Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of What Defines Us

Keep Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, Rolling...

A thundering thud broke Kiyomi from a tiresome tirade of dizziness. Meiko's quick reaction and tough body allowed her to recover in time and pull Kiyomi out of the harm's way. The powerful punch that was aimed right at Kiyomi's face went straight through and into the iron hard layers of rock located below in whatever cave system the two tumbled down into.

"It was an impressive trap, Kiyomi. You were always pretty smart, should've talked Lithia out of underestimating you", a low-pitched and slightly slurry voice echoed through the darkness of the underground ravine where the trio ended up in.

"That's right, Chominu. But that always was her problem, no one ever is worth a second thought unless they come in dark hair and an emo package", Kiyomi cheerfully raised her fist up trying to act like tumbling down into the ravine and separating the chubby teammate from his team was the idea the whole time.

"But you haven't done anything, it was the bug girl that softened the soil and messed up the dirt with her bugs", Meiko pointed out making what she thought smart faces looked like.

"Shut up, Meiko! You're not helping this at all, Meiko!" Kiyomi hissed turning back at her teammate. If Lithia ever came to hear about this streak of good luck, she'd never let Kiyomi get over it which would only piss the Yamanaka off more in the long term.

"Now you sound like that other Yamanaka girl, repeating things when you're angry"! Meiko cracked up laughing pointing her finger at Kiyomi mockingly, which only infuriated the Yamanaka heiress even more.

"So, I'm Lithia's target then? Fate's a cruel bitch, isn't it?" Kiyomi quickly changed her expression into a façade of a cool and composed face.

"Not really, Lithia doesn't really care about you. In fact, when I brought up Team Hokage to begin with, we had to remind her that you were in it and that the two of you shared history in the same class. Your teammate here is actually my target", the chubby Akimichi from a different class in Kiyomi's year pointed at Meiko who just pointed at her own inflated and swollen from laughter cheeks in confusion. A moment after the whole matter sunk in Meiko erupted into a more chaotic fit of laughter.

"Your... Academy rival... Doesn't even remember you, she doesn't even care about you and they're actually here... After me"! The redhead kept on breaking up and bending over in pain that the intense laughing caused to her abdomen. The blacksmith was one stage of laugh away from writhing on the ground.

"Shut up, Meiko..." Kiyomi closed her eyes and rubbed her temples furiously. "Fine, I take it that Lithia is coming down here eventually as well. It'll be a chance for me to remind her just who was actually the talented one in the Academy. As for now, these are very poor odds for you, Chominu".

"Lithia won't be coming down here. The climb is too much trouble for her, Kidenshi may come down here to even the odds, though", the Akimichi shook his head carelessly. It didn't appear to trouble him that he'd effectively be facing off against two people all by himself for a short while. "Knowing Kidenshi, however, he'll be arguing his pants off trying to convince Lithia to come down here as well. Those two tend to argue a lot, so if it's not too much trouble, I'd not mind waiting for them to come down here and finish you two off".

"Okay", Meiko nodded and dropped her large behind on a rough looking oval stone formation on the ground.

"Okay"? Kiyomi squinted in fury at her teammate. "They want to eliminate us from the competition, you're their goddamn target"!

"Not really, we only care about Meiko. If you wouldn't involve yourself at all, Kiyomi, that'd be just ideal", Chominu nodded his head with a cheerful grin, happy that Meiko had decided to sit and wait for Chominu's reinforcements, Team Walnut, to descend and eliminate her.