She was sitting beside the open window of the balcony, on the third floor of her house. Smiling as she remembered the scenes in the past where her husband would also sit beside her while enjoying the cool breeze of the morning. Now she was the only one left to enjoy such experience after waking up. A small leaf flew to her lap where she was knitting a scarf. She picked it up and blew it away on the window, watching as it fell below. Disappearing from her sight, she sighed in content then continued her small hobby. Like the leaf, she already felt her end. Yet she never tried to extend her life even if her bloodline was capable.
She was already tired. She decided to trust those after her to be more capable than her. The beast inside her tried to tempt her, but she only smiled with loneliness as an answer. She felt sorry instead. For her whole life, acting as its cage, she was able to understand the reasons of its hatred and mistrust. Despite that it had caused countless of tragedies, she had realized a long time ago, and that it wasn’t supposed to end up like this. The beast noticed her pity. In frustration, it returned to its slumber after growling in anger.
Then she went back to her work. Starting with a humming song, she cheerfully rocked her chair as her hands do the work for her. On her right was a table full of threads in varying colors. All of the sudden, she was interrupted by a loud slamming noise that was heard behind her. A trotting steps ran towards her. It was her 4 years old granddaughter. In her reckless haste, the small one almost fell on the floor. In panicked worry, she stopped what she was doing and was about to catch the small disturbance. But the little critter turned its body and cartwheeled on the floor, then smiled as it landed safely on its feet. She sighed as she remembered that her granddaughter likes to prank her.
“Hehe! So what are you doing gama!” With wide eyes full of wonder and curiosity, the small girl asked while holding to the armrest.
The old woman noticed something her granddaughter had dropped behind when she pretended to had slipped earlier. It was a book. Something that was very familiar and had a close tie with her in the past. Noticing her gaze, the girl quickly went back and snatch the book, then returned to her grandmother with obvious questioning face.
“Are you reading that again?” she smiled as she asked her granddaughter. The young girl just recently learned how to read and it was her first reading material making her very attached to the book. Although, it wasn’t supposed to be something for a young girl to read yet but her grandchild was so adamant in reading it. Other girls of her age would rather play with dolls or house play. But her red-haired granddaughter found herself admiring legendary myths, monsters and play with other boys in their family. Her parents were sometimes seen sighing on their daughter’s tomboyish tendencies.
“Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I wanted to ask you about it! The ending! This story is not finish yet, isn’t it?” the girl asked. “The cat transformed into a dragon! And… the end! The great fight is still continuing! He didn’t save anyone yet!”
“Yes, but it wasn’t written in a book.”
“Eh? Why?”
“The writer wasn’t able to complete it. He went to another place before he could finish it.” She smiled, tinged loneliness and longing.
“So you know who wrote this book?” the girl asked.
“Yes, he was your great grandfather.”
“Eh? Really? Really?”
“Yes, this book was given to me when I was still a young girl on my birthday.” She looked at the scenery outside her window. The gentle wind had started knocking on her window. “Do you want to know what happened after the book?”
“Yes Gama! Yes! Yes!” the girl squealed in delight.
“Let’s see… ah yes. After the tiger became a dragon-”
“Wait! Wait! Gama! A tiger? I thought it was a cat.” The girl interrupted her and asked.
The old woman remembered that the drawing was a similar to a striped cat they had as a pet so her granddaughter must have thought that it was a cat.
“Oh thank you for reminding me. It been so long since I told anyone of this story. Where was I…? Ah, the cat who became a dragon was named Raka. After he became a powerful dragon, he fought with other dragons against the Bad Snake. Great fights between them had shook the world. Woooosh, with the great wind sweeping the trees. Rawwrrr, with dragons clashing and roaring with fire and ice.”
“Then the Bad Snake found how to turn his soldiers into dragons also. So they also transformed into dragons.”
“Because he was bad, the two children of the Bad Snake rebelled, Rah and Sho. And they became friends with Raka. Together they fought the evil snake.”
“And they won. They sealed the Bad Snake and defeated his soldiers. Raka returned to his lands and was hailed as a hero. He became a king and lived happily with his people. Rah and Sho went to a distant land to start a new life.” She finished the story but she didn’t expect to see her granddaughter pouting.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it.”
“Why?”
“I can’t explain, I don’t know how to say it.”
“Oh I see. You felt it to be cliché.”
“Cliché?”
“It means boring, normal, common.”
“Oh yeah! That’s it! Cliché.”
Then someone opened to door and entered. It was the personal maidservant of her grandchild.
“Milady. Pardon the intrusion but the young lady’s presence was requested by the mistress.” The maid bowed. The old woman only nodded and looked at her granddaughter.
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“Run along now child. Your mother is calling for you.”
“Yes~” the girl stood up and followed the servant as both walked out of the room.
She will greatly miss the girl. Next week, her grandchild will be moving on another city as part of their ancient agreement and alliance. She was also the same age the girl when she was sent to the allied city. Even if she doesn’t want to, she would also force her granddaughter to bear the burden she was carrying her whole life. She was afraid for her. Afraid that her beloved granddaughter would get same ill treatment she had suffered. But it had to be done, as the responsibility and survival of their clan.
Then it struck her. She decided to tell the real story of what was in the book. It’s no wonder that it felt cliché for her grandchild. Because she didn’t tell her everything. She only told her about its smooth surface, replacing the tragedies with a good banal ending. It would be one of her gifts to her granddaughter like how the book was given to her by her father after she was sent off. Maybe it would be a great interest to her when she grows up enough to understand the true story line what she had.
It took her several hours to finish the the new lines.
But like her father, she wasn’t able to complete it. As she was called once again by her children in the Great Hall, later forgetting her plans for the book.
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“-before even their very first ancestor on their continent was born. Dragons ruled the land. And a war between dragons shook the entire continents, causing disasters and destruction. Three dragons were seen fighting against one. The winged one, the two serpents, and the great fang. The three surrounded the fourth, which has 9 heads and 8 wings. The three successfully defeated the giant enemy but was unable to kill it. So they sealed. The three swore to guard it. But then came another to replace this evil. The usurper, the Great Hare. With its insatiable desire for power, it brought the Seed of Destruction. For which it will bloom with the end of this world. She was intended to be the guardian of the sapling. Yet, she -" A stranger in black cloak laughed after reading the torn picture book he had found. He just realized that the next pages were torn and ruined to the point of undecipherable. "Wait, that's it?!"
The book was hidden on a chest that he had thought to be filled with treasures.
“Isn’t this city supposed to be one of the most powerful and feared in the past? I thought their people would be rich as fuck to reflect their power. Why is this ruined mansion full of tapestries and rotting books instead?” he tossed it away outside in the cold rain. It was then washed away by the overflowing flood.
“The treasure hunters in the past must have already looted the place so don’t expect anything.” His companion who was already wearing a black cloak spoke.
“Isn’t your village formerly allied with this one in the past?” he took out his straw hat, revealing his shark like teeth as he was grinning from ear to ear.
“In a complicated past.” His companion corrected.
Both of them were taking shelter from a heavy storm that was ravaging the country. It had been two days since the rain started pouring.
“Heh, so much for their memory then. The only thing that they left behind were children’s picture books.”
“…”
Then another eerie silence with the sound of gushing heavy rain echoed in the ruined halls. Which made the noisy one to get slightly uncomfortable, or rather… bored.
“I knew we should’ve taken that bounty contract, it would have been far more interesting in hunting someone than waiting to death in some ruins.”
“Kisame, we should not be late in the affairs of our organization.”
Suddenly, they sensed another’s presence in front of the door. A giant maw similar to that of a man-eating plant slowly sprouted on the ceiling. Then the plant maw suddenly opened. A person appeared on its mouth that looked like the two halves of his body was divided by black and white which also had different faces. Then space seemed to bend at the entrance, creating a strange spiral phenomena, which a body of a masked person in same black cloak came out.
“Kisame… Itachi…” a raspy voice came from the black half. “I trust that you didn’t damage the goods during the retrieval?”
“No.” Itachi stoically replied.
“You’re both late.” Kisame grumbled as he stood up.
“Nope~ you’re just early.” a cheerful void rang out from the white half. “Geez, this place always get this flooded huh. I heard you killed the daimyo’s three daughters when you infiltrated his place. What a waste! I heard they were beautiful!”
“Quiet.” The black half silenced his other half.
“So did you both have the parcel?” a man with the spiral mask asked.
Kisame took out something which was wrapped on a cloth, under his cloak and toss it towards the masked man.
“Good job.” He unwrapped then took a peek at the contents and nodded. “The next one will be a lot harder than getting this one though.”
“Finally!” Kisame sighed.
“Bored Kisame?” the white one laughed.
“To death.” The shark-teethed guy grinned back.
“Your target will be a group of scientists in the Country of Tea.” The black face explained. “But, they are not to be harmed.”
“That is until we get the information we needed from them!” the white half added with a cheerful tease then tossed a small notebook to Itachi. The Uchiha opened the notebook and saw each photo of their targets, with few vague personal information about them.
“They are currently being detained somewhere in the country. Infiltrate every city without attracting much attention. If it’s unavoidable, just cover your tracks. We are not yet ready to attract public eyes.” The masked man said then he took out a piece of folded paper from his long sleeve. “Use these agents if you have to. Just remember, the scientists are to be handled with care.”
“Bring them to our outpost in that country, we will handle the rest after that.” The black half sternly spoke.
They were about to leave when the masked man remembered something important.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." He turned and stared at the two. "One of the legendary Sannins from Hidden Leaf have caught out scent."
"Jiraiya?" Itachi asked.
"Mmm, we already lost fourteen agents in the Country of Lightning due to his interference with our local operations there. If I am right, he is already pursuing our trail. Despite Zetsu's and my misdirection attempts, he was skilled enough to know the real tracks that we left."
"So... Do we kill him?" Kisame asked with a wide grin of anticipation.
"No." The dark half of the two face figure replied sternly. "You are to continue with your objectives. The only thing you have to keep in mind is to disallow this man from getting any important information about our plans. We will try to hold him for as long as we can while avoiding revealing ourselves."
"That will be all."
With that, both the masked man and plantlike being disappeared like how they had appeared previously.
“Let’s go.” Kisame put on his straw hat and went towards the exit. Itachi also wore his straw hat and followed, then he noticed that the hall was slowly being flooded and saw the picture book that was thrown earlier floating towards him. He picked it up, closed it and put it on a place where it would not be reached by the overflowing waters. He bowed softly towards it and moved on.
A swarm of rats went to the place where the book rested as the water started flooding the halls. Then out of the waters, several white snakes burst out, swallowing the swarm one by one. Then a large albino serpent came out from the ceiling, saw the book and swallowed it whole. Disappearing into the murky waters.