1 1: A Debut Repaid

All I see is darkness, my bare skin feels cold and there's a sensation in my head that's unclear and won't stop throbbing. I slowly open my eyes and realize that it was dark because they were closed, even so, the sight I was seeing now wasn't much lighter.

I squinted my eyes and my senses slowly started coming back to me, I can feel now that I'm laying on cold wooden floorboards. I can see that I'm in a small dark room, illuminated solely from the reflection of the moon through a full sized window, a white curtain swaying and a silhouette of a person reflecting against the hypnotizing light. I can now only smell the scent of blood amidst the soft breeze of air.

My attention is yet again focused on the throbbing of my head. It is like some sort of acute migraine, pounding along with every second that ticks by. I refocus my eyes onto the figure through the curtain although now that my eyes have adjusted I see that the person is standing inches from my weak body looking down at me.

"You shall come with me" a cold voice said and shivers ran down my spine. All went dark again.

________Memory relapse - earlier that day.

The sun bore down on the mossy green grass and tall tree trunks surrounded me as I sat with my back against one. Across from me the small cottage that was my home stood. The butterfly's fluttered close by carelessly in the warm breeze. I wish I was a butterfly, that way I would be able to fly away when I felt the need to which was most days of late.

"Tila" a distant woman's voice called from within the house, the front door opened and a slender face appeared through the crack. She began to approach me with a stern look upon her face, it's a shame I thought to myself.. My mother would be so much more beautiful if she smiled once in a while.

Her long ash blonde hair blew in the soft breeze as she approached. Those dark green eyes full of worry fixed onto me. We look so alike now that I think of it. "Tila! Please prepare, he will be here this afternoon and you don't want to keep him waiting" the bittersweet voice of my familiar mother said.

For all of my life up until this point I have lived with my Mother in a small village on the outskirts of the hidden waterfall. She had taught me all she could about what it means to be a Shinobi and the basic Ninjutsu that I knew.

She also specializes in medical Ninjutsu but I'm not too crash hot at that, to be honest it's harder then people think! I train as much as I can down by the lake with the fish that I find stranded on the water banks but I could really use more practice. "Tila, are you even listening?" She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, sorry I ..I ah.... I don't want to go!" I scream. "Why does it have to be this way? I don't want to leave you or home. I refuse to go" and that was it. I'd had enough. I got up and ran as fast as I could into the trees, weaving and ducking branches as I went until I reached the river banks, I slowed down my pace and I plonked my bottom down onto the soft green grass. I lied on my back staring at the bright blue sky and fluffy white bubble shaped clouds.

If only my life was as beautiful as this landscape I thought to myself. The thought of having to go with this man my Mother spoke of was really bothering me. She'd told me that there was nothing I could do to change my fate, she owed him my life and that was all there was to it. I cried many nights when I thought of leaving the only person who is familiar to me. My Mother. I didn't have many friends for there were not children my age within this village.

In my mind I went through all of the possibilities again.. I could run away? No, then I would be lost and without a clue... I couldn't stay although I would be forcefully taken. I could willingly go.. And leave my home and Mother behind.. None of these options were ideal.

I closed my eyes and cleared my head of all thoughts. I just need to stop thinking. Before I knew it I was dozing off, this may be the last peaceful time I have for a while with the unknown events that were ahead to come I thought as my mind shut down.

My eyes opened quickly and I shot up out of my lying position, everything was dark.. Oh no! I thought I'm late, oh crap!? I ran back home as fast as my legs would go, my Mother said not to get this guy mad, this wasn't looking good.

I mentally face palmed and kept going. Soon enough my house was in sight and coming up closer. As I reached the front door I realized how warm the night air was, there were no lights on in the house.. 'Hm' I thought to myself 'that's strange'.

I went to open the door but it creaked open, "Mother!" I call out, I stepped into the living room and peered into the dark room, feeling the wall for the light switch. My hand stopped dead in its tracks and my eyes caught sight a pool of deep red blood on the floor within the center of the floor.

My mothers massacred body limply lying within the red liquid. My eyes opened wide trying to take in the unbelievable sight in front of me. "So Tila, it seems your Mother was telling the truth" a sly mans voice spoke directly from behind me. He went on "I thought she'd betrayed our agreement, my mistake". I was frozen in my tracks, how could someone do this in such cold blood! I need to move, I need to go now! I didn't even properly analyse I just ran into the house jumped over my Mothers dead body and ran as fast up the stairs as I could. Oh wait why did I do that now I'm stuck oh I'm so stupid I thought!

"You can't escape me Tila, fate isn't on your side my dear" The man said creepily. I ran into the spare room upstairs and shut the door behind me, bolted it so he'd have to force his way in now and give me some time to think! I stared at the door, I was so panicked that my thoughts were shooting everywhere. Is this man going to kill me? I'll fight him, that's the only way. I made some hand signs and readied myself my eyes dead locked on the door. "Multiple Striking shadow snake!" The sly voice called from behind me.

I felt a deep steering pain in the back of my neck and before I could turn around and get a proper look behind me I remembered that the window was wide open, oh I'm so screwed I thought before hitting the cold floor.