Chương 43: Interlude 14

Borders of River Mao, Genin"Hey Bozo- do you think I could pull off the fishnet look like those Tani-nins? They were like- total hotties!" She asked as they jogged through the unfamiliar roads of the Land of Rivers. It was completely different from the roads in Suna! There was like, all kinds of plants growing around the edges of the walking space and the road itself was just really hard dirt instead of stone.

"We live in a desert, you dumb bitch. You'd get burns." Bozo reminded her in his classic grumpy way, face all scrunched up and eyes focused ahead as they moved. He liked to pretend that they hadn't known each other for forever, but they totally did. She considered that for a moment, looking down at her cute little kimono top and thinking. She reached up to shake out her top, letting loose sand fall out on the road as they moved.

The sand was trapped between her kimono top and her comfy bodysuit underneath, so she didn't feel it at all.

"Hm. Yeah, the fishnets wouldn't help with the sand at all, would it?" She sadly concluded, her dreams of wearing fishnets and making all the cute boys fall over when she showed up ending unsatisfactorily.

"It'd get everywhere and I'd be itchy all day." Bozo let out a low grumble in response, meaning that he didn't really have anything to respond with but he didn't want to just say nothing. She smiled brightly to reassure him, before letting her thoughts drift to the next idle thought in line.

"Hey-hey Chiko, how close are we to this place?"

"Remember that you're supposed to call me Team Leader while we're on a mission, Mao." Chiko glanced back and inclined her head slightly, her dark blue hair bouncing around as they jogged onwards. Mao let out a casual giggle, raising a hand to rub the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Hehe- sorry Chik- Team Leader. It's hard to remember."

"It's alright." Chiko nodded, before tilting her head forwards in her signature Chiko Lecture Mode.

"The Asagao River site was said to be thirty kilometers away from the field camp. I've been setting a ten kilometer per hour pace, so it should only take three hours to get there."

"But we've been running for like- three hours already." Mao complained, her wooden sandals making funny 'clop-clop' noises as she jogged.

"Which means we're almost there, Mao." Shimi answered from the side. Mao turned to regard her with a wide-eyed blink. The green haired, spiked-collar girl looked like a cactus that pulled up its roots and started walking around. Her long face and dry expression only emphasized this even more. It was really funny to imagine, so Mao liked her despite not knowing her very well. Anyone who could do such a good plant impression was a good person. Her actual name was longer, but it was tricky.

Mao kept forgetting if it was Yoshimi or Yoshomi.

"Indeed. We are almost at our destination." Chiko continued in that super-serious way she used whenever she thought an adult might be watching.

"Oh." Mao replied dumbly, before letting out a little laugh.

"Heh, Why didn't you say that earlier, Chiko-Leader?"

"I was about to." She clarified blandly.

"Oh, sorry about that."

"It's alright." They were quiet for a few more minutes, Mao looking around with a curious eye as they dashed down the road. As a ninja, she had to keep a sharp eye out for traps and ambushes, but all she could see at the moment was branches, leaves, and spring-blossoms. They were really pretty though, shades of purple and blue that swayed in the gentle breezes of Riverland. The smells were fragrant and stuffed up her nose in ways she'd normally need to find a garden for back in Suna.

"Are most missions like this, do you think?" Shimi asked suddenly.

"Not all- there's war missions and stuff- but do you think most missions are this way?"

"What way?" Mao asked curiously, tilting her head to the side and letting her left bun of pink hair point to the ground.

"I dunno- kinda relaxed?" Shimi rolled her shoulders and shrugged.

"Nothing much has happened yet."

"It's boring." Bozo grumbled.

"The word you're looking for is boring."

"Yeah, I suppose." Shimi reached up to rub under her spiked collar.

"I mean, I'm grateful for it, if most missions are laid back like this that just makes it easier on me. But… I suppose I was expecting more already."

"I'll confess, I was anticipating greater excitement as well." Chiko offered with a little shake of her head.

"Of course, it is preferable that we can achieve our objectives with no difficulty. There is no need to waste strength on unprofitable activities."

"We're still being handled with the kiddie gloves." Bozo growled.

"Like we never left the damn academy."

"Well…" Shimi started, somewhat awkwardly.

"If it gives me a bit more time to learn jutsu, I'm not going to be too upset about it. I was already feeling kinda stressed about graduation."

"There's nothing that can be done for it." Chiko declared.

"We'll become strong ninja in time, for right now we need to focus on the mission." Bozo grumbled at that, but didn't disagree.

"We're almost at the mission location." Chiko continued.

"Inventory checks are in order. Yoshimi, do you still have the payment ready?"

"I do."

"Bazo. Do you still have the storage scrolls ready?"

"Got em."

"Mao. Has anyone approached our flank?" She gave a little salute as they made a long hop across a fallen log in the middle of the road.

"None so far, Chiko-Leader!" As soon as she said that, she glanced behind herself again just to be sure. …Yep! Nothing! She gave a victorious grunt, turning around and slamming into Bozo's back.

"Oof!"

"Fucking-!" She and Bozo tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs- taking a few seconds to disengage and push up. Pinkies need to stick together, but not this close!

"Dumb bitch! Watch where you're going!"

"I was watching the flank! I'm sorry!"

"Idiot!"

"Why'd you stop!?"

"Quickly- get up." Chiko ordered, helping to disentangle them.

"Look." Mao shook her head out as Bozo pulled himself away, turning her gaze in the direction that her team leader had indicated. She paused, half-sitting on the ground as she took in the sight.

"... Smoke?" She asked with furrowed brows. Tall columns of rising black ash over the distant treeline and beyond another stretch of river and bridge. A bit difficult to make out in the dying light of the evening sun, but still present enough to tell.

"Coming straight from our target location." Shimi added with a nervous tone in her voice, which made Mao nervous too as her brain rapidly worked out why her teammate was nervous right now.

"That much smoke- that ain't no spring bonfire." Bozo added with a grim tone of voice. Mao glanced over to him, swallowing nervously at his deeper than usual scowl.

"I don't know what they're burning right now, but it's a whole lot of whatever it is."

"That's like- that's totally bad right?" Mao added worriedly, not quite certain of what her teammates were getting at yet. Bozo glanced over at her, before turning forwards again.

"... Could be- that much fire in one place could be some weird festival, but I doubt it. If I had to bet on it- our target location is on fire right now."

"But we need to get the rice!" Mao said in a panic.

"If it's burned to the ground, we'll have to go back empty-handed! Sensei would like- totally flip out at us won't he?"

"He also told us to turn back the moment we encountered hostilities." Shimi countered with her eyebrows furrowed, tugging at the hems of her baggy shirt.

"This isn't a good sign- not good at all."

"... What do we do, Team Leader?" Bozo turned to Chiko as asked directly. Chiko was staring forwards silently, Mao could only see her back from her current position. After a few moments, Chiko inclined her head.

"A fire of this size- I don't believe it qualifies as 'hostilities' by itself. It could be a natural disaster or accident. If we turned back because of it… I don't think it falls under the conditions that sensei gave to us for retreat." She shook her head.

"We do not have authorization from the Field Commander to retreat- we move forwards." Bozo stared at her for a few more moments, before giving a sharp nod.

"... Alright- you heard her girlies. We keep going."

"Standard protocols for encountering unknowns- evacuate civilians if possible. If any hostilities present themselves, alert the team. We will retreat immediately after. Keep at least one other member of the team in your awareness at all times." Mao swallowed, placing her hands on the hilts of her paired wakizashi. —"I was right." Bozo growled as they leapt over a section of broken terrain- a section where a forest used to be but now only the charred skeleton of trees and a field of hot ash remained.

Ahead of them, there was something akin to a fortress compound, the roofs of which were currently burning brightly in the evening light. A short wall of wooden pillars, riverstones, and packed clay surrounded a village worth of buildings in roughly the same style that set upon the banks of the river itself. The buildings inside would've been downright cute if they weren't currently ablaze, with walls curling up from the heat and wood crackling louder than anything else in the night.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Mao shuddered nervously as they leapt over a fallen log- still glowing a faint orange around his white and black charring.

"The wind is blowing up from the south right now- same direction that the fire would've spread from the forest. This was deliberate." Bozo continued, drawing out a pair of kunai as they performed another jump.

"That's not enough evidence to conclude deliberate action." Chiko refuted.

"It is, however, still a concern."

"The compound would've been a five minute walk away- there's absolutely no reason to start a fire there." Bozo argued, bouncing shallowly to jump short and springboarding up and over the heat-cracked exterior walls. Mao twirled to avoid the plume of ash and followed, worried eyes glancing around rapidly as she looked for danger.

"The underbrush was clear for miles leading to here." Shimi added, drawing one of her own kunai in the process of kicking off the wall and landing next to them. She swallowed nervously, eyes darting around like Mao's were.

"A fire this big- that doesn't happen by accident, Team Leader." Chiko was quiet for a moment, scanning the compound and the burning buildings.

"... We'll do one sweep of the area before leaving- I don't think we can complete our mission in these conditions."

"No shit." Bozo growled.

"Fanning out or staying together?"

"Pairs- I'll go with Yoshimi. You and Mao go together along the riverside. We'll meet at the other side."

"Got it. Come on airhead."

"C-can do!" Mao nervously saluted with her sword-hilt, leaping after her fellow pink-haired genin as they moved to the next rooftop and started an aggressive eye-probing of the area around. A whole lot of burning and devastation, hot coals and ash, and not much else. Mao shivered, jumping again to follow close behind Bozo.

"T-this is like- totally not good." She muttered, eyes darting over to the charred remains of fishing boats on the riverbank.

"Stay quiet." Bozo hissed at her.

"There could be an enemy around any freakin' corner." He leapt again, kunai raised defensively as he landed on another section of charred housing. The wall beneath his feet groaned and cracked ominously, making them both stiffen up. A tense grimace overtook his face as he waved for her to follow. She soon did, landing slightly behind and receiving less of a noise to herald her presence as a reward. Beads of sweat began to roll down her forehead as they took in another section of ruined buildings.

"Is it just me- or is it like totally too hot in here?" She tugged at the collar of her bodysuit, lungs filled with stressful inhales. Bozo stopped short at that, shoulders tensing for a few moments before he spun to face her.

"We're in the middle of a recently burned town you dumbass! Of course it's hot here!" She opened her mouth to defend herself, nothing coming out. After a few moments she closed it again and pulled her swords up defensively.

"I-I'm sorry…" He glared for a few moments longer, before letting out a small exhale.

"... It's fine- just stay quiet. I don't trust this place." Mao nodded quickly, glad that Bozo didn't ever stay angry for too long. They leapt again, and again, and again. Each time lingering among the ash and soot of another burned rooftop only long enough to verify that nothing was moving. She was glad her socks were already black, otherwise they'd be completely ruined by the stains of ash and charcoal they were moving through.

They moved again, this time landing on the last building where the flames had actually died down- the buildings ahead were all still burning. Licks of orange fire coming up and off each and forming a field of hot trees. Bozo glared at them for a few moments more, glancing around and looking for an appropriate path forwards. Distantly, faintly, Mao could hear something. Like someone chopping wood her brows furrowed and she reached forwards to tug on Bozo's sleeve.

He turned a harsh and slightly startled eye towards her.

"What?" He whispered harshly. Mao raised a hand to her ear. Bozo's brows furrowed deeper, his head tilting and breath slowing as he listened. Chop. Chopchop. Chop. Chopchopchop. Chop… chop. His eyes widened, and Mao let out a startled yelp as he tackled her off the roof. A few moments of weightlessness later, they hit the ash of the street below and rolled, kicking up a great deal of blinding smoke. Mao coughed as she pushed herself up, tugged forwards by a hand holding onto her wrist.

"Cuh-cough- what that- cuh!" She began to ask as Bozo almost physically dragged her through the cloud of ash and away. She couldn't see anything clearly yet, she didn't have time to protect her eyes from the dust. A moment later, a roar of fire engulfed the building behind them. Her hackles rose and her heart began to race, pulling through the choking ash and rounding a corner.

"There's an enemy." Bozo whispered, teeth gritted.

"Clear your eyes- quickly. We have to get back to Chikako." Mao rubbed as much of the soot away as she could, blinking rapidly and letting the little tears get the ash out of her vision. She glanced around to reorient herself, finding themselves in an alleyway, Bozo peeking around the corner with every muscle tensed. He pulled back after a moment, gesturing to her to keep moving forwards, pointing at the junction in the alley and forwards. Mao nodded worriedly, stepping lightly and letting Bozo pass her.

She hesitated, chancing her own peek around the side of the building and towards the building they were just on. A tall man with a long, dark purple coat stood among the re-ignited cinders of the building, a long black blade clutched loosely in one hand and a white sword strapped to his back. His hair was short and spiky, a dark brown that barely shifted in the new breeze created by the fires in front of him.

His eyes were practically pinpricks, with how small they were on his face, and there was an unfamiliar symbol emblazoned on his shoulder. A tiny smirk grew on his face, and his stance shifted. Mao's eyes widened. She could see his eyes- that meant-"Move!" She was pulled back, practically hurled by Bozo's strong grip. They rose into the air, landing on the rooftops again and rolling briefly. -That he could see her too.

A wave of fire washed through the alleyway, hot enough to turn water into steam and strong enough to shake the charred remains of the building they were on. Mao pushed herself up fearfully, immediately grabbed again by the wrist and tugged forwards.

"Dumb bitch! I said move, not turn around and look for yourself!" Bozo yelled at her as they jumped again, leaping away from the waves of fire rolling below their feet.

"You fucking idiot! You dumbass! You moron!"

"I'm sorry!" She wailed, blinking more soot from her eyes.

"I'm sorry! Let's just go! Let's go now!"

"Too late for that!" A scary voice called out from behind them. Bozo immediately turned to hurl his kunai. Mao glanced back in time to see the brown-haired stranger wave his long black sword and bat it away.

"I was wondering if I had heard that right- little rats scuttling around. Shame for you too, because this job needs me not leaving witnesses!"

"Fuck off and die!" Bozo immediately hissed, tossing another kunai. Ping- the stranger smacked it away again, blurring forwards. Mao let out another yelp as she was thrown forwards- smashing into another roof and rolling briefly. She pushed herself up, breathing too fast too be useful and eyes darting around in a panic to orient herself. There- "B-Bozo!" She cried, pushing herself up and getting into her best stance.

He was being clutched in the hand of the stranger, held up by the throat and clawing ineffectually at the hand.

"G-get to Chika-ko- gah!" He hissed through gritted teeth, the strangers grip tightening.

"So there's more of you huh? I guess I got to clean them up too after you." The stranger mused, raising his sword.

"Ah well. Part of the job."

"Chiko- Go!" She wanted to ask, 'what about him?' She pushed up with tears in her eyes and legs tensed, mouth opening. Her question was cut short by a horrified gasp and the sick squelching sound of a sword punching through cloth and flesh. Bozo let out a strangled yell of pain. Red liquid steamed as it splashed across the rooftops.

"Sorry kid- you never really stood a chance." The stranger shook his head.

"... F-fuh…" Bozo started, coughing up red on his arm.

"What's that?" The stranger raised his brows.

"Fuhk you." Bozo's hands were clasped in a seal. The stranger's eyes widened. His grip slackened, his sword pulled back- The pair of them were engulfed in an explosion. Mao wanted to wake up from this nightmare already.