for this mission i plan on bringing kazuya, jeiku, and fuya. they're all strong enough to handle themselves and i trust them enough as im able to trust anyone. im sitting on the edge of a cliff, a waterfall is to my side. i take my headband off and look at it. i dont deserve to call myself a leaf ninja. i toss the headband over the edge.
"what did you do that for" a young mayumi asks curiously
"its fun try it!" i throw another rock off the edge of the cliff, mayumi and i play up here a lot, its fun, i just turned 6 and mayumi is older by a few months.
"but what if we get in trouble ibuki" she says nervously
"ive seen the big kids throwing rocks off of here all the time, its a load of fun" i smile widely, im sure i look goofy with my missing front teeth, but they'll grow in soon
"oh ok if you say so" mayumi picks up a rock and hesitates before chucking it off the edge of the cliff, her face lights up and she excitedly picks up more rocks
"hey save some for me!"
tomorrow is our genin test, me and mayumi have been talking about it for years now, i just turned 12. we're up on the cliff and i watch as mayumi shows off her transformation jutsu
"here look at this one" she transforms into my dad, i laugh and she says mockingly "ibuki dont forget to do your chores, and stop running off to that cliff everyday and train! youre going to be man of the house someday!" im laughing and mayumi transforms back to herself laughing along with me.
i passed the genin test a few hours ago and now im sitting alone on the cliff, waiting for mayumi to show up.
"ibuki! hey im here" mayumi runs up to me and is holding something behind her back, "i have something to show you"
"oh yeah so do i"
"ok then on the count of three we'll show at the same time"
"ok" then in unison
"one, two, three" we both show our new headbands excitedly
"look what i did to mine" she flips the headband over and on the back embroidered into the cloth it says mayumi in red thread "i was late to get here because i wanted to do this before so i could show you"
im sitting alone on the edge of the cliff, mayumi wont show up today, or tomorrow, or ever. i didnt cry at her funeral, since her death i havent felt anything, i wish we had more time even one more day so i could have had a proper goodbye. i reach into my pocket and pull out a headband, it has a slight blood stain thats dried now, i flip the headband over and on the backside embroidered in red thread is one word, "mayumi"