A Thousand Years

The Tale

Night soon fell and the village was silent. Nina, cloaked in a long black cape and hood, silently crept out of the small house and slipped into the woods behind it.

Racing through the trees at a speed that to most could only be seen as a light rustling of leaves to most, she headed in the direction of her house, her actual house. Her shakujō was still there and she needed it to carry out the Receiving Justu. Not long after, she felt a slight shaking from the last branch she had landed on, one not caused by herself.

Unfortunately, she had expected this and only hoped that it wouldn't happen. She was being tailed, and by the looks of it, the person was good. She couldn't detect a single trace of chakra anywhere. The shaking that she felt was probably caused by a slight misstep, and she only detected it out of sheer luck in timing. Not stopping for a moment, Nina pushed off of the next tree branch, continuing towards her house.

About a hundred steps away from her front door, she came to a halt, back turned to her pursuer. She heard a quiet, almost unnoticeable sound when the person had stopped on a branch a couple trees behind her.

"Make yourself known." her voice pierced through the silent forest.

No answer.

She decided to try to work this out peacefully, after all, she was not here to fight.

"Tell me your business here, you will not be harmed."

There was a moment of silence.

Then a chuckle.

"That's what I've been saying for months." a familiar brunette landed silently on the ground. "I'll answer you if you answer me." Hashirama said, offering a crooked smile that did nothing to help pry an answer from the woman.

The atmosphere was not dark.

It was not awkward.

It was not tense.

It was just silent.

The two stood motionless, illuminated by the pale white moonlight flowing through the trees.

Not friends, not strangers, not enemies.

It was Nina who broke the silence.

"Why are you following me?"

"Why are you out?"

"What do you want?"

"To know who you are."

"You won't be getting any answers."

"Then you're not getting rid of me."

Again, silence.

Nina turned away and continued towards her home. For all the traits this man had in common with Hagoromo, persistance was certainly an obvious one.

He matched her pace, keeping the distance between them.

They soon came upon a small cabin under a large tree. Hashirama stopped as he saw the woman in front of him step into the house. He trusted that she would be emerging soon, and that she did. Only a moment after she entered the cabin, she stepped out with something in her hand. A staff of some sort. He got a feeling that he should stay silent for now.

They continued their walk towards a destination unknown to him.

Finally, after dozens of twists and turns, he saw her halt on the edge of an open field.

"Don't come any closer." came the command. "For your own good."

Hashirama obliged, getting the feeling that she knew more than she let on.