A Shinobi Approaches

As predicted, Shiro still felt weak, he had lost blood and he needed food and sleep.
However, he was still too nervous to find rest. Instead he waited for Kai to reappear.
The medic had called him Kai... Shiro supposed it was safe to assume that this was the young man's name.

"So... here's where you live?", Shiro asked, looking around.
It was only a clearing, no house, no furniture.
It was probably not where Kai lived but where he left Shiro to sleep.
There was nothing more to expect, the boy guessed.
Shivering from the cold Shiro curled himself up like a cat.
He had used to do this whenever he had been forced to sleep on the streets.

Kai had returned with a victorious smile on his face, his feet and legs were completely soaked and he had a fish at the end of a makeshift spear made from a long tree branch, a kunai and some rope.

Kai began to roast the fish above the open flames.
"I hope fish is to your liking... It's all i've got."

Shiro blinked in surprise.
He had expected the boy to have... more. More than him. A home and stuff like that.
"So you actually do live here?", Shiro asked in surprise.
Sitting up he felt dizzy but ignored it.
"I won't eat much. And... and I'll pay! The way... the way I can, I mean. If you want it."
The boy felt insecure, he was not sure what to think of Kai.
Usually Shiro was a very distrustful person but he seemed to feel differently for this young man.
"Why don't you live in the village?", he asked curiously.

"I don't need payment." Kai looked up into the night sky... and then back down towards him
"and no I don't live here, I just like to be outside and free."

"I have a basic home, with a few supplies and a bed- But I don't need it, you can live off the land much more easily. Food can be found from rivers or the the forest, water is easy to come by and you can sleep standing up if you're tired enough"

Shiro nodded, he was too tired to think about it much.
"But it's cold. It's not safe", he mumbled, already dozing off.
He wanted to stay awake for the food but his body felt so heavy he was not sure whether he would make it.

Usually, Shiro stayed in larger cities where he got his food from stores.
He did not buy it of course, but steal it, which was easier when there were many people around. The boy had no clue how to survive out in the wilderness.

Kai sighed... It was painfully obvious that this person wouldn't survive another day alone, he was fatgiued, hungry recovering from injury, if someone was to attack him, he would die.

Knowing this Kai bounced around the edges of the clearing collecting fire wood for the fire, gathering an assortment of edible berries and mushrooms as well as spearing for fish in the nearby river. It was almost dawn by the time he had gathered enough supplies to feed 3 people.

The sun was rising and Kai was a little tired, however he wouldn't sleep, he couldnt trust him.

Shiro had finally lost the battle and fallen asleep.
As usually he was plagued by nightmares, strong enough to have him toss and turn and eventually moan in his sleep. However, he would not wake up from them until his own scream woke him up, muffled only by the jacket his head rested on.
His heart was racing when he sat up, not knowing where exactly he was until he noticed Kai.
"I'm... sorry...", Shiro mumbled, embarrassed that the other had seen him sleep restlessly like that. He felt less exhausted than the night before but even more hungry instead. Eyeing the food the young man had brought Shiro did not dare asking for it. It was not his. And he had nothing to give in exchange for it.
"Thank you for helping me, Kai-kun. I'm sorry I caused trouble."

"Hmph, Whatever." Kai shrugged, "That battle wasn't worth the chakra I used"
Kai stood up and dusted himself down and walked towards the ninja...
He bent over and picked up his Jacket and put it on.

"I've brought you food, if you're not going to eat, I'm going to throw it." Kai said.

Kai picked up his make-shift spear and stood over him, "If that's everything I'll be off."

Shiro nodded, relieved that he had food for at least the next few days. As long as it did not get mouldy. After that time... well he would just have to find someone else to help him or steal. As long as those men did not come back for him he was probably going to be fine.

"You... won't have anything of it?", Shiro asked, just to make sure he could have all of the food left. It was a lot more than he had hoped for. Moving his undernourished body closer to the flames to feel the heat, Shiro quickly grabbed some of the mushrooms, acting as though someone was going to take it away from him if he was not quick enough.

He did not need company, he lied to himself. Why would he need someone next to him? He could take care of himself... There was no use in trying to get this man to stay. Or was there? "Where... are you going?", Shiro asked, taking a quick look at Kai.

"Good question, where am I going... I suppose I'll explore, live off the land for a few weeks or so, and then head back to the village." Kai said. There wasn't much he could do, most of the village missions we're all D or E ranked missions and there were more Ninja than missions.

"If you can't fight for your own survival then you don't deserve to live."
Kai took a look back to the ninja...
"By the way it's polite to introduce yourself to someone you don't know"

"I can fight!", Shiro protested, glaring at the other.
Well, he did not have those super powers... but he had killed dozens of men.
The fifteen-year-old knew to fight. However, a starving dog does not bite half as hard as a well-nourished one.

Eating up the handful of mushrooms he held, Shiro got to his feet.
"I'm sorry. My name is Shiro. I don't have a surname", he introduced himself.
"And I can fight", he repeated fiercely.

"And I can sing. Just because you can fight doesn't mean you can fight well.
Nor did I dispute you can fight, I simply stated that if you can't survive on your own
you will die" This was a principle Kai could relate to, when his parents were killed
by rogue ninja in a forest, Kai was left to fend for himself in the harsh forest.

Kai looked back down at Shiro.
"Besides some kid like you, shouldnt you be doing missions for a village like a good boy?!"

"Missions?", Shiro asked. "What do you mean?"
He had never learned about shinobi, which was why he regarded whatever Kai had done last night something between a miracle and magic. To tell Kai that he was not a good boy at all was probably not a good idea.

"Do you do missions?", he added, curious about what Kai meant. "Do you get money for it? Or food?"

Kai sighed and facepalmed.
"Y'know missions, completing tasks to help your village, you get money in return for your help, Geeze kid I knew this when I was like 6 or something... How can you not know that..."

Kai was confused at his lack of knowledge... Were there others like him? Kai thought Shinobi's were universal and that everyone knew what they were and what they did.

"Pfft whatever, See you around Kid." Kai turned around and walked away.

Shiro pouted at him and turned around, collecting all the leftover food. He had nothing to wrap it up in so he decided to simply stay in this place. "If you need me, I'll be right here", he mumbled. If he took care of the fire, preventing it from going out, and if he collected berries and mushrooms from nearby, he could stay here as long as he wanted. At least that was what the boy planned on when he sat down close to the fire and started eating.

Kai didn't feel too bad leaving him on his own, after all He was left alone and he survived- no he thrived in that Jungle where his parents were killed! He ventured on, alone and unafraid... He knew if you had the willpower then you can do anything even if you have no skill in an area, you learn to survive.

Kai had made some distance between himself and the young ninja...
"Cruel world we live in..." Kai sighed...

It was only half a day later that the three men had reunited.
It took them a while to find Shiro but when they had made sure the boy was alone, they closed in on him while he was asleep to tie him up. When Shiro woke up from their touches, his hands were tightly tied, the end of the rope being pulled up over a tree branch until Shiro hung in mid air by his wrists. "Let me go!", the boy demanded, earning himself a fierce beating. Soon his wrists and shoulders hurt from the hanging position, the rest of his body was in pain from the men's actions. Now and again Shiro screamed for help, only to be beaten up once more.
None of the men knew how close the village was so they saw no reason to leave. However, when they heard steps, they ran for it, hiding nearby to come back as soon at it was safe. Shiro suspected this to be his only true chance and he started shouting for help again, hoping for the person to find and save him.

"Tch, this is getting a little tedious don't you think..." Kai sighed and shrugged...
"I don't see why you're hiding..." As he said this Kai threw his Kunai straight through the rope Shiro was hanging from.

Kai took a look around, and they didn't seem to want to come out...
"Pfft, Cowards... If it helps I don't have field advantage... there isn't any easy access to water so I can't use many of my moves..." Kai lectured.

When the rope was cut Shiro simply fell to the ground.
He could barely move and was afraid the men might come back.
There were worse things than beatings in for him if they found out someone had helped Shiro.

Slowly Shiro got up, moving towards Kai, who had saved him once more.
His stand was unsteady, when he had reached the boy, hiding behind him.
"I'm sorry... I always get into trouble", Shiro mumbled, wishing to get away from here.
Away from those men who were hiding somewhere to avoid the fight.

Kai sighed and shrugged... then let out a little chuckle, believing that he did it too often... He then turned his attentions to the surrounding ninja... "Guys we've done this before... and you didn't listen... So if you don't try and kill me now... then you'll die too easy."

Kai was confidently stood in the middle of the room he didn't have a trap or any tricks, he knew he could take this guys too easily to worry about what would happen.

Nobody moved. Even Shiro was listening for traitorous noises but the men kept hiding.
They were not stupid enough to risk being found.
Sitting down on the ground tiredly, Shiro waited for Kai to do something.

Kai stood there, he didn't know what to do... He couldn't leave Shiro in fear that he would be attacked again and he couldn't exactly tend to Shiro's wounds or he'd be attacked, the best thing to do, would be wait, wait until the men attack or flee.

Shiro heard footsteps and looked up, but they were not coming closer.
Obviously the men had decided to retreat, for now at least.
"They'll come back", Shiro sighed, resigned.
And if it was not them, someone else would soon come and find Shiro.
There was always someone to be afraid of.
It was so tiring...

"Hmph" Kai turned to Shiro "Why does everyone hate you..."
It was a question that Kai was pondering for a few days... It just didnt make sense as to why he was hated... Was he actually a high ranked missing shinobi?! No... He seemed to genuine to be hiding his strength.... Gah... What was it that made him so god damn hated?!

"I don't know", Shiro replied, not at all denying that everyone hated him.
After all that was what he had experienced all his life.
"Do you hate me?", he asked, curiously. It was better to know now than to find out later.