Chapitre 185: CH_6.14 (185)

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———

Iori was in the best condition she had been in a while. She had woken up completely awake without a hint of fatigue, and the delightful shower she had taken afterward had freshened her up like a spring flower. Even the rain, which brought along the miserable humidity, couldn't bring her mood down.

"Kameko! Rikku! We are going to be late if we don't leave now!" Iori shouted from the kitchen as she removed the large stock pot filled to the brim with boiling water from the fire. Boiling water before consumption was mandatory in Camp Banana because of the season and their proximity to the forest—they couldn't afford disease to spread in the camp.

With Team-9 finally having five genin on its roster, Anko had asked for a team dinner to welcome Takuma—it wasn't anything special, just the team sitting together for one meal.

Every chunin ran their team differently. Some chunin leads mandated that their teams ate their meals together, maintained their gear together, and trained together, all in the name of team building. Anko was on the other end of the scale—she didn't care how they spent their day as long as they performed in the individual and team exercises she conducted frequently—but if the team failed, they were made to go through grueling training to correct their mistakes.

Anko's team was motivated by their abhorrence towards her training to function together as a team.

It was a simple, hateful, but effective tactic, as expected from the Snake's student.

"Let's go," Iori said when Kameko and Rikku came down from their respective rooms.

As they were leaving the house, Iori noticed the bandage wrapped around Rikku's hand. "Injured yourself during training? You should be more careful, you know," she said.

"She sparred against Takuma this morning. Went to him first thing in the morning and issued a challenge and all," said Kameko.

"It was a good spar," Rikku nodded as if satisfied with what had happened in the morning.

"You were too rash," Kameko shook her head.

This was the first time Iori had heard about that. She hadn't met either of the girls today because of her sleep schedule. She sighed as she gazed at her two teammates, "You know what this looks like, right? He has been here barely a few days, and two of his teammates have already picked a fight with him. I haven't talked to him much, either. Daiki is probably the only one who has given a proper welcome; let's hope the big bag of muscles got along with him and it's not totally hopeless," Iori sighed.

They hadn't known each other for a long time, but Iori believed she had a good grasp of her teammates, which was why she was worried that the relations with their newest member were already on the rocks. She was afraid that if their first impressions were beyond what they could recover.

Kameko was too proud, Rikku was a muscle head without a shred of tact, and Daiki was nice but the man was too self-absorbed with a hint of narcissism hidden under all the niceties. There was a great chance that they might end up unknowingly isolating Takuma.

"Now, I want both of you to listen to me carefully," she addressed the other girls. "Let's be nice to Takuma, alright? He's new. We have to make him feel welcome. At least for today, let's not argue with him if you disagree. I want him to get along with his."

Kameko looked indifferent, while Rikku shrugged.

Iori felt concerned, so she decided to be blunt. "I don't want to participate in Anko's punishment training. If he doesn't get along with us, we don't know what she might do if she isn't satisfied with our teamwork."

As expected, being blunt was the right choice, as Kameko and Rikku showed they understood the gravity of the situation.

They reached the mess hall. The boys and Anko were already there. The girls picked up their plates and loaded them with slop. Iori sighed as she looked at her food; it was edible with the primary focus on nutrients, but that's all it was—if nothing else, she missed her home because of the food.

"Alright, let's get this party started!" Anko was high energy, as usual.

"There's no fun in this slop," Iori sighed.

Anko laughed. "It's all in the vibes—in the vibes!"

Iori glanced at Takuma. He had a small smile on his face as he raised his glass of juice. She could see traces of fatigue on his face, and he was still wearing a weighted vest. There was a reason why none of the Team-9 individually trained with Anko. She wondered how long Takuma would last. However, seeing him being careful with how he moved his hands because of the wrist weights was amusing as heck.

"If you don't mind me asking, Iori. How did you get into fuinjutsu? Did you aim for it from the beginning?" asked Takuma.

"Hmm? Not really. I guess it's more like I fell into it," Iori set down her chopsticks. "My first contact with fuinjutsu was from a friend of a friend. My friend wanted to learn how to put together a basic storage seal, and she asked me if I wanted to tag along. I said, sure. And well, then I guess it just clicked…"

After that, she found a retired shinobi who had opened a fuinjutsu workshop and officially entered an apprenticeship. She had been receiving training at the shop until the conscription order arrived.

"That so. I was wondering if you could give me some tips. I, too, only know how to make a basic storage seal, but I'm not really good at it. I fail more than half of my attempts," said Takuma.

'A chance!' Iori's eyes shined. "For sure, let's compare our free time and make a plan. I'm not sure if I will be a good teacher, but there's no harm in trying." She felt happy that she had made a connection and was satisfied that Takuma was the one to initiate—it showed that he was still willing to get along with the team.

Takuma turned to Rikku. "We didn't get to talk in the morning, Rikku. Your strength was surprising, to say the least… it was for the first time that I felt I got a taste of my own medicine," he laughed. "My body stings in the places where you hit me."

Daiki stepped into the conversation. "Traditionally, chakra augmentations are a rare class of jutsu. Initially, during your fight with Miss Kameko, I assumed you possessed strength similar to Miss Rikku. I didn't think you were using chakra to augment your strikes. It was a fascinating experience."

"Well, you're not completely incorrect in your initial assumption," Takuma spoke. "My augmentations depend on the durability of my body. I assume you spend most of your training time with body conditioning?" he asked Rikku, who nodded. "I do the same, and I could've gone the same route as Rikku and spent time on my natural strength, but I found augmentations earlier in my development, and my focus shifted to durability and endurance. Personally, even without the augmentation, I still hit harder than most people."

It was then that Anko chimed in.

Anko said, "Unlike ninjutsu and genjutsu, most taijutsu don't have any chakra component. But it would be wrong to say that chakra has no stake in taijutsu. The chakra inside of us nourishes our bodies. The more you train or abuse your body, the more chakra will seep into your muscles, bones, tendons and transform them. Chakra reacts to what you're trying to accomplish.

"If you're training for strength, chakra would react to it." She pointed at Rikku, "She trains to hit harder and harder, so her chakra reacts to it and develops her body in that direction." Anko pointed her chopsticks at Takuma. "From what you have told me, your conditioning training is balanced with a tilt towards endurance and durability, so that's how your chakra would elevate your body." She turned to Kameko. "Her kenjutsu benefits from agility and dexterity, and she trains for it, and her chakra aids her gain more in that direction." Sitting beside her, Daiki got poked by her chopsticks in his triceps. "He wanted bigger muscles, and his chakra responded to that partial cosmetic desire, and even though you don't need big muscles for strength, he grew bigger, but despite his size, he is weaker than our petite Rikku."

'This is good, this is good!' thought Iori.

More shinobi than not didn't prefer to talk about their combat skill set and style, thinking that they would be giving out their secrets. They didn't even open up to teammates, and the only way to get familiarity with someone's combat style was to spar against them and learn through experience. The method was flawed and inefficient as people held back during spars, and it took ages to get a decent measure of a person's skills.

However, Takuma was actively speaking about his technique and having a discussion about it. Anko was to be praised for expanding on the conversation. But, it showed that Takuma was investing in the team by opening himself up in front of the entire team. It was an invitation to everyone that this was the chance to get to know him.

"… I heard a little from Arisu about what you guys did in the Police Force, but I never did get a clear picture of your responsibilities," Kameko spoke to Takuma.

Iori looked between the two ex-classmates. She was aware that the two didn't get off to a good start, and from what she had heard from Anko, they weren't on good terms. Which was why Iori was proud that Kameko was the one to initiate a conversation. Moreover, it was an interesting topic as it involved the Uchiha's Leaf Military Police Force— Uchiha and the Hidden Leaf—two topics that interested all who had never been to the Hidden Leaf.

'Now, don't you disappoint me, boy,' Iori turned to Takuma.

"Narcotics Taskforce. As the name implies, we were a small group inside the Organized Crime department who handled drug-related crimes," Takuma started.

'Bingo!'

"I had this idea about a dedicated team who only handled narcotics. That way, they could develop a specialty toward a niche of crime, thus increasing competence and efficiency, which was lacking when the cases were being handled disjointedly. When I pitched the idea, Arisu joined me. Pretty sure the entire thing would've failed if she wasn't with me," said Takuma.

Takuma told them about what the Narcotics Taskforce did. Arresting people possessing drugs, catching street-level drug dealers, shutting down suppliers, and restricting the flow of drugs into the Hidden Leaf.

"… and while most of our cases dealt with psychoactive drugs, we are also responsible for combat drugs like soldier pills and other dangerous drugs and restrictive ingredients," he said.

"They were quite popular and successful back home," Anko smiled in praise.

"… I wouldn't say that," Takuma shook his head.

"Now, now, don't be so humble," Iori chuckled.

"No, it's nothing like that," said Takuma. "I'll be the first one to admit that the reason I pushed for the Narcotics Taskforce was purely selfish. I was an outsider in the Uchiha's kingdom; to progress my career there, I needed a way to claim ground, make myself stand out, and gain achievements. I knew that I would need to work harder than the people with legacies to get the same recognition— that was the reason why I started the Narcotics Taskforce—nothing more, nothing less. It was simply a way to climb the ladder.

"… I didn't really care about the cause—but when you come face to face with the victims on a daily basis. But, when you look at them in the eye, see how they live, hear their plight and of the people around them, it's… difficult to stay unaffected."

"Aren't they just addicts? They ruined their lives by themselves," Kameko said with displeasure.

"That's the problem," said Takuma. "People who fall into drug addiction are ruining their lives; not only that, but they also make the lives of the people around them miserable. Then shouldn't we as a society try to raise these people who can't fall anymore instead of condemning them to lives full of misery?"

Kameko didn't say anything in return.

Iori didn't know if it was because she had asked Kameko not to disagree or if it was something else.

Takuma leaned back into his chair. The moment of silence on the table was filled by the chatter in the Mess.

Takuma continued, "Sure, we brought a lot of important players to justice, but what about the victims? The addicts. The children and teens who got influenced into joining the trade from a young age. And to a degree, the small street-level dealers who did it because they couldn't see any other choice.... I sent most of them to prison, plantations, and mines because it was the law, and I followed it."

"Is there anything wrong with that?" asked Anko.

"It's the law, so legally, no. But morally? Well, it sure didn't feel good all the time," said Takuma. "One of my long-term plans was to bring in some change into the law and education. Rehabilitation of the victims and education from a young age to educate the coming generation." He sighed. "I thought I would start on the plans when I made chunin and had a little weight to throw around… I should've started those plans from day one, even if I had no grounds to promote them… I regret it nevertheless."

Iori watched Takuma. The few times she had seen him, he was like most of the combat-forward shinobi she had seen—straight back, squared shoulders, and chin raised. But right now, his back was curved, his shoulders hunched, and his chin was pointing down. And she was sure it wasn't because of the weighted gear he was lugging around.

"What now, then?" Rikku spoke up. "Maybe you can do that when you go back home."

Iori closed her eyes. 'Rikku…' She had no idea what happened in the Leaf Military Police Force, but if Takuma were in a position as important as Kameko and Anko had made it out to be, then he wouldn't be here on the border region of an allied country, fighting a war against a trade partner nation.

Unexpectedly, Takuma smiled,

"I don't need to. I have given my dreams to the team I built from the ground up." He looked at Kameko. "Our mutual friend Arisu shares my vision, and I think she and the team will achieve my dream in my place…. Crap, that sounds like a 'death flag,'" Takuma laughed.

The conversation might have gone down in energy, but it came right back up due to Anko, and the group rode on her energy till the end of the dinner.

The boys and girls split up and returned to their homes.

Kameko and Rikku walked forward while Iori and Anko tailed behind.

"So?" Anko asked.

Iori glanced at her chunin lead for a moment before starting, "He knew what he was doing. He wanted to build a rapport with the team, and acted in a way to facilitate it. It feels good to know that he is someone who can read the room."

"What about the thing about the addicts?"

Iori pursed her lips. "It was either a genuine conversation, or he is really good at making people feel positively towards him." The story had everything from a flawed hero as a start, a sad middle, to a hopeful end. "Or maybe it was both of them—truths and half lies make for great tools."

"So, he's good at talking. Let's see how he will be on the field," said Anko.

"You mean?"

"We got a mission."

———

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Chapitre 186: CH_6.15 (186)

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———

Takuma checked his gear for the n-th time before sighing as he leaned against the large earthen wall constructed from ninjutsu surrounding the village.

"It's amusing to see you this way, Takuma. I didn't take you for the type who gets nervous before a mission," said Daiki, standing beside Takuma. He was similarly outfitted in combat-ready gear.

Of course, he was nervous. He was in an unfamiliar location, accompanying a team with people he barely knew, and they were venturing out of the camp, which was in a conflict-intense region. He had every reason to be nervous because it was the complete opposite of the situation he was used to—he knew the streets of the Hidden Leaf, he worked with a team he had built up from the ground, and he was aware of the power dynamics in the village.

"It'll pass," Takuma smiled. He was more comfortable during the missions than the idle time before it.

By the time the rest of the team arrived, Takuma was unknowingly tapping his foot against the ground.

"Excited much?" Iori said to Takuma.

"Sure," he replied.

Kameko looked around as she commented. "Where's Anko? It's not like her to be late."

"True, I'm not late."

All five genin flinched and turned their faces to Anko, who was suddenly standing among them. Takuma even had a kunai in his hand from the surprise.

"Everyone's here, so let's leave. We have a long day ahead of us; I would like for us to keep on schedule so we can take it easy later on," she said. "Let's move out."

""Yup, yup!""

"Yup, yup," said Takuma, a full beat later.

Camp Banana was built on a strategic defensive location to halt the enemy's forward movement into the Land of Hot Water's territory. The location was chosen with broad coverage in mind. Camp Banana had access to numerous roads and trade routes in the area for quick deployment and shorter travel times. Hidden Leaf was given the responsibility to control the position because of its strategic importance, and because of that, two Hidden Leaf jonin were placed at Camp Banana.

The problem was a fixed infrastructure that couldn't be destroyed like roads that were very much usable by the enemy forces. To prevent exploitation by the enemy those routes needed to be kept under observation to prevent them from being exploited by the enemy.

For that purpose, hideouts and outposts were built in important places for scouts to keep an eye on and keep the enemy in check.

As the hideouts were being manned by people who required food and water for sustenance, the hideouts needed to be re-supplied with rations periodically.

That's where Anko's Team-9 came into play. They were charged to head north to hit a list of watch positions, and restock every hideout with enough rations to last the scouts until the next supply run. And as they visited each hideout, they were to collect detailed reports from each watch position about any activity the scouts had noted from the last visit—carrier birds took time to complete round trips and could only carry so much; as such, they were reserved for the most critical of information.

From what Takuma was told, the risk factor of the mission was low as they weren't going deeper into the field of combat. But they were still required to be vigilant about tails and ambushes as they visited the hideouts not to give away the positions.

Takuma was pleased to have a supply run as his first mission. Being new to the area, it was a great opportunity to understand the area and points of importance beyond what was specified on maps. Being aware of the terrain and territory was a critical advantage. Plus, the mission was perfect for him to observe his teammates and Anko to see how they operated—they had been working together for a couple of months, and it was expected that he would catch up to speed quickly.

So, he observed.

Because Anko's team had been a five-man band, they followed a pitchfork movement formation. Rikku and Daiki in the front with Anko between them and a couple of steps behind, forming a 'V'— behind Anko in a straight line, making up the shaft with Iori in the middle and Kameko as the rearguard. But with Takuma completing the team, they had reverted to the formation Anko preferred for her six-man group. Rikku, Anko, and Daiki made up the front 'V' while Kameko, Iori, and Takuma made up the back 'inverted-V.' The pitchfork had been a temporary alteration to the 'mirrored-V' formation, but Takuma took so long to arrive that it seemed that the team was more comfortable with the pitchfork.

It felt strange being at the back. As the team leader for the Narcotics Taksforce, he was always in the front. Even when he was working with Iruka, he always took the forward position. Being at the back was a new experience, and having his back exposed, an unpleasant one.

But he could see why Anko set the formation in the way she did.

Daiki was in the front because he was the tracker and scout, Rikku because she was one of the main combatants, and Anko in the middle, providing a stable backbone to round out the front, which was more susceptible to attacks. In the back, Iori was protected by being sandwiched between Anko in the front and two combatants, Kameko and Takuma, in the back, who had the responsibility of protecting the group from being hit from behind.

If he were to make a change, Takuma would've switched his and Rikku's positions so he wouldn't have to match with Kameko. He had told her he would be professional and civil, but he preferred if they kept their interaction to a minimum.

During their travel, Daiki and Anko chatted to each other, with Iori chiming in, and Rikku seemed to be intently listening to them.

However, things were entirely dead on the rearguard.

Takuma sighed. He was bored. He glanced at his companion to the side.

He said, "So…"

Kameko looked at him. "What?"

"I don't keep up to date with what's happening with our classmates. I was wondering if you would catch me up," said Takuma.

Kameko stared at him for a moment. "I thought you weren't interested. You never showed up for any of the get-togethers and parties," she said.

'I didn't show up because none of you fuckers invited me.' Of course, those thoughts went unsaid. Takuma awkwardly chuckled, "Unfortunately, I let my personal social life slip away due to work. I am curious how everyone's doing though."

"Really? If I remember correctly, you weren't interested in us during the academy," she said.

Takuma shot her a look. He wasn't the only one who showed disinterest; the rest of the class, too, didn't seem to be interested in him. Why wasn't she just taking the hint that he was making idle conversation? He narrowed his eyes. No… she did notice the hint; she was just having fun at his expense.

'The little…!'

"Who do you want to know about?" she asked.

"Well… how about Uchiha Izumi? How's she doing?" he asked. After Taro and Arisu, Izumi was the person he was 'closest' to, even if it was just on the level of classmate acquaintances, much different from the other two, who were his close friends.

'I wonder if Lady Mikoto got my letter,' the thought passed through Takuma's mind, but he pushed it away quickly.

"Really? I thought you would run into her with you working in the Police Force and all," she said.

"If I ran into her, why would I ask you?" he sighed, looking pitifully at the silly girl who was asking redundant questions.

Kameko's eyebrow twitched. "She's participating in the Chunin Exams with her team."

"That makes sense. I guess that most, if not everyone, who got selected by the jonin would be participating in the Chunin Exams."

"They are."

"Is it everyone's first time, or did a team make an attempt last year?"

It had been more than two and half years since Takuma and Kameko's batch had graduated from the academy. In a few months, both Takuma and Kameko would complete their third year as shinobi of the Hidden Leaf.

She scoffed, "No one takes the Chunin Exam after their first year. There was a team who participated in the last exam," the Chunin Exam happened bi-annually, "but they failed out in the first round. It's going to be everyone's first time."

Having lived in the world for nearly three years, Takuma was, of course, aware that, on average, most genin participated in their first Chunin Exam after four or five years of service. That average was so because of the Genin Corp. But when only considering jonin-lead genin, many of them had their first attempt after their third year, with a few of the jonin teachers registering their teams right after the second year.

But he astutely remembered that Naruto's generation did all register for the Chunin Exams right after their first year, and thought that some jonin might have wanted to make a statement with their own genin.

"What about you? Were you planning to participate?" he asked.

Kameko wordlessly nodded.

"Oh."

Not everyone had the option to defer conscription like Takuma. Even those with connections and access to jonin, people couldn't escape a conscription order. Escaping the conscription was a black mark on a shinobi's record, something that would stay with them throughout their lives, being a hindrance every step of the way. It was one of the worst things one could do for their career.

The only reason Mikoto had given him the option was because he had managed the Narcotics Taskforce before the order came. The case for Takuma was that he was needed at the Narcotics Taskforce to ensure its success and that his contribution at the Police Force was equal to or more than he would contribute at war.

Most other people didn't have that option. No one could reject the conscription just because they didn't want to go to war. Not even the precious clan scions could reject the order. Any selfish attempt to do so came with heavy scrutiny and punishment if found to be invalid. A shinobi village couldn't afford their shinobi to be averse to war, so no matter, clan or not, if they were called to war, they had to pack their bags and fight.

Takuma sympathized with Kameko. Having one's plans thwarted by unforeseen circumstances didn't feel good.

"Who else?" she asked, moving the conversation along.

"What about the Okubo Momoe?" he asked.

"The golden girl, huh," Kameko's eyes narrowed. "If she weren't participating, no one would."

Takuma didn't know the girls well, and nor was he aware of the dynamic between them, but even someone as detached as him knew what was going on. Kameko's clan, Taketori, was the premier kenjutsu clan in the Hidden Leaf. She was burdened by the expectations that she would be the best with the sword and kenjutsu. It would've been true if not for the existence of Okubo Momoe, the Rookie of The Year from their batch, who used the sword as her weapon of choice.

Their swordsmanship was often compared, and because Okubo was overall stronger than Kameko, the prevailing view was that Okubo was better skilled at kenjutsu than Kameko.

Takuma, who had fought both, couldn't give an opinion as Kameko's combat style heavily revolved around kenjutsu while it was only a part of Okubo's combat. Unless they fought each other using only kenjutsu, it was difficult to judge who was better.

He could tell that Kameko was bothered that Okubo, who had a civilian background, was seen as better than someone from a kenjutsu clan like her.

"Well, she probably would make chunin soon even if she doesn't get promoted right after the exam," said Takuma. "But those guys sure have it tough, huh, being used as show horses."

The current Chunin Exam was a popularity contest, a show of strength, between the numerous Hidden Shinobi Villages. It was the 'alternative to war.' Every Hidden Village sent their best genin and made them fight each other to see who had the best young talent and thus the brightest future. The Chunin Exam was one big advertisement for the Hidden Villages to attract big clients and gain their confidence that their Hidden Village was the best.

This was why every genin on a jonin-led team was 'unofficially' mandated to participate in the exams as soon as their jonin deemed them ready, even if the genin themselves might not want to participate in the exam.

"I would love to be used as a show horse," she said.

"It's a win-win for sure." He laughed. "Taro wouldn't have liked it at all though."

"What about you? Did you prepare for the Chunin Exams?" asked Kameko.

"No, I was aiming and hoping for a field promotion," said Takuma, "but I would have loved to participate in the final round if nothing else."

The Chunin Exams were altered every iteration to prevent genin from preparing for scenarios so that it would truly be a test of their preparedness. Every host had their own preferences, but because five different villages hosted, the exams were diverse in nature. But the final round was always the same— Arena Combat—the best-of-best duking it out in a tournament format.

It was the only event open to an audience and the main 'advertisement' for clients.

"Huh, why?"

"I want to experience how genin from other villages fight. I wonder how different they are from us."

The underground prizefighter in him wanted to understand how shinobi from other villages fought. What were the key differences in combat philosophies? What was the current popular meta? He wanted to see if he could take something from them and assimilate it into his combat style. The potential of it all excited him.

"Wait… does that mean none of the genin on a jonin-led team are participating in the war?" asked Takuma.

"If the team is younger than four years, they don't have to," she said.

Kameko explained that the jonin stayed with the genin for four years, after which the teams were usually turned inactive if not for the jonin and the administration both wanting the team to remain active. The usual case for teams remaining active after four years was when all the genin had been promoted to chunin.

As the Hidden Leaf was an ally helping the Hidden Steam and the Hidden Leaf as a whole wasn't at war, the genin on jonin teams younger than four years weren't sent conscription orders.

"That's shit," he said.

"We are about to reach the first hideout. Focus up!" Anko said.

Takuma and Kameko stopped talking and focused ahead.

———

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