The Shadow on The Sand [Naruto Fanfic]

Chapter 1 - Stolen

Chapter 1 - Stolen

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, although it wasn't too hot, and the breeze was blowing, although it wasn't too cold. White fluffy clouds dotted the blue sky. 

Perfect for some training with my brand spanking new katana, she thought excitedly as she walked through the small village that had one of her favourite places in the world. The blacksmith's that was run by an old friend of hers. People were walking around the village, occasionally there was a mother holding or walking with their child, and the father walking next to them happily, or a few young children running around and playing with whatever they could find.

She did notice that everyone had the slightest bit of worry written on their face, and that some of the adults were looking around wearily. She had been to this town many times before, and most of the people recognised her and would usually send a kind smile her way, but there was nothing like that this time. In fact, they eyed her with almost suspicious glances. There was also a few broken doors and windows around as well. She ignored it and kept going.

The blacksmith's was a little bit outside the village, and she was almost there. She could already see her old friend Imono walking around out the front. Now that she thought about it, he looked a little flustered, maybe even a bit frantic, and subconsciously she sped up, wondering if something was wrong. He was a little taller than the average male, therefore almost towering over the much smaller woman walking towards him, and he had pale blonde hair, dirtied with dust and dirt from working all day, and brown eyes that always held kindness in their depths.

Imono saw her walking towards him, and tensed violently, so much so that she could see him do it from fifty metres away. She sped up a little more and when she got there a few moments later, she could see that he looked rather upset. With a confused expression she approached him slowly.

"Imono, is something wrong?" she asked softly.

"I'm so sorry, but the village was raided by some rogue ninja a few days ago. I-I had just finished your wakizashi, and...they took it." said the large man slowly, in his usual deep, gruff voice that was laced with apology.

"That's okay. As long as everyone is alright. Is there anyone I can tend to in the village?" she asked, knowing that there might be injured people around.

"No, everyone is fine. I'm just so sorry that I lost it. I know that you paid a lot for it, even though I insisted to give it to you for cheaper since you are my best customer. It was beautifully made as well. I delayed several other orders to finish it for you in case you came a few days earlier...but -"

"Imono. It's fine. I promise." she said firmly, but with a tiny gentle smile, trying to convince her old friend that it was okay. "There is one thing that you can do for me though. Tell me what you saw."

"Well, come in first. We'll talk over some tea." he invited her in and they sat down in his small kitchen out the back of his workshop where he lived and he made some tea while he told her about what happened.

"I was just closing up the workshop and I heard some of the villagers screaming. I grabbed my axe and ran to see what was going on, and I saw about ten shinobi running through the streets and reeking havoc on pretty much everything in sight. I knew I wouldn't be able to stand up to them, even with your small training that you've given me when you are here. So I ran back to the shop and I tried to hide your order, along with a few other valuables, but one of them found me when I was half way through it." he sighed and shook his head before drinking some of his tea.

"They took some money, a few other katana and weapons I had in the shop and your wakizashi as well as food and money from the other villagers, but no one was hurt." his gaze was inward as he spoke, his mind's eye reeling with the images of the event in question. At least that explained why everyone was a little weary of her. Because she was a shinobi.