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

Things Expected In Return

Mana stared at the slowly spreading crowd of Yordalarans in the main hall of Eternal Fire. Besides the crowd stumbled the beaten-to-a-pulp collaborators that were also tied up and looked all-around pathetic. Regardless, it was the fate they've chosen and it appeared as if though their gamble to surrender has paid dividends comprised of their own lives. Even if dignity and trust had to be sacrificed in the process...

The magician lacked the strength left in her to be as shocked as the situation demanded her to be or nearly as scared. These people have just effortlessly killed a ninja already, granted, it was more because they've managed to catch the woman off-guard during one of her one-track-minded rampages. Still, Yordalarans were fine warriors, otherwise, Iwagakure spies would not have bothered with this plot.

"You killed her..." Mana stated the obvious, leaving her cover while still standing close enough to it so that she could use the wreckage for support whenever her numbing body failed to keep itself upright.

"Oh, please. You, of all people, have no right to complain. You should have sensed them coming from a mile away... You're just as hypocritical as this waste of talent right there, albeit a much more intelligent one." Hanshin put his index finger under his nose like a fleshy strip of mustache and chuckled to himself.

He was right, it crushed Mana to admit it but he was right – she did sense the Yordalarans coming. Not for as long as she should have been sensing them but she sensed them ever since they made it to the vicinity of the structure. Their chakra signatures were nowhere near as distinguished as those of ninja, making them incredibly difficult to sense, impossible to detect in a crowd of civilians of other nationalities even, however, they were still present.

A part of the young woman had hoped that the Yordalarans would break in and break up this engagement. Control what she could not, crush with force what reason could not bend. She did not expect such a fatal entry, had she known that the Yordalarans would go for the kill immediately, she'd have likely done something stupid. Something that would have been more likely to get her killed...

"Kiyomi and Meiko, what did you do to them?" Mana stumbled forward, holding onto the parts of the wrecked tables and chairs to move in closer to the crowd of Yordalarans. If these people were as ruthless to the pair as they were with this spy...

"These two have grown a consciousness, even if it was far too late, they've explained what was going on thoroughly, which is why you and both of your friends are still breathing." The Yordalaran who was now without a spear spoke. Oddly enough, his voice lacked any threatening undertones or roughness and was just as kind as when the Yordalarans displayed their signature generosity.

Mana looked at the busted up collaborators who looked beaten far past the point of where they should have been able to comprehend what was transpiring around them. They were moving when forced to move. They reacted to pain when someone kicked them or shame when someone stared at them from above but they looked so... Distant from it all.

So these people actually told the Yordalarans the truth, despite having every opportunity to make up a lie about Konoha being the invading force? In a way, they had saved the lives of both Team Hokage and Hanshin. Maybe even squirming worms such as these could have been redeemed?

"Don't get any grandiose thoughts now..." Hanshin smirked while continuing to pose even when he had no need to trick anyone or dodge anything. "The only reason these worms submitted and barked what their masters told them to was that they were so desperate to save their own hides. Not lying was just the most elementary way for them to do so."

"We'll treat your injuries, as we would even to an enemy. After that, you must leave and never interfere with Yordalar's affairs ever again." The spear-less Yordalaran warrior declared looking at Mana, as if he perceived the magician to be someone with higher maturity and authority to deal with, compared to her flamboyant mentor.