The Dogs of War Begin to Howl

--- Early morning. There wasn't a sound to be heard, not within the confines of his house or outside of it. It was the time of day when life itself was seemingly halted. Not even the birds had stirred, and sunlight had yet to break through the darkness of night. Unfortunately for him, however, he was sitting up in his bed, stretching, and rubbing his eyes. Why did missions always have to start so early...? In his half awake daze, Raishin Uchiha got to his feet, going through his usual morning routine, which he capped off by tying his Konohagakure forehead protector around his head. The young Genin was about to head out the door before realizing he had forgotten his tantō, a testament to how not fully awake he was. Retrieving the blade, he finally left, making his way through the village.

The streets were completely empty, as he figured they would be. Who in their right minds would be out and about at this hour? Really, even he didn't have to be, but he'd chosen to get up earlier than necessary because he had a goal in mind before setting out with his team. Untrained observers would assume he was wandering with no destination in sight, but that couldn't be further from the truth. His feet carried him to the gates of the, where he paused for a moment, thinking. Raishin hadn't been here since his funeral. Even now, a little over a year later, it was hard to stop himself from getting choked up with emotion. Steeling himself, he passed through the gates.

Rows of headstones greeted him as he entered the cemetery, the mist of morning swirling enigmatically around them. In a way, as he observed the dew resting upon the blades of the well-kept grass, the environment was almost peaceful. Solemn, yes, but peaceful nonetheless. Exhaling deeply, the boy came to a stop in front of his father's grave, hands in his pockets, eyes cast down. “Hey, dad.” Raishin's voice sounded small, and it wavered with uncertainty. He found himself searching for the words to express everything he wanted to say adequately. This wasn't right, it was unfair! It was completely unfair that his father was gone, laid to rest in the grave before him.

He needed his father's guidance and teaching, he wasn't supposed to be taken away from him for another few decades. Pain and grief stabbed mockingly at his chest, and one of his hands left his pocket to run through his hair. “So...I did it,” he began shakily. '''“I graduated from the Academy, but I missed you being there. Part of me wonders if you'd have been proud, but the other part of me knows that to be true. Your old friend Arata is my master now. We're actually going on our first significant mission today.”''' For the last few months, it had been nothing but simple, boring, inconsequential assignments for them. Grunt work. This new mission would mark the beginning of them being treated as real shinobi, having proven themselves responsible and dependable, capable of succeeding as a team.

“You know, it's supposedly going to be kinda dangerous,” he mused. It was starting to be real to him now. From that moment forward, every time he left the village, he would be risking earning a spot in the empty grave site next to his father's. '''“Master Arata and my teammates will be with me, though. We'll be okay, and besides...I'm your son. The blood of the Uchiha flows through me, just like it did you. You may not be here to see it, but...I'm going to prove I'm worthy of you.”''' He finally looked up, tears in his eyes as he read the name engraved on his father's headstone. Blinking and wiping his tears away, the boy placed the old, chipped kunai that his father had given him when he was younger at the foot of the headstone. Dawn was starting to slowly overtake night, and Raishin gazed at the headstone, lost in thought.