The next few days are composed of Kurenai individually training me in the art of genjutsu. If I am to protect my teammates, I need to know more than just healing.
I struggle, I yell out profanities, but that only makes Kurenai more persistent in helping me. She believes the Nohara blood is inside me, ready to erupt my adept skill in illusory techniques. And I believe her.
"Okay, Rin, do the hand signs. Focus on your chakra." Kurenai echoes her instructions to me once more.
I do as she says, and focus. Of course, I've always focused, but this time, I truly let my mind trace my chakra, its patterns, and let the flow of power surge through my veins. "Demon Illusion," I say slowly, "Tree Bind Kill."
And the most amazing thing happens. My body wavers, and slowly, the training field blurs into a shrouding mix of colors. My mind grasps for a target, and I find Kurenai looking oblivious to what is happening. But I know that she knows I'm successful this attempt. She does not shatter the unfinished illusion, she allows me to complete it.
When my mind captures Kurenai, I allow my chakra to forge a tree out of nothingness. It coils behind my target, entwining its trunk between black hair and slender limbs. Then, the unexpected happens: I become a part of the tree. I am in it, carefully emerging out, like a body submerges from water. Kurenai looks above, looks at me. There, in my hand, is the kunai.
"Do it," she orders. And I do. Not because I hate her; those adversary feelings are long gone. I do it because I am the student of a teammate who has helped me accomplish a family technique. A family that rivals my own.
Once the weapon pierces her throat, the illusion shatters, and there Kurenai is, on her knees. But her mouth does not gape; she is aware of the illusion. Instead, a small trickle of blood runs down the corner of her tightly closed mouth, like a vampire who had just consumed their victim's blood.
I chase my way out of the world of illusions, and jump out, my body solidifying right in front of Kurenai. I gasp. "Are you okay?"
She nods. "Why, of course. I know that genjutsu inside out; I know its weaknesses and strengths. A small trickle of blood is what that illusion can do to me at most nowadays."
Relief surges through my body. I am glad, grateful that Kurenai isn't in harm. I still stand up to Minato-sensei's word and never attempt to purposefully attack my allies during training.
Kurenai peers at the sky. "The sun is setting," she says. "Do you want to go out to eat tonight?"
I nod. It has been so long since I've eaten regularly in my own village, with the war going on and all. As we make it to to the center, Kurenai suggests going to Shushuya. I oblige, and we walk in and sit at a booth as we wait for our food.
"So, Rin," Kurenai says slowly. She does not look at me, her eyes are fixed somewhere behind me. Somehow, she tries to make conversation casually but cannot focus on us. I look behind to where her eyes are fixed. There are mainly old men behind our booth, and I wonder who she could possibly be captivated by. Then I see it.
Not it, but him. Asuma Sarutobi, the son of the Third Hokage. Mister Hot-Shot, who was one of the troublemakers back at the Academy. I remember how he and Kurenai always used to talk with each other. I assume that she still has feelings for him. He was at the bar with Genma, smoking a cigarette. It was one of the things that turned me off about him.
"Go ahead," I say, sighing.
Kurenai face twists with a pang of guilt. "But the food hasn't even come yet."
"I'll call you over when the food arrives," I say.
So she thanks me and runs off to flirt with her crush, and they laugh with each other. The waiter comes by and apologizes for the delay, but I tell her that it is okay, I've decided I wasn't hungry anymore. I don't want to interrupt Kurenai and Asuma's advancing conversations.
If only it was like that for Kakashi and I.
Weeks later, I stand with Kurenai, Kakashi, and Minato-sensei at the Third Hokage's office. I am surprised to see Might Guy in here already.
He turns to Kakashi, and jumps in triumph. "Ha-ha, Kakashi, I've beaten you here. Slowly, I might be able to surpass you. Watch out!"
The Third Hokage rolls his eyes, as does Kakashi. "Might Guy, where is the rest of your team?"
"They should be coming here shortly, Lord Hokage. When sensei told me there was a mission with Team Minato, I ran here as quick as possible, not waiting for the rest of my team."
"Oh, that recklessness makes me worry why I am sending you out to the Land of Wind." The Third Hokage sighs.
Questions pop up in my head. Is there a problem in the Land of Wind now? This war is spreading far very quickly.
When Esibu, Genma, and their sensei come in, Guy turns to them. "You're LATE! The Third Hokage has been waiting for you three for at least five minutes. He wouldn't say a word about the mission until we were all here." He turns back to Lord Hokage.
"Yes, thank you, Guy. Erhem, anyway, as you all know, there is a war spreading throughout the nations. It has reached the Hidden Sand, in the Wind Country, after Sand shinobi were found attempting to murder the Fire Daimyō, who is sourcing our village with required supply. I am assigning both of your teams to go to the Hidden Sand and bomb their supply sheds at the outskirts of the village, somewhere in their cavernous deserts. You leave tomorrow, so get ready. This is an A-Rank mission."
And just like that, we are released except for the sensei's, whom discuss with Lord Hokage about the details. I spend the rest of my day in my home, getting ready for this risky mission. I've never been to the Wind Country; all I know from Academy classes is that the land is heavily deserted. I will need to pack lots of water for this mission.
The following morning, I meet up with Kurenai, Kakashi, Minato-sensei, and Guy's team at the gate of the village.
"Ready for this?" Kakashi asks. I nod, and look away quickly. Things have still been awkward since Obito's death; we haven't been talking like before ever since.
As we travel through the Hidden Leaf Forest, pushing west for the borderline, we encounter masses of Hidden Leaf tents, hiking at the border. We meet up with one unit, and I recognize another girl from the Academy: Anko Mitarashi, gripping her neck as if someone had stabbed her there.
I run toward her. "Anko! Is something the matter?"
She jumps and grabs a kunai, but turns around in relief when she sees it's just me and puts it quickly away. Shaking her head, she says, "No, no. It's okay, Rin, you don't need to heal anything. My neck was just... itching, is all."
I nod in doubt, and catch a glimpse of what looks like a seal on her neck, but don't question her. It is probably there for an important reason. That night, we all sleep in nearby tents, when all of a sudden, a hissing noise goes off.
I wake up in an instant, grabbing shurikens and kunais before running out of the tent with Kurenai and Kakashi. Minato had already in an instant flashed to the site of what happened. In the distance, I can see what had caused the hissing: A lady about Minato-sensei's age with green hair dyed orange at the tips wears the Hidden Sand attire. I've heard about her, she is known as Pakura of the Scorch Style, Hero of the Hidden Sand for ending feuds with the Hidden Stone. She is the reason they are now allies and why the Sand are enemies of the Leaf, due to the fact that we bombed the Stone's resource at Kannabi Bridge. It is most likely why the Sand tried to kill our daimyō.
I grit my teeth. Orbs of flowing fire twist around her, being manipulated at the will of her fingertips. A unique kekkei genkai, useful in offense in contrast to my kekkei genkai, which is a defense tactic useless against her jutsus. She throws them like tennis balls tent after tent, and I watch as they melt like ice on a hot day. I run toward a tent, to begin healing the wounded.
At one tent, I find Anko, trying to keep in the pain as I watch in revulsion, her skin is melting like gauze on a mummy, slowly burning into a revolting brown. I struggle, wondering if my healing ninjutsu will work on a wound this horrific.
Anko shakes her head. "No need." She grips her neck. "Please, don't tell anyone about this." And in the dark night, lit only by Pakura's scorches, as there is a new moon, Anko's skin lights up as the seal at her neck spreads, flashing from black to a glowing orange, like the embers. Purple haze envelops around her, and I gasp and fall back, scrambling at what is happening to the girl I cannot help heal.
The glow fades, but her skin still has the spread of the black flame-designed marks. But wait. Her skin. Despite the weird marks, it is smooth and fair. Free of Pakura's Super Steam Kill. I gasp in disbelief. Was this a kekkei genkai? Before I could ask, a scorching orb pummels my way, and I gasp as I hear Anko shouting a warning.
Before it could hit me, though, someone else pushes me out of the way, their body pulling both of us feet away where the orb melts the grass.
It is Kakashi. His body is close to mine, and I blush in humiliation. He saved me from becoming a scorched mummy. Our faces are close, and I smell his breath, a sweet goodness, because his mask is off. I've never seen him with his mask off. I guess he takes it off when sleeping. His jawline is sharp, lips full, cheekbones high. He is beautiful, and I cannot have him.
A pain surges through me. It is not Pakura's Scorch Style. It is Kakashi's rejection he sent me that day Obito died.