Hello! So this is my brain baby! I have no idea where it is going to go but I plan to enjoy every second and every word I can pump out! Send me a message for inspiration, a review for some constructive criticism, or heck send me a flame for a laugh to brighten my day. Heck send me a request to review my work, maybe you can be the inspiration I find myself lacking in at times.
Summary: Staring into space. My past time and my passion. They may hate me but I have my mind and my abilities, I need no other in this existence.
Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Naruto. I am not profiting from the use of the Naruto characters, plots, places, or other devices from the manga/anime.
Chapter 1: Staring at the Troublesome
It wasn't uncommon for me to stare into space. I had found actually that the majority of my waking time I was simply staring into space. It was not a strange fascination with anything in particular I just found it to be a better past time the listening to those around me who were there to simply belittle my very exsistence, the breath I took, the feelings I had, the soul that ached for a moment of comfort. I was used to it. I had to be there was no other option for me. I had to live in the space around me while occupying the space I was in. it's a monotonous and routine existence but I lived and I accepted and I cared not for their opinions. As I've heard it would be, troublesome. Yes, truly troublesome.
Today was like any other day to me. Wake up, cook the food I was forced to call breakfast, dress, train, go to school, and accept this existence. However it wasn't like any other day, I knew it as soon as I crossed the threshold into the classroom. Graduation day.
Making my way to the back of the classroom I sat next to the Uchiha heir, Sauske. An enigma and yet he was the easiest to figure out. Broody, focused, a genius in many ways, but narrow minded. An interesting but troublesome individual. A rival I suppose if I were to choose one.
A scream. I cringe slightly, my hands reflexively clenching. It appears the Yamanaka heir, Ino and her best friend and rival the civilian born Haruno Sakura had arrived. The biggest fan girls if one were to ever wish to truly give it any thought but why, it would be simply a waste of time which could be better spent looking at all the space. With a sigh in my head I prepared to tune out the ensuing fight between the two for the remaining chair on the other side of the Uchiha.
Just as Haruno started out with an undignified screech the chunnin sensei entered. A young man in his twenties Umino Iruka had a distinctive cut across the upper bridge of his nose. It was a stark white scar against what seemed deeply tanned otherwise unblemished skin. A kind man who cared for his students. How innocent and narrow his view was on the world. I cut them out of my senses and Iruka yelled at Haruno and Yamanaka to take seats in the front by himself. With a pout the two girls made their way grudgingly to the front row.
As Iruka-sensei began roll call I watched out of the corner of my eye as our other sensei Mizuki crept in to stand in one of the shadowed front corners. Something wasn't quite right. His stance suggested a rather insidious poise. The maniacal gleam from his grey eyes, hidden just barely by blue tinted shoulder length grey hair, was not helping dissuade me from this belief. I absentmindedly raised my hand and placed it once more on the desk when Iruka-sensei called my name never removing Mizuki-sensei from my line of sight.
Mizuki-sensei had been an interesting but disturbing fixture in my life at the academy especially at my two previously failed graduations. Not that I minded not graduating, I know my abilities and l know they are greater than anything that the people around me would understand. I had always been a below average student by choice. No need to draw even more unwanted attention then I already received but even with my un-extraordinary displayed knowledge and skills Mizuki-sensei always watched from the shadows with an unsavory aura surrounding him at all times. I knew that he had been held back to chunnin due to a several unsavory missions were he was suspect in the death and injuries of different comrades.
With an unnoticed sigh I gave my attention back to Iruka-sensei. He was reviewing the tests and requirements to graduate the ninja academy and become genin of the Kohona, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Even knowing the curriculm that encompassed the graduations exam it never hurt to listen on the highly unlikely chance that Hokage-sama, leader of my village, decided to change some part of the exam.
Not to my surpise it encompassed the same as the past two tests I had failed. The written exam which I simply didn't do. It wasn't useful I knew the answers but why some of ridiculous questions were even on there it escaped me. It was too troublesome so I simply ignored it and gazed off until that portion was completed and it would be no different this time around. The second part was the practical which included a basic demonstration and understand of ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu.
Mizuki-sensei had always tested me on the three practicals and every time he had failed me. Not because I performed the basic taijutsu stances and defended myself, not because I was just 'barely' able to break the genjutsu performed on me, but because though I could perform the clone jutsu it wasn't adequate to his standards. I performed at average on all of them which should have passed me with no problem but I knew it simply wasn't results for the reason I had previously failed the two tests.
I gave a sigh prepared to face Mizuki-sensei once again and fail for my third and final time because after the third attempt it was evaluated that you would be unable to compete at the proper shinobi level. It was then that Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei began to pass out the written exam which would last a half hour and then began the practicals. I looked down at the exam preparing to enter my own world when a thought came to me. Perhaps I should exceed expectations and see them try to fail me then. Too troublesome, if I fail then perhaps something will present itself to me.
Thirty minutes later I passed forward my, once again, blank exam. Now came the time for practicals. The class would be split into two, random, groups and the sensei's would then test them individually on taijutsu and genjutsu. After the class would once again meet back up and finish the last portion, ninjutsu. Slowly names were called Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei. Staring passively at Mizuki-sensei I waited for him to call my name, however he had turned and walked out with several students around him. In a mild state of shock I watched him walk out without calling me.
"Naoku-kun. Naoku-kun!"
In surprise I turned to look at Iruka-sensei who was looking at me in bewilderment, eyebrows nearly in his hairline and his mouth in a frown. He called once more "Naoku-kun you are with myself not Mizuki-san." I stood and began my way to the front to join the other students staring at my either impassively or impatiently. Joining the group I waited for Iruka-sensei to begin the last step to the exam.
Chapter Notes:
Naoku- (Nao) "truth, straight" (ku) "nine"
Honorifics:
kun- used for those below you
san- general honorific
sensei- teacher
sama- superior