Chapter 18 Part 1
And why do I get the feeling this's happened somewhere before? C-rank again. Bodyguard work again. Second mission away from the Village — and escort duty again.
The girl we're protecting — Shibuki — is the daughter of the former leader of Takigakure, and the current leader herself. I think she's about three years older than me — maybe a little more, maybe a little less. Black eyes, dark chestnut hair. Fairly tall, well-built. I wouldn't be lying if I called her a good-looking young woman. Oh — and she refers to herself as "ore," which is kind of odd.
There's also one more thing — a really important detail in Shibuki's character...
"Caw! Caaaw!" A crow burst out of the treetop.
"Hiiii!" Shibuki shrieked — and hid behind Sakurai's back.
Yep. Leader of her village — the Village Hidden in the Waterfall — and Shibuki was a certified coward.
"What the—?! It's just a bird!" Naruko said, face dismal. "Hey — don't soil your pants over every little thing! You're a kunoichi, tebane!!! You sure YOU'RE the leader of the village?!"
"Sh-shut up! It-t was just too sudden! I!.."
"Caaaw!"
"Iiiii!!!"
"Etto..." Sakurai — completely thrown off — tried to peel the client off his back. She held on tight.
"Pathetic," Sasuko threw out as she walked past.
"Awfully pathetic," Naruko agreed.
"Mm... those're way too harsh, Naruko, Sasuko-san..."
"But Koru-chan! Just LOOK at her!" The blonde nodded at Shibuki, who was glancing fearfully around. "She's awfully super-pathetic!!! She jumps at every rustle! It's just stupid!"
"Naruko — that's rude," I scolded.
"Can't believe I'm saying this, but the Idiot's right."
"HEY!!!"
"And you too, Sasuko-san..."
"Just admit it." Uchiha threw it out — merciless.
"Fine — she's pathetic," I agreed. Politely. To myself. Even if she's got some reason — being scared of absolutely everything is a little too much.
Evidently sensing it somehow, Sasuko snorted.
"Ano... anyone gonna help me?" Haruno called, timid. He was still trying to gently and carefully detach the cowardly client from himself. Without success.
Well, well...
"Well — we're here." Akashi concluded it as a HUGE waterfall rose before us. Gorgeous place. A mountain — maybe over a hundred meters high — with crystal-clear water thundering down, filling the air with spray and a faint rainbow in the sun.
"Ugh... The waterfall..." Naruko muttered, eyeing the falling water with clear nerves.
"Naruko — you okay?" Sakurai frowned at her grimacing face.
"Umm. All good, all good!" She cranked up the cheer — obviously forced. "Just got a sudden chill for a second. Already gone!"
"Is that so?.. Well — if you say so. Looks like this mission might actually end peacefully." Sakurai smiled — genuinely pleased. "No S-rank nukenin..."
"Ha — just let 'em try!" Naruko shouted. "I'll whoop all their butts!"
"Pf. Sure..."
"I'm serious! I'm not like I was before! I've gotten even stronger! What're you huffing about, Stupid Hedgehog?!"
"Clean your ears out, Idiot!"
"You asking for it?!"
"Naruko, Sasuko-chan — please don't fight!"
"Oh?... They're so energetic today." I smile, watching the blonde and the brunette go at it. Still — those two really have found their own weird common language.
"Kaoru-san — don't encourage this!!!"
"Kami — what noisy brats." Shibuki threw it out, derisive — looking a little brighter. Guess the familiar sights picked her up.
"What's with her?" Naruko scowled — squabble paused. "A minute ago her knees were knocking."
"Shibuki-sama!!!" Suddenly — like they'd popped out of the ground — kids came running. Two of them. Boy and a girl. Cute. "You're back, Shibuki-sama!!!"
"No, no — stop. I'm the Leader now — can't play with you like before." Shibuki waved a hand, all importance.
"That's not it!" The girl jumped, bursting with feelings.
"You've got it wrong! We're cleaning up here!" The boy backed her up.
"Mom asked us to."
"Oh — is that so?.. Then how about..." Shibuki paused — and a sly smile crept onto her face. "...some help from the Leaf shinobi?"
"Huh? What the hell?!" Naruko bristled instantly — sensing danger.
"Relax, relax." The Waterfall leader waved a careless hand. "I'll pay separately. P-A-Y."
"HEY!! We're shinobi — not damn garbage collectors!" Uzumaki flared up, stung by how dismissively she was being treated. Behind her — Sasuko, sullen, nodded thoughtfully.
Oh-ho. Told you — they've found their own common language. Look — already agreeing with each other. Even if they don't notice it yet.
"Oh — REALLY?!" The kids found a new target and practically swarmed Naruko. Innocent faces. Eyes shining with delight. "Now we'll finish way, way faster! Thanks, Big Sis!!!"
"You're so nice, Big Sis from the Leaf!!!"
"Ummgmm..." Naruko instantly felt embarrassed about her anger. She started looking around helplessly — searching for a good reason to refuse. Finally her eyes landed on the commander.
She rallied. Only to be ruthlessly crushed:
"Alright — we'll do it." Akashi smiled. "Just don't forget to pay after, Shibuki-san."
"Hey — weren't we hired to guard you?" Uchiha asked, pretty rudely — poorly hiding her irritation.
"You already got me to the agreed spot — so that's it." Shibuki waved it off.
"Excellent! So, kids — let's happily take on this extra mission, yeah?!" Akashi chirped — naturally meaning only the genin would be working.
"SENSEI!!!" The aforementioned genin screamed it with their entire bodies — cursing their commander in every possible way.
"Well — I'll go with Shibuki-san and handle the paperwork. Work hard, kids. Lend our allied Village a hand!"
"Thank you SO much!!!" The kids shouted, beaming. How're you supposed to say no to smiles like that? The genin couldn't.
"Damn!" Naruko muttered, sullen.
"That woman..." Seems like this is becoming a habit for Sasuko.
"Sen-seeei..."
Hmm...
Digging in the water. Ugh — who made this much of a mess?
"Nasty!"
"So nasty!"
"People shouldn't dump yuck in the water!"
"Shouldn't!"
"But sometimes humans are useful."
"Yeah — their hands are good at cleaning yuck out."
"But they're the ones who threw it in."
"Some throw — others clean."
"Yeah — that's fair!"
That was the conversation my spirits were having as they watched us work. They, however, kept to commentary from the sidelines — not even thinking about helping.
"Booo — this sucks." Naruko complained, sullen, chucking tin cans onto the shore.
"Totally sucks," agreed Naruko.
"Super sucks," another Naruko chimed in.
Mmaa — so many. Did they dump the whole village landfill into the waterfall?!
On the shore, Akashi and Shibuki were signing papers and having a quiet conversation. Almost idyllic, you could say.
"Gyaaah?!" Shibuki screamed. Kami — what now?
A bird — swooping onto Akashi's hand — had scared Shibuki. Hah — not even surprising. M — isn't that from the Konoha falconry?
"Oh — is that so?.." Akashi murmured, reading the message. "Hey, kids! When you're done — head back to the Village on your own!"
"Sensei — you're leaving?!" Sakurai was surprised.
"Yeah — heading back first. Emergency jonin meeting." She waved a small piece of paper. "Kaoru-kun's in charge. Look after things here."
"Alright." I nod. "Safe trip."
"See ya!" Waving, the jonin bolted — vanished among the trees in seconds.
"Gahh! What the hell?!" Naruko kicked another can toward the shore. "Why does the great Naruko-sama, future Hokage, have to dig through trash?!"
"You're STILL spouting that nonsense..." Sasuko snorted.
"Shut it! I'm gonna be Hokage — just you wait, Stupid Hedgeh—!"
"Hey — what's a 'Hokage'?" The kids asked, catching the unfamiliar word.
"You don't know?!" Uzumaki was stunned. "The Hokage's the strongest shinobi in Konoha! They protect the Village and run everything!"
"So the Hokage's like Shibuki-sama?" The boy asked — naïve, bright.
"Ghh?! What?!" Naruko literally twisted at the comparison. "Hell no! Don't compare that coward to the Hokage! Completely different levels! Heaven and earth! No — MORE!"
"Uuuugh! Don't you dare insult Shibuki-sama!!!" The girl flared up instantly.
"YEAH! She's a little scared sometimes — but she's the hero of our Village! She protects us!!!" The boy backed her up.
"She's really strong!!!" The kids shouted, blazing with righteous fury.
"Now, now — let's not get so worked up, okay?" I wedged myself between Naruko and the shouting children.
"Apologize to Shibuki-sama!!!"
"Hell no!!!"
"..." I'm being ignored. Why the hell am I being ignored?! Fine — they asked for it. "Stop arguing."
"Eek!"
"Hyaa?!"
"UMm."
"Please — can we all just get along?" I smile at the now-silent arguers. "Let's make peace, neh?"
GULP!
"There — that's better ^_^. Oh? — what're you looking at? Something behind me again?"
"That! That THING!! AGAIN!!!"
"My, my... I've got absolutely no idea what you're talking about."
Anyway — the fight ended soon enough, and the genin got back to work. Me, though — I was trying to figure out my place in this world. Maybe I should've reincarnated as a stool? Or a tree... Ah — a vending machine in Akihabara's also acceptable. Just not the kind that sells used panties!..
"Ahh — I'm so tired." Naruko collapsed beside me. "Urr... I wanna eat. Hey-hey, Koru-chan — maybe we can have lunch a little early?"
"Listen, Naruko, that..." Sakurai started, but:
"Urrrk..." Sasuko raised her chin proudly — trying to hide an embarrassed blush.
"Oh-ho? Well — I accidentally made a little more than usual again..." I smile — a little amused by Hedgehog's "shame."
"NO!" Shibuki cut in — sharp, sudden.
"Eh? What d'you want now?!" Naruko bristled.
"If you wanna eat — do it somewhere else! You finished your work — now get lost!"
"Eh? — that was incredibly rude." I frowned. I've got patience. Plenty of understanding. But there are limits — and that kind of treatment crosses them. "Could you be a little more polite, Shibuki-san? We did your work — how about some basic respect?"
"Just GET OUT! You got paid — there's nothing else for you here." This... this woman is really starting to piss me off.
"Oh... Never imagined the real Shibuki-sama was like this. Well, well — the Waterfall Village must have a really hard time with a 'leader' like you. How sad..."
"Leave it." Strangely — it was Sasuko who cut me off. Though — if looks could actually kill, Shibuki would be drenched in filth from head to toe. "Let's just go. Obviously this... doesn't want to show us the entrance to her Village. It's probably right nearby — and she's scared we'll find out."
One last contemptuous look at Shibuki — then Sasuko turned and took the first step toward the road.
"Why? The Leaf and Waterfall've been allies forever!" Sakurai was confused. "What's the big deal if we see it?"
"How should I know — maybe you're planning to betray us and attack the Waterfall?!" Shibuki — having overheard — threw it out, furious.
"WHAT?! Who'd want your crummy little village?!" Naruko was genuinely enraged — I could feel it on my skin. "Who'd want ANYTHING from a coward like you!!!"
"Ingrate." Sakurai muttered it, also getting ready to leave.
"Hah... Fear really does have big eyes, huh?" I should probably feel sorry for Shibuki. But... it's just not happening.
"Pheh — worthless."
"Gh. Drop dead, you cowardly bitch." Naruko hissed it, joining us. Looks like the mood for the rest of the day is officially ruined.
But fate had other plans. Barely a couple dozen meters away — a child's scream. Pure terror. One glance at each other — and we bolted back. Found Shibuki and the kids hunched over a woman on the ground. Unknown. On the back of her kimono — a dark bloodstain. Kunai sticking out of the center.
"Mama! Mommyyy!" The little girl was sobbing, tugging at her shoulder.
"Wait — don't do that." As gently as possible, I stopped the hysterical child. The wound... Ah — lucky: a quick check says it's not as bad as it looks. "It's okay — the wound's not dangerous. She just passed out from the shock."
"What happened here?!" Uchiha demanded.
"Mom... she... sniff!.. s-saaiiddd... that.. sniff... they attackeeed!" The girl forced it out through tears. "Mama..."
"Alright — everything's fine. She's sleeping now." I focused on calming the kid.
"An attack on the Waterfall?" Sakurai frowned. "That's... really bad."
"W-we... we gotta run! Run home..." The boy was shaking.
"No. If you really were attacked — the enemy's already inside." Sasuko said it, calm and logical.
"N-no!.. Impossible! It can't be!.. How?.. How'd they get in?!.. How'd they find out?!.." Shibuki whispered, dazed — trembling all over. Everyone ignored her.
"Sakurai, Kaoru. You stay here — protect the civilians."
"And you, Sasuko-chan?!"
"Hey — stop shaking, Shibuki!" Naruko grabbed her shoulder. "Show us the way into the Village!"
"What she said." Sasuko backed it up.
"Are you IDIOTS?!" Shibuki shrieked — full-on panic. "What can YOU do?! Two little girls!!"
"Incoming!" Uchiha yelled — shoving Shibuki to the ground. Dark figures burst from the waterfall.
"Ha-ha! Found 'em!"
"Grab Shibuki — waste the rest!" The woman clearly in charge shouted. The enemy shinobi flung their hands — a stream of kunai flying at us.
"I'll handle it." Uchiha's Sharingan flashed. She snatched the fuma shuriken off her back — snapped it open — and hurled the monster at them. It arced up — scattered a good chunk of their kunai. And then Sasuko showed them exactly why fighting in the air is suicide: you can't dodge. The giant shuriken swerved — split in two. Maybe the shinobi managed to react — but do anything useful? No chance. The two whirring disks tore into them — only one twisted away in time. The rest collapsed into the water like broken dolls. Blood smeared the surface.
The surviving squad leader screamed a curse — and vanished into the waterfall.
"Victory in seconds... Nice." I murmured, loosening the link to the spirits. Lucky they were this stupid.
"Tch — I could've handled them myself." Naruko scowled.
"Pf."
"Still... this is bad." Sakurai spoke, thoughtful. "I doubt those were all of them. The Waterfall's gotta have its own shinobi, right? So..."
"Oh — YES! We're gonna kick some ass!" Uzumaki shouted.
"We already got involved — might as well finish it." Uchiha nodded.
"What... how..."
"They're stronger than they look." I told the dazed Shibuki. "Not just in body. In heart. Once they've decided — nothing stops them. I think this is your chance: if anyone can help — it's them."
"Even if you treated them like garbage," I added silently. Shibuki raised a lost look at me — then shook her head, sharp.
"Yeah... I... I'll do it. I'll DO it!" In her shaking voice — something new. Could that be actual resolve?