Kaoru adjusted his new outfit he was excited to wear. Today was the day Team Shin would embark on their first mission. After two intense weeks of teamwork drills and personal training, Shin had deed them ready. Their mission was to exterminate the bandits terrorizing villages to the north.
“Once we leave the village, we’ll use body flicker to cover as much distance as possible,” Shin instructed as they stood at the Takimura gates. “You must all follow without stopping. This is part of your training.”
Kaoru, standing just behind Shin, exchanged a glance with Akane and Mizuki. [So, the training isn’t over. Figures.] He braced himself as Shin flickered ahead, vanishing into the mist. Without hesitation, Kaoru followed.
While Kaoru’s mastery of body flicker was impressive, probably on par with Shin’s in terms of technique, Shin had the advantage in speed and could cover much greater distances in a single flicker. Thankfully, the jonin adjusted his speed to accommodate his team, ensuring they could keep up.
As they moved, Kaoru reflected on how his perception of Shin had shifted. Shin was indifferent and distant, but he was also an exceptional ntor, guiding each of his students with precision.
Shin was personally teaching Akane his sword style and helping her refine her natural talent for close combat. For Mizuki, he provided a rare scroll detailing escape and diversion techniques, sothing not even available in the Takimura library, at the very least not for genins. And for Kaoru, Shin helped him improve his weakest area—taijutsu.
What surprised Kaoru most was Shin’s generosity. He’d gifted each of them a set of shurikens, kunai, and explosive tags stored in compact storage seals. Storage seals were sothing Kaoru had been searching for in vain, both because they were hard to co by and because he simply didn’t have the money to buy one. Shin had solved that problem and Kaoru was especially grateful for that, because otherwise he’d have to ask Maki and he had already received too much money from her.
[Shin’s the real deal,] Kaoru thought, flickering to keep pace. His earlier doubts about Shin had vanished. Now, he felt nothing but respect and gratitude toward his sensei.
Their destination was the village most frequently raided by the bandits. They would gather information there, rest for a day, and then make a move on bandits.
As they reached the village, Shin gave them one final warning.
“This isn’t just a mission,” Shin began. “This is your next test. Everything you’ve learned so far will be put to use. Fail to work as a team, and you’ll fail out there.”
Kaoru, Akane, and Mizuki nodded without a word. It was weird but Shin managed to create an actual team from them in just two weeks, they now shared a sense of companionship.
Kaoru glanced at the misty horizon ahead where the faint silhouette of the village was already visible. [This is just the beginning.]
Maki and Akura walked through the misty forest, they were very frustrated as the Durinu clan was nowhere to be found. The descendants of the blacksmiths who had forged the blades used by Kiri’s legendary Seven Swordsn were said to be hiding sowhere in these woods. A week of searching had yielded nothing but dead ends.
“I think we’ve searched this whole damn forest,” Maki hissed, kicking a damp branch out of her way. “But there’s nothing. No camp, no tracks, nothing!”
She was extrely irritated but she had a reason. Maki had been on the verge of a breakthrough with a new technique that she was developing, but she had to pause to co on this mission.
“Relax, Maki,” Akura said, with a calm and neutral tone, as usual. “Takimura needs these blacksmiths. We have to find them.”
“Easy for you to say…” she muttered under her breath, though she knew he could hear her. Akura, who could not care less, didn’t react. He’d known Maki long enough to let her grumbling roll off his back. In fact, he found her outbursts cute more often than not. Having practically raised her, Akura couldn’t help but feel a sense of responsibility for her fiery personality.
Maki sighed heavily, kicking at a loose stone on the forest floor. “Fine, then. Summon him. We could use his help.”
Akura frowned. “I hate summoning him in forests. He complains too much.”
“Please,” Maki said, her tone edging on a whine. “I’ll handle him if he gets annoying.”
“Alright, alright,” Akura relented, biting his finger to draw blood. He sared the blood on the summoning tattoo etched on his wrist, and with a puff of smoke, a massive eagle appeared, its sharp eyes glaring down at him.
The eagle was as tall as two grown n, its wingspan even longer. It flapped its wings powerfully, breaking several branches in the process.
“What the hell am I supposed to do in a forest, Akura?” the eagle squawked, ruffling its feathers. “Why do you keep summoning in these terrible situations?”
“Sorry, Maru,” Akura said, trying to sound sincere. He cast a sidelong glance at Maki that practically scread, See? Told you so.
Maki stepped forward with a grin, completely unphased by the eagle’s outburst. “Hello, Maru. Rember ?”
The eagle squinted at her, his sharp beak clicking in annoyance. “Of course I do. You’re even worse than Akura.”
“Thanks,” Maki said brightly, as though he’d paid her a complint. “Listen, we need your help. There’s a camp sowhere in this forest—ten to thirty people, give or take. We need you to fly up and find it.”
Maru’s feathers ruffled further. “And why, exactly, would I waste my ti doing that?”
Maki’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Because if you do, I’ll convince Akura to summon you next to Taki’s waterfall. You rember that place, right? All that open sky and clean water?”
The eagle’s deanor shifted in an instant. “You an it?”
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“I promise,” Maki said with a sly grin.
Maru gave a decisive flap of his enormous wings. “Fine, but you’d better keep that promise!”
With that, the eagle soared into the sky, breaking a few more branches on his way up. The massive wings stirred the mist, montarily clearing it as he rose.
Akura folded his arms, shaking his head. “You’re too good at manipulating him.”
Maki smirked, watching as Maru disappeared above the treetops. “He’s easy. You just have to know his weak spots.”
“Waterfalls and flattery,” Akura muttered under his breath as he rembered how he convinced Maru to sign a contract in the first place.
The two waited in the clearing, their eyes scanning the sky as they anticipated Maru’s return. Whatever frustration Maki had been feeling earlier was montarily replaced by the amusent of seeing the bird try it’s best to receive the rewards.
It had taken i several days of hard travel, but she finally arrived at her destination—a bustling coastal settlent. Though officially called a village, Shiomura was far more than that. Larger than Takimura but still slightly smaller than Kirigakure, it was the only viable port in the southern region. The economy thrived here, and even Kirigakure, known for its ruthless disregard for others, respected and obeyed Shiomura’s laws to avoid disrupting trade.
As i crossed the border into the village, she was greeted by a large sign reading: “Welco to Shiomura.”
She didn’t plan to linger here longer than necessary. The old man had told her that his disciple loved gambling. i decided to start her search at the local gambling houses before expanding her search elsewhere.
The first establishnt she entered reeked of alcohol and smoke. The clinking of coins, raucous laughter, and occasional shouts of triumph or frustration filled the air. Barely clothed won hovered around tables, their smiles as calculated as the wagers being made. i wrinkled her nose in disgust. She hated places like this.
[Get in, find him, and get out,] i thought as she weaved her way through the crowd. Her eyes scanned every corner.
“There are way too many people willing to throw their money away,” she muttered under her breath.
As i ventured deeper into the gambling den, a drunken man stumbled into her path. His cheeks and nose were so red they resembled ripe tomatoes, and he reeked of cheap liquor. i couldn’t help but smirk at the pitiful sight, but her brief amusent was taken as an invitation.
“Hey, cutie,” the man slurred. “Wanna watch win so money? Then I’ll spend it all on you.”
Before i could respond, the man grabbed her arm.
Her smile vanished, replaced by a glare sharp enough to cut steel. “Remove your hand before I break it,” she hissed, her voice low and dangerous.
For a brief mont, the air around i grew suffocating. The killing intent she exuded wasn’t just palpable—it was overwhelming. The drunken man froze, his stupor evaporating instantly under her gaze.
“I-I’m sorry,” he stamred, his voice barely audible. Then he vanished into the crowd.
i took a deep breath, “Shit,” she muttered. “I need to keep my temper in check. The last thing I need is to get into trouble here.”
Shiomura was notoriously strict with outsiders who broke the rules. Even if the authorities couldn’t capture her, becoming a wanted criminal here would be a stain on both her reputation and Takimura’s.
[Alright, let’s keep moving,] she thought, resuming her search.
As she continued through the crowded hall, her attention was drawn to a heated argunt between two n. One of them had fiery red hair, redder than i’s, almost like a blazing torch.
“Found you,” she muttered, her lips curling into a triumphant smile.
i slowed her pace, moving closer to the arguing pair. The red-haired man gestured wildly, his voice carrying over the bustling noise of the gambling house. i crossed her arms, her sharp eyes narrowing as she listened in.
[Let’s see what kind of trouble you’ve gotten yourself into, Uzumaki Yko.]
“What do you an you can’t give more? I made ten storage seals, just like you asked, and now you’re only paying for five?” Yko’s fiery hair seed to reflect his rising temper as his face reddened.
“I’m telling you,” the stall owner replied, “you owed for last ti, so I’m deducting it from your paynt. Take it or leave it.”
The man’s casual smirk only fueled Yko’s frustration, his anger boiling over. i didn’t know if the stall owner was extorting Yko, nor did she care. What mattered was that their argunt was drawing too much attention. It wouldn’t be long before soone from the shinobi world recognized Yko’s striking features. If that happened, his identity as an Uzumaki could be exposed, and that would complicate things far more than i wanted.
She moved toward them. As she got closer, she picked up speed, plastering a bright smile on her face. When she reached Yko, she slipped her arm through his, her expression radiating cheerfulness.
“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” she exclaid, her voice as sweet as honey.
Yko turned to her, his brows furrowed in confusion, but before he could say anything, i tightened her grip and pinched his side so hard that he almost yelped in pain.
“Mister, what did my boyfriend do this ti?” i said to the stall owner, her tone laced with exasperation, her lower lip jutting out in a slight pout. “Did he lose money again?”
Yko opened his mouth to protest, but i’s nails dug into his arm, her warning clear. He clenched his jaw, choosing silence over risking further injury.
“No, he didn’t lose money,” the stall owner replied with a chuckle. “We were just having a little disagreent about his paynt.”
The man’s smirk widened as he noticed Yko glaring at i with barely concealed frustration. [How did this loser land such a cute girl?]
“Yko,” i said, her tone taking on a scolding edge, “I’m sure the gentleman here wouldn’t lie to you. Stop making trouble and co with .”
Her piercing gaze locked onto Yko’s, her eyes silently screaming, Play along.
Yko, utterly bewildered, struggled to make sense of the situation. For a mont, he thought i might be one of the girls working in the gambling house, but the sheer weight of her chakra said otherwise. This woman was on a completely different level.
He was about to ask who she was when i pinched him again, this ti hard enough to make him wonder if she’d torn through his skin. His survival instincts finally kicked in.
“Fine,” he muttered, “let’s go.”
“Listen to the girl, boy, and go ho,” the stall owner said with a mocking laugh as he watched them walk away.
Once they were outside and away from prying eyes, i let go of Yko’s arm.
“I’ll explain everything later,” she said in a low voice. “You were about to get yourself in serious trouble. Just follow . I was sent by your master.”
“My master?” Yko echoed.
“Do I need to pinch you again?” i shot back, her expression deadpan.
Yko instinctively flinched, raising his hands in surrender. “No, no, I’ll follow. Just... stop pinching .”
“Good,” i said, her lips curving into a faint smirk as she led him toward the village outskirts. [Uzumaki Yko...]
**
A/N -
I need to co up with a unique technique for Maki, sothing that could potentially beco the core of her fighting style. Right now, her approach revolves around speed and taijutsu, but I feel like she’s missing that one defining move to set her apart. If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them!
I hope you enjoyed the chapter! ^_^
Character Notes:
Akura - Hated By His Own Summon - “Maki’s temper could scare a raging bijuu, but sure, let’s summon the giant bird that hates . This is fine.”
i – Pinching Enthusiast - “Why negotiate when a pinch to the ribs does the job faster?”
Yko – Regretting His Life Choices - “I should have stayed with sensei…”
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