NOVEL NEXT 2.7
Knee deep into the flooded paddy field, I plucked the weed, threw it inside the basket on my back. I straightened. My back popped. Harsh sun light baked my head. I yawned. Idyllic and peaceful. Up ahead, Naruto bickered with Sasuke. Something about a competition, who plucked more weeds. Sasuke scowled — but didn’t refuse, I noticed.
A smile broke on my face. Days of constant training, contact and forced cooperation had it’s way of changing people. Sasuke was still a arrogant jerk, but I could see why he became friends with Naruto. It was hard to keep disliking that ball of sunshine. And I was started to guess that, despite his clan surviving, Sasuke was starved for meaningful attention and affection as much as Naruto was. I hadn’t considered how life must have been for him under the shadow of his living legend brother.
I understand why hire shinobi in training to do farm work. The paddy rice fields were huge, and despite the boys bickering, we worked hard and fast. A day’s work for us would probably take more people way more time to complete. It was a good investment. That way, farmers could focus on cultivating the rice, instead of wasting all that manpower on weeding weeds.
Kakashi-sensei sat by the field border, Icha Icha book in hand. Couldn’t even complain with him. This was genin work. I didn’t think it added anything other than team camaraderie, but that was fine. At end of day and end of work, we met with our client. I hadn’t had time to prepare this morning, but I was always prepared. I wrote on my board, popped my container of cupcakes. “Thank you for hiring us, Client-sama!” I bowed and offered the pastries. After the man took it, I erased the text wrote some more. “Please hire us again soon!”
Kakashi-sensei like usual, just chuckled at my antics. Sasuke looked unimpressed. Naruto looked envious. Client-sama laughed. He held the container of pastries like his life depended on it.
I did a guts pose. Yosha! Diplomacy points get!
All four boys laughed. Not sure why.
We started on the hour long walk back to the village. I ran ahead of the trio, turned toward them, walked backwards on the road. I wrote on my board. “Sensei, will you come to the mission celebration today? I have new things to share!”
“New food Hinata-chan? What is it, what is it?” Naruto asked. Eyes wide.
I shrugged. Wrote more. “It’s a secret, to celebrate our tenth successful mission! Will you join us, Sensei? Please?”
Kakashi-sensei scratched his chin. I could see the refusal in the set of his shoulders, the tenseness of his jaws hidden beneath the cloth on his face. He sighed. Nodded. I cheered. Did a victory dance.
E-rank team fraternization mission was a success!
“What is the distance to the target?” Kakashi-sensei’s voice sounded in the ear-piece we wore for this mission. It was an urgent request for a high profile client. We received this one directly from the old man Hokage himself. It was the first time I had seen him in years.
“Five meters, I’m ready anytime.” Sasuke’s serious voice sounded soon after.
“Me too,” Naruto added.
I clicked my prepared code into the communicator. “Ready.”
We were hidden behind the trees around the target. Said target was hidden beneath a bush.
“Go!” Kakashi-sensei commanded.
I circled around, cutting the target path of retreat. Sasuke circled on the other side. Naruto dove toward the target. “Oraaaaa!” He yelled. He tumbled inside the bush. The target yowled. “Gotcha!” Naruto hollered. Tumbled out. He held the target, Tora the cat: brown fur, red ribbon on the left ear.
“Are you sure this is the target?” Kakashi-sensei asked from the comms.
“Yes, we are sure.” Sasuke answered, all serious. Naruto still fought the cat, or maybe played with the cat. I wasn’t sure.
“Good!” Kakashi said. “Lost pet Tora search mission complete!”
We took the cat back to the village and to mission hall. Handed over the cat to VIP. Fat lady daimyo’s wife hugged the cat, smashing her face against the poor animal. She manhandled the Tora with lots of love. I pitied it. I would have fled as well, if that was me.
I walked forward. Showed my board, offered my pastries. Bowed. “Thank you Shijmi-sama for hiring us!”
“Oh my, so these are the famous mission sweets I heard so much about?” Fat lady said something strange after she took my offerings.
I wrote another message. “Please hire us again soon!”
The fat lady approached. I could have dodged, she might have been a shinobi before, but right now, she was just a fat old lady. I didn’t move. I didn’t think I was in any danger. Not with the Hokage just on the other side of the room.
The woman glomped me on a hug. Smashing me against the cat she still held against her bosom. She pinched my cheeks, patted my hair. I looked at my team in desperation. Save me! I pleaded. The traitors ignored me. Kakashi-sensei had his back to me. Naruto had fallen down laughing. Emosuke turned his face, trying to hide his smirk.
I suffered the torture with all the dignity I could muster. At some point, the lady released me. Thanked us profusely for saving her baby. Thanked the Hokage-sama, moved away to pay for her mission. My pastries had disappeared at some point inside her big pink bag.
The team regrouped in front of the mission desk. Iruka-sensei was the one manning the desk today. To my surprise, old man Hokage sat by his side. That was my chance! I dug on my bag, popped the traditional offering to the desk worker, cupcakes and tea — had to keep good working relationships. I rooted inside the deepest parts of my bag, took one particular seal I had prepared months ago. I popped it up. A sole cupcake, with red frosting in the shape of flames. Wrote on my board, offered it to the old man.
“Please accept this one old man! I named this Will and Fire!” Naruto gasped behind me. He recognized it: one of my special series cupcake. I guess he would. He was the recipient of the other one in the series.
Hokage-sama took it. Chuckled. “Thank you Hinata-chan.” He turned to the four of us. Took a paper from the desk. “Now, Kakashi’s team seven. Your next duty is,” he looked at us again. “Hmm, babysitting an elder’s grandson, shopping in the neighboring village, and help with the potato digging.”
“No! No! No! No thank you!” Naruto hollered. Arms crossed on a x. “I want to do, you know, a more incredible mission! Find us a better one!”
I nodded. D-rank were boring. Even Sasuke seemed to agree this time. Kakashi-sensei just sighed.
Iruka-sensei exploded. He slapped both hands on the desk. Papers falling from their neat piles. “You idiot! You are just a rookie. Everyone starts off with simple duties and works their way up.” Hokage-sama lowered his hat. Yeah, I wouldn’t want to deal with Naruto when he was in brat mode.
The bickering escalated. The old man got fed up and lectured us on the mission rankings and organization. At some point, Naruto had sat on the ground, in front of me. He had his back to the still lecturing old man. I sat down with him.
“Last night I had pork ramen. It was tasty, but I wish I had some of your cakes after.”
I nodded. I could see that. Pastries after meals were the best.
“Hey, listen!” Hokage-sama demanded.
“I apologize.” Kakashi-sensei said, scratching the back of his head.
Naruto turned around, arms crossed, still pouting. “All you do is give lectures,” he whined. “But you know what? I’m not that trouble making brat you still think I am!”
Hokage-sama stopped. A smirk crossed his face. Naruto had turned his back again, he didn’t see it.
“Ok.” The old man said. “If you want it that much, I’ll give you a C-rank mission. It’s a protection mission of a certain individual.”
“Yay!” Naruto cheered, mood turned 180. “Who? A feudal lord? A princess?”
Hokage sighed. “Calm down, I’m about to introduce him.” He turned to Iruka-sensei. “Would you bring the client over?”
