So It Begins: A New School

by samsationalization

Aono Tsukune was as average as can be, trying to get by as a student. However, that was subject to change because of one thing: His Grades. With so much problems hitting the fan, it all seems so helpless. Yet, a simple "accidental" occurrence, as he once thought, will change everything. It all begins with a school letter...

1. Chapter 1: School and Relatives

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Rosario+Vampire

Author's Notes: So… A new backstory FanFic. All you readers that are familiar with Rosario+Vampire should recognize him right away. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy it. And as always, please, enjoy.

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TICK… TOCK… TICK… TOCK…

He leaned his elbow against the window as rested his head on his hand. As time slowly passed, he groaned as the teacher continually talked on about the current lesson; not that he had any interest but it just didn't appeal to him. The whole idea of studying in general, what a pain… He wasn't stupid nor was he a bad student but high school had put a lot of changes onto him. As sunlight poured through the window, he brushed his brown bangs out of his eyes.

"… And remember to read Lesson 15.7 in your text books… Final examinations are coming up so remember to study as much as possible…" With the teacher's final statement the bell for the end of school rang out loud and clear. He got up from his desk and had begun to pack his belongings.

"Hey, Tsukune."

He looked up and saw a tall, orange-haired student in front of him, who also was packing his things, standing in front of him. "What is it Ichigo?" he asked, putting his last book into his bag.

"Orihime, Chad, Tatsuki, and I were going to do a study session today at the library… We were wondering whether you'd be interested in joining us... Would you?"

Tsukune let out a long sigh as he slung his backpack onto his shoulder. "Sorry Ichigo, but I kind of don't feel like it… Tell the others for me, will you?"

Ichigo, face showing clear disappointment, shrugged and said, "Alright then…"

"I can go with you Ichigo- OOF!" interjected a brown-haired student, jumping out of nowhere and into Ichigo's fist.

Brushing his hands on his school shirt, Ichigo said, "Sorry Keigo, but I think our group is full… See ya around." And with that, he left the classroom much to Keigo Asano's dismay. Tsukune, as usual, let out a big sigh, shaking his head.

"Are you okay Mr. Asano?" said Keigo's best friend Mizuiro Kojima, walking towards the grounded Keigo, looking into his cell phone, clearly uninterested and sarcastic, but of course, Keigo doesn't know.

"Enough with the Mr. Asano-this and Mr. Asano-that crap man! I'm sick of it!" Keigo said, trying to stand up, shaking a bit, then dusted himself off. "Sheesh Ichigo… What happened to you man?..." He then walked towards Tsukune's desk. "Hey, Tsukune."

"Uhm,… Hey Keigo… Do you need anything?" he replied, putting his hands into his the pockets of his black school uniform.

"Do you wanna head over to the local arcade with Mizuiro and me? We heard that they installed a new game recently." Keigo said with much enthusiasm that his spit flew all over the place. Ugh, man, you must be desperate…

"Sorry Keigo, today's my mother's birthday and we are going to have relatives over… Maybe next time…" Tsukune said, hoping that Keigo would leave him be.

"Awww man… Oh well… C'mon Mizuiro, let's go." Keigo said reluctantly, shuffling out of the room, hands shoved into his rather crinkled pants.

"Right behind you Mr. Asano." Mizuiro said, eyes still glued to his cell phone screen.

"Oh God Dammit Mizuiro! How many times…" the voice trailed off as the two walked down the school's hallway, far from Tsukune.

He, too, began to make his way out of the classroom quietly.

"A word please, Mr. Aono?" said the teacher, Mr. Ide, who was still sitting at his desk. Tsukune nearly forgot that Mr. Ide never leaves the school right away. He always left several hours after finalizing all the student reports and such. It must have slipped my mind… "Yes Mr. Ide?" he replied, slowly stepping back into the classroom.

"I'd like to talk to you… about your grades, Mr. Aono…" Mr. Ide said, folding his hands together, face dead serious. He was a well kempt scholarly man in his mid-fifties yet he had an aura of demanding authority about him.

Reluctantly, Tsukune pulled up a chair and sat in front of his teacher. Oh boy… "What about my grades sir?"

"You as anyone else would know is that you, Mr. Aono, are way behind in the class right now! Not just my class but almost every other class you have! I've talked with Mrs. Itoh and Mr. Kawakami. They too claim that you are behind in their classes as well. At this rate…" He then stopped. He got his handkerchief out and wiped his brow with it.

"At this rate…? What sir? What is it?" Tsukune asked, eyes wide.

Clearing his voice, Mr. Ide looked at Tsukune straight in the eye. "At this rate… You will flunk not only my class but all the other ones as well."

Tsukune was silent as he gripped his own knuckles tightly, showing the whiteness of the bone underneath the skin.

"And when you do… you will flunk the first year…" Mr. Ide finished, again, wiping his brow and forehead with his handkerchief before setting it down onto his desk before him. "Of all my years teaching at this school… I believe that you may be the first one to flunk my class…"

Tsukune brought both of his hands up to his face and slowly massaged his temples and face. He could barely believe what his teacher had said. He never realized he was so far behind in his classes. He had turned in his assignments prior to the due date, of course they weren't the best but he still got decent grades. Tests were an entire different matter. Sometimes pretty high marks other times… not so much. Something doesn't add up… I can't be this behind… Can I?..."

"Mr. Aono?" Mr. Ide began again, breaking the air of silence. Tsukune put his hands onto his lap and looked to face his teacher. "I would like you to give this progress report to your mother today. Please bring it back signed tomorrow. This counts as an assignment grade."

"Wait, progress report?! What do you mean?! The final semester ends next week!" Tsukune said, hands gripping the teacher's desk tightly.

Mr. Ide rubbed his thinning head as he pulled out an envelope and gave it to Tsukune. "The school board decided to change the schedule at the last moment's notice. I don't like it as much as you do… But we have to do what the board tells us…" Tsukune took the note, face covered with much grimace.

Tsukune looked over the envelope for quite a while. The he put it into his bag with much effort. He then sat back down into the seat, slouching onto one elbow, slumped over, and looking down at the ground. "… Is there anything I can do, sir?"

"Excuse me? What do you mean?" Mr. Ide asked surprised at what Tsukune said. He's usually not the type to ask on how to fix his grades… Guess he must be on his emotional and mental borderline…

"Is there anything I can do to fix my grades? Not just this class… All my other classes." Tsukune said once again, voice rising steadily.

Mr. Ide leaned back onto his chair, hand on his chin, thinking. "Well… There is one option…"

"What would that be?! Sir, I need to know! Please tell me!" Tsukune said, nearly jumping out his seat onto the desk.

"The option is to write a thirty paragraph essay on education and its importance in our society today by the end of the school year… Of course, you wouldn't have to write this unless you are confident that you can manage to get high marks on the finals tests… But from my point of view, I doubt that you will be able to, am I right?"

Tsukune slumped back onto his seat, running his hand through his dark brown hair, eyes strained. He knew that he had to take this last offer. It was his only hope after all. But still, some part of him held him back. Can I really do this?... Could I accomplish such a feat?... I have no choice…

"Sir." Tsukune said, sitting straight on his chair.

Mr. Ide looked at Tsukune, "Yes?"

"I would like to take your offer." Tsukune said adamantly, "But are you sure that this… essay will clear my grades and set me for the next year?"

"Yes. I am absolutely sure. Here is the prompt and the requirements pages for you essay." Mr. Ide said, handing a small folder's worth of paper onto Tsukune's lap. Tsukune quickly packed them into one of his school folders then into his bag. Then, giving a curt nod to Mr. Ide, he got up to leave.

At the doorway, Mr. Ide spoke, "Mr. Aono?"

Tsukune looked back from the doorway and back into the class, "Yes sir?"

"Please don't fail yourself on this one. You know what you have to do… Don't you?"

Tsukune was quiet for a moment as he thought over everything in his mind. "Yes sir."

Mr. Ide smiled then said, "Good… Have a good weekend Mr. Aono… Good luck."

"Yes sir. Thank you sir." Tsukune said. He then left the classroom, leaving Mr. Ide to tend to his other duties.

"Hope this goes to plan… Tsukune… Everyone is counting on you…" Mr. Ide said in the empty classroom, looking through a file labeled CANDIDATE #37 AONO TSUKUNE. Inside the file was a letter from an old acquantance named Jean. Mr. Ide, as usual, flipped through the file as the sun began to set over the horizon.

So it begins again... This time... Time is almost up...

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Tsukune walked out of the school doors and onto the front yard. It was the late afternoon judging by the position of the sun. He set his bag on the ground next to him and looked around to see if anyone was near him. There wasn't anyone on the yard but him and some custodians perhaps. He then proceeded to yell as hard he could. He had to release his stress some way and found that sometimes yelling out to let go actually helped him in some way, as he lived on the rural countryside, yelling was no problem, although it can cause quite a ruckus in the cities. After his shouting spree and receiving several glares from passerbyers and custodians, he felt a little better. He then picked up his bag and began his slow march home.

His cellular phone began to ring. As he made his way out of the school ground's gates, he fumbled through his bag and picked out his phone. He then answered it as he slung his bag over his back.

"Hello?"

"Hey! Tsuki!" a very familiar voice yelled out of the speakers.

"Kyo? Hey! What's up?" Tsukune said, smiling at his cousin's voice and phone call.

"We're all waiting for you! We can't begin a birthday party without the hostess's own son now can we?" Kyouko said.

Tsukune laughed. "Yeah. I'll be home soon! Tell everyone I'm sorry! See you soon, Kyo!"

He closed his cell phone and slid into his pant pocket, too lazy to reopen his bag again.

Mom's birthday party… Guess many relatives did come… He walked down the streets of Tokyo as the sun hung barely over the horizon, the sky reddening all around him, it was a true Tokyo Sunset and it always managed to amaze him.

Still beautiful… He said, looking towards sunset. As always… He then turned his head around and began walking towards the opposite direction from the sun towards a nearby bus stop to get to his home; the Aono Household, Rural Tokyo.

Here we go…

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A Hooded Man with full body cloak and a man in his late forties stood on telephone wires as they watched Tsukune, not noticing them, walk home.

"He's the one right?" the Hooded Man spoke to the other man, otherwise known as Jean.

Lighting a cigar, he said, "Yeah… Although far from Inchon, he is the last of the remaining candidates. The other one is in Karakura Town as you know a little bit south from here."

The Headmaster stood still, cloak moving along with the wind in the red-sunset sky. "You know that he isn't a good student... Right?"

Jean put his lighter away and began to speak, "Yes. I am very well aware of that... We could use that to our advantage..."

"How so?"

Jean mischievously grinned at the Headmaster, "We can sabotage some of his grades again and make it evident that he needs extra help..."

"Through his teacher, huh... Wonder how Ide is still holding up... An about the 'extra help' idea... What do you suggest?"

"The Admittance Letter to Youkai Academy..." Jean said coolly, inhaling through the cigar. "That will seem to do the trick for the humans..."

"So you thought this through?" The Headmaster said, somewhat doubtful. "After all, as you mentioned, this is the first human candidate we ever had."

"Everything I do is thought out..."

"But why him? Why a human? Wouldn't it be more beneficial for us to use... Oh, I don't know... A Soul Reaper or a monster?"

Jean stared hard at the man, "This IS our candidate. Believe me, friend... Something will happen over the course of the following year... Aono will change... I'm sure of it...

"Studying fortune-telling again?"

"I've had enough free-time this time around... With Patient 1087's test being so successful all the time..."

"Like having to amputate a fellow worker's hand because of injuries?... Hope your Orphanage covers health insurance for its employees..."

"... Strange boy... Tsukune..."

The two stood silently as the wind brushed on by, picking up some leaves in the breeze, blowing it throughout the sky like snow petals of winter.

"So… is it going to be only three this time?" The Headmaster asked, hands together in his cloak.

Breathing in deeply and allowing the sweet smoke enter his systems; he exhaled the cloudy fumes into the air around him which soon was drifted off into the sky. "Time is of essence, Headmaster. We don't have much of hit left. We can only support three this year before making a mess of things… You know that very well yourself after the commotion happening in the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo." Jean said, taking another breath of his cigar.

The Headmaster looked off to see Tsukune board a bus towards home. "Yes… I do know… How is… Patient #1087 doing?"

"Test show extreme progress going on with my new employee, Tae." Jean replied, flicking bits of ash off his cigar. "Also, he managed to obtain Soul Reaper powers. I don't believe it's a coincidence… Someone in the Soul Society knows our cause… I'm sure of it… An inside agent must have been sent with prior knowledge to assist Daisuke…" Jean said, somewhat wincing at the saying the Patient's name. "But something... I don't know... It just keeps clawing at my mind..."

"What would that be?" The Headmaster asked, panning his vision away from Tsukune to Jean.

"Everything... It's just too easy as of the time being..." Jean said, wiping his free-hand onto his trench coat.

"I see..."

"But anyway, just know that Patient #1087 is proving fruitful... Perhaps even more than any other previous candidates..."

"That's good to hear… I've sent a Hell Butterfly to Captain General Yamamoto for the further instructions with our candidate in Karakura Town. I'll be finalizing the school letter for all three candidates soon. In the meantime, I will observe Karakura Town." The Headmaster said.

Jean gripped the end of his cigar, putting it out. "Alright then. I'll go ahead and proceed with observance Patient 1087 soon."

"Doesn't your employee know you're gone for the day?..." The Headmaster said, a hint of worriment in his voice. "And your other workers..."

"Don't worry yourself with the others. And Tae? Oh don't worry, he went off to visit his incarcerated brother today… And about that…"

"Yes?"

"His brother... Hyun-Joon... I'll get back you to on that…"

"I see… Well, until next time Jean." The Hooded Man said, walking off to the sunset.

"Yes. Good-bye." In a flash, the two men were gone from the telephone pole; no one saw or knew what was going on.

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The bus lazily rolled along the streets of Rural Tokyo. Tsukune looked out the window to see from cosmopolitan cities to lulling countrysides and very modest yet beautiful houses. He finally arrived at his house. He gave the bus driver a small wave and exited the bus. He walked towards his house.

It was an old yet big house but it served its purpose dutifully, never-failing. Life was slow and lazy out here in the countryside, very different from the regular and mundane city life. Of course, it was somewhat boring out here too, but at least he had a sense of freedom out here.

His father was a businessman for some company he forgot the name too, although their packing boxes were all from the company. His mother took care of the household and the two would look after the plot of land; occasionally, a relative would drop over and help out and enjoy the passing time. His younger brother, Kichiro, was off in the United States studying abroad. Tsukune had a relative living there and they had asked whether if Kichiro could home stay with them in the US. Of course, Kichiro accepted much to his parents' joy. He would visit annually during the summer and hang out with Tsukune and help around with the land. Kichiro… Hope you're doing well…

Tsukune kicked a rock off the dirt road towards his house gate and opened the entrance way with his key. He knocked on the front door.

"Who is it?" A rather young man, maybe even a boy's, voice rang out as the door unlocked and revealed a moderately tall boy with black hair and warm brown eyes standing in the doorway.

"Kichiro?!" Tsukune exclaimed with joy, as he bear hugged his younger sibling. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in the US?"

After freeing himself from his brother's ultimate grasp, breathing heavily, he replied, "It's mom's birthday. How could I miss such a day?" Kichiro added with a smile. "Missed you bro."

"So did I…" Tsukune replied, he too, smiling. Then, his smile faded away and he raised an eyebrow with a slight frown. "Hey, Kichiro…"

"What Tsukune?"

"Move out the door way, I need to get in…"

"Oh, right!" Kichiro said, rushing out of the way for him.

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As Tsukune entered the living room, he found it filled with many of his relatives. Ranging from his grandparents to his uncles and aunts and cousins; even several relatives he haven't seen in years. He gave greetings and nods to all of his relatives.

"Where are my parents?" Tsukune asked, asking one of his uncles.

"They went to buy some food for all of us. I heard it's barbeque." With that final statement, the entire house erupted into a clambering mess. Kichiro and Tsukune gave up trying to calm the house down. But according to Tsukune's point of view, somebody other than his parents was missing. Tsukune walked out the living room and into the hallway and saw Kichiro there too.

"Uh… Kichiro?" Tsukune said after a headcount.

"What's up?" Kichiro said, drinking a glass of water.

"Is someone missing?" Tsukune asked, making a list on a notepad of the relatives in the house. I didn't see someone in particular... Hmmm

"Mom and dad are."Kichiro said unwittingly, leaning against the brown, wooden walls of the house hallway.

"No, other than them." Tsukune said, scratching the back of his head...

"Oh… that would be…" Kichiro began to say.

Tsukune's eyes got wide and he almost dropped his notepad"Wait... Don't tell me… It's…"

"You guessed right." A female voice rang out, Tsukune quickly turned to see who it was.

"Hello Tsukune. Long time no see." Kyouko said, smiling, arms on her hips with a plastic shopping bag in hand.

"Hey Kyo-ACK!" Tsukune was cut-off mid-sentence as Kyouko pounced onto him and the two fell to the floor with a loud crash while Kichiro continued to drink water, disregarding the situation. He was accustomed to the "usual" antics of the two, despite being away for so long.

"You two need privacy?" he said, finishing his glass of water.

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End of Chapter.