Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of What Defines Us

Falling Towards the Finish Line

Tumbling and panting deep, drenched in bloody stench breaths, Mana slowly made her way to the inner corridors outside the arena before placing her back against the wall and sliding down on her bottom. Nausea and dizziness made her press her cold and paled hands against her forehead and the pressure against the magician's eyeballs demanded that she gently caressed the bags that were beginning to form on her face.

Even when Mana prepared for every causality, even when she analyzed every movement and matched her opponent on the field in both the physical and the mental plains... She just barely pulled it off. Winning was not necessary, just going the full distance would have been fine. It was only at the final moments of the battle that Mana saw that opportunity, the golden canary buzzing by as both girls plummeted to the ground at the speed of terminal velocity.

Something powerful wrapped around Mana, the magician's eyebrows telegraphed her aggravation with the rude approach but the forceful limbs of her best friend ruthlessly lifted her off the ground and spun her around.

"You crazy bastard, you suicidal maniac!" Meiko kept on screaming right up at Mana's ear. It was something, which did not help her sensitive and vulnerable state. "You pulled it off!"

"You did it, Mana!" Kiyomi gently placed her hand on Meiko's shoulder as a signal that the redheaded blacksmith was wise to stop crushing her vulnerable strength with the might that could have juiced the very world like a bag of curd.

"Excuse me, girls! Please, let us take care of your friends. You can see her in the resting room tonight, or tomorrow, during visitor hours!" The medical staff intervened, placing Mana's weightless and floaty feeling body on stretchers.

A young woman ran down a scan of Mana using the Diagnosis Jutsu. "She's relatively stable. She's not critical but the internal injuries will build up to a critical state soon. Take her to the infirmary, then to the resting wing of the hospital!" She ordered while the other medical ninja firmly nodded and rolled Mana off.

The girl's mind kept turning on and off, here she was watching the lights of the Chuunin Exams arena, here she was glaring in curiosity at the dark winter night sky. There were no more stars, grim clouds had accumulated to a large shroud that covered the entire thing, it would probably rain throughout the night... Here she was watching the lights of the Konoha hospital buzzing by, here she was watching kind and masked faces leaning over her and feeling the warm, emerald light shining over her. The refreshing feeling of cold water surrounded her, chilling her just enough to counteract the warmth of the Mystical Palm Jutsu and make the chill feel invigorating and almost soothing.

She won, not only that – Mana pushed Stea enough so that the young woman could reveal and show off all of her abilities, all of her battlefield strength, all of her supporting care and capacity to help her comrades on the battlefield conditions. There could have been no chance in hell that the Council would not promote Stea to chuunin after that clash of the two. The rest was all in the hands of the Getsugakure kunoichi, the well-being of her people, the ability to provide it and create it with her own hands and make the future of her village better than the one she grew up in.

To end the horrors she was forced to confront under Mana's illusions...

"You did good, kid. You're pretty young. You did pretty good though, I've never seen a recent transfer patch someone up as easily and quickly", Mana heard the praises nearby her. She opened her eyes and looked at the direction of the acclaims that were being given out.

"Thank you, ma'am. Mana and I have had plenty of experience together, I know her body inside and out which is why I have asked to perform the procedure on my final day working here." Kouta bowed his head in respect and gratitude for the kudos that he was being given. "I know the patient's system inside and out, I've healed her a thousand times, perhaps I am even being literal with this statement, ma'am".