Fascination: Sequel

Fascination: Sequel: Part 8

--

Fascination: Sequel

Part 8

--

Oriko had slept fitfully, when she eventually got to bed – her desire to eat, shower and clean her wounds overruled immediate requirements of sleep when she’d initially made it home.  She awoke at about ten or eleven the next day and although she could still sense some fatigue behind her eyes, which protested at their opening and the bright, smiling sunshine which greeted them...

But her body had physically rested enough and now needed to be moved – the soreness in her joints and muscles was already attempting to hinder her, but Oriko knew that after a few minutes and steps, she would feel infinitely better. 

Allowing a large and obvious yawn to escape her, she climbed out of bed and wandered towards her small kitchenette to make some tea and miso soup.  As she sat at her tiny kitchen table, she allowed a sigh to escape as her thoughts turn to yesterday’s exam, a tiny part of her confident that she’d pass, but the other, far more logical side told her not to be cocky or certain just because she had done what was asked, that she’d managed to impress. 

Taking the final glug of tea from the small mug, she stood to clear away the diminutive, but no less satisfying meal; by the time she’d finished with her general morning routine, it closer to midday than not and decided that a good walk would be the first order of business and choose what to do with the rest of the day later.

Oriko picked up and tugged on her shuriken pouches as well as her kunai pouch, tying it to her thigh as she wandered over to her front door and pulled her zori over her feet, a knock at the door claimed her attention and she rose to her feet to pull it open to find a grinning Anko on the far side;

“Morning!  Ibiki called me to escort you to him,” Oriko’s eyebrow rose into a questioning glance, but she nodded in understanding and grabbed her keys off the small table by the door and pulled closed the door behind her;

“You have good timing, Anko, I was just about to go out,” The dark-haired kuniochi beside her grinned her classic, childishly playful grin as she met her gaze,

“Well, that is true...” Oriko matched her smile as they wandered over to the intelligence division, though all the while in an unnatural but somehow not uncomfortable silence; Oriko’s, perhaps irrational, apprehension grew as they drew ever closer to Ibiki and his apparent decision. 

Oriko couldn’t quite tell if it had been far too slowly or far too quickly, for her liking, they appeared in the same small, oppressive room in which Oriko had signed her forms at the very beginning of her Jounin exam.

Ibiki stood, stoic as ever, with a hand in his coat pocket and a passive, blank expression; Oriko forced her expression as equally neutral – never, truly, feeling at ease or un-scrutinized by this particular man; she had always found it interesting, that whilst Oriko had never once, even for an instant, doubted Ibiki’s integrity or how genuine he was – he was never someone she would – maybe ever could – feel truly comfortable around. 

They met each other’s eyes in a silent but seemingly bloody battle of strength which ended scant seconds after it had begun – with Oriko unsure who the victor was;

“Oriko...I was impressed with your strategy and ability to evade detection... apparently both Hyusuke-san and Jiikuro-san – those were the other two observing your taijutsu fight – said that you proved quite a challenge to track. 

"Yuri-san too, told me that she was impressed with your ability to form an appropriate plan in a few seconds and to use what little you had to your advantage...having conferred with all those who took part in this Jounin exam, it has been agreed that you deserve the rank and title of ‘Jounin’...please continue to serve Konohagakure with pride, honour and skill.” Oriko toned down the grin she really wanted to show into a pleasant, happy and thankful smile,