(Inside the mind of TekTak! :D): Well, I was trying to come up with a story line for my own Naruto fanfiction and I started thinking about setting it quite far into the future. But that brought up the question of more advanced technology, and suddenly I wondered what use ninja would have once guns came into existence.

Now I realise that ninja are pretty damn fast, but honestly, would they stand a chance against guns? I don't think so. Especially as it takes years to train a ninja, but pretty much anyone who can aim can learn to use a gun.

So this is no longer a fanfic ^^

IMPORTANT: This is supposed to be read as if you're watching the final scene of a movie, two scenes merging back and forth, but the woman's singing continues over the top... sorry if it gets confusing.

Disclaimer: I do not own ninjas (i wish i did though! 3), nor do I own the song 'Edelweiss'. This story idea however, is mine.

End of a Legend

A young woman smiles indulgently at the happily gurgling infant in her arms, murmuring softly,

Edelweiss, Edelweiss,

She rocks back and forth in front of a roaring log fire. The leaping flames wrestle with the ice of the blizzard outside, embracing them in protective warmth.

The screen begins to fade, but the woman's voice carries on, growing stronger as she continues with the haunting melody

Every morning you greet me.

The light of dawn begins to filter in through snow laden windows, and she hurries to answer frantic knocking on her door.

Outside, two strangely dressed men huff and puff as they fumble to hand her a hastily written letter

Small and white, clean and bright,

She throws a worried look over her shoulder to the child tucked safely in her crib. Turning back to the men, she demands an explanation, not even bothering with the letter scrunched in her hand. They gesture wildly, panic obvious in they way they stutter and stumble.
All of a sudden, a look of horror and absolute terror flits across her face.
She bends down, as if to tie a shoe lace, and disappears.
But the unusually dresses soldiers know it was only a trick of their eyes, as they turn around to see blurred foot prints in freshly fallen snow.

You look happy to see me.

The scene of the log fire is back.
A sudden flare in the fire throws a burst of light over the young woman's face. The infant giggles in delight, exposing a smidgen of white poking through bare gums. The woman's smile widens and one would have to be blind to miss the pure and unadulterated love that shines in her eyes.

Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow, bloom and grow forever.

Sharing a look of hopeless finality, the two young men follow footsteps in the snow, wearily jogging back the way they came.

Edelweiss, Edelweiss,

The young woman smiles gently at the baby fast asleep in her arms. Wanting the moment to last she hesitates...

The young woman flew over the ground and through the snowy forest at a speed that should not be humanly possible. She could FEEL him nearby, but his energy was feeble and fluctuating, making it difficult for her to pin point his location.
She really should have questioned the messenger-nin further. Too late for that.
Movement catches her eye and she spots figures in a clearing just ahead. Finally!
Rushing ahead, she bursts into the clearing, eyes quickly picking out the man she is searching for. And a loud crack splits the air.

She knew it. She SHOULD HAVE known it.
A trap. So simple. So ridiculously effective.
She sees the horror and despair engraved on her husband's face.
She finds it morbidly amusing that she has time to panic about the way he's tied up and beaten.
In a last ditch effort, she tries to twist out the way, but even she knows it's no good. It doesn't matter how fast she is, guns make ninja ineffective even on the best of days.
With the invention of guns, her country (based on and protected by ninja) had died out.
And now the last of the ninja had been found. And she berated herself bitterly for her stupidity.
Finally, she cursed how quickly her mind could work. It gave her far to much time to think. An image of her darling daughter, sleeping peacefully at home, blissfully unaware, waiting quietly for her mum to come home, popped into the young woman's head.
A tear manages to trickle down her cheek, just before her body thumps limply to the ground, a bullet lodged in her heart

Bless my homeland forever...

A young woman lets the last, quite notes of a softly haunting melody settle slowly, before sighing and pushing herself out of the rocking chair - quite a feat with a baby in arms.
She gently lays the infant in a crib, and lovingly tucks her in a cocoon of blankets. She affectionately smiles once more, smooths down an unruly tuft of white hair and shuffles sleepily from the room.

The camera focuses on the baby with snow white hair, before zooming out once more.
The fire has died. Icy tendrils of air creep in through a front door left ajar, and the weak morning sun attempts to banish any remaining shadows in the small log cabin.

The last true ninja is curled up, moaning ever so quietly, in a crib.
She is young, she is cold; she is alone.
And a single melody is imprinted in her foggy, infant mind.

AN: That's it folks! ^^

Considering that I wrote this at about midnight last night, I'm pretty happy with the way it's turned out! That last half was hard to write, and I still don't think it's perfect, but it'll do.

If you spot a mistake, PLEASE point it out so I can fix it!

As always, constructive criticism and hints will be welcomed with open arms! As well as any review, of course ;D

Hope you enjoyed it! ~Tek