Brown eyes surveyed the scene before him, detached in a sort of way that that was remarkable for a twelve year old. His classmates were chatting away happily, their shiny new forehead protectors gleaming with the light. He himself had scuffed up his hitae as soon as he got to his apartment and made a few scratches on it. Shiny meant reflective and that meant you were dead in the world of shinobi. Something that his classmates seemed to not understand. Isamu took that back as the next individual walked through the door, Shino Aburame seemed to get it, but it was expected from someone in the most logical clan of Konoha. Hinata Hyuga entered quietly behind the bug boy and took up her customary seat beside him. There was a friendship there, Isamu thought, or something closer than he had with the rest of the class. The shy little girl had allowed Isamu to sit by her one day when more of the classes had combined due to the dropout rate and in return, he convinced her bullies that it was in their best interest to leave her alone. They didn't talk much and as clan heiress she really didn't need protection, but it worked for the two of them and they were close.
"Hinata," Isamu said in his quiet, dulcet tone and shared a smile with her.
"Hello Isamu," Hinata whispered back with a smile of her own, her stutter all but gone around Isamu. She liked Isamu because he held no expectations with her. To him she was just another girl, someone he could have fun with, and she felt that he was like Neji should have been. A brother that wasn't cold to her, but would help her whenever she asked for it and one that she could simply talk to. She knew she was the only one of her classmates that ever noticed Isamu's lack of a last name and thus the only one to receive the story of why. She didn't know who his family was, all she knew was that he had been abandoned at birth by his father and both his father and grandfather were important in the village. Hiashi had been surprised, but quite pleased when Hinata grew a bit more vicious in her training.
"Any thoughts on who you want your sensei to be?" He asked although he already knew the answer. However, he could tell that Hinata was nervous though most of the class would have been confused as she looked the same as she always did.
"I'd like Kurenai," Hinata thought.
"I would too," Isamu agreed as he thought about his older sister/aunt figure in his life. He had met Kurenai a few years ago as she was assigned to escort Hinata to and from the Hyuga compound. Now, Kurenai was a fixture in his life as she and her roommate Anko were next door neighbors to Isamu's apartment, the only thing his grandfather had ever given him. Isamu greatly enjoyed the conversations he could have with Kurenai and as a budding hormonal teenager, greatly enjoyed Anko's presence as well. C'est la vie.
More talk between the two was interrupted when the boisterous, orange-wearing, brat known as Naruto walked in and demanded attention from everybody. Isamu didn't like Naruto, though for different reasons from the rest of the village and he did know about what the small boy contained, but since Hinata had a crush on him he refrained from making any scathing remarks. However, when the blonde haired miscreant squatted on Sasuke's desk, he couldn't help himself from teasing his friend. "I bet you lunch that Naruto and Sasuke will have their first kiss in a few moments."
Hinata face soon mimicked that of a tomato and Isamu couldn't decide if it was because she was angry that she wouldn't be her crush's first kiss or embarrassed as she really wanted to see it. It didn't matter though as Isamu's prediction came true and the class burst into pandemonium. The guys burst into laughter and the girls showed a bit of their future selves and unleashed an unholy hell on the poor boy. If Isamu could say nothing else about Konoha's jinchuriki, he could at least say that Naruto could take a punch.
"Settle down class!" Iruka yelled with his patented big headed jutsu ten minutes later as Naruto slowly got into his seat. "Thank you. Now then, I will call your name and those of your teammates followed by your sensei. These teams were put together based on your average grade over the years and if you have a problem with them then you may take it up with each of the clan heads and the hokage. I wouldn't do that if I were you. Team one will be…"
Ismau drifted away as Iruka Sensei began listing the team names as he knew these first few teams would be filled with those destined for a career away from the main task force. That's not to say that they weren't needed in Konoha, but those that joined a team below seven were rarely heard from again and faded to obscurity. Like any good shinobi should do, truthfully. He was brought back to reality when he heard the banshee screech about true love, or something of that nature.
"Team eight will be Hinata Hyugga, Shino Aburame, and Kiba Inuzuka," Here Hinata let out a little sigh of disappointment at not being on the same team as her brother figure. She knew it had been a long shot, but if Isamu had been with her, something would have been right with the world. "Your jonin sensei will be Kurenai Yuhi." Isamu reached over and squeezed the nervous girl's hand and gave her a warm smile. While he did not get on the team he wanted, he was happy for Hinata and no jealousy would make its way into his mind. Seeing that Isamu wasn't angry or sad, Hinata returned the smile.
"Team Ten will consist of Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, and Shikamaru Nara. Your Jonin Sensei will be Asuma Sarutobi." No one noticed the flinch that Isamu showed or the tightening of his fist at the mention of Asuma's name. "Right then, that is all the teams available in this classroom. Isamu I was told that you were to report to training ground forty four when the teams were announced where you will meet your sensei for further instruction. I truly don't know any more than that." Now it was noticed by the rest of the class when Isamu tightened his fists and seemed to be reaching for the dual swords on his back, but he seemed to get a hold of himself.
Knowing that Naruto had only passed late last night because of circumstances beyond anyone's control and the Hokage having the final say in all teams was a major slap in the face for Isamu. The Hokage, the same man that allowed his father to cast Isamu out of the family and never said a word against his son, had decided that Naruto was going to get a spot on the teams from the class and not Isamu. It was insulting to be honest and Isamu had half a mind to not show up at the training grounds. He shook that traitorous thought off quickly, there was no way he was going to let his father or grandfather get under his skin and undermine his ninja career already. Giving one more squeeze to Hinata, though not as gentle as before, he bowed his head to Iruka and walked silently out of the class.
-Finding a Name-
In the Hokage's office the prospective sensei had been watching the assignment of their teams and no one could make heads or tails of what just happened. Kurenai was rather angry and Hiruzen allowed her to speak her mind. "What did you just do to that child?" She spit out, trying to keep a respectful tone while conveying her anger.
"What do you mean Kurenai?" The Sandaime asked as he really was confused about her animosity. "Please, speak freely as well."
"Not only did you change our agreed upon teams that each of us had spent hours debating over last night and finalized, you replaced one of the most promising genin of the past few years with a boy that passed on sheer dumb luck. Naruto should not have been placed on Team Seven and I should still have my approved team." She had nothing against Kiba and was good friends with his older sister, but she wanted her team dammit. Asuma's team hadn't been changed at all and even though the Hokage had told her to speak freely, she wasn't foolish enough to accuse him of favoritism. "I know exactly who his mysterious teacher is supposed to be and she only has one other student with that student being mentally imbalanced from a minor clan. Are you creating a suicide squad? Is this because of the boy's good for nothing relatives?"
The room's atmosphere suddenly thickened as everybody waited for the hokage's answer. A suicide squad was nothing to joke about, especially in Konoha. As the name implied, a suicide squad was given time to train up and then sent on the more dangerous missions with a do or die motto that was taken literally. Some of the missions were so dangerous that AnBU squads refused to go on them. A creation of such a squad went against the founding tenants of Konoha and aggravated Kakashi like nothing else.
On the outside it looked like the hokage was as calm and collected as he always was, but inside Hiruzen was dealing with the anguish that came from being accused of that. He hadn't meant to cause his grandson, even if he wasn't allowed a part in the family, any more hardships or ridicule, but now that it had been pointed out he realized just what it could be constructed as. Hiruzen honestly thought he was doing what was best and knew that Isamu had a good relationship with Anko. It seemed that once again he had made a mistake and others would now be responsible for fixing it.
"It is good that you brought me your concerns Kurenai," The Sandaime said, his inner turmoil hidden away from those in the room, "But let me assure you that there are no squads being formed in Konoha. However, with Naruto's graduation teams had to be moved around. I'm sure Isamu will be fine with his new sensei and teammate." Kurenai's glare didn't lessen, making the third hokage feel even worse knowing that she was closer than Anko to Isamu, but she didn't say anything else, knowing that the hokage had shut the conversation down effectively. "Now, you have your assignments and can pick up your new team after lunch. Until then, dismissed."
As they bowed and left his office, Hiruzen sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. Twelve years ago was simply a mistake after mistake it seemed to him. Taking back the Hokage's hat was never in Hiruzen's plans other than for the occasional vacation Minato took with his growing family, but it was forced upon him once again after the sacrifice of the Yondaime. His first mistake was dealing with Naruto and not enforcing the law that deprived the child of almost laughter and love in his short life. His second mistake was not seeing what Jiraya had pointed out to him numerous times in his teammate Orochimaru and the acts that the foolish young man committed. Though that instance didn't come to a head until many years later.
His most personal mistake however came from when Asuma went through a particularly nasty case of rebellion. One night Asuma snuck down to the red light district and had some fun. Nine months later his night of fun came back to bite him in the butt just as he was about to leave for the Fire Country's capital and join the Twelve Guardians. When the boy was presented to the Sarutobi estates from a rather irate whore who couldn't believe a ninja had allowed someone to carry their child, the clan was in an uproar. No one was able to look after the child other than Asuma due to their age or prior engagement and Asuma was having nothing with the child as it would keep him inside Konoha and near his father. With a heavy heart Hiruzen was forced to banish the child from the clan less than three weeks after he was born.
When one is banished from a clan in Konoha, old laws came into effect that the Shodaime seemed to have missed in the forming of the village. When a child was not wanted by the parent who was a clan member and no one in the clan would take the child in, they could never be a part of the clan, even through marriage. When the other parent also wanted nothing to do with the child, the child was no longer entitled to a last name and under Konoha's laws, was not allowed a last name until the child married, taking their spouse's last name. It was a cruel fate for a parent's stupidity, but it was the law.
Hiruzen wept for the fate that he had placed on a child of his own flesh and blood.
-Finding a Name-
Isamu made his way quickly to the designated training ground, trying to clear his head of traitorous thoughts. He knew that if he was making his way to the lovely Forest of Death, his sensei was going to be sadistic in her training and he knew he had probably gotten as a sensei. Like Kurenai though, he knew that she only had one other student so things were not looking up. On the other hand though, if they didn't get another teammate, Anko would probably enter them into the chunin exams anyways just to show the fools that they were the best and she made a great teacher. He didn't know what to feel about his sensei now.
Landing in front of the large cage, Isamu didn't have time to wonder where his new sensei and team were as he sensed incoming projectiles that were rather sharp coming his way. Without much thought, Isamu pulled out both his blades and blocked the incoming weapons. Continuing to spend his blades he brought the two handles together, twisting one of the blades and interlocking them to make a double bladed weapon. It had cost a pretty penny, especially for an orphan, but Isamu thought it had been well worth it. He stood tense, his sword ready for another attack.
A blur shot down from the trees followed by another one and dropped down in front of Isamu. The amber eyes of one Anko Mitarashi stared back at Isamu for a moment in all seriousness before she put on her customary grin and smirk. "Well done brat," She said and he couldn't help but to return her grin. "I see that my lessons haven't been forgotten."
Isamu snorted in amusement while subconsciously moving his right hand to cover a scar on his arm. When Anko first met him and learned that he was in the academy she decided to help him in her own unique way. It took a month for Isamu to learn from Kurenai that Anko enjoyed their training time together and wanted to help him succeed. "As if you would let me forget."
"Damn right brat," She grinned proudly. "Come over here and meet your new teammate." Isamu had of course met Yakumo once before since she was Anko's student and Kurenai's former student. They hadn't interacted much, but they had met.
"Morning Yakumo," Isamu smiled at the girl.
"Good morning Isamu," Yakumo replied.
"That's right, I forgot you brats knew each other, but it does make it a bit easier. I'll be blunt with the two of you, each of us has been given the short stick because of this team. I've actually wanted to teach for a while, but instead of a full genin team I was given two genin and no offense to you Yakumo, but right now you need a lot of work, a lot more than Isamu at least. Isamu, you are stuck with a teacher that is labeled as a traitor just because I was Orichmaru's student and with a girl that has recently battled a demonic construct of her mind and really needs to train. However, I plan on just the two of you completely destroying the chunin exams in two months."
Isamu and Yakumo looked at their sensei as if she had two heads. They knew their limitations. Couple that with the fact that teams were usually made of three members, the chunin exams were always filled with ringers, and they were just beginners. "Ah don't look so scared, if you two truly aren't ready I won't force you past the first stage, but the chunin exams are easy to pass if you use Kami's gift that's two feet above your butt. I will focus solely on getting both your physical abilities up to par as well as instructing you two on my specialties being stealth and assassination. I will also be sharpening your mind in order for you to pass the exams."
"What about Isamu's sword training or my genjutsu sensei?" Yakumo asked.
"Oh yeah," Anko replied, "I knew I was forgetting something. I have a few friends that I racked up enough favors that they'll help you out with what you need. You'll have to prove that you can keep up with them of course, so I won't be showing you them for two months probably, but that should still be enough time." Isamu and Yakumo still didn't seem convinced and Anko had to prove to her students that they could trust her. "Look guys, it's not going to be easy, nothing ever is, and I'm going to run you to the ground most days when we aren't out of the village on missions, but I promise you when six months rolls around you'll be ready for the exams. Probably to get away from me, but you will be able to pass them as long as you trust me. Can you do that?"
Looking at each other and giving a few nonverbal cues to discuss the situation between themselves, something that Anko was surprised but pleased about, the two genin came to a decision. "You push us to make that mark Anko Sensei and we'll turst you."
"Excellent my new minions," She cackled which brought an amused grin from the two before her, "Now while Training Ground 44 is my favored training ground, what most people don't realize is that there are actually areas around the cage that are perfect for different exercises. Eventually I'll take you into the forest, but we won't go in the first day. Now come on, there's training to do!"
A/N: So, as you can see things are a bit differently this time around and I've placed Isamu with Anko and Yakumo. No, I don't have any plans at the moment for another member. If you have suggestions, then please let me know, but their will be no Sai. Yes, I will have them both breeze through the Chunin exams, but I don't think they would have any difficulty in them to begin with.
I have a poll up on my profile that will let you choose which girl Isamu ends up with and it will affect everything from chapter five and beyond so I'll only leave it up for a week. Until next time!
