At Home
"Alright, mom. I'm all packed!" I call out to her, strapping my red backpack over my shoulders. y mother then walks into the room, smiling genuinely.
"Oh, Kimina. I just can't believe that your going to be leaving the village. I'm so proud of you. Do your best!" she walks up to me, giving me yet another bone-crushing hug.
'Yeah... and obviously scared to death for me,' I think half-heartedly. "Don't worry, mom. I'm going to be fine. Were going to be with Naria-sensei, and she's awesome!"
"Alright, sweetheart. I know. Just promise me you'll return, okay?" she asks unnerved.
I gasp silently at her words, remembering that she had asked the same thing to father.
Flashback
I was sitting on the bottom of the stairwell, pushing my black bangs from in front of my face; staring out at both mother and father standing at the front door.
'I can't believe he's leaving for some dum old mission. Why can't he just stay here with me and mom?' I question to myself, fighting back tears.
I see mother put her hands on father's broad shoulders, and smile earnestly up at his handsome face. She then brushes his untidy black hair from over his face and kisses him lightly on the lips.
"Please... promise me you'll return to us, okay?" I hear her say through sobs of tears.
"Of course, dear. I promise I will," he replies, his voice deep and his tone honest.
End of Flashback
But he didn't come back.
"Kimina... you alright?" I hear my mom ask, bringing me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah, I'm fine mom. Umm... I gotta go. Were supposed to meet our sensei in an hour. I'll see you soon," I tell her, giving her another hug and walking out of the room.
Lloyd's P.O.V
"So, I see that your ready to go," my dad, Ryo,says in his serious tone.
"Yeah... I am," I reply, a bit hesitant.
"Just make sure you don't mess anything up. Alright? This is your first time out of the village... so don't screw up your first mission. Remember everything I taught you," he tells me harshly.
"Right, dad. I won't disappoint you," I pronounce lowly.
"You better not," he states simply, his brown eyes glaring.
"Ummm... I'll see you mom," I call out, earning nothing in response.
"Your mother isn't here. She went to the store. Now, get going," he utters clearly, gesturing towards the door.
"Ummm... alright then. I'll... I'll see you," I lastly say, averting my father's gaze, and walking outside towards the front gate.
End of Lloyd's P.O.V
Rakuyo's P.O.V
I walk out into the front room, my backpack strapped loosely over my right shoulder. "Mom... mom," I utter her name softly, watching as she slept peacefully on the small brown leather sofa.
I scowl feebly, noticing the empty soda cans and plates of unfinished food lying around on the minature table set vertically to the sofa; and also all around the floor.
I glance back at my mother, anger subsiding into sympathy. I walk slowly over to her, and brush parts of her red-auburn hair from over her face.
"I'm going now, mom. Ummm... I'll see you when I get back," I say absent-mindedly, before making my way out the black wooden door out onto the small porch.
End of Rakuyo's P.O.V
"So, you guys are finally here!" Naria yells happily, as Lloyd, Rakuyo, and I walk over to her; the huge front gates lingering in the distance.
"Hmmm? Finally here? Were a bit early if you ask me," Lloyd exclaims, a little unenthused.
"Hahahah. Yeah, your right on time, actually! I was just kidding!" she exclaims merrily.
'Uhhh... okay. Man, if I hadn't witnessed the power that she possessed and didn't know that she was a jounin... I would've though she was an Academy student by the way she acted. But... she's way different from this when she's actually fighting,' Lloyd contemplates to himself, a cold shiver going down his spine at his sensei's sudden bubbleness.
"Heheh. Alright, let's go! I'm dying to see what's it's like outside the village!" I shout contently, throwing my fist in the air.
"Man, this is going to be a long mission," Lloyd sighs out miserably.
"What's the matter, Lloyd?" I ask with a playful smirk.
"Nothing. I'm fine," he replies smiling.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Can't cut going on a mission with two girls, huh?" I question, placing my hands on my hips.
"Naw... that's not it. It's just that I'm going on a mission with one: my jounin sensei who acts like a genin student excpet for when she's in battle. And two: my teammate who's gonna' talk and probably nag the whole way," he tells me simply.
"Hmph. Nag? Since when have I ever nagged?" I ask defensively.
"Never. I already know your not the type of person. I just like to mess with you! Now, come on! I can't wait to get out of here!" he declares with the same enthusiasm as me and Naria-sensei; mostly because he didn't want me to make a comment back.
"Alright, then. Let's go," Naria states, walking over to the front gates about less then ten yards away. I see her look over at a group of jounin who were standing under a small wooden shelter-looking thingy.
A young woman, with short purple hair and apparantly eatting dumplings, nods at the four of you. 'Anko,' I say to myself, oblivious that the gates before me swung open, and that my team was already walking through it.
"Hey, Kimina! You coming?" Lloyd pratically yells, gesturing me over to them.
"Oh, sorry about that. Guess I got side-tracked," I tell them, mentally relieved that they dropped it at that and continued on walking.
"Alright! Finally, out of that village! This is going to be awesome!" Lloyd pronounces excitedly.
"Yeah," Rakuyo says faintly, his gaze fixated on the setting sun.
"So, Naria-sensei? How long will it take for us to arrive at the Sand village?" I ask, trying to make a conversation.
"Hmmm? It shouldn't take that long. But seeing that it will be getting dark soon, we may have to prolong the mission and stay at the small village of Kombawa, which is about 200 yards from here. At this pace, we should make it there close before nighfall," she says earnestly, taking glances at my skeptical face.
"Sounds good to me!" Lloyd utters loudly, before I could even say anything.
"Hmph," I simply say, closing my eyes and smiling. 'Yeah, this is going to be a long mission.'
