c

Many people would have refused such a trip. Not only was my condition very unstable but the risk of contamination was equally present. These two facts could be grounds for refusal, but the most obvious would have been to oppose me out of sheer fear of snakes. Even if I was convinced that going into sewers was a bad idea. The vision of snakes often came back to my mind, a sliced body that kept moving. Such a memory made me believe that anyone would never accept my idea of sewer work.

The need for money was too much for me to resist holding back further. When thinking about it, it was absurd of me to have thought that this mission can be avoided. I accepted the mission when I found out that Hina was doing it too. Having seen her in combat had allowed me to gauge her abilities and she had the strength to survive. In addition to her physical strengths she had a better memory than mine. This would let us not lose our way.

I made my way to the sewer later than I should have. I was late because I had to go get something to clog my nose. Following this, there was a descent into hell. Delving into the dark my headaches that went away and come back in full swing. I drop down and see Hina right before she gets into the darkest areas. We are lucky that there is some light from every man hole or else this will be totally dark. This reflexion on the part of my comrade worried me and I pretended not to know more by leaving the issue aside.

“Hi Hina, I am here”

I feel it necessary to announce my presence. I am scared as she is probably so I must be careful. I do not want to get hit on accident. Before starting to get closer I comfort myself and pretend I am a vicious Lion. I let out a mighty roar and a large rat bumps into me and bites into my leg. I scream loudly, louder than the roar.

“Help me! It’s a rat!”

I try to hit the rat with my other foot but I fall to the ground. How is a rat this big in here with no consequence. I wish I had weapons or jutsu but nothing comes to mind. I try to make electricity from desperate measures but nothing comes out but a tiny spark. Curses for my laziness to come up with jutsu after all these years of being a genin. I must be the oldest must useless genin in all of the hidden fire.

447/447

d

The rat bite hurt a lot. Hina saves me though and I am able to fight off the rest of the rats. They are much stronger than I could have anticipated. They were so tiny that I did not expect them to be a threat at all. They keep biting us and I keep being mad that I can’t see them well. I end up kicking some heads in and soon the hurting stops.

Hina tries to tell me that it’s okay and that we can just keep going. The blood coming out of my skin does not bode well. I think it’s okay to keep going because either way I have to get back to town. If I can make it back through the sewers then at least I can get paid for it. Things are looking not so bad but it makes me think why does Hina not get medical jutsu so she can heal me? Why don’t I get it so I can heal myself?

Hina comforted me in my choice: she took the lead leaving me to trail behind who would bring many complains as we keep going down the tunnel. Then we find a snake. I freeze and listen hard and hear the snake too. I don’t know what I should do but it is not like I can decide. The fear of the snake is paralyzing almost like its presence was a genjutsu.

“I Can’t. This is too much. Get me out of here please.”

That is all I am able to say for the moment. It is difficult to even open my mouth. I can handle rats but snakes are no. I try to run but even that is too difficult for me. A rat comes by my heel and I crush it with a single stomp. I don’t want it tempting the snake to come bite it. If I get bitten by a snake it will be the end of me.

“Comon Hina geet it. I am going to pee my pants if it attacks again. Please have mercy.”

I whisper and stand silently gripping my neck to protect it. I held my breath and try not to pass out. I step back and upon a twig and it snapped and the area sounded like a gunshot. I leaped a mile in fright and the snake went for the bite. It bites the twig then sliters away. It is only a few seconds before the snake is back to staring at us and hissing. I want to cry. Is the stick not enough do I really need to get bitten?

438/885

+

Maintaining this speed made me sweat and tired enough. A break and a refreshment were necessary before returning to the village. Crossing the sewers with me as a partner turned out to be a burden. A safe distance to be respected, multiple stops as well as pains from the rats. All a pattern of torture that was repeated without stopping every ten meters traveled. To travel a long way without warning my partner was added to the list of absurd acts that I committed.

“"I do not really know if I can be of any help to you but my altruism prevents me from letting you down. I'm ready to put my goals aside and help you as long as it does not conflict with my beliefs and I think you're smart enough to make good use of this power once you've found it or, from least, I trust you.”

My companion, the one who saved me from the snak, was just as determined to finish this mission as I was. This woman was aware of the risks that this entailed for our two lives but we both had a bond behind this quest: a friendship.

All these feelings occupied me during the trip, maybe too much to the point of leaving my teammate in a dead silence that I broke only to groan with pain from the rat bites. Walking under the the shade of the sewers gave me immense relief and cooling off was necessary so when I saw a manhole to the forest I could not help but take a break with hina. Before going to relax I asked her to go first to avoid contaminating it with water.

The future uchiha chunin had a little time to think about worrying. I had no more obligations now compared to my partner, and could enjoy the rest of the walk that would rustle our muscles. We finally make it to the end of the sewer path and get out.

“Sorry hina I should have helped more.”

I don’t really feel sorry. It was free money for me. I have many wounds from the rats so I go to the hospital while hina goes to the hot springs to wash off. I do not care about my smell anyway because I have nobody to impress in this village.

The doctors heal me up. I end up paying loads in medical prices. I do not even make any profit. Hina may have lost half her money to being clean but I wasted all of it on medical treatment for rabies. This is the last time I will ever be found in a sewer ever again.

The words of our short conversation kept coming back in my thoughts. Erase my own being by staying near the warm fire in my house that I cherished. Thinking about it might prove to be mentally relaxing on several occasions. At times my ambitions reflected those of my relatives and perhaps not entirely out of sheer will but also out of affection. Stirring the past at a late hour did not turn out to be a good idea because of my headaches that were getting on my nerves more and more. The night was calm no sound was lost in a cluster of sound and thanks to that I could hear in the distance the sound of a current.

The pain of the bites did not in any way exceed that which I felt because of this disease. Not being able to move me properly affected me enormously. To fight this feeling of helplessness I had a decision that in view of my condition must surely seem insane. I hope I will be all better soon.

621/1506

+300 ryo

[exit]