Seven Months of Genin life
Mika almost shook as he left the village, his first C rank was today. He strode along in the back of the team of older genin, one Elite jonin and a small caravan consisting of a man with medical supplies from the Leaf and a horse. A man named Enji Sarutobi lead them all, strong and large with thick brown hair and a cruel light. The man had explained to him, hours early, that he was to-
'Be quiet and patch us up as needed and maybe you'll be allowed on other missions.'
Mika had heard of others not being so fond of medical ninja, but he found he could not care less. He was on a mission and that was what mattered. Here it was to be that his skills were tested, all of them. He was to prove that he was worth the money needed to train him. He would be the person he aimed for, and show them all that he was worth every ryo.
They were walking through a forested glen, with soft reddish leaves and a cool breeze. It was actually a beautiful day.
"Keep your eyes sharp." Enji started, cold and grumpy as seemed to be his norm. "You can never fully anticipate an ambush, so always be prepared for one!"
"YES SENSEI!" The young Genin called out as one.
Mika, sensing their displeasure, nodded. "Yes, captain." The man may have been rude and obtuse, but his statement was solid. His hand never left the hilt of his blade, his eyes cold and sharp, sweeping the periphery, his senses aware. He had never been so grateful for his sensory and medical training, they kept him more aware than most to smaller details.
The mission was almost boring for a time, and then, to everyone's shock, they were suddenly ambushed by not one, but two Rock Ninja Squads. Eight Ninja to their five, it was not favorable odds. They shot out of the literal earth, like moles popping their heads out of the dirt. Chakra, strong and sharp, filled the air as they grimaced at them all.
Enji did not waste a single moment, his hands moving through several signs. " Formation six! Grand Fireball Jutsu!" The man called out, and a massive fireball fled from his lips, smashing through the hasty mud wall three of the enemy ninja created. The man's raw power ripped through the air, heat radiating as far back as Mika's position. It was incredible to see him turn such a simple jutsu into something so... scary.
During the first strike, Enji's genin popped into formation, each on one side of the caravan while the oddly calm delivery man rested in his caravan...
Mika frowned, blade drawn, eyes sharp. 'Something is wrong...' And, to his lack of shock, the caravan driver moved with high speed, a kunai in his hand, reaching for Enji who saw nothing.
Grateful for his weight training, Mika moved, and he was there, slamming his frame into the driver's side, sending him flying away. As the man tried to recover, Mika rammed his blade into the man's shoulder, tearing it out before slamming his fist into the driver's temple, knocking him out.
Everyone, even Enji, stopped to stare. "You saved me?" Enji asked, looking oddly interested for the first time. "Good boy, maybe you are worth something,..."The man moved, with speed and taijutsu prowess the Sarutobis were known for. He made shockingly fast work out of the idiots who made the mud wall, proving his status as a elite jonin was well deserved.
The genin, Enji's genin, fought their own separate ninja while Mika tied up his own target with ninja wire. He was actually feeling rather good about it all...
Which was when the caravan exploded, shrapnel, sound and fire ripped through the air. Reds and whites and oranges flooded the world. Mika felt something sharp zap into his stomach before he slammed into a distant tree, ribs creaking under the raw force. With foggy eyes, he realized with great sadness, the entire team had been killed, Rock Ninja and all...
With all he was, he placed a healing hand on his wound, stabilizing his belly as much as he could before falling out of consciousness and into darkness.
His last thought, before all went away, was... 'Why did this have to happen? Enji was just finally starting to respect me...' Some time passed, occasionally Mika would come back to reality for a sliver of a second, only to be dragged back to down to the depths of unconsciousness. This went on and on for some time until a bright warmth shot through the darkness, soothing the ache of longing and giving him the strength to open his eyes to the painful brightness of fluorescent hospital lights.
The Hokage and Iida were there, startling him just a tad.
"Young Mika, you survived such a terrible ambush." Iida started, smiling at him with worry.
The Hokage nodded, pride and sorrow in his eyes. "I had your mind examined when it was not certain if you would survive, three days ago when you first were found. We know what happened... you saved Enji and tied up his attacker, before the caravan exploded. You managed to barely heal yourself before passing out. No need to speak on this, just rest." The Man approached. "I am sorry to say that the others have perished in the attacked...but, if there is such a thing as a silver lining in all of this, the man that betrayed us and set up the attack... he has been given to Torture and Interrogation to deal with. We have already gained a great deal from him. You served your village well, Mika... despite this tragedy, feel proud of that.
Come to my office in two days, when you are released. I will have your pay and paper work ready."
As the man left, Mika turned to Iida. "He is right, you did well, Mika... you are going to be a great ninja, one way or another... that patch job you did was great, it really is the sole reason you survived... now rest, and we'll talk more later."
Mika nodded, grabbing the clipboard at the end of his bed. "Concussion, three broken ribs, high blood loss, two burns and severe bruising... I am lucky to be alive... I need to be better. I need to be faster,... I got lucky..."
After getting his pay, which included a B ranked bounty, Mika paid his respects at the graves of his fallen comrades, no matter how briefly he worked with them. When he set back to training once more, Mika focused more on his speed, hoping to never be in that position again, not if he could ever help it...
'Maybe I should work on some higher defense... but how? Hm... so much to do. I will keep your words close to my heart, Enji... I will never let my guard down... thank you for that, if nothing else.'
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
This was a joy to write.
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.