Chapter 18
Chapter eighteen
“For fuck’s sake, guys. Just leave him alone already,” Aimee grumbled, pushing one of the younger students aside with ease. The cream-colored tunic clung to her corded muscles as she moved between them and the red-headed boy they were taunting.
“Oh, come on, Aimee! He shouldn’t even be here,” the kid whined, rubbing his shoulder. “He’s a joke!”
“You’re a joke!” the tiny imp yelled back. “I’ll be the greatest ninja the world has ever seen!”
He lunged forward, aiming a wild kick at the name-caller’s legs, but his foot missed by a mile, throwing him off balance. With a loud thud, he hit the ground, landing square on his butt.
Aimee shook her head, looking at the bully. “Kenta, you should worry about your own skills. Harato-Sensei nearly turned purple when you botched the basic kata. You’re lucky he didn’t have you running laps until the moon rose.”
Kenta’s face flushed crimson, his bravado crumbling as the group of kids around him snickered. He stammered, eyes darting to the ground, trying to save face, but Aimee had already turned her attention to the troublemaker.
“And Taiga.” She looked down to see him sticking out his tongue at the other kids, his hands on his hips as he made obnoxious nah nah nah noises.
“If you want anyone to take you seriously, you’ve got to stop acting like an asshole,” she scolded, crossing her arms.
“What?!” Taiga’s eyes widened as he scrambled to his feet. “Me? An asshole? Come on, Aimee. They were the ones being assholes!”
She couldn’t argue with him there. The way the locals treated this kid never sat right with her. Sure, he was loud and annoying, but the cruelty people directed his way went beyond typical playground bullying, especially from the adults. Still, she had to shake her head.
“But they’re not the ones trying to be the next Hi Seishō, are they?” Aimee’s voice held a teasing edge, but she knew the weight of that title. The Hi Seishō was the ultimate protector of Hi Haven, the one who could supposedly harness the elemental power of the Great Phoenix itself.
Taiga blinked, frowning for a second before his face brightened with determination again. He quickly wiped the dust from his pants and caught up to her.
“Yeah, but it’s not fair.”
“What about this world has ever struck you as fair?” Aimee snorted.
He frowned, his expression unusually serious for a moment. “It shouldn’t be this way.”
“Who’s going to change it? You?” She gave him a sidelong glance.
Was this why she was here? To nudge and encourage the wild little gremlin?
“You can count on it!” He pumped one fist in the air as his other hand drifted to the Hi Haven bandana tied proudly around his neck. It was the same one he’d somehow earned the week before, despite failing nearly every training test.
“I can’t wait to see it,” she huffed a small laugh, though a hint of something—despair, maybe—slipped into her voice without her meaning to.
No matter how hard she tried to focus on her Mission here, she never felt fully grounded, like something was missing. A gnawing feeling between her ribs.
Taiga’s face shifted, his exuberance cooling as he studied her. “Are all sixteen-year-olds this grumpy? Is it an age thing? You don’t look like an old lady yet, but you’re not too far off.” He squinted at her, leaning in dramatically. “Wait. Is that a wrinkle?”
She froze mid-step, turning slowly toward him. It continued to surprise her that she could pass for someone that age. Wormhole travel must be good for the skin.
Fighting to keep the smile off her face, she watched as his cheeks tensed and he struggled to hold in laughter. “And do all fourteen-year-olds look like they’re constantly about to shit themselves, or is that just a Taiga thing?”
For a moment, they stood locked in silence, shoulders shaking, fighting the laughter bubbling up in their chests. Then Taiga coughed—just once—and the dam broke. Aimee’s laugh tumbled out to meet his, and together they stumbled forward, doubled over.
As they gulped at the air, grinning, Taiga wheezed, “Why are you so nice to me anyway? Everyone else around here is...well...”
She shrugged, collecting herself. “We’re both freaks. The village clown…and the girl nobody knows what to do with. Why else would they throw me into training with a bunch of kids barely able to make an elemental breeze? No offense.”
“But everyone loves you, Aimee.” Taiga puffed out his chest, but his brow furrowed in confusion. “You never cause trouble, and you already know all the techniques. The teachers had you running half the classes before the exams.”
“I dunno.” She glanced at the ground, kicking a stray rock. “I guess I’m just lonely. I like you guys; you’re good kids, but I don’t really belong anywhere yet. And I don’t know what the heck I’m supposed to be doing here.”
“I get that.” He swallowed hard, then brightened. “But tomorrow, we get our squads! We’ll both have a place then! They’ll have to accept us!”
“You’re probably right.” She reached out and tousled his spiky red hair. “You’re pretty smart for a kid.”
He swiped at her hand. “You’re not that much older!”
“I thought I was practically a wrinkly old lady, according to you!”
“Whatever, crone,” Taiga shot back as he turned toward the small building that housed his tiny tatami room. It amazed her that he’d been living on his own for so long, fending for himself.
“See you tomorrow,” she called after him. “I know you’ll be dreaming about getting onto Momoka’s team.”
“Yeah right!” he yelled, a blush creeping up the back of his neck before disappearing around the corner.
“Sure,” Aimee laughed quietly to herself, the sound barely carrying in the dry air. All the boys had crushes on Momoka, and the girl barely noticed.
Sighing, she glanced up at the Great Phoenix carved into the nearby cliffside, her sharp, pointed nose catching the faint breeze as dark blue eyes narrowed in thought.
“Just what the heck am I supposed to be doing here anyway, huh?” she asked the mythical bird.
It loomed over the settlement, wings spread wide as if ready to rise at any moment from the red-hued crags. Below it, Hi Haven’s central settlement sprawled out in a maze of sun-bleached stone buildings and wooden shacks, the streets winding like rivers through the parched earth.
Maybe Taiga’s right, she thought, though without much conviction. Maybe tomorrow will show me my path here.
She sighed, not feeling the least bit tired, and began walking at a leisurely pace through the quiet streets of the village.
I wonder if things will be any different this time.
She’d been in similar roles before; different lives, different ages, but it was always the same.
She was the outsider, trying to fit into a new life on a new world.
Then came the struggle to save it, and on to the next. She’d done it hundreds of times.
Must be later than I thought. She pulled herself back to the present.
The faint smell of dried herbs and spices wafted from closed vendor stalls, lingering in the air as she passed.
The village, usually alive with the clang of blacksmiths and the chatter of merchants, now lay still under the weight of the rising moon.
She smirked, remembering how Taiga had practically drained Harato-Sensei’s wallet during dinner, ordering course after course with wild enthusiasm.
It wasn’t until the restaurant began closing for the night that the poor man finally ushered them out, insisting they get some rest before meeting their new Squad Leader the next day.
I just hope it’s not Kora-Sensei. Aimee cringed at the thought.
The one time she’d seen the woman, the word intense hadn’t even come close to describing her. But Aimee didn’t know any of the Ryōsh or senior shinobi, anyway, so it hardly mattered who it turned out to be.
Someone would need to keep an eye on Taiga, though. If she wasn’t already on his squad, she’d need to figure out how to get there. It was just a gut feeling, but she’d learned long ago to trust her instincts.
When she looked up again, Hi Haven unfolded below her. Somehow, in her wandering, she had made her way to the top of the Great Phoenix.
“Damn.” She sank into a cross-legged position, leaning back on her hands, letting her eyes drift to the stars.
How long will I be under these ones, she wondered, when the sudden snap of a branch caught her attention, pulling her gaze to the tree line on her right. Who could that be?
Not that it was unusual for people to be out late. This was a ninja settlement after all, and nighttime comings and goings weren’t out of the norm.
Another sharp crack echoed through the night, and a masked man clad in the traditional Hi Haven uniform stepped into the moonlight.
Oh my, she thought, watching his silver hair catch the light while the metallic tag on his bandana, tied to cover his right eye, gleamed under the stars.
Seeing her, he paused.
His fingers brushed the back of his neck in an almost sheepish gesture. “So sorry, miss. I didn’t realize anyone was up here.”
She remained quiet, watching as he walked toward the cliff's edge. He was a stranger to her, but he was obviously a shinobi. The uniform and bandana gave it away. And by the way he carried himself, she could tell he was skilled. It wasn’t confidence, but rather a lightness in his steps, each motion perfectly balanced and controlled.
He moved like a wolf, relaxed but ready to strike at any moment.
“A beautiful night.” He exhaled, then turned back the way he came. “I’ll leave you to it.”
“There’s more than enough space.” The words fell from her mouth before she could stop them. “Don’t leave on account of me.”
Facing her, he shoved his hands in his pockets, giving a slight bow. “If you insist.”
Then, he turned and eased himself to the ground, pulling out a small book and flipping it open to read by the light of the moon.