As the festival went on around us, Genki and I found ourselves at the crossroads of an important decision—our last bit of pocket change clutched in our hands.

The chicken skewers nearly broke our banks but we survived through sheer grit. It definitely was the greatest battle in our (non-existent) ninja career.

Now, we were faced with a great food conundrum. What's the best delicacy to seal our festival feast?

This was the equivalent of a S-rank mission, and we had one last chance to get it right.

"Taka," Genki's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I've got the perfect plan. Follow me!"

His enthusiasm was like a marker for me to follow through the festival crowd until we reached a stand.

My eyes widened at the sight before me. Little balls of goodness, crispy on the outside and harboring mysteries within. It had to be or it wouldn't be worthy of Genki's attention.

"So, Taka," Genki began, his voice as animated as the chicken skewers guy, "this is Takoyaki."

I squinted at the small, round wonders. "Takoyaki, huh? What's inside them?"

"Octopus balls!" Genki declared, a triumphant smile lighting up his face.

Octopus balls? For a moment, I pictured eight-legged sea creatures holding onto their underwater... balls? "Wait a minute, octopuses have balls?"

"What? No!" Genki's face squeezed in disgust. "The balls inside the takoyaki are made of octopus meat." Apparently, the octopus meat was balled up, not the creature's balls. Thank the gods; I wasn't quite ready for that level of aquatic anatomy.

Despite my new understanding, I hesitated. "Eating something with eight legs, Genki? I don't do that. If it's got more than four legs, I don't eat it." Anything with more than four legs is an abomination folks. "What if the eight legs began wriggling in my stomach. Imagine eating spiders or those giant desert cockroaches?"

Genki shook his head. "Cockroaches don't have eight legs, Taka."

I wrinkled my nose. "Well, they could. If they don't, they should."

"The octopus can't even wriggle in your stomach. It's not like a single leg can even fit inside the takoyaki." Undeterred, Genki crossed his arms. "When you wanted chicken skewers, I ate with you and now it's my turn. Won't you eat it?"

A noble sacrifice, but chicken and octopus were as different as shurikens and kunai. I needed a moment of contemplation.

Genki did have a point. I wasn't eating a whole leg. I was just eating a part of its body. Wait. What if it mutated in my stomach? That won't happen. But there's chakra in this world though. No one can tell. But they won't let people eat it if that could happen.

After much debate and inner turmoil, we exchanged our precious ryo for a plate of takoyaki. As we bit into the balls(that felt weird to think), my mouth sighed like it was greeting an old friend. The crispy exterior gave way to a soft, flavorful inside, and the octopus danced on my taste buds like a kaiten user in battle.

"Okay, fine," I grudgingly admitted, "it's not bad. But it's no match for those chicken skewers."

Genki nodded in agreement between bites. "Nothing beats the chicken skewers, Taka. Nothing."

As we polished off our plates, we were left wondering what to do next.

"Hey, my mum said there'll be games for us at the sand field. Let's go there." Genki grinned.

"Okay."

"Last one there is an idiot!" Genki yelled and he raced to the sandy field designated for games.

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"Hey!" I yelled as I started my pursuit.

Genki, with his head start, reached our destination first. He collapsed on the sandy ground, panting and grinning like a genin who'd just pulled off an epic jutsu.

Gasping for breath, I sat by him on the sand. "You know," I panted, "if everyone now calls me crazy idiot, maybe it's destiny, or... I don't know, fate?"

Genki, still recovering from our mad dash, burst into laughter. "Nah, Taka, it's not fate. It's because you lost the race, and you do crazy things like an idiot. Pure ninja logic!"

We burst into laughter and stood up, dusting off the sandy remnants of our short rest. "Why did I lie on my back? Now there's sand everywhere." Genki grumbled as we joined the large groups on the field.

"Ninja dodgeball! Ninja dodgeball!" A young man yelled, waving us to a ring with baskets of water balloons on it.

After enough kids gathered he began explaining the rules. "All kids will be divided into two teams. The teams will battle each other with their water balloons. If you're hit, you're out. Those are the rules. Our prize is the limited edition polar bear fur ninja pouch."

A shiny new limited edition polar bear fur ninja pouch? That was a treasure worth more than a vault of Ryo. It can only be found in the land of frost and they're hella protective about their polar bears.

We signed up without hesitation, joining a motley crew of kids eager for aquatic warfare. As luck (or destiny) would have it, Genki and I found we were on opposing teams.

"Watch your back!" Grinning at each other, I declared, "we're enemies now. I'll be coming for you." We gathered in the ring which was divided into two by the paint on the floor with a team on each side.

The organizer blew his whistle and the water balloon skirmish began. Balloons flew through the air like elemental jutsu, and I, Taka the Dodger, weaved through the battle like the genius that I was. I totally did not hide behind the bigger kids. I swear! Why are you looking at me like that? I totally did not!

The boy beside me was taken out by a water balloon to the face, spraying water everywhere and I avenged him with a balloon to his attacker's crotch. Water filled the front of his shorts and he looked like he pissed himself. Ha!

I threw my own balloons with the precision of a shuriken master while using my bigger teammate as cover. That's not hiding. That's strategy.

Before long, the battlefield narrowed, leaving four contenders on the ring. I and a determined girl on one side, and Genki and an older boy on the other. The boy and girl looked to be the same age.

"Soldiers!" I yelled and everyone stopped to look at me. "The battle is not over yet. Victory lies in our grasp. To victory!"

With my war cry, the exchange of kid guided missiles intensified. Genki managed to tag the girl, but I retaliated, catching Genki in the crossfire. My laughter filled the ring as the soaked pair left the ring.

Now, it was just me and the boy. He stood tall, with dark hair and brown eyes. We stood like warriors in an old western, balloons at our sides.

"Hi. I'm Chikamatsu. You are?"

"Taka."

"I've heard of you, Taka. You're smart. You should know when to give up. Surrender."

"Sorry. I don't give up in situations where limited edition polar bear fur ninja pouches are involved."

Chikamatsu chuckled. "Alright, Taka. Let's dance."

And dance we did. Balloons flew and I dodged with all the strength my little body could mange. As we exchanged ammunition, I tried a trick shot I've been practicing with my kunai. The balloon flew like it was going over his head before it dipped down sharply. Chikamatsu quickly backward at the knee using chakra to stick himself to the floor.

Before long, we began using chakra, pulling off acrobatic leaps. The battlefield turned into a watery spectacle.

Dodging a balloon, I slept to the right and sent a balloon at him. He threw a balloon, bursting my balloon in the air. Another wave of balloons zipped out of the spray of water and I was forced to flip out of the way. I reached into the basket by my side to discover that the basket was empty.

Looking around, I spotted a filled basket at the other side of my area. I leapt for it but was cut off by a water balloon. Chikamatsu began pelting me, blocking the way to the basket. "It's over now Taka." He yelled as he pinned sending a wave of balloons boxing me in.

I frantically searched for a space in the approaching net. There! I jumped in the air and twisted through the space.

Whap!

A balloon smacked me in the face! Chikamatsu had left the space on purpose. Shit! I fell into his trap. I didn't look underneath the underneath.

His grin widened as he claimed victory. "You're good Taka, but unfortunately you met me." He waved at me on the floor and headed for his prized bear fur ninja pouch.

Genki approached, offering a hand. I grabbed it and was dragged to my feet. "Wow. That's Chikamatsu from the Monzaemon family." Genki looked on in awe. "His family created the puppetry ninja arts. I heard they've got a new secret puppet art."

I looked on as Chikamatsu collected his prize and bowed to the crowd. I just lost to a baby ninja. I've still got a long way to go.