"Congradulations to all!" The Mizukage yells, putting his hands up in the air. "You are now Genin!" The graduates where quite, listening to the wise words of there leader. "For you, this is only the begging of your journeys to become ninja. Who knows where you will be when you are older: A Jonin, maybe a member of the Seven Swords men, or perhaps, one of you might become the next Mizukage? No one knows but you..."
The the students cheered, relieved there long hours of practice had payed off. This gets worse every year... The boy sat the wall, as he watched the graduation ceremony from a distance. He was a good few football fields away, watching from the highest wall of the village, his favorite spot. The Mist Village was something he had always hated looking at. It was a poverty-stricken society, with everything being dirty and the entire village being shrouded by the never-ending mist. The village itself sat atop the edge of the sea, which was the only impressive attribute of the village. Why would you want to defend something like this?
The people in the village where the same as the architecture of the village: cheap, selfish, and stupid! Nobody helped anyone and if they ever did, they where either frowned upon or killed a weak later. His birth place was infested with nothing but selfish underground gang lords, dirty hobos, and cheap mercenaries looking for a quick buck. The funniest part about this was the Mizukage did nothing about the matter. If only he cared about what was beyond this wall...
"Hay!" The boy didn't bother looking at her, knowing instantly who it was. It was none other then Mishima Soriyu, his only true friend in the entire village. She was the only one who talked to him and his only study partner, literally being only reason he passed the exam.
Mishima took a seat next to him, her mood cheerful, as usual, and why wouldn't she? She had just graduated as the top student in there class, and was first pick for the upcoming Chunin Exams. Aside from that, the girl was super wealthy, living literally right next door from the Mizukage, being his granddaughter and all. Her cloths where always nice, always wearing the top-class outfit the Seven Swordsmen whore since the Mist Village was founded. It consisted of a gray lose long sleeved shirt and gray lose pants, dubbed with a woodland green vest. The attire was very basic, but suited her well.
"How come you weren't at the Graduation Ceremony?" Mishima asked.
"I could ask you the same thing." the boy asked. He looked up in the sky, as he fell backwards to lay down.
The wind blew gently, giving off a light breeze. Mishima tied her mid-back, blonde hair back into a pony tail.
"I am surprised you didn't tie your hair back earlier." The boy commented. She rarely had her hair down, not only because it made her look older, but also because she hated her hair. It always got in the way and she hated it so much, yet, no mater how many times he would tell her to just cut it shorter, she would refuse every time.
"My dad said I would look prettier for the pictures if I had down." She answered.
"So you did end up going?"
"Of course I did. I was surprised when I didn't see you there. I was really hoping we could get a picture together."
"Pictures are over-rated. All they do is keep you in the past. Besides, I would have been the Outcast in the picture."
Mishima looked over at him with her baby blue eyes, as she scold, "I really hate when you refer to yourself as that, Shinji."
Shinji closed his eyes, almost getting drowsy between the soothing wind and the sound of Mishima's lecture. He said, "Come on Mishima, you know it's true. I have always been hated here."
"That's not true."
"Oh really? Then why is my only friend a spoiled, rich girl?"
Mishima didn't answer. She looked down at the city, her eyes now full of gloom. Shinji knew she didn't like that comment, because as Shinji knew, she had a pretty hard life at home. She had a lot to live up to, with pressure nobody understood but her.
Shinji looked over at her, realizing how cold he had been, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."
There was a short pause. Mishima suddenly said, "Do you remember what you told me?"
"About what?"
"About your father."
Shinji looked back at the sky. "Yah, I remember..." His voice now carried a little hint of sorrow. He didn't really know anything about his father, except what his mother had told him and what the villagers had said about him.
"I went through my grandfather's files on him..."
Shinji didn't move or speak, interested to hear what she had to say. She continued, "There wasn't much on file about him, but I found out a little bit of information: Nabuza Mamochi was a member of the Seven Swordman for almost ten years, until a near fatal incident happened during one of his missions, where he was injured. After that, he was forced to retire from the Seven Swordmen. Around the same time, his brother, Zabuza, took his place one of the Seven Swordmen. About four years after that, your father, Zabuza, and many other Mist Ninjas tried to assassinate the Mizukage, but failed. Your father and his followers were killed on the spot, but Zabuza was the only one who managed escape..."
"And what about my mother?" Shinji asked. He already knew this information, but he never told her that. It was main reason for everyone hated him, but was it fare? To judge someone based on another's choices. Even if they where family, it didn't guarantee they where the same person.
"There was no record of you mother, nor was there any record of your father getting married. It's strange because you are on his record as his son, but your mother isn't listed listed in any document I have found."
"I figured there wouldn't be. After all, my mother and I where Outcasts after the failed assassination my father leaded, so it doesn't surprise me they don't have record of it, especially if they didn't get married with the Mizukage's consent."
"True. I just thought you would want to know that, is all..."
Shinji looked over at her, sensing that she wanted to say more. "Why did you tell me that? I know you have another reason." He asked.
Mishima took a deep breath. She was shivering. Is she nervous? Shinji thought to himself. What could she possibly tell him? What there more to his past then he though? Did she have information about his uncle's whereabouts?
Finally, Mishima spoke, "Do you remember my dream?"
"Who doesn't know it? You only dress the role?"
Mishima laughed. "Very true. But there is more to the dream..."
"Huh?"
Mishima tightened her grip around her pant leg. It was a bad habit she would do if she was nervous, which only made Shinji more curious to what she was going to tell him. She looked over at him, as she sternly said, "I want you to join me."
"Join you," Shinji slightly chuckled, as he said, "join you in what?"
"I want you to train with me to become a member of the Seven Swordsmen."
Shinji laughed, as he said, "Are you kidding? I could never do that?"
"Yes you could. I could help you. I helped you graduate the Ninja Academy, you where the second highest grade in the class, right under me."
"Yah, but you where also the one who convinced me to finally join the academy and become a ninja. I am seventeen, almost two years your senior and three years older then most of the students! I should of never went to school... but then again, I never regret having gone either. Plus, without you, I would failed and gotten kicked out of school."
"So, let me help you train. Come on Shinji? What else are you going to do?"
"I could open up a Roman Shop."
Mishima laughed, taking the joke as a victory, "You and I both know you couldn't handle that. It's to boring for you."
"True."
"Shinji, despite what people say, your father and you uncle are great ninjas, and made many achievements in their lives before their defection. You have the bloodline and with proper training, the potential the become a great ninja..."
Shinji was quite, admiring her determination in his abilities. Mishima always knew how to motivate him. She was the only one, aside from his mother...
Mishima continued, "I know it seems like a long shot to you, but together, I think we can do it."
Shinji sighed, as he said, "As much as I would love that, there more to that then you think. First off, we have to become Jonin before we even qualify to become members of the Seven Swordsmen, and to do that, both of us need to become Chunin by finishing in the top four of the Chunin Exams."
"Right, so what's the problem with that?"
"The problem with that is in order to get in the Chunin, you have to be approved by a Sensei who deems you worthy of taking the exam and I'm not like you who has Senseis fighting over to see who will train you. Everyone in this village thinks of me as nothing more then scum, despite the grades I received. Even the teacher was discussed with the grades I got. If it was his choice, he would a failed me on the spot, and you know it."
"So, go look for a Sensei."
"It's not that simple. You know that this village isn't like the other ones. Here, you have to be chosen by the Sensei, because of the whole purity law."
Mishima quietly looked down, disappointed with Shinji's answer. He stood up, getting ready to walk away, as announced, "It's getting late. We should get going home."
As he was about to walk away, Mishima grabbed his hand. Shinji stopped, as he looked back at her. "Promise!" She yelled, as she stood up.
"Promise you what?"
"Promise me you will try to get a Sensei, and that you will try to become a member of the Seven Swordsmen!"
"Why would I promise you something you want me to do?"
"Your a lier! You want it as much as I do! I wouldn't be saying anything unless I though so! You said so yourself: You are nothing but scum. Do you want to be that way fro the rest of your life?"
"Of course not! I hate this life!"
"Then you will have to do something risky! You have to become a member of the Seven Swordsmen! It's the only way! If you ever want to redeem your family's name, you will have to become a great ninja like your father... no... A better ninja then your father!"
Shinji was quite once more, as Mishima's words sunk deep. He did hope to redeem his father, and he would of loved to be loved for once. But was this really the place? Could people change that easily? He didn't think so and if so, would he like it? For years, they hated him, would it be ok for them to all of a sudden love him? He didn't know.
"So what do you say?" She grabbed his hand with her other hand, holding it tightly. Shinji looked into her blue eye, almost getting lost in the clear sky, "Will you do?"
"I will think about it." Shinji answered, taking back his hand.
"Ok... but you better have an answer tomorrow" She warned, "Otherwise"
"Yah yah yah, or else I will never decide." Shinji said, as he began to walk his separate way.
Mishima smiled, as she reminded him, "Hay, don't forget: Tomorrow, we get our headbands, so don't be late."
"I won't." He said, as he waved goodbye.
Mishima watched him walk away into the sunset. She blushed, as she though, Tomorrow... I will tell him how I truly feel...
