And So It Is (Shippuden era AU)

0. Sob Story of My Life

~Flashback~

It was dark. Almost too dark for Izanami Akiyama, as she walked the dirt roads of Konoha from the community center where she was previously studying to her home for the night. She had been there practically all day, learning more about Shinobi and Kunoichi, and practicing chakra control in secret, per usual. Maybe she wasn't trained from Twelve years of age, and who cares if she looked more suspicious hiding away in the darkest corner of the library— Civilian life shouldn't be her only option, she was bound to have more to her story than her past.

Fumbling along in her thoughts, she dazed into the ground as she walked. Distant shops were closing, and a low hum of families bidding their goodnights to one another was all she could hear as she passed house after house. Time seemed to move slower as the night life engulfs the sounds into silence. Then she stops for a second, focusing her chakra balance over to her ears so that her mind could register the slight ticking she thought she was only imagining.

Scratching? No.

Scraping, maybe...

No.... carving.

Followed by stifled laughter and shushes. Izanami's grit tugged at her feet as she crept towards the sound leading behind the shop into some bushes, on a self-assigned mission to find the miscreants. Crouching to avoid being seen, she was led to the village lake; bright eyes scanning the area for the mysterious carving sound and the people creating them. Laughter echoes over the water, and she analyzed the ripples of the waves for direction.

"I hate this place! Always going on about integrity and teamwork," grumbled a young voice, "Stupid sensei and their stupid sensei authority!"

Izanami quickly realized she was closer to them than she anticipated.

A shadow passed in front of her as it spoke up as well, "Yeah, tell me about it. I just can't grasp the value. Why are civilian lives more important than us? Aren't you the Hokage's grandson?! It doesn't make sense—Sometimes, I feel like I don't belong here... Hey, let me try that Udon-chan." This one was more feminine than the other.

"Hey, Moegi-chan, why don't we just... get out of here? Y'know like just leave, and never come back!" the voice of Udon was almost a whisper... almost.

Izanami frowned, this village has taught her to give nothing but kindness, even when facing hard times that this very village forced her into. She felt as though that if anything, shinobi were the ones who had more freedom than civilians. Her dream of training to be a ninja was stolen from her because of her lack of clan association and the secrets of her family that the Hokage refused to inform her of. It angered her to hear kids speak about such a beautiful village and strong shinobi force disrespectfully— especially from what sounded like academy students. She stepped out of the bushes, to reveal herself and faced them.

"Hey now, this village is more than the simpleton civilians." She stated matter-of-factly and chuckled at startling the two, "Geez. You guys are younger than I thought. C'mon, now, when have rules ever said civilians are valued more than Shinobi?" She scrunched her face slightly as she spoke, sliding her hands into her pockets as she walked towards the Genin defacing the shop wall.

"What do you know, mother-killer?" The tallest one spat, flipping her kunai into her hand and holding it out to her side. Izanami was taken aback as the voice matched to who she assumed to be the girl Moegi.

They know who I am? Izanami thought to herself.

"Yeah," laughed the quiet one, "Why don't you go back to the orphanage and worry about how you're gonna live when the Akatsuki take over and kill us all! You civilians won't have anyone to put their lives before you then, huh?!" Udon cracked his knuckles and took a step towards her. "Get lost." He threatened.