2: Third Best

"Recca, do you have the target in sight?"

"Yep. I'm closing in right now."

"Saji?"

"..."

"Saji?"

"He's in place." Karakasa said.

"Then why...nevermind. Everyone ready?"C-Ra

"Then...execute!"

They all charged surrounding their target instantly. The target scowled and dodged to the side. Sukasa followed, blocking her path. The target growled again and turned around, only to find Karakasa in her way. She turned one more time only to find Saji in the way this time.

"GOTCHA!"

THUD!

"I caught her!" Recca cried as she held their cat in the air.

"Nice going!" Sukasa sighed.

"Yea-OUCH! Hey! I-OUCH! She's scratching me!" Recca cried as the cat clawed at her hands.

"Seems like it." Karakasa observed.

"Do someth-OUCH!" Recca yelped as the cat bit her hand. Her grip loosened enough for the cat to escape. Saji quickly blocked it off and recaptured it before it could run again.

"N-Nice, Saji!" Recca smiled, nursing her scratches.

The cat glared at Saji. For a moment the 2 exchanged glares. Then the cat scratched him.

"Ah."

Saji stared silently as the cat scratched him. A small electric shock jolted the cat.

"Hey!" Sukasa cried, snatching the cat away from Saji, "Don't shock her! We need to take her back!"

The cat squirmed in Sukasa's arm before resting in the crook of his arm and purring.

"Hey." Recca said, disappointed, "She looks happy."

"Seems like it." Karakasa said, "Sukasa, if I may."

"Oh. Of course." Sukasa said, handing the cat to Karakasa.

The cat meowed as she was passed off. In Karakasa's hands she purred and began to lick his fingers.

"Aw..."

"Looks like she just doesn't like you 2." Sukasa smiled.

The cat turned around and stuck her tongue at Recca and Saji.

"Why not?" Recca grumbled as she returned alone, "I like cats."

"Ah! Recca!"

"Hm?" Recca looked up as she recognized the voice calling her, "Chiyuri?"

"Recca!"

"Chiyuri!" Recca cried, turning around, "It is you!"

"It's been a while hasn't it?" Recca friend cried as she caught up.

"I-It's only been a week."

"Yeah, but the last time we saw each other was at the academy graduation." Chiyuri said.

"I guess. How's your ninja work going?"

"Just fine!" Chiyuri smiled, "Just yesterday we caught a cat for a D-Rank Mission!"

"Was that cat a girl?"

"Huh? Yeah."

"Damn, that thing get's around."

"What are you talking about?"

"N-Nothing." Recca smiled, "S-So who's on your team?"

"Oh! You'd never guess. It turns out that-"

"Chiyuri!"

"Ah!" Recca cried, "Shisha!"

"Recca!" Shisha said, surprised, "It's been a week hasn't it?"

"Yep!" Recca smiled, "So that means..."

"Yep!" Chiyuri grinned, "Me and Shisha are both in Team 8!"

"That's grea-Wait, Team 8?"

"Yeah." Shisha blinked, "Something wrong?"

"Me and Sukasa are on...Team 7."

"Ouch." Shisha winced, "So you're below us?"

"Yeah." Recca said, saddened.

"Oh." Chiyuri said, "S-Sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"I-I don't even know why they put me in a team above yours." Chiyuri said, "I can't even use my ninjutsus properly."

"It's fine." Shisha said, "You can use your basic ninjutsus just fine."

"But I can't use any signature techniques!" Chiyuri sniffed, "As a member of the Akimichi Clan I'm ashamed."

"It's really not your fault." Recca said, "You need calories in order to use your clan's techniques anyway right?"

"Yeah." Chiyuri pouted, "But no matter what I eat or how much I eat, I never get fat! Recca can you help me?"

"..."

"..."

Chiyuri blinked as the 2 girls looked mildly annoyed.

"A-Anyway." Shisha said, quickly changing the subject, "How has it been going on your Team, Recca?"

"Terrible." Recca sighed.

"Eh? But you got to be on the same team as your brother right?" Chiyuri said.

"Yeah, but my teacher's really...odd."

"How?"

"He has these ideas of what a ninja should be and always expects them from us."

"That doesn't seem that bad." Shisha blinked, "Teachers are supposed to do that."

"According to him, ninjas are always prepared and always on time."

"That sounds about right."

"This was on our first day together."

"You were late?"

"No, he was early."

"O-Oh."

"And the third member of my team..."

"..."

"...What's wrong with him?"

"He's hard to explain." Recca bit her nail, "Mmm...He never speaks and he's really anti-social. He's a transfer student from the Lightning Nation, but he doesn't seem to like being on a team."

"Maybe Lightning Nation ninjas aren't very social?"

"I don't know." Recca sighed, "But at this rate our team's going to fall apart."

"Oh. That's too bad."

"Well me and Chiyuri better get going." Shisha smiled, "It was great seeing you again."

"Oh, do you have a mission?"

"Yeah. Our first C-Rank."

"Wow, I keep getting D-Ranks. Good luck!"

"Same to you."

"You look like you could use it too." Chiyuri smiled.

"Y-Yeah."

"Bye!"

Recca smiled as her friends left. Then she remembered, "I was supposed to meet everyone by Ichiraku's Ramen wasn't I?"

"You're late." Karakasa said as Recca caught up.

"And he's not lying this time." Sukasa said.

"S-Sorry!" Recca gasped, "A-Anyway we what are we doing?"

"We just got another mission."

"Again?" Recca cried, "But we just finished bringing the cat back!"

"Don't worry it's just another D-Rank." Karakasa said.

"So was the cat one, but these scratches don't make it seem like it was D-Rank." Recca mumbled.

"What was that?"

"N-Nothing."

"Good. Anyway, this time we just have to pull weeds."

"Boring." Recca said.

"What?"

"Boring." Recca repeated, "Can't we do something more exciting?"

"Like what?"

"Maybe a C-Rank mission?"

"C-Rank?" Karakasa chuckled, "Listen. All ninjas start at the bottom."

"But the ninjas don't rise unless given the chance." Sukasa said, "I agree, we haven't done much beside help people."

"Is helping people bad?"

"N-No, but we're solving inconveniences rather than saving people."

"And Team 8 is already starting a C-Rank mission!"

"How do you know that?" Karakasa frowned.

"I-I have friends."

"Team 8 is higher than us. They probably can handle it."

"We're only one number lower than them!" Sukasa cried, "We deserve a chance!"

"...Saji what do you think?"

Saji looked up from his takoyaki.

"...Alright. We'll get this one done then I'll see what C-Rank I can find for you."

"Yay!"

"Thank you for your work today." Their client bowed.

"I-It's nothing. Really." Recca smiled.

"Please, take this. It's your reward."

Their client smiled once more before leaving them.

"That mission had a reward on it?" Sukasa said, surprised, "But all we did was pull weeds."

"We didn't even get a reward for that cat mission." Recca said, "And that was much harder."

"Are you complaining?" Karakasa asked.

"N-No!" Recca cried, "L-Let's see...what's inside..."

"..."

"F..."

"FIFTY THOUSAND RYO?" Recca and Sukasa cried, "For pulling weeds?"

"Yoink." Karakasa took the money from Recca, "The reward is set by the client, but every mission has a clause. Any reward money is split between the ones who completed the mission and the foundation. After that, you all get this much."

Recca looked at the money that she was given, "...500 Ryo?"

"That's less than 5% of the total reward." Sukasa frowned.

"I don't make the rules." Karakasa shrugged, "Just don't spend it all in one place."

"But..."

"Well, that's all the work for today. Take the rest of the day off. I'll see what C-Rank mission I can get for you."

Recca could only watch as Karakasa walked off.. Saji soon turned around and began to leave too.

"Well, it can't be helped." Sukasa sighed, "Let's go home then."

"No, I want to do some shopping." Recca said, running off "You go home without me."

"Wait what? Hold on!" Sukasa cried, running after her.

"Why here of all places?" Sukasa frowned as he followed Recca around an Armory.

"Do you want to get more C-Rank Missions?" Recca asked, looking through sets of kunais, "Then we need to finish the C-Rank mission in front of us. And for that we need to prepare."

"...I understand you want to become a full fledged ninja." Sukasa sighed, "But we're Team 7. The highest ranked team is Team 9. We're good enough to get third place, isn't that good enough?"

"Chiyuri is in Team 8."

"...Akimichi Chiyuri?"

"Yes."

"...I think these kunais are better."

"...I suppose, but I only have 500 Ryo."

"1000 Ryo." Sukasa corrected.

"Yo."

"Good morning." Recca bowed, "Teacher, you found a C-Rank mission for us right?"

"Of course." Karakasa said.

"We're ready." Sukasa said.

"Good, then allow me to introduce your client." Karakasa motioned for someone to come in, "This is Tazuna. He's a bridge builder who wants us to protect him until he returns to The Land of Waves."

"...You expect to do that with these brats?" Tazuna smirked.