A Voice in the Wind

Padding down the tree-lined avenue to the Hokage’s tower, Sakura stepped into the shadow of an old hardwood. Soft light flickered down around her, speckling her arms with blue shadows. A few more steps, and she was back out in the dew-bright light of morning, with all of Konoha glistening around her.  Save for the […]

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Tugging at the corner of her eye, Sakura slipped her hand quickly to her mouth, stifling a yawn for the third time that morning. But the collection of old farmers leaning against the water trough didn’t seem the least bit sympathetic. And the twin boys wrestling at her feet paid her no attention at all. […]

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Lovers find secret places in this violent world where they make transactions with beauty. Reason says, Nonsense. I have walked and measured the walls here. There are no places like that. Love says, There are. — Rumi Making quick work of the road, Sakura descended the hill, hopped over a shallow ditch and waded into […]

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From Chapter 17: “Sakura,” came a warm voice in front of her. She snapped her head up so quickly she nearly collided with the battered straw hat. But instead of the old farmer, she found herself looking into a smooth, young, very familiar face.  Warm brown eyes shined at her. The corners of his mouth […]

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Skirting the edge of a summer-dry field, the brown-haired boy looked every bit like one of the local farm boys. Ragged pants rolled just below his knees. An oversized jacket hung loose on his frame. A smudged farm sack was slung over over one shoulder, and a tattered straw hat was doing a poor job […]

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In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. – Albert Camus She didn’t recognize it the first time she saw it. Nor the second time. It was on the third time she picked her way down the little side street — the shortcut home, the one she had […]

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Katsuro scanned the mesh of black branches for an out of place silhouette, trying desperately to find her in the unforgiving darkness. A short suck of breath was the only warning he heard before a fireball exploded on the spot where he stood. He evaded it with a quick roll. But instead of using the […]

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Chapter 14 – Cruel Choice Gold light and green shadows dappled in and out of focus. Katsuro rubbed his tired eyes. Flinging an arm up to block the afternoon sunlight, he twisted his head for a better look around. But the quick movement set the world spinning.  Katsuro squeezed his eyes shut, dug his fingers […]

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Genjutsus were difficult things to manage and not Katsuro’s specialty. But gauging from the pink bloom spreading across the kunoichi’s cheeks, he’d pulled this one off well enough.   She kicked her legs gently beside him, blissfully unaware of their dismal surroundings. Not that the inner-workings of the genjutsu would have held any interest for […]

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After following a few more curves in the river, Sakura looked up the flat bank to where an unassuming footpath spurred off, hopscotched across the water on broad stones, then rose with the land on the other side. They followed the narrow trail down to the river’s edge in silence. There was simply nothing more […]

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