Please note... I love faves, critiques, and friendly advice. My dA (which this is also found on) loves watchers... Just sayin'. :-)
~Flicksykitty~
Prologue: The Preliminary Exams and the Death of Two Naras
"MOTHER! FATHER!" A young girl, all of ten years old, was being held back away from her parents by several jonin dressed in typical Hidden Leaf garb. The skin over her left eye was raw and bleeding, her clothes torn in places, revealing shallow wounds. Blood dribbled into her other eye from a nick on her forehead. She had no ninja headband: the young, dark haired girl was just an academy student.
"They're dead," said one, laying a sheet over the limp, lifeless bodies. "There's nothing we can do. The little Nara child was lucky; the rogue ninja would have taken her life as well. Her clan can take care of her after she leaves the hospital."
Tears streaked down the girl's cheeks. "Mommy... Daddy..." She broke down completely with the news of her parents' death. Struggling against the will of the stronger ninja, she tried to see her parents one last time before they were taken away. But the ninja carted her away from them, even through her kicking and screaming.
"You're going to be fine, Shiroki-chan." A young man with dark, spiky hair in a ponytail spoke. He had a rather lazy, laid-back look, even though he was dressed in standard Konohagakure Ninja garb. His headband, with only the metal bit visible, was positioned on his upper arm, and a belt with bags was around his waist.
The young girl, now clothed in fresh, all black clothes with her left eye covered with a pure white bandage that wrapped all the way around her head. She gazed up at him with violet adoring eyes... or to be more precise, right eye. "Shikamaru-sama?"
Shikamaru smirked. "Lil' Shiroki-chan doesn't stop fighting for long, does she? Please tell me you won't give up at the academy because of you're mom and dad."
Her eyes twinkled. "I won't, Shikamaru-sama. My parents were the best Naras that ever walked the streets of Konohagakure. I'll be as good as them. Maybe better. I'll be the first to graduate in my class. I'll learn everything there is to know and more, then I'll be Hokage. After I'm hokage, then I'll be the best ninja that ever lived. I'll be better than Mama and Papa. And I'll prove everyone that Naras aren't to be fooled around with. And I'll find the ninja that killed my parents, and kill them in revenge!"
"Cool it, Bozu. You still need to graduate the Academy. You have a test tomorrow that you're going to miss right? Because of the funeral?"
"I won't miss that test for the world."
Shiroki hurried to Ren-sensei's classroom; as she said, she wouldn't miss the exam for the world. The young ninja had replaced the bandage with just hair covering her eye. It hung down and brushed her jaw, completly covering her left eye. She was now dressed in a grey tunic and ninja capris with a little belt around her waist. Students around her were chattering. "Did you hear?" said one gossiping young lady. "Shiroki-san's parents were murdered three days ago. That's why she wasn't here. The funeral was supposed to be today, but Shiroki-san made them wait until she graduated from the Academy."
"Really? With the way that Shiroki's doing in class, that will be a long time! How could they wait that long?"
Hanging her head and taking her lonesome seat by the window, Shiroki listened to their conversation. They were right: she wasn't the smartest, or the most talented. All her teachers said she had great potential, but she just wasn't trying. Shiroki shook her head. The exam is today. I will graduate and become a full ninja. I'll be a great kunoichi!
Some young ninja were practicing their basic jutsus of Replacement, Transformation, and Clones, until a tall brown haired ninja in a long cloak entered the room. His eyes were brown, and there was a grin on his face. "Class?" he called to get everyone's attention. Everyone quieted down and took a seat. "Today you will be taking your preliminary exams. You took the written part yesterday, and today will be testing your actual skill with the jutsus we've taught you so far, including transformation, and making an accurate clone." Low chatter erupted. "If you can succeed in this part then you will be graduated to Genin. That is, if you did well on the written test... Yes, Shiroki-san?"
Shiroki had her hand in the air. "I wasn't here yesterday, Ren-sensei. Does that mean that I can't even have a chance at passing the test?"
"No, you do have a chance at passing, just I'm not sure if you're going to. Your grades are quite low... But you still have to take the written exam. We'll get you last for the activity." He smiled gently, and continued. "I do believe that I have an extra test for you..." He rifled through the papers and forms on his desk. "Ah! Here!" He gave Shiroki the written test. "Everyone else, line up, and we shall begin."
The following day, Ren-sensei had the roster of who had become Genin in his hands. There was a table filled with headbands stacked in neat rows, side by side. All the children sat with anticipation of who would be promoted up the ranks of Shinobi. Shiroki had her fingers crossed under her desk. Come on, call my name, let it be me...
"When I call your names come up and take your Shinobi headband, proof of your loyalty to the Hidden Leaf Village. I will also give you your sensei's name to meet tomorrow, and the names of the rest of your group. You will all be divided into groups of three with one sensei per group. As a Genin, you will begin taking assignments. Now, let's see... Team One, taught by Kiba Inuzaka: Toge Oita, Kirami Maya, and Ira Inuzaka. Team Two, taught by Hachiro Nakamura: Shiroki Nara, Seito Kurama, and Ritoru Yamanaka..."
Shiroki, wide-eyed and numb, rose to her feet. I was chosen? Do I deserve it? That's one of the best teams there is, Team Hachiro... He's a really good Jonin! And Seito-kun is one of the best students at the Academy... How did I get set up with them? There is something not right about this. A mistake? She selected her headband from the table, and took off her belt. Shiroki replaced the belt with the headband. It was tied in the back, with the symbol of her loyalty to the Hidden Leaf in the front, in the center.
One step closer to being Hokage, though, even if it was just a mistake.
