Prologue: Konoha
There was water. That much Haru was certain. The young woman made her feet move forward, even though each movement made pain shoot up her legs. She dimly noted that she was walking beside a waterfall, in a lush green forest that was shadowed with the darkness of twilight. Night surrounded the trees and the stars, and the grass beneath her bare feet was wet with dew.
Konoha.
That was the only coherent thought. Everything else was a blur, a fleeting image of coherency that fled whenever she attempted to focus upon it. Haru didn’t know where she was going, but her feet seemed to be on their own schedule, forcing her to walk forward. It was dark, and she stumbled often, winces of pain being emitted whenever she did so.
Where am I going? How did I get here anyway? the weak kunoichi thought to herself. She tried to remember, but the effort sent fogginess swirling in front of her eyes. She stopped, using a clammy hand to steady herself on the nearest tree trunk. Something shining on her hand caught her attention.
It was blood, glistening in the moonlight. What the-? she thought, looking down at her crimson soaked form and grimacing slightly before continuing on, shaking her silver bangs out of her eyes as she did so. What happened to me?
Horrible red eyes gleaming, the figure’s hair as red as blood…or perhaps it was another color, but so thoroughly drenched in the substance that it merely looked as if it was naturally red.
The air outside was filled with embers from burning houses and the sharp smell of burning flesh, and the sounds of men, women and children filling the air with their dying screams. Haru was immobilized by his evil magic, unable to fight, unable to breathe, unable to think. At least Yuki was safe, gone and never to return. She would be spared.
Haru was swallowed by the fear, the terrifying feeling of seeing that man come closer to her and a malevolent grin spreading across his face as he touched her brow, saying one word in his malicious voice.
“Konoha.”
The recollection made her abdomen convulse, trying to bring up anything in her stomach, but to no avail. She shook, trembling as she leaned against a tree, breath coming in gasps.
But her feet continued to move forward, and she felt her legs begin to throb more painfully with every step. How she had lasted this long was beyond her, the girl was to a point in her exhaustion that such trivial thoughts were brushed aside without question.
The scenery slowly began to change, and she saw a huge looming wall before her.
Konoha.
Haru somehow knew, deep down, that this was the place she had been looking for, even if she didn’t know why she was drawn to the village in the first place. She had never seen the place before, and the symbols adorning the heavy doors were as unfamiliar as Konoha itself.
The young woman saw a small opening in the huge wooden doors, and her small form slipped into the city. She saw dark figures standing on the top of the walls, patrolling, but somehow…they didn’t see her. Why was that?
The village was large and clean, but the strange stillness of this night gave it an ominous tinge. Haru struggled to focus as she nearly tripped over a small stone wall that surrounded a household garden. Her breathing was labored and harsh, and echoed in the eerie silence of Konoha. The shadows danced and leered at her as she passed, and she quickened her pace until she was half running, half limping.
Suddenly the shadows were gone, and she was standing before a large bridge, arching gracefully over the rushing river beneath, a pearly gray in the bright moonlight.
It was a very simple structure, but it embodied grace and dignity as well. The wood was shiny and worn from where hundreds of hands had rested, and the planks were slightly indented from many sandaled feet. The exhausted girl felt her bleeding foot touch the cool wood of the bridge, and a sense of ease filled her heart.
The sound of the water soothed her, and she was about to let out a sigh when she suddenly, she heard the sound of someone stepping onto the bridge. It set off every alarm in her system, and the pain left her for a split moment as she whirled around.
It was a young man, his form a silhouette against the moonlit sky, and partially cloaked in shadow. His hair was long and brown, falling past his shoulders in straight strands. His hands were at his sides, but Haru could see the tension in them.
“May I ask what–”
But before he could finish, he caught sight of the blood. In the light of the moon, the blood covering her was put into jarring focus. The boy moved forward suddenly, as if to help, but Haru’s tense mind saw the movement as an attack. She tried to swipe at him, but he caught her arms and pinned them to her sides. Haru’s head was spinning, and she struggled even more when the man’s hand clamped over her mouth.
It was then that she realized that she was screaming. The sound had begun the moment he moved toward her, and she felt the sound still being emitted from her throat, muted greatly by the man’s fingers.
Gray spots swam dangerously, and her body finally gave out on her, having completed its mission in bringing her to Konoha.
The stars seemed to be moving towards her, and she slowly blinked.
Her screams were immediately silenced, her mind sinking into unconsciousness the moment her eyes closed.
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Chapter notes: Okay, this is the start of my re-written version of On the Bridge of Fate! There are many reasons for the re-write, a few of which I'll get out of the way:
1) Haru is a Mary-Sue. There's no other way to slice it, folks. As much as I'd like to just say "screw it" and keep it that way, my conscience wont let me. So, major changes have to be made.
2) The canon characters. In re-reading this, i realize that i barely go into any depth with the canon characters. this is crucial in my book, so that's gonna be in there too.
3) Grammar. I'm much better a grammar and such now, and I just want to go through it and make some tweaks.
4) Some plot changes. Nothing huge, but I'm definitely gonna have to switch things around a bit, seeing as Haru's gonna be a bit less adept this time around.
5) Cuz I damn well FEEL like it! Haha yeah, i just feel like re-writing it, seeing as i think it has a lot of potential if I go more in-depth with it.
For new readers, enjoy! For old readers, the changes dont really come in till next chapter, but i hope you enjoy it as well!
Please review!