мοrι ηo κο 『森の子』

Six | | Bonds

》Dιsсlαιмεя: I own no Canon characters that shall be used within this story。Only the OCs, as well as the setting in which the beginning of this tale will take place。 All other things within the Narutoverse belong to none other than the marvelous, Masashi Kishimoto。READ ONWARD, LOVELIES!! ( ' ▽ ' )ﾉ《

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As Yuki had assumed, they had arrived within Konohagakure no Sato (Village Hidden in the Leaves) by nightfall. Though they were slightly worse for wear than they had been less than a month prior to their assignment of keeping their eyes on the Village Hidden in the Meadow. Two Chunin ranked shinobi had welcomed the three ANBU in, as well as their two unexpected passengers.

The three ANBU now stood before the elderly Hokage, Ayama and Midori both awake and well-aware of their surroundings as the man examined them with his troubled gaze. There was an awkward silence within the room until the man removed and placed his large red and white hat with the kanji for "fire" upon his rectangular desk.

Releasing a pained sigh, the man interlaced his fingers in front of his mouth, propping his elbows upon the desk. "This is such troubling news," he said, his eyes closed and face in a partial grimace. "I am at a loss for words to console the two of you . . ." he paused, his onyx orbs shifting from Ayama, to Midori, "however . . . the fact that you both managed to escape is a feat not many achieved from your village last night . . . albeit with the assistance of three skilled ANBU."

Yuki bowed respectfully before the spiky, gray-haired man. "Based upon what we had witnessed, and from what Midori had told us, Hokage-dono the two of them quite possibly could have escaped through a passage known only to Midori's immediate family as the "Moruton'neru"."

Nodding, the man removed the long pipe from his mouth and exhaled a small cloud of smoke. "Such assumptions are futile, Yuki," he said, his voice seemingly cold. "There's no telling what might have happened to them, had you not intervened."

Standing upright, the tawny-haired ANBU stared unsurely at her higher-up, then lowered her gaze in embarrassment. "Forgive my arrogance, Hokage-dono."

"You have done nothing wrong," said the Hokage as he situated the kiseru back into his mouth and inhaled the soothing herbs and tobacco. "However, such an instance can be saved for a later date; more pressing matters require my attention." Glancing over to Ayama, the man arched his eyebrow. "It is to my understanding that your daughter hails from a clan capable of possessing wood-style."

Ayama looked down at her daughter standing next to her. "The Nagamori clan," she whispered, fixating her gaze on the picture of Hashirama Senju behind the Hokage, hanging to his right. "But Midori wasn't gifted with such an ability. . ."

Said young girl stared at her mother from the corner of her eye and gave Ayama a suspicious look. Why are you lying to him? she wondered, her hands tightening around the hem of her torn white shirt.

The Hokage sighed and shifted his tired, crow's feet adorned orbs up to the ceiling and frowned. "I suppose such a Kekkai Genkai is sparse," he breathed, "a Mokuton-wielder could have been a great asset to our village."

Ayama knew her daughter had grown slightly irritable by the slight tinge of pink on her cheeks. Internally scolding herself for lying to the man, the woman agreed with the Hokage and suddenly placed her hand over Midori's left shoulder. "My daughter, Midori, she is commendable, though," she said as she closed her eyes and smiled down at her daughter, "because I've seen her skill with water-style."

Blowing out a thin ring of smoke, the Hokage leaned forward in his seat. "If that's the case," said the Hokage as he smiled kindly at the young blonde, "then I would like for her to further hone her shinobi abilities in our Academy."