Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of Where We Come From

An Unexpected Return

A mailman was walking from one door to the other, dropping by packages and mail for the families to find once they wake. The elder had been doing this for many years, during the war, back when he was in his prime, he used to deliver mail not only in Konoha but also to other countries. 

Serving as a Courier Ninja was a difficult job, one had to travel through countries that may not have always had the best of relationships with his own, one had to worry both about their reception, village ninja on missions and rogue ninja at the same time. Needless to say that the man enjoyed the tranquility that the twilight of his years brought.

Something quite odd hit the man's eye once he passed the street to deliver a package to the house on the other side of the street to the one where he was. A young man walked past him, almost like ignoring him and just kept on walking. His facial features were barely visible but what little the courier's eye did catch reminded him more of a young boy than a seasoned warrior, yet this kid had an immense presence and not the best of feelings around him. 

He felt like bloody murder, just being around him creeped the old man out, as a man who served as Courier Ninja he had encountered many men with Killing Intent, this one's was nothing special, yet still surprising having the boy's early years in mind.

"Hey..." the courier tried to strike a conversation with the young man but the youth just kept walking quickly disappearing from the mailman's sight. It wasn't that big of a deal that this youngling was wandering the streets, after all, if he was inside the village walls that meant that he was let in. If the guards at the village gate found the youth trustworthy so should anyone inside the gate. 

Still, very few were outside at such a time, it may have been four or five in the morning and so only those who were obligated to be outside usually were. It was not some fear for the village's safety that intimidated the man, it was the oddity of the boy's presence that confused him a bit. Just minutes after encountering the young silver haired boy who seemed to have let his hair grow far too long for the man's tastes he forgot all about the youth and just continued his job.

"To Meiko Wakizashi at the Kirikuzu Workshop..." the old timer read the next letter's address. The last name of the young lady who was the receiver of the letter sounded quite fake. These kids and their silly youthful heads, full of air... Back in the mailman's days, the last name of a clan was something to be proud of, to wear like a badge of honor, these days kids just ditched this honor for some fake sounding made-up names like "Wakizashi"

"Was Meiko Katana or Meiko Buckler taken? If she were my kid, I'd smack her good, smack the dumb name right outta that brat..." the grumpy mailman kept talking to himself as he headed towards the Kirikuzu workshop. 

Talking to oneself may have seemed like an odd thing to do but it was how the man kept his sanity with him throughout the years of wandering the world during times of war. It was either talking to oneself or going mad from the combination of loneliness and fear that any small rodent below you could be a ninja disguised to catch you unprepared and steal all the mail, all the valuable information. The time of the old courier had long since passed.

*****

Mana tapped her foot impatiently by the Administration building. She informed Meiko by sending her a letter that the magician had finally done enough research about the Box of Ultimate Bliss to approach the Hokage with the information. The girl wanted to tell the Hokage about what she'd found out so that maybe the woman let the two of them out. 

Both of them could actually use this little field trip. Even if they didn't find anything, Mana could have used the company of a friend as quirky as she was, also she wanted to know just how much of her abilities still remained. If she was attacked by a simple rogue bandit outside the village walls, could she still defend herself? Was there still hope for Mana to return to normal life? Maybe somewhere down the line, she could still manage to do a mission or two even without her chakra control.