Summary
Living while thinking she'd die in time was easy. Living as an Uchiha, knowing when she'll die yet not being able to do anything about it? It sucks, especially as Chiharu's almost friends with Itachi. Oh well, might as well try to make the best of it. It's not as if she'll miss living in the Naruto World..., or want to actually not die. Again. SI/OC insert
CH 1. Winter Part 1
Chiharu shot a small smile at Daikoku Sensei as he set the finals test paper on her desk, which the man returned. This wasn't his first class to go to graduation, but to Chiharu's relief, the chūnin didn't seem to mind that through the years, little midgets continued to enter his class who he was supposed to bring up to scratch, often in very little amount of time. She could only imagine how horrible would have been to be taught by an unwilling teacher.
As it was, the big man wasn't prone to sabotaging his students' efforts because he didn't like them, as she had half feared would happen. Though maybe what he had skipped was something she'd learnt from her mother but those without clan education wouldn't be able to? But Konoha needed more shinobi so doing that would be counterproductive. Searching for ulterior motives behind every word and action could be so annoying.
But this isn't the time to think of anything but this test. If Tachi chan passes and I don't, I won't be able to show my face at the compound for weeks. And if Hana passes and I don't... she'll never stop teasing me.
Having given herself a pep talk which was more of a threat, Chiharu waited impatiently till Daikoku Sensei finally finished distributing the papers to all the eleven students in the tiny classroom of the Konoha Academy.
Just as Chiharu was about to turn over the paper containing the questions, Daikoku Sensei spoke in a sharp as a whip and just as biting tone of voice, "Muta, don't use your kikaichu, and I assure you, I'll know. Tokuma, no Byakugan. Uchiha, this is not the time I want you to demonstrate the prowess of your Sharingan. Hana, your ninken better remain at the front of the classroom, right where I can see them."
All of the children mentioned probably felt a little sheepish. Chiharu didn't know about them, but when she came into class, it was with the expectation that if she couldn't answer a question...well she'd Sharingan it from someone.
Itachi probably looked as innocent as he always did, considering he was a genius who didn't need the Sharingan to get a perfect score, but she couldn't bring herself to turn and look. Looking at his blank yet confident countenance was enough to give her an ulcer when she didn't feel the same, and a stomach ache wouldn't be doing her any good right now.
She only knew the basics about most of the other students, all of whom had come into the class at different intervals. She could only be thankful for her ability to, if not make friends, then be friendly acquaintances with everyone. This at least ensured that no one was jealous of her, even though she was graduating as one of the youngest.
The classes since the war ended and after that the Kyūbi attack, had been erratic, with students joining whenever their parents felt was fit, graduating as soon as the teachers felt they wouldn't drop dead the moment they exited Konoha. Hana had started school when she was three, joining the Initial Level classes which taught students reading, writing, some history and the like as her mother, newly made clan Head and her father, an active Duty Tokubetsu Jōnin, simply couldn't devote enough time to the girl.
She'd stayed there for nearly two years till Chiharu herself had joined when she was five. This had resulted in a light hearted rivalry between the two girls, mostly in Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. When Chiharu was promoted to the Intermediate Level, Hana had also worked hard to join her. In due time, they had entered the Final Level classes, joining some Civilian students.
While Chiharu liked to believe she wasn't prejudiced, somehow there simply wasn't any occasion to get to know them. As a result, she often forgot their names. And that made her feel mildly guilty but only when she was reminded of their existence. Hana and Chiharu had ended up as the only two Clan kids.
After that had come Aburame Muta, who thankfully made a point of not using his kikaichu on his classmates except in spars. Hyūga Tokuma had joined the class just after Itachi, both of them having been promoted through a succession of classes once they had actually been admitted. Tokuma, much to Chiharu's dissatisfaction, was a Jyūken and Byakugan genius. He would probably have graduated in the last round of graduations were it not for his abysmal theory marks and complete unfamiliarity with the Academy Basics.
Though she didn't like to judge people, all of them stubbornly stuck to their Clan traits as much as possible and their reactions to Sensei's admonishments were stereotypical. The Hyūga hadn't let a single expression cross his face, the Inuzuka was twitching at the allegation and having to be separated from her ninken, which managed to look sweet and ferocious all at the same time... and her train of thought was derailed when all three of the cute menaces decided running past her was the best route to get to Sensei.
She couldn't help it. She let out a tiny yelp and swung up her feet on the seat, and when it appeared like one of the little pups was going to stop, she jumped on top of the desk. She was proud of the fact that even in the midst of her terror, she had managed to not step on the papers on her desk.
That was all that she had to be proud of though, as Daikoku Sensei took that moment to call out in an exasperated voice, "Chiharu, get down, they won't hurt you. Haimaru Brothers, stop bothering your classmate and come to me, right now."
The eight year old let out a sigh of relief as the demons known as dogs that somehow looked adorable even when they were terrorising her finally left and she got down from her perch. She didn't even have it in her to blush anymore, after spending the last two months fleeing from the scene amidst laughter whenever the ninken showed any interest in her. Sometimes, she wondered why she was still friends with Hana.
To her great relief, Daikoku Sensei announced the start of test just then and Chiharu diverted her mind to what really mattered. She held her pencil with a firm grip and flipped the test paper over. It was only when she realised that yes, she knew the answer to the first question, and the next and in fact, knew at least something about them all , did she let out slow breath and started writing down her answers.
This test wasn't that difficult. She'd always been a clever girl and her memory wasn't anything to scoff at. The only trouble was that she just wasn't that good in Taijutsu, which made getting good marks on the written portion of paramount importance. So she started from the end, just in case she didn't have time to finish the whole test, which was a very valid fear considering the length of it. The last questions were the ones with the most weightage, the advanced questions that most students didn't bother attempting.
Draw a storage seal capable of storing five kg of nonperishables.
Chiharu resisted the grin that threatened to bloom on her face. She might be a bit slow in grasping the intricacies, but once she understood the basics, there was nothing she couldn't do. She liked sealing. She started practicing with storage seals.
She got to work on drawing the seal, using her compass whenever necessary, but mostly using her eyes. She wrote down the necessary kanji, specified the range of the sealing. She hesitated over making it a precision seal or a broad chakra receptive one, but ultimately chose the one with less control requirement, just in case the instructors tried to test it. When she was done, she felt satisfied. That was ten marks in the bag.
The next question was on the effect of existent weather conditions on wind jutsu, which she skipped. Chiharu was fire natured, like all the Uchiha, and she had never bothered learning more than the bare minimum about Wind Jutsu.
She answered the question after that, which was about calculating angle and force required while going tree jumping with distance between trees given, and only enough chakra to make fifteen bunshins. The History questions were beyond easy, though she did have to think about a few of the dates.
She kept on writing till Daikoku Sensei told them that time was over, at which point she wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, the only sign that she hadn't been a model of Uchiha composure throughout the exam. As she had thought, she hadn't managed to complete the test paper, but as Kaa san had told her, no one expected her to. What was more important was being correct in whatever she did attempt. As she set her now blunt pencil on the desk, she shot a smile at both Itachi and Hana, who were sitting one behind the other. She rather thought she'd done well.
Hana's returning smile looked a little queasy, a sign that her paper hadn't gone satisfactorily but Itachi simply nodded. Chiharu was sure the boy had tried to look expressionless, but she could see the brightness in his eyes. His paper had been more than satisfactory. It didn't rub her the wrong way now that she wasn't a bundle of deeply suppressed nerves.
When all the papers were collected, Daikoku Sensei sent everyone out to the yard where Suzume Sensei was waiting. Winter in Fire Country only necessitated full sleeves during the day, but without any prompting, all the would-be shinobi except Muta and Tokuma removed whatever clothes they were wearing that might have hampered their movement.
The sun was hidden in the shadow of a few clouds and Chiharu shivered a little as she went to stand next to her best friend and cousin, instinctively pulling them close to her. She didn't know if it was just her or the others were simply better at hiding it, but she was wracked by the urge to shiver in her half sleeve shirt. At least the Uchiha collar protected her neck.
A breeze blew just then, as if nature itself was tormenting her and she hid the sound of her hissed out breath under the rustling of the leaves of the only tree that hadn't shed all its leaves yet. It didn't work on her companions and Hana shot her a compassionate yet amused smile.
Itachi spoke up in a whisper that even she had trouble hearing and suggested, "If you start warming up, you'll soon stop feeling cold."
I whispered back, trying not to move my lips as Suzume Sensei ran her eyes over the children gathered in front of her. Her very presence discouraged any talking, intimidating everyone into submission. "I don't want to look like the only one who can't stand a little cold."
"You shouldn't have removed your sweater," Hana pointed out under the cover of another breeze that made Chiharu hunch over slightly, though she forced herself into proper posture almost immediately. She was getting the horrible impression that standing in the cold like this was part of the test.
After what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes, Suzume Sensei spoke in a steely voice, "Shinobi rarely get the chance to warm up. Every one line up and give me fifteen laps of the field. Your timings will be noted but completing the course successfully will also get you marks."
Chiharu vibrated lightly on the balls of her feet, getting the blood running through her limbs as she then went through a full blown shake, her favourite method of warming up when she was short on time before walking to the starting line. Hana, on the other hand, broke into a light jog on the way while Itachi almost marched, raising his knees up so high they nearly touched his chest. It would have appeared hilarious on anyone else but he carried it off.
Running was Chiharu's favourite activity and while the Academy only made the students run ten laps, she'd run more than this many times, if not at her full speed. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, getting into the correct rhythm of breathing before getting into position, leaning forward while her hands were outstretched behind her.
On Suzume sensei's call, all eleven students burst into a run. Chiharu didn't bother moderating herself. Kaa san had refused to let her give anything but her best to her training, and it was an attitude that had spilled over to everything. And if she lacked motivation, beating Hana, the one with the most endurance in the class, or Tokuma who was fastest what with his longer legs, would do perfectly.
It was hard, getting a lead and keeping it. Her lungs burned despite all her efforts at modulating her breathing and there was a stitch emerging on her left side just below her ribs, but that only made her regulate some of her chakra into her legs, being careful not to send so much that it went out of her control. She'd learned from her unfortunate incidents of damaging her muscles. Next to her, Itachi's eyes narrowed as she sped up while he struggled to maintain his same speed.
To her pleasure, she was the clear winner after the fifteenth lap, though her head spun a little and her knees threatened to buckle. She didn't give herself more than a few seconds of stillness to recover, starting to stretch, stopping the accumulation of excessive lactic acid in her leg muscles.
Chiharu bumped her fist against her cousin and Clan heir's shoulder once he finished his run and smoothly transitioned into his own stretches. While there was a grin on her face, Itachi's lips were pressed together slightly more than normal.
"Hey, you'll utterly thrash me in the spars so it's only fair that I win the race, don't you think?" She cajoled the boy.
Itachi let out a breath in a manner that passed for a sigh for the stoic boy before responding, "In the final test, we'll have to spar against the sensei, who'll grade us based on our technique."
"You can beat me in the next spar, then." Chiharu replied with a smirk.
"I do not like the way you're always implying that I like beating you." Itachi said, frustration slightly leaking into his voice.
"You …simply …like …winning," Hana panted from right behind Chiharu, where she had arrived with any of the Uchiha realising.
The Inuzuka beamed as she looked at their startled faces and asked in a self-congratulatory manner, "I'm just wonderful, aren't I?" Her preening had to stop though as she paused to take in huge gulps of air before straightening and starting her own cool downs.
Periodically, Chiharu shot looks at the children still running and had to hide the grin threatening to emerge as she got proof of her own excellence. At least her companions didn't see it. It would totally ruin her sweet and ever ready to help Uchiha Chiharu façade. Even though she got the feeling that both of her friends knew she wasn't actually that nice, she liked pretending.
After everyone had finally managed to make their way to where the three had finished their stretches, Suzume Sensei shook her head, curly mop of hair moving like blackberry jam or… tamarind pickle, at the motley bunch comprised mainly of Civilians who were clutching their sides and panting breathlessly.
"Now, you have to do seven push-ups, sit-ups and squats. Again, completion carries its own marks." She said. Someone let out an involuntary groan and the woman pursed her lips, which were painted a deep pink, but didn't say anything else.
Though there was some grumbling, all the students got to work while Sensei steered clear of all the smelly, sweaty bodies. Chiharu didn't know how the woman behaved while on the field, but in the Kunoichi classes at least, the woman was a very fussy person who was extra strict so that the aspiring Kunoichi couldn't muster up the courage to make fun of her. Not that Chiharu herself would though.
It was one of her guiding principles of life. People in a position of power over her weren't to be made fun of and were to be always treated with respect. After all, if she did otherwise, they might find out and take offense. And in a world full of either ninja or people willing to hire ninja, giving offence could possibly be the last thing she ever did. Her eyes simply made her a more tempting target.
After the physical exercise, which only two of the Civilians managed to complete, came the time to demonstrate their Infiltration techniques. The girls were guided back to the classroom where they had given their written exam but which was now empty. Chiharu found it beyond easy to act like a little girl, relaxing her forever ready muscles, taking steps that would have her nearly fall should she pause in the middle, serving tea, arranging flowers, talking politely.
Hana unfortunately…failed. Miserably. The civilian girls, on the other hand, performed admirably. "They do it all the time," Chiharu commiserated with the girl who appeared to have a cloud of misery raining over her.
Hana snorted, "I think Suzume Sensei's fallen for their act of competency."
Chiharu winced when she heard the word competency. That was a big word, and Hana as a rule didn't like them. "You'll make a better Genin than all of them put together," she did her best to reassure her best friend.
"At least I won't end up on a Reconnaissance Squad like Kaa chan if I continue to do so badly." Hana muttered, in the manner of one trying to find a silver lining to the darkest, scariest, most moisture filled thundercloud.
Chiharu hated to spoil her parade but…, "Wasn't your mother horrible at everything except Taijutsu when she was in the Academy?"
Hana just glared at her in response. Chiharu understood. Hana was a fundamentally cheerful person and while Muta and Tokuma weren't gloomy by any angle, they weren't willing to tolerate Hana's happy babble either, let alone actually reciprocate.
They didn't get the time to talk further as they were ushered back into the Academy Yard, where the boys were waiting for them. There was a disproportionate number of girls in their class, and hence there was quite a bit of eye fluttering and stifled giggling when their group caught sight of the three boys standing there in 'cool' poses. Chiharu didn't understand this weird fascination with the opposite sex.
Yes, they weren't hideous looking but they came off more uncomfortable than cool to her. In fact, the foremost thought that had run through her head, she remembered, when she had first seen them had been oww, I want to pull their cheeks!
Now wasn't any different and she felt a sliver of irritation flow through her at the fools the Civilians her fellow classmates were making of themselves. They were supposed to be shinobi, not fan girls. They should have taken at least the graduation exam seriously. If her marks didn't depend on it, Chiharu might have taken the advantage of the Weapons Proficiency portion of the exam to lob a few shuriken at the annoying girls. But her marks did depend on it and so she carefully restrained her fingers which were slowly inching towards her weapons pouch which she'd attached to her right thigh the moment the Kunoichi Test was over.
She centered herself, paying no attention to anyone but herself as she got into a line in front of the tree they were supposed to be throwing kunai and shuriken at. When her turn came, Chiharu momentarily closed her eyes and concentrated.
I can do this. I've done this before. And it doesn't even have to be a bull's eye, just have it strike the wood.
Once she felt confident and relaxed, she slipped her hand into her weapons pouch and withdrew five kunai, transferring all but one into her left hand. She took careful aim and then let the kunai fly. It struck right in the middle of the white dot, which did more to bolster her spirits than knowing that she'd done this before. The rest of the kunai flew smoothly after that she even managed to throw the shuriken correctly two at a time. Suzume Sensei's approving nod brought a small smile on her face.
After her came Hana, whose throws were all correct, but only three kunai and six shuriken hit dead center. Chiharu squeezed her friend's hand in congratulations. It might not seem like much in comparison to herself but till now, no one but Tokuma and she had managed to hit a bull's eye on all tries.
She waited eagerly for Itachi's turn. Even in a Clan full of prodigies, Itachi was something else and while there was little chance to shine in a test where the maximum marks were achievable by everyone, she somehow knew that Itachi would manage it. Fugaku san would be very disappointed if he didn't. She wasn't proved mistaken.
He started with the shuriken and to her surprise, held his hands close together, almost as if he intended to use his right hand to grab a throwing star from his left palm and let it fly. She was dumbfounded when he did just that, without pausing to aim after each throw. His hand was a blur and when she finally managed to tear her eyes off the slight figure, every single one of the shuriken was embedded inside the innermost circle.
Chiharu let out a shuddery breath and heard Hana whisper in amazement, "Damn… he's like having a bloody infestation of fleas, isn't he? You think you've gotten rid of it all but then you find another one in a new place."
Chiharu shuddered again but this time in response to the simile, or maybe it was a metaphor. But really, fleas?
Itachi's kunai throwing skills lived up to the hype and somehow, all five managed to hit the tree at exactly the same time, even though they were thrown separately. Chiharu regretted having mastered activating the Sharingan so well that it had stopped coming out involuntarily. She didn't mind copying things that people knew she was copying, but doing so to someone she actually knew and without their permission felt a little sleazy to her.
And though she resolutely refused to think of it, the fact that she had two tomoe in one eye and one in the other made using the Sharingan headache inducing. It was simply too risky to fight against a Sensei with a pounding head distracting her. She knew she wouldn't beat Itachi to Rookie of the Year, but the Kunoichi of the Year title was still up for grabs. She refused to think about it in case she jinxed the idea, but she wouldn't mind coming second in the whole class.
Chiharu brushed these thoughts off, slipping back into the pattern of thinking that she liked to call her Shinobi mindset. She was a shinobi and hurting people decisively and cripplingly so that they never got the chance to hurt her back was what she had learned since she had started training. She wasn't going to let anything as foolish as a reluctance to cause harm get in the way. Morals? Well, if they didn't want her to hurt them then they should have stayed out of her way.
This conviction carried her through the spar with Daikoku Sensei (as Suzume Sensei absolutely refused to dirty her clothes) and when Sensei finally allowed her to land a concluding hit on him, she felt that if this was a real fight, she wouldn't have done too badly.
The moment she was in her place again though, feeling someone else enter the ring behind her, her assurance faded and she clenched her pants tightly, trying to stop the quivering of her hands. She didn't mind providing ranged support, but when she engaged in hand-to-hand fighting….she was gripped by a hesitance that took a lot out of her to get rid of.
But she'd do it. She loved Fuinjutsu, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, even Iryojutsu. And if to make any progress in these areas she had to be good at Taijutsu as well, then she'd lock her reluctance in a wooden box and set fire to it. She had priorities and not harming others didn't matter as much as engaging in extraordinary feats of magic or as close as could get to it.
Even though she didn't want to look at the round after round of fighting, she steeled herself and didn't turn her eyes away from the ring. She practiced reading the little cues that fighters generally gave off, predicting their movements and when she made a mistake she took it to heart and tried to do better. Every time she felt the urge to do something else, to pretend that this wasn't going to be a daily part of her life, she reminded herself of Tou san's words.
For the winner, mercy is a gift to be given. For one about to lose, it's a liability to rid oneself of.
She'd win and then she wouldn't have to go in the field knowing that one day she'd see someone dying at her hands.
Despite all her attempts, the relief she felt when the Taijutsu portion of the test ended was all too real and it was with silent recriminations that she followed the rest of her classmates into hallway, from where they were called into the testing area one by one. Speaking was forbidden, something she felt grateful for as Hana and Itachi came to stand at her side. Both of them could tell that something was wrong, but she wasn't sure she could explain it.
She couldn't understand it herself. In her opinion, she'd accepted what being a Shinobi would entail when she first joined the Academy. Yet this fight with Sensei was affecting her far more than anything she'd anticipated. It was almost like she'd made a mistake but she couldn't tell where. She tried to analyse why she was feeling the way she was but all she could come up with was that now that she was graduating, things had become horribly real. Not like a game that she could start over if she decided to do so but like boarding a train that wouldn't stop until it reached its destination, no matter how hard she tried to get off.
She pushed these thoughts as far away as she could when her name was called and she entered the classroom. There was simply a long table on which hitai-ate in headband, bandana and armband style were arranged, all gleaming metal and dark blue cloth. Daikoku sensei was standing to the side and he gestured to a chair placed at a distance of about five metres from her. "Kawarimi with the chair, Chiharu."
The girl nodded and performed a flawless Replacement Technique. It was a testament to her Chakra Control that there was only as much smoke as was required to hide her form from view.
"Good. Now Henge into someone of your choice." The Chūnin next told her
Chiharu didn't think about her choice. She'd already decided beforehand and turned herself into a perfect double of Hana. Transforming into someone who was similar in size to you and who you knew well was the easiest way to do this.
Sensei walked a circle around her, inspecting the girl with brown hair in a ponytail, fang like tattoos on slightly chubby cheeks and who seemed to radiate cheer and willingness to help as well as mischievousness. Finally, the man gave a nod and the figure disappeared in a burst of smoke to reveal a slight, pale girl with the classic Uchiha black eyes and thick grey hair tied in braid which was wrapped up in a bun at the back of her head.
"Now, make exactly three bunshins." Daikoku Sensei said.
Chiharu gave a short nod before pulling at her chakra, speeding through the hand signs and in a puff of smoke, there were four identical Chiharus standing in the room, with the same posture and hands in the exact same positions.
Chiharu kept her breathing even as Daikoku Sensei then proceeded to calculate her total marks. She had passed, this she knew. The only question was with what marks, and though she'd like to pretend that she only wanted good marks, her clan's attitude had carried over to her and she knew she would be disappointed if she didn't get good marks. Unfortunately, she'd have to wait till the end of the exams to find out the class rankings.
When Sensei waved a hand at the table containing the hitai-ate, she knew even before he could speak that she'd passed. "Congratulation Uchiha Chiharu. You are now a Genin of Konohagakure no Sato."
"Thank you, Sensei," she replied, giving a deep bow to the man. Saying this, she moved to the table and picked out a forehead protector. She had no intention of wearing it as anything but a belt, but if that proved impossible, she'd settle for tying it around her thigh.
It was strange, Chiharu thought as she entered the yard through another door, anyone else would have been euphoric at finally being a shinobi but she could find nothing of significance in being able to sport her village's insignia across her body. She'd always known that either she'd join the Military Police or become a Tokubetsu Jōnin. It was only the fact that the Military Police rarely left Konoha that had tipped the decision in becoming a Special Jōnin's favour.
She might be conceited, Chiharu admitted, but she liked to think of it as confidence. She knew she could be better than a Chūnin but had doubts as to her ability to become a Jōnin. She liked following rules but she'd be the first to admit that she was not averse to putting a toe out of line if it got her what she wanted. The only time she tried to prevent others from rule-breaking was when it could be blamed on her. Which made a career in the Police Force doubly repugnant.
She was a selfish person at heart, Chiharu knew. She didn't like reminiscing or introspecting. She didn't like it when people did better than her when her own accomplishments weren't anything to write to the elders about.
All the same, when she saw Tokuma sitting on the swing hanging from the same tree that stubbornly refused to admit it was winter, a bandanna style forehead protector in place of honor on his head, she went over to him. While she wouldn't say they were bosom buddies, they shared a fairly amicable relationship, in direct contrast to the state of affairs between the Uchiha and Hyūga Clans in general.
"Congratulations on making Genin," Chiharu told him. As Tokuma made to stand, she shook her head at him and instead took the swing next to the one he was sitting on, executing a small swinging motion. She hid her disappointment at not being able to get a look at his forehead. It wasn't as if she could ask him whether he was Main House or Branch, but that did nothing to satisfy her curiosity.
"It is pleasant to have my efforts bear fruit." Tokuma agreed calmly before stating, "I believe you have a good chance of being Kunoichi of the Year yourself."
A small smile playing at her lips, Chiharu made a humming sound before she elaborated, "The summer crop didn't have very high marks. Still, I'd rather not count my chickens before they hatch."
"That is wise, but one shouldn't underestimate themselves either," Tokuma cautioned.
Chiharu was fully smiling this time as she replied, "With you around, I doubt that's likely to happen."
"It is always a pleasure to provide aid to a fellow Konoha Shinobi." Tokuma expressed with a hint of wryness in his voice.
They didn't have time to converse any further as just then, a small shriek drew their attention to a bouncing girl hurrying towards them, three small, gray puppies at her heels.
There was an exchange of slightly hostile glances when Hana came to a stop next to Chiharu and noticed just who she was talking to, something she had neglected to do in her excitement earlier. Still, in the interest of maintaining peace, she said, "Hyūga."
"Inuzuka," came the calm result, something that only served to infuriate Hana further.
Chiharu internally winced as she was called upon to play mediator again. "See, there was no need to be nervous. I knew you'd pass. You're wonderful after all."
Hana's attention was momentarily diverted as she said smugly, "Oh yeah. Sensei said I had really good chakra control."
Unfortunately, the girl's happy mood didn't last long as Tokuma spoke up politely, "My felicitations on passing. You are one of the youngest two students in our class."
Hana's nostrils flared before she responded in a sickly sweet manner, "I can be classed as a prodigy too, now."
"Of course," Tokuma agreed without any hesitance. "Graduating at such an early age isn't something easily disregarded."
Seeing that the Hyūga's good manners were only rubbing Hana's nerves raw, Chiharu asked at general, "What do you think about a get-together in a few days, for all those who graduate? Parents included if desired, to commemorate our graduation?"
It would also serve the secondary function of bridging some of the gap that had opened up between the Uchiha and the rest of the village. And hopefully, Hana would be too busy planning it out to bother picking a fight with Tokuma. While she would side with her best friend in serious altercations, it was hard to do so when she was perfectly aware that Hana was simply jealous of having lost the best tracker of the class title once Tokuma joined their class. The boy was already rumored to have one of the best Byakugan in the village. One day, Chiharu knew, his eyes really would be the best.
"Assembling all the students together would be difficult once we get assigned Jōnin Sensei." Tokuma reflected. Chiharu took it as a good sign that he hadn't refused the suggestion out of hand.
"We should do it tomorrow, when there will be no personal celebrations while we wouldn't have teams yet either." Hana suggested.
"That might be a bit of a short notice. Maybe we should plan a day together, with permission from our future Sensei, that we can all meet at?" Chiharu mused.
"That would be more sensible, as then we would only have to invite those who pass their Jōnin Sensei's test." Tokuma agreed.
"Eh? What do you mean pass the Jōnin Sensei's test? We're all Genin, right?" Hana asked in surprise.
While Chiharu herself had known about the test, she had been at a loss as to how to explain this knowledge, and so she had decided to simply stay quiet. Hence, she plastered a look of well-hidden curiosity on her face, trying to appear as if she didn't know about the matter either whilst simultaneously giving the impression she wasn't going to ask any questions. It was harder than it sounded.
Luckily, Tokuma answered, "Hizashi sama mentioned it while training with me. Even though we're all Genin, having a Jōnin Sensei implied they'll teach us their personal Jutsu. No one can be forced to give up their techniques and thus Jōnin are allowed to test their prospective students. If the team fails, they're either assigned another Jōnin to be tested by, return to the Academy or join the Genin Corps."
Okay, Chiharu could honestly say that she hadn't known about the first and third alternative. Neither of her parents had mentioned anything about the test, and neither had any other adult she was regularly in contact with.
"If I don't pass, it's back to the Academy with me." Hana announced morosely. "Kaa chan already didn't want me to graduate this year. She wanted me to wait until I learned some of the partner Inuzuka techniques before going into the field."
"Your partners are on the small size currently," Tokuma admitted carefully. Everyone was aware of the fact that Hana wasn't fond of the white-eyed boy. Thankfully, this time the girl didn't take offense and simply said, "I know. I got them just two months ago. We can't even cooperate perfectly yet."
She seemed to realise that she wasn't talking to just Chiharu as she shut up than and silence prevailed for a while. Chiharu kept her eyes locked on the door that opened to the room their test took place in. One by one, their classmates came out. They generally went towards the Academy Gates, where a few parents were waiting to welcome their children. Only one girl hadn't passed yet, she noted.
Her gaze was drawn towards her companions though when a soft exhale of, "Byakugan" met her ears. Tokuma's eyes bulged while the veins burst to protuberant visibility. She had always thought that the sight would fill her with distaste, but the first time she had watched Tokuma activate his eyes, he had looked rather…adorable.
Seeing the curious looks directed at him from the two girls who were sharing a swing next to him, the Hyūga answered the unspoken question, "I am looking for my mother."
She had evidently arrived as the boy got up after deactivating the all-seeing eye and nodded towards the girls. "I must be going now. I look forward to the gathering."
"I'll arrange something after the next bunch of tests we have to pass. See you soon," Chiharu responded.
Hana swallowed her normal animosity to reply civilly, "Hope you pass your Jōnin Sensei's test."
"I wish the same for you," Tokuma answered before making his way to the gates.
As they waited for Itachi to come out, Hana asked, "Will you still have to go with Itachi everywhere, now that he's a Genin."
There was no doubt that he would make Genin as Chiharu answered keeping that in mind, "Well I am older than him."
"Yeah, by a year." Hana interrupted.
Chiharu ignored it as she continued, "Now that he's passed the Academy, Mikoto sama will probably accept that Itachi's mature enough to be by himself now."
"I can't believe they make you babysit him whenever you're not in school," Hana said in amusement.
Chiharu shrugged in response as she commented, "They probably think I'm wiser than him."
"You mean you're a goody two shoes at home." Hana translated. Chiharu smiled what she hoped was an enigmatic smile, before correcting her friend, "Shisui kun is the one who babysits us. We're alone only when he's on a mission."
Chiharu carefully didn't mention that it was Itachi's willingness to go along with what she wanted most of the time that made it possible for him to be allowed out of the house without adult supervision. She had no doubt that if she hadn't already proven her level-headedness, he would still be stuck going places with an adult, what with his actions the one time he had ben left alone.
After that a comfortable silence reigned, interspersed with a few words here and there until Itachi finally came out. The girls got off the swing, with Hana muttering a, "Finally" under her breath as they did so. Chiharu herself had gotten used to having to wait for Itachi, though in his defense, he rarely made her wait for more than the time needed to slip on his shoes. In fact, Chiharu made him wait more than the other way around.
They met the boy just outside the door and together, they made their way towards the Academy Gates. She could already make out her father's spiky hairdo, the exact same colour as her own untamable mop. Her mother was right next to her, conversing with Inuzuka Tsume. Fugaku sama and Mikoto sama were there too, and as they got closer, The Clan Head's expression of irritation changed into one of proud as he caught sight of the hitai-ate tied on his son's forehead.
In contrast, Uchiha Naori's eyes flickered from her daughter's empty forehead to her hand with a carefully controlled expression on her face till Chiharu brought out her own forehead protector from her pocket, at which point a smile spread across the beautiful woman's face. Once they got out of the Academy gates, Naka lifted his daughter up high before settling her in his arms, Chiharu letting out an involuntary squeal at the action.
Tsume san ruffled Hana's hair, a wild grin aimed at the beaming face of her daughter, giving no indication that she was anything but happy at the events. The other Uchiha couple congratulated their son in a more dignified manner.
At the scene in front of her eyes, Chiharu felt happy. Yes, this wasn't her first family, and no, she wouldn't have chosen if she had the choice. But now that she was here…she loved Naori and Naka. She respected Fugaku and Mikoto. She adored chubby little Sasuke.
Yes, Itachi was going to kill everyone, including her. Yes, Hana was going to be the only one of them to live to the conclusion of the Fourth Shinobi War. And maybe half-hearted efforts to avert the disaster on its way weren't going to cut it, but she'd already lived once. And changing the story line…well she'd think of it when the time came.
A/N: Tell me what you think. How should the teams be arranged? Should I show some of the past? An update will probably be late in coming since I've got a Temari AU in mind.
And, Naka and Naori featured in Shippuden Episode 338.