A/N: Things are heating up. Because it's a slow boil. Really, really slow. Boil Something. I dunno.
"Say." Yukio spoke aloud as he leapt from branch to branch alongside Denji. The boy himself was pondering things about not only his Dreadnaught Armour, but other possible jutsu he could create or enhance upon. He had been occupied by these thoughts for the past hour and a half, so much so he nearly fell a few times, much to Aika's amusement. Denji turned his head in response to Yukio.
"Yeah?" Denji raised an eyebrow. He figured that if anyone would let someone think unless it was important, it'd be the one guy who did that. Constantly. In fact so much Denji had resorted to asking Aika if Yukio was able to talk since Aika enjoyed hitting him on the back of the head. Perhaps a bit too much.
"Do you ever get the sense things aren't as they seem?" Yukio suddenly asked, his jacket flipping in the wind. Denji remembered when Yukio stopped wearing them since a lot of what he called poorly written books had the long coats being worn by bad main characters. Since then Yukio picked thinner, shorter jackets.
"Sometimes. Like two years ago. But not a whole lot." Was Denji's answer. "Why, you feeling something's off?" They landed and leapt from the branch with Yukio being silent, as if weighing each word before he spoke it aloud.
"Maybe. It could be something's off. It could also be just from two years ago, like you said." Yukio pinched the bridge of his nose either in agitation or just repressing the memories of what happened with Kohta. Denji couldn't tell either way. "It doesn't matter. Just a feeling." Yukio brushed off his own concern and focused his vision to the horizon, as Aika and Arine were behind them. Aika had decided that Yukio and Denji could lead while she and Arine had "girl time" whatever that meant.
"It's fine, man." Denji smiled to his friend. "Just think of the mission, y'know?"
"Yeah." Yukio exhaled deeply "Yeah, gotta focus. Thanks man."
"No problem." Denji faced forward, watching for when he had to land and leap. He didn't want to fall anymore. Aika's laugh echoed through his skull. It was infectious, in a bad way. Not like it made you want to laugh, it just stuck with you and everyone subject to it. Aika said her teacher was like that, which made Denji think that Aika learned more from her teacher than simple combat. "I get where you're coming from, though."
"Tch." Yukio made the noise like a sort of scoff/laugh. "Hate to sound like a prick, dude, but I'm sure the three of us share the same feeling." The boy finally cracked a smile and chuckled a bit. "Though, let's face it, could've been worse."
"Could've been a lot worse." Denji agreed, smiling back. "Kohta could've held the secret to destroying the world." Yukio laughed out loud at that.
"Nah, that'd be easy. I mean consider half the guys we bring in. They're all 'villains' in stories and they're just crazy people doing crazy things." Yuki's eyes caught a gleam of sunlight and shone bright. "Kinda sucks that those are the easy ones, eh?"
"Couldn't agree more." Denji ducked as a low branch almost snuck up on him. He landed and rose back to his full height on the next leap. "Makes ya wonder what's worse, the crazies or the normal people?"
"Eh." Was Yukio response. "Depends on a few things. Crazy factor and all that."
"It's always the factors, isn't it?" Denji asked, drawing Yukio's gaze.
"You gotta take in all the variables. That's how I win fights." Yukio chuckled. "Also part of how I'm easily able to dodge Arine in sparring, I know her so well that I can predict her moves long before she could make one." Yukio's mouth spread open on the right, exposing his canine. Denji agreed with Aika, the smile was creepy. Made Yukio seem downright diabolical. "And honestly most street bandits use such rudimentary attacks and moves, they're even easier to predict. It's kind of sad."
"I swear, you are like some kind of evil genius some days." Denji joked, making Yukio raise his eyebrows and smile in a oh you think? Kind of way.
"You talk like I'm not." He replied, soon laughing when Denji must've made a confused expression. "Relax man, I'm not evil. Not really good, either." Yukio's smile dipped. "None of us really are."
"What are you…" Denji let his question trail off as it dawned on him about the various things they've done as Aika's apprentice bounty hunters. To start, killing at such a young age. Though one might blame Aika for that more. Suddenly a knife whipped past Denji's face and embedded itself into a tree just in front of him. As he landed he quickly pulled the knife and leapt, unfolding the paper hanging from the knife. In Aika's scrawl, it read
We're being followed. Not sure who. Keep an eye out. Denji's heart quickened in pace when he read it. Followed? Why? And who? Regardless, he tossed the knife to Yukio, who read the paper within a second before he stuffed it in his jacket pocket. If they were being followed, then they'd have to make themselves seem oblivious to it.
"So what else are you reading aside from myths?" Denji asked to Yukio loudly. Yukio smiled low and smug. He got like that recently, especially fighting bandits or rogue ninja.
"Oh, just some wilderness survival books." The boy replied as he closed his serpentine eyes and reopened them, looking back and forth, side to side. "Especially tracking."
"Tracking you say?" Denji asked, trying to bite back a smile. Yukio's thermal vision was incredibly useful. Denji's semi-limited ability to sense vibrations in the earth was only useful when he wasn't leaping through trees. Aika was helping him but he was really only able to get it at maximum if he really concentrated. Another thing to add to his massive list of things to get better at. Regardless, he kept his eyes on the horizon while Yukio scanned.
"Yeah. Gotta visualise." Yukio responded. Denji glanced at his friend and saw him with his hand in the pocket. He was writing quickly where they were. When he was done, he pulled the kunai from his pocket and pretended to fumble it and let it pass from his hand, backwards. "Whoops." He said loudly, shrugging his shoulders. Denji smiled.
"Visualise, he says, dropping a knife." Denji prodded.
"Psh. Aika's got it." Yukio commented. Casual enough, sure. If he did drop a knife, it'd go back and Aika would grab it, or Arine. Either way they'd get the message. Denji, however, looked to Yukio, who was muttering a small tune and moving his head side to side. Not forward and back, but side to side. At one point he moved his head twice to the left then once to the right. They'd been doing this for a while now. Two nods in a direction meant more there, self-explanatory. Then Denji saw his hands. Yukio was preparing a jutsu. It was slow and methodical, but not obvious from a distance. Denji shoved his hands into a couple pockets on his jacket. One of which contained a scroll that held his various heavy weapons. Aika had quite the collection and was more than happy to let young Denji play with them. He became proficient enough, though Arine could wipe the floor with him no matter what. Her skill with that spear was insane.
"Yeah." Denji kept one eye on his friends' hands. When they hit the final hand sign, he'd signal. It was an area jutsu Yukio had been tweaking on and off, something to deal with multiple opponents. Yukio had worked with Denji on timing both on the ground and in trees. If they were in the trees, Denji would throw a knife and slice a branch down, forcing the group to duck as Yukio used it. "Say, that branch up there looks loose." Denji commented idly, readying a knife form his left pocket. He eyed Yukio's hands. Just a bit more…
"I know right? Looks like it could fall down any second!" Yukio made the last hand sign and Denji threw the knife, his aim off a bit, not hitting it hard enough. The branch sagged a bit but not a ton, but it was enough. Denji and Yukio neared it. "Duck!" Yukio called, and Denji ducked, covering his head as lightning cracked above him. Small streams of lightning hit the trees on either side, setting them ablaze and routing out their rats. Several yells were heard and the trailers dropped down, revealing themselves.
"There they are!" Aika called. "It's free game, go for whomever!" Looking down Denji saw four. Perfect. The group began dropping down, Denji making hand signs as he descended. He saw their followers running and had his jutsu ready as he hit the ground.
"Gouging Ground!" Denji slammed into the ground, his hands pounding the earth beneath him as spikes of rock and hardened earth erupted before the pursuers, stopping them in their tracks. They turned and saw the four as they landed. Denji rose, on the far right of the group, Yukio to his immediate left with Aika after him.
"Some tails? Who would have the gall to send you?" Aika asked them. Them was a group of three guys and a woman. All were wearing tattered black cloaks and, beneath that, black shirts and loose grey shorts. The woman had a tank top on it seemed. The closest guy had close cropped brown hair. He was thin and tall, his cheekbones high with green eyes that looked hungry. The next guy had longer black and grey hair though his face was young. He was shorter but stockier with blue eyes. The third guy had the oldest face with long blonde hair in a ponytail that allowed his brown eyes to be visible. The woman had simple black eyes with black hair.
"We were just looking for an easy meal." The brown haired guy responded, his body language defensive. The blonde tried to take a step back but Arine threw a knife so fast, he never saw it until it sprouted between his feet.
"Don't even try it." Arine scolded, grabbing her spear from her back holder and spinning it in her hand with ease. The blonde looked at her angrily and opened his mouth when Arine shot forward, thrusting her spear. The guy jumped back to avoid it and nearly impaled himself on one of the spokes Denji had made.
"Look out!" Yukio called, pulled both his spears as the girl pulled a whip out and struck it at Yukio as it was alight with electricity. Yukio thrust his left spear out and the whip, made of chains, wrapped around it. Yukio had to concentrate, but he nullified the electricity. The woman frowned heavily. If she was using a jutsu, these guys were rogue nin. Fair game completely. Denji saw the guy with black and grey hair making a move on Yukio and ran to intercept. The guys' hands were making hand signs but Denji full body tackled him to the ground. He threw a punch but the guy moved his head, letting Denji hit dirt. The guy kicked Denji off of him and rolled away, standing. Denji was already picking his weapon. He pulled the scroll and it unravelled and he put a hand to the image he had in mind. In a puff of smoke, he was holding a massive polearm with the head having one side be a hammer and the other a sharp axe blade. Denji leveled it at the guy.
"Come on." Denji taunted. The guy made his hands signs as Denji went for the swing.
"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!" The guy put his hand to his mouth and blew, a massive ball of fire erupting from it and shot towards Denji. The boy adjusted his aim and slammed the hammer-axe down right before him, channeling his chakra and raising some of the earth in front of him up just as the fire ball hit, exploding. Sweltering heat surrounded him as the fire dissipated and Denji started forward, bringing the hammer back with a grunt and swinging wide, hitting the chunk of earth he raised and sending it careening to the guy he was fighting. He rolled out of the way but his leg was clipped. By the chunk of earth, sending him spiralling over the ground as the dirt mound shattered against a tree. Denji ran at the guy, turning the weapon around to use the axe blade. He got a running start and raised that weapon over his shoulder and swung at the rogue nin who was still on the ground, clutching his leg. He saw Denji and managed to roll out of the way as Denji sank the axe blade into the dirt with a massive downward swing. Denji tried pulling the weapon from the ground and found it was quite stuck.
"Shit." Denji muttered as he looked out of the corner of his eye and saw the guy making his hands signs. "Shit, shit, shit." Denji muttered as he rolled out of the way of another fire ball, making hand signs of his own. He finished and slammed his hand into the ground, bringing up a set of three connected earth walls before him with a second in front of the first. Just in time as another fire ball hit, shattering the first one. Denji cringed. He had to work on stability. Then it hit him that these walls were good for something else. He hand a few quick hand signs and made his right hand into a claw, all fingers curled, and slammed them into the middle wall. "Earth Style: Power Shot!" the wall cracked and crumbled from his touch, but the force shot hundreds of earthen pellets at the fire user and ducked behind his other of the remaining two earthen rectangles. He heard screams and Denji grinned. Bit of impromptu wasn't bad. He glanced around and saw the guy cut of something fierce. He was bleeding all over but was still moving. He got up shakily and tried to limp away.
"Grah!" Denji heard and looked to his left. Yukio was locked in combat with the lightning whip girl, and she was keeping him at bay. Not good. That whip was proving difficult, Yukio couldn't get near and he didn't have a ton of long range jutsu. Denji saw Yukio throw some needles, but the girl was quick and whipped them from the air. Denji looked back to his limping adversary and saw he hadn't gone far. Denji used Power Shot again, showering the guy in sharp stone fragments, knocking him down. Denji ran over and picked the guy up, now noticing the shards sticking from his body, by the torso and swung him around before throwing him. Denji felt his shoulders burn as he saw the guy sail towards the girl and hit her full force out of nowhere, knocking her to the ground. Denji ran up as fast as he could, seeing Aika parrying her opponent, the brown haired guy, with her katana, seeming almost bored. Arine has knvies sticking out of her opponents' shoulders and torso as he tried using wind jutsu but she kept disrupting his hand signs.
"Dude, you okay?" Denji asked.
"Yeah, fine." Yukio panted. "Thanks for the hand."
"No prob." Denji breathed as the girl shoved her comrade off of her as she brandished her whip.
"You deal with her whip. Get that out of the way, I'm good." Yukio relayed quickly.
"Sure thing." Denji nodded and made his hand signs, slamming his foot into the ground once he was done, bringing up a stone wall. "Power Shot!" he slammed his hand into the wall, sending the shards as he dashed forward right after them. The girl side stepped, unknowingly into Denji's path, and slashed some of the rocks from the air with her whip just as Denji reached her, grabbing her arm violently and bending it up at the elbow. The woman screamed in pain as she dropped her whip and pushed herself from Denji. Yukio was behind her, his hand already alight.
"Lightning Blade!" The small blade of lightning sprouted from her chest, sending out a waterfall of blood from the hole as Yukio pulled his hand away. The woman fell forward, dead, as the guy Denji had wounded and thrown was now trying to crawl away. Yukio opened his mouth but Denji stopped him.
"I got this." He made the hand signs and slammed his hand into the ground. "Earth Style: Impaler Pike!" from under the guy, a thin spike of earth shot up through the man's abdomen, ending him quickly.
"Brutal." Yukio commented as they heard someone shouting. They turned and the older blonde guy was running towards them, bleeding from several places, when a red spear shot forward and impaled the guy to a tree just a foot from him. Through the heart, dead on. Denji and Yukio turned to see Arine walk over to the man and pulled her spear from him in one pull, letting his body fall to the ground. She held her spear to the side and looked to the two boys, raising an eyebrow as if inciting comment.
"You guys deal with yours?" she asked, sounding bored.
"Yeah." Denji answered, pointing to the two bodies behind them. "Pretty easy."
"They didn't seem well trained." Yukio commented, rolling his eyes. "I mean these are rogue nin, they're generally better than this." He looked at the one slumped face first into the tree, the blonde guy Arine impaled. "I mean you won't see me screaming and running from someone who has a spear."
"Well let's get these three piled up somewhere." Arine sighed. "Last thing we need is people following us. Besides" she nodded past the boys. "Aika's almost done." Denji turned and saw Aika was simply parrying her opponents' wild knife strikes with her sword. She was so bored she even yawned.
"That's gonna come back to bite us." Denji sighed as he walked over to the guy he impaled and picked him up in one move, holding the body in his arms away from himself so that what remained of the blood didn't wind up dripping on him. Yukio just grabbed the arms of the girl and dragged her over to the tree where Arine's kill was laying. She had simply dragged it to behind the tree and left it. Denji walked over and dropped his guy on top leaving Yukio to drag the girl up over the other two, with some effort. Denji and Arine stood back and watched as he had to do a full body pull back to get her body on the other two, causing him to stumble back and fall on his ass. Denji snorted and Arine smiled at their friend as he quickly got up and brushed the dirt off himself. He glared at them and Denji tried to stop be he couldn't keep himself from smiling.
"Have some trouble?" Arine asked, biting her lip in an attempt not to bust out laughing as she slid her spear into the holder on her back, something Arine had bought some time ago.
"Yeah. No thanks to you two." Yukio commented. Denji suddenly remembered he had a massive polearm stuck in the ground some feet away. He looked and there it was, handle up in the dirt.
"I gotta go get that." He sighed.
"Let's see what Aika's doing with the guy. You can join us when you're done." Arine ordered as she started to where Aika had her opponent disarmed. Yukio followed, giving a smile to Denji while Denji himself walked over to his hammer axe and pulled out his scroll. Giant weapon, only served to hurt the guy's foot.
"Not that fantastic a match." Denji said to himself as he put the weapon back. Maybe a lighter weapon next time, like his Warhammer. That wouldn't get stuck in something unless he hit something with enough force to shatter what he was hitting. After rolling the scroll up he made his way over to Aika, who seemed to be waiting for him.
"Maybe pick-" she started when Denji interrupted her.
"Another weapon next time? Yeah, got that." Denji held a hand up before he got more from her. "So we get anything?" he asked, looking to the frightened man who was sitting with his back against a tree, his eyes wild and switching between the four of them.
"We were waiting for you." Aika answered her eyebrow raised, sword still held at the man's throat.
"By all means, go ahead." Denji motioned to the guy, who flinched.
"Fine." Aika turned to the guy. "So I'm gonna assume your comment about a meal earlier was simply bravado?"
"Wh-what is it to you?" he stammered. He was shaking badly.
"What kind of joke is he?" Denji heard Yukio whisper to his right.
"Okay" Aika sighed, lightly poking the guy in the neck with the tip of her blade. "So just tell me who hired you and we'll let you on your way."
"I'd rather die before I tell you anything!" the guy screamed suddenly. Denji rolled his eyes and he heard Yukio sigh.
"Bit melodramatic." Arine commented, looking up. Denji was beginning to realise this guy might be a bit crazy.
"Do you really want to die?" Aika asked him. She looked the guy right in his eye and smiled. She pulled her sword form his neck and crouched down. "I'm going to ask you this again. Do you want to die? Do you really, really want to die to protect information that is, when you think about it, quite honestly meaningless whether we know or not. It'd just be mighty convenient. Now I could do it quick. Slash of the throat, decapitation, through the heart. Or I could go slow. Pull out your ribs one by one, flaying, gouging out your eyes, any number of things really. So why not give us a simple scrap of information that you really don't have to be so gung ho about." Aika kept her smile as she kept going, her eyes boring into the poor guy who was beginning to realise what he had been sent after. His eyes widened as Aika described how to kill him, Denji could see his shaking wasn't letting up.
"J-J-J-J-J-Jin!" the guy exclaimed out loud. "Jin sent us! He said you were trouble!"
"Ugh." Yukio bent his head back and sighed loudly. Arine put her face in her hands and made an ambiguously irritated sound. Denji himself let out a low sigh, rolling his eyes. Aika lowered her head in aggravation. Looking to the guy, he seemed confused.
"Wh-what?" he asked.
"He's been going after us for so long!" Denji complained.
"Like, the past year." Arine responded.
"The past fourteen months, two weeks." Yukio clarified. "He's sent group after group on our missions because he's in the bounty network. He knows what missions and the obvious routes we'll take." Yukio let out an aggravated sigh. "It's getting annoying."
"More than that." Aika sighed as she rose. "The fact he has terrible quality assurance means we get annoying upstarts who've just begun the bounty hunting game like yourselves after an experience warrior and her students who are going to be far stronger than anything he sends at them."
"He's jealous." Yukio commented. "We're too good at this, we're outclassing the people he's got under his ring."
"How long has it been since he became the leader of that bounty hunter group?" Denji asked his friend.
"Fifteen months. It was a couple weeks before he started going after us." Yukio adjusted his backpack as Denji cracked his knuckles. "Ever since then we've become a threat as he put it."
"Which is why, as usual" Aika sheathed her sword. "You're gonna live, go to Jin, that smug ass, and tell him that, once more, he's sent an incompetent group of rookies to take down those far more powerful." Aika glared down at the guy. "Got it?" she asked, her voice deadly and low.
"Y-y-yes!" the guy shouted a bit too eagerly as he got up and ran from the area, leaving the group to stand there, grumbling over the irritation they were suffering. Again.
"You'd think he'd give up." Arine spat as she adjusted her spear holder.
"Give him credit for persistence." Aika commented dryly. "He isn't one to give up. How long was-"
"Fourteen months, two weeks." Yukio answered before she even asked. "And no signs of stopping."
"Should we take him out when we're done here?" Denji turned to Aika, curious as to why they hadn't done it yet before remembering that despite his persistence, Jin was just an annoyance.
"Maybe." Aika responded as she looked up to the trees. "Let's just head into the nearest town and ask around about Kurata before we decide anything."
"I agree with Aika." Yukio stated. "One thing at a time or else we become overwhelmed." He put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "But for the love of- he needs to stop."
"I know, I know." Aika agreed. "But for now, let's keep moving. The more time we spend standing still, the more ground we lose. Ready to move?"
"I am." Denji answered.
"Yeah." Yukio sighed.
"As ever." Arine replied.
"Good, let's move." Aika started, leaping up followed by Arine, then Yukio, then Denji.
Anri was hefting a pouch of coins she had snuck out of an older mans' pocket. She was unconcerned as to why he had the money, just concerned at the amount. She needed enough to hunker down for a couple days and to fund the next leg of her trip to the Land of Lightning. Or maybe she should go to the Land of Waves? It'd be on the other side of the continent and it'd take authorities a far longer time since the Land of Waves, if she remembered, still had tight border control and legally any authorities would be tied up if they tried to enter. Unless things had changed. She'd ask around.
Anri walked to her hotel and entered her single room, closing the door and sitting down against a wall. She opened the pouch and counted what she had pilfered from the elderly man. Inside was an incredible amount of gold coins. Anri raised an eyebrow. Quite a lot in such a small pouch. Regardless, it'd be useful for funding. For now at least. Once it ran out, she'd procure more. It was easy. Men had a lot of money, were easily duped, and never thought twice about it until it was too late. And to think some women she'd spoken to said men were useless.
"Well they have their uses, depending on the situation." Anri commented idly to herself as she closed the pouch and hid it in her pants pocket. She'd grab a meal later today. Now she had to purchase a couple of small travelling bags to hold things such as weapons. Seduction was nice but it got stagnant after a while. Intimidation was a nice change of pace, in Anri's personal opinion. Plus using seduction constantly was stupid, even with changing appearances. Authorities would establish a method of operating and track her down easily. She had to stay away from people for a while until her funds ran out. That was a more randomly generated interaction, made even more random if people were alternated with various ways of getting money. Swindling, seduction, force, etc. If she did that, she could avoid capture for quite a long time. Hopefully.
That pesky Kazekage could possibly track her down, but he wouldn't leave the village to track down one criminal. His role was to defend unless war were declared, but Anri doubted wars would start over her. Unless the Hidden Sand declared war on which ever place she wound up inhabiting. Anri almost found that amusing.
She stood and pulled the hood over her head before going out to make some purchases before she left the next day. She had to be prepared for anything.
"Are we there-"
"Shut up Denji!" Arine yelled back at him. Denji snickered at what he'd been doing for the past few minutes. Aika hadn't gotten on him so Denji kept at it. It gave him amusement since this trip was quite boring, all things considered. A fight here and there was nice but sometimes he needed some simple humour.
"You never do know when to stop." Yukio commented to his right. Denji looked over and chuckled.
"What? I can stop any time." He turned, about ready to ask again.
"You see?" he stopped and looked back to Yukio, who was giving him one of his smug smiles. "Like a book, I know what you're gonna do before you even do it."
"You've literally spent the past two years perfecting that skill." Denji retorted. "You've gotten too good at it, at least with us. I mean you've told us how many times not to take a specific step or else we'd trip and you've been half asleep?"
"More than I can remember." Yukio admitted, that grin still on his face. "Regardless, know when to yield, okay? Last thing we need is for Arine to wipe you of her spear." Yukio chuckled as he turned his head forward. "Besides, my skills aren't exactly precise."
"What are you talking about?" Denji scoffed. "Dude I've seen you read a book and kick some guy into the dirt." A book later revealed to be an erotic novel, which Arine berated Yukio endlessly for. Aika just grimaced, surprising since had it been anyone else, she'd have made a quip.
"Listen, I can make a general assumption based on just sight, seeing what the person's wearing, wielding, etc." Yukoi waved his hand dismissively. "That's just general stuff and I can pick how to counter it best, but it's far from precise. After a bit of duelling and recon, I can make a more precise decision and act upon movements and such, but people are unpredictable." Yukio suddenly set his mouth in a firm line. "Makes me wish I had that Sharingan Aika's talked about."
"Sharingan?" Denji raised an eyebrow. It sounded familiar, Aika probably mentioned it when he was dozing off at some point.
"It's a kekkei genkai, like Arine's little mist trick" he flicked his hand in Arine's direction. Yukio was starting to wonder if he was ever so slightly jealous. Super intellect, no special family trait. Must stick in his craw. Denji smiled a bit. He didn't like it but he sometimes felt like the odd one out and this gave him a bit of confidence that he could catch up to Yukio. Some day.
"Sounds familiar." Denji responded, tilting his head to either side to pop his neck.
"It's the trait of the Uchiha Clan in the Hidden Leaf. Allows them to not only predict their opponents moves down to the most precise measurements, but they can even copy jutsu." Yukio rolled his eyes. "It's kind of like cheating. But kind of not too since it's, you know, in them guaranteed."
"Damn, sounds powerful." Denji could only imagine what he could do with that. It'd make him take more calculated moves to start. Or just flaunt it. Flaunting it was fun.
"Yeah. And Aika says it can be upgraded, upgraded!" Yukio held his hands out like he was strangling someone. "Something like that is already incredibly powerful, but they can upgrade it. Ludacris." He sounded bitter now.
"Well, I mean, you're doing well for someone who doesn't have it." Denji tried consoling his friend. "Look at you, you've probably out witted many an opponent without even drawing a weapon."
"Yeah, I know, but-" Yukio bit his lip and sighed through his nose. "I mean think about this: say we face someone with the Sharingan and you two are in trouble and I can't counter that." He was getting flustered, even Denji could see that. "I won't be able to stop them and you two will…" Yukio pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Look, dude, calm down." Denji reached out and grabbed his friend's shoulder with a firm grip, to yank him out of his thoughts. "That shit's all hypothetical. Okay? You just gotta go with the present flow. Predict people's moves, not the future, okay? Because otherwise you're gonna be huddle in a ball in a room, muttering about things you can't predict because nothing has indicated they'll even happen." Yukio kept his nose pinched for a second before he sighed and released it. Denji could feel the tenseness in Yukio's shoulder leaving as he let go.
"You're right. You're right, I have to stop worrying or else I'll become a raving lunatic." Yukio sighed again and smiled. "Thanks man, I needed that. A lot." He bumped wrists with Denji and Denji suddenly felt a bit proud of himself. He'd practiced that in his head several times and never really said it in full. It felt good to help Yukio. Now if only he could figure out what was up with Arine…
"No prob." Denji looked up and saw that the sun really was starting to head on its way down. "Hey Aika!" he shouted.
"Almost there you ingrate!" she shouted back, without looking. Denji heard a snicker from Yukio and rolled his eyes.
"Told you…" Yukio taunted.
"Shut it." Denji glared at his friend before going back to Aika. "Thanks for the info!" he shouted. He got an archaic, but effective, gesture thrown back at him with a single finger. Denji rolled his eyes. And Aika said he was immature.
"Seems Aika's in a good mood now." Yukio commented, his mind now working.
"Still trying to work on predicting people's moods?" Denji asked. Yukio had taken an interest in it a couple weeks ago and was taking opportunities to exercise it. However, as Yukio lectured Denji one lazy afternoon, there was so much incomplete data since people were generally singular in and of themselves and it was hard to predict a specific person with pinpoint accuracy unless you knew their buttons, likes, dislikes, etc. Yukio was interested in the niche study of predicting people on a larger scale, but he lacked the tools and funding, something he said he was okay with.
"I have to start small, no?" he said to Denji that afternoon.
"Can't be easy." Denji commented in the present.
"Well with you guys, it is. Kind of. A couple bumps" Yukio looked to Arine with that comment "here and there, but it's overall quite easy."
"Even Aika?" Denji asked.
"Eh. Kind of. She's still a closed book." Yukio revealed, which was obvious to the three of them. "She rarely talks much about her past, but I can learn more about that stuff later." Yukio shrugged. "I think we're almost there. So let's keep an eye on when we're gonna stop."
"Yeah, let's do that." Denji agreed, letting the conversation come to a close. As they leapt down to lower branches and eventually landing on the ground a few minutes from the village by foot.
"Okay there, group." Aika gathered the three of them around. "This is our place for the night. We go searching after we find a room, get some late dinner after that, and then search a bit more until we sleep. Sound good?"
"Sounds fine." Denji agreed, although he would've preferred a rest immediately before searching. However the last time he asked, Aika made him search all night for the perp. He found him, beat him to a pulp, and dragged him to the bounty station in the village for the reward before they even woke up. Then they left when Denji reported in. So he never asked for immediate rest again.
"Good." Aika smiled and stretched her arms up. "Let's get going." She turned and started off, letting the trio follow at a slower pace to simply rest their legs as much as they could.
Anri finished purchasing a set of kunai knives from a dealer who she blinked at a few times for a discount. Might as well not spend more money than she needed. She grabbed the knives and pocketed them after paying and left the small shop, heading straight across the street and through and alleyway before turning left and making her way back to the hotel. She'd keep a few on her but, for now, she'd pack the majority in her room to simply avoid people catching her packing several knives.
She entered the hotel, her head low as she spied a group of people at the main desk working out a room, something Anri had no interest in and tuned them out as she headed down the hall and entered her room, quickly shutting the door and locking it before opening her main travelling bag. She opened her knife pouch and pulled five of the fifteen she bought and kept them in her jacket pocket, a brown jacket with a hood she'd purchased in town, along with some worn black pants and an evergreen shirt. Something simple and nondescript. Inconspicuous.
Anri sighed and looked around the room. One big bag, a couple small pouches she'd add later… or rather now. She grabbed the kunai pouch she'd bought and strapped it to her right thigh, sliding a couple of the knives in while pocketing the other three. There. Done. Anri checked the rations of preserved food she'd purchased alongside some spare clothes and some food pills just in case. You never knew. Anri leaned back against the wall behind her and felt the day's work catching up to her. Looking around, the locked door and prepared things, she could afford a small nap. Then purchase some food later.
Anri was about to close her eyes when a noise was heard from behind the wall that penetrated her calm. Several footsteps walking into the room behind her, no voices aside from one muffled one that was either purposefully quiet or just courteous, Anri couldn't tell. The one voiced continued until there was a loud thump and a loud female voice screaming
"You moron!" while another, deeper male voice responded
"Sorry! Sorry!" several times. Anri stood and walked over to the small closet in the room and pulled a sleeping mat and a pillow out and set them in the middle of the floor before laying down on them and falling to sleep quickly, ignoring the sounds from the room over.
"I swear!" Anri muttered over the table.
"I said I was sorry!" Denji complained at Arine. The three of them were seated at a table in a small barbeque restaurant while Aika was out doing something. She said she'd be back, but the trio was still sitting there, waiting for her to return so they could order.
"Look, Arine" Yukio said from the boys side of the table "he apologised, can we please have civility?"
"He almost impaled me on my own spear!" Arine spoke in a harsh whisper.
"I understand, but you can't hold a grudge." Yukio reasoned as best he could while Denji tried not to be embarrassed. What happened was Arine had set her spear against a wall and Denji was, at the same time, having a slight yawn whilst closing his eyes. He walked into her spear, sending it forward, and almost into Arine, who quickly side stepped and let the spear hit with a loud sound. She promptly berated him for it while Aika sighed in irritation. The trio went searching after that and found nought and decided that it was dinner time. It was dark out so the restaurant had some nice, dimmed lighting that Denji enjoyed.
"I'll do whatever I want, Yukio." Arine glared at him.
"Looks, Arine, I'm sorry." Denji tried again. It didn't work. Arine just glared at the two of them until they saw Aika return.
"Something the matter?" she asked.
"Nothing." Yukio quickly spoke up, earning a raised eyebrow from Aika.
"Okay then, that's good." Was her wary but uninterested reply as she sat down. "You guys order?"
"We were waiting on you." Yukio explained. Denji was feeling it in his throat, he was parched.
"Well, no use waiting for me." Aika commented. "But I appreciate the gesture. Some water and pork sound good?" she asked.
"I'll drink anything at this point." Denji sighed. "But yeah, water's good."
"Good." A young waiter boy came up and Aika gave their order to him and he rushed off to grab their drinks. They quickly resumed conversation. "So I asked around, seems that our target has moved on to pastures new. He was here though so we have a lead."
"But we don't have ninken." Yukio objected. "Ten to one he's covered his tracks."
"Oh" Aika smiled. "He didn't." the waiter boy brought their waters, quickly setting them down and informing the group their meal would be there within the next couple minutes before rushing off to deal with other customers.
"What do you mean?" Yukio asked. "Did he leave some sort of physical trail?"
"Well, according to someone I asked, he had a fling with a girl here and wound up deciding that one girl wasn't enough." Aika sneered. Denji smirked but noticed both Yukio and Arine had looks of disgust on their faces. Denji wondered why, it was a funny situation. His libido was his downfall. "Needless to say the girl has spoken to authorities but authorities are a tad limited in how they deal with a criminal."
"What are you saying?" Denji asked.
"We go, make a proposal to the woman scorned, see if she's willing to offer the direction he went, though I'm suspecting the Land of Wind, and if she offers some side coin to do what she asks, we find our target, do as we will, and boom." Aika snapped a finger. "Done."
"Sounds almost too easy." Yukio commented, his voice wary.
"Eh, the easier the better." Aika leaned back. "Aren't you all complaining about things not being fast enough?"
"No." they all said in unison. In fact they had been in a dry spell as of late for bounties and been training more than they wished. Aika raised an eyebrow.
"Huh. Well then I stand corrected." She shrugged her shoulders and took a sip of her water. Denji remembered he had his and drank it quickly, enjoying every wave of the cool liquid that made its way down his throat. He set the glass down with a satisfied sigh just as their server came with a platter of pork slices and a small grill with the coals nice and hot, setting it down in the middle of the large table.
"Enjoy." He bid as he went back to grab more things. Denji grabbed a few slices and set them on the grill while Yukio and Arine only set one. Aika seemed to be abstaining for now. Fine with Denji, more for him faster.
"So how long will it take to get to the Hidden Sand from here?" Yukio asked, eyeing his meat for the right time to turn it.
"It's about another day's trip but it'll be worth it, I think." Aika watched as Denji flipped his meat slices while Yukio waited. Arine was already done hers and munching thoughtfully. "He's sporting a decent reward so that'll supply us for the time being."
"Then will we be able to go on solo missions?" Denji asked. Aika chuckled. It had been a sore point with them. The three of them felt more than ready for solo but Aika still kept them on group missions while she went out on solo bounties for days at a time, leaving them to train on their own schedules. At times it was accepted if they had something to work on, jutsu, moves, etc. But generally it turned into lazing about for an afternoon with a morning of training.
"Not yet. Before I even think about letting any of you solo something, you're gonna do a paired mission with me." She revealed, taking another sip of water. Denji pulled his pork slices off the grill and began eating while setting another couple on. "I want to know you can handle it. Things get dangerous and I need to know you can handle yourselves without support." Aika's expression turned serious. "I'd rather not send you out and wind up burying you simply because you got too cocky." Her eyes suddenly went to the table. "Trust me, being cocky can get you killed. Or worse."
"Seems fair then." Denji answered, earning a glare from Arine. He glared back for once. He learned Aika wasn't incredibly forthcoming with her personal info and learned to let it drop when she mentioned something and got broody. Yukio, and his curiosity, had always felt left out and he wanted to pester Aika. Denji knew because he and his friend had discussed this at length more than a few times.
"Good." Aika agreed, now grabbing a slice and setting it on the grill to sit. "Now he's wanted dead or alive, no preference. However if we do have a promise with that girl, then alive will likely be the better choice."
"If I were her" Arine spoke up, putting a slice of pork "I'd want him castrated and hung up in front of town."
"Not harsh enough." Yukio commented sarcastically as he pulled his pork from the grill, earning an icy glare.
"I didn't ask you." She retorted. Yukio opened his mouth to reply when Aika glared at him.
"Cut it out, the both of you." She ordered and they shut up. Denji smiled and continued eating, pulling his two slices from the grill. Yukio began munching down and he frowned.
"I left it on too long." He muttered, chewing into the slice with fervour.
"Well that'll learn you." Aika commented, drinking some water. Denji finished his fourth pork slice and was going to begin his fifth, when he saw someone walk in. He turned and looked and… holy…
She had absolutely stunning green eyes, a stark pale face which allowed her eyes to come out, hair so dark brown it was almost black, and simple maroon lipstick. She wasn't especially tall but she moved in a way that Denji would later describe as simple but elegant. She didn't move any one part of her body to gain attention, she moved normally. But Denji felt himself captivated. She sat down at one of the booths behind them, his head turning until he was staring at the wood he was sitting on. And even then he kept staring until he felt something hit his head.
"Ow!" he turned and saw Aika frowning.
"Pay attention." She scolded. "What did I say?"
"Um…" Denji was stuck now. Wing it. "Something about the bounty?"
"Semi-right, but no points for vagueness. I was saying we need to get him in a place where his guard will be low, perhaps a bath. We strike, grab him, get our money. You get all that?" she asked. Denji nodded and Aika sighed through her nose in irritation. "Okay then." She addressed the group as a whole. "Now tonight we go and ask the girl and take what she suggests and roll with it tomorrow. Sound fair?"
"Yes Aika." They spoke in unison.
"Good. Now finish up soon. Might as well ask her while she's awake." Aika finished her water and Denji finished his pork before turning to Yukio.
"Hey dude, gotta use the bathroom."
"Yeah, okay." Yukio slid out and Denji got out, heading to the bathroom, keeping the booth sin his peripheral vision. As he walked he spied what looked like the girl in a booth facing the bathroom entrance. He'd get a better look on his way out. Denji entered and did his business quickly since he wanted to catch a glimpse of the girl again. As he walked out, he saw her sitting in the booth, looking out of the window she was seated at. Denji wanted to stop and talk but he pushed himself past her and sat back down, Yukio sliding in for convenience's sake. Arine had one last slice of pork before they decided it was time to leave. Aika paid the bill and they left, heading in the direction Aika said the girls' house was. As they started, Denji felt a hand pull him back by the shoulder. He was met with a grinning Yukio.
"Dude" he started "Don't even think about it."
"What are you talking about?" Denji asked as they started walking, letting Arine and Aika take the lead.
"That girl? Dude, she probably lives here. You aren't going to have much of a chance if you want a long distance relationship." Yukio smiled in the dim sunlight, making Denji nervous.
"Dude, it's not like that." Denji tried to make the excuse but knew what Yukio was gonna say before he even said it.
"The way you looked at her? It was kind of obvious. In the same way Arine can be mildly irritable." Yukio chuckled at his own joke. Denji didn't.
"Well, can't I just appreciate a girl for simply being there and being attractive? Doesn't mean I want to date her or-"
"Have the best night of your life?" Yukio cut Denji off, grinning ear to ear. Denji felt his face heat up.
"What? No!" he rubbed the back of his neck. In all honesty, he could fantasise all he wanted but he got incredibly nervous when the subject of sex was brought up. Not just talking about girls, but when the possibility of him having sex was put into the limelight, he felt embarrassed and exposed. Denji didn't know why but it just was and it was odd to him.
"Regardless" Yukio chuckled as they walked "It's for the best you forget her."
"Yeah, yeah." Denji waved his hand dismissively. He took Yukio's advice on girls with a grain of salt. No offence to him but while he was quite knowledgeable on everything else, girls escaped him. Arine was case and point, though that was the only girl Yukio had ever had extended interaction with so Denji couldn't say he had no experience. It's just that his only experience was with a girl who was incredibly irritable and angry.
"Good. Oh, we're here." Yukio commented, stopping. Denji stopped as well and saw they were standing outside of a small house that was similar to many small houses in the area. Yukio was standing back and Denji stayed with him. Arine and Aika were at the door, Aika knocking. It opened to show a woman with bedraggled blonde hair, a petit figure in every sense, and an angry look on her face. Aika talked to her, asked her questions. At first she seemed cautious until Aika mentioned Kurata's name. Suddenly she became incredibly forthcoming, giving them all the info she could, including the direction he was heading. As Aika suspected, it was the Land of Wind. But what she also added, was the place in the Hidden Sand he'd be staying, something she procured from his journal.
"Oh, and when you find him, I want you to do whatever you want to him. Make him hurt!" the woman's high pitched voice told Aika. She went inside, leaving her door open, and she came back with a small pouch of coins. "Take that as payment. I want to see him broken. A photo if possible."
"Oh I think I can work something out." Aika replied cooly as she pocketed the money. "Thank you for the information."
"No problem. Now, if you'll excuse me." She closed the door and Aika turned to Yukio and Denji, smiling.
"We got us a payment and a goal. We head out early tomorrow. Got it?"
"Yes Aika." Yukio and Denji replied.
"Good." Aika stepped down from the girls' door and started heading back. "Let's get some sleep, okay?"
The Next Morning
Anri shouldered her bag as she prepared to leave. If anyone asked she was a simple traveller. No goals, just travelling where the wind blew. Simple but effective. Odd enough to draw some sympathy but not odd enough to be reported to anyone. If she could find a group, even better. However, she settled for solo travelling, getting on caravans and carts whenever possible. Sliding the door shut as she exited, Anri walked past her neighbouring room and noticed it was dead silent. Maybe they were quiet sleepers, or left.
Thinking of them reminded Anri of the guy who was staring at her last night. She had chosen what she thought would be a muted appearance, dark hair, maroon lipstick, something inconspicuous. Turns out she drew the attention of one boy. He looked about her age and went to the bathroom, using the walk to and from as an obvious excuse to see her. The boy wasn't bad looking, well built, long silver hair down to just above his shoulders, nice blue eyes. Though what took him a few minutes in the bathroom was up to Anri, and she didn't care to think about it. In fact, she wasn't interested in him. He was just a passerby. Someone insignificant.
Anri checked out at the desk and walked outside, feeling the morning humidity hit her as soon as she exited the building. It wasn't going to be a cool day. She was about to pull her hood up when she saw out of her eye, someone approaching… oh no.
"Um. Hi." The boy was as tall as her, and Anri was quite tall. Behind him, she could see an older woman with long purple hair and purple eyes and a cloak over her shoulders, a girl in an evergreen shirt, much like Anri's own, and grey shorts with long brown hair and angry green eyes. Finally, a boy with shaggy white hair parted to the left. He was tall, wearing a thin black jacket, navy blue shirt with black pants, and he had oddly golden eyes with slit pupils. Like a snake.
"Hello?" Anri asked the boy before her.
"Uh, I just noticed you. I mean I noticed you last night too. Um, I mean- um not like…" The boy bit his lip and cracked his knuckles. He was nervous, Anri was wondering why he was bothering. "I guess I want to ask where you're headed?" Anri erected her mental walls and prepared her excuse.
"Oh, nowhere specific." She answered blandly.
"Oh. Um what about the Hidden Sand?" he asked, sounding innocent enough. However Anri went on full alert, putting a hand in her pocket where she kept her knives.
"Why would you ask if I'm going there?" Anri asked, about ready to start cutting.
"Well I mean a girl looking as good as you- I mean not that I'm doing this just because you're good looking- I-I mean not that you aren't but uh-" he stopped talking and took a deep breath. "I just think a lady shouldn't travel alone. Or anyone for that matter. But I mean if the Hidden Sand is somewhere you want to go on your travels, I haven't been there so maybe it could be an experience." The boys eyes seemed desperate. Desperate to win her over and desperate to escape the situation. This boy was offering to take her to the place where she was wanted the most. While he seemed innocent, she wasn't going to assume he should be taken at face value.
Anri then looked to the positives of this situation. If she did go with them, the last thing they'd expect was an infiltration by her back into the village. Much less with a group. She'd do a bit of acting, keep them oblivious, and end them if need be. Anri smiled as she retracted her hand from her pocket.
"You know, that's really sweet." She started, seeing the disappointment in the boys' eyes was almost endearing. "So thanks, I'll take you up on that offer." He seemed stunned.
"You- you will?" he stammered out.
"Sure. I could use some companions." Anri smiled kindly, planning how to get rid of them. She'd have to lean about them, interact. But she could do it, it wasn't hard. The boy smiled wide and stood a bit taller.
"Th-that's great. I'm Denji." The boy, Denji, held his hand out. Anri shook it gently. "Tomoko, though people just call me Tomo." Anri humoured the boy. This could be a fruitful endeavour. Admittedly she was making a gamble, a risky one at that. However she was once told the safe gambles never paid off. She was playing it safe, playing it risky would throw pursuers off. They'd expect a straightforward path from her, not a retraction.
Anri allowed herself to be introduced to the rest of Denji's companions. The woman was called Aika, the girl Arine, and the boy was Yukio. Arine and Yukio seemed to eye her with a combination of curiosity and cautiousness. Anri took note of them and began walking with the group, resolving to get rid of them should they exhibit any signs of being Hidden Sand Shinobi. It wouldn't even be that hard, if she took them by surprise.
It would certainly be an interesting gamble.
A/N: all righty, chapter is done! Not quite a 10,000 word one but I felt it good to end here. Hope you all enjoyed!