"How about you give me a different errand?" the girl said, annoyance coating her words thickly.
"But we don't have anything for you besides that. And you're the only one who fits the description that they need." the woman replied, still with warmth on her voice. Her fondness for the girl never wavered even now.
The girl sighed. She was apparently at a crossroads of some sort. Errands and small missions had been her way to escape some of her classes. Some, not all of the teachers were mean to her. They still had an awfully thick sense of prejudice towards the girl, even though she was innocent from all of the intrigue. She has held a good sense of balance for her classes and errands. The girl was more clever than half of her class to begin with, but this didn't let her escape to emotional spikes that are driven to her regularly with all the cold stares and the soft whispers that came when she passed by someone. It was this, or babysitting a kid her age. The thought of taking care of someone here age pissed her off seriously. She was a shinobi to-be, not some house wench that catered to every need of another child.
Satsuki reluctantly accepted the “mission” and stomped her way out of the building. She wasn't shy at letting people know she disapproved something. The girl muttered while on her way to the house of the requester. Her orders were simple; look after the child for two days. Two. Days. She needed to do this for more than a day, which pissed her off even more. The only difference she has with other kids was the Academy, and probably what her mother did. In the young girl’s mind, that didn't warrant for a kid to be so dependent on others. Maybe it’s the rich people’s disease she wondered. The house was situated on the more affluent side of Maruishi which was one of the small bits that wasn't annoying. It was close so she didn't need to do a lot of walking and cart riding. Within twenty minutes she arrived in front of the requester’s residence. It was old and it wasn't your typical house, not even for rich people. It was a manse, an old, slightly Gothic-looking structure of some sort. It looked like some sort of a small castle, the girl thought to herself. It had a creepy vibe, which sent a round of shivers through the girl’s body. Satsuki walked inwards toward the small front yard and knocked on the big wooden door. A couple knocks more until the door slowly creaked open. It was an old man.
“You must be the one the Embassy sent. Come in child,” said the old man. Satsuki tried to figure out his deal. He didn’t eye her from head to toe like other people, which was odd. Maybe he didn’t know who she was, given that the Embassy sends out the short information about the people they send out on these missions and errands. Satsuki brushed the thought away for a moment while the man led her inside the place. The inside of the manse was a bit dark. Candles were lit in the receiving hall which was huge, especially to the eyes of a nine year-old. There were a lot of antiques that decorated the receiving area, vases, ornaments, small statues, old paintings that manned the walls. Even the furniture was old. The girl slid her right hand on one of the tables as she walked by. It was smooth and shiny and fine. The antique table was varnished, so were most of the furniture. The girl was in awe, though there was this weird feeling that emanated throughout the hall. For the lack of a better word, the girl thought of feelings or emotions. Satsuki didn’t know what to feel. Maybe it’s the energy that has stayed with the place, it was old to begin with. She then heard footsteps from above. Her ears followed them, as it went from one corner of the ceiling towards the staircase in the middle of the hall. From the footsteps came a woman, who elegantly went down the stairs. She was a bit younger than the man that let her in. the girl reckoned that she was around the same age as Kenta, her estranged uncle. Even at an older age, the woman looked beautiful. She was clean, fancy clothes housing her body. Her dark hair was tied up and she had glasses. The woman smiled as she approached the girl.
“You must be Kanzaki Satsuki-san. It is nice to finally meet you!” the woman said, shaking her small hand. She seemed pleasant enough, said the girl. A bit more pleasant than this house and the man earlier at least. This woman had a warmth in her, that kind of contradicted this place, the girl thought to herself and this worried her a little bit. This house, this entire place felt different, ominous even and she didn’t know why. “It’s nice to meet you too, ma’am. I’ve been sent here to take care of your daughter right?” the girl replied hesitantly. The thought of taking care of a girl her age still irked her, but this woman was nice enough as it is. “Correct.” answered the woman. “..Our little Kana is really nice, but because of certain things, well, let’s just say she doesn't like the outdoors and it has been a problem.” the woman explained, pacing across the hall, Satsuki’s eyes following her. “We've had seven babysitters quit in the past five months alone ever since something happened to our daughter.” the woman added. “What happened?” Satsuki asked, thumbing her hair in the process. “Well, at first we thought this house was haunted. We’ve had shamans try and cleanse this house of spirits and whatnot, but it didn’t stop. Then we realized that well, it wasn’t ghosts. You see, our daughter is… special.” the woman replied. The girl tilted her head, eyes narrowed. This was getting a bit absurd for her. “Special? How?” another question from the girl, the pace of this conversation was slow and vague. “I really can’t put it into words, but the situation has scared many babysitters. We thought that maybe some interaction with someone her age might change the situation a bit. And since you’re studying to be a shinobi, we thought that you might be equipped in taking care of yourself compared to the babysitters. Selfish, I know. But we don’t know what to do anymore. The Embassy was nice enough to entertain our request. So, will you stay the night Satsuki-chan? Nothing will harm you, I swear. None of the former babysitters got hurt. And just for another precautionary measure, our new gardener is a former shinobi himself.” the woman said and asked at the same time. The only solace in this whole situation for the girl was the fact that nobody got hurt yet. But what got her a bit curious was the fact that the woman was still vague in terms of explaining the situation. She didn’t have any choice in the matter anyway since she accepted this errand from the Embassy. Might as well get on with it, the girl thought. “Welp, in the least I have no choice in the matter ma’am, but I’ll do my best.” replied the girl. This brightened the woman’s face. She hugged Satsuki in delight, which made the girl uncomfortable for a moment. She was given further instructions before the woman left. Apparently she was embarking on a trip to some village far away, the details left Satsuki since it didn’t peak her interest to begin with. What came next for the girl, she did not expect. It would be the weirdest and creepiest two days of the girl’s life.
Things were… floating. Not just normal things, heavy things floated. Tables, chairs, cabinets… In ways that you never thought was possible. This was out of a horror story, the girl thought. Not just that, but a sudden thunderstorm to boot. This completed the perfect harmony of the creepy vibe. Satsuki clenched her teeth and fists whenever something happened. Even the door was locked at times, when the girl Kana didn’t want her to leave the room. The girl looked normal enough at first, but within minutes that turned Satsuki’s mind. It was insanity, she thought. She should have stayed home and practice throwing kunai or something. This girl isn’t just weird, she’s insane! Dangerous even! The girl had this creepy smile in her face, somewhat unbearable for the girl. She wanted to get out, now.
“Ne! Ne! Satsuki-chan, let’s play~” the girl said eerily, her smile looming over the girl.
A couple hours passed, the horror had died down as Kana slept. Even weird girls get tired too, she thought. Satsuki used the opportunity to get out of the room. She made her way into the window and opened it. It didn’t make a sound like the door’s creak so Kana didn’t wake up. She looked out and realized she was on the third floor. The girl grinned slyly, telling herself that this was a piece of cake. Satsuki jumped out and bounced lightly on the marble posts down towards what it seemed like the back garden. Just as she was about to make a flawless landing, the last marble post proved to be slippery because of wet moss growing from it. The girl slipped, face planting the floor that gave out a thud. So much for a perfect landing, she thought to herself, her face on the grass.
“Oh, this babysitter is a wild child huh,” a familiar voice said. The girl gripped the lawn with both of her hands and pulled herself up gingerly, grass on her nose and mouth. She looked up, and a familiar face welcomed her.
“Eh, Kenta-ji?!” the girl was surprised. What was her uncle doing in this place? “What the hell are you doin’ here?”
“Well, sweeping some leaves at the moment. This garden is huge!” said the man as he laughed hysterically. The girl just stared at him, narrow-eyed and all. Kenta kept on sweeping, ashes from his cigarette falling to the ground bit by bit. “So, sounds like you’re having fun with Kana eh,” asked the man. “Eh? Are you kidding me jiji? She’s a freak! Not only can she make things float, she can float herself!” the girl said, shuddering just thinking about it. The man’s face turned serious, staring down her niece with a stern look. “Everybody’s a freak in this world.” the man said dryly, turning back to his sweeping. He wouldn’t say another word in a couple of minutes, making Satsuki extremely uncomfortable. “Kana is special. Her parents aren’t shinobi. Her family has been one of the pioneers in trading within Maruishi, thus their wealth.” Kenta explained. “But being traders doesn’t mean they don’t have the potential to produce potential shinobi.” he added. “What do you mean?” Satsuki asked, confused by what her uncle was saying. “She can make things float right? Even herself?” asked the man. The girl nodded. “And you can blow fireballs from your mouth. Does that make you a freak too?” Kenta asked Satsuki again. She was silent. “I guess you’re realized, yes?” the man said, taking a break from his sweeping. Kenta sat down on the ground, taking out another cigarette from his person and lighting it. “But wait, if you’re telling me that’s shinobi stuff why haven’t I heard of it? Is it a special kind of jutsu?” asked the girl. The man sighed. For someone who’s fond of reading she sure is narrow, he thought to himself. “Tell me the basic chakra elements kid,” without hesitation, the girl mentioned them one by one. “Fire, Water, Lightning, Wind, and Earth.” she said. “Not bad.” the man replied. “Here’s something you haven’t learned yet, I’ll give you a crash course so you can look cool in class when they discuss this so listen up. Besides those five basic elements you can unlock advanced elements. Advanced elements are, well, you can say they can produce stronger techniques but they are harder to master. It’s pretty much simple, developing these advanced elements really, but it takes a ton of time and patience which I think you don’t have.” explained the man. Again, Satsuki was focused on his explanation. It was hard to understand but she kind of grasps the simple concept. “So, what are these ‘advanced elements’ you’re talkin’ of jiji?” asked the girl. Kenta smirked as he stood up. “It’s pretty simple. You just combine two basic elements to make a new one.” he replied. The man made a rapid succession of hand seals before extending his arm. Within seconds Kenta’s arm is coated with a glow of his chakra before transforming into what it seems to be like an armor of purple crystals. “This is a technique called Amethyst Casing. It’s a technique under the crystal element. To use crystal techniques, you need to combine water and earth.” he explained, dispelling the jutsu. The girl blinked, she was amazed by the technique her uncle showed her. “So, so… I can also use crystal techniques?” asked the girl. “Like what I said, tons of practice and patience. You can already use water techniques right? And given you live in Iwa, you’re supposed to know earth techniques already as well.” the girl nodded again. “Well, I guess you could try. But not right now. Right now you’re babysitter, remember?” Kenta reminded her. Satsuki sighed, scratching her arm nonchalantly.
“I’ll teach you some other time. But you have to polish your water and earth techniques first. If I can use crystal jutsu, there’s no reason you can’t since we’re related. Anyway, the real reason why I explained these things to you is because Kana unconsciously uses advanced elements.” said Kenta. This surprised the girl. Kana wasn’t even enrolled in the Academy nor does she have any musings in becoming a shinobi, not that she knows of anyway. “Wait, how is that possible?” the girl asked. “Like what I said, she’s special. It comes naturally for her.” he added. The girl wondered what kind of advanced element Kana has, drifting into her thoughts again. “I’m guessing Kinesis or Gravity.” he mumbled. The girl turned to him again, “What?” the girl asked. “Gravity and Kinesis are advanced elements that can manipulate objects, even your surroundings. She might have one of those. I’m not certain. yet” Kenta said. “Oh, so that’s why you’re here huh,” the girl said, narrow-eyed and suspicious. “And that’s why I told Kana’s sexy mom that she should request you.” Kenta snickered. “She requested for someone her age, not me.” the girl replied. “Yeah, and who’s the Academy student who goes out on errands the most?” said Kenta with a sly smile on his face. This pissed Satsuki off, grabbing his broom and swinging it on him. The man laughed as the girl chased him off for a good ten minutes. “Oi, oi, oi… Looks like it’s time for work again,” the man said, still with the annoying smile on his face as he pointed up the window Satsuki came out of. The girl looked up and saw Kana watching them. “Hey, she’s not a freak. She’s just like you and I, only difference is that she doesn’t have any formal practice in using her chakra.” said the man. “Be a friend to her, at least try.” he added as he walked off to the front of the manse. Satsuki looked on until she couldn’t see Kenta anymore. For a minute she thought about everything, her uncle was right. If she continued this mindset, she would be like the people who hate on her. She didn’t want that, she told herself. The girl looked up again at the other girl. She would take her uncle’s words and try to befriend the girl. Satsuki waved at Kana with a smile on her face. This surprised Kana, who was confused for a second. But the warmth of the other girl’s face made her smile as well.
-=Mission Complete=-
[MFT]
"But we don't have anything for you besides that. And you're the only one who fits the description that they need." the woman replied, still with warmth on her voice. Her fondness for the girl never wavered even now.
The girl sighed. She was apparently at a crossroads of some sort. Errands and small missions had been her way to escape some of her classes. Some, not all of the teachers were mean to her. They still had an awfully thick sense of prejudice towards the girl, even though she was innocent from all of the intrigue. She has held a good sense of balance for her classes and errands. The girl was more clever than half of her class to begin with, but this didn't let her escape to emotional spikes that are driven to her regularly with all the cold stares and the soft whispers that came when she passed by someone. It was this, or babysitting a kid her age. The thought of taking care of someone here age pissed her off seriously. She was a shinobi to-be, not some house wench that catered to every need of another child.
Satsuki reluctantly accepted the “mission” and stomped her way out of the building. She wasn't shy at letting people know she disapproved something. The girl muttered while on her way to the house of the requester. Her orders were simple; look after the child for two days. Two. Days. She needed to do this for more than a day, which pissed her off even more. The only difference she has with other kids was the Academy, and probably what her mother did. In the young girl’s mind, that didn't warrant for a kid to be so dependent on others. Maybe it’s the rich people’s disease she wondered. The house was situated on the more affluent side of Maruishi which was one of the small bits that wasn't annoying. It was close so she didn't need to do a lot of walking and cart riding. Within twenty minutes she arrived in front of the requester’s residence. It was old and it wasn't your typical house, not even for rich people. It was a manse, an old, slightly Gothic-looking structure of some sort. It looked like some sort of a small castle, the girl thought to herself. It had a creepy vibe, which sent a round of shivers through the girl’s body. Satsuki walked inwards toward the small front yard and knocked on the big wooden door. A couple knocks more until the door slowly creaked open. It was an old man.
“You must be the one the Embassy sent. Come in child,” said the old man. Satsuki tried to figure out his deal. He didn’t eye her from head to toe like other people, which was odd. Maybe he didn’t know who she was, given that the Embassy sends out the short information about the people they send out on these missions and errands. Satsuki brushed the thought away for a moment while the man led her inside the place. The inside of the manse was a bit dark. Candles were lit in the receiving hall which was huge, especially to the eyes of a nine year-old. There were a lot of antiques that decorated the receiving area, vases, ornaments, small statues, old paintings that manned the walls. Even the furniture was old. The girl slid her right hand on one of the tables as she walked by. It was smooth and shiny and fine. The antique table was varnished, so were most of the furniture. The girl was in awe, though there was this weird feeling that emanated throughout the hall. For the lack of a better word, the girl thought of feelings or emotions. Satsuki didn’t know what to feel. Maybe it’s the energy that has stayed with the place, it was old to begin with. She then heard footsteps from above. Her ears followed them, as it went from one corner of the ceiling towards the staircase in the middle of the hall. From the footsteps came a woman, who elegantly went down the stairs. She was a bit younger than the man that let her in. the girl reckoned that she was around the same age as Kenta, her estranged uncle. Even at an older age, the woman looked beautiful. She was clean, fancy clothes housing her body. Her dark hair was tied up and she had glasses. The woman smiled as she approached the girl.
“You must be Kanzaki Satsuki-san. It is nice to finally meet you!” the woman said, shaking her small hand. She seemed pleasant enough, said the girl. A bit more pleasant than this house and the man earlier at least. This woman had a warmth in her, that kind of contradicted this place, the girl thought to herself and this worried her a little bit. This house, this entire place felt different, ominous even and she didn’t know why. “It’s nice to meet you too, ma’am. I’ve been sent here to take care of your daughter right?” the girl replied hesitantly. The thought of taking care of a girl her age still irked her, but this woman was nice enough as it is. “Correct.” answered the woman. “..Our little Kana is really nice, but because of certain things, well, let’s just say she doesn't like the outdoors and it has been a problem.” the woman explained, pacing across the hall, Satsuki’s eyes following her. “We've had seven babysitters quit in the past five months alone ever since something happened to our daughter.” the woman added. “What happened?” Satsuki asked, thumbing her hair in the process. “Well, at first we thought this house was haunted. We’ve had shamans try and cleanse this house of spirits and whatnot, but it didn’t stop. Then we realized that well, it wasn’t ghosts. You see, our daughter is… special.” the woman replied. The girl tilted her head, eyes narrowed. This was getting a bit absurd for her. “Special? How?” another question from the girl, the pace of this conversation was slow and vague. “I really can’t put it into words, but the situation has scared many babysitters. We thought that maybe some interaction with someone her age might change the situation a bit. And since you’re studying to be a shinobi, we thought that you might be equipped in taking care of yourself compared to the babysitters. Selfish, I know. But we don’t know what to do anymore. The Embassy was nice enough to entertain our request. So, will you stay the night Satsuki-chan? Nothing will harm you, I swear. None of the former babysitters got hurt. And just for another precautionary measure, our new gardener is a former shinobi himself.” the woman said and asked at the same time. The only solace in this whole situation for the girl was the fact that nobody got hurt yet. But what got her a bit curious was the fact that the woman was still vague in terms of explaining the situation. She didn’t have any choice in the matter anyway since she accepted this errand from the Embassy. Might as well get on with it, the girl thought. “Welp, in the least I have no choice in the matter ma’am, but I’ll do my best.” replied the girl. This brightened the woman’s face. She hugged Satsuki in delight, which made the girl uncomfortable for a moment. She was given further instructions before the woman left. Apparently she was embarking on a trip to some village far away, the details left Satsuki since it didn’t peak her interest to begin with. What came next for the girl, she did not expect. It would be the weirdest and creepiest two days of the girl’s life.
Things were… floating. Not just normal things, heavy things floated. Tables, chairs, cabinets… In ways that you never thought was possible. This was out of a horror story, the girl thought. Not just that, but a sudden thunderstorm to boot. This completed the perfect harmony of the creepy vibe. Satsuki clenched her teeth and fists whenever something happened. Even the door was locked at times, when the girl Kana didn’t want her to leave the room. The girl looked normal enough at first, but within minutes that turned Satsuki’s mind. It was insanity, she thought. She should have stayed home and practice throwing kunai or something. This girl isn’t just weird, she’s insane! Dangerous even! The girl had this creepy smile in her face, somewhat unbearable for the girl. She wanted to get out, now.
A couple hours passed, the horror had died down as Kana slept. Even weird girls get tired too, she thought. Satsuki used the opportunity to get out of the room. She made her way into the window and opened it. It didn’t make a sound like the door’s creak so Kana didn’t wake up. She looked out and realized she was on the third floor. The girl grinned slyly, telling herself that this was a piece of cake. Satsuki jumped out and bounced lightly on the marble posts down towards what it seemed like the back garden. Just as she was about to make a flawless landing, the last marble post proved to be slippery because of wet moss growing from it. The girl slipped, face planting the floor that gave out a thud. So much for a perfect landing, she thought to herself, her face on the grass.
“Oh, this babysitter is a wild child huh,” a familiar voice said. The girl gripped the lawn with both of her hands and pulled herself up gingerly, grass on her nose and mouth. She looked up, and a familiar face welcomed her.
“Eh, Kenta-ji?!” the girl was surprised. What was her uncle doing in this place? “What the hell are you doin’ here?”
“Well, sweeping some leaves at the moment. This garden is huge!” said the man as he laughed hysterically. The girl just stared at him, narrow-eyed and all. Kenta kept on sweeping, ashes from his cigarette falling to the ground bit by bit. “So, sounds like you’re having fun with Kana eh,” asked the man. “Eh? Are you kidding me jiji? She’s a freak! Not only can she make things float, she can float herself!” the girl said, shuddering just thinking about it. The man’s face turned serious, staring down her niece with a stern look. “Everybody’s a freak in this world.” the man said dryly, turning back to his sweeping. He wouldn’t say another word in a couple of minutes, making Satsuki extremely uncomfortable. “Kana is special. Her parents aren’t shinobi. Her family has been one of the pioneers in trading within Maruishi, thus their wealth.” Kenta explained. “But being traders doesn’t mean they don’t have the potential to produce potential shinobi.” he added. “What do you mean?” Satsuki asked, confused by what her uncle was saying. “She can make things float right? Even herself?” asked the man. The girl nodded. “And you can blow fireballs from your mouth. Does that make you a freak too?” Kenta asked Satsuki again. She was silent. “I guess you’re realized, yes?” the man said, taking a break from his sweeping. Kenta sat down on the ground, taking out another cigarette from his person and lighting it. “But wait, if you’re telling me that’s shinobi stuff why haven’t I heard of it? Is it a special kind of jutsu?” asked the girl. The man sighed. For someone who’s fond of reading she sure is narrow, he thought to himself. “Tell me the basic chakra elements kid,” without hesitation, the girl mentioned them one by one. “Fire, Water, Lightning, Wind, and Earth.” she said. “Not bad.” the man replied. “Here’s something you haven’t learned yet, I’ll give you a crash course so you can look cool in class when they discuss this so listen up. Besides those five basic elements you can unlock advanced elements. Advanced elements are, well, you can say they can produce stronger techniques but they are harder to master. It’s pretty much simple, developing these advanced elements really, but it takes a ton of time and patience which I think you don’t have.” explained the man. Again, Satsuki was focused on his explanation. It was hard to understand but she kind of grasps the simple concept. “So, what are these ‘advanced elements’ you’re talkin’ of jiji?” asked the girl. Kenta smirked as he stood up. “It’s pretty simple. You just combine two basic elements to make a new one.” he replied. The man made a rapid succession of hand seals before extending his arm. Within seconds Kenta’s arm is coated with a glow of his chakra before transforming into what it seems to be like an armor of purple crystals. “This is a technique called Amethyst Casing. It’s a technique under the crystal element. To use crystal techniques, you need to combine water and earth.” he explained, dispelling the jutsu. The girl blinked, she was amazed by the technique her uncle showed her. “So, so… I can also use crystal techniques?” asked the girl. “Like what I said, tons of practice and patience. You can already use water techniques right? And given you live in Iwa, you’re supposed to know earth techniques already as well.” the girl nodded again. “Well, I guess you could try. But not right now. Right now you’re babysitter, remember?” Kenta reminded her. Satsuki sighed, scratching her arm nonchalantly.
“I’ll teach you some other time. But you have to polish your water and earth techniques first. If I can use crystal jutsu, there’s no reason you can’t since we’re related. Anyway, the real reason why I explained these things to you is because Kana unconsciously uses advanced elements.” said Kenta. This surprised the girl. Kana wasn’t even enrolled in the Academy nor does she have any musings in becoming a shinobi, not that she knows of anyway. “Wait, how is that possible?” the girl asked. “Like what I said, she’s special. It comes naturally for her.” he added. The girl wondered what kind of advanced element Kana has, drifting into her thoughts again. “I’m guessing Kinesis or Gravity.” he mumbled. The girl turned to him again, “What?” the girl asked. “Gravity and Kinesis are advanced elements that can manipulate objects, even your surroundings. She might have one of those. I’m not certain. yet” Kenta said. “Oh, so that’s why you’re here huh,” the girl said, narrow-eyed and suspicious. “And that’s why I told Kana’s sexy mom that she should request you.” Kenta snickered. “She requested for someone her age, not me.” the girl replied. “Yeah, and who’s the Academy student who goes out on errands the most?” said Kenta with a sly smile on his face. This pissed Satsuki off, grabbing his broom and swinging it on him. The man laughed as the girl chased him off for a good ten minutes. “Oi, oi, oi… Looks like it’s time for work again,” the man said, still with the annoying smile on his face as he pointed up the window Satsuki came out of. The girl looked up and saw Kana watching them. “Hey, she’s not a freak. She’s just like you and I, only difference is that she doesn’t have any formal practice in using her chakra.” said the man. “Be a friend to her, at least try.” he added as he walked off to the front of the manse. Satsuki looked on until she couldn’t see Kenta anymore. For a minute she thought about everything, her uncle was right. If she continued this mindset, she would be like the people who hate on her. She didn’t want that, she told herself. The girl looked up again at the other girl. She would take her uncle’s words and try to befriend the girl. Satsuki waved at Kana with a smile on her face. This surprised Kana, who was confused for a second. But the warmth of the other girl’s face made her smile as well.
-=Mission Complete=-
[MFT]