Forgotten Gaiden [TEASER]

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      "You all know what this is, don't you?" Shino grunted as he held the forehead protector to his class of inexperienced Nin. The students gawked in awe of the accessory, unaware of its significance. "That's right," he huffed. "There is a reason that I'm showing this to all of you right now and that the time has finally come. . .the week of the Academy's graduation exam."

      Immediately, his class erupted with excited murmurs at the promise of becoming part of the new generation of Shinobi, all hoping to surpass their parents. A glimmer of colour caught Shino's attention, the sakura blossoms drifted across the rooftops from the Valley. His clunky visor shielded his wide-eyed look of surprise, that tree hadn't blossomed for over fifteen years. 

       Everyone considered the tree like a shrine. Many left offerings, candles and cards at its base, asking for good fortune and success. However, after the War when Konoha began to rebuild, the flowers stopped budding and the tree became bare. 

    The cherry blossom had stopped blooming when the Rabbit Goddess left, either out of guilt or exile. Their return signalled Hikari's emergence. Shino heard rumours and fables from the event that preceded two decades ago, some were still told to those who dared to speak ill of her―unafraid of what the consequences were if she ever heard.

         It was rumoured that after the demise of Madara Uchiha and Kaguya Otsutsuki, the one who united both Indra and Ashura's chakra, fled from pure heartbreak of killing her mate. Pairing with Lord First, it was said that a sakura tree was erected at the valley in memory of Madara, which was later reconstructed after the battle of Lord Seventh and Sasuke. The woman's singular companion, Kuma Kohaku, returned for a brief while before going out on a quest to find her. 

     Some speculated she reunited with the moon, others believed suicide. Not even Kuma could tell. However, there were only pieces to the mismatched story. After the destruction of the Valley, others believed that the woman found it an affront to Madara and Hashirama's legacy to change the village and that she fled from spite. Another version was that the woman grew jealous of the procreating Nin and knew that she couldn't give birth to a successor to the Kohaku, Uchiha or Uzumaki clan with the Sharingan or Tsuchigan Doujutsu.

       Nobody knew the truth about the woman, and nobody dared to seek answers. Lord Seventh was too busy to answer trivial questions about the Fourth Shinobi War, a battle which all the Konohagakure Nin knew he would want to forget. Not even Kuma could be reached, but now, like it was believed through her teachings, their return would mean hope.

        Shino knew that with the coming of the cherry blossoms, Hikari and Kuma were back.