As Shunsui sat for dinner, he ate his favorite dumplings along with all the younger kids at the table. The orphanage dining hall was noisy with chatter and laughter.
The matron had made extra dumplings tonight, knowing Shunsui liked them. He chewed happily, dipping each piece in sauce. The warm food and familiar faces made him feel a little lighter despite the dangerous mission waiting for him tomorrow.
He noticed some of the older kids passing each other knowing smiles and whispering. Shunsui wondered what they were up to. 'Are they planning a farewell party for me? Is there a surprise gift for their big brother?' The thought made him smile inside.
These children had become like a real family to him over the years. Even if he complained about the matron forcing him to become a shinobi, he cared about them deeply.
His thought process was interrupted as his stomach gave a loud grumble. Then he felt an intense urge to relieve himself. He immediately stood up, excused himself politely, and hurried to the washroom.
Once inside, he sat down and let out a long sigh of relief. "Hmm, why did I have to poo so much… was there something wrong with…" he mumbled, but stopped mid-sentence as he saw a wooden kunai aiming straight for his neck from behind the toilet seat.
Wooden kunai or not, he knew that if it hit him on the neck, it was going to hurt a lot. 'I can't jump or move. I still have not washed myself and I can still feel that I have to relieve myself more,' Shunsui thought in panic.
His body was stuck in an awkward position. Moving suddenly would be messy and embarrassing. He had no choice but to use his teeth to bite the incoming wooden kunai and hold it in place.
At the same time, he heard another sound of something hitting the water below as he relieved himself more.
He sat there, teeth clenched around the wooden kunai, eyes wide with a mix of annoyance and disbelief.
His face turned red from the effort of holding both the weapon and his dignity. This was not how he had imagined spending his last evening before a dangerous mission.
He then looked at the one who was holding the wooden kunai. "Iiikkaa… what. Did. You. Do?" Shunsui said, his voice low and dangerous as he stared at the tiny boy hiding behind the toilet.
"Awww, I almost had you this time!" Ika said with a proud grin, still holding the other end of the kunai. "I had cooked up such a brilliant plan. I poisoned your favorite dumplings and then placed myself behind the toilet where I knew you would be. I was confident that I was going to assassinate you this time!"
"You poisoned me…?!" Shunsui's face darkened as anger seeped into his voice. Ika recognized the danger immediately. The little boy let go of the wooden kunai and bolted out of the door like a rabbit.
"COME BACK HERE, IKA!!" Shunsui shouted, still stuck in his awkward position.
He could hear Ika's laughter echoing down the hallway. "Don't forget to wash your behind and then your hands, big brother Shunsui!" Ika's voice came back cheerfully.
Shunsui sat there for a moment, feeling a mix of fury and embarrassment. This was the price of teaching orphanage kids "shinobi skills" for fun. He had only himself to blame.
After finishing his business and cleaning up thoroughly, he washed his hands multiple times, muttering curses under his breath. The matron would hear about this later, but he knew she would just laugh.
Shunsui thought with a sigh, 'Whose brilliant idea was it to teach this kid about poisons? And who was that gave him a wooden kunai? Ah yes, mine! Stupid me. Let's hope that the academy does not make him more of a demon's child than he already is.'
---
The next day, he appeared at the training grounds where his teammates were already waiting for him, but Ino-Shika-Cho were yet to show up.
Shunsui walked over with dark circles under his eyes and a sunken, exhausted look on his face. He looked like he had not slept at all.
Genma noticed immediately and asked with concern, "You don't look good, Shunsui. Are you okay?"
Shunsui looked at Genma with grim, hollow eyes. His voice came out low and dark, almost whispering. "Beware of the food you eat. Beware of demon children. Be aware of teaching kids about shinobi things. Beware… beware…"
He kept repeating the words darkly, his voice carrying an eerie tone. His eyes seemed distant, as if he had seen something truly terrifying.
Genma took a small step back, feeling a chill run down his spine. Even Guy, who was usually the weirdest one on the team, looked puzzled and slightly scared.
Shunsui did not explain further. He just stood there, repeating his warning like a cursed mantra. Genma and Guy exchanged nervous glances.
Their sensei arrived with his former genin teammates a few minutes later. Choza looked energetic and ready. Shikaku walked with his usual tired expression, and Inoichi had a frown on his face.
"Good, you are all here," Choza said. "These here are…"
Shikaku interrupted smoothly, "We will introduce ourselves during the journey. Let's go."
And with that, they departed the village.
------Author Notes---------
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