Never Again: Sequel to The Different One (Naruto Fanfiction)

Chapter 1: The Protector

I jumped onto a branch and pulled out my mask. I knew they were near. Their hearts, pulsing and beating, were loud in my ears. The imperfections of each echoed in my head. I stared down at the perfect white of the mask. Two black eyebrows were the only thing on the mask other then two holes for my eyes.

I strapped it on over my head and prepared to jump in front of the enemy and the people I was going to protect. I landed on the dirt without a sound, using a mist technique to cover my feet.

"It's her!" One of the boys behind me yelled. He was shushed, but I could feel his eyes boring into my back, staring at me in disbelief. I turned away from the people and towards the ninja who were attacking them.

"The Protector..." The boy whispered the words under his breath. I could barely make them out, but they made me smirk. A protector? I was as far from a protector as you could get.

"Now who is this little girl?" One of the men said, smirking as he quickly flicked his wrist, trying to catch me off guard with a shuriken.

His accuracy was way off and I wouldn't have had to move an inch to avoid it, but I had people behind me. I couldn't just let the weapon hit one of them. I reached out just as quickly and the shuriken spun on the finger I used to pick it out of the air.

The man growled and made a move towards me. He stopped when his skin ripped and blood dripped down from a small tear on his cheek. The shuriken made a thump when it lodged itself into the ground behind him.

"Now that I think about it, I've heard of you... The supposed Protector of the villages right? Well I'm here to tell you that you aren't needed here!" He wiped the blood off of his cheek and pointed an accusing finger at me. "I am a citizen of Kusagakure and am here to collect what is rightfully ours! You have no right to interfere!"

I kept quiet for a few more seconds, waiting for him to say more. "Are you done?" I asked, tilting my head.

His eyes widened. "Why you little... No, I'm not done! I wish I could arrest you right here and take you to the Blood Prison!"

"Blood Prison you say? That sounds perfect for someone like me." I revealed the kunai hidden within my long sleeve and used it to slit my palm. The blood, a dark red, poured out of my hand and onto the ground.

The man's heart sped up, I knew I had scared him. I stopped the blood flow and lifted the thick substance off of the ground with my chakra. It sharpened into the shape of several senbon, each pointing at him and his follower, who had been standing in silence the whole time.

"L-Let's get out of here!" The pathetic man turned on his heel and ran straight through the giant ravine. His follower was close behind. I let the blood fall limp and it retracted into my hand. I took out a bandage and wrapped it around the wound.

Three women ran down into the ravine, one grabbing onto each child and fussing over them. They caught sight of me and pulled their children behind their backs.

"Who are you? What were you doing to our sons?" One of the women asked.

"It's the Protector, mom! She managed to scare some intruders off without even touching them! She's the real thing!"

A small boy with brown hair pulled into a small ponytail hanging by his side ran out of his mother's grasp and came up to me. He picked up the sleeve of my shirt, but quickly dropped it to reach up and inspect my mask.

"Yugo! Come back here this instant! We are still unsure about this person. She could be working with the intruders for all we know!" The mother frantically ran up to grap her son.

The boy, Yugo, smiled at me before being pulled back to the group and hid behind his mother's back.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Shina. I have already concluded that she is not a threat. She is the Protector Yugo speaks of after all." A boy that seemed tall for his age (or at least what I could conclude was his age) took a step towards me. He pushed up his glasses and moved his black bangs out of his face.