Halloween Contest!
Halloween Contest!
I'm going to post the top two entries here and let you vote on them! The entries will not have who wrote them attached and the two contestants who wrote them will not be allowed to say who wrote which, until the contest is over!
Gatz Seijuro,
Owner of NarutoMUD
Owner of NarutoMUD
Story #1
NM Kids and the Haunted Mansion
As flocks of pigeons can be heard chirping, the sun shines down brightly as a pleasant wind blows across the verdant landscape that is currently teeming with the Time Village Academy’s new graduates. Among these genin are Kosugi Suzaku, Sagara Shiro, Sanada Sayono, Ai Inyi, and another genin by the name of Kentaro. Within the sight range of the genin is a mansion that seems to have been abandoned for several years. The genin have all assembled here under the request of the Uchuukage. As the other genin roam the area, Sayono, Inyi, and Shiro are seated underneath a tree, while Suzaku lays on a large branch of the very same tree, eyes closed and hands cupped behind his head. Resting her chin in the palm of her hand, Inyi begins to speak. “So why do you think he asked us to come out here anyway?” Suzaku is the first to respond, saying “Who knows?” Sayono then says “Maybe it’s another test?” Her words are then followed by Shiro’s. “Or maybe a mission?” The three sitting below the tree shrug their shoulders and continue waiting.
The sun begins to set and more than half of the genin from earlier have lost their patience and left. Sayono and Inyi remain seated underneath the tree while Suzaku can be seen performing handstand pushups and Shiro practicing his treewalking. With a bored expression on her face, Inyi begins to speak again. “What’s taking so long?” “They’ve had us out here for hours. Maybe we should just leave like everyone else,” suggests Sayono. Suddenly, Kentaro begins to yell. “That old fool better have had a good reason for calling us out here! I have better things to do than wait here like a dog waiting to be beckoned by its master!” Finishing his last handstand pushup, Suzaku lands on his feet, calmly saying, “You guys can leave, but I’m staying. The Uchuukage’s a pretty weird guy, but he’s also wise. He usually has a good reason for his eccentricities.” Shiro leaps down from the tree and nods. “Suzaku’s right guys. Let’s just wait and see where this goes.” Sayono and Inyi nod in agreement while Kentaro says, “Hmph…whatever. I still think he’s just an old fool…”
With the sun now completely out of sight, the moon now occupies the sky, accompanied by the stars. The only genin left now are Suzaku, Shiro, Sayono, Inyi, Kentaro, and three genin that appear to be friends of Kentaro. As the first four sit underneath the tree that they had been near the entire day, Inyi lets out a huge yawn as Suzaku begins to speak while resting his chin on his closed fist and staring at the mansion. “Who do you think lived in that house anyway?” Sayono is the first to give an answer. “I heard that it belonged to a rich family and that the head of the family was working to get rid of crime in Cosmos Country. Then one night, the mansion was attacked and the entire family and even their servants were killed. I also heard that the spirit of the gardener is tied to the mansion and that’s why it looks so nice around it.” Shiro then speaks. “I heard that a mad scientist lived there and used villagers and animals for dangerous experiments and that some of his creations still wander about inside.” Inyi holds her arms and shivers. “Well whatever happened here, one thing’s for sure. This place gives me the creeps!” Kentaro then speaks. “Know what I heard? Whoever lived here simply left and these rumors were created to scare little sissies like you guys at night!” He laughs along with the other three genin around him while Sayono and Inyi glare at him, simultaneously shouting “SHUTUP KENTARO!!!” This makes Kentaro laugh even louder. “You guys are so naïve, believing stuff like that! It’s a miracle you guys even got out of the academy!” Suzaku, looks at Kentaro as he mocks the four of them. “Back off Kentaro…” Glaring at Suzaku, Kentaro says “Or what!?” Suzaku, rising with a serious expression on his face, says “Or you’ll just continue to make a fool of yourself…” This only serves to make Kentaro even more angry. “Why you little…” Without finishing his sentence, Kentaro begins charging towards Suzaku, who begins to go into a defensive stance.
Before the two ninja can confront one another, a puff of smoke appears, catching the attention of the remaining eight genin. From the smoke, a voice emerges. “Alright, that’s enough you two!” A man with a crow-like mask begins to emerge from the smoke. “Hmmm…only eight left…” Examining each genin, he then says “Alright then. Listen up. My name’s Seijuro Gatz. Since you guys are part of a fairly new village, I’ve been asked to give you guys a special training exercise. I had you guys wait to see who the most dedicated genin were. Now the eight of you will have to stay in that house until about six in the morning. Whoever remains when I get back will get a special reward. That’s all I have to say for now. Good luck you guys!” With that said, Gatz disappears in a fashion similar to how he appeared and the eight genin begin moving inside the rumor-surrounded mansion.
Entering the mansion, the genin examine the first room. It appears that the house lacks any operational lights, making the moonlight shining through the windows the only thing that allows the genin to see decently. Cobwebs occupy each corner of the room and the floorboards squeak with each step taken. Over a fireplace that apparently has not been used in years is a portrait of a man with spiky gray hair and a large burn mark on the left side of his face. Suzaku then says “I guess he was the owner of this house…” Kentaro then speaks. “What a dump! We have to stay here ’till six!?” Looking over at Suzaku, Shiro, Sayono, and Inyi, he says “Well I’m not staying with you losers all night!” Motioning to his three friends, he says “Let’s go guys.” With that said, Kentaro and his group begin moving up a staircase on one side of the room. “Fine with us!” says Sayono before the remaining genin begin walking up a staircase on the opposite side of the room.
Hours later, as the four of them walk down a long hallway, Shiro says “This house doesn’t seem so scary.” With a shiver, Inyi says “It still gives me the creeps…” Sayono turns towards Inyi. “Don’t worry. I bet all the rumors aren’t even…” Before she can finish her sentence, a faint howling can be heard echoing in the hallway. As the groups peers down the dark corridor, a clawed paw can be seen emerging from the shadows, accompanied by deep growling. Moments later, the source of the growling is revealed to be a ferocious looking wolf, followed by several other wolves. Before the genin can react, the wolves charge towards them. As the wolves begin to attack them, several screams can be heard. However, the faint sound of snickering reaches Suzaku’s ears. Bringing his hands together to form a hand seal, he yells “Release!” Suddenly, the wolves disappear, and the four genin rise, apparently unharmed. The snickering that could be heard earlier now turns into a familiar laughter. Inyi then yells “Real funny Kentaro you jerk!” Shiro quietly says “So…it was just genjutsu…” Kentaro and his group then step into the hallway. “I can’t believe you guys actually fell for that! It’ll be easier than I thought to send you guys running home crying!” The four genin then depart, leaving Suzaku, Sayono, Shiro, and Inyi by themselves again. After a few moments, Shiro speaks. “Hey, a couple of us should use henge no jutsu and scare the crap out of them!” Sayono then says “Yeah! They’re so stupid they wouldn’t even see through it!” Suzaku nods with a smile. “I’m in…”
Shiro nods towards Suzaku. The two of them then form hand seals and yell “HENGE!” covering themselves in a veil of smoke. Once the smoke clears, two disfigured zombie-like creatures can be seen. Inyi then jumps up and down, saying “Wow! You guys are some pretty realistic looking zombies! Go get ‘em!” As the two kunoichi hide themselves in nearby rooms and Suzaku and Shiro prepare to go look for Kentaro and his friends, they begin to hear screams. Sayono then says “Eh, it’s probably just Kentaro and his friends trying to scare us again.” Quick footsteps could then be heard as if someone were running towards them. Moments later, Kentaro and his friends can be seen running down the hallway. Suzaku and Shiro then try to make convincing zombie-like moans, but Kentaro and his friends run right past them, screaming “Let‘s get out of here!.” As Suzaku and Shiro clear their henge, Sayono and Inyi come back into the hallway. Looking in the direction that Kentaro and his gang came from, the four genin can hear several loud shrieking sounds. Emerging from the shadows this time are several short, dinosaur-looking creatures that are lacking arms. After a few moments, a ghostly figure, similar to the man from the portrait that they saw earlier, appears behind the creatures and begins to laugh manically, cracking a whip at the monsters. The strange beings then begin to shriek, charging towards the four genin. A horrified Sayono screams, yelling “I don’t think these are illusions!” The four of them react by each pulling out several kunai and shuriken and tossing them towards the creatures. Some of the projectiles simply bounce off of the dinosaur-like beasts while others are caught in the mouths of the creatures and easily crushed between their jaws. As the shrieking monsters continue charging towards them, Suzaku and Shiro attempt a simultaneous goukakyuu no jutsu. However, all this does is momentarily disorient the attacking beasts giving the four genin time to take off and try to escape their pursuers. Shiro then yells “I guess this mansion really did belong to a mad scientist!”
The group manages to make it back down to the lower floor of the mansion. As they all try to catch their breath, Inyi says “I think we lost ‘em.” Before anyone can respond, the man from before appears once again, his maniacal laughter echoing throughout the room as he begins to form hand seals and slaps his right hand onto the floor covering the area in smoke. Once the smoke clears, several more of the creatures can be seen. The ghost cracks his whip again, sending the beasts into action. One of them leaps towards Sayono, causing her to let out a small yelp. As a reflex, she lifts her leg, kicking the creature into a support beam for the house and breaking it, causing a small amount of debris to fall to the ground. Three more creatures then leap towards Suzaku, who leaps forward and performs a triple kick that knocks the three of them down, one of them flying through another support beam and causing part of the ceiling to collapse and fall onto a fourth creature, crushing it. Suzaku and Shiro then try a double goukakyuu no jutsu once again. Though it is as ineffective as it was before, creatures that were not hit by the attack are for some reason drawn to the flames. Noticing this, Shiro, being the more intelligent of the group, makes a brilliant deduction. “Hey guys, I think these things are attracted to heat!” Looking around the room and paying special attention to the destroyed support beam, he says “I have an idea! Suzaku, let‘s try it again, but aim towards the center of the room this time!” Nodding to Shiro, Suzaku joins him in performing one more simultaneous goukakyuu no jutsu that is focused towards the center of the room. As Shiro thought, the creatures were immediately attracted to the intense heat of the flames. Shiro then shouts “Guys, we’ll have to bring the roof down on them!” Suzaku and Sayono simultaneously shout “LEAVE IT TO US!” The two of them then thrust their arms forward, executing a double open tiger claw strike to destroy one of the last support beams, causing the rest of the roof to finally start to collapse. The four genin then leap through a large nearby window, landing outside and clearing the area as the house begins to fall.
Finally outside again, the group, covered in dust and other debris from the house, falls to the floor and they all heave a sigh of relief. Shiro then speaks. “Hey…why didn’t we just use the door. We would’ve probably gotten out just as fast…” Inyi answers by saying “Because jumping out the window is more fun!” The group begins to laugh as a puff of smoke fills the area. Stepping from the smoke is Gatz. “Looks like you guys had a pretty wild night…” As the genin leap to their feet, eagerly asking Gatz about the reward they were to get for staying in the mansion, Gatz says “As I said before, the Time Village is fairly new. The Uchuukage asked me to run a short series of tests to find a select few genin who we felt we would not only be brave enough to perform any missions given to them, but also be trustworthy. The genin that managed to stay in the mansion as long as I specified would learn a unique skill that would give them an edge over their opponents.” The eyes of the four genin light up and they begin to jump up and down. Inyi and Sayono even hold hands and begin dancing around, singing “We get to learn a new skillllll! We get to learn a new skillllll!” Gatz then says “However, since you guys destroyed the house and are out here now, you missed that specified time by a few minutes!” The four genin then fall over as Gatz begins to laugh. Quickly rising to their feet again, they yell at the same time “SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!?” Gatz continues to laugh and says “It means better luck next time!” With that said, he disappears in a puff of smoke again. As the smoke clears, the four genin scream “WE GOT RIPPED OFF!”
Inyi begins to pout. “Maaaaan! I can’t believe we did all of that for nothing!” Sayono responds by saying in a whiny voice “I knowwww!” Shiro laughs,
saying “C’mon! You guys know you had fun!” The two kunoichi then glare at Shiro, shouting “SHUTUP SHIRO!” Shiro gives them a huge grin, saying “You guys
are such fakers!” Their glares become even more threatening. “WHAT DID YOU SAY!?” Laughing Shiro takes off, with Inyi and Sayono chasing after him.
Suzaku smiles, taking one last look at the now collapsed mansion. “Well…I guess we did have some fun…” The other three genin then yell behind them
“SUZAKU LET’S GO!” Turning towards them, he yells “Coming!” and takes off after them as the sun shines down on them, signifying the start of a new day and
possibly a new adventure.
NM Kids and the Haunted Mansion
As flocks of pigeons can be heard chirping, the sun shines down brightly as a pleasant wind blows across the verdant landscape that is currently teeming with the Time Village Academy’s new graduates. Among these genin are Kosugi Suzaku, Sagara Shiro, Sanada Sayono, Ai Inyi, and another genin by the name of Kentaro. Within the sight range of the genin is a mansion that seems to have been abandoned for several years. The genin have all assembled here under the request of the Uchuukage. As the other genin roam the area, Sayono, Inyi, and Shiro are seated underneath a tree, while Suzaku lays on a large branch of the very same tree, eyes closed and hands cupped behind his head. Resting her chin in the palm of her hand, Inyi begins to speak. “So why do you think he asked us to come out here anyway?” Suzaku is the first to respond, saying “Who knows?” Sayono then says “Maybe it’s another test?” Her words are then followed by Shiro’s. “Or maybe a mission?” The three sitting below the tree shrug their shoulders and continue waiting.
The sun begins to set and more than half of the genin from earlier have lost their patience and left. Sayono and Inyi remain seated underneath the tree while Suzaku can be seen performing handstand pushups and Shiro practicing his treewalking. With a bored expression on her face, Inyi begins to speak again. “What’s taking so long?” “They’ve had us out here for hours. Maybe we should just leave like everyone else,” suggests Sayono. Suddenly, Kentaro begins to yell. “That old fool better have had a good reason for calling us out here! I have better things to do than wait here like a dog waiting to be beckoned by its master!” Finishing his last handstand pushup, Suzaku lands on his feet, calmly saying, “You guys can leave, but I’m staying. The Uchuukage’s a pretty weird guy, but he’s also wise. He usually has a good reason for his eccentricities.” Shiro leaps down from the tree and nods. “Suzaku’s right guys. Let’s just wait and see where this goes.” Sayono and Inyi nod in agreement while Kentaro says, “Hmph…whatever. I still think he’s just an old fool…”
With the sun now completely out of sight, the moon now occupies the sky, accompanied by the stars. The only genin left now are Suzaku, Shiro, Sayono, Inyi, Kentaro, and three genin that appear to be friends of Kentaro. As the first four sit underneath the tree that they had been near the entire day, Inyi lets out a huge yawn as Suzaku begins to speak while resting his chin on his closed fist and staring at the mansion. “Who do you think lived in that house anyway?” Sayono is the first to give an answer. “I heard that it belonged to a rich family and that the head of the family was working to get rid of crime in Cosmos Country. Then one night, the mansion was attacked and the entire family and even their servants were killed. I also heard that the spirit of the gardener is tied to the mansion and that’s why it looks so nice around it.” Shiro then speaks. “I heard that a mad scientist lived there and used villagers and animals for dangerous experiments and that some of his creations still wander about inside.” Inyi holds her arms and shivers. “Well whatever happened here, one thing’s for sure. This place gives me the creeps!” Kentaro then speaks. “Know what I heard? Whoever lived here simply left and these rumors were created to scare little sissies like you guys at night!” He laughs along with the other three genin around him while Sayono and Inyi glare at him, simultaneously shouting “SHUTUP KENTARO!!!” This makes Kentaro laugh even louder. “You guys are so naïve, believing stuff like that! It’s a miracle you guys even got out of the academy!” Suzaku, looks at Kentaro as he mocks the four of them. “Back off Kentaro…” Glaring at Suzaku, Kentaro says “Or what!?” Suzaku, rising with a serious expression on his face, says “Or you’ll just continue to make a fool of yourself…” This only serves to make Kentaro even more angry. “Why you little…” Without finishing his sentence, Kentaro begins charging towards Suzaku, who begins to go into a defensive stance.
Before the two ninja can confront one another, a puff of smoke appears, catching the attention of the remaining eight genin. From the smoke, a voice emerges. “Alright, that’s enough you two!” A man with a crow-like mask begins to emerge from the smoke. “Hmmm…only eight left…” Examining each genin, he then says “Alright then. Listen up. My name’s Seijuro Gatz. Since you guys are part of a fairly new village, I’ve been asked to give you guys a special training exercise. I had you guys wait to see who the most dedicated genin were. Now the eight of you will have to stay in that house until about six in the morning. Whoever remains when I get back will get a special reward. That’s all I have to say for now. Good luck you guys!” With that said, Gatz disappears in a fashion similar to how he appeared and the eight genin begin moving inside the rumor-surrounded mansion.
Entering the mansion, the genin examine the first room. It appears that the house lacks any operational lights, making the moonlight shining through the windows the only thing that allows the genin to see decently. Cobwebs occupy each corner of the room and the floorboards squeak with each step taken. Over a fireplace that apparently has not been used in years is a portrait of a man with spiky gray hair and a large burn mark on the left side of his face. Suzaku then says “I guess he was the owner of this house…” Kentaro then speaks. “What a dump! We have to stay here ’till six!?” Looking over at Suzaku, Shiro, Sayono, and Inyi, he says “Well I’m not staying with you losers all night!” Motioning to his three friends, he says “Let’s go guys.” With that said, Kentaro and his group begin moving up a staircase on one side of the room. “Fine with us!” says Sayono before the remaining genin begin walking up a staircase on the opposite side of the room.
Hours later, as the four of them walk down a long hallway, Shiro says “This house doesn’t seem so scary.” With a shiver, Inyi says “It still gives me the creeps…” Sayono turns towards Inyi. “Don’t worry. I bet all the rumors aren’t even…” Before she can finish her sentence, a faint howling can be heard echoing in the hallway. As the groups peers down the dark corridor, a clawed paw can be seen emerging from the shadows, accompanied by deep growling. Moments later, the source of the growling is revealed to be a ferocious looking wolf, followed by several other wolves. Before the genin can react, the wolves charge towards them. As the wolves begin to attack them, several screams can be heard. However, the faint sound of snickering reaches Suzaku’s ears. Bringing his hands together to form a hand seal, he yells “Release!” Suddenly, the wolves disappear, and the four genin rise, apparently unharmed. The snickering that could be heard earlier now turns into a familiar laughter. Inyi then yells “Real funny Kentaro you jerk!” Shiro quietly says “So…it was just genjutsu…” Kentaro and his group then step into the hallway. “I can’t believe you guys actually fell for that! It’ll be easier than I thought to send you guys running home crying!” The four genin then depart, leaving Suzaku, Sayono, Shiro, and Inyi by themselves again. After a few moments, Shiro speaks. “Hey, a couple of us should use henge no jutsu and scare the crap out of them!” Sayono then says “Yeah! They’re so stupid they wouldn’t even see through it!” Suzaku nods with a smile. “I’m in…”
Shiro nods towards Suzaku. The two of them then form hand seals and yell “HENGE!” covering themselves in a veil of smoke. Once the smoke clears, two disfigured zombie-like creatures can be seen. Inyi then jumps up and down, saying “Wow! You guys are some pretty realistic looking zombies! Go get ‘em!” As the two kunoichi hide themselves in nearby rooms and Suzaku and Shiro prepare to go look for Kentaro and his friends, they begin to hear screams. Sayono then says “Eh, it’s probably just Kentaro and his friends trying to scare us again.” Quick footsteps could then be heard as if someone were running towards them. Moments later, Kentaro and his friends can be seen running down the hallway. Suzaku and Shiro then try to make convincing zombie-like moans, but Kentaro and his friends run right past them, screaming “Let‘s get out of here!.” As Suzaku and Shiro clear their henge, Sayono and Inyi come back into the hallway. Looking in the direction that Kentaro and his gang came from, the four genin can hear several loud shrieking sounds. Emerging from the shadows this time are several short, dinosaur-looking creatures that are lacking arms. After a few moments, a ghostly figure, similar to the man from the portrait that they saw earlier, appears behind the creatures and begins to laugh manically, cracking a whip at the monsters. The strange beings then begin to shriek, charging towards the four genin. A horrified Sayono screams, yelling “I don’t think these are illusions!” The four of them react by each pulling out several kunai and shuriken and tossing them towards the creatures. Some of the projectiles simply bounce off of the dinosaur-like beasts while others are caught in the mouths of the creatures and easily crushed between their jaws. As the shrieking monsters continue charging towards them, Suzaku and Shiro attempt a simultaneous goukakyuu no jutsu. However, all this does is momentarily disorient the attacking beasts giving the four genin time to take off and try to escape their pursuers. Shiro then yells “I guess this mansion really did belong to a mad scientist!”
The group manages to make it back down to the lower floor of the mansion. As they all try to catch their breath, Inyi says “I think we lost ‘em.” Before anyone can respond, the man from before appears once again, his maniacal laughter echoing throughout the room as he begins to form hand seals and slaps his right hand onto the floor covering the area in smoke. Once the smoke clears, several more of the creatures can be seen. The ghost cracks his whip again, sending the beasts into action. One of them leaps towards Sayono, causing her to let out a small yelp. As a reflex, she lifts her leg, kicking the creature into a support beam for the house and breaking it, causing a small amount of debris to fall to the ground. Three more creatures then leap towards Suzaku, who leaps forward and performs a triple kick that knocks the three of them down, one of them flying through another support beam and causing part of the ceiling to collapse and fall onto a fourth creature, crushing it. Suzaku and Shiro then try a double goukakyuu no jutsu once again. Though it is as ineffective as it was before, creatures that were not hit by the attack are for some reason drawn to the flames. Noticing this, Shiro, being the more intelligent of the group, makes a brilliant deduction. “Hey guys, I think these things are attracted to heat!” Looking around the room and paying special attention to the destroyed support beam, he says “I have an idea! Suzaku, let‘s try it again, but aim towards the center of the room this time!” Nodding to Shiro, Suzaku joins him in performing one more simultaneous goukakyuu no jutsu that is focused towards the center of the room. As Shiro thought, the creatures were immediately attracted to the intense heat of the flames. Shiro then shouts “Guys, we’ll have to bring the roof down on them!” Suzaku and Sayono simultaneously shout “LEAVE IT TO US!” The two of them then thrust their arms forward, executing a double open tiger claw strike to destroy one of the last support beams, causing the rest of the roof to finally start to collapse. The four genin then leap through a large nearby window, landing outside and clearing the area as the house begins to fall.
Finally outside again, the group, covered in dust and other debris from the house, falls to the floor and they all heave a sigh of relief. Shiro then speaks. “Hey…why didn’t we just use the door. We would’ve probably gotten out just as fast…” Inyi answers by saying “Because jumping out the window is more fun!” The group begins to laugh as a puff of smoke fills the area. Stepping from the smoke is Gatz. “Looks like you guys had a pretty wild night…” As the genin leap to their feet, eagerly asking Gatz about the reward they were to get for staying in the mansion, Gatz says “As I said before, the Time Village is fairly new. The Uchuukage asked me to run a short series of tests to find a select few genin who we felt we would not only be brave enough to perform any missions given to them, but also be trustworthy. The genin that managed to stay in the mansion as long as I specified would learn a unique skill that would give them an edge over their opponents.” The eyes of the four genin light up and they begin to jump up and down. Inyi and Sayono even hold hands and begin dancing around, singing “We get to learn a new skillllll! We get to learn a new skillllll!” Gatz then says “However, since you guys destroyed the house and are out here now, you missed that specified time by a few minutes!” The four genin then fall over as Gatz begins to laugh. Quickly rising to their feet again, they yell at the same time “SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!?” Gatz continues to laugh and says “It means better luck next time!” With that said, he disappears in a puff of smoke again. As the smoke clears, the four genin scream “WE GOT RIPPED OFF!”
Inyi begins to pout. “Maaaaan! I can’t believe we did all of that for nothing!” Sayono responds by saying in a whiny voice “I knowwww!” Shiro laughs,
saying “C’mon! You guys know you had fun!” The two kunoichi then glare at Shiro, shouting “SHUTUP SHIRO!” Shiro gives them a huge grin, saying “You guys
are such fakers!” Their glares become even more threatening. “WHAT DID YOU SAY!?” Laughing Shiro takes off, with Inyi and Sayono chasing after him.
Suzaku smiles, taking one last look at the now collapsed mansion. “Well…I guess we did have some fun…” The other three genin then yell behind them
“SUZAKU LET’S GO!” Turning towards them, he yells “Coming!” and takes off after them as the sun shines down on them, signifying the start of a new day and
possibly a new adventure.
Gatz Seijuro,
Owner of NarutoMUD
Owner of NarutoMUD
Story #2
It was that time of the year again.
No, not that time. The other time.
Halloween.
Due to the overwhelmingly positive turnout for the Halloween costume party last year, the Uchuukage was more than happy to re-host the occasion, inviting one and all (except bandits and thieves) for the festivities. Thus it came to be that the Missions Office was filled with a multitude of the strange and the supernatural - vampires with fanged smiles, toilet-roll mummies and metrosexuals.
Not all were happy to be there.
"Why does everyone just go along with what the Uchuukage says?", Shoji griped. "They just look silly in all those weird costumes."
"Sure they do," agreed the diminutive fairy beside him, "That's why you're standing here in a bear suit." She broke into an impish grin. "Real cute, though."
The lad reddened, crossing his furred paws. "I-I..I...my mom left my costume to the last minute, and it was the only thing my size in the rental store left!", he protested weakly. "I didn't even want to come at first! My dad dragged me here."
"Suuuure." Midori was straight-faced, but he strongly suspected she was secretly smirking inside. He felt it wise to change the topic, fast.
"I mean, look at them! Some of the genin are just so old." "Why aren't they chuunin yet? From the last time I've been here, it's still just that bearded guy at the Entrance, and Chuunin greeter."
"Maybe it's because no-one have completed all the missions yet?" Midori mused, tapping her chin with a tinseled wand.
"Oh poohey," the human teddy retorted, in the all-knowing voice only children have. "They can't be that hard."
From behind them, a voice commented, "I hear that the Uchuukage sends them to fight monsters."
They turned to see Jorou standing in a Noh actor's outfit. A demon mask rested at an angle on his head, pushed aside. He grinned. "Hi."
"ooOOooOOooOOoo." Midori was wide-eyed, sensing new gossip. "Really?"
"Huh." Shoji muttered disbelievingly.
"It's true! I was at the hospital one day when this really tall genin came in, all bloodied and bruised. He was muttering to himself all the while he was treated; 'Must defeat the nine Isamashii monsters' or something."
Two pairs of eyes turned to fix on Shoji.
The bear held up its claws defensively. "Don't look at me, I don't know anything about monsters in MY village."
"Oh." said Midori, obviously disappointed.
Conversation switched to other subjects.
"So Jorou," Shoji began. "Haven't seen you in awhile. How're things in Nakama? Manage to defeat Panou yet?"
A heavy silence hung in the air.
"Uh.." Jorou had a really scary look on his face. Midori started to say something, but Panou narrowed his gaze on her. "Do you really want me to make you cry?"
Shoji blinked. And made a major mental note not to bring that up again.
Midori's mouth was hanging open for all of a surprised second, before it clamped shut.
"Big girls don't cry," she said primly. "And I wasn't about to tell him anything!"
Skepticism was written all over his face. Which was understandable, it was Midori the Gossip they were talking about, after all.
Shoji hastily intervened, "I'm sure it's only a matter of time. So. Are we going to the forests again?"
Two incredulous expressions fixed upon him. "What, what did I say?"
"You do remember what happened to us the last time we went adventuring there, right?"
A youthful grin broke on his face. "'Course I do. Wasn't that exciting?"
"Which? Being scared witless, or the month-long detention after that?", Jorou responded dryly.
"Oh don't be a spoilsport. This's the springtime of our youth! We have to take risks! Taste the rainbow! Seize the-"
"Any which way," Jorou interrupted loudly, staring at a point behind Shoji. "I'm sure Shoji's just itching to go out and find something interesting to do, right? Right?"
A blink. And another one. Jorou seemed slightly...off. What was he staring at with an expression like that? "Yeah. But didn't you just-"
"So let's go! Comeoncomeoncomeon!" Jorou took off, leaving Midori and a very confused Shoji to follow behind. Midori nudged him in the ribs as they went, jerking her head towards a gangly cowboy beside the punch bowl.
"That's Panou," she said.
"Ah."
"I've been thinking," Jorou announced.
"Must be a new experience," Shoji commented. Not long after, "Ow!"
"Now, where was I? Ah yes, I was thinking," he continued, unflappable. "Just how long are you two going to cling onto my arms? I can't walk properly like this!"
"Until we don't need your candle anymore?" This from Midori.
"But we're in the rabbit forest! What's the worst that can happen? Death by cuteness?"
"We could be thrown into pots and cooked by strange old men in the forest," the girl suggested.
"I think that's Emma-O, Midori." Shoji remarked dryly, still rubbing his head.
"But where are we going, exactly?" persisted the other lad, stepping gingerly as to not spill wax on his own hand, "More importantly, what will we be doing?"
"We could go back to that Forest again," suggested Shoji.
Everyone ignored him.
"How about trick-or-treating?" A scowling devil and a grinning bear turned to regard her. She blinked, rubbing her eyes, causing her rice paper wings to rustle. "You know, in this dim lightning, the two of you look kind of creepy."
Jorou swelled visibly. "Why thank you," he said graciously, "So do you, too."
He didn't see the dark look Midori gave him. (Which was just as well, because he wouldn't have understood it, either.)
Shoji brushed away a low-hanging branch with a paw. "What is trick-or-treat-ing? Haven't heard of that before,"
"Well," Midori perked up, in her storytelling element. "I hear that in far-off villages, they have this tradition during Halloween where the children go from house to house, knock on doors, say 'Trick or Treat!' and get lollies from grownups."
There was a thoughtful pause.
"You mean begging?"
"No," The girl insisted. "It's Trick-orTreating!"
"Begging," said the bear smugly.
Midori looked skywards, seeking divine assistance.
"But all the grownups are at the party in the Missions Office anyway," pointed out Janou reasonably. "Who's going to be at home?"
"I don't know! It's just an idea! Gah! You two think of one, then." the girl grumped in childish pique, stomping her pom-pom tipped pumps. One finger jabbed the air in Shoji's direction. "And don't you dare mention that freaky forest!"
The boys shared a look. Jorou shrugged helplessly. "You get used to it."
"Get used to what?"
No-one answered her this time.
"Look, we could just...go around," Shoji mused after a bit of walking. "Play some pranks."
"Shoji!" Jorou said, shocked. "But that's bad!"
"No it isn't. It's only bad if you don't have fun while doing it." argued Shoji in his most reasonable voice. Honesty-R-Us. "It's really cool. Come on, I'll even show you how to make this amazing stink bomb from-"
"A THOUSAND YEARS OF PAIN!!", yelled a deep voice bare inches behind them.
"AHHHH!" Shoji stumbled. The small candle flickered, almost going out. Midori cringed, hands on both sides of her head. They whirled about.
"Shinji Goto!"
The retrieval ninja grinned boyishly, his casual two-finger salute in sharp contrast with the cardboard crown on his head. "My lords and ladies," He swept his cape around him in a dramatic flourish. "Cease and desist! Misdeeds do not become you."
Shoji's brow crinkled, uncomprehending.
"He means that you should not play pranks on others, if you dislike them played on you." another brass voice explained from behind the posing king.
Midori's eyes widened. "Sensei!"
A tall, thin figure melted from the shadows behind Goto, the flickering light of Jorou's candle dancing across the forest-green combat vest that he wore. Neither one held any light source of their own. He nodded to the kids. "Though you should not have frightened the children so, Goto." he chided mildly. "They might have fallen."
"Hey hey, cut a guy some slack, eh? It's Halloween! You're supposed to scare people! Come on man, you're not even in costume!" Goto remarked cheerfully, slinging a brotherly arm across the teacher's padded shoulder. After a last wave to the kids, the two set off towards the direction of the ongoing party. Goto's voice could be heard to ask, "How in the world would you be able to scare anyone without a costume?"
"I don't need one."
At Goto's raised eyebrow, he turned on his heels, eyeing the still-watching kids with a glint in his eyes. "Ten thousand words on why pranks are bad. On my desk tomorrow."
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
"Yikes," Goto muttered, lowering his hands from his ears. "That's effective."
"Uh, Sensei," In the middle of the forest, Jorou raised his hand. Years of training can do that to one. The Jounin turned again. "A-are you serious?"
The teacher smiled enigmatically, the action all the more scarier with his face half hidden in shadows. "Happy Halloween," was all he said.
And that was that.
It was that time of the year again.
No, not that time. The other time.
Halloween.
Due to the overwhelmingly positive turnout for the Halloween costume party last year, the Uchuukage was more than happy to re-host the occasion, inviting one and all (except bandits and thieves) for the festivities. Thus it came to be that the Missions Office was filled with a multitude of the strange and the supernatural - vampires with fanged smiles, toilet-roll mummies and metrosexuals.
Not all were happy to be there.
"Why does everyone just go along with what the Uchuukage says?", Shoji griped. "They just look silly in all those weird costumes."
"Sure they do," agreed the diminutive fairy beside him, "That's why you're standing here in a bear suit." She broke into an impish grin. "Real cute, though."
The lad reddened, crossing his furred paws. "I-I..I...my mom left my costume to the last minute, and it was the only thing my size in the rental store left!", he protested weakly. "I didn't even want to come at first! My dad dragged me here."
"Suuuure." Midori was straight-faced, but he strongly suspected she was secretly smirking inside. He felt it wise to change the topic, fast.
"I mean, look at them! Some of the genin are just so old." "Why aren't they chuunin yet? From the last time I've been here, it's still just that bearded guy at the Entrance, and Chuunin greeter."
"Maybe it's because no-one have completed all the missions yet?" Midori mused, tapping her chin with a tinseled wand.
"Oh poohey," the human teddy retorted, in the all-knowing voice only children have. "They can't be that hard."
From behind them, a voice commented, "I hear that the Uchuukage sends them to fight monsters."
They turned to see Jorou standing in a Noh actor's outfit. A demon mask rested at an angle on his head, pushed aside. He grinned. "Hi."
"ooOOooOOooOOoo." Midori was wide-eyed, sensing new gossip. "Really?"
"Huh." Shoji muttered disbelievingly.
"It's true! I was at the hospital one day when this really tall genin came in, all bloodied and bruised. He was muttering to himself all the while he was treated; 'Must defeat the nine Isamashii monsters' or something."
Two pairs of eyes turned to fix on Shoji.
The bear held up its claws defensively. "Don't look at me, I don't know anything about monsters in MY village."
"Oh." said Midori, obviously disappointed.
Conversation switched to other subjects.
"So Jorou," Shoji began. "Haven't seen you in awhile. How're things in Nakama? Manage to defeat Panou yet?"
A heavy silence hung in the air.
"Uh.." Jorou had a really scary look on his face. Midori started to say something, but Panou narrowed his gaze on her. "Do you really want me to make you cry?"
Shoji blinked. And made a major mental note not to bring that up again.
Midori's mouth was hanging open for all of a surprised second, before it clamped shut.
"Big girls don't cry," she said primly. "And I wasn't about to tell him anything!"
Skepticism was written all over his face. Which was understandable, it was Midori the Gossip they were talking about, after all.
Shoji hastily intervened, "I'm sure it's only a matter of time. So. Are we going to the forests again?"
Two incredulous expressions fixed upon him. "What, what did I say?"
"You do remember what happened to us the last time we went adventuring there, right?"
A youthful grin broke on his face. "'Course I do. Wasn't that exciting?"
"Which? Being scared witless, or the month-long detention after that?", Jorou responded dryly.
"Oh don't be a spoilsport. This's the springtime of our youth! We have to take risks! Taste the rainbow! Seize the-"
"Any which way," Jorou interrupted loudly, staring at a point behind Shoji. "I'm sure Shoji's just itching to go out and find something interesting to do, right? Right?"
A blink. And another one. Jorou seemed slightly...off. What was he staring at with an expression like that? "Yeah. But didn't you just-"
"So let's go! Comeoncomeoncomeon!" Jorou took off, leaving Midori and a very confused Shoji to follow behind. Midori nudged him in the ribs as they went, jerking her head towards a gangly cowboy beside the punch bowl.
"That's Panou," she said.
"Ah."
"I've been thinking," Jorou announced.
"Must be a new experience," Shoji commented. Not long after, "Ow!"
"Now, where was I? Ah yes, I was thinking," he continued, unflappable. "Just how long are you two going to cling onto my arms? I can't walk properly like this!"
"Until we don't need your candle anymore?" This from Midori.
"But we're in the rabbit forest! What's the worst that can happen? Death by cuteness?"
"We could be thrown into pots and cooked by strange old men in the forest," the girl suggested.
"I think that's Emma-O, Midori." Shoji remarked dryly, still rubbing his head.
"But where are we going, exactly?" persisted the other lad, stepping gingerly as to not spill wax on his own hand, "More importantly, what will we be doing?"
"We could go back to that Forest again," suggested Shoji.
Everyone ignored him.
"How about trick-or-treating?" A scowling devil and a grinning bear turned to regard her. She blinked, rubbing her eyes, causing her rice paper wings to rustle. "You know, in this dim lightning, the two of you look kind of creepy."
Jorou swelled visibly. "Why thank you," he said graciously, "So do you, too."
He didn't see the dark look Midori gave him. (Which was just as well, because he wouldn't have understood it, either.)
Shoji brushed away a low-hanging branch with a paw. "What is trick-or-treat-ing? Haven't heard of that before,"
"Well," Midori perked up, in her storytelling element. "I hear that in far-off villages, they have this tradition during Halloween where the children go from house to house, knock on doors, say 'Trick or Treat!' and get lollies from grownups."
There was a thoughtful pause.
"You mean begging?"
"No," The girl insisted. "It's Trick-orTreating!"
"Begging," said the bear smugly.
Midori looked skywards, seeking divine assistance.
"But all the grownups are at the party in the Missions Office anyway," pointed out Janou reasonably. "Who's going to be at home?"
"I don't know! It's just an idea! Gah! You two think of one, then." the girl grumped in childish pique, stomping her pom-pom tipped pumps. One finger jabbed the air in Shoji's direction. "And don't you dare mention that freaky forest!"
The boys shared a look. Jorou shrugged helplessly. "You get used to it."
"Get used to what?"
No-one answered her this time.
"Look, we could just...go around," Shoji mused after a bit of walking. "Play some pranks."
"Shoji!" Jorou said, shocked. "But that's bad!"
"No it isn't. It's only bad if you don't have fun while doing it." argued Shoji in his most reasonable voice. Honesty-R-Us. "It's really cool. Come on, I'll even show you how to make this amazing stink bomb from-"
"A THOUSAND YEARS OF PAIN!!", yelled a deep voice bare inches behind them.
"AHHHH!" Shoji stumbled. The small candle flickered, almost going out. Midori cringed, hands on both sides of her head. They whirled about.
"Shinji Goto!"
The retrieval ninja grinned boyishly, his casual two-finger salute in sharp contrast with the cardboard crown on his head. "My lords and ladies," He swept his cape around him in a dramatic flourish. "Cease and desist! Misdeeds do not become you."
Shoji's brow crinkled, uncomprehending.
"He means that you should not play pranks on others, if you dislike them played on you." another brass voice explained from behind the posing king.
Midori's eyes widened. "Sensei!"
A tall, thin figure melted from the shadows behind Goto, the flickering light of Jorou's candle dancing across the forest-green combat vest that he wore. Neither one held any light source of their own. He nodded to the kids. "Though you should not have frightened the children so, Goto." he chided mildly. "They might have fallen."
"Hey hey, cut a guy some slack, eh? It's Halloween! You're supposed to scare people! Come on man, you're not even in costume!" Goto remarked cheerfully, slinging a brotherly arm across the teacher's padded shoulder. After a last wave to the kids, the two set off towards the direction of the ongoing party. Goto's voice could be heard to ask, "How in the world would you be able to scare anyone without a costume?"
"I don't need one."
At Goto's raised eyebrow, he turned on his heels, eyeing the still-watching kids with a glint in his eyes. "Ten thousand words on why pranks are bad. On my desk tomorrow."
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
"Yikes," Goto muttered, lowering his hands from his ears. "That's effective."
"Uh, Sensei," In the middle of the forest, Jorou raised his hand. Years of training can do that to one. The Jounin turned again. "A-are you serious?"
The teacher smiled enigmatically, the action all the more scarier with his face half hidden in shadows. "Happy Halloween," was all he said.
And that was that.
Gatz Seijuro,
Owner of NarutoMUD
Owner of NarutoMUD
Just for fun, I created an entry myself that won't be judged.
The Halloween Gift
In Kouin Square, above a little shop was a small apartment, where inside lived a little boy named Hitsuya Kenji. He lived with his mother, who ran a small shop on the square. His father was a traveling merchant, who had unfortunately lost his life when a group of Riyoku raiders had mistaken his father’s cart for a sneak attack by Time Village Ninja. After that day, the boy never spoke again. Even when he wept by his bed, his tears fell in silence.
Doctors were unable to figure out what was wrong with Kenji, he seemed to have no physical abnormalities, but whenever he tried to speak, nothing but the hollow sound of his breath escaping would come out. His mother, grief stricken, refused to talk about Kenji and blamed herself for his disabilities.
Many of the village’s children never even knew Kenji was around; he seemed to lack the urge to go outside and play with them. While he listened to the sounds of their games of tag and hide n’ seek, he would read the books his father had collected from around the Cosmos Country. He would envision himself as the hero in each adventure. He often preferred to read adventure stories, but he also likes the academic books his father had collected. Books from cooking to being an excellent tracking ninja kept him occupied.
However, there was something about Halloween that would always depress him. It was that particular holiday that his father had promised to return with an ‘extra special’ gift for him. His father had to make a very long trip to visit the Fire Country, during his time there; he was able to purchase a toy ANBU outfit for his son, who had always starred at any ANBU with such admiration. However, the outfit, like his father, didn’t make it home that year.
Since that time, Kenji would sit and stare out his window and watch the other children dress up in costume and have fun on Halloween. The town would set out a large pumpkin and the shop keepers would give out candy. However, he didn’t enjoy any of it. He would watch, with intent eyes, the ANBU that would be placed in charge of making sure the children of Hidden Time were kept safe.
Standing on roof tops and leaping building to building, being illuminated by the light cast from the city below them, they watched. Kenji watched them. He would take in every detail. The way they stood like stone, the dark cloaks they wore slowly flapping with the gentle autumn winds. Their masks, inhuman and expressionless, incapable of showing any feelings, their mouths’ never moved. The masks defiantly stood silent to the action that was happening below in the city.
The Halloween festival was soon to begin, the ANBU had already been patrolling the city. Every night Kenji would stare across the city’s roof tops, hoping to see one of them. His eyes fixated on an ANBU who seemed to favor being perched at the top of an abandoned building not far from Kenji’s.
Before the night sky had totally taken hold, with the small amount of day light left, Kenji would make out a few of the details in the mask of the ANBU that was perched nearby. The shape of a beak was dominate in the mask. He wondered to himself what that meant. The ANBU never seemed to turn his head, but Kenji felt he could see the world.
He lost track of time, he began missing meals, but it didn’t matter. Seeing the ANBU watching over the city was all he needed. He started falling asleep at his window sill and waking up to the morning light. He wondered what things the ANBU did during the day; did they go on exotic missions? Would they see the places he only read about and would they be like the heroes he dreamt of being?
The day before the big festival was finally here. The shops were packed with people buying costumes and candies. The whole city seemed to move and shake with the life of the crowded streets. Kenji shifted from window to window in his apartment, trying to take it all in. Then the night came and the shops closed up.
Kenji’s Mom returned home from work and began to prepare dinner. Kenji slowly slumped off into his room as the last shop on Kouin Square closed for the night. He knew tomorrow would be a day filled with laughter and joy, he’d watch yet another year go by from above them.
After dinner, his Mom tried to ask what Kenji wanted to be. She suggested a lot of things, most of which were popular with the children at that time. Nothing moved him. Ghosts, goblins, demons and all manner of creature couldn’t inspire Kenji. He didn’t want any of those. There was no way he could want to be one of those. To each one she’d suggest, he’d shake his head furiously. In the end, his mom ended up giving up the futile attempt, like every time since the incidence happened, and go to washing dishes.
Kenji returned to his room. No children went out the night before the Halloween Festival. The streets were quiet. His eyes darted across the city; he looked over every rooftop and perch. Not an ANBU in sight. In sadness, he went to his bed and lay staring at the ceiling. He began to day-dream over the stories he had entertained himself with.
A hollow knock echoed through his home. He perked his head up slightly and heard his mom get up, he slumped back. His mom let out a gasp and Kenji got up and went to her.
In her hands, she held an ANBU mask and a black cloak, just like the kind that the ANBU had worn. A small note attached simply read, “Happy Halloween.” The mask was a little too large for his face and the cloak just too long.
As her son slept, his mom stayed awake. Hemming, tweaking and adjusting the cloak to fit her son. She worked fast, but didn’t make any errors. Her eyes focused on every little detail. As the sun began to rise, she was making her final stitch. She wiped away a bead of sweat and with a large grin, held out the ANBU cloak in front of her.
Kenji was now awake and came out, in amazement he gasped as he saw an ANBU outfit, perfect to his size, waiting for him on the kitchen table. He hurriedly tried it on. The mask fit, but barely and the cloak felt heavy. However, he felt like an ANBU. He had become the one of the heroes.
He heard the children outside enjoying the Halloween Festival and dashed for the door. He flung the door open and began to run out, when he saw his mother give him a faint smile, sitting in a chair by her sewing supplies. He ran over to her and gave her a tight hug. She smiled at him with a tear rolling down her cheek as he ran out the door, laughing.
From that point on, Hitsuya Kenji never missed a Halloween Festival in Time Village. Even as he grew older, he always looked forward to that time of year, where he could become the ANBU, and be the hero once more.
The Halloween Gift
In Kouin Square, above a little shop was a small apartment, where inside lived a little boy named Hitsuya Kenji. He lived with his mother, who ran a small shop on the square. His father was a traveling merchant, who had unfortunately lost his life when a group of Riyoku raiders had mistaken his father’s cart for a sneak attack by Time Village Ninja. After that day, the boy never spoke again. Even when he wept by his bed, his tears fell in silence.
Doctors were unable to figure out what was wrong with Kenji, he seemed to have no physical abnormalities, but whenever he tried to speak, nothing but the hollow sound of his breath escaping would come out. His mother, grief stricken, refused to talk about Kenji and blamed herself for his disabilities.
Many of the village’s children never even knew Kenji was around; he seemed to lack the urge to go outside and play with them. While he listened to the sounds of their games of tag and hide n’ seek, he would read the books his father had collected from around the Cosmos Country. He would envision himself as the hero in each adventure. He often preferred to read adventure stories, but he also likes the academic books his father had collected. Books from cooking to being an excellent tracking ninja kept him occupied.
However, there was something about Halloween that would always depress him. It was that particular holiday that his father had promised to return with an ‘extra special’ gift for him. His father had to make a very long trip to visit the Fire Country, during his time there; he was able to purchase a toy ANBU outfit for his son, who had always starred at any ANBU with such admiration. However, the outfit, like his father, didn’t make it home that year.
Since that time, Kenji would sit and stare out his window and watch the other children dress up in costume and have fun on Halloween. The town would set out a large pumpkin and the shop keepers would give out candy. However, he didn’t enjoy any of it. He would watch, with intent eyes, the ANBU that would be placed in charge of making sure the children of Hidden Time were kept safe.
Standing on roof tops and leaping building to building, being illuminated by the light cast from the city below them, they watched. Kenji watched them. He would take in every detail. The way they stood like stone, the dark cloaks they wore slowly flapping with the gentle autumn winds. Their masks, inhuman and expressionless, incapable of showing any feelings, their mouths’ never moved. The masks defiantly stood silent to the action that was happening below in the city.
The Halloween festival was soon to begin, the ANBU had already been patrolling the city. Every night Kenji would stare across the city’s roof tops, hoping to see one of them. His eyes fixated on an ANBU who seemed to favor being perched at the top of an abandoned building not far from Kenji’s.
Before the night sky had totally taken hold, with the small amount of day light left, Kenji would make out a few of the details in the mask of the ANBU that was perched nearby. The shape of a beak was dominate in the mask. He wondered to himself what that meant. The ANBU never seemed to turn his head, but Kenji felt he could see the world.
He lost track of time, he began missing meals, but it didn’t matter. Seeing the ANBU watching over the city was all he needed. He started falling asleep at his window sill and waking up to the morning light. He wondered what things the ANBU did during the day; did they go on exotic missions? Would they see the places he only read about and would they be like the heroes he dreamt of being?
The day before the big festival was finally here. The shops were packed with people buying costumes and candies. The whole city seemed to move and shake with the life of the crowded streets. Kenji shifted from window to window in his apartment, trying to take it all in. Then the night came and the shops closed up.
Kenji’s Mom returned home from work and began to prepare dinner. Kenji slowly slumped off into his room as the last shop on Kouin Square closed for the night. He knew tomorrow would be a day filled with laughter and joy, he’d watch yet another year go by from above them.
After dinner, his Mom tried to ask what Kenji wanted to be. She suggested a lot of things, most of which were popular with the children at that time. Nothing moved him. Ghosts, goblins, demons and all manner of creature couldn’t inspire Kenji. He didn’t want any of those. There was no way he could want to be one of those. To each one she’d suggest, he’d shake his head furiously. In the end, his mom ended up giving up the futile attempt, like every time since the incidence happened, and go to washing dishes.
Kenji returned to his room. No children went out the night before the Halloween Festival. The streets were quiet. His eyes darted across the city; he looked over every rooftop and perch. Not an ANBU in sight. In sadness, he went to his bed and lay staring at the ceiling. He began to day-dream over the stories he had entertained himself with.
A hollow knock echoed through his home. He perked his head up slightly and heard his mom get up, he slumped back. His mom let out a gasp and Kenji got up and went to her.
In her hands, she held an ANBU mask and a black cloak, just like the kind that the ANBU had worn. A small note attached simply read, “Happy Halloween.” The mask was a little too large for his face and the cloak just too long.
As her son slept, his mom stayed awake. Hemming, tweaking and adjusting the cloak to fit her son. She worked fast, but didn’t make any errors. Her eyes focused on every little detail. As the sun began to rise, she was making her final stitch. She wiped away a bead of sweat and with a large grin, held out the ANBU cloak in front of her.
Kenji was now awake and came out, in amazement he gasped as he saw an ANBU outfit, perfect to his size, waiting for him on the kitchen table. He hurriedly tried it on. The mask fit, but barely and the cloak felt heavy. However, he felt like an ANBU. He had become the one of the heroes.
He heard the children outside enjoying the Halloween Festival and dashed for the door. He flung the door open and began to run out, when he saw his mother give him a faint smile, sitting in a chair by her sewing supplies. He ran over to her and gave her a tight hug. She smiled at him with a tear rolling down her cheek as he ran out the door, laughing.
From that point on, Hitsuya Kenji never missed a Halloween Festival in Time Village. Even as he grew older, he always looked forward to that time of year, where he could become the ANBU, and be the hero once more.
Gatz Seijuro,
Owner of NarutoMUD
Owner of NarutoMUD