*Clap Clap Clap*
We hear the slow deliberate clapping of a figure from behind a boulder, as he walks in an opposite rhythm. With it being the eerie figure, we believed to be dead. The spikey haired Iwa Jonin. With the same mocking smile of the man returns.
"How!?" says both me and Machi
"How did you escape that attack, I made sure to cover your hands so you wouldn't be able to make hand signs." Machi yells hysterically
He points back to the place we believe him to be dead, we're confused at it until we notice a pile of dried-up dirt. Both of our faces widen as we both came to the realization. "Mud clone!?" We both shout.
Machi stops her right foot in frustration. "But that still doesn't explain the hand signs." As she's not able to understand.
"Machi! He made a mud clone with no hand signs, no wonder he's a Jonin." With me trying to pull her together to stay calm.
"Well, I guess Konoha really is favored by the heavens as even their Genin have some of talent. But too bad you'll never grow past this point." With his face turning from playful to deadly serious.
Before they could react, he struck. A single well-placed spartan kick, the kunoichi gasped as there is now an indebt in her stomach, with her coughing up blood. As the kick sends Machi flying, going through a tree.
'This left me the last one standing. ' I can't help but think.
I reached for a smoke bomb and tossed it to the ground, vanishing into the smoke, covering the entire area. My breath steadied. I have one chance—one strike to turn the tide. Silently, I crept behind him, kunai poised for a precise strike.
But as I lunged, the ground beneath me shifted.
"Earth Style: Swamp Pit."
The earth turned to sludge beneath my feet, trapping me in place. I struggled, but the more I did moved, the deeper I sank. "Well, this is it for you, see ya in hell brat!" Says the man.
Explosion Release: Great Annihilation! A violently wave explodes right for me, with it able to travel a length of 50 meters and being as wide as 20. With enough force and power to incinerate a large area around it. Looking at it I close my eyes awaiting my death.
But it never came as looking in front of me was none other than the face of Machi. Her hands to the side, arm as wide as possible. Hair burnt, fingers missing from the explosion, with it looking like the scene were Piccolo shielded Gohan. As her back shielded all of the explosion from me, with it looking she went through a cheese grader.
Judai's voice is shaky as his face goes wide, with him only able to utter one response. "Why?"
Machi weakly laughs, coughing a fountain of blood "Why? Huh... A girl gives her life up to save you and this is all you have to say?"
I grit my teeth, "You didn't have to! You—"
Cutting me off she responds, "I don't know, my body just moved on its own, Shithead." Machi's voice begins to falter, but she closes her eyes and forces a smile "But if I had to say... it's because you're my best friend."
The air becomes cold in the moment, as if I was splash with a bucket of cold water, choking back my emotions I ask, "Best friends?"
*Flashback Machi Pov*
A six-year-old Machi was walking home from the academy when a group of boys call out to her. "Yo Pickle Plum where ya going" With them saying this in a mocking tone.
The village square bustles with merchants and chatter, but in one dusty alleyway, a small group of kids gathered, their voices filled with cruel amusement. In the center of them, a girl stands alone—her fists clenched at her sides, her head bowed slightly as she endures their taunts.
Bully #1 snickers to himself, "Look at her hair! Bet her parents dunked her in paint before they threw her out."
Bully #2 says "Nah, she's just cursed, heard her village got burnt down. That's why she talks funny too!" Making the boys burst into another fit of laughter.
Bully #3 grins to himself with a mocking smile "I heard foreigners eat bugs and dirt. Is that why you always look hungry?"
The girl's face burns crimson, but she refuses to cry. She won't give them the satisfaction. Her family just escaped from a bandit attack and fled to the land of fire. They managed to migrate to the safest part, Konoha, a village that has never faced an attack before.
The background checks were extensive, with my family managing to squeeze in because her father was a excellent merchant who could set up a trading company. The hardest part of her life is migrating into Konoha as the population is known for being xenophobic. Some people manage to avoid it as they have body features that let them blend in. But for my family its obvious as our eyes and hair are clear signs of us being foreigners as my family is originally from the coast.
The military police constantly checks my father's business to make sure he isn't a spy of another country, which only heightens the scrutiny we face from the villagers. The people outside the wall would tell me stories about how great Konoha is, and how the people are so nice. So what is this. I didn't do anything to these boys but they keep bothering me every day. I don't know how much I can take it. If I hit them what are those scary ninjas gonna do to us?
Bully #1 "Maybe if we cut off all her hair, she won't look like such a freak anymore!"
The boy walks further reaching to grab a piece of her hair when a Kunai passes by his face.
The boy falls, landing on his butt.
"Wow. I knew idiots could talk, but I didn't think they'd be this boring to watch."
The group startles, turning toward the voice. There, leaning against a wooden post with his arms crossed, stands a boy they recognize from class, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips.
Bully #2 regains his confidence when he looks at the boy as he's like them and is at the bottom of the class. "Oh, great. And what do you want?"
Judai pushes himself off the post, dusting off his clothes as he makes his way over to them. "I was just wondering if all of you share one brain cell, or if you take turns using it. As it feels like you guys all eat fruit from the same tree."
All of the kids blink owlishly at his comments, all letting out a collective "Huh?"
Judai grins placing his elbow on one of the boy's shoulders, with his other hand out as if he's explaining something to a class. "I mean, this is the best you've got? Hair jokes? Foreign jokes? You're not even trying. If you're gonna be little pests, at least be original."
The bullies hesitate, glancing at each other. The girl watches, wide-eyed.
Judai puts his hand to his chin as if he's thinking "Though I guess I shouldn't expect much. It's not like brains grow on trees, and if they did, it would be sold out by the time you wanted some, how unlucky." Judai pats one of the boys shoulders, with him shaking his head like the world truly wronged them of some clear injustice.
Upon registering what Judai said one of the boy's faces turns crimson, stepping forward to teach I'm a lesson.
I don't know if you know this but the other day during kunai practice I took your shirt and left it outside by accident. Then some birds pooped on it, right about there. With Judai raising his arm to point at the boys arm pit. Now your armpit smells like bird doo doo. But I guess you didn't notice because you already smell like shit. Honestly you're the last person to be talking about someone smelling bad. Coz you look dusty.
"Now you!" Pointing to another boy, "ain't this you." Judai pulls out a picture of the second bully from his pocket. "Remember the time when you tried cutting your hair then went to school. How do you go out the house looking like this, and have the nerve to make fun of her, boy I can still see the patches in your hair."
Finally, he turns to the last boy, with the boy getting nervous. You the last person to be talking, I heard your mom moaning the other day, because she saw your report card. I'm looking at a walking failure who's failing each subject, so that's why you try and joke in class. Then he looks to the girl and says, don't worry about these guys they won't be in class next year coz they're gonna fail. You have no sense of reality, I like how your taunts are all deficiencies you have.
At the same time both Judai and the boy look at each other and say, "You—!"
Judai raises a hand, feigning surprise, "Whoa, careful now. You almost had a comeback there. You might strain something."
The other bullies snicker—not at the girl this time, but at their own leader. The boy scowls, with his fists tightening so hard he almost draws blood.
Bully #3 clicks his tongue "Tch. Whatever. She's not worth it anyway." Walking away, with his no named friends telling them it isn't over, running off as their pride was wounded.
Judai turns to the girl, with his hands in his pockets, asking, "You, okay?"
Machi blinks, then nods, before quickly looking away with a tent of red seen on her face as the girl is slightly embarrassed "I… I didn't need help."
Judai blinks then says "Oh, sure sure whatever you saw, if they cause trouble for you again just ask sensei if you could face them during taijutsu class and beat their ass black and blue until they cry. But I figured watching their tiny brains overheat would be fun."
For the first time coming here I smiled—small, but real.
"...Thanks." And from that moment on, she wasn't alone anymore.
*Flashback End*
**Back in the present**
As she continues, he struggles to get out the jutsu to reach her.
"I remember...""When I first got to the village... the kids made fun of me. My hair was weird, the people suspect my parents were spy's, they made fun of the way I spoke—everything about me screamed 'foreigner.'"
Machi smiles weakly at him and continues "But you? You stood up for me. You made those bullies run with their tails between their legs. And after that... you made life fun."
Judai's voice breaks with his head shaking. "Then stay. Please."
A fountain of tears rolls down her cheeks, "I wish I could. But... at least I got to be your friend until the end."
The boys whole-body tenses, jaw clenched as tears spill over. "No... No, you're not—this isn't—!"
Machi's breathing hitches, with her strength leaving her body, "Hey... don't cry, Shithead. You'll ruin your lazy guy act..." With her having a final chuckle.
"Sayōnara"
Her smile lingers for a moment before her body gives out, falling face first in the dirt, eyes flutter shut, but a smile still on her face. Judai sees this and tries to reach her to catch her body but he's unable to. All he can do is look at her lifeless body and cry.
The Jonin walks over to them, after seeing that their moment is over, he stops. Bearly being past her head, he faces her with an amused face.
"Not bad," he admitted. "I was prepared to save you for last, girlie, but you went ahead and killed yourself," as the man laughed. Then he stops to get serious. "Jokes aside you have my respect; you were a shinobi who did your best to protect a comrade.
"As for you" The Jonin turns to address the boy in front of him still trapped in his jutsu.
"Your pathetic," With the man Kicking the boy's face
'The kick felt like a brick hit me.' Judai thinks
"She gave her life to save you and you're crying and not even trying to escape."
He kicks Judai's face again. With the man speeding up his assault, by the third kick I go numb as my brain shut down. After 20 more kicks the man says he's done and swiftly strike my neck with a kunai, letting me choke on my own blood. As darkness consumes my vision.