V4 ch 6
Paper Lanterns
"How far is this village," Masaru Uzumaki asked as he continued to walk with his team down the dirt road. They had been assigned to help a village that was far away from Konoha. They were traveling to the Wind Country.
"Not really sure," Kiba Inuzuka said as he led his team. It was a fairly easy mission that his team had been assigned to. Normally, D-rank missions were assigned in the village, but the fire country was at peace with the wind country. He reached his rough hand over to ruffle Idai's hair. The boy was looking around at the landscape more than anything. Kiba figured the boy was not accustomed to leaving the hidden leaf village since he had been adopted by Gai.
"Isn't it your job to know where we're going and how far it is," Masaru asked his trainer. He looked at the man seriously. I mean, he is the one who is supposed to guide us. What kind of trainer can't guide us anywhere if he doesn't know where it is?
"Maybe he's trying to make sure you're paying attention to where your feet are instead of your mouth," Idai said as he looked at Masaru. He was friends with the boy, but sometimes, Masaru's mouth got in the way of his thoughts.
"Hey, Idai, he's the one that is leading us," Masaru shot back.
"Yes, it is my responsibility to know where we're going, but I'm not following a map," Kiba said. He looked at Masaru. "I'm following my nose. You're trained to be a tracker, as well. It's important to know the landscape around you and learn from it."
Yanagi looked at her trainer. She tugged on his sleeve. "Kiba sensei, how come Akamaru couldn't come with us?" She always saw the old dog hanging around her trainer. Akamaru was his best friend.
Kiba looked away. He returned his gaze to the front of the line. Since they were out of their own country, they were foreigners while in the wind country. "Akamaru's pretty old, Yanagi. I've had him since I was a boy. I'm surprised he's lasted as long as he has. I and he have been through some pretty touch scrapes. I don't know how much longer he will last. He's developed problems in his joints and it's getting harder for him to move around."
"Are you going to have to find another dog," Masaru asked a little unconcerned. It was followed by a huge hit on the head by Yanagi. "I wasn't trying to be insensitive! I was just asking!"
"You were being insensitive," Idai said to his friend. "Akamaru is Kiba sensei's best friend. It would be no different if your best friend was at his limit. It can't be helped. Akamaru has led a good life."
"Yeah, he has," Kiba said with a small smile. That's why he liked Idai. Idai was a very thoughtful kid. Kiba was glad he had chosen the boy for his team.
"I don't have a best friend," Masaru said. He
looked away with a pout on his face. He adjusted the backpack on his back.
"I thought Takeru was your best friend," Yanagi said as she walked behind the blond haired boy.
Masaru shook his head. "Takeru and I just grew up together. His father is best friends with mine, but because I'm the Hokage's son, I had to watch what I did all of the time. I only saw Takeru when we were allowed to play together. It wasn't much. I mean, I like Takeru. He's a good guy, but we aren't close like you think we would be."
"No, you two grew up in two different worlds, Masaru. Your dad has a very important position. So whatever you do reflects him. That's why you have to behave yourself," Kiba told him. He looked up at the sky as they walked down the dirt path. Kiba Inuzuka wondered exactly what was going to happen once they got to the village in the wind country.
Yanagi bounced on her feet. This was the first mission she was taking. It was important for her to learn from her experience and try her best. If they did a good job, then her team would be on more missions. Yanagi wanted to make her parents proud of her. She smiled to herself imagining a party when she came back. Normally, she didn't leave home unless it was to go to Saori Nara's house.
"Yanagi, do you want to come down from the clouds for a moment," Idai asked as he looked at her smiling. He jerked his thumb ahead of them. The path was starting to turn around a corner. "I think we're getting close. The landscape is changing. The grass is bent in the opposite direction that the wind is blowing."
Kiba turned his head to look at the landscape more. Idai was right. "Good job, Idai. That means where we are now is a heavily traveled area. The village must be close. The path that we're on is probably one of the main entrances."
Team 6 turned the bend on the dirt pathway. They continued to walk past tall trees that hid the sunlight. Masaru could see small rays showing through the thick trees. The path ahead of them appeared lonely and distant. It looked rather spooky to him. The sunlight was not coming through the trees very well. It gave him the impression of walking down a cursed path that led to somewhere they weren't supposed to go. He swallowed with difficulty as he looked at each of the trees they passed.
"Masaru, what has you eying the trees as if they're going to leap out at you," Yanagi asked. She tried to follow his gaze, but it wasn't really possibly. The blond haired boy was looking around as if he really did expect them to be attacked. "If anyone was around Kiba sensei would know it straight off."
Idai stopped. He tilted his head ever so slightly to listen. He held up his hand to stop the others from moving. They stopped talking. He closed his eyes. There were noises all around that he had to sift through. Idai heard a bird fly off to his left. What had spooked it? He also heard the breathing around him coming from his teammates. Idai stepped a few feet forward. His hand went to one of his swords on his back. He unsheathed it and blocked a shruiken. It pinged off of his sword and dropped to the dirt.
Kiba was on guard instantly. He was impressed that Idai had heard it. Idai's hearing was impressive alright. Kiba moved to the front of the line in front of his students. It was his job to protect them. They were inexperienced. He looked all around them. He couldn't see anyone. Kiba sniffed the air. There were three scents coming their way rather fast. "We've got company," he said as he took out a kunai for self-defense. Kiba planned on meeting whoever it was head on.
Idai placed his hand on his trainer's to lower the
weapon. "I don't think it would be fair for you to fight three children," he said as he heard their voices. They were running down the path. Just as he said it one of them popped into view. A small boy with dark brown hair and eyes was being followed by a little girl and another little boy. The boy slowed down and stopped to eye the three that were on the same path.
Yanagi looked at the little boy and smiled. She wondered if he was the one that had thrown the shruiken. "Hi," she said softly. "Are you the one that threw the shruiken?" The little boy nodded. "You should practice at a dummy instead of out in the open. You almost hurt my friend," she said speaking about Idai.
The little boy walked closer to the team. The little girl behind him grabbed a hold of his arm, but she was struggling to hold him back. He had no fear of the ninja in front of him. "No one's ever on this path. It's an old entrance way into our village. We come down here every day to practice and play. Who are you guys?"
"I'm Yanagi Lee," Yanagi said as she bent towards the boy. He appeared to be around the age of five-years-old. "This is my friend, Idai," she gestured to the white haired guy she was on the team with. "And this is my friend, Masaru. This is our sensei, Kiba. We're from the Hidden Leaf Village," she said introducing them all.
"I'm Nebukai," the boy said to the pink haired girl. "You guys must be the ones my grandfather hired to help with the Lantern Festival. This is Koeda," he said gesturing to the little girl behind him. "And that's Midare," he said pointing to the boy that was standing behind them watching. "We can take you to our village. It's over the hill," he said pointing behind them.
"Are they going to tell on us," Midare asked. He looked at the team in front of them. They weren't supposed to be out this far from the village. His friends liked to play out here because it let them explore. They were also secretly guarding the village from intruders. It was just fitting how his friend, Nebukai, had thrown the shruiken and a real ninja had deflected it. He looked at the guy with white hair. His eyes were attracted to the sword that had funny cut outs on it.
"Now they will since you had to say something," Koeda said perking up. "You need to think more, Midare!" She turned around to glare at her friend. He shied away from her.
"I guess you guys aren't supposed to be out here," Kiba said to the three small children. They were looking at him quite worried. "We don't have any intention of telling on you. We're only here to complete our mission. So if there are no other problems, we should continue on the way."
The three small children led the ninja team to the village. They walked for a while down the dirt path. It started to lead up a hill. The trees were still closely nit together. This seemed to make Masaru kind of uncomfortable. He was sticking rather close to Idai. Idai looked down at the boy beside him. "Are you okay?"
Masaru tensed as he was caught. He moved away from Idai quickly. He didn't like to be thought of as a coward, but they were in a foreign country. "Yeah, sorry," Masaru said. He turned his attention back to the path they were walking on. Soon they were at the top of the hill. Masaru's eyes widened. There was a village at the bottom of the hill, nestled all around a field of grass.
"Wow, it's beautiful," Yanagi said. She had a keen eye for flowers. She loved to make flower collages and flower arrangements. The village below them was beaming with flowers and vines growing up the sides of the buildings. They started to move closer. "Gin would adore this place. She could get so many seeds here."
"Why don't we get her some while we're here," Masaru suggested. "It would be a really good gift for her. It would surprise her, too. If it's alright with Kiba sensei."
Kiba looked back at Masaru. "I don't mind you guys exploring for a little while. I have to meet the person responsible for our mission. It's important to touch base so we know what our job is later."
"Oh, I can tell you what it is," Nebukai said as he looked up to the scruffy looking man. "My grandfather is taking care of the Lantern Festival this year. His friend died earlier this year, so he was given the job. The Lantern Festival is a great time for our village. We celebrate the coming of Mizukami. She is a water goddess that protects our village year round from droughts. We make a sacrifice by giving her something important that we have obtained each year. Each villager must do it, too."
"You're not telling it right," Midare said as he scowled at his friend. "We have to give the most important thing we have had all year. It cannot be something that doesn't hold true value, either. The water goddess can tell if someone is not being true. A few years ago an old man tried to give Mizukami an object he wished to be rid of. The water goddess did not understand why the man wanted to give her a worthless object. She punished the man by making him leave the village. He had to part from his family."
"Boys do not understand the value of a story or the importance of the occurrence," Koeda said. "The old man had to leave because he did not honor the water goddess. He assumed she was like a watch dog, instead of a great being that was giving up her abilities to keep us all healthy and happy. That is why she made him leave."
"What did the old man try to give the water goddess," Idai asked as he followed the three children into the village.
"I think he tried to give her a necklace of some sort. I'm not sure where the necklace came from, or why he tried to give it to the water goddess. Water goddesses don't need material things that sparkle and shine," Koeda said as if she was the expert in the village. The three children stopped in front of a building that was draped by a curtain. "Nebukai's grandfather is in there. We saw him go in before we snuck out of the village," she whispered.
"I see. Well, we're going in to find out what our duty for the mission is," Kiba said. "You three behave yourselves," he said authoritively. He was a father. He could do that. The three kids stood stiffly and nodded as if Kiba was really considering telling on them. His team went inside. An old man was sitting at a table in thought. The man was drinking sake' and seemed to be worried about something. Kiba walked over. He stood silently until the man looked up at him. "Excuse me, but are you the one that hired us to help with the Lantern Festival? We're from the Hidden Leaf Village."
The man nodded silently. "Please sit down. I know you four are tired from your journey. We are a long way from the fire country," Mizutamari said. "I am Mizutamari Yoshido, the one in charge of the Lantern Festival for this year. My friend, Zaisan, was in charge for nearly twenty years. He did a wonderful job, but alas, he passed away after getting pneumonia over the winter months."
"We're sorry to hear about your loss," Kiba said from his seat. "What can we do to assist you at this important time for your village?" The man in front of him looked at each of the kids that were on his team. Kiba assumed the man doubted the ages of the group.
"How old are you kids? You all look so young. I remember when I was at that age," Mizutamari said regrettably. "I was a busy kid. I had to work for my parents in the stables we maintained for the village. That was a long time ago," he said reminiscing. He was sure the kids at the table wouldn't be interested in hearing about that sort of thing. "The reason I asked for help from the fire country was because we have been having problems as of late with our festival. We start planning months in advance to make sure everything goes smoothly. As of late, our decorations have been getting destroyed in the middle of the night. The food we have had prepared has been thrown out by someone in our village. Someone is going around trying and stopping our advances. We don't know who is doing it. Tonight the festival is to start and I would like your team to make sure the lanterns stay lit. I have already asked a few of our villagers to keep an eye out for anyone that is trying to vandalize the decorations."
"We've been assigned to light paper lanterns," Masaru said. "Are you serious, old man?" He looked at the man as if he had been hit on the head previously. Kiba shot a glare at him. Masaru sat back in his chair suddenly.
"The lanterns must stay lit the entire night," Mizutamari said to the boy. "If one lantern goes out, the water goddess will not come. She will not bless our village or aid us to keep our crops growing. The lanterns serve a valuable purpose. They help light the way from the other side to our world. She needs them to help her see where she is going."
"I understand the purpose of the lanterns staying lit," Idai said seriously to the old man. "Where are we supposed to go to make sure the lanterns are in place and remain so? I have not seen any water since we've arrived here."
"Oh, I'm sorry. The lake is in the center of our village. The houses around the lake were built long ago. Our village is one of the oldest ones in these parts. Whoever founded our village made sure the lake was the center of attention. I will walk your team to the lake now," Mizutamari said as he rose from his seat. The team from the Hidden Leaf Village arose with him. "If you will follow me," he said kindly.
Team 9 walked through several roads until they came upon the lake. The village did not look like a large place from the top of the hill. It was though. The lake in the center of the village sparkled with sunlight. The team was breathless for a moment. It was important to the village for this lake to be well cared for during the Lantern Festival. They were determined to stop whoever was trying to ruin the coming of the water goddess, Mizukami.
The villagers started to clap their hands as the night began to approach their houses. It was time for the Lantern Festival. They all cheered as the first stream of paper lanterns were turned on. The children started to run through the roads chasing each other and laughing as they waved sparklers. It was a joyous time for the village of the wind country.
Mizutamari adorned himself with the ceremony robes of his great-grandfather. He looked at himself proudly in the mirror. He hoped the evening would go well. It would disturb the youth and the elders to know someone was sabotaging the festival. Who could be wishing harm on their village? They were peaceful and kept to themselves. It baffled him to even try and sort out the mess.
So many things had gone wrong in the past week. Decorations had been destroyed and food was thrown out. That was the least of their problems. Mizutamari suspected a young girl named Iyasu was behind it all. He hated to approach the girl directly. The girl's family was struggling with the crop her family supplied to the village. Instead of everyone in the village making profit off of each other, they all shared each of the crops equally.
Mizutamari figured the girl had given up on the water goddess. He wondered what was really going on. The sounds outside of his house alerted him that it was time to start the festivities. He put on his ceremonial hat and walked out of the door.
Mizutamari walked down the road slowly, his presence causing the children around him to stand aside. He walked towards the dock, his arms folded together within the robes. His position was one of the most important in the entire village for the year. It was his job to ensure that the festival went off without a hitch. Mizutamari could feel the ambiance as the crickets started to chirp. The sun was setting above the trees. He had to time it just right to give the festival a grand entrance.
The old man let his feet hit slowly upon the wooden dock as he walked down the path – just like he had seen his old friend, Zaisan do for the past twenty years. Mizutamari stood at the end of the square dock and turned around slowly. He kept his eyes downcast until he heard the entire commotion stop. He could feel all of the villagers waiting and watching. They were all waiting for him to announce the start of the festival and the start of another year of prosperities for their village.
The sun's last rays were finally finished. Mizutamari waited until the sky above him was finished with its color display of oranges, purples, and pinks. He raised his eyes slowly to signify the importance of the Lantern Festival. He cleared his throat momentarily so he could speak loudly to the villagers. "It is time once again for the Paper Lantern Festival. We bring here to this night our hopes, wishes, and prayers that signify the prosperities we all have for our village. This night is ours to celebrate with our loved ones, friends, and family of old. May we all guarantee the survival of our village – of each other- and our dreams. I bid you Welcome ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village," Mizutamari said with great respect. "May each of you find the thing he holds dear and keep it with you for all time. The Paper Lantern Festival,-"he paused dramatically, "BEGINS!" The crowd of villagers clapped, shouted, and fireworks went off over the lake. Mizutamari smiled softly. He let his gaze fall. I hope you are proud of me, old friend. I could not have done it better than you would have. Please let that entrance be one to remember.
"Wow, this place is really starting to get active," Masaru said as he looked around the lake. The villagers were each going up to the paper lanterns that were on the edge of the lake and lighting them. He smiled at Idai. "Hey, Idai, I forgot to ask you… how did things go with Daiya?"
Idai looked at Masaru kind of taken back by the question. He thought Masaru didn't want to know. "We're friends now," he said kind of softly. Masaru looked away from him. "It's not a secret or anything. Or were you hoping I was going to get rejected?"
"No, I wasn't hoping that," Masaru said as he
glanced at the tall boy from the sound village. "I was just worried about you getting hurt. Daiya seems to be a rough person."
Idai blinked when Masaru admitted to being worried about him. "Why were you worried? It's not like he was going to electrocute me or anything. He's not at full voltage capacity yet." Masaru turned around seeing a young girl with octopus dumplings on a stick.
Masaru's stomach growled. They hadn't eaten since they had arrived in the village earlier that afternoon. He had been exploring with Idai and Yanagi for the past few hours. "Hey, Idai, will we get in trouble if we get something to eat? Ninja can't work on an empty stomach."
"No, I suppose not," Idai said as he walked with the Hokage's son to where the dumplings were coming from. "Where is Yanagi anyway? We're supposed to be making sure the festival doesn't get ruined."
"I don't know," Masaru said as he greeted the man
selling the food. He signaled that he wanted three of dumplings on a stick. Masaru paid the man and even tipped him. The man seemed to be taken aback by the money. "Last time I saw Yanagi she was walking along the lake looking at the paper lanterns. She's been acting kind of weird lately; like her head is stuck in the clouds."
Idai took the octopus on a stick from Masaru. "Thanks," he said. It was the first time he had been offered anything before. "We should go look for her. I wouldn't feel too great if something happened to her. We are foreigners in this country. Some people don't take too kindly getting outside help."
"It can't be that bad. I don't see anything wrong with this festival," Masaru said. "I don't fully understand the purpose of the water goddess, but every village has to have their superstitions." He looked around at the lanterns hanging from the buildings. "This place is kind of nice, I'll admit it." Idai smirked at him as he started to eat.
Yanagi Lee walked around the lake. She could see the village on the other side. It was beautifully lit. I wonder what is going on back home. This is the first time I've left Konoha. I hope everyone is okay. Her mind flashed to Daiya Eimino, the guy from the lightening country. Yanagi's heart pounded a little in her chest. She had heard what had happened to him from Kandai. Everyone knew. Yanagi hoped he would get better. She smiled a little. Daiya had been taken in by Sasuke a few weeks ago. Yanagi figured that since Daiya had a home now, he would open up and learn what it was like to have a family.
She walked with her hands clasped behind her back, her feet kicking into the air, absentmindedly as she looked at the paper lanterns. They went all of the way around the lake. Yanagi flipped her head as she heard a stick break. Thinking it was only an animal she had spooked, Yanagi kept walking the lake, her mind reverting back to Daiya. Her head was totally stuck in the clouds.
Yanagi caught site of Idai and Masaru on the other side of the lake. She could see them walking around. She wondered if they were trying to catch up to her. "Hey, I'm over here," she called waving her hands above her head. Yanagi heard a stick pop again. She turned her head to see someone standing in the dark. Whoever it was, she couldn't tell. The person was wearing black to mask their identity. Yanagi whipped her body around bringing her hands up in a defensive stance. "Who are you," she demanded.
The figure approached the ninja girl slowly. "I am of no concern to you," the low female voice said. The figure formed hand seals under the robe she wore. Another figure molded out of the ground behind the pink haired girl. "Encasement," the woman said. The dark figure behind the ninja girl burst out to the left and right of its sides to mold around the body in front of it. The girl was trying to break free from the earthen prison. "I wouldn't bother. You're being held by rock." The woman walked to the paper lanterns that were lining the lake. She looked at them disgustedly.
Yanagi narrowed her eyes. "What do you have against these peaceful villagers? You're upsetting their very way of life for your own means," she spit out. She was still trying to break free from the rock and mud of earth that she was encased in. It reminded her slightly of the Minotaur Hire used in battle.
The dark figured woman turned her head to regard the ninja girl's comments. She had her face completely hidden by a hood; only two eye holes were visible so she could see. "That's usually how it is. It is not your concern, foreigner. These people owe me," the woman said lowly as she stomped out the first paper lantern with her foot. "I have no intention of backing down from the duty I was assigned to."
Duty? As in she was hired like we were? "Are you trying to say that you were called upon to destroy the Lantern Festival? We were hired to protect it," Yanagi said. The woman nodded her head. She swore under her breath. All of her attempts at breaking free from the earthly prison she was in, failed. Yanagi could not get past it. Her taijutsu did not have the strength and effect of her father's.
The hooded figure moved down the line of paper lanterns. She proceeded to stomp out each one with her foot. It was quite enjoyable for her. It reminded her slightly of stomping on ants that had no way of eluding her. "We are through here," she said lowly as she waved her hand. A patch of earth went over the ninja girl's mouth to stifle her comments. "I don't have time to discuss history of the past and present. Enjoy your outdoor slumber."
Yanagi closed her eyes rocking her body back and forth. It was no use. The woman had her. She tried to scream, to call – anything to get the attention of her teammates. She had no idea where they were, or how soon it was going to take them to walk to this side of the lake. All Yanagi could do was watch the woman snuff out each of the paper lanterns on that side. Yanagi watched pitifully as the lighted pathway around the lake soon disappeared as far as her eyes could see.
Idai walked the edge of the lake. "Aren't there supposed to be lights on this side of the lake, too? Didn't that old man say the entire lake had to be lit in order for the water goddess to come?" He checked at the way him and Masaru had came. Those paper lanterns were still lit. Their flames were dancing inside of the paper, flickering and casting shadows.
Masaru looked at Idai. "Well, maybe they haven't gotten to this side of the lake yet," the boy said as he watched Idai close his eyes. His friend was listening to the area around them. Once Idai opened his eyes, he spoke. "Idai, where is Yanagi? I haven't seen her at all since we've been walking."
"There isn't any movement out here. We shouldn't have let Yanagi get too far ahead of us. Something could have happened to her," Idai said as he started to walk hurriedly down the path of the lake. "Masaru, keep your eyes open. Whoever was trying to sabotage the festival is out here."
Masaru walked next to his friend with a quick pace. "What makes you say that?" Just as he asked he saw Idai point to the lanterns that were crushed in the grass. "Oh, so they were lit before. How are we going to get them lit again? The lanterns are useless," he said as he retrieved one. "It looks like someone stomped on it."
"First, we find Yanagi. It's more important for us to find her than it is to worry about the lanterns. I don't know if I particularly buy into that whole water goddess thing," Idai said. He wasn't superstitious. If it was the village's way of getting their citizens to interact with another and do for each other, than that was fine. People needed to learn the importance of a whole, instead of each individual piece.
Kiba Inuzuka walked around the festival looking at each of the villagers. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves rather well. Men were flirting with the women and the women blushed. Children were running around playing with sparklers. He wondered where his team was. He hadn't seen Idai, Yanagi, or Masaru since the festival had started. He supposed Masaru would have dragged his teammates to get a bite to eat.
Kiba walked over to the people that were selling food for the festival. He didn't see his team anywhere. "Excuse me, have you seen a blond boy, a pink haired girl, and a white haired boy with a red streak at all," he asked one of the vendors.
The vendor looked up at Kiba from his seat. "Are you referring to the three foreigners that came to help us with the festival? I saw the blond haired boy and the other one a long time ago. They went to the shop across the way and bought food before walking off. That was some time ago," the man told the trainer.
Kiba thanked the man before he went off in search of the teams. As he walked through the crowd a dark figure on one of the houses caught his eye. The figure jumped from roof to roof making its way to some of the decorations. Kiba started to move through the crowd, alerted by what was going on. His body moved swiftly as he withdrew a kunai. The figure was making its way to a stream of the hanging lanterns. Kiba threw a kunai at the figure to warn it that whoever it was, had been seen.
The woman under the dark robes swore. The old man had hired ninja from elsewhere alright. That girl she had seen earlier must be part of this guy's team. She moved swiftly on top of the trees. The man that had thrown the kunai was following her. It was going to be easy but she had to get away from him. Even though there was a large crowd of people below her, she couldn't simply lose herself in the crowd. She had been instructed to not be seen.
Kiba followed the unknown person from roof to roof. "You're not getting away from me," he said as he kept his pace. He could tell by the form of the individual that it was a female. He didn't know what was really going on, but he was here to do a job. Kiba threw two kunai at the woman. One went over her shoulder barely missing her. It was a warning. The woman stopped. She turned around to regard his presence on the roof tops. "So you're not the coward I originally took you for. That's good. This should go a whole lot easier," he said gruffly.
The woman smirked under the dark robes. Whoever this guy was, he was impressive for one that could keep up with her. "I am no coward," she said lowly. She began to form hand seals under the robes, like before. This guy had no idea what he was in store for. It was a mistake of his to not keep his eyes on her hands. She had calmly slipped her arms out of the sleeves.
Kiba sniffed the air. A bland smell came to his nose. He shifted his eyes watching the area around him. He didn't know who the ninja woman was in front of him, so he had to be cautious. She assumes too much. Kiba brought his right up into a back punch. Something was behind him. He could sense it. Unlike normal humans, he was gifted with a 6th sense when it came to olfactory senses. When his fist came into contact with the thing behind him, his fist went through it. Kiba turned his head to look at what he had struck. His fist was inside of a hollow face made out of clay. The clay face of the form cracked and broke off. "You're good, but not too smart. I could smell the scent of the earth you are using."
"Could you now? Ah, but you're the one who is not smart ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village," she said lowly. "You have turned your back on an opponent. Don't you teach your students better?" She signaled for the clay creature to do its work.
Kiba turned his head as his hand was becoming encased in the clay. He grunted as he tried to pull his arm free of the thing. The clay body grabbed his arm with one of its hands. Kiba's eyes widened as he felt himself being picked up. "Put me down!"
The woman smiled under her robes. "You need to be a little more cautious," she said as she signaled for the clay body to take care of him. The clay form hoisted the man into the air as he continued to struggle. It moved its thick arm and started to mold itself around his throat. Once it had him it let his arm go. It was interesting to watch them struggle at this point. The woman turned around. "Nice making your acquaintance, Leaf-nin," she said lowly as she took off.
Kiba gasped for air. The clay form was choking him. Ah, man, this can't be it! I can't breathe. I can't get free. This thing is a hell of a lot stronger than me! Kiba kicked his legs at the clay arm, but it wouldn't break. If he could break free, it wouldn't be a problem. The clay form was tightening slowly around his neck. Kiba's vision started to go black. He feared he was done for.
A large shuriken came flying over the roof tops, its spinning blades rotating in the air. The shuriken was aimed directly at the clay arm that held Kiba Inuzuka in place. The blades spun with tremendous force, rotating and carving the clay arm. The shuriken broke through the clay as Masaru Uzumaki came running. He had carefully aimed his ninja weapon at the arm so as to avoid slicing his trainer apart.
Kiba fell backwards to the roof of the house he was on. He hit the roof, his body laying still. Masaru had to act quickly. His eyes fell on the clay substance around his trainer's throat. Whatever that thing was it had attacked Kiba. Masaru went under the clay form as its arm grew out. It was still moving! He swore as he punched the clay around Kiba's throat, freeing his trainer. Kiba gasped for air. Masaru lifted his trainer onto his back. It was rather difficult since Kiba was twice the size of him. He grunted. I've got to get out of that thing's way! It's still mobile! And it's fixing to try and attack me! He started to run as fast as he could. Masaru flipped his head around to see the clay figure following him. "Ah, dammit, that thing's right behind me!"
A pink blur came out of nowhere beside Masaru. He blinked. It was Yanagi. Yanagi was aiming herself right at the clay figure. He watched as she started to spin her body like Kiba had taught her. The pink haired girl sent punch after forceful punch at the clay form. The clay figure started to crack and break, its body crumbling onto the roofs below.
Yanagi Lee spun at the figure again, bringing her
leg up in a side kick. She kicked the clay figure with all of her force sending it back. It slammed onto the rooftop, its body starting to break at the side where her leg had been aimed. She fell to the roof, her pink hair flowing with the wind as her dark eyes watched it. It was getting back up. This is going to take a minute. I could really use Masaru right now, but he has Kiba sensei. I've got to do the best I can to keep it away from them!
The clay figure got up, its body leaning to the side as it crumbled some of itself onto the roof. It started to walk towards Yanagi, its form breaking off pieces of itself and becoming dust in the wind as it moved. "Alright, you want a fight… you've got one!" Yanagi started to run at it withdrawing two kunai. The kunai were not going to be able to penetrate the clay figure in front of her. Not unless, they had something attached to them. She smirked. She was as dastardly as her father sometimes. Yanagi attached a paper bomb to one of the kunai. She sent it flying at the clay figure.
Yanagi watched as the figure started to move towards her, running. She moved back quickly as the kunai became lodged onto its body. The form had no mind of its own. It had only been instructed to attack Kiba, so the fact that her and Masaru had interfered caused it to be seeking out what was in front of it attacking. It didn't even bother to rip the kunai off of it. Whoever was controlling it did not realize there was a paper bomb attached to the ninja weapon. She ran as fast as she could as the paper bomb started to sizzle. "Masaru! Run! I put a paper bomb on it!"
Masaru's eyes got wide as he tried to catch his breath. "What? You put a paper bomb on it?" He lifted his trainer again and started to run. "Gee, Yanagi, I wish you would have done that after I had caught my breath! Kiba sensei is heavy!"
"Sorry," Yanagi said as she apologized. "I had to stop it when it was away from the crowd below. I don't know whose controlling it, but they can't be in view of us. That thing didn't even try to detach the kunai from its body."
Masaru and Yanagi both went flying as the clay form exploded behind them. The force of the bomb sent both of them falling below into a ton of mud. Yanagi groaned as she lifted her body up. She was covered head to toe in pigs' mud. The pigs around them grunted their annoyance at having been disturbed. She watched Masaru spit out mud. He looked at her angrily. Kiba was covered in mud, too. "I'm sorry, Masaru. I didn't think about where to land, or if the force of it was going to be that strong. I was only concerned with how to stop it from advancing."
"Well, now that we know there is someone trying to stop the Lantern Festival, what do we do? Kiba sensei is out cold. There's no way Idai can take on one ninja by himself. There has to be more to this than what we're being told," Masaru said angrily. "I don't like only getting half of the assignment. I want to know the whole thing."
Yanagi sat up. She helped lift Kiba off of Masaru. She shook her trainer hard. Kiba was defiantly down for the count. "I don't know. The one who assigned us was the old man who is in charge of the Festival. So it has something to do with him," Yanagi said as they lifted Kiba. "Perhaps we should pay him a visit after we drop Kiba sensei off at the clinic."
Mizutamari turned around as he heard footsteps enter the tavern. He was sitting down drinking to his own festivities. "You three are supposed to make sure the lanterns stay lit," he said waving his hand at them. He had no idea why they were choosing to ignore the mission.
"We have a question to ask you, old man. Why were we only given half of the assignment," Masaru asked his white eyes watching the old man at the table. Yanagi stood on his left and Idai was behind him. "We know that there's more to this Festival than you are letting on!"
"Our sensei was attacked by a woman in dark robes. She had mentioned to me that she had been hired to destroy the Festival. Why would someone take a senseless job to destroy decorations and snuff out lanterns? There is no reasoning behind it," Yanagi said. She watched the old man stand up. He came from around the table.
Mizutamari sighed. "I fear the one who is attempting to destroy the festival is a young girl in our village named Iyasu. Iyasu's parents have been quarreling for the past several years. In saying so, her father left her mother to move across the lake to a sole house on the other side. It is custom in our village for everyone to help each other. But Iyasu's father disowned her and would not partake in sharing his crops with her, or her mother. The man despised his wife for the harsh words that were uttered over the years, so he chose to leave everything behind him. The other villagers have tried to help Iyasu and her mother, but they are proud and refuse help easily. Iyasu has been trying to grow a crop by herself, but she has not been trained as a farmer and the path set before her has been rather difficult.
Iyasu and her mother have been starving for the past few months. Winter is harsh in these parts. It leaves crops unmanageable. I think as a way to get back at her father, Iyasu wishes for the water goddess to not come. It would leave our village without her blessing and all of the crops in the village would be liable to insects, weather, and the like. In that girl's mind is revenge. I cannot approach her directly because I have no physical proof. It is only thought and theory. That is why I hired you. I wished for you three to try and catch Iyasu in her acts, but now I learn that it is not Iyasu who is directly doing it, but someone she has hired." The old man leaned against the counter of the tavern sighing heavily. "I was trying to simply keep my old friend's dream alive. He worked hard on this festival each year. Each year the festivals were grander than the first. It is what our village is known for. We do what we can for the other and live our lives as a whole"
Idai looked at the man seriously. "That right there is your mistake." The old man lifted his head to look at him. "You just said that the entire village lives for the other, when it is the families in it that need to live for themselves. The problem this girl is facing is not her fault, but the entire family's fault as a whole unit. The father should not receive help for abandoning his child, but the mother who is unable to care for her. As adults, if they cannot provide for their child, the child should go to relatives, or someone who is able to care for her. I don't grant pity to anyone."
Mizutamari looked at the white haired boy with a stern gaze. "You do not understand what our village is about. You have no right to judge others for how they are, or expect anyone in this village to bend to the will's of a foreigner."
Masaru gritted his teeth. "You, also, have no right to speak to my friend like that! The reason he said those things to you is because all of you are being deceived by each other. No one in this village really cares about the other. If you have to force it as a moral rule for others to obey, than you are not living in a village, but a prison! Everybody in a village should be able to live their lives in a way they want, not as how someone expects them to. If you can't do that, you aren't human!"
"You may think I don't understand the ways of a village, because I am a foreigner to you, but I was abandoned by my own village. I know more than you think I do. No one stepped up to help me! NO ONE," Idai said as he walked out of the tavern. He had had enough of this elusive place. If no one was going to hold themselves accountable for the way things turned out, than why should he?
Kiba stood outside of the tavern listening to his team confront Mizutamari, the old man who had hired them. He was proud of his students for figuring out the real underlying cause of the village. As he heard Idai shout his own anger, his heart clenched. Idai was still hurting after all of these years in the Hidden Leaf Village. Gai's influence upon the boy had not erased his past.
Idai stood outside of the tavern. He felt a hand upon his head. Idai turned his head slowly to look up at Kiba. The man was watching him with a sad gaze. Idai blushed as he looked away. His trainer had heard him. He was embarrassed. Normally, Idai was quiet, or hyper. His aggression was hidden. Idai didn't like others to see it. However, he couldn't help himself. The old man in there was refusing to confront the person who was responsible for trying to ruin the festival. It bothered him.
"Regardless of what is going on, we still have to complete the mission. If that old geezer in there won't stop the source of it, we'll just have to do what we can. It's better to complete a mission than to dwell on people that won't change – whether it's for their own good, or someone else's," Kiba said seriously. He started to walk. "Yanagi! Masaru!" The other two students walked out of the tavern. "The lanterns are going out. The most important thing is to keep them lit. Forget the decorations. They are unimportant for now."
"What are we going to do about the girl Iyasu who is causing all of the problems? She's the one that hired the ninja who is ruining the festival," Masaru said. "If the old man won't stop her, who will?"
Kiba walked away from the tavern. The night was pressing on. Some of the children had gone to bed, tired from the festivities, but the adults were still active. Men were dancing with women as music played into the air. Kiba Inuzuka tried to think. They had to complete the mission, or it would be a failure. He couldn't let his team fail their first mission. He stopped off to the side of the crowd. The paper lanterns were going out one by one. If the village was going to act like a whole, than shouldn't they do for each other as a whole? "The paper lanterns are not our responsibility," he said as his team looked up at him. "It is the responsibility of the whole village to keep them lit. That is not why we were hired. We were hired to take care of the person who was interfering."
"So we should go after her then," Idai asked as he looked up at his trainer. Kiba nodded. "I think I know how to take care of her. You guys just wait for me to give you the signal alright?"
The woman in dark robes snuffed out another paper lantern. It was getting tiresome. She had to avoid the ninja that had been hired to stop her. So far, she hadn't seen them around. Maybe she had taken care of them after all. With their trainer out of the picture, she was sure the other three kids weren't going to be useful.
The lake in front of her looked peaceful. The villagers on the other side of it were still holding the festivities, not even remotely concerned that the lanterns were being snuffed out. "Stupid, poor villagers. What is the point of celebrating if you aren't aware that the world is changing around you?" She crossed her arms.
"I couldn't have said it better myself," Idai said as the woman turned around to look at him. He had approached her swiftly, not even making a sound. "I suppose you figured we would stop chasing you if you took out Kiba sensei. That doesn't seem to be the case though. We act on our own accord. I will agree with you though. The villagers are blind to the leaves that change, as well as, the world around them. It's time to change that," he said.
"And how do you propose to do that, my little leaf-nin," the woman asked amusingly. She watched the boy smirk at her, his eyes looking up at her figure. The woman tensed as she felt wire wrap around her legs. She was yanked off of her feet onto her stomach.
Idai approached the woman slowly. He had to make sure the wire had her legs. "First, we'll start with you," he said. He watched as the woman in the dark robes got to her feet. She was tottering with the wire around her legs, but her hands were still free to perform hand seals.
"You honestly think some pathetic wire is going to stop me? That's very coy of you," she said as she started to from hand seals. She was attempting to summon her clay creatures to take care of the pestering boy.
Idai withdrew both of his swords. Her hand seals weren't going to be completed in time. He rotated one of his swords behind him to create a deafening high pitch sound. The woman in front of him covered her ears trying to get the vibrations out of her head. Idai smirked as he watched Yanagi come running from behind the woman. Yanagi leapt with her foot out and kicked the woman right in the stomach. He watched as the woman went backwards to land on the hard ground. Yanagi had knocked the wind out of her.
Yanagi smiled at Idai as he stopped rotating his sword. She took the moss out of her ears. "Good idea, Idai. That distracted her long enough for me to get her. A woman scorned is something to be feared," Yanagi said as she looked down at the woman. "That's for encasing me in that prison of yours earlier!"
Kiba jiggled his finger in his ear to make it pop. It was slightly ringing with the sound vibrations of Idai's sword. "Well, before she gets up, I think you better tie her up, Yanagi." He watched the girl salute him before doing just that. "Now let's help Masaru light the lanterns again."
Team six went around the lake, lighting each of the lanterns. They were tired and worn out. The festival across the lake was dying down. People had actually fallen asleep wherever they fell. "You think they would be more dignified about it," Masaru said as he moved a man's arm with his foot before getting popped on the head by Idai.
All of the paper lanterns were lit. They looked at the beautiful lanterns, their flames moving and dancing against the wind. Kiba signaled for his team to go to the dock. They all walked with him down the dock. "I figured that since we had completed our mission, we would stand here to welcome the water goddess."
"Kiba sensei, you don't actually believe that nonsense, do you," Masaru asked. Kiba only looked at him shrugging. "I don't believe in superstitions."
"What do you believe in," Yanagi asked as she looked at him. She looked away, her mind thinking. "It's important to believe in something – no matter what it is. If the people in this village really celebrate this festival to come closer together, than I think they should. It's important to act as a family, not as a unit."
Idai blinked as he looked at Yanagi. He crossed his arms on the railing of the dock, his eyes looking across the lake. "It's better for them to realize how each of them is important. I understand that working together as a whole is what they want, but if you forget that each person is well… an individual, than what good is it?"
"I finally realize what you meant earlier," Mizutamari said from behind the ninja team. They all turned to look at him. "I see you have also subdued our interferer. I am only an old fool who thought he was doing what his friend wanted to continue; however, I now realize that the reason he chose to do the festival each year, was to bring everyone closer together. It is one of the few times they are able to enjoy each other's company. I thank you for opening my eyes, young man."
"What is going to happen to Iyasu if her parents cannot provide for her," Yanagi asked a bit more concerned to the fate of the young woman.
"It's strange for you to mention that. Look across the lake, young lady," Mizutamari said as his eyes focused. Everyone turned their gaze in that direction. "By keeping the lanterns lit, you have, in a way, honored Iyasu's family. Her father was concerned that she was becoming distant from him by the acts of the mother. But by the lanterns staying lit, it has proven that despite cruel words, people can be forgiven and time moves on."
Yanagi watched as the young woman ran to her father and held him. The man, in turn, wrapped his arms tightly around his daughter and brushed her long brown hair with his fingers. He didn't want to be away from her. He thought it was best for her to not get involved, but by doing so, he was denying her the love and attention she had a right to. Yanagi's eyes widened. Her heart leapt. It's the same with Daiya and… Idai. Both of them have every right to a happy life. No one should deny either of them that.
"Well, I thank you very much for ensuring a bountiful harvest for our village," Mizutamari said as he bowed low. "If you ever wish to come back to our village for the Lantern Festival, please bring your families. I would like to thank them for raising such fine young men and women," he said smiling at Yanagi. He turned around and started to walk away from the team.
"What do you think is going to happen to the ninja we defeated earlier," Masaru asked as they began to walk off of the dock, too. He looked at Idai. Idai was pondering.
"Oh, I don't think you two have to worry. I didn't wrap her all that tightly. She's probably already out of the wire and on her way," Yanagi said. "She was only doing what she was hired to do – just as we were. It was more important to subdue her to stop her from hurting anyone. We don't know how far she would have gone. I don't think a family such as Iyasu's would have paid her much. They couldn't have afforded to if they are starving like the old man said."
"Why didn't the girl take the money she had and use it to feed herself and her mother," Masaru said. "That would have been the smarter thing to do." He adjusted the large shuriken on his back.
"Sometimes when someone is blinded by hatred, or a misunderstanding, they can't see past the wall that they built, Masaru. It takes a different kind of reasoning to overcome a boundary such as that," Kiba said. He watched the boy look away. Was Masaru realizing some things about himself?
Team six walked down the dirt path that led down the hill. They took one last glance at the village in the wind country before heading back to the Hidden Leaf Village. Each one of the kids on Kiba's team had learned something about themselves that night. They had learned to trust each other, work together, differentiate the obstacles they were faced with, and even confront someone that was stronger than them. He was proud of each of them.
Masaru had come to Kiba's aid to defend him despite being faced with an overpowering opponent. Yanagi came to aid Masaru when he was trying to get away and even Idai had learned to think outside of the box when faced with adversity and ridicule. It was important to complete a mission, but it was also important to be concerned about the others around you. Kiba Inuzuka, the trainer for Team six, smirked slightly. He had the most loyal team in Konoha. He wondered how each of them would fair over the next few years of their training. He couldn't wait for them to learn and grow with each other.