The Path A Ninja Walks...
Chapter Fourteen
Targets
A/N: WARNING-The character known as Sage Amesawa uses a lot of profanity and colorful language as part of his "colorful" personality. Be prepared if you are sensitive to that. Please note it is not because I condone such manner of speech, and also the character does not mean to use it as a way to be harmful, it is just his personality.
"TARGETS!?" Everyone gasped with confused expressions.
They were gathered at a dusted over training ground where Saseme did her training in the desert. Her old stomping grounds. There were a scattering of targets placed at seemingly random places around the area, worn down, and had a collection of weapons stuck within them in various places.
"And what...pray tell, is this nonsense you're spouting, now?" Hana spoke out, in an exasperated huff.
"Targets...you know..." Saseme spoke back reluctantly,"Well...it's... a game." she said softly.
"And...that's how we are gonna train?" Hana blinked,"By playing a stupid game?"
Well...this ought to be interesting.
Kokoua pondered with a light smirk.
It's a unique way of training, but what better than a little fun to ease tension among members...
Saseme twitched. The game itself held some signifigance to her, so hearing it insulted didn't sit well with her... still she shook it off and went on to explain.
"This particular game works as training by increasing your throwing skills." she said,"My brothers and I used to play it, trying to beat each other's scores." She said as she ran her fingers over the dusted target pulling out a stray Kunai.
Ah...she said brothers!
Sage blinked.
I see...so she really did have two?
His eyes narrowed with a twinge of sadness.
Then...what happened to them...?
"Sasuke and I especially enjoyed competing with each other with this..."
Sasuke...?
Sage blinked as he listened intently.
That's...her twin right?
Yet...this is the first she's ever really mentioned him...isn't it?
He wondered to himself.
Supposibly they both survived whatever happened that led to their clan's slaughter...
Yet...how come we've never met him?
He began to ponder further with a finger resting under his chin.
Unless...they really do have...bad blood?
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud slunk of a metal point sticking its landing as though Saseme were quickly trying to escape that past.
"Each spot on the target is marked with a score." she began,"Where your weapon hits is the score you earn." she blinked,"If you knock an enemy's weapon out of the target, then you also get their initial points added to yours." She did a quick turn on her heel,"The time limit is one hour. That should be plenty of time to build up a higher score." she said,"We are doing this in our initial set up of teams of two." she said with arms folded,"Losing team prepares the victory meal for the winners."
"As if You will catch me cooking for you losers!" Hana huffed.
"...Well then I suppose you and Temari better band together and hope You will win..." Saseme said with a smirk,"...Now then..."she said as she raised her arm up slowly bringing it down in a quick chop like motion,"SCATTER!"
xxx
"Hmmm...I see...they've hidden well." Itachi chuckled as his arm remained level, signaling his younger siblings to scatter and hide,"Not bad...but still..." He shrugged,"Let's see how the scores match up!" He grinned.
"Gosh Darn it, Saseme stop knocking out my kunai!" Sasuke could be heard giggling ahead of her as yet another one of his weapon weight echos could be heard landing in the palm of her hand after the metalic ker-thunk Of her throws,"I know it's you!"
"That's how the game is played~" She would giggle in return, twirling one of her dear twin's kunai triumphantly around her tiny index finger. Sasuke was by far faster than her. He was physically stronger, and played much harder. Saseme however, clever young twin was she, ...played smarter. She would hang back on purpose. Watching her brother excel before her. And the eldest of the siblings excel even more before him. Keeping up with them was never easy. She had to work that much harder, just to remain in tow. She loved it though, and couldn't be more proud...
I will be strong too...
She would think to herself, focusing her dark eyes of pride hard on the symbol of her family's crest on her twin brother's back.
I can keep up...and be just like you!
"That's time!" Itachi's voice could be heard echoing at the end of the day.
"Come on, Saseme!" Sasuke would say, holding out his hand to her while he took off in a run,"Let's go tally up the scores!"
"Okay~!" She would say back with a smile, reaching for his offered hand...but missed.
Or rather...it went straight through.
...Huh?
The foliage in which they played had disappeared into shadows. Itachi, who waved his arms cheerfully ahead to beckon them home, had all but vanished now. And Sasuke...who ran ahead with his back to her...was slowly fading away...
"Saseme...it's time..."
What?
xxx
"Saseme!" The husky gravel of Gaara's hiss broke through her induced reminescense, bringing back into view the reality from which she actually stood, fully awoken now, by the metalic THUNK of another perfect center.
"...It's time..." he said in a low growl with his arms folded.
"Time...?" she blinked,"Oh! Right!" She sighed,"It's time..." With a quick retrieval of the knife she threw. After time call, she nestled it back into her thigh pouch and latched it closed.
"Well then..." She said with a shrug as she turned to walk back to the meeting point,"Come on, Gaa-chan..." She said softly, offering back her hand for him as she walked ahead,"...Let's go tally up the scores."
"...Hmph." the desert child huffed as he unfolded his arms and walked idly by her, refusing to even aknowledge the offer...
"ALL RIGHT~" Hana and Temari cheered as they clicked their tea cups together in victory.
"This is BOGUS!" Kankuro groaned.
"I can't believe we lost!" Sage sighed with a face plant into the sand dusted table of the desert restaurant,"We SUCK!"
"Come on, Gaa-chan...cheer up..." Saseme chuckled awkwardly sitting next to the brooding sand child, mostly because everyone but her seemed to fear him. Not that they didn't have right reason...
"...Second place isn't that bad...I mean...atleast we're not your brother and Sage, right?"
"First place, third place, neither of these hold any signifigance for me..." he spoke in a low growl with his arms crossed,"It was all a waste of time anyway..."
Saseme sighed in defeat.
"I must say, Saseme." Kokoua chimed in with a chuckle,"A team that was once at each other's throat now sits together in jest in a matter of hours." she grinned,"Well done." She carefully placed herself between Saseme and Hana who sat across from the gentleman of the group.
"...Perhaps now...the real work can begin."
To Be Continued...