Onigashima: Part 1

Three years had passed since the Fourth Great Ninja War, a war that wasn't about "ninja vs ninja", but rather about protecting the world from a great threat to all life. The war wasn't as long from the previous war's, yet many lives had been lost to prevent the enemy from achieving their goal. The war had soon came to an end, thanks to the two heroes who played a large role in freeing all the people in the land from a powerful genjutsu. The Five Great Villages slowly came to united together to bring upon a new era of peace for the next generations to come. However, not all of the world problems had simply been erased; hatred and despaired continued to existence in the ninja war, thus continue the cycle of crimes and injustice in society. Other issues began when some villages are having a hard time following the changes, yet thanks to the aided of the Five Kages, thing slowly began to progress toward a better future...

"...So, is there any question you guys would like to know about?" The man wearing a white clock spoke to one of young children who are sitting on the floor. He had a shaggy, brown hair that conceal his green eyes from everyone looking at his face. "Oh, I got a question," said the young girl in pony-tail. "Is it okay that we can leave the island, now that the world is at peace and we no longer need to stay hidden."

"Well that an interesting question, but I'm afraid we can't leave the island. While it true that we are now in a time of peace, but there still lay dangerous ninja's who don't like the changes of the world and still wish to bring harm to others. It is why we still need to stay within the protection of the island barrier, so that we can still be safe from the danger of the world."

"But sir, couldn't we ask the Five Nations to protect from the bad guys?" The one who spoke was a timid boy hiding in the back. The teacher brought out a small smile for him and responded back. "True, that would be the logical thing most people would do when needed assistants and protection. However, there is something on this island that we can't let anyone get possession of it, for even the Kage's of the Five Nations could be corrupted by it." The teacher quickly turn to see the setting sun outside the window, singling the end of class. "Alright, it time for all of you to return home and don't forget to come tomorrow for a surprise test."

The whole row of children began running out of the room with smile all over their faces, and seconds later emerged out of a wooded structure building that appear to be a school located on top of a hill. The children began walking down a narrow path that goes down the hill to the village that has dozen of wooden homes with straws and branch's as roof, and near the village is a beach that leads to the open ocean. Ten miles from the beach is a thick fog that cover the whole island, preventing anything to get in or out from the island, not even the fishes trapped with the barrier aren't able to leave. Coming out of the school, Noboru is the teacher of Burūfangu (Blue Fang) Village, being responsible to educating the young generation of what is transpired around the world, thanks to the power of the Shīsurūmirā (see-through mirror). The Shīsurūmirā is an unique object forged and created by their clan ancestor, Doman, with the ability to foreseen events happening in the world, such as what has been happening to the Leaf Village and the hero Naruto Uzumaki, who played an important role to ending the Fourth Great Ninja War. The object is with close reach of the village chief, who keep it in his home and only he s allow to have access to it power, else it would be consider a crime to look upon it for others.

I was resting down the staircase for Noboru to emerge out the building and greeted him with a smile. "Momotaro, glad to see you actually coming to visit me for sometime."
"Hey Dad, how was today teaching gone? Hoped you didn't bored the kids to death like usual."
"Oh come now, my lectures aren't that boring...Though a few students did slept through half the lectures, but it wasn't because of me, got that!?" I nearly laugh at seem him trying to defend himself, yet instead just ruined himself in the process.
"Okay, let go with that reason." As seconds went by, my smile slowly began to faded away from my face, to which caught Noboru attention. "Momotaro, is something the matter?"
"Um, I just heard what you just said before class was over and I wanted you to be honest with me; why can't we leave the island? I mean, the world isn't like how it was before and..." Just as I was trying to finish my sentence, Noboru place his hand firmed on my shoulder and shown his green eyes that were filled with compassion.
"Momotaro, I understand your desire to return home, but there no one waiting for you back there. The world you once know is gone and going back isn't going to fix it. I know that I can't replace your parents, but on the day I found you I promise to watch over you and protected you like my own child." Both me and Noboru soon walking down the stairs and looked down at the village as the sky darken and the stars brighten the night.
"I'm not saying that you aren't a great adopted father, but it more than just going back to my old home; I want to traveled around the world I me and my parents used to do, exploring the unexplored lands and bring about new discovering to the world. That has always been my dream when I was young and still yearned to leave the island."

"*sign* I'm not against your dream of exploring, but we can't leave this island, even if we wanted to. This island barrier was created by our ancestor, Hidemitsu, when he place the demon-slaying sword Muramasa to the ground, preventing anyone to enter or leave the island. The only way to escape was to remove the sword, yet we have no idea who could be waiting for us to do so ad what disaster could fall upon the island. Plus, we are responsible to protect the sacred items from anyone, else that individual would bring about destruction upon the world." I can understand what he means, yet the last part actually annoyed me a little, using that as a excuse to prevent anyone to leave all over four, ancient antics from the past.
"Dad, you can't make me believe that those mask could actually cause that much trouble, it just a story." As I said that, for a brief moment saw my father flaring out with rages in his eyes, nearly caused my heart to lose a beat, yet soon that rage had faded away from his eyes and turn back to his usual self.
"Son, maybe to you it just a fairy-tale story for children, but to this clan it is history and something we mustn't every forget, else history would repeat once more." I just stood there and watch him move a few feet away from me before turning around with a faint smile  and waving back at me.  I tried my best to give him a smile and wave back, yet at the corner of my mind I learned one thing; Never pissed Noboru off again.

I travel down the hill and slowly walk around the village, seeing a group of children trying to pretend to be ninjas like the one in the Five Nations. I felt a bit happy to see how the children living today are having fun being ninja's, even though before being a ninja was a difficult and dangerous life for someone to have, being thrown into a war and dying in a field. I however instead spend most of my time working at the blacksmith as an apprentice and help forged material for the village. I even crafted sword's and armor's from a book that explain how to make them, since even in this peaceful village could have some fight and trouble in it and needed protection from danger like wild animals. On this island, there are three other villages beside Burūfangu and are located at the side of the island; Reddotaron(Red Talon), Gurīnhōn (Green Horn) and Howaitosukēru (White Scale). The island itself had some interesting story that regard with these four mask hiding at each of the village and held some evil powers upon them that turn people in monster known as Oni's. Moving closer to the center of the village, I can see a wooden shrine that contain one of the mask's, the Blue Mask of Sorrow, within it. At front of the shrine was the legendary Muramasa sword, which is now just a rusted sword that look like it ready to break at any minute. Moving just inches close to the sword, I remember that if the sword was remove, than the barrier around the island would be gone and we can leave the island, yet I was actually nervous of even touching the hilt of the sword.

"Hey, what 'cha doing?" The voice startled me and nearly cause me to fall toward the sword, yet was able to composed myself just in the nick of time. Turning around to see who it was and reveal to be Hachirou, my old friend who startled me. He had a blue, long hair that touch his shoulder and most time block away his vision of sight, though he refused to cut his hair. He was a bit shorten then me and lack much physical fitness, despite the fact that he is in fact a month younger than me.
"Were you trying to see if the legend was true by removing the sword?" He spoke with a soft tone, yet tried to look serious. "You know it forbidden to pull the sword from that spot, else you are going to be in big trouble."
I slowly moved my hand away from the hilt and place it on the back of my head, while giving out a weak smile. "Oh, a course not, you know that I wouldn't do such a shameless thing." I laugh weakly.
Hachirou slowly lost the serious expression on his face and went back to his timid self again. "Momotaro, please don't try to be so reckless so often. One of these days it going to be the end of you."
"Reckless? Where did you even get that idea from?" I spoke out loud.
"Let see; you attempt to make a huge battleaxes that nearly took your head off, or how testing out full-cover armor underwater nearly got you suffocated, or turning one of the girl hair comb into a razor sharp tool end up backfiring you or..."
"Okay, I get it, just stop!" I waved my hands to make him stop recalling this rather shameful memories I tried to forget, as I could hear him snickering under his breath. The two of us began travel farther down toward my home, and I decided to change the subjected. "So, aren't you going to have to face your dad again if you stay out for to long with me? He doesn't like me much and I don't want to get you into trouble again." From mention the word 'dad', I can already see his expression began to look gloom, yet Machirou still tries his best to look calm.

"I don't care what my dad think about me anymore, after all he has seven other son's that have better qualities to be the next chief of the village than me. All he see me is a useless son who isn't fit to even be part of his life and mess around with an outsider." I really don't know what it like to have siblings who each have incredible feats, or more so as being the son of the chief who has anger issues for twenty-four hours a day. All I do know is that it must be a rough life of being a shadow to your own brothers and I feel really sorry for him. As for Machirou father, the moment I came to the shore of island, he wanted to throw me back to the sea, as the barrier was supposed to prevent anyone from entering the island, yet I was able to do so. I was afraid that I would die for good if it wasn't for Noboru who came to save me and decided to adopt me as his son so that I can lived on the island. Even though that I lived on the island like the rest of the people, the chief still see me as an outsider and made certain that if I caused any trouble, I would be thrown out the village for good.
"Dude, it my fault that he treating you like this, simply because I'm just an outsider. I really don't know how I got through the barrier and thus your father think that I maybe a bad omen that would bring harmed to the village. I really wanted you to have a good relationship with your family." I whispered, looked down at my feet with a frown on my face.
"No, it isn't your fault at all! That is how my family always been before you arrived on this islanded; I was all alone with my cruel brothers who do nothing buy toyed with me for fun, while my father did nothing to stop them from torturing me. In his eyes, I was like how my mother was, weak and unable to do anything to fend for herself before I end up killing her the moment I was born. You became my only friend I have on this island and made my life feel like an adventure, what with you being so reckless." I couldn't help but let out a laugh out from my mouth, feeling good again.
"Oh really? Then maybe I should used you as my test subject for an idea about wearing swords as a armor." Hachirou grew pale just from hearing the idea and went on complaining regarding the idea.

Soon we reach to the hut that is about a mile away from the village, to which Machirou decided that it was now the time to leave and return back home, despite knowing he going to have an earful lecture again. Looking at the hut in front of me, it mad me remember the day when both me and Noboru were giving this hut as our new home by the chief order, as this was his way of showing that he didn't want me to live within the village. This hut is home for both me and Noboru, though he only stay at the hut for rest and spend the rest of the day doing school or other activities I have no idea. In honest truth, most of Noboru life is a mystery to the villagers, expect he was born in the village, yet no one know what he does when not teaching the children's. All I know that he was a kind man who save a life of a outsider and has been a good adopted father for years on this island, so I have no interest if he doesn't want to share his story with me. I turn my sight from the hut and into the shore with the reflection of the full moon on the ocean. Just looking at the exact spot when I floated unconscious to the shore, I could feel tears flowing from my eyes, the pain of losing my parents still lives to this day. However, I swear to them that I will live on in their name and one day will find a way to leave the island and begin my own adventure...

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Far from Onigashima, a wooden boat that is filled with crewmate wearing the same clothing that conceal their form and carrying dangerous gears on boarded, such as like sword's, metal claws and boxes of shurikens. In front of the boat, four figure cover in reddish cloak's stared far to the sea and could see an island that was about eighty miles from where they are.
"Is that the island we were told about?" Said the one who was the biggest among the rest.
"It is without the doubt the island of Oni's, as legend were told to children. I'm surprise that no one has every found this island for half a century, till now." The second figure had the tone of an old man, yet sound far younger than that.
"Still, we shouldn't celebrate just yet, we have no idea if these mask's are the real deal or not. And there is still a chance that those elite shinobi's from the Five Nations are chasing after us." The third one belong to the voice of like a mature man.
"It matter not if they are still chasing us or not, once we acquired the power of the Oni mask's, there nothing in the Five Nations that will stand in our way, not even the hero of the Fourth Great Ninja War. Is that right, Master Kishin?" The fourth figure reveal to be a woman, whiling emerging out from the shadow was a fifth figure. The mysterious figure wear a samurai helmet that completely conceal his face, yet shining out from the helmet are yellow eyes that gleam with the desire, his sight set on the island...

Just far from where the first boat is located, a second boat can be seen traveling through the sea, though it much smaller than the first and only carry five people on it. On the side of the boat, held a symbol that represent the word 'ninja', as one of the figure move closer to the front of the boat, gazing deep to the far distance with red, strange eyes ...