Chapter 8
Training had been going well over the past two months. Through many intense sessions I could now finally feel and start molding my chakra at will. Utilizing that chakra was a matter I still struggled greatly with but progress was still progress. For me this simple achievement was huge. It took over a month to reach the state where I could simply sense my own chakra without Misaki-sensei having to stimulate it via transfer. Now that I was able to call upon my chakra, my task was to learn to be able to start being able to move it throughout my body on command. The first step to which was the ability to mould my chakra while performing other tasks.
So following those instructions I always tried to keep a part of my mind focusing on forming chakra no matter what I was doing. Thanks to this I often came off as absentminded to others but I think I was slowly getting the hang of it. At this point I could successfully mold chakra while performing simple tasks such as walking, cleaning and other things where I don't really need to actively think about what I'm doing. Should I have to engage in conversation during these tasks however is when things start to fall apart. I needed to get better at multitasking.
As for the other part of training, body strengthening, that was coming along far more naturally to me. At the moment I was out for a run, something I had taken to doing everyday. I would only run around the block since my body was still too young to get far from home. By this point everyone in the area knew us well enough that Mom and Dad felt safe letting me do this alone. True to his word, Dad had my training weights finished within a day. How exactly he went about it surprised and impressed me. I was given a series of small metal plates that could be inserted into anklets and bracelets. Each plate weighed in at one kilogram a piece for a total of five kilograms per limb. This way I could adjust the weight I was working with and easily go up over time.
Being dumb, I of course went with the max weight on everything. Twenty kilograms total was way, waaaay too much for a kid like me to handle. The fact I could remain standing at all quickly felt like a miracle. For now I had to limit myself so now I only had one kilogram on each appendage. While that seems low, when you're wearing them all day it does add up. In my memories I could see the scene of Lee tossing off his weights, the impact when they hit the ground shaking the entire area. I hoped that one day I could reach that level of physical prowess.
The streets were bustling this morning, even in this more residential block of the village. For good reason too, today was the start of the summer festival. All over the place, decorations had been hung and new vendor stands popping up. The actual activities wouldn't kick off until around mid-afternoon so people were rushing to finish up the last minute preparations. I was looking forward to the festival as well since my folks didn't get out too much. Dad was often busy with work and Mom with Sengo so this was a good opportunity for us all to spend some time as a family.
After completing my last lap, I took a few moments to catch my breath by the front door. Sweat dripping down my brow as it was another scorcher today. "Mom! Dad! I'm home!" I called out once I entered the house. Mom called back from the kitchen so I went to go see her. She was busy tending to Sengo as I entered the room. "Hi Mom!" I said cheerfully, "When you get the chance can we go have a bath? I got really sweaty during my run today." Sadly I was still a little too young to be trusted in the bath on my own despite prior protests, but after a run like that I definitely needed to wash it off. I would have to practically peel my shirt off my skin it was soaked so thoroughly.
"Sorry honey," Mom sad sadly turning to me, "You'll have to ask your father, I think Sengo caught a bit of a cold." Looking to my little brother, his face did look to be a bit on the pale side. As if to punctuate the matter, poor Sengo coughed a couple times.
My heart sank seeing my little brother unwell. Yes I was also disappointed by the fact that it was highly unlikely we would be going out to the festival now but that's life. Sometimes things just don't work out the way you want them to. What was important was Sengo's health. "What can I do to help?" I asked firmly. My little brother was a handful on a normal day, I couldn't imagine how nasty things could get now that he was sick. Mom was going to need all the help she could get.
That, however, was not something she was willing to accept. "You don't have to worry about me," She said reassuringly, "I can handle Sengo. You have the festival to look forward to, I don't want to risk you getting sick too." That was just like Mom, worrying about others before herself.
"But we were all going to go together..." I moaned sadly, sure the festival was going to be fun but I did want to spend some more time with my family.
Mom's smile was bittersweet as she pulled me in for a hug with her free hand. "I know honey," Her words held a hint of regret as she patted my back, "I'm sorry, but like I said, don't worry about me." Mom then pushed me away from her leg so she could use both hands to support Sengo once more, "You should go have fun at the festival, spend some time with Dad." My eyes fell to the floor, Mom needed a break more than anyone and was once more putting everyone else before her. "Hey, don't be like that," She said, trying to cheer me up, "The festival lasts all weekend, if Sengo feels better before the end we'll go together, okay?"
"Okay..." I muttered sadly, not liking the option all that much but knowing Mom there wasn't any arguing it. She was just as stubborn as Dad could be, only in a different way. Dejected, I turned to leave. Dad was probably in his workshop right now working away at another order.
Before I could leave however, Mom stopped me, "Don't look so blue." I turned my head just enough to look back at her, wincing as the mid-morning sun shining through the window struck my eyes. "How are you going to enjoy the festival if you're moping around like that? Sengo and I need you to have enough fun to make up for the two of us you know?" Mom then flashed me the kindest smile, one that would melt the heart of all but the most vile of villains. I felt a small chuckle well up from my chest as I smiled back, not as brilliant as hers of course but one that was enough to show I felt at least a little better. I had to cheer up, at this point me enjoying myself at the festival would be the best thing for Mom.
The workshop was separate from the house but connected via a single short hallway. This helped to cut down on the noise as well as the heat from the forge. The door to cross over was extra thick, again to cut down on excess noise and located by the front door. As I got closer I could faintly hear the rhythmic clashing of metal on metal. Trying to push the door open normally was futile, it was practically wedged in place. I had to tackle the door a few times before it finally swung open. The clanging was significantly louder now in this small hallway. Dad used this space as a changing area so he wouldn't drag soot throughout the house. A fresh shirt and pants hung off hooks on the wall for when he finished working.
A second door, thinner but lined with metal separated me from the workshop now. I rapped my knuckle against it several times, hoping it was loud enough for Dad to hear over his work. After a few moments of no response, I tried again, louder this time. When I still got no response I decided to open the door. I wasn't allowed in the workshop, but if I just stood in the doorway I wouldn't technically be in it would I? As the door opened I was blasted with a wave of heat so intense I could feel the sweat instantly beginning to bead on my face. Inside, the workshop was surprisingly dim due to how powerful the light from the flames were. Dad stood over an anvil, hammering away at a piece of metal glowing a radiant orange. His form highlighted by the burning light of the forge behind him. This wasn't the first time I had seen Dad at work but it still felt like it. There was something mesmerizing in watching him toil away.
Clang clang clang clang. His hammer struck down in rapid succession, each hit precise and powerful. I stood transfixed in the doorway, my tongue caught in my throat as I witnessed a master at his craft. At least, that's how it appeared to me. His every movement was calculated without a single bit of waste, a feat built upon years of tireless effort. And yet, there was something about it all that just felt... wrong. Through the wonder I felt watching him there was this undertone of sadness, like a pin poking at my heart. For all his skill and ability, even I could see that his work was lacking something. There was no spark, no passion. He was simply going through the motions. Little different than a machine designed for mass production.
"Meiko? What are you doing there?" I blinked, coming back to reality. Dad was staring at me, slightly angry, slightly confused. "You know you're not allowed in here, its dangerous."
"Sorry," I apologized reflexively, "Mom said to come ask you to help me take a bath. Sengo's sick so she's too busy."
"Ah, I see. Give me a few minutes to finish this up and be sure to close the door." Dad replied before turning back to his work. I followed his command before I got too distracted watching again. Back in the house I was greeted by the sounds of Sengo wailing. Dashing across the house I found Mom gently rocking my little brother in her arms while tapping his back.
"What's wrong? Can I help?" I asked, quite worried. Sengo was sick after all so I wanted to do what I could to lessen the burden on Mom before I left.
"Its okay," Mom replied to keep me back a bit, "I have it under control." In that moment, Sengo stopped crying. Instead he made a weird burping sound as a thick, white liquid spewed out of his mouth and down Mom's shoulder. "...On second thought, could you get Mom a towel and wet wipes?" Once we had everything cleaned up, Mom took Sengo back to his room to try and have him get some rest. Dad was still finishing up his work so I took the opportunity to practice my chakra control.
The afternoon came quicker than expected. Mom finally managed to get Sengo to sleep for a bit so she was taking the opportunity to get me dressed for the festivities. In preparation for this event, Mom had taken everyone out to get new yukata. The one she found for me was a soft teal with thin, white flower patterns. Personally, I wasn't a big fan of the outfit simply because it restricted my movements, but seeing how happy Mom was seeing me wear it I couldn't bring myself to complain. What I could kick up a fuss about however was her attempts at styling my hair. I normally kept my hair very short which I think complimented it's naturally wild nature, something I inherited from Dad.
Mom was on a mission to tame it. Combing, brushing, whatever she could to bring my unruly scalp into line. There wasn't even enough there to really style. Anytime I tried to complain Mom retorted that this was a rare chance for me to actually dress as a girl and to trust her. When she was finally finished, Mom pulled me over to the mirror so I could see the results. I was shocked, the person looking back at me was entirely different.
Normally I put little thought into my appearance, tomboy would be the best description for how I would look on the day to day. Yet staring back at me was a young lady. I couldn't help but think Mom was a miracle worker. The teal of the yukata contrasting with my red head seemed to cause both to pop with a greater brilliance than normal. Even said hair had somehow been tamed. No longer was it a wild bush with each strand just doing whatever it wanted. Instead it was straight and smoothed, flaring up slightly at the tips. On the left side, Mom had pulled what little bit she could back behind my ear and secured it in place with a hairpin adorned with a large white flower.
I raised my arms, looking myself over. I honestly could not believe that was me in the mirror. "Well..." Mom said after giving me some time to soak it all in, "What do you think?"
I took one more look in the mirror, my cheeks turning pink in my reflection. "Is this really me?" I found myself asking involuntarily.
Mom giggled, "Of course it is."
"... Cute..." It was such a strange feeling. I felt I had been fighting against this simple fact since I had been reborn but looking at myself now it was quite clear. I was a different person now, at least externally. I was most certainly a girl.
"See? I knew you'd like it." Mom said, certain she had scored a large victory here. In a way she was right but I certainly wasn't planning on changing how I was on the average day. Special occasions though...
As I tried to turn to get a look at the back of the outfit I made an important realization; I was going to need to learn how to walk in this sort of outfit. Nearly falling over as my legs were restrained by the fabric, Mom thankfully caught me before I could dirty it on the floor. "Hehehe, careful now." She continued giggling, practically on cloud nine. "I really wish I could go with you today, I'm sorry." The disappointment in her voice was obvious as she sighed.
Awkwardly I waddled out of my room, Mom following beside me trying to help teach me the proper method of moving in this sort of outfit. Small steps, almost shuffling rather than walking. The geta I was wearing was not helping much either. To be fair I was making things more difficult for myself by still wearing my training weights underneath everything. Thankfully, Mom had knitted together some covers so they appeared to be colourful leg warmers and wristbands instead of the shiny metal bands they were.
"Dad!" Mom called out once we reached the living room, "Come take a look at your daughter!" Suddenly, I was hit with a wave of self-consciousness at the idea of actually showing my yukata off to someone else. I ducked behind Mom's legs just as Dad came into the room. "Come on Meiko, show your father how cute you look." Mom tried to encourage me while pushing my back to get me out into the open. Dad stood quietly, patiently waiting for me to muster up my courage. Squeezing my eyes shut, I took a large and very deep breath before nervously stepping out. I could feel my face already burning from embarrassment
"Well don't you look just lovely." He said causing my face to flare up even hotter.
"T...thank you..." I muttered.
Sengo made everyone aware he was awake a short time after my little fashion show. Mom assuring us she could handle it and we should finish our preparations to go. Said preparations were essentially Dad changing into his yukata and double checking his wallet. When he came back into the living room, he was wearing what I believed to be a traditional indigo and white-stripped yukata. I couldn't help but snicker however, even though Mom had gone out and bought everyone a new one, his was still a bit of a tight fit. They just didn't make them for someone of his size. Because of that, his chest was wide open, covered only by his beard which had been braided so as it be somewhat reasonable in appearance. It wasn't hard to imagine the fabric screaming under distress whenever he moved.
Once Dad was ready, we said our farewells to Mom and Sengo and made our way out the door. I still felt a bit guilty leaving Mom alone to tend to my sick brother. I know Dad felt the same, I caught him stealing several glances back as our house slowly shrank into the distance.
Due to the sheer size of the Hidden Leaf, there were several venue areas people could visit. This helped to keep the crowds to a manageable level and giving people an equal chance to enjoy the festivities. The one we were heading to was being hosted in the Yamanaka clan district, Mom said that they always had the best floral arrangements. It was also why I wasn't meeting up with Kiyomi today, she had been roped into helping out with running a few of the stalls for the first day. Misaki-sensei was also unavailable as she took up overtime to work the festival. Her sense of duty was one to be praised, if questioned for it's zeal.
The streets were already bustling in the district by the time we arrived. Various stalls lined the streets, all accentuated by countless flowers. Wreaths, planters, practically any kind of manner of presenting flowers one could conceive were here. Their sweet scents wafting throughout the streets intermingling and accenting the aroma of the various food stalls. Like the two of us, the vast majority of people here were dressed in yukata of various colours and patterns.
This wasn't the first time I had been to one of these festivals and it had yet to disappoint. The festivals in my past life could not hope to live up to the standard set by the village. I could feel the excitement welling up in my chest the closer we got. I had to remember what Mom said, to 'have enough fun for both her and Sengo.'
My senses were quickly being overwhelmed from the sights and sounds. All around me were stalls cooking up food, hosting games and selling items I couldn't decide where to begin. Dad, noticing my dilemma, pointed me towards one of the game stalls. "Hello there little lady," The owner said with his best salesman voice, "Care to take a swing? All you have to do is knock over a target and win a prize!" I was thankful for the step stool out front so I could reach over the counter. I recognized this game from my old world and knew they were notorious for being rigged. Then again, that might not be the case here. You'd have to be pretty dumb to try and run a scam in the open like this in a village where a sizeable portion of the population are shinobi. Simple rigging methods would be spotted instantly.
I nodded firmly and climbed up the stool. Dad placing a few coins on the counter which the owner quickly took before placing three red balls in their place. "Alright, rules are simple. Just throw the ball and knock over one of these targets to win the corresponding prize!" The prizes of course, ranged from extremely cheap trinkets and snacks to gigantic stuffed animals that would be truly bothersome to carry. Instead I eyed a rabbit plush, it was small enough it would not be annoying to carry around and it was safe enough to give to Sango as a present. All I had to do now was hit the target. My quarry sat on the third shelf from the top, off to the left. Picking up the ball I took a moment to line up my shot.
Winding back my arm, I threw the first ball. A red streak shot through the air at my target, striking true! The target wobbled for a moment but remained standing as my ball bounced harmlessly to the floor. "Ohh, nice try! Almost had it there!" The owner said with his sing-song voice. I bit my lip, just one hit wasn't enough to determine if it was rigged, it might be I just had a weak throw. I was lucky enough to hit the target once, chances were I just screwed up.
The second ball went flying, much to my shock it too was directly on target. Once again it wobbled unsteadily but remained standing. "Oooohhhh! So close! One more shot, can you do it?" I could feel my frustration building. Picking up the third ball, I gave it a squeeze. "So that's the trick..." I had been so concerned about the target being rigged and my own skill I overlooked something so simple. The ball in my hand was practically a sponge, the slightest bit of pressure caused it to collapse. No wonder I couldn't knock over the target, the amount of power needed to do so was way more than I had been putting in.
"What's the matter kid? Take the shot, we got others waiting." I took a breath, there was no real point getting upset over something like this. It was just a game in the end, not rigged just stacked. No point getting all worked up over something silly like this. I turned my focus back to the target, the red and white circular rings were the only thing in my vision right now. Slowly, I wound back my arm, I had been slowly building up my muscles and it was time to put them to use. My bicep flexed as I put all my power into this final throw. The ball launched forth faster than before, striking the target once again. Once again it wobbled, back and forth, back and forth and finally falling over.
"We have a winner!" The owner cried out as he took down one of the rabbits and passing it to me. "That's a good arm you got on ya kid! Congrats!" I took hold of the small white bunny, squeezing it against my chest. Excitement welled up, quashing the frustration from before as I let out a little victory cry. I then noticed the small crowd gathered around and realized what I had done. Embarrassed, I quickly stepped down and got out of the way. Dad chuckling while congratulating me on the prize.
"Those were some impressive throws, has Misaki been teaching you a few tricks?" He asked, face beaming with pride. I nodded happily, some of the physical training Sensei had me do was throwing wooden kunai. Apparently I was a bit of a natural at throwing things, a big contrast to my previous life. Back then I was absolutely horrid when it came to throwing or even kicking things. To put it bluntly, I really sucked at sports. Here, my body seemed to be more naturally adept to physical activity. At the very least it had much better hand-eye coordination right out the gate.
Over the next hour or two, I lost track of the time, we hit up a few other stalls. The crowds were dense and only growing as time went on, thankfully we did not have too much issue navigating them. Dad stood a full head or more over the average person so the crowds naturally parted way for the giant passing through. We had decided to take a bit of a rest, neither of us used to walking in geta and wanted to get off our feet for a little bit when someone called out to Dad. Apparently this person was one of his drinking buddies as Dad greeted him heartily. The two quickly getting deep into conversation while I stood awkwardly by. Eventually I tugged on Dad's yukata and told him I'll go take a seat and wait for him to finish.
Across the street from our current location was thankfully a rest area. While it too was quite crowded I somehow found a spot to sit under a small potted tree. Sliding off my geta I sighed in relief, maybe wearing the training weights was not the best idea when combined with the hard sandals. From my spot I could clearly see Dad, waving at him so he knew exactly where I was. The soles of my feet were pulsing as I leaned back a bit, taking in my surroundings. The rest area was a large open alleyway lined with several tables and through the centre were several potted trees wherein I sat.
The tables were packed with people, families and couples relaxing with food and drink or just simply chatting. I hugged the stuffed rabbit I started to close my eyes, thinking I could let myself drift off for a bit while Dad was chatting. After a few minutes my feet were feeling a lot better but Dad did not appear to be wrapping up his conversation anytime soon.
"STOP FOLLOWING US!" A voice screamed out nearby. I, as well as many others, turned our heads to see what was going on. Two older boys, looking to be about Kazuma's age, were yelling at a child with them. A girl around my age from the looks of it. She wore a black yukata matching her shoulder-length hair, her face was covered by a rabbit mask. Despite being yelled at the girl did not flinch. "Seriously, this kid is weird." They scoffed before turning and walking away, the girl following again causing them to lash out once more. "I TOLD YOU STOP YOU DAMN WEIRDO!"
The boys stormed off, the girl remaining in place. As the show was over people returned to whatever it was they were doing. I was going to do so as well when I noticed the child simply wasn't moving. Searching the area, no adults were paying her too much attention. "Is she alone?" I wondered, hands gripping my yukata. I gave it a bit more time to see if anyone was coming to get the girl but when she started walking away I got to my feet. It couldn't hurt to make sure she didn't need help.
"Hey," I called out to her but she simply continued walking. Getting up I moved closer, calling out again, "Excuse me!" This time the rabbit-masked girl stopped, turning back to face me. That was all she did though, remaining frozen in place, body half turned so she could see me. "Umm..." This was a little awkward, maybe the girl was just really shy? "I noticed those boys left you behind, were they your friends or something?" A few moments passed in uncomfortable silence before she shook her head 'no'. "Family maybe?" Again, no. "Do you know where your parents are?" This time the girl nodded. Still I was a bit worried, so I continued the questions. "Can you point to them?"
Once again, the girl took a couple moments before taking action. She slowly began turning her head until she was facing forward again, then continued turning, this time with her entire body until she had made three full rotations. Turning back to me, the black rabbit shook her head negatively. "Oh boy..." I was getting quite worried now, "Are you lost?" She nodded. A very loud sigh escaped me. "Okay, I'll help you find your parents." The girl nodded again, she really wasn't much of a talker. I held out my hand, "Here, take my hand and don't let go okay?" The rabbit stared at my hand, then her gaze shifted to the white stuffed bunny under my arm.
"Do you like it?" I asked, the girl unresponsive. Moving it around, her head followed it's movements. I sighed again as a bittersweet smile emerged, "Here," I handed it over. The girl took it without reservation, hugging it tightly. I then offered my hand again, the girl taking it this time. Her hand was a little cold despite the summer weather. "Come on, I'll get my Dad to help." She followed without resistance, keeping hold of my hand.
"Hey Dad!" I called out as the two of us approached. He had to cut off his friend as he turned to me.
"Yes?" He asked bluntly, a little annoyed.
"Sorry to interpt, there's a bit of a problem." This caught his attention, his slight annoyance disappearing instantly. "This girl here," I motioned to the rabbit-masked girl beside me, "She's lost. I want to help her find her parents."
"Ah,." A smile grew across his face along with a look of respect. He patted my head before turning to his friend. "Sorry, something's come up. We'll have to finish this some other time." His friend was understanding and the two said their farewells. Dad then turned his attention to the little rabbit girl, "What's your name sweetheart?"
As with me, the girl simply stared back at my Dad. To be fair, she may have just been intimidated by his sheer stature. "She doesn't seem to talk much. All I can do is get her to nod or shake her head." I have her hand a reassuring squeeze, "This is my Dad, I know he looks a little scary but he's really very nice and he's going to help us find your parents. Do you know their names?" Nothing, she simply continued staring. I did notice her clutching the rabbit a bit tighter though. "Hey, could you tell me your name? I'm Meiko."
She reacted this time, turning her head towards me. "Mana." A soft voice came out from behind the mask, hardly audible over the noises of the crowd. Mana, the name rang a bell somewhere in the depths of my mind but it was far too vague to put a finger on it. I felt her squeeze my hand back, "Meiko." She repeated my name in that same soft spoken tone. I smiled and nodded back, making a simple affirmative hum. "Ehehe." Mana giggled as she started swinging her arm, pulling mine with it.
"Looks like you made a new friend." Dad teased with a grin.
"Seems so." I replied with a chuckle.
With Mana's hand in my right, I took my Dad's hand in my left and the three of us made our way down the street. Mana skipping and swinging my arm the entire way. Our destination was one of the staff tents, there we could talk with the festival organizers and get word out regarding a missing child. Once more the crowds parting way for my father which made our travel that much easier. Although I quickly found out how my new acquaintance got lost in the first place. Not even a minute after we had set off I was having to constantly pull Mana back as she was distracted by one thing or another. Be it a food stall, game or just a passing animal the girl would deviate from our path and try to investigate it. To her credit at least, she never tried to let go of my hand.
"Mana-san," I said gently as I pulled her back for the umpteenth time, "We have to find your parents first." She appeared to understand as the pulling stopped, although her head fell towards the ground. Even with the mask covering her face I could tell she was disappointed. I turned to my Dad who nodded understandingly. "Once we find your parents we'll go do whatever you want." Mana immediately perked up at this, so fast I had to wonder if it was calculated. I laughed as she started hopping on the spot, really living up to this rabbit motif she had going. "Alright, come on. It shouldn't be far."
A few minutes later we found what we were looking for, located at a large intersection was a large white tent. Inside we could see several festival officials working and a short line of people awaiting help. Our wait was short thanks to the efficiency of the staff on hand. When our turn came up, Dad approached the table and explained the situation.
"Hi, I'm Kenji Hashimoto, my daughter and I found a lost child and were hoping you could help find her parents." The staffer leaned over the table, looking towards the two of us. I pointed with my free hand over to Mana who was busy watching something off in the distance.
The staffer was an older woman, light strands of white were starting to overtake her dirty blonde hair. "What's your name?" She asked, adjusting her reading glasses.
"I'm Meiko, this is Mana. She's the one who's lost." I replied, upon hearing her name, Mana swung back around to face me.
"Mana? Hmm..." The woman looked towards the girl holding my hand, "Nakotsumi right?" Mana turned her attention to the woman, nodding. "Ah, thought so." The woman leaned back in her chair as she turned to Dad. "I know this girl, well, her mother. She owns this wonderful little bakery. Her name is Kei, I believe she is running a stand just down that street." The staffer motioned to the intersection, directing us to turn to the right. "Thank you for this, you're very kind. Mana is a bit of a... special child," Her tone of voice clearly shifting as she tried to find the safest words to describe the child. I felt my lips pursing as I overheard. "Not all there if you ask me, but sweet enough."
Dad thanked the staffer and the three of us were off. Biting my lip to keep quiet over the woman's remarks regarding Mana. Although as we made our way down the street, I found myself mulling over her name. Mana Nakotsumi, it was a name I had heard before, but the question was where. I couldn't recall hearing about it recently, the memory felt older. I was reminded of the time I first met Kiyomi, the feeling was quite similar...
"Wait..."
I looked to Mana who was happily skipping along at my side. Shining black hair, tanned complexion, and that name. It had been quite some time since I last thought about it, I had just chucked Kiyomi's existence to being a simple coincidence there was a Yamanaka girl my age with that name. I had long excluded the possibility of her being similar to me, Kiyomi was just a very energetic kid who wanted to be a ninja. Yet here we have another coincidence, Mana Nakotsumi, I finally remembered, was the name of M's character on the forum.
M was one who really liked pushing the limits of the rules, her character wasn't exactly a ninja in the typical sense, or in almost any sense. The character was instead based around a stage magician and ability-wise, her skills could only vaguely be justified as jutsu. Her character was described both in-universe and out as quite the oddball, something I guess this Mana could relate to in a way.
Still, two coincidences. Both of my friend's characters having counterparts in this world. Kiyomi I could shrug off, but Mana too? How much else might have changed from the story I knew? The more I thought about it the more my head hurt and looking at how this world's Mana was acting, I wasn't likely to get a satisfactory answer anytime soon.
It wasn't long until we found a stand titled 'Nakotsumi Cafe', even at a distance the smells coming from that direction were absolutely heavenly. As we approached, there was a single person working at the moment, a young girl, likely in her teens. Long pink hair tied into two ponytails and wearing an apron with the cafe's logo embroidered upon it over top a deep purple yukata. The stand itself stood in front of the bakery proper so they could quickly restock. Considering the line, that was quite often.
I tried to spot someone who might have been Mana's mother but the only one on site was the teen. "Mana, do you see your mom or dad anywhere?" I asked her, the girl took a minute, spinning and hopping on the spot but eventually just shrugged her shoulders. "That's okay, we'll ask at the stand then." Dad took the lead, squeezing in beside the line and pushing forward. I felt a little bad about the misunderstandings this was causing as people tried to object about cutting in line before realizing who they were talking to and immediately falling silent. "Sorry, sorry, sorry," I constantly apologized as we squeezed by. Sour and angry looks being my only replies.
Once we reached the front, Dad cleared his throat to catch the busy worker's attention. "Ahem, excuse me-" Before Dad could finish, the teen cut him off.
"Listen, you need to wait in line just like everyone else." Shooing him off with a waving motion of her hand.
"No, I-" Dad tried again but was cut off once more.
"No exceptions. Back of the line before I call for security sir." She said, clearly annoyed as she handed off a package to a customer and calling for the next. I would have been impressed at her fortitude when brushing off my dad if she had taken a moment to look in his direction.
I could tell dad was losing his patience as he stepped forward, this time cutting in line purposely. Slamming his hand down on the counter with an impressive control of force considering the feats of strength I'd seen in the past. The fact he only made a loud noise and didn't cause the whole thing to collapse was praise worthy in my opinion.
"NOW LISTEN HERE!" His voice boomed throughout the street, silencing many of the passersby as they turned to see what was going on. The person whom was cut off immediately backed off, contemplating running and the poor girl behind the counter, I could see her life flashing before her eyes as the colour drained from her face. Dad took a deep breath, his voice calm and steady as he resumed speaking, "I'm not here to buy anything. I want to talk to the owners of this shop, I think I found their daughter wandering around."
Trembling, the girl followed Dad's hand as he pointed towards Mana who currently had her masked-face planted into the display glass. "Wait..." Her voice barely a whisper as the spark of recognition flashed in her eyes, "Mana-chan?"
Mana turned her head up towards the counter. "Hi!" Mana replied happily, completely in contrast to the current mood and waving the rabbit plush.
"Oh my gosh!" The girl then turned to Dad and bowed deeply, "I'm so, so sorry! I was caught up and work and- oh! Please come to the side here," She motioned for us to get out of the way essentially. Dad nodded, turning to the crowd behind us, bowing and apologizing before pulling the two of us with him. "I'll be with you in a minute, I'm very sorry."
Waiting off to the side, we watched quietly as the girl got the line back in order and began speeding through the orders. Within minutes she had cleared that massive line and placed a sign on the counter to dismiss further customers while she took a break. After taking some time to cool off and wipe her sweat, the teen girl strode over to us.
"Sorry again about the wait. Thank you so much for finding Mana-chan." The girl bowed deeply as she spoke, "When Nakotsumi-san found out she ran off, taking the only other person working with her. I was left to watch the stand and keep an eye out in case she got back but I got so swamped I couldn't do the latter..." The girl sighed before rubbing her shoulders, clearly exhausted and relieved that she could take a break now. "They should be back soon to check in. Just find a seat at one of the tables, I'll get you something to snack on as thanks, on the house. I'm sure Nakotsumi-san won't mind and if she does, I'll smooth things over." With that, she gave us a wink and made her way into a store behind the stand, the bakery proper.
The three of us luckily found an open table and settled in. I finally released Mana's hand, telling her we were going to wait here for her mom to come back. Mana appeared to understand and set to entertaining herself with the stuffed rabbit I had gifted her. I had intended that to be a gift for Sengo but seeing how attached Mana was to it, I had to consider it belonged to her at this point. There was still time left in the day anyway, I could probably win another later on.
The girl came back out a couple minutes later, three bags in hand. She handed them out with a sweet smile, "Here you go, these are some of my personal favourites." She bowed once more, "I need to get back to work, thank you so much again and I think Nakotsumi-san should be here in a few minutes or so." Bowing once more she sped back into the bakery, likely needing to restock as another line was starting to form again despite the sign.
We opened our bags, I was pleasantly surprised as the first thing that hit me was the sweet smell of cinnamon. Inside mine was a classic cinnamon roll. My mouth began watering so much I had to wipe the excess from my lips. The power my sweet tooth had over me was scary at times, I could almost liken it to a drug. Just the idea of getting something sweet could have me craving it for hours, something Misaki-sensei had started taking advantage of. Dad got a slice of dark-coloured cake, the familiar smell of dark roast coffee wafted over. He wasn't that big a fan of sweets, but coffee on the other hand was something he could not live without. I had to applaud the girl, she had quite the shrewd sense for people's taste.
Mana's treat however, caught me off guard. Instead of some sort of pastry the girl pulled out a small orange stick. I wondered if the kid was being punished for running off, Dad and I got these wonderful baked goods and all she got was a bag of baby carrots. However, the girl was happily wobbling back and forth as she slipped the small vegetable under her mask and began nibbling away. "Okay, never mind. She's clearly an actual rabbit." I giggled to myself as I tore off a piece of my own pastry.
The next few minutes were spent enjoying our little treats. I struggled not to laugh watching Dad clearly enjoying his dish far more than even he had expected. Each bite was slow, methodical and he would lean back in his seat each time looking so satisfied. Just as we were finishing up, our little tranquil moment was interrupted by a loud scream.
"MANA! THERE YOU ARE!" All three of us turned to see a woman of dark complexion and raven hair. She wore a similar apron to the girl running the stand as she came running towards us.
"Hi Mama!" Mana called to the woman, waving happily as she continued nibbling away on one of her baby carrots.
Mana's mother grabbed the girl in a tight hug, "Oh Mana, thank god. I was so worried." She sobbed for a good minute before finally composing herself. "Why did you leave the house!? I told you we would go out later!" Now that her nerves had settled the anger could set in and she was rightly furious. Gripping Mana tightly by the shoulders as the girl stared back at her mother through the small holes in her mask.
"I wanted to go play." Mana replied innocently. Her mother's reply simply being an exasperated sigh. I guess something like this wasn't too uncommon.
"Mana... you need to tell Mama when things like this happen. You can't just wander off on your own."
Mana tilted her head slightly, uttering a quick "I forgot." As her mother moaned.
"Make sure you remember next time. Always tell me or your father when you want to go somewhere." Her tone was firm but I could hear that hint of pleading in the back of her throat.
"Okay!" Mana replied immediately although none of us were completely sure how serious she had taken it. Her mother sighing the telltale 'What am I going to do with you?' sigh.
Her mother then turned towards Dad, "Thank you for finding my daughter, my name is Kei Nakotsumi, I really don't know how I can thank you."
Dad urged Kei-san to raise her head, "Don't worry about that, your helper there already gave us more than enough. Besides, the one you should be thanking is Meiko, she's the one who found Mana-san." He motioned his hand towards me as he spoke.
As Kei-san was turning to thank me we were all distracted by a bit of a commotion coming from the stand. Looking over, an unfortunate customer had their order fall on the ground, spilling out of the bag and now covered in dirt. The teen girl who had so kindly gifted us the pastries was apologizing furiously as she moved to clean it up.
"Oh no," Kei-san moaned, "I need to get back and give her a break." She then turned to her daughter, "Mana, you should go back inside and wait there until I come and get you, okay?" Mana did as she was told, sadly grabbing her remaining carrots and the rabbit plush and starting off towards the bakery. I turned to my dad who returned an understanding smile and a nod.
"Excuse me, Nakotsumi-san?" I chimed in before she could leave, "Could Mana come with us for a while?" Kei-san stopped, quite surprised at my proposal.
"Are you sure?" She asked, hopeful yet wary, "My daughter can be quite a handful, most people don't know how to handle her." Her statement was aimed more at my Dad for sure.
I nodded my head, responding in his stead, "Yeah! Mana is quiet but I think she's really kind. I want to be her friend!" I may have dolled up the whole child act for that line but it appeared to have the effect I desired. Out of the corner of my eye I did notice Dad perk up a bit in surprise himself.
"Really?" I could almost see tears welling in her eyes as a super sweet smile spread across Kei-san's face. "In that case," She turned to Dad who simply nodded and then back to me, "Of course she can. Thank you so much. Mana!" Her daughter had nearly reached the door to the bakery at this point, "Come back please." At her call, Mana came shuffling quickly back to the table, stopping at her mother's side. "Mana, Mama is going to be very busy, I won't be able to find time today for us to enjoy the festival." Kei-san said sadly. While Mana didn't break eye contact, her arms did fall to her sides sadly. "But," Her mother's tone taking a much lighter note, "Um, Meiko-san was it?" I nodded to her question, "She was wondering if you would want to go with her and her Dad instead. Would you like that?"
Mana stood motionless for a moment, looked to me, then back to her mom and very quickly began nodding her head in rapid succession. I giggled into a hand to try and stifle the noise, Mana was a girl of very few words but still knew how to express herself when she really wanted to.
"That settles that." Dad said as he got to his feet. "Meiko, Mana-san, we should get going. Nakotsumi-san has a lot of work to get to." He nodded to Mana's mom who smiled and returned the gesture before crouching down to face her daughter.
"Now Mana, you listen to what they tell you okay? Don't leave their sight no matter what. I love you."
"Love you!" Mana replied cheerfully before throwing her arms around her mom's neck. After their brief embrace, Kei-san stood back up and gently guided Mana to my side.
"Thank you again, please come to the bakery sometime after the festival, I'll be sure to pay you back." Her words overflowing with gratitude as she one more bowed her head.
"Ah, don't worry about that sort of thing. But I'm sure we'll be back sometime, considering our kids are friends now and all. I think my wife would enjoy a place like this too." Dad replied with a chuckle. "Now, we'll be off, I'll have her back before it gets too late."
And off we were, the little bakery stand quickly disappearing into the crowd as the three of us happily made our way back to where he had found Mana, planning to pick up from where we left off. I still needed to get a new present for Sengo after all, so our next destination was more game stalls.
Evening was coming upon us, although that was on the clock alone. The summer sun still hung in the sky, brightly illuminating the bustling village. We had reached the intersection once more when the sound of music could be heard in the distance. Staffers were also coming through the area, instructing people to clear the streets. I couldn't see what was happening but I assumed it was due to the approaching sounds. As the staffers came through, the streets became extremely crowded, people being pressed practically shoulder to shoulder. Instinctively I grabbed Mana's hand and pulled her close before she could accidentally get separated. Not even Dad's intimidating presence could prevent this squeeze.
"Dad, what's going on?" I asked as I nearly got a face full of butt.
"Looks like there's a parade coming through." Dad replied, looking towards the southern street.
A parade, that would have been fun if Mana or I could actually see it. Looking through people's legs just didn't give the same sort of experience. Mana however, was trying desperate to do just that, weaving up and down, side to side trying to find the best vantage point through the sea of people. I was about to ask her if she wanted to go down this other road when I felt myself ascending into the air. A startled cry escaped me as Dad placed Mana and I on each of his shoulders.
"There we go." He said happily, "Now everyone can get a good look!" Indeed, from way up here we could easily see far above the crowds, although I couldn't quite look down out of fear of vertigo. Mana appeared to be quite giddy being this high up, for her I guess this was like an amusement park ride. To the south I could see the procession quickly approaching as people scurried about trying to find the best spots for viewing. Even the rooftops were becoming occupied as I could see several figures appearing on several buildings. Both from above and below as members of the crowd with shinobi training easily ascended several stories and claiming themselves a seat.
The parade was led by a group of dancers leading a very large and highly decorated float. Already it was quite a sight but many of the decorations were paper lanterns, I could only imagine how much more amazing this parade would be once the sun went down. This float was followed by a small group dressed in priestly attire leading a second, larger float hosting a small musical band. On and on it went as the three of us watched on in relative silence. Occasionally I made a few 'wow's and 'whoa's as the floats passed by, truly impressed at the spectacle. Dad chuckled at my expressions of wonder. Mana meanwhile, was completely silent, utterly enraptured with the show.
The highlight of the parade was a large float that acted as a stage, upon which stood four performers. They all wore pure white and immediately caught the crowd's attention as each flipped to a corner and unleashed a torrent of flames skyward. A cacophony of startled wonder rang out from the crowd in response. Even Dad was not immune to the sudden display, the heat battering us even at this distance.
"WAAAAAA!" Mana's wonder was perhaps the greatest of all as she cried out at the first display, pressing herself forward as she tried to reach out as though to try and grasp the flames themselves. Catching Dad by surprise as he had to quickly adjust so the girl wouldn't go tumbling into the dirt.
The performers continued their show with two on opposite sides flipped towards the center and shot another torrent of flames at each other. Once they collided the flames twisted around each other, forming a large ring floating in the air. The remaining performers then leaped through the ring with a graceful flourish before twisting to face each other in the air and fired a small bolt of fire. Colliding within the ring creating a four-pointed star explosion within the ring before they all faded. The final display had the performers begin circling the stage while performing extremely exaggerated dance moves for a short period before they once more returned to their corners and unleashed four serpentine dragons of flame. The elementals danced through the air above the crowds ascending higher and higher before turning into each other, coiling their bodies before each head met in the center forming a beautiful explosion, not a dangerous one of course but one akin to a firework. Yellow and red embers spreading out in every direction before burning out leaving behind only thin trails of smoke, a fading ghost of what was.
The crowd was awestruck, silent for a time before erupting in applause. "Was that all jutsu?" I muttered absentmindedly, still feeling the heat tingling on my cheeks. I was so enraptured with the show I didn't even think to try and decipher any hand seals they may have been performing. If so, they hid it well. Their clothes had large sleeves that nearly covered their hands and when combined with their large, exaggerated dance moves it would be practically impossible for me to see anything.
"That was so cool!" I finally said to my Dad who grinned back at me. "What did you think, Mana?" I asked the girl who was practically petrified, her head turned skyward watching as the last bits of smoke faded into the brilliant blue above.
"…ic…" Her words were barely a whisper, I couldn't make out what she was saying so I leaned over Dad's head to get as close as I possible. "Magic!" She repeated again, much louder this time. Turning towards me I could imagine her eyes had that same sparkle Kiyomi's often had when she found the next cool thing. No, perhaps far more so. "Did you see!? It was magic! It was all like fwooom and woosh then BOOM!" Mana was so animated she nearly fell down once again, it was like I was looking at a completely different person. There were times when she was expressive, yes but the girl had been relatively quiet and withdrawn. Now she was overflowing with life and energy, her little hands clenched into fists before her chest as she awaited my reply.
Dad and I both just started laughing at this unexpected outburst. "Yeah!" I replied between gasps of air, "It is like magic!" I did find the fact that the concept of magic was present in this world, but I guess people would still need a word to explain the unexplained.
The parade finished up soon after, the crowds filling out the streets once more, Dad placing us back on the ground once there was enough space. Mana was still euphoric over the show, literally bouncing trying to get another look as the music faded into the distance. Since she was quickly moving away from us, I had to take her hand and pull her back.
"Careful Mana, you'll get lost again." I said with a chuckle, the black rabbitgirl moaned with disappointment that the 'magic' show was over. "Come on, let's go find some games to play." Tugging on her hand, Mana complied, her bouncing ceasing and shoulders slouching. "Its okay Mana," I said, trying to cheer her up, "You'll be able to see the parade again, the festival lasts all weekend!" That seemed to be enough to put a bit of a perk back into her.
"Really?" She asked, hopefully.
"Probably!" I replied cheerfully, even though I wasn't sure if that particular parade would be going through again. If only I could perform even rudamentary jutsu, I could perform a few 'magic tricks' myself. "Hold on…" An idea quickly formed in my mind. I didn't necessarily need to be able to perform ninjutsu to do 'magic'. Back in my old world, 'magic' was often used to describe acts of misdirection, at least in a non-fantasy context. While I never really dabbled in it myself there was always one trick pretty much anyone could do.
I tugged on my dad's yukata to get his attention, "Dad, could I borrow a coin?" He gave me a quizzical look but didn't ask any questions. Simply producing a small, slightly rusted bronze coin. "Thanks!" I replied happily before turning back to Mana. "Hey Mana, I know a magic trick." The girl immediately perked up, rabbit-mask practically shoved into my face. "Whoa, calm down. Its not as fancy as the stuff from the parade, I'm not that good yet." I said with a chuckle as I held up the coin, Mana clutching her rabbit tight in anticipation. "See this coin?" She nodded rapidly as I closed my hand and flipped it over so the back faced Mana. In my hand I wiggled the coin between my fingers so it pointed halfway out. With my left hand, I then brought it up and brushed it over my right, swapping the coin over in the process.
I then held my right hand forward again, "And now its gone!" I said, trying to mimic a showman's voice. Mana audibly gasped as she began to analyze my hand intensely, top, bottom and between the fingers. "Oh my god this girl is absolutely adorable!" I screamed in my head as I watched the curious little rabbit trying to decipher what I had done. Thankful too for my training, all that practice learning to perform hand seals properly had helped increase my manual dexterity, otherwise I might not have been able to pull this off as smoothly. After giving Mana enough time to take in that the coin was 'gone', I motioned for her to raise her head.
"Want to know where it went?" I asked and once again, she nodded rapidly. "Well, I think it might have just…" I waved my hands around trying to be 'mystical' but probably looked like an idiot to anyone but my friend before me, "Right. Behind. Your..." I reached forward with my left ear beside Mana's head, "Ear!" Pulling back, the coin flashed as I twirled it between my fingers before the girl's eyes.
"WAAAAAAAAAAA!" Mana cried out again, possibly louder than she did during the fire show. Once again bouncing up and down in unbridled wonder and glee. "MEIKO! MAGIC! YOU DID MAGIC!" She screamed as both Dad and I broke down into a laughing fit again.
"Well now, my daughter, future shinobi and now magician. Will your talents never cease?" Dad snorted, causing me to blush.
"Its nothing that special…" I mumbled as Mana took my hand.
"More! More!" She cried out, still bouncing away.
Laughing again, I placed my free hand on her head to try and settle her down a bit. "Sorry, I only got the one trick. I'm still learning, but I'll show you more in the future okay?" I took Mana's ferocious nodding as a yes. "Alright, what do you say we go play some games now?"
"Okaaaay~" Mana replied, slightly disappointed there was no more tricks for now but still quite cheerful at least.
After some time, we found a stand hosting a bit of a unique game. Up to four people could compete against each other at a time. On the counter were four sling shots, bolted to the table so we couldn't pick them up. The goal was to be the first person to hit all the targets or to have the most targets hit when the time expired. There were no prizes at this booth, simply bragging rights.
"Hey Mana, want to give this one a try?" I asked, seeing that the line was short at the moment and now was our best chance to get in for a round. Mana nodded wordlessly and so we took our position in line. Rounds were only about a minute in length so people were cycling through pretty quick. Within ten minutes our turn was up and the two of us approached the counter. Once more they had some stools to help out younger customers. Stepping up, I counted a total of twenty targets of various sizes. Simple red circles in front of a net to catch the projectiles for easy clean up. The targets were also listed with point values, the smaller the target, the higher the value ranging from one to five. The ammo was fed through a small tube to my right, once the game starts I assumed the cap would be removed and they would roll out.
Mana stepped up beside me, looking at the sling as though it was some strange creature. I took a moment to demonstrate what we needed to do by snapping the band a few times and gesturing how the ball would fly to hit the targets. I assumed she got the gist of it as two boys took up the remaining slots. Before starting, the owner went over the rules, glancing over at Mana she was still just standing still, looking queerly at the sling before her. "Mana," I whispered, catching her attention, "Just try to copy what I'm doing if you don't understand." The rabbitgirl nodded just as the owner finished explaining how to play and began his countdown.
"3! 2! 1! Begin!"
The owner pulled a lever and with a loud click, the cap opened and five balls rolled out, the rest still stuck in the tube. I took the first, armed the sling and picked a target. In the central area was a 3-pointer, medium size, a good first target. I pulled back and fired, the ball flying short but striking a large 1 pointer. "Hmm..." This was going to be harder than I thought, since the slings were anchored to the table I couldn't get a good line of sight on my shots, I'd have to go by feel. Three more practice shots, only the last hitting the target. "Right, that should be good enough." Muttering under my breath I stole a glance at Mana who was looking back at me, apparently taking the 'copy what I do' suggestion literally. Laughing, I turned back to the game. Forty seconds left on the clock, time to make it count.
I fired off shot after shot, some hits, some misses but I was getting the feel of the game. With each shot I was able to aim and fire the next just ever so slightly faster. Ten seconds left and just over half the targets hit. Most of the larger targets were gone so I decided to just aim for the five pointers. One in the top right took three shots to hit. Five seconds. Top left was next, I only had two shots left so I had to make them count. The first was close, missing by mere millimetres. Aiming the second shot, the owner counting down the last few seconds. I pulled back on the elastic sling. Three. Took in a deep breath. Two.
"BWAH!"
"KYAAAH!" I screamed as I released the sling, the shot flying wide and missing completely as the game ended. My heart was racing as I turned around to see who had just startled me, coming face to face with the last thing I ever expected. Right there in my face was a bat, specifically someone in a bat mask.
"Hahahaha! I got you good Meiko!" A very familiar and cheery voice laughed behind me.
"Seriously Kiyomi!?" I cried out in frustration, that last shot cost me the game as the owner called out the final scores. Second place after one of the boys, Mana coming in third. "My heart nearly jumped out of my chest!" My words clearly not getting through to her as she was laughing manically behind that mask. I could feel my face burning as she just couldn't seem to stop. Finally, another person placed his hand on her shoulder, he too wore a mask preventing immediate identification.
"Okay Kiyomi, that's enough." He said and Kiyomi slowly managed to calm herself. I was finally able to recognize him after hearing his voice, Kiyomi's older brother Kazuma.
"Hehehe, s-sorry Mei-hehe-ko. I couldn't resist." Kiyomi stammered, reaching a finger behind her mask, likely to wipe away the tears.
Grumbling, I hopped off the stool before the owner could shoo me off, there were others waiting to play after all. "Let's get out of the way." I suggested as I turned to Mana, motioning for her to come along. Bunny hopping off her stool as she did so.
"Who's this?" Kiyomi asked, shifting her mask off to the side so we could see her face.
"This is Mana, Mana this is my friend Kiyomi." I said as my hands moved between them. Rabbit and bat faced each other for a moment, Kiyomi then turning to me with a sour face.
"Who said you could make friends without me!" Her cheeks bulging as the girl pouted. Laughing, I poked them, forcing out the air.
"I didn't know I needed your permission?" I joked back as Mana stepped forward with a slight bounce back in her step.
"Do you know magic too?" She asked eagerly, putting Kiyomi on the back foot for once. The blonde looking to me confused, I responded by mouthing the word 'jutsu' and forming a ram seal. Her eyes lighting up as she understood my meaning.
"Hehehe, alright. I'll show you something amazing Kazuma taught me!" Kiyomi declared proudly, although Kazuma was looking a little worried. He tried to say something to her but the girl was already plowing ahead. We both knew there was little stopping Kiyomi when she got going. The girl was slowly going through a series of hand seals. "Tiger... Boar... Ox..." She named the seals as she went through them, her form was strong but the speed could use work. Much better than what I could do at the moment, I was still trying to memorize all the formations.
"Dog... Snake... Tiger!" Finishing her string of seals, Kiyomi cried out "Clone jutsu!" And immediately a puff of smoke burst out beside her.
"Oooooooooh!" Mana's anticipation was barely contained as she waited for the cloud to clear. Meanwhile I was trying my best to not stand around slack-jawed as Kiyomi was already able to perform ninjutsu, basic level as it was.
When the cloud cleared however, the end result was not quite what I had expected. Instead of a second Kiyomi, standing beside her was more of a... caricature? A dopey-faced, blob-like creature wobbled unsteadily, as though it's very existence was on the brink. It resembled Kiyomi in only the vaguest manner and colours were distinctly muted. I couldn't help but snort as I stifled a laugh. Speaking honestly, I was immensely impressed she could already perform the jutsu to this level, but holy crap looking at that thing was hilarious. Kazuma could only sigh, muttering that he tried to warn her.
Kiyomi's face was clearly turning deep red as she realized her failure, however the person who's opinion mattered most had yet to react at all. Silently, Mana stared at the wobbling clone. Finally, she raised a free hand and slapped the clone, the creation's sad life coming to an abrupt end with an unceremonious pop.
"Lame." Mana said flatly, "Meiko's magic was much better!" That caught Kiyomi's attention.
"Wait, what trick?" She demanded, eyes full of fire as she glared at me.
I waved my hands in front of myself defensively, "No no, it was just a coin trick!" I tried to explain but the blonde was already upon me. Staring daggers directly into my eyes I tried to back down but she just continued pressing forward. "I swear! It was just a simple coin trick!"
"You. Me." Kiyomi then pointed towards the stand, "Now."
We got back in line, Mana and Kazuma joining us to round out our numbers. Once our turns came up, Kiyomi made sure to take one of the slings beside me, Mana taking the other. "You're gonna get it now!" My competitive friend declared as the game started. I put all my attention and focus into making my shots, I already played this once so I should have a bit of an advantage over Kiyomi. This time I was going to get a win on my record.
Halfway through the game however, the owner suddenly declared a victor. Looking to my left, Kazuma casually took a step back, obviously trying to show off for his little sister. Kiyomi then turned to me with a massive grin. "Its not over yet!" She cried as she took another shot, nailing one of the five-pointers. Gritting my teeth I got back into the game, continuing to fire away until the time ran out.
Complete and utter defeat. Kiyomi handily took second place but to my surprise even Mana managed to surpass my final score. "How..." I muttered as my head lay on the counter, Kiyomi laughing triumphantly behind me. "Why take it out on me..." I whined as I stepped down. The four of us then reunited with my dad as we got out of the way for the next set of players.
"Well, good game." I congratulated the winners, especially Mana whom I did not expect to catch on to the game so quickly. Kiyomi was still running on the high of her win, even though her brother came first what mattered was she still beat me. "So," I turned to Kiyomi, "I thought you were helping out your Mom with her stand today?"
Kiyomi's victory fanfare suddenly came to a halt, the girl freezing up like she just got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "I... uhh..." She stammered, eyes darting left and right as she tried to explain herself, "Just wanted to... surprise you! Yeah, that's it!" I shot back a skeptical look, almost able to see the sweat sliding down her brow as she avoided eye contact. Her brother then placed a firm hand on her shoulder as he looked to me.
"She got bored so we slipped away." He said matter of fact.
I laughed as Kiyomi looked to her brother, the betrayal a stake through her heart. "Nooooo! You weren't supposed to say that!" She cried as she beat her fists against his chest. Eventually things calmed down and all five of us were walking through the streets. The sun slowly starting to set over the village.
"So, Mana," Kiyomi asked the newest member of our little entourage, "How did you meet Meiko?"
Mana pondered the question before raising her stuffed rabbit as her answer. I had to step in to fill in the gaps, "She was lost so Dad and I took her home. Her mom was too busy running a stand so she came with us."
"Aww, poor thing. Its okay, Big Sis Kiyomi is here now!" Kiyomi then patted Mana's head, the rabbitgirl paying it little mind.
"Looks like its starting to get late." My dad finally chimed in as he looked towards the setting sun, "We should get Mana back to her place." Mana's shoulders slumped at the news the day was almost over. I patted the girl's back.
"Its alright, we can still hang out for a bit longer. We just need to go back to your place first." I said, flashing Mana a bright smile, the girl nodding happily to this.
As we were making our way back to the Nakotsumi Cafe, Kazuma suddenly said he forgot something and ducked out of the group, leaving Kiyomi with us as he would catch up in a bit. Just to be safe, Dad told him of our destination. By the time we returned to the Cafe, the sun was casting a warm orange blanket over the village. Kei-san spotted Dad from a mile away, waving towards us as we approached. The line in front her stand finally looking to be at a manageable level. We decided to sit nearby at an open table to wait for them to free up. A couple minutes later, Mana's mom came hurrying over, thanking Dad once again for looking out for her daughter.
"Did you have fun?" She asked Mana who did her usual crazy nodding.
"Yup! We went to a parade and there were these dancers who did all these magic tricks and then Meiko did a magic trick and we played games!" Mana suddenly burst out verbally, catching everyone but especially her mother off-guard. Kei-san looked to my had who smiled, shrugged, then motioned to me. In turn I just shrugged myself.
"I'm so glad to hear it." She said, tearing up slightly as she looked at me, "Thank you, please continue to be a good friend to Mana." I blushed and nodded silently. Kei-san then clapped her hands, "Well then, we're about to wrap up for tonight but you are all welcome to the leftovers, just hop in line and take your pick!" She then rushed back to her stand before we could try to protest.
"No way! Awesome!" Kiyomi shouted, getting to her feet and trying to pull me along, "Hurry! Before anyone else gets in line!" In the end, I ended up with a simple chocolate covered croissant, Kiyomi a strawberry tart covered with jam and Mana a slice of carrot cake. Dad refused as they were out of the coffee cake he had earlier this afternoon and whatever was left was too sweet for his tastes.
"Its too bad your brother isn't back yet, he missed out." I said to Kiyomi who just shrugged her shoulders.
"His loss!" She replied, taking a messy bite of her tart. I looked to Mana, watching as she took small bits of cake on a fork to her mask, lifting it just enough to fit the food underneath but still hiding her face. I wondered if she ever planned to take that thing off. Kiyomi apparently was thinking the same thing as she pointed a jammy finger towards her. "You should take that off, it'll be easier to eat." Mana denied the notion, shaking her head before taking another nibble.
As we finished up our round of treats, night was nearly upon us. The sun barely peeking over the horizon. Dad got to his feet, looking to me. "We should probably be heading back soon." I nodded, looking to my two friends, "It was fun guys, we should meet up again tomorrow if we can." Both girls nodded back, although I had a feeling Kiyomi wouldn't be able to join so easily after sneaking off today.
"Hold on, don't go leaving yet!" A familiar if winded voice called out. Kazuma came to a stop by the table, face flushed and panting as sweat poured off his face. "Man..." He panted, "I had to run all over to find a stand with some in stock. Don't go running off before we have a chance to use them." He then motioned to a bag he was holding, pulling out a brightly decorated package. The text reading 'fireworks'.
"OH! YES!" Kiyomi screamed, leaping out of her seat and clutching onto her brother's free arm, "You're the best!" Mana jumped up too, not quite certain as to what was going on but Kiyomi was excited about it so she was too. I looked to dad who smiled and nodded. With his permission, the four of us ran off to a more open area so others wouldn't get in the way. We found an area near an empty alleyway and Kazuma began unpacking the fireworks. Several long sticks slid out and were passed around to each of us.
The sun finally set and night took over, the perfect time for this activity. "Alright guys, remember, no pointing them at anyone's face and no touching anyone with them. Got it?" Kazuma warned and we all replied with a hearty 'yes'. He then lit a match and started lighting everyone's sticks. Almost instantly a flurry of sparks began bursting forth with a loud sizzling as the fireworks lit up. We all stepped back to a safe distance before twirling them around. The lights creating thin yellow trails following their every moments.
I was trying to write various kanji in the air with mine while Kiyomi preferred to dance around, creating circles and long ribbons with hers. Mana however, watched her sparkler slowly burn away. "Mana, look!" I called out, writing out her name how I assumed it was spelled. Mana took a few test swings before giggling and waving hers around far more wildly than the rest of us. Soon, they burnt out and Kazuma quickly repalced them. We continued to play with our sparklers, giggling away under the stars.
Finally, the last of the sparklers burnt out and the night officially came to an end. "Well, that's it." Kazuma said as I helped to gather up the extinguished sticks and placed them in a nearby trash can. Kiyomi sighed loudly and Mana did her little shoulder droop. Returning to the group, I grabbed both girls' hands.
"Thanks guys! I had a lot of fun! I'll see you both tomorrow okay!?" I said as cheerfully as I could to lighten the mood. We all then turned back towards the Cafe to first drop off Mana. Dad was waiting over by the booth, chatting with Mana's mom and helping with the cleanup.
"Bye Mana!" I said as I let go of her hand, "I'll see you tomorrow!" Mana started running over to her Mom's side but stopped halfway, turning back to me. She then lifted her mask, finally revealing her face. Her cheeks were slightly pink on top of her tanned skin, little button nose twitching as she smiled at me. However what caught me most were her sparkling silver-blue eyes, reminding me of the stars above us.
"Bye Meiko! Tomorrow! More magic!" She called out and I laughed, I would need to start coming up with new tricks. Perhaps I should get a deck of cards. I waved to her as Dad came strolling over to me. I then turned to Kiyomi and her brother.
"Thanks again for the fireworks!" I said with a small bow to Kazuma, "And I'll definitely beat you tomorrow!" I directed at Kiyomi who just smirked.
"You can try, but you know you can't win!" She replied with a giggle.
Taking my Dad's hand we began our long march back home. I knew I was going to sleep well tonight and my feet would thank me for finally getting out of these geta. Before we got too far however, Mana called out to me again.
"Meiko!" Dad and I stopped, turning to look as Mana was performing some strange moments with her hands. She then pointed a finger towards the air and yelled out "Magic!" Sparks bursting out as she did so. My jaw dropped at this and I could see Kiyomi and Kazuma were both startled by this. We couldn't even ask any questions as the black-haired girl just waved and said "Bye-bye!" before running off with her mom back home.
"Did she just..." I cut myself off, shaking my head. I'll just ask her about that tomorrow. Most of the vendors were packing up for the night and the streets were starting to thin out as we made our way home. Eventually, we passed the first stand I played at and I realized I had forgotten to get a new present for Sengo.
"Waaahh! Dad!" I screamed, "We need to get Sengo a gift! I gave the bunny to Mana!" Dad grumbled, saying it was getting late and we could try again tomorrow.
I managed to win that debate and we caught one of the booths just before they could close up, taking home a small green toad plushie. "I hope he likes it." I said to Dad.
"I'm sure he will." He responded.
Crossing a small bridge, I could see the lights of our house shining bright. Through the kitchen window, I could see movement behind the curtains. Once we reached the front door, I burst in and called out happily, "We're home!"
Author's Note: Finally, I was able to introduce Mana! I really wanted to bring her in a whole lot sooner but it just didn't work out that way. I do hope I'll be able to write her well enough as she is very different from characters I usually write. Again, check out Tales of a Ninja Magician by Cpt Claymore to see her adventures!
Also, I'm wondering if I should cut back on chapter size. This is currently the longest posted but I like to keep a couple chapters ahead as a buffer in case things come up and let's just say that chapter 10 surpasses this one. I'll be splitting that one up into several out of necessity but please let me know if I should start concentrating things in the future.
Thank you for reading, I'm so happy so many people have been favoriting the story!