A week later I stopped by the ramen shop after some intense training. While ordering my bowl, I noticed a familiar figure watching me. The man had apparently been able to sneak into town with a hat, despite his classic Akatsuki cloak. I turned to his accusing gaze. "Why are you here?"
"Where were you? You were supposed to meet Mariah and I three days ago!" he asked.
"Well, how did you expect me to know that? Try sending a message of some sort next time."
"We did. Three genin in the exams. From the rain village. Sound familiar?" It did. I had killed them without even finding why they were in the exams. I suppose I had assumed Mariah and her partner to advance them for similar reasons as myself.
"I killed them, sorry." He gave me a shocked and silent "Why?" "Because they were in my way and never gave me any such message, so I saw no further use for their lives."
"Are you insane?" I didn't quite no how to react to this question.
"But what is the meaning of 'insane'? Don't we all have a little bit of insanity in us? One could argue that 'there are different levels of insanity,' but can you really measure something of the mind? Isn't the mind so vast and complex that it is immeasurable? So why is it that if one mind works slightly different from others, it is considered insane? Isn't a different way of thinking a good thing? Can't different ways of thinking bring out new ideas that lead towards the benefit of us all? And so why..."
"Stop!" he interrupted. "Enough. You are truly insane. Well, here's a new note. Be on time." I finished my ramen and read the note as he walked away. I was to be at the south gate of Sunagakure no Sato at two in two days. On my way home, I found a map to locate it, and found some kids messing around in an alley. I remembered the blue-haired girl as my superior's sister. The other was the kid that her friend despised. Judging by the look on her face, she didn't. I knew that sharingan was a strictly Uchiha bloodline, so I decided to try to find out how the blue-haired girl's sister had acquired it.
The boy saw me coming and arrogantly exclaimed, "You're that over-aged student from the other day. What do you want?" I casually said that I was just wandering by and felt like talking to them. "Do we look like we want to talk to you?" The blue-haired girl seconded his motion. I was already getting peeved by his sheer unprecedented arrogance – there were a few smirks in there too, but I pressed on to satiate my curiosity. I tried a more direct assault.
"Boy, do you have a sharingan?" He grimaced in reply. "I see. I'll go find someone more knowledgeable and experienced on the subject." He rushed to give me answers in order to prove that he was better than I had pronounced, as expected. "I'll get it eventually. Most Uchihas do as they grow in skill." Keeping my air of superiority, I continued to walk away. I would expand on my new information later. The girl, seeing her companions discomfort at my shun, tried to stop me.
"Wait! Where are you going?"
"What's it to you? There's not point in me staying unless one of you has some secret about kekkai genkai you care to share."
"My sister has one, the doujutsu. It copies other people's kekkai genkai, like the sharingan. Why do you want to know about kekkai genkai?" she asked suspiciously.
"General curiosity." So that explained Mariah. I went home and prepared to leave, telling my parents that I would be away on a training expedition. On arrival in Suna, I tried some of the ramen. It was grainy and disgusting – I don't recommend it. Eat the cactus pies instead.
The next day I found two cloaked people just inside the south gate. I truly don't understand how the villages' guards never learned to identify the black cloaks with red clouds. Mariah and the Uchiha guy brought me back to an inn to ask me a few questions. I tried to answer them, really, but she just asked too hard of questions.
"Are you absolutely certain you do not know the third proctor's name?"
"No! Why does he even matter? Wait, it might have been a girl... Um..."
"Oh, never mind. You really should try to pay better attention to these details. You are a spy, after all."
"Yes, yes, I know. Speaking of which, which bijuu do you have?"
She answered without thinking, "the 3-tailed dragon. Why? And how is that speaking of which..."
"Oh nothing. How do you use it?" She just frowned at me until I dropped the point. Once it was clear that they needed nothing else from me, I headed out the door. The next morning, I began the trek home.
I came across three cloud ninja on my return journey. They fell to my kunai easily, and I decided to properly dispose of the bodies randomly. While dragging the third victim across the sand, I caught a glimmer of an approaching traveler. After quickly concealing my presence, I saw a black cloaked figure walk along the path. He paused, turned an orange-masked face towards me, then continued on his way. Not knowing what to make of this strange man, I finished my work and finished the journey home.