The men begins to laugh historically like a comedian has just told him a funny joke.
"To think a day would come where a brat would fucken threaten me. Hahaha."
The men's laughter light a fum of anger inside Reiji's eyes. Pretro on the other hand is filled with joy that he is able to fight alongside someone for the first time.
"It's not threat. It's a promise I make as a ninja."
Silence fall over the three, the two boys and the men glaring at each other like fighters waiting for the bell to start the fight.
The air blows past Reiji and instantly he fires a fist heading straight to the men's face. The men barely dodges the fist, but Pretro is already by his right, ready to let lose his kick.
"S-sorry."
The kick lands right on the side of the head-sending the men flying towards the wall. Reiji's eyes are now no more filled with anger, but with shock.
"How old are you?" Reiji ask.
Pretro shyly looks away.
"F-fourteen."
A question arise in Reiji's mind. 'How can a fourteen years old be able to kick an experience ninja, matters not if his injured or Rank…"
The men stands up. More furious than before, wiping the blood from his head.
"I first lose to a fucken brat, then get injured by another, then get threaten and be kicked on my head! This day must be a brat day!"
During one moment in his speech, Pretro and Reiji felt a petrifying bloodlust oozing from the men.
"It seems I Densei will have to put a stop to this fucken day!"
Densei rushes toward the both of them doing the Rin and Hei hand sign. The two boys jump to different direction.
However, Densei also change direction and to the one person he was after from the beginning. That is Pretro.
"I will handle the other one later. First I will make you pay for winning my prize money!"
As he closes in, Densei notice Pretro's lips move. And in a series of events, Pretro lands on the ground, moving right and left doing the Rin, Hei, Toh and Kai hand sign.
Immediately following are punches to fast for Densei's eyes, each connecting on his face, fracturing all his bones and propelling him past Reiji.
Present.
"Wow! Was that really what happened?" Hachimaru ask.
Reiji with an astound voice."Yeah! After that me and him have been hanging out together whenever we come across each other."
"Next time call me when you guys hang out."
The two leave the Yakizakana restaurant and into the town district. They continue on the street telling each other about their childhood stories.
Unknowingly to them an individual is tailing them disguised as a citizen.
***
Ninja District.
A red dim lit room where drawings of a pink haired girl hangs on the ceiling. Mostly ones where she's with a rather short person next to her.
The drawings are not only in the ceiling and walls, but the ground. Placed in a circle like shape and in the center is none other than Shiru with bruise's and a bloated face.
"Oh Tamia." He holds his face. "Tamia! Tamia! Tamia! Tamia! Tamia! Tamia! Tamia! I promise I'll make you pay for what you did to my precious face!"
Shiru let's go of his face, grabbing one of the drawings of Tamia on the floor.
"Not only did you disfigure my face- you ruined my reputation! Now everyone is calling me "no teeth Shiru.!" His eyes blazing with flames. "When your secret is revealed, I will be the first one to make sure you compensate for what you did to me! I will rip out your teeth and make sure to sear your body before using it as a door mat!"
He rips the drawing into pieces, standing from the floor, heading to the door and leaving the dim lit room with a fox mask on his face.
"For now I just have to find a way to evade these two."
The two his talking about is Kazuki and Koruto. Who are right beneath his apartment balcony. He place his back against the wall, slowly walking to the stairs.
Reaching the stairs he continues using the walls of the stairs to hide himself, tip toeing down them and getting to the floor without being detected- that is what he hoped would happen.
"Mask boy, come here." Koruto calling him.
He stands up straight and walking towards Kazuki and Koruto like a robot.
"Yes sir Koruto." Shiru says rubbing his hand together.
"My friend over here has a question to ask."
Shiru directs his eyes towards Kazuki. Though he may wear a mask, behind that mask can be described as disgusting thoughts swimming in his mind.
"What may you want to know?" Shiru ask.
"How's Reiji been so far?!" Kazuki ask with a smile.
"Reiji?" He looks to the sky. "Never heard of him."
"Don't lie again." Koruto glares at him intently.
Shiru turns back to Koruto, gasping in shock that Koruto was able to catch on to his lie pretty quickly.
Shiru snicker adding, "I was just playing with him that's all."
"…"
"Anywho, I heard that his been hanging out with some friends."
"Oh. Thank you!" Kazuki says.
Shiru speedily spin around, walking away from the two. From a young age, Shiru has been able to judge how a person is based on their eyes.
However, there are those rare cases where he can not tell how a person is like. This case applies to Kazuki. Whenever he gazes upon Kazuki's eyes he gets an uncomfortable feeling like he is staring at two people at the same time.
"Not like I care. I just hope that Koruto would act up and die!" Stomping his feet on the ground.
After his stomping stops he exit the complex apartments of the Ninja District and into the Town District.
Meanwhile Kazuki and Koruto are in the middle of their conversation.
"Since the day you came to ask me to train you to be strong - you have not been able to unsheeth your sword and the longest you can circulate Sei is 4 hours. With that slow of a progress. Tell me why you still want me to train you."
Kazuki stares directly into Koruto's eyes, his smile disappearing and tightly clenches his sword.
"Because you're the only person I know is strong. With you training me I can finally make someone apologize."
"Mm. Here I thought you might say something like you wish to beat me." Koruto mumbling to himself.
After the tournament ended, Kazuki woke up one day searching for Koruto. Since he entered the academy he has lost numerous times in his fights without his opponents going all out and the fact he is slowest in his class to learn Sei.
Taking all this into account, his been drowning in a pool of shame of how weak he is. So after Koruto acknowledge him he thought that maybe Koruto might be able to teach and train him.
Luckily he was correct about his assumption. Koruto decided to train him with no questions asked, that is if he adhered to one condition.
To live with him in the Ninja District.
Kazuki accepted the demand- explaining to Hinata that he will not be living with them for sometime and this decision has helped him a lot.
The first being that he can circulate Sei for a much longer period of time. Only downside being that when his in a battle this circulation is cut short to 30 minutes.
Second is his swordsmanship has grown (though he can only use his sword with his sheeth on) from that of a beginner to a savent.
These accomplishment have also come with lots of disadvantage as well. Which is, he has to practice the whole day before going to sleep and it causes him to miss out on school.
"I have a question?!" Kazuki ask.
"What?"
"Why is it you are not going to the academy?! It is not a must for you to watch me train!"
"Watch you? That's not why am here. Also I trust myself." He looks at the direction of the Shogunate District to add.
"It's not like they count absent days by the academy - only the points you get."
Satisfied with Koruto's response, Kazuki goes back to swinging his scabbard.
***
On the other hand Pretro runs up to Reiji and Hachimaru, who are standing beneath a tree with with kids sliding down a slide ahead of them. See Reiji feels him with joy.
"H-hey guys…huff…huff…w-what are you doing?"
He stands up straight and they turn to him, but he avoids eye contact with Hachimaru.
"Hey."
"Yo."
With their greeting done, Pretro never thought in his life he would hear what Hachimaru was about to say.
"You see those two girls over there by the bench." Hachimaru pointing at them.
"Y-yeah."
"Well me and Reiji have been thinking to go speak to them. But the problem is Reiji has never approached a girl in his life."
Reiji looks away shly from Pretro's eyes.
"I-is there a reason for you to approach them?"
"Not a serious one. I just feel like it would be a damn shame to not get to know such beautiful girls."
"A-and you want to go to them now."
Hachimaru nods in agreement.
"Wait." Reiji speaks hesitantly. "We…ah…we don't have to… go… speak to them now. There will be plenty of places where we can…"
Hachimaru interrupts him.
"Reiji! Don't be a coward. I know you can do this. Remember our deal."
Hearing what Hachimaru just said. Reiji firms his heart walking to one of the girls alongside Hachimaru. As this will be the first time Reiji has ever approached a girl. The question is how will it go?
TBC.
NEXT CHAPTER: PRELUDE 22