Ninpocho Chronicles

Ninpocho Chronicles is a fantasy-ish setting storyline, set in an alternate universe World of Ninjas, where the Naruto and Boruto series take place. This means that none of the canon characters exists, or existed here.

Each ninja starts from the bottom and start their training as an Academy Student. From there they develop abilities akin to that of demigods as they grow in age and experience.

Along the way they gain new friends (or enemies), take on jobs and complete contracts and missions for their respective villages where their training and skill will be tested to their limits.

The sky is the limit as the blank page you see before you can be filled with countless of adventures with your character in the game.

This is Ninpocho Chronicles.

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The Last Dream [Solo]

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Not all dreams were happy. Many dreams were exactly that; dreams and fantasy ungrounded in reality, and never meant to be.

Azusa's first real dream was lost. The Aikayume only ever had a single Priestess; by morning it would be Azusa. And once that happened, her dream would become lost forever.

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"...It is almost time, Azusa. Your hair is pretty tonight. Your mother....The priestess...will be proud, I'm sure." Hinoka spoke as she rinsed off soap from Azusa's long hair. Hinoka, as a member of the Aikayume branch family, was Azusa's sworn attendant despite being only slightly only than her. She was her cousin, but also her friend; and even she was unable to get any real response from Azusa. "Yeah." For the past hour, Azusa simply stared at the water of the bath she was in. "...The water is not hot anymore. Aren't you getting cold?" She once again tried to coerce the girl into leaving. "Yeah." To no avail.

No. It wasn't until the bath door was slammed open by her older brother that Azusa reacted, her shoulders tensing up.

"How long will you be hiding away and pouting?" "Y-Yatsu, she's in the bath...It's hardly the time..." "Leave my sister to me, Hinoka. Go get her robes or whatever she needs." He demanded, dismissing the girl. "O-okay..." With one more glance, she reluctantly left Azusa with a whisper of encouragement. She hated to leave Azusa alone with her brother, being the only one who knew the pain Yatsu put her through, but she was too afraid of him to outright disobey.

The door was shut by her brother once Hinoka had left.

"Playing around without ever being serious...Did you believe that you would delay the inevitable? The only thing you succeeded in was putting the time and effort of everyone to waste." Azusa said nothing, and gazed into the lukewarm water. "Mother always spoiled you. Letting you play at being shinobi instead of train. Pampering and protecting you." He berated her again. "..."

"Look at me, Azusa." He demanded, but was greeted with silence. "Azusa." A silent moment later, she obeyed, turning to see that her brother, though stern, also shown signs of grief. "And look where that spoiling has got us; you are to become priestess without an ounce of experience as either priestess or shinobi. A pathetic state brought by your selfishness. You wasted the last of her time."

Azusa could not interject; she completely agreed. When the rest of her clan was too kind to her, her brother was the only one who would yell at her. He was the only one who would blame her. The only one that told her the truth as it was; that she was weak. That she was idiotic and childish. Selfish. Naive. Useless.

This was a mercy to her; it let her pretend to be a victim. (Because I'm selfish.)
It let her see herself as "poor Azusa, who's brother is so cruel", instead of "Usless Azusa,who failed to meet expectations". (Because I'm weak.)
How could she pity herself if no one blamed her? For the mercy of being blamed, she'd gladly accept any physical or mental pain. (Because I'm dumb.)

The sound of bells began to chime throughout the shrine; it was time. "...Whatever. Mother will not be around to protect you anymore. There will be no more frivolous inactivities; I will protect our clan, Azusa." He turned to leave just as Hinoka entered with towels and garments for Azusa.

"Um...It's time to go to the priestess, Azusa." She spoke, dressing up her ginger haired cousin who was entranced by the ringing. With each bellchime, Azusa's heart sank deeper and deeper.

Her mother was calling.
 
Azusa was lead deeper into the Aikayume shrine. She knew of the building; a smaller, secluded one away from the main grounds. It was an area Azusa knew her mother spent alot of time in, although Azusa had only ever seen it from the outside. As mischievous as she was before, she had never been able to sneak past any of the attendants guarding the area. Even when it was unwatched, it always felt like her movements were predicted...

But now, she was being lead in directly, although none of her previous curiosity remained. She knew that when she went in, she'd only leave after she took the life of her mother.

But there was no running. No escape.


As if entranced by the ringing of the bells, Azusa entered the doors. A low-hanging fog clung to the floor of the inner shrine, glowing with the dim light of the countless candles lining the walls with blue flames. And in the center, a shallow pool of water that rippled each time is was disturbed by the woman next to it. Shoulder length hair, the ears and tails of a fox spirit, the current priestess of the Aikayume. Azusa's mother. She smiled as Azusa entered, signalling for the two miko behind her to shut the door.

"Your hair is very pretty tonight Azusa. you are growing so quickly...I am so proud of you." "Haha...Hinoka said you'd say something like that." Azusa managed a weak laugh. "Did she? She's a smart girl, you're lucky to have such a kind cousin. I loved to watch you two play for hours." She spoke, smiling the whole time. Azusa tried to mimic her mother, but failed; she couldn't pretend to be stoic.

"...Why? Why are you smiling mom? You don't look sick at all...Are you sure this is the time? I-I'm not ready!" Azusa choked out. The moment she let her weakness show tears began to streak down her face, her throat became dry. Her mother moved closer, embracing her daughter to calm her. "I told you, It's because you're growing up, Azusa. There can only be one Priestess, and you need The Blood to keep growing. It can't stay with me when you're this old, Azusa." Akane stroked her fingers through Azusa's hair, knowing it was inevitable.

Though the Kami blood the Aikayume were depended on within her was strong, it required a new body to host it. As her daughter approached puberty, her own life began to fade away. In truth, it took all her strength to maintain the Genjutsu of being strong in front of her daughter...But she did not want Azusa's final memories of her to be of her being sick and frail.

"Mom, I'm so scared...Isn't there anyway you can stay? More time..." Her mother was strong, why was everyone just accepting this? This isn't what Azusa wanted at all, there had to be something she could do...(Why can't I think of anything? I don't want her to die because of me...) "Shh, shh...Please be strong, Azusa. You aren't a little kid anymore." But she'd always be her baby.

"I r-really wanted t-to become a shinobi...before...." Azusa's lip trembled under the weight of the remaining words. It was so hard to speak the words. "...Before you left." Once those words were spoken Azusa lost all willpower to look at her mother directly, burying her face into her chest with sobs. "....." Akane's only response was to kiss Azusa's forehead. "....I wanted you to see me..."



(This is my wish.)

(If anyone can grant it, please!)

If any power out there, spirit, god, demon, anything! If it just granted her a small miracle, just alittle more time...

But nobody answered.

Her dream was lost.
...And she knew it was only her own weakness to blame.
Was it because she wasn't serious enough? Because she wanted to have fun, too? If she were more serious, would her mother have seen her graduate?
The rest of her clan objected to her shinobi training, wanting her to devote her time to succeed her mother as priestess. It was only her mother who agreed with Azusa, allowing her to partake in shinobi training.

What did she accomplish? "...I wasted your time, mom. You didn't have much time left...I should have spent it with you! I'm so, so, sorry!..." She choked out between sobs. Ever solemn, but ever smiling, her mother shook her head. "No, Azusa. I got to see you having fun. You were giving me a gift."

With one final hug, she rose to her feet and motion to the two miko in the corner. "....I love you Azusa. Please, be strong for me...And take care of your brother and sister. You were all so close when you were little...I can't stand the thought of you guys fighting." She made her way to the small pool within the center of the room, undoing the top of her robes as her attendants approached. "...I'm going to miss you so much mom. I love you." Azusa spoke, wiping her sleeve across her moist eyes and cheeks. She wanted to close her eyes, but forced herself to watch. If she didn't start forcing herself to be strong now of all times, when would she?

Akane handed a crystalline blade wrapped in cloth to one of the maidens before entering the pool in the center of the room. She turned her back, showing a seal inscribed between her shoulders...a more intricate version of the one Azusa had.

Azusa choked, her chest feeling tight as she watched the scene. It took every ounce of willpower to not cry out and rush to her mother's side.
Once cut with the blade, blood flowed down her mothers back. Blue Blood. The blood of the priestess, and source of the Aikayume's power.
It happened to fast, too quickly to be natural; it collected into the pool Akane stood in. No, sinked in. As if quicksand, she became engulfed. The pool became the same bright blue color as her blood, glowing, until it began to emit deep blue flames.

Azusa was too enthralled to notice the second shrine maiden had came behind herself with a similar crystal knife, cutting Azusa's back in the same place her mother had been cut. So that The Blood may flow to its new host. Instinctively, Azusa stepped towards the pool of bewitching flame, hearing it call to her. Her mother could no longer be seen within the fox fire...But the orbs of blue flames danced around Azusa, engulfing her.

They were not hot, and there was no pain. "Be strong, Azusa." No, it felt as if her mother was hugging her one final time. An embrace of warmth that she would never forget, yet never know again. (Goodbye, mommy...mother. I'll make you proud.) There was pressure on her back where she was cut. She did not bleed, as it was not an exit for her blood. It was an entrance for the Blue Blood of the priestess.

Wind blew through the shrine, extinguishing the countless candles and her mother's blue flames until only light remaining were from Azusa's own creation, swaying in in sync with her kitsune tail and ears.

Yet she wasn't alone.

The Aikayume only ever had a single priestess, but she was not alone.

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