When Waves Meet the Sand

Kumiko had always known her soft heart was a disability in her line of work.

Ninja were not supposed to sympathize, empathize, or feel anything other than loyalty to their village.

But she was of the Water Tribes, and the need for emotional ties was in her blood.

The Waterbender needed family to feel complete, to feel alive.

If she ever lost them...

Kumiko had no idea what she would do.

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Sliding through the shadows cast by the trees, Kumiko paused on the edge of a game trail, water trailing underneath her hands like a stalking snake.

The blonde boy, Rai, stopped at her side, electric blue eyes scanning the area fitfully.

"Relax." Kumiko soothed softly, noting his unease. "Where did you and Benjiro get attacked?"

"Me and Benny were waiting over there." Rai whispered, pointing across the path towards a small clearing, which was separated from a village market by a single line of trees and small boulders.

"I'll check it out." She stated, turning her head just in time to catch the momentary panic flash across Rai's face. "Stay here, and don't make a sound, no matter what."

Crossing the small dirt path, silent as the shinobi she was trained to be, Kumiko studied the little clearing just past the first line of trees.

It was only three or four yards wide, and heavily foliaged on one side.

Blood splattered the grass, dirt freshly gouged from a scuffle and the bark scraped from a few of the trees.

She frowned.

'This is too much damage to have been done by an animal not from the elemental nations...'

While a Platypus Bear could have, conceivably, caused that kind of wreckage, or even an only mildly-pissed Moose Lion, they were not found anywhere but the Earth Kingdom.

Normal bears were not found in this part of the forests, and the wolves that roamed nearby were neither big nor strong enough to gouge trees.

Besides, wolves would tear at the throat instead of making one clean gash on the arm.

Sunlight reflected off of something metallic, catching Kumiko's attention, and she crouched down to get a better look.

Her heart skipped a beat in dread.

Lying in the wild grass, innocent as a Lop-Eared Rabbit, was the bloodied blade of a scythe.

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Flicking blood off the seamless blades of her Dao swords, Megumi turned cold amber eyes on the frightened, cowering soldiers of Shinkiro no Mura.

"Did you think we wouldn't find out that our supposed targets are children?" She questioned, deadly calm.

Sitting on a self-made boulder, Kana spun a kunai around her finger, expression blank.

"We ain't stupid, ya know. We were boun' ta figure it out." The brunette agreed, voice low and rough.

The twenty or so grown men collectively peed their pants.

Once they had jumped the two young boys, and wounded the larger of the pair, the two kunoichi had struck like vengeful spirits.

Neither of the children had been over ten years old.

Kana had made sure to cover their retreat, while Megumi had allowed her suppressed rage out through her blades instead of fire.

Now that the threat was neutralized, the Benders were slowly regaining control of their tempers so as to calmly analyze the situation.

Grabbing one of the men by the shirt collar, Megumi practically bared her teeth in anger.

"Why are you so intent on getting rid of those kids?"

For a moment, he seemed hesitant to answer, and she growled, a burst of flames escaping her clenched teeth.

"W-We had to! If we don't, he'll kill our families!"

Kana stood, slipping the kunai away.

"Who'll kill yer families?"

"Tadao-sama." The man admitted, relieved when Megumi released him.

The Firebender cursed inwardly.

'We left Genma-sensei alone with him!'

"Spread the word." She ordered, taking control. "No one is to leave their houses. We're going to go speak with Tadao-sama."

None of them argued, scurrying off to do as they were told, and Kana cracked her knuckles threateningly.

"Ready?"

Spinning her swords, Megumi slid them back into the scabbard with a nod.

"Come on. We've got a Jonin to save."

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Seiji seemed almost resigned when Kumiko returned to the underground burrow, Rai struggling to keep up with the Waterbender's pace.

"You had to find out for yourself." He had said, reading her expression and knowing it was time. "If I had told you the truth before, you might not have believed me."

Looking into each of their faces, seeing sadness and guilt and pain, Kumiko turned back to Seiji with a determined expression of her own.

"I'm listening now. And I want to know the truth."

Sighing, the boy settled down in his seat, waiting for everyone else to sit before starting.

"Three years ago, my otousan, Tadao Dai, was the mayor of Shinkiro no Mura. He was the eldest of three sons, and inherited the title when my ojiisan died."

Seiji gestured to the brunette girl and the blonde boy beside her.

"Yei and Rai are my close cousins, their uncle being the middle son, Tadao Kenji."

Here he paused, unsure how to continue.

"The youngest son is Tadao Manzo, the current mayor. Shinkiro no Mura has a lot of influence, being so wealthy, and he always wanted to be in charge. When he was overlooked for the position when ojiisan died...He changed."

Dread bubbled up in Kumiko's stomach at those two words, and she tried in vain to swallow it down.

"A few month after my father became mayor...He was assassinated."

Pain flashed across Seiji's dark violet eyes, but he hid it quickly.

"So Uncle Kenji was next in line, and took the title. No one suspected foul play; otousan passed away in his sleep, through poison. A couple months later, so did Uncle Kenji."

Yei looked away, sniffling softly, and Rai leaned into her, giving comfort as well as receiving.

"But he still did not get the position. There was still another heir, an older cousin from the Earth Kingdom."

This time, Seiji motioned to the two Earthbenders, Tomoko and Benjiro.

"Their mother, Hana, was a non-Bender from Omashu. When Manzo realized that the position was given to a woman..."

A chill ran through the air, and nothing else needed to be said.

"He no longer hid what he was doing. He hired some rogue ninja and openly killed her, taking control of Shinkiro no Mura by force. We only got away because a soldier loyal to my otousan smuggled us out."

For a moment, Seiji looked older than his years, worn down by what had happened and the knowledge of what was yet to come.

Kumiko recognized the look in his eyes as her own only a few years before.

"We couldn't stand going too far, so we made this our new home and have to steal from the village to survive. The villagers have tried their best to help, but they fear him..."

An idea slowly formed in Kumiko's mind, and she frowned in thought.

"These rogue shinobi...where are they from?"

"They're nin from Sunagakure." Yei answered, confused. "About eight of them, I think."

For a moment, the Waterbender was sure her entire world ground to a halt.

'It wasn't a coincidence.'