They approached the gates and were instantly spotted by the sentries. "Who goes there?" A wizard in a black cloak and gruff voice said. Compared to the wizards Sasuke had seen the night before they were giants. Their hands glowed meaning they were ready for anything. "Kakashe, Elite Shinobi of Konohagakure. Did the grand high wizard not tell you we were coming?"
"Yes he did, and by the look of your headbands you speak the truth. You may pass." The dents on the gets glowed and shook as they slowly opened. From what they saw each door must've been about six feet thick when they parted. "Welcome to Sato." The guard said watching their every move. He sounded friendly enough but was very alert like his silent partner across the gates. "Just go straight ahead and you should come to the biggest building in the heart of our city. You can't miss it; it's the biggest one there and goes all the way to the top of the mountain." The guard shouted down to them. "Thank you." Kakashe replied leading his somewhat overwhelmed students in to the city.
Everywhere they looked there would be people pointing and whispering. The adults looked especially worried and hurried their kids inside the house. To Naruto this wasn't new. 'Well what do ya know; a home away from home.' He thought sadly looking around at the glares and dirty looks. The only upside to this was he wasn't alone in this anymore, but he didn't want his team mates to experience it either. He wouldn't wish the hate he'd received all his life on to his worst enemy. Not even for the position of Hokage…well, he had to think about that one.
They reached the building and were shown in by two robed men. Naruto and the others had guessed the ones in black cloaks were guards. When they were told to enter a lift the relief that went through their bodies was unimaginable. If they had to climb the rest of the way to the very top blood would've been spilled.
"We rarely use this lift anymore." One of them said pulling the lever to make the lift start. "We only use it for people who've either broken their broomsticks, had an accident or are too old to fly anymore. Shinobi's haven't set foot inside city walls for over twenty years. Then you show up and the whole town is in an uproar. I mean come on, twenty years isn't that long." He said to Hatake. This guard stopped talking when Kakashe didn't answer his questions. These people must've been so bored hiding up here for so long as to get excited with the arrival of Shinobi's. Naruto stared out the side with a little window seeing themselves going up higher and higher until it stopped. The view was amazing. "Naruto."
"Coming."
They were shown to a door at the end of a long hall decorated in elaborate furnishings. When the door was opened they stepped in to a huge room with a huge glass ceiling mapping out the stars at night. At the far end of this room was a desk with a lot of paper work on one side and a neat pile half the size on the other. It was just as elaborate as the hall. "Sir, the Shinobi and his students are here." The guard said when they stopped by the desk. A chair with a huge back slowly turned to reveal an old man with a very wrinkled face and a long white bear. His hooded cloak was on his person but the hood was pushed back to revel his face. He was reading something with a magnifying glass in the other hand. He finished the page before putting them down on his desk and looked at them closely. His gaze fell upon Naruto the longest before he decided to speak.
"Welcome to our…well I would say humble but…hmm, not a very good start is it. I guess we'll start by showing you to your rooms and having dinner." The sounds of stomach growls were all he needed to say they'd agreed.
So they went down in the lift to the less formal level. The old wizard used his carved staff to support himself as they walked through the dorms. "Is this a school?" Sakura asked making the old wizard smile. "You're a very wise young lady. Yes, this level is a school. The lower levels train our young witches and wizards. The upper levels deal with the politics and the less interesting side of this place. There are guest rooms on the end of this place far from the children. That way neither will be disturbed in the night."
They reached the end of the hall and turned on to a balcony that stretched down the length of the dorms. They had a completely open view of the clouds in the sunset which was captivating. Naruto leaned against the wood panelling reaching up to his shoulders as he peered at the amazing view. There was a roof above him so he felt like he was walking through a sort of tunnel on the outside of the building. "Keep up Naruto; we don't want you to get lost." Kakashe ordered. Naruto did as he was told glancing at the view every now and then.
"GET BACK HERE!" A very angry man yelled. They couldn't see who it was due to a dark purple cloak and hood, but a kid about the same age as Naruto ran out of another hall further down and stopped by the banister. "No way!" She called and stuck her tongue out at whoever was chasing her. In her hand was a black broomstick. She climbed over the wood panelling and jumped. Sakura gasped and hoped the girl didn't kill herself. But a few seconds later she flew past the panelling at the speed of light making them shudder from the force. "See you in class loser!" She yelled flying higher and higher.
A middle aged man stopped by the panelling gasping and looking very angry. "You'll be sorry for what you did! You little-"
"Ahem!" The old wizard cleared his throat giving the other man a stern look. "I do hope she hasn't damaged our school again or anything to warrant this kind of behaviour. You are a professional teacher Drake and I expect you to act like one." He said. Drake sighed and bowed in respect. "Forgive me for my actions, that girl…she…turned the classroom upside down. We were practicing movement of furniture but she decided to move the whole classroom. Her pranks are getting out of control. But I'll punish her accordingly."
"Nothing too rash I hope." A warning and very serious tone came in to the wizards voice. It made a shiver run up everyone's spines from the power emitted just by the old man's voice. "Yes sir, I'll fit the punishment with the crime." Drake left them mumbling things under his breath his own mother would be ashamed of. The old wizard sighed. "That girl has been causing trouble these past two years ever since she was brought here when her father died. Now, on to dinner."
They entered a large hall with long dining tables running down it. There must've been at least a few hundred students in the hall eating their meal. "Since this is a magic school all you have to do is think what you'd like to it and it will appear before you." The old man said showing them to the teacher's table. Sasuke and Sakura thought about what they'd like whilst Naruto didn't have to think at all. "Ramen." He said and a bowl appeared in front of him steaming hot and ready to eat. "Oh yeah, I'm definitely gonna like it here." He said through a mouthful of noodles. "Ew! Naruto, don't talk with you mouth full." Sakura whined. Kakashe tucked in to his food thinking about what Naruto said. 'Enjoy it while you can Naruto. I've heard to strengthen the seal within you is not a pleasant experience.'
A few minutes later the girl they saw jumping out the balcony entered the hall. She sat on a table alone and ordered rice noodles with chicken and duck wraps. She sat in a corner alone like she was used to it and ate her food in silence. When she was finished she got up to leave.
"Sujin." The old wizard called from the table. The girl frozen with her hand on the door and slowly turned to see a stern look across his face. 'If there was a Hokage for witches and wizards he would be it.' Naruto thought watching the girl approach the table. The other kids were whispering and sniggering at her. Clearly she wasn't popular or had any friends to speak of. "Drake told me of your antics today." He said and the girl sighed. "I was wondering when he'd redecorate." The girl raised her head in surprise. 'Was that supposed to be funny?' She thought quirking an eyebrow in question. "But what you did is still wrong. Has Drake given you an appropriate punishment?"
"I couldn't stop him sir, even after I restored it. I have to clean his classroom for two months." The old wizard sighed and nodded his head. "That's a fair punishment. I do hope you've learned your lesson."
"Oh yes sir. I won't touch his classroom again…I'll just turn him upside down instead." The old wizard sighed with a very tired smile. Naruto sniggered; this girl was just like him. "I can't stop you; just try not to get too carried away. You remember what happened with the clouds when you got bored of their colour?" He asked and Sujin had to stop herself from smiling. "I meant to change their colour…not bring about thunderstorms and blizzards for a week. But I managed to fix that problem before anyone got hurt…much." She said scratching the back of her head in an embarrassed sort of way. "Indeed you learn by your mistakes. But do try to keep them small." He said smiling at her, Sujin bowed in respect. It was then she noticed the new arrivals and stared at them for a second. "I see you've noticed our new friends."
"Hard not to sir. Shinobi's?" She asked and Kakashe nodded. "By the look of the mark on your headband I'd say you're from Konohagakure."
"For someone from a place with no Ninja School or Shinobi's to speak of how do you know about this?" Kakashe asked pointing to his headband. With his visible eye he studied Sujin intently. "I would tell you but we're not allowed to talk about stuff like that here. Shinobi's have been exiled from this place permanently. So why you're here is the bigger question." She said studying Kakashe just as intently. "Sujin, maybe you should show our friends around the school tomorrow."
"Oh come on sir, I'm no tour guide and I have to work tomorrow. Can't you pick someone else? A couple of the teachers used to be Shinobi's so why not ask them?"
"Because they don't want to be reminded of what they had to give up." The old wizard pointed out making Sujin feel ashamed. She hadn't thought of that. "And besides…." He lowered his voice so only they could hear him. "…you don't want me to tell Kein of what you were up to last night by the waterfall do you?" Sujin gasped and the old man smiled at her. "I see al remember, just don't do it again." Sujin thought about this for a few seconds before releasing a heavy sigh. "Fine, whereabouts would you like me to take them? The town, around the school, the upper levels, etc, etc…" The old wizard smiled. "Good idea, you can do one floor a day after school. But since I've already taken the liberty of getting you the day off work tomorrow you can take them around the school."
"That'll take all day." Sujin growled knowing she fell for it hook line and sinker. "I know. There will also be no students to get in your way." He smiled at her. 'Greeaat, what a fun filled day that'll be.'
"I take it they're sleeping in the guest rooms?" She enquired. The old man nodded his head munching happily on a cookie. "Right, I'll meet you there at nine." She said and walked away. Naruto suddenly remembered who she was but stopped himself for calling out to her. 'See you tomorrow.' He thought.
Sujin made it back to her room feeling very ill. 'Oh crap! It's the kid I saved from the waterfall. I hope he's smart enough to keep his mouth shut.' She worried laying back on her futon.