Chapter #41: "The Flower and the Firefly"
Mikko and Tita exited the dueling chamber and went through a secret passage, previously available only to jonin and members of the medical team. (“Hang on Hishi…everything’s going to be ok.”) Mikko thought.
Suichi shook his head while speaking between Ai Asagiri and Haruna Kowaki. “There have been so many accidents like that today.” Suichi stated. “Those aren’t accidents,” Ai said. “They were all legitimate techniques performed by excelling shinobi.” Ai explained. “The only way you’re going to climb up the ranks is by knocking down a couple of pegs in the process.” Ai added. Suichi looked away and Haruna adjusted her hair ribbon, “Yeah well I just wish it didn’t always have to come to that.” “Just be grateful no one has died…yet.” Ai said, stepping away and returning to the name generator.
”Things have definitely picked up since the first match.” Rikki noted. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Akira asked. “It doesn’t mean much except that you withdrew at the first sign of danger.” Rikki replied. “So what, I’d rather be able to walk away, than to become physically disabled for the rest of my life.” Akira added. “Oh well no use arguing about it…” Rikki said. Meanwhile Suichi returned his attention to the awaiting genin, "Everyone, the next round of the preliminaries is about to begin!" Suichi announced. Ai Asagiri ran the random name generator and the lights flickered on and off as the names scrambled up and down. Then finally the generator stopped with two random names. "Would Kaori Kasume, and Fuuko please enter the circle!" Suichi called. Satoru looked at Fuuko with a smirk, Fuuko sighed and rolled her eyes. "Wipe that smirk off your face will you?" She asked. "Good luck!" Satoru snickered. Fuuko looked over her shoulder, "I won't need it!" She replied, stepping down the stairs. Kaori looked around, she was by herself, both of her teammates; Ansari and Kyoshi had both been injured respectively. ("Ansari, Kyoshi, I am...alone now?") Kaori thought to herself. Kaori took a deep breath and took one step forward at a time, finally reaching the top of the stairs, ("I-I can do this!") She thought to herself, ("I-I have to, if not for myself, then for Ansari-san!") Kaori added.
Fuuko stood at the circle near Suichi, "What's taking so long, is there a traffic jam up there or something!?" Fuuko complained. Kaori descended the steps and arrived at her end of the circle, standing before Fuuko. "Finally..." Fuuko groaned. "Well now, you two know the rules correct?" Suichi asked. Fuuko and Kaori both nodded simultaneously. "Alright then, I declare this match has officially started!" Suichi shouted before stepping away from the circle. Fuuko immediatley drew one of her fan blades and took a giant leap backwards. "Listen missy, I have two of these fans, but all I'm gonna need to take you down is just one, you got that?" Fuuko mocked from afar. Kaori squinted her eyes, "Do not be so quick to underestimate an opponent!" Kaori replied. Fuuko scoffed, "Whatever."
Satoru watched intently from the balcony above, "Oh it's Fuuko's turn now!" Satoru observed. Umikira grunted, "She's too cocky, almost as bad as you are." Umikira uttered in a low gutteral voice. Satoru glanced at Umikira and then back to the fight below. "I'm not THAT cocky." Satoru replied. Umikira looked at him through the corner of his eye; "If you were any worse, you would live on a chicken ranch." Umikira added. Satoru muttered something under his breath and reached for a new pack of smokes. "Just shut up and watch the match already!" Umikira scolded sternly.
Fuuko and Kaori eyed one another down for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was a mere second as Fuuko immediately attacked with her drawn Fanblade. "Whirlwind Cutter!" Fuuko cried as she swung hard with her fan, Kaori ducked to the side, slightly evading the technique. Fuuko grinned, "Sneaky little rodent aren't we?" Fuuko noted. "Double whirlwind cutter!" Fuuko swung out twice as hard and sent two twisters flying toward Kaori, who was scrambling to avoid getting slammed by twin whirlwinds. "Ugh!" Kaori cried, having a hard time breathing as the sharp winds blasted through her, sending her back several feet. Fuuko rested her fan on her shoulder, "I'm already bored, look why don't you just forfeit and we can call it a day?" Fuuko bargained. Kaori knelt on the floor, trying to catch her breath. She thought about the months of intense training that she and her teammates underwent just to make it to the chunin exams. Ansari had increased his taijutsu and scythe training difficulty by ten, and Kyoshi ran twelve laps everyday, and now both of them were eliminated. Kaori winced, ("Ansari, and Kyoshi are gone...so what hope do I have?") Fuuko smirked her usual smirk, “Why not save us both the trouble, and just give up?” She asked. Kaori looked away, her eyes watering a little bit, and she clenched her fist to the ground. Kaori remembered years ago when she was younger…
Kaori hid behind a large tree as Ansari and Kyoshi chased each other and played shinobi games. Kaori smiled as she watched the two boys play, and she got up the courage to come out and speak to them. “Can I play too?” Kaori asked. “We’re not playing!” Kyoshi responded. “Yeah, we’re training to become superior ninja!” Ansari added. And the two boys darted off in the opposite direction, continuing their game, leaving Kaori alone. Kaori’s eyes hit the ground, and she turned away and looked up at the sky, pink cherry blossoms managed to make their way from the cherry trees to pay Kaori a visit.
A couple of years later, Kaori would be sitting on a swing, watching as Ansari and Kyoshi played a similar game like the one years ago. Only this time, the boys played using fire and substitution jutsu.
“You are really getting better, Ansari!” Kaori cheered from her swing. Ansari stopped and looked at her, “Of course I am, I am the brightest in my class!” Ansari bragged. Kyoshi scoffed, “Don’t be such a loudmouth!” “Say Ansari!” Kaori exclaimed from her seat. “Yeah, what is it?” Ansari asked. “Did you know that our last names go well together?” Kaori asked. Ansari stopped and looked at her, “What do you mean?” he asked. “I mean, my last name is ‘Kasume’, and means ‘flower’.” Kaori explained. “And your last name, ‘hotaru,’ means ‘firefly’.” Kaori added. “Bah, don’t be ridiculous Kaori, fireflies don’t hang around flowers!” Kyoshi blurted annoyed. “Come on man, let’s go train some more!” Kyoshi egged Ansari before running off. Ansari proceeded to follow his friend, but for a split second stopped, faced Kaori, and smiled. His smile almost signifying that he liked the idea of a firefly (Ansari) hanging around a flower (Kaori).
Kaori brandished a kunai knife from under her sleeve and threw it at Fuuko with ferocity, Kaori pulled out two, no three more and threw them as well. Fuuko simply waved her fan-blade and the kunai spiraled off coarse, and landed on the floor across the room. “You really are pathetic you know that?” Fuuko asked as she pulled out her second Fan-blade. “I didn’t think I would even need to use both of them, but since you’re so adamant about taking forever, I’ll just have to cut this short!” Fuuko said. “I am not pathetic, I will fight you, and I give it my best!” Kaori yelled. Fuuko scoffed, “Oh please, that sounds like something a kid with bushy-eyebrows, and a bad haircut would say!” Fuuko replied.
Umikira watched from afar, standing beside Satoru on the balcony. (“My stupid siblings are too cocky for their own good.”) Umikira thought. (“It’s attitudes like theirs that will get them killed!”) he added. Satoru glanced at Umikira for a split moment, (“He’s so quiet now. He is definitely prepared for the next fight, which may very well be his match!”) Satoru thought.
Kaori dodged a blast of wind from Fuuko, and continued running around her, and throwing kunai whenever she had a free moment. “What’s this? Running like a rat are we?” Fuuko asked. “It is time I ended this!” Fuuko proclaimed, jumping back a few feet and holding her fan-blades outstretched. Fuuko focused some chakra energy until her hair began to wave and whip, as if wind were running through it. “Wind Style: Giant Deadly Vortex Jutsu!” Fuuko swung out wide and hard with her twin fan-blades, sending a monstrous gale of wind hurtling towards Kaori, who tried turning to flee but found it very difficult to even move under the circumstances of the wind’s pressure. Fuuko smirked, (“Try as you like, there is no escape!”) She thought. (“My wind pressure is so thick that you would have to be made entirely out of steel in order to prevent it!”) Fuuko added.
Inevitably, Kaori got caught up in the wind’s current and was tossed up into the eye of the spiraling vortex, and strewn about, getting scratched up, and receiving tears and rips on her uniform. Eventually the vortex spat her out across the room, landing on the floor. Suichi and Ai Asagiri immediately rushed to Kaori’s side, while Haruna stood before Fuuko, to be sure no further attacks would be made. “How is she?” Ai asked. “She’s unconscious!” Suichi replied. Ai looked back to Haruna and nodded, “Alright, the winner of this match is; Fuuko!” Suichi announced. “Figures…” Fuuko mumbled as she made her way up the stairs, back to the balcony. Ai returned her attention to Kaori, “Suichi, get some medical-nin in her before the next match starts!” Ai ordered. “Yes Ma’am!” Suichi replied. A team of medical ninja, picked Kaori up and placed her on a special stretcher. “She’s still alive, but just exhausted.” One of the medical nin pointed out. “Leave her to us, and she will be alright!” Another medical nin explained. Ai nodded, “Okay, just as long as she is alright.” Ai said.
In her mind, Kaori stood before Ansari…
“Hey Kaori, did you know that fireflies and flowers go well together?” Ansari asked. Kaori’s face reddened a little. Ansari offered his hand to Kaori, and she accepted. Instead of following Kyoshi off to goof around or even train for that matter, Ansari walked with Kaori hand-in-hand. “Kaori, you are the flower you know that right?” Ansari asked. Kaori giggled and nodded, “Of course I do, and you are the firefly!” Kaori replied.
As the team of medical nin arrived at the Kumogakure hospital, Kaori was already in hospital garb, but was still unconscious. Her mouth shaped into a satisfied smile, and she uttered a single “thank-you…” with the slightest breath. “Did you just hear that?” asked a medical nin to another. “No, she’s sleeping. Now let’s let her be.” Said the other. The two medical nins turned out the lights in Kaori’s room, and closed the door behind them, leaving Kaori with her smile.
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Chapter notes: Mikko Makato, Tanzou Murasaki, Hishegami Otokusa,
*Note: Credit goes to the following authors for the following team(s)
-Tengaigakure: Ayane Shuura, Sono Ishikara, and Nikaari Shuuma. Credit goes to Quzor.
-Konohagakure: Ansari Hotaru, Kaori Kasume, and Kyoshi Katsurou. Credit goes to TheWrongVine.
-Iwagakure: Hiroto Yamanouchi, Honoka Yamaguchi, Atsuko Yamaguchi, and Masaru Dazai. Credit goes to SpectacularInsanity
Chapter end notes: *Flashback Exams Arc