Shade
Part 2: Encountered!
Morning flew by, the birds began to chirp, insects scrambling for food, and everybody preparing breakfast. The morning was loud as if it could be an alarm clock for someone, people chattering and banging bowls for the dawning meal, and the racketing tea boiling over the fresh fire. Wooden spoons and forks rambled across the tiny home-made table, water splashing, and mice investigating the cremate floor from the distance
Eating my breakfast, rice and boiled shrimp, everyone filling up for the big day; Kishi gulping lumps of rice, Taka staring endlessly at Kishi, Tori eating nonstop bowl after bowl, while my Master and I practice our manner with silence and one by one the pile of freshly made rice and simmered shrimp dissolved down the throats of young boys.
After finishing the meal, the daily chores I use to clean alone haunted me again but this time I had a few hands to help; washing the dishes, swiping the table, mopping the floor, fixing the beds, empting the trash, and dumping the ashes out. Cleaning the adobe was so much enjoyable that it brought back memories of my Master and me.
Time flew by and the students began their regular training. Each one having unique movements and techniques; Tori able to burst energy balls from his palm, Kishi able to duplicate himself into other forms, and Taka wielding special cards able to summon extraordinary and unknown beings. Seeing my master smile for their training, I knew he wasn't glad. Every time he looked down, a drop of fear fell to his eyes, each one hitting hard to the ground. He was pleasing the time he had left with them. There was nothing I could do but wait and see what would happen. The Fortuneteller woman had told when the time was right, I would have to choose, but my thoughts led me to abandon minds. What choice would I have to make and how hard will it be? Will I be ready by then and will they be ready?
"All right, everyone! Come here." Master Soichiro ordered.
"Is training over already?" Tori asked.
"Not yet, Tori, you each have one last training to do. I will throw this ball exactly north of here and all three of you will race to find it. First one to find will receive a full course meal at Ichigaku!"
"All right, a full course meal at Ichigaku! Believe it!" Kishi shouted.
"Super!" Taka asked!
"Ichigaku, here I come!" Tori pounced.
As our Master, tossed the ball, it flew over miles and miles, disappearing into the distant blue. Hitting somewhere on the ground hard and quiet, each student preparing for their race giving each other the nods and looks referring "Piece of Cake." Giving the signal, our Master quickly snapped and all three vanished into the air and the outrage soon became silence.
"Peace and silence, that's how I like it," Master Soichiro stretched. "If you don't mind Jamie, could you watch the yard for me while I take a nap?"
"Why did you leave them out there? You know we have enemies out there."
"No need to worry, I put them out there because I don't want any of them to get involve, so if they here in broad daylight, my students will be safe from harm."
"You really think they'll be safe. You don't even know your enemy and yet you think ahead."
"And do you think you know who our enemy is, fight me, Jamie! I'd like to face the student of mine that I've never trained or met."
Observing and listening in on our surrounding, the masque seemed to be empty, nobody in sight; nothing. Still paused in his phase waiting for my movement, his body structure stood hard to the ground with open areas appearing at every angle. The victor had already declared.
"Ok, this is harder than I thought. I've looked everywhere. Perhaps Tori or Taka already found it…..no way; they couldn't have found it, not yet! I can't, Out of all of us, I'm the fastest one and the strongest and the bravest and the...I know I can find it. Believe it!" Kishi cheered posing a victory stand around the woods.
"…So if I was a ball and was thrown by my master, where would I land? Man, this is tougher than I had in mind. Perhaps I should summon something to help me out, won't that be cheating, though. Whatever, I'm doing it!" Taka complained drawing out his deck.
"It must be up here; this mountain is completely north of our home. I know it is! I can sense it lying just right above here." Tori grunted climbing up the mountain.
The challenge was tough; I imagined my master strong and agile but never like this. Although, it just might be his youth, our techniques were exactly the same, knowing what was coming up next, we blocked and defended each incoming strategy. Since he did train me to the maximum all those years ago, I understand why our techniques wouldn't work, he taught me how to evade and counter. Our energy was waste less and each little bit of energy flew off time by time. We were going too far, if an enemy appeared we wouldn't be able to stop that enemy.
"Master, I am sorry but we must stop here."
"I agree with you, Jamie. Your skills are impressive, almost like mine. To know when to stop a battle is a good lesson of facing an opponent who too possesses strength of your own, but there is still a piece missing from you. You are not showing all of your abilities are you, Jamie?"
"How did you know?"
"Your eyes tell me so."
"I've only shown it to you once, and I'll never show it again, no matter what."
"I do not know what you have, but I'm sure you will use it in the future."
"Haven't you heard what I said, I will never use it again."
"Do not be afraid of what you are gifted for, Jamie Neale."
"All right, now I'm lost. Where did I come from? Was it that way or that way?" Kishi searched.
"I'll tell you Masashi Kishimoto, or do you prefer Kishi?" A mysterious man arose from the ground.
"What? Who are you and where did you come from, you four-eyed freak?"
"You can call Kabuto, Yakushi Kabuto."
"Kabuto, huh, weird name, but still, where did you come from and what are doing here and how'd you do that, surprising your enemy from erupting off the ground?"
"I've come from Otokagure no Sato, and I've come to retrieve you." Kabuto answered placing a bond of energy into his hand.
"Greetings, Kazuki Takahashi, I am Pegasasu Jei Kurofodo and my intention for coming here is to ask you to come nicely with me to Otokagure no Sato."
"I don't know who you are but I'm not coming with you!"
"Talking back to your elders is awfully bad for a boy like you, now you leave me no choice but to use force!" Pegasasu told drawing out a deck of cards.
"I know you two are there, why don't you just come out."
"Very good to have noticed us Akira Toriyama, now I would ask for to come with us to Ototkagure no Sato but I know you would reply no and so, there is no point."
"It seems you know me well but I don't know either of you, please introduce yourself."
"I am Nappa and this is my comrade Radittsu, we are both assassins that work for the rich and we've been hired to kidnap you"
"Interesting, so shall we get started?"
"I told I would return didn't I?" A familiar voice questioned from above.
"I had a feeling you would come and it seems you have brought another uninvited guest." Master Soichiro replied.
"So you have noticed Haku. Interesting! An elite ninja to be noticed so quickly by an old fool, perhaps this battle should amuse me."
"Jamie, do me a favor and take out his comrade. I will make sure he does not return."
"I would like to see that. Shall we begin? Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hidden Mist Jutsu)!"
Searching for my opponent, the surrounding began to play with my eye. My settings soon transformed into a mist, making my sights failing. I wasn't worried and neither was my master, we were both sure to take these two out. The mistier it got the quieter it became. Footsteps soon began to be heard, rustling of bushes, silent howls of the wind, and murmurings heard in the distance. Fwoo! That was close; a slice to my cheek caused by a kunai but it was smaller and thinner. Fwoo! Fwoo! Fwoo! Three at a time, I managed to capture one, one senbon. It seems that my opponent specializes in senbons, then that revolves to my opponent being a silent fighter meaning he could appear anywhere.
"You manage to capture one of my senbons, exactly what I expected from a student of the Atsuta Jingu Hermit but you aren't a student are you?" The voice whispered through the mist.
"In fact I am, just a student who graduated long ago and just who might you be?"
"My name is Haku, an apprentice of my master, Momochi Zabuza."
"You work for that freak; you must be one too, then."
"Don't disgrace my master!"
Fwoo! Fwoo! Fwoo! Fwoo!
Senbons coming from every side! How is this possible? Is my opponent cloning himself? I must be on my guard!
\
"You must be wondering how that move was possible. Well, why won't you look around?"
"When did he do this? Clones everywhere around me, I have to finish this now." Jamie though observing the surrounding clones. "Hiraishin (Lightning Rod)! Shiden (Purple Strike)!"
"Excellent, you have fallen right into my trap! Makyo Hyosho (Crystal Ice Mirror)!"
Feeling the chakra escaping my opponent's body, I felt a cold chill enter around me and there before my eyes, mirrors of ice rose around me. My reflection shined through everyone and I was trapped inside a crystal ice caged. One by one, the young ninja appeared inside each mirror and soon, the enemy took over my reflection.
"Welcome to my ultimate jutsu, known as Makyo Hyosho (Crystal Ice Mirror). Inside this dungeon, no one can escape and survive!"
"We'll just have to see about that."
"Very well, we shall see. Let us begin!" Haku agreed drawing a pair of long needles. "Sensatsu Suisho (Flying Needles of Death)!"
The pain had entered dramatically, the speed was tremendously fast. To my belief, I had only thought that my opponent was playing an illusion on me as his other reflections copied his movement but it wasn't an illusion; all around my body stuck out senbons, although none of my vitals were struck. It seems he was toying with me. Even though, the damage was tough, I could not counter another, a technique so quick and agile seemed impossible to evade. His speed and damage was yet too powerful to avoid, if another comes I'll have no choice but to fall.
"Did that hurt?"
"Humph…humph….humph! I never expected someone so young to have such ability this impressive, especially you."
"It seems you still don't know what trait lies within my blood."
"Hyoton, that is your Kekkei Genkai, isn't it?"
"So you know and even know what a Kekkei Genkai is."
"I've done my studies; your Kekkei Genkai comes nowhere near to mine."
"Is that so? Show me, if you can. Sensatsu Suisho!"
Again another wave of needles forwarded towards me, but only this time one reflection threw the needles. Still the needles were close to heart and lungs, it didn't penetrate thoroughly only against the sternum. Why hadn't he killed me yet? Or is only toying with me?
"Humph…humph…humph, you are quite a challenge!" Kishi told gasping for air.
"Then come with me to Otogakure no Sato."
"Keep dreaming! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow-Clone Jutsu!"
"Is that the only trick you know?"
"Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack now!" Taka ordered.
"Your summoning monsters are useless to my ultimate monster, Relinquish."
"I'll find a way to that monster! Go Celtic Guardian and Summon Skull! Obliterate!"
"Bakuhatsuha!"
"Double Sunday! We got him!"
"Really! Ka-Me-Ha-Me-Ha!"
The battle among all of us was challenge we've never encounter. We fought leaving our thoughts to ourselves; clones sprinting towards enemies, creature battling others, energy balls soaring through the air, needles zooming from mirrors to mirrors, and searches through hidden hazes.
The battle was fierce and perilous, each of us battling for our protection. Not knowing who else was at risk; eruptions rose and explosion roared, but each of us had our own fun. For the first ever, we are fighting with our rules and willingly to hurt one another. Although, it may be dangerous, the nature of fighting absorbed into us when we had allowed ourselves to be trained but yet most of us still do not know what we are fighting for and who we are fighting. Let us just hope that our answers will come in time.