Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of What Defines Us

Predator of One's Superiors

Both kunoichi stared at the bounty hunter for a while after the revelation was made. Kiyomi tried objecting first, effectively entering the denial stage, she couldn't really be blamed though. Being told that one's own distant relatives from another village were responsible for trying to have you killed was a tough pill to swallow.

"Wait, I thought you said you did it? It made sense – you placed a bounty on my head to justify coming after me in the eyes of your organization." Kiyomi objected.

"That is true, it's a much more believable scenario." Mana nodded in agreement.

"I lied, it was to raise a false sense of security, let you think that you've rid of the only threat you need to care about. It is a common trick amongst assassins, even if the other killers had nothing to do with me – it's only common courtesy between us throat-cutters. I am no longer tied to the Nekomata clan, I do not have the resources needed to rile up every bounty hunter and assassin organization to kill a child, let alone a future heiress of one of the most important clans of Konoha." Roe growled by lowering his lower lip, clearly annoyed that his revelation was even being questioned.

Mana stepped up and extended her hand to touch the man's shoulder and try calming him down, she saw that they acted slightly out of line for the courtesy they were shown. When one receives sensitive information like this they shouldn't try and make the one betraying their principles look like a liar. The bounty hunter showed his teeth to Mana in a primal show of aggression making the magician's hand freeze in the middle of the reach and withdraw.

"We are grateful that you let us know this. This information may have saved my friend's life and that leaves us in your debt." Mana tried to show that the bounty hunter's effort to walk into the clear was appreciated, she even bowed her head for him, a common cutthroat.

"It's fine, if you have any valuable substance in those heads of yours, you'll head home to Konoha and will not leave the walls until it all brews down. There are many assassins skilled enough to operate inside village walls too so don't even approach the door and hire only the best in the biz to watch over you. With a little luck, we can match wits and blades again one day." Roe growled out but this time in a more melodic and friendly tone. Just like that the bounty hunter's silhouette blurred and disappeared completely as he pounced high up into the treeline and disappeared from sight or any other manner of senses. When the Nekomata wished to be unseen, they remained hidden.

Kiyomi looked down, she was shaken by the news that her own clan was trying to get rid of her. The magician felt for her friend. She had no idea how it must've felt knowing something like this but she has felt undesired and hated in her life, she has felt like her very existence was hated and that her birth may have been pointless. Such dark thoughts never lead to anything good, she once almost gave up on herself because of them.

"Were you close to the Kirigakure branch? Do you have any potential suspects in mind?" Mana asked, while she wished to leave the matter alone and lead her friend back to the village, something like this had to remain in the center of attention at all times. Kiyomi could never again underestimate this challenging time of her life or else it'd be the last time of her life to remember.

"Not really. We're relatives only by last name and some distant bloodline. Some Yamanaka in Kirigakure fled during the wars because they supported the village's stance, some of them moved because they weren't important in the clan's hierarchy here and wished to build something new... Some of them in there are pretty close, brothers and sisters of our parents meanwhile others are distant cousins of our uncle's fathers and so on. It'd be impossible to tell who did it..." Kiyomi recounted what she knew, still totally confused.

"I see..." Mana cut in after the silence became too awkward to tolerate.

"Seeing you getting injured like that, risking your life for me... Now I know how you feel all the time. If you care about every life as much as I care about yours. I've seen enough, let's go home" Kiyomi uttered as her eyes began to dampen and it became apparent that the older kunoichi was going to break down.