Japanese terms
wakizashi- A Japanese short sword. Used by samurai in fuedal Japan as part of the daisho or two sword set, the other sword being the famous katana.
yukata- A light cotton garment traditionall worn during Japanese festivals.
kotatsu- A table on top of a heater with a thick, long blanket around the sides. The idea is that you sit with your legs under the blanket and stay nice and warm. These are popular in Japan during Winter and the colder months of Autumn. Anyone who has read Lova Hina will know what these things are about
Aki Matsuri- The Autumn festival, and one of the four main fesivals celebrated each season. All sorts of festive things are sold at these, and a good time is had by all. Aki Matsuri is still celebrated today, although it would probably have had a much different meaning in feudal times. Thanks to CorianderWryters for the information!
Zanshin- An iaido (Japanese sword fighting) term. Zanshin was a state that a samurai tried to achieve during battle. It can literally be thought of as "warrior spirit" and was supposed to intimidate the opponent so much that a battle could be avoided altogether. The ultimate goal was to achieve zanshin at all times, and thus be permenantly ready for a confrontation, be it physical or mental.
Chapter 4: Zanshin
Being awake
He says he is already asleep.
Autumn's chilly night.
Buson Yosa
Thunk thunk thunk thunk thunk thunk...
The comforting sound of someone cutting vegetables filled the small apartment, undisturbed by any other noises from inside or outside.
Although Miyuki didn't notice the sound, it calmed her down subconsciously, and she returned to her work with renewed vigour.
Well, 'vigour' was perhaps too strong a word. When dealing with minute amounts of herbs and poisons, going too fast or too carelessly could mean the difference between making a healing cure or a deadly venom (Or vice versa, although it was easier to use too much poison than not enough, as many unfortunate people had discovered in the past.)
She was seated in front of a kotatsu, five small, neat piles of ground plants resting on a large piece of paper in front of her. She was carefully siphoning precise amounts from these piles into a sixth, smaller pile, checking from a large scroll to her left every now and then.
After a while she looked up from the kotatsu's wooden surface to gaze around the cramped living room, stretching her arms out above her head languidly. Afternoon light spilled in from the large window set in one wall, painting the room a mute orange. She smiled as she examined every familiar part of the room, the small television that had terrible reception no matter what you did with it, the various scrolls hanging on the walls, the small wooden target with a kunai stuck in the centre that had been there for as long as she could remember...
"Miyuki, are you finished?" Her mother called, the thunk of her knife ceasing momentarily
"I think so. I'll ask Dad to check over it when he gets home." She replied, biting her lip and looking over her small concoction one more time. Her mother could have checked it just as easily, of course, for both her parents were masters of the art of poison making, esoteric even among shinobi. Calling the practitioners of this art a 'clan' was a frequently made mistake, as the only thing most of them had in common was the fact that they knew the same skills. Miyuki knew of no other families in the Hidden Leaf that practised the same type of poison arts as she did, although she was certain they did exist.
"That's good. Dinner will be ready in about half an hour." Her mother continued, over the sound of something beginning to fry loudly in a pan.
"Hey, won't don't you invite Kaoru-kun over for dinner?" She asked, poking her head into the room. Her auburn hair was tied back into a bun, and her features were quite different from Miyuki's, so much so that people were often surprised to learn they were mother and daughter. She had a kind, motherly face, one that could easily make you forget that she was one of Konoha's more formidable Chuunin.
"I think he's training until late today. He mentioned something like that earlier."
"What, again? I feel sorry for that boy. Even with all the training Kenta-san is putting you through, his family still doesn't give him a break, do they?"
"I guess not. He doesn't really talk about it much."
It had been nearly a month since the bomb incident, and the Hokage had ordered that all unnecessary mission outside the village were to be postponed. Normally this would mean Special Genin Squad B would have been stuck doing the mediocre, boring tasks that most new Genin were given, but since all unnecessary missions inside the village had been postponed as well, there was nothing to do but train. This suited Kenta just fine, as he seemed intent on increasing their abilities at break neck speed, making huge demands on them to learn jutsu after jutsu in short amounts of time. So far they had all managed to keep up pretty well, but the harsh training was taking it's toll on them gradually.
"Well, if he ever gets some spare time, tell him to come up here." Her mother said, going back into the kitchen. "You could both do with a break, I think.
p p
Thunk thunk thunk THUNK.
Kaoru groaned and briefly considered trying to stand up, but the pounding in his head convinced him to stay where was, sprawled on his back in the dust.
THUNK
Something heavy slammed into the ground inches away from his head, but he didn't even flinch.
"Get up." A gruff voice ordered from above him. "You're not done yet."
Once again Kaoru thought about replying, and once again he decided to just lie where he was. Maybe if he lay really still the old bastard would think he was unconscious...
THUNK
This time the bokken hit him in the leg, and Kaoru was on his feet in seconds, biting back a curse and clutching his knee. He glared hatefully at Tomatsu, his grandfather, teacher and eternal enemy. He was holding a heavy red bokken, a wooden practice sword. It looked fairly harmless, but the throbbing pain his Kaoru's leg and head was a testament to how much damage it could do, even during practice.
"What the hell was that?" Tomatsu fumed, gripping the weapon tightly in one hand. "A child could have blocked that attack!"
"Well, I was lying on the ground without a sword..." Kaoru muttered, sullenly. He barely managed to avoid another swing the old man, this one aimed at his chest.
"I meant the first attack! What happened?" Tomatsu raged.
Kaoru sighed and scuffed one bare foot in the dust wearily. The outdoor training ground, only used when the weather was dry enough, was empty apart from him and Tomatsu, everyone else having finished up long ago. He had failed to block Tomatsu's attack, which had been quite obvious and weak, because he was exhausted.
Tomatsu and his father seemed to think Kenta's training was easy just because it had nothing to do with the Ando. It was a typical attitude for the clan to take, and one that infuriated Kaoru.
"Some dust got in my eyes." He said, the excuse sounding pathetic even in his own ears, but he knew Tomatsu would only get angrier if he told him the truth.
"Hmph. Well, next time be more careful. I guess that's enough for today." Tomatsu said, and with that was gone, stalking back into the main building next to the training area with the air of someone who was very much willing to turn into a murderer at short notice. But then, Kaoru had never seen him any other way.
He sighed and tossed his bokken back on one of the racks dotted here and there around the large space. He was covered in dust and sweat from hours of training, and what he really wanted was to take a bath. The Ando had their own, massive bath house attached to the main complex ('Building' didn't really describe it's size or grandeur, in Kaoru's mind) a testament to how fabulously wealthy the clan was when everyone else was struggling to make ends meet. He wasn't in the mood to put up with the inane banter of the rest of the clan though, or the people who came to the building every day to train. He didn't particularly like any of them very much, and they didn't like him for the most part.
He had just finished putting his sandals back on and was mulling over the idea of giving Miyuki a visit when he became aware of someone behind him. A kunai was in his hand before his mind had fully caught up to the situation, hurled in a straight arm throw directly behind him. A half second later it hit the wooden wall surrounding the training area with a thunk, and he knew had missed.
He spun on the heel of his right foot and lashed out with his left, wishing he hadn't left his wakizashi inside. Ironically, it was just the kind of mistake Tomatsu was always getting angry at him for.
His assailant blocked the attack easily with an elbow and swept Kaoru's feet out from under him, dropping him to the ground heavily. Winded, he drew a second kunai and thrust upwards blindly.
"Whew, that was close." Someone said from above him, and Kaoru had an odd feeling of deja vu. He opened his eyes, only then realising that his attacker had a kunai to his throat, and that the tip of his own weapon was mere centimetres away from the other boy's jugular vein. If he had kept going they would have stabbed each other.
"Who the hell are you?" Kaoru demanded, his free hand creeping down to where he kept yet another kunai. His would be killer was about his age, with jet black hair and eyes that were so dark they nearly matched his it's colour. He was smiling faintly, looking almost embarrassed.
...smiling?
With a last heave, Kaoru managed to push the other boy away and was on his feet in seconds.
"Who the hell are you?" He repeated, keeping a firm grip on his kunai.
"I'm Uchiha Ryoji." He replied, hurriedly. "Sorry, but I've always wanted to see what was in here." He added, apologetically. "And then when I noticed you were the only one here... well, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see how someone else from a Special Genin squad fought."
Kaoru stared at him silently for a second, digesting this new information. "Wait... wait, you're on one of the Special Genin squads too?" He said, deciding to temporarily forget that Ryoji had come close to killing him. The Uchiha and the Ando had a famous rivalry, but he didn't think they were at the point of sending their Genin to kill each other. Not yet, anyway.
"Hmm? Yeah, I'm on team A." Ryoji replied, puzzled. "You didn't know?"
"No, I didn't." Kaoru confirmed, only then realising that Kenta had never mentioned the other teams, or their members. And he had never asked. Damnit!
"Anyway... sorry about attacking you. I wasn't trying to hurt you, really."
"That's okay, I don't really mind." Kaoru replied, truthfully. Actually, he was more worried about what would have happened if Ryoji hadn't been fast enough to dodge his first attack. "But you should leave. If someone spots you here, we'll both be in trouble."
Ryoji nodded and smiled, jogging towards the complex's wall without another word. He ran up it easily, vaulting himself over the top and disappearing over the side. Kaoru smiled and wondered briefly why they even had a wall in a village full of Shinobi.
p p
Kinari stood precariously on a small wooden beam jutting out of a ramshackle, five story building, looking down at the riot of colour and lights below him. It was the night of Aki Matsuri, the autumn festival, Kinari's favourite celebration. It was always a time when the people of Konoha forgot their troubles and concentrated solely on having fun, and with the threat of war hanging over everyone's head, it was more welcome than ever before.
Everywhere Kinari looked from his rooftop vantage was the soft light of paper lanterns illuminating throngs of people, from old men and woman to young children running around excitedly. The village was an ocean of movement and activity, and Kinari moved among it like an agile fish, darting past the few patrolling guards with an ease borne of many years of practice.
He grinned broadly and leaped from rooftop to rooftop, sticking to the shadows and treading as silently as a cat when he was forced to run over flat ground. He had always enjoyed moving around at night unseen, and since beginning his training with Kenta his skill in that area had grown exponentially, enough to impress even the cynical Jounin at times. He gradually moved towards the wealthier, less populated area of the village, although the rooftop terrain under his feet remained largely the same. The buildings were bigger and more spacious, but they had the same run down appearance as most of the village did.
He paused to catch his breath on a particularly large rooftop, some sort of apartment building, he thought.
"Enjoying the festival?" A voice said, close enough that he could feel the speakers breath on his ear.
Kinari yelled with fright and spun around, readying a kunai instantly.
"Hmph. You were acting so stealthy and capable there, I was half hoping I wouldn't be able to get you this time." Kenta said, critically. Like Kinari, he was wearing a light cotton yukata, although the Jounin's was a deep red while Kinari's was a plan grey.
"Kenta-sensei." Kinari said, sheathing his kunai. "You're joining in the festival?"
"Why are you so surprised?" Kenta replied, chuckling. "Besides, it wasn't so long ago that the thought of all these people would have scared the life out of you." He observed, spreading his arms to indicate the masses of people below them.
"Heh, yeah, I guess so." Kinari said, sheepishly. Not only his skills, but his self confidence had grown under Kenta's guidance, although he was still far from socially adept by any means.
"Well then, let's get going. Miyuki-san and Kaoru-kun are probably waiting for us." The Jounin said, leaping across the short gap between buildings without waiting for Kinari. His student grinned and followed him.
p p
"Kaoru-kun!"
Kaoru turned around and smiled, waving a greeting to Miyuki. She was wearing a bright pink yukata with a flower pattern on the wide sleeves and back, while Kaoru's was an elaborate looking red and black affair, the Ando symbol printed in carefully conspicuous places throughout.
"Kaoru-kun, you look tired." She said, concern in her voice. It was true, he looked exhausted even though the festivities had barely begun. "Are you sick or something?"
"No, not at all." Kaoru said, grinning. "I guess it's just the lighting or something. It's making you look even better than usual, by the way." He said teasingly, poking Miyuki in the arm.
"Cut it out!" She yelled, laughing. "What will Kenta-sensei and Kinari-kun think if they hear you talking like that?"
"They'll think you two need to keep your voices down, that's what." Kenta said, irritably. "There's enough noise around here as it is without you two adding to it."
Miyuki jumped and spun around, alarmed. She hated it when Kenta did that, and he knew it. Kinari stood a step behind the Jounin, smiling faintly.
"Kinari-kun! You're late." Miyuki admonished, jokingly. Aki Matsuri was putting her in an extraordinarily good mood, and she felt the weariness of the previous month dropping away from her by the tonne.
"Well, you kids go have fun." Kenta said, suppressing a smile of his own. "I'm gonna go and eat as much food as I can in two hours. Wish me luck!"
The three genin laughed and waved their sensei off, all of them more than willing to be swept up in the manic festivities of the autumn festival.
p p
Click
Ando Yoji placed a black piece on the Go board firmly, the faint noise it made as it came in contact with the surface loud in the silent room. It was both traditional and luxurious, like most of the rooms in the Ando clan's property, and none more so than the private room of the clan's leader. It opened onto a small, moonlit garden, and Yoji's long black hair was tied into a ponytail, and he was wearing a pair of thin, expensive glasses. Apart from these, the entire scene could have been from an ancient woodcut, two friends (Enemies?) facing each other on either side of a Go board.
"Good move." The other man muttered, sounding not in the least bit concerned. He was dressed almost entirely in black or grey, only the upper half of his face visible. He took a white piece and placed it silently onto the board. Yoji sighed and threw his hands in the air.
"Again! You always beat me, Asuka-san." He cried, disgustedly.
"Indeed." Asuka replied, his tone neutral. "However, I believe we should get down to business soon. My master is worried about the recent development of a group of nine talented Genin..."
"Yes, yes. The "Special Genin Squads". I'm well aware of what they're up to. And yes, it's part of the other project, that much I can assure you." Yoji grumbled, separating the Go pieces into two piles, one black and one white.
Asuka's eyes crinkled at the edges in what could have been a smile, although it was impossible to tell with his mouth covered.
"Does it not concern you that your own son, Kaoru-san, is part of one of the teams? He will, after all, be facing considerable danger."
Yoji gave Asuka a look that would make lesser men cringe, but Asuka was not 'lesser' in any sense of the word.
"You assume I have any feelings for the boy. I don't." He said, flatly. "If not for that ridiculous promise to his mother I would have arranged for someone to kill him long ago."
Asuka raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't seem overly shocked.
"Just out of interest, does he have any idea of about the... ahh, circumstances surrounding his place in the clan? Apart from the one's he had a hand in creating, of course." He asked, apparently smiling again.
"You spend too much time prying into things that are none of your business, Askuka-san." Yoji replied, his tone dangerous.
"Perhaps." Asuka ventured, sounding amused now.
"Yes, he has some idea." Yoji said, sighing. "Tomatsu finds it amusing to drop little hints about it, but he underestimates the boy's intelligence. I'm afraid he's going to put two and two together quite soon."
Both men were silent then, each thinking their own thoughts. Asuka was about to speak when the shoji door to his left began to open. Yoji turned to face it, a smile instantly illuminating his face.
"Tea? Why thank you, Yuko-chan." He said, taking the small tray gratefully from the maid. He didn't worry about Asuka's presence. The man was already gone, leaving no trace he had ever been there except for a single white Go piece that the Ando clan leader had forgotten to remove.
p p
"The cunning fox eyes it's prey and... pounces!" Kaoru yelled, launching a surprise attack on a takoyaki stand, much to the annoyance of it's elderly owner.
"Stop fooling around so much! You'll end up breaking something." Miyuki scolded mildly. Kaoru had been quiet, even subdued, earlier on in the evening, but the general atmosphere of celebration had cheered him up greatly, and she had completely forgotten about her earlier resolution to ask him what was wrong.
"Miyuki-chan, have you noticed how many guards there are?" Kinari said suddenly. She turned around to find him squinting up at a rooftop through the glare of several very strong (And, now that she thought about it, conveniently placed) lanterns.
"Yeah, I guess there are a lot. But with everything that's been happening, it's not surprising, is it? And most off duty shinobi don't carry weapons during festivals, so I guess they need more guards just in case something does happen." Miyuki pointed out.
"Mmm... I guess. I just didn't notice so many during any other festivals this year." Kinari was actually wearing his wrist sheathes, fully loaded with small shuriken, but he didn't tell Miyuki this. He had decided to wear them on a whim, and he didn't want to seem paranoid.
"That's 'cos you were sitting alone in your dinky little apartment eating ramen." Kaoru teased, his grin diffusing any hurt the words might otherwise have caused.
"Well...yeah, I guess that's true." Kinari agreed, chuckling. "I'm enjoying this one a lot more though." He said, hefting a small canvas bag stuffed to bursting with purchases from the wealth of stores and stands selling gifts of all varieties. Between them, the genin had amassed a sizeable pile of sweets, buns, toys, kunai (Mostly too ornamental to be of any use) and a small collection of masks. Miyuki had also bought a small Go board for her father, who was practically a fanatic when it came to traditional games.
The largest gathering of people in the village seemed to be at a small lake near the centre that had been created only a few years previously by the second Hokage. In the middle there was a large, carved stone jutting out of the water, and written on it were many names. Not of ninja, but of innocent people in other countries and villages who had died because of conflicts that the Hidden Leaf had been involved in. Hundreds of fireworks were floating on the water on small wooden platforms made to look like water lilies, and it was towards this display that the three friends moved inexorably towards, swept along by the tide of people like blood through a vein that inevitably finds it's way to the heart.
The chatter of hundreds of excited voices filled the air, and most of them were talking about the impending fireworks display. Over this, Kaoru could just barely hear someone shouting his name. He turned curiously and was surprised to see Ryoji pushing through the crowd towards him.
"Ryoji-san!" He called, waving.
"Who's that?" Miyuki asked, curiously.
"He's on one of the other Genin squads. He tried to kill me this morning." Koaru said, grinning. Before Miyuki could say anything Ryoji reached them. He was breathing heavily, as if he had been running hard.
"Kaoru-san! What are you doing here?" He gasped, shooting a glance over to the middle of the lake.
"Why wouldn't I be here?" Kaoru asked, suddenly overcome by a sense of foreboding. Ryoji was looking at him oddly, and there was something close to panic in his eyes.
"Haven't you heard? Someone from the Ando clan killed a bunch of Genin! The rest of the Uchiha think he's in hiding in the middle of the lake. Why aren't you with the rest of the Ando? They're trying to hunt him down!"
Kaoru suddenly felt as if the bottom had dropped out of his stomach. Something from the Ando clan had murdered Genin? He turned and looked out at the lake, and sure enough there was a tall silhouette in the distance. Someone was standing on the water.
Who is it? He thought, running out across the water before he realised what he was doing. Kinari yelled something to him but he didn't hear it. Is that what Yoji-san was talking about?
With his feet barely touching the surface he moved across the lake like a ghost. All too soon the person he was after came into view. He stopped and silently drew his wakizashi. He saw only the bloodstained Ando yukata and the drawn sword, and knew it was as Ryoji had said. Someone from the Ando had committed murder.
"Kaoru?" The man said, confused. "Am I supposed to kill you? Those other ones... weren't the right ones. They didn't even put up a fight." He shook his head sadly and held up something in his left hand. Kaoru felt bile rise in his throat when he realised it was a human heart. "See?"
The man raised his sword and stepped forward, but he was far too late. Kaoru took two rapid steps forward and slashed across his chest. A third step brought him behind the man and he reversed his grip, sending the tip of his blade into his spine. He wavered for a second with his sword raised and fell, his body rapidly sinking into the water as the chakra that had held him up was extinguished forever.
Kaoru calmly re-sheathed his sword and turned around. At that moment the first of the fireworks went off, illuminating Kinari in a harsh orange light. Still in the inhuman calm that the Ando clan were famous for in battle, the first thing Kaoru noticed was that Kinari was balancing perfectly on the water. His chakra control got better again he thought, smiling faintly.
"Kaoru-kun! Are you okay?" Kinari said, although he had witnessed the entire confrontation. It had only lasted for a second.
"I'm fine." Kaoru said, and he realised he was telling the truth. Last time I killed someone I felt so bad about it... is this what Kenta-sensei's training was for?
"Do you... know who he was?" Kinari asked, his words almost drowned out by another burst of fireworks. It was as if he and Kaoru were standing in a sea of fire as the lake reflected the spectacular display.
"No. But I'm going to find out. Kinari-kun, something strange is going on." He glanced into the water where the dead Ando's body was floating a few metres down. He shuddered and looked back up. He started sweating suddenly, and his vision went blurry. He opened his mouth to speak again, but nothing came out, and he didn't hear Kinari shout for help when he suddenly collapsed into the water.
...I guess I need more training.
p p
Author's Notes: Chapter 4 est fini! Once again I ended it a little earlier than I wanted to, but fear not, Kaoru's sudden fainting spell will be explained in Chapter 5 And war breaks out between Konoha and the Hidden Mist, thus seriously moving the plot along . ; Don't forget to review!
