This Game of Life
Chapter 22
Acceptance
Gonna have a quick note before we begin. Just want to let you all know that I'm well aware that this facet of Ami and Sakura's relationship is rushed, at least on Sakura's side of things. I decided to go ahead with it despite this because I haven't been updating nearly as regularly lately, and I decided it was better to get all the important things out of the way and move on with the plot, instead of spending time on a few slice-of-life chapters to flesh it out properly. To be honest, this revelation isn't even all that important considering what's going to happen later.
Anyway. On we go.
Caught off guard by the sudden revelation, it was all I could do to simply say "Oh," in response to Ami-chan. However, despite my surprise, I was also feeling strangely happy about it. I smiled without thinking, but didn't say anything else.
Ami-chan didn't say anything either. She just walked over to me, smiling as well. Tentatively, she grasped my hand, entwining her fingers with mine as she looked into my eyes.
We spent a couple of hours up on the mountain, enjoying each other's company, as we watched the sun set.
I didn't go to sleep that night. I couldn't, not when I felt guilty for not training during the day. But it was hard for me to even focus on my training. It was all I could do to keep my thoughts from Ami-chan and how excited I was about our new relationship.
So it was no surprise that in an entire night, I only managed to gain a single point of VIT, something I should've been able to do in a couple of hours, had I really been focusing on it. Speaking of, though, I was at a slight impasse. I'd been putting almost all my focus into my skills, whether it being learning them, mastering them, or modifying them into new ones, so much so that my actual stats were pretty damn lacklustre.
Name: Haruno Sakura
Class: The Gamer
Level: LV 12
HP: 180/180
MP: 96/96
STR: 15
VIT: 15
DEX: 15
INT: 58
WIS: 33
LUK: 10
Points: 0
I mean, my INT was really good, but my base INT had been too. My WIS was good enough, but my physical stats had barely improved in comparison. I decided that I would need to get them up to par sooner rather than later.
But that's beside the point. Once I noticed the time, I quickly washed up and got changed, ready for a day of training, or some sort of mission. In half an hour, I was ready, and went out to my team's regular meeting spot.
Of course, Kakashi-sensei wasn't there when I got there, but Sasuke-kun was. "Hey, Sasuke-kun." I greeted as I approached.
He turned to look at me, a slight smirk on his face. "Sakura."
"So… what was that thing with you and Rinka yesterday about?" I asked him, grinning.
He immediately turned away, embarrassed. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Uh huh. Well, it was nice of you. Those things are expensive."
"…Mm. It's not like I'm hurting for money. I just thought it might help her out."
My grin got even wider. "Such a gentleman, helping out the heir to the clan yours feuded against."
He got even more embarrassed, crossing his arms and getting in a huff. "Leave me alone, Sakura."
"Will do. Wouldn't want to intrude on you and Rinka anyway." I ducked under the swipe to my head, and leapt backwards, laughing all the way. The anger in Sasuke-kun's eyes burned for a moment, before fading, and a full, actual smile appeared on his face. I smiled back, and the two of us shared a laugh, just as Naruto-kun arrived.
The look of horror on his face just made us laugh harder.
Once we had calmed Naruto-kun down and assured him that no, Sasuke-kun hadn't been possessed or replaced by an enemy ninja, and Kakashi-sensei arrived, we all went to the mission office. Kakashi-sensei began discussing the available missions with Iruka-sensei, as per usual. However, as they seemed to decide on a mission, the secretary from outside Hokage-sama's office came into the room.
"Hatake Kakashi, the Hokage requests you and your team's prescence."
"Is that so?" He replied. "Well, never mind then, Iruka. It looks like Hokage-sama has something in mind for us." With that, he turned and strode out of the room, the three of us following.
"I'm rather touched that you have this much faith in my team, but… Don't you think this is a bit high-ranked for my team, Hokage-sama?"
"It is a borderline A-rank, yes, but most of that comes from who you're guarding. It's not every day that the Swamp Daimyo comes to visit, after all. Besides, you aren't taking him all the way back to the Land of Swamps, only halfway."
"But still," Kakashi-sensei continued. "it's a tad much for a genin team."
"We don't have anyone else that can do this, Kakashi. I would have sent a special jonin, but the only one in the village available is Anko, and according to Ibiki, the TI Department is behind due to dropping everything to process Senju Rinka-san. Your team and Gai's team are the only ones I feel are ready for this, and considering how well you handled the mission to Wave, despite all of the… issues, I feel that you're more than ready for this."
"And besides. No ninja in their right mind would attack a Daimyo's caravan unless they were completely desperate. You should only have bandits to worry about, something your genin should be able to handle easily."
The underlying message was clear. Hokage-sama couldn't send a special jonin, so he'd just send a jonin instead, using their genin team to justify them being sent on a B-rank. I didn't really like the fact that because of that, this wasn't really our mission, but I certainly wasn't going to complain.
Kakashi-sensei was silent for a moment, before he gave in, acquiescing. "Alright. We accept the mission."
"Good." Hokage-sama said from behind his pipe. "Chichiatsu-dono is in the capital, currently under the Fire Daimyo's hospitality. You should arrive to take him to the halfway-checkpoint by tomorrow."
"Understood."
"Alright. Prepare for a mission that'll take about as long as our trip to Wave. Don't worry about food, or camping gear. We'll be travelling the Swamp Daimyo's caravan, so meals and such will be handled for us. Just bring your weapons and any jutsu scrolls you might be working on."
Kakashi-sensei looked each of us in the eye, before nodding. "Meet at the village gates in three hours." With that, he disappeared, using the Body Flicker technique. Man, I want to learn that… maybe I should see if the library has a copy of the scroll I can 'borrow'. It's not like it's a rare technique. It'd be good if I could use this trip to practice it a bit.
Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun and I split up, the two of them going back home to pack, while I started making tracks to the jutsu library. Considering we wouldn't need camping gear, and I already had a good supply of weapons on me considering I barely use them, the only thing I'd need to pack would be clothes anyways.
Greeting the receptionist as I walked in, I made a beeline for the D-rank scrolls, my eyes scanning through them alphabetically. I found it quickly, taking it to the receptionist to check out.
"Do you have permission from your sensei to take that out?" she asked me, a serious look on her face.
"Uh…" I said, suddenly nervous. "Not as such, no…"
She chuckled. "Don't worry, it's only a D-rank. You can take those out yourself. Just be careful with this one, okay? Don't be the next genin so excited about learning the Body Flicker they crack their head open on a tree."
"I'll be careful."
"Good. Take care."
"You too!"
I leapt up to the rooftop of the library, taking out the scroll.
Would you like to learn the skill 'Body Flicker Technique'? Y/N
I felt ever so slightly guilty that I was going to destroy this scroll, but considering how common and how in-demand this jutsu was, they should have tons of copies anyway. Unhesitatingly, I tapped yes, watching the scroll shatter into figments of blue light as I had so many times before.
Body Flicker Technique (Active) LV1 EXP: 0.00%
Using their internal energies, the user temporarily vitalises the body and moves at extreme speeds. By using the Body Flicker Technique, one can move short to long distances at an almost untraceable speed.
Uses MP to move a short distance. MP used depends on user's INT, skill mastery, and distance from end point.
I quickly read the skill's description, before dismissing the box, and turning to face the direction of my house. Looking at a building across the street, I visualised where I wanted to go, and activated the skill.
The scenery around me seemed to distort, and it felt more like I was still, forcing the world to move around me than it did me actually moving to my destination. The sensation lasted for an infinitesimally small amount of time, yet it felt much longer. And suddenly, I was on another rooftop.
I smiled. I like this skill.
Using the Body Flicker to make my way home, I quickly packed and said goodbye to my parents, before heading out again. It had taken a bit longer than I expected to pack, truth be told, so I really only had time to walk to the gates via the scenic route. I didn't want to risk it, though, so I simply Flickered my way there, running into Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun there.
"Hey boys," I greeted. "Any sign of Kakashi-sensei?"
"None yet." Sasuke-kun replied quickly. "Were you actually expecting him to be on time for once?"
"Oh, Sasuke. You wound me!" said Kakashi-sensei, as he appeared from nowhere, hands on the boys' heads. Both of them jumped at his sudden appearance. I was able to stop myself due to Gamer's Mind.
"So…" He started, his eye closing. "Are we all ready to go?"
Nowhere I had ever been even compared to our home village. Wave had at least been somewhat comparable in size, the incredible amount of poverty and squalor had reduced it to a shadow of its former self, and that little hamlet where we had found Rinka was basically the equivalent of one of the Leaf's larger neighbourhoods.
But compared to the capital of the Land of Fire, the Leaf was that tiny hamlet. I had always been dimly aware in the back of my mind that the capital would be even more amazing than my home, but it never really clicked until now.
It made sense when you thought about it. Ninja villages are huge hubs for a country, and fittingly massive compared to other settlements. But considering that ninja lived in them? The types of civilians who lived in those villages would have to be as insane as the ninja who were their main population. After all, many of them were there purely because their family had ninja in them.
Most civilians wouldn't want to be anywhere near a ninja village. Sure, the constant protection was a big bonus, and the cheap labour that was D-rank missions was a plus too. But there would be constant fear of infiltration, invasion, battles, war. It's not as if people in other places were exempt from those, but both the frequency and severity of them were lessened when there wasn't ninja about.
No, they would much rather be in settlements only filled with their kind, with no thieving, warmongering ninja around to mess things up. This is where the big businessmen, the nobles, wise men, and the samurai flocked to, and it damn well showed.
It was absolutely massive. From the moment that it came into view, we couldn't even see how wide it was, our vision stopping where the walls continued. There were towering buildings, taller and wider than even the Hokage Tower, and not just a few.
Beautiful parks with rolling fields and crystalline lakes dotted the city. And the sheer amount of people walking everywhere only served to further show how mind-bogglingly massive this place truly was.
And to top it all off, in the centre of the city lay its crowning jewel. A massive palace, emblazoned with the same kanji that was on Hokage-sama's hat and robes. The symbol of fire.
Kakashi-sensei laughed as we walked into the city, eyes wide and taking in every detail. "It's a sight to behold, isn't it?" He walked in front of us, causing us to refocus. I became distinctly aware of the glances being thrown our way from every direction. Our clothes set us apart from the common civilian, and more than that, our headbands truly marked us as something other.
Curious people tried to catch glimpses, some more subtle than others, and I wasn't sure if it was just due to us being not of the norm, or if it were something else.
"This is overwhelming as well. The feeling that everyone has their eyes on you. It takes some getting used to."
"Why didn't we get this reaction in Wave, or in that other village?" Sasuke-kun quietly asked.
"In Wave, people were much too preoccupied with their own survival to spare some strangers a glance. It likely would've happened in that village, though. At least, had we not stuck to the shadows there, for the most part."
Satisfied with that explanation, Sasuke-kun nodded, and tried not to squirm under the steadily increasing number of eyes on us.
"We're to meet Chichiatsu-dono at the Palace of Fire. Let's go." Kakashi-sensei walked forwards, heading straight for the large palace in the centre of the city. After a moment, I strode after him as confidently as I could, with the boys at my sides.
As we approached the palace gates, two samurai looking men crossed their naginata in front of it, crying, "Halt! What business do you-" They suddenly stopped as they got a good look at us, before smiling and clearing the path. "Ah, Kakashi-dono! Honda-sama has been expecting you."
"Mm, has he? It's been quite a while since I heard that. You obviously know why we're here then. May we pass?"
"Of course."
With that, Kakashi-sensei stepped past, leading us into the palace proper. We were greeted by a handmaiden, who quickly showed us a place to sit, refreshments (we refused), and told us to wait for someone to tell us when Honda-dono and Chichatsu-dono would be ready.
As we waited, I idly though about what the two would be like. I knew from the academy that the Fire Daimyo was an older, kind man, if a little conformist. But I hadn't heard anything about the Swamp Daimyo, and just as well. Swamp was so minor a country it still had yet to develop a ninja village. He was as unimportant to a ninja as a daimyo could be.
Another handmaiden, this one older and calmer, told us that the daimyo were ready to receive us, and lead us to where they were waiting. As she slid open the door, a quick glance from sensei told us all to be on our best behaviour.
We stepped into the room, and I saw the two of them, sat at the head of a table, chatting. Behind them stood a samurai each, both old enough that silver had begun to colour their hair. The Fire Daimyo was exactly as I was expecting, but also surprisingly nondescript. Slightly on the chubby side, with beady black eyes, short black hair adorned with the blue headdress that all daimyo wore, and a simple, two-tone yukata.
Considering the palace and city he lived in, I would've expected something much more extravagant. But as I looked at the second daimyo, that may simply have been down to all daimyo wearing the same thing.
Chichiatsu-dono wore the exact same clothes as Honda-dono, but that's where the similarities ended. Chichiatsu-dono had startlingly red eyes, and unruly hair of the same shade. He had a much healthier physique than his counterpart, and the most striking difference between the two was their age.
While Honda-dono looked to be at least in his late fourties, Chichiatsu-dono was barely older than me, looking to be around 15, maybe even younger. Despite that, he had a certain air about him, something that Honda-dono lacked. It intrigued me.
As these thoughts flew through my mind in an instant, the two of them turned to look at us, Honda-dono's face lighting up jovially at the sight of Kakashi-sensei, while Chichiatsu-dono sent a nervous smile to each of us three genin.
"Ah, Chichiatsu-dono, he is the one I was talking about! Kakashi-kun, please, come!" Honda-dono laughed, beckoning us towards them.
"You four are the team that are going to protect me?" He asked. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you all." He said, smiling at us again, this time lingering on each of us as he did. It felt as if he spent a touch longer smiling at me than everyone else.
"Oh yes, you're getting your money's worth with them. Kakashi-kun is my second choice for the Hokage once Hiruzen finally decides to retire, you know! And Hiruzen tells me that his trainees are a force to be reckoned with as well! Despite being rookies, they managed to fight off two much stronger ninja until Kakashi-kun arrived and drove them off, apparently." Honda-dono stated, now looking at the three of us.
"Is that so?" Chichiatsu-dono said, smiling again. "Well, I feel honoured to have such talented ninja protect me. Hopefully, your services won't even be required, but it makes me feel safer to know I have the best of the best available in an emergency."
"Apologies, Chichiatsu-sama," the samurai behind the Daimyo of Swamp coughed, "but now that your… escorts have arrived, I believe it's best we be off sooner rather than later. Mitsuki is as good an aide as you could hope for, but you know as well as I do that he can't run the country for too long."
"You're quite right, Toyohisa. Very well then." Standing up, Chichiatsu-dono bowed to Honda-dono. "Thank you very much for your hospitality, Fire Daimyo-dono."
"You are welcome."
Straightening up from his bow, he turned to us, giving us a more confident, sunny smile. "I am in your hands now."
And that's that. I'm so excited for what's to come.