Chapter Four

They are still at it.

To be more specific, Genious and Iruka are still engaged in their little petty game of pride and witty repartee. Every time, it's the same thing.

The stage sequence goes as follow:

1. They meet.

2. One comments on something.

3. The other offers differing view.

4. Then the fight starts. And it usually ends up with needing many others to restrain them from murdering each other.

Sigh. Frankly I can't be bothered. Usually by the second stage, you'll find me walking in the opposite direction in the most discreet fashion as possible. To get involved is suicidal. Especially when you are asked to pick a side. Once bitten, twice shy. I've learnt my lesson already!

Anyway, I had a chanced meeting with the Hokage again on another occasion to which, against the pros and cons, I decided that it was wiser to be just hanging around Konoha longer as being foreigners to their lands puts us at a greater disadvantage. Fine, I'm good as long as I have a roof over my head and 5 meals (Yes, I'm a glutton so sue me). Of course, nothing works for free so we both had to take on jobs. I helped out at the administration building and Genious got the teaching aid job to assist Iruka! Ha-ha! Life is a mystery indeed. Ha!

Genious quite enjoys her time with the kids. Somewhat. She likes kids; you know playing with them but erm, not the regular stuff like marking their homework and breaking up fights during break. If you ask me, I think she spends more time arguing with Iruka more than she actually does any work! Some role models they are. Shrugs.

As for me? Not too bad actually. My days as the filing monkey goes slow but steady. I did have an initial heart attack when Tsunade showed into the archives. She pulled the doors open, blew a puff of air into the shelves, that stimulated a dust storm that set off a sneezing rampage. And then I was told that my task requires me to take all the scrolls out and had them packed neatly into lovely cartons for storage again. By the way, the damn space stretched almost three-quarters of a regular administrative floor! That would keep me occupied for a while. Usually after the day ends, I would take off to head off to a nice spot near the forest where they train the kids. There's a nice place where a memorial stone stands. I like to roam over to somewhere near there and lie on the soft grass and just watch as the sunlight fade into the golden hue of twilight and finally, to the smudged charcoal picture of the night. It's just so peaceful here. I like to close my eyes and imagine that I am in heaven because this seriously is like a dream. Normal life in peaceful circumstances. I wouldn't mind sticking a while longer even, just to savour the quiet life of a community. The silence of a place, for once, doesn't make you associate it with ghostly, dead emptiness.

For once, the world seems liveable again.

And for this evening, it would seem that I have company. I spied from the corners of my eye Kakashi who had emerged from one of shrubs. He looked surprised and came over to join me.

"How was your day?" He asked.

"It was all right. Didn't swallow too much dust today."

And he laughed as he took out his infamous book.

"Healthy literature indeed." I said as I stretched on the grass.

"Each to his own joys in life."

I didn't answer. I merely lay there enjoying the clean cool breeze that came by. The sky's now like that Dali painting with the melting clocks, hmm, can't remember what Genious said the name was. Anyway it was like a lovely cerulean that slowly fades from a sandy gold-red hue.

What a pretty sight.

"What is life like back there?" A voice came through my thoughts.

"Hmmm…. You mean back in my world?"

He nodded.

"Bleak. Lifeless. Dreary. It's a place of forsaken dreams and transient moments of happiness in the little things. Death lingers in every corner because of the ongoing wars. It's scary to be alone there. The streets are ghostly deserted. And the ground is basically a graveyard. But there are good times too. Ruby, Cali and Old man and petite lady are the best things we've got. So long as we have each other, it's all good."

"Hmmm."

"Such a negative image isn't it?"

"Very."

"It's the better one already."

I smiled. There was no need to elaborate on everything.

"Do you feel lonely then?"

"Eh? Lonely?"

Hmmm. This I had to think a bit.

"Well I guess it hits me when I am out-stationed in the various camps and away from familiar settings. But otherwise, how can you be lonely when there are so many people around you who care about you so much? There are always the finer things in life."

He peered from the top of his book and I smiled.

I believed. As I had told Cali before, I want to believe that there are the good things in life to look forward to.

I looked to peer at the fading light and the rising moon that was shifting its way up into the darken skies.

This moment was one of them.

"Da jie! That Iruka irks me so much! Argh!"

"And what was the motion today?" I said absentmindedly as I sat on the rooftop of the place we stayed. We were on the top floor so it was easy to climb up to sit there for star-gazing.

"The importance of contingency in belting out punishments."

Hrm. Right.

"I said that –"

Blah. Blah. Blah. My mind is on auto-pilot. It does not register what she is saying. Besides, at the certain points, as long as I continue to acknowledge her with a 'uh-huh' or a 'I see' is good enough. She just wants to have a proper person to bitch with. Once she's done, it's done. Roughly.

And some 20 minutes later…………..

"……………And I'm telling you, the man's so stubborn! Punishing them for every single little mistake is pointless unless you address the source of the problem."

"Uh-huh."

"You're not listening are you?"

Darn it. Looks like I have to be a bit more active now. Sigh.

"Just finish it. Did he understand your intention?'

"NO!"

"Ok. So he doesn't get it. Too bad for him. Besides, why are you getting so worked up over small little things anyway?"

I eyed her.

"It's the little things that get me worked up. I don't get upset over the big issues. It's the small ones."

"Because he doesn't let you win."

She then began to sulk.

"Interesting that only he could get you so worked up."

"What? What are you trying to get at?"

"There's an old wife's saying: The one you bicker with the most, is the one you'll end up marrying!"

Man. Her reaction was classic. Her eyes widened. Her jaws dropped. And there was the amazing 30 second silence before the explosion.

"WHAT! As if! I'll never pick him even if he's the last guy on this face of the world!"

I couldn't stop laughing. It's just so fun to get her worked up. I mean its Ruby's hobby to just poke at her for fun. An example would be that maybe she'll suggest going out for some food and he'll say he's tired and doesn't want to. A few minutes later when she gets comfortable in her spot on the couch, he'll just suddenly get up, grab the keys to the car and say "Ok! Let's go for some food!" And that would enough to annoy the shit out of her because she'll start whining about the fact that she's too lazy to move. It doesn't work on him because what typically follows is one noisy Genious would be dragged physically out of the door by Ruby.

"You know, he isn't a bad guy. His looks aren't that bad. Rather cute with a boyish grin."

"NO!"

I eyed her.

"Ok. So he's not that bad. But he's not as good looking as my Itachi!"

I almost slipped off the roof when I heard that.

I cleared my throat before continuing.

"He's good with kids."

"Itachi's kids would be just as dashing."

She's in La-la land. Her eyes are shiny and not focused on anything.

"Would you cut it out? Itachi and shark slayer are not on my list on people I would like to meet."

Ok. Forget it. She's got that grinning idiot look plastered on her face now.

Itachi this. Itachi that. Dreamy sigh followed by staring into random points in space before the movement into La-la land. She is like this high school girl who is wandering through her days of crushing on someone. Sheesh.

"ITACHI!"

"Yes, yes, your Itachi." I randomly spoke at the top of my head.

Until I noticed the fellow himself who was standing on top of a pole! Before I could even move from the roof, he and the other shark one moved in front of us. In an amazing speed, I still cannot comprehend to be humanly possible.

"Just come along nicely and no one gets hurt." The Shark one spoke.

I stood defensively in front of Genious.

"Acting the big sister part again? Well it doesn't matter. You are no match for us at all."

I smiled.

Shutting my eyes, my hand stretched out to call out for the sword. I sense their shock when the sword indeed made its way to my hand from the apartment.

I sense your shock too, readers. At this point, I should apologise to all of you. After all, there is a side story linked to this.

FLASHBACK

Like you, I was wondering what the big deal about needing to be so protective over a piece of metal was. I mean it's just a physical object without any salient importance.

After so many bloody months of getting constantly yelled and discouragingly whacked left-right-centre for mistakes in techniques and style, Old man decided to have a sit down with me.

We sat at the backyard on a winter's eve. Still freezing air clouded the place. It was as though time stood still for this moment to be remembered always. To become a photograph forever imprinted in my album memory.

He served green tea. And I remember appreciating its bitter-sweetness, whilst trying to cool down from a training session just minutes before.

"There is something I ought to tell you."

"An apology? I absolutely accept!"

And he threw a peanut at my face.

Ouch.

"All right. Just kidding." I said as I rubbed the sore part between the eyebrows he managed to hit accurately.

"This sword is my family's heirloom for many generations. It is typically passed from father to first-born, regardless of gender. The sword is not a dead thing. It has mystical properties-'

I spewed tea from my mouth. You see, I wasn't sure whether to laugh or be scared but I did not intent to spew it at him!

He looked pissed.

Oops.

After some verbal abuse from him, he continued.

"Basically, you only get to keep sword if sword decides to choose you as its new master."

My eyes rolled. What is this?

"It will decide if it will have me?"

Right.

"So even after going through hell training with you, I might not get to keep the sword because it in the end will decide whether it is going to go with me?"

You have got to be kidding me. Never mind. I will go with this.

"The sword has an old spirit. It was made many centuries before and my family was presented it as a gift for a favour we did for a ruler. It has generally accepted most of the family members because of the blood pact."

"Blood pact?"

You have got to be shitting me! I ain't going to do no blood bonding thingy.

"Yes. Blood is the key."

"No way!"

"You do test!"

"NO!"

And after some 'gentle persuasion' involving getting thrashed most unmercifully by Old man bare-handed. I had to relent. Being trapped face-down with my arm about to be twisted off persuades me good any time.

So petite lady came bearing the box with the sword inside (we've been training with wooden substitutes to this day). Old sitting pretty cross-legged, place the thing in front of him. nostalgia fills him. He lovingly ran his hand over the top of the lacquer box. My heart actually goes out for him. I mean, to think that things would come down to the point when it has to be passed to an outsider because of circumstance beyond your control is a sad thought.

He opened it.

There nestled protectively sat the thing with its sheath in a bed of red silk.

He lifted it and moved the box aside.

He unsheathed it. Admired it some more before he asked for my hand.

At this point, I should mention that I was bloody nervous. I mean, he looked as if he was about to cut off a finger! Or fingers!

Swallowing hard, I pass my right hand, face-up as requested.

The sharp side dangled above my palm. My face was struggled to maintain poker face. He sliced the thumb.

Crimson liquid flowed, encouraged by some squeezing of the thumb on his part. Finally, he smeared it along the length of the blade.

"Now we sit and wait." He said after releasing my hand.

At first nothing happened.

Waiting.

Still waiting.

Then, the most freaky thing happened. Slowly, the blood got absorbed. Yes, you heard me. The thing is alive! It absorbed my blood!

Yeesh!

And I passed out most unceremoniously.

Anyway, when I awoke a while later on a couch, Old man and petite woman congratulated me.

I was the new master to the sword named Ryuuji.

END OF FLASHBACK

So yeah, I have a special relation to the thing. By the pact, I had an obligation to protect it and by that, I am granted a good homing sword that I will never lose.

Itachi and Shark one eyed me.

"So it seems we've found our target."

I merely smirked.

"Kisame. You can handle this one. Don't get her beat up too much." Itachi said.

Genious, at this point, froze. My bad, this is the first time I would reveal this pact with anyone else, even with my family. I mean, how does one tell of such things? It's not your average causal conversation topic at the dinner table.

We fought.

By the way, I'm still not good at fighting but I can put up with a decent fight if I want to. I was doing good until I got flung 4 floors down from the roof.

SHIT!

But I was saved. A familiar silver-haired jounin caught me. Grounded, he set me down before he faced the other two.

"Kakashi, stay out of our way." Itachi said as he held onto Genious.

"You two should get out of the way!"

Asuma, Kurenai and Gai soon appeared.

A struggle followed suit. Amidst it, I managed to snake my way to grab Genious to safety. After pulling her away, I felt a hand grab me hard.

Shark one.

Swinging from the right I managed to fend off the heavy apparatus of his. It now stood inches away from my face!

I struggled.

"You still haven't tapped into the sword's potential." I could hear Old man's voice. "Strength comes from within and only you can bring it out."

Argh. Riddles. I just hate them.

Calming my breathing, I focused.

No luck.

I got whacked anyway.

But the good thing was that more reinforcements came. Ibiki, the sadist came with some Anbu support and the two intruders took the clue not to mess about and were forced to leave.

Situation settled.

Now we have another matter at hand. After being attended to for our minor injuries, Genious and I were taken to a meeting room where Tsunade presided over the meeting that also had the village council as well as important key figures that aided tonight participating.

"I believer you have something to say?" She asked.

Sigh.

"Why did you not say that you are the one that they are looking for?"

It's a misunderstanding.

"You have jeopardised the lives of Konoha's villagers! From now on, you will have Anbu escort everywhere you go."

I stepped forth.

Much to shock of the rest of them in the room, especially Genious. She knows that I hate public speaking. I have stage fright. I hate people scrutinising me in public.

"If not too much to ask, may I seek audience with you in private? It won't take long."

She raised an eyebrow but granted me the audience to which we exited the room to an adjoined one. My head hung low.

Sigh. Sigh. It looks like the cat's out of the bag.

Author's note:

Hi everyone!

Filing monkey idea is credited to Khaine. And thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed! It's late. I should sleep.

Nights,

Arte