Chapter 23 - An Old Injury

Katsuyori applied himself, finding Shinobi techniques to be fascinating. Maybe it was because he had seen fights between Shinobi so powerful that it just made him wonder how strong he himself was. Shinobi skills had saved his life and returned his father’s sword to him, so they couldn’t be all bad. Once he delved in, Katsuyori was hooked. Every word Iruka said, every comment someone made, every training exercise- nothing, save for sword work, had ever fascinated Katsuyori so much. He wasn’t too far behind the class. In fact, he was ahead, because he already had a squad.

Katsuyori, Ekyt, Sai, and Yamato had formed a squad that performed back-up to other squads. That meant they wouldn’t always be working together, but that didn’t diminish the appeal of being part of such a crucial cell. At the same time, Katsuyori could study, putting his training into action without too much worry- Ninja fights were dangerous, but with three accomplished ninja safeguarding him, Katsuyori could only evolve.

“Attention everyone!”

Katsuyori heard Iruka start to talk. He had finished the exercise assigned to him long ago, he was ready for more. Iruka talking always meant something to do. Some scrap of information to process, some task to carry out. Katsuyori stood up straighter, hoping to get picked for whatever it was that Iruka-sensei had in mind.

Iruka surveyed the class, making sure they were paying attention. Once he was satisfied, he continued. (A couple kids were still talking, but there was always one or two who didn’t stop)

“As you may have heard, the Fifth Hokage is coming to inspect the class. This is a historic day; an inspection from the Hokage happens only once in a blue moon. Now, I don’t want anyone to get their hopes up, but there is always a slight chance of a promotion in rank, if the Hokage is impressed. (Chatter begins) HOWEVER…” Iruka held up a hand to suppress the sudden outbreak of talking.

“…However, any student who injures another in an idiotic attempt to show off will be punished- severely. You will all get a chance to show the Fifth Hokage what you can do, so don’t push in line. As a medic-nin herself, the Hokage is not impressed by injuries.”

A knock came at the door.

“Hey Iruka, are you ready in there?”

Iruka grinned. “Ready, Lady Fifth!”

Tsunade walked in, her presence commanding silence. Katsuyori was slightly more relaxed. Until Tsunade pointed at him.

“You! Come down here!” she demanded. Katsuyori stood up and walked down, wondering what the fuss was about. He looked to Shizune, Tsunade’s aid. Shizune smiled warmly, letting him know there wasn’t any real danger. Katsuyori let himself relax a little more, though he kept his posture straight and his gaze unwavering. Tsunade was pretty scary up close, especially since she had nearly been the death of Katsuyori, however inadvertent.

Tsuande bent down to look him in the eyes.

“Blind in your right eye…since birth…but this cut…that will do.” Tsunade raised a glowing hand and lightly touched Katsuyori’s arm, healing the cut instantly. The kunoichi, most of whom aimed to be medic-nins, watched, trying not to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ like fools. But this was amazing- a demonstration by the most celebrated medic-nin in their time! A few of the boys stood up, trying to get a look down Tsunade’s robe. Shizune shook her, almost tolerantly.

Telling boys not to be perverts is like telling birds not to fly. If they get caught, Tsunade’s punishment will be bad enough…I wish I could warn them without tipping her off…

Tsunade leaned close to Katsuyori’s ear. “As of this moment, you’re re-assigned to an emergency squad of genin. Yamato is still your sensei, but you’ll have new teammates, at least one.”

Katsuyori understood that this was a set-up to make sure they weren’t overheard. So he responded just as carefully.

“And what about my first team?”

Tsunade whispered back: “Sai will be helping your team. Ekyt has another mission. You’ll still get to work with him, don’t worry. I know what he means to you. So you have to trust me, alright?”

Katsuyori nodded slightly. Tsunade patted him on the head and addressed the class.

“In the next classroom, I have a surprise waiting for all of you! Iruka, if you please, lead them in after a couple minutes.”

--

Shizune was happy the kids were getting a chance like this, but still…this was unorthodox, even by Tsunade’s standards.
“A surprise final exam? Lady Tsunade, isn’t that kind of…mean?” Shizune asked. Tsunade kept laying out headbands.

“In real life, you don’t get a warning that you’re going to be attacked, you just are. Why should school be any different. These kids have got to learn that it’s sink or swim. And you know how desperate we are for Shinobi…I could have just piled D-ranks on Ekyt, he would have handled ten a day, but I have bigger plans for him…There!”

The headbands gleamed brightly on the desk. Tsunade actually smiled a little at the prospect of a new generation of Shinobi. Things didn’t always go smoothly, but today, just for today, the village didn’t have any looming threats.

“Wonder if they have sake at the reception for the new genin?” Tsunade was clearly thinking aloud. Shizune made a mental note to make sure they DIDN’T have sake.

She needs to be on her guard, no matter how calm things seem…there’s no time to get drunk and maybe even gamble away the village on some drunken impulsion!

--

“Oh, good, you’re all here. This is how it’s going to work today: Shikamaru, you’re going with Choji and Ino. Yes, you’re in charge again. The three of you head toward the center of Tanzaku town. Ekyt and I are going to take the long route. Any questions?” Asuma surveyed the group.

“Yeah…what the hell? Asuma, that makes no sense. Unless Tanzaku town is under attack, and me, Choji, and Ino are bait…”

Asuma laughed. “No, nothing like that! I DO want to give the impression that there are less of us, but actually, Ekyt and I are getting supplies. I figured you’d cop out if I gave you the harder mission, Shikamaru. Choji would eat everything, and Ino would cry about a broken nail. (Needless to say, this group is now worked up, save for Ekyt) I would make Ekyt go alone, but he couldn’t carry enough for all of us. So, head out, and stay safe.”

-

“I think we’re set…alright, let’s get to the others. Heads up!” Asuma called, dropping the supplies and drawing his daggers. Ekyt followed suit, taking up a kunai, seeing the enemies Asuma was talking about. Mist.

“Hey, Ekyt, it’s your head they’re after, so watch your back!”

Ekyt looked at the ninja. Something wasn’t right…too much chakra was being expended at a constant rate…

“Asuma-sensei, those are clones!”

Just as the words were leaving Ekyt’s mouth, one of the real ones snaked up behind him and stabbed. Even Ekyt couldn’t take this silently. He felt a sharp, piercing pain in his left eye. Then he felt nothing at all in the same spot. It was all too familiar. Ekyt had lost his site once when a Sand Shuriken thrown by an out-of-control Gaara struck his eye. It was repaired by Sakura and Tsunade. Having it happen again…

“Sensei…” Ekyt whispered, bleeding from his eye, the other one shedding tears that were out of control, either from rage or pain. “…THEY’RE MINE!”

Ekyt took off, his hand blazing with fire. Before the first Mist ninja could move, he was punched in the stomach so hard that Ekyt’s fist almost came out the other side! Two more fists connected with his head, and then he was floating. Had he been killed?

No. Actually, Ekyt had thrown him into a tree, then taken off after his two friends.

“WHERE YA GOING?!” Ekyt shouted, throwing four kunai, each one hitting their mark: legs. If you couldn’t run…

“Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!”

The Mist Shinobi were tortured by their own thoughts and fears, until they could feel sanity slipping away. They were awakened only by physical pain. Ekyt hadn’t run out of knives, nor spots to put them in. He looked pretty insane, with his bad eye bleeding, and his good eye looking around wildly, as if he was less a Shinobi and more an out-of-control madman.

“Take THIS back to whoever sent you! And tell them…I’m coming for them!” Ekyt’s fist came down once more, this time claiming the eyes of his enemies. They took off, praying that their sensory appendages could be salvaged. Ekyt glared after them, putting pressure over his mangled eye. He sat down and ripped off the white collar around his shirt, using It to make a headband to cover his ruined eye with. The blood soaked it, so it looked like there was an eye on the outside of the cloth.

Asuma stared, stunned at what happened. When he came to his senses, he approached Ekyt, who was clearly hit by pain and grief.

“I’m terminating the mission, Ekyt…” Asuma said quietly.

“Like hell you are! I’m not done!” Ekyt snarled. “Don’t stop the mission on my account! I can keep going!” Ekyt seemed to control himself. He bowed his head, looking down and away from Asuma, angry that he had lost his control, no matter what the situation. Asuma was a friend, and he didn’t deserve that.

“Forgive me…sensei, please understand…I’ve never failed a mission before. I can’t now. Unless I die…failure is unacceptable to me!”

--

Katsuyori was handed his Leaf headband. He hadn’t been so proud of himself in a long time. Unlike getting his sword back, this was something he had accomplished of his own accord. No one had MADE him go to school. To pass so quickly, with flying colors, he guessed he had a right to be proud of himself.

But who are my teammates? No offense, but most everyone else here is brand new, and nowhere NEAR ready for missions!

Tsunade was interviewing the last two candidates now. The first one was a heavy boy who was deceptively quick in sparring. But he also got nervous easily, and messed up in front of Tsunade in a way that it was impossible to pass him.

The last candidate was a kunoichi, a pretty blonde girl named Kantai. Katsuyori blinked; he felt a new feeling. It wasn’t anxiety. While it WAS nerve-wracking, the feeling was…strangely pleasant. Watching the girl kick and punch without so much as a smile, until she received some praise, it was somehow breathtaking to the young man. He had always felt emotions more strongly than others, and he was blindsided by this one. He was NEVER surprised when it came to emotions, or se Katsuyori thought. Not least of all the one he thought he was feeling now.

Tsunade, Shizune, and Iruka were watching the match, but also Katsuyori. They needed to find a teammate that he would get along with, someone he could respect. Upon seeing the look on Katsuyori’s face, it quickly became evident that there was respect there, all right, along with something else.

Watching her graceful body move as she demonstrated sparring techniques, Katsuyori was reminded of Ekyt when he was with Sakura. A look of respect and admiration on his face, along with the telltale red marks of blushing under his eyes, desperately trying not to smile. It was all so familiar to Katsuyori, and now he understood what Ekyt felt, but more so…HOW Ekyt felt, at least about Sakura. Emotions were complex, and certainly never as straightforward as they seemed. But still, THIS emotion was darn near impossible to translate properly, as Ekyt had demonstrated himself.

Nerves…blushing…is this love?

--

WHILE KATSUYORI FEELS THE PAINS OF A FIRST LOVE, EKYT FEELS THE PAIN OF LOSING HIS EYE. KATSUYORI MUST LEARN TO DEAL WITH HIS EMOTIONS, WHILE EKYT’S NEW, HAPPY LIFESTYLE IS SENT TO A VIOLENT DEMISE. WITH DOUBT, REGRET, AND GUILT ON THEIR MINDS, THE TWO FRIENDS MUST ENDURE THESE NEW PAINS, AND GET AROUND THEM- THE VILLAGE IS UNDERSTAFFED, AND THEY HAVE TO HELP. BUT WITHOUT HIS EYE…DOES EKYT STAND A CHANCE OF GETTING SAKURA’S ATTENTION? AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO HIS NEWLY-REBORN SHINOBI CAREER?

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