HOME | DD

Description
Carrere's P.O.V.

A puff of mist materialized before my mouth as I let out a weary sigh.   It is a cold night and the luminescent moon covers the Hidden Nightfall Village in a particularly eerie light.  I stare at the backs of my teammates as we tread down a rustic path leading to our objective, the old ninja academy in the center of a nearby forest, which is also the site of the Great Academy Massacre. A dark event in the Hidden Nightfall's past that occurred in such obscure circumstances, that it has been labeled as one of our villages greatest and most wretched mysteries.

An old abandoned building in the middle of a creepy forest.  Really?  My luck couldn't be any worse.

I let my mind wander to the days earlier events.

Flashback

Our Tsukikage sat elbows on her desk with her hands gracefully cradling her chin, 'Menae Miscreants,' she addressed with a solemn tone 'I have received report about some suspicious activity going on around the village.'  She stood up and placed a manicured hand on the windows of her office opening up to a scenic view of our village.

'There are… rumors of the dead walking, children being spirited away, objects floating in the sky and a series of other odd supernatural events. The reports do have some clues as to areas that may have the most activity.'

I soon felt my pulse quicken and felt my hands go all clammy.

'Oh Kage-chan, zombies how cool!' A young short chuunin wearing a teal cap stood beside me nonchalantly munching on a chocolate bar, 'I always wanted to play keep away with a zombie's head" she grinned chocolate now smeared all over her mouth.

'Hynoryuu! Mind your manners in the presence of Tsukikage-sama,' a taller kunoichi with short brown hair on my other side glared daggers at the adolescent ninja 'and Captain isn't it your job to keep her check?'

'S-s-sorry Wolffie'  I managed to stutter.  I was still in shock from hearing about all the supernatural stuff.  I then suddenly felt a burning gaze upon me and turned to see our Kage, Yve, smiling at me, but I swear I also saw some veins popping out.  I quickly started to ardently bow 'Ah, forgive me Yve-sama, please continue with our mission debriefing.'

'Ahem, well then as I was saying there is the old academy building in the center of the nearby forest. Your team, the Menae Miscreants, must go investigate and report back your findings.  You are dismissed.'

'But, Yve-sama, surley this this must be a mistake, all that supernatural mumbo jumbo must just be pranks by some village kids or―'

'You are dismissed!' our Kage barked, now gritting her teeth.  That vein I saw earlier wasn't just my imagination and I felt a he sweat drop on the back of my head. Her enraged face quickly melted into a pleasant smile "Please report to the site at night" Hynoryuu skipped out in a giddy fit while Wolffie followed out after politely bowing.  I myself bowed before shutting the door behind me. 'Oh and Captain Carrere' I turned and looked back at Yve-sama's face and saw sominthing akin to the expression a mischievous child would have when planning a trick flashed over her graceful features too quick to confirm if I really saw it, 'have fun with your poltergeist,' she smirked and I let the door shut in my face completely frozen in my spot.

End Flashback

"Hey, scaredy captain "I felt someone  blow into my ear.

"KYAAAAA, BACK I SAY FOUL BEAST, GO HENCE TO THE DEPHS WHERE YEE BELONGETH!"

"Calm down Captain it's just Hynoryuu playing tricks on you again," Wolffie comforted me as I lie huddled on the ground waving a wreath of garlic in the air above my head, "Uh, Captain… I think garlic only works against vampires"

I sniffed wiping away small tear drops "It was all I had on short notice." I pouted as I discarded the garlic and brushed myself off.  I was wearing my signature dark baggy pants with a teal filigree coil pattern.  I wore a teal sash around my waist, decorated with orange circles and ornamented at the bottom with two bright orange orbs ornamenting the ends of my sash.  My top matches my pants and is a classic kimono style that cut off above my midriff.   Finally, I readjusted my orange scarf, a memento from my father.

I then glared at Hynoryuu on the ground in hysterics, laughing over her 'clever' prank.

"Hey, scaredy captain, maybe we could use your garlic to barter with the zombies" she joked before proceeding with her snickering.  This earned her a nice smack on the head.

"Tch, maybe I'll use your blasted reserves of chocolate to barter" I retorted knowing I'd hit the spot.

I then felt small arms wrap around my torso 'Please, scaredy―err, I mean, Carrere-sama, anything but my chocolate!" I stared down at the teary eyed chuunin who had waterfalls streaming down both cheeks.

I brushed the chocolate addict off and proceeded toward our destination "Whatever, let's get this mission over with so I can go home and fry me up some bacon and put this supernatural mumbo-jumbo to rest."

I heard an audible sigh from the patient and reserved jounin "You two never grow-up do you?" the brown-haired kunoichi joked lovingly.
"That's why we have some responsible like you to watch over us Wolffie-dono."  I smirked back at her and sprinted even deeper into the bustling darkness of the vast forest.

If you haven't picked up on it yet, I'm not such a big fan of the occult and supernatural.  Besides being known throughout the village as a grade A swordsman I am also known as grade A (insert any paranormal being)-phobic, which is why Yve-sama was teasing me about it earlier.  Don't get me wrong I can face the nastiest and ugliest thugs out there, but when it comes to things that defy logic, it just creeps me out.

"So here we are, scaredy captain"

"…"

"Um, Captain, orders?"

"…"

"Oh, Wolffie-chan, looks like scaredy captain finally lost it"

"Oh dear, Captain is no longer responding"

Creaky fences, rotting grass, dirty walls, broken windows, shifty shadows, and lastly flickering lights in a supposedly 'abandoned' academy.  This was too cliché.  I've read enough manga to know what's gonna happen to me if I go into that cesspool of paranoia.

I felt a sudden bump on my head "Snap out of it scaredy captain, we need you to lead us so we can successfully report back to Kage-chan, so get your act together, cause I running out of chocolate bars!"

At first I was stunned at Hynoryuu impudent words, but I realized she was right.  I had a mission to carry out and I wasn't gonna let some stupid pranks from some kids get to me.

"Alright let's do this, but first we need a proper formation so we can fend off anything that comes at us!"

"Atta girl, now that's the Captain I know."

"Yeah, scaredy captain's finally back in the game."

I carefully observed my teammates.  Wolffie, a skilled archer, dressed in a midnight hoodie with a burgundy pencil skirt and dark leggings and knee high boots.  "Wolffie take middle and use you sharp shooting to disable any traps or take out any flying objects."

"With pleasure, Captain."

I then analyzed Hynoryuu, a close combatant who wields dual tanto.  She was sporting a grey jacket with a red belt and dark shorts. "Hynoryuu guard the flank and look out for any ambushes."

"Roger, but wait that means you are―"

"I'll be point." And with that I marched up to the large wooden academy doors, my teammates not far behind me.  I pushed the great doors open and was immediately hit by a strong musty scent.  I brushed my own teal hair behind my ear and scanned the room.  It had a high vaulted ceiling and there was a reception desk in the middle with a corridor on each side.

"Let's go right first," I suggested.

"Left." The mild-mannered archer stated curtly

"Wah, but, I, just―"

"Scaredy Captain has no sense of direction so we just go opposite of your gut feeling." The perky chuunin responded matter-of-factly.

I mumble inwardly and decided not to fight them.  I then felt a slight tingling on my back.

"Hynoryuu, leave me alone I'm done with your tricks!"

"Um. Baka-Captain I'm all the back here and Wolffie-chan is holding here bow and arrow, no
one's touching you."

"C-c-captain, whatever you do don't look behind you."
I froze in my spot, sweating like a pig and scared out of my wits.  I fought every nerve in my body telling me not to look back, but alas I turn and what do I see a small transparent child playing in my hair.  This is going to be a long night.  I feel my eyes role to the back of my head and black out.

Hynoryuu's P.O.V.

I watched Wolffie run to our fallen captain, I walked calmly knowing she just fainted and looked at the child ghost slowly disappear in an eerie green mist.

I sat down beside Wolffie who was fanning our captain, she was slowly rousing and so I pulled out a piece of chocolate and grinned down at Carrere who had just barely opened her eyes.

"So as it turns out…" I began catching there attention. "The ghosts here are very real and may be dangerous."

I saw the fear flash across Carrere's face, and Wolffie gave me a stern look, but I ignored her look, I got it too often to care anymore.

"What's wrong scaredy captain, aren't you having fun!"

"No!" she exclaimed in a whisper.

I chuckled lightly and sat on the ground next to her and ripping open a new chocolate bar. I heard Carrere slightly mumbling to herself, I could tell Wolffie could hear it too but she ignored it, that or didn't care, but what she was mumbling about struck a nerve slightly.

"Stupid ghosts… They're all so evil and mean… stupid paranormal…"

I jumped up and looked pointedly at Carrere. "Just because they are ghosts doesn't mean they're evil, scaredy captain!" she looked at me, surprised by my shouting. "Some ghosts, as I read frequently, just want to leave this world! They aren't here by choice but they need help, and that's what we gotta do!"

Something hit the floor and I looked down to see my chocolate bar and I gasped before pouncing to the floor and asking it childishly "Are you ok chocolate?"

I saw Carrere as well as Wolffie staring at me still and I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly "I didn't want my chocolate to be hurt…"

"Hynoryuu…" Carrere started.

"What is it scaredy captain?"

"Never mind," Wolffie interrupted. "We have a mission to complete."

"That's right! Come on scaredy captain, we need you to lead us!"

"R-right…" Carrere said standing up. "Let's get going."

Carrere took the lead, followed by Wolffie, and as I began to go after them I heard a voice whisper something inaudible and as I was about to call out I heard Wolffie call me and went after them with one last glance over my shoulder.

"What were you doing?" Wolffie asked quietly when I caught up.

"Um… getting a new chocolate bar!" I exclaimed.
It should be believable enough, right?

"Okay then."

I turned around to check for any signs of an ambush, my senses on high alert as I walked quietly, when I looked forward again I saw my team mates weren't there, but instead a floating child surrounded in a green mist.

"What is it you want?" I asked carefully.

His voice was so quiet I almost couldn't hear him. "Help… I need help…"
I blinked, it was just like I said, Carrere was going to throw a fit, what with me talking to a ghost and…

Shit…

My team mates...

"Um ok… Little boy, I'll help you if you help me!"

He looked confused but reluctantly nodded.

"Where are my team mates?" I inquired.

"Oh!" his voice was a little louder and I could actually hear him. I felt his cold hand grasp the sleeve of my jacket where my hand was and pull me along as he went.
Turns out they were just around the corner… I felt stupid.

"Wolffie! Scaredy captain! Lookie here!" I yelled waving my arms over my head it big swipes.

The ghost child hid behind me as they walked calmly over to me, or not really calmly, Wolffie was calm as always, while Carrere was walking slower and with fear slightly evident in her eyes.

"Okay so scaredy captain before you freak out, yes this is important, and also I might be able to find out about all of the 'paranormal stuff' happening around here!"
I stepped aside showing the child to them, Carrere hit the ground immediately while Wolffie examined him before nodding to herself confirming him as a ghost.

I kneeled down beside Carrere and poked her repeatedly saying "Wake up scaredy captain!"
It took her a while but she finally woke up and looked up at me before saying "Leave me alone, that ghost child isn't real Hynoryuu, your pranks are getting annoying!"

"Nu huh! This isn't a prank scaredy captain! And my pranks are always great!"

I was offended, my pranks were awesome!

She looked afraid again but Wolffie put a hand on her shoulder and looked at me "Hynoryuu how is he going to help us?"

"No we're going to help him! He said he needed help so I thought that would help us figure out what is happening!"

We all looked at him and he started talking, not that any of us could hear him though.

"Hey kiddie, you gotta speak up!" I exclaimed.

He nodded softly before speaking loud enough for us to barely hear him, although I could tell he was shouting.

"I'm stuck here and need your help to leave!"

I nodded before looking at Carrere and Wolffie. "See it's exactly how I said! Some ghosts need help to leave this world!"

They ignored me

"There is a lot of mean ghosts here who want to hurt me and so I wanna leave!"
The ghost boy was huffing with lack of breath, or ghost breath if they breathed, and I stood up and put my hand on his back for support.

"Please… Please help me!"

"Scaredy captain?" I questioned.

"We don't have much of a choice do we?" she asked mainly to herself then us though.

"It will help us complete the mission! Please, scaredy captain!"

"Tch, fine whatever…"

The tone of her voice sounded as though she didn't care, but I knew she was afraid on the inside, but I also knew this is what had to be done.

"Alright kiddie you got yourself a deal!" I told him happily. "So what do we do now scaredy captain?"

She seemed to be thinking it over, she swallowed heavily before speaking.

"I think we need to find whatever ghosts he was talking about and get information on them, since that is out mission."

"And the kid?" I asked her.

"We'll help him if he helps us." She said, looking at the child.

He nodded his agreement.

"Great!" I shouted.

"Keep it down Hynoryuu…" Wolffie told me. "How are we doing this, captain?"

"Well…" Carrere began. "I say we take the same formation, but the ghost stays in back with Hynoryuu, since she is close range and has quick response time with her tanto, in case he tried to attack us."

She looked at us, but kept her gaze away from the ghost kid.

"Let's go," she said before taking off, Wolffie behind her.

I went a little slower than them, keeping the ghost child right in from of me.

"So we aren't the first to come in here if I'm right, and I like to think I'm usually right, why did you come to ask us for help?"

"I have asked everyone who came in for help," he said in a voice just above a whisper, only heard by me do to my light footsteps and the others being about ten and fifteen feet ahead of us.

"But why me in particular?" I asked him, looking behind me making sure there was no one following us.

"That speech you said, I thought I could trust you…"

"And you can! And I'll trust you, but I'm not so sure about scaredy captain or Wolffie, but

I don't think you're lying to us!"

It was silent for a while be he spoke louder than usual.

"Stop, this room is where some of the main ghosts are a lot of the time!"

"Scaredy captain! Wolffie! In here!"

They stopped where they were and ran back; stopping in front of the room and looking at me
I nodded in confirmation telling them this was it.

They walked in, me right behind them and just as the four of us, counting the kid, the door shut and locked, I turned around and tried pushing it back open but it was sealed somehow, keeping us in.

"You were lying!" Carrere yelled at the ghost kid.

"N-no!" I heard him say.

"You tricked us here and now we are locked in!"

"I-I didn't plan this, I promise!"

I looked at him, although he was a ghost and his eyes were just smoky pools of nothing-ness

I could tell he was telling the truth, he really did just want our help.
"Now the ghosts are going to eat us!"
"Stop it scaredy captain!" I told her. "He didn't plan this, I trust him."

Wolffie's P.O.V.

Normally I'm not one to believe in the supernatural. Yes, weird things sometimes happen by chance or coincidence, but I've never really thought ghosts or mystical beings were to blame. That was stuff you found in books and fiction.

Standing here in a locked room with my two teammates and a ghost child had suddenly made me rethink my position on the matter.

I tuned out Captain and Hynoryuu bickering with each other in favor of surveying the room we were now trapped in. It looked like it had once been an ordinary classroom. There was a larger desk near the front with some smaller broken ones pushed to the side wall. Thick layers of dust coated the few half empty bookcases on the adjacent side. Behind what I assumed was once the instructor's desk was a chalkboard that had a brown splatter pattern stained on it.

"He didn't plan this, I trust him." I returned my focus to my teammates as Hynoryuu said this.

"That's all well and good. I don't think this child did anything intentionally either." I stated while walking over to look more closely at the stained chalkboard.

Carrere gave me a wide eyed look. "Please tell me that's not what I think it is," she said when her eyes wandered to stain.

"It is."

"Hey! Hey!" Hynoryuu called out. "What is it?"

My captain and I answered at the same time. "Blood."

Hynoryuu paled.

The ghost child merely nodded in confirmation.

"It's not so much the actual blood stain that bothers me, but the 'why' and 'how' of that blood stain. This was a school once." Carrere said.

"What happened here?" I turned to the young ghost boy.
Just as he was about to give an answer, several things happened. Floorboards began creaking of their own accord. The panes on the lone window started to rattle. Loose papers from around the room shuffled.

I knocked an arrow in preparation.

"Is that… is that the others?" Captain gasped out in fear.

"Yes." The ghost boy was barely heard.

"We need to get out of this room. That blood… I don't want to be stuck in here without knowing more." Carrere told us. She hadn't passed out again. I was proud of that. It meant she was beginning to overcome her own insecurities at the situation we were in.

"Already ahead of you." I turned my aim to the far wall and let loose a charka infused arrow. A small hole, big enough for us to crawl through, was made in the corner.

"I love that you can do stuff like that!" Hynoryuu glomped me. "Let's go!" She ducked down and ran through our new escape route. The rest of us quickly followed.

We were now in a back hallway by the look of it.

"Let's keep moving." My captain turned to go in one direction.

Hynoryuu grabbed her arm.

"Other way." I said simply.

Carrere flushed and grumbled at the same time.

Moving cautiously and quietly, with only the occasional crunch of the chocolate bar in Hynoryuu's mouth, the team moved. When we found the library of the academy we stopped.

"We need a plan."

"Yes, Captain. We do. But first I have a question for the boy." I glanced behind Hynoryuu to where he kept hiding.

Carrere raised an eyebrow, but remained silent.

I knelt down to what would be the ghost's eye level. "Was that your blood back in the room?" I asked gently.

"No." He replied. "Not in that room anyway."

"You're all… all the souls that are causing this ruckus, don't tell me you're the victims of the Great Academy Massacre!" Carrere exclaimed at her sudden realization.  The ghost boy only nodded in return.

Catching on to my train of thought, Hynoryuu asked, "So there were others killed with you? People in several rooms at the same time?"

"We were in class. All the students. It came out of nowhere. My… my brother."

"You're brother?" I puzzled.

The boy nodded. He looked as though he were about to cry. Well, if ghosts could cry.
Hynoryuu pulled out a chair for him to sit on. The look on her face gave the impression she was debating whether or not to share the chocolate bar in her hand to comfort him, something she was not apt to normally do. She apparently concluded he wouldn't be able to eat it so she stuck it in her own mouth.

"Okay." I was still kneeling down. "You're brother attacked the academy?"

"Not originally. This isn't his fault." The ghost told us. "I don't remember everything, just that this isn't his fault. He's… he's changed."

Carrere and I shared a glance. Hynoryuu said what we were both thinking. "He's one of the others, isn't he?"

Tears could be seen dripping down the child face. He nodded. "Their leader now."
Stepping up into her captain position, Carrere began listing off a list of the facts we knew. "So, this academy was attacked by someone or something, the students were killed off," she glanced at the boy. "They were left here as spirits, and now those spirits are… changing?" she now turned to me to see if anything was missed.

"Changing into something evil."

My own words sparked something in my head. "Changing into something evil." I murmured it to myself again. There was recognition there. Like I'd read about something like this before.
A crash down the hallway had all our heads turning toward the door.

"Looks like we've stayed her too long!" Hynoryuu jumped up from the seat she had taken next to the child.

"We better move again. At least until we figure out how we can stop them." I heard my captain say. I had moved slightly away to one of the many bookcases not really looking at it. The words I had said earlier were still ringing in my mind.

"Wolffie. Wolffie!" Hynoryuu called me out of my reverie.

I looked up at her. "Right. Sorry. It's just…give me a minute." I took off down an aisle, bow clutched tightly in hand. I hoped this library would have what I wanted.

"What are―" Carrere was cut off by Hynoryuu pulling her after me.

"Just let her go." I couldn't see it, but I could hear the smile in her voice.

After turning several corners and stopping a few times to look more closely at the books in sight, I finally found the section I had been looking for. "Changing into something evil." I whispered again.

"You keep saying that!" Carrere yelled at me. I had irritated her enough that she was now using her captain's voice.

"I need to find a book."

"Now it not the time for a reading break!" She continued to use the stern tone of voice.

Hynoryuu punched her in the arm.

Carrere shoved her back.

"Stop." I said before a scuffle could break out between the two. They were always doing this and now it was scaring the ghost boy. "I need to find a book. I think it may have an answer to everything that's been going on here at the academy."

"Oh." Carrere let Hynoryuu out of the headlock she had managed to put her in.
Hynoryuu pouted and stuffed another chocolate bar in her mouth. I laid a hand on her shoulder to tell her to cheer up.

"Do you remember that big, green book?" I asked her. "The old one with the fancy gold writing on the front?"

She chewed the chocolate still in mouth as she pondered. "The big, green one… the big… Oh! The one you nearly dropped off the top shelf that one time?"

"Yes. We have to see if there's a copy of it here."

"What's it look like?" The ghost boy inquired softly.

The look on my captain's face matched the boy's. Neither had any idea what Hynoryuu and I were talking about but they wanted to help.

"It's about this big." I indicated using my hands. "And a greenish color with big script letters in gold on the cover."

"And it's heavy enough that it could squash me if it fell on me." Hynoryuu laughed at my face which I'm sure was probably pink.
Ignoring the sly comment on my clumsy moment, I added, "It should be in this section here somewhere."

The four of us spread out and began scouring the shelves as quickly as we could. The noise down the hall wasn't getting any louder; it could still be heard, though.
Carrere brought over a few books that were close to the description we had given her but none were the right one.

"Is it this one?" The ghost boy called us over. He pointed to one on the very top shelf.

There, covered in a thick layer of dust, was the book I was looking for.

Hynoryuu laughed. "That's it!" She scaled the shelf of grabbed the book. Rather than climbing down with it she dropped it down to us. "Look out below!"

I caught it and gave her a sour look. "I told you I was sorry about that time."

"I know. I just like messing with you." She said with a grin.

Carrere shook her head not wanting to know what we were going on about.

I carried the book to a small desk sitting against the nearby wall and opened it. Scanning through it was difficult because of its age. Finally I found what I was looking for.

"I knew I'd read about this." I said more to myself. To the others I said, "Okay. I think I know what's been happening." I pointed down to the book. Looks of comprehension came on to the faces of my teammates.

"So now we just need a plan of action." The teal-haired kunoichi declared, gold eyes now glinting with determination. She turned to the boy. "What can you tell us about your brother? From before the attack on the academy?"

It didn't take long to put their plans in motion once they knew what needed to be done.
The information from the book Wolffie had found them was one which described ancient shinobi curses. There was one which could grab hold of spirits born in massacre attacks and change everything that had been good and pure about the souls into evil. It explained everything, from what had happened to the young ghost boy's brother, to what was happening in other parts of the village. These souls turned to evil could do more damage the longer they had a visible form. If someone had set this curse in place, it would have affected any sight in the area that had the blood of a massacre soaked into it.

They would need to get this information to the Tsukikage as soon as possible. She needed to get teams out scouting to find the curse master and stop them before more harm could be done.

First, the Menae Miscreants had to help the young ghost boy. It was only by his help that they were able to figure out what was going on. They owed it to him to try and help him and his brother. And if they didn't then he too would soon change from good to evil.

"You… you're sure this will work?" Carrere stuttered out.

"I think so," Wolffie said. "There really are only two options at this point. Either we seal the spirits and forever condemn them to purgatory, or we try to release them from the curse and let them pass on."

Behind her Hynoryuu nodded. "We have to help the boy get his brother back."

"As long as you're sure." Carrere didn't look very convinced.

"Okay. I think I've got the holding seals in place." Wolffie commented. "Do either of you see anything that needs a correction?"

"Not really. If you think they're okay they probably are. You're the best of the three of us at seals." Hynoryuu said.

Wolffie made a face. "That doesn't mean I'm awesome at them. If they were sealing arrows I'd feel more comfortable with them. Paper ones…"

"They'll have to do." The captain of the team interjected. She turned to the young ghost boy. "Are you ready?"

He nodded. The importance of what was happening was not lost on him.

"Great!" Hynoryuu exclaimed. Then in a more subdued tone she added, "Just be sure to talk about as many good memories of you and your brother as you can. You can include the others that were here that day, too."

"The more happy times you can get them to think about the easier it will be for the releasing ninjutsu to take effect. The holding seals can only last for so long." The brunette archer added.

"Alright." The boy said. "I'm ready."

"Good because the spirits are heading back this way." Carrere returned from glancing out the door. The group had returned to the classroom they'd been trapped in earlier since it was a popular room with the spirits.

She took her place beside the door ready to run to her place on the circle they'd draw on the floor once the spirits entered. Hynoryuu took her place on the other side of the door-jam as well. Since those two were faster than Wolffie they would have to move the furthest to get into position. Wolffie stood in her position on the circle in plain view of the door next to the ghost boy. The spirits would be able to clearly see her and hopefully that would draw them in without noticing her teammates behind them.
An all-out physical attack against ghosts would put the team at a disadvantage. The ghosts could land blows on them but they could do nothing to retaliate. Holding seals and releasing ninjutsu were pretty much the only option. It would take all three members of the team to make it successful.

Suddenly Wolffie was able to see the other spirits through the door.
She gasped a little at their appearance. Unlike the ghost boy who look relatively normal these ghosts were more like creatures found in fiction. They had some similarities to the humans they once were but they were also misshapen and distorted. A few hand extra limbs. Some had no limbs at all. Others had grown horns or various projections on different parts of their bodies.

And they all seemed a lot more solid that the young ghost boy.

Hynoryuu and Carrere looked at her with raised eyebrows. They knew the spirits must be a sight if it had startled Wolffie.

"Ready?" Carrere mouthed while looking at Hynoryuu. The girl nodded. Carrere did the same for her teammate across the room and got the same response. "Okay. Go." She mouthed to Wolffie.

"Go ahead." Wolffie whispered to the ghost next to her.

"Right." He said. A little louder he called out to his brother. "Onii-san! Onii-san!!"

The speed of the spirits coming toward the room increased. They burst into the room and moved toward the boy and Wolffie.

"Now!" Carrere yelled.

The two girls by the door ran to their places. As one unit, the three man team knelt down and activated the holding seals at their feet. The patterns on the floor beneath the evil ghosts glowed briefly and threw up a thin barrier.
The young ghost boy started yelling out all the happiest memories he could remember in hopes that it would get his former friends to hear his voice and remember who they used to be. They had to want to change back in order for this to work.

"Get ready to start the releasing hand signs." Wolffie called out.

"Go!" Hynoryuu said.

After a few minutes of repeating the same ninjutsu hand signs over and over a change could be seen with in the barrier. Some of the spirits began looking more and more normal. Scared children were emerging from within the monster forms.
One, however, had yet to change at all.

"Onii-san! Onii-san! Remember that time you and I snuck out to the park at night to chase fireflies? Or how about the time you taught me to thrown a kunai properly?" The ghost boy kept up with trying to jog his older brother's memories. Tears were forming in his eyes when it wasn't working.

"This isn't working on him!" Hynoryuu yelled over to Wolffie. She looked drained.

The spirit lashed out against the barrier near Carrere again. A crack was appearing. "You two keep going with the hand-signs." She told them.

"What are you going to do then?" Hynoryuu questioned.

"The only thing I can." She stopped her hands and pulled a scroll out. Bending down she used it to summon a sword. It was her shadow blade sword, nox anima.

"Are you serious? You can't use that on him!" Hynoryuu screamed.

"Don't worry about the barrier anymore. Move out of the way but keep the hand-signs going. It should keep him weak enough for me to do something."

"But…" Hynoryuu stopped when Wolffie moved next to her and grabbed her shoulder. The ghost boy had moved as well.

The barrier cracked and shattered. The brother emerged looking right at the captain. She readied herself on the balls of her feet.

The ghost made the first move and lashed out at her. Carrere moved and went in for her own attack. The two were moving so fast it was hard to make out exactly what was happening.

Wolffie, Hynoryuu, and the boy stood by, continuing to do what they could. For a second Hynoryuu stopped to shove a chocolate bar in her mouth. All the stress was getting to her and she needed an energy boost.

The boy saw the chocolate bar. "Chocolate…" he whispered to himself. "Hey Onii-san!!

Remember when you and I made those homemade chocolates for mom? We made such a mess! There was chocolate everywhere! All over me, and all over you, and all over the place! Oka-san had a near heart attack when she saw her nice clean kitchen looking like that! Remember
Onii-san! Please remember!!"

And something must have clicked. The attacks on Carrere instantly stopped and the girl slammed into it knocking it over.

Pieces of its body seemed to be melting away. A normal teenaged boy was becoming more visible. His body lashed around violently like he was fighting an internal battle.

"Keep doing the signs." Wolffie said. "It's working better now. He's remembering."

Carrere quickly dropped her sword and helped them.

The ghost boy ran toward his brother's twitching form huddled on the ground. A hand lashed
out and caught the boy in the side.

"No!" Hynoryuu yelled.

As she was about to move to the boy, Wolffie called out, "No! Don't stop. He'll be okay. But we have to get the brother to revert back."

"Right."

It took another five minutes of continuous hand-signs before the older boy looked totally normal again. The movement of his body had calmed as well.

"Go ahead and stop," a tired Wolffie said. "I think he's okay now." She sat down where she was. The other two did the same, panting to catch their breath and stretching out their fingers.

Despite their exhaustion all three sprang to their feet when the older ghost boy stood to his feet and moved to his brother.

"Onii-san." The younger boy whispered. "You're okay."

"Yes. I am now. Thank you for getting me to remember." He scooped the boy up off the floor.

Turning to the girls he continued to speak. "And thank you. Without your help I don't know what would have happened. But now we," he indicated both his brother and the other ghost children in the room, "can move on. Thank you."

"Wait!" An exasperated Hynoryuu screeched out, "At least tell us your names!"

"I was called Arata." The older boy replied serenely.

"Hajime!" The younger ghost squeaked from his brother's embrace.

"Fresh… beginning," a small smile formed on Carrere's face, "Those are good names ya got there.  Maybe, just maybe you ghost aren't so bad after all."
He bowed slightly. The team merely bowed in return and watched as the spirits faded out into nonexistence.

When they were alone Hynoryuu was the first to speak. "What now?"

"We go report to the Tsukikage." Wolffie answered.

And that's just what they did.

They returned to the village and went straight to see her. She needed to get someone to find the curse master and stop him. No other spirits needed to be summoned forth and changed into evil, destructive beings.

"You did well," she said with her elbows on her desk, hands gracefully cradling her chin.

It must have been evident that the time repeating the releasing ninjutsu had taken its toll on the team. "Now go get some rest. We may need you to help with some off the other incidents caused by this curse master until he is caught."

She stood and looked out her window before turning around to face the team. The girls stood up straighter under the gaze of their Kage. Hynoryuu had another chocolate bar hanging out of her mouth.

Yve-sama smiled. "Dismissed."

Three figures can be seen in front the old academy building.  One crouches down and places a modest arrangement of flowers on what seems to be a memorial.  The two others follow respective placing a chocolate bar and a single arrow with Buddhist mantras tied on to it. After a moment of silence the three figures dash off.  Upon closer observation there are words inscribed upon the base of the memorial. They read 'Here we honor the lives lost in the Great Academy Massacre.  May their souls find peace and discover Fresh Beginnings.'

Description
Carrere's P.O.V.

A puff of mist materialized before my mouth as I let out a weary sigh.   It is a cold night and the luminescent moon covers the Hidden Nightfall Village in a particularly eerie light.  I stare at the backs of my teammates as we tread down a rustic path leading to our objective, the old ninja academy in the center of a nearby forest, which is also the site of the Great Academy Massacre. A dark event in the Hidden Nightfall's past that occurred in such obscure circumstances, that it has been labeled as one of our villages greatest and most wretched mysteries.

An old abandoned building in the middle of a creepy forest.  Really?  My luck couldn't be any worse.

I let my mind wander to the days earlier events.

Flashback

Our Tsukikage sat elbows on her desk with her hands gracefully cradling her chin, 'Menae Miscreants,' she addressed with a solemn tone 'I have received report about some suspicious activity going on around the village.'  She stood up and placed a manicured hand on the windows of her office opening up to a scenic view of our village.

'There are… rumors of the dead walking, children being spirited away, objects floating in the sky and a series of other odd supernatural events. The reports do have some clues as to areas that may have the most activity.'

I soon felt my pulse quicken and felt my hands go all clammy.

'Oh Kage-chan, zombies how cool!' A young short chuunin wearing a teal cap stood beside me nonchalantly munching on a chocolate bar, 'I always wanted to play keep away with a zombie's head" she grinned chocolate now smeared all over her mouth.

'Hynoryuu! Mind your manners in the presence of Tsukikage-sama,' a taller kunoichi with short brown hair on my other side glared daggers at the adolescent ninja 'and Captain isn't it your job to keep her check?'

'S-s-sorry Wolffie'  I managed to stutter.  I was still in shock from hearing about all the supernatural stuff.  I then suddenly felt a burning gaze upon me and turned to see our Kage, Yve, smiling at me, but I swear I also saw some veins popping out.  I quickly started to ardently bow 'Ah, forgive me Yve-sama, please continue with our mission debriefing.'

'Ahem, well then as I was saying there is the old academy building in the center of the nearby forest. Your team, the Menae Miscreants, must go investigate and report back your findings.  You are dismissed.'

'But, Yve-sama, surley this this must be a mistake, all that supernatural mumbo jumbo must just be pranks by some village kids or―'

'You are dismissed!' our Kage barked, now gritting her teeth.  That vein I saw earlier wasn't just my imagination and I felt a he sweat drop on the back of my head. Her enraged face quickly melted into a pleasant smile "Please report to the site at night" Hynoryuu skipped out in a giddy fit while Wolffie followed out after politely bowing.  I myself bowed before shutting the door behind me. 'Oh and Captain Carrere' I turned and looked back at Yve-sama's face and saw sominthing akin to the expression a mischievous child would have when planning a trick flashed over her graceful features too quick to confirm if I really saw it, 'have fun with your poltergeist,' she smirked and I let the door shut in my face completely frozen in my spot.

End Flashback

"Hey, scaredy captain "I felt someone  blow into my ear.

"KYAAAAA, BACK I SAY FOUL BEAST, GO HENCE TO THE DEPHS WHERE YEE BELONGETH!"

"Calm down Captain it's just Hynoryuu playing tricks on you again," Wolffie comforted me as I lie huddled on the ground waving a wreath of garlic in the air above my head, "Uh, Captain… I think garlic only works against vampires"

I sniffed wiping away small tear drops "It was all I had on short notice." I pouted as I discarded the garlic and brushed myself off.  I was wearing my signature dark baggy pants with a teal filigree coil pattern.  I wore a teal sash around my waist, decorated with orange circles and ornamented at the bottom with two bright orange orbs ornamenting the ends of my sash.  My top matches my pants and is a classic kimono style that cut off above my midriff.   Finally, I readjusted my orange scarf, a memento from my father.

I then glared at Hynoryuu on the ground in hysterics, laughing over her 'clever' prank.

"Hey, scaredy captain, maybe we could use your garlic to barter with the zombies" she joked before proceeding with her snickering.  This earned her a nice smack on the head.

"Tch, maybe I'll use your blasted reserves of chocolate to barter" I retorted knowing I'd hit the spot.

I then felt small arms wrap around my torso 'Please, scaredy―err, I mean, Carrere-sama, anything but my chocolate!" I stared down at the teary eyed chuunin who had waterfalls streaming down both cheeks.

I brushed the chocolate addict off and proceeded toward our destination "Whatever, let's get this mission over with so I can go home and fry me up some bacon and put this supernatural mumbo-jumbo to rest."

I heard an audible sigh from the patient and reserved jounin "You two never grow-up do you?" the brown-haired kunoichi joked lovingly.
"That's why we have some responsible like you to watch over us Wolffie-dono."  I smirked back at her and sprinted even deeper into the bustling darkness of the vast forest.

If you haven't picked up on it yet, I'm not such a big fan of the occult and supernatural.  Besides being known throughout the village as a grade A swordsman I am also known as grade A (insert any paranormal being)-phobic, which is why Yve-sama was teasing me about it earlier.  Don't get me wrong I can face the nastiest and ugliest thugs out there, but when it comes to things that defy logic, it just creeps me out.

"So here we are, scaredy captain"

"…"

"Um, Captain, orders?"

"…"

"Oh, Wolffie-chan, looks like scaredy captain finally lost it"

"Oh dear, Captain is no longer responding"

Creaky fences, rotting grass, dirty walls, broken windows, shifty shadows, and lastly flickering lights in a supposedly 'abandoned' academy.  This was too cliché.  I've read enough manga to know what's gonna happen to me if I go into that cesspool of paranoia.

I felt a sudden bump on my head "Snap out of it scaredy captain, we need you to lead us so we can successfully report back to Kage-chan, so get your act together, cause I running out of chocolate bars!"

At first I was stunned at Hynoryuu impudent words, but I realized she was right.  I had a mission to carry out and I wasn't gonna let some stupid pranks from some kids get to me.

"Alright let's do this, but first we need a proper formation so we can fend off anything that comes at us!"

"Atta girl, now that's the Captain I know."

"Yeah, scaredy captain's finally back in the game."

I carefully observed my teammates.  Wolffie, a skilled archer, dressed in a midnight hoodie with a burgundy pencil skirt and dark leggings and knee high boots.  "Wolffie take middle and use you sharp shooting to disable any traps or take out any flying objects."

"With pleasure, Captain."

I then analyzed Hynoryuu, a close combatant who wields dual tanto.  She was sporting a grey jacket with a red belt and dark shorts. "Hynoryuu guard the flank and look out for any ambushes."

"Roger, but wait that means you are―"

"I'll be point." And with that I marched up to the large wooden academy doors, my teammates not far behind me.  I pushed the great doors open and was immediately hit by a strong musty scent.  I brushed my own teal hair behind my ear and scanned the room.  It had a high vaulted ceiling and there was a reception desk in the middle with a corridor on each side.

"Let's go right first," I suggested.

"Left." The mild-mannered archer stated curtly

"Wah, but, I, just―"

"Scaredy Captain has no sense of direction so we just go opposite of your gut feeling." The perky chuunin responded matter-of-factly.

I mumble inwardly and decided not to fight them.  I then felt a slight tingling on my back.

"Hynoryuu, leave me alone I'm done with your tricks!"

"Um. Baka-Captain I'm all the back here and Wolffie-chan is holding here bow and arrow, no
one's touching you."

"C-c-captain, whatever you do don't look behind you."
I froze in my spot, sweating like a pig and scared out of my wits.  I fought every nerve in my body telling me not to look back, but alas I turn and what do I see a small transparent child playing in my hair.  This is going to be a long night.  I feel my eyes role to the back of my head and black out.

Hynoryuu's P.O.V.

I watched Wolffie run to our fallen captain, I walked calmly knowing she just fainted and looked at the child ghost slowly disappear in an eerie green mist.

I sat down beside Wolffie who was fanning our captain, she was slowly rousing and so I pulled out a piece of chocolate and grinned down at Carrere who had just barely opened her eyes.

"So as it turns out…" I began catching there attention. "The ghosts here are very real and may be dangerous."

I saw the fear flash across Carrere's face, and Wolffie gave me a stern look, but I ignored her look, I got it too often to care anymore.

"What's wrong scaredy captain, aren't you having fun!"

"No!" she exclaimed in a whisper.

I chuckled lightly and sat on the ground next to her and ripping open a new chocolate bar. I heard Carrere slightly mumbling to herself, I could tell Wolffie could hear it too but she ignored it, that or didn't care, but what she was mumbling about struck a nerve slightly.

"Stupid ghosts… They're all so evil and mean… stupid paranormal…"

I jumped up and looked pointedly at Carrere. "Just because they are ghosts doesn't mean they're evil, scaredy captain!" she looked at me, surprised by my shouting. "Some ghosts, as I read frequently, just want to leave this world! They aren't here by choice but they need help, and that's what we gotta do!"

Something hit the floor and I looked down to see my chocolate bar and I gasped before pouncing to the floor and asking it childishly "Are you ok chocolate?"

I saw Carrere as well as Wolffie staring at me still and I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly "I didn't want my chocolate to be hurt…"

"Hynoryuu…" Carrere started.

"What is it scaredy captain?"

"Never mind," Wolffie interrupted. "We have a mission to complete."

"That's right! Come on scaredy captain, we need you to lead us!"

"R-right…" Carrere said standing up. "Let's get going."

Carrere took the lead, followed by Wolffie, and as I began to go after them I heard a voice whisper something inaudible and as I was about to call out I heard Wolffie call me and went after them with one last glance over my shoulder.

"What were you doing?" Wolffie asked quietly when I caught up.

"Um… getting a new chocolate bar!" I exclaimed.
It should be believable enough, right?

"Okay then."

I turned around to check for any signs of an ambush, my senses on high alert as I walked quietly, when I looked forward again I saw my team mates weren't there, but instead a floating child surrounded in a green mist.

"What is it you want?" I asked carefully.

His voice was so quiet I almost couldn't hear him. "Help… I need help…"
I blinked, it was just like I said, Carrere was going to throw a fit, what with me talking to a ghost and…

Shit…

My team mates...

"Um ok… Little boy, I'll help you if you help me!"

He looked confused but reluctantly nodded.

"Where are my team mates?" I inquired.

"Oh!" his voice was a little louder and I could actually hear him. I felt his cold hand grasp the sleeve of my jacket where my hand was and pull me along as he went.
Turns out they were just around the corner… I felt stupid.

"Wolffie! Scaredy captain! Lookie here!" I yelled waving my arms over my head it big swipes.

The ghost child hid behind me as they walked calmly over to me, or not really calmly, Wolffie was calm as always, while Carrere was walking slower and with fear slightly evident in her eyes.

"Okay so scaredy captain before you freak out, yes this is important, and also I might be able to find out about all of the 'paranormal stuff' happening around here!"
I stepped aside showing the child to them, Carrere hit the ground immediately while Wolffie examined him before nodding to herself confirming him as a ghost.

I kneeled down beside Carrere and poked her repeatedly saying "Wake up scaredy captain!"
It took her a while but she finally woke up and looked up at me before saying "Leave me alone, that ghost child isn't real Hynoryuu, your pranks are getting annoying!"

"Nu huh! This isn't a prank scaredy captain! And my pranks are always great!"

I was offended, my pranks were awesome!

She looked afraid again but Wolffie put a hand on her shoulder and looked at me "Hynoryuu how is he going to help us?"

"No we're going to help him! He said he needed help so I thought that would help us figure out what is happening!"

We all looked at him and he started talking, not that any of us could hear him though.

"Hey kiddie, you gotta speak up!" I exclaimed.

He nodded softly before speaking loud enough for us to barely hear him, although I could tell he was shouting.

"I'm stuck here and need your help to leave!"

I nodded before looking at Carrere and Wolffie. "See it's exactly how I said! Some ghosts need help to leave this world!"

They ignored me

"There is a lot of mean ghosts here who want to hurt me and so I wanna leave!"
The ghost boy was huffing with lack of breath, or ghost breath if they breathed, and I stood up and put my hand on his back for support.

"Please… Please help me!"

"Scaredy captain?" I questioned.

"We don't have much of a choice do we?" she asked mainly to herself then us though.

"It will help us complete the mission! Please, scaredy captain!"

"Tch, fine whatever…"

The tone of her voice sounded as though she didn't care, but I knew she was afraid on the inside, but I also knew this is what had to be done.

"Alright kiddie you got yourself a deal!" I told him happily. "So what do we do now scaredy captain?"

She seemed to be thinking it over, she swallowed heavily before speaking.

"I think we need to find whatever ghosts he was talking about and get information on them, since that is out mission."

"And the kid?" I asked her.

"We'll help him if he helps us." She said, looking at the child.

He nodded his agreement.

"Great!" I shouted.

"Keep it down Hynoryuu…" Wolffie told me. "How are we doing this, captain?"

"Well…" Carrere began. "I say we take the same formation, but the ghost stays in back with Hynoryuu, since she is close range and has quick response time with her tanto, in case he tried to attack us."

She looked at us, but kept her gaze away from the ghost kid.

"Let's go," she said before taking off, Wolffie behind her.

I went a little slower than them, keeping the ghost child right in from of me.

"So we aren't the first to come in here if I'm right, and I like to think I'm usually right, why did you come to ask us for help?"

"I have asked everyone who came in for help," he said in a voice just above a whisper, only heard by me do to my light footsteps and the others being about ten and fifteen feet ahead of us.

"But why me in particular?" I asked him, looking behind me making sure there was no one following us.

"That speech you said, I thought I could trust you…"

"And you can! And I'll trust you, but I'm not so sure about scaredy captain or Wolffie, but

I don't think you're lying to us!"

It was silent for a while be he spoke louder than usual.

"Stop, this room is where some of the main ghosts are a lot of the time!"

"Scaredy captain! Wolffie! In here!"

They stopped where they were and ran back; stopping in front of the room and looking at me
I nodded in confirmation telling them this was it.

They walked in, me right behind them and just as the four of us, counting the kid, the door shut and locked, I turned around and tried pushing it back open but it was sealed somehow, keeping us in.

"You were lying!" Carrere yelled at the ghost kid.

"N-no!" I heard him say.

"You tricked us here and now we are locked in!"

"I-I didn't plan this, I promise!"

I looked at him, although he was a ghost and his eyes were just smoky pools of nothing-ness

I could tell he was telling the truth, he really did just want our help.
"Now the ghosts are going to eat us!"
"Stop it scaredy captain!" I told her. "He didn't plan this, I trust him."

Wolffie's P.O.V.

Normally I'm not one to believe in the supernatural. Yes, weird things sometimes happen by chance or coincidence, but I've never really thought ghosts or mystical beings were to blame. That was stuff you found in books and fiction.

Standing here in a locked room with my two teammates and a ghost child had suddenly made me rethink my position on the matter.

I tuned out Captain and Hynoryuu bickering with each other in favor of surveying the room we were now trapped in. It looked like it had once been an ordinary classroom. There was a larger desk near the front with some smaller broken ones pushed to the side wall. Thick layers of dust coated the few half empty bookcases on the adjacent side. Behind what I assumed was once the instructor's desk was a chalkboard that had a brown splatter pattern stained on it.

"He didn't plan this, I trust him." I returned my focus to my teammates as Hynoryuu said this.

"That's all well and good. I don't think this child did anything intentionally either." I stated while walking over to look more closely at the stained chalkboard.

Carrere gave me a wide eyed look. "Please tell me that's not what I think it is," she said when her eyes wandered to stain.

"It is."

"Hey! Hey!" Hynoryuu called out. "What is it?"

My captain and I answered at the same time. "Blood."

Hynoryuu paled.

The ghost child merely nodded in confirmation.

"It's not so much the actual blood stain that bothers me, but the 'why' and 'how' of that blood stain. This was a school once." Carrere said.

"What happened here?" I turned to the young ghost boy.
Just as he was about to give an answer, several things happened. Floorboards began creaking of their own accord. The panes on the lone window started to rattle. Loose papers from around the room shuffled.

I knocked an arrow in preparation.

"Is that… is that the others?" Captain gasped out in fear.

"Yes." The ghost boy was barely heard.

"We need to get out of this room. That blood… I don't want to be stuck in here without knowing more." Carrere told us. She hadn't passed out again. I was proud of that. It meant she was beginning to overcome her own insecurities at the situation we were in.

"Already ahead of you." I turned my aim to the far wall and let loose a charka infused arrow. A small hole, big enough for us to crawl through, was made in the corner.

"I love that you can do stuff like that!" Hynoryuu glomped me. "Let's go!" She ducked down and ran through our new escape route. The rest of us quickly followed.

We were now in a back hallway by the look of it.

"Let's keep moving." My captain turned to go in one direction.

Hynoryuu grabbed her arm.

"Other way." I said simply.

Carrere flushed and grumbled at the same time.

Moving cautiously and quietly, with only the occasional crunch of the chocolate bar in Hynoryuu's mouth, the team moved. When we found the library of the academy we stopped.

"We need a plan."

"Yes, Captain. We do. But first I have a question for the boy." I glanced behind Hynoryuu to where he kept hiding.

Carrere raised an eyebrow, but remained silent.

I knelt down to what would be the ghost's eye level. "Was that your blood back in the room?" I asked gently.

"No." He replied. "Not in that room anyway."

"You're all… all the souls that are causing this ruckus, don't tell me you're the victims of the Great Academy Massacre!" Carrere exclaimed at her sudden realization.  The ghost boy only nodded in return.

Catching on to my train of thought, Hynoryuu asked, "So there were others killed with you? People in several rooms at the same time?"

"We were in class. All the students. It came out of nowhere. My… my brother."

"You're brother?" I puzzled.

The boy nodded. He looked as though he were about to cry. Well, if ghosts could cry.
Hynoryuu pulled out a chair for him to sit on. The look on her face gave the impression she was debating whether or not to share the chocolate bar in her hand to comfort him, something she was not apt to normally do. She apparently concluded he wouldn't be able to eat it so she stuck it in her own mouth.

"Okay." I was still kneeling down. "You're brother attacked the academy?"

"Not originally. This isn't his fault." The ghost told us. "I don't remember everything, just that this isn't his fault. He's… he's changed."

Carrere and I shared a glance. Hynoryuu said what we were both thinking. "He's one of the others, isn't he?"

Tears could be seen dripping down the child face. He nodded. "Their leader now."
Stepping up into her captain position, Carrere began listing off a list of the facts we knew. "So, this academy was attacked by someone or something, the students were killed off," she glanced at the boy. "They were left here as spirits, and now those spirits are… changing?" she now turned to me to see if anything was missed.

"Changing into something evil."

My own words sparked something in my head. "Changing into something evil." I murmured it to myself again. There was recognition there. Like I'd read about something like this before.
A crash down the hallway had all our heads turning toward the door.

"Looks like we've stayed her too long!" Hynoryuu jumped up from the seat she had taken next to the child.

"We better move again. At least until we figure out how we can stop them." I heard my captain say. I had moved slightly away to one of the many bookcases not really looking at it. The words I had said earlier were still ringing in my mind.

"Wolffie. Wolffie!" Hynoryuu called me out of my reverie.

I looked up at her. "Right. Sorry. It's just…give me a minute." I took off down an aisle, bow clutched tightly in hand. I hoped this library would have what I wanted.

"What are―" Carrere was cut off by Hynoryuu pulling her after me.

"Just let her go." I couldn't see it, but I could hear the smile in her voice.

After turning several corners and stopping a few times to look more closely at the books in sight, I finally found the section I had been looking for. "Changing into something evil." I whispered again.

"You keep saying that!" Carrere yelled at me. I had irritated her enough that she was now using her captain's voice.

"I need to find a book."

"Now it not the time for a reading break!" She continued to use the stern tone of voice.

Hynoryuu punched her in the arm.

Carrere shoved her back.

"Stop." I said before a scuffle could break out between the two. They were always doing this and now it was scaring the ghost boy. "I need to find a book. I think it may have an answer to everything that's been going on here at the academy."

"Oh." Carrere let Hynoryuu out of the headlock she had managed to put her in.
Hynoryuu pouted and stuffed another chocolate bar in her mouth. I laid a hand on her shoulder to tell her to cheer up.

"Do you remember that big, green book?" I asked her. "The old one with the fancy gold writing on the front?"

She chewed the chocolate still in mouth as she pondered. "The big, green one… the big… Oh! The one you nearly dropped off the top shelf that one time?"

"Yes. We have to see if there's a copy of it here."

"What's it look like?" The ghost boy inquired softly.

The look on my captain's face matched the boy's. Neither had any idea what Hynoryuu and I were talking about but they wanted to help.

"It's about this big." I indicated using my hands. "And a greenish color with big script letters in gold on the cover."

"And it's heavy enough that it could squash me if it fell on me." Hynoryuu laughed at my face which I'm sure was probably pink.
Ignoring the sly comment on my clumsy moment, I added, "It should be in this section here somewhere."

The four of us spread out and began scouring the shelves as quickly as we could. The noise down the hall wasn't getting any louder; it could still be heard, though.
Carrere brought over a few books that were close to the description we had given her but none were the right one.

"Is it this one?" The ghost boy called us over. He pointed to one on the very top shelf.

There, covered in a thick layer of dust, was the book I was looking for.

Hynoryuu laughed. "That's it!" She scaled the shelf of grabbed the book. Rather than climbing down with it she dropped it down to us. "Look out below!"

I caught it and gave her a sour look. "I told you I was sorry about that time."

"I know. I just like messing with you." She said with a grin.

Carrere shook her head not wanting to know what we were going on about.

I carried the book to a small desk sitting against the nearby wall and opened it. Scanning through it was difficult because of its age. Finally I found what I was looking for.

"I knew I'd read about this." I said more to myself. To the others I said, "Okay. I think I know what's been happening." I pointed down to the book. Looks of comprehension came on to the faces of my teammates.

"So now we just need a plan of action." The teal-haired kunoichi declared, gold eyes now glinting with determination. She turned to the boy. "What can you tell us about your brother? From before the attack on the academy?"

It didn't take long to put their plans in motion once they knew what needed to be done.
The information from the book Wolffie had found them was one which described ancient shinobi curses. There was one which could grab hold of spirits born in massacre attacks and change everything that had been good and pure about the souls into evil. It explained everything, from what had happened to the young ghost boy's brother, to what was happening in other parts of the village. These souls turned to evil could do more damage the longer they had a visible form. If someone had set this curse in place, it would have affected any sight in the area that had the blood of a massacre soaked into it.

They would need to get this information to the Tsukikage as soon as possible. She needed to get teams out scouting to find the curse master and stop them before more harm could be done.

First, the Menae Miscreants had to help the young ghost boy. It was only by his help that they were able to figure out what was going on. They owed it to him to try and help him and his brother. And if they didn't then he too would soon change from good to evil.

"You… you're sure this will work?" Carrere stuttered out.

"I think so," Wolffie said. "There really are only two options at this point. Either we seal the spirits and forever condemn them to purgatory, or we try to release them from the curse and let them pass on."

Behind her Hynoryuu nodded. "We have to help the boy get his brother back."

"As long as you're sure." Carrere didn't look very convinced.

"Okay. I think I've got the holding seals in place." Wolffie commented. "Do either of you see anything that needs a correction?"

"Not really. If you think they're okay they probably are. You're the best of the three of us at seals." Hynoryuu said.

Wolffie made a face. "That doesn't mean I'm awesome at them. If they were sealing arrows I'd feel more comfortable with them. Paper ones…"

"They'll have to do." The captain of the team interjected. She turned to the young ghost boy. "Are you ready?"

He nodded. The importance of what was happening was not lost on him.

"Great!" Hynoryuu exclaimed. Then in a more subdued tone she added, "Just be sure to talk about as many good memories of you and your brother as you can. You can include the others that were here that day, too."

"The more happy times you can get them to think about the easier it will be for the releasing ninjutsu to take effect. The holding seals can only last for so long." The brunette archer added.

"Alright." The boy said. "I'm ready."

"Good because the spirits are heading back this way." Carrere returned from glancing out the door. The group had returned to the classroom they'd been trapped in earlier since it was a popular room with the spirits.

She took her place beside the door ready to run to her place on the circle they'd draw on the floor once the spirits entered. Hynoryuu took her place on the other side of the door-jam as well. Since those two were faster than Wolffie they would have to move the furthest to get into position. Wolffie stood in her position on the circle in plain view of the door next to the ghost boy. The spirits would be able to clearly see her and hopefully that would draw them in without noticing her teammates behind them.
An all-out physical attack against ghosts would put the team at a disadvantage. The ghosts could land blows on them but they could do nothing to retaliate. Holding seals and releasing ninjutsu were pretty much the only option. It would take all three members of the team to make it successful.

Suddenly Wolffie was able to see the other spirits through the door.
She gasped a little at their appearance. Unlike the ghost boy who look relatively normal these ghosts were more like creatures found in fiction. They had some similarities to the humans they once were but they were also misshapen and distorted. A few hand extra limbs. Some had no limbs at all. Others had grown horns or various projections on different parts of their bodies.

And they all seemed a lot more solid that the young ghost boy.

Hynoryuu and Carrere looked at her with raised eyebrows. They knew the spirits must be a sight if it had startled Wolffie.

"Ready?" Carrere mouthed while looking at Hynoryuu. The girl nodded. Carrere did the same for her teammate across the room and got the same response. "Okay. Go." She mouthed to Wolffie.

"Go ahead." Wolffie whispered to the ghost next to her.

"Right." He said. A little louder he called out to his brother. "Onii-san! Onii-san!!"

The speed of the spirits coming toward the room increased. They burst into the room and moved toward the boy and Wolffie.

"Now!" Carrere yelled.

The two girls by the door ran to their places. As one unit, the three man team knelt down and activated the holding seals at their feet. The patterns on the floor beneath the evil ghosts glowed briefly and threw up a thin barrier.
The young ghost boy started yelling out all the happiest memories he could remember in hopes that it would get his former friends to hear his voice and remember who they used to be. They had to want to change back in order for this to work.

"Get ready to start the releasing hand signs." Wolffie called out.

"Go!" Hynoryuu said.

After a few minutes of repeating the same ninjutsu hand signs over and over a change could be seen with in the barrier. Some of the spirits began looking more and more normal. Scared children were emerging from within the monster forms.
One, however, had yet to change at all.

"Onii-san! Onii-san! Remember that time you and I snuck out to the park at night to chase fireflies? Or how about the time you taught me to thrown a kunai properly?" The ghost boy kept up with trying to jog his older brother's memories. Tears were forming in his eyes when it wasn't working.

"This isn't working on him!" Hynoryuu yelled over to Wolffie. She looked drained.

The spirit lashed out against the barrier near Carrere again. A crack was appearing. "You two keep going with the hand-signs." She told them.

"What are you going to do then?" Hynoryuu questioned.

"The only thing I can." She stopped her hands and pulled a scroll out. Bending down she used it to summon a sword. It was her shadow blade sword, nox anima.

"Are you serious? You can't use that on him!" Hynoryuu screamed.

"Don't worry about the barrier anymore. Move out of the way but keep the hand-signs going. It should keep him weak enough for me to do something."

"But…" Hynoryuu stopped when Wolffie moved next to her and grabbed her shoulder. The ghost boy had moved as well.

The barrier cracked and shattered. The brother emerged looking right at the captain. She readied herself on the balls of her feet.

The ghost made the first move and lashed out at her. Carrere moved and went in for her own attack. The two were moving so fast it was hard to make out exactly what was happening.

Wolffie, Hynoryuu, and the boy stood by, continuing to do what they could. For a second Hynoryuu stopped to shove a chocolate bar in her mouth. All the stress was getting to her and she needed an energy boost.

The boy saw the chocolate bar. "Chocolate…" he whispered to himself. "Hey Onii-san!!

Remember when you and I made those homemade chocolates for mom? We made such a mess! There was chocolate everywhere! All over me, and all over you, and all over the place! Oka-san had a near heart attack when she saw her nice clean kitchen looking like that! Remember
Onii-san! Please remember!!"

And something must have clicked. The attacks on Carrere instantly stopped and the girl slammed into it knocking it over.

Pieces of its body seemed to be melting away. A normal teenaged boy was becoming more visible. His body lashed around violently like he was fighting an internal battle.

"Keep doing the signs." Wolffie said. "It's working better now. He's remembering."

Carrere quickly dropped her sword and helped them.

The ghost boy ran toward his brother's twitching form huddled on the ground. A hand lashed
out and caught the boy in the side.

"No!" Hynoryuu yelled.

As she was about to move to the boy, Wolffie called out, "No! Don't stop. He'll be okay. But we have to get the brother to revert back."

"Right."

It took another five minutes of continuous hand-signs before the older boy looked totally normal again. The movement of his body had calmed as well.

"Go ahead and stop," a tired Wolffie said. "I think he's okay now." She sat down where she was. The other two did the same, panting to catch their breath and stretching out their fingers.

Despite their exhaustion all three sprang to their feet when the older ghost boy stood to his feet and moved to his brother.

"Onii-san." The younger boy whispered. "You're okay."

"Yes. I am now. Thank you for getting me to remember." He scooped the boy up off the floor.

Turning to the girls he continued to speak. "And thank you. Without your help I don't know what would have happened. But now we," he indicated both his brother and the other ghost children in the room, "can move on. Thank you."

"Wait!" An exasperated Hynoryuu screeched out, "At least tell us your names!"

"I was called Arata." The older boy replied serenely.

"Hajime!" The younger ghost squeaked from his brother's embrace.

"Fresh… beginning," a small smile formed on Carrere's face, "Those are good names ya got there.  Maybe, just maybe you ghost aren't so bad after all."
He bowed slightly. The team merely bowed in return and watched as the spirits faded out into nonexistence.

When they were alone Hynoryuu was the first to speak. "What now?"

"We go report to the Tsukikage." Wolffie answered.

And that's just what they did.

They returned to the village and went straight to see her. She needed to get someone to find the curse master and stop him. No other spirits needed to be summoned forth and changed into evil, destructive beings.

"You did well," she said with her elbows on her desk, hands gracefully cradling her chin.

It must have been evident that the time repeating the releasing ninjutsu had taken its toll on the team. "Now go get some rest. We may need you to help with some off the other incidents caused by this curse master until he is caught."

She stood and looked out her window before turning around to face the team. The girls stood up straighter under the gaze of their Kage. Hynoryuu had another chocolate bar hanging out of her mouth.

Yve-sama smiled. "Dismissed."

Three figures can be seen in front the old academy building.  One crouches down and places a modest arrangement of flowers on what seems to be a memorial.  The two others follow respective placing a chocolate bar and a single arrow with Buddhist mantras tied on to it. After a moment of silence the three figures dash off.  Upon closer observation there are words inscribed upon the base of the memorial. They read 'Here we honor the lives lost in the Great Academy Massacre.  May their souls find peace and discover Fresh Beginnings.'