A crimson curtain closed to a storm of applause and flowers. Mana sighed and still struggled to calm her racing heart. It’s been a while since she was so ill prepared for a show and had to improvise so much. She may even have slipped in tricks she had used before, something that she wasn’t entirely proud of but in that moment there was simply no other choice. Plus while all sort of ideas twirled through her mind there may not have simply been the props on the ready needed to act on those ideas. All things considered it was a good show…
“Never seen so many people entertained by simple ninjutsu…” Hiro scratched his greyed out and oversized for his build head as if the weight of the thing dragged his body to the ground like the overpowering force of gravity.
“It’s not always what you show, context and presentation is equally important.” Mana smiled. It was not unusual for the manager of the hall to come and congratulate the performer after the show but the man tended to avoid visiting Mana in her little smelly and soaked in darkness and tangled spider silk room. The man used to wonder if Mana would ever choose to take any of the larger and fancier, scarlet suede covered wall rooms he had offered her. By now he must’ve gotten the clue.
“Well… You’re all about presentation, kid. Everyone’s missed you…” Hiro nodded before opening the trashed and holey wooden door to leave Mana and letting her finish her after show preparations and head her own ways. “Did you see the Sixth sitting in the middle row? Stinking hell!” the man laughed out before waggling his short stature.
After a quick and frankly a bit lazy job packing her things Mana rushed off. She decided to change out of her uniform home. For some reason she just wanted to get home as fast as possible, while today was pretty rough, mainly because of this show, the next morning she’d have to leave for the training trip with one of Konoha’s Sannin.
“Hey, Mana!” Kouta’s voice reached the magician as she was quickly making her way through the endless hallways, already hearing the loud noises of the actor troupe preparing for their upcoming play. After that the entire hall was to be quickly adjusted, the lighting tools removed, the stage reworked into a cinema screen and a movie must’ve been airing. Mana would’ve always thought that if the Sixth ever attended a show, that he’d be more of a movie kind of man.
“Hey… Didn’t know you’d be here today.” The magician blushed a little, she’d have done a bit more careful job in the dressing room if she had known that her boyfriend thought of coming and finding her after the show.
Kouta embraced the magician and pressed her tightly. His control was impeccable, for a young man who could’ve crushed boulders of densest minerals with his hugs he was surprisingly gentle.
“So are we doing something after this?” Mana dreamily wondered. That night with the young Juugo before the survival drill really helped her getting her mind in order and appreciating what she had back in Konoha.
“I just figured I’d give you a walk home, see where we’d go from there.” Kouta grinned before rubbing his nose, he tended to do that when he got shy or withheld something.
“Well, seeing how last time we did that we went to the stars, you’ve got a pretty tall bar to leap over.” Mana teased the medical ninja as the two quietly walked out through the side of the stage, catching a couple of glimpses of the magnificent play being performed onstage.
The weather outside was much chiller than the last time they did this. As the cold streams of air ran down one’s lungs it couldn’t help it but pinch the entire way down. Once the air was warmed up and exhaled it was so warm that it felt like burning the chest all the way up to the nostrils. Mana quickly burrowed herself into her coat. Even if the air was a bit chillier than usual a surprising dance of evening snowflakes joined into the fray laying the autumnal Konoha streets and gardens with their own first yearly layer of snow.
“It seems this time the stars have come down to us…” Kouta smiled admiring the view as in the evening lights contrasting the clear night’s sky the slowly descending snowflakes indeed resembled the white orbs of light in the sky.
Despite the chilly and burning at the same time sensation Mana couldn’t help it but breathe in the air around her, gasp and embrace it with all of her chest’s capacity until it physically hurt to breathe in any more. Similarly her mind tried saving the moment, in her life these didn’t come often yet they reminded her what a gift life truly was and why she fought for it with such ferocity.
Mana and Kouta were not the only people out admiring the snow. Shop keepers were just as awe stricken, obviously, also a bit peeved for they had to pull off their brooms and wipe the terraces where their clients sat down for chats or a not that common outside dinner. Children began hurling snowballs scraping the first snow as it touched the ground, contrasting it with fireballs that ninja often spat at their enemies in one of the most common games they played.
Finally in the distance laid Mana’s home. The lights were on, yet dimmed. Obviously it was in the evening minimal lighting mode so her family must’ve been enjoying the magical evening in their own way.
“What’s wrong?” Mana asked finally noticing that Kouta’s expression changed after he saw the magician’s home.
“It’s just… I guess that’s it.” he pouted with an indifferent shrug. Almost like he was angry about it even if he was the sole judge of that.
“That’s it? You’re heading home?” Mana asked a bit confused, she thought that Kouta would’ve liked enjoying the village experiencing the first late autumnal snow a bit more. “Was it something I said or did?” the girl wondered even if in her mind it made little sense as she had done and said very little, allowing the magic of the moment to take it over.
“No! It’s just… I want to do some training today and father promised to help me prepare. I think it’s best if we don’t let this thing of ours get in the way of our training. I mean the Chuunin Exams are pretty important…” the young man shrugged looking at the direction of his home as if it was just right there within his reach, imagining the family and the training waiting back home.
“Oh… Yeah, training is pretty important, I guess…” Mana shrugged trying to hide her disappointment. The worst part was that she kind of understood it, Juugo were brawlers who lived for the thrill of a good fight. They were a unique kind of ninja that contrary to the ninja teachings thrived in fighting and destruction they themselves caused. She should’ve seen something like this happening at some point.
“We can resume where we’re leaving off when I get back, right?” she then wondered.
“Well… We’re gonna be competing in the Chuunin Exams in separate teams. We may end up fighting each other at some point. I think it’s best we leave this alone until the exams are done with and there’s nothing distracting us.” Kouta uneasily concluded. “To be honest, I kinda thought you’d be telling me that, your will to keep training past the edge where it makes sense to do so is what charms me about you.”
Mana squinted at him just barely containing an urge to spout out something angry. At that point of boiling anger it was almost a temptation really.
“Oh, so that’s what you like about me… Fine. Until the exams are done so are we.” she sighed in anger. It was an emotion she rarely engaged in, this time the magician barely fought it off, she just let the boiling point keep rising up until it kicked every other neighbor off the boat.
“That’s… A bit of a strict way of putting it…” Kouta laughed in a very clearly faked manner. At this point he must’ve realized that he’s said something wrong but he either didn’t know or didn’t care enough to try and mend it.
“It’s how it is, isn’t it? Good luck with your training.” Mana a bit more angrily cut the young man off before barely containing another temptation inside her. This time it was an urge to storm home in an overly demonstrative manner, a way to show him that she’s actually pissed about the way he played this.
“Thanks!” Kouta exclaimed in a surprisingly rather ridiculously cheerful manner as if he was completely oblivious to how angry Mana was. His naïve nature must’ve forced him to take the good luck wish a bit more directly and seriously than it was meant to be taken.
The young kunoichi shoved the door open so loudly that she actually felt bad about it and closed it overly carefully, so peacefully and slowly that she actually failed to completely close it a couple of times before getting angry again and slamming it shut harder.
“Wow, was the show that bad?” father’s voice came from the living room. “Knowing how your mother is when things get out of hand, I’m glad you don’t have a knife in your hand now…” the man tried to lighten the situation up. The magician decided to better ignore her father’s attempts at to brighten the mood and just angrily squinted at him as she stormed to her room with a glance that had the incinerating properties of hellfire itself. Something she’d probably later regret doing, not that the magician cared at that moment.
She didn’t even understand why she got so angry about it. It wasn’t that big of a deal actually, Kouta decided to devote more time to training with his father than hanging around with her. It was really understandable, all things considered. She herself planned to leave on a, possibly, couple of days taking trip tomorrow. Without even bothering to change out of her uniform the magician just dropped lifeless on her bed and pressed against the area under her chest as if trying to ease an imaginary pain that simply was not there.
Her anger just didn’t make sense, and here she thought she was done with the whole puberty thing. Why did it hurt so much? Why was she acting that way? Most of all, why did fate always tempt her with friendship and love, everything she wanted most out of her life before yanking it from under her and making her more alone than she ever was. With each passing day more and more was pulled out from under her and she felt lonelier and lonelier. First it was her mentor whom she admired, then her team was being played against her and now even Kouta…
“There’s some barbecue on the kitchen table if you feel hungry…” mother’s soft voice came in as the woman spoke without checking in. She must’ve known how Mana felt, of all people, mother was someone who must’ve felt the most alone at one time. After all her entire clan, her family, everyone she ever befriended got killed for almost no reason at all. Even realizing how selfish her anger was, how miniscule her problems were in the grand scale… It didn’t help squat. If anything it only made Mana feel more pathetic that she let her childish anger burrow so deep to her heart.
She wouldn’t go down to eat, she wouldn’t eat anything ever again! Just lay down in her bed and die forgotten by everyone and alone. That was apparently the fate’s plan for her. Sometimes Mana felt like one of those badly booked fighters from those lame television programs father liked, her manager seemingly had no idea what to do with her…
Mana’s stomach growled so loud that she jumped up. Quickly the magician changed out of her uniform into more casual and comfortable clothes and slowly made her shameful walk downstairs for some barbecue…
*****
“Hey, glad you came!” Zairyo smiled after seeing Mana hastily making her way down the village street. “I figured that you’d be late or not show up at all, Sixth said you left the hall with some fellow your age yesterday after the magic show and…”
“It’s nothing…” Mana blushed puffing her cheeks. “I would never miss it and keep my team down. I promise to take this training seriously!” she firmly declared and bowed in front of the Sannin.
Zairyo was a really tall and broad shouldered guy, wearing a fancy white silken kimono with red embroidered edges and a green long flapping cape attached to his shoulders by fancy looking metallic brooches. Still, even if he had a physical build and look of a hero, his gestures and mannerisms reminded Mana more of an opportunistic weasel.
“Training… Right…” the man played with his purplish ponytail of his slightly longer grown since last time the girl had seen him hair uneasily, his eyes shifted from wandering around and rolling in circles to uncomfortably meeting Mana’s gaze. This man may have been a worse liar than Mana, something the magician thought hardly possible, also quite a hindrance for someone like the impression of what kind of a man Sannin Zairyo was the magician was getting.
Mana’s left eyebrow shifted up a little bit, something easily missed having in mind of the girl’s darker complexion and how thin her eyebrows were but it was obvious that Zairyo noticed the girl’s suspicion.
“It’s… Training, in a… Manner of speech… I promise…” he made up something that sounded just like a made-up excuse from his poor lying tone. After the magician caught up to the man he turned around and started to slowly walk outside the northern village gate and towards the training grounds. At least he was still supposedly heading to where Hanasaku said Mana and Zairyo would be training in “ the Forest of Death, that is, if he doesn’t make any adjustments to the course later on.
“You’re going to use me for something…” Mana realized before sighing and saddening up her determined and ready expression.
“Look on the bright side!” Zairyo tried cheering her up, “If someone your age is useful for a Konoha Sannin “ isn’t that amazing!?”
Mana did not honor that with a response, all of the respect and formality that her speech had when addressing the man suddenly poofed like smoke. Now he was just an adult gent whom the magician was just barely an acquaintance with.
“By the way, I see you don’t have your sword with you, what happened to it? I hope you didn’t lose it, for something of that value it’d be a terrible waste!” the Sannin wondered showing genuine worry for the sword’s well-being. Surely more than he’d likely show for Mana’s if this charade of his would ever turn bad. Mana was not worth a lot of money or was of little collector’s value after all… Now all those fancy sword by the man’s side in expensive looking sheathes began to make sense. He was a collector, an ambitious scavenger who tried getting his hands on everything valuable but never risked his life or tried too hard. Just like he didn’t try too hard with Shimo’s Audra blade.
“I gave it away for someone who was supposed to have it after the sword’s owner passed away.” Mana explained as vaguely as she deemed needed. This man was owed no details or else he’ll drag Meiko out on just such a quest as well just for a chance to get her sword from her, by trickery or bargaining or a little bit of both.
“Well… Can’t say I’m not a little bit disappointed, I mean I took you with me on this adventurous trip. I wouldn’t have resisted too hard if you decided to reward me with that fine Audra blade for my trouble…” the man dreamily laughed out looking at the sky as he spoke like he could see the sword but it was just outside the reach of his grasp but not outside of his dreams.
“You need me…” Mana looked ahead with an ashamed pout that already felt bad about her being dragged out on this trip. Here she thought that Hokage sensei may have let her out on an actually beneficial trip where she would learn from an actual professional just like Meiko and Kiyomi currently were learning from one.
“Ah, true… I suppose I should be rewarding you… So, what do you want? I’ve got some gems, rubies, emeralds, diamonds… You look like a sapphire kinda gal to me…” the man began burrowing into a large satchel by his side.
“Holy… Are those actual gems?” the magician looked as her shame and disappointment faded instantly.
“Yep, when you’re walking around shady places and bartering with black market dealers they may feel awry about village issued funds that still smell of banker’s soap and printing machine. Gems are a universal language that every rascal speaks, gold is similar but people can use gems for actual things whereas gold is just chewy and soft… I tend to bury boxes with nuggets whenever they start to accumulate.” The man laughed out.
“And you’re a ninja?” Mana’s eyebrow ended up raised in disbelief. “A Sannin, no less…”
“Yep, got appointed right after the spot freed up. They call me Zairyo Jitensha or Zairyo of the Wavering Grass, get it, because I travel and wander a lot and grass bends a lot and rustles as I walk around but “Wavering grass” just looks better on paper.” the man grinned.
“But you never look at nicknames on paper, you say them out loud, they don’t even add nicknames on your ID.” Mana pointed out surprised that the man would’ve been as silly as failing to see something like that.
“That is quite true, that’s a low-blow…” Zairyo admitted almost like he got offended that the magician pointed it out, it was evident that the man knew that and possibly even had it pointed out to him many times before.
“It’s… It’s no big deal, it’s your nickname, you can change it, just tell people to stop referring to you that way, truth be told, I’ve never heard anyone refer to you that way so it won’t be that tough.” Mana tried softening her voice, if she’d spend time helping this man out and training with him maybe it would’ve been better off not to make him hate her guts too. At least not for something as stupid as the man’s silly reasoning for his nickname.
“It’s whatever… Forget it. They don’t even consider me a real Sannin, it’s because I’m always gone somewhere, chasing something to collect.” The man began sulking while his feet barely dragged his body on, at that pace it would’ve taken weeks to get to the Forest of Death.
“No, that’s great, it makes a lot of sense now. I haven’t heard about you but now I’ll know it’s because you’re never back in the village, that’s fine. I guess grass kind of wavers when you pass it by, that’s fine. Don’t lose your mojo over it.” Mana began almost feeling bad for how badly the man took it.
“Thanks, nice to see you being so cool about it, Chestnut’s so mean to me about it, always making fun of me or poking fun of the nickname. I keep telling her to just imagine posters behind me with my nickname written on them and confetti in the background when I introduce myself but she keeps laughing it off.” Zairyo cheered up a bit.
Mana stopped to look back at the slowly fading in the horizon Konohagakure, her eyes then returned to her temporary mentor whom she was supposed to be useful for. That must’ve been all the man looked for in people “ how useful they were as it was the only reason he had chosen her. Still, someone who saw her as useful was better than no one at all. The magician dreaded the idea of poking her own brain with illusions again and the headaches it’d cause. With a hopeful smile she looked back at Zairyo and picked up her pace to catch up to the man.
“So why am I so useful to you? Hokage-sensei mentioned it’s the special kind of genjutsu I use, would you like me to teach you that?” the magician wondered
“Oh? No, I made that up. I need you because of a mission you once did with Uzumaki Tanshu, you’ve been in the hidden archive once, you know where it is, right?” the man looked at Mana hopefully.
The magician just nodded, a bit surprised that the man would care about an old low-ranking mission like that.
“Wonderful, I need to pick something up from that archive! Something you guys left behind.” the man grinned with little golden stars lighting up in his greedy eyes.
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