Red Riot - Chapter 35.5 - Interlude - A noble priestess

Padme Dendenrashi:- Priestess who has a fetish for violence, specifically watching others fight. Her daddy’s rich, sadly and indulges her whims/budget. Was present for Matsu’s fight against Shibito

Shibito: - Iwa shinobi that is involved in hunting groups of Kiri patrols. Encountered Matsu. Currently TK Jonin ranked. (Canonically supposed to die to Minato)

Ameyuri Ringo (the eighteenth) - the current wielder of the Kiba Blades. Short and aggressive! Family has a tradition of females retaining the same name to further their standing. Jonin of Kirigakure. Family has a certain naming tradition.  

Koremei Tendo - the current wielder of Shibuki. Weapons mistress with a grounding in many styles. Preferred fighting style, Kenjutsu, Shurikenjutsu, and Taijutsu. She's a unit! Big girl! Almost died due to standard Kiri betrayal. Rolled a Nat 20 with her surviving throw, one could say, as Matsu witnessed the act. 

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Padme Dendenrashi twitched in anticipation. She’d been whining… No, that wasn’t right.

She’d been arguing to attend the upcoming Chunin Exams within the Land of Steam and her father had eventually seen reason.

She’d had to study to make logical, solid points about trade deals and the need to show themselves off to establish themselves within the Elemental Nations. 

That had been what her father had been waiting for the entire time. 

She’d bounced in anticipation. 

“So we’ll need a shinobi escort!” she stated once the deal was struck. 

Her father gave her a knowing look. “Aye, I believe we shall. Should I make enquiries with Kirigakure about a certain red-haired Jonin?” he teased. 

Padme didn’t so much as bat an eye in shame however, and instead nodded firmly. “You should!” she commanded.

Her father twitched, realising how prepared she was. She smirked and marched off, secure in her victory.

Only for a response to come back from Kiri a week later, that Matsu was unable to escort them due to being on a mission.

Padme had blinked at that and reread the missive, only to slump. “Well, I suppose there’s no point in—” 

Her father snorted and shook his head. “No, we’re still going, I shall simply pay for another shinobi. They even offered a competitive rate for a team of two Jonin and four Genin, which I shall accept.” 

He levelled an imperious stare at her. “Half of which shall be escorting you so you don’t get into any more mischief. We’re attending the exams, so I imagine you’ll get your little… issue out of the way.”

Padme slumped. It wasn’t an issue, it was just… fascinating to see people so passionate. When they fought, they revealed something about themselves and she felt more alive even as a spectator. 

Except for that one time… when she’d realised just how far out of her element she was with the fight being lightning quick as shinobi blurred around her, dying and casting their ninja magic everywhere.

And then in the space of less than a minute, it had been over. 

Her heart had thundered for what felt like an eternity. She understood that what she’d witnessed, even if barely, had been violence on a scale she’d never even considered, and it had been rather daunting.  

She’d stayed away from any violence after that, the excitement gone. Instead, she’d picked up some self-defence with the samurai her father employed, picking up archery and staff wielding.

The latter skill might have been influenced by seeing others use the staff rather effectively in the past. It surprisingly proved to be a very tough skill to pick up and she often found herself collapsing into a heap after the day’s training session. 

And according to her trainers, supposedly this was what normal children samurai five years younger than her, could handle without breaking a sweat?

She wasn’t sure if she liked how weak that made her feel. Still she perceived. Sadly it wouldn’t mean as much as she wouldn’t get to show off her skills to Matsu.

When the day arrived that they were to depart, their shinobi escort turned out to be two kunoichi, both wielding named blades or some such and a four genin that shadowed the older women. One of the genin had a rather unfortunate haircut that Padme didn’t bother remembering the name of. 

The two Jonin caught her attention, mainly due to their disparity. 

One was a huge, muscle-bound woman who was like an ogress had stomped down from the mountains. She bore a blade with numerous tags written all over it that Padme couldn’t make heads or tails of, but apparently it was significant. 

Her name was Koremei Tendo and two of the Genin, the one with the bad haircut and another, were apprentices of sorts for her. 

The other Jonin was short but loud. 

She snapped at things as she spoke, like she could catch the words as they escaped her mouth with her sharp teeth. Padme rather imagined that if a fish ws thrown her way she’d catch it and devour it without using her hands at all. She wielded two blades at her hips with an odd sheathe that Padme couldn’t make heads or tails of. 

Ameyuri Ringo was her name but when the woman declared that the large one muttered somehting about ‘eighteen’ that drew a snort from the smaller Jonin.

Her father had been particularly impressed.

“Two of the Seven? This is an honour!” he declared as they boarded the ship. “I was expecting a mere Jonin, not two Elites!” 

Koremei waved a hand. “Oh go on you! That’s just one of the sweetest things you could say!”

“Heh! It’s what’s owed to us! Straighten up your spine Koremei! We’re two of the baddest bitches in Kiri and you need to act that way! We’ve got enough floozies!” snapped Ameyuri.

“Alright, stop getting your panties in a twist!” replied Koremei easily. 

This just caused Ameyuri to grumble and inspect Padme. “You the dead weight?”

Padme blinked in shock. “Dead weight?” 

“Oh, sorry I mean noble brat!” Ameyuri corrected. 

Padme drew herself up to stand slightly taller than the older woman. “Do you think I will tolerate such insolence?” 

Ameyuri leaned in, her smile growing larger the closer she came until Padme was able to count the teeth on display. 

They were very sharp teeth… 

“Yeah, I think you will,” said Ameyuri seriously. “We understand each other Priestess?” 

Padme worked her jaw, trying to muster something she could say only to look to her father who raised an eyebrow. Urgh, he wanted to see her handle this did he? Why had he begun making everything she did lately a test?

She looked back only to find that Ameyuri had lost some intensity, and a sneer had taken hold of her smile. 

Oh, she’d made a mistake looking for outside help. She’d lost this woman’s respect.  

Before the smaller could turn away, Padme bared her own teeth. “Grr!” she growled.

Everyone stared at her and she felt very silly for doing that.

Ameyuri blinked at her, only to break out into a laugh. “Ahahaha!” That’s cute! You’re funny Priestess!” she said, clapping Padme on the shoulder and causing the girl to buckle. “Ain’t never had a noble growl at me before! They usually piss themselves!” she cackled.

“Oh… that’s good?” Padme replied. She had never felt in danger from Matsu or his students but this kunoichi felt like she was cut from a different clothe entirely. She actually felt more like the scissors with how sharp she was. 

The rest of the sea voyage went quickly and Padme decided to avoid the woman, which proved to be difficult to do on a ship. 

Especially when the other party in question could pop up over the side of the ship. 

After the third time when Jonin Ringo popped out of the surf in front, Padme started to suspect she was doing it on purpose. The other thing that she thought was odd was how Koremei often called her Eighteen instead of using her name.

“Why do you do that?” she’d asked when Ameyuri was hopefully out of earshot. “Call her Eighteen?”

“She has this weird family quirk where any females born have to take the Ameyuri Ringo name. It’s something about a long lost tradition where people assumed the same kunoichi was visiting them for like hundreds of years. Complete rubbish of course but well, some people will believe anything, gave her family a mythos that’s for sure, right until the Villages formed up and people were clued into it.” 

Koremei shrugged. “Didn’t matter these days. The kunoichi that bore the name were strong enough to earn respect. Problem is that there’s only one of them left,” Koremei said. 

Padme blinked. “Oh that’s interesting.” 

When they reached the Land of Steam they were escorted towards the Village which proved to be another two weeks of travel. Padme was able to resume her staff and archery training much to the shinobi’s amusement. 

“Why stop? You might have ended up fighting aboard your ship, need to learn how to handle the way things might have changed,” Koremei pointed out as she gave Padme a few pointers.

“I hadn’t considered that,” Padme replied.

Koremei hummed, leaning on a huge war bow that made Padme feel like she was using a child’s bow. “I suppose you don’t train in the rain either? Or the cold weather?” When Padme shifted Koremei smiled. “If you want to know how things change, you need to train in those conditions as well.”

Padme had considered that. “You’re sure? It sounds risky,” she replied.

Koremei snorted, nocked an arrow and made it ricochet until it hit the target Padme had been targeting from an entirely different angle. “Yeah, I’m sure.” 

Padme had decided to follow the larger woman’s advice from then on. That had been a damn impressive shot, which Koremei repeated without breaking a sweat another five times in a row.

Padme did notice that the closer they got to the Village Hidden in Steam, the more twitchy the shinobi became. 

“What worries you?” she asked at dinner one evening.

Koremei smiled while Ameyuri snorted. “Think about it girl, what are we walking closer to?”

“The chunin exams?” Padme replied and when she got an expectant look, Padme continued. “You’re worried about other Shinobi villages… they might attack you?”

“Odds aren’t great if they try it cause reinforcements are close by, but sometimes it just takes one idiot to foul the waters by not announcing that they’re bleeding somewhere. Then out of nowhere you’ve got sharks swarming you,” Ameyuri growled.  

She turned and locked eyes with Padme. “Don’t wander off on us, or cause any shit alright?” 

Padme nodded seriously and stayed close to one of the genin at all times for the rest of the trip to the village.

From there everything progressed easily. They were granted a suite of rooms close to the Kiri camp that lots of people were whispering about having done ‘incredibly well. Some were even calling them the ‘genius generation of Kiri’ with how many had made it through .

Padme felt a memory stirring within her mind. Hadn’t Matsu been in charge of four… Genin? No, they were called something else, weren’t they? 

“Is there any chance Matsu Uzumaki is part of these exams?” she dared to ask of her guards on the first evening.

Koremei smirked. “We were wondering how long it would take you to ask,” she replied as the other shinobi giggled to themselves.

Ameyuri smirked. “Kid is leading a squad of Genin on their promotion exam. They used to be Mudanin which is a new thing the Village does now. Matsu’s turned them around and turned them into proper shinobi. If he can see them promoted? Well it’ll do wonders for him,” Ameyuri declared.

Padme perked up at that news and so it was that when the exams began Padme and her father marched up into the seating area of the exams.

 Padme started to rush ahead only for something to tickle the back of her neck and her instincts to demand she stop. 

She froze on the spot, unsure what had come over her as her eyes darted around only for a soft “Tch!” to sound out from the side.

A man that Padme had only seen briefly stepped out of the shadows in front of Padme. “Thought that was you, little Lady,” smirked the Iwa shinobi.

Padme felt her heart begin to thunder as she stepped back slowly. The man started to step forward after her, only to frown.

“That’s too close,” growled a voice, and Padme flinched as she realised that Ameyruri was suddenly at her side with her hands on her blade.

“You can back up right now Rockhead! Attempt to waylay my charge and things won’t go well for you!” Ameyuri snarled, allow just the faintest part of her blades to appear.

The Iwa nin sneered. “Fishfucker,” he grunted only to give Padme a look. Padme wasn’t sure what to feel, but she felt suddenly very thankful that Ameyuri was there.

Shibito blurred away a moment later.

A glance behind Padme showed that Koremei was near her father, who was watching on with narrowed eyes. Padme glanced at the ground. Five steps? That’s all that separated them, and this man stepped out?

Padme backed up and fell into a hug that her father offered. “That was the man that threatened you last time?” he whispered. Padme nodded into his shoulder and felt her father’s hands tighten.

When she broke out of the hug she felt silly. “I’m sorry… that was not as I should have acted.”

“It’s fine. Sometimes you get scared. Good work listening to your instincts and stopping when you did,” Koremei complimented.

Ameyuri grunted and eyed the shadowed alcove Shibito had stepped out of. “Bastard must have picked up some sort of stealth jutsu. Didn’t see him till he moved and there was no scent,” she announced. She clapped Padme on the shoulder. “Good job stopping,” she grunted.

Padme gave both women a flat look. They were praising her for stopping? She knew they had to be belittling her, but decided to accept it as praise anyway. She made to keep moving only for a tremor to run through her.

“Oh, I feel a touch weak,” she announced.

Ameyuri grunted. “Shock, let’s get some grub. It’ll do you wonders.”

Padme decided to allow herself to be steered towards a quaint restaurant with the Genin crowding in next to her, asking about the previous interaction she’d had with Shibito of Iwa. She retold the event, as much as she could anyhow.

During the retelling, her eyes happened to move towards her father only to find him talking quietly with Ameyuri. She saw money exchange hands and Ameyuri nodded firmly while her father settled back with a pleased air. 

Padme only had a small inkling of what that had been about, but when they were finished she made sure to give her father another hug.

Then they moved up into the viewing area, only to find that several matches had already occurred. 

Padme flicked her eyes around the room, noting where the Daimyo were seated, along with the Kage. Then she noticed the various clusters of Big Shinobi Villages, and like a light in the darkness she spotted an all too familiar redhead. 

She bustled over just in time for another match to be called.

One of the genin barked something at the others only for a puff of smoke to result in several copies of him appearing around him. 

Ameyuri twitched at the jutsu which must have meant it was special in some way but Padme kept her eyes on Matsu.

Matsu, typically had a relatively stoic face. If he smiled, he kept it small. Shock or surprise was but a flick of the eyes to him, if indeed he’d ever felt it in front of Padme. 

He kept things muted, so it surprised her greatly to look at him and see a smile stretching across his face.

Deciding to strike while the moment was good, Padme shifted in next to him with a pleased smile. “I think I like seeing you greet me like this,” she teased, albeit hoping he’d play along.

Matsu turned happy eyes upon her as Padme felt a trill of joy that his smile didn’t abate in the slightest. “Ah, this? I just couldn’t control myself, Priestess. I admit I wasn’t expecting you to see you but I’m glad to see you.” 

Padme allowed herself a smile as thoughts of being smiled at more by Matsu and the various situations he might smile at her played through her mind. It was a shame he didn’t smile like this more often. He was a very handsome man with the only fault being the slight kink in his nose that oddly added to him rather than detracting. 

He’d almost have a too feminine face without it. 

Matsu indicated the fight that was breaking out below. “The brown haired lad is my student. He’s done very well,” he declared. 

Padme gave the fight a bit more attention. “His pants are on fire,” she pointed out.

Matsu just chuckled. “He’ll surprise people still,” he declared, then he leaned in. “also, a word of caution Priestess? Don’t stick around for the last day.” Matsu flicked his eyes pointedly towards the Kage. “Tensions might boil over,” he said cryptically. 

 Padme had no idea what he meant by that but would think on it later, for now she decided to simply enjoy herself with the young mysterious man. 

Matsu shot her a look. “Interested in betting on he outcome?” he offered and she nodded, happy to get him to talk. She wasn’t sure how but she ended up betting everything she had on her that his student would win. 

And just like that the fight below them became much more engaging. 

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A.N. Matsu just gave Padme as “Don’t come to school tomorrow” line. 

Any guesses what Ameyuri might have just accepted payment for? Type out your top three guesses! Wrong answers only for those who want to play the game!