Chapter 1: February 2nd
Temari sighed as she walked into the oppressive brick structure they called Konoha Central Academy. She was joining a new school on literally the other side of the world (26 hours on a plane) after her father demanded she leave his sight and transferred her out of Suna Grammar. Though the waiting list for KCA was about 3 months long, there was no question of her jumping to the head of the queue and being accepted within 2 weeks. After all, her father had plenty of money, and being the head of an international corporation made her name pretty well known. Temari could only hope that her new principal, Tsunade, hadn't mentioned her last name to the general populous of Konoha Academy, today had already started badly enough. She'd overslept her alarm, thus making her skip her morning coffee, but she still missed the bus which meant that she had to walk to the Academy on the other side of town which made her late for her appointment with Tsunade, and quite frankly pissed off. She didn't need the usual mixture of stares and glares thrown into the mix. Or she might just punch someone on her first day. Not a good start. Especially if Tsunade had already read her less-than-exemplary discipline record.
Looking up at the massive oak double doors, Temari sighed again. She could sense that today just wasn't going to go well.
"Shikamaru Nara, please report to the principal's office", the secretary Shizune's voice echoed through the grounds of KCA.
The person in question, a boy of about 16 groaned and rolled over on the green grass of the oval and tried to find s better spot to look at the clouds. Slowly his thoughts drifted away again.
"Shizune, has Nara arrived yet? Can we spot him at all?"
Tsunade grumbled away while Temari admired the building. The room she was in had bookcases lining the entirety of 3 walls, even the door through which she entered. Tsunade's desk sat right in the middle – an impressive mahogany structure that dominated the room. Tsunade herself was a beautiful woman of close to 50 though she hid it well. She was also looking thoroughly irritated. Though currently capturing Temari's attention was not the desk, nor the principal, but instead it was the fourth wall. It was glass from floor to ceiling and had an impressive view over one of the ovals and out across the lake into the forest and the mountains beyond.
Temari was brought swiftly back to reality however, when the answers to Tsunade's questions came back as 'no' Tsunade chose that moment to press the intercom speaker button and bellow through the microphone
"Nara, if you don't get your arse up here within five seconds I will bash you so hard you'll be sent flying back to the seventh grade!"
Temari was shocked to say the least. She'd heard of Tsunade's temper, but seeing it first hand was something else entirely. Dimly she registered seeing a little black speck on the oval behind the glass get up and meander slowly towards the building. Apparently Tsunade noticed too because in the next second she was talking into the microphone again, though in a slightly quieter and more threatening tone
"And I'll tell your mother too."
The speck started moving a lot faster. Obviously this was the 'Nara' kid she was supposed to meet. 'Though I wonder why he seems so afraid of his mother?' thought Temari.
Several people cringed at the sound of Tsunade's voice. And then with the threat that followed, more people felt themselves becoming sympathetic to Shikamaru's cause. Everyone knew of the lazy genius' relationship with his mother. The class of 10-1 in particular felt for him.
"Oh Shikamaru, you've really done it this time" was the general consensus thought on this issue. Class representative and Junior Council President Sakura Haruno, and Vice-President Ino Yamanaka both gave exasperated sighs at their treasurer's fate. Chouji Akamichi just shook his head and continued eating his chips – too used to his best friend's laziness for it to bother him anymore.
Shikamaru coughed slightly to gain the attention of Shizune, who was currently engaged with a flirting match with one of the teachers, Genma. Without even a break to check if it was him, Shizune paged through to Tsunade
"He's here, Shishou"
A faint sigh could be heard in reply and then "Send him up."
"Now Temari, I know that by Suna standards you would be halfway through Year 12, correct?" Tsunade asked.
"Yes, though I understand fully that you start half a year behind us and if I need to repeat both Year 11 and 12 to make up the difference in subjects that will be fine."
"Well thankfully, I don't need to do that. Some of the subjects you will have to attend both Year 11 and 12 lectures for, but most of them you will only need to attend Year 12. You also won't need to study Advanced English as you've already passed that, so instead I've moved you into both Extension 1 and Extension 2 English, though if you wish you may drop Ext 2 as it wasn't one of your choices. Understood?"
"Y.....yes?!" I was shocked. Most other schools would have made me repeat both Year 11 and Year 12, so why was Tsunade so different? "Can I ask why you arranged it like that Shishou?"
Tsunade gave an exasperated sigh. "Quite simply Temari, I didn't accept you here so quickly because of your name, nor did I accept you because you could pay fees up front. I selected you because even for this school, a grade-point average of above 90 is rare, and your GPA of 93.25 is almost non-existent. I hope you can live up to those grades while you're here with us."
"Oh...ok..." She said that last line with a pointed glance to my skirt. So I may have made a few tiny modifications to the school uniform. Well I'd seen the regulation uniform and it was pretty ordinary. And I like being individual. Now the skirt sat on my hips and came to halfway down my thighs instead of to my knee. And I may have been wearing the striped tie very low...and a tight fitting vest instead of the school jumper (I mentally shuddered at that)...and knee-high boots. But it was nothing to get worked up about, right?
"Well starting from tomorrow you'll be rooming in dorm B41 with a girl called Tenten. Here's your key. And I'll ask her to fix your uniform."
Snort! As if I was wearing that!!
"Also, here's your schedule and a map of the school seeing as Nara hasn't shown up yet. Your library card is on top, so please sort out your textbooks this afternoon. Show Miss Kurenai this list and she'll find everything for you. That's all for now – you're free to go. We're nearly up to lunchtime so maybe you should just head towards the canteen." She said, turning towards the window.
I was walking down the stairs, staggering slightly with the pile of stuff Tsunade gave me weighing me down and blocking my vision, when I felt something rather solid walk into me.
'Ooph' – the wind gusted out of a definitely masculine wind-pipe as papers went flying everywhere and I ended up on my backside.
"Oi! Watch we're you're going!" I shouted as I sat up rubbing my poor, much-abused butt.
"Sorry" mumbled a voice from somewhere in the piles of paper. I looked towards the source and saw black hair pulled into a spiky ponytail and black eyes that looked like they needed a good sleep – or a slap. I was opting for the slap.
"So you should be!"
Tsunade, hearing the commotion ran out of her room. "Ah good, Nara you're here. You will be Miss Subaku's guide for the next few weeks. See to it she makes it to her classes. And any after-school activities she may wish to participate in. Dismissed."
She turned back into her room, and closed the door with a rather resounding thud.
The Nara kid turned to me, the look of shock on his face resembling the one on mine.
Alright. And we're off. On my new and exciting adventure (*cough cough*). Not much to say about this chapter. But I know it changes POV quite a few times, so if that screws people up I'm sorry!!! I'm basing the school system off what we have going on in NSW in Australia. That is we start school in February and there are 4 terms to a year. But in Year 11, you only do 3 terms and start Year 12 in the 4th. This is done so that you get in all 4 terms of Year 12, because you finish Year 12 early. Doesn't make much sense I know. Also the school is a Co-ed boarding school =] Just the boys live on the other side of the grounds, so they're quite seperated normally. Ummm...that's it! Read and Review but no flames please!! They burn =[
My second attempt at a fanfic. I may even finish this one!
Hugs Neeka-chan