Chapter Four
The mist still covered the sky, it was nearly one thirty. Kushimaru was the first to arrive at the gate entrance. Shortly after Juzo arrived, He sat down and leaned his sword next to him. It was about twenty minutes tell two pm. Kushimaru leaned on the gate looking out towards the distance. Minutes passed, Kushimaru started to lose his patience.
"Where is that damn woman, she should know always arrive at least ten minutes prior!" uttering as he looked at Juzo.
"Don't look at me, fool! I don't even know what this woman looks like." Shaking his fist at Kushimaru. Kushimaru scoofed and looked back towards the distance.
Minutes passed as Juzo see's a kunoichi walking towards them. Kushimaru still gazing at the distance.
"Is that her Kushimaru?" Juzo said as he grabbed his sword standing up getting ready to depart.
"Sorry, I am late! I was visiting my family before departure..." Suiren bowed.
Kushimaru walked up to her placing his hands on her shoulders, lightly slamming her against the gate. Suiren gasped, in shock that he would do that so suddenly.
"This is your first warning, there won't be another. If you want to see this family you speak of again...You better not fuck up!" Kushimaru lecturing Suiren as he placed his right hand on her throat. Suiren started to tremble.
"Hey! Cut it out Kushimaru! We have a mission, quit your verbose lecture Kushimaru." Juzo forcefully edged his way in between them.
"Fine!" Kushimaru said as he started walking towards the direction of Tonika village.
Juzo looked at Suiren "Are you alright?" Suiren shook her head yes. "Don't mind him, just try to get on his good side and don't mess up. He can be an ass, but most of the time I don't think he means what he actually says." Juzo trying to lighten the mood and reassure Suiren. He started to walk off as well.
Suiren took a deep breath and started to walk beside Juzo. She looked over at him for a second. "How long have you been part of the Kiri No Shinobigatana?"
Juzo looked at her and pondered for a moment. "It's been a couple years. How about you how long have you been a Jonin?" Juzo asked still trying to lighten the mood after what just happened.
Suiren smiled and said "I am new, I have only been a Jonin for about two weeks. I am assigned to team Ganryu."
"Yes, I know of Ganryu. He's a good ninja and his missions are always finished proficiently. You are lucky to have him as your team leader... Enough talking for now, we need to pick up the pace. As of now it's going to take four days to reach our destination." Juzo said as he started to pick up the pace.
Suiren smiled and kept up with Juzo and Kushimaru disappearing in the distance.
Meanwhile back deeper in the forest where Noriko was training profusely. Still not making any progress with her newly learned jutsu. Noriko is a very patient girl, so much determination practicing day in and day out. All of a sudden she hears a twig snap about five feet behind her. She suddenly fled behind a tree getting into a guard stance ready to take action. She hears a rugged voice cry out to her.
"It's okay little one. I am an acquaintance of Kushimaru, and mean no harm."
She was still cautious slowly lifting up a kunai to see who might be talking. In the reflection of the kunai she see's a slender older man with a white beard wearing a blue circular hat.
"Who are you? What do you want, if it's an early funeral I will give it to you." Noriko trying to scare the intruder off.
The man laughed hard to that remark. "I think it's a bit late for a early funeral..."
Noriko started to get irritated, so she lifted up her hand and started to weave hand signs. "Ninja art, Hidden mist jutsu!" She said in a loud voice. There started to be a really light mist just around her. It was about four inches in diameter surrounding her. The old man laughed even harder, then letting out a rugged cough.
"Not bad, Kushimaru is training you quite well... Please come out, I will not hurt you. I just want to talk." The man said the nicest way he could.
"Like you could hurt me! I will come out, but try anything funny... that will be the end of you!" Noriko started to slowly walk around the tree, holding the kunai with intent to kill, just in case.
(So this is the girl Kushimaru has been training.) "Sorry to startle you my dear. I mean you no harm. I am just hear to talk...is that okay?" He is trying to not startle her again. He can already tell that she is starting to pick up characteristics from Kushimaru.
"Yes, what do you want with me? Noriko still in a defensive stance.
"You're definitely strong for your age... no doubt about that. What is it that you want in life? Is It power, wealth, friends?" The man asked a plethora of questions. Noriko's brain started to become quite addled. She paused for a moment looking at the ground. Thinking why she actually decided to stay with Kushimaru. Silence surrounded the area for what seemed like hours, yet only a few seconds passed.
"I...don't...know..." She said finally lowering the kunai. Dumbstruck she looked at the man for a couple seconds finally saying. " What... Is your purpose... in life?" The man immediately replied.
"That's easy, I am here to protect all of Kirigakure...and its people from harm. Granted I am not the best leader, probably the worst of my kind. There is a lot of chaos among the ranks and from spys. My age hasn't helped." The man went on and one with the problems within the village. "Sorry for speaking so much, it comes with age." The man chuckled a bit. The man started to walk away. "Find your path young one..." She saw his back fade into the distance. She stood there for a moment and pondered her thoughts.
(How am I going to use Ninjutsu for my ambitions? What should I do with my life?) She stood there for a moment still thinking. After she grew tired of the endless unknown. She started to form her hand signs again. For hours she was out there, until she finally collapsed from overtraining.
Meanwhile back towards the journey with Kushimaru's assigned team. They traveled about five hours. The reached the land of noodles, it was a small country right between the land of fire and the land of water. It was also part of the wave country to be more precise. Kushimaru still in the lead, made and abrupt stop.
"Okay, we can set up camp here. We have three hours until we make haste again so rest up!" Kushimaru leaned down, he weaved a few hand signs. "Summoning Jutsu!" There was a poof of smoke and a squirrel appeared. He slipped his right hand into a scroll department on the right side of his flak vest. Giving it to the squirrel,"Go on take that to you know who, I guarantee that we will get a few bodies to sell on the market." saying this so neither Juzo nor Suiren could here him.
He turns around looking at Suiren and Juzo. Juzo is sitting by a tree with his eyes shut, as his sword layed right next to him. Then Kushimaru fixed his eyes on Suiren. She looked like she was still catching her breath from the long journey.
"Why are you breathing so hard, you useless bitch!" Kushimaru started to walk towards her.
"Sorry! I am not use to a team that can move this fast. Please, I would like some quite time..." Suiren said as she leaned up against a tree close to Juzo. This infuriated Kushimaru. He walked towards her, he lifted his right hand and grabbed her hair pulling her towards him."Listen here you bitch! You will do what I say..." This shocked Suiren, she was frozen in fear. Usually she would never be scared of anything. However the bloodlust from Kushimaru was just overwhelming.
She Grabbed Kushimaru's hand with her own and tried to push him away. This made him even more angry. He lightly slammed her head against the tree. Taking his left hand pinning her free arm against the tree. "Don't you understand, you are way out of your league. No wonder Kirigakure is so pathetic as of late, we have such pathetic bitches like you ranked as Jonin!" She was trying everything to get away from him.
"What is wrong with you? I have done nothing to you! Why are you doing this?" She kept screaming. She started to knee him, however to no avail he was not weakening his grips on her hair or arm. "You just don't give up do you? People... like you should know your place you stupid bug!" He pulled her from the tree and threw her to the ground. Her head hit the ground quite hard, the breath was knocked out of her for a second. Laying there in a daze, hoping he will leave her alone.
Kushimaru grabbing Nuibari, raising his right arm swinging towards Suiren. All of a sudden Kushimaru's arm stopped with another arm grabbing it. Juzo ended up grabbing his arm to stop the swing.
"Enough! You need to knock it off now...I let you pull your intro before but...you are taking it too far!"
"Don't talk to me about being chivalrous! You have killed many people...men, women, and children I might add!"
"That's true, however there is a huge difference, I don't enjoy the slaying of innocent people. I stay on mission! Yes, I have killed women and children, I regret it every goddamn day." Juzo said as he threw Kushimaru's hand down. Juzo started to walk towards Suiren to help her up.
Kushimaru started to raise his hand again, this time his targeted changed. He started to swing for Juzo. He was about a foot away before a shadow appeared before him. It was Ao, he pushed Juzo and Suiren as far as he could. The Nuibari Kept going and slashing Ao right in the left eye. Blood started to gush from Ao's left eye. It didn't stop him, Ao jumped back about five feet and threw down some Kunai at Kushimaru's feet. Juzo got into a fighting stance pointing Kubikiribocho at Kushimaru.
"Stop this at once!" Ao shouted trying to get Kushimaru out of his psychopathic rage. Kushimaru put his Nuibari back on his back. He let out a sadistic laugh. "Damn old man sending a babysitter! I never cared for you Ao!" Kushimaru said as he started to walk towards the closest tree.
"The mission has changed! Kushimaru will continue with the assassination. Juzo, Suiren, and I will carry out her mission and return to the village. Leave now... Kushimaru!" Ao said as he slowly backed up to Juzo and Suiren.
"Fine, but don't think this is over. Especially for you Ao...I will kill you!" Kushimaru disappeared into the darkness.
Ao rushed over to Suiren, to make sure she was alright. "You alright Suiren? Sorry I didn't make it sooner."
"I am okay." Suiren looked at Ao. "Is your eye okay, I know some medical ninjutsu." Ao refused knowing it was gone, he just kept it closed. "No it's okay, I will have it checked out when we reach the village." Ao reached and tore some fabric from his right sleeve. Making a eye patch out of the material.
"That damn Kushimaru! I am going after him, and end him." Juzo started to walk towards the direction Kushimaru went.
"No...don't worry about him. Your mission has changed. Do not go off mission!" Ao said to Juzo. "Fine.." "Well, we better rest, since we don't have to go to Tonika village...it won't even half the time now." Suiren informed the others. Juzo walked over to Suiren
"I am sorry for not jumping in sooner. I just didn't think Kushimaru was this crazy. We have gone on missions a lot, and he was never this out of control. He's changed a lot since I first met him." Juzo explained to Suiren.
"It's okay."Suiren said with a light smile. The silence rose and so did the darkenss from the night.