Kiba was clearly going to grow up to be a charismatic leader. If he managed to learn some tactics while he was at it, he’d be a ninja to be feared, Ibiki thought. There was no telling at this age, though, which way a kid might grow. For the present Kiba was making up for any deficiency in military skill with sheer enthusiasm, launching frontal assault after frontal assault and gleefully ordering, “Go for his eyes! Go for his eyes!” as he and his cohort churned the water into froth.

Ibiki sent another chakra-powered wave cascading into them, pushing the kids shoreward. They tumbled and shrieked and surged back, renewing their attack. When a fresh gout of cold water caught Ibiki in the back, he turned, expecting to see Hana leading a secondary wave, but to his surprise it was Idate who had organized a flanking phalanx. He grinned and sent a swell of water at the new force, pleased with his little brother’s cunning.

Hana and a few of the older girls had drawn a little ways off and were kicking around and giggling under the boughs of a willow that trailed near the water’s edge. Doing the inscrutable things that girls that age — and older — did, when they were in groups. They seemed self contained.

“Got you, niisan!” Idate shouted. He and his team scooped water with frantic arms, trying to send it as high as Ibiki’s head. Ibiki ducked, and found himself smacked full in the chest with a wet child — Kiba — who howled a war cry and made a valiant attempt to shove Ibiki under the surface.

Ibiki let him, crouching down abruptly so that Kiba was carried with him right to the gravelly bottom. Then he stood, just as quickly, and tossed Kiba in a shallow arc. Kiba landed with a tremendous splash, high pitched voices squealed, dogs and puppies barked and yipped... It was delightful chaos.

A sharper, altogether less joyful shriek came from the girls under the willow. Ibiki turned in time to see two red-cheeked girls pointing and screaming. Dark-haired Hana wasn’t there. She was...

She was out in the swift current, already halfway around the river’s bend.

Ibiki dove for the river’s center, swimming towards Hana with long, powerful, chakra-fueled strokes that cut through the water faster than the current. Hana disappeared under the water’s surface as it swept around the bend. Ibiki kicked harder, swam faster, surging past the curve. He saw a dark head bob up, a flail of tan arms. Just beyond her, the water boiled up into rapids. He stretched, hooked fingers into Hana’s hair and pulled, got one arm wrapped around her slippery chest and tried to lift her head above the water.

She grabbed back, and not just with slender, half-trained muscles. Chakra surged out from the girl in a shockingly large wave, latched onto Ibiki’s own energy, and yanked, drawing Ibiki’s chakra off like a wide open drain.