Forest Bells - Scripts

"I've talked with the staff. They have allowed me to pay up front. Go beyond what I've given them and it will come out of your own pockets."

Hayama explained.

Wait…

I brought out a card and started writing.

Hayama, unlike everybody else, waited for me to finish.

I flipped the card: 'Aren't you eating with us?'

He smiled.

"I have other duties, enjoy yourselves and behave."

Then he waved and left.

A well dressed 12 year old and a team of genin… I probably looked like an escort mission. Which I assumed was the reason I was given the seat that looked out over the garden, rather than one of the ones facing the side or back walls of the room.

Oh right, this is an escort mission.

Except they're escorting a prisoner not a VIP.

I shook off the thought.

You're supposed to relax. Thinking about it changes nothing.

Seno sat on my left, Shita on my right, and Ureha sat across from me. The atmosphere was awkward to say the least. It was Hayama who'd been subtly trying to get us to talk the last month, and without him there wasn't much incentive.

It's not like I was going to be able to start the conversation. I'd rather just sit and wait for the tea and treats.

It might take a while though… I think I saw the two from outside pass by so there's probably a whole batch of other waiting customers.

A minute passed.

Okay this is too much.

I popped out a card and started writing: 'Just talk amongst yourselves.'

Shita looked incredulously at it, but Seno just nodded and turned to Ureha.

"How's the garden?"

"Oh, it's doing great!" she clapped her hands together. "I think I might be able to synthesise some stronger poisons with the next batch. Introducing those bugs to the ecosystem did wonders, just like you said it would."

I'm sorry, poisons!?

I blinked a couple of times and looked at said girl properly.

Shoulder length light brown hair tied back in a ponytail, a nice looking short blue dress. She had a kind looking smile and a happy-go-lucky aura to her. She looked plain.

That's the point.

She had minor scars covered up with cosmetics. The pins that helped keep the ponytail in place that could easily be pulled out and used as weapons. She had a pair of furry white cuffs on her wrists, which didn't shift in place. Likely because they're disguised senbon holsters. A fluffy pink pouch on her hip looked like it came out of a children's store, but was just the right size to contain the glass vials that were preferred by poisoners.

I had no clue when we met in the forest… which meant she would have kicked my ass.

Note to self: make entry on poison specialists in the journal.

Seno adjusted his glasses, and somehow managed to project a smug aura despite most of his face being covered by said glasses and the high collar.

"Seno… bro."

Shita commented with his face in his palms.

Seno looked over confused.

Shite put his hands together and brought them down to the table, then looked him in the eyes with a serious expression.

"...did you really think she needed stronger poisons?"

Seno stared blankly for a second, before his eyebrows rose up above his glasses and his face lost colour.

"Oh… oh no."

Ok, she can't be that bad.

I brought out a card and started writing, my curiosity overpowering my social ineptitude: 'What's the big deal? Isn't stronger teammates a good thing?'

Shita answered first.

"So you know how shinobi often solve problems by fighting, right? A not so friendly spar?"

I nodded.

Shita gestured at Ureha.

"After an… 'incident', our teammate here was given express orders from the Hokage forbidding it."
Seno seemed to stare into the afterlife.

"I can still hear his screams."

I looked over at the 'innocently' smiling Ureha.

"Teehee."

"Unless you want a reminder of what we can do..?"

Note to self: Ureha is now marked as an 'avengers level threat'.

That does remind me…

I started writing a note, then tapped Shita to get his attention: 'What was that earlier about not using clan techniques?'

Is it something to do with the 'no dog' thing? Is there some sort of deep seated trauma? Or-

"Oh, I just don't like dogs."

Yumika has stopped responding.

"They don't like me either so it works out. Must be my smell or something."

He shrugged and smirked.

"Not like I need any clan techniques to kick ass and take names."

"Shita, I think you broke her."

Seno commented.

"What?"

Shita looked over and waved his hand in my face.

"Hello? You there?"

Seno poked me in the shoulder experimentally.

"It's not a clone, unless she spawned another shadow clone."
"I'm sure a shadow clone would be putting on a better act than this."

Shita added.

Ureha sighed in exasperation.

"She's reacting to the fact that you'd throw away such an advantage for such a petty reason Shita."

"Wait, really? If she wants my clan techniques, she can have 'em."

Wait what?

I returned to the present and popped out a card: 'Really?'.

Shita turned back and without a care in the world said:

"I mean, if you really want to marry me I'm not going to stop you."

I fell backwards, and fumbled around to find a card, before writing furiously and showing it to him.

Shita blinked at the card.

"What's it say?"

Ureha asked, trying to lean over to look, while Seno did the same… albeit a bit more subtly.

"You're… married?"

Shita asked, hesitantly, prompting Seno to spit out the water he was drinking, and Ureha to imitate an owl.

Pop, scribble, scrible: 'betrothed'.

"Um… congrats."

"My daughter is dead."

That was not where I wanted my thoughts to go today.

"...or not?"

I shook off the thoughts and plastered a smile.

Pop, scribble, scribble: 'Sorry, Kanshi is great, you just reminded me of something unpleasant.'

"Kanshi?"

Pop, scribble: 'A friend.'

He gave me a look.

I rolled my eyes and added more to the card: 'A friend. From sound. He's from the Shiin clan if you've heard of them. He's nice, dependable, and kind.'

Shita adopted a feral grin.

"So the Shiin had more to offer than the Inuzaka then."

I glared, rolled up my sleeve, and channelled some chakra to make the three purple lines marking me as a Shiin visible.

"Oh."

I may have looked a bit smug at that.

Ureha coughed into her hand.

"Would you two like to share with the class?"

Shita turned to her to explain.

"She's already a part of the Shiin clan."

"I thought you had to be born or married into clans?"

Seno shook his head.

"Not always. Some clans adopt members, like the Shiin."

"Does that mean her name's actually Yumika Shiin?"

Seno shrugged, but Shita answered.

"It is usually a matter of preference. Most people will use the name with the most prestige. So for our resident midget, that's Nogawa, the name of the daimyo's family."

"Like how being Hokage supersedes being a clan head?"

Shita nodded with a content smile.

"That's right."

Then he raised a finger.

"Historically though, there is precedent for a noble clan adoptee specifically using their shinobi name as a form of protest or a sign of rebellion against their old family."

Shita… was well read.

His whole posture had relaxed when he went into the explanation. The nature of things became more clear as he fell back into the aggressive stance, and tensed up.

It's an act.

That was twice with one team.

I looked suspiciously over at Seno...

"No need for concern, I am like most of my clansmen."

…who seemed sympathetic to my confusion.

The tea and snacks arrived, and the rest of the meal was spent with pleasant conversation.

These guys aren't too bad.

"Did sensei give us anything else to do?"

The rest of us replied to Ureha's question with shaking heads.

"Well, is there anything you want to do Yumika?"

Thinking about it… Aha!

I tapped my fist into my open palm, then popped out a card to write on: 'I want to find a cinema!'

Ureha and Shita both read the message, then turned to Seno, who adjusted his glasses. Following anime logic, there was an appropriately placed lightsource that forced them to shimmer and shine.

"I may be of service…"

…

The hidden leaf had three cinema's, and we visited all of them. At each of which Seno gave a full report containing everything from the cinema's history, to their preference for movie styles, to even the quality of their popcorn.

He naturally also had a recommendation for which movie to watch at each cinema, and even paid for all of us out of his own pocket.

By the time we'd left the third cinema, night had fallen and the city was lit up with its burgeoning nightlife.

"Urgh, I can't believe he was the bad guy all along!" Shita explained.

I nodded along seriously.

"I assure you, it makes for a fascinating repeat watching. There are several subtle hints throughout the movie. In fact, many believe that the character wished to be stopped and was intentionally trying to divulge his plan to the heroine. Their shared secret language…"

I brought a hand to my chin.

That explains the opening scene…

"...but Seno in the prequel-"

"That movie does not exist."

Seno did not let Ureha finish, and I looked on with amusement.

There is no Tsukihime anime, star wars sequels, or…

It was nice being back in familiar territory.

"D'you have fun?"

I looked up back at Shita and nodded.

He barked out a laugh and adopted a massive grin.

"You're a lot more fun when you're relaxed y'know."

I cocked my head at his statement.

What am I supposed to say to that?

"Don't think too much about it. Anyway, we're here."

We didn't stop outside Hayama's apartment… We stopped outside the prison.

My face fell, and I could tell the three didn't quite seem comfortable with this either.

"Sorry, we're heading out on a mission tomorrow, so sensei won't be around to keep an eye on you."

Yeah… I know.

I figured something like this was eventually going to happen.

I faced the three and bowed with a bittersweet smile.

'Thank you for today. Seriously.'

Shita rubbed the back of his head and averted his gaze with a slight embarrassed blush.

"Don't mention it, happy birthday."

Then they left and I was escorted to a cell.

…at least Hayama had brought Hanzo over.

Where am I?

Hidden leaf prison cell, no hostiles.

I got up, popped out a ration bar, fed Hanzo, then started running kata's.

I'm done moping.

There was a lot of training I could do in a tight space, and if Hayama and his team were going to be out on a mission, then I had a lot of time.

Ironic that this prison cell reminded me more of my birth home than Hayama's apartment.

It's fascinating… isn't it.

For the third day, I continued the motions I established the first.

I don't have the commitment or drive to compel myself to work, yet here I am.

Training.

Why?

I finished the set, and started a new one.

…because I'm bored.

Kanshi and Isae gave me shit for it, but training had become my hobby in this life. In some cursed way, my situation was why I had strength. My fear of Orochimaru started me down this path, and my lack of alternative ways to entertain myself kept me on it.

I was a privileged child who grew up in a gilded cage and didn't even realise it. I didn't reflect on the fact that I only left 'home' once before I was sent to the hidden sound. I didn't reflect on how Natushi and the others had subtly nudged me to stay in my room.

What would a life for me in the hidden leaf looked like? Would I have met other kids? Could I have gotten along with them with my mental maturity and lack of social skill? Would I go watch the movies?

So many possibilities I could imagine, and all of them saw me weaker than I was now. Of all the situations and places I was placed in one that would let me grow strong, despite my nature.

It's almost like it was fated…

Fate was an interesting concept. The idea that some sort of commanding factor had a plan for you. I couldn't say I dismissed the idea.

Things happen because of reason.

It may sound stupid, but it was how I saw things. Events changed the world and those changes caused new things to happen. Whether it is an apple rolling down a hill, or the chain of events that led a person to murder. It was all the same.

Free will is a myth. Destiny is sealed. Whether you read them front to back, or back to front, the words on the page will not alter.

So in this context, what is fate? Fate is the author, the writer, the one who sets things in motion. Fate was god.

The ultimate irony of Naruto's battle against Neji was that it was Neji's fate to lose faith in fate, because Kishimoto decided it.

So, with that in mind. Isn't it natural to wonder what determines one's own fate? Was this existence the result of random chance, or is my life the consequences of fiction. If so, who writes my fate? What do they think of me? What role do I play?

Am I the hero? The villain? The damsel in distress? The nameless side-character? What does my author think of me? What purpose does my story serve?

In the end, it didn't actually matter.

Free will is a myth, but for the same reason, there is no reason to worry about it. My will, my freedom, and my choices are what lead me to my fate, because in the end: things happen because of reasons.

Perhaps, that's why I got an invitation to join Danzo for dinner.

Strategy Journal

New Entry - Rock Lee (6)

Oh, oh!

Genjutsu and Ninjutsu!

If I just blow him up with strong ninjutsu I win…. I don't know any strong ninjutsu, I don't have the chakra to learn, and I'm not fast enough to hit him with the Rasengan.

…

Genjutsu!

I don't know any genjutsu or anyone who can teach me genjutsu.

…

New Entry - Poisoners (1)

Solution one, visit a medic and pray they have an antidote.

More realistically, avoid getting poisoned in the first place. So…

Learn that poison detection technique the prisoner used when I fed him. I think I saw some of the Shiin guys use it.

Against combat poisoners, proper skirmishing, play it safe. Either keep a distance or sneak.

Alternatively, acquire a full set of plate mail… I mean… I could fit the full set in my seals… Note to self: investigate purchasing armour.

Progress on other Projects:

Chakra Negation. No progress.

Wind Release. No notable progress.

Sword investigation. So it turns out this world is based on anime where proper katana's are basically indestructible. By the same logic I could maybe find a legendary smith to make me the ultimate staff/bow, but I have neither the reputation nor shonen protagonist energy needed to pull that off.