Trouble nearly did find them, but not in the way that Hoshi had hoped.
For example, it was not caused, directly or indirectly, by the boy himself. It was another girl, in spiky black hair who had undoubtedly stolen a radish and was in pursuit by a rather angry grocer.
Yahiko, bless his heart, had immediately grabbed her hand and led her away, making it as if the thief was their accomplice, causing Hoshi to stop inquiring about the benefits of rice flour versus wheat from a baker and run, even if they could now afford to pay for some bloody vegetables than steal them.
So of course, rather than letting it escalate and to ease the presence of orphans as normal citizens, Hoshi stepped in front of the man and halted him.
"I'll pay for her, so just drop this time, okay uncle?"
"I ain't yer damn uncle and this ain't the first time that bitch be stealin' from me!" If he didn't know how to use chakra the white-haired boy would have been unsure whether he could handle the bald man with the physique of a builder.
But he did and calmly looked at his face, to which Hoshi simply tossed a fifty zen coin at him and bid adieu, knowing that it was worth two radishes at least.
But the man stopped chase and turned around.
Hoshi caught up with Yahiko soon, whacking him upside the head like the good friend he was and turning to the girl they had saved.
"You okay girl?"
"I didn't need your help!" She snapped fiercely, and Hoshi couldn't help but think how cat-like her almond-shaped eyes were.
Of course, Hoshi did not give into the damsel-in-distress stereotype and was going to mention that she owed them for a favour she didn't want, and her resemblance to cats changed his mind almost. Almost.
"Well I paid fifty-zen for the radish you stole so I hope you enjoy it Miss…?" He gestured with his hand for her introduction but she glared back. Eye-twitching, he offered his name first.
"Hoshi."
The girl's glare was foiled by a sneeze, and she quickly wiped her nose. Yahiko sighed.
"Come on, we didn't mean to offend you. Don't think you owe us anything, really!" Yahiko smiled his smile which made people believe things, even if he sucked with words and the girl was placated a bit.
"Well, we'll be on our way. Let's go, Yahiko." And with that Hoshi offered her both of their names in case she ever got into trouble and needed help, because she was a child the same age as Konan and Nagato and he'd be damned if he did nothing while there was something he could do.
They turned and began to walk back to the marketplace, when she spoke. "Asuka."
And when they turned around, she wasn't there. The boys shared a look, shrugged, and carried on. It was time for lunch and their usual meet-up, so they met up at their hideout. Konan and Nagato were already there, sharpening the kunai and shuriken they had scavenged from the areas of known battles.
"Good afternoon." Hoshi greeted, turning his plank to show a familiar toad. Yahiko followed suite and asked what was there to eat.
"Good afternoon Niisan." Nagato replied. He wiped the kunai he held with a rag and set it on the floor amongst the many lined in a neat row. Besides it were shurikens set in a spiral, no doubt Konan's flair.
"There is fish." Konan told Yahiko. The orange-haired boy sighed.
"Not that I'm complaining but it's been fish this past week."
Somehow, Konan had found a cookbook regarding fishes and, now that she could comprehend it, wanted to try everything she could. Nagato wasn't the biggest fan of her cooking, but knew better than to mention Hoshi-niisan cooked better and Hoshi himself indulged her.
"Well, you're free to eat something else." Konan huffed from the kitchen.
"But it's cheaper if you cook it!" Yahiko countered, joining Nagato in weapon maintenance. Hoshi snickered from where he was practicing fuinjutsu on a scroll, trying not to say he was stuck in the presence of a married couple. But it did save money, and they needed every zen they could save, every spare weapon they could find.
Konan must have heard Hoshi, because a knife pierced the squiggly spiral he was practicing. "Hey! What did I say?"
"You were thinking it." Konan retorted. "Nagato, set the table."
Today it was tomato fish stew, chunks of spicy fish floating in a viscous red soup. Hoshi gripped his chopsticks horizontally, the angle insufficient for anyone to jab them lethally into his mouth. The bowl was gripped from the side rather than below so he could let it fall, rather than have hot soup thrown into his face.
The things Jiraya-sensei taught us. Hoshi wondered.
"I wonder if I added the right amount of peppers?" Konan pondered as Nagato set the bowls down as she poured the servings from a pot. Yahiko sniffed it curiously, and then took a bite of the fish.
"Not bad." He said, and then went back to eating.
Hoshi, somewhat a fan of cooking shows in the world behind, had more to say though. "Hm, splendid appearance, although a mint leaf or two on each bowl would make for a nice finishing touch," he intoned and rubbed his chopsticks.
Konan waited patiently as he tasted the dish, smiling wryly at the white-haired boy's antics. He did the weirdest yet nicest things, and one day she would figure out just where he got his outlandish ideas from. Nagato didn't voice his opinion much except the positive points, Yahiko was appreciative but always too hungry to care much, but Hoshi always took her efforts seriously.
"Oooh, spicy. Filleted beautifully, not a single bone in my mouth, so I can chew it without any hesitation, did you use chakra? The texture of the stew sits beautifully on my tongue while I chew, each bite filled with flavour. But the pepper is a bit strong, although perfect according to my tastes." Hoshi finished.
Nagato took a bit and indeed felt the spiciness, reaching for a glass of water. Hoshi sighed, flicking the bottom of the glass and causing more water than the boy had intended to go down his throat. "Foolish little brother, what did I just say? Add a little water to your bowl to dilute the taste."
Nagato nearly pouted, but did as told. "You're mean sometimes."
"Sorry~" Hoshi patted the redhead's noggin, but was not the least bit contrite.
Konan scribbled a note to add less peppers next time in her cookbook. They ate with light hearted chatter, Hoshi joining in rather than just being an observer as he used to be. He was also a lot less patronizing nowadays, Konan noted. Perhaps due to them managing to beat him in training at times.
Then again, Hoshi spent a lot of time studying, and in practicing fuinjutsu so it was natural he was starting to get a little left behind. Apparently he had noticed it too, because after washing the dishes he called for a full on spar with Yahiko.
Nagato meditated, eyes drifting in random directions, observing things beyond the comprehension of everyone he had ever met with his eyes. He would be distracted whenever Hoshi would use chakra, because for some reason he was indistinguishable from untrained civilians until he actually used a jutsu, and ponder about it.
Konan meanwhile tried to practice her aim and channel chakra into her kunai. It was coming along, slowly albeit, but she had made her mind to practice a hundred throws with each hand in ten minutes regardless, with or without chakra.
The girl still kept her situational awareness on the world around her, including Hoshi and Yahiko's spar. No explosive tags were allowed but it was interesting to watch. In terms on ninjutsu Yahiko held an advantage due to his chakra control and nature, but Hoshi was much more agile, especially with his flaming taijutsu style that made him lethal at even medium ranges.
("The flames of youth!" He declared once. The others just sighed, thinking he had picked up the mantle of being crazy in lieu of Jiraya-sensei's absence.)
Yahiko spat a water bullet at Hoshi which he dodged, surging forward with a haymaker that the other boy side-stepped, responding with a kunai to the liver. Hoshi's own was suddenly there to meet his with a clang held in reverse-grip, and by rotating his wrist he pushed Yahiko's away with kick to his chest for good measure.
Yahiko flipped through hand seals as he landed and Hoshi's follow-up punch was blocked by a small pillar of ice-cold water from the ground. Ignoring it, he teleported through it and use the surprise to launch into lightning fast combo, getting a solid hit at Yahiko's ribs and shoulder.
But Yahiko trapped Hoshi's arm and broke into his guard, sucker-punching him, and then driving an elbow through his stomach. The smaller boy spat blood directly onto Yahiko's face ("Dirty!" Konan yelled, still flinging kunai) and struck beneath his chin with his palm, the upper cut lifting the orange-haired boy's toes off the ground.
Gritting through the pain Yahiko chopped Hoshi's neck with his hand, a second after he was socked in his stomach. The two boys fell to the ground in exhaustion, weapons littered everywhere and covered in cuts and bruises beneath their clothes. Noticing the end of the fight, the other two orphans ended their practice ran up to them, Hoshi managing to sit up by himself by the time Konan reached him.
"You don't hold back, do you?" She sighed exasperatedly, examining his face in her hands. She didn't think Yahiko's punch would have leave a permanent mark, but a little ointment would be helpful. Hoshi smiled back at her. "I can't afford to. Yahiko is a tough opponent."
"An eye for an eye, chibi." Yahiko retorted, dusting himself. Hoshi twitched at the nickname.
"Well, I'm the one who has to fix you up." Konan shook her head. "What will I do with you boys?"
"You don't nag at Yahiko half as much." Hoshi said wryly as she pulled away and lifted himself up by her proffered hand.
"Don't change the subject." Konan hissed. Hoshi winked at her and succeeded in getting a flustered expression.
"You know what I need?" Yahiko said, cracking his back and sighing deeply. "A sword."
"Hm, sounds like a good idea. I could use one myself." Hoshi flexed his bandaged fingers. While he incorporated shurikenjutsu to some extent in his style, he didn't have the accuracy to make it a big part of his repertoire. Kenjutsu, though, might fit right up his alley.
"It can also help to extend your short reach." Konan remarked offhandedly, and Hoshi elbowed her stomach. The white-haired boy was a few inches shorter than her, to say nothing of the other two boys.
"I'm not short! It's you who is needlessly tall." Hoshi pouted moodily, sticking his hand in the pockets of the shinobi pants he wore underneath his yukata.
"Yahiko, did you hear something?" Konan turned to their leader, who was trying to stifle his laughter.
"No," he said, shoulders shaking. "Did you?"
"It seems to be coming from near the ground." Konan carried out while Hoshi fumed, stomping off ahead of them. Nagato's mouth twitched into a smile while Yahiko laughed outright now.
"Gits, the lot of them." Hoshi muttered to his self. First they ran willy-nilly, helping people with ninjutsu and now this. Well, it didn't get any worse than that.
"So I was wondering," Yahiko began as they entered their cabin. "We should all get the Ame headbands. We can defend ourselves now, even against strong opponents if we stick together. How about it?"
Hoshi looked at him like he had grown a second head. "And, pray tell, what do you think a forehead protector symbolises?"
He had an inkling of what Yahiko meant, though.
"Well, we have to open up people to the idea that shinobi can be kind. Isn't that right, Konan?"
Konan snorted, "You're only kind to pretty ladies."
"You know what I mean!" Yahiko spoke through gritted teeth. "We need to become players in the game on a wider scale. Sure, we are not going to war this time, but we need a better system, one that actually uplifts the shinobi of Ame rather than remind everyone of Hanzo's shadow whenever they see an Ame headband."
Hoshi bit back his response at Yahiko's weirdly mature words. A system of warring nations thrived off patriotism and Rain was no exception, as Jiraya had once told them. What Yahiko wanted was to wear a headband, as if it would make him a player on the world stage.
While information about Hanzo was scarce, definitely on purpose, so were the faces and names of the shinobi under him. It was a small village with no other ninja with a wide claim to fame as was of the shinobi of other villages other than the Kage.
There was just the leader, the Salamander Summoner.
Suna's Puppeteers. Kiri's Swordsmen. Konoha's Sannin. Kumo's Dual Units, Iwa's
What did Ame have to compete against the inhuman multitasking puppetry of Sasori of the Red Sands, the adroitness of the White Fang, the titanic mist swordsman Fuguki Suikazan, the Kumo Jinchuuriki with unheard mastery of his Bijuu, and Iwa's Explosion Release squad, not to mention the bloodline limits possessed by the various clans that inhabited these villages?
Hoshi did not want to wear a shinobi headband at all, especially an Ame one. He did not want to step into battles with shinobi of developed villages if he could help it, even with Nagato's Rinnegan.
In all honesty, the orphans hadn't been inside any of the posh cantonments of the Ame village. There was wealth, but it was unequally distributed. The village's military was its most functional institution and provided security for middle-class and above settlements at all times while shinobi randomly patrolled the other, remaining areas.
There was a civilian Council which Hoshi had learned about, which was to help the shinobi collect taxes and also discuss proposals for facilities and other issues that cropped up. The problem with that was everything had to pass through the village leader, and the council was composed of mostly reach, central residents of Hidden Rain.
So really, Hoshi had let his own bias from the anime influence him. People did oppose Hanzo, yes, but they held a greater contempt for the Council, the way politicians were derided as nothing but no-good thieves in his old world, misusing public money.
And the educated population of the wealthier districts were not fond of Hanzo, or rather what the mysterious figure represented. That a shinobi would always be at the top of the chain, ruling the village. That the civilians, the greater part of the population, wouldn't be let into the fold of policy-making.
Policies which were currently focused more on innovating technology for the benefit of the few by the many, and preventing the outside world from getting such technology.
When Jiraya-sensei had said Ame lacked sealing experts, he forgot to mention that instead we have damn good engineers.
"-shi, HOSHI!" Yahiko's punch was absent-mindedly deflected by Hoshi, but it did gain his attention.
"How about we be sneaky and hide the fact that we use chakra like we are currently doing, helping the old, and the needy like we used to be?" Hoshi answered.
"Man, we need to get more people to join us. More shinobi." Yahiko added. "Can't do that by just performing random charity. We know ninjutsu, for the Sage's sake!"
"I do believe Niisan is engaging in what Jiraya-sensei called Low War," Nagato said dryly. The other two besides Hoshi looked at him. "Keeping our heads down and not drawing the attention of the enemy while we handle him."
"And if any shinobi who pillage the houses at night within the village were to be confronted by us without wearing the headband, we would garner unnecessary attention," Konan spoke softly. "But, imagine for a moment, that instead we only wear the headbands while confronting foreign shinobi? I've information of three houses which were looted by enemies, and two of them are now…unoccupied." She trailed off, but they got the meaning.
Hoshi looked grim, albeit convinced. "I think that can work." From the anime, what he recalled was the trio wearing around headbands during the day. But at night, when the broken areas were less than protected should anyone sneak past the borders?
They had the power to stop it. He had the power to stop it. And he would make it count. But for now… Hoshi whipped out a scroll and in one single flourish, which he may or may not have practiced extensively, unfurled so it covering the length of the table, stopping just before its edge.
"Who's up for learning another language?" Hoshi grinned. The Korean alphabet was the most logical and easiest one to teach, and the grammar much simpler than any other language he knew, like English.
"For secure communications. Jiraya-sensei didn't teach us about making codes or anything, but if we use another language as a base, we can get something reasonably secure." Konan deduced at once, and Hoshi titled his head to her.
"Got it in one, Konan. Let's start at once, and get those damn headbands tomorrow."
"You really are a foreigner aren't you?" Yahiko said dryly. He couldn't care less though. Hoshi was Hoshi, the eccentric short boy with too many ideas to spread.
"Of course I am." Hoshi replied in Korean. Three pairs of eyes blinked. "Well, let's get started then." He switched back to Japanese.
Nagato's Rinnegan Log:
Written upon Hoshi-niisan's insistence to record what I can observe with my eyes.
Things I cannot do:
Anticipate or predict taijutsu or ninjutsu
Copy and replicate taijutsu or ninjutsu instinctually – I believe that relies more upon my intelligence
See all around me and through solid objects
See chakra networks within a body
Things I can do:
See well beyond the range of others, up to several thousand meters. Hoshi-niisan wants me to hunt birds someday.
Observe in great detail, enough magnification to count grains of rice in my bowl.
Clarity in darkness, takes no time to become accustomed to the darkness like others.
As far as the eyes go. Other things which Jiraya-sensei attributed to the Rinnegan was the fact that I face no difficulties with elemental affinities, including yin and yang chakra...
Elsewhere in Konoha, a weary Hokage stamped the final set of papers needed. And would not be needed for a long time after this particular event, as the war-time divisions were on the cusp of becoming active in a few weeks.
Hiruzen eyed the list of participating genin, coming to stop at one particular prodigy. The son of the late White Fang, Hatake Kakashi. What kind of showing would he do, now that his father was no longer there to fight for Konoha? Showing no hints of the exhaustion he felt, the god of Shinobi lit his pipe, and inhaled deeply.
Let the chunin exams begin.
Liked it? Hated it? Review! An update after a long time, but considering my other crappy SI fic is getting more attention, you can judge my priorities xD but also, sorry for the short Konoha side. No Sannin scene. Just an indication of what's going on.
