Interlude 2: When Will I Bloom?

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Chapter Cover: Both Rira and Ran are looking at flowers. Rira is studying a lily and Ran is kneeling, looking at an orchid.

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Hanako Ran studied the scrolls she'd tucked away. They weren't necesarily special jutsus, just something to jog her memory when she needed it. Her sensei, Muzu was on a mission today, and couldn't train her. Come to think of it, the mission business had been very busy lately, and instead of gathering jounin with no team, the Hokage used the jounin that had teams - but didn't allow the genin to go with them. She fumed a bit when she heard the news, and even more when Rira told her that she was going an a mission.

Ren gets a mission, Rira gets a mission, Ran thought, sitting indian-style on her bed. Will we get a mission before the exam starts?

The door opened, and Rira walked in, her head up, and wearing a smile as she placed her parasol down.

"Hello sister," Rira said, sitting on the bed across from Ran. Rira usually had a forlorn, almost mourning look on her face.

"So, you have a mission tomorrow?" Ran said. Rira's smile broadened on her face.

"Yes," she said. "Achisuto-sensei told us it was C-rank too."

Ran sat on the side of the bed now, her brown eyes as wide as saucers.

"C-rank? Already? I heard those are usually pretty challenging," Ran said. "You guys must be pretty good."

Rira shurgged, blushing a bit.

"Our training has been going well," she said. "How about your team?"

"Well, when Muzu-sensei's here, we have fun," Ran replied. "but, everytime I'm around her, I always start scratching."

"Oh, she must be on that mission Achisuto was talking about," Rira said, her brow furrowed.

"What?" Ran said. "What mission?"

"Well, more like a reconissance. The Hokage has sent a group of high ranking ninja to meet a traveling village," Rira said. "I think they're called the Traveling Village of the Wind."

"Traveling village..." Ran said. "Is there something they have that we don't?"

"Not really, but they do have some genin. The traveling village has a team that is ready for the chuunin exam."

"But, why a traveling village?" Ran asked.

"I don't know. Maybe there are just some extra shinobi with them just in case anything should happen."

"Makes sense, I guess."

Rira gathered her pajamas and a towel, then walked to the springs within the Hanako Garden, leaving Ran to study her jutsus. She took a deep breath, thinking of how cool it would be to actually travel outside of Konoha...