"I'm going to announce your teams now," Iruka called out to the classroom full of recent graduates. They all rustled about in anticipation. "Now, keep in mind that the teams are balanced based off the skills you were able to perform while you were in the Academy. Your team will progress as long as you work together and bring out the best in each other."
Yadda, yadda, yadda… Kaiya rolled her eyes, arms crossed. Iruka-sensei talks too much. Who cares about teamwork? She figured they'd be done with the lectures as soon as they graduated, but apparently, he still had a few left to give.
She sighed, slumping her shoulders. She just wanted to know who her teammates and sensei were and get to missions already. "Ok, first will be…" He went down the list of teams. Kaiya listened with only half-interest, waiting for her name to be called, but when she heard who Sasuke's teammates were, she almost burst out in laughter. His face was the palest she'd ever seen, and his look of irritation, added on to Naruto's, was pure bliss. And Sakura's face when she was fawning over Sasuke, only to hear Naruto's name right after? Priceless.
She was in a good mood after that, but alas, it didn't last long. "And now, Team 11 will consist of Kaiya Kimura—" The latter straightened up in excitement after hearing her name. Finally! "—Unagi, and Hibachi." Kaiya's face turned an unnatural shade of green. Her stomach dropped down to her intestines.
You're kidding me! What the fu—
"Your sensei will be Riichi." Kill me now. Someone kill me now.
Kaiya glanced over at the two assholes across the room, who both looked equally mortified. As all three of them cursed in their heads, they turned to their now-former teacher.
"You're joking, right, Sensei?" Hibachi said, pointing to Kaiya. Her eyebrows furrowed. "Of all the girls we could've been paired with, we get the girl-boy hybrid?" Unagi chuckled and snorted, pushing up his glasses with his index finger. Kaiya growled, standing to her feet swiftly, almost knocking over her chair as she did so.
The sun shining through the windows cast a shadow on the left side of her face, making her look even angrier than she normally did when she confronted Hibachi and Unagi. Naruto, who was sitting behind her, gulped. Sweat slid down the side of his face anxiously. I hope she doesn't take it out on me, since I'm the closest one to her, he prayed.
"Oh yeah? Why don't you come say that to my face, you son of a—"
"That's enough," Iruka scolded through gritted teeth, frowning and crossing his arms. He was probably fed up because of Naruto's outburst earlier. He couldn't punish Kaiya anymore since she was no longer his student, but he could surely report to someone who could. Lord Hokage…what were you thinking putting these three on a team? And with that failure of a Jonin? This is a time bomb waiting to explode.
Kaiya and Hibachi glared at each other one last time before resentfully taking their seats. Kaiya huffed, crossing her arms and murmuring under her breath as she stared at the wall to her right. Sasuke, sitting behind her this time, wanted to smirk, but he was too annoyed at his own situation. No doubt Kaiya would throw it in his face later on—at least she would, if her own situation wasn't less than ideal.
Sasuke could feel Naruto's eyes burning a hole in the side of his face, so he turned and glowered at the blonde with just as much heat. This was the situation he was currently annoyed at. In his head he cursed Kaiya, blaming her for his bad karma. Not only was Naruto on his team, but Sakura was, too. Of course, karma wasn't so kind to her either, since she was paired up with the two guys she hated the most in their class. Looks like life hated them both equally.
Naruto's frown quickly turned into a sheepish smile when he stole a glance at Sakura, sitting in between the two males. A creepy sparkle flickered in his eye. Kaiya rolled her eyes and groaned. This day sucks. Sasuke felt the same.
One by one, the Jonin sensei showed up and gathered their new teams. Eventually, Kaiya and her teammates left as well, until Sasuke's team was the only one left. Even Iruka got tired of waiting for Kakashi and went home. Sasuke sat there quietly, but inside he was getting extremely annoyed. His thoughts drifted to Kaiya and her team; he wondered if she'd killed them yet. He almost chuckled as he pictured the bloody aftermath, but Naruto was irritating him so much that he couldn't.
…
It became apparent as Kaiya followed her new team to the lake: she was in hell. Apparently, they were supposed to 'introduce' themselves to one another and their new sensei on a personal level. Like she cared about getting to know Hibachi and Unagi—or anyone, for that matter. She already knew they were complete jerks who were overdue for a total ass whooping, if you asked her. What else was there to learn? Plus, she didn't want them to know anything new about her.
"You guys wait right here, and I'll go get some logs for you to float on," Riichi said, disappearing in a flash. Kaiya scoffed, rolling her eyes. Experienced shinobi thought they were so cool, using the body flicker technique and flashing their speed in front of the newbies. She could tell her sensei was going to be just as annoying as her teammates. And his haircut was ridiculous.
Someone, please kill me now… She'd been repeating that plea in her head for the past half hour, since she'd learned the makeup of Team 11. Tch. It would've been better for the old man to put me with Shikamaru, but there's that stupid Ino-Shika-Cho tradition he wants to uphold. I swear, I hate that old bastard sometimes.
Hibachi and Unagi weren't exactly best friends—more like close acquaintances. They bonded over messing with Naruto and making fun of Kaiya and her family's ruined reputation throughout their years at the Academy. They also bonded in the nurse's office when Kaiya kicked their asses afterwards. They were standing about thirty feet from her, scared to get any closer. If she mentioned it, they'd probably say something like they don't want to catch a disease, or they don't want to stand so close to a potential traitor, just in case she stabbed them in the back—but she knew it was because they were afraid of her. And for good reason. They deserved every beating she'd ever given them, and then some.
The boys stared at Kaiya pointedly, and she could feel the weight of their glares on her, but she did her best to ignore them. She was trying to cheer herself up by thinking about Sasuke and his teammates, knowing he was probably hating his predicament as much as she was hating hers. Of course, she'd give anything to switch places with him at this point; he probably felt the same.
Her eye twitched. "A picture will last longer, idiots." She couldn't take it any longer. She knew they were only staring at her because she didn't like it. They were waiting for her to make a bad impression in front of their new sensei. "If you keep it up, I'll kick both of your asses back into the Academy. Do you really want to die so soon after graduating?" Hibachi huffed.
"You? Yeah, right!" he mocked. "You're a girl, even if you don't look like one, and everyone knows girls can't fight. Sure, you can beat up a bunch of kids, but what can you do against a real shinobi? We'll surpass you soon enough, Kaiya. You're only going to get in our way from here on out. Maybe you should go back to the Academy yourself." Unagi nodded.
"Yeah." A tick appeared in the corner of Kaiya's forehead suddenly. The sun glinted dangerously over her new headband, now tied securely over her forehead, casting an eerie shadow over her sharp features.
Apparently, they'd forgotten how many times they left the Academy covered in bandages because of her, just because she hadn't beaten them senseless in the past few weeks, thanks to Iruka. But her probation was over now. She didn't care what her new sensei did to her; she hoped he would transfer her to another team somehow, if she hurt them badly enough. Or maybe she could disqualify them for being a couple of wussies. Clenching her fists, Kaiya turned to face them, determined to beat the memories back into her so-called teammates.
Cracking her knuckles, she approached the boys slowly, a heavy air illuminating around her, crackling like lightning. Everything but the occasional chirping bird fell silent. Unagi grew nervous, gulping as sweat trickled down his brow. He tasted bile in the back of his throat, like he might throw up any moment. He could smell the sharp scent of pine as Kaiya wallowed closer, seemingly in slow motion.
She always smelled like pine, probably because she was always around the trees in the training grounds, or perhaps she even lived in or around the forests of the village. It had become an unpleasant scent for Hibachi and Unagi over time.
As her footsteps seemed to echo on the shore of the lake, Unagi's heart drummed against his ribcage, vibrating his chest. Or maybe those were due to the tremors going through his entire body.
Both Hibachi and Unagi were well aware of Kaiya's strength. They weren't the only two classmates she'd beaten up over the past six years. Anyone who upset her had to answer to her fists, male or female. She wasn't very merciful, and she didn't hold back. She was usually docile and minded her own business; she kept to herself, and the rest of her classmates avoided her—that's the way it's been for years.
However, when she was pushed, especially when anything about her family was mentioned, she retaliated without hesitation. And it was painful. Even weekly visits to the Hokage's office to discuss disciplinary action only slowed her down for a short time.
There were few classmates Kaiya could tolerate, and even fewer that she actually liked. That same amount trusted her enough not to hate her like the rest of them. Unagi could count the number on one hand.
At first, when Kaiya had entered the Academy at age five, she was well-liked, just like her parents and brother and sister. However, a year later, things changed. Ever since then, the number of people that cared for her or even found her trustworthy just became less and less, until she was almost as disliked as Naruto. She'd grown quite rebellious and violent since then.
"H-Hibachi, maybe you should a-apologize," Unagi whispered nervously, taking a few steps back. Hibachi shoved him even further behind him, standing tall as Kaiya closed in the gap between them. He prayed neither one of them noticed his knees knocking together. Unagi fell to the ground and looked up at the two as they were about to clash. Hibachi straightened out his gray beanie, his dark eyes challenging her without fear.
"You're a chump, Unagi. If you can't even stand up to this traitor, don't even bother to stand up at all. There's no one around now, so I can fight back this time. I'll prove that Kaiya is nothing but—" Before he could finish his sentence, Kaiya appeared in front of him, her fist reared back. She punched him in the eye, sending him reeling into the lake with a big SPLASH!
Water flew up into the air, crashing onto the bank in a miniscule tidal wave that crashed against the other two's feet. The remnants of the wave sprayed over them like a morning mist.
"Ugh!" Hibachi momentarily lost consciousness as he sunk to the bottom of the shallow end of the lake. Unagi would've jumped in to help him, but he figured Hibachi deserved it for knocking him down and not heeding his warning.
By the time he resurfaced a few seconds later, Kaiya and Unagi were standing side-by-side, like nothing ever happened. They both stared at him with blank expressions, although Unagi could tell Kaiya was pleased with her actions. She hadn't beat up anyone lately, since Iruka threatened her; he was sure she was having withdrawals. And really, as long as she didn't beat him up, he didn't care.
Hibachi spat out some water as he waded to the bank, breathing heavily as he struggled for air on all fours, dropping to the sand. He shivered from the cold water of the lake, drenched from head to toe; he touched his left eye, wincing. He looked up at Kaiya in disbelief, who had the slightest hint of a satisfied smile, mocking him silently. He growled, stumbling to his feet and stalking over to her angrily. With every step, his feet sloshed on the dirt, leaving muddy footprints behind him, and he stumbled a few times. Unagi held his breath.
It was true that the main reason Hibachi and Unagi never fought Kaiya back was because she was a girl (at least they thought she was), and they'd get in big trouble with Iruka if they hit her. Kaiya got a little leeway, but they knew that if they'd retaliate, they wouldn't. So Unagi had no idea who would really win in a fight between Hibachi and Kaiya at their angriest, and to be honest, he was scared to find out, especially since he was caught in the middle.
"Grr…you'll pay for that, Kaiya!" Hibachi shouted, waving his fist in the air threateningly, flicking thick droplets of water in every direction. She didn't move, not intimidated in the least. In fact, even though her expression was stoic, her pupils seemed to be beckoning him closer, so that she could even out his face by giving him another black eye. Her knuckles twitched, like they were itching to punch him again.
The only sound at that moment other than Hibachi's clumsy, sloppy steps and heavy breathing was Unagi's own heartbeat and the birds in the trees behind them. It almost sounded like they were gathering to watch the fight. The seconds seemed to pass by slower and slower as he came closer. He took his time, trying not to show the discomfort his fresh bruise and head injury gave him. There was no way Unagi was getting in the middle of this!
He backed away quickly, more nervous than before, holding up his hands in surrender. "W-wait, Hibachi. Calm down," he urged, trying to keep distance between him and his teammates. He figured there was no way he could keep Hibachi and Kaiya apart, so he didn't even try. He enjoyed his limbs being firmly attached to his body, and he had no plans to change that anytime soon. Hibachi just kept advancing in an effort to get to Kaiya, who seemed nonchalant about the whole situation. That unnerved Unagi further.
"We're a team now; we shouldn't be fighting like this. Don't do anything you'll regret." Well, he had to try something. He didn't really believe either of them would regret killing the other.
Unagi jumped in between them before he could change his mind, holding out his arms to try and stop Hibachi. It wasn't working. "Just—" Hibachi once again shoved Unagi out of the way, tightening his fist as he stood over Kaiya menacingly, at least three inches taller than her. She frowned, daring him to do it. He swung.
Unagi's, Hibachi's, and Kaiya's eyes widened as Hibachi's fist stopped in midair, an inch from Kaiya's face. Someone was holding his wrist in place, but it wasn't her.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think teammates are supposed to be fighting each other." The three Genin stared as an average-heighted, well-built young man in his early twenties flashed in between them, stopping what would have definitely escalated into a full-on brawl. Kaiya blinked in awe. So fast…
It was their sensei, Riichi. He'd literally just appeared out of nowhere like it was no big deal. Kaiya hated guys like him.
He was a brunette, like Kaiya; his long bangs drooped over his forehead protector, proudly donning the Leaf symbol above his brown eyes. He was wearing the standard green Chunin/Jonin flak jacket and dark pants, just like any other basic ninja of the village. (Kaiya thought it was so annoying…like she'd ever be caught dead wearing that tacky jacket).
"Hello again," he said in an upbeat tone that made her frown. There was something about it Kaiya didn't like. It was probably the fact that she could tell his smile was fake. She'd seen that smile many times in the past, all from the people she'd loved from birth: her parents and her siblings. Even one of her guards from several years ago would flash that same grin after he took his mask off; he'd seem calm and cheerful on the outside, but he was actually upset. She just got the same feeling when she looked at this guy.
Riichi lowered Hibachi's arm and took a step back, placing his hands on his hips. He was still wearing that ridiculous grin. "From today onward, I am your sensei, Riichi," he announced, even though they were well aware of that fact. "And before anything else, let's get one thing straight."
He paused, his eyes narrowing slowly. A cloud passed in front of the sun above them, casting a stark shadow over the Jonin's face, making him seem even creepier to his students as his grin faded. "There will be no more fighting on this team, or else I'll kill all of you."
Unagi paled, gulping at their sensei's gusto-turned-psycho attitude. He didn't doubt for a moment that Riichi could annihilate them without breaking a sweat. Hibachi rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. Jonin always try to act cool in front of lower-ranked shinobi, he thought bitterly. Man, I get Kaiya and this dweeb on my team? This is the worst.
Kaiya just stared at Riichi, daring him to try it. She didn't care how strong he was or how much authority he had over her. There was no way she was going to put up with his bullshit, or anyone else's, for that matter. She would do what she wanted, whether he liked it or not. But rather than say that, she just stood there, clenching her fists. Riichi studied the faces of his students meticulously, scratching his head in confusion. The clouds above suddenly scattered, and it was sunny again.
"What's with you guys?" he asked, as if he didn't understand the looks they were giving him. "Is there something on my face?" He started pressing his hands against his cheeks, forehead, and chin frantically, his deep, chocolate eyes dancing in the sunlight. His mood seemed to completely change, going from overly cheery to threatening to completely goofy, and Kaiya couldn't tell if it was on purpose or if he had multiple personalities. She just sighed, shaking her head. She had a feeling she was going to lose her mind, just like him.
Riichi straightened up. "Anyway, let's get this over with. I brought you out here to do a little get-to-know-your-team bonding. Even though I have no desire to know any of you personally. I'd rather be enjoying the sunlight on my balcony." The three preteens' jaws slacked. Riichi grinned and handed each of them a log that had been cut in half. He pointed to the water behind them.
"Let's get into the water; just sit on the logs." He glanced at Hibachi, who was still soaking wet. His eyebrows lifted in question before he scratched his head again. "Well, it looks like you got a little impatient and decided to get into the water before I got back," he pointed out, pouting. "And…did you have that black eye a few minutes ago?"
Unagi and Kaiya stifled a laugh as Hibachi scowled, glaring over at his female teammate. She glared back, looking him straight in the [black] eye.
"What kind of first impression are you trying to make?" Hibachi snapped at Riichi, turning his attention to the adult, gritting his teeth as he outstretched his arms in frustration. Kaiya and Unagi agreed with him, but they neglected to voice their opinions, for fear of backlash from their sensei—besides, they were still laughing.
Riichi rubbed his neck, giving his new team a nervous laugh. I could ask you the same question, you little punk, he thought. But if he said that out loud, he would get into even more trouble than he was already in. At least that's what his superiors would tell him. He was sure they were watching him somehow.
Just to be safe, he glanced up towards the trees, and then his gaze averted to the water, as if someone might be hiding in either place. It seemed clear for the moment, but one could never be too careful. His students just thought his paranoia was part of his multiple personalities, so they ignored it.
Hibachi snatched a log out of Riichi's hand and threw it in the water, striding into the lake and clambering on top of it. He lost his balance almost immediately and the log tipped over, dropping him into the lake once again. He disappeared under the water, bubbles sprouting to the surface; his head popped up a second later. He spit out a minnow, recoiling at the slimy texture and fishy taste it left in his mouth.
By this time, Unagi and Kaiya couldn't hold in their chortles anymore. Holding her stomach, Kaiya doubled over, her shoulders shaking as her cackles echoed throughout the training ground. Unagi was rolling around in the grass, tears in his eyes as his laughs squeezed almost every inch of air out of his lungs. Hibachi was hilariously red; his face was so hot the water evaporated from his cheeks. Kaiya turned to see Riichi's reaction, and he only stared at Hibachi with an Are you for real, kid? expression on his face. It made her laugh even harder.
Once Unagi and Kaiya laughed all that they could, they calmed down and placed their own logs in the water and carefully climbed on top of them, making sure that they were in the shallowest part of the river before they did so. Then they paddled out to the middle, where Hibachi was waiting, shivering from the breeze that blew past them, plastering his drenched clothes even further onto his body.
Kaiya was tempted to laugh again, but she didn't want her ribs to keep hurting from doing so. Once Unagi and Kaiya made it to their third teammate, Riichi (once again showing off) simply walked on the water towards his reluctant students, like he was walking on solid ground.
Ok, now that was impressive.
Thank you for your support!
