Chapter 12
The sun burned down on the small group as the day began to creep past midday. Kimura brushed sweat from his forehead as Osaka slowly stumbled her way forwards. Tomo was panting as she continued to pull the cart. The two men had ignored her complaints and desperate cries to be replaced. Osaka simply hadn't heard, deep in thought about whether stick insects lived in stick houses. Sakaki had turned around to help but Kimura had merely guided her back in the other direction. Kimura reminded the tall girl that Tomo had stated she'd pull the cart.
"Well then I'd say it was time for lunch, don't you?" asked Kimura. He knew it was unquestionably time for him.
"Definitely" replied Nakasone keenly. He pulled out half a chicken breast, carefully wrapped in cloth. "It's just as nice cool as it is cooked- you just have to make sure that it was cooked."
Tomo eyed the chicken hungrily. She wished she'd had thought of bringing something like that. Kimura had a less spectacular meal- one bread roll and a helping of rice. He placed the meal on his lap and licked his lips hungrily.
"Aren't you going to eat too?" he asked his three students. He turned to Nakasone. "A well balanced meal is critical to a ninja's performance throughout the day."
"Of course" muttered the man, wolfing down the tender meat. "A good meal helps you work, rest and play as they say. Ooh, a rhyme!"
Tomo reached into her own small pack and pulled out a packet of crisps as well as a bottled fizzy drink. She held both in her hands eagerly. Kimura groaned- he didn't believe that particular meal would cover all of the important food groups, proteins and essential amino acids. Sakaki held a specially prepared meal consisting of vegetables, two slices of meat and an apple. She also had a drink of water. Well, that one wasn't so bad. He almost fell back in shock as Osaka pulled out a tin and desperately begun searching for a tin opener.
"W-what is that?" he exclaimed, pointing to the tin. Osaka held up the tin and studied it intently.
"Beans" said Osaka. "The standard meal for a journey out in the country."
Kimura slowly buried his head in his hands. "And how do you plan on eating them?"
"Cooking them over a fire! I even brought a saucepan" said Osaka proudly, pulling out the metal utensil. Sakaki and Nakasone looked surprised, while Tomo congratulated the girl on bringing the cookware.
"So how will you open them?" asked Nakasone as Kimura groaned again.
"Well…I'm not quite sure. Perhaps I could create some sort of device using a thick branch and some stones…"
"Better yet! Tomo chop!" yelled Tomo, smacking down on the tin can. A loud shriek suddenly rang out.
Kimura slowly sat back and began to chew on the roll. Nothing dangerous had happened yet. And his team did seem to be continuing to bond. A few days, hopefully only two at the most and they'd reach the small village where they could rest in an actual bed before setting off for the final part of their journey. Beside him Sakaki was busy wrapping a bandage around Tomo's hand, which had already swelled up. The tin was just as badly damaged, a thick dent resting in one side.
"Kimura-sensei?" asked Osaka approaching her teacher.
"Yes?"
"How should I clean this?" she asked, holding up a kunai knife covered with tomato sauce. Evidently she had managed to open the tin. The dented tin now had a shredded top, like something from a nightmare. Vicious metallic teeth…
"What? That's a component of the basic ninja defence and attack weaponry!" exclaimed Kimura. "It should be treated with respect, not as a tool for opening cans of beans!"
"You're probably right. I'm sorry Mr Knife" said Osaka before walking back to her saucepan. She held up the saucepan, looking at the contents.
"You need fire right?" asked Tomo, looming over the girl holding a match.
"Tomo no!" yelled out Sakaki, even surprising herself.
Whoosh!
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Slowly the group continued on their journey. Tomo was still pulling the cart, her hair slightly singed. She grunted as she pulled the cart along, trying to escape the smell of burnt hair. Stupid fire, stupid flammable hair.
"You know they say beans give you wind?" asked Osaka, burping quietly.
"Huh?"
"They call beans the musical fruit. The more you eat the more you toot. But why do they give you wind? And are there any other musical fruit? Perhaps they play in a band. Would you pay money to see a fruit musical?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Tomo. Her brain hadn't melted yet had it?
"Flatulence caused by beans, the wind of the soul" stated Kimura in a matter of fact manner. "I have been on the wrong side of the dreaded musical fruit before!"
"D-dreaded?" asked Osaka turning towards Kimura, wanting to hear more. "What do you mean by dreaded?"
"You haven't known fear until you've sat in a crowded room among peers feeling like you will explode…needing relief. You think you can pass it off as a squeaking chair- and then the plant behind you shakes!" exclaimed Kimura. "The roar of a tiger is dwarfed by the sound and then everyone knows. Why did I have to have the second helping?" cried the man.
"There there?" said Nakasone.
"I never knew beans were so evil" commented Osaka. "Curse you beans!" she yelled at her bag.
"Kimura sensei" said Sakaki, looking towards the large man they had been tasked with protecting. We're all talking too loudly. Robbers may be out here.
"Oh of course. Better keep our voices down, we don't know who could be following us, or tracking us right now. Remember to keep your guard up. Be vigilant! Be prepared! Paranoia is patriotic!"
Tomo nodded. She may be straining to pull an overfilled cart. She may possibly have second degree burns and blunt force trauma from running into a tree. Hell she may even have dropped her weapons a mile back- but she was prepared. Prepared for whatever may be thrown at her. Unless it was an uber team of vampires and werewolves in which case she had already decided it was better to cut her loses. But save for an unholy union of the undead, she was ready.
"Tomo" said Kimura.
"Yes Sensei?" asked an expectant Tomo. Give me a task! Let me show everyone how well I can do!
"You're doing a good job. Keep pulling that cart."
"Yes Sensei" sighed Tomo in defeat. I just had to go too far didn't I? I just had to offer to pull this damn thing.
"Keep up the good work young Tomo" said Nakasone.
"Yes sir" said Tomo. She gripped the wooden handles tightly. Praise! She knew she could walk faster then the others even pulling this large thing. Sakaki might have an impressive natural stride but she had spirit!
"Lets do it Tomo" whispered the girl to herself. She tightened her grip around the handles and strained her way forwards. Her feet stomped down into the ground, trying to force her body forward. She tried to ignore thinking about how much stress her shoulders could take before dislocating. Slowly but surely though she was speeding up. She started to walk past Kimura at pace.
"Tomo, I do want to return with three Genin you know" muttered Kimura as the groaning girl attempted to speed past with the equally groaning cart. He supposed at least she was building up her strength. He knew he could offer to help pull it for a while. But I really don't want to.
However at the same time he felt concerned. Something didn't seem right. He hadn't heard a birdcall recently; the whole area just seemed a bit too quiet. He was sure of two possibilities- he was either paranoid, or something had scared away the various creatures that should be annoying him with their incessant sounds. He wasn't prepared to believe he was going insane just yet. For the past half an hour he'd been subtly observing the area, hoping to see some form of clue. Tomo had unintentionally been a great help- by turning to speak to her/calm her down he could study the area behind him.
"Who is out there?" he whispered to himself. Common robbers had got more idiotic in recent years. They wouldn't be willing to wait- they'd want to have the valuables in their hands as soon as possible. He didn't believe everyday criminals were following them. Possibly a foe slightly more worthy of respect. But he doubted it would be a major enemy. He was more then a match for most foes- and he doubted a high level Jonin would be interested in the tubby man they were guarding.
He also noticed how Sakaki appeared to be concerned too. The young cat she carried on her shoulder seemed slightly irate, and the girl herself concealed a shuriken in her palm. Osaka was busy disciplining her tinned beans.
In the forest the figure stood watching the small group. The rest of his team stood further back. Those idiots would have difficulty sneaking up on a deaf man.
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Tomo sat gulping in large breaths of air beside the cart. Osaka sat on one of the cart edges, legs moving as she hummed. Tomo noticed almost everyone seemed to be relaxing. Nakasone appeared to be finishing off the rest of the chicken he had earlier. Sakaki sat looking at her new pet. Unbeknownst to Tomo, the quiet girl was struggling to resist the urge to pet the small cat and hug him. Only Kimura seemed uptight, standing up, seemingly looking for something. He could do that if he wanted, she was going to relax. She began to close her eyes when…something! Something odd, a sound she couldn't quite place. She leant up, looking over the cart. She had a strange sensation someone else was close by. Mayaa was hissing towards the same section of forest that Tomo found herself looking at.
"Great, I have the same detective skills as a cat."
She yelled out as a crudely made shuriken struck the wooden vehicle with a loud thud. Osaka fell off and looked up at the cart accusingly.
"Osaka, get over here" said Tomo holding out her hand.
Kimura nodded slowly to himself. It begins.
A man, still hidden in the shadows of the trees appeared at the edge of the forest and stared right at Kimura. Kimura stared back. There were more of them. The question for him was how many more. Across from him Sakaki joined the other girls as Tomo pulled Nakasone down behind the cart.
"A-an attack?" he asked.
"Oh yeah" replied Tomo grinning.
Authors note: Well I think this was the first Azumanga story I put up on this site. I'm currently thinking of cancelling this story. I have got a long term story in plan but at the moment I just don't see the point of putting in my time to try and maintain the standards for no reason whatsoever. I just don't know if anyone is actually reading this. Meh.