From A Distance - Prologue

    I had been summoned. Lord Hattori himself had come to find me and tell me that she wanted to see me. He had told me it was urgent. The moment that word left his mouth, I was running down the stone and wood halls. If she had said it was urgent, and that she needed me right away, I was in no position to refuse. The grounds of the castle were huge! I had been on the other side using their courtyard to so a little training when Lord Hattori had come to me. He was a man of little words and a serious aura. He was always straight faced or scowling, reminding me of someone I knew. Above all else, he was always proper. It was far too rare to see the man lose his temper or his resolve; although the times he did were terrifying. But, I knew why he was like that; why he was so stone faced. If he wasn’t the calm, resolute man she knew him to be, she would have descended into madness long ago.

    I was nearing her room and my pace began to slow. There was no danger around so there was no need to be so hasty. My head hung low, watching my feet, as my mind began to wonder to the situation I had put myself in. the Fourth Shinobi War was over; it had been for months, if not years. Neji Hyuga had given his life and so had so many others; the mourning had been long and arduous to say the least. The world had been slowly regaining it old routines with ninja doing their civic duties to their respective lands. For the most part, the Daimyo had all been dethroned with the collective world wanting to rule as one instead of separate entities. And this, this was how all of it had started. With that single thought, civil wars had broken out all over the land with people trying to take the single throne over all. That was until the five Kage found something. They found something so shocking that it was possible the whole world shook at the realization.

    I knocked on her door lightly. “Come in.” Her voice called to me like a lighthouse to a ship.

    Sliding open the wood and paper door I saw her standing there, in all her beauty. They had found her. I had never seen her hair down before, it was always usually pulled into either a bun or high ponytail. It was for that reason that I felt my jaw hang open as I stared at her long, raven locks that swirled around her small body as she turned to greet me. The length of her hair was once near the length of her own body, but since then, she had cut most of it off considerably. Now the silken locks brushed just under her butt. Her small body was covered in a fine, expensive, crimson kimono. The obi around her midsection was white, a single black string tied around the middle. A sheer white overlay rested on her shoulders, making the already stunning kimono look ethereal.

    I looked up into her eyes; those eyes that took my breath away from the moment we first met. While both her eyes sparked like stars in the night sky, one was gold and the other a swirling purple miasma. I had seen so many Rinnengan during the war that I knew it almost instantly. But hers, hers was a far cries distance then the ones I knew. While other’s covered the entire eye, hers was centered only on the iris and pupil. Lord Hattori had said that they would manifest completely once she grew into her bloodline; once she knew how to control the massive chakra within her. I remember him saying that she was born with the most gorgeous, glittering golden eyes in the entire world; which was still evident by her singular golden eye.

    “Hey, are you listening to me?” her voice snapped at me. She was crossing her arms and glaring at me; apparently I had been lost in her radiance that I forgot I was here for her to speak with me.

    “Oh…” I blushed sheepishly, “Sorry.” Slowly my eyes shifted away from her, almost like I didn’t want her to see me in my embarrassment for not listening. Although, I doubt it was nothing new to her.

    She held her stern stance for a while longer before I saw her body visibly relax. She walked up to me, beaming her beautiful smile at me. “Don’t worry about it! Today is a day of celebration right? No need to get upset.” She reached up and tousled my hair playfully, but I knew the truth.

    We both knew the truth. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” I watched as her hand retreated away from me and I silently wished for it to return. I so loved her touch. “What did you want to see me for that was so urgent?”

    Her back turned to face me as she walked over to the sturdy wooden dresser that held a golden head ornament for her. “Nothing really…” her voice sounded so meek as she kept her back facing me. “I am just feeling nervous and you always seem to calm me down.”

    At her words, I couldn’t hold myself back any longer. I could hear the quickness of my feet slapping against the wood as I closed the distance between us. Her body jerked for a split second, surprised by my sudden actions, but she relaxed moments later. My arms wrapped around her petite frame, pulling her close and resting my cheek against the side of her head. I never wanted to let her go. I didn’t want to lose her. But like I said, we both knew the truth. Her hands came up and wrapped themselves around my arms, clutching the fabric of my clothes so tightly I thought her nails might actually rip them. Being this close to her, she smelled like spices and vanilla. It was such an exotic scent, but always so inviting.

    “Miu…” my words refused to come. The only thing I could do was mutter her name quietly.

    I felt her head angle downwards, her bangs making it impossible to see her eyes. “You’ll always be there for me right?” Her words were shaking, like she was trying to hold back tears. Why was she always trying to act so tough around me?

    My grip on her tightened. She didn’t have to act so tough with me. She knew I wouldn’t judge her if she cried. Hell! Even I wanted to cry. “Being a shinobi means having a fickle life…”

    “No! Don’t make excuses!” she whipped around to look me dead in the eye. I could see just how hard she had been trying to hold the tears back. They were welling in her eyes, ready to spill over. “Will you, or won’t you?”

    What could I do? Staring into her mismatched eyes, I saw it. I cupped her face in my hands and kissed the corner of her golden eye. “Always.” I lied as I pulled away.

    There was no way to promise her what she wanted, but the look she gave me made my heart twist. How could I not lie to her? I loved her and she knew that; there was nothing I wouldn’t do for her if I could do it. I heard the echo of someone’s footsteps getting closer and slowly released her, moving away so she wouldn’t be caught in such a compromising position. Slowly she wiped the tears from her eyes just as the door was opening. It was Lord Hattori. His stone face was like always as he stared at the two of us. Honestly, I always thought he was a mind reader. He was so good at reading his surroundings and situations that he knew what was going on even if nothing was said. My body stiffened as he shot me a glare. Oh yeah, he knew all too well what was going on.

    He bowed rigidly at the girl putting the golden adornment on her head. “Lady Miu, it’s time.”

    “Yes, alright.” Her posture changed instantly at his words. Her back straightened, her shoulders square and her head held high.

    He spun on his heel and walked down of the arch of the door silently. Wordlessly, she began to follow him only stopping a moment at the door. Her delicate hand came up to the threshold, resting on the wood. What could she be thinking? I watched as her features faltered into one of sadness and pain and again my heart twisted. Her eyes watched the floor but she never said anything. Silently she walked out of the room, her hand sliding along the wood until she was gone from my sight. I sighed heavily, running a hand through my hair. I had to be strong, for her.

    Leaving the room, I made my way to the front of the compound where all of my friends were waiting. They had huge smiles on their faces and all seemed pretty excited about today. Was I the only one who wasn’t? I stood beside them, all of them greeting me with such joy that I had no choice but to feign a smile. If I didn’t, they would know something was wrong. I refused to ruin this day for her. So many people had turned up for this; practically the entire world! However, I paid no mind to the music, decorations and screaming people. All of that seemed a distant noise as my mind raced through the thoughts of what the future held now. It was then that I heard Lord Hattori’s voice as he walked out to the crowd.

    “Look, it’s Lord Hattori!” Sakura exclaimed as she smiled while pointing her finger upwards.

    My eyes followed and I saw the scary man standing before the crowd talking. I missed everything until his last words, “Let us honor our Princess, Lady Miu Fuma!”

    The crowd cheered as he stepped aside and the woman I loved made her grand entrance. She was a glowing ray of regalia and beauty. She stood with such poise and grace that she looked as if she were gliding towards the balcony railing. With a smile upon her face, she waved to everyone as they cheered happily. A new era was being ushered in with this girl as the Princess of Ninja. How had I been unfortunate enough to fall in love with a girl that had just become the ruler over all five great nations? Why was this world punishing me? As I continued to watch her, I felt all the feelings I had been holding back start to surface like a volcano about to erupt. I wanted nothing more than to call out to her above the crowd, to tell her that I would give up my life for her. I kept saying I needed to be strong for her, but who was being strong for me? She left a lasting scar on my heart.

    Forcing the feelings down, I allowed my mind to wander. To wander to happier times. My thoughts drifted to when everything began; to when my heart began to love someone so pure.