Road to Honor

DISCLAIMER: The following work is fan fiction.  The Naruto world and all the techniques used in this story are based off the manga created by Masashi Kishimoto.  I claim no credit to the world, pre-existing villages or the majority of the jutsus used in the following.  This story does take place in the Naruto world however I have decided to place this story in another country with entirely different hidden villages and characters of my own.  I know there will be those that will despise my work for deviating and I accept that.  I only ask that you read it first before judging too harshly because I am a huge Naruto fan and I just wanted the chance for the voices of my ninja to be heard.  I hope you enjoy.



Part 1:
Anticipation


A man in his fifties with gray hair, a well-trimmed beard, and dressed in comfortable robes walks silently through his house to the door of his 16 year old daughter’s room.  The only thing giving away his presence is the cherry tobacco that he so eagerly smokes in his pipe.  He gently knocks on his child’s door and awaits her reply.
“It’s not locked,” responds a girl’s faint voice.
The old man opens the door to a very clean and efficient room but this is not what he came to inspect this morning.  He came to check on his daughter before she left on her trip to the capital.  She was to participate in the final stage of her very first chunin exam.  She along with her two teammates pasted the first two stages with flying colors but this would be completely different.
She is supposed to fight against the other chunin hopefuls and she was to do so in front of the royal family and the seven great Kages.  Not to mention the hundreds of nobles and observers who would be present to scout for potential talent for future missions.  It was troubling for her father that she would have to endure such pressure because he never had to endure such a trial during his chunin exam but he had faith in his daughter and her abilities.
He saw her standing on the balcony outside her room looking out over the village, the deep forest surrounding them and the massive lake not too far away.  His daughter wore a grey, loose fitting shirt that had a tiger stripe pattern of darker grey stripes and sleeves that hung down to her knees.  She wore tight fitting black shorts, a tool pouch on her right thigh and carried a kodachi against the small of her back held in place by a red silk ribbon that wrapped around her waste.
She had her fire red hair pulled back into a ponytail, which was not uncommon for the female ninja of her village.  The thing that made her stand out from the others was the fact that she wore her village headband directly over her eyes.  She was not blind nor did it hinder her sight but was a precaution to protect her teammates from the gaze of her eyes.
This was due to the fact she was born with a kekkei genkai (bloodline limit) utilizing a powerful genjutsu.  Even though she has recently gained control over whom it affects she still does not feel confident enough to risk her teammates’ safety.  Besides she has become accustomed to opponents thinking she’s blind and underestimating her abilities.  
“You look so beautiful Miharu,” questioned her father as he placed his hand on her shoulder, “Did you sleep last night?”
“No I didn’t.  I couldn’t,” she replied putting her arm around his back and leaning her head against his shoulder, “My stomach is in too many knots right now.  I don’t want to shame you.”
“Miharu my beloved you could never shame me or this village,” he spoke with a comforting smile, “You are stronger than you think and it’s not because of your eyes.  It’s because of your heart.  I have never had to ask you once to do your best and I will not start now because I believe in you.”
“Thanks dad but why did we have to wait so long before taking our exam?  Most of the others there are at least two years younger than us.”
“Well my dear that decision was made by the village elders,” he said as he exhaled a big plume of cherry scented smoke, “They wanted to give you time to develop your abilities more until you could control them properly.”
“I feel like I’ve held the team back because of that,” she replied as she looked up at her father.
“Do they feel that way?”
“No or at least I don’t think so but I do know Ren’s father has definitely taken the time to work him extra hard in his ninjutsu and taijutsu training.”
“As well as Eiji’s parents I’m sure so do not let this hinder you my dearest Miharu.  You may be taking the exam later than most but I feel your team will shine the brightest and show the strength of our village.”
“You always know how to cheer me up.”
“Oh course I do I’m your father now come downstairs and eat your breakfast before it gets too cold or your mother will have a fit.”
“Okay dad but can you help me practice my genjutsu control one last time before I have to leave?”
“I would be glad too.”


After her final goodbyes to her parents Miharu quickly made her way to the main gate of her home the Village of the Hidden Blade and there waiting patiently was her sensei a jounin named Nakamura Akonda.  Akonda-sensei was in his thirties; he had green eyes, brown hair that draped over the village headband he wore on his forehead, he also wore a jounin style vest, a long sleeve dark grey shirt, long black pants, and had a disfiguring scar going diagonally across his entire face.  He always pushed the team to do their absolute best even if it was to simply help an elderly woman across the street.
Standing beside Akonda-sensei was her teammate Toyowa Eiji, who was a bug user and taijutsu specialist.  He was also 16 and very lithe in appearance with well-groomed black hair that he kept cut short and blue eyes.  Eiji kept his headband tied around his right bicep, he wore a loose fitting blue shirt, a black vest, baggy khaki colored shorts, and his forearms and shins were covered with black colored wraps.  
Eiji also kept a large double-chambered gourd with two corked openings strapped to his back that he used to hold his insects.  He wanted to follow in both of his parents’ footsteps however they used two different types of bugs.  His father used flies while his mother chose to use preying mantises and he had decided to attempt to use both despite the fact he can only use one type at a time.
Arriving at the gate at the same time Miharu did was the last team member Tokukami Ren.  He was the first-born son of Tokukami Fuuta the village’s strongest ninja, who was the right hand of the village elders and also carried a kekkei genkai in his veins.  Ren carried a tremendous weight on his shoulders with the reputation of his father over shadowing his every move however he never showed any sign of complaint publicly but his team knew about his fear of failure.  Because of this Ren poured everything he had into his training and he had developed a very muscular body despite being only 16.
  Ren had pale grey eyes, light brown hair and wore his headband on his forehead like most ninja but chose to wear the traditional face mask that covered the lower half of his face as well.  He dressed in a sleeveless black shirt, semi-loose long dark grey pants, he also wore two leather forearm bracers that had small metal plates along them for added protection, and he carried two katanas leaning to his right shoulder across his back.  Despite having a kekkei genkai Ren had never used it but his teammates and Akonda-sensei knew his parents trained him vigorously in its use.
“Good morning,” announced Zenyama Miharu daughter of the village’s most renowned medical-nin.
“I hope you are all ready,” spoke Akonda in a monotone voice when all three had gathered, “Because if you fail you will not get another chance for a whole year.”
“You don’t have to worry about me Akonda-sensei,” blurted out Eiji with a big smile on his face, “My parents have taught me a brand new jutsu and with it I’ll become a chunin for sure.”
“What have I told you about boasting,” scolded the jounin leader.
“A ninja never boasts,” replied Eiji as the smile melted from his face, “A ninja who is humble in his abilities and confident in his skill has no need of it.  I’m sorry Akonda-sensei.”
“Just remember what I have taught you and the wisdom your parents have bestowed upon you and you will have nothing to fear,” encouraged Akonda as he placed his hand on Eiji’s shoulder and looked Ren in the eye, “But you need to remember that you do not have to show all of your abilities to win just enough to impress.  So you two are to be especially careful with your special jutsu.”
“Yes Akonda-sensei,” replied Miharu and Ren in unison.
“I do hope you remember your promise Ren,” coyly added Miharu.
“I have not forgotten,” responded Ren while doing a last minute check on the tool pouch on his belt, “but remember it’s only if we both become chunin.”
“Hey what are you two talkin’ about,” interrupted Eiji.
“Nothing if we fail in obtaining our goal,” answered Ren, “We’re ready sensei.”
“Very well then it looks like I have three genin that are eager to prove their worth on my hands,” said Akonda as he turned and began walking along the road with his team following quickly behind.
  


To be continued…