The girl without a sword(p. nk, Altar)

It was late. Around 7PM to be exact. The sun was beginning to make its final decent, allowing the moon to take over the task of illuminating the Earth in the Sun’s absence. Momo was standing next to a rather large body of water. By this time, the sun had completely vanished and all that was left in its place was a full moon. The moon’s reflection could be seen in the water. There was a light fog hovering over the body of water as well, which seemed to be normal in these lands. Momo was in deep thought, staring at her own reflecting in the water. It would be hard to tell if she was really thinking of anything at all or simply just admiring her own face. In the waters reflection you could see Momo’s pale skin complexion and black hair. Her eyes deep black and full.
 
Momo was wearing a dark blue robe tied with a white belt along with a purple scarf. The wind was light and would occasionally cause her hair to flow in the wind. It was not certain why Momo was standing there at this time of night, but maybe it was because she was waiting. Waiting for something to happen. Being alone meant that you spent a lot of time alone, and seeing as she had nowhere to go or be, this seemed suitable. This happened to be one of Momo’s favorite places. She would go here to clear her mind.
 
Momo was certainly not just staring at her attractive face, but indeed was in deep thought. She was thinking about her dreams, her goals, and her ambitions. Especially what she wanted short term and how she would achieve them. Momo was taking a temporary hiatus from her sword practices. Now that she was a genin, she would need to put more focus towards learning ninjutsu, and it helped that she was in the market for a new katana, seeing as her last one had broken. Too bad her dad was no longer around, he could have smithed her a fine blade and sadly at the moment, Momo was lacking the funds to purchase even a regular katana.
 

Momo continued to wait for something or nothing, continuing to ponder and look at her reflection.

It was a cool night. A steady wind blew, rustling itself through trees and bushes. The city was in dismay due to it's recent change in leadership. People here had never experienced that before, and they were fearful of yet another tyrant that thirsted only for murder. Around the city, children and adults shared nightmares of what their real world could become.

And here Altar stood.

Kalamity wanted to feed on their nightmares. He wanted to reap the weak ones from the village. It would be a simple task. Any who feared a man replacing the terror that had been Xyxer clearly had no spine. No man nor demon could be worse than him. Yet Altar was now tasked with protecting them all. Every soul was one to keep in a body. Every heart was to be kept beating. Hopeful dreams should be supported, and nightmares cut in two. So why not start with himself?

The newly appointed ANBU stood at an empty, rounded lake. A fog hung over the lake, and the moon was starting it's rise. Altar stood shrouded and cloaked on the middle of the lake, his mask slipped over his face. It was comfortable, yet strange. He wasn't yet used to it, though he supposed he would be with time. Staring down at the bottom of the lake, Altar pondered existentially.

And then, like a shot from a horror film, he slowly looked to his right. And far on the side of the lake stood a girl. Breaking from his thought, Altar went into motion. Enough thought for tonight. Time to have fun.

Before the girl could notice him, Altar zipped around to the far side, and moved around the area well out of sight. Within the minute Altar was behind the girl a few meters, completely silent and most likely unnoticed. It was here he remained. He was stuck in place like he had just seen a ghost. The pale skin, the figure...the only thing changed was the hair. Memories and images flashed through his mind of a smiling girl with blanch white hair, a girl adorned with swords, a dance in the plains and a hand in his.

Altar, still silent, would move the mask half off his face, his crimson right eye practically glowing in the moonlight. His mouth quietly traced over every letter of her name. And it took that to snap him out of it.

Now back to fully aware, Altar would walk up and stand beside the girl, looking down to the water. "Strange place to be simply standing alone. I always preferred grassy knolls to open water." Altar would say, his trademark smirk on his face.

Momo, who was lost in her own thoughts, was startled by the sound of an unfamiliar voice.
 
“Who could that be?” Momo thought to herself.
 
It was strange for someone else to be out here. For the most part, Momo had never seen anyone around her other than a few locals whom she was familiar with by now and never would any of them go out of their way to approach her. Momo shot up straight, her spine realigning as she corrected her stance in attention. She was startled, but not afraid. Momo was broken and was still trying to find a reason to live for other than herself. Maybe living for herself was all she truly needed. The answer itself imbedded in the question.  This realization made her not fear death, only accept it when it came. If it was her time, then it was her time. Life had a funny way of working like that. You can’t cheat death. You can run from it and prolong it, but cheating it wasn’t possible.
 
The words the stranger’s voice spoke did not appear to be threatening. By the pitch in the person’s voice, Momo could tell that it was that of a male. His age, however, she was unsure of. She would need to take a look. He said that it was a strange place for someone to be standing alone at night and he preferred grassy knolls.
 
“It’s peaceful here. I’ve never really seen anyone else around, especially not at this time at night.”
 
There was a pause.
 
“Who are you?” Momo would say in coordination with her movements. As she spoke, she turned the slightest bit to meet the person who had made it a point to startle her. Immediately, she saw a shroud of darkness. The figure behind her was cloaked and bearing a mask. Momo’s eyes looking into the holes in the mask, the moon’s light shimmering in the person’s eyes allowing Momo to catch the crimson reflection of his right eye. This was all very strange to the young girl, however, she was beginning to learn that the shinobi world was strange in its own nature and events such as this were becoming more common as the days past. If the person would introduce themselves, Momo would reply with her name.
 
“My name is O-Ren Ishii Momochi, but you can just call me Momo if you so please.”

Momo waited a response from the masked figure that lumed before her.

As the girl asked who he was, turning to look at him, Altar would shove his hands in his pockets, a light breeze causing his overcloak to billow out. The leaves adorning the trees around the lake rustled slightly. The fog was starting to clear out on the lake. However the surrounding area was still laden with it, making it that much harder to see. It wasn't difficult, just annoying.

"My name is Altar. Altar Shinkou." the boy would say. A brief pause followed, before the girl gave her name to Altar. O-Ren Ishii Momochi. A mouthful, and not one he had heard before. He'd most likely stick to the shortened version the girl had supplied him.

"I see. I've not seen you around before." Altar would say, doing his best to keep the topic off himself.

The man shoved his hands into his pockets. A light breeze caused his over cloak to billow out. The fog began to clear out on the lake, but Momo did not notice. She was too busy paying attention to what was in front of her.
 
The voice replied, “My name is Altar. Altar Shinkou.” He then replied that he had never seen her around before.
 
Momo figured she would continue to inform the person about herself before asking any more questions because she was trying to be polite. “I don’t suppose you would have. I’m fairly new in town.” Her shiny new Kiri headband dangling ever so lightly in the breeze draped off of her belt. It had not even a scratch or a spec of dirt on it. She was fresh out of the academy. “My parents were killed. That is why I have traveled from my home town on the out skirts of the nation to pursue becoming a shinobi so that I could protect those dear from me in the future and get revenge.”
 

Momo would pause and listen for his response before asking him, “Why do you wear a mask? Isn’t it hard to see out of it?” she would inquire.

Altar's eyes would drift to the shiny, polished headband hanging from the girl's belt. It was much too intact for her to be of higher ranking and older status. So she was a Genin, then. New blood for Kirigakure. That was good, they were running out almost as fast as the academy could pump them out. Still, she was a strange one to pick up being a ninja. Throwing your life to danger and hazards when you're so young... It wasn't something Altar understood at all. He had done it because he figured he had no other reason to live. He wanted something to strive for. It was a bad reason to become a protector.

As the girl talked, she spoke of how her parents had been killed, and how she had travelled from the outskirts of Kiri to become a ninja, so she could protect and strive for revenge against those that had taken her parents. As the girl talked of protecting those dear to her, Altar could almost feel a smile tugging at his face. "If you want my advice, girl, strive for the former, not the latter. To protect is a noble mission and it will do you well. It will push you past boundaries and give you a pure drive. To fight for revenge breeds only hatred, and once you get your revenge, you're left with nothing. It's a hollow vendetta that leaves you in murder-lust. But far be it from me to direct you on how to lead your life as a ninja."

The girl remained silent for a few seconds, before asking him about his mask. Altar would pull a full smile and reach up to touch the mask on his face, before bringing it down and draping it from his belt, much akin to the way the girl's headband hung from hers.

"I'm an ANBU, Momo. An elite ninja sworn to serve the Kage and protect the village at all costs. When we're chosen by the Kage, we're given masks to represent us and hide our identities from attackers. It is hard to see out of, but i'm guessing you get used to it over time..."

Altar replied to the girl after hearing her words. He then offered her some advice. He told her that pursuing the goal to protect other a noble mission and that if she pursued revenge that it would only lead to nothingness. What Momo forgot to mention, was the revenge she had spoken of had already taken place.
 
While he continued to speak, Momo had a flash back. She was standing in the middle of a large area covered in blood. The area around her occupied by a hundred or so bodies of dead men. Weapons covering the area of where the battle occurred. In Momo’s right hand a beautiful and elegant sword which glowed a pink hue. The memory began to fade from her mind as she snapped back to reality. Altar had just finished speaking at this time. She didn’t really catch the last part of what he was saying, but she replied anyways.
 
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
 
Following this, Altar would reach his hand to his mask and remove it revealing his face. Momo studied the ANBU’s face. He was pretty attractive and a lot younger looking then Momo would have figured him to be. Momo blushed slightly, but then regained her control once more. She had to stay on point.
 
Upon removing his mask, Altar informed Momo why he wore the mask. He said that he was an elite ninja sworn to protect the village and the Mizukage. Momo was now captivated by this. “So cool” she would think to herself as he finished. She now wanted to be just like him. Momo had natural ambition. For the time being, becoming an ANBU for Kiri would be her current objective, but this was going to require time, training. A lot of training to be exact, and patience. She also needed someone qualified to teach her these things and it couldn’t be just anyone. Alike the ANBU, Momo thought it would be best to keep her identity as limited as possible, just in case anyone came looking for her due to what she had done to her previous village.
 
Unlike most ninja her age, despite rank, Momo had matured a lot. Her past had caused her maturity to age beyond her age. Now that Altar had revealed his identity to the girl, it must have meant that he seemed to trust her somewhat. Maybe he saw something in her that she didn’t see in herself. Or did she?
 
Momo thought of her sword. The same one that had helped her take the lives of so many. She hadn’t seen it since that day. It was like it had disappeared. Until she got her hands on a new one, then how could she consider herself to be swordsman? Although, any sword she were to get wouldn’t be like THAT one.
 
A smile crept over Momo’s face and she light heartedly made a comment about Altar’s mask.
 
“I think it fits you well. It looks good on you” she giggled. “So you’re an ANBU huh? You must be really strong then. I wanna be an ANBU someday.” Momo would say with stars in her eyes as she looked at Altar admiringly. “But I’ll never be able to get as strong as you on my own.” A moments passed and a smirk quickly widened on Momo’s face as though she was plotting.
 
“That’s why you’re gonna be my mentor!” Momo blurted out. “Please won’t you teach me? I promise I’ll do anything you ask me to!” Momo pleaded with the man before even giving him a chance to respond to her request. “I won’t tell anyone I swear!”
 

Momo stared at the boy eagerly waiting a reply, if he  were to respond no it would most likely devastate the girl.

As he finished speaking, Altar would notice the girl seemingly drifted off. After a second, she simply claimed that Altar need not worry about her, at which he would give the reply of a nonchalant shrug. If she said so. She wasn't his to worry about anyways. She had survived this long, she could most likely manage the streets of Kirigakure. As he took off his mask, he would notice a red tinge on the girl's face, but it quickly disappeared. Once again shrugging to himself, he chocked it up to a trick of the eye due to the dying shades of sunlight.

After a few seconds of silence after Altar explained he was an ANBU, the girl complimented his mask, and went on to say she wanted to be an ANBU, but could never achieve it on her own. A few more seconds passed in silence, before the girl seemingly jumped from her mind and claimed he would be her mentor. She vividly promised to not tell anyone and do anything he asked of her. Well, that was... askew, to say the least.

Altar would chuckle, placing a hand on his head. "Calm down, i'll teach you whatever you'd like to learn, so long as you're ready to handle it. However, before any trainign begins or any agreement is made, I want one thing to be crystal clear." Altar would say, leaning in slightly towards the girl, his mismatched eyes locking with hers.

"Training will be just that. It won't be a pleasantry and it won't be fun. Some training will be grueling and there will be failure. It will take commitment, blood, sweat and tears. And there needs to be absolute trust and faith. If I tell you you can do something, you have to believe that you can do it. If I say you're not ready, you have to believe that you're not ready yet, and the time will come when you are. Am I understood, Momo?" The boy would maintain eye contact with the girl until he got an answer.

A wave of relief and gratitude fell over Momo as Altar spoke his words, telling the girl to calm down and that he would teach her whatever she wanted to know, as long as she was ready to handle it, however, he said that before any training were to take place, some agreements had to be met and made clear.
 
Momo’s eyes widened as he leaned in close to her. She noticed her mismatched eyes as they locked with hers. The eagerness and focus could be seen in her eyes. He had her captivated. With Altars next words her excitement seemed to shrivel up, but not as much as the fire grew inside of her. She was ready to take on whatever was thrown at her. It was necessary for her to get to where she dreamed of being. This was only the beginning.
 
Altar informed her that the training wouldn’t be pleasant and it won’t be fun. Some of the training will be grueling and some will be failure. This training was going to take commitment, blood, sweat, and her tears. There will also need to be absolute trust and faith. If he were to tell Momo what she can and can’t do, she must trust his word. Momo kept eye contact with him as he finished his words.
 
Momo kept a very serious face. She then got down on both knees before him and bowed her head a sign of respect and acceptance to his terms.
 

“I promise I will do my best and listen to whatever you tell me to do! You have my full trust and I will never doubt your words or practices. Please accept me as your student!” Momo would cry out as she continued to keep her head bowed as she awaited his response.

As Altar explained the rules of the apprenticeship to the girl, he could almost see the light fade from her eyes. But the excited, exuberant light was replaced by a burning, passionate fire. She no longer sought fun and enjoyment from this. She sought a path to better herself and strengthen herself as a ninja. And that was what Altar wanted from her. What he said was the truth. This wouldn't be fun. This would be murderous. She would come face to face with tasks she wouldn't believe she could do. But after trial and tribulation, she'd find herself atop the mountain she had stood at the base off not long before.

As she knelt, she bowed her head and promised to do her best and adhere to his rulings. Altar would grin and let out a small chuckle before pressing the first three fingers of his right hand to the girl's forehead, giving her a small push back, indicating she could rise.

"I've alreacy said i'll accept you. On one final condition. You are not to tell anyone of my status. If anyone, and I mean anyone asks you of my rank, you are to avoid the question or answer that I am a Jounin of Kirigakure." Altar would say, looking out to the lake. Why had he even told this girl the truth? It would've been easier to lie. Smirking and chuckling to himself, he pondered the question he had no answer to.

Bullshit, he knew exactly why.

She reminded him of Youta, and she reminded him of himself as a Genin. She had incredible potential, he could tell by the air she carried with her. But she lacked control. Something even now, he himself was short on. She sought a dark road of vengeance and bloodshed, the same one he had traveled before. And perhaps...perhaps he could save her, like he couldn't save himself. Too many innocent had died by his hand, and at his feet. Perhaps he could save her that fate. Ensure she didn't live through that bitter regret and sorrow. Altar would look down to Momo, a genuine smile pulling at his face.

"We start training tomorrow. I'll send for you when i'm ready, so you'll know when and where."