My Damned Life || A Naruto Fanfic [COMING SOON]

7~ Confidence is key!

Me, Kando and Mando walked towords the place where we were to obtain our scroll. You could tell we were all equally terrified. But at the same time there was an aura of confidence admitting from our group. I myself wasn't the least bit confident in my own skills and abilities, i was confident that if we got any further in these exams Kando and Mando would be the sole reason why we would pass. There was no possible way you could doubt the skills of either of the boys. 

I mean sure, Mando can be a bit of a goof, and is rarely ever serious. But that's what makes him him and why he's so succesful, he can't be rivaled. We love our Mando and he makes the team what it is. There can't be a team Hansuke without a Mando.

And of course Kando, the entire reason why Mando and I strive to be better. Kando has alwasy been good at anything he does. We look up to him in terms of skill. He's exactly what me and Kando want to be. He's also the pride of his clan, literally mastering the Damasu Genjutsu. 

So if you ask either of us, if we as an individual, are confident enough to pass, we would all undoubtfully say no. But as a team, we are. Because we are all confident of eachother.

That's why when we finally reached the scroll booth, opened up the curtain, and the scroll was handed to Kando, we smirked at eachother. Because we were ready as we were ever going to get. We had to redeem ourselves from last years failure, and our horrible attempt at becoming chunin.

+++

"Now since we have the scroll the next goal is to get behind that gate." Kando says as we walk towards our assighned gate. "We have our mission, to confinscate the missing scroll and return it back to the tower."

"And can you please tell me why exactly we had to make a whole mission scenario?" I ask

"Because, it's important we think of this as serious as possible." Kando says as he rolls his eyes, as if i said the stupidest thing ever.

"But it honestly just sounds more like a game now rather than an actual mission. Like when we played ninja when we were kids." Mando adds.

"Well, it's also important we have fun." Kando shoots a grin towards Mando, shocking the latter.

"Fun? You? Do you even know what fun is?" Mando shouts out, wide eyed.

"I will have you know, i'm very familiar with fun, brother." Kando says as we reach our gate. A Shinobe stood in front of the gate as if gaurding us from getting in, when in reality he probably should be gaurding the forest from getting out, who knows what's in there.

"Sure you are." Mando replies as he goes to stand next to his brother.

The person standing in front of the gate turns around and  unlock the lock and chain from around the gate. It hit the ground swiftly as the chain jingled. It's about to begin. I can only assume all the other teams's locks have been taken off as well.

"All right you maggots. The second part of the exam has began." We heard Anko Sensei's voice say. Kando takes off running the second he can, into the forest.

Once me and Mando realize the test has begun, we run in after Kando, who climbs up into a near tree. Me and Kando follow, squating on a tree branch as we await what kando will tell us.

"Alright, goal two complete. We are one step closer to completing our mission." Kando tells us in a whisper.

"I think we're a little further than a step closer, that's was a pretty fufilling run." Mando jokes, i crack a grin directed towards him, sure to stay quiet.

"Not what i meant. Our third goal is to find the target as quick as possible." Kando instucts. "Our fourth goal is the survive the first night."

"Easy. We can do it, i'm sure." I whisper back. "Are you going to keep holding onto the scroll?"

"Yeah i am, i think it's best if Rielri doesn't have it." Kando says, making eyes contact with me.

"Understood." I say back to him. " Now what do we do."

"We find the target, like i said." Kando says.

"No, where are we going?" Mando questions. "Any specific directions?"

"I can't make all the decisions. It's a team effort." Kando says. "It's Mando's turn to make some decisions."

"This is a bad time to make me start taking a leadership role." Mando says as he shakes his head aggressively. " But I guess we should head in the direction of the tower, we'll be able to find a team to take a scroll from, since everyone will be heading there eventually."

"Can i make a suggestion?" I ask Kando.

"Of course, you are apart of this team as well."  Kando replies, his eyesbrows furrowing.

"I think we should try and stick with the trees." I ask, reluctant.

"i agree, that's our best bet." Kando says, as he jumps down from the trees. "But let's walk down here for a few minutes. But keep behind the trees.

"Yes sir." Mando jokingly salutes. Kando walks up to Mando and hugs him, causing mando to stiffen up, and go wide eyed.

"I really hope we can pass this time around." Kando walks up to me, and brings me into his arms. "I trust you to help us with this Ri."

"O-of c-course." I stutter as i look up and into Kando's eyes as he gives a big smile.

"Alright, behind the trees everyone." Kando lets go of me and we make our way behind the trees so we can go forward.

I reach into my pocket feeling an object that wasn't there before. i glance down quickly, to see the heaven scroll was now it my pocket. I take my hand out of my pocket as i go to the next tree, sighing as i glance at Kando. He was focused on moving ahead, before he glances at me.

"Rielri, is it time to go into the trees?" He says. I immediately understand that the entire reason we stayed on the ground was so he could pass the scroll over. He was thinking way ahead of me, like always.

"Yeah, let's do it." I send Kando a nod as Mando narrows his eyes at me. I glance at him and stick my tongue out at him.

We go into the trees, going from one tree to the other. We get pretty far, before the sun starts to fade.

"I think we should stop." Kando says. "I lost track of time, we're running late. It might be dangerous for us to find food now."

Mando and me glance at eachother, silently agreeing.

"We can do that tommorow first thing, skipping one meal won't hurt us, food is limited." Mando says for the both of us.

"Alright, lets rest then. We'll take shifts of who gets to sleep and who gets to guard." Kando says, sitting down on a tree branch, we follow suit. 

"Me and Kando can take first shift, you can sleep Ri." Mando says, Kando nods, agreeing.

"Are you sure?" I ask them. "What about when it's switch time? Someone would have to stay up even longer since we don't have a fourth person like we usually do."

"It's fine, we'll do it in thirds. Me and Mando will guard first, and then we'll switch you and Mando out. After that we'll switch me and Mando out, so i can rest." Kando plans, we all agree and set off to our duities.

Ever since the three of us became apart of Hansuke Sensei's team he's taught us many things. One being how to properly get rest on a mission. He would have two people guard at once, while the other two get to sleep. It would switch out halfway through the night. The idea was to keep the people gaurding awake, by having more than one person stay awake, they can keep eachother company and keep eachother awake. Usually it would be Kando and Mando taking first shift and then me and Hansuke Sensei doing the second shift.

Hansuke sensei always has unique ways of doing things, things that have always worked for us.

*UNEDITED, WRITTEN A LONG TIME AGO*

Published: 3/26/21