Chapter 1
"I can't believe it."
"Yeah! We finally graduated!"
Whispers and giggles where heard from every part of the bunch of graduating genin, and smiling mother with their proud husbands cheered on their children as one by one each child got their Sound Village head bands. One of the genin though, did not get to hear her mother's screams of joy and her father's bragging words, instead she stood in the back silently looking down at her black sandals. Roni's starburst eyes trailed from one familiar face to another with the same look of boredom plastered across her face. She was one of the lucky groups of kids to actually make it this far to actually be a ninja. The sound village was rough, and did not take kindly towards the weak and sickly. But because she herself was an orphan, it meant she had much more to strive for.
"Roni, Isn't it cool! We get to be ninja and serve for Orochimaru-sama!" Shinju whispered, prodding Roni in the ribs to catch her friend's attention. Shinju was the eldest out of the main branch of the Hajime clan, and was treated like royalty during the physical and academic training, while most of the kids where forced to do the dirty work. It wasn't like Roni 'hated' Shinju; it's more like the girl annoyed her a bit more than others. Roni put a finger to her lip to motion the curly haired brunette to stop talking. Once Shinju started, it was hard to shut her up. Shinju frowned, but nodded and closed her mouth while putting her fingers to her lips to seem like she was zipping her mouth shut. Another student received a headband, but it still seemed like the line wasn't even moving.
" God, its boring…" Roni mumbled, leaning the back of her head in her arms for support. Shinju nodded and scoped the line for yet another one of the new sound genin.
"I don't see Sora!" Shinju whispered, looking even harder now. Roni began to glance around too for the foreigner who had also been at the orphanage that Roni was stationed at, but for only a temporary time because she was not truly an orphan.
"Maybe she's at the back?" Roni asked, now on the tip of her toes to look for the blonde. Shinju's face lit as she pointed to the other side of the second line right next to Shinju and Roni's. Sora looked just as bored and tired at the two other girl's where, her gray eyes staring at the different faces.
"Sora!" Shinju called, trying to get the girl's attention. Sora looked over and waved hello in her odd foreign way, but continued to stay in line and wait for her turn to go up and receive her headband. Roni sighed and began to creep to the next line, so she could stand next to her friend and bring her over to the other line. If she was caught though, it meant that she could be in deep trouble, and would have to be sent to he back…again. Roni crept up behind Sora and placed her arm around Sora's neck.
"Roni? Roni is doing what?" Sora's word's where a bit choppy, and barely made much sense to those who first met her, but Roni and Shinju where able to make out this babble. Roni's teeth flashed while she tugged her friend to the second line. Some of the other genin groaned and yelled, but Roni was used to the hatred and ignored their cries.
"If I have to wait an hour here..."
……
"Team 4 will be Hajime Shinju, Katsuro Roni, and Adele Sora."
Roni's mouth gaped open at the academy teacher as he called out each name of her friends whom she had presumed would be with other tea members other than herself. And besides, the teams where supposed to be two boys and one girl. The teacher cleared his voice and began to call off the other teams. Shinju was sitting in the front row of the desks close to the teacher, holding her happiness behind and large smile. Sora on the other hand wasn't even paying attention; she probably didn't even know what the teacher had said. Roni was happy, but a bit nervous because she would now have to meet her sensei after school and begin training for the upcoming missions she and her comrades would have to complete. She felt her stomach churn and the thought of intense training again.
"I think I'm going to be sick… Sensei! I need to go to the bathroom!" Roni cried, raising her hand and waiting for the teacher's nod of approval. She ran down the steps and into hallway.
……
"Ugh, I hate my weak stomach." She stated, rinsing her mouth out with tap water that probably contained a bit of lead. She looked up at the mirror and stared into her own starburst eyes. No one else had eyes like hers, and in made her wonder why.
"Shouldn't you be in class?" A tall woman with dark hair and blue eyes stood in the doorway, smile a half smile and walking further in. She was well built woman with naturally harsh eyes.
"Yes, but I got sick." Roni snapped back, ignoring the rule to be polite. The woman snickered and washed her hands in the sink next to Roni's.
"Really? You must have a very weak immune system, or is it just jitters Katsuro-san?" The woman asked, making Roni jump in surprise at the sound of her own name. The woman dried her hands and patted Roni's hair.
"I'll have fun with this one."
To be continued…