Unbreakable (Book 1) #Wattys2015

Nerves- Katsu

It was dark in the village as Katsu picked handfuls of moonflowers growing within the trough of the valley she stood in. The small white blossoms only bloomed at night, closing again at the first signs of dawn. They gave off an enchantingly sweet scent, doing well to calm her anxious nerves.

Katsu Inazuna was recently promoted as a Jonin working in the Hidden Leaf Village. Earning the title as an elite ninja had not been easy, but it had been a dream of hers ever since she was a very young child.

After countless hours of hard work, passing many rigorous exams, and successfully completing many dangerous missions, the fifth Hokage had finally rewarded Katsu with the green Jonin's vest she so greatly desired.

She was departing the village on her first Jonin mission tomorrow, first thing in the morning. Although Katsu knew she should be getting a good night's sleep, she also knew her rattled nerves would never allow it.

Sakura Haruno, a well-known medical ninja, like herself, had left the village to partake in a series of special training courses in the Village Hidden in the Sand. She would be gone for several years.

And Katsu would be the substitute member of Squad Seven. Along with her, the squad consisted of Naruto Uzumaki, a Genin, and Kakashi Hatake, a Jonin like herself. The blonde boy's status was surprising, considering he had mastered the legendary Rasengan. Not to mention that it was no secret he had the Nine-tailed Fox's spirit trapped within his body. His chakra quantity had to be off the charts. As for Kakashi, Katsu didn't know much about him, personally. He carried the title of the Copycat Ninja for use of his peculiar single-sharingan. What made it so peculiar was the fact that the sharingan was the kekkei genkai of the Uchiha clan. Why did he  possess it?

Katsu's fists clenched together, unintentionally crushing the delicate, white moonflowers beneath her fingers. She stared down at her closed fists and slowly relaxed her hands. The unrecognizable flowers fell lifelessly from her fingers, leaving Katsu to stare at the beauty she had just destroyed.

She sighed shakily. Sasuke Uchiha had left the Leaf Village several long years ago in order to train with the much despised, S-rank criminal from the Sound Village, Orochimaru. One of the legendary Sannin.

That fact was a constant weight on Katsu's heart. A thorn that stood in the way of every decision she made. Every thought that passed through her head. Sasuke had left everything behind. Including her.

On the day he had left, Sasuke Uchiha, now Katsu's ex-boyfriend, had informed her it wouldn't be the last time they saw each other. That he would find her again.

Katsu scoffed in disgust now. She would never be with someone like him. She couldn't believe she once had been. She would never betray the village she loved so dearly like he had. He had wounded her deeply by leaving.

The image of him covered in those horrifying curse marks invaded her thoughts. "I am going to revenge my clan," he had said through clenched teeth. Then he had smirked. "But you will join me eventually." His smile had then turned savage. "I'll make  you."

Like hell, Katsu thought. She stood and looked out onto the dark Leaf Village, the cold wind pulling her long, dark purple hair back from her face.

Strange, unexplained murders had been occurring in an area somewhere near the Sound Village and Tsunade had assigned Squad Seven to investigate. The Hokage believed that the murders were the work of Orochimaru. If they were to encounter him or any of his followers on their investigation, their duty was to capture the rogues and transport them back to the Leaf.

"You mean Sasuke?" the blonde boy, Naruto, had asked excitedly to which Tsunade had nodded. She had then branched off into a long discussion with him on how not to act impulsively.

Katsu didn't want to face Sasuke at all but the Hokage believed that she knew more about him than anyone else in the village, therefor making her the ideal ninja for the mission. If she saw him, she could not hesitate to bring him down. He was no longer an allied shinobi. He was no longer a ninja of the Leaf. He was no longer her friend.

Katsu clenched her teeth together in determined anticipation for the upcoming mission. She had already donned her green vest, loving the way the attire felt over her shoulders. From her pocket, she drew out her ninja headband. She gazed at its engraving before tying it around her forehead. She was a member of the Village Hidden in the Leaves and would defend it as if her life depended on it.

Because it did.

All around Katsu's feet, the white moonflowers began to close, their delicate petals drawing themselves together. Dawn had arrived. And so began her first mission as a Jonin.

Image: http://th09.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2011/262/7/0/small_white_flowers_by_miern-d4adev9.jpg