Innocent, crying child,
don't be above thine daydream.

Akane was susceptible of getting lost—it had always been since.

Konoha had a place that was unknown to most of people, but still, it had a name—the Chasms of Araya. No bridge was built over it, the solution she had was to throw her marked kunai that could reach over the chasm. This abyss's precipitous division was terrifyingly lofty, and at the pitch-black center was difficult to fathom, challenging the humanity's courage with their jagged edges. It was as if it also separated the country of Konoha into north and south, and no one seemed to most likely visit it because of the threatening descriptions. Without knowing of the many, this place was an undiscovered gem. There were medicinal plants and rare animals that made their homes in these mountains. If any of the leaders of the Leaf would consider, this place would be as a strategic route for trade, defense or offense. Those perilous cliffs would be the secret resource of the country. An impregnable, transcendent, and natural stronghold.

But nonetheless, Akane wouldn't want the people arrive at this place, never wanted that to happen. It went without saying: humanity's nature was to bring chaos and destruction.

She was just training ever since morning (and now was late afternoon), though she didn't know what to train to—no one was there to spar with her or teach her more of the jutsus suitable for her chakra inclination. The books about her clan—Namikaze—would help, but those books were stored in her previous home, which she never visited for years as well. Akane could only shrug.

All she could do right now was to improve the Ranton techniques her father once was taught her: Laser Arrow and Great Phoenix. She knew that there was more in this Kekkei Genkai she owned . . . But she didn't know where to start in able to master new techniques. Akane sighed, now watching the great clouds forming in random line-ups in the heraldic color blue, as if they were about to safely sail in the celestial seas. There were swirling lacy clouds filtering the sunlight as well, and between those soft rays, in those calm moments, she was able to self reflect all better.

Then the young lass closed her eyes, her fingertips feeling the grassy ground she was lying on. She was trying to absorb the nature's energy, even analyzing how this world was made. Thoughts such as those had been fascinated her: the meaning and forming of reality.

Reality, to her limited understanding and philosophical persona, was a formless swirling dance of an unanswerable meaning—from the entropic decaying galaxies to the rocks of her reach. All was flux, all was changing, and everything would die . . . And so she will.

A world was born once a galaxy exploded, then it would scatter into limitless forms, then it would eventually converge. The atoms reality was made of would gather again and become another star that was meant to explode . . .

Again and again. Repeat.

It was a cycle . . . A spiral—an uzu.

Spirals appeared everywhere. Whether in galaxies, hurricanes, and even biomolecules. Spiral was the innate pattern of life.

Wait—

Did I say hurricanes?

Right. A hurricane's pattern is a spiral.

Now she her thoughts were cut. In previous events she experienced, Akane's Storm element could let her create thunderclouds that would either be used to attack or defend. The only setback she had that her chakra would easily drain after using that strenuous technique.

Hmmm . . .

There was a long hum inwardly, thinking.

So I need to find ways to improve my chakra reserves, huh? Or at least to find sources to have more chakra.

It didn't take a minute for Akane to conclude an answer: borrow the nature's chakra, then return it—a mutual aspect.

It appeared to be easy, but not quite.

Akane abruptly sat down with a huup little sound, crossing her legs, as she made the most fundamental hand sign of all.

She must give it a try.

In order for a storm to form, warm air in the lowest layer of atmosphere rose. An updraft air—it caused water from earth's surface to evaporate and carried the moisture upward to accumulate clouds.

The young Namikaze proudly huffed, giving her the satisfaction that having wind and water chakra penchants would give her so much advantage in crafting her prowess.

She continued—concentrating, meditating. Bluish chakra was flowing nonstop out of her physique as the clouds started to build and grow. They were becoming and darker as time passed by—it was a good sign, for the clouds were becoming filled with water. Akane was began hearing the small whistles of the wind, growing a lot more confident to complete her theory.

Cool, dry air from the upper layers of the atmosphere pulled the moisture downward next, causing the water to fall a life-sustaining rain. This proved Akane's success in her first trial. Not even being driven by emotions, she could in fact create rains—if not, thunderstorms. And if she also wanted to, she even might create a hell of a hurricane. She mentally smirked.

The rain was softly pattering on her built and unto her surroundings. It made a compelling serenade, unlike the harsh tones she previously manifested.

Now, now . . . How about epitomizing lightning and thunders?

Hmm . . . She was thinking again while her focus was never straying.

To produce lightning, particles toward the top of clouds should become positively charged, while particles heading toward the bottom would become negatively charged. And when positive and negative charges grew large enough, a lightning should be released.

Akane was trying to split her chakra in two. One was positively-charged particles, as the other one was negatively charged.

And thus it happened, off on the horizon, a low rumble was heard. The clouds was persistently rolling across the lands, darkening the skies even darker. It should be that way. Thunderstorms should always be accompanied by lightning and thunders.

She should be contented by now, because she knew to herself that she was able to do more . . . Not until there was a spark of fire in those ominous, billowing clouds. An unmistakable roar vibrating all throughout a wide area.

Yet, instead of an occurring thunderstorm, as if on cue . . .

"Akane~"

The voice interrupted the every strand of her concentration. At first thought, vexation should pulse through her vein as the thunderstorm she was trying to make had now dispersed and gone, but once recognizing the voice in a split second, a sudden flare of joy was drawn on her face when Shisui appeared at that very random moment.

Akane whirled around, sprang up, and barely concealing her happiness, she ran towards him whilst being unaware how she was drenched with rainwater.

"Shisui-san!" There was explaining on how incredibly fond she was to the one of the most talented members of his famed clan. Resisting the urge to pound him a welcoming hug, Akane only grabbed his hands as she repeatedly springing up and down. "Shisui-san, Shisui-san! I don't know how, but why are ya here?"

Shisui came to care for the girl very much; in fact, he already got the impression that he became a big brother to Akane.

"Well, you're not that hard to find," he chuckled.

Akane got the point already. So far, in the current population of the Leaf, it was only her who could do the Storm Release.

"Even this far, you came?" she asked.

"I have free times, so." He patted her hair dearly with a gentle smile on his face. "And hey," he added shortly, "you should at least train in a shelter or some sort."

"Oh, right," she mused with all cutesy, then she went to the tent she had set nearby.

Akane was planning to camp here for a day or two; she didn't want to feel stagnant of doing nothing as she was waiting for Itachi and Shisui to come back after their missions. And without really explaining it, Akane fell in love with the place the first time she affixed her feet here.

The young lass went to her tent as she grabbed her towel—wiping her face and hair, then wrapping the fabric around her shoulders. On that moment, too, she felt low grumbles from her stomach. Now, now—she realized—it was lunchtime when she ate and it was almost nighttime. Yet she worried not; the place was abundant with fruits and vegetables and clean drinking water, even bringing plates and utensils to accommodate her camping needs.

"Shisui-san!" she joyfully called while making a twirl while holding the food she gathered with her both hands. "Shall we have di—" nner first?

Her voice went low when the Uchiha lad suddenly disappeared. There was a faint presence, it was so faint that Akane struggled to confirm if seeing Shisui a short while ago was real or just an imagery.

"Shisui . . . san?" she murmured while tilting her head in utter confusion.

Though in the midst of confusion, a bad feeling surged even greater than her mind could process.

She was, at first, oblivious of her surroundings.

No harm supposed not to be felt, lest worry should wrought the every inch of her skin.

At that moment, an insidious, murderous intent crept from the soles of her feet up to the very tips of her hair like a ghost crawled out from the depths of the chasms itself.

A presence emerged behind her . . .

And an exhale of hers got heavy.

Within only a matter of seconds, Akane knew . . . She knew to herself that she was trapped in a shadow.

She didn't want to look back, because she was aware that

She's going to get killed.

Something then looked at her from the other side of a tree. Shisui moved stealthily behind her—no footsteps of him were heard, even the sound of his breathing—as he was surveying her with the bloodred hue of his Sharingan. He prowled around the trees unnoticed by her as if in search of prey.

Silently and swiftly, he wielded his single-edged blade out of his tantō strap and was all prepared to freed his indiscriminate assault.

As Akane froze in place, the leaves of a specific tree swayed. A shadow moved without a delay as its precise movements—which seemed to come straight out of a horror play—made the kid jumped back in fright.

Looking back with wide eyes, there was nothing again.

From her perspective, (though she couldn't sense Shisui), he became a stranger to her that was no closer to being identified, yet her instincts were telling her that a blade was being pointed at her. It was as if her blood got drained from her face. She'd gone pale, but trying to remain level-headed, calculating all of the small clues that was something her prodigious ratiocination couldn't help but observe with great detail.

The tip of Shisui's blade was about to reach her neck, sending small lightning bolts of fear through her bloodstream.

And there was something to the presence that could make her inward feeling dark, cold . . . something bitter and black. Biting.

It must be an innate reflex, but before Akane imagined her head rolling on the ground, she drew out a kunai to deflect the bewildering attack.

Taking a huge leap backward, striking a defensive pose and staying alert, she became confused that no sight of Shisui was to be seen again.

Her fear got intensified.

It must the infamous Body Flicker Technique, fading out of watch and leaving no trace of either his presence or indication of his destination. Although she had the Uzumaki blood, her superior senses—though not yet refined—couldn't undetect his great velocity and mobility.

And the chances of getting caged in a genjutsu was likely high.

Then, her absolute death was likely higher.

Death . . .

She clenched her teeth hard.

That was the real power of Shisui could do: thinking of death without engaging much into a fight.

Her exterior features must be cold and rigid, but deep inside, she was holding back her tears.

Why would Shisui-san attack her just like that? Was it a part of their training?

No . . . I can't be.

When initiating a spar, Shisui was strict and could be unforgiving, but he was definitely a gentle soul. And thus, the Shisui now wasn't like the usual.

There was, without a doubt, a dubious intent—a malevolent will—that was meant to bring her a great harm equivalent to death.

Akane couldn't help but think of the optimistic sides. Shisui would never hurt her . . . Would never break her spirit. Would never tarnish her trust. He would never betray her.

She knew he would never . . .

But

He could . . . Couldn't he?

Unease settled in the depths of her stomach as she travelled her gaze around. The young night was prepared to veil the sky, and the golden glow of the dusk highlighted a figure posing on a certain branch of a tree. Shisui was looking down on her with a pair of cold eyes that the young lady barely recognize. Akane swallowed a gasp as she tightened her resolve; not believing Shisui was able to produce such expression.

Akane hardly had no time to wonder what Shisui was planning, except perhaps to realize that the renowned Uchiha shinobi was perfectly capable to end her.

With that, Shisui launched an attack, and behind him were multiple tangible after-images that could strike her with actual force.

Groaning in so much irritation, Akane muttered a command, creating multiple clones after the rousing of the smoke.

The challenge was to find the main Shisui out of the clones.

With predatory eyes glistening, Shisui launched his real form forward.

A diagonal kick of Shisui bore down on Akane like a hammer blow, which she evaded by bending her body half a step back. She then narrowly dodged the next attack, and using the gap between his strikes to find an opening, she swiped at him with a swing of her arm. Strands of her short black hair danced through the air like leaves fluttering in the wind.

Akane's fake black twilight eyes narrowed with bestial ferocity, while Shisui's bloodred eyes grew colder, something even the young lady wasn't used to seeing.

Whatever it might seem, Akane shouldn't take this lightly.

Using a spinning kick as a feint, Shisui suddenly switched his pivot leg midrotation and shifted to a high kick. It was too fast, caught up in a slight distraction, Akane was unable to dodge the blow this time, only blocking the blow with the upper part of her right arm. The impact was too strong, causing a graze on a part of her cheek. A few drops of blood flicked into the air from, sprinkling the crisped, autumnal leaves.

"Shisui—"

Every time she wanted to call him to unleash his ghastly actions, but Shisui only did is to attack after an attack and after an attack, making her plea unvoiced. All that was left for her to was to coordinate her defense with her offense, exchanging blows just to preserve her life.

The difference between Shisui's mirages from normal shinobi was that his had a weight of life. All of his clones were able to do damage as the original body, and none of his attacks were wasted. Particularly to his genjutsu, Akane would always fall for his diversions and faints.

There would always be lessons from it, nonetheless.

Shisui had the Body Flicker. Akane had the Hiraishin.

Thus it was a fight who among the two was fastest and smartest. She couldn't comprehend why Shisui was doing this . . . Was it a mere act or it was just Shisui seemingly turned his back against her?

Now that her life was at stake, Akane couldn't always keep deferring to him. It must be the time for her to make her resolve.

In order to break the genjutsu, she learned from Shisui himself that having a kekkei genkai would suffice. And she believed that she had mastered a little better enough from her chakra nature. She needed to discern the attack that was eager to take her life away.

Numerous energy were lurking in the shadows of the trees once again. Akane felt a flicker of irritation. That annoying just of him . . !

Either way, she had to concentrate, had to feel the chakra surrounding her. Shadow Clones. All this time, she was relying what only her eyes could vision, thus she was often easily be fooled by a genjutsu. But as she kept on training with the two Uchiha, there would be more out there than her naked eyes could see.

What was even challenging was that Shisui wasn't giving her any opening to retaliate, his only goal was to leave her defenses open.

Akane wanted to sputter curses as Shisui was able to get a direct kick to the girl's mid-spine.

Rage flooded her veins, glaring at the older fellow as soon as she stumped on the soil. If she hadn't had her chakra activated to shield her back, most probably, her bones would break.

This person wasn't Shisui anymore. Those torturous and diabolical his gazes and exterior facade were likely lacking of his character.

Despite the pain she was experiencing, the young lass took a sharp step forward to close the gap between them, but Shisui was skillful enough to block her attack. She parried against him quickly, reflexively, almost like a whim. She was avid to cut his attacks through, from side to side, and moved back and forth, until one of them would lose. Though the Uchiha shinobi had managed to retract her ankle, gripping it firmly, the he used his full strength to lift her up, smashed her body on a hard tree.

Her chakra was her shield, but the strength that Shisui used was a lot more stronger.

She groaned, really painful, a few spittle of blood escaped her mouth.

Without showing any further mercy, Shisui threw her up!

It surprised Akane—

"Ah, whoa . . !"

—shrieking how scary it was, knowing that she'd be defenseless in the high grounds.

She was completely airborne for long and high moment, and before she could realize, Shisui and his clones simultaneously leapt with the same force and height and greet her with his tanto sword.

It felt like the world went of slow motion. With widened eyes, she was watching Shisui fast approaching before her.

Truly, she couldn't recognize him now; he had those eyes of a kind of monstrosity that paralyzed Akane even more.

The moment the young lass realized what was happening, it was already too late. The blades he wielded along with his clones didn't fail to hit her. And she never tried to take an effort to shift to a side and avoid them.

Ten seconds.

Ten seconds what only took him to have direct cuts of Akane's built. Even she, with her borderline superhuman reflexes and physical resistance, couldn't avoid him due a sudden emotional disturbance. Taking the full brunt of his assaults, Akane was blown even higher. If this had been the place of her coffin, the attack would have unhinged her small frame and cut her in half. There were punishable afflictions