Prologue

"Hello, dear viewers! You are watching the intense and daring footage of a young hero brave enough to stick up for the little guy! Introducing... Haruka-chan!"

"This is stupid."

"Sh! Hm... I think the camera's broken. Everything's black!"

"Raya?"

"Yes?"

"This should help." A click sounded and the cap fell away from the lens, revealing the irritated face of what looked to be a ten year old girl. Her features were soft, each angle blending evenly with each plane. Her eyes were a deep brown, capped with straight brows that gave her gentle face a harsh look. The Suna sun had stained her skin to a light bronze, leaving a light spattering of freckles over her straight nose. She had a half-smile tugging at her lips, her amusement with Raya's blonde moment seeping past her tough facade. Her hair was thick and long, with loose tresses that faded into soft, tousled waves. It was a burnished brown, almost like chocolate, gleaming with coppers and reds in the sunlight. She waved the camera away impatiently, still smiling through her half-hearted scowl.

Raya zoomed out, panning over the bright blue sky. Thick clouds dotted the skyline, round puffs of delicious marshmallows brushing against the vast rocky mountains that looked like jagged mounds of dark chocolate. Raya heaved a dreamy sigh and moved the lens down towards the petite Haruka, who stood sullenly, pushing a long sweep of bangs from her eyes. Often teased for her height, Haruka was short for her age with a sharp, lean body.

"Wouldn't it be awesome if it rained today?" Raya asked suddenly.

Haruka scoffed, a snicker bubbling past her lips. "Are you delusional? We're in Suna, Raya-chan. It rains about once every million years." Raya heaved another sigh, this time a wistful one. She turned the camera towards her face, faking a smile.

"See how wonderful our thirteen-year old hero is? So kind... So sweet... So happy..." Raya's drawl dripped with sarcasm, causing Ha-san to roll her eyes. Raya gave a giggle, covering her mouth with a long-fingered hand. Her face was the odd pale shade that wasn't commonly found in Sunagakure, like creamy porcelain that shone out brilliantly in the golden sunlight. Her startling eyes of emerald green were partially hidden by soft bangs of the deepest violet. With shoulder-length hair that was fairly straight, Raya was a striking girl with many quirky habits. Shaking her head gently, she tucked a vibrant strand behind her ear. She stood at an average height for her young age of ten, but she was still taller than the wiry Haruka.

Raya let out another laugh, tucking another lock behind her ear as she turned the camera back on Haruka. "Why don't you explain the situation to our viewers?"

Haruka pursed her lips, furrowing her brows. Anxiety coursed through her. "Do we have to document this?" she asked suddenly. Swallowing hard, she looked down at her feet. "I mean.. what if Kurou kicks my ass? I'll be the laughingstock. And in serious pain."

Raya wrinkled her nose in response to Haruka's swear, then shook her head. "Don't worry Ha-san. Kurou isn't taking you seriously. When you kick his butt, he'll see. He'll wish I had never challenged him. Er.. or me challenging him for you." Her eyes narrowed in confusion, but she shook it off with a grin, wheeling the camera towards her face. "For those of you who don't know, Takenaka Kurou is a mean and awful bully who became a genin last year. He used to tease Ha-san horribly because she's so tiny, but he's moved on to make fun of other shinobi-in-training. He's a stinky face." She stuck her tongue out at the camera. Haruka could've sworn three years fell off her friend's immature face.

"But he won't be teasing anyone else for a long while," murmured Haruka absently. She was staring ahead, down the path, a determined expression settling over her face. Raya followed her gaze with the camera, giving a start. A tall figure strode confidently down the path, a posse of other genins following along with smirks and sniggers. Raya stared at them, feeling her heart plummet downwards.

"Oh crap, he's here already? Ha-san, you haven't warmed up! What if he hurts you? This is all my fault! I shouldn't have challenged him for you!" Raya fretted. The camera shook in her trembling hands. "He's agenin, and oh my god, we haven't even graduated from the Academy! Crap, crap -- oh my gosh, don't let him kill you! I can't lose my best friend!"

Haruka looked at her, face bemused at Raya's sudden lack of confidence. Hadn't she just been gushing about how she would teach Kurou a lesson?

"Calm down, Raya. I.. I can do this," she reassured her quietly. "I think." She swallowed, finding her throat to be dry, her lips suddenly parched. Still watching the imposing youth who sauntered towards her, her heart began to race with panic. She kept her face composed though. He wouldn't see her fear. He'd never see it, not if she had anything to say about it.

She glanced at Raya quickly, searching for something to relieve her inner angst. Nearly laughing out loud, she felt a surge of amusement rise within her. Raya's face was almost comical, her eyes wide and fearful, her mouth gaping.

Raya bit her lip and aimed the camera at the older boy coming down the path, moving away with a whispered, "good luck". He looked about fourteen, with deep-set eyes and heavy jaw. His long, atramentous hair was tied back, every strand placed with the taste of perfection. He smirked at Haruka, a haughty look set over his angular face.

"Ready to have your ass kicked, Haruka-chan?" His voice was rough and hoarse, lost between the throes of childhood and adulthood. The ominous tone in it sent a shudder down Ha-san's spine. Resisting the urge to bite her lip, she gazed at him with a steely eye.

She held a hand up to ear, as if trying to hear. "What was that? You want to know if I'm ready to kick your ass?" Haruka gave a ringing laugh that served to hide her fear. She settled into a fighting stance. "I'm as ready as ever."

A small crowd to settle around the pair, as if the fight was an entertaining show. Haruka let her gaze travel along the vast ring that formed around them. Many faces leapt out to her, faces of the kids Kurou had ridiculed mercilessly, taunted endlessly. They returned her determined expression, silently expressing their confidence in her. A strange feeling coursed through and she realized with a start that she was a savior to these kids.

Kurou grinned darkly. "Aww. Ickle Haruka-chan, dying to play with the big kids." He assumed a stance similar to Haruka's, "Here's your chance, midget." His group of boys sniggered in amusement.

Haruka's heart began to race as the gravity of the challenge suddenly settled over her. She was going up against a genin. She, a mere shinobi-in-training. She gulped, dark eyes suddenly wide. Her gaze leapt from face to face as she was caught in a panic, until she noticed an odd trio near the far wall to her left. They were clad in green vests and gleaming hitaites, slinging dusty packs over their shoulders. Her mouth formed a little 'o' of surprise as she recognized the spiraling leaf symbol of Konoha.

They're jounin! Full-fledged jounin! Actual shinobi! From another village! Her mind raced with thoughts as wonder shot through her, temporarily eradicating her fear. They looked on with curious and amused expressions. Well, except one. From what Haruka could see, he was highly bored. He was masked, with his hitaite pulled down to shield his left eye. The single eye that was visible held a look of utter disinterest. That wasn't the weirdest thing about his appearance, though. It was his hair that had attracted her attention. Long and silver, it seemed to defy gravity by sticking out at the side. He was young, from what Haruka could tell, probably in his twenties. What was he doing with gray hair then? Haruka watched curiously as he pulled a book from his pouch, leaning against the wall to read. Nothing perturbed him, not the ominous rumbling in the distance, or the chattering of the kids all around, or even the amused sniggers from his two companions. She narrowed her eyes, put off by his nonchalance.

"Ready when you are, shrimp!" called out an impatient Kurou. Haruka jumped, startled, and gave a nod. The chattering voices dropped to a hush as a young girl of average height strode to the center of the ring. Her pale face was gleeful. Spiteful. Haruka recognized her as a loner from the Ninja Academy called Hanajima. Her eyes were the clearest of blues, cold as ice and sharp as steel. Long, sleek locks the color of burnished gold hung down to her elbows. She always wore black, and today was no exception for her.

"No weapons, no outside help. Skill against skill. The match will go on until one of you is knocked unconscious or yields. Or dies." Her lips drew back into a sneer, her sharp white teeth gleaming in the meek sunlight. She glanced at Kurou, then fixed her unnerving stare upon Haruka. A shiver ran down her spine and she quickly looked away as Kurou threw his kunai holster and hip pouch to one of the boys in his posse. Hanajima smiled eerily and stepped back, throwing her hands down.

"Begin!"

The sun seemed to dim as Haruka stared at Kurou. She stood very still, watching his eyes, waiting for him to move. The sky darkened as heavy clouds passed by, then lightened again. Kurou's eyes were filled with mirth, mocking her silently. He was laughing at her. She could see it on his face. He didn't think she could do it. She narrowed her eyes.

I'll show you.

In a flash of movement, he was upon her, throwing a punch to her face. Gasping in surprise, she blocked it sluggishly, just in time. His laughter rang out, chilling her to the bone. He was on her again, throwing punch after punch, kick after kick. She ducked and dodged, rolling out of harm's way time after time. He continued to laugh while she gritted her teeth painfully.

"What're you waiting for, shrimp?" He sneered as he threw another punch at her. About to retort back, Haruka blinked when he disappeared.Where'd he go?

A heavy force collided with her back and she found herself face-first in the dry dirt, a sharp pain burning against her spine. Panting hard, she began to get up when something wet hit her nose. Her eyes widened and she watched as another raindrop hit the parched earth. She didn't have time to marvel at the utter beauty of it, for something strong pulled her up by her collar. Kurou twisted her arm behind her, holding her in a lock. She was close enough to smell a putrid odor dirt and sweat mingling with the natural oils on his body.

He leaned forward, his hot breath rancid to her nose. "Do you yield?"

Haruka opened her mouth, ready to give him the verbal beating of his life, when another raindrop hit her face. Drop after drop fell swiftly and voices began to squeal in surprise at the oncoming rain. Kurou made the mistake of looking up at the dark sky with shock.

Seizing the opportunity at hand, Haruka stomped on his large foot with heavy force and elbowed him hard in the gut. His pained gasp was lost in the rising wind and quickening rainfall. Cheering began to sound, meek at first but rising in volume as Haruka whipped around. She cast Kurou a dark smirk and kicked him firmly against his sternum. He stumbled backwards, slipping in the slick mud that now coated the ground. He caught himself before he could fall though and readied himself once more. Grinning a feral grin, he bared his teeth at her. With a loud cry, he charged at her, throwing a punch to the side of her face.

Haruka merely laughed when she caught his hand before it could hit her. In one rapid movement, she twisted it painfully, holding it so that his every breath caused him unbearable agony. He sank to his knees, moaning audibly. She could hear the joyous cheers from the kids around. She could even hear the three shinobi -- two shinobi -- laughing loudly. She smiled victoriously, a warm glow of intense pride washing over her.

Smile widening, she leaned forward, her face inches from his. Her bangs fell down in sheets around her head, drenched from the heavy rain. "Do you yield, Kurou-san?"

He scowled at her and spat in her face. Haruka sighed, wiping her cheek with an irked expression. "I'll repeat that question," she said simply, glaring at him. "Do you want to keep your arm?" She twisted his arm further, waiting patiently for an answer.

Cries of pain escaped him, but no words came forth. Haruka furrowed her brows, growing irritated.

"You baka, do you want me to break your frickin' arm?" she hissed, bending lower to face him. She was surprised to see the smug expression in his eyes. In that instant, she recognized something horrible in his eyes that frightened her terribly. She had never seen such raw hatred before; it exuded from his person in heavy waves that stunned her senseless.

Her guard let down, Kurou swept his foot out to kick her leg, bearing with the excruciating pain that shot through his arm. Haruka gasped, falling back into the mud. Kurou stood, rubbing his arm irritably. She gazed up at his dark face, eyes wide, heart pounding furiously.

"You stupid pig," he spat. His lips were twisted into horrible scowl and his eyes were narrowed into tiny slits. Haruka gulped, slipping when she tried to get away from him.

He laughed a laugh that scared her and she turned away, finally able to leap to her feet. Sticky mud clung to her body, making every step feel far too heavy. Gasping for breath, she turned to face him, holding her fists up in a fighting stance. Kurou laughed again.

"Stop laughing!" She shouted, feeling irritable and grumpy. The fear was still there, but she had gotten a good enough grip on her emotions to push it away. For now.

He didn't stop laughing. Haruka gritted her teeth, trying her hardest to keep her temper in check. But his stupid laugh was still there, ringing in her ears. It echoed perpetually, never-ending, mocking her, mocking Raya, mocking the others. The blood boiled in her veins, and she began to feel very warm. She closed her eyes, trying to block out that laugh, but it remained there. It tore away at her, eating at her, pushing her over the edge...

"SHUT UP!"

She charged at him, letting her fist collide against his nose with a sickening crunch. A self-satisfied smile danced at her lips.

Take that, bastard.

Blood gushed from his nostrils, mingling with the powerful onslaught of rain. His eye was beginning to swell, but the other eye.. It glared at her with unadulterated loathing. His hands reached behind him, into his pocket...

The next moment happened so fast that Haruka was hardly able to comprehend it, but somehow, she was able to recognize the sharp senbon needles in his fist. She whipped around to get out of harm's way, but they sliced at her. She felt one lodge itself in her neck, another scrape her cheek as she turned away. His work was shoddy, amateur at best, and he hadn't hit any vital organs luckily. But she tripped in her haste to get away, landing face first in the mud. The needles stung as they dug deeper in her body.

Some of the kids cried out. She heard Hanajima's voice yelling and Raya's screaming her name perpetually. She moved to get up, pulling the needles out with a hiss. Her cheek stung where the needle had scraped her. She looked up, surprised to see Raya and her video camera right before her.

"Ha-san, are you okay?" Raya knelt before her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Her face was wrought with concern. Haruka ignored her, looking past to glare at Kurou, who stared off with a haughty expression.

"You used senbon needles," she accused with a snarl. Kurou glanced at her imperiously, sticking his bloodied nose higher up in the air.

"Your point?" he drawled in a voice free of even the slightest concern.

Something snapped inside Haruka. With a frightful yell, she jumped at him punching and kicking furiously. Raya shouted at her, struggling to pull her off the boy, struggling to calm her down. But Haruka was lost over the edge. She was drunk with fury, shouting nonsense and punching the crap out of a yelling Kurou.

Two pairs of arms finally succeeded in pulling her off him. She looked furiously around to find Hanajima and Raya both restraining her.

"You crazy cow!" screamed Kurou, his pubescent voice cracking slightly.

"Let go of me!" Haruka ignored him and flailed her arms and legs, trying her hardest to get free. "That stupid bastard cheated! Let me at him!"

"Not until you calm down, baka," murmured Hanajima. Haruka looked at her with bulging eyes, unable to comprehend why she was standing next to her. Moments passed in silence (save for the infuriated snarls from Kurou) and finally Haruka slumped, tired and defeated.

"Let's go," she whispered hoarsely. Raya nodded, slowly releasing her. She retrieved her camera from a random kid who stared at Haruka with wide, revering eyes. Hanajima and Raya led her away in an awkward silence. The ring of children had broken, most having run off to get out of the rain. Haruka was vaguely aware that the rain had ceased to fall. This revelation left her feeling slightly depressed. She hadn't had a chance to appreciate the rare rainfall that she loved. A few kids ran up to her, startling her from her reverie. They congratulated her, clapping her on the shoulder with ecstatic grins. She smiled meekly, too weary to respond.

Her gaze wandered back to the wall, but the three shinobi were gone. She heard laughter up ahead and her gaze traveled to the source. The shinobi were not far off, seated at the ramen shop. The other two were still chuckling, about the fight most likely. Haruka repressed a sigh, feeling utterly down at her sluggish taijutsu. They were probably laughing at her. Feeling extremely self-conscious, she turned a curious eye towards the masked shinobi. A bowl of steaming hot ramen was set in front of him. He tilted his head to the side, as if speaking. Probably saying thank you, she thought blandly. How does he eat with his mask on? Haruka watched him with a dull eye. Blinking, she heaved a huge yawn. When she opened her eyes, the bowl in front of him was empty. Her jaw dropped. What the hell? That was so fast! She was about to point out the skilled shinobi to Raya when an irksome voice disrupted her thoughts.

"Shrimp, where are you going? This isn't over!" Kurou's hoarse yells were a nuisance to her. She sighed aloud, continuing to walk with Raya and the eerie Hanajima.

Hanajima whirled around, a morbid grin on her face. "Kurou-kun," she began sweetly. "The fight ended when you used senbon needles on Haruka-chan. That makes Haruka-chan the winner. Sucks to lose, eh?"

Haruka fought the urge to laugh out loud because she was sure her ribs would ache from the effort. Maybe this Hanajima wasn't so bad after all.

She didn't bother hiding her grin when Kurou's furious spluttering met her ears. Raya began to laugh when Hanajima caught up with them.

"Thanks for setting him straight," Haruka murmured, still grinning. Hanajima just smiled, tilting her head in a way that said 'Yeah, I know, I'm awesome.' Kurou continued to yell at her, fighting to get her attention. Sighing aloud, she gestured for Raya and Hanajima to continue on ahead. "I'll catch up," she assured them, before whirling around to face Kurou angrily.

"Shut up, Kurou! You lost! Deal with it, 'kay? Thanks a ton, dear, means a lot to me," she called out, rolling her eyes. Kurou glared at her as she turned away. "Quit pouting too. You'll get wrinkles."

She began to stride away but there was a sudden shout behind her. She turned around, exasperated, until she saw the kunai flying towards her head. She hadn't the time to so much as scream, let alone attempting to get out of the way, and so she did the first thing she could think of. She closed her eyes, hoping to God it wouldn't hurt when it hit.

There was no impact. No blood, no screams, no unbearable pain. And no death, luckily.

Heart pounding, Haruka opened her eyes and yelped. The kunai was less than an inch from the bridge of her nose, held aloft and steady by a large, gloved hand. She half-saw her reflection on the metal plates on the back of that hand. She found she couldn't breathe and she began to gasp for air as the shock of what nearly happened overcame. Looking up, she saw the masked shinobi standing before her.

"Holy shit!" she cried, taking a step back. The masked shinobi looked at her with surprise and she smiled at him sheepishly, slapping a hand over her hammering heart.. He shook his head, pulling the kunai away and spinning it lazily on his index finger. Haruka watched, transfixed.

"I'm guessing you'd like to have your kunai back?" he asked, his voice only slightly muffled by the dark fabric of his mouth. His eye was sharp and keen, staring down Kurou with an intensity that even made her feel inferior and weak. Haruka turned her gaze on the boy who nearly killed her, fury blossoming inside.

Kurou nodded his head meekly, staring at the shinobi with an open mouth.

The shinobi nodded too. "Okay then," he said. There was a dark glint in his eye. "Catch."

The kunai flew swiftly through the air. With horror, Haruka realized it was aimed for his head. Opening her mouth, she sprinted forward, hoping to reach Kurou in time, but it was too late. The masked shinobi didn't try to stop her, seeming only amused at her attempt to save the opponent that had just tried to impale her head with a kunai.

"No!" she cried, eyes bulging.

The kunai sailed by Kurou's head, narrowly missing his ear. Kurou yelped, hastily stumbling away. Haruka instantly felt foolish. Cheeks burning with humiliation, she whirled around to face the shinobi. She narrowed her eyes -- was he smiling at her? She couldn't tell. There was only one eye visible, after all.

"Why'd you do that for? You nearly scared me half to death," she snapped, her voice filled with extreme irritation. The masked man merely chuckled, his lazy eye watching her.

"Most people would say thanks to their rescuer instead of complaining about harmless tricks," he said, a dry tone underlying his falsely kind voice.

Haruka glared at him, feeling defensive suddenly. "Well, you should look for your thanks somewhere else." She turned away haughtily, stalking down the street. She heard footsteps behind her and she felt her anger and humiliation deepen. The footsteps stopped as she passed a small building with a tiny balcony at the top.

"That's not very nice."

His voice came from above. Looking up, Haruka found herself more irked than ever to see that masked face again. He was crouched on the railing of the balcony, perched precariously on an edge that most would've fallen off of.

"What the hell do you want?" she snapped. She was starting to feel the aftereffects of the rain, shivering from the cold that now engulfed her.

The shinobi shook his head slowly. "Tsk, tsk. Such a foul mouth for such a little girl."

That instantly grated her nerves. "I'm hardly a little girl," she hissed, striding away furiously. There was thump behind her and the footsteps resumed.

"What are you? Eight? That makes you a little girl." He snickered behind her. Haruka huffed, growing dizzy from her fury. She was always told she had a temper, and though she struggled to keep it in check, she failed hopelessly now.

"Eight years old.. and you took on a genin? How brave of you. Would you like a lollipop, little girl?" he teased. His words echoed in her head, making her blood boil dangerously.

She whirled around, coming forward to face the shinobi. He was tall; she hardly came up to his chest. Nostrils flared, she yelled at the top of her lungs, "I'm THIRTEEN YEARS OLD!"

The shinobi stared at her in surprise. His brow was raised, but his eye remained amused. "Thirteen? But you're so short."

Many people refrained to use the word 'short' around Haruka, knowing how sensitive she was about her height. She had always been little, and no matter how much milk she drank or how many vitamins she consumed, she grew at a snail-like rate. She prayed and hoped everyday that she would one day reach a model-esque height, but those dreams had been shattered when she realized that, at thirteen years old, she was the measly height of four feet and ten inches. This night, Haruka was irritable. She was grumpy. She was in pain and she was chilled to the bone by her sopping wet hair and soaked clothes. Mud caked her aching, weary body. And this man, this foreigner, who not only criticized her age, but her height too, was now staring at her with a cocky eye. That was unforgivable in Haruka's eyes.

She wanted so badly to insult this man with all her heart. She wanted to give him the verbal beating of his life. But as she stared at him, opening and closing her mouth, nothing came to mind.

"I hate you," she spat, finally. She turned around and headed down the street, relieved to find there were no footsteps behind her.

"You could be dead right now, instead of cold and living."

She nearly screamed with fright. With a hand slapped over her heart, she moved away from him, finding that she didn't just hate this man. She loathed him. Despised him. If someone had told her that the masked man had just died a torturous and painful death, like being stabbed by a thousand swords, then ripped to shreds by carnivorous beasts, and then tossed into a boiling volcano to melt, she would be happy. Blissful, even. Turning to face him, she drew close, her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched.

"I didn't need any rescuing from you," she whispered stubbornly. "I didn't need your help. So don't expect a thanks from me, because you've done everything you can to make this dreadful day even more dreadful for me. Good evening sir, and it was not a pleasure meeting you."

And with that, she sauntered down the street, shivering from the cold.

"Bastard," she muttered, turning the corner. The masked shinobi grinned after her and turned, drawing an infamous orange book from his hip pouch.

"So Junko said..." His voice trailed off and the incident was forgotten as he became engrossed with the book. A distant scream of infuriation met his ears, and he chuckled aloud.

"What a loud voice for such a little girl..."