This wasn't getting any better.
The doctors in the village are trying their best, but nothing seemed to make a turn around. In the worse case, one of the farmers is getting closer to the brink of death while the others hang on.
My heart felt heavy as I stood idly by and observed families sitting outside of the medical hut. They waited for any ounce of good news to come in for that little something to lift their spirits. Spouses, children, parents, friends…they all have been waiting for quite a while.
Even worse, the nutritional resources in the village were running low. The substitute farmers were trying their best, yet they just didn't have the same green thumb as the others. Fruits and Vegetables came up with little taste, sometimes completely rotten, unripe, and somehow devoid of all nutritional value.
"Man. If things keep going the way they are…"
"Ibuki."
The source of the deep-rattling voice placed a hand on my shoulder, "Gather what you can from that farm. People are starving and starting to get sick." His graven brown eyes pointed towards the hut.
"More people are getting sick?"
He nodded.
"We are in danger. Nevertheless. Come back later than midnight and don't return."
"This is a mission?"
"We can't afford any weak links."
I didn't find any sweetness in his voice. Only solemn gravelling occupied the words he spoke.
God. Does he have to send me out on a mission so late? And reinstating his policy while the village is in this condition certainly is the best idea.
Checking the time on my phone, I see that it's ten-thirty at night. That's plenty of time to make it to the farm and back.
RUUUMBLE
The clouds above were a real nasty shade of dark-grey, "Best to hurry up so you don't get caught in the storm," Master said turning away.
"Right."
Lately, I've noticed the other ninjas being sent out on more and more missions for stealing goods rather than training or making negotiations with the Kanzuki organization.
Master had spoken about taking the ill farmers to the Kanzuki Estate. Word has it that they have the best doctors in the world. Yet, he feared that plans would fall through if we had shown any signs of weakness including getting sick. I don't blame him. The Kanzuki are extremely uptight and cutthroat.
RUUUUMBLE
KRAK
SPRAKOW
My pace quickened with each crackle of thunder. The last thing I needed was to have these trees struck by lightning while I'm jumping through them. Luckily, the worst of the storm seemed a while away.
Once again, my two feet stopped on a high tree branch in front of the clearing. I scanned over the area and listened very carefully for any activity.
Nothing.
No lights. No noises. No Makoto. Just the swift whistling of wind against the green leaves and weaker trees.
Had I driven her away? No. Maybe she was just on a trip or something. Perhaps she's still at the market? Well, at this time of night it isn't likely. I hoped that my actions didn't cause her to suffer. Not like it didn't last time we met.
I shook my head. This sight was starting to depress the hell out of me. I don't care if this place has more produce. I have to let Master know that there is nothing left here. There has to be another way to gain more resources for the village or at least a cure a simple cure instead of resorting to this.
"Better get this over with quick. If I can find anything left anyhow."
Small dots of wetness dropped onto my exposed skin. The storm had moved closer with clouds moving faster and looking much darker than before. I check my phone to see that the time is eleven on the dot.
"I should be done here in about five minutes tops."
Just like the times before. I leapt down into the grass and snuck around the crops. I checked every field for something. Anything. Yet, I found traces of my last time here. Had she given up?
I continue to check more fields only to come up empty handed. Guess I went to the well too many times. How am I going to go back to Master empty handed? There has to be something around here.
I checked my way around, still coming up with nothing, until I find myself at the peach trees once again. They're just as barren as the moment after I picked them clean. That was until I spotted it in the middle of the other trees. Red lumpy objects hung from the branches. Just what kind of fruit is that anyw-oh they're apples.
"An apple tree? How did I miss that?"
Well this is it. Her crops are entirely without product and here I am about to steal all what she has left to sell. I approach the tree with one arm forward. The butterflies in my stomach flew more frantically the closer I got.
Before my fingertip could graze the apple I sensed a presence behind me.
"You!"
Not even my reflexes could save me from being tackled by the dark silhouette. I landed right onto the basket on my back and crushed it.
KRAAKOOOOOM
Thunder struck. Shaking the ground below. A flash of light came a second later.
I'll never forget what I saw. The face of anger. Teeth bared and gritting. Nostrils flaring. Eyes wide and beady. Her skin is as red as blood itself and boiling hot.
A flurry of punches rained down on my face before I managed to kick her off of me.
Standing up, I nearly lost my footing again with all of this mud removing any traction I had before. The rain poured hard down on me. On her.
KRAAAAKOOOM
With the little light in the area I see Makoto standing strong in the way of the apple tree. Her body stained with mud and falling water. She didn't seem to mind, as I can read 'I'm going to kick your ass' all over her face.
"Ah!", My face started to throb. Man this chick can hit like a truck.
"You're the one who's been stealing from my crops! Aren't you?!" Her wide angry eyes stare right through the darkness and at me. Her trembling fist tightened.
My mouth opens and closes. I'm unable to answer. My mask conceals the trembling of my mouth.
Her fist came at me faster than I could see. I had dodged the strike, but the distance between us had closed.
With me at an arms length, Makoto shot out a dazzling series of hard punches of which I was able to block about half. The others connected with my face, neck, and chest. Even then, what I managed to block stung like hell.
She ended her barrage with a twist of her body. She shot her leg out into my ribcage and the impact had sent me flying into the field of tall grass.
"Ugh…I can't see…", every inch of my eyesight had been covered by the lengthy blades of grass. That's it! I had to use this sudden leverage to my advantage; stealth.
Suddenly, a flattened hand swung vertically toward me. I rolled out of the way from the karate chop and felt astonished that the move shook the earth below.
"WOAH!"
I fled further into the grass, noticing that she wasn't too far behind despite my speed. Every time I juked left or right, she remained right on my tail. I nearly slipped in the wet field, but this time the rain wasn't to blame for my sloppiness, "It's these nerves in my system. I can't shake 'em off."
My hands wouldn't stop trembling. I tried to retain a steady breath, but my heart pulsed so strangely. All those years they taught me too keep calm in battle. The physical and mental training I underwent to keep a calm mind and steady body felt out of reach. It's like all sixteen years of my training had never happened.
Why can't I just keep myself calm? Why can't I just let myself do this?
It had to be Makoto.
I've never fought against someone who was so straightforward. No tricks, no hidden weapons, or odd spheres of energy, just her and her body. The way she fought so aggressively and quickly with so much energy and anger. I had to lose her somehow.
"SHOW YOUR FACE!", she growled very close to my position. Her voice nearly drowned out by the pounding rain. I slid to a stop somewhere in the grass and kept a low profile. Right now I needed a diversion to get her off my six. I fished around in my dougi, "I got it." Within my fingers, I held a smoke bomb. These babies are the best for getting out of sticky situations.
I lit the fuse and tossed it into a random direction, some spot in the field.
"Hmph," she dashed out into the direction of billowing smoke. That was a close one. There were only a few blades of grass keeping us separated.
I checked my phone once more; 11:50 "Ten minutes." That's all the time left in this mission before?-no! That won't happen!
Right now I needed to get my hands on something quick. There had to be something valuable hidden in this place. Fruit? A secret stash of vegetables? Money, maybe? Hell, anything at this point would do.
But it was much too dark to see anything except for the brief flashes of light from the thunder. I have no idea of my current position except for the dojo is right next to me, but even then I'll get lost running out there. Or worse, run into Makoto again.
I ducked inside the dojo and immediately felt around for anything, "No hidden doors. No old paintings. No treasure. No hidden fruit!" I stood up, my foot kicked one of the many broken floorboards in this cruddy structure of a dojo. This place is awful cruddy.
"Isn't there anything worth something in here?"
"Family spirit."
I spun rather quickly on my heel to see her at the entrance. She's slathered in mud and rain water. She looks tired, but her eyes still have the same burning intensity that they had at the tree.
Rain continued to pour in from the slots on the ceiling and puddle amongst the already warped wood.
"I don't have time for this!" This time, I'm the first one to throw the first blow. I kick her right in the chest. Usually that sends someone tumbling, but she still stands strong.
"Oh no you don't!" Makoto grasps me by the arm and throws me into the center of the dojo. "If you want to steal from my crops again you're going to have to go through me first!"
We fought. And with every strike she blocked and hit I took, more and more time to complete the mission chipped away. It wasn't until I landed a solid kick to her face that my phone flew from my uniform.
11:57
"SHIT!"
KRAKOOOOM
WHUP
This girl just won't stay down. She had already risen up, but I managed to stop Makoto's fist right into my block.
"THIS ENDS NOW!"
I hate to admit it, but I lost my cool. I was getting pummeled in this fight, Makoto looked far from giving up, and I just might have lost my only home.
This called for drastic measures.
From the strap on my upper thigh, I pinch a kunai between my fingers. My foot sends a strong blow to her that forces her to spin around and she stops the moment I thrust the kunai into her body.
She reacted like all the others.
A spurt of blood from her mouth dribbled onto her lip. The disbelief in her eyes as they grew wide. The blood oozing from the wound. She stumbled forward and clung to me. Her nails dug deep into my skin while her nerves tried to process the pain. Grasping onto my dougi, she shouted an eardrum shattering scream.
"AAAAAAAAH!"
And it never got any easier.
Just as I manage to push Makoto off of me. I take a step back and falter to the floor. That was when I knew I was in more pain than I thought I was in. I tried to stand up. Hell, I forced myself to. There was a shooting pain all throughout my body.
My legs. My arms. My head. My stomach. Everything hurt.
Don't let your head hit the floor, Ibuki. Keep trying.
I attempted to stand up again. I didn't get any higher and fell lower to the ground.
Don't hit the floor.
Don't falter.
This time I try to push up using my arms. I try to ignore the pain telling me to stop. My arms only moves so much before the side of my side kissed the floorboards.
I rolled on my back on the floor, without any option left.
"Looks like this is it."
My vision began to blur. The last thing my eye catch is still Makoto writhing in pain very slightly. Water pours onto my aching body from the opening in the ceiling.
Then everything fades out.
I failed my mission.