3.

Within the first month of Ninja School Inari found the Taijutsu lessons increasingly difficult. It wasn't that she was distinctively weak for a child her age and although her small stature wasn't particularly a help it wasn't a hinder either. Inari was finding the classes designed for physical training difficult because of one reason; she refused to relinquish her sword. Kurenai and Rin had been surprised to witness that Inari even carried it into the toilet stall with her. Shinji had tried on multiple occasions to coax it from her but Inari could be as stubborn as the other Sosuke's when she felt the need to be.

"So there are these merchants in town tomorrow night," Asuma began. He, Kurenai, Shinji, Guy, Inari and Kaskashi were currently sat on one of the benches outside in the courtyard during lunch. The trees above them dyed the sunlight with a greenish tinge. Asuma sat with his feet stretched out in front of him, leaning back against the surface of the bench with his elbows resting on the wooden planks. Kurenai sat across from him, sharing her food out with Inari who sat beside her. Kurenai and Asuma had gained some insight in reading the silent girl's expression enough now to know that she detested the majority of the food Uta Sosuke packed for her. Kurenai had taken it upon herself to share her lunch with her. At first glance Kurenai appeared quite stern and serious but in reality the girl was kind and the way most misunderstood Inari because of her reluctance to speak had developed a protective big-sisterly feeling towards her. Might Guy was sat beside Inari, bulldozing through his meal and ignorant to the flecks of rice that were flying up about him. Kakashi was sat beside Asuma scanning through the notes he'd copied through glass and Shinji fidgeted next to him casting worried glances over at Guy in case the abnormally enthusiastic boy began to choke. He felt sorry for the poor bento.

"My dad was telling me about it, there's going to be loads of stalls. Anyway I was wondering if anyone wanted to check it out," Asuma continued.

"Yes, I'd like to go," Kurenai smiled. Asuma seemed quietly thankful and relieved about her answer. Inari believed it was likely she had been the true target of his request and he'd decided to ask them to keep up appearances.

Might Guy's head snapped up from his bento to unleash a dazzling smile at Asuma who only blinked blandly in response.

"Fear not, I will join you on this adventure!" Guy exclaimed, the light glinting off his pearly whites as he winked at a laid-back Asuma and jerked his thumb towards his face.

"Right," Asuma blinked.

"Shrimp-chan what about you?" Asuma asked.

Inari nodded.

"I'll go," Kakashi said, not looking up from his notes, "but I can't stay there long."

"I'm sorry I have to stay in at the compound tomorrow," Shinji hung his head. This wasn't an unusual occurrence; Shinji would disappear into the Hyuga compound for days on end, his mannerisms only becoming more nervous and neurotic when he re-emerged. His family were part of the branch family of the Hyuga clan and the boy would clam up completely and self-abase himself whenever anyone inquired about his life outside the Academy.

"Shinji-san you must break free of your oppressive negativism, take heart and look towards the future!" Guy reached across to pat Shinji's cropped hair.

"Ah," Shinji struggled weakly against Guy's overbearing affection, "I have to help with the cleaning, Guy-chan."

"Cleaning?" Guy began to belly laugh, "If you clean with the power of youth you could wield at least fifty mops at once and leave the Hyuga compound shining like a jewel among the Konoha leaves!"

"I don't have enough hands for fifty mops," Shinji protested, staring at Guy's exuberant face with wide, terrified eyes.

"Nonsense, come Shinji-san I will show you how to wield these mops like a true Konoha shinobi," Guy laughed to himself excitedly as he dragged a now crying Shinji from his seat.

"But shinobi don't use mops," Shinji wailed as they disappeared to god only knows where.

Kurenai, Asuma and Kakashi shared a glance before sighing, Inari continued to focus on the food Kurenai was handing her seemingly oblivious and steady among the chaos.

"Inari-san," Inari glanced up to find Ren-sensei looking down at her, "a word please."

Kurenai threw a worried glance towards her friend as Inari stood to follow their sensei back inside, Asuma watched them go lazily while Kakashi just stared after them with barely veiled curiosity. Once inside the cool shade of the Ninja School, Ren-sensei lead Inari into the now empty classroom, holding the door open for his shortest pupil as he did so. Ren-sensei was the type of person who was vital to have on your side. If you had gained a place in his proverbial 'good books' you could do no wrong but if you had managed to anger or disrespect him in someway there was little you could do to ever claw back a good impression. Inari had been in Ren-sensei's good graces since her first day. She was oblivious to this as Ren-sensei was quite proficient in hiding his favouritisms. She was quiet and determined; she listened to his lectures and struggled patiently through the physical lessons without complaint. A good student destined to be a good shinobi. There was only one thing slowing her down.

"Inari-san there's something we need to discuss in regards to your grades," Ren-sensei began, folding his arms and standing with his feet apart.

Inari nodded.

"You are doing extremely well in nearly all your classes," Ren fixed the pale blue of his wrinkled eyes on Inari, "expect for Taijutsu. However I believe this can be easily remedied."

Inari's hands instantly snaked up to the handle of her sword, clutching it in a self-soothing manner rather than anything that was aimed for intimidation.

"In a manner that does not mean you shall be parted from it," Ren said gently. Inari blinked up at him. Ren turned to shuffle through the papers in his desk drawer; he pulled out a sheet and handed it to Inari. The silence as Inari scanned the sheet was momentarily broken as Shinji ran past the window crying out for a Guy who was hot on his heels to 'please stop'. Ren sighed and pulled the blind down over the window before turning back to Inari.

"These are the times I will expect you to turn up for extra training," Ren spoke handing the list to Inari, "I will be teaching you myself. If you insist on carrying that sword then you had best learn to use it."

"Thank you," Inari replied.

"Just make sure you don't waste our time Inari-san," he smiled, "I'm sure you won't."

"What do you mean extra trainin'" Emi growled as she walked Inari home. Inari fished her neatly folded sheet from her obi and wordlessly handed it to Emi. Emi's scowl deepened as she read over the contents.

"He wants you to stay trainin' until eight on a Tuesday, Thursday and a Saturday," she eyed Inari suspiciously, thin bottom lip jutting out in a petulant pout, "you some kinda genius or somethin'?"

"Hatake-san," Inari replied.

"Who the hell is that?" Emi asked, moody pout still present.

"He is the prodigy in our class," Inari explained.

"Yeah," Emi said slowly, "but he ain't in no special classes is he so he can't be as smart as you?"

"I've been given extra classes so I can learn to use my sword," Inari answered. Emi almost tripped, worry crawled across her face. They were teaching Inari to use her sword? Even though she was there all day learning how to become a shinobi the possibility of her actually learning how to become a shinobi had never entered Emi's mind. The thought of Inari becoming a ninja and the now more pressing and real prospect of that becoming a reality had never really occurred to Emi but now it was creeping inevitably in. Inari's sword no longer looked like the comfort blanket that Inari clung to; it was slowly morphing it its true identity, a very real very deadly ninja tool. Emi glanced at Inari. Is that what was happening to her little sister too?

"That's dangerous ain't it?" Emi asked eyeing the huge blade strapped to her tiny sister's back.

Inari nodded.

"Then- "Emi began but was interrupted. Inari had paused, her back facing Emi for a change and her head bowed downward. Emi shifted uncomfortably. Although Uta would often state that Inari's largest flaw was her callous spending of money even she knew that the true fault was Inari's temper along with a penchant for seeing the world in black and white contrast. Both faults fed from the other as Inari's ability to label something wrong and allow no subjective cases meant when someone did something she perceived as unforgivably wrong that red eyed rage rears up. It had only made an appearance twice because of Inari's patience but both times were etched in Emi's mind. The second was three months before Inari joined Ninja School. Uta had promised Emi that she would ensure her CDs were moved from the yard up to her room before the rain began. The rain started and the CDs remained outside in a cardboard box. It was only a small dent in Emi's collection and this was not an unusual occurrence in the Sosuke household so Emi knew it wasn't the CDs demise that triggered Inari. It was the fact that Uta had broken her promise. Inari had destroyed nearly everything in Uta's office, had blatantly ignored the old woman for days on end, fought Uta with her fists when she came near her and basically given Emi whiplash with the complete personality switch. Inari was always so calm and to see her lost in howling fury had struck Emi dumb. Inari had never lost her temper at Emi but Emi had never verbally offered a promise to Inari that she could break.

"Emi," Inari began in her crisp, clear voice, "I'm going to learn how to wield my sword and I'm going to repay you and Konoha by using it to keep you all safe."

Inari spun to face Emi and stared her dead in the eye.

"I promise," Inari intoned.

Inari spent the next day with her friends. She got on well enough with Shinji and Guy was loud enough to fill the silence for them both, she and Kakashi knew each other but weren't really friends. It was Kurenai and Asuma that she counted as true friends. With Inari's patience and serene quiet it was difficult to be at odds with her but she'd never really had friends until she met the pair on that first day. It was...nice to know they were there, comforting that they understood her and she in turn understood them. She never really had contact with people Kurenai and Asuma didn't introduce her to so she was ignorant as to the opinion she had in the class as a whole. She silently bought the entire group dinner at one of the stalls the merchant set up (an act that was sure to set her money grabbing foster mother into cardiac arrest when she got home) and listened to them all chat amongst each other with a half smile. Those first training sessions with Ren-sensei were brutal. Ren did not push Inari instead insisting on taking it slow but the belief that Inari had supposed into herself and the promise she'd made to Emi allowed her no respite. Inari spent from Monday to Friday in Ninja School, she trained with Ren-sensei on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday from five in the afternoon until eight at night. She spent Sunday and Saturday daytime with her friends. She slept at night and she ate when she was given food. That was the plan but Inari presented a snag.

Whenever she was not committing herself to these tasks she was training on her own in the Sosuke's barren front lawn. Inari pushed obdurately against barriers her body presented in protest to the schooling she was putting herself through. Most nights she'd be out there until she collapsed and Uta would have to carry her inside and scold her bitterly as she tended to her exhaustion. Uta did not tell Emi and neither did Inari. Emi had managed to win herself a place at a small school designed for musically talented children but since the classroom was only a box-like room above a shop they'd have to wait for the shop keeper to close up before beginning their lessons. So hiding the daily thrashing Inari put her body and mind through was easy enough. Emi would pick her up from Ninja School she'd spend time with her and only her before dashing away to class then Inari would begin. Most nights Inari could do nothing but stare up at the ceiling as her body finally succumbed. She wished she had something to occupy her mind in those immobile moments and would often pretend that she could hear Emi's song drifting up through the floorboards.

Inari's grades improved, her mental fortitude grew and she could scramble and dodge and weave with the others despite the sword's weight. Emi had not been incorrect in thinking that her little sister was moulding herself into a shield. Asuma and Kurenai noticed a change. Inari often slept in Kurenai's lap at lunch with her friend gently smoothing her hair as she chatted with the others. She spoke more often even though she continued to prefer to express her thoughts and feelings through facial expressions or actions. Inari began to wear a contented half smile. She was exhausted and bruised but she was happier than she had ever been; especially on the Sunday nights where Emi would treat her to a trip to the hot baths every now and then. Inari was on a friendly terms with all the staff there by now. She was dreaming about those Sundays as she made her way towards the door when Shinji interrupted her.

"Err, Inari-san. I think you've dropped your book," Shinji said.

Inari calmly turned to regard the bench where she, Shinji and Kakashi sat. Shinji had not rushed off as soon as their sensei dismissed them and was instead holding the book out to Inari with an earnest expression.

Inari shook her head.

"Oh?" Shinji said staring down at the book in confusion, "it's not mine either. Hatake-san is this yours?"

Kakashi stared at the object in Shinji's hands for some time before continuing with his previous task of gathering up his belongings.

"I've never seen it before," Kakashi said.

"That's strange," Shinji's big doe eyes narrowed in bewilderment, "Ah; Inari-san would you like to have it?"

Inari reached out for the worn paperback, feeling the weight of pages fill her palms. She'd never brought a book before. She could read of course but a book had never procured a place in her life.

"Thank you," she said in answer to Shinji's hesitant smile.

Inari watched Emi wave goodbye from the porch before bounding off into the streets of Konoha. As soon as the spiky mass of black hair atop Emi's head disappeared from view, Inari stood and unsheathed her sword. She ran through the motions Ren-sensei had schooled her in for hours, belligerently disregarding the budding ache that struggled through her arms, then her legs, then her torso. 'I must be getting better' Inari thought with pleasure 'since its nearing dark before my body gives in'; which it did, her legs like heated rubber as they wilted beneath her weight and her face smacked against the compact dirt as she fell. It was five minutes or so before Uta came striding out with her teeth clenched around the end of her pipe.

"Stupid little fool," Uta muttered as she gently lifted Inari's limp body against her chest and cradled her there, "You're gonna kill yourself at this rate and I ain't paying for your funeral."

Uta carried her inside and up the stairs to the room she and Emi shared. She shifted Inari's weight to one side as she lifted Inari's sheets back between two crooked fingers then delicately laid Inari in.

"You're gettin' too bloody big for me to be carryin' you about like a baby," Uta continued as she undressed Inari and redressed her in a pair of Emi's old fleece pyjama's the arms and legs of the garments twice the size of the actual length of Inari's limbs.

Uta pressed a cloth that had been readily wetted in cool water against the sweat beading on Inari's face, "if you keep this up I'm gonna tell Emi. Let her set you straight, eh."

"Thank you," Inari said as Uta stood with the bowl and moved for the doorway.

"Tch," Uta replied but she watched to make sure Inari was fine from the doorway for a few moments before retreating downstairs. Inari sighed. This was the part she hated. The pain that came with wringing the last drops of energy from her body paled when compared to the sensation of tranquillity she had when wielding her sword so the strain was no bother to her; besides you had to work hard for anything worth having right? But this part she hated. Inari's grey eyes rolled from the ceiling she'd been staring blankly up at to regard the unfamiliar object on her beside table. It was thick and square, the spine curved. The book Shinji had given her. Inari groaned as she hauled her aching arm from her side to reach up for the book. It felt impossibly heavy now and Inari toiled with it for minutes before she managed to slump it against a cylinder pillow. Inari weakly turned the first page and began to read.

"What we goin' in here for now," Emi sighed. She and Inari had been on their way to the bath house when Inari had just veered off towards a bookshop perched on a corner without a word. Emi scowled up at the building the smell of wet ink already dredging up memories of the hours she'd spent in detention at her previous school.

"It smells like fusty old men in there," Emi muttered then frowned as she watched Inari move to make her way inside, "Shrimp! You're already makin' me pay for you to get in the baths I ain't buying you a library too!"

Emi sighed as Inari pushed herself up on her toes to allow a better peek at the rows upon rows of hard backs, paper backs, scrolls, rolled up posters, huge textbooks and ancient tomes through the window.

"Just go on in," Emi scowled, "but I ain't comin' in with you."

Inari nodded and casting one look at her sister, who now leaned against the yellow wall of the bookstore with her arms crossed and mumbling curses beneath her breath, stepped inside. She remembered that smell, she'd inhaled it when she'd awoken (a week and a half ago now) with the book Shinji had given her steepled over her face. Inari paid particular care in not knocking over all the precarious towers of books with her sword as she began to scan the piles. She'd have to buy something for Shinji too to show her gratitude for giving the book to her. And she was extremely grateful. She wasn't entirely sure what she should be doing since this was the first time she'd set foot in a book shop, all she knew was she was hungry for more. Maybe it had been the subject of the book, a young shinobi saddled with a momentous task. Maybe she'd best look for books by the same author.

"Excuse me," Inari addressed the stork-like man behind the counter. When he turned to regard her Inari pulled the book free from her obi, it was looking decisively more dog-eared now that Inari had read and re-read it before stuffing it in her obi.

"I'm looking for books by the same person who wrote this," Inari said, displaying the faded cover.

"They're quite popular with you students at the academy," the man replied, he pointed out a small shelf underneath a tiny round window before turning back to his paper and cup of tea.

"Thank you," Inari said. She scanned over the area where the owner had pointed and her eyebrows knitted in confusion as she spied the other figure kneeling down so they could better skim the spines.

"Hatake-san," Inari asked as she came up behind him.

Kakashi's body went rigid. For a moment Inari wasn't completely confident in the belief that her fellow student would not attack her. Kaskashi rose slowly and the time it took him to actually face her stretched. But it was by no means an effort to appear dramatic it merely gave Kakashi enough time to apply a carefully guarded expression to his face and think through his options. The fact that someone had made what seemed to him an intrusion here was irking but the small niggle of annoyance was lessened when he realised that the intruder was only Inari. For a moment, a horrible moment, he'd imagined seeing Obito there grinning like an idiot. He didn't know Inari well, no one in the class really knew her well, since the girl never uttered enough to pick apart for information. Sarutobi Asuma and Yuhi Kurenai had discovered some form of mind reading that only applied to the short, crimson haired girl and allowed them insight but they were the only ones. Hatake Kakashi only knew four things about the girl. Firstly she was among the top three achievers in the class, he obviously being the first. Secondly, she was a friend of Asuma and Kurenai. Thirdly she was known for her near silence.

"Inari-san," Kakashi nodded.

Inari's gaze shifted to the bookshelf behind him. And fourthly she was now in possession of his book. It was unfortunate that she'd catch him while he was trying to replace that book and he wouldn't have needed to if he'd just claimed ownership of it in the first place but he hadn't liked the idea of them knowing about his penchant for fiction.

Kakashi opened his mouth to continue when the door was flung open with such force that it jostled on its hinges then a rough voice yelled out, "Shrimp! You done yet!"

Inari's eyes flicked to the door then back to his face and without uttering a word she reached into her obi and handed his book back to him.

"Goodbye Hatake-san," she said before making her way towards the frowning eight year old that was waiting for her.

a/n:

Okay maybe just one more.