Misoka stared off into the distance, gazing over the endless dunes that lay beyond the village. She had always loved the view from her clan estate’s balcony. Up here, the sand country’s  wilderness looked incredibly peaceful even though she knew it was hardly the truth. Sand storms could pose a great threat to not only average wanderers, but to trained shinobi as well.
Letting out a content sigh, Misoka decided to stay little longer this way: just standing on the balcony without a care in the world. Her golden hair gently moved around her shoulders as a soft breeze weaved through it.

This was the perfect moment.

For the first time in seemingly forever, she could truly smile and enjoy life. Two weeks ago, she had finally defeated her grandfather and become the head of her clan. And her objective remained the same: She still wanted to change the Karisuma clan for the better, starting with erasing the discrimination against female members.

“Misoka-sama?” a voice from behind her interrupted her thoughts. She turned around and saw her bodyguard Takeru standing a few feet away.
He didn’t hold her gaze, but looked down every once in a while, fiddling with the zipper of his jacket.
Misoka smiled sympathetically. To be honest, she couldn’t recall a time when he hadn’t seemed nervous around her.  Some people still froze with respect at the sight of the oh-so-special Karisuma clan leader. Admittedly, there had never been a female leader before, but this didn’t make her any more important… or older, for that matter.

“Takeru, good morning. You don’t need to be so formal with me. Please just call me Misoka,” she greeted the boy. “Aren’t we almost the same age?”
“I-I’m 15, my lady. I mean, Misoka. I mean-“
“This still makes you only two years younger.” She smiled again. “We should be friends rather than you feeling obliged to protect me.”
Takeru looked up, bewildered. “M-my lady!  A person like you needs to be protected! You are very important to the clan and – and I know I may not look like it, but I am more than capable to fulfil my role as a bodyguard. My father said-”

“Alright.” On the one hand, it was flattering that her clan members cared so much for her, but on the other hand, it could also become a little… annoying. Well, ‘annoying’ was a strong word; she just didn’t want to be followed around all the time. Making sure that she maintained the friendly smile on her lips, Misoka walked past the boy into the large corridor of the first floor. The clan estate was huge.

“W-Wait, where are you going?” Takeru asked right away.
She supressed a sigh. “To the sand dune slums. I promised to bring the Zane family some fresh food and drinks. They need my help, until their financial situation improves. I owe it to them. After all, they have also been there for my father in his time of need.”
Takeru’s response consisted of a few “um”s and many “but”s. It was clear that the Karisuma clan’s traditions and opinions couldn’t be changed in the course of a couple of weeks. According to the former clan leader, women were weak and always in need of protection.
Misoka stopped in her tracks. Of course it wasn’t the boy’s fault – he had only been brought up that way.
As politely as she could, Misoka assured Takeru that she would be fine on her own. “It is not for long anyway. I’ll be back in the afternoon.”
Having said that, she went downstairs and left the building.

~

After she had given the bag of groceries to the Zane family, Misoka started walking back to the village center. On her way through the slums, she could suddenly make out a swift movement to her right.
Alarmed, Misoka halted and let her eyes wander across the area. Then it happened.
So fast that he could easily be identified as shinobi, a masked man jumped off the nearest roof and grabbed a little boy by the collar. “You!” he grunted. “Give me all your money, you little shit!”
At first the boy struggled, but when he realized there was no chance to escape, he stayed still, his voice shaking as he answered, “I-I… only have 10 ryos. I-In my pocket. Please, Sir… let me go…”
“10 ryos?!” Anger flared in the man’s eyes. “That’s nothing! Do you think I could pay my rent with 10 ryos?! That's not even enough for a bottle of wine! Or are you lying to me, shit ass?! I want at least 100 ryos, you hear me?!”

Everyone else around hurried into their houses, obviously afraid that the masked man might hurt them instead. Misoka couldn’t believe her eyes. It seemed nobody was willing to help the little boy.
She wondered where his parents were.
But most importantly, she wouldn’t watch any longer.
With a determined look on her face, she got ready to interfere.

---

[So, I was thinking you could save the boy, but only if your character is like that of course xD]

A sullen look wove it's way across Akarui's face as he rapidly came the realization that finding one lizard in particular somewhere in the urban sprawl that was Suna might in fact be far more difficult than he had originally imagined. At this point he allowed himself to enjoy a pouting expression, burying his frustration along with his hands in the pockets of his capris. As much as he usually enjoyed to don a blank expression and kill his emotions for the purposes of combat, this mission had slowly sapped away his mental energy and turned Akarui into a lazy husk of a shinobi. In this state of mind, his search for the ever-stealthy lizard took the boy to the slums. The area was a far cry from the Kōga estate, but it was Suna all the same. It even seemed more peaceful at this time of day with the light winds and lack of people.

Wait... where is everyone? The last few people on the street were quickly moving into their houses; the few blinds and shutters that were in this part of the city were quickly shut thereafter. Akarui's interest was finally piqued after one of the most boring days of his life as he saw an older man holding a boy by his collar; presumably extorting him for money given what he was saying. As he came upon the scene, Akarui dashed behind a building to begin observing the situation. What kind of bandit attacks little kids for money? Akarui wasn't about to continue listening to find out, however. He didn't like crime in Suna as it conflicted with the grace and peace he wanted from Suna, especially with Suzume, a fellow Kōga, currently in charge. Replacing his curious expression with a serious, blank face, Akarui began to weave a few hand signs. In a few seconds, a single clone of himself appeared at his side. He was ready to complete a far more interesting mission.

"Aren't you a little old to be stealing kids' bento?" The Akarui clone tilted it's head as it walked out from behind the building. In his mind there was nothing wrong with being cautious against an unknown enemy. Clone Akarui placed its hand on the kunai strapped to its pant leg. Akarui wasn't much for unnecessary fighting, but things like this had to be taken care of quickly. Not to mention that if this guy was dumb enough to think robbing children in the slums for money was a good idea, Akarui was just the man for the job. Meanwhile, the real Akarui sneaked around the back side of the building, retrieving two shuriken from his pouch. As he came up around the opposite side of the building, he leaned up against the corner, making sure to get a discreet view of the situation. Whether he was waiting for an attack or hoping the thief would just leave, he didn't know yet, but he wanted to be prepared either way.

Jutsu:

Chakra: 145/150

511

Before she could rush forward to teach the bandit a lesson, someone else beat her to it.
"Aren't you a little old to be stealing kids' bento?"
Misoka’s eyes widened slightly as she watched a young man step out of the shadows and face the bandit. It felt good to see that there were still people who knew what moral courage meant.  
For now, she decided to stay put and observe the situation, partly because the boy’s behaviour had piqued her interest.
Could he be a shinobi like her? Why else would he seem so confident in front of a criminal?

“What do you want?” Speaking of the devil.
With a loud grunt, the masked man let go of his victim and turned to the newcomer instead. Fortunately, the little boy was smart enough to take his chance: The moment he could stand on his own two feet again, he hurried away – much to the bandit’s displeasure. “HEY! Damn it, I should’ve kept my eyes glued to that brat! That’s your fault!”
Fists clenched and teeth gnashed, he glanced at the red-haired boy in front of him.  

Misoka watched intently. How could a criminal be so stupid as to let his victim run away? She had overestimated him. From the sights of it, he didn’t even seem to be a shinobi, just your regular thief strolling around Suna’s dune slums.
Her assumption soon proved correct when the man took out a small knife and waved it in the air like a moron. His movements were far too inexperienced, but well… his ego seemed to make up for all that.

“I see! You just volunteered to pay my rent, didn’t you? Where’s your money?” The man’s face puffed up in anger. “Give it to me or else you won’t get to live much longer!”

“What do you want?” The bandit seemed much bigger up close. Even if he was looking the wrong way, Akarui wouldn't fool himself into thinking he wasn't dangerous. It was intimidating after all, going up against an unknown enemy. Even if he was just a street thug. He himself was only just a genin. Akarui peered around the corner of the building, holding the shuriken tight within his grip as a way to relieve his nervous pressure.

“HEY! Damn it, I should’ve kept my eyes glued to that brat! That’s your fault!” Speaking of relief, Akarui couldn't help but smile as he watched the boy run off. It would have been dangerous if he had been kept as a hostage. It was even more gratifying to see the bandit pointing and yelling at his clone. He didn't think he was all that great with doppleganger techniques, but he thought it would suffice for a situation like this. It was only once the thief retrieved the knife that Akarui returned to his steely gaze.

Good, he hasn't noticed the trick yet. Either that or he is far more manipulative than I am. Akarui had to reassure himself now. While he imagined this wasn't much of a life or death scenario, he liked to be cautious when it came to any real conflict. At the very least he had to keep the illusion up until the bandit could be incapacitated. Tensing his arm and preparing to throw the shuriken, he manipulated his clone to begin pacing towards the bandit.

“I see! You just volunteered to pay my rent, didn’t you? Where’s your money?” The bandit was getting frustrated. It didn't really matter to Akarui so long as he kept his focus on the clone. “Give it to me or else you won’t get to live much longer!”

"If all you wanted was money, you should have just asked. I might have given it to you." Akarui manipulated his clone to seem to draw a kunai. This was it. What happened in these next few seconds would determine the outcome of the conflict. Thankfully, it seemed most of the civilians were indoors, so there wouldn't have to be any extra damage. Taking a deep breath, Akarui leaned out from behind the building, aiming the two shuriken for the back of the thug's knees, and letting them loose. Closing his eyes tight and hiding up against the wall once more, he hoped for the best.

511 + 425 = 936

Misoka continued watching. Something about the boy bothered her though she couldn't quite pin-point what it was...
Her eyes narrowed as she observed the stranger more closely. The way he gave in to the bandit, the way he reached into his pocket, apparently to take out his money, but still...
Then it hit her.
She quickly covered her mouth with her hand to supress a gasp. It was almost embarrassing that she had not noticed it the moment he'd showed up. Everything made sense now. That person interfered because he knew what he was getting himself into; because he was a trained shinobi.
This was a clone. A bunshin clone, to be specific.
Misoka's gaze grew curious. With her head slightly tilted to the side, she wondered whether the red-haired boy would be alright. Hmm, then again, he should be. The bandit didn't pose a big threat in her eyes.

And when said person suddenly lowered his weapon and flashed a grin, she was sure of it. This might as well be the stupidest criminal she had ever encountered.
"Great," the man replied, his mask stretching across his face as he smiled. "I'm glad we could come to an agreement, boy. Okay, give me your money."

Misoka rolled her eyes. Hopefully, the real counterpart of the shinobi's clone would soon finish his job.

Akarui was almost giddy with excitement as his opponent was falling so easily for the trick. He was finally confident to the point of actually making a move to finish this. However, his focus was beginning to leave him. As he threw the two shuriken at the back of the thief's legs, the clone immediately dissipated. At this point, Akarui knew he needed to act fast. Running out from behind the building and towards his opponent, he drew his kunai, and began to focus wind chakra along the blade, slowly sharpening a chakra blade which would greatly increased the cutting power of the small weapon. It was at this point that Akarui noticed the young girl standing out all alone and watching the scene. Was she with the man? If not, why was she just standing there? This was one of the first times since his training that Akarui was having a hard time reading the emotions of a person. Perhaps it was her unnerving glowing eyes. He certainly hoped he wouldn't have to fight her. If one thing was becoming increasingly clear to Akarui as he came closer and closer towards the bandit, it was that this was a very poorly thought out and observed plan. He had been lucky so far, but how long would that luck last? Would it run out like his clone jutsu, or remain there like the girl?

Chakra: 130/150:

242 + 936 = 1178

With a loud puff, the clone evaporated into thin air, making the bandit cried out in surprise.
“Hell no! A f*cking ninja!” Just then, the shuriken hit the back of his feet. This time, his yell was deafening. “OWW! DAMN IT!”
He toppled over, apparently unable to continue the fight – if it had even begun yet. Misoka couldn’t help but smile a little at the ridiculous situation; ridiculous because the man had turned out to be a wimp of a bandit.
No other criminal she had come to know would give up this easily. But that man… he was rocking back and forth like a child, constantly mumbling stuff like, “Please, let me go! I’ll never do it again! I’m sorry!”.
At one point, he even made an effort to… “play dead” though Misoka wasn’t sure whether it was his true intention (he lay flat on the ground and stopped talking).
Either way, she felt it was time to congratulate the boy on his victory.
Misoka approached him. “Good job.” She nodded to the bandit, who was still pretending to be unconscious. “I don’t think the guy wants to fight anymore.”
As she noticed the boy’s rather suspicious look, she decided to introduce herself properly. “My name is Misoka. Karisuma, Misoka. I was just about to jump in and save the child when you appeared. I hope you didn’t mind me watching.”
Her lips curled up into an apologetic smile. “And who are you, if I may ask?”

Akarui slid across the sand, skidding to a halt as he cancelled the jutsu. Entirely in disbelief, he looked between the bandit and Misoka with an entirely confused expression on his face. He had obviously entirely overestimated the man who now rocked back and forth before him. Was this his role as a genin? To be the boogie man for the unprepared criminal? It didn't seem to be the best of jobs, but as he turned his attention once again to the girl, she seemed amused by the whole thing. Only as he finished babbling and seemed to faint did Akarui return the kunai to his bag and retrieve his shuriken. Akarui rose as she approached him, still somewhat suspicious.

Good job? He hadn't felt as though he had done anything. This situation felt stranger and stranger the more Akarui thought about it. He politely nodded to Misoka as she introduced herself to him, softening his expression a bit as she explained the situation. He was still a bit suspicious that she had just been standing there, and even more suspicious that a member of such a well known clan was walking through the slums, but he refused to let that damper his mood. A slight smile on his face, Akarui made his introduction.

"Kōga Akarui is my name. It's nice to meet you, though the circumstances are a bit odd to say the least." He smirked slightly, looking back down at the bandit before returning his gaze to Misoka.


"You may just call me Akarui if you like. What are you doing saving children in the slums for? Is this some mission I didn't see?" Akarui quirked an eyebrow and placed his hands on his hips, his curiosity piqued.

1178 + 307 = 1485

Training:

235 unused words | 1485 words total