𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖑𝖔𝖌𝖚𝖊

„who is she?"

The female Hokage listens intently to Izumo's report about a girl passing out in front of Konoha's gates.

"There were no major injuries on her but it seems like she was running from something.", Izumo explains.

"She may be an enemy or she may know of an enemy. We can't let her go right away. Send Kakashi and Gai to guard her room.", Tsunade orders the shinobi in front of her.

"Yes, Hokage-sama.", he replies before taking off.

"Is it possible?", Shizune asks the Slug Princess.

"There is no doubt that this girl may be the heiress of the clan. Our village may be in danger but we can't let her get into the hands of our enemies that will cause a bigger threat.", Tsunade answers.

The Hokage sighs with a worried face she then thinks more about the present information about this person.

Light blue hair along with her eyes. An extremely unique shade of blue that only the Shinozaki clan possesses. A clan that became "extinct" two years ago. Rumors say it was the Akatsuki, and some say they were annihilated by a plague. The reason still remains a mystery why the clan who resided far away from the five villages, vanished.

Being part of the Shinozaki clan was something to be proud of. They were a powerful clan, and because of that, they were targeted many times. They have isolated themselves from people. It was said that those who came close to their place came back with no memories. Their specialty in genjutsu gave them power to guard their unknown location.

It was a shock to the five villages that the clan suddenly disappeared. The said clan assured that they would send letters and extraordinary gifts to maintain peace with the nations. Some of their strongest shinobis volunteer to help. When that suddenly stopped, the villages became alert as they feared that the clan would attack them. However, it never arrived.

"Is this a sign that the Shinozaki clan still exists?", Tsunade asks herself.

She was definitely going to get answers from the girl.

—

𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫

The girl knocked on every door that her small town had but no one opened it for her.

"Please! Help! My family has been murdered!"

Minutes ago, Mia came back from gathering wood for her father's usual bonfire. While approaching her house, she senses dark auras around it. The chill in her spine directed her body to take a peak from outside of their window. She saw two men wearing black cloaks, standing above the two bloody bodies of her parents.

Her hand covered her mouth to stop sounds erupting from her. She runs quickly to look for help but no one was answering her.

"Kisame! Find the girl, she must be around here.", she heard a voice boom from her house.

She runs for her life while tears run down from her face. The adrenaline rushing through her veins blocked the exhaustion she was feeling.

I don't want to die. Why is this happening?

Tears stream down her face as the thoughts in her mind consume her. She doesn't know where she was going but that didn't stop her.

Anywhere! Anywhere but not here.

"Ah!", she squealed as her body falls on the hard ground. She lifts her face as she cried out harder.

She clutches her beloved necklace and stands up once more to run.

Is it my fault? Is it my fault why they died? Is it because of the people seeing my hair?

The girl felt her chest tightened for the lack of air and the pain that she was experiencing. The recent events of their neighbors seeing the bright shade of her hair caused a shift of attitude of everyone around her.

They ignored her, treated her with disgust. Her parents warned her for being too careless with hiding her hair but the nosy children of her town tugged her cover down and exposed her deepest secret.

I'm sorry, mother, father.

Finally, her legs gave out as she unknowingly passes out in front of the gates of Konoha.

—

White walls, a bright light coming from the windows. That was the first thing Mia saw when she opened her eyes. She sat up to see more of where she is. Her heart rate accelerating made the monitors beep faster.

A person went in her room and she looked at the man as if she saw a ghost. She raises her arms in defense.

"P-please! Don't hurt me!", the blue-eyed girl said.

"Stay calm, we are not here to hurt you.", the man said as Mia relaxes herself.

"Gai! Call Tsunade, the girl is finally awake.", the silver haired man shouts to another person.

"I'm Kakashi Hatake, I was appointed to watch over you.", he introduced himself in hopes of the girl to become at ease.

"I-i'm Mia Tachi. Thank you for saving me.", she said politely as she bowed.

Silence enveloped the room. This lead Mia to think of her late parents.

I didn't have a chance to give them a proper burial. By this time, their bodies are rotting inside our home.

Her dark thoughts were interrupted by a knock that revealed the blonde Hokage.

"I'm Tsunade, the Hokage of Konoha. Good to see you're awake, would you mind to answer some questions?", Tsunade asked the girl directly.

"Of course.", the girl replied, she didn't have much of a choice.

"What is your name?"

"I'm Mia Tachi, I came from a small town near Lake Tomito."

"What are your intentions? Why did you come to our village?"

Mia felt all the eyes from her like it was squeezing the answers out of her. She looked at the blonde Hokage and the other three, who she assumes to be her guards, look at her intently.

"I-i did not intentionally go here. I was running from cloaked men who killed my parents.", Mia looked down in sorrow as her remembers the scene in her head.

The Hokage and other three shinobis looks at the girl in shock.

Cloaked men? Is she talking about the Akatsuki?

The Hokage composes herself and sighs.

"I'm sorry for your loss, but what did the cloaked men want from your family?", Tsunade asks once more.

The girl in front of her chokes in tears.

"It's my fault.", she replies.

"Your fault? How?", Tsunade asks as they became even more intrigued.

"The people in my town saw my hair. For some reason, my parents forbid me on showing the public the shade of my hair. After being exposed, my family and I were treated harshly by the people. I do not fully understand why people would want to murder my family but it must be something about my hair."

"Alright, you seem to have answered my questions honestly. I do not sense any danger from you but I must order one of our ninjas to watch over you. You may be someone more than you think you are Mia. You must keep that in mind and keep yourself low from our people as well. Your hair is very eye catching and unique. If enemies are looking for you, you will be easily spotted by them.", Tsunade explained.

Tsunade left, leaving the girl and Kakashi in the room. The girl remained quiet, processing what the Hokage has said.

Someone more than I think? I highly doubt that.

She clutches her necklace, letting this hobby take over as her thoughts consume her. There was always this feeling as if there was something missing from the girl. She would always think that it was because of her lack of adventures. The simple life of an ordinary person did not fit her.

I don't even know who I am. I only came from an ordinary family. I'm an only child who lacks experiences from the outside world. Some people can even say that I'm just a body, an empty shell with nothing in it. A person with no other future but to follow her parents' simple life.

Mia sighed to herself sadly.

I'm already incomplete and yet life took more parts of me away, it took my parents away. Did I deserve this?

—

"Naruto!"

The blonde shinobi looked at Sakura who was calling him.

"Sakura-chan?", a smile creeped into his face as he looks at her, "Did you decide to go on a date with me now?", he said excitingly.

"Baka!", the emerald eyed girl said as she punched him.

"Itai!"

"Tsunade-sama said to go to her office. She said we have a mission.", Sakura explained.

"Eh?"

—

"Naruto, Sakura. You're late.", the Slug Princess greeted the two ninjas in front of her.

"Gomen Tsunade-sama. I can't find Naruto since he keeps on going to different places."

"Never mind that Granny! What's the mission?", the blonde said with an eager voice.

"You must guard someone.", Tsunade answered.

"Really? Is it a super important person? Like a princess or someone royal?", Naruto asks with excitement.

"No, she is a girl from a town near a lake."

The hyperactive jinchiruuki slumped in disappointment. He wanted a thrilling mission.

"Who is she? Why does she need protecting?", Sakura asked.

"We have suspicions that she may be from a clan that vanished two years ago. We don't know if she really is related to that clan but we need to keep an eye on her. Her parents were murdered yesterday by the Akatsuki."

The two teenagers furrowed their eyebrows.

Akatsuki after an ordinary girl? That is really suspicious.

Sakura thought to herself.

"Alright! Let's get going and guard her.", Naruto flashed his usual grin.