A man's shaky hands tightened into vein-popping fists, "Damnit!" He cursed aloud, colliding one of his fists with a concrete wall. He remained in that position for a few minutes, breathing in and out so his aging heart could settle. A small crater now accompanied the wall, and wisps of dust circled around his head.
On the other side of the room, an obscure shadow enveloped the body hiding behind it's dark curtain, "You shouldn't over do it, old man." He smirked as he teased the enraged man.
His anger didn't flare up at the other man's words, instead, he glared at him, knowing well he probably couldn't win if they were to get into a fight. He pulled his injured fist out of the wall, ignoring the agonizing pain that rippled through his hand as he cracked a few of his bones and fingers back into place. Bits of rubble fell helplessly to the ground, covering the man's shoes, but he ignored it.
Slowly he turned around, redirecting his anger to a new victim, "I knew I shouldn't have sent the fucking polar bear." A young male, around the age of fifteen, stood trembling before the enraged man in both fear and the feeling of hopelessness that was caused by a failed mission.
The man in the shadows looked on, eager to tell the furious man he was right, and that he should've listened to him. 'All of this is a waste of time.'
The older man kept his attention on the quivering boy before him, "I take you in. . . raise you. . ." He began walking forward as he continued, ". . .practically treat you like one of my own-" The young man continued to shake, "-and this is how you repay me?"
"I didn't know he was going to be there!" The boy cried out.
"I didn't know he was going to be there!" The man mocked him in a childish tone, and then raised his hand stealthy to swiftly slap him across his cheek. "Bullshit. . . I gave you plenty of warnings."
The young man kept his head low in the position he was in when he was slapped, full of that creeping emotion known as shame. The older man turned around and walked forward, putting his hand on his chin as he stood in the dark, deep in thought, "Perhaps I should get a Piaculum. . ."
"You know they won't listen to you." The man in the shadows commented, 'I know I don't.'
The young man in the middle of the room began to sob quietly, his long hair dangling in front of his delicate face, sticking to drops of sweat and blood. He was weak, and desperately needed to clean his infected wounds properly. They were scattered spots of torn skin across his body, but were mainly grouped together in four long lines. It had been a week since the incident, and he could cope with the pain in his Hybrid form, but as a Human it was unbearable.
Although he wasn't worried about his body too much, it was the fact that he disappointed his Lord. He actually enjoyed living here, even though beatings were reoccurring events. . .but it was a small price to pay for the immense training and wisdom he gained from his Lord. At least here he was accepted and admired, while back home he was feared and hated for having the Hybrid gift.
Yes, he looked up to his Lord, and despite everything that's gone on while he was with him, he did owe him more than a failed mission, "I've failed. . ." He whispered quietly under his breath as he was covered by sheets of disappointment.
The older man heard it regardless, because of his keen animalistic senses, "Damn right you have." He replied, and raised one of his hands in the air. Right on que, pairs of red eyes emerged in various spots of the room, leisurely creeping closer. Their profound growls reverberated off the concrete walls, and impatiently awaited for the moment when their Master would give them the signal.
The boy began to panic, glancing around frantically, "N-No! Please!" His Lord ignored him, and snapped his fingers.
Without hesitation, the large beasts leaped forward, ravenous for a meal. They opened their jaws anxiously, aiming for different parts of the boy's crippled body. Most of them took hold of his limbs, tearing the infected flesh before anyone could take it away from them. Everything in their worlds blacked out while they became intent on filling their aching bellies.
Before the boy could finish his screaming and rest his soul, one of the creatures ripped open his throat. For a minute his eyes widened, and blood gurgling was the only sound he could make. Finally his eyes closed softy, and the boy's pain ended. The famished wolf-like beings began dragging their dinner to another location, not wanting to anger their Master anymore than he already was.
The man lurking in the shadows folded his arms in impatience, and watched as his Lord stood there staring at the crater, lost in thought. The older man turned around and gazed into the massive room's abyss, "Frater?" He called out 'brother' in Latin.
Two black wolves trotted out from the shadows, and stood obediently before him. He stared intently at them, not sure if they'd be any better of a choice than the dainty boy. He finally came to a decision when he took note that their thin, onyx beards were soaked in blood. A wicked smile grew on his lips, "You know what to do."
Immediately the wolves darted off in separate directions, leaving absolutely nothing behind, not even their footprints. Their Master nodded his head in pleasure, and forced his emotions to keep regret away. 'There's no way-'
"They're going to fail, too." He shot his head up to the voice in the corner, and turned away, his anger once again returning, "You know I'm right. . . you're lucky he spared the boy and allowed him to return." He paused, "He's probably annoyed that you've already sent him a failure, imagine what he's going to do to those two when they fail-"
"Haku was only a boy," The other man replied harshly, "He's only been with us for a few years, so now I know sending him was a mistake." He stopped and looked up into the pitch black atmosphere, "Of course, the ones I just sent won't hold back. . . Haku most likely did."
The man enveloped in the shadows turned around, and walked out of the room, too annoyed to play anymore of his Master's games. His thoughts continued to buzz around in his mind, toying him with very easy strategies he could use to kill the other man. He knew he could at any moment, he just spared him his life because he still knew a few things that he didn't. Although, when the time calls for it, and he has learned all that his Master can provide him with, he will take him out personally.
The only thing that's frustrating about his plans, is that each failed attempt to capture the Diverto Luna, means that the guardian will get angrier, and angrier. Eventually he's probably just going to end up coming over here and killing off the man that keeps sending his failures-
He stopped and stood there for a few moments, rethinking his previous thought. If his Master is killed off, he won't be able to gain more power. . . 'Damn, I should just go over there myself!' But he knew it wasn't that time yet.
The older man in the other room stood in front of the concrete wall that now seemed even more eerie due to the crater. He stared at it for a while, tracing his fingers along the pieces of stone that jutted out, 'He's right. . . none of the Piaculum will listen to me if those two wolves fail. . . I should just send him instead, at least then it'd be a guaranteed victory.' But he knew as well, that it wasn't time yet.
'North Academy for Hybrids'
By: GaaraFox
Chapter IV: Toss Fear, Stay Paranoid
'Why are they walking so fast?' I continued to complain in my thoughts as I hurried to keep up with Tsunade and Shizune. The awkward atmosphere that was once around us was now gone, and it was replaced with a merry, yet somewhat stressful aura. Although the stressful part was most likely coming from me.
I internally growled, having to skip a few steps just to keep up with them. "One thing you'll notice," Tsunade startled me as she began talking, keeping her eyes forward, "Is that North Academy is always in motion. We never slow down-" 'Apparently.' "-so don't worry," I raised one eyebrow, "Athletics will get you into shape." She turned her head slightly and smiled.
'. . .did she just call me fat?'
I sighed, feeling a sudden mix of emotions that was composed of both anger, and the need to cry. Because I was not only reminded by Tsunade that I was out of shape, but also by the burning stitch in my side. 'Which is even worse, because that's proof that I'm fat!'
Suddenly they stopped, and I almost fell forward on my face from the sudden change in speed. I wanted to put my hands on my knees and let my mouth hand open so I could breath exaggeratedly, just like a dog does when he's tired, but I decided that it would be best not to verbally, or physically, complain.
We weren't so far from the office - if I turned around I could still sort of see it - and we were standing a few feet in front of the imaginary square with four pillars on each corner, and the wolf statue in the middle. "This is the Primary building of North Academy, where we have all of our first year classes." Tsunade explained, and then turned to look at me to see if I got it.
I nodded in response, "So is this where I'm going to be most of the time?"
Shizune turned to me as well, and had a thoughtful look on her face, "Sort of. . ."
I sort of knew what she meant, but I decided to ask her anyway, "What do you mean?"
"Well, you'll be here in the mornings for your first three classes, but after lunch you'll go over to the other building." She turned and looked out some where distant. Curious, I followed her gaze and found that she was gazing at the back wall. I observed that it was composed of glass windows that seemed to start their reflective job around the height of your hip, while below that was just the same old stone wall. In the middle though, there were two glass doors that led outside to what appeared to be a courtyard. 'I'm guessing the other classes are some where beyond those doors.'
Shizune then turned back towards me, and pointed down a small hallway, "Down there, at the very end, we have Algebra I. Then next to it, there's an art class that focuses on Graphic Designing, and next to that is B.C.I.S., which is a freshman computer class."
I nodded my head, "I remember taking that, it really wasn't as fun as I thought it would be!" I lightly laughed, noticing that doing that lifted my nervous composure.
Tsunade then turned towards the other direction, and pointed down another tiny hallway that was across from Shizune's, "At the very end of this hallway are restrooms, and next to that there's an English I class. Finally, there's Latin I-" She glanced at me, as if expecting me to say something.
'Oh, yeah!' "My second period class." I smiled triumphantly, hoping to memorize my schedule by the end of the day. She nodded her head, and I hoped that throughout this school year, I could show them that I really do want to be here, and that I'm willing to work hard.
Although, they disrupted my moment of victory by suddenly starting their fast-paced walk once more, catching me off guard by their sudden movements. In order to catch up, I had to do this strange skipping motion. Now that we were getting closer to the back windows, I could now observe the outside world more carefully. The sun appeared to be some where else, which meant that the courtyard the doors led to would be perfectly shaded.
'The temperature looks just right.' I sighed, smiled at the idea of walking out into the perfect weather. . .at least until the two adults in front of me came to an abrupt halt which caught me off guard. Again. I hurriedly placed my foot in front of me and raised my arms out so I wouldn't fall, and swiftly regained my composure when they turned around. I smiled sheepishly at them as they raised their eyebrows in suspicion, but then turn that into two smiles.
Shizune let out a small laugh and said, "It's okay Sakura, we're not expecting perfection from you."
Then Tsunade said, "At least not yet," And her smile showed a lot of exhausting history, and a bit of news I felt I'd learn more about later. 'A bit? Probably a lot. . .I don't think learning about this school and Hybrids is ever going to stop!' I groaned as my head pulsed, and it reminded me of how I always felt in math class.
Shizune, oblivious to my thoughts, pointed down another hallway that was parallel to the previous one, "Down here, are the extracurricular classes, such as Music I, Art I, and Theatre I."
I nodded my head when she looked at me, and then we both turned to face Tsunade. Just like last time, she pointed down a hallway that was across from Shizune's, but parallel to her previous one. "And down here, we have more of the Hybrid introductory classes, such as Intro. To Hybridology, Hybrid History I, and Geography."
Once Tsunade was finished introducing her side, they both seemed to be full of the need to explain important issues. Shizune was the first to begin, "Every single time you come into this building, you must stay in your Human form. None of the students are allowed to be in their Hybrid forms in the Primary building, and this is to assure easy adjustment for the freshmen."
"Oh, that's reasonable." I nodded once more.
Shizune smiled, "Good, I'm glad you understand."
Tsunade sighed and put one hand on her hip, and used the other to pinch the bridge of her nose, "Sakura, I hope that you set a good example for the other students here, because they're really starting to get out of control." 'She must be talking about that blonde-haired guy that was in the office earlier. . .or at least something related to what he had done. Whatever it is he did.'
Shizune softly shook her head and Tonton made a light 'buhi' sound, "I really don't know what's going on here, it seems like most of the upperclassmen are focused on Athletics rather than their school work. I mean, it's not that that's a bad thing, it's just that if they neglect their work too much, it's going to continue to bring their grades down." I understood where Shizune was coming from, because at San Arcos, most of the football players were too obsessed with the competitive season to focus on their vital student careers.
Although, by the look on Tsunade's disturbed face, I could see that Shizune was only speaking her personal thoughts, and it appeared that Tsunade had a totally different perspective. To me, Tsunade appears to be a pretty intelligent woman who most likely knows exactly what's going on, and the answer to Shizune's confusion is most likely a simple one.
Actually, it was so simple, that even I came up with an answer while Shizune stood in thought, and Tsunade stood in annoyance. It hit me and I felt a bit of pride as I thought back on my years at San Arcos.
I've always hated sports, and not just because the activities are strenuous and often confusing, but because everyone gets so competitive over them. The psycho adrenaline rushes at football events would be so ridiculous, that if we lost a game, everyone in the entire school would become severely depressed.
That's also why I stayed away from football games, and preferred going straight home to read. The whole idea of throwing a little leather ball around, and beating people with your bodies always seemed so primitive to me. 'Ah crap, I hope it's not like that here. . .' Believe it or not, I actually enjoyed having a social life before the hormones, adrenaline, and need to be dominate came in and took over everyone's lives.
I shrugged my shoulders, coming back down from my thoughts. They both looked over at me, "Since we are literally, part animal, it's probably just the need to be dominate. Like in a pack of wolves, you have the alpha male and female, and in high school, you also have the alphas." 'Something I never want to be, because then you become all snobby.' "It's just a little more extreme here because we have the animal instcints, and the human instincts, intertwining."
Tsunade threw her arms up in the air, "That's exactly what I said!"
Shizune simply shook her head, "The whole act just seems silly to me."
Tsunade began mumbling under her breath, "It's only silly to you because you're not a Hybrid. . ." My eyes widened and mouth opened slightly. 'Did I hear her right?'
I looked over at Shizune to ask her, but she was now glaring at Tsunade while Tsunade was facing the other way with her arms folded. 'There goes the ounce of respect they earned from me. . .' I sighed.
This must be an issue that they've been discussing for a very long time, and it's probably why their silent argument didn't last very long, and was easily broken when I decided to go ahead and ask her, "Shizune, you're not a Hybrid?"
She let out some of the air she had been holding, and shook her head, "Not necessarily. . .I'm just not a full Hybrid." She shrugged.
"Then how come you spoke of attending a Hybrid school?"
"Well," She began, adjusting Tonton against her chest, "What Tsunade means by saying I'm not a Hybrid," She turned and glared at her and then looked back at me, "Is that the form I'm in right now is the only one I'm capable of."
". . .a human being?" I suggested.
She nodded, "Although," She raised one finger, "I still think like a Hybrid-" 'Apparently not if you think dominance is silly.' "-and I can speak to animals. Right, Tonton?" He looked up at her, stretching his neck back, and it seemed like he was wearing a smile when he made another 'buhi' sound.
I smiled, adjusting to this new image of her, "Well, that's not so bad."
Shizune returned the smile, and Tsunade pulled herself out of her immature state and said, "And Shizune's not the only one here who can't morph into an animal."
"Really?" I asked, my eyes slowly widening again.
They both nodded, but Tsunade was the one to reply, "Of course, we'll have more time to discuss this another day. Right now, we need to get you to your dorm so you can get settled." Then they turned around and advanced towards the back doors where other students were walking around. I panicked a little, pulling the map out of my pocket and then putting it back after I decided it would be too much of a hassle to look at it right now. "What about the rest of the school?" I tried to get them to stop so I wouldn't have to face other people just yet.
They continued walking, and Shizune was the one who decided to reply while keeping her eyes forward, "Once we get you to your room, your roommate can show you the rest of the school." She titled her head to the side and smiled at me with frowning eyes. "That is, if she's back from class yet, or heading to the Stadiums."
I subtly scrunched my eyebrows together, and my heart began pounding in it's nervous cage. I was pretty sure that the teachers and other students would be expecting a lot from me, since I am a Junior. 'Great, I'm going to have to catch up with the other Juniors.'
Pulling me from my thoughts, the two adults in front of me opened the front doors, and a marvelous scent entered my nostrils, and crept into my mind. We walked forward, slowly this time, which gave me the opportunity to glance around at the other students. I'm not sure what I was expecting. . . 'Perhaps mutated children with peculiar Hybrid features?' What I got was the total opposite, because all of them seemed absolutely normal. Although, the only thing that wasn't so normal was their style in clothing.
"Excuse me, Tsunade?" I asked her as I continued to look around at the laughing, smiling, teenage Hybrids.
"Yes?" She asked, and we stopped so they could turn and speak to me.
"Why is their clothing so. . ." I tried to think of the right word, but for some reason I couldn't.
"Weird?" Shizune giggled.
"N-No, I don't think it's weird. Actually, I think it's kind of. . .cool." All of the students appeared to be wearing different types of combat uniform, and it was a little uncomfortable to see them ready for a fight at any moment.
Tsunade chuckled, and then turned around to look at the students who were walking from one place to the other, "The type of clothing they're wearing," She began, and then looked back at me, "Is made out of a special material that you can only purchase at a Hybrid school." I gazed at her quizzically and she laughed once more, "If you wear regular clothing, such as cotton, it'll be ripped to shreds when you go into your Hybrid form!"
Shizune shuttered, "I've seen freshmen refuse to wear their uniforms, and trust me, you don't want to be in the middle of one of the Stadiums stark naked."
"Oh," Tsunade shook her head, "How embarrassing."
I swallowed a lump in my throat, and couldn't help but feel my cheeks warm at the idea of other people staring at me without clothes! I shuttered just as Shizune had done earlier.
"Of course," Shizune started, "That won't happen if you just purchase some new outfits at our miniature shopping center."
'Shopping?' My eyes lit up, but then went dull again when I realized a very important component everyone needed before satisfying their sudden need to go shopping, "But. . .I didn't bring any money."
"Don't worry, we have an entirely different way of using currency." Tsunade pointed out, reassuring me.
A few students ran farther away from the Primary building, making their way towards a larger one in the very back. Laughter continued to coat the air with joy, and I couldn't imagine any one of their bright faces forced into a violent fight. I shuttered as different images came to my mind, but quickly went back to the original topic I'd been discussing with Tsunade.
"What do you mean?" I raised an eyebrow.
"We call it Hybrid Points." Shizune answered, but I still had no idea what they were talking about.
'Hybrid points. . ?' My eyebrows scrunched together in the front. Tsunade nodded her head, as if she heard my thoughts, and said, "You can gain points by participating in various activities, making good grades, volunteering to help the staff, and winning battles."
Her eyes gleamed and my heart began pounding again, "Winning. . .battles?" I tried the words out myself, and they seemed scarier when I said them. I recall Tsunade speaking of having to be in Athletics, and taking a type of 'Combat training', but I didn't quite understand what she meant by winning battles.
"Sakura," Tsunade tested out my name, and I looked up at her with a bit of fear, "Are you a hard worker?"
I slowly nodded my head, "Of course. . ." And I was completely unsure as to where this was going, and that's what was really frightening.
She made a 'humph' sound, and closed her eyes, "There's a down side, and a plus side to that."
I stayed in my confused state, "H-How so?"
Tsunade used one of her hands to gesture, "If you work hard in Athletics class, and succeed just like your teacher instructs you to, you're going to fall harder. Meaning that other students will want to challenge you, and every Hybrid knows you can't back down when a challenge is presented."
She then looked over at Shizune, who picked up the flow of the conversation, "It's true that the harder you work, the more you're going to be challenged, but that's okay, you grow stronger from that. Although, if you purposely fall back in Athletics, the other Hybrid students will step all over you. Challenges will no longer occur, and you'll lose points if you fail Athletics." I swallowed slowly, and I could feel my throat move out and back in. 'No wonder the students here are "out of control", they have so much pressure on them!' Like a creeping disease, I began to feel that pressure as well.
"It's like you said earlier, Sakura," Tsunade thought back on one of our previous conversations, "Since we're literally part animal, it's probably just the need to be dominate." She shrugged her shoulders, and smirked when Shizune shot a glare at her. "But anyways," I internally jumped from her sudden transition, "Getting back to the subject about clothing. . ." She let it go for a minute, and glanced around, widening her eyes as she caught sight of the person she was looking for, "Ino!"
I looked around, and saw that someone had turned their head swiftly to look over here. The girl Tsunade had called spoke something to the other two girls she was with, and began walking towards us. Her hips swaying with a sort of feline prominence, "Yes, Tsunade-sama?" She smiled, and flipped her long, blonde ponytail behind her.
"This is our new student, Sakura Haruno," Tsunade gestured towards me, and I smiled as friendly as possible, "Sakura, this is Ino Yamanaka, one of our leading ladies in the stadium," She bragged slightly, and for a moment I could feel a bit of jealousy rise in me. The girl named Ino glanced at the side of my head quickly, and returned my smile with not as much friendliness. My muscles tensed under her observant gaze. "I was just explaining to our new student what type of clothing Hybrid's wear, and why it's important for them to wear it."
Ino nodded, understanding now that this was the moment where Tsunade wanted her to take over and explain a few things to me. 'My first conversation with a teenage Hybrid.' She dug her deep blue eyes into my peculiar green ones and smirked, "See the outfit I'm wearing?" She began, and I hadn't noticed her attire until now, which in my opinion, showed a little too much skin.
The two main pieces accompanying her outfit were the purple top and bottom; her top stopped a little bit below her breasts, and didn't have any sleeves. As for her skirt, it had a long slit up the middle, and fortunately there was a black cloth there in order to keep it a little more decent. On her elbows and knees there were short pieces of fishnet, and high up on her thighs were white bandages. 'What's the point of that?'
She placed one hand on her hip, and flipped her bangs to the side, "Has Tsunade-sama already explained our way of currency?" I nodded my head and she continued, "The more HP you earn, the more complex and expensive your outfit will become, meaning that it's going to take a while before you find the right outfit that will benefit you during fights." She smirked mischievously at me, "Got that so far?"
"Uhh," I thought about it for a moment, "Does HP stand for Hybrid Points?" She nodded, and then I said, "Okay, yeah. I've got everything so far." I smiled.
Ino scuffed and flipped her hair once more, "Sometimes it's better to save your points so you can get a more expensive outfit, because the cheaper ones don't last very long." She looked at me from head to toe, "Like the one you're wearing, which is given to every Hybrid who enters any of the Academies. It's sort of like a diaper." She chuckled, "The less expensive outfits will begin to wear out after a few uses, and may not be there when you change back into your Human form." She rolled her eyes, "There was a poor girl the other day who lost her clothes when she changed back into her Human form," She shook her head and then eyed me with another deceptive smile, "Hopefully that doesn't happen to you."
"Yeah, I sure hope not." 'Grr. . .'
"Anyways," She continued, "We Hybrids have a special type of energy called chakra, and after a while, you'll find the right type of outfit that can adjust to your chakra." 'Wonder why that type of outfit fits with your chakra. . . Haha, wow! My first lame Hybrid joke. Yay me and my lameness.' "Once this occurs, it sort of feels like it's melting into your skin when you transform, but reappears when you change back. We also use chakra during battles, and it's what gives us that extra boost to transform." She looked over at Tsunade, "May I have permission to show her?"
Tsunade considered this and finally nodded her head, "Sure, why not?"
Ino became excited as she placed her hand on the side of her thigh, and swiftly crouched, pulling out a strange looking knife and holding it up in a defensive position, "We call these kunai." She smirked when I'd jumped at her sudden movement, "They're made out of a specific metal that allows chakra to flow into them, so that we may manipulated them in any way we want to." She stood back up and held the kunai out on her palm. Suddenly, as if out of a Sci-Fi movie, the weapon began floating a few inches above her hand.
I stood wonder, and even began envying her abilities, but became excited when I knew I would be doing that soon, "How are you doing that?"
She raised it a little higher, "I'm simply focusing my chakra in my hand, and pushing it up." I gazed at the weapon, as she kept her squinting eyes on me. The kunai then dropped back down into her palm, causing me to jump once again, and just as swiftly as she'd taken it out, she put it back.
Tsunade folded her arms and decided to take over, "Maybe later your roommate will take you to the shop so you can look for a new outfit, and possibly weapons? New students instantly earn a hundred HP." She smiled, and I'm sure all three of them could tell that I liked the sound of that.
Unfortunately, Ino brought me down from my sudden moment of happiness, "Don't get too excited, a hundred HP isn't a lot. Actually, my entire outfit was around 8,000 HP, and that doesn't count all of the weapons I have."
My jaw dropped and I sighed, "But don't worry," Shizune comforted me by putting her hand on my shoulder, "Being the hard worker you say you are, I'm sure you'll get there in no time!" I forced a smile, and couldn't help but suddenly feel exhausted, even though I haven't even started training yet.
Tsunade looked towards Ino, "That's all, Ino, thank you. You're dismissed. "
She smiled and placed her hands behind her back, "You're welcome, Tsunade-sama." Then she turned to me, "Welcome to North Academy, I can't wait to see you in one of my classes, and get to know you a little more!" She eyed me again with an uncomfortably fake smile, and turned around and walked back towards the other two girls she was talking to earlier.
'Oh yeah, that reminds me!' "Are classes over today?"
Tsunade looked up at the sky for a moment, and then looked back down at me and said, "Right now it's 4:30 P.M., so classes have been out for ten minutes already."
'How did she do that. . ?' "It's 4:30?" I exclaimed, surprised that the drive here had been fairly long, and that we'd been talking for quite a while. Suddenly I began to panic a little, "Does that mean I'll be counted absent on my first day?"
Tsunade laughed, "Oh no, we were expecting this anyway! You can just start your classes tomorrow." She smiled, and I opened my mouth to say something but she waved it off, "Don't worry, I'll make sure your roommate explains everything to you." I sighed, and gave up trying to speak.
Suddenly, Tonton began making strange squeaking noises and looked up at Shizune frantically. She looked over at Tsunade, who nodded.
During their silent conversation, I noticed Ino and her girl friends glance over at me. Through the corner of my eye, I watched them as they made comments I couldn't hear, and then laughed. During these moments, they'd take quick glances in my direction, making me a little more paranoid than I already was.
"It was nice meeting you Sakura." I turned and Shizune was smiling at me.
Slightly confused, I replied, "It was nice meeting you too, Shizune. . ."
The short haired woman glanced at Tsunade one more time before turning towards the doors into the Primary building, and running off. I stood there, caught in my new world of perplexing routines and curious behaviors from everyone. I had a peculiar feeling that staying here, and even surviving, wasn't going to be as easy as it was at San Arcos.
Tsunade turned towards me and tore me out of my thoughts with another one of her warm smiles, but I knew it was just to cover up whatever Shizune had told her through their silent conversation, "Shall we go to your room now?"
"Sure." I grinned, and even found myself excited to see my new 'home' for the rest of this school year.
She looked around for a moment, and then turned left, walking parallel to the Primary building. We contently made our way down a concrete path that was embroidered in small trees and bushes. The sun was on the other side, so we were enveloped in bright shadows. Gently the wind caressed our clothing and tickled my face with my mid-length hair, and even dragged bits of laughter as younger students ran from the building we were going towards, back towards the courtyard we had just come from.
I smiled at the simplicity of everything I'd seen so far, how you could feel as if you stepped into the Elizabethan era from the outside, to more of the Middle Ages on the inside, and then step out here unto this graceful landscape and become overwhelmed with a futuristic sensation. Here, so far out in the middle of the forest, it feels like this school and all who inhabit it are the only ones that exist on this planet.
Finally I was dragged from my thoughts and brought back, when I found that we were now on a dirt path with nothing surrounding us but a luscious green lawn. I glanced back, and could see the Primary building, the courtyard, and other buildings I haven't been introduced to yet. I turned my head in front of our path, and noticed two more stone buildings, but these had more windows, and with that I assumed they were the dorms.
Tsunade stopped and held her arms out in front of her in a presentation manner, "Here are the dorms," She began, "Over there on the left-" She pointed, "-are the male dorms, and over here on the right-" She turned and pointed, "-are the female dorms."
The two buildings were larger than the primary building, and seemed to rise higher, as if there were more than four floors for each. In between the two, was a small building that was obviously one story tall, and connected the two buildings together.
"What about the one connecting them?" I asked curiously.
"That," She pointed once again, "Is the student café. It's where you can get small breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert items." She informed me expertly, having memorized every inch of the Academy's school grounds, "Although-" She pointed behind her with her thumb, "-we have a cafeteria for the real meals, this building connecting the dorms is more of a lounge for socializing. It even contains a game room for Sundays where we simply relax."
The wind blew her long blonde bangs, as well as my pink ones, and she sighed. Then she began walking towards the right, leading me to the front doors where she walked in first, and I followed behind her. I glanced around upon entering, and found that the front room had a style and feel to it like a pricey hotel. Not like the cheap ones that had cracks and roaches, but not like the ones with waterfalls and appeared to be society's exact depiction of heaven. No, this was some where in the middle, where it was casual enough to be home, but clean enough to know it's not. 'Haha.'
While I was distracted and observing everything, Tsunade was already walking towards two doors that slid open to reveal an elevator. I jogged to the doors just as they opened, and stepped inside with Tsunade. We both looked at the control panel with the many buttons it presented before she asked, "What does your dorm room key say?"
I was puzzled, but still took the key out of my pocket and read it curiously, "D9?" Then I put it back.
She pushed one of the elevator buttons that had a letter D on them, and slowly the doors closed. As the elevator jumped and settled itself into a smooth ride, she took the silent opportunity to settle my thoughts, "The levels of the dorms go by A, B, C, and D. Level D is obviously the fourth floor, and the number '9' next to it is your room number." I nodded my head, and we stood in a comfortable silence as we listened to the wires and wheels turn, lifting us higher. I imagined the emptiness below us, and how there was only a few inches protecting me from that dark abyss. I froze, and momentarily felt my fear of heights kick in, but that fluttered away whenever the elevator chimed and settled, and the doors in front of us opened.
Then, I jumped as another pair of doors opened behind us. Tsunade laughed and simply said, "The elevator is in the middle of the building, and the original creators found that it would be easier, and faster, for students to get their rooms this way.
I softly shook my head, and gazed at the hallway presented to us through the original front doors. We stepped out into it, and I noticed it was decorated just the same as level A. The walls were covered in the same cheap wallpaper, and the carpet was a simple color, but that - once again - gave it an 'at-home' feeling that was warm and inviting.
We walked forward, and I glanced at the other dorm room doors, reading each number until we finally found number '9'. I pulled the key out once again, and fingered it for a moment before bringing it to the door knob, and unlocking the door. It creaked open slightly, and hesitantly I pushed it open. Slowly I stepped inside, and Tsunade followed closely behind me, smiling at my nervous behavior.
I found that there were two beds, one with a white and brown comforter, and another with my blue one from home. I smiled, and was momentarily dragged back into my thoughts as I remember that particular Friday in which I came home from school exhausted, and plopped myself onto those very sheets. The blanket that was folded on the edge of my bed was even there too, and for a moment I recalled my supposed 'dream' where I woke up and found it wrapped around me.
I sighed, already missing my Mother. . . "Are you Sakura?" A young, sweet voice called to me from the other side of the room where the brown and white bed was. I looked towards the voice, and found a girl around my age smiling at me. This time I was actually comforted by the smile, instead of the one that the other girl, Ino, gave me.
The girl before me had brunette hair, but it was being held hostage in two cute buns on top of her head. Her attire was a bit peculiar too, but at least it wasn't revealing. It was too baggy for my taste, and presented her as a modest girl who held a friendly composure.
"Yes, I'm Sakura Haruno," I smiled back at her, "What's your name?"
"Tenten," She responded, and smiled behind me at Tsunade before asking, "So you're my new roommate?" She giggled, "I hope you last longer than that freshman from last year."
Suddenly my brain stopped working, and it took me a little while to fully comprehend what she had just said, "What do you mean-?"
"You girls can talk about that later," Tsunade interrupted, "But right now I have to leave, so I want to speak with you, Sakura, for a few minutes before I go."
Oblivious, I responded, "Okay. . ." And followed her back out into the hallway, leaving my new roommate in her room.
When were out in the hallway, Tsunade turned and looked at me seriously, a bit of anger bubbling up on her features. 'Could I be in trouble already?' Tsunade sighed and said, "It may take a little while for you to adjust to the mindset of a Hybrid, but once you do, you may be forced to choose a side."
She gazed at me dangerously, and I swallowed, "What do you mean?" I whispered, and this major change in the atmosphere caught me off guard.
Tsunade dropped her shoulders, and comfortably adjusted herself against the wall, "Do you remember that man from the hospital you were in? The doctor?" She questioned.
I pushed my eyebrows down slightly, "Yes. . ."
She looked to the left, where there was a window presenting the outside world, "As you may know by now, not a lot of Human beings like Hybrids, and most don't even know we exist." I stayed quiet, wanting to know where she was going with this, "But the jealous Humans who do know of our existence, want the powers that we have, and there is a way for them to obtain it." My breath caught in my throat as I took in her words, "That doctor is one of those Human beings, and although he wants Hybrid powers, he despises us. I'm afraid. . ."
She stopped her words, and very quietly I said, "Afraid of what. . ?"
Tsunade turned her gaze back towards me, her eyebrows pointed down in anger, "I'm afraid that he may have influenced your Mother in some way."
I squinted my eyes, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It simply means that you need to be careful, and cautious about who you speak to. Being a Hybrid in a Human world isn't easy, because we're constantly ridiculed for not having any control over who we are. All I'm saying, is that I want you to trust very little, and stick to what you feel is right."
I dropped my gaze down the floor, and everything made a little more sense now that I had more information. 'That must be why the doctor, as well as Mother, were acting so strangely. . . But to hate me?' I shook my head and Tsunade looked up at me through her dark lashes. I smiled a confident smile and said, "She doesn't care about what I've become, because she knows I'm still Sakura, her daughter." Tsunade smiled, and lifted her head, relaxing her features, "She would never hate me." And the words felt so real that they coursed through my vines and gave me a boost of adrenaline that I hoped would never die.
The older woman in front of me closed her eyes in contentment, and didn't reply to my moment of assurance. Suddenly the elevator chimed once again, and the doors opened to reveal Shizune. We both watched her as she jogged up to me and handed me my messenger bag. 'Oh, I forgot I left that in the car.' I took the bag, fumbling with it for a few seconds, and then looked up at Shizune and said, "Thank you."
She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, "No problem." And I smiled at her casualness.
"Well," Tsunade lifted herself off of the wall, "It's about time we get back to work." She walked past me and peeked her head in my new room and called out to Tenten, "I'm leaving her in your hands now, Tenten!"
I heard light footsteps as she turned and called back, "Yes, Tsunade-sama!"
Tsunade smiled and walked back towards Shizune, "I hope you enjoy your new school, and good luck in class tomorrow." Then she winked at me, and walked with Shizune back towards the elevator. Shizune waved when they were inside, and I returned the gesture, barely seeing their forming grins as the doors closed.
I sighed and turned back towards my new dorm room, and then walked inside and closed the door. I dragged my feet towards my bed, and set on the edge of it, letting my posture fall into a comfortable state, and allowing my hair to drip over my shoulders. I glanced to the side, and found a small book shelf - with all of my books from home - against the wall, as well as my small, stuffed bunny that sat on the top. I stood up, and walked towards him as he looked up at me with gleaming black eyes. I picked him up and walked back towards the head of my bed, setting him in my lap as I crossed my legs and sat back on my hands, looking up at the ceiling.
"So, where are you from?" I turned my head towards the brown-haired girl as she situated herself on her bed, holding a fuzzy pillow against her chest.
My eyes drooped down to the small rabbit in my lap, and I picked up one of my hands and began twirling one of his ears, "San Arcos," I replied, "It's just a few hours away from here." Then I looked back over at her, "And you?"
She sighed and adjusted herself, "I'm actually a few days away from here," I stared at her curiously, and she shrugged, "It's a small island, where we have aquatic Hybrids, and strangely I became a four-legged mammal!" She laughed as if it was an inside joke between her and her family at her old home, and that must've been why I didn't find it too funny.
"So then what type of animal are you?"
My question seemed to catch her off guard, because a light blush began to creep up on her cheeks, "I'm sorry Sakura, but you shouldn't ask a Hybrid that."
I raised one eyebrow curiously, 'That's stupid.' "Why not?"
"Because," She began, about to bring up an oh-so-obvious statement, "Asking a Hybrid what type of animal they are, is the equivalent to asking a Human the color of their underwear!"
This time I actually laughed, and she joined me for a few minutes, "Are you serious?"
Tenten then became a little more serious, "Why is that so hard to believe?"
"I don't know," I shrugged my shoulders and looked down at my rabbit, "I guess I'm just not used to being a Hybrid yet." Then I looked up at her, "So why exactly is it that intimate?"
"It takes a few years, but after a while, you become so attached to that other spirit inside you that instead of feeling like you have Multiple Personality Disorder-" 'That sounds familiar. . . I think I remember feeling like that earlier.' "-it feels like your one whole being again. It's like that Hybrid part of you takes over in your Hybrid form, but allows your Human side to take over in your Human form. It's kind of like tucking your Hybrid personality away and keeping it to yourself, which equals to keeping the color and design of your bra a seductive secret!" She laughed, and I joined her.
"I guess it will be a little while before I understand that feeling. . ." I once again began fiddling with my small rabbit's ear before feeling the need to change the subject, "So you're a Junior too, right?"
"Oh, yeah!" She smiled, her enthusiasm never leaving her as her dark chocolate eyes lit up, "This is my third year here, and so far it's been amazing!"
"Amazing, huh?" I whispered softly, but she heard it anyway.
"You don't believe me?" She mumbled, and I sighed.
"It's not that I don't believe you-" 'Because I don't.' "It's just that it still feels like it's going to be really difficult to get used to living here, ya'know?"
I glanced over at her and she nodded her head, "I understand. . .that's exactly how I felt when I came here my freshman year." I nodded, and she continued, "But don't worry, there are a lot of nice Hybrids here, and I'll be sure to help you in any way I can!"
A small smile crept up on my lips as I replied, "Thank you, Tenten." Then I felt my eyes tighten, and my sight become blurry as I gazed down at the rabbit in between my legs. I lifted myself up, and this time had both of my hands in my lap so that my shoulders could hunch over, and my hair could cover my face. Softer than I thought possible, I whispered, "You remind me of my best friend, Amanda, back at home." Tenten didn't respond, and I'm sure by the sound of my voice she could sense that I was ready to cry, "I was supposed to call her for help with my Algebra II homework, but I ended up falling asleep and forgot. Then. . ."
I stopped and looked up at her, one salty trail on the edge of my nose, "It's okay to cry, I don't mind." She reassured me.
I smiled and nodded my head, contemplating over whether or not I should continue and tell her about the incident at the mall. After a few minutes, I thought it'd be better not to, "Then. . ." I continued from where I left off, "I woke up and I was in a hospital bed, suddenly a Hybrid. . .they said I'd been out for a week!" I laughed through small sobs.
She gazed at me with a small smile packed with sympathy and said, "I found out I was a Hybrid when I punched my annoying older brother in the face, and he flew across the room and through a wall!" She laughed, hoping that would help my mood.
Surprisingly, it did, and I was distracted by my thoughts as I tried to picture an angry Tenten punching an older boy in the face, and then flying through a wall. I began laughing with her once again, and could already feel a close friendship forming between us.
Subtly the happiness ceased, and I lifted my hands and gazed at them. I was tempted to tell her about how I went on a rampage in my Hybrid form, and couldn't remember anything. . .not even the part where I killed a girl with brown hair, just like hers. I sighed, and realized that it would make things awkward and hard to explain if I tried explaining such a thing to her.
Still, I kept my eyes on my hands and mumbled, "I haven't used my powers yet. . ." It was both a lie and the honest truth; I giggled as my heart beat picked up, "I'm actually really nervous about that class, Athletics."
Tenten kept her soft grip on her pillow, "It's not so bad. . .it gets easier as you progress." I looked up at her and she gave me another reassuring smile, "Anko and Gai will put you on a light fitness plan that'll get you into Hybrid shape!" 'Okay, that's the second time today I've been called fat!' She looked at me curiously, and mistook my anger for nervousness, "Don't worry, Anko and Gai are really nice and understand your Human limits, but they also expect you to work hard." She winked at me as a small vein on the side of my head popped up, but upon seeing her innocent smile, I sighed and let it go.
"So. . ." I looked around the room, "What do Hybrid students do after school?" I raised my eyebrows.
She gasped and swiftly looked over at the clock next to her bed, which was on top of her dresser. The clock read 4:55 P.M.; I raised one eyebrow as she suddenly jumped off of her bed and began packing items in a small backpack. While she was grabbing items from different places on her side of the room, she decided to respond to my question, "After school, we have small matches that start at 4:50. It's not mandatory to go, but you do get five HP for attending." She spun around and threw her hands up, "Okay, so maybe it's not a lot, but 5 HP adds up if you go everyday!"
"Oh," I lightly gasped, and panic crept up on my shoulders while I glanced around my side of the room, "What should I bring?"
Tenten laughed while replying, "You don't have to bring anything, because no one's allowed to challenge you until you've been here for at least three months." I sighed in absolute relief.
My bubbly roommate walked into a room that looked like a bathroom, in which I hadn't noticed 'til just now. I leaned forward slightly, and just by looking at her shadow, I could see that she was brushing her teeth and fixing her hair. Feeling a sudden need to groom myself as well, I unfolded my legs and jumped off of my new bed. Then, I walked towards the small dresser that was identical to Tenten's, and picked up my familiar hairbrush that was placed next to my alarm clock.
I liked the fact that everything on my side of the room was casual and already placed in convenient locations. It seemed like I was back in my old room, except this one was combined with Tenten's. I lifted the hair brush up to my pink hair, and sat back down on the side of my bed to brush the long strands in thought, 'So I have three months to get stronger?' I calculated that in my mind for a few minutes, 'I think that's the third week of January? If not, it's some where around there. . . I guess that means that I'm safe for the rest of this year!' My heart began pounding once again, and for some strange reason, three months seemed a lot closer than they would've been at San Arcos.
"Alright," Tenten stepped out of the bathroom, "You ready?"
"Yup," I stood up and threw the hairbrush on my bed. Then I turned and watch Tenten fidget and fumble with her shirt, "Are you okay?"
"Huh?" She lifted her head up, "Yeah I'm fine. . .it's just that it's been three months for the freshmen, and I might have some new competition awaiting me tonight!"
She smiled nervously and I said, "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do fine."
Tenten let some air out of her chest and said, "I hope so."
~ - ~ - ~
Tenten & Sakura: Let's Review!
Sakura: -smiling and gesturing- Hybrids are Humans who have the ability to turn into an animal, and this normally occurs during puberty. Although, there are many other teens who go through the Transformation later on in life, and usually don't survive. Luckily for me, I did!
Tenten: -holding up a ruler and pointing at a chalkboard- Hybrids have a special type of power called chakra in which they can manipulate and even combine with weapons in their Human form. This is especially useful on the battlefield when a Hybrid wants to sneak in and ambush an enemy through their Human form.
Sakura: Yup, and during a Hybrid's life, an excessive amount of chakra may leak out through their pores, forcing a type of Hybrid feature to occur. -Points at right side of head- Mine is especially unusual because there's only been one other Hybrid to have this feature, and that's probably why everyone keeps staring at me! -sweat drops-
Tenten: -scratching the back of her head- Anyways. . .hybrid features are a good way to show animals, as well as other Hybrids, that they have a large amount of chakra, and have the capability of not only speaking to animals, but also the ability to become very powerful. Right, Sakura?
Sakura: -sulking in the corner-
Tenten: -nervously laughing- Also, we know that there are three other schools just like North Academy, but we only know about West Academy, which focuses mainly on combat! Each school even has their own Suite of Arms containing symbols that represent the purpose and history of that school!
Sakura: -recovering- Plus, Hybrids have special outfits and weapons that combine with their chakra, adding to their power. A Hybrid's strength is already powerful, and can even punch another Hybrid through a wall!
Tenten: -glaring at Sakura-
Sakura: -coughing nervously- Once you graduate from an Academy, you earn your Hybrid License. This way, a Hybrid can then get a job, or join the Hybrid Military, all the while simply walking amongst Humans! Tsunade even told me that, to Hybrid teens, their Hybrid License is more important than their driver's license, or diploma!
Tenten: -nodding enthusiastically- Mhm, that's fur sure!
Sakura: -eyeing an oblivious Tenten- Fur sure?
Tenten: Yeah. . . What about it?
Sakura: -pouting- It's stupid.
Tenten: -offended- You're stupid!
Sakura: -gasps- You're a jerk!
Tenten: -smiling mischievously- Well you're a big fat jerk.
GaaraFox: -scratching head nervously- Okay guys, that's enough.
Tenten: Tell that to the fatty.
Sakura: -sulking in the corner-
GaaraFox: -sighs in defeat- Anyways, this whole review thing sounded like a fun idea, so I decided to go ahead and do it. It's kind of like those moments in Shippuuden when Sakura and Naruto are like, "Now it's time for us to answer questions!" Also, I'm going to put all of the characters in their Shippuuden outfits. Anywho, if you have any questions just ask, and if you want me to go back and fix anything, just ask! Also, I have a list of animals you may see in the future, but go ahead and give me suggestions as to what characters you'd like to see, and what type of animal you want them to be. Or just simply write down a list of animals. Finally, please-
Sakura & Tenten: R&R~!
