317 just hit the double digits. He could no longer remember his birthday, but he knew that every spring, they just added a year to their age. He was sure that his birthday was in autumn. He remembered the red leaves.
But he knew not to question his superiors. To everyone around, he was a perfect soldier. In his years in the camp, he never received any punishments or failed any orders. He followed his commands perfectly.
He had gained a lot of strength over the years. With his paternal bloodline active, he was a formidable opponent. He was promoted to second in command in his new tent.
He was now working on a team in charge of attacking their enemies. Eiji had taken a liking to him. He was the one who promoted the soldiers, and each time he did so, he made sure to praise him.
Perhaps what solidified this liking was the fact that a few months ago, they were attacked by a small clan after they took some of their children. 317, who was near the main tent at the time, ended up fighting next to Eiji and his guards.
One of the enemies used a long range jutsu to try to hit Eiji, and 317, who saw the attack coming last second, jumped in the way and took the hit. He didn't do it as an act of kindness or from a sense of duty. He did it to gain favor.
In their camp, only a selected few were trained to use chakra. They were the highest-ranking warriors. Others would only receive physical training and the basics of chakra if they showed the aptitude for it. He knew that his blood limit did not need conscious control, but he wanted to become stronger.
He wanted to take revenge, and his bloodline wasn't enough. He needed to learn more and become the best, and to do so, he needed Eiji's favor. He also managed to maneuver enough to only get hit in the shoulder.
His plan worked, as he was requested to visit Eiji's tent. Although his arm was in a sling, he did his best to present himself in his best image. Eiji observed him for a few minutes before giving him the promotion.
He was going to train with chakra specialists for a few months, and if he passed the training and proved himself, he would join his guard squad, which brought him to now.
He stood in front of the main tent, waiting for his instructor. He was one of the men in Eiji's personal squad. He was a serious man with no tolerance for errors. He expected perfection.
So 317 did his best to please the man. He took every instruction to heart and performed them to perfection. The man exited Eiji's tent and motioned for him to follow. They headed to one of the training grounds.
He had been learning to control his chakra. He had already finished exercises for leaf sticking, tree walking, and water walking. He was now working on chakra control with elemental chakra.
It turned out that his element was wind, so that was what they were working on. He was using wind to cut through leaves. After the man showed him how to perform the exercise and explained the details, he ordered him to continue until he cut through a hundred leaves, and then he could come to find him.
317 nodded in understanding. He then got to work.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXLINEBREAKXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It took him until sundown to finish the exercise. His body ached from using charka for so long, but he couldn't help feeling proud of his achievement. He didn't want to waste time. It was nearing dinner time, and he wanted to be back in time to eat.
He headed to the main tent to find his mentor. He never introduced himself, so he didn't know his name. But when the guards near the tent saw him, they directed him to the entrance behind the tent.
He reached the back to see another guard standing near an opening. The guard motioned for him to go in. He felt hesitant but didn't let it show in his actions as he stepped in.
There were sounds of chatter coming from the inside. He walked into a room with a large tub in the middle. Eiji was sitting in the steaming tub while a woman massaged his back, and another was washing his hair.
He felt completely at ease. His mentor was standing in front of the tub discussing some plans, most of which he didn't understand. After entering the room, he took the customary stance to stay at attention and waited to be acknowledged.
After a few moments, his mentor motioned for him to step closer.
"Ah, I see. 317. I've heard that you've been doing wonderfully in your training." Eiji said. There was no question in that statement, so he simply stood, staring.
Eiji's body was adorned with an assortment of scars. Now that he ran missions frequently, he understood how surviving so many wounds could tell a terrifying story.
"I will send you on a solo mission tomorrow. If you succeed, I will give you a name," he said. At that, 317 bowed deeply.
While he was a lot higher in status since he still didn't have a name, it meant that he was not allowed to freely talk or have other privileges. His rank showed his skill, not necessarily his worth in the camp.
It would be a significant step towards achieving his objectives. He held the bow until he felt a wet hand under his chin, bringing his face up. Eiji was out of the tub, standing in front of him.
He was fully naked, and being this close to the man, he could see that he was larger and more muscular than his clothing made him believe. It must be a tactic to make enemies underestimate him.
He looked at Eiji's eyes. "Do not disappoint me." There was a clear warning in his eyes and something else he couldn't identify. But he knew he didn't have a choice. Failure was not an option.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXLINEBREAKXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Shiori woke up the following day. She was aching a bit, but after a quick shower, she felt much better. She went to breakfast and saw Akira waiting for him as usual.
"Good morning, Akira-sensei," Shiori said in a happy tone. She sat in her usual spot next to Akira.
"Good morning, Shiori-chan. Did you sleep well?" Akira asked as he motioned for her to start.
"Yes, I feel much better. Thank you for carrying me to bed yesterday," she said, able to feel herself blush slightly at the embarrassing moment.
"It's alright, little one. I'm proud of your progress in your training." He said as he put more vegetables on her plate.
Shiori smiled. "Are we going to start with the seal today?" She asked. She couldn't hide her excitement.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we have to postpone it for a few days. I have some urgent shrine duties I have to take care of," he said, looking apologetic.
"It's alright sensei. I'm sure Kenji-san has something for me." Shiori said as they finished their breakfast.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXLINEBREAKXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kenji indeed found something to help her with. As the winter was getting closer, they wanted to dry out some herbs and spices for when they couldn't grow more. Shiori was tasked with preparing and laying them to dry.
It was a simple task, and she got to be outdoors. The fresh air always helped her relax. She let herself fall into a rhythm as she worked. She would wash and clean the herbs, separate them into groups, and lay them on the mat under the sun. When she finished one mat, she would lay a thin mesh on top so they wouldn't be blown away by the wind.
She could see some ravens watching her as she worked, but she couldn't see Scar. She recognized quite a few, though. After many training sessions, it became easier to distinguish them.
One thing that she noticed was that Scar didn't tend to approach her when there were many other ravens around. Perhaps his scars were from a fight with other ravens, and he wanted to avoid more conflicts.
Either way, she took her seed bag and threw them some seeds. A few of them were quick to fly down and eat, while others were more hesitant until she moved back to the herbs.
She worked until lunchtime, but Akira didn't join her. It was strange to have a meal at the table alone. She knew that she was becoming dependent on the man, and it wasn't healthy, but she couldn't help it.
Her feelings towards the man were strange. They were constantly changing and solidifying, but she was now settling towards a father figure. This made her wonder: Did she have a family before losing her memories? Was her father similar to Akira?
If she had a choice, she hoped so. While she didn't nearly know the man enough to claim him perfect, from all their interactions, she had a picture of a reliable man. Someone she could rely on and look up to.
Tsunade-sensei was like a mother to her. Maternal and warm yet stern when needed. Shizune-nee was an older sister. Gentle and caring. Her previous sensei was like an older brother. Strong and protective. And Akira-sensei was like a father.
She knew that she shouldn't put the people close to her into the role of family members. They did not sign up for it, and it wasn't fair to have expectations from them based on the roles she was projecting.
Yet she was still a child. She knew that, and it was hard for her to deal with the empty void in her heart. While she promised herself that she would be fine and that she had many adventures to look forward to, she still couldn't help feeling the empty space of a family.
Maybe one day she will be brave enough to tell those people what she truly thought about them to their faces, but for now, it will be her little secret.