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Akimoto Ruri returned home and placed her ninja sword and medicinal herbs on the table before lighting the kerosene lamp.
An elderly woman lay on the floor, covered with a thin futon, coughing incessantly. Her sunken eyes lacked vitality, and in her dazed state, she noticed a figure approaching. "Ruri, is that you? Or is it Yota?"
"Mother, I'm back. I've brought the medicine," Ruri said, kneeling beside the old woman. "Where's Yota?"
The old woman shook her head weakly. "He's been going out a lot these days."
"That little brat! I told him to stay home and take care of you..." The girl's voice trembled with anger.
The old woman shook her head again. "It doesn't matter. What worries me is you and Yota... After I die—"
"You won't," Ruri interrupted firmly. "Mother, once I become one of the 'Seven Swordsmen,' I'll make sure you get the treatment you need."
The old woman closed her eyes, too exhausted to speak further.
Just then, the door creaked open, and a boy rushed in excitedly. But when he saw Ruri, he froze.
"Sis..."
"Yota, where have you been?" Ruri's sharp eyes immediately noticed the bulging bundle hidden under his clothes.
His scrawny frame and thin garments did little to conceal what he was carrying.
"N-Nothing! The competition was today, so I went to cheer for you," Yota stammered, avoiding her gaze.
"You went to cheer for me?" Ruri's brows furrowed, her anger rising. "Then what's that in your clothes?"
"Th-This..." Yota clutched his shirt tightly. "It's... none of your business!"
"None of my business?" Ruri yanked his shirt open, and a patched-up pouch tumbled to the floor. She picked it up—it was heavy. "Money? Where did you get this?"
"I... I..."
"Did you steal it?"
"No! I—I just bet my own money on the matches," Yota muttered.
"You're lying! How could betting give you this much?"
"It's true! No one believed in you, so I got mad and bet everything... There was another match too, with crazy odds—100 to 1. I put all my money in. There's over 100,000 ryō here..."
SLAP!
Ruri's hand struck Yota's face with full force, sending the boy stumbling back before he collapsed onto the floor.
"Have you forgotten how our family ended up like this? How Mother got sick in the first place? And you still dare to gamble?!" Ruri's voice was laced with fury.
"I know... But Mother's treatment costs money! What else could I do? The Seven Swordsmen competition is important, but it'll last a whole month... That's too long!" Yota burst into tears.
"I..." Ruri's words caught in her throat as thoughts of her mother's illness weighed heavily on her.
At that moment, a soft knock at the door drew her attention. A figure stood in the doorway—someone she didn't recognize, but their attire marked them as a member of the Anbu.
"Who are you...?" Ruri asked warily.
"Anbu. There's something I'd like to discuss with you," the stranger said with a faint smile.
"With me?" Ruri was puzzled.
"Yes. Follow me—this isn't the place to talk." The figure turned and stepped outside.
Confused but curious, Ruri instructed Yota to prepare dinner before following the stranger out.
"Your family still has debts, doesn't it? I looked into it—2.2 million ryō, to be exact. And your mother... At first, it was just a simple infection, but now she can't even get out of bed. How much longer can she hold on?" the stranger asked.
"Who are you?" Ruri's guard went up.
"Does it matter? You should be more concerned about how to escape your current predicament."
"That's none of your business. I'll find a way myself," Ruri retorted.
"Your so-called 'way' is to become one of the Seven Swordsmen, right? But be realistic—you won't make it. Not because you're weak, but because your opponents are too strong. Let me offer you a deal: Kill one person for me, and I'll clear your debts. I'll even arrange for a medical ninja to treat your mother. Don't reject me yet—you have time to think before your next match."
Ruri's mind swirled with conflicting emotions as she stared at the stranger, unsure how to respond.
...
"Akimoto Ruri?" Midorima accepted his bowl of ramen and sat in a corner of the shop.
Among all the foods in the Naruto world, Ichiraku Ramen was the one he knew best. But Kirigakure didn't have that—instead, seafood ramen was abundant, so he ordered a bowl at a local shop.
"Right, your next opponent. So far, three people have died in the competition—one of them was her opponent," Mei Terumī said, picking up her chopsticks to grab a piece of tempura.
"Oh... I think I remember that." Midorima recalled seeing a corpse on a stretcher just before his own match. "So she was the one who killed him."
Akimoto Ruri—the name sounded like a girl's.
In the shinobi world, few female ninja ever rose to prominence.
"Yeah... Hers is a sad story, really."
"How so?" Midorima asked.
"Her father fought in the war against Konoha. He gave everything for Kirigakure—maybe not with great achievements, but he sacrificed all the same. Still, that battle seemed to drain his will to live. Even after returning, he was like a walking corpse, drowning himself in gambling dens. He died within a year, leaving behind a mountain of debt."
"Her family sold their house and moved to a rundown rental, but the debt was still enormous. Her daughter, though, was a prodigy with ninja swords—my senior at the academy. After their family fell into ruin, she took on missions nonstop. Word is, she's completed ten S-rank missions, all to pay off her father's debts... And her mother's illness is severe..."
The waiter brought the ramen, and Midorima twirled the noodles but didn't eat.
"After hearing that, I don't know how to face her."
Aside from Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha, Akimoto Ruri was one of the most tragic figures he knew of.
"Face her how?" Mei's pitying expression hardened. "She's your opponent. On the battlefield, it's kill or be killed. Are you seriously thinking of showing her mercy?"
"Uh..."
Mei wasn't wrong. To survive in this world, one couldn't afford compassion toward an enemy.
"Besides, you don't know what she's thinking. What if she's determined to kill you? The next corpse under a white sheet could be yours."
That was true.
Who would pity him then?
"Fair point. But she's your senior, right? You must know her."
Mei shook her head. "Not really. A senior is just some older girl who graduated before me. Doesn't mean we're close."
Hey, that's a dangerous way to put it. To others, you're a senior too!
Midorima screamed internally, though he'd never say it out loud.
"Also, she specializes in ninja swords, so Zabuza probably knows her better," Mei added, popping another piece of tempura into her mouth.
Zabuza? That was a lead worth considering.
Midorima took a bite of ramen, lost in thought.