Orikanyo
Do you hear it? The screams of Gacha salt?
Team Kazou
Lunch is... Served...?
Lunch is... Served...?
“A game?” Kohaku’s eyes sparkled with excitement at the prospect of getting to play. It was loads better than some boring written exam. “I like games! Let’s play, let’s play!” She cheered, bouncing on her toes. Playing keep away with sensei though… such a massive man could scoop her up with a single hand and toss her away.
Setting Riku on the ground she held out her hands, thick blue threads shot out from her fingertips and attached to the puppet. A few twitches of her fingers and Riku stretched, shaking his coat and standing at the ready. In lieu of a wagging tail, his butt wiggled.
Kohaku paused, looking all around as a few images appeared before her eyes. “Huh? What?”
Kojiro normally would've tried explaining his ability with people who've never experienced it before. In fact, he was prepared to do just that when he made the connection to Shizuo and Kohaku. However, that went right out the window when Kohaku brought her lil pup-pet. Kojiro's eyes could be accurately described as huge and sparkling by any onlookers.
There was a single image sent to both Shizuo and Kohaku, a heart surrounding an image of the puppy. It would come through almost like a visual version of a young girl's gleeful squeal. The colors rather sharp and potentially grating, but containing only joy. Without reservation, he made a leaping stride straight for the puppet to try and pet him.
Shizuo recoiled instinctively as a foreign image appeared unbidden in his mind, the boy leaned backwards slightly fell back a step. So this was what Kojiro had meant by image sharing, it was certainly more convenient than writing down messages and there could even be times during missions when it would be more useful than talking. Still… didn’t it seem like the kind of thing that could be connected to mind reading!? Even if Kojiro said otherwise, would anybody really admit it if they could read minds?
Shizuo shook his head to refocus himself. RIght now he needed to concentrate on the challenge in front of them, Shizuo couldn't afford to go back to the academy for another year, literally afford: things were already tight around the household as it was, the money he could bring in even as a genin would really help.
“Can we uh--- take this seriously guys,” Shizuo said to Kohaku and Kojiro, after clearing his throat pointedly. Honestly, this wasn’t a game it was serious! Shizuo knew Kohaku’s puppet wasn’t exactly a toy but between its appearance and Kojiro’s reaction to it sure seemed like the two of them were goofing off! “I think-” Shizuo lowered his voice, peering suspiciously at Kazou until he was out of sight and earshot. “I think we should try and follow him- he didn’t say we couldn’t right? And the further he is from the park when we start the more time we have to take whatever it is from him!”
“Well duh! Everyone knows the end game is the hardest part,” Kohaku said rather matter of factly. A few subtle commands and the puppet sat down for Kojiro. He’d find the fur coat soft, not unlike a real dog’s. “Once sensei gets back to the park, stopping him will be near impossible for us. Wish we knew where he was picking up the package at… we could’ve just grabbed it before him.”
Kojiro made little breathy noises as close to cooing as he could while petting the puppet. So soft and fluffy and daww. He was snapped from his reverie by Shizuo. He was right of course, but Kojiro didn't feel any regret stopping to pet a puppy, puppet or no. He stood up and put a finger to his chin thoughtfully. After a few moments, he beamed ear to ear and sent a set of images to his teammates. It was rather simplistic as Kojiro didn't know the real extent of their abilities, but he thought it might work.
The images showed a big cartoony Kazou with a package in his hands. Then Shizuo in front of him with a sword drawn and making small stabs at him. Kazou took a hand off the package to block and a little cartoon Kojiro came from the side to blast it away with wind jutsu. Lastly, Kohaku uses her pup-pet to snag the package and run off with it in a delightfully cartoonish fashion, complete with drawn speed lines. It was all in all clearly aesthetically inspired by Kojiro reading too much manga. But he thought the plan could work!
“Hmmmm, it’s possible if we follow him we might see some clue and be able to guess at it before he gets there. That would be a risky plan to rely on though,” Shizuo furrowed his brow and rubbed his chin thoughtfully as more of Kojiro’s images flitted through his mind. “Yeah, yeah, something like that might wo- hey wait a second doesn’t this plan basically involve me standing in the way of Kazou sensei by myself!?”
Shizou glanced at Kojiro, then at Kohaku and sighed resignedly. It wasn’t like he had he had any way to handle a different part of the plan: he didn’t have any wind release jutsu or anything like Kohaku’s puppet to snatch whatever the package was.
“Ahh well, not like I have any better ideas,” Shizuo said, reaching into his pouch and rifling around in it. “And I even have a technique that might help with that, as long as it works that is,” From his pouch Shizuo withdrew a carefully folded, bright red cap that he shook open and then put on his head, working it back and forth to make sure the band was around his head tight. It would have been rude to wear it during the ceremony but now that they were being tested… it would be dumb to fail because of something like the sun getting in his eyes.
“Alright then, let’s do this thing, I’ll follow him in the centre, you guys take the sides and try to flank around him,” Shizuo said, putting on a more confident front then he really felt as he adjusted his grip on his sword and walked unhurriedly after Kazou Sensei.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As those who followed Kazou watched their sensei from afar, it was clear he was, for the most part, well versed in walking the streets blindfolded, or at least he could navigate well enough with his hearing.
On occasion he would pause, turn his head around, stop when he smelled a rather nice scent, to pet a passing by dog who leapt up with its front paws on his shin, or just to let somebody else pass by his path.
The man continued to walk until he came to a small modest looking home, he turned to the door and rung the doorbell, or at least he tried as he pushed right next to the button, correcting himself after a bit of feeling around.
“Coming!” chimed a young girl’s voice from inside.
Kohaku peered out at their sensei from a nearby alleyway. This is where he was picking up the package? She’d been expecting a store of some kind. Not that it really mattered in the end. What was important was that they now only had a few precious minutes to succeed and steal whatever this package was. A boss fight right out of the gates.
Kojiro peeked out from slightly behind and below Kohaku. He didn't recognize where they were offhand, but he wasn't very good with directions as it was anyway. He was happy that Shizuo, and Kohaku maybe, both agreed to his plan. The question was when to spring it…. Perhaps they could get to an alley ahead of him on his way back? Or… maybe…
He sent a quick set of images to Kohaku and Shizuo, preceded by a question mark to show it was a question. An image of a faceless individual appearing from the house’s door with package in hand showed in their minds. As Kazuo reached for the package they instead swiped it and ran off with it. That was all the images conveyed, as Kojiro hadn't really considered beyond that. He didn't really know Kazuo and his abilities so he couldn't consider how he'd respond, unfortunately. Kojiro eyed his friends with a look of unsurety, raising one hand and the other. Which option did they think best?
Shizuo tensed and almost unconsciously his posture shifted, his knees bent to store energy, his sword carrying arm shifting forwards and his free hand coming to float just above the hilt ready to draw and cut with one, smooth motion.
Wouldn’t it be best to attack now? While Sensei has his back turned and was restricted by the doorway? Shizuo’s drawing hand lowered a fraction of an inch but he narrowed his eyes and hesitated. Although he couldn’t see who was handing over the package thanks to Kazou Sensei’s immense frame he could hear the voice and it definitely sounded like a girl. A small girl, one who wasn’t a kunoichi judging by the fact that Shizuo didn’t recognize her voice from the academy. Letting someone like that get caught up in this test would be… uncool.
Shizuo held up a palm, gesturing for Kohaku and Kojiro to wait a little longer and moved himself forward to a position he judged Kazou Sensei would have to pass through to get back to the park. As soon as Sensei was in his attack range, that was when Shizuo would strike. Although his kenjutsu was still pretty basic, this was where the iaijutsu his Mom had taught him was most effective.
The large man continued to wait until the young lady came back with a big basket in hand “Here dad! Have fun!”
He reached out and grabbed the basket in his large hands. “I will sweetie, see you soon.” The man replied before the door shut, the basket now wrapped in his left arm by the handle.
The man slowly turned, as if the movement is something he practiced many times. “Now then… I do hope they’re ready.
Did take my time, so if they weren’t I would be rather disappointed…” he chuckled, his smirk certainly showing that he knew they were around.
“Sorry but I’ll be taking that basket now Sensei!” Shizuo yelled, lunging forwards and drawing his sword to slash at Kazou in a single, smooth motion.
Iai slash
Shizuo didn’t necessarily think such a direct attack would be all that effective but he was supposed to be the distraction after all and Shizuo was concerned that if he gave his sensei any more time to observe his surroundings he would figure out exactly where his teammates were hiding. Kojiro in particular had not done a fantastic job of concealing himself, hopefully between the blindfold and the pressure Shizuo would attempt to put on him Kazou wouldn’t notice.
Kazou’s eyebrow rose the moment Shizuo began drawing the sword, a hand rushed out slapped the elbow of the drawing hand, forcing the blade right back into it’s sheath as he spun around the young man, placing Shizuo in the position he was earlier, awaiting the next incoming attempt.
“The greatest way to defend against an attack, is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. Strike the root, and the flower of war won't bloom.” the blinded man spoke, raising a single finger for emphasis mistakenly at a stranger passing by.
Kojiro was surprised to say the least. It seemed no one wanted to respond to his second suggestion, so he just assumed it was the first plan they were going with. He'd summoned up chakra in preparation, but hadn't expected the suddenness of Shizuo springing out. Regardless now was the time to strike! He flicked through hand signs, using the jutsu he'd been building chakra up for. With a swift execution of Wind Style: Gale Palm things around him seemed to blur slightly as he increased his own movement speed and dashed around the corner, intent on smacking the package out of Kazou-sensei’s grasp.
Due to the blurring effect, and Kojiro's own hurried thoughts he hadn't noticed Kazou-sensei turn Shizuo away with ease. He simply sped past him, using hand signs as he moved to use the same jutsu a second time. When he thought he closed enough distance he executed the jutsu a second time while trying to slap the bottom of the package. The goal was that, even should his hand be grabbed, he'd blast the package upward with a gust of wind! Then it was all up to Kohaku!
“Lesson two, respecting stealth.” The blurring may reduce one’s sight, but the ears are not tricked by such things. Before he even got close a sandled foot rushed out and tripped the incoming young boy, the basket switched positions to hang in the man’s hand, positioned behind his torso now.
“Remember, to be ninja is to be many things, but the best ninja are never heard, seen, or sensed.” He finished his lesson and began moving again, the basket still held behind his back, dangling in front of the two as he continued.
“Oh, good job on the attempt though, try and plan your strikes to be faster, simultaneous would be even better. Especially against a more skilled opponent.”
The man pointed a finger skyward as he made his point.
Seeing Kojiro make his move, Kohaku didn’t wait before giving chase as well. Though before she could have Riku lunge, sensei deflected both of her teammate’s attacks. The young genin scowled at Kazou’s back before looking over at Shizuo and Kojiro mouthing the words ‘do it again.’
A few twitches of her fingers and one hand disconnected from Riku, she didn’t need full control to operate the senbon firing mechanism hidden within the puppet. Chakra threads shot out from the fingertips of her free hand to coil around sensei’s arm as he pointed skyward. At the same time, several senbon fired at the hand holding the basket.
“Hmmm…? Clever.” Kazou commented once again, his ears picking up the firing mechanism, allowing the string to bind his other hand… In this moment he would have to remove his hand from the basket lest he risk messing up the contents with a quick movement as well.
However, to drop it fully would cause damage to the objects inside.
As such, he turned sideways after dropping the basket from his grasp, the senbon zipping past and into the dirt nearby, he instead rose one foot and caught it on the flat of his sandal. Here lay the best time to capture it!
Shizuo was feeling uncomfortably nostalgic after being tossed around so easily. It was eerily similar to training with his Mother, although her approach was more aggressive, favoring intercepting Shizuo's strikes with her own, much faster attacks and bopping him on the head. At least right now Shizuo didn't have a lump on his forehead, yet. But still this was a bad showing on his first day as a genin and Shizuo did his best to turn on his heels to face his Sensei once more.
Just as Shizuo recovered his footing, Kohaku launched her own attack, creating an opportunity! Shizuo took up the same stance he had used before and launched a similar Iai slash as his first attack, but he was hoping for the same response from Kazou. At the last possible moment Shizuo released his grip on his sword hilt, using it to interfere with Kazuo's defence while with the hand holding his sheath and sword Shizuo used his thumb to flick forward, pushing his katana forwards out of his sheath to strike at the package! It wasn't enough force to be called a proper attack, but it should be just enough to knock the package away from Kazou, towards Kojiro.
Even if you strike at my root or whatever, that just means I know where you're aiming! Shizuo thought, gritting his teeth as he tried to push through his attack.
Kojiro lost the concentration needed for the gust blast as he tripped and fell fast first into the pavement. His face immediately reported it's firm displeasure with him even as he let out a pained huff. He felt a small gush of blood from what he assumed was his nose. He wanted to stop and clean his face and the like, but he was determined to help his team get that basket first. He pushed himself off the ground and used Gale Palm once more to speed himself up.
As he did he watched, amazed, as Kohaku binded sensei’s arm and Shizuo launch his sword a bit out of its sheath to knock the package off his foot! His teammates were so cool! With that opening Kojiro dashed forward, flicking through hand signs as he came up with yet another possibly ridiculous plan. This time he reached out and grabbed the basket with one hand while he used the other for yet another Gale Palm. This one wasn't aimed at Kazou-sensei however. No, this one was aimed slightly down and at an angle to the ground.
Pouring as much chakra as he could into this one while still leaving some to run when he landed, Kojiro blasted the ground with enough air to launch himself away from the group. He kept a tight grip on the basket as he did so, firmly intent on seeing what was inside when they were through. He wondered if it was food! Oh he hoped so. Because this was about to be be a painful landing and tiring loss of chakra.
Kazou rose his head at the sounds around him… At least they took to it well and quickly!
Kazou quickly tensed his wrapped hand after the blast of wind and with a quick twist of his hand he snapped the threads binding his arm.
The other hand, grabbed Shirou’s sword before it was blasted away by the winds as the other, now free, undid his blindfold, revealing the man’s eyes, which immediately went to his currently flying student.
“Fantastic work students!” he quickly leapt forwards, catching Kojiro around the waist with his free arm. “And brilliant usage of your techniques Kojiro, though you should be more mindful of your chakra supply! It is one thing to capture the prize, but one must escape with it as well.
But for this exercise, getting the basket was all you needed to do, congratulations on that my young students!” the big man beamed a smile that practically sung of fatherly pride.
From behind them, the house’s door opened. “Daaaaad! I forgot the mustard!” a girl the genin’s age ran out with a mustard bottle, stopping at the edge of the once battlegrounds. “You better not have ruined that lunch i worked so hard on!” she scolded the group. She was a bit shorter than average, big green eyes and two brown pigtails on each side of her head, dressed in a cute pink sundress.
“Ah? Sorry Lynn, seems we got a bit carried away.” the big sensei scratched behind his head, looking a tad sheepish.
Kohaku blinked. They won? They passed?? With a loud squeal, she lunged at the towering man in a hug. Though her tiny stature didn’t carry all that much force.
“I think it’ll be okay as long as everything inside has its own containers,” Shizuo said, taking off his hat to run a hand through his hair bashfully. It was true he hadn’t really been giving any consideration to what was inside the basket. Even if they had Shizuo didn’t see how they would have been able to get the basket away from Kazou sensei without at least being this forceful. Gingerly Shizuo approached the basket Kojiro was holding and gingerly peered inside.
Out of the four sandwiches that lay within the basket, all four seemed to be intact, structurally at least, as it seems from the dent in the basket the impact of Shizuo’s katana against it had smacked directly into a jar of pickles… Which had its juices soak essentially everything within the basket.. And in truth was now filling the air with the distinct smell of pickles…
Kazou eyed the others, hoping for the best as he softly returned Kohaku’s hug, light pats on the head, to which Lyn seemed to ignore, forcibly, to stare at the boys holding her basket.
Shizuo looked warily at the expectant girl, a sinking feeling in his stomach. When it came to stuff like home cooking girls could be pretty sensitive, Shizuo knew from experience. In a situation like this there was really only one option.
“MMM THEY LOOK DELICIOUS,” Shizuo said loudly, seizing one of the soggy, sour sandwiches and forcing himself to take a large bite. The texture was naturally completely ruined and the overpowering flavor of pickle assaulted Shizuo’s mouth mercilessly. He didn’t even like pickles.
“S-so good,” Shizuo managed to force out. “If you guys don’t take some now I’m probably gonna eat them all,” he said, locking eyes forcefully with Kojiro.
Shizuo didn’t have a special technique to communicate non verbally, but in this case his expression was sufficient to convey his thoughts by itself.
“If we’re teammates you better not abandon me here”
Kojiro sighed thankfully, very relieved to not have had to scrap his butt on the ground to get away. He nodded enthusiastically at Kazou-sensei's advice, even though he had juuuust enough chakra left to use Gale Palm to run away before he uh…. Passed out from exhaustion. That wouldn't have gone very well he supposed. He beamed at Shizuo and Kohaku while he used a sleeve to wipe blood from his nose.
When the girl ran out and mentioned mustard and lunch Kojiro blinked once slowly. Looking down into the basket as Shizuo opened it his mouth nearly overflowed. He was hoping for food and he was rig- why was there pickle juice on everything? He eyed Shizuo, the jar, and his teammates expression as he bit into a presumably gross sandwich. His sword…. Welp, only one thing to do then! Kojiro took out a sandwich of his own and took a big bite, smiling and giving the girl a thumbs up. Soggy bread was terrible, but letting friends down was way worse. Yep, that's what Kojiro told himself as he took another bite. Not that it seemed to help…
Pulling away from their tower of a sensei, Kohaku peered in the basket and wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know what you guys are talking about, these look gross!” She prodded one of the sandwiches before shaking her head and grabbing a pickle instead.
The air seemed to snap as Lyn began to take on a more ominous glower, her eyes half closed as she stared at the young men. “Hmmmmm? Did I just hear you boys ruined my carefully prepared lunch?”
She began to approach, each step filled with killing intent.
The small girl practically loomed over them, her sweet smile now dripping with malice. “You know what happens to liars don’t you?”
Dammit Kohaku read the room! Shizuo screamed internally, his forced smile now frozen on his face in terror. And what the hell’s with this girl huh? Why is she scarier than Kazou sensei right now!?
Shizuo cleared his throat and then coughed to buy himself some time. “It’s not uh... I wasn’t lying exactly it’s more like...umm,” He muttered, inching slowly away from Lyn and her terrifying aura. “It’s more like… Well, you made that lunch with love for your Dad right Lyn? So even if it had some unfortunate stuff happen to it it really was delicious because the feelings you put into it came through!” Shizuo said, raising a finger as he desperately improvised a justification for his continued existence. Then Shizuo’s brain caught up with his mouth and he froze again.
...I just said something really embarrassing huh? Maybe it would have been better to just let her murder me huh? Shizuo’s face twitched slightly.
“A...Annyway! KAZOU SENSEI THANK YOU FOR THE TEST BUT I’MGONNALEAVENOWITHINKILEFTTHECURTAINSRUNNINGI’LLSEEYOUALLTOMMORROWBYE!”
And with that Shizuo executed the most motivated body flicker of his young life, fleeing back the way they had come.
Kojiro froze mid bite as Kohaku totally missed the point of their faking it. As the girl approached aggressively he slowly put the sandwich back in the basket. ‘Shizuo seems the one who's good with words, he should be able to handle thi-’, Kojiro's thought cut off as Shizuo made a good speech, seemed to immediately regret it, and ran off….
Well that was disheartening, but at least Kojiro could just run away too! He blinked in realization and looked down to where Kazou-sensei still held him off the ground. Well, so much for running. Maybe she wouldn't hurt him too much…. He hoped.
