. . .
In a classroom, a man was lecturing onto the kids who sat down on their chairs. His figure slightly silhouetted by the warm rays of sunlight streaming in through the high windows.
The students, a diverse group of young Shinobi in training, sat neatly in rows, their gazes fixed. Some attentively and others sleepily stared at the man who was preparing to give his final note for the day.
Toka, the instructor, cleared his throat, the subtle sound immediately drawing the attention of the class. He stepped forward, the wooden floor creaking slightly beneath his sandals as he stood behind the podium. He placed both hands on either side of it and looked around the room, his sharp eyes scanning each student in turn.
. . .
"Before we end the day off, I have one more thing I want to teach you all."
Toka reached into the deep inner pocket of his flak jacket and slowly pulled out what appeared to be a plain, black notebook. Its worn corners hinted that it had been carried for a long time.
He spoke as he held the book up. "Does anybody know what this is?"
A few heads tilted, brows furrowed in thought. Then, from back row of the room, a familiar voice called out.
Obito, who was surprisingly present today, lazily raised a hand.
"A book?" he said.
Toka's left eye twitched ever so slightly. He gave a strained smile. "Yes, but what is it specifically?"
. . .
Asuma who seemed to recognize the object raised his hand.
"A bingo book?"
"Correct, Asuma. This," he said, lifting the book a little higher, "is a Bingo Book."
He held it up and opened it to show the contents inside. "A bingo book is used by Shinobi and is useful in the fact that it allows them to know another Shinobi's basic abilities, masteries, and techniques."
"Does anybody know why its useful to know this information?" Toka asked.
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Kurenai raised her hand. "When we are out on the field, and confront an enemy ninja, we can use the Bingo book to know who they are and how we can correctly fight them."
Hearing the young girl, Toka smiled and nodded. "Correct Kurenai. Imagine you are on the field and confront a seemingly unknown person. You have no idea who they are and what they are capable of. That's why it is essential to read the Bingo book to prepare for any possible enemy you may encounter.
Toka then glared at Obito. "Thats why it is important to memorize this information BEFORE you encounter an enemy. You can not pull the book out during a fight and try to search for the enemy's information."
Anko raised her hand. "But Toka-sensei. What if the enemy has a transformation jutsu on?"
Toka smiled and looked at Anko. "Good question Anko! If the enemy shinobi has a disguise on, you can still recognize their identity if they showcase their abilities during a fight. After all, every shinobi has a unique way of fighting in combat."
. . .
After a while, Toka then addressed the class one more time. "Now final question! Why can't we rely on the bingo book?"
A hand raised itself in the back of the classroom.
"Ah Amon! Please answer."
Lumian sat back in his chair, a calm expression on his face. His palm supported the side of his cheek as he leaned against the desk, appearing more like a philosopher than a student in a classroom. He let the moment linger for just a second before speaking.
"The book is incomplete."
. . .
Toka smiled and nodded. "Correct! The book is incomplete because it doesn't label every detail of a Shinobi's abilities. Some Shinobi's abilities in the Bingo book are still relatively unknown."
"For example....." Toka said as he started flipping through the pages and showed what was on it.
The figure in the image of the page had long, shaggy, straw-blond hair and his face was concealed by a white, porcelain Anbu mask. He was extremely thin in appearance.
"This is Kushimaru Kuriare. He's one of the Seven ninja swordsmen of the mist and wields one of the Seven swords.... It is unknown what his abilities are..... as each of the seven ninjas of the mist have their abilities tightly guarded..... The only thing we know about this specific ninja is that the blade he wields is a long sword."
Then, with a casual motion, Toka flipped through several pages of the Bingo Book. The soft rustle of paper filled the room. When he stopped, he held the book open and lifted it for the class to see.
Several students recoiled in their seats, their eyes widening in horror. One of the younger ones in the front audibly gasped and turned away, shielding her face with her hand.
In the back of the classroom, Lumian's dark eyes narrowed as his gaze locked onto the page.
. . .
The figure had long white hair. However what was most prominent was his face. He had covered it with a mask..... A mask of black lacquered wood carved to resemble the face of a ferocious demon. Its teeth bared with four fangs protruding from its mouth. There were three twisted horns rising from it like a crown. Inside the black chasm of its eyes was nothing but pure darkness.
. . .
"This is Asashi Kurama...."
. . .
"A few years ago..." Toka continued, his tone slow and deliberate, "He betrayed the Kurama clan. One night, without warning, he vanished... but not before stealing an ancestral heirloom."
"Its said he stole a keepsake passed down through their family for generations. No one knows how he bypassed the seals guarding it. No one even knew he had left, until the bodies were found..... Of all the figures in the bingo book, he is one of the few rogue ninjas whose abilities are relatively unknown...."
As Lumian looked at the book, the eyes on the page seemed to grow darker.
. . .
After a moment, Toka closed the book and addressed the classroom who was still in a daze.
"Thats it for today!! For homework, I want you to write me an essay on the important uses of the Bingo book and how they are useful to everyday Shinobi!!"
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"Hey Amon!"
Lumian turned at the sound of the familiar voice just as he stepped out into the open road outside the Academy entrance.
The sun was beginning to dip behind the rooftops, casting long shadows across the stone pathway. A breeze picked up, rustling the nearby trees and carrying with it the faint sounds of students chatting and laughing as they left the building.
Obito came jogging up from behind, his signature orange goggles bouncing slightly with each step. His usual grin was plastered across his face, brimming with his usual chaotic energy.
"Want to hang out??? The rest of our classmates are going to go out to eat together!!!"
Lumian gave a warm smile but shook his head politely. "Sorry, Obito… I promised Audrey I'd meet up with her today."
Obito's smile wavered slightly into a puzzled frown. "Who's Audrey?" he asked, tilting his head.
Lumian raised his eyebrow in realization as he realized that Obito had never met Audrey.
. . .
"She's a nurse I recently became friends with," Lumian explained after a beat. "A Genin. She helped patch me up after my caravan got ambushed a few weeks ago."
Obito's eyes widened, his mouth falling slightly open before shifting into a grin full of mischief. He elbowed Lumian lightly in the ribs.
"Ohhh? So... is she your girlfriend?" he teased, wiggling his eyebrows like he'd just uncovered some grand secret.
Lumian sighed upon hearing Obito's childish teasing. "Really, Obito?" he said flatly. "Just because she happens to be a girl doesn't mean there's anything romantic going on between us. If that's your logic, then I guess Rin is your girlfriend, huh?"
Obito's face instantly turned a bright shade of red. "W-What? No!" he stammered, waving his arms wildly. She's my best friend! She is cute...and she is pretty and ummm-"
. . .
Lumian put his hand up. "I'm going to stop you right there bro....."
. . .
Lumian glanced up at the sky. The sun was lower now, streaks of orange and purple beginning to color the horizon. "I'm going to be late at this rate…"
He turned back to Obito. "Sorry, man. Gotta run. Tell the others I can't come."
Lumian then ran off as he left Obito in a blushing mess.
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Lumian ran as he turned a corner and darted into the forest.
He paused and then veered right.
Then a left.
Then a right.
Then a right.
Then a left.
Then a righ-
Lumian stopped and looked around.
The trees stretched high above, their branches clawing at the darkening sky. Shadows pooled around the trunks, deepening with each passing second.
He was lost....
Lumian sighed as he saw the sun dropping deeper and deeper into the horizon.
At this rate, Lumian might not even make it there until midnight....
. . .
Suddenly, he grinned.
His eyes flicked to a crooked stick half-buried in the underbrush, just to his right.
He picked it up and set it upright on a 90 degree angle perpendicular to the ground.
Afterwards he thought repeatedly in his mind. "Audrey's location... Audrey's location...."
The stick hovered, balanced for a moment as if suspended by an unseen force.
Then it fell.
Left.
That's right. Lumian was using one of the divination methods of a Seer.
Dowsing.
He snatched the stick back up, shifted a few steps to his left, and repeated the process. Every thirty steps, he dowsed again. The stick became his compass, his guide in the deepening forest. He picked up his pace as to not waste too much time moving slowly.
"Zoro's got nothing on me…" he muttered with a smirk, eyes gleaming with mischief.
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Finally he arrived in front of a clearing as the sun turned the sky a bleeding orange and crimson color into the horizon.
There he saw a woman who had her hands on her hip as she was visibly fuming.
"Your late!"
Lumian laughed as he walked up to Audrey. He had already tossed the stick back into the forest beforehand.
"Sorry I got lost."
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In heaven and Earth I alone am Google Maps.
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