Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of Games of Body and Soul

Last Ride Together

Author's Note: I noticed that I called the blade handed out to chuunin as "chokuto" before. That is actually wrong and it is technically a "tanto" given its specifications. I'm sorry about that and I fixed all of the mentions of the reward I could find in the previous chapters. If you find some that irritate you, please let me know and I will fix it. Once again, sorry for that :D

*****

Holding the chuunin flak jacket and the small tanto blade pressed to her chest, Mana carefully descended the Administration stairs and left the building. A wave of curious stares offering brief congratulations rose up from a seldom administration clerk ninja before they returned to their busywork.

"There she is!" Meiko's loud exclamation reached the magician's ears right after she left the building, making her focus on the gathering of what used to be the Team Hokage. Mana's second official genin squad and quite a fateful one as it lead to her acquiring her promotion. Her victory was just as much the victory of Kiyomi and Meiko as well, even if the two were not rewarded in a manner Mana was.

From this point on, it would be just Mana managing a quickly put together squad of genin or observing their work with her watchful eye. She was not quite skilled enough to get her own squad of genin, that would have had to wait until she officially became jounin. If Lord Sixth did not keep anything hidden, she'd never even get to see a day of the dangerous chuunin work before she can retire and focus on her magic shows.

"What were you talking to Lord Douche about?" Kiyomi pouted her lips. If not from the content of her words, judging from her face, she clearly disliked the village leader who oversaw the administrative duties for the Fire Lord just so his royal highness need not interrupt his highly important game of shogi and lavish aristocratic life.

"Nothing much, just wanted some things cleared up. Why are you guys still here?" Mana wondered out loud, letting her eyes track the entire roster of Team Hokage, Chestnut Hanasaku included stand around the Konohagakure Administration building as if waiting for something.

"We've been waiting for you, dummy, seeing how you've moved up the ladder, we won't let you leave us without a proper sendoff!" Meiko raised her fist up with great energy and vigor in her eyes.

Mana's eyes lingered on Hanasaku who just looked at her with soft and motherly eyes, the woman wondered if right now she should even have involved herself in these team matters, given how difficult taking the lack of Kiyomi's promotion was for the woman. The magician wondered if perhaps her team leader would have wanted to spend a day with her protégé alone, instead of spending it with someone she voiced having troubles of trust with.

"That's right, maybe whatever made you impress the big cheese in the VIP areas will rub off onto these two if we have a relaxing day while those guys in the Administration struggle with the aftermath of the Chuunin Exams", Hanasaku smiled while maintaining an eye contact with Mana. Something the magician knew would have been impossible if the woman still felt any resentment towards Mana at all. Chestnut Hanasaku was simply too simple-minded to act one way and think another.

"I see, alright then, I would just like to return home and place all this stuff back, if it's okay with you guys, I mean, if not, you can just go ahea..." Mana tried giving her friends an option to ditch her but Kiyomi pulled the magician in by her elbow. That was rather odd of her to do, usually the manhandling and the more aggressive side of friendship was more of Meiko's forte.

"Who do you think you're kidding? Sure, go put all of your baggage back home and let's go out for a girl's day out! We haven't had that in... I think... Ever", Kiyomi curiously rubbed her cheek and her chin with her long and elegant fingers.