ERADICATION

Bloody Nine!

They sat on a branch at the park. The cool breeze brushing through her hair.

Her normal plain black dress sat on her knees as she looked at him.

They had just passed them yet he spoke nothing. It'd been thirty minutes of awkward silence.

"My mother was one of them." He finally said.

"The bravest of them all. And she loved this village, cherished it even. Everyone liked her. They practically praised her. Until the third shinobi war..."

The air around them changed as the awkwardness transformed into heavy tension.

"She fell in love with the enemy. A hidden rain ninja.

They deflected right before the battle begun and hid, got a small house and job, retired and became civilians. Chose to have me...and my brother."

She listened intrigued by his story.

"We were happy. Then one day, rogue nins attacked and killed both my parents. My little brother managed to escape.

I was left alone on the streets. But that's when old man Hattori found me.

He was a renowned swords maker and the brother of Hanzo of the salamander. But they weren't on good terms.

They argued a lot and sometimes the old man came home drank.

So when Hanzo died, we took that opportunity to flea. We became travelers and the old man retired.

I tried going back after the war to look for my brother, or even his grave but...nothing. Eventually I gave up and we moved here.

The village accepted us but my mother's clan was a bit hesitant.

I don't care though. Just pissed that they claim my mother was a traitor. She wasn't. Neither of them were.

She gazed into the distance. "Your brother. What was his name?"

Kizumo closed his eyes and with a heavy heart he answered. "Yahiko."

~~~~~~

"So, what's your story?"

Mei took a long slow sip from her bottle. She held it up to measure its level. And with a confident voice. She said.

"There's nothing to write about me. I'm just a shadow that will soon be forgotten."

Short and simple.