Promise #17 You Will Train To Perfection, Or You Will Die From Imperfection

Shizu screamed as her entire world was flipped upside down. Beds, people, and windows all blended into one as she tumbled into the air and crashed into the ground. Her head smacked against the floor. Brilliant white spots dotted her vision. She groaned and rolled over, dropping her head in her hands. Blood pulsed through her mind, begging to be released through her flesh.

“Get up!” a gruff voice snapped.

Shizu opened her eyes, blinking some of the pain away. Light flooded the room from the windows. The song of birds welcomed her to a new afternoon. She tried to process what happened. Memories of yesterday flashed in her mind when she was welcomed into the clan. A smile crossed her face. She wasn’t with the kitsune any longer. There were no threats of tails whipping her or being forced to eat poison. She was with the clan. Not safe, but she was where she belonged.

“Are you being insubordinate? I said: Get! Up!”

A swift kick in Shizu’s leg sent her rolling to the side. An elderly man glared down at her. His head was cleanly shaven except for a small thin mustache that was barely visible. His face was contorted into a snarl. Not nearly as menacing as the kitsune’s were, but it was enough that it sent Shizu to her feet.

“That’s more like it.” His snarl vanished, but the rage still boiled in his gaze. “You’re lucky Matsuda had other chores to do right now.” He handed Shizu a cloth and empty bucket. “Collect the water from out back then scrub the floors in here.”

He didn't wait for her to say anything else and stormed out of the room, grumbling something under his breath. He slammed the door behind him, leaving the room in silence. Those inside glanced at her for a moment before turning their focus back to their own tasks. The brilliance of her welcome the night before dwindled to a single faint star in a vast sea of darkened skies.

Shizu picked the bucket up. The cloth smelled of mold. Small black specks lingered on one half. She brushed a hand against the wood. Cracks erupted from where the knots on the wood lay, stretching from the top to almost halfway down. Not nearly enough to hold much water in it. Thankfully the bucket didn’t smell nearly as bad as the rag did. It meant more back and forth, but at least the cloaked figure from the night before and the old man were no longer around.

White, thin blankets covered most of the bed. Brown and red stains speckled each one from a combination of mud and blood. The corners of the blankets were tucked under creating a sharp angle. Even with the dirt, the blankets were smoothed out on the beds, so they gave an appearance of tidiness.

She placed the bucket and cloth on the ground and prepared to make her bed the same. She laid the blanket across her bed, tucking the corners underneath. Wrinkles pleated on the edges and the top had a wavey look about it no matter how many times she undid her bed and remade it. Another project she would have to tackle before the day was through since Matsuda said she had to maintain a clean environment. At least her attempt without having been taught would suffice for now.

Shizu clambered over to the chest to change from her warm clothes to something more comfortable. The others removed uniforms or casual wear out of theirs making her hope someone gave her more than just sleepwear. Inside was a tan yukata. Her clothes she wore yesterday were no longer inside.

The others in the barracks were too focused on themselves and dressing that none looked over at her. With as quick a pace as she could, Shizu removed the thick robe and slide the tan yukata on. She glanced around again to see if anyone was looking at her before straightening it.

The yukata only came to her knees and wrapped around her midsection. It was long enough that the front folded over itself enough to cover her, but the idea of the rope around her waist coming undone wasn’t a welcoming experience. Nothing like the black pants or robes the others wore out of the room.

Shizu lifted the bucket and tossed the cloth over her shoulder. She scrunched her nose at the stench, hoping to convince someone to replace it soon or find something else she could use.

“Excuse me?” Shizu squeaked out to one of the older men.

He glanced over while tucking in the corners of his blanket. “What?” he snapped.

She held the bucket out in front of her. “Umm…where do I get water?”

He jutted his chin toward the far door she hadn’t gone through yet. “Go out there. Use the pump. Don’t bother me again. I’m focusing on a mission right now, unlike you lot who get it easy.”

Shizu bowed her thanks in silence and scurried out the door. It was small. Barely large enough to fit around ten people in a circle without someone being pushed inward. Buildings surrounded the yard, closing it off to the rest of the outside world. Each one another section of the clan’s hideout away from the village proper. A singular door led to the next building with windows lining the other two walls. All of them too high for Shizu to look through without standing on her toes.

In the center awaited the old water pump. The metal was brown and rusted from age in a multitude of spots.

She stepped onto the scratchy, brown grass. Her toes curled as her feet pressed against the small pebbles dotting the dirt. The ground around the pump was void of grass or stones. A circular indent of mud marked where the bucket was placed by so many over the years. She pushed the bucket into the mud so it wouldn’t fall, then moved behind the pump.

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She lifted the handle then pumped as hard as she could. Only air came out from the first pump. She tried again, struggling against the rust preventing the handle from moving easily. A trickle of water dribbled into the bucket along with mud. She poured the mud out and pumped again. Water rushed up the spout, spraying into the bucket and splattering around, bouncing mud onto her feet.

The cold, clear water overflowed from the bucket. The flow slowed down as she released the pump. Shizu reached out, scooping some of the flowing water into her hands and brought it to her lips. Her chapped lips smacked at the taste of water without the strange flavoring of poison in it. A thirst she lived with for so long without realizing it until now. She splashed more onto her face and hair, sleeking it back against her scalp.

Amongst everyone, she was the smallest and weakest. The night before proved she would be cut down before she could protect herself. How the kitsune trained such monsters while she was nothing in their shadows didn’t add up. She’d need to find a blade or some form of protection to keep herself safe before the day was through.

Water spilled from the top and sides of the bucket until it stopped halfway down. It seeped into the mud and dirt around them, feeding the grass beyond. Not the best amount, but no less than she expected when she was first handed it. Shizu lifted the bucket with a grunt. She slid her feet to continue moving forward across the mud and sharp grass. Dirt caked itself between her toes and she used a little of the water to wash her feet off before venturing back inside.

The rest of the shinobi were awake and changing or gathering together to leave. She blushed, noting one boy walking around with just a small towel covering his groin. She turned her gaze away, focusing on the bucket.

"So, you're the new girl," a woman commented next to Shizu.

Shizu jumped and looked up. The person next to her wasn't exactly an adult by any means. She had wide hips and a large chest, but the round face gave away her still existing youth. She wore a black haori and hakama covered in dirt that hung loose around her body. The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it.

"I— Yes, I am," Shizu muttered and looked down at her bucket. "I was told I need to wash the floors." For a moment, Shizu wasn’t sure if she wanted to reach out and touch the woman in front of her to see if she was real. She wanted to feel the confidence the woman protruded in the room.

The girl bent over so she was eye level with Shizu. She gave a calm smile. "This isn't the place for soft-hearted girls." She nodded to the bucket on the ground. "You learn to clean the floors and learn that any sign of weakness here will get you killed." She stood up. "My name is Hime, and you will make sure you address me after today with the respect that I have earned in here."

“Like the princess?” Shizu forced a smile, hoping this would ease the tension between the two of them. “They’re not exactly known for being strong.”

“Expect you’ll learn in here; a princess isn’t the weakest one in the clan.” Her lips curled into a vicious mockery. "I expect my area to be spotless by the day's end."

Shizu shuddered. The girl scared her. Everyone did. Hime had so calmly made a threat without doing anything but smile. Matsuda had been friendly. It was all too possible he hid his darkness well. Eventually waiting to take advantage of her in some way or cut her where she stood. He had been the only light since she came here, but just as the water had grown murky from the dirt caking the edges of the wood, it was possible he was also hiding that darkness from her.

She dunked the cloth into the water. Once it was soaked through, she rung it out and walked over to the first corner of the room and began scrubbing away at the dirt and grime. She didn't get far in her scrub before having to return to the bucket to clean the cloth and go back over the floor once more.

Hime sat on the chest, swinging her legs in the air as Shizu passed by. “You missed a spot!” she called out as Shizu went to start in another corner.

When Shizu went to check, it was still clean. “Are you sure?”

Hime smirked and tossed a handful of dirt across the room. “Oops, silly me. It was over here. My mistake.” Hime cackled and walked out into the room where the training tower awaited her, leaving Shizu more messes to clean as she went.

By midday, she had emptied the bucket more times than she could count. Her chest heaved in exhaustion, double checking where anyone last stood to see if they dumped any extra dirt. Her muscles ached from bending down and begged for a long stretch on the bed. Confident with how the floor looked, she sat back against the wall with the cloth hanging over the edge of the bucket.

What sounded like something hitting the walls caught Shizu's attention and perked up. The tapping stopped at the door leading out to the training hall and it flung open. An elderly man stood in the door frame. In one hand he had a short staff that came just above his hip that he leaned on. His bony fingers wrapped around the large knot on top. His body shook with every movement as he tapped the staff against the ground.

His short, slow strides were accompanied by a low hum. He scanned the room, nodding in approval as he glanced at the beds. "You did all of this?" His gaze rested blankly on Shizu. Blue wrapped around his irises like a thin filament.