Training ground of Hachi Academy

Imu and Miyabi currently are out of town, in an isolated place where most of the shinobi training lessons take place.

Of course, they're there to train, but unlike they usually do, they're aren't fighting each other, but together.

Against who? Two students from the Hachi Academy, two very powerful shinobi.

The first one is Yuuma, the butterfly shinobi who found Homura to recruit her group.

The second one is a new face, a young woman with blue-haired and two pigtails in the back of her head, her eyes have the same colour. She's wearing a dark gray short, a light gray sport bra, white sneakers, and a white headband. She's also wearing metal shoulder, elbow, and knee pads.

This woman's name is Natsuko, she uses a large double-edge battle axe, and her guardian of choice is a bull.

Those two women insisted a lot to have a sparring session with Miyabi and Imu, who first refused but finally decided to accept not to lose their pride.

However, they weren't expecting the Hachi girls to be that strong, especially since they aren't even elite students. Miyabi even thinks about using her abyssal mode.

But she won't have the time to…

"Miyabi, they're coming!

Imu yells, preparing her secret ninja art, like their opponents are.

"Secret Ninja Art, Fairy Tale!"

Yuumi yells, summoning a swarm of fire made butterflies flying toward her opponent.

"Secret Ninja Art, Furious Dance!"

Natsuko yells, throwing her axe like a frisbee.

All of it happened in less than a second, more than enough for Miyabi.

"Secret Ninja Art, Delightful Inferno!"

Miyabi screams, holding her seven blades saber, ready to counter Natsuko's axe.

"Secret Ninja Art, Rolling Thunder!"

Imu yells, launching her bô charged with electricity toward Yuuma's butterflies.

This double clash creates an explosion, fortunately, they were fighting inside a shinobi barrier, no one can't see it.

The barrier is filled with smoke, but it's quickly clearing.

So, Miyabi appears, she looks exhausted, but she's proudly standing up.

"This is our victory."

She says by putting her saber inside its scabbard.

Imu appears too to join her friend, she looks as exhausted as her.

The smoke then clears enough to reveal Yuuma and Natsuko, on their knees, but they don't look seriously injured.

"Damn, you're so strong! I think I love you!"

Natsuko screams by standing up in a flash, which surprises, but also impresses Miyabi and Imu.

"That's right, you're amazing, thanks for that sparring session!"

Yuuma says by smiling, standing up too, though way slower.

Even if they are their enemies, Miyabi and Imu cannot deny their martial skills, so, they adopt the mood.

"You're not bad too, it was a good fight."

Miyabi says with a pretty cold tone of voice.

"I agree, it was interesting."

Imu says, with a similar tone.

"I have many things to do, I have to go, see you later!"

Yuuma says before disappearing.

Miyabi and Imu were about to do the same, but they're interrupted by Natskuko.

"Wait!"

Which immediately stop them.

"What?"

Miyabi curtly asks.

"It's almost breakfast time, can we have lunch together? I'd like to know more about you!"

Natsuko asks.

The two Hebijo girls weren't expecting such a proposal, of course, in any other circonstances, they would refuse.

But they're infiltrators, and that woman can teach them interestings facts about that school. Even if she doesn't, she's strong enough to be a threat, it's better to know her so.

The two girls exchange a quick look before looking at their "comrade".

"Why not…"

Imu answers.

A few minutes later, Hachi Academy roof

The three women are about to eat their bentô.

"Honestly, I don't know where you've been trained, but it must be a damn good school!"

Natsuko says, excited.

"It was."

Miyabi responds with a little smile.

"By the way, Miyabi, will you apply to be the new fifth senior elite student?"

Natsuko asks.

That question surprises Miyabi a lot, she completely forgot that the school only had four senior elite students.

Miyabi isn't really interested, but as an infiltrator, she can afford lies.

"Of course."

She answers in a confident tone of voice.

"Seems I'll have competitors…"

Natsuko says in a even more excited voice.

"Don't dare forget about me, I don't intend to stand behind you."

Imu says, she's lying, but she honestly dislikes being left behind.

"I see, it's even better!"

Natsuko reacts before starting to eat.

Miyabi starts to eat too, but not Imu, who has a question in her mind.

"By the way, I've never heard anything about the former fifth senior elite student, what happened to him?"

That question doesn't really surprise Miyabi, who was also wondering that.

But Natsuko has a completely different reaction…

She immediately stops eating, then, she puts her bentô down very softly, which obviously teases an unhappy story.

"..."

Natsuko doesn't say anything, she only looks at her two interlocutors with a sorrowful facial expression.

But, after a deep breath, she takes a picture out of her cleavage.

"Take a look…"

She says by offering the picture to her two comrades.

Miyabi takes it and puts it between her and Imu to make sure both of them could look at it.

There are five people on it, and four of them aren't unknown to Miyabi and Imu.

They're the four senior elite students, Fumiyo, Arisa, Yû, and Ai.

The fifth person, between Arisa and Yû, has a rather thin body with pretty long brown hairs and eyes, its outfit is a sleeveless white shirt, a black tie, and a gray pant.

"That girl… She's the former fifth senior elite, am I wrong?"

Imu asks, her finger on the stranger's face.

"Yes, his name was Heitan."

Natsuko answers, still sad-looking.

But something has caught both Imu and Miyabi's attention.

"Wait… "his"? You mean… It's a guy?!"

Imu asks, shocked.

"Yes, many people though he's a girl the first time they saw him."

Natsuko responds with a little smile, likely due to Imu's mistake.

Imu feels stupid, but Miyabi has already forgot it and focuses on the topic.

"Tell us more about him."

She asks, curious.

Natsuko needs a few seconds to find her words, then she talks.

"He was a first-year student there, our master Hamato himself bringed him to our school, which just opened its door to male students."

Natsuko explains, the three girls are believed it's not just a coincidence.

"He was very strong, his guardian of choice was a mermaid, and above all, he was extremely popular. He was nice, cute, and also a damn good singer, you have no idea how many girls were crazy of him!"

Miyabi and Imu are pretty astonished since it's kinda an unusual portrait for an evil shinobi.

"I guess he died during a mission?"

Miyabi asks.

Natsuko hesitates a moment, but still answers.

"No, he killed himself…"

She admits, surprising her interlocutors.

"R-Really? Why?"

Imu asks, confused, the description Natsuko gave didn't portray a suffering man.

"That's the point, nobody knows, we found it hanging in his room, no one was expecting that. Everyone was shocked, that accident was especially hard for the elite squad…"

Imu and Miyabi aren't sure how to react, but in the confusion, Miyabi reacts to the last sentence.

"Sure, a member less is a pain for the entire group…"

She says, scratching the back of her head and avoiding eye contact with Natsuko.

"That's not really the issue, nothing looks strange on this pic?"

Natsuko asks.

Following those words, Miyabi looks at the picture again, focusing in order to find any suspicious detail.

But after ten seconds, she doesn't find anything.

"No… It's just a normal group for me…"

She says.

"Don't you think that group looks… joyful?"

Natsuko asks.

On the picture, the five students are close to each other, looking the camera by smiling.

Miyabi finally understands what Natsuko was talking about.

"They look like a group of friends…"

She says.

Indeed, even if she only saw the senior elite students a few times, it's more than enough to notice they don't get along at all.

Especially Fumiyo and Ai, who seem to barely tolerate each other, so seeing them smiling together is very strange.

"Yes, Heitan was getting along with his four teammates, he was a kind of "tie" allowing them to be a real group. When he died, the group was divided again, even more than it used to be."

Miyabi and Imu understand more than anyone could, a group without solid ties cannot work well.

But Imu noticed a detail she can't believe in Natsuko's explanations

"How could he get along with Ai?"

She asks, astonishing both Natsuko and Miyabi.

"You said he was kind, I don't know Ai very well, but she'd clearly hate a boy like him…"

Imu adds.

Natsuko seems to understand Imu's doubts, so she decides to reveal something else about the dead shinobi.

"That's true, but heitan shared a common trait with Ai…"

Natsuko starts, hesitating for a brief moment before finishing.

"He hated good shinobi."

It doesn't really surprise Miyabi and Imu, it's not rare for evil shinobi to hate the good ones, and vice-versa.

"I remember that time when I fought good shinobi at his side, believe me, his face corrupted by rage is the scariest thing I've ever seen."

Natsuko adds, shaking a little because of the fear.