The Countdown Begins [Private] (Finished)

[Aiko Yukina]

Her vision began to blur as the oxygen ceased to enter her lungs. Her eyes slowly drifted to a close as the world slipped away. She was falling… falling into a world of eternal darkness.

*Begin Flashback/Dream Sequence*

The raindrops fell violently upon her head as Aiko ran quickly through the streets of Kiri. It was another morning in the village of the mist with a normal forecast: rain, rain, and even more rain. Residents of the village shook their heads, others watching in confusion as the little girl weaved in between them, her clothing soaked through from exposure to the rain. Aiko did her best to ignore them, trying to avoid the glares and looks of annoyance as she maneuvered around them. Unlike many residents of the Mist Village, Aiko didn’t own an umbrella, which could make traveling very difficult and uncomfortable on rainy days like that one.

Her wet bangs were beginning to stick to her face, making it difficult to see. As she tried move the stray hairs from her eyes, the girl bumped into someone. Aiko’s mouth had barely formed an apology before she was sent crashing to the ground with a loud splash. An angry looking man stood, glowering down at her. “Watch it!” he growled, turning to continue on his way.

“So sorry!” she replied feverishly, rising to her feet and rushing down the street once more. It was almost time for classes to begin and Aiko could not afford to be late again. The poor girl still remembered what had happened the last time she had arrived tardy. Her wrists were still bruised from the ‘punishment’. “You better hurry little girl, you’re running out of time!” called a boy as he watched her pass. Grunting, Aiko pushed herself to move faster, her legs to work harder. She could feel her lungs tightening as she ran, her rapid gait breaking into a full sprint. As the academy came into sight, the girl could feel her heart leap with excitement. She was going to make it!

With only a minute to spare, Aiko leapt through the doors of the building. Her shoes made loud squeaking sounds with every step of her feet as she flew down the hall. Students turned their heads in curiosity as the dark blur zoomed past their classroom doors. Rounding a corner, she slid to a stop in front of her classroom. The girl sighed, resting with her hands on her knees in an attempt to catch her breath. After regaining her composure Aiko stood straight and slowly opened the door, trying to enter as subtly as possible.

Her attempt was in vain however, as every head in the classroom turned to look at her. Aiko lowered her eyes to the floor, slinking to her seat as quietly as possible. Her clothes dripped on the floor, leaving a trail behind her as she walked. She could almost feel every eye in the room on her as shrunk into her seat. If only she could melt into the floor…

“Yukina Aiko! You showed up.” The teacher’s voice dripped with sarcasm as he spoke with mock excitement. “Since you decided to show up during attendance, how about you tell us the reason that shinobi travel in groups of three.”

Hearing his question, Aiko froze. “Um…” Her mind grew blank as she tried as she searched desperately for an answer. Try as she may, the girl could not recall the information. Why had she chosen that day to arrive late?

Glaring at her, the sensei spoke again. “…You can stay after today, since you can’t seem to answer a question so basic. Perhaps some extra instruction will make you more competent.” Aiko could feel her face heating up, her pale skin turning a brilliant shade of red. The snickering and taunting of the other students didn’t help her situation. It was going to be a long day, she could already tell.

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[Aiko Yukina]

With a heavy sigh, Aiko fell to her knees. The day had been long and the training harsh. Unfortunately, neither had been able to compare to the past three hours. Her teacher had taken it upon himself to make her after-school session a living nightmare. The last one hundred and eighty minutes had consisted of her sensei ruthlessly beating the hell out of her while she tried desperately to defend herself. Bruises adorned her arms and legs, making her thankful that she chose to wear such concealing clothing.

As she sat on the ground panting, her sensei shook his head and left his fighting stance. “I don’t know what your problem is girl, but you had better figure it out… unless you want to die out here.” With that warning, he turned and made his way back inside of the building leaving Aiko sitting miserably outside in the cold, wet training grounds of the school. Sighing, the girl remained on her knees, feeling far too tired to move.

For twenty-five minutes Aiko sat outside in the rain, deep in thought. What reason did she have for her poor taijutsu skill? Her father had never been interested in her and certainly hadn’t taught her how to battle at close range. Her mother had passed away when she was eight years old, so she hadn’t been able to teach her either. Looking down at her thin, bruised arms, Aiko shook her head. Her frail body was not cut out for close combat. She barely had the strength to swing a sword… What was she doing in the shinobi academy anyway? So many questions…
“Hey Yukina!” a male voice caught the girl’s attention, returning her from her world of thought. Rising slowly to her feet, Aiko turned around. Jumping in surprise, the girl found herself staring face to chest at one of the boys from her classroom. Two of his companions stood behind him with michevious smiles plastered on their faces. “I couldn’t help but over hear Sensei. You should straighten up your act or someone might hurt you.” He said cruelly, smiling down at her.

“I…” AIko stammered, unsure of how to respond to such a comment. The sound of flesh connecting with flesh sounded as the boy’s fist connected with her face. A sound very close to a whimper escaped from the girl as the boy’s friends joined in kicking her while she struggled to get to her feet. Of course they had been talking about themselves. Who else would be standing in a school yard waiting to ambush a twelve-year-old girl?

“What’s Yukina? What happened to the power of your bloodline?” he taunted, his foot colliding with her side. Aiko squealed in pain, her bruised body curling into a ball as it was battered. What had she done to deserve such treatment from people? Why did people despise her and her bloodline? The boys laughed and taunted her, making the girl feel even worse than she did. Finally, Aiko had had enough. Growling angrily, the girl used her right hand into the form a seal, calling upon her chakra to aid her.

“Leave me alone!” she shouted, willing the rain around her to form into icy swallows. The birds flapped their wings, circling the boys gracefully as they homed in on their targets. Finally the birds turned and dove, pelting the boys like small icy rockets. Yelping the boys backed away from her, waving their arms and swatting at the birds. Taking advantage of their confusion, Aiko rose to her feet and darted from the training grounds. As the boys settled down, the birds disappearing from existence they looked around in surprise as they realized that she was gone.

[/center]

[Aiko Yukina]

The trip home had been a difficult one. The falling rain had soaked Aiko further, leaving her dripping wet and absolutely miserable. The heavy rain drops had fallen against her clothes, pelting her bruised skin beneath. Even worse, it had gotten very late. Her father did not approve of her being out passed a certain time. If he caught her getting home at such a late hour, he would be very upset.

Shivering, Aiko stood before the door of her house, praying that her father was asleep. With a deep breath, she slowly opened the door and stepped inside. The room was dark, the lights dimmed. It was quiet, so quiet that the water dripping from her kimono to the floor sounded much like the rain outside. Gingerly closing the door behind her, Aiko sighed and stepped forward stopping as something blocked her path. “Enjoy yourself?”

A shiver ran down her spine at the agitation in her father’s voice. So he hadn’t been sleeping after all… “I’m sorry father… I was training after school…” her voice came out as a quiet mumble as she fought to keep it steady. She did not want him to hear the terror in her voice conveying the fear she truly felt. Hisashi remained silent for a few moments, staring down at his timid daughter before shaking his head. “Excuses again?” he asked angrily, causing the girl to take a step back. “It wasn’t my fault father… the boys, they cornered me…”

Her voice was drowned out by the sound of a deafening slap. Falling to the floor, Aiko whimpered, placing a hand to her cheek. “Get up, Aiko!” he shouted furiously, glowering at her crumpled form beneath him. The girl gave no response, holding her cheek as she rose shakily to her feet. “Get out of my sight.” He hissed. Aiko only nodded, forcing her legs to move and carry her from the room. Dragging herself to her bedroom, the girl threw herself onto her bed. Within the solitude of her room Aiko felt safe again. Her body began to tremble violently as she allowed the tears come.

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*End Flashback/Dream Sequence*

[Aiko Yukina]

The pain and the memories were a thing of the past. Aiko could feel the darkness engulfing her as she awaited death’s embrace. She could was drifting away from the world of the living. All would come to an end soon.

“A…” The sound of a faraway voice tore through the silence, shaking Aiko from her calm state of mind.

“A…o…” after a moment of silence the sound returned. The second time it was a little more precise.

“Ai…o” the sound was followed by a glimmer of light, as her eyes slowly fluttered open. Her deep blue orbs gazed dully in front of her, seeing only blurs of color. What had happened to her dark realm?

“Aiko… Aiko!” the quiet sound grew in volume, this time extremely clear.

“Aiko, can you hear me? Aiko!” The voice was feminine; a woman’s voice. “Hm?” Aiko murmured opening and closing her eyes as her vision returned. The blurred colors began to form into shapes, the light before her forming into a human form. “Oh thank God!” Her aunt exclaimed, holding the girl to her chest as she regained consciousness. “Aiko, I thought I had lost you!”

The woman helped Aiko sit up, examining her closely as she did so. The Genin coughed violently, doubling over as oxygen returned to her body. How long had she been unconscious? Why was she still alive? “Hana?” she muttered quietly, her vision becoming clearer with every minute.

“I came to check on you… Honey, what happened?” Her aunt asked worriedly. Aiko remained silent, not wanting to talk about it. Hana Yukina was a relative of her mother. She wandered all over the country, traveling frequently from city to city. Her visits had become very rare during the war. What had brought her back to Kiri at such a time?

Sighing, the woman helped Aiko to her feet. “Come with me to my house. You can tell me everything.”

End Side Quest

[yokata]

On the story I thought that your flashback sequence was an awfully sad one but don't let improper adjective use bring it down and defeat your character's design. For example: "Bruises adorned her arms and legs, making her thankful that she chose to wear such concealing clothing." An adornment isn't something that is negative and shouldn't be displayed.

25 EXP for a good start! ;D