Samurai Showdown With Kakashi

- Sorry Roddie, but no training today.

After the match between me and Renji, as well as the encounter my teachers had with Pain, we all were exhausted, and it took us some time to even return to our Land. Thankfully we all just needed some rest to get back, and even though no one was fatally hurt, Rakuma was the one who got it the worst. The possessed man's explosion really did a hit on him, and he was incapacitated for the day. I knew that wasn't something he could recover in one day, even though if he did I wouldn't be surprised, so having him say this the day after was expected. But what was more unexpected was to hear this at 6 in the morning.

- Why are you still waking me up then?

- Because I thought you'd care for your teacher enough to stay up at night. - I actually had some difficulties to sleep. After hearing that Pain had told Lai that a member of an unidentified clan was being searched for here, and adding that to what the scared man said about red eyes, I could only reach one conclusion. The Uchiha are here, or at least they would be, and there was nothing I could do but wait. If they ever arrive, I will make sure they pay, but now I couldn't think of that. I had to be nice to my master:

- I tried to stay awake but I was too exhausted to stay up. By the way, are you okay? Does it still hurt a lot?

- Not too much, I'd say I am well enough to beat you. Honestly if it was me deciding this, we would be training as usual, but once Mifune saw how I was, he prohibited me from training for today. Tomorrow should be a different story, though.

- As much as it displeases me to skip training, you deserve some rest. Thnaks for protecting me yesterday.

- You don't need to say that. - Rakuma seemed to almost blush. I suppose he wasn't too accostumed to thanks.

- No, seriously. If you're like that after that explosion, then I would definitely be dead if you didn't protect me. As thanks, I'm willing to forget the speed bet that we made yesterday. You may eat your dinner.

- I totally forgot we bet that! Ha ha, thank god I took the explosion then. - We both laughed, but then Rakuma remembered something. - That reminds me. Wasn't yesterday's mission supposed to teach you about teamwork?

- Oh yeah! - It appears we had completely avoided yesterday's goal. - Don't worry about it. We still have more days to come for me to learn that.

- You're right. I suppose this is the first morning you have free in some time, even though you'll still have to train Mifune. So have fun, and be back by 5.

- Sure, mom.

- Would your mom beat you up if you called her mom? - He said menacingly.

- My mom's dead. - He got silent, probably thinking of a retort without actually succeeding.

- You win this round, Roddie. - He left awkwardily, as I went back to bed.

I haven't had such a nice rest in some time, so when I woke up again it was already time to lunch. I got myself ready and left the headquarters. I wanted to avoid eating the disgusting food at the cantinne, and plus I already had a place in mind. I went to the ramen restaurant near my house. I still had some unpleasant memories regarding the toilets of that place, but now that I wasn't working there, it actually felt good to come back. And this time, it wasn't even for the food.

Once I entered the place, I heard the loud voice of the owner shouting:

- Stop eating the shrimp, Linja! How many times do I have to say it? That's not for the workers, its for the clients.

- But you only gave me a regular ramen dish for lunch. I really want some shrimp.

- You really think I would give our most expensive dish to an employee for free? Get back to work!

I went to sit at a table, mesmerized, and yet, not surprised by the owner's and Linja's dynamic. Me and him had a rough working relationship, but I don't think it was this bad. But honestly I don't think I had ever seen the shop so full. During the time I worked there, there were four or five tables busy at most, but now nine of the ten tables were occupied. You didn't need a genius to understand why. Linja was wearing the ramen's shop outfit, a red polo, some yellow pants, and a small, tight apron around her c.h.e.s.t. The owner was probably thankful to me.

After waiting around ten minutes, someone finally came to my table to take my order. Linja was surprised:

- Oh, Rod. What a surprise. What are you doing here? I thought you were busy in the morning.

- I got a leave today, at least for the morning. There was a pretty tiring mission yesterday, and my master wasn't in the right conditions to teach, so I decided to see you. Seems like everything is going well here.

- Its quite a bit of work, but I think I can handle it. The worst part is the owner. He doesn't even let me eat more than three ramens at lunch.

- I had always had struggles with him, so I... wait, THREE? I barely got half a dish when I worked here. Is there no work equality around?

- Well, everything's nice around here. Here's the menu, by the way. - She gave it to me, but I immediately refused.

- Oh, that won't be necessary. I already know all the dishes. I want a meatball ramen.

- Coming right up. - As she was leaving, I said.

- Wait, Lin, before you go.

- Yeah. What is it?

- I don't have much to do later. Want to go for a walk around town? I guess I haven't shown you much of my land.

- That sounds great. I'll talk to the owner later.

My heart felt content. I was capable of inviting her out. She didn't even seem to mind me calling her Lin. Slow and steady now, Roderick, you can do this.

I waited for my dish to come, and once I received it, I was met with Lin who had some meat sauce in her mouth, which probably had something to do with the missing meatball in my dish. I ate the noodles, and tapped my feet on the floor, impaciently waiting for Lin to be free. Once she came to clear the table she said:

- I'll clean here, and go get changed. The owner said I can leave right away.

- Really? - That's odd. I didn't think he was so lenient.

I approached the exit, and was confronted by the owner who whispered to me:

- Roderick, I don't know what kind of food monster you led here, but please take your time out there. I want her out for as long as possible.

With those fearful words, I left the restaurant, worried about our supposed date. She quickly arrived at the exit as well, now wearing a blue shirt of mine, with black shorts.

- Have you not bought any clothes yet?

- Sorry about using your clothes all the time, its just that they are too cute. But I've been cleaning them, ok? You don't need to worry about it. - That's not the part I was worried. And what does she mean, cute? I can no longer use those clothes, or I'll be ridicularized for it, I'm sure of it.

We both went around town on a walk as expected. I showed her the samurai bridge, the sword that was stuck to a stone in the middle of beautiful pink flowered garden, that was said to be only pulled by someone the sword deemed as worthy. It came from a time even before the first samurai general, was what I tried to explain to her, before she immediately proceeded forwards uninterested. As we arrived at the samurai general's monuments, Linja seemed to stop:

- Your village sure seems to have a lot of history.

- Well, I suppose every land does. Us samurais are very proud of our history.

- Wish I could say the same about my land.

- Oh yeah, I suppose I never got to find out where you're from.

- I'm from the Hidden Village of Clouds. There we aren't as proud of our history.

- Really? That's where you're from? I thought the ninjas there wore white. The first time I saw you, you were clad in black.

- I guess its my own way to go against my past.

- What happenned?

- Can we not talk about that now? I was actually enjoying our walk. - As happy as I was to hear that she had been enjoying herself, I knew it wasn't true.

- I know you're getting bored. Maybe this wasn't the best idea. We still have a couple hours before I leave, so let's return back. I'm really curious about what you've been doing at my house.

We walked together back to my house, but there was now a weird feeling in the air. It wasn't my usual anxiety, more like something was wrong. Lin felt it too.

- I left my village because I was an outcast. - I suppose she felt like she had to talk, after giving me a hint of her past.

- What? Did you steal too many scrolls there? - I was hoping to lighten the mood. She smiled, so I think it worked.

- I wish it was that simple. I wasn't strong enough by their standards. At least not for their hidden army.

- Hidden army? What do you mean? I thought the villages had a treaty to maintain their military force as it is.

- This is why I didn't want to talk.

- I'm not pressuring you Lin. We all have our secrets, even I have my own. You're free to keep them. - I thought I was being cool and understanding but then tears started running down her face, and I didn't know what to do. I was truly startled.

- Are you okay? Was it something I said?

- No, its nothing. Its... its complicated. I miss the land that rejected me. Even I don't understand it. I thought that by living here, and even seeing all these amazing monuments that I could forget this feeling, but nothing is really that simple, I suppose.

- Its tough to give up on the normal and familiar. You fit in here, alright? Focus on what you have, not on what is gone. We can't live in our pasts forever. - Said the man who can't forget his parent's death. I guess we always receive advice from the people who need it the most.

Lin hugged me, and I hugged her back. She whispered:

- Thank you.

And for that brief moment, I felt like all the worries in my head were gone. I just made a cute girl forget her troubles, what more could I want?

- Are you still up for tomorrow? - I asked.

- Of course. - She answered while wiping her tears. - After all, the scroll is the whole reason I'm here... or at least it was.

We were both excited for what was to come. But we couldn't ever expect the massacre that would happen the next day.