Chapter 26 #2
As they reached the door, the haze she often felt around Kiba lifted as her mind shifted back to business. Kiba’s fingers hesitated along the back of her arm as he passed, the brief touch sending a shiver down her spine before he moved ahead to the table.
It’d be nice not to have to hide everything. She exhaled, then followed him to the table.
Inside, the restaurant was alive with the sounds of clinking bowls, the sharp clatter of chopsticks, and the steady hum of conversation.
Their table was already scattered with dishes, some half-eaten, others stacked high with steaming food.
Taiga sat in the middle, grinning as he tore into a piece of grilled meat, while Iruka and Momoka exchanged playful jabs, their chopsticks darting across the table as if it were a battlefield.
Plates slid back and forth between them, each trying to claim more than their fair share.
“I’m going to have to sell my quarters.” Kiba sank into his seat with a weary shake of his head.
“What?!” Taiga blurted, his words muffled by the food stuffed in his mouth, bits of rice nearly falling out as he stared at Kiba.
“You all take advantage of your poor Squad Leader,” Kiba said, eye crinkling with mock exasperation as he plucked a piece of tempura from a shared platter.
He casually dropped it into his bowl, maintaining his usual trick of eating discreetly while somehow keeping his face hidden behind his mask, his movements smooth and practiced.
Across the table, Momoka’s eyes widened, looking genuinely hurt. “I’ll chip in, Kiba-Sensei. My healer’s stipend has just been sitting around anyway.”
“Wait, what?” Taiga spluttered, still chewing, his jaw hanging open. “You get paid to train?”
“Seems unfair.” Iruka grabbed another skewer of grilled meat and popped it into his mouth.
Momoka leaned back, taking a long sip of water before shooting a grin at Aimee. “Healing is hard work. Why is everyone so jealous around here?”
Kiba finished his bowl quickly, eyes flicking over the group as they continued their usual banter, plates banging as the lively exchange bounced around the table. He wiped his hands and then cleared his throat, the sound cutting through the chatter.
“I’m sure you’ve all heard of the Gōran no Gekitotsu.” His tone changed.
All of them straightened, the lighthearted mood vanishing instantly as they turned their focus to him.
“The Clash of Chaos?” Iruka chimed in. “Has it really been four years since the last one?”
“It has!” Taiga's fist slammed onto the table. “And we’re eligible, aren’t we, Sensei?
Oh, Great Elementals. We’re going to be in the Gekitotsu!
The battle royal! The greatest of tournaments!
A true test of Hi Haven’s strength!” His voice rose with excitement, already lost in his own imagined glory.
As Taiga continued rambling, Aimee glanced at Kiba. “What is it?”
“What is it?!” Taiga practically yelled, jaw slack. “You don’t know? How is that possible!?”
Kiba turned to her as well, curiosity flickering in his eyes. Aimee just shrugged, grabbing another piece of meat from the table. “I must’ve arrived in Hi Haven after the last one.”
“It’s not just a competition for Hi Haven.
It’s a time-honored tradition, a grand display of strength and skill that draws shinobi from every Haven to test their mettle.
Victory in the tournament brings not only personal glory but honor to one’s entire Haven,” he said.
“It’s surprising you haven’t heard of it. ”
“I guess it wasn’t a big deal where I grew up,” Aimee said casually, chewing on her food.
“And where was that? Under a rock?” Momoka poked her in the arm with a chopstick.
“It wasn’t a typical village.” Aimee rubbed her shoulder.
Iruka looked like he wanted to ask more, his mouth half-open, but Kiba cut in before he could. “Do you all want to spend the evening dissecting Aimee’s barbarian upbringing, or should we talk about whether each of you will be participating?”
“We are participating!” Taiga leaped out of his chair, fist-pumping into the air. “Hell yeah!”
Aimee mouthed a quick thank you to Kiba once all eyes had turned back to him and away from her. He gave a slight nod in response before continuing.
“I haven’t made my decision yet on whether to enroll any of you, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“What? Why?!” Taiga nearly toppled out of his chair, his arms flailing as he caught himself on the edge of the table. Momoka, unfazed, raised her hand casually.
“It’s a pass for me, Sensei.”
“What?!” Taiga’s head snapped toward her, incredulous. “It’s our chance to show everyone what we can do!”
Poor kid’s still desperate to prove himself, Aimee thought, watching the back-and-forth.
Momoka leaned back, crossing her arms. “I’ve been doing more healing than fighting lately. I’m not interested in a blood sport, and I’d probably spend the whole time patching you idiots up anyway.”
Kiba nodded. “I thought you might say that. It’s a wise decision. Gekitotsu isn’t for everyone. I didn’t participate myself.”
Aimee’s eyebrows rose. “You didn’t?” She leaned in, curious. He’d only recently started opening up about the deeper things, but he never said much about his earlier years.
“He was already operating as a Ryōsh during both of the Gekitotsu he could’ve entered. Top secret missions.” Iruka’s tone clearly showed his disapproval.
Aimee’s brows knit. That was code for assassinations, rogue hunting, and the most dangerous, covert missions, but mostly for assassinations.
“Hi Haven wouldn’t have wanted his skills exposed so publicly,” the boy added.
Aimee’s stomach twisted. They sent a child, maybe as young as twelve, on assassination missions?
She had always known the training was designed to turn them into soldiers and killers, even if they dressed it up as something more noble and called them shinobi. But this? This was so much worse. Her eyes flicked to Kiba, trying to read his reaction. No wonder he doesn’t talk about it.
“Iruka is correct,” Kiba said, his gaze deliberately avoiding hers.
“The Gekitotsu is about showcasing strength among the Havens, but no one reveals their full hand. Besides, it’s generally considered bad form for a Ryōsh to compete.
The twenty-year age limit keeps it mostly focused on Tanshi and Jesei levels, making it less. ..lethal.”
“So, it’ll be me, Iruka, and Aimee then.” Taiga cracked his knuckles like he was already gearing up for the fight.
“Hold on,” Kiba raised a hand, his tone firm. “I haven’t decided yet. Most of you would qualify for the next one, too.”
Iruka leaned forward, his eyes sharp. “We should do it, Sensei. I, for one, would like to test how far I’ve come against shinobi with different training styles.”
“And I’d like to kick those other shinobi’s butts!” Taiga bared his teeth.
Aimee winced. An all-out fight like this so-called battle royal would push Taiga to his limits and likely beyond.
His control over the enormous and unpredictable elemental power inside him was tenuous at best. The last thing they needed was for him to lose control in front of the entire shinobi world. This tournament could be a disaster.
Aimee’s mind flashed back to Midoriko when he had lost control and obliterated the villain Cain in a fiery display of power before collapsing unconscious.
Since then, both she and Kiba had worked with him extensively, trying to help him harness the power, but it remained largely wild.
It was as though the fire had a will of its own, surfacing with dangerous intensity when pushed too far.
Kiba tapped his finger on the table, then let out a slow exhale. “I will allow you to participate, Taiga.”
“Yes!” Taiga pumped a fist, his face lighting up.
“But—” Kiba raised a hand, his tone firm. “You must promise me you won’t use the fire element during the course of the battle.”
“Huh?” Taiga’s excitement deflated. “But that’s my most powerful attack.”
“It’s also the one you have the least control over,” Kiba reminded him. “It should only be used in life-or-death situations. And while deaths aren’t unheard of in the Gekitotsu, they are heavily frowned upon and would reflect poorly on the Haven responsible.”
Taiga frowned, pursing his lips. “What if it happens by accident?”
Kiba’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You must not let it. Consider it a test of your discipline.”
Taiga exhaled sharply, then nodded. “Fine. I promise.”
“All right.” Kiba shifted his gaze to Aimee. “And what about you? What will you do?”
She studied him for a moment, trying to read what he might be expecting from her in this situation.
After a pause, she shrugged. Could be fun.
With a sudden grin, she snaked her arm out, locking Taiga in a headlock and rubbing her fist into his hair, giving him a noogie while he struggled beneath her grip.
“Don’t worry, boss,” she said, her tone light. “I’ll watch out for both of them. Make sure they don’t do anything too stupid.”
“Very well.” Kiba rolled his eye as Taiga finally wriggled free from her hold, straightening his hair with exaggerated annoyance.
Aimee stood, then, draining the last of her tea and setting the cup back down on the table with a soft clink. “Thanks for dinner.” She flashed Kiba a small salute. “I’ll see you all in the morning. Just going to take a post-dinner stroll before bed.”
Her eyes lingered on the Squad Leader for a beat longer than necessary as she turned to leave, and the rest of the team slipped back into their usual, comfortable conversation, already halfway into another debate. She knew they’d keep going until the restaurant staff finally kicked them out.
“Check, please,” she heard Kiba call to a server just before she shut the door behind her, leaving the lively noise of the room behind.
The quiet of the night greeted her, cool air settling around her as she stepped into the peaceful calm outside.