First Encounter

Takoda stood in an open clearing a few miles away from the outskirts of new mori, it hated that with all the refugee's homes he had to walk so far to get into nature that wasnt the old village but he was learning to deal with it. With Aeran gone he and Hebi had gotten closer as friends and had arranged to meet up here to go explore some new sections of the forest. People were reporting strange sightings of creatures and they were curious to figure out more. He stood there with his tonfa held across his back in an X waiting on his friend to arrive.

I was exhausted. I had just recently finished my daily rounds of the refugee camps distributing blankets, water, and rations to them. It's been a year, and with the gigantic influx of people I have barely had to time to train as well as care for the new villagers. This didn't mean I had completely neglected my skills and I have improved a little bit, but I haven't quite hit the strength of a chuunin yet. I was going to the place where Takoda had asked me to meet him to search the newer areas of the forest. Ever since Rohim had disappeared him and I had gotten a lot closer as friends. I saw him in the distance and continued to approach him with Shiro following loyally behind me. He hadn't changed much in the year and was still the same size and colors as before. As I got within earshot of Takoda I said to him "Hello Takoda, how are you doing today?" Shiro also clicked a greeting as we stopped a few feet from him.

My friend was here now and he brought Shiro along who was almost as enjoyable to talk to as his master. I was tempted to summon one of my koopalings to have a companion as well but decided that it might not be a great idea considering the rather 'loud' natures my shelled friends had. "Not to much buddy, but I've been hearing rumors that the beastmen have been sighted around here and wanted to check it out." The beastmen was a story told to you f forest shinobi before bedtime about creatures with the features and abilities of an animal such as a cat or bull bit with the body and brain of a human, mostly everyone but little kids shrugged these stories as nothing more than tales to keep little ones out of the deep woods that were now the edge of the village but Takoda was an avid lover of them. After all he was almost a beastman himself with his Kuma blood so he always felt connected to them.

I sat in the trees to the clearing watching them. There was Hebi and his lizard, and my best friend Takoda. I would love to say that they hadn't changed a bit as I watched them with my ever-sightful Sharingan, but I would be lying. It appeared the past year had hardened them as well, and with good reason. If I were ever to fail at protecting them, they would have to be strong enough to protect themselves. I sighed as I watched them from nearly a quarter mile away. I longed to be with them. I longed to fight alongside my best friends once again, just as I had once done in the olden days. I knew that I would be forced to face them again when it came time for the Chuunin Exams, but I would not be able to be personal with them for quite some time. Not until this threat was eliminated.

Takoda had always loved the war, whereas I loathed it. I wonder how his feelings had changed now that his imperial kage was now dead. The fool went off to attack the nine-tails by himself. Not the Empire's greatest decision, but I digress. I watched my exhausted friends talk to one another, with a regretful grin. I was glad to be their protector, and I was glad to have friends like them, but if they were to stay out of the way of the Raksaka, one of the Raksaka's spawns should certainly stay away from them. I missed them though, but I was proud to see them stronger. In the Exams, I would be forced to beat them, to beat them down as relentlessly as possible. For if they thought I hated them, perhaps they would grow to beat me into coming back. Only time would tell.

For now, however, I would stay on my quest for power. It was odd to think that a year ago I was flirting with girls obnoxiously by the river in Elkwood. Just a year ago I was begging the kage to give me tougher missions. Just a year ago I was still with my friends. I wrote down on a small piece of bamboo parchment the words, "He is dead. - Johnny" and then tied it to a kunai from the bag at my hip. I then used my unmatchable visuals, and arched the kunai through the air to land several feet away from Takoda and Hebi. They would surely see it. Before bounding away in the trees to head towards the kage tower, I would mutter under my breath,

"I'll see you again someday, my friends."

I was about to respond to Takoda until I felt a presence..as though we were being watched. I knew that Shiro could feel it as well but just by looking at him I could tell he noticed that it wasn't a hostile presence, and I felt it as well. It felt like more of a protecting presence than an enemy. I looked to Takoda with a look that asked if he felt it as well, although I'm sure he did. Shortly after the presence was felt a kunai landed in between us with a strip of paper tied to the end of it. What could it possibly say? I waited to see if Takoda was going to get it since it landed a little closer to him then I.

A kunai landed near me with a note attached, 'He is dead - Johnny', as I read it I was confused by what it could mean. I knew no one named Johnny but I had a feeling this message wasn't sent to me and Hebi by mistake and that our journey to the beast-men would be postponed for a while. I handed the note to my friend and looked around, a slight movement in the trees and I threw the knife back to its sender, those who carry messages of doom are often in need of their tools after all. I then looked to Hebi who would have read the note by now and spoke, "I think we should look more into this note for now, do you think there would be anything in the village archives? I know its a longshot to only have a name to go on but we may as well try right?"