Chapter 5 - Break

Kermit had his hands on his knees as he was breathing heavily.

"Hold on a minute, let's take a break!"

Kermit pleaded with Yuri and Mishimoto as he could barely stay standing. These two were moving at such a pace that Kermit needed to run just to keep up. Sure he was small, but that did not mean he should not be able to keep up with them.

It took him four steps to match one of theirs. That is how fast they were moving, or at least that's how he saw it.

"We are already going slow enough. If we want to be back before nightfall we need to keep this up."

Yuri declined his request.

"Let's take a small break. There's no harm in doing so."

Mishimoto leaned more towards his brother's side than hers. He had to admit that she was moving at a pace that a young child would find hard to match.

"You are too soft on him. This is nothing compared to what we went through."

"That is different, and we are not at war."

Mishimoto shook his head.

"What are you two talking about?"

Kermit asked the two of them wondering what was going on. What did they go through? He was curious.

"When we were around your age we both stepped onto the battlefield to help our clan. There was no time for rest, no time for relaxation. I couldn't even sleep for more than two consecutive hours a night."

Yuri replied.

"It was not as bad as you are making it seem."

Mishimoto added.

Yuri was creating this illusion that they had no breaks at all, which, was not true. He should know as he was with her during one of her first outings. That is where the two of them actually 'met'. Mishimoto knew of her before because they were in the same clan, but he never really interacted with her. It was not until then did the two of them associate with each other.

"It really is."

Yuri refused to budge from her view on how awful it was.

To her that time was dreadful, and even now she still had nightmares about it. Till this day she could never get a full night's rest. Always alert, always ready. That was how her body was programed, she did not imagine living another way.

"Don't you recall the third day when we were traveling across Ukato bridge? Cousin Yuto was sick and was told to stay behind, us two being the youngest stayed with him. We just had to stay out of sight until he recovered enough strength to continue."

Yuri snorted.

"I remember that day as if it were yesterday. And from what I recall it was terrible. He was throwing up everywhere and couldn't even walk straight. We had to move him from the open path into a cave."

Mishimoto who rarely showed any facial expression smiled and laughed.

"Yeah! Then we had to hunt for food just the two of us and you almost got caught by that tiger."

"I was luring it! You just did not pick up on the cues I was throwing your way."

Mishimoto laughed harder.

"Yeah right. 'Cues' you say. I just remember you running my way shouting 'Help me, idiot!'"

"Exactly! I only said that because you weren't moving at all! Now that we are talking about it, were you actually going to let me handle that tiger on my own?"

Mishimoto looked away for a moment, but no words came out of his mouth.

He did not need to say a word, Yuri completely understood. He was going to let her deal with it by herself.

She wanted to get upset at him, but she couldn't. One reason being she couldn't blame him, that tiger was huge. Was the main reason she ran away from it after it caught sight of her. The second reason being it was such a long time ago that it was not even worth getting angry.

This was just something they could think back on and laugh about.

"Wow, you two sure are something."

Kermit who was listening to the both of them go back and forth spoke up.

The two of them seemed to get along just fine, even if it did not show on the outside. Truthfully, Kermit assumed his older brother had one expression, but now he saw that was not the case. Maybe it was just how he wanted to be perceived. After all, he was living the life of a shinobi way before he came here.

Kermit could not even imagine the things they saw or what they've done. Seeing death changes a person, especially when it happens right in front of you. Kermit should know that, as he experienced it first hand.

Before he crossed over into this world he saw someone die. Although it wasn't the kind of death these two experienced, death is death.

He could still recall that day now. Sitting down next to his aunt who laid on her hospital bed. Talking to her about his life, what he wanted to do in the future. He could still see it, her smile and soft-spoken voice as she responded to him.

The doctors told them she did not have long to live, but Kermit never believed it would be that short. From a moment of smiles and chats to a moment of silence. He was right by her side when she died, and that was not something he would ever forget.

"What do you mean?"

Mishimoto asked.

Kermit shook his head and smiled, taking a note from his older brother.

"Nothing, never mind."

"Have you caught your breath yet?"

Yuri asked Kermit a few seconds later.

"Oh yeah, I'm ready to go."