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

Rivalry Pressure

Confusion, uncertainty and a batch of other things ran down Mana's head when she saw a fellow Konoha ninja present in front of her, looking to be in full combat preparedness and ready to bring her back. Did Lord Sixth not grant her full permission to act upon her discretion, she did send him a quick intel report together with the last message sent out with a hawk, could that have been it?

"Why are you here?" Mana asked just to push the inevitable pressure of making a decision a little bit further, just stall for time until she figured what to do next. It would have been quite dangerous to attempt and engage Yushijin all by herself, even if Thumb was by her side, she was an unreliable ally at best.

"I already told you, I am on a mission authorized by Lord Sixth to bring you back," Yushijin replied with a bit of edge to his tone, he clearly noticed Mana's attempts to bargain for time and did not appreciate it. If she was to get this situation under control Mana needed to work it smarter, although... She was so tired, sleepless and beginning to grow hungry and thirsty to the point where her chakra network was starting to strain itself lightly just to keep her going like this.

"I thought I had Sixth's full permission to act in Shukuba's best interest until the criminal organization was disbanded. Was my intelligence flawed or forged?" Mana continued to inquire, at this point she didn't even abandon the possibility that her fellow Konoha ninja was a transformation, someone wearing his shape and robes, then again, who in this pleasure town could have known enough about her to know not only about Yushijin but also about the unpleasant sense of guilt that Mana felt towards Team Fir?

"I don't know. Lord Sixth was looking for people to bring you back, I volunteered." Yushijin grinned with half of his face, his grin was brimming with confidence, he felt almost excited to confront Mana this way. His stance, the confidence in his face, this had to be Yushijin, he felt excited about the opportunity to get to fight Mana officially.

"That is interesting, I cannot seem to sense your presence even when you're in front of me." Mana bent her head to the side in curiosity, extending her sensory abilities to their absolute peak and yet failing to pick up anything but the chakra of a civilian irradiating from Yushijin. She would have long since dismissed her colleague had it not been for this one curious detail.

Yushijin pressed his hands together in a hand seal position, releasing whatever technique he was using. As he did so, a chakra signature started flowing freely like it had just toppled a massive dam and was about to drown Mana's senses, attempting to overwhelm them completely. Fortunately enough, it was not nearly powerful enough to do so, even given Mana's novice mastery of her sensory at that moment. Yushijin's unleashed chakra signature was still a bit below Mana's, regardless, it was impressive for someone his age and rank to have his signature at these heights for Mana did engage in special chakra level training almost regularly with her meditation and exercises of chakra control and flow.

"I guess this new jutsu I've learned has something to do with why I was selected." Yushijin's pride could not keep his grin contained. "Now leave this village behind and come home."

"Answer me this, before I answer your request, was your mission treating me as a potential rogue ninja? Does Lord Sixth treat me as someone who has abandoned the village?" Mana wondered.

This was an important question, the answer to it determined the rest of Mana's life, possibly. If the magician was treated as a rogue ninja – that meant that Mana's reports back to the village had never really reached the Konoha Aviary and were intercepted, which caused this miscommunication. If Lord Sixth considered not Mana's status, but her actions, dangerous, that would have been a different matter entirely.

"No, you are not considered a possible rogue ninja. As far as Lord Sixth briefed me, you have not left the village, as far as loyalty goes. I am under orders to bring you back alive." Yushijin replied. His face was an iron wall when it needed to be and a pitch black fog of mist when it was appropriate, Mana couldn't tell if he was telling the truth or lying. Yushijin had grown very good at keeping a cold and emotionless face when he wanted to... It was even a little bit commendable, really.