Chapter 10 - Mysterious Quest, Meet again?

The boys eventually ran into a young man, or more like a kid, who looked a few years older than they were. He was walking a good bit ahead of them, prompting them to jog until they caught up with him.

The appearance of the three caused him to stare in their direction with curiosity.

"Excuse me, mister," said Ayumu, who was the first one to speak to the young fellow who could possibly be the help they needed. "Do you know where the stairs are for the ravine?" he asked, hopeful for an answer.

"Aren't you a little too young to be asking about that?" the boy questioned back, not immediately providing the information they sought.

Caught off guard by the questioning from the kid, Ayumu quickly came up with something to explain why they were there. "Well, you see, this is our first time coming to this side of the ravine," he said, trying to sound convincing.

It was a good excuse, designed to show that they weren't entirely unfamiliar with the area. This lowered the boy's guard, and he then said, "Well, I was headed up to the top. It would be no problem to show you the way."

With a sense of relief and excitement, the boys nodded eagerly, ready to follow their newfound guide. The young man turned and started leading the way, explaining a bit about the path as they walked. He pointed out some landmarks and offered tips on how to navigate the tricky parts of the trail. The boys listened attentively, grateful for his assistance.

Ayumu peeked at the boy's face indiscreetly from time to time.

'I've seen him somewhere' he pondering, not exactly putting his finger on where just yet.

Eventually, they arrived at the stairs leading out of the ravine. The young man paused and gestured toward them. "Here you go, we just have to follow these stairs, and you'll get to where you need to be," he said with a smile.

"Thank you so much!" Ayumu exclaimed. The other boys nodded in agreement, expressing their gratitude. They then started to climb the stairs.

Getting bored, Ayumu started a conversation. "So, what are you up here for?" he asked hesitantly, trying to be mindful not wanted to intrude on the strangers privacy.

The young man chuckled softly before responding, "I'm actually looking for certain poisons. I skipped the academy just for this."

Ayumu's eyes widened in surprise. "You're looking for poisons? Why?"

The young man shrugged. "I want to use them for my weapons, or more specifically, my puppet weapons," he explained matter-of-factly.

Kenji, who had been quietly listening, nodded in understanding. "That's pretty cool. I've been reading up on poison and stuff too," he said, feeling a connection with their guide, puppetry and poisons something he wanted to get into. Finding a like minded person, Kenji continued to barrage him with questions about puppets for the rest of the trip up, with Taro and Ayumu occasionally asking a question as well.

They eventually made it to the top of the ravine, or at least to where they needed to be, since the ravine had around three layers and this was the part they wanted to reach.

"I guess this is where we split," said the stranger, pausing for a moment before continuing, "Oh, what are you up here for?" It was now his turn to ask them a question.

"We're actually looking for a flower," Ayumu answered, glancing around the area as if expecting to find it nearby.

"A flower, huh? I guess we're here for a similar reason," he replied with a hint of curiosity. "Well, since this is your first time, you might want to look near the water, the natural springs."

"Will do," Ayumu responded, looking at the boy with a smile. He then turned to his friends. "Are you guys ready to start looking?" he asked.

His friends nodded, and Ayumu turned back to the boy. "Thanks again for your help," he said, starting to walk away.

After a few steps, Ayumu hesitated and then looked back at the boy. "I feel like I've met you before," he called out. "Your name is Shino, right?" He trailed off, unsure about his guess. This had been bugging him since earlier when he was peeking at the stranger's face.

The stranger, now Shino, caught off guard, blurted out, "How'd you know my name?" with a confused look on his face, as he didn't recall ever meeting the kid in front of him.

Seeing Shino's confusion, Ayumu hastily tried to explain. "A few months back, I attended the Shuriken Jutsu Competition, and you were the person my brother lost to," he said, rushing his words.

Shino started pondering, trying to remember who matched Ayumu's face. Hand on chin, deep in thought, his eyes eventually lit up, and he said, "Is your brother Shin?"

Ayumu nodded enthusiastically, relieved that Shino remembered. "Yes, he lost to you in the semi-finals."

Shino's expression softened, and a small smile appeared on his face. "I remember Shin now. I almost lost to him that round."

"He's gotten a lot better ever since," Ayumu then shamelessly volunteered his brother. "Maybe you could train together. You should find him at the academy; he's in year 2."

Shino nodded thoughtfully. "That sounds like a good idea."

Ayumu then remembered his original mission and turned back to his friends, who had been waiting patiently.

"Well, I guess we should get going. We're on a mission to find a special flower for a friend's birthday," Ayumu explained, sharing more this time due to being more familiar with Shino.

Shino raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "A special flower? What kind of flower are you looking for?"

Ayumu explained, "We heard it's called the Hana flower, and we thought it would make a perfect gift for one of our friends."

Shino nodded in understanding. "That sounds like a thoughtful gift. I wish you luck in finding it. Be careful, especially since you can run into wild beasts," he alerted the kids.

With that, Ayumu waved goodbye to Shino and leaving with his friends.