Hello everyone. Sorry about the delay, I were uncertain on whether I should post this or not. Well, but I said I would, so… As I promised, here is the TWtE series. As I said in the last episode of Diaries of Fear, it is unfinished. If you do not know what I am talking about please check the message in the ending of the Episode 18, Arc 3. Everything bellow this message (except the ‘spoiler list’ in the end) was already written some time ago.

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What is this? A short project, shorter than ‘Diaries of Fear’ by comparison, which happens in the same universe of ‘Diaries of Fear’, the DoF Universe (or whatever way you want to call this reality). A story about the first villain that a certain SLO character met.

Think in this as an expansion pack. Ok that is a bad analogy, but you got the idea. If you liked the main series, maybe you will like this one as well.

The Will to Escape – Arc 1

Episode 1 – A Place to Hide from Sorrow

Date of log: 12 years before first meeting Osoreito. Hokorigakure (dust)

Nigeru and her sister were walking in the desert during nighttime, heading to an unfinished hideout. It was incredibly cold, as usual. Both of them had lost their parents some time ago and were looking for a place to hide from danger. Nigeru did not knew well the reason that leaded her parents to end killed, since she was a little kid.

As they travelled to an abandoned place that her sister found in the past, Nigeru could not avoid perceiving the discomfort imposed by the cold place. She turned to her sister and started to complain:

_Are we close? It is cold here.

_Yes, if I remember right.

_Are we close? It is…

_Yes, if I remember right.

_Are we c…

_Yes, if I remember right.

_Are…

_Silence.

They eventually approached the place. A hideout in the middle of the desert, a bunch of wooden structures hidden in a cave. The place was empty of humans for a long time, spiders made it to the place, leaving webs all over the entrance. Only the fittest creatures can survive the desert for long.

They made sure the place was empty, examining the rooms and corridors. Nigeru’s sister brought supplies like food and water to stay in the place during some time. They were afraid that the same persons that killed their parents could want to kill them as well, even though they have nothing to do with their parents’ obscure dealings. Her sister was older and smarter, deciding to flee in despair with Nigeru as soon as she found dead corpses of the family in their house.

They had nothing to start a fire with, so the alternative way to warm them during the night was using old fabric from the place. Her sister started to clean the fabric from the dust, then wrapping Nigeru in it.

_Where is dad and mom? I want to go back home.

_We cannot go back. Dad and mom are not here right now.

_But this place is weird. I want to go.

_I am here with you, nothing ‘weird’ will harm you.

_I cannot sleep.

_I know. I will tell a story then, but you better not get used, this will not happen every night.

Her sister started to tell stories from when Nigeru had not born yet and the family traveled, visiting nearby villages. She talked about Morigakure and the trees that can reach the sky, deep in an endless forest. Nigeru yawned, looking motionless at her sister. She then talked about crazy groups in Morigakure and their obsession about protecting trees, usually charging a fine for anyone who damage a tree.

Some times Nigeru laughed, other times she silenced, hearing attentively the stories. She fell asleep, to her sister felicity. At first, Nigeru’s sister had trouble to sleep due to paranoia and stress, but eventually fell unconscious like a rock. During the morning of the next day, Nigeru woke up alone, looking around the room for her sister.

Nigeru walked, stepping in the old wood bellow her feet. She was starting to get worried about her sister when she decided to look in the entrance. Her sister was there sitting with crossed legs and looking the horizon from inside the cave. After noticing Nigeru’s presence, she got up and said:

_How about it? I got rid of the spider webs. The entrance is more welcoming now.

_Why do not we go home now? I want to go now.

_No chance. That place is dangerous now. You will stay here and do as I say.

_You are not my mom, stop telling me what to do.

_Your parents are not around, I am older than you are and I am the responsible here.

Her stubbornness was evident, as she did not properly understood the circumstances in which she was stuck. Taking care of Nigeru was always a headache, even for her parents, but eventually her sister had to make her aware of the situation.

During the following years, both of them lived in the hideout. Eventually, they needed to resupply food and water. The place became a home once they cleaned it and spent some days there. Nigeru’s sister became the responsible for what remained of the family and struggled to sustain both of them, needing a source of money urgently.

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Episode 2 – Divine

Date of log: 9 years before first meeting Osoreito. Hokorigakure (dust).

During three years, Nigeru’s sister worked doing shinobi tasks, eventually finding in the world of crime an opportunity to make easy money. She would go any length to give her sister a comfortable life, even walking an illegal path. She usually left Nigeru alone for hours and days, doing dangerous missions skillfully.

Nigeru was playing alone, as she usually does since there is no company. Her sister came back, to her surprise, hugging her immediately. She brought a journal from Hokorigakure to Nigeru, as she usually brings books or magazines for her entertainment. That was the first time Nigeru read the ‘Dusty Journal’.

The title says “Man with Mental Disorder Sets Home in Flames”, and bellow, “The man was supposedly trying to put milk in a bowl with cereal when he brutally pierced his hand with a knife. It is uncertain how the fire started, but the man jumped from the second floor and the officials found him fatally burned, with a knife pierced in his right hand and glue in his left leg. Read more in page 6”.

_Whoa, putting milk in a bowl is harder than I thought – commented Nigeru.

_We are going to hang out around today. Leaving you alone here all day is something that always let me worried.

_Sure.

They went through the desert. Nigeru believed they would just hang out a little bit and maybe visit the village. After hours traveling bellow the hot sun, Nigeru said with a tired face:

_This is a travel for business, is not it?

_Ah, you are smart like your brilliant sister.

_The village was to the other direction. We have been traveling for hours to some other place.

_We already passed by some buildings in the middle of nowhere. The location is nearby. My meeting will not take long, I swear.

As they approached a part of the desert, a masked man appeared. He were wearing green clothes and the mask had two horns. The man said:

_Is this girl your sister, Hashita? She is wearing green clothes, so it is clear that she have good taste.

_I am taking my sister around to show the place. Here Nigeru, this is my friend Green Devil. He offered me great jobs these last days.

_Hello kid – said him while rubbing his hand in Nigeru’s hair.

_Hey, stop – said Nigeru – my hair will end all messed up this way.

_Ha. Did not the wind and the sand did that already? – Said Green Devil.

_Take the scroll you asked for – said Nigeru’s sister.

_Ah, this belong to me. Thank you.

_Doing jobs for the ‘Eight’ and the ‘Box’ can surely bring profit.

_Indeed. We both can profit from this business. Now, allow me to leave.

Nigeru and her sister prepared to return. In the desert, among the buildings weirdly placed in the middle of nowhere, something attracted Nigeru’s attention, who then asked her sister about what was that. It was an orphanage. High in the walls of the building, close to the roof, letters announced the name of the place. “Kinder 511”.

As they approach the place, they saw across the metallic fence a scaring number of kids, all slightly younger than Nigeru. Some of them were asking for coins or food, all of them had dirty clothes. The place was still inside the desert of Hokorigakure, but somewhat close to the border that leads to Haigakure. Approaching the place it was possible to hear voices inside the building, “Ah, buyers, we can get rid of these useless pieces of meat”.

_What is this place? – asked Nigeru’s sister.

_Hello, I am Emil – said an old woman, then pointing to an old man – and this is my husband, Sebe. In this land of no one, we are the owners of this orphanage.

_This place look… in bad condition.

_The place is overpopulated. There is orphans from corner to corner. Are you interested in our product?

_P-product… – she stared in the fence direction again, seeing a kid with fabrics wrapped in a bloody leg, sitting on the ground and playing with the sand – these children are a business?

_It is harsh times. Good will alone cannot keep this place active.

_Some of these kids are hurt. What that one have? – Asked her, pointing to the kid she saw.

_Ah, why? You are interested in that broken piece… we are going to sacrifice it this weekend.

_Sacrifice?

_Yes. We do not have the money to get medicine. Besides, it helps to prevent everyone from starving. We sacrifice an ill piece every month. If you want it you can buy.

_Ugh. How much do you want?

_It is five hundred each piece.

“It is five hundred each piece”, the words would haunt her forever. That day she adopted a little girl, saving her from the inhuman conditions in which she lived. Nigeru questioned her decision, saying that she could never help every single kid. She answered that although the world is rotten, every single spark of hope can make more than enough difference in someone’s life and help to change the world. At that age, Nigeru could not care less, though.

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Hashita:
Appearance: Mature woman with brown eyes and black hair that often wear a shinobi outfit.
About: She is a calm and optimist person. She works doing dangerous missions for secret organizations, usually of the kind that is illegal in some villages. Her biggest hope is to bring a comfortable life for both herself and her sister, Nigeru.

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Episode 3 – Family Structure

Date of log: 8 years before first meeting Osoreito. Hokorigakure (dust)

One year passed since Hashita adopted a little girl. She was surprised to discover that the orphanage would sacrifice the girl for having a simple infection. In less than one month, she was healthy already. After asking the girl about her name, she said that it was ‘Kanna’.

During a long time, Nigeru’s relationship with Kanna was troubled. Hashita tried her best to get Nigeru to understand the new situation. Nigeru’s resistance was enough to make her say that Kanna is not and will never be part of her family. Kanna’s presence is something she would eventually have to accept.

It is some random weekend and Hashita is not in a mission. A cute little girl is running around the corridors and rooms of the hideout. Kanna was lively and energetic, different from when she was in the orphanage. She stopped by a room and made a comment:

_Mommy says you are my aunt now, but you look so young to be an aunt!

_I am not your a… – Nigeru remembered all the times her sister scolded her – ah, I do not want to have anything to do with you.

_I like your doll, it is pretty like you – said her right before returning to run around the place.

_Eh! No! Since when are you with my doll? Come back, it is mine.

Nigeru chased her around the corridors while Hashita shouted for both of them to stop. Hashita sighed, realizing that her home has never been so happy. Her biggest dream was to give the three of them a normal life. Her family gave her the will to keep getting the money needed to have the most comfortable life possible.

Hashita’s involvement with obscure jobs was also dangerous. Her life was in constant risk, an unworthy price for the money she initially judged big. She wanted to retire one day and fully engage in taking care of her sister and adopted daughter. She made it a habit to tell Nigeru how important having friends is and even made a list with all the persons she trust, believing to have made many friends during the jobs she took.

That day, during the night, Hashita reunited everyone and told stories, as she did for Nigeru occasionally when she was younger. Everyone was entertained in that cold night, wrapped in blankets. They laughed and were astonished some times. Hashita turned to Nigeru after finishing her last story and said:

_Hey, I am finished. I cannot do this alone, your time to tell a story Nigeru.

_Ah, come on. I do not know anything to tell.

_Anything work, really.

_Ok, I will, hm… How about the blonde dwarf that found a black monster full of eyes.

_Last time I heard a story about a blonde dwarf and a bunch of eyes, the dwarf ended up losing an arm and a leg, and his brother’s soul was stuck in a pile of metal scraps.

_Eh? What?

_Nothing… proceed with the story.

Nigeru told a random story she just improvised in the moment, enough to hold Kanna attention for a few minutes. They eventually went to sleep, tired. Hashita was happy to make good use of her free time, spending it with what was left of her family.

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Episode 4 – The Rotten Cannot Flourish

Date of Log: 3 years before first meeting Osoreito. Hokorigakure (dust)

Five years passed in a blink. Hashita managed to make some wealth working with criminals, giving her family a comfortable life. Nigeru were worried that her sister could get hurt, but she usually came back home in one piece, almost every time. Hashita went out to work that day, saying goodbye to Nigeru during the morning and asking her to take care of Kanna.

Nigeru was an adult by now and Kanna was a teen, close from becoming an adult. Hashita barely aged, in appearance. Nigeru saw her sister go into the desert, disappearing in the horizon. She went to check Kanna. She walked a corridor and opened a door, discovering that Kanna was already wake.

Nigeru could still remember when Kanna were still a cute little kid. Now she was different. Kanna’s tanned skin reflected the light of the torches inside the hideout. Her face was looking young and pretty. Nigeru said:

_Good morning, are you done hibernating?

_Aunt. Where is my mom?

_I already said I am not your… gr, I mean. She is in a mission. It may take some days. Until she is back, I am in charge here.

Hashita traveled to Heizugakure...

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This is it. I did not even finished the fourth episode. Now I will sum up what was supposed to happen afterwards, in the long term.

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Spoiler alert. Long text alert.

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That is all folks!

Episode 17 – Break the Limits with a Clear Mind and a Burning Soul!

Date of log: 25 days after the war. Hokorigakure (dust)

Osoreito woke up in his home, still tired from traveling. He did managed to rest a little bit, but his body was still slightly in pain. Going down the stairs, he found his grandma praying to a statue of the Black Turtle spirit, of the North. As she ended, his sister came from another room.

_You just had a breakfast, good – said his grandma – you will train now. It is still early, so you will not get late to work.

_You came here earlier today. Why would you want me to train during the morning? – He asked.

_It is time to see if I managed to put any knowledge in your empty head. If you manage to prove yourself, I will not force you to train anymore and you can search for a more appropriate master.

_Understood. As you want.

_Your opponent must be ready by now – said her pointing to a door, to which his sister headed to, walking calmly.

Osoreito looked at the door, remembering the past, when he was a kid. He lost himself in his thoughts. A similar occasion happened in his past. A slightly younger version of his grandma, with four or five non-white strands of hair, said:

_Great, I understand. You cannot make a public speech without sounding like a ‘special kid’. You are not able to help your father either. What a hopeless merchant are you.

_Do I really need to fight? All you do is give me tasks.

_If you cannot do tasks, then I am afraid you have to fight. These are the main paths in this family.

_Another task is what I get, again. Defeating my sister in a battle because you feel like it.

_As an elder, I decided that we should aim to become either an honorable shinobi or an honorable merchant. Being a homeless wanderer is not an option. Now bow before your sister and show me you can do something right.

The battle began. Osoreito had not trained for physical combat. His opponent tried to punch him three times, but he blocked with both arms. She crouched and jumped, kicking him away. He got up and ran towards her. Both of them prepared to land a punch, with their elbows behind the back. Osoreito missed, but his sister managed to throw him out of the carpet.

Osoreito woke up, standing still while drooling. His grandma was looking at him angry, shouting something. He tried to understand what she was saying.

_...Osoreito, wake up! – Said his grandma – I have been telling you to wake up for two minutes now. Stupid lazy butt. Get started already.

He apologized, joining the room and meeting his sister. He said to his sister:

_You are rusty. I have no memories of seeing you train since months ago. Are you a worth opponent?

_Even a rusty muscle can knockdown a slacker like you, silver tongue.

The battle began and she ran to hit Osoreito. She tried to punch him six times, but he blocked with one arm and then the other one, using an arm after the other. She stepped back and proceeded to kick him, pushing him away a certain distance without making him fall. He ran towards her, both preparing to land a punch, with their elbows behind the back. Both attacks landed and pushed them away from each other.

They sat on the ground, complaining about the pain. Their hands holding the face. Their grandma looked, shocked. His sister said:

_Eh, gr… did you had to use so much strength?

_Ugh, you should not be the one complaining. What kind of attack is this? Are you a boxer?

_You are outside the carpet. I won! Next time you try again, I will just win again.

_No, you are outside the carpet. I won, and since I won, maybe you should start calling me ‘golden tongue’ as well.

_Ha, maybe ‘white gold tongue’ is fitting. Nah, I will stick to ‘silver tongue’. Hahaha.

_Haha.

_It is a tie – said their grandma, surprising them.

_So, I did not made it – said Osoreito to his grandma – I can live with it.

_Actually, I believe you proved your worth already. You are free from my training.

_W-what? Eh.

Osoreito finished his ‘special training’, glad to see the fruit of his work. Meanwhile, somewhere outside the village, a bald man is walking with a hoe… on his shoulder. He stopped and looking at the heavy tool, he said:

_Aw, I wish I were not so impulsive all the time. I brought this hoe just because I liked the discount. What do I even do with it?

He threw the tool near him, in the ground. While stretching his body, he said:

_I could not find a worth challenger anywhere in this village. It is time to move on. Today I travel, to check another village. Well, time to train – after finishing, he started to dance in the middle of the desert, eventually seeing a mysterious figure dressed in dark blue approaching, from a long distance.

Akarui went down to Dust. He was looking for stuff to steal. He was in a bind and saw the tool behind him. He was willing to make a deal. He came across the bald man and saw him dancing hard. Akarui jumped unto a sand lump and said:

_Slim man let me tell you what. I bet you did not know it, but I am a professional dancer too. If you would care to take a dare, I will make a bet with you. Now, you have some good moves, man, but give the master here his due. I bet these silver swords against your hoe, because I think I am better than you.

The bald man said:

_My name is Jayjay and I may be slim, but I will take your bet, you are going to regret it, because I am the best that has ever been.

Jayjay shook his body and started to dance hard. The dancing force broke loose in Dust and Akarui deals it hard. If he win, he get those shiny and fancy silver swords, but if he lose Akarui get his hoe.

Jayjay put his hand on the ground and said:

_I will start this show!

Sand flew from his feet tips as he rose high his shoes. He pulled the legs back to the ground and mockingly sent him a kiss. When he finally finished, for Akarui, it was a bliss. As Jayjay finished, Akarui said:

_Well, you are not bad, but still have no chance. Now, sit down on the sand and please watch how I dance.

Lightning is in his body, run Jayjay, run. Akarui is in the desert of the rising sun. He danced better than Jayjay, though. He use ninjutsu, but Jayjay do not do, no. Jayjay bowed his head because he knew that he had been beaten. He laid the hoe on the ground at Akarui’s feet. Jayjay said:

_Blue man just come back if you ever want to dance again. I may have lost, strange man, but I am still the best you have ever seen.

Akarui, the mysterious man dressed in dark blue, left victorious, with his swords and hoe. Jayjay kneeled and cried, he found a worthy opponent but lost fast. Jayjay then punched the air and stared the sky, smiling, eventually getting up and traveling to another village.

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Jayjay:
Appearance: Bald man with black eyes that wear simple and old clothes.
About: He is obsessed with dancing. He trained during years to become a professional dancer.

Episode 15 – A Game of Detectives [Filler]

Date of log: 4 days after the war. Haigakure (ash)

Osoreito and Hanaka were walking in the territory that surrounds Haigakure, after some time they saw a squirrel running. The creature was going through a similar direction than them. The place where the squirrel ended stopping by was a house, in the middle of nowhere. The fact that they were finding houses more often could mean the village was not far.

_We will check that house now.

_Will we? You were talking about how important is our mission just a while ago.

_As far as I know, Akarui could be anywhere.

As she open the door, she faces a man standing there with the arms crossed and a serious expression.

_Civilians cannot trespass this crime scene. W-wait – the squirrel entered the room, disappearing from sight – ah, what a pain. This small fellow had better not destroy the place.

_We are shinobi with high rank, from the desert. Of course, we can trespass if we want to, mister, mister… Who are you again? – Said her.

_Detective Otohai, the greatest, the brighter. Otohai, the person that will get a promotion in the investigation team number five, from Haigakure, really soon. My experience is higher than any rank you could possibly have. I could even bet all the money in the world that you could not do half of what I have done these last three years. Not even in your dreams, child. I hope this answer your question. Now, go away you two.

_Sorry, I slept halfway. I did hear something about money and bet, though. Do you want to bet? If I solve this case, will you respect my rank?

Otohai sighed, complaining about how stubborn this woman can be. After thinking for a second, he said:

_Very well. You think you can do my job better than I can. If you two do solve this case, I will give you some coins. Beware though, if you damage the crime scene I expect you to pay a big fine. Oh, and your very first hypothesis will be considered your final answer. Go ahead, ha.

She ordered Osoreito to search for evidence in the scene, while she would interview the person closest from being a suspect. A person that apparently knew the victim. Osoreito looked at the place, realizing Haigakure’s forces had already taken the corpse. The first thing to attract attention in the room was the floor, full of black marks. It could be the effect of a fire.

Meanwhile, Hanaka had already collected the person’s alibi and headed to tell Osoreito about it. The person was pranking the victim before the incident. The interviewed man stole all the logs and coal, only to retrieve it hours later. The victim was a man in his lunchtime, ready to prepare food in his house. He was indeed preparing food, since Osoreito found a bowl with vegetables in the scene, probably for a soup.

Detective Otohai slowly approached a table while Hanaka was distracted, preparing to execute his obscure plan. He approached a vase with his hand, ready to push it in the ground to make it shatter. The reason was obvious however, for Hanaka. She took a shuriken from her bag, quickly turning her face and saying:

_You do not want things broken, do you? Like this vase, this table or maybe even your bloody skull on the ground. I did not forget about any bit of our deal. – After she finished, he moved away from the table.

Osoreito found a broken glass. Some kind of pot with some remaining oil inside. As Otohai and Hanaka joined the room, Osoreito commented:

_I think the victim burned to death. There is oil in the crime scene and black marks on the ground.

_Well, hahaha – said Otohai – I believe you two just lost. I won the bet, gyahaha.

_W-wait. What?

_Never forget my rules, kids. It was part of the deal to consider your first hypothesis as your final answer. I already solved this case and I know that your hypothesis is wrong.

_Unbelievable! – Shouted Hanaka – Ugh, I am going to kill you Osoreito. By the way, what is wrong with what he said? Mister Oto-something.

_Hai! Oto-hai! Mister ‘doctor detective master Otohai’ for the likes of you. The cause of the death was an explosion, which caused glass fragments to pierce vital organs of his body. Not fire, as your friend stated.

_Oh – proceeded Hanaka – but how he ended causing an explosion?

_Ah. His killer is that man you just interviewed. I believe that not only he stole logs and coal but also placed the pot there to kill him. It is an almost perfect crime, a sabotage. I know this because he also said that the victim was a fire nature shinobi and an impulsive person.

_Eh, he did not told me that. I cannot believe that I forgot to ask about what he knew about the victim and instead focused in his alibi… his prank. I may ask again, what triggered the explosion?

_Being an impulsive person, his first idea after realizing there was no coal was using a fire ninjutsu. However, since his killer sabotaged the place, he ended up hitting the pot. The killer knew too much about him. His elemental nature, his personality. His knowledge, the exactly reason for my suspicion about that man.

_What is this sound? – Asked Osoreito.

Hidden bellow a cabinet was a squirrel, eating a banana peel. They finally found the squirrel, destroying the crime scene. Osoreito announced his new hypothesis, even without a prize to get from the act.

_First, this man on the next room pranked our victim. Left without anything to start a fire with and cook his food, the victim proceeded to cast a fire ninjutsu. The incident however, was not the fruit of a sabotage, but an accident caused by this peel.

_Osoreito, for the first time ever, I do not regret accepting you in my division – said Hanaka – you solved the case.

_My dear Hanaka, solving the case was elementary. W-wait, what you mean with regretting to accept me in the division?

_Ugh – said Otohai, with a palm in his face – he did not solved anything. This do not explain how can an unrelated person know so much about the victim. What a dangerous oil was doing in the crime scene?

A man with a big mustache joined the room. Otohai ended shocked by his presence.

_S-superior. Earlier… are… you. You came early, I mean. This situation is under control.

_No use to talk now – said him, closing his eyes – I heard everything. I was passing by when I saw two squirrels invading the crime scene. I came to search for them.

_Does this mean that he heard Osoreito solving the case? I would love to get my money now – replied Hanaka.

_I will not repeat this – the mysterious man changed his expression to an angrier one – young woman, you and your friend should be far away from here. If you dare to stay here any longer, you can consider yourself arrested – he stopped for a moment and turned to Otohai.

_T-this case would grant me a promotion – said Otohai.

_I heard about your bet. Gambling during your work time, eh. You should not expect a promotion in at least two years, after an incident like this.

_Ah, I-I feel… unmasked. I would have gotten away with this, if it were not for these meddling kids and their stupid squirrels.

Osoreito and Hanaka returned to their path. For them, the case was unsolved, since they have no authority in Haigakure’s territory. Haigakure was not far from that place.

A sweet new arc came out from the oven, for everyone's *happiness.
(*lacks evidence)
I will be posting slightly more often and I have my personal reasons for wanting to finish Arc 3 sooner.
There is no need to worry: the content will not be ‘rushed’ and I will not abandon arc 3 in the middle of the way.
Thanks everyone for reading and commenting.
I hope you enjoy, and by enjoy I mean 'not stabbing your own head with a freaking knife out of disgust'. So, enjoy!

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Diaries of Fear – Arc 3

Episode 13 – Business Left to Do

Date of log: 2 days after the war. Hokorigakure (dust)

Osoreito woke up. Apparently, not having your village under danger feel great. He went down the stairs and checked the members of his family that were there. He then went to the front door to search for his favorite journal, Dusty Journal.

That moment he remembered that he still owed that kid some coins. Jim… how could he forget? It has been a considerable good amount of days since he last paid him, so one could say Osoreito has been forgetful lately. Good thing he did not forgot to return the ring to that creepy pigeon man yesterday, he thought.

He then started to read the cover page of the journal. The title says “It is Time to See the Baby Swan Rise Again”, and bellow, “In a few weeks, Haigakure will host the ‘Baby Swan Tournament’ once again. The tournament is a minor regional event, hosted after a certain amount of time. Invite your friends in this great opportunity to enjoy a fun event. Read more in page 6”.

_Not interested. Although, the village hidden by ash is a place I have not seen yet. Ah, honestly, my father seem to visit all kinds of places.

Osoreito went through the streets again, walking calmly. Eventually, he found a familiar face in the middle of the path.

_Creepy Pigeon Man! – He said.

_Stop calling me that, I already told you I have nothing to do with that pigeons. Besides, I already told you my name a few times.

_Oh really? What is it again?

_It is…

_Well, does not matter – said him, interrupting the man.

_Then why did you a… ah, forget about it. By the way – said him while showing a ring in his finger – thanks for returning me this. I apologize for invading your territory. This ring means a lot for me.

_No worries. Is it from your family, or maybe, is it expensive?

_No. It is not even that much pure. Oh my, but the aesthetics are amazing.

_Eh?

Osoreito returned to walk after some minutes. Approaching the kage’s building, he found a group of persons making the place looks more chaotic than usual. They shouted and cheered, welcoming someone among then. Upon closer inspection, the Kage was trying to enter the building and everyone nearby stopped to see him.

It was uncommon to see the Hokorikage in person. He usually goes to the building earlier. The Kage is one of the busiest persons Osoreito knows, having to take care of all kinds of problems all the time. Osoreito waited some minutes to enter the place with some peace, searching for the office.

After walking some corridors, he came across a locked room. Nigeru once showed him the place. The torture, the old methods to interrogate prisoners, the door was enough to give chills. Is the past gone now, or are the memories fated to bring eternal nightmares?

Osoreito went to the office and there, Hanaka gave him bad news. Although everyone thought the village’s forces took care of the enemy, they did not found a certain someone during the war. A person nobody found among the bodies, a person that did not showed up in the war at all. The shinobi in dark blue, by now, already had the identity uncovered as Akarui.

The interesting part, according to Hanaka, is the fact that contacts witnessed Akarui looking for information about the Baby Swan Tournament. The reason behind his interest in the tournament is unknown. It was time to further investigate. Osoreito and Hanaka would travel to Haigakure today, during nighttime, in the soul-freezing cold of the desert.

She assigned him a simple mission, one able to cost part of the evening. Osoreito accomplished the mission in a short time. Any shinobi that worked in a village for enough time is accustomed to receive a variety of missions. He then went to his home to prepare for the travel. His grandma insisted that they still trained that day, sooner than usual of course.

A noise was coming from the front door, as Hanaka got there to call the rookie shinobi. They walked through the village, approaching the walls. The sky, almost totally blackened, slowly started to transform into its night form. The stars are also a way to guide oneself in the wild.

_Why am I going? – asked Osoreito.

_This is a mission of significant importance. Track down such a dangerous figure… discover if he want to follow the Silence Princess’ original plan.

_I am tired and it is cold here. Why did you gave me a mission during the afternoon?

_This is a mission we cannot refuse.

_I am tired and it is cold h…

_This is a mission we cannot refuse.

_I am tired and…

_This is a mission we cannot…

_Ok. Gods, ok. Got it.

They approached a person with a covered face and a dark red cloak. Hanaka handed the person some coins. That person would be their guide. Good thing they prepared supplies for the travel. The three of them went to the desert, traveling bellow a cold night full of stairs.

According to Osoreito, the desert in everyone’s soul, like the desert of Hokorigakure, can be lonely sometimes.  Maybe his brain was merely starting to freeze, making him state random sentences. Maybe he truly believed that loneliness is inherent in a person nature. Either way, they would not be so alone if a bandit attacked. Moving outside the villages require careful action to avoid danger.

Both Osoreito and Hanaka were tired, thanks to not resting properly. They eventually stopped to rest, after some hours. Eventually, the group continued their travel, the next day. After more hours, the background changed. Dark colored rocks and earth became more common to see than the sand and the typical but small-numbered vegetation of Hokorigakure. They were finally close to reach their destination.

---

Akarui:
Appearance: Man that wear dark blue clothing.
About: He is usually a calm and confident shinobi, specialist in assassination. He served Nigeru the Silence Princess during a period, since he is one of the few friends Nigeru’s sister had during her lifetime.

Hayame (DarthTyrael):
Appearance: Man with hazel colored eyes and dark brown hair that wear a noble robe.
About: He is an experienced and skillful shinobi that served the village for years. He is the current Hokorikage… what else could you possibly want to know about him?
Link:https://www.shinobilifeonline.com/index.php?topic=2409.0

Interesting, I do not think it will harm me to give it a try. I did a small research on techniques that may have potential.

Offence jutsu
jutsu 1 Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder
jutsu 2 Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu: One Thousand Years of Death
reason Of course this specific scorch release technique will not be implemented, but if you consider that wind techniques are ranged and fire techniques have a big 'damage per second' effect, then scorch skills could be about ranged high damage skills, some kind of 'glass cannon' in other words. The finger technique may sound like a joke, but it is actually a metaphor as well: think in a taijutsu technique that deals critical/bonus damage if used against your opponent's blind spot, or behind his/her back.

Defensive Jutsu
jutsu 1 Armor of Sticky Gold
jutsu 2 Body Replacement Technique
reason Of course a kekkei genkai like the one Kidomaru have will not be implemented, but if you have a passive skill that provides physical resistence then you can focus in powerful ranged skills without worrying too much about being interrupted. Replacing your body for a log will also give you a last second defense against ranged attacks.

Episode 11 – The Third Movement is… War

Date of log: 29 days after the Princess’ betrayal. Hokorigakure (dust)

Osoreito woke up, this time, thanks to his family. Scouts had found troops marching towards the village and warned the civilians. The villagers moved synchronized, fleeing and seeking for safer places, even though the enemy had not yet broken through the walls. Invading the village is easy for a dedicated group, in this case, a group of mercenaries and criminals in general.

Osoreito, his family and the neighborhood went to the abandoned building shown by Hanaka. The group was supposed to hide in the building during the attack and flee through the unfinished sewer at any sign of danger. As people started to get inside, Osoreito spoke to his sister:

_This is the place where the escape route is in. A sewer. By the way, remember to use the stairs instead of jumping in the water.

_And who would be stupid enough to jump there?

_W-well, you see, it is j-just a friendly warning. Of course, no one would be that stupid.

_Oh, would not the village’s forces require your assistance in a situation like this?

_Ah, yes, I will check that. Be right back.

He quickly ran through the village’s streets, now empty of civilians and almost desert. Shinobi occupied the streets. Small groups approached the walls, ready to act if the front line needed reinforcement. Osoreito reached the kage’s building, looking for Hanaka.

_I secured the place I live in – he said while joining a room, seeing she was in the office – what else is required?

_Good. I will show you other building where you should hide. You will not get anywhere near the walls right now, neither fight anyone.

_What? Did I missed something? I thought I could help.

_Sorry, Vizier’s orders. At this point, the Silence Princess probably know that you survived. I assigned someone to guard you. The person is waiting you in the place I want show you.

Osoreito went to the specified place, finding a masked shinobi. It was not a surprise to see the elite forces wearing masks. Meanwhile in the village’s front, the first enemy appeared rushing towards the village and followed by other shinobi right behind. A small group of scouts above the wall prepared their bows, shooting them skillfully. From a high ground and a long distance, their arrows were the perfect weapon. The first few enemies died easily.

How the situation came down to this? Maybe if the village’s spies had gathered enough info, the Silence Princess would be dead before completing her small army. She was not in sight, from the village’s wall of course. Probably, she planned to send her minions first. A small group of scouts was fighting on ground level, killing the coming enemies personally. Suddenly, after one of them killed an enemy, making him fall while dropping an unidentified object, the scout realized:

_This thing, ugh… – After identifying the object as being an inactive bomb, he turned behind, looking at the archers in the wall – Bomb! Bomb, bomb – he screamed, making the surrounding scouts alert.

More enemies appeared, rushing recklessly at the walls. Reinforcement started to approach the battlefield, helping to defend the village. The archers succeeded to defeat many units, however, slowly, the enemy started to outnumber them. One enemy killed, two, but the third and fourth one always got nearer the wall. Repeating the process, the approaching bandits left the archers sweating and with trembling hands.

Suddenly, a bandit approached the wall and succeeded to throw a bomb close enough to the wall. He said:

_Ha, I did it! Dust ninjas can suck m…

After turning back to run from the bomb, however, a scout hit his leg with an arrow and he died in the explosion. The wall started to shake and part of it fell in the ground. Some bricks started to fall and the nearby archers got busy trying not to fall. The troops now started to trespass the wall, intensely fighting the village’s forces. One of the bandits outside the village started to blow a winding horn, announcing the arrival of their leader.

Something big appeared in the horizon. Four enormous and muscled bandits appeared, holding a wooden platform, each of them in one side. Above the platform, two figures. One of them was Nigeru the Silence Princess, with the arms crossed and a serious look. The other one was Kanna, a shinobi wearing only golden pieces around the body and with an expressionless face. The gold was shiny bellow the sun. Nigeru turned to a random bandit, saying:

_There is sand in my sandals. Clean it now.

_S-sorry princess but we are in the middle of the desert. There is sand everywhere.

_Clean me with haste. Do I look like a waiter?

He got up in the platform just to clean her feet using his hands, eventually getting down. The princess started to make a speech, somewhat close to the wall.

_Life, dreams, hope. Why crawl to those things? I will destroy such meaningless things. The world will meet its doom, starting from Hokorigakure. If there is a day in which I bow to this rotten world, then today is not that day. March!

Kanna raised her arm with an open hand and waved it downside, making a sandstorm push some village’s shinobi away from them. She then switched her attention to the wall, charging her chakra, lifting an arm, and saying “Sandstorm release: Dust Spiral”. Dust particles enveloped the archers, forming a spiral starting from the ground and ending upside. It was possible to see through the dust. They fell unconscious immediately.

_Are they dead? – Asked Nigeru.

_No Princess… do you want me to kill them?

_No, Goddess, save your chakra for the Kage.

They entered the village through the wall, approaching a street. A group of shinobi from the village attacked the bandits around the princess, but Kanna pushed them away, with a sandstorm. Suddenly, from their right side, a shinobi that was pretending to be unconscious got up from the ground and ran towards the princess.

_Goddess, look right – said her as Kanna turned right side, pushing the shinobi away with a sandstorm – looks like a little rat pretended to be sleeping. Bohohohoho.

They proceeded in direction to the center of the village.

---

Kanna:
Appearance: Tanned woman with black eyes and black hair that wear golden pieces as clothing, revealing most parts of her body.
About: She is loyal to Nigeru, her adoptive aunt. She is a Legendary Shinobi that Nigeru’s sister adopted, when she was still young.

Episode 9 – The Flow of a New Month

Date of log: 21 days after the Princess’ betrayal. Hokorigakure (dust)

Osoreito woke up earlier, since Hanaka wanted to show him something. The sunlight was there in the middle of the room, in a different angle since he woke up in a different time. He noticed that something was reflecting the light, since there was a small sparkle. After checking the area closely, he found a ring made of gold.

_This… this object is familiar in a way. What was I supposed to do with a similar object again? Oh yeah! The creepy pigeon man. I will return him this when I find him.

There was not screams and loud conversations in the morning, a sign that his sister and his dad were in a caravan again. They always managed to get way more money than him, mercantile activities were important in his family consequently. He went down the stairs to prepare for his day.

He searched for his favorite journal, Dusty Journal, and found it. The title says “Obscure Criminal Activities”, and bellow, “The investigations of the Hokorigakure’s forces were partially revealed to the citizen. The recent gossips about someone recruiting criminals from neighbor villages in large scale for something are true, although their master and plans are still a secret. Further investigation is in their plans, according to a high authority. Read more in page 6”

_The future is… uncertain.

Osoreito went to the kage’s building and found Hanaka. Hokorigakure’s shinobi was already preparing to defend against an attack. At any moment, a war could break out. She took him to an abandoned building, close to a hole in the ground.

_This is the place – said her – if the village is attacked, this is one of the escape routes the citizen can use.

_This hole? I mean, is not it dangerous?

_Dangerous is how you describe anything outside this hole, if you do not jump there during the attack.

_So, are you suggesting that people suicide here, if they attack the village? Is that what you mean with ‘escape route’?

_No, stupid. This is an unfinished sewer. It takes you outside the village. You are not supposed to kill yourself here.

_Y-yeah. Ha, it is not as if I did not knew that or anything.

Osoreito approached the hole, lifting one feet and saying:

_The spirits of the Zen’no have abandoned me, now there is no hope. He jumped in an endless hole. Death would be…

_Stop being dramatic. Even if you jump, there is water down here. Now, get yourself down here.

He jumped, falling in a bunch of water. When he got out of the water Hanaka was already there, so he asked:

_How come your clothes are dry? You jumped in the water too to get here. Right?

_Nah, I just used the stair.

_There was a s… oh no, my clothes are wet now. Why must you hurt me in this way?

_Well, when you are done looking at the rats and spiders, come to the kage’s building. I do not have free time like you.

_Wait – he said, but she disappeared.

Osoreito went to the kage’s building, again. After going to the office and finding Hanaka he said:

_How did you got there so fast?

_It is jutsu. I am not going to explain anything.

_But – he sighed and gave up on understanding how she got there so fast – What is my next mission?

_Recently, a group of bandits killed some shinobi while they were in a mission. You will inform their family and partners of the incident.

_This is a heavy job. Do I have the sensibility it takes to complete the mission?

_Now!

_But…

_You can do that, or you can clean the bathroom. Visitors clogged up toilet number two again.

_Oh, mister Kitsune no Sabaku, your wife died in a mission, sadly.

_Good, good, that is the spirit. Now go!

Osoreito took a list with deceased shinobi and went around the village, for hours. That is an unpleasant work, and by the end of the day, his face was not among the happiest faces of the village. Sadness is a word that cannot describe the state he left those poor souls in, the souls of the persons abandoned by their loved ones.

He was walking a street and saw an eagle in the sky. Memories rushed back to his mind of when his grandma took him to see the horizon from the village’s walls, when he was young. Scouts greeted his grandma as soon as they saw her, her fellow shinobi knew her well. He said:

_Is the desert infinite?

_There is a huge world out there, which our short life would not allow us to grasp.

_Look! An eagle!

_Eagles, used to say my ancestors, are the way the great spirits use to communicate with this world. They are great messengers, because we can barely escape from their eyes. We cannot escape from receiving the message.

_Could we see the world if we were eagles?

She stood there in silence. It was hard to tell if she was smiling, but it slightly looked like she was. Osoreito awakened, walking the streets distracted. He reported the success of the mission to his superior and went back home.

His grandma was waiting him like always, ready to train. The training was hard. Every of his grandma hits with the cane was imbued with chakra and produced a strong impact. Suddenly, she bashed the ground with great strength and started to shout.

_Ouch, my back. Again. We are done for now.

They sat down to drink tea in another room. Osoreito said:

_Are you not being too harsh on yourself? You have some health issues but insist in this training. Anyway, why are you so worried about whether I am in form or not?

_You look young, not very young anymore, maybe. You remind me of my deceased husband, and my deceased uncle too. If I were there, would it be different? Could I save my husband if I was there?

_The past is gone.

_Our families means everything. We move every little piece of muscle of ours to protect the clan, the village. I worry about everything I did not lost yet, for the things I lost may never return.

Osoreito ended his day, tired like always. Is Hokorigakure under a great danger? As he said in the past, the future is uncertain, and the present is his chance to prepare.