Snow blanketed the mountains, wind howled and bashed against the thicket of trees surrounding her small, frail body. She lay shivering in a bed of cold snow. Blood covered her body, trailing into the woods, and leading to a now deserted village. The young Shinobi with his headband covering his left eye, gazed across the snow covered plains. He gazed at the small girl, his expression hidden.

The young girl opened her eyes, looking up at the man who had approached. Fear covered her face, and she shut her eyes once again, awaiting death. Then, she felt warm arms lift her up, and cover her with a thick blanket. Her consciousness faded as the warmth spread through her body.

The Shinobi stopped at a nearby cave, immediately starting a fire to keep the child warm. He set to cleaning her up, dressing any wounds, and wrapping her frost bitten feet. He sat down besides her, bringing his knees up to his chin and gazing into the fire, wondering how a small child could cause so much destruction. He felt sorrow for the girl, hoping her cause had been just.

Hours passed, and it seemed like the girl would never awaken. The sun had risen, and the storm had settled to an end. The snow sparkled against the sun's rays and the Shinobi gazed at the girl as her cerulean eyes slowly slid open.

"Are you alright, now?" The Shinobi asked, helping the child sit up straight. She just nodded, gazing down at her hands in distraught. "What happened?"

She looked up at him, and he could see the pain in her eyes. So much hatred had been shown to this child. She spoke, and he swore her soft voice could soothe a raging beast. "They.... they killed my mother..." She stuttered slightly, gripping her blanket in her fingers. She began to tell her story to the Shinobi of the Leaf.

The Village in the Mountains had been known as a severely cut off village. Travelers steered clear of this retched town, speaking words of distrust, and bitterness. The village had a history of destroying things they did not understand. The girls mother and father's clan had founded the village, but were quickly cast down for being, strange. The mother's clan could control water at will, and her father had been direct lineage to the Senju clan. Her father had disappeared at a young age, and her mother were the only ones left.

Her mother had fallen in battle after warding off an assassination attempt on her daughters life, just in the towns center. She'd been poisoned in an attempt to save her only child. They made the young girl watch as her mother writhed in pain, her pain screams leaving her lips as she seized. She fell still, her glazed over eyes still locked onto her daughters distraught face.

The young girl broke. Water turned to ice and slaughtered the towns people, tearing down the village with such power, she thought she had truly gone mad. She left, sobbing and mourning the loss of her mother as the village behind her was slowly encased in ice, the screams of the few survivors silencing with the howling of the wind.

She spoke with such emotion. She told her story, in the hopes that maybe this man would be able to help her heal. In an attempt to start a new life, far away from the cold. The man just listened, taking in every word and feeling she had. He asked for her name, and it was a name that would stay with him forever. A name that would be written down in history as a hero.

"Ren Yukimura."

6 Years Later...

Ren smiled brightly at her brotherly figure as he sat at the table, yawning tiredly. "Here's your breakfast, Kakashi!" She called cheerfully, setting down a plate of food.

"What would I do without you?" He hummed, eating the food slowly, cherishing the taste. He gazed at her, sighing in adoration. He'd taken in the young girl when he explained to the Hokage what had happened. The old man immediately opened his arms to her. The girl was the great grand daughter of the first hokage, and nothing pleased him more to have a part of Shun back with him. "It's been six years, huh?"

Ren sat at the table, taking small bites of her breakfast before nodding. "And I'll thank you again, like I do every year. You're the best." She smiled, leaning on the table and gazed out the window. "I didn't know anything could be this warm. The sun feels nice here. And the people are just wonderful."

"They really are...." He gazed out the window as well, enjoying the silence. They had a bond. One that he missed when his father had been around. The birds sung songs to one another as the pair of lonely souls gaze out at the village, smiling peacefully at the serene landscape.

"By the way... where's your mask?"