Junior's hands traced over the brand-new blade as he stood there, his eyes transfixed on the shine of the sword, feeling its weight in his hands as it already felt like a part of him. He swung the blade idly in his hands, feeling the weight move effortlessly as it was so perfectly balanced. He could tell that the attention put into the blade's creation was of the highest quality. Junior continued to practice his slashes, thrusts, and other attacks against the air, feeling how it moved and responded. It was like an extension of himself, perfect for combat.
Finally, he took the blade and slipped it into its sheath, smiling softly as he thought about the gift he had been given by his were not the legendary blades of his old man; those were his, but this single sword was perfect for him and was his own, not some hand-me-down leftover blade given to him to practice with. It was the real deal, and he felt proud to have earned it. He knew that his time with this blade was only beginning, and figuring out the tricks embedded into its creation would take him time.
The sword was embedded with the ability to absorb and release chakra, potentially giving it elemental properties if he could figure that out someday. With determination in his heart, Junior looked forward to the journey of mastering his new weapon.
Sengero Saroi Junior looked at the smith who had crafted the blade, a young woman with auburn hair meeting his gaze. "Thank you very much," the young teenager said softly, bowing respectfully. "I shall put your craftsmanship to the test and take the best care of it possible."
The smith smiled warmly at Junior's words. "You're welcome," she replied, her voice tinged with pride. "I have no doubt that you will wield it with skill and honor. May it serve you well on your journey."
As he left the place, he knew he had a mission with his new team—Shizuka and Kaza. They were different, his team was different, but that was fine. He was the youngest son of a Kirigakure ninja and assassin who had escaped and taken refuge in this village. He wasn't one to complain about being different, considering his own family's path in life was rather unique as well.
His silver hair radiated in the morning sun as the crimson-eyed young man walked to the meeting place. There was no hiding that he was his father's son; looking like a leaner version of a young Sengero was neither here nor there, but he loved both his father and his mother. He knew his mother also had a kekkai genkai from her side, something rather powerful. She, too, was an exile forced to the village to survive with his father when they came together many years before.
His mom never talked much about her own power to him, but he knew it was impressive, and very deadly. Her unique green and orange hair stood out as well, as he knew that no one in his life seemed to have any shade of basic hair color at all.
He walked to the meeting location, as he was running late as he looked to find Shizuka, Kaza and Anko gathered together ready to head out for the mission they were assigned, their second ranked C mission to heat out and deliver some important paperwork to a agricultural based village up north and west in the land of fire. It was not that important, but it was a degree of friendship and also the promise to trade in goods.
"Kaza-san, Shizuka-chan, Anko-Sensei, it's good to see you all this morning, ready to go. I'm sorry I was late; I just got my new sword," he announced as he made his presence known to his fellow teammates.
Anko's eyes gleamed with amusement as she responded, her tone teasing yet supportive. "Well, well, Junior. Looks like someone's got a shiny new toy," she remarked, a smirk playing on her lips. "Just make sure you don't get too distracted by it during our mission. We've got work to do, and I expect you to keep up, got it?"
Junior nodded his head with a serious look on his face, as per usual. "Of course, will do," he replied, his gaze shifting to the other two members of the team. They were a serious group as they headed out. Junior knew that this team was skilled, and they were getting better. He fell behind the others as he walked with Kaza and Shizuka.
"Neat sword, Junior-kun," Shizuka said softly, the small green-haired girl walking to his right as Kaza looked over from the left, appearing to have a lot on his mind.
"Thanks, Shizuka-chan," Junior replied gratefully. "The sword was ordered by my father and designed by him some time ago. It took a long time to be made correctly, and I think it's really cool," he continued, a smile playing on his lips as his fingers pressed over the handle of the blade. "They aren't as impressive as my father's swords, but I want to make them shine just as much one day."
"I am sure it will be," Kaza said finally as he looked over, "We will figure a way out to help you out as we can Junior-san," Kaza said softly as he walked his eyes forward as he was thinking about the mission.
—-
The trip to the village wasn't particularly hard at all, it was just a lot of walking, not unlike the last mission when they went to the coast to take supplies. The nice thing was, they were not carrying any heavy supplies which made this a lot easier, not that they were not as focused or as sharp on this mission, the three genin and their jounin teacher were all working together to keep an eye out for trouble as they traveled. Some small conversations happened, but for the most part everything was about business and making sure business was taken care of.
They were walking along a path that wound between fields of wheat, stretching as far as the eye could see. It was a lovely view, and the food being grown would support both the Land of Fire and Konohagakure in their ambitions. This allowed Konoha to focus all its attention on fighting and defending the Land of Fire, while places like this supplied the food that would support the entire region.
Though Shizuka was from a farm village, it was very different from the one they were walking to—different crops, different physical geography. Still, she felt a kinship with these farmers, having come from a farming family herself. Her eyes scanned the crops and layout; they were different from the fruit trees of her home farm, but she felt the warmth of being near the land. The green-haired girl, standing at just 4 and a half feet tall, was easy to miss among her taller teammates.
She walked between the three members of her team as she wanted to make sure to stay at the same level as the two of her teammates, they were her first friends as ninja, and her teacher was the coolest woman she had ever known in her whole life and she wanted to make her really proud of her as a ninja as well.
The group walked into the village, it was a simple village with a large wide made street and several side streets where a number of small and medium sized homes were laid out in a criss cross arrangement. The village has a few hundred people who worked hard in the support of the farms and the families who ran it, and some of the people who lived in the village also ran and worked and owed some of the farms too.
The center of the small town was where the village elder worked, situated in the heart of the village for easy access by the residents. This central location allowed the elders to meet with people who wanted to share ideas, celebrate, or discuss matters with the council of elders. They addressed trade issues and agricultural concerns among other topics.
As the group entered the main building, they were greeted by artwork and architecture from the region, crafted by the people and farms of the area. Many elements showcased the strength, culture, will, and traditions of this farming village. Anko and her genin observed these details, taking them in as they waited to be received into the main room where they would meet with the elder.
After a moment, the group walked into the main room, where paintings of past village elders lined the walls. The current village elder sat waiting for them. Junior, Shizuka, and Kaza each bowed before the elder, as did Anko, who would take the lead from this point forward in dealing with the talks between them.
"I am Anko Mitarashi, and these are my teammates: Shizuka Shibafu, Sengero Saroi Junior, and Kaza Togusa," Anko said, looking closely at the elder. His eyebrow raised at hearing the names of both Sengero and Kaza, recognizing their surnames. He knew "Saroi" for the great assassin of the clan, but "Togusa" sparked a memory of a little-known event that had occurred around thirteen and a half years before.
The elder regarded Anko and her team with a measured gaze before responding.
"Greetings, Anko Mitarashi, and welcome to our village," he said, his voice carrying the weight of years of leadership. "It is an honor to have Konoha's representatives among us. Please, be seated."
As they settled, the elder continued, addressing Anko directly. "I am Hideo Tanaka, the village elder. Your presence here signifies important matters to discuss, I presume. Speak freely, and know that we are willing to cooperate for the betterment of our lands."
"Good," Anko said with a smile as she retrieved the scroll to hand to him. "This is from our Hokage. It contains the agreement he wishes to make with you, along with the trade rates for goods and the supplies that we can divert to you for assistance. Our task is to ensure that these terms are acceptable to you and to address any concerns you may have, Tanaka-sama."
Hideo accepted the scroll with a nod of gratitude before addressing Anko and her team.
"Thank you, Anko-san, for bringing this matter to our attention," he said, his tone respectful. "I will review the contents of the scroll carefully and consult with the council of elders to ensure that it aligns with the best interests of our village."
Turning his attention to the young genin, Hideo offered a warm smile. "And to you, Shizuka-san, Junior-san, and Kaza-san, I extend my welcome. Your presence here signifies the beginning of what I hope will be a fruitful collaboration between our village and Konohagakure."
With that, he gestured for the scroll to be unrolled, signaling the start of their negotiations. The negotiations were well-handled as the team watched a different side of Anko, far from the wild woman, but a practiced woman who could handle situations like these. It was different but amazing to see how multifaceted Anko could be when she needed to be. They engaged in discussions for some time as the day passed by.
As they finally were able to head out and leave the meeting, the group headed to an inn with two rooms: one for Anko and Shizuka, and one for Junior and Kaza. As they walked, they ran into another group of ninja in the region, accompanied by their own jounin teacher.
The grass jounin was tall with a slender build, his black eyes giving him a bit of a laid-back look as he stood in a basic uniform. His team surrounded him, starting with a tall, thin woman with short, messy brown hair. She was taller than everyone on Anko's team except Anko herself, making her stand out prominently due to her height. The other female member of the team was of average height, with bright blonde hair and green eyes. Her hair was pulled back into a long ponytail. The last member, a young man, had a strong frame even for a teen. He was also tall, standing as tall as the female member, and towered over either Junior or Kaza as the three of them walked up to the Konoha team.
"Anko Mitarashi, it is an honor to meet you. I am Kotai Renga," the leader said, his tone respectful as he looked at Anko. "I am guessing you are here to meet the village elder for trade too," he added with a laid-back tone.
"These are my students: Sutekina Herajika," he said, pointing to the tall girl, "Yoeki Anaguma," he continued, pointing to the other female on the team, "and Aosuke Shimo," he finished, indicating the young male.
"Likewise, Kotai Renga," Anko replied with a nod of acknowledgment. "Yes, we are indeed here for trade negotiations with the village elder."
Turning to her own team, she gestured for them to step forward. "Allow me to introduce my genin: Shizuka Shibafu," she said, indicating the green-haired girl, "Sengero Saroi Junior," she continued, motioning towards the silver-haired boy, "and Kaza Togusa," she finished, pointing to the young teal haired youngster.
"Togusa," Aosuke said, his eyes showing ferocity as he looked directly at Kaza, the anger unmistakable in his gaze.
Kaza blinked, unsure of the reason for the intense look from someone he didn't know at all. Despite this, he felt the anger radiating from the other young man. "Yes, that is correct," he replied calmly.
"I see. Then, Togusa Kaza, I, Shimo Aisuke, challenge you to a one-on-one match tomorrow morning. For the honor of my family, I will kick your ass. You damn Togusa," Aosuke declared, his voice brimming with determination and a desire to fight Kaza.
Kaza blinked again, then narrowed his eyes. Aosuke challenge and mention of his family struck a nerve. He was being challenged, and his family name was brought into it. He was determined not to back down. "Okay, I am fine with that, as long as sensei is fine with it."
Anko observed the exchange with a neutral expression, her eyes flickering between Kaza and Aosuke. She understood the dynamics at play and the implications of the challenge. After a moment of consideration, she spoke.
"Very well, Kaza. If you're willing to accept the challenge, then I have no objections," Anko said, her tone measured.
Kotai, the grass jounin, nodded in acknowledgment. "Aosuke, if you're certain about this challenge, then so be it. Let the match be a fair one," he stated, his voice calm yet firm.