6. ๆ็ดข้
Seiji
Seiji closed the curtain doors behind him. Tsukino stood up from the wooden chair for the last hours, trying to come up with ideas to get everything back to normal without her father. She believed her father was kidnapped by Itachi Uchiha along with Mimori. Tsukino had just found out everything about Itachi with the help of Stone shinobi who had come to help and she has never been angered by such. How did I not see he was danger from a mile away? How could I be so dumb?! Releasing her fists, Tsukino stood at ease and gave Seiji a rolled map.
Seiji already knew this coming.
"I want you to do this mission since you're one of our finest ninja in this village. You have to bring Mimori and the Headmaster alive and well, do you hear me?" The Headmistress ordered with a rather calm tone.
"I hear you loud and clear, Tsukino-sensei." Replied Seiji.
"Bring no more than three other ninja with you and be on your way quickly. I reckon that gaijin won't get far, though my expectations would be betrayed. He's one of the Akatsuki and so you're no match for him, so try not to get into combat with him." Punching the bridge of her neck, she heaves out an infuriated sigh. "Go."
The boy bowed respectfully before exiting the tent, heading straight to his friends to deploy them as his squad members for the mission.
Hiro is sitting around a live bonfire with the other young clan members his age. While everyone was smiling as they try to enlighten each other's moods, Hiro was crying silently as he faced away from the group, trying his best not to be caught doing such an unmanly doing.
Seiji arrived after a few minutes. He only greeted the chattering group and walked past them although they invited him to join them. However, Seiji wasn't interested in them. Claiming the space beside Hiro on the log, Seiji placed a hand on Hiro's shoulder, making him jumped.
"Are you crying?" Seiji asked, trying to get a peak over the servant boy's face.
"No." Hiro groaned as he slapped Seiji's arm off. Seiji gave him a piece of clean fabric from his pockets but Hiro refused to accept. "What are you doing? Do you think I'm weak just because I'm crying!?" Shouted Hiro. Everyone in the group turned to him, making him feel more ashamed than before now that he's been seen crying.
Taking off into a sprint, Seiji lets him go, knowing all too well he needed some alone time. I just hope that alone time won't be permanent, or else it's gonna lead him to depression. Seiji thought, frowning.
"What happened to Hiro-san?" Asked a kunoichi, who's one of Hiro's best friends at school.
"Hello there, Seiji-kun!" Greeted another kunoichi, who was in Seiji's team. She was smiling from ear to ear and Seiji repaid that smile with a return greeting.
"Hello, Asuna. I was wondering if you don't have things to do this week."
Every girl in the group gasped, one beside Asuna teasing her friend by bumping her on the arm.
"W-Why do you ask, Seiji?" The girl asked, her cheeks reddening.
"I'm forming a three-man team to join me on a mission which I've been tasked with by Headmistress Tsukino. I'm gonna find and save Mimori and the Headmaster."
"Mimori was kidnapped, too? Well, obviously." Asuna muttered loudly, rolling here eyes. The boy beside her pushed her off by the shoulders. "Don't speak to Mimori that way, Asuna-chan! She's the Munpurinsesu!"
"Tsh. What ever. It's not like she is that special. She can't even do at least one simple jutsu although she has the most powerful chakras of all!"
Seiji crossed his arms. He had no choice but to hire her despite that she's one of the fine shinobi he knew. "So, Asuna, are you in or not?"
"Oh, I'm so in, Seiji! Only if the next and last person you're gonna bring isn't Akio."
"I was planning to bring Hiro but thank you for suggesting Akio."
"Huh!? No! Don't bring him with! I hate him!"
"Asuna, he's our teammate."
"I don't care!!!"
"Then if that's the case, I'm just going to unhire you and find another strong ninja around who'll be happy to-"
"Okay! Okay!" The girl sighed. "Fine. I just wanna travel again, with you." She sent me a wink and a flying kiss, in which both Seiji was able to dodge from.
Mimori
"Itachi..." Moaning his name, Mimori gave up her footing and let her body fall off to the ground. She was so tired from all that walking that she couldn't feel her legs anymore. There was a good reason why she chose to remain in high school than to transfer to the Academy. Mimori didn't like doing physical activity, be it light or vigorous. Not that it would be a reason to hate her, but it is due to her health. She doesn't only like doing anything including running, swimming, etc, but she also can't, which makes her hate it more, and herself.
"Get up. We're almost there." Itachi ordered from the front, never breaking a sweat. He narrowed his eyes at the horizon. "I can make out a few buildings at the horizon. It should be a town no longer a click away from where we're standing now." He explained.
Mimori tiredly got herself back up. "That dango you gave me is making me so tired." She said, yawning.
Bemused, Itachi smiled and knelt down to the ground. "Hop on my back then."
Mimori hummed questionably, but didn't hesitate to do so. She locked her arms around his neck, making sure she wasn't choking him. Mimori didn't expect him to be able to carry her so effortlessly once he lifted her up, keeping a tight hold on her knees.
"You're pretty strong, Itachi-san!" Mimori said, giggling.
Itachi smirked. He remembered giving his little brother, Sasuke in piggy back rides as well when he was still little. It's all in the past now. The best thing to do is to continue moving forward. Itachi thought cold-heartedly as he started walking forward again, the white-haired girl still giggling behind him.
"The sun is almost gone." Mimori muttered after an hour of walking into a wide stretch of forests later. They're still in the path, though Itachi is still standing his guard since he's heard of the forests of the Land Of Earth has the most dangerous forests among all of the countries. It's all full of gargantuan reptiles such as snakes. Most of them are failed illegal experiments from scientists who've gone mad. "Itachi, haven't I seen that tree before?" Mimori whispered, her head hung on his shoulder, as she pointed at an ancient-looking tree ahead of them.
Itachi stopped, heeding on her question. "Good observation, Mimori. You're not that dumb after all."
"Dumb? Seriously!?" The girl complained. She was about to smack him on the head when a crow appeared in front of them, making her yelp. Her voice echoed throughout the whole forest, forcing him to put her down. Mimori began to whimper in fear. Itachi keeps himself vehement despite Mimori being unbearably annoying at the moment. "Find it." He said to the crow. The crow nodded curtly before flying away out of the small clearing and into the darkening woods.
The sun had completely disappeared, leaving Itachi no choice but to activate his sharingan. We've been going circles all around this god-damned place. It must be a genjutsu, Itachi thought. No matter. It's not like it isn't my specialty.