The Path A Ninja Walks...
Chapter Sixteen
The Jounin Gather: The Chunin Exams Will Soon Begin!
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.
Saseme...Saseme...
...
"Saseme!" a familiar face, reflection of her own papped her cheeks as her young eyes tried to adjust to the lighting. The room was spinning. A young Sasuke sighed.
"I knew it...you over did it again, didn't you Saseme?"
"Come now, Sasuke...leave her to rest." her mother's gentle humming echoed in the faded memory.
"Hmph...a lady shouldn't play with the big boys..." an old man muttered as he sipped his morning tea.
"Now father...is that nessasary?" Itachi's gentle voice echoed in a muffled distance,"Saseme shows alot of potential as a young ninja just as Sasuke does."
"Yeah, Saseme is the only one my age who can keep up with me on level with training." Sasuke pouted,"No one else is as good."
"...Then perhaps your classmates just do not train well." the father grumped,"Either that...or you are just not training hard enough..."
Sasuke sighed in silence with his sister's hand held tight and warm in his.
Sasuke...
Sasuke...
Sa..su...ke...
Sa...seme...
Sa...se...me.
Saseme...
SASEME!
Her eyes blinked open, waking from a faded dream that echoed her name.
A memory...
She thought to herself.
Been a while since I took the time to be alone with those...
As her eyes came into focus she noticed the color white was everywhere.
White walls.
White ceiling.
A gentle breeze flew in through a slightly open window, fluttering white curtains that brought about the tickle of a scent of flowers to her nostrils. She turned her head slowly and saw a pair of familiar hands handling a vase of flowers delicately.
"...Hana?" Saseme blinked softly.
"Oh...you're awake." she said softly,"Sage is here too...he went to get some fruit incase you woke up."
"What happened?" Saseme asked with the groan of a pounding headache throbbing in her voice.
"You collapsed." said Hana,"Kokoua Sensei said you used too much chakra. The doctors basically said you just needed to sleep." she said softly,"You've been down for a few days...you must be hungry."
As though to prove her accusation, a hardy gurgle sounded from her belly.
"Sounds like I was right on the money~" Sage beamed as he walked in with a fruit basket.
A slight blush colored her cheeks.
"You two...took time to visit me?" she asked weakly.
"Well...we took shifts." Hana muttered,"You did kinda give us a scare."
This time there was a genle flush on Hana's pouty face.
...Even Hana...was worried about me?
Saseme blinked as she thought to herself and closed her eyes, lingering on the faded memories that only seem to come to her in her dreams now.
To think I would see you in my memories again, dear brother...
She thought to herself.
Itachi is ever fading...but you still come across to me clear as day...
I wonder...
Do you see me too?
"Good thing you finally woke up." said Sage as he cut up some apples for her to munch on,"Koko Sensei was saying she wanted to talk to us about something...but she needs all three of us, to do so."
"Really? Something important Sensei wants to say?" Hana blinked,"I wonder what it's about?"
"Who knows." Sage shrugged,"But maybe it has something to do with that important meeting she said she needed to attend..."
XXXXX
A gathering of shinobi collected in a classified location. Chunin and Jounin alike. Primarily the Jounin who had taken on Genin students in training waited side by side in front as they waited for the Hokage to speak of the upcoming events that were about to commence.
I have summoned you for a very important purpose." said Lord Third,"Seeing your fellow Jounin here, I'm most certain you know what this is about."
"It seems rather soon to start, don't you think?" asked kokoua as she stepped in beside a white haired Jounin of the leaf.
"I take it the other lands have already been notified of the event?" said a dark bearded shinobi as he puffed on a cigorette,"I noticed some of their Genin gave already started arriving into the village."
"So then..." said a dark haired beauty who stood beside him,"When do we start?"
The third Hokage sighed taking in a deep breath on his pipe, blowing a slow cloud of smoke from his parted lips before he answered.
"...We will begin in one week." he stated before taking in another puff.
"...That's pretty short notice..." said the white haired male beside Kokoua, a tinge of concern in his voice before the Hokage released another breath of smoke.
"Take heed." he began,"Exactly seven days from today, on the first of July, the Genin will gether and be tested." he stated,"And only the very best will be slected... as Chunin."
To be Continued...