A New Story

Sensei's Test!:

An hour into our spar treatment I began to wonder what kind of drum we were in. Hakari insisted we enjoyed a hot bath together, but it was the most bizarre method I had ever seen. Instead of the quite common hot spring baths I had heard of, sourcing natural heat from the Earth to draw off hot underground waters, we were instead sitting in a large drum over a fire. This is what sparked my curiosity because I had only now realised that the drum wasn't quite normal. It was oval shaped and held groves and patterns that didn't look man made, it was natural.

"Hakari?"

"Yes" She said in trance from the opposite side of the oval, leaning an arm over its side.

The oval shape of the drum curved to our backs perfectly, so that we each could relax against its slopped boarders while staring up at the starry night sky "I was wondering- what is this drum we are in, it doesn't look wooden, metallic or clay?"

"You must not come here often?" She sighed and a gratifying breath of mist came out from her mouth, the air outside was cold but we were hot from the warmth of the bath. "The Leaf Village doesn't have as many natural sources of hot water for spars to benefit off of, which is why they invest in extraordinary treatments." She hummed and sank deeper into the steamy bath, her feet touching mine under the scented waters.

"That kind of doesn't answer my question?" I squirmed away from her touch, the tempered soak making my flesh tingle like laughter to the unexpected contact.

"It's a turtle shell; you most probably didn't recognise it when jumping in because it's top side is charred from so many fires. Turtle shells are meant to have youth regenerative effects, according to folklore." Folded and saturated in the tranquil heat, she spoke with a warm hum in her voice, her face cloth over her eyes, her skin rosy.

"A turtle shell!" My cheeks went red to the abrupt squeak in my voice; we had been whispering for so long that vapours in the air had made my vocal cords delicate and unaccustomed to the volume.

A voice came from the side of me. "Yes a Giant Turtle Shell, it's our spars speciality." She was one of the attendants who now arched an eyebrow at me in responds to my squeaky outburst. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Agh..."

"Don't mind him Skimmia. Everything is fine"

"Very good Lady Kessho, of course if you need me a simple raise of the hand will do." She turned to latch her eyes on me, making sure I understood where she directed her ruling, before walking off.

I spoke with a smile in my tone, "I can see where you spend most of your days off training, Lady Kessho." She knew the ladies name on her voice alone, her eyes still under her face cloth.

"Only after completing one too many C rank missions, those mission Assignment ninja work on my nerves just as much as yours" She removed the face cloth, looking up at the sky to breath out clouds of white respite.

"That reminds me, I still need to assign one more member to our team. Since you're here we can discuss him together" I raised a hand calling our attendant, this time without the ball squeak "Would you please retrieve my Shuriken holster, it is in the pigeonhole numbered 129." I gestured with my finger out, feeling rather relaxed in the intoxicating bath.

"I'm sorry sir, weapons are forbidden in this area, is there anything else you might need instead?"

"uhm..." I dropped my finger whilst thinking of ways around getting out in order to retrieve our next team mate's ninja profile. "Could you get the piece of paper inside the holster?" I asked hopeful.