Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of What Defines Us

Kiyomi's Aku-Soku-Zan

Kiyomi's speed faltered a couple of times during her trip to the Yamanaka resort. She was given two days to pay up the bounty hunter but that wasn't a problem. As an influential figure in her clan, she'd be able to access even more sizeable resources than she was asked for. That was what troubled Kiyomi – to place a large enough bounty on her would've taken a really influential figure. Granted, knowing the amount of influence one had to have to place a bounty sizeable enough to interest even hunters gunning after Chuunin and Jounin also tightened the loop around much fewer throats of potential suspects. The location of Kirigakure did so even more.

Mana didn't look good, she wasn't bleeding excessively or vomiting blood anymore but she was simply knocked out, her skin was pale and her weight changed from being difficult to drag around to being light as a feather – Kiyomi's own faltering chakra levels must've influenced the dramatic shift in the weight she carried. It was unlikely that the magician herself shifted her weights so drastically.

It was because of her that Mana got involved, the magician just wanted to meet up with her future teammate and catch up, maybe train a little together seeing how the two would end up in a team in the future. And then she got dragged into this whole story of bounty hunters of varying power levels, all going for the outrageous bounty on Kiyomi's head. Even more, the magician already placed the responsibility on her shoulders to keep everyone around her alive at all times. As long as Mana could help it no one was supposed to die. Feeling as Mana's older sister made Kiyomi take up some of her silly "sibling's" responsibilities on herself as well.

There it was, the Yamanaka resort – a giant district of classic buildings built around a large beach resort, like an entire port town all by itself. One main stone paved street extended throughout the grassy plain and then over a sandy hill that led to the majestic beach. It was, in a way, a halfway point between both branches of the clan – Konoha and Kirigakure and while there may have been Yamanaka in other villages in small numbers, their numbers weren't important enough to warrant such sentimental architectural decision.

Two guards rushed up to Kiyomi and took Mana from her hands. The duo almost instantly recognized the young lady who may possibly one day inherit the rule of the clan and be the most important person. Even if she did not fulfill that role, that was to say she'd have gotten married or there would've been someone else with a better claim to be the clan's heir and rightful leader – her influence would still be immense.

"Please make sure Mana is OK..." Kiyomi managed to utter before losing her footing. She didn't pass out, that'd have been too much of a mercy for her on fate's part. The blonde wished to pass out but she remained down on the ground, huffing and struggling to breathe with a painfully pulsing chest that hurt evermore with each draw of breath.

One guard picked the unconscious magician up and rushed her away, the other one called for reinforcements and carried Kiyomi away to have her taken care of.

"Can we muster up fifty billion ryo for my holiday funds?" Kiyomi cheeked at her carrier who just smiled back at her.

"That is sizeable but not beyond reasonable. We'll talk about it later, Lady Heiress." the Yamanaka ninja nodded.

*****

By the time Mana woke up, it was morning. A male Yamanaka ninja was watching over a bunch of medical machines that surveyed her condition and ran through various diagnostics without requiring the medical ninja spend an ounce of chakra. After the medical ninja noticed that the magician was awake he turned around and nodded.

"Well, it seems your recovery went smoothly, Lady Heiress shall be glad to hear it" he noted. "Granted, it was so close to being the opposite case entirely" the man complained to himself.