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

Team Training

A chakra signature that Mana was slowly beginning to get used to appeared nearby. It came as so much of a surprise to the practicing kunoichi that she became startled and her focus faded completely, making the crackling jolts of lightning that fed Lightning Release chakra to the lightning swords floating around Mana sever and the constructs themselves to dissolve rather violently, as if the capricious technique was offended to be mishandled this way.

"Do you feel this kind of training is really the priority right now?" Yushijin asked after walking out into the small clearing Mana was working her magic in. "Given how we will be working together for the nearest future, it might be useful for us four to train together."

"I'm sorry but... Mastering this jutsu is something I must do. It is more important than I am willing to let in on." Mana shook her head. It was frustrating that the three did not just leave her alone to work with the technique that was supposed to resolve matters with Guru Ayushi when the moment of the inevitable meeting came.

"Really? Is it more important than the objective of our mission? Are you willing to fail the mission, your team, the clients and the people that have been killed or hurt by the Snow Country tribe we're after just so you can spend more time getting more personal power? That doesn't sound like the Mana I know..." Yushijin stepped in closer. He looked as baffled as he was imposing. The fellow chuunin of Konoha wanted Mana training with the team and he was not bothered applying a little psychological pressure to get that.

Mana looked down. She had to hand it to the illusionary swordsman, his words did make her doubt herself for a moment. When only what he said and not what Mana was focusing for three entire years, what she was researching and preparing for, was in mind, his words seemed like iron truth. Problem was, he did not know the full picture. He thought that the only reason why Mana was working on this jutsu was to become stronger on her own. While it was about as controversial to her personal ideals, the purpose of this technique was completely different.

"It is more important. It's more important than any mission objective to me. You could say that, at the moment, for three whole years, it is the only thing that matters on such a scale to me." Mana replied while resuming her preparation pose for channeling the technique. It still took too long to set up. Even if she flawlessly executed the entire sequence of techniques in the plan to defeat Guru Ayushi, the immortal, the legendary ninja who lived to multiple retirements worth of age in a world where most died all too young, Supreme Magic Pierce, the key technique still took too long to prepare.

An irritating as it was painful blunt impact sent the magician stumbling forward with needles piercing her entire back from the upper neck to the lower back, almost paralyzing the magician completely for a couple of moments and stopping her breathing momentarily. It was only when Mana took the time to recover from the painful shock of the attack from behind and focused on resuming her normal breathing that air started to once again circulate through her body.

"I will not forgive you these words. I am the one on whose shoulders lies the responsibility to complete this mission, to bring all of you three back home and continue forging the reputation of my home village that my ancestors started ironing centuries ago. It is my responsibility as a leader to discipline you." Yushijin shouted out from a much more personal abyss inside his chest than Mana expected.

This was no matter of pride, no childish rivalry. This sentiment came from a place quite familiar to the magician – responsibility. It was perhaps of that same familiarity that this conflict hit so close to home and resonated this deeply within Mana. Normally it would have been next to impossible to shake the building being built upon the foundation most of the magician's career as a ninja in the making.

"I do not have the luxury to waste time fighting you, have you not understood yet that after I chose to focus on my own training instead of team training?" Mana replied, still rubbing the back of her neck where she was struck with the handle of Yushijin's sword, despite the rather impressive size of the blade, the young man drew and sheathed it back behind his back in seemingly an instant.