3 – To Be a Team
The next morning Ryoka woke up sore from leaning against the tree. She hoped her family wouldn't be too worried, but doubted they would mind too much. It wasn't the first time she hadn't come home for the night since the sealing. Just another difference they pretended didn't exist.
She walked to the river and washed her face, clearing away her drowsiness and braiding her hair down her back. She traveled the short distance to the academy, where several parents were walking, hand in hand with their children, towards the entrance where the children were gathered. As the adults saw her among the other students, she noticed them whispering to their children, giving her pointed looks, undoubtedly telling them to keep their distance. It made Ryoka's heart sink like always, but she wasn't surprised. What could she possibly do about it but stay out of trouble?
She joined the kids and the parents left as five teachers came out. One of the teachers explained that the children would be divided into five classes, divided among the teachers there. They would also be presenting the students with their own forehead protectors that day as a sign of trust that they all believed every single one of the students there had the potential to become Genin. Each class would have a different color band, but wouldn't receive the silver plate with the village's symbol on it until graduation. The silver plate had the symbol of the Village Hidden in Shadow, a spiraled circle with three branches turning out of it, and Ryoka had only seen it occasionally, on her brother's forehead protector and a few odd shinobi here and there.
The children were divided and Ryoka was put in the fifth division, whose class received black forehead protectors. She held it in her hand, reluctant to wear it. After all, she wasn't a Genin yet. Instead, she tied it around her upper arm, as a few others were doing. None of the students so much as looked at her, but that was better than the glaring she received from adults. They walked to their classes and she chose a desk in the back by a window. It overlooked the forest outside of the Village of Shadows, and she rested her chin in her hand, enjoying the view. She heard whispers around her and grit her teeth at their pointed whispers, but she just took a deep breath, calming herself. This was the life she had chosen for Kyoka. As long as Kyoka was okay and happy, it was worth it.
Their teacher, Yoshino-sensei, called roll and introduced himself.
"Class, today, most of the other students are introducing themselves and discussing procedures, but that's not how it will be for you. We are going to start training today, and if you do something wrong I will tell you. Now listen up, and I will tell you how things are going to be done." The class sat up a little straighter, all of them paying attention. Ryoka continued looking out the window, but listened carefully.
"Once you graduate as a Genin, you will be put into teams of three under a Jounin. I will be temporarily putting you into groups of three so you can learn to work in a team until then. Alright, the teams will be..."
He rattled off names, and the class muffled their remarks of excitement and hidden groans as they were teamed with members.
"...Hanate Saki, Higurashi Kohaku, and Nadeshiko Ryoka."
Ryoka glanced over at Saki, who looked delighted to be with Kohaku, even as every other girl in the room glared at her in jealousy. So he's the guy all the girls are crushing on, Ryoka thought. Should she pretend to like him as well? She dismissed the thought. That would only make the other girls dislike her. She glanced at Kohaku. He wasn't looking at either of them. He was leaning back in his seat, hands behind his head, watching the ceiling in boredom. He had brown eyes and hair, and was pretty tall, but seemed arrogant. She watched him with mild dislike. He reminded her too much of the boys that made fun of Kyoka.
"Alright, get in your groups!"
Ryoka joined Saki and Kohaku. Saki was watching her with the same eyes adults did. With mistrust and hate. Kohaku just watched both of them as if they were the most boring things in the world. Saki had pretty red shoulder length hair and dark blue eyes. She glared at Ryoka before standing next to Kohaku.
"Kohaku-kun!" She squealed, clasping her hands together under her chin. "I'm looking forward to working with you!"
"Everyone get to know each other. I want everyone in your group to know why he or she wishes to become a ninja," Yoshino Sensei instructed.
"Ne, ne, Kohaku-kun, why did you decide to become a ninja?" Saki asked excitedly. He sighed, as if the question was too bothersome to answer.
"I'm looking for someone," he admitted finally. Saki smiled wide when he answered.
"I want to be a ninja, so I can be strong and help people, but you know they say most ninja meet their future husbands in the field too, so that could be exciting too!" She babbled excitedly, and Ryoka found herself already feeling a headache coming. Saki seemed to have that ability to never stop talking. Kohaku blinked, accepting her answer, and turned to look at Ryoka, who shifted uncomfortably under his stare.
"And you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. She opened her mouth to speak, but Saki cut her off.
"Don't listen to her, Kohaku-kun. We don't need to pay attention to what she says."
His eyes flicked up to meet hers.
"Why not? She's on our team."
"Because," Saki drew out the word, but seemed to hesitate, struggling to find a reason. "We just aren't supposed to," she finally concluded.
"So?" Kohaku glanced at Ryoka and frowned. "What's your reason?" he asked, pointedly ignoring Saki.
Ryoka just stared back, noticing Saki's challenging glare in her direction. Kohaku's eyes narrowed slightly but he didn't say anything. She shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Saki.
"Well?" he prodded, and she blinked.
"Just do," she answered shyly, shrinking back when Saki crossed her arms with a 'hmph'. Kohaku shot Saki an annoyed glare.
Maybe Kohaku wasn't so bad after all.
The rest of the day went smoothly, and they ended up doing shuriken practice, which Ryoka did well, though Saki almost killed her by throwing a shuriken off course. Ryoka decided aim must not be her forte. Kohaku did almost perfectly as well, earning looks of admiration from the rest of the class.
Ryoka discovered during lunch that she was not welcome to sit with Kohaku and the throng of girls surrounding him, but it had turned out to be in her favor, as she discovered the library, where no one but a kind old woman behind the desk remained. She managed to befriend the kindly lady and to her delight, was able to spend her lunches pouring over books that detailed basic jutsus and techniques.
The first year of school passed slowly, with Kohaku and Saki mostly ignoring Ryoka, but gradually growing accustomed to her presence. They worked well together. Kohaku was an excellent fighter for most combat, while Saki wasn't strong but was very smart and could strategize almost flawlessly. Ryoka stayed in the back, but when Saki was in danger or when Kohaku was about to be beaten, she stepped in quickly to provide backup and support.
It was one evening when the three were on the mountain pass to collect medicinal herbs that they accidentally crossed into enemy territory. It was easy to do, considering none of them specialized in navigational skills, something Ryoka made a note of to read up on in the library, and the border came much sooner than they anticipated. It was a simple mistake, what with their village being so tiny.
Ryoka had recognized signs of enemy ninja and alerted the others, her heart beginning to beat rapidly. Saki was reluctant to believe her, but Kohaku took her word for it in an instant. They went into a defensive formation calmly, though their hands were shaking at they reached for their weapons.
"Where are they?" Kohaku asked Ryoka. She was surprised that he was asking her, but replied calmly and quietly.
"There are five that I see signs of. One at four o clock in a tree. He's the scout. There are two trying to sneak up behind us, they are the main fighters. There's one on the left, staying in hiding until he finds an opening, and the main one is coming at eleven o clock. He's the decoy."
"How do you know that? You've never mentioned you could track," Saki hissed.
She didn't answer. She was scared, and she needed to focus.
Kohaku took a stance.
"Saki, think of a counter strategy. Ryoka, go get help. We'll buy you time."
"I'll get help," Saki said quickly. "Apparently Ryoka is better at this kind of thing anyways." She vanished and Ryoka took a defensive stance. Kohaku swore quietly.
Coward, Ryoka thought before she could help herself.
"Can you fight?" He asked her.
She nodded.
"I mean for real. You aren't backup anymore."
"I can." He nodded.
"Go after the decoy. I'll target the two behind us." She nodded, and at his signal, both of them vanished. Ryoka attacked the decoy from behind, and switched out with a shadow clone, which he stabbed, but managed to knock him out before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Smiling slightly at the clone's success, she vanished and appeared next to the scout on the tree, who lashed out at her with a knife, but she dodged, the knife barely grazing her cheek. She'd had the advantage in surprise, but she would be in trouble soon if she didn't think fast.
She aimed a swift punch to the side of his head and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious. She turned to look for Kohaku. He had gotten one of the ninjas down, but the other looked to be a better fighter. He shoved Kohaku to the ground and raised a kunai, ready to stab him, and his eyes widened a fraction.
Ryoka jumped in front of Kohaku and wrapped her arms around him, rolling out of the way even as she felt the kunai impale her back. She gasped as her back erupted into pain, spreading through the seal imprinted there. Kohaku was staring at her with shocked eyes.
"Why would you-" blood dripped to the ground and his eyes widened.
"Did he stab you?!"
She clenched her teeth, trying to get off of him and to her feet as tears sprang to her eyes. "I'm… fine," she gasped, pushing herself to all fours. Something dark and hideous stirred within her as the seal seemed to burn. He lifted her the rest of the way to her feet and she faced the man, whose last comrade had joined him.
"You got lucky taking us by surprise, kid, but that ends here," one of the ninja growled. "This is our territory." He attacked and in an instant had Kohaku pinned against a tree with his arm. The other ninja grabbed Ryoka and pinned her to the ground. She cried out as her back moved, burning with every twitch.
"Kohaku-san!" she screamed in terror as the ninja drove the knife toward him. He turned his body to the side, the knife just grazing his ribs. He bit the man's arm and the ninja swore, releasing him. He rolled and made a shadow clone, using it to put her captor in a choke hold, forcing him to release her and she struggled to her feet, before collapsing to her knees, unable to stand. Kohaku reached in his weapons bag, finding it empty and shot Ryoka a desperate glance.
"Ryoka, do you have a kunai?"
She didn't. She clenched her teeth, reaching with shaking fingers to the weapon impaled in her back. She wrapped her hand around it and pulled slightly. Her back exploded in pain and she gasped as fire ripped through the injury, collapsing onto her stomach with a moan. She began to see stars and a deep, terrifying rumble echoed in her mind.
Child…
"Take it," she choked to him. "I can't get it out."
"No, that will make the injury worse," he protested automatically, defending a blow from the ninja, his limbs shaking.
Ryoka turned her head and listened carefully. Help was coming, but they wouldn't be fast enough. If they didn't do something, they were going to die.
"Just take... The kunai..." She gasped, stumbling over to him.
"I won't," he said firmly.
"Dammit, Kohaku-san," she growled in frustration. She grabbed the knife again, determined, just as several ninja appeared, with Saki leading them. The two enemy ninja swore and disappeared, Kohaku's clone vanishing in a cloud of smoke.
Paramedics rushed to Ryoka.
"Don't pull it out-!"
But she had already pulled, hard. It came out of her back and she collapsed on all fours, almost blinded from pain.
A roar nearly split her head open as the flash of a wolf's pained face flickered in her mind's eye. She offered the bloody knife to a shocked Kohaku.
"Get them," she choked out with a forced smile. He nodded seriously, took the knife, and vanished. The paramedics approached her, at first with urgency, and then with tense hostility when they realized who she was.
"Did she disrupt the seal?" one medic whispered to another, but the second shook his head. "No, injuries do not affect it. Just clean the wound and allow the beast's chakra to heal it."
They wiped off the excess blood and put a bandage on her back, telling her it would heal naturally. Then they left immediately to check on Kohaku, who had returned without incident, though he was scowling bitterly.
"They got away," he muttered, approaching Ryoka. "I'm sorry. I let you down."
"Are you alright?" A paramedic asked hurrying to him. "You fought bravely, where are you hurt?"
He watched them coldly.
"I'm not hurt. Go tend to Ryoka."
"Don't worry about that girl, let's just get you patched up."
"She saved my life and got stabbed. She needs more medical attention than just a bandage." His voice was quickly turning hostile.
"Please don't talk to her anymore sir, it's obvious she has influenced you. Good people like you and Hanate Saki shouldn't be exposed to people like her. You two are heroes, you know." The doctor was abrupt and his voice was irritatingly logical. Ryoka turned her head away, not wanting to hear anymore.
At the last comment he angrily slapped away the paramedics hand and walked over to Ryoka, much to Saki and the doctor's displeasure.
"Can you stand?" he asked quietly. She watched him warily, her breath coming in shallow gasps.
"Not yet, but I'll be fine," she managed to whisper, trying not to breathe too deeply and hurt her injury.
She blinked in surprise as he slipped an arm under hers and gently lifted her to her feet, slowly and painstakingly. He pulled her onto his back, pulling her arms around his neck and holding onto her legs to keep her up.
"Why are you doing this? It'll just be worse for you," her voice was shaking from the effort of speaking, and it came out as barely more than a whisper. He began to walk away without looking back at them, leaving Saki to explain the situation.
"They can think what they want. You were braver than Saki and I combined. Why won't they acknowledge you?"
She allowed her head to fall on his shoulder, suddenly feeling exhausted, not just physically, but in her heart, as he asked the same question she had been asking since the day she was sealed.
"Who knows?" she answered, so quietly she wasn't sure even he heard.
He walked her home, and Saki caught up when they arrived. Ryoka insisted she could stand on her own, and Kohaku let her down.
"You can walk now?" Saki asked disbelievingly, but she was too tired to reply.
It had gotten late. The moon was full, but it was obscured by dark shadows. The night felt dark and ominous, and Ryoka got a bad feeling.
They were in front of her house when the door slammed open and Kyoka ran out, tears streaming down her face. The young girl ran straight to Ryoka and grabbed fistfuls of her shirt, sobbing.
"Kyoka! What's wrong?" Ryoka asked, sensing an alarming danger in her home.
"Th-the bad ninja came!" the little girl cried.
"Th-they k-killed Otou-sama, and they're hurting Okaa-san!"
Ryoka froze.
"W-what?!" Kyoka dragged her sister by the hand, running back to the house.
"Are we all under attack?" Saki whispered.
Kohaku's eyes widened, realizing what their battle with the foreign ninja might have meant.
"Kagegakure is in danger."
