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

Sunning

Traveling with the whole pack of rabbits was not the same as traveling alone or together with just Kouta. There were not even hopes that the younglings could keep up with the demanding and breakneck speed of a ninja, which, surprisingly, even the less mighty rabbits were capable of. The lower bodies of the rabbits, even those that have experienced less combat or trained much less, were awesome and even the relatively civilian rabbits, as well as the elders, could have, in theory, kept up the pace.

Strangely, despite the young ones being usually quite spry, this time they sort of held the whole group back. Not that it was too much of a problem. Something told Mana that the Ninja Rabbits would not see that much of the Ninja Snakes until they meet up with the less civilized and less intelligent versions that resided inside the Forest of Death as well.

Usujitsa's absence was the only worrying thing. The little assassin had listened to better reason and avoided conflict with the mongooses but he appeared to have disappeared entirely. From what Mana could gather, he was not in Kusagakure nor did he fight the combination transformation. Then again, she assumed too much if she thought that the two of them shared even a moment of understanding. That little cuddle-ball truly was a force of nature of its own will and nobody could have been sure where it would appear next or what its mood would be...

"So what happened with Vasuki and that ninja?" Mana wondered.

"Not sure," Kouta shrugged. "The mongooses kind of lost interest in the serpent once it laid all dead-like. Obviously, it was not dead and since the mongooses didn't care to eat it, the next day it had managed to give us a slip with only a shed skin layer remaining."

"The ninja got caught by da Kusagakure shinobi dat rushed in ta see what was going on by deir doorstep." Usuzoku butted in.

"I wonder if they'll kill him." Mana looked at the rustling grass beneath her feet. Moving as slowly as the group did, compared to her usual speed, the girl had all the time to let her attention wander she could want.

"I don't think it's quite the Kusagakure way." Kouta shrugged. "I'm not that much of a foreign policy expert but, from what we've seen in the village, I'd have to say they'll strike a deal with Konoha for the guy. Just the type of diplomatic move that'd score them some points..."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Mana looked on ahead. The pill of Kusagakure, a foreign village going above and beyond to preserve the life of a criminal while Konoha may be looking to end it was a bitter one to swallow. Leaking chakra so much and showing off such lousy control, he put more than just the world at risk. His twisted essence spread wider than light could reach. At the very least, the man would be imprisoned for the rest of his life...

"Can you believe he was a Konoha ninja? What would have made him go as far as he did?" Kouta exclaimed in disbelief. While the young man did not really see much of what the combination transformation performed, he had seen enough to realize that it was the very bottom of a bag of options that the ninja they faced off against was forced the scrape at.

"He said it was for some secret that Vasuki promised him to teach," Mana recalled the words of the man she heard after a brief opportunity to clash with him. "I don't know, he did not look very pleased about any of what he was doing so it must have been insanely alluring. Maybe it was some technique, like the one Vasuki used to cheat death?"

"It was Sage Mode." Usuzoku closed his eyes. Even while completely locking off the sense of sight for a brief moment the rabbit managed to keep moving at a stable pace and alongside his companions.

"Sage Mode? I think I've heard or read about it somewhere but..." Mana's face got as wrinkly as a raisin in an attempt to recall something more about the concept than just the name. "Oh well, I guess it's a secret for a reason." She sighed with relenting relief.