Disclaimer: Disclaimed

Babbles About Water

On the corner of Leaf Fort Road and Bark Boulevard, just near the end of market street was a man. He stood 6 feet and 3 inches, clothed in dirty and torn fabric, and surrounded by the odor of trash and the outdoors. His face obscured by tangled hair and a scraggily bread with a mouth full of jagged and missing teeth. He spewed mad ramblings aided by the thrashing of his limps, a consent babble, which started at the first of light and ended only with the last just before the day's end.

Every village had at least one or two lunatics stumbling around, spewing madness at anyone that dared to pass within arms distant. This man was no different, sometimes even daring to latch onto a poor soul and grabble in their face. He had no cardboard signs to visually assault with, just the auditory attack of his rough voice that would constantly grind against the Konohan's ear drums. The Mad Man of Market Street, he was often called by the younger children, who'd stand across the way from him and watch him flail about. It was on one brisk morning that Iruka, running late for his first team meeting, had his first encounter with the man.

Newly graduated and charged with excitement at the next step in his ninja life. Iruka was paying little attention to his surroundings. Suddenly something snagged his arm and yanked him clean off his feet. Startled by the abrupt change in his position, feet dangling above the ground, Iruka let out a soft gasp. "A new lamb for the slaughter," a gruff voice spoke from his left to which he turned large round eyes at. The Mad Man of Market Street had one large hand clamped onto his much smaller arm.

"Put me down," Iruka snapped once the man's words caught up with his startled mind.

"No," the man replied shortly and turned carrying Iruka off.

"Help," Iruka began calling to the onlookers, "He's kidnapping me."

"You're a ninja," the crazy man snorted, "You should be able to get out of this." Iruka opened his mouth to retort only to realize that, yes he should be able to get out of this. He looked from his raised arm down to his dangling feet then back up and over to the much large arm. He was being held out from the man's bulky form such that only the tips of his toes could reach. He reached up with his other hand and pulled up. Apparently the man wasn't having any of that and shook his arm, dislodging Iruka with a couple shakes.

"Stop that," Iruka growled after the fourth shake, "Where are you taking me?" He asked after realizing that the sounds of the market had faded into a dull roar.

The man stopped and looked around a bit confusedly, as if this was his first time seeing this place. "Right here," he answered setting Iruka on his feet but still not letting go.

"Where's here?" Iruka asked. It was a side street, with very little markings to give away their exact location.

"Here is here," the man answered simply.

"Well, here is not where I want to be," Iruka growled tugging at his arm again. The man's grip was surprisingly strong and his large fingers made Iruka's arm look smaller than it actually was. The man watched him blankly for several long minutes as Iruka tried several ways of dislodging his hand. "Ugh," Iruka stopped and stared grumpily at the offending appendage. "I'm going to be late."

"Late," the man echoed, "Late is only how other people perceive time." Oh no, Iruka thought. "A ninja is never late. You arrive when you mean to arrive." Here we go, Iruka sighed as the man prepared to launch into his ramble. Iruka sighed resigning himself to his fate. It seemed this mad man had adopted a new method for getting people to listen, kidnapping.

"A Ninja," Iruka interjected, "Should never be late. If a Ninja is late for a mission then that means their target can get away."

"Only if you look at it in the wrong way," The man countered. "If you arrive on time you could be arriving on time for the enemies trap."

"Only if the enemy knows I'm coming. I am a ninja, I'm supposed to be able to outsmart my opponent," Iruka retorted.

The man suddenly leaned in close, tugging Iruka toward him with a sharp pull, "There is always someone smarter than you, always someone stronger. Never believe that you can out do your opponent by sheer force. It is better to let everything flow, flow like water and adjust to the surroundings." Iruka blinked startled and a little bit repulsed by the horrid smell of the man's breath. "Water does not push. It flows in and around objects. Taking shape as it needs to and becomes formless when it needs to. You cannot hold water in your hands, it will only slip through the cracks of your fingers. It wears down rock and can carve out canyons, but never does it just push with force. It flows." Iruka opened his mouth only to close unsure how to reply. "A ninja should be like water as much as he is like shadows," The man said with an air of finality as he released Iruka's arm and ambled up the small street without looking back.

Iruka arrived at his first team meeting still a little dazed by the mad man's words. He was unsure what it all meant and was ready to chuck it all up to another one of his crazy rambles. "Glad of you to join us," his new sensei drawled looking Iruka up and down. Even though his entire team was freshly graduated from the academy, Iruka was still a little smaller then his teammates. The girl on his team was maybe a head or two taller than him and the boy definitely had more muscles then he did.

"Sorry I'm late Sensei," Iruka bowed, "I was…" he paused looking off to the side in thought, "Detained by a troubled civilian." He finished.

"Yes well," His Sensei a man with broad shoulders and a clean shaven face, scrunched his nose at Iruka, "Don't be late next time." Iruka bowed again. "First off I want to see what you're all capable of." The man begun, "If you impress me," he looked at them in a manner that suggested they wouldn't. "We'll start to get to know each other. I'm not going to waste my time learning about kids that have no worth." Iruka glared at the man's turned back, heavily insulted by the Jounin's words. They were more than worthy, well the other two were. He was a little below the grade point having spent most of his time as the class clown. "First," their newly appointed sensei grunted sitting down on a tree stump, "I want to see your skills. I don't care what you do to each other just as long as you don't kill each other."

"That's it," asked Iruka. The man raised an eye brow at him. "I mean you're not going to like, ya know do some kind of test where we have to steal something from you."

"Why?" the man asked tilting his head with amusement, "It's not like you'd get it from me anyways. No this is quicker." He finished before Iruka could retort. "Now go ahead. I'll be watching from here." He patted his stump.

While the young girl Tomoko was smart tactically, the other boy was every bit like his name Kenta. He was big and strong, all bronze and little brain. He powered through several of Iruka's traps and tore through Tomoko's own defenses. Logically speaking Iruka knew his best option would be to team up with Tomoko, but the girl believed he'd get in the way. A loud scream tore through the clearing as Tomoko went sailing through the air and into another tree. Iruka watched with a grimace as she tumbled from the tree seemingly hitting every branch on the way down. She landed at the base with a resounding thud that echoed in Iruka's ears. That could be him next, he realized as he huddled deeper into the leaves.

Tomoko struggled to her feet, grunting as she did so. Kenta growled and stormed across the clearing. His head lowered like a bull's and his nostrils flaring wide. Tomoko dodged easily enough but stumbled slightly as she landed, obviously still feeling the effects of her crash landing only moments ago. Kenta veered off his course quicker then his hulking body would suggest. In that instance Iruka saw it. There would be no way for Tomoko to dodge this next attack. For a moment he contemplated on letting the girl take the hit. Then he caught her eyes. A look of absolute fear and defeat had stolen her previously calm and proud features. The next thing Iruka knew, he was hurtling through the air and ramming into the charging boy of a bull. He veered off course and into a tree where he bounced off and fell to the ground. Iruka for his part dropped onto his backside, head creaking against the ground and leaving him a little dazed.

Kenta was up on his feet seemingly unfazed by the surprised attack. Iruka had just enough time to sit up and shake the stars from his eyes before Tomoko reached down and tugged him up. He found his feet quickly as they raced across the clearing and into a tree. "We're out matched in strength," Tomoko panted as Kenta's eyes darted around the clearing for them.

"Well duh," Iruka panted back watching as Kenta jumped into the trees and disappeared among the leaves. "Great now we have to find him."

"Or he'll find us," Tomoko hissed already scanning the surrounding trees, "We have to come up with a plan."

"Well," Iruka looked down at the clearing then to some of the trees and finally let his eyes fall on Tomoko. She raised an eyebrow at his thoughtful expression. "If I can buy you sometime," he started looking into his pouch of ninja gear, "We might be able to come up with something nifty."

"Nifty?" she echoed titling her head, her black bangs swishing across her already bruising face.

"Do you remember that trap expert that visited us a few months before the test?" he asked pulling at her pouch until she handed it to him.

"Yeah," she answered starting to catch on.

"Think you can pull it off?" he asked handing her pouch over with his. She took them with a thoughtful frowned on her face, trying to recall the details of the trap.

"Maybe," she finally said, "But I'm going to need a lot of time."

"I'll give you as much as I can," he replied jumping into the clearing.

Kenta grunted as he jumped into the next tree attempting to sense the other two students. He was intent on proving his worth to his sensei, even if that meant beating his teammates into submission. At least he would then prove that he was worthy. He scanned a few trees before leaping to the next. He had originally wanted to take the biggest competition, Tomoko, out. The girl was smart, and quick. She had always scored high in all the practical tests. But when it came to muscle, she was just like every other woman, weak. He thought much like his father. Women belonged in the kitchen, men on the battle field. Men were strong, they moved mountains, cleared forests, and weren't afraid of getting dirty. What did women do? They didn't move mountains, they'd rather sing with all the little woodland creatures, and cared more about their looks.

Taking out Tomoko quickly would have left the fight as it should be, between men. He almost had her too, but that class clown had to get in the way. It was then he saw movement in the corner of his eyes as he jumped to the next tree. He dove down into a bush at its base and looked out between its smaller leaves. There in the clearing that clown Iruka was crouched looking around nervously. Kenta smiled and licked his lips. So the fight between men would start early, no matter. Iruka was poorly built in his opinion. Thin and lanky with baby fat still cling to his body. His hair shined like that of a woman's and even from here, thanks to the wind, he could catch flora scented soap. Kenta could now hardly call him a man. He scoffed as he stood and strode confidently out of the vegetation. Iruka whipped around, his large doe eyes growing larger at the sight of him. Kenta smiled wickedly. Iruka would hardly be a match, two quick punches and that would be it. So confident in his victory he laughed and pointed at Iruka, who scowled at the display. "Oh please," Kenta laughed, "I'd rather fight the woman, then this little girl," he sneered at the end. "Why don't you just go home to mommy and let the big kids play?"

Iruka felt anger bubble in his chest. "Only a fool talks so noisily in battle," Iruka responded as he lunched him self forward. The mirth on Kenta's face turned to anger quickly. He easily side stepped Iruka's first punched but was forced to jump dodge as a volley of knives flew from the tree canopy above.

"What's this?" he growled, "Working with a woman, rather than fight like a man."

"If fighting like a man means I have to get myself killed," Iruka responded picking up several of the kunais and tossing them at the boy, "Then I'd rather fight like a little girl." Kenta pulled out a kunai of his own and deflected the in coming projectiles before tossing off a few of his own. Quickly Iruka rolled away to his left and onto his feet. He charged the hulking boy raising a kunai. They connected with a clang of metal. Iruka grunted feeling a tremor run down the length of his arm and to his spine. He found himself sliding backwards as Kenta shoved forward.

Suddenly Kenta went slack stepping left and adjusting to make Iruka slide to his right. A sharp knee to the gut had the weakling gasping in pain. Before he could finish the fight with an elbow to the back of the head, Iruka titled right out of his elbows path. "Not that easy," Kenta growled snagging the back of Iruka's shirt to yank him back. Iruka twisted and delivered a back handed punch with his right. Kenta laughed as the punch bounced harmlessly off his chest. Another sharp knee to Iruka's gut had the boy puking out his breakfast and stumbling backwards. This was it, Kenta thought, fight won. As he launched a quick jab his hand passed through air as Iruka ducked. He attempted to tackle Kenta, a desperate move to take him off his feet. Kenta took a step back, and that was it. A single step back as Iruka strained with all his might. Kenta laughed at the absurdity of Iruka trying to beat him in strength. He once again kneed Iruka this time catching him in the chest. Iruka reared back, Kenta wasted no time as he grabbed the front of Iruka's shirt and lifted him. He turned his back and used his hip to send Iruka airborne. Using all the strength he had Kenta sent Iruka flying clear across the clearing and into the small river on the other side. The boy landed with a splash.

Iruka sat up in the shallow water gasping for air. He clutched his middle as he grunted in pain. He's thoughts whirled. He was losing, he knew it. He wouldn't last at the rate he was going, another hit from Kenta and he'd be in the first cart back to the academy. Worst yet was that Tomoko would be joining him. He knew how hard she worked to prove herself and how much she had to put up with the boys in their class teasing her. If she could become an official ninja all her hard would have paid off. Yet if he kept going, he could get seriously hurt. Kenta wasn't pulling any punches, he meant to damage him. Kenta was doing all this to prove his worth to their sensei.

Iruka looked up through his dripping bangs at the laughing boy. Punching Kenta was like trying to punch a rock. Suddenly the crazy old man's words came rushing back to Iruka. He looked down and raised his hand and watched with fascination as the water dribbled and seeped past the creaks between his fingers.

It wears down rock and can carve out canyons, but never does it just push with force. It flows.

Iruka stood with new determination to test out his revelation. Kenta stopped laughing though the smirk never left his face. Iruka vowed he'd wipe that smirk clean. He stepped onto the river bank, he's eyes steely. From his left he noticed Tomoko making some of the final perpetrations to their plan. All he had to do was steer Kenta to the right spot. "Don't you ever learn?" Kenta chuckled as Iruka walked toward him.

"You're like a gorilla pounding its chest. Stupid and useless," Iruka replied with venom.

Again anger took over Kenta's face as he roared in outrage. He charged across the remaining distance. Quickly Iruka feinted right and ducked as Kenta tried to catch him with a last minute clothesline. Iruka continued to spin and twist out of Kenta's reach only dancing close enough to pepper him with a few cuts and useless punches. A sharp whistle bit through the air singling to Iruka that Tomoko had finished their trap. Just then sensing Iruka's moment of distraction, Kenta pulled back to release a powerful punch. Iruka put both his hands up and redirected Kenta's punch. As Iruka stepped to the left he raised his right foot catching Kenta's foot and threw him even more off balance. In a last ditch effort to catch his balance Kenta thrust his other leg forward into a pile of leaves.

A rope suddenly snapped up and yanked him forward into a painful split. Only the trap didn't end there, the rope pulled taut again and pulled him forward. Kenta let out a yell as he was pulled up and through several trees. He grunted in pain as he was painfully returned to the ground, setting off some explosion tags as he was again yanked to slide under several falling branches. His journey ended at the foot of their Jounin sensei, who was looking at the children in wonder. Kenta groaned. "Well now," their sensei begun, "That was fun to watch."

"So," Tomoko asked nervously, "Did we pass?"

"I don't see why not," the man replied cutting the rope from Kenta's ankle. "Now lets get you all looked at," He grunted heaving Kenta onto his back.

As they traveled through the village toward the hospital Tomoko fell in stride with Iruka. "Iruka," she started looking off to the side, "Th-thanks for helping me."

"No problem," Iruka replied, giving her a bright smile.

"I knew Kenta was strong," she continued was a frown, "But he's really more like a bull or a rock." She looked forward towered their sensei and Kenta. The boy was still draped across the broad man's back. "It was incredible the way you fought him in the end there," she looked back at Iruka with a smile.

Iruka blushed and looked down, "Yeah well I had some help with that."

"Help?" Tomoko asked with a curious title of her head. "What kind?"

"Well it was something someone told me," Iruka looked up with a soft smile, "A ninja needs to be like water as much as it is like shadow," he quoted.

Tomoko was quiet for a bit, her expression thoughtful. "I," she titled her head again, "Don't exactly know what that means."

"Neither did I," Iruka laughed, "But I think I get it now."

"Well then," She giggled with him, "You should make sure to thank that person for their help."

"Oh, I will," Iruka nodded, "When I see him again, I will." Iruka finished with a vow.

Petague Killaboo