Jaden's Nindo: A Medic's Story

Jaden walked alongside Bale, alert for any danger in the forest. Vera quietly followed her master down the path. Jaden relished in the quietness of the forest, its serene setting soothed her but she couldn't allow her senses to be placated by the dense woods. She was after all an ex-ANBU with a somewhat unsavory rapor with the ninjas in this area.1


Bale, a nin-dog, alerted Jaden to a presence behind them, his huge body stiffened as he prepared to encounted this would-be enemy. 2


"I know, Bale. Calm down we can't afford to go attacking people when they may mean us no harm," Jaden said, soothing her ferocious friend with a pat on the head. A low rumbling growl was all she got in return. Jaden sighed and turned to her apprentice, Vera, who nodded, acknowledging that she too felt the human presence that seemed to be following them. 3


Jaden smiled, the young girl, only fifeteen, had improved quite a bit in the last year. Six months ago Vera wouldn't have noticed the man following them until it was too late to do anything. 4


Vera's sharp eyes silently questioned her master as to what they should do about the man. 5


Jaden answered he unspoken question,"Be calm, Vera. As I told Bale we aren't going to attack anyone until we know whether or not he means us any harm."6


'Always the diplomat,' thought Vera. Her master was a twenty-four year old former ANBU black ops, she was strong enough to deal with the man in an instance just on a whim, but Vera knew Jaden would never do something so rash, not until the target's intensions were confirmed.7


"Its not like we can't patch him up if we attack unjustified," Vera said quietly. 8


"Vera!" cam the harsh, reprimanding voice of Jaden,"I am not training you in the medical arts just so you can patch up anyone you attack unwarrented!" 9


"Sorry, Master. It was just a thought."10


"Well, banish it from your mind, girl. It was intensely ridiculous for you to think it let alone utter it aloud," Jaden whispered vehemently. Vera answered her with a short bow and fell in step just off to the side of her master determined not to make a fool of herself if a battle with the man did ensue.11

12

After a moment of walking, Vera stopped. Suddenly anxious to prove to her master she was ready for anything. Vera turned to face the man.13


"Are you following us?" came her blatant question.14


With a sigh Jaden signaled Bale to stop and she turned to face her foolish apprentice. 'Stupid child', she thought.15


The man at this time had continued walking toward them stopping about ten yards away from the group. He smiled in response to Vera's question.16


Jaden put a hand on Vera's shoulder pulling Vera behind her as she and Bale stepped forward to question the man.17


"I apologize if my apprentice offended you with her shameful rudeness," Jaden said eyeing Vera coldly. Vera bowed her head, knowing her act had been stupid and that she would be punished for it after all was said and done. Her master had never approved of such rash tactics.18


"But her question warrants an answer, sir." Jaden stated delicately.19


"If I were following you, what would you do, young Jaden?" asked the man.20


His voice shocked Vera, it was rough and worn from use to be sure. But the voice had a passion and strength behind it. Vera knew this man was not to be taken lightly.21


"Do you know me, old man?" Jaden's temper flaring at having such an obvious stranger address her in a flagrantly familiar way. Bale bristled up next to her, feeling Jaden's frustrations.22


"Come now, Jaden," the man started quitely, "of course I don't expect you to know me but you should know my employer, Paku."23


Jaden's face drained of all its color and Bale bristled next to her a frightening feral snarl coming out as he bared his teeth at the strange man.24


Vera was confused by her master's response to the man, she was as white as a ghost and loked about to faint, in fact, Jaden had an arm on Bale using his immense size to support herself.25


Vera didn't know what was going on specifically but she did know if the man attacked Jaden would be in no condition to defend herself. She pulled out a kunai and jumped in front of her master, taking a defensive stance.26


While Vera was protecting them, Bale was urging Jaden to stay on her feet, and with his grunts and whines he asked her repeatedly if she wished to flee the scene. Jaden just stared at the man, unable to comprehend his words, slowly a realization worked its way out of her.27


"You are lying, I saw that traitor die myself." Jaden spoke, her voice was vicious but there was a hint of pleading and Vera heard it.28


"Master, who is Paku? And this man, do we fight, Master?" Vera's voice was almost anxious, anticipating a fight, her need to prove herself was obvious.29


Jaden quickly recovered now, her conviction that the man was lying becoming stronger, she stood straight and placed a hand on Vera's shoulder.30


"He's lying Vera and we are leaving," Jaden proclaimed with a strong voice.31


"Yes, master," replied Vera automatically coming out of her stance and getting ready to flee.32


"I am not lying, Paku is alive and he will contact you personally very soon young Jaden," the man said just loud enough for them to hear.33


Bale howled furiously, his snarl and bared teeth were certainly a sight to behold and then fear. Vera had never seen Bale so angry, not even when Jaden was injured in battle, nothing Vera had seen could compare to the bristling, snarling, enormous statue of fury standing before her. Bale was ready to attack and from his reaction, Vera could tell how badly the words of the man were affecting her master. There was only one thing that she could think of that would ever make Bale act this way; Jaden was in pain, great emotional agony.34


Both Jaden and Bale jumped at the same time, Jaden pulled a scroll out of er pocket and formed the hand signs to send a string of kunai and shuriken towards the man. Bale bounded forward right behind the onslaught of weapons, he was prepared to be the second was of attack, to rip the man limb from limb.35


But suddenly the man formed a few, extremely fast hand signs and disappeared. The kunai and shuriken flew into the trees and ground where the man had stood only a split second before. Bale cam to a halt still in attack mode in case the man reappeared.36


Jaden put her scroll away and swore loudly, "DAMN SHADOW CLONE!!!!" more quietly she addressed Bale, "Easy that guys long gone by now," she turned around and walked to Vera.37


Vear was in a fighting stance, kunai out in one hand while the other hand had chakra running through it...a scapel designed to cut internally from the outside without leaving a visible mark...her medical jutsu. Vera was ready to fight but she wasn't silly enough to charge head on before her master, she was the backup in case someting went wrong. Vera released her stance when the man's clone vanished and her master confirmed that he had indeed left the area.38


"Vera!!!" came her master's call. Vera rushed over," Yes, master?"39


"You are a foolish, foolish, idiotic child!!" Jaden said in a rushed voice," Your punishment will be decided later but for now we head to Konoha."40


"Konoha, master? I thought you hated that village." Vera asked cautiously.41

"Rather or not I like the village does not have anything to do with this situation. I am a Konoha ninja, even though I refuse to do missions, it is still my duty to inform the Hokage of this possible breach in security." Jaden explained in a quick voice, getting frustrated by her apprentice's insubordination.42


Bale grunted in agreement. But Vera continued with her beratement of questions:43


"Master, you left Konoha, it isn't your duty to do anything now. And why should you, who is this Paku man and what do you know of him?" seeing her master's locked jaw and Bale's practically gleeful face, he loved it when Vera got in trouble or stepped over some invisible line, Vera stopped speaking and did a short bow. Under her breath she said," I'm sorry for my foolishness, Master. But I believe I have a right to know."44


Jaden's stiff face, softened a little," You do have a right to know but we don't have time now. You can listen to my explanation to the Hokage. We have wasted to much time already. Come quickly, now!" she said.45


The three of them jumped into the treetops going south towards the village of Konoha. 'A three day journey to the Hokage's mansion and an answer to this mystery.' thought Jaden.