The New Normal - Little Reminder

I was having the time of my life.

Kick, kick, kick.

Disengage.

Pop out and unfold staff.

Block.

Counter.

Follow up.

Block.

Toss staff at enemy.

Ram-Boar-Ox-Dox-Snake.

It required a bit more control and chakra to substitute with something of a different size and silhouette, but I was good enough to switch with the staff comfortably.

My opponent had dodged the improvised projectile, so the swap put me a few metres behind them.

Turn, nock, draw, aim, release.

Rapid fire a second shot.

I tossed my bow over my shoulders again.

Block with strength technique.

Counter.

A hit!

Once I confirmed the impact I doubled down with a burst of chakra.

"Match."

This had been a pure combat exercise, so I'd let myself enjoy it and cut loose.

I let my heart beat calm, and offered a hand to my knocked down opponent. While my mind started catching up with the events my body finished going through.

"Thanks for the spar, good disengage after I brought out the staff."

He smiled, but didn't take my hand.

"I really wasn't expecting you to throw it at me."

I gave a playful shrug, picked up my things, and joined up with everyone else, where I caught Kanshi giving me a look.

"Yumika…"

Fine, fine…

I stepped over to the doctor who served as the medic here. This was also the same person who checked me regularly while I stayed with the Shiin clan.

"How good of you to finally join me."

I sat down wordlessly, and he scanned me with his medical chakra magic… stuff.

"Minor bone damage on the arm you blocked with, and stress on your leg muscles."

So don't put too much weight on the arm and don't run too much until tomorrow.

It had been three months since I was back in the arena.

Three months of proving how fragile my body was now.

Once the doctor was done fixing up what he could, I regrouped with Kanshi and Isae.

"Next time. Team battles. Find two partners. Anyone without a team will be assigned one."

A part of me wanted to see if I could use this as a chance to fix things with Kin, but that ship had sailed.

We didn't practice together anymore.

We didn't even talk.

"Companions! Let us gather and prepare our strategy. With our combined strength and prowess our victory will be assured!"

Kanshi was excited. Rightly so; his arsenal was best suited for support.

"The odds could be considered in our favour."

Isae was in 'Manami' mode, but I could see that she was practically vibrating.

Is it worth spying on the competition to see what the teams will be?

It would help if we could plan against our opponent, but…

I looked around.

…there might be too many people for us to have a direct counter to everyone.

For now though…

I zoned back into the conversation.

"Are we going home or to the lab?"

Kanshi froze midstep.

"Kanshi..?"

"It's nice that you think of it as home now."

Hey, it's embarrassing when you put it like that!

I fumbled through trying to get out a response, especially since it occurred to me that the realisation was enough to knock him out of his 'dramatic narrator' funk.

"Alright lovebirds, let's go before I change my mind and team with someone else."

"It's not like that, Isae!"

Isae shoved us along ignoring my protest.

Pfft, where would she even get an idea like that?

We were 8 dammit! Kanshi probably hadn't even thought of romance, and I was not intending on stooping to cradle robbing. Maybe I'd entertain something in 12 years if I lived that long, but until then anyone my physical age was a no-no.

Anyway, Kanshi is from a clan, it would be Shikyou who would make that choice. Admittedly, yea, he clearly has some sort of scheme in mind for me, but I imagine it is something more important than matchmaking me with his son. That would just be ridiculous.

We got home, planned for a whole 10 minutes then wasted the next 50.

These 9 months were nice. It was almost enough for me to forget where I was.

"Kanshi, Yumika, we'll be expecting a guest for dinner. Be sure to be well behaved and dressed."

"Yes Father." "Yes sir."

It wasn't the first time since my stay, and it probably wouldn't be the last.

Since fine clothes were not amongst the things I'd brought with me from the capital, I was given some of Yuharu's old clothes.

"We're not expecting any more daughters, so they're yours to keep."

That's what they told me.

So I sat at my spot next to Kanshi, and the guest seat was set and ready.

It had occurred to me that I had never sat at the table as a guest, but I reckoned that was because they wanted Kanshi nearby to make sure I didn't overexert myself.

Anyway, Shikyou and Yuharu were waiting by the entrance to greet the guest.

I wonder who it is this time?

If I focused I could probably hear when they arrived.

"Thank you for coming."

"No, no. I am the one who asked to come visit for dinner-"

I froze.

The voice was familiar.

"Yumika?"

I only vaguely registered Kanshi's concern as I'd started breathing heavily.

Hyperventilating.

"-It's our honour to host you lord Orochimaru."

Why's he here? What does he want?

My logical self reasoned that it made sense for the Otokage (or did only the major villages call them kage?) to check in on influential people.

I felt his presence waft over the room, slowly drowning out my thoughts.

On instinct, Kanshi and I were standing to greet the guest, hands crossed in front of us. Even as he eyed over my shaking frame.

Then I saw the man enter the room-

Crack.

"Yumika!"

Even though I heard Kanshi, my attention was locked on the snake. Everything else was muffled and muted, as if I were underwater.

He wore a satisfied smirk.

Is that because of me? Is he happy with me?

Maybe if he was I could live another day.

I felt a tug on my arm and Orochimaru fell away into the distance before my sight of him was cut off by a door.

Suddenly I was face to face with the doctor, and things looked like they were back to normal.

"Yumika, are you with me?"

There was a controlled calm to the doctor's voice.

"Yes?"

"You just came out of a panic attack-"

Oh.

"-Do you remember what happened?"

The situation replayed itself through my mind's eye.

Oh no.

Shikyou Shiin

Shikyou enterred the room just in time to see Yumika crush her fingers in her other hands grip.

"Yumika!"

His son broke out of formal decorum immediately, but Yumika was unresponsive. She was completely fixated on the snake sannin.

"Father, she needs the doctor now."

Shikyou waved a hand towards the door.

"Go."

…and watched his son drag the shell shocked girl out of the room.

He dismissed the questions that arose and bowed to his superior.

"I am deeply sorry for that, my lord."

"Oh, no need to worry, such a reaction was expected."

Expected?

"Now I believe we were going to eat were we not?"

"Of course."

A ninja mastered deception, so Shikyou continued the meal as if nothing had happened. Orochimaru expressed disappointment in the poor performance of his subordinates, while thanking Shikyou for pointing it out.

The sannin asked about his son and his guest, seemingly invested in their potential. He also held an avid interest in the Shikyou's own attempts at rediscovering the clan techniques known only to his brother, and those lost in time.

The dinner ended with Orochimaru thanking Shikyou and his Wife for their service.

Once the man was gone, Yuharu sent him a look.

"I know, I'll go talk to them."

So he went to go find his son, who he found pacing outside Yumika's room pensively.

"Father."

"Son. How is she?"

Kanshi shuffled uncomfortably.

"She calmed down once she realised he was gone, and the broken fingers aren't beyond her usual injuries. So she should be fine now."

Shikyou nodded to show he was listening.

"Father… she's not in trouble is she? I know this dinner was a great honour…"

He sighed.

"No need to worry, it seems lord Orochimaru was prepared for such a… drastic reaction from our guest."

He didn't miss how his son's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"Go eat some dinner, you missed the meal."

"Yes father."

This whole situation is troublesome.

Despite what he'd told his son, the situation did require some harsh words. Which was not something he was looking forward to.

Once his son was out of sight he closed his eyes, steeled himself, and opened the door.

"Yumika-"

"I'm sorry!"

He opened his eyes again and saw her kowtowing, desperately.

"I'm so sorry! You've been so kind, but I embarrassed you in front of Orochimaru. I'm so sorry! P-Please forgive me!."

You're supposed to be sorry after I scold you.

Scolding her would do nothing as long as she was like this. Kanshi must have seen her this frantic as well.

The clan head internalised a sigh.

"It's good you can see what you've done, but nevertheless, you're grounded. I'm restricting your training and access to the library this week."

"Of course, sir. That's more than fair, sir."

She was visibly relieved, even thankful.

She must have been expecting me to dismiss her from my home.

He internalised another sigh.

It was always easier when they resisted.

"Now that that is resolved. Why does lord Orochimaru terrify you?"

There were signs he'd learned to pick up from the girl, who wasn't nearly as subtle as she thought she was. The reading this time…

More of her 'mystery knowledge'...

"He's…"

She looked down to her left.

Buying time. Debating what she can tell me.

Her gaze went down.

The truth then.

"...powerful with no restraint."

She shuffled uncomfortably.

"It would be more accurate to call him a natural disaster than a person. He has one goal, and will do whatever he can to reach it, no matter the cost. Loyalty means nothing. Debts mean nothing. Only usefulness. He'll drain this country for everything it's worth, then toss the remains at the hidden leaf for the chance it will do some harm."

Shikyou was admittedly unnerved. Even if he didn't show it.

That's far too specific for someone she's only met once, and she's far too confident for it to be pure fabrication.

Worse, he could tell that there was more she was hiding.

Her voice quivered.

"...and there's nothing we can do about it. Shinobi strength grows exponentially. Hanzo the salamander single handedly ruled over the hidden rain village until he was overthrown by Pain-"

Who?

He'd note the name, but maintained a calm expression to keep her from realising her slip up.

Keep talking…

"-who now rules the village. The yellow flash of the hidden leaf was feared for practically ending the war himself, and it took a tailed beast to take him down. The third Raikage singhandedly held off 10000 shinobi. Even on the lower levels of S-rank, Itachi Uchiha single handedly slaughtered his clan-"

That was an interesting addition.

The Uchiha clan was fine and healthy at the moment.

He didn't correct her and nodded along.

She's 8. She can't be expected to get all her facts right.

…but he would not be forgetting what she said anytime soon.

"-. But all of them could be reasoned with. They have things they care about, principles they hold to. Orochimaru doesn't. You'd have more luck changing the weather with a rain dance."

He held up a hand to stop her.

"I understand your concern."

She silenced herself as he pondered her words.

If she believed what she said, then her reaction was… fair.

He couldn't say he agreed with her interpretation to their leader, but ninja breathed deception. So his mind entertained the idea.

What would the world look like if that was Orochimaru's true nature?

It troubled him how little things changed in the alternative world he constructed within his mind. It lined up perfectly, except for one small addition…

"...will do whatever he can…"

Like perhaps, assassinate a daimyo's wife and blame it on the clans.

Put that way, it was phenomenal how much the man had gained from the event: His own hidden village, filled with ninja that owed their loyalty to him and no one else, and the patronage of a number of the spurned clans.

He shelved the treasonous thoughts.

Just speculation.

No matter how well the pieces clicked together.

"Please mind your fingers, I'll have some soup brought in for you."

Then he dismissed himself.

If he was going to investigate this, he would have to be careful.

Very careful.

Yumika Nogawa

"With the teams, we have time for more fights. There'll be two rounds per matchup, one early and one later. We'll go on a volunteer basis."

So one could counter whatever strategy their opponent whipped up the first time.

We had been pretty sure that Yuharu would add some sort of complication, so it wasn't too surprising.

Kanshi volunteered our team to go first, so we were heading down the stairs.

"Hey, Kanshi, how long does it take for your paralysis to take effect?"

"As soon as they hear it, why?"

I let myself entertain a mischievous smirk.

"Could you play for five seconds and pretend it takes that long before doing it?"

"That is well within my capabilities."

"Yumika… you're cruel."

I rolled my eyes at the girl.

I'm sure you guys will come up with much more than a fake weakness once you're older.

The plan we cooked up was simple.

Isae was the vanguard to accomplish whatever goal Yuharu gave us. Kanshi was in the back and support with his jutsu. I'd start by guarding Kanshi, and then switch to supporting Isae if I had the space to do so.

"Begin."

Isae rushed forward, Kanshi jumped back, and I stayed on my toes.

Two of them ganged up on Isae, while the third tried to b-line straight for Kanshi.

Oh no you don't!

Kanshi'd already started playing.

I forced the interceptor to block with a drop kick.

One second….

He turned his attention to me, backed away, and started going through hand signs.

I wasn't keen on letting him, so I forced him to dodge an arrow and give up the jutsu.

Two seconds…

I glanced over at Isae… who wasn't having the best time in the two on one.

Still standing though.

I charged the runner before he could try again.

Three seconds…

I managed to force a deadlock.

"Guys, stop the Shiin, he's up to something!"

He left himself open.

Four seconds…

One of the two on Isae broke off to try and kill our mage.

I used the opening to force my opponent to the ground with a kick to the knee, then turned and tackled the other runner.

Five seconds.

All three froze.

Isae and I went through them with a light tap on each of their necks. A substitute for being taken out.

"Match."

Genjutsu can be so broken at times.

"Good fight, you guys were really close to getting past me."

Hint, hint. Nudge, nudge. This advice is totally not a trap.

Based on what I could hear, they seemed to be taking the bait.

I was also really glad Yuharu was waiting until the end of the followup round to give advice.

…

The plan the second time round was much simpler. Kanshi would paralyse them, and we'd take them out.

"Good luck, have fun!"

One of our opponents decided to banter back.

"Ha, you got us last time, but we've got you figured out. We're not losing again."

He cracked his knuckles.

Oh you poor fools.