped dead in its tracks and turned to look at the cackling girl; the tiny figure reached out a nubby arm and poked the girl causing the girl to spill out into an even greater fit of laughter. Once she had recovered the child poked the snowman’s squishy belly resulting in a maniacal cackle followed by a high pitched squealing. Without further warning the goofy faced snowman exploded, covering the giggling child in cold water.

The girl, initially shocked by the sudden explosion, now simply laughed and clapped, clearly amused by the display. It didn’t take long for the child to start to feel the after effects of being splashed with cold water and soon the girl was racked by tiny tremors. The four year old wasn’t subjected to the cold for too long before she was draped in a soft, blue haori. Curious eyes, the color of liquid chocolate, stared up at Matsu, questioning his intentions.

A warm smile came across Matsu’s face as he extended his hand gently to the child. “Are you alright?” he inquired, pulling the child to her feet. The child merely nodded her head before attempting to walk back to where Matsu had found her. Dutifully, the Samurai followed the young child back into the main portion of town and watched silently as she kneeled beside the corpses of her parents.

Small hands grasped the clothing of the woman on the ground, and shook gently. “Mommy…Mommy, wake up…” The girl whispered. The lack of movement from her moth clearly perturbed the child and she attempted to shake her mother all the more vigorously. “MOMMY, WAKE UP!” The child yelled, trying to get a rise out of her dead mother. Tears began to well up in the child’s eyes as she switched to her father, the desperation clear in her trembling voice. “Daddy… please wake up,” the girl whimpered, shaking her father.

Matsu stood and watched, sadness filling his heart as he watched the child futilely trying to wake her dead parents. The Samurai walked slowly behind the girl and placed a hand on the child’s shoulder, squeezing softly to let her know that he was there. “C’mon sweety…” he said, his voice barely a whisper.

The child turned her attention to the man behind her, tears streaking her face. “Why won’t they wake up?” She cried. “They said we’d go to the park yesterday, but they won’t wake up…” The soft whimper that has escaped the girl’s lips now evolved into a series of heavy sobs, the girl’s tiny hands now covering her face. What had once been smalls streams of tears now flowed like flooded rivers, the salty droplets falling and soaking into the bloodstained earth upon which she kneeled.

The young girl’s cries tugged at the strings of Matsu’s heart, and his next words made him feel like the worst kind of person. “They’re not sleeping little one… they’ve passed on…” he whispered. It was one thing to lie to a child, but it was another thing entirely to take away her hope. “I’m sorry.” He said, kneeling next to the girl. “What is your name child?” Matsu asked, hoping to maybe find some hint to family that may remain.

The child’s sobbing stopped as the reality of her parent’s death hit her like a brick wall. A sudden numbness crept over her, shielding her from the pain. Tears still streamed from her eyes as she looked up at her savior; however her voice was clear when she spoke. “Akemi,” the girl replied in a hollow voice, “My name… is Uchiha Akemi…”

Matsu could hear the sudden change in the girl’s voice and cursed himself for telling her the truth. Nonetheless, a child couldn’t stay out here to fend for herself, especially not in these dangerous times. A glimmer of hope for the child still remained however; she belonged to the Uchiha. Luckily for Matsu, the Uchiha were natives of Konohagakure, the city to which he was heading; this would give him the opportunity to drop off the girl before meeting with the Hokage. “Alright Akemi,” Matsu said, giving the girl her warmest smile, “would you like me to take you to Konoha with me? You may have some family there…” he cooed, placing his hand on the crown of the Uchiha girl’s head.

The fear that would have prevented the girl from making this gesture was still locked away by her state of shock, leaving open to the man’s offer. What else would she do? Stay here and weep over parents? While she wanted nothing more than to do just that, something inside of the girl screamed for her to accept the man’s offer. Akemi mustered a weak nod before standing and holding her hand out to Matsu, a gesture that she would trust and cooperate with him.

The young samurai took Akemi’s tiny hand in his own and stood. “Let’s head out,” he said gently, “Just tell me if you want to stop for a rest.” Slowly the pair set out towards Konohagakure, hand in hand; hopefully it wouldn’t take anymore than a few hours to reach their destination.

[addy-hime ♥]

Matsu: 50 EXP
Aiko: 20 EXP

This is assuming you've exited the thread, which I gather by the last post. Still, you should always post "EXIT" or something to make it easier.

[/font]