❝ full of scars, unclarity
that is firm, so natural
its beautiful ❞
in which minamoto
eri is forced to confront
the cruel nature of the
world and thus decides
...
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CHAPTER FOUR
✧
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐉𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐘 𝐓𝐎 Hachō Village was a lot longer than Tsubaki had made it seem. Much to the discontent of the trio, their path wound through dense forests - the earthy scent of moss underfoot and the play of sunlight filtering through leaves. With every passing hour, the dirt road only seemed to get longer, thoroughly convincing Daichi that they were under some sort of enemy genjutsu. Their purple-haired teacher merely laughed it off.
Once the sun had finally begun to set, Tsubaki decided to pause their journey and set up camp for the night. Under the canopy of trees, Team Six erected a small campfire, its flickering flames casting dancing shadows on the surrounding foliage. Tents were pitched, and a makeshift perimeter was established with subtle traps laid out by Tsubaki, ensuring the safety of their camp as they rested for the night.
"We're not too far away now," Tsubaki had said softly, smiling at her students who looked completely exhausted, "I'd say we only have about thirty minutes left. Good work, you three."
The three genin drank up the praise, small grins making their way up to their faces as they thanked their teacher. After a few campfire stories and overall questions about the mission, they finally decided to get to sleep.
They were on the move the next day.
Just as Tsubaki had predicted, they weren't walking for long. Ryuu was the first to notice the long line of utility poles leading to the village as they approached it. Once they reached a wooden pole that read 'HACHŌ VILLAGE' in bold red writing, the genin were awed as the landscape opened up before them -the village was nestled in a rocky valley, surrounded by a beautiful body of water that stretched as far as the eye could see.
"Wow..." Ryuu mumbled in awe. The houses surrounded the lake in a semi-circle with patches of verdant grass complimenting the clear blue waters. The streets bustled with life as people moved about, chatting amongst themselves. It looked completely different than their village. Daichi and Eri stared in wonder.
Tsubaki, glancing at their stunned expressions, smiled.
"Pretty, isn't it?" She asked.
Daichi was the first to respond, his brown eyes sparkling in amazement, "Yeah!! I've never seen anything like this before!"
Ryuu nodded in agreement, his eyes wandering around the vast space. Suddenly, he turned to Tsubaki curiously, "Sensei, aren't there supposed to be guards patrolling around here? Or do these kind of villages not have them?"
Taking a brief look around, Tsubaki hummed to herself, "They should, but I guess they're not around today."
She thought for a moment before looking down at the boy, stroking his head with her usual kind smile, "For now, let's get closer to the village entrance. I'm sure we'll see them there."
