Chapter 21 and a half
Tomo Takino, a young girl with dreams of glory has spent several years in training to become a ninja…a large portion of that time spent retrying the same exam. However after getting a lucky break she finally passed and moved on to…another stage of training. However she found herself team up with the quiet Sakaki and a slightly odd girl known by most as Osaka. After some help from Tomo herself they found themselves on a higher level mission, only to find a fierce killer tracking them. Their final battle is coming to occur. A battle against the odds, in which they must harness all their skills to survive.
And now for something completely different.
"How-much-further-is-it?" gasped out Kaorin as the small group marched along the narrow pathway, gnarled trees stretching out above them, blocking out the sun. They were bathed in near twilight, despite it having just approached midday.
"Oh, it should only be a few more hours" said their team leader Lie. "Just think, very soon we'll have another fabulous mission completed! Won't that be marvellous, another super victory for team nine."
"Ah man, why do we have to be bloody transport mules?" asked Haru out loud. He ignored the tut noise that Lie produced. "Surely there must be more important things for us to do then transport some paper and gems?"
"Haru!" said Kaorin, "We aren't supposed to talk about that out in the open."
"Why not?" asked Haru. He mumbled something under his breath as he adjusted the large backpack he carried. Lie didn't make a noise this time, but instead took in a deep breath as though preparing for a speech.
"In case" said Lie sticking up a thin finger, "There is a very large chance that people are following us- assuming that we have the items. However if we actually talk about it in the open, then it confirms that we do have the items. And that wouldn't be super at all."
"Fine, fine I won't talk about it any more" said Haru, "Jeez you don't have to give me a lecture about it."
"Oh sorry, was I talking too much, I do talk too much sometimes, it's just that I have things to say" said Lie. "And besides, you have all been doing so great that after we finish this mission I'm going to allow you to have a break."
"Y-yay" said Kaorin panting slightly as the heavy bag on her back began to take its toll. She could certainly do with some time away from the travelling and threats hanging over her. And hopefully Sakaki might be waiting back at the village when she returned. She could only hope. A faint smile crossed her face as the thought passed through her mind.
"Ah so you're looking forwards to a break from this crappy manual work too?" asked Haru, Lie looking slightly hurt, standing behind the boy. Kaorin came to a sudden shocked halt, and shot Haru a panicky glance. She didn't mean that at all, she was enjoying helping out the person, she was offering a service. Why would Haru say something like that…
"What? No-I didn't say anything like that; I just could do with a bit of relaxation. That's all" said Kaorin in a hurried tone. She felt she had to explain herself, make sure Lie understood.
"Ah, miss Kaori knows what she is talking about" said Lie in a happy tone. As Kaorin smiled again Haru shot her a dirty look. She pretended to have not seen it. "It looks like Miss Kaori will be getting a little treat in terms of food when we arrive at the town. Unless Mr Tendo has anything to say about that? Any reason to challenge it?"
As usually was the case Tendo remained silent, not saying a word, but having a look that suggested he thought Kaorin deserved it. Lie looked at Tendo for a fleeting moment but knew he wouldn't get a reply. He had grown use to that by now.
"Oh well, onwards we go" said Lie. "And don't worry Kaori, when I spend my money, I spend it properly. I don't believe in the cheap option. However unlike miss Yukari, I can remain out of debt."
"Oh ok" said Kaorin. "I look forward to it."
"Oh and Kaori, please don't tell Yukari what I just said. She scares me."
"I understand." That was true. Kaorin certainly knew about that.
The bespectacled boy poked at the small fire with a stick, and sat back as he watched the small embers gracefully float through the air. Their very simple mission had come to an end already, and now the small group found themselves enjoying the outdoors. He looked across at one of the other male group members, Goro Anno. Goro was quite muscular, but was in fact a slightly bookish and shy person. He held up a thin stick, which had been used to pierce through a brown sausage, and he slowly began to eat. He stopped suddenly and looked across with a pained expression.
"I've gon' dit again" he said, "I burn' dey tonne."
"Here, have some water" said Chihiro, handing across an unopened water bottle. His large hand took hold of the bottle, dwarfing the slender hand that Chihiro possessed.
"'Tanks" replied Goro. He gripped the thin stick tightly in one hand (having already dropped one sausage) and began to gulp down the water.
"Though there has been something that has surprised me" said Ohyama.
"Oh, what's that?" asked Chihiro, before gently taking a bite of her cooked sausage.
"Quite a lot of the people who passed this year were girls…we had two groups that were all girls, and two groups with two males and two girls. Seems a bit strange."
"Done at random" grunted their team leader, who was sitting away from the others.
"Huh?" asked Ohyama.
"The groups are chosen at random, there is not independent choice. Kimura spent a while trying to get that Kaorin girl on his team" stated Hayao. "It could have ended with two all girl groups, one all boy group and a mixed group."
"Oh I see" said Chihiro. She didn't say much more. Hayao scared her a bit, and certainly wasn't the most sociable of the elder ninja she had met. Yukari, while a bit scary at least seemed approachable. Hayao had the air of seeing the group as a chore. And on top of that, the man also had a unibrow. She had narrowly escaped using that word to describe him, when asked by a townsperson what he looked like. She'd been lucky, considering he had been standing behind her at that time.
"I tell you, I'm not looking forward to the exams that are probably going to happen soon" said Goro.
Chihiro choked on her food and started coughing. Looking upwards with tears streaming from her eyes finally swallowed the food. "Exams? What exams?"
"Chunin exams…but I don't really know much about them. Just that they exist. And somewhere along the line we'll have to do them."
"Oh great, sounds like fun" groaned Chihiro. "More exams."
"Yeah and I hear there's both written and fighting exams" replied Goro.
"And-well there's something else" said Ohyama speaking up. He glanced around as the others stared at him.
"What?" asked Chihiro.
"Huh?" replied Ohyama.
"What's this something else you just mentioned?" asked Chihiro.
"I have heard rumours that people have died from taking part in the exam- been killed by other students or the environment itself."
"Die? People have been killed?"
"It's true" growled Hayao in his gruff voice. "I'm going to have to help you all out so it doesn't happen to you."
Chihiro was silent for a moment…Hayao cared about them? Well…looking back on it he had been looking out for them all this time- she guessed. Perhaps cared was a bit too strong a word.
It's been a while. It's been a very long while. Hope you're willing to accept me back :p- R.O.TR