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

Hail to the Pumpkin Song

It was stunning to see Kidenshi on his feet and back to the mission after such a brief recovery. Naturally, some of it could have been attributed to the superhuman ninja metabolism but some of it had to be more of an individual trait of the young Inuzuka shinobi. Some were quicker to get back on their feet and brush off injuries than others and Kidenshi certainly was like a bar of iron.

"So do we just follow the scent of pumpkins again?" Kidenshi wondered, giving Mana an off-handed look. Given how the magician was the highest ranking ninja amongst the quartet, the Inuzuka expected her to make the calls.

"That did not work all that well last time." Chominu's eyes turned sad. The Akimichi's face was a curious baggage. His eyes seemed forever closed or just squinted that intensely and the only way to understand what he was thinking was to observe his facial cues or to follow the Akimichi's tone.

"It's because somebody can't pull their own weight." Kidenshi crossed his arms over his chest, looking at Lithia with a sarcastic glare that was meant to skewer his cocky teammate with ridicule.

"Ugh... It's not my fault I'm not a darned glutton that can smell a pumpkin from a mile away or some mutt-person." Lithia snapped back. Given her highly confrontational and bragging personality, it may not have been a good idea to instigate a conflict with her like Kidenshi did.

"The funny thing is pumpkins aren't even that yummy..." Chominu smacked his belly, letting his tongue flop out from his mouth. It was tough to say if he was imagining gorging on a large squash or reacting in distaste for the particular member of the fruit species.

"I must admit I would be inclined to agree with Lithia-senpai." Mana closed her eyes. The admittance did not come easy. "I myself cannot smell and we absolutely cannot afford to split to chase of scents. None of us is strong enough to defeat the enemy if we run into them."

"I dunno, splitting apart and putting work in seemed to work out so far..." Kidenshi leaned back on his arms with his lips pouting. He did not agree with Mana, clearly, but he was willing to listen to her suggestion, provided she gave him one.

"I believe a much more productive way to approach this mission would be to find your team leader and ask for their help. If the enemy truly is a rogue specialist ninja with an unclear objective, we will need a help of a jounin to take them down." Mana voiced the reason for her worst worries.

"Heh, too bad, Yumari-sensei is away on a mission with the other jounin." Kidenshi snickered. This time, however, it was more of a laugh that acknowledged a problem and the hopelessness of his situation rather than one of amusement.

"If more than one jounin are involved, I take it the mission is important." Mana sighed.

"Yeah, they're escorting a party of Allied Ninja into our village." Chominu nodded.

This was troublesome. There would be no way that any number of ninja in charge of escorting a member of a supranational organization of ninja that did not acknowledge village walls or country borders in their missions. While the fact that a party of Allied Ninja was heading to Konoha for a mission deserved a conversation all by itself, it was not a worry for the current moment.

"What about Lady Fifth?" Chominu wondered. "She's a sturdy and strong lady, she could handle a rogue specialist without a doubt!" the gentle giant declared uppercutting the air in excitement as he spoke.

"She's retired, you blunderbuss. At her age, can you blame the woman?" Lithia shrugged in a very smug and mocking manner that irritated Mana but, somehow, the magician managed to swallow it down.

"She is also away from the village by now." The magician added.

"Whatever, I don't like the idea of looking to someone else for help anyway." Kidenshi let out a half-tamed growl. "We somehow got through everything we've encountered split apart so that we don't get in each other's way, now we're together, that should be all the muscle we need."