Chapter II
Weeks pass by and the last day at the ninja academy has finally arrived. Everyone enters the classroom, anticipating who they will be teamed up with. As Iruka walks in the door he brings in a large folder with him. "Okay as you all know today's your last day here at the ninja academy and the day where you will be teamed up with your fellow classmates." Iruka then opens the files and reads off them. "So let's begin…Team 7's leader is Kakashi Hatake and includes Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. Team 8's leader is Kurenai Yuuhi and consists of Shino, Hinata, and Kiba. Team 9's leader is Asuma Sarutobi and includes Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji. The last team of the bunch is Team 11 and the leader is Toriichi Kumade and it will consist Ami, Fuki, and Sakami. If you guys aren't happy with who you're with don't complain to me take it up with the Hokage himself since he's the one who assigned you all to each other. You're senseis are waiting out front. Dismiss."
Everyone gets up and starts to walk out but Iruka was signaling team 11 to come over. Ami starts to complain since she is a little impatient "So what is it Iruka-sensei?", she asks as she starts to pout and Sakami and Fuki give her a confused look.
"Well I have some bad news, you guys won't be seeing your sensei today like everyone else. It seems that he's on a mission in the Hidden Mist at the moment. So you guys can take this time to get to know each other or whatever you kids do now a days." The three of them leave the academy and Ami runs up to Sakami's side.
"So what's up with you?", she asks him in a blunt manner. Ami isn't very popular with the other girls since she is sort of the bully.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You never talk to anyone. Are you shy or something because if you are you don't have to be around me? I can be the nicest person you know." In the background you could hear Fuki chuckle a little bit and Ami turns around and hits his head. "What the hell are you laughing at, hmm Fuki?" She turns back around and looks at Sakami waiting for an answer.
"Haha…well um I don't know. I just never bothered to get to know anyone I guess. I was alone my whole life so I figured why start now?" Ami looks at him with sadness in her eyes and lowers her head. Fuki walks over and puts his hand on Sakami's shoulder and gives him a reassuring look.
"Don't worry bro we're here for you now so you really won't be alone anymore." Sakami smirks a bit and holds his head up high. They keep walking through town until Ami burst out being hungry.
"Hey why don't we go get a bite? I haven't eaten all day and I'm starving." Fuki nods his head and starts to walk a little further than the rest of the group but Sakami shrugs his shoulders of the idea.
"Nah you two go ahead without me. I have something to do anyways."
"You're lying you don't have to do anything!" Ami walks up to him, their faces only inches apart, and her eyes glared right into his.
"…So what if I am. It doesn't change anything, now does it? I'll catch you guys later okay?" He breaks eye contact with her, turns around, and walks in a different direction. Fuki laughs in the background while Ami just folds her arms and pouts.
As Fuki and Ami head out to eat Sakami takes a short walk through town and ends up in the training grounds. He pulls out one of his shuriken and tosses it up in the air then catches it over and over again while walking. He walks pass one of the training dummies and continues on his way till he's about thirteen meters away from it. He grasps the shuriken tightly in his hand then launches it at the dummy, penetrating its left shoulder. "Hmpf. I missed.", he says to himself.
"Ha what are you talking about you hit it didn't you?" Sakami quickly turns around to see Naruto looming over his shoulder.
"Well yeah technically…but it wasn't a fatal hit so in the end I missed."
"You don't always have to kill your enemy to succeed in a mission Sakami. Sometimes you have to bring your opponent back alive."
"Hm yeah you're right I guess. So what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with you group?" Naruto uses that big smile of his and scratches his head.
"Training's over for the day but I thought I could use the extra practice if I'm ever going to be Hokage someday."
"Oh really? To me, obtaining the title of Hokage is just a job. It doesn't mean you're the strongest because there is always someone stronger than you. Besides being the Hokage has too many responsibilities and duties." With a blank stare Naruto just stands there for a moment and gives him a thumbs up.
"Well think what you want to think but I'm going to be Hokage not only because I'm going to be the strongest in the village but because I'm going to be the strongest shinobi ever. Believe it!"
"Haha we'll see about that Naruto. So how about this, you and me, one on one let's see who's the stronger right now."
"Oh? Ha you're on! Get ready to lose Sakami!" As Naruto jumps back and gets in his fighting stance someone behind him calls his name, one of his teammates, Uchiha Sasuke.
"Hold on Naruto.", he tells him as he puts his hand on his shoulder.
"Huh? Why should I? What are you doing here anyways, Sasuke?"
"You're not the only one who trains stupid. Besides I want to face Sakami. Face it Naruto we're out of your league anyways." Naruto starts flipping out and screams but Sakami tries to calm him down.
"Naruto it's no big deal really. This is better actually because you'll get to see what you'll be up against, next time we decide to fight. Don't worry this won't take long either." He smirks at Naruto then pulls out a kunai and throws it in the air. "Once the kunai hits the ground the match begins, Uchiha Sasuke."
They stand still, anticipating each other's reaction as the wind blows through their clothes and hair. Then as soon as the kunai nips a blade of grass the two jump back. Sakami launches a kunai with an explosive tag on it. Sasuke throws a shuriken to deflect it but once he did the kunai explodes creating a cloud of smoke. He looks to the left then to the right and then behind until the only place to left is up. Sasuke sees Sakami trying to axe kick him but blocks in time. After blocking, Sasuke grabs his legs, swings him and throws him across the field. He then runs towards Sakami's sliding body, jumps in the air and punches him right in the stomach making Sakami spit up. Sakami quickly recovers from the blow and grabs Sasuke's wrist, pulls him in, and head butts him.
He takes this opportunity and punches Sasuke in Jaw, crouches down and elbows him in the stomach, then kicks him into the air. As he jumps in the air to strike again Sasuke uses his Housenka no Jutsu (Mythical Fire Phoenix Technique). Since there was no way of dodging it Sakami takes the blast straight on slamming him back to the ground. Sasuke takes out an explosive kunai and throws it where Sakami is laying. Once it explodes he drops to the ground and walks over to the hole where Sakami is lying but when he leans over to his surprise Sakami isn't there. He searches the area but he's nowhere to be found then he feels a vibration beneath his feet and jumps back quickly. Sakami bursts out of the ground trying to strike Sasuke with his hand but misses.
The two of them stand about 15 meters apart staring the other down. Sasuke's activates his sharingan and Sakami's hands glow bright blue and so did his eyes. "You fight just like me, you use ever opportunity to get a hit in. I think it's time that we start being serious now Sakami.", Sasuke tells him while wiping the blood under his mouth.
"Agreed. We end this now." Sakami charges full force at him and throws two shurikens as well. Sasuke pulls out his kunai and deflects them both and charges at Sakami. He lunges forward and tries to strike Sakami with his kunai but Sakami counter attacks by grabbing onto his wrist and pulling him into to punch his jaw. After being stuck Sasuke reacts by spinning his body around and kicking him in the face, sending Sakami flying into the air. He jumps in the air and gets above Sakami. He tries to punch him but Sakami gets a hold of his arm and whips him to the ground. As soon as Sasuke makes impact to the ground Sakami slams his fist into Sasuke's stomach, leaving him almost unconscious. With the little bit of the energy he has Sasuke uses Goukakyuu no Jutsu (Great Fireball Technique) right before Sakami can make a second attack.
Sasuke, lying in ruble, can't move a single muscle in his body and Sakami, cringing in pain from the burns, tries to push himself up with all of his strength but fails and falls to the ground. Sakami looks at Sasuke and reaches out but his arm falls as he passes out.
Sakami opens his eyes half way and notices that he's in a room. He raises his body but falls straight back down in pain. He comes to a realization that he's in the hospital. To his left is Ami, resting her head on her arms. "Ami?" She hears his soft voice and looks at him.
"Sakami…you're awake." She rubs her eyes and stands up with an upset expression on her face. "You know what? I thought you had brains but I was wrong. You're probably the dumbest kid I've ever met Sakami. The first day we're assigned to a group and you almost get yourself killed by going up against Sasuke Uchiha!"
"Ha! I'm alive aren't I? Don't worry so much." He lays his head back with a smirk on his face. "So what's the damage anyways?"
"You'll live. You just have a few minor burns here and there and you have bruises everywhere."
"Well that's good I guess…why the long face though?" He raises her chin with his weak hand and stares into her eyes.
"Well…we don't have a sensei Sakami."
"Huh? He still hasn't come back yet?"
"No that's not what I mean. Yesterday me and Fuki were called to the Administration Building to speak with the Hokage. He told us that a guy named Zabuza Momochi killed Toriichi-sensei during his mission."
"What! Well what do we do now? Who's going to be our sensei?"
"That's the thing…the Hokage said that at the moment the village is short on shinobi that are willing to be assigned to groups. He told us that until the village has shinobi to spare we can't be assigned to any missions and given a new sensei." Sakami clenches his fists and glares down at his blankets.
"This is total bull…"
"It doesn't bother me and Fuki. We were never good shinobi to begin with and I want to help my parents with the family business anyways. We were worried about you though since you're one of the village's top genin. You have potential to make something out of yourself someday Sakami…I'm sorry." She takes one last look at him then gets up and leaves the room. He lies there for a while and thinks to himself.
"If I just sit here and wait Sasuke and Naruto are sure to surpass me…I have to do something about this." Despite his injuries he jumps out of bed and leans over in pain, it doesn't stop him though. He walks through the halls, with his arm supporting his body against the wall. Only a few feet away from the exit one of the hospital nurses runs over and takes his hand.
"Sir what do you think you're doing? You're in no shape to be out of bed. I'm taking you back right now!" She starts to pull him but he whips his hand, releasing her grip on him. "Sir!"
"Get your hands off of me! I'll do whatever the hell I want to my body so get back!" She orders him to come back but he ignores her and keeps walking. He picks up the pace but doing so, his body aches even more.
With everyone's eyes on him Sakami passes through the streets and makes it to the Administration Building. He walks straight in and heads up the stairs to the Hokage's quarters and barges in. In the room he sees the Hokage sitting down looking at what seems to be the newspaper. "You will never be a great shinobi if you create a scene everywhere you go like you do. Where's the element of surprise", the Lord Hokage tells him as he puts down his paper.
"Oh uh sorry about that…but I was informed today that I can't go on any missions without a team captain. Am I correct?"
"Mmm so you're one of team 11's members…yes that's right."
"So I can't even do D-ranked missions?"
"You can do whatever you want. It just won't be recorded in your profile is all."
"Come on! That's not fair! It's not my fault that a man died on the battle field!"
"You say it as if it doesn't faze you?"
"Well that's because it doesn't actually. I never met the guy so why should I care if he lives or dies."
"Tell me…what is important to you?", the Hokage asks him as he puts his hands together and stares directly into Sakami's eyes.
"My goal may be simplistic but I wish to surpass everyone in this village. I want people to remember a 100 years from now. I want my name to be everywhere."
"So you wish to be Hokage? Do you know how many shinobi have that dream?"
"Being Hokage…is not my dream. I don't wish to have your responsibilities I just want the title of being the strongest shinobi and the only way I can do that is if someone can help guide me on the right path."
"So what you're asking from me…is to find you a sensei?"
"Yes." The two lock eyes for a moment and the Hokage takes a deep sigh.
"Hmm well at the moment there are no jounin that can take that role…but there is one person who can help you though." A look of relief appears on Sakami's face and the Hokage smiles at him.
"So who do you have in mind?"
"You'll find out soon enough. Tomorrow you will show up at the training grounds no later than…4 a.m. is that understood?"
"4 o'clock in the mo…" The Hokage cuts him off before he can finish complaining.
"Is that understood? This doesn't happen often so I would take this and be happy."
"Oh uh yes understood Lord Hokage, four sharp." He bows to show his appreciation then heads out the door.