AN: I don't own Naruto
Tanuki: raccoon dog. Creature who resembles a raccoon but is actually related to dogs and is native to Japan, China, Korea and parts of Siberia. However, I will use "raccoon" for simplicity.
Chapter 6: Tanuki
After the instructors found Ameyo, all the children were assembled in an outdoor theater. It was made of stone, circular, and very large. It was surrounded by elevated stands also made of stone and had only two entrances. This was the stage of the chuunin exams, and when they took place, the amphitheater was completely filled with civilians, merchants, Feudal Lords, and gangsters.
Those days were exciting, and many Feudal Lords admitted to find them more entertaining than the humane chuunin exam battles the other countries staged. There is cruelty in everyone, even if they hide it behind the thin veneer of business transactions.
But on the day of the lesser genin exams, the only ones who observed the battles were the instructors, the Mizukage, and the jounin who would lead their teams. The Mizukage was not yet present. Atsuro and Musou were joined by three others, two men and a woman.
Irika stood in the middle of the group, Mizuro to his right and Sekichi to his left. His blood coursed through his body rapidly and he shook with excitement as he thought of the event to come. It no longer mattered that everyone thought he would lose. This was the day he would prove to them that his father was wrong and there was no one to stop him. At that moment, he felt strong enough fight against Mizuro himself. He would not lose.
From the entrance on the far right, two men watched the twelve with interest. One was the Mizukage, who was wearing his ceremonial robe and hat, and the other was Shikamaru, who was still in civilian dress.
Shikamaru had spent the previous month balancing his yet unfinished work at the foundry and doing his best at creating a new graduating program. What Meine had told him had troubled him, and he started working on a plan even before meeting the Mizukage.
After officially starting the second phase of his mission, he began to compile a list of statistics on the current state of Kirigakure. Whenever he tried to interview any of the clerks at the Mizukage tower, he was met with a brick wall of silence.
In the end, he was forced to spend many a sleepless nights at the library, pouring over old missions and graduating lists, and even accounting books. As he flipped through page after page of mission logs and graduating classes, he slowly became horrified by his findings. Kirigakure was on the decline, and it was a rapid one. The village was rotting from within. Their habit of killing off weak infants, not allowing second tries to failed genin, limiting the number of graduates to six, and killing off their genin during the chuunin exams created a severe lack of available shinobi. It also completely destroyed the potential any students of lesser skill may have hidden. The genin who died in the chuunin exams could have tried it again in a year, developed their skills further, and perhaps even exceeded their previous opponent. But instead, they were dead and their potential gone with them.
The lack of foresight displayed by their methods appalled him, and the results were not surprising. They were producing shinobi of lesser quality as the years went by. The old saying: new generations will exceed the last did not apply here. If anything, the opposite was true.
The scarcity and lack of quality of shinobi also strained their resources. He noted that teaching was punishment. It was not surprising, since their harsh methods would never produce a person nourishing enough to enjoy the job. But it did mange to produce very poor teachers. They did not want to be there, had no interest in the students, and could not wait to graduate their batch so they could move on with their lives.
When he brought the conclusions to his findings, the Mizukage was surprisingly stubborn.
"You have to increase the amount of genin graduates and it must be done immediately. You should relax the standards and get rid of the third step starting this year." "Absolutely not, their genin battle is considered a right of passage," Ginjiro replied tersely.
"Then how do you propose to fix this? If nothing is done this village will go bankrupt and raising the prices will not help. The clients will just search elsewhere. You must make these changes, Ginjiro-sama." "Tsk. Didn't I tell you not to be so formal with me? Sigh. I'll bring it up to the council."
The next day, Ginjiro called an emergency meeting to propose a new genin graduation and education program, using the evidence Shikamaru complied as part of his presentation. Not only did he demand a revamping of their genin graduation system, but it would be done this year, and less than a month before the aforementioned graduation. Of course, it would do no good to tell the source of the ideas, as it would have gotten him impeached, branded a traitor, and killed.
As expected, loud protest met his reforms. That is when the accusations began to fly. He was growing soft. He was too influenced by foreign ideas. He should have never been named Mizukage and they had no idea what the Fourth was thinking naming him his successor. Unlike the rest of the village, the council did not fear him, undermining his authority and creating friction in the upper echelons of Kirigakure. That is why their accusations caused him to do something he very rarely did: lose his temper.
Ginjiro listed all the things that were wrong with the village, their system, and their way of life. He didn't end there. The cherry on top was when he told them, quite plainly, that if only the Konoha chuunin were to arrive tomorrow and fight them, their village would be under Konoha control in less than an hour.
"What is this insolence?" the eldest asked. She was a woman of ninety years and not accustomed to being questioned. "What is the meaning of this, Mizukage-sama?"
The Mizukage felt very awkward indeed. For a brief moment, he doubted his sanity. But, there was nothing to do about it now. Although he felt as though he were tiptoeing around land mines, his brazen behavior may be exactly what was needed.
"My dear madam," he said as smoothly as he could, managing to smother his anger. "I don't think you understand just how badly things have deteriorated over the past several decades…" "Silence you fool of a Kage!" she yelled with furry. "Do you realize what you have done? These reforms will make us weak!"
"No weaker than we are now! If we don't implement them immediately, our village will perish. Is that what you want? Will you sacrifice the life of your village for mere traditions?"
His questions went unanswered as the twelve council members considered his words carefully. He knew what they were thinking. Konoha had been producing the strongest shinobi for the past twenty years. While village had been on the decline, Konoha had risen in a blaze of glory. That was no accident. Their ability to raise strong shinobi was undeniable. In the end, their practicality won over whatever pride was lost in accepting his advise.
Unbeknownst to them, Shikamaru had been listening from an adjacent room, and smiled as he heard the basic reforms pass. It would take many more meetings for all the details to be hammered in, but it didn't matter. His mission was nearly complete, and he was almost on his way home.
As Shikamaru expected from his study of their culture, Ginjiro's brazen behavior earned their respect and his bluntness assuaged their suspicions. Reforms were needed, and so reforms were made, even as they dragged their feet and complained every inch of the way. But even the most obstinate member could not deny the overwhelming data he presented. They could not sweep away the bad news any longer.
However, nothing could break their pride. There was one issue they would never back down on. The absolutely refused to join the allies in the chuunin exams, keeping their tradition of mortal combat.
A surprising twenty-two educational reforms were made, including assigning the position of teacher to willing chuunin and increasing their pay, increasing the number of genin graduates, and making the violence that plagued the younger children in the Academy completely unacceptable. At first they were skeptical that the last reform should be made. After all, didn't their harshness whittle out the weak and ensure that only the strong joined their ranks?
Ginjiro replied by pointing out that the dunce of Konoha, who failed the genin exam three times, was currently ranked among the strongest in the world and could pulverize their village in minutes. They never questioned his reasoning again.
To retain their pride, the meetings where conducted with absolute secrecy. All the while Shikamaru remained Ajiki to the rest of the village and the council members remained ignorant of his existence. However, the old baba who never quite liked the reforms suspected that something was amiss and she would not rest until she found out exactly what it was.
One night after working in the Mizukage tower, she stayed behind while creating a shadow clone to follow her husband home. He was aware of her suspicions and supported her plan to ferret out the Mizukage's secret. So he acted as he always did, arguing every step of the way with the clone as they headed home, fully aware that his real wife remained in the tower, blended within a shadow and watching.
She waited near the Mizukage's office, her body now completely immersed in the deep shadows candles cast across the thin, washi paper doors. The building was empty except for the old baba and Ginjiro, who was working overtime as usual. As the hours passed, her only company was the occasional moth that danced near a nearby flame. Time rolled on without change and the woman wondered how many days she would have to watch before she found his secret. But it was an auspicious night for her. At nine, a young man of about twenty walked down the hall. He paused slightly at her shadow and she wondered if she had been discovered. Luck was on her side, it seemed. After that brief pause, he continued on his way and entered the Mizukage's office without bothering to knock.
"Ah! Shikamaru dear, how happy to see you!" she heard Ginjiro exclaim from within the room. "Do you know that the council has finally accepted the last of your reforms today!"
That fool! she thought with alarm. She knew Shikamaru. That is to say, she knew of him. The family she was born into once practiced a jutsu that was very similar to his but now she was the only one left alive who was a master of it. Their technique involved blending into the shadows and using them for transport and planing ambushes.
"You should be more careful, Ginjiro-sama," Shikamaru said calmly.
"Oh?" he asked with wide-eyed innocence.
"We are not alone."
Ginjiro rose with alarm, brandishing his fan and Shikamaru prepared a battle stance, cursing his lack of weaponry.
Meanwhile, the old baba rose from a shadow and glared at the young men with bug-eyed furry.
"What is the meaning of this, Mizukage-sama?" she asked horsely, enunciating his title with sarcasm.
"In about two seconds it will be none of your concern," he threatened coldly.
With a flick of his wrist, the hidden blades embedded in his fan protracted. They glimmered ominously, promising poison with an elegant wave.
"You dare threaten me, traitor!" she cried. "You brought a foreign..." The old woman cursed her lack of composure as she found herself unable to move. Shikamaru smirked as he saw his shadow connect with hers. Killing her would be easy. But he did not want to do that.
"As I said," Ginjiro reiterated. "In two seconds it will no longer be your concern." "I am not here as a spy," Shikamaru began. "I am only here by request to help your ailing education system. Surely you can appreciate your Mizukage working so hard on your behalf, even at the risk of his position and life."
"Hmph, you think you can bind me with your paltry magic tricks, Konoha dog?" she snarled and then disappeared.
Shikamaru was shocked. His shadow was still stretched as though it held her. In fact, her shadow was still in place, but her body was completely gone. She should not have been able to move. That is when he felt it. Rather, he felt her moving through his shadow, slithering close like an eel approaching its kill. Ginjiro observed him silently, waiting for her to reappear. Shikamaru's shadow bind had given him enough time to assess the situation properly. Those few seconds were all he needed.
She rose out of the shadow and looped around Shikamaru, her body stretching unnaturally as it wound around him. Her hands brandished two kunai, which were pointed at his throat. "You will die here Konoha dog!"
"Kill him here and you die," Ginjiro declared calmly. "Rather, we will all die." "Explain yourself!" she demanded.
"The Rokudaime Hokage allowed one of his finest shinobi to enter into my protection on good faith that he would be returned alive. This is a diplomatic mission, one that I hope will begin friendly relations with other shinobi nations. Times have changed and now peace and cooperation govern our world. I gave my word that no harm will come to him while he is in Kirigakure. If you kill him here, Konoha shinobi will overwhelm us in days. Is that what you want, Lady Hitoshi?"
"Ah, so you are Hitoshi, old baba," Shikamaru remarked.
"Even a bean sprout like you has heard of the Hitoshi clan, I see," she muttered.
She slithered back into the shadow and then appeared before him moments later, rising from the ground, still frozen in place.
"You may release me now," she said. "I no longer have the mind to kill you."
The Hitoshi were known for using shadows as means of transportation. But their most infamous jutsu, at least as far as the Nara were concerned, was the one they developed specifically to counter the Shadow Bind. In essence, once they were bound, they pooled chakra to their feet and used that to propel them within their shadow. No one was able to figure out how they managed to do it without hand seals. When war ruled their world, they were the Nara clan's most dangerous enemy. The fact that only one was left, and she was old beyond reckoning, made Shikamaru a little sad. It meant a worthy adversary would die with her.
Shikamaru released his jutsu and gazed at the two before him with curious alarm. They were communicating between themselves, only using their eyes. After a pause, she left without another word, and Ginjiro sat back down. The blades in his fan were now safely retracted.
"Don't worry, Shikamaru," he said. "She will tell no one."
"That is a relief, Ginjiro-sama." "I told you not to be so formal," Ginjiro whined.
"I didn't know you made that deal with the Hokage," Shikamaru remarked suspiciously, ignoring his immature antics. "I was told I would be on my own." "That is because I never made such a deal," Ginjiro replied with a sly grin.
Shikamaru's eyebrow arched slightly at the admission.
"You are a dangerous man."
"I am the Mizukage. I have to be," Ginjiro said, his face once so playful was marked with the coldness of a predator.
When the jounin and other shinobi received their new orders and a list of the changes, no word was given of any foreign assistance. The shinobi wondered at the changes, but they did not question them. They were taught not to question, after all.
That is why, when the genin tests came around and Shikamaru entered the amphitheater with Ginjiro, he wore civilian clothes. He bore the long sword on his back, ready to present it to the lucky graduate.
"Ah, what a wonderful group of graduates," the Mizukage said lightly as he entered the amphitheater. "Don't you think so, Ajiki?" "I'm not able to judge such things, Mizukage-sama," Shikamaru replied facetiously as he examined each with a discerning eye.
"Even a simple blacksmith like you should see their quality."
"Are you related to one of the boys? I believe his name is Sekichi?" Shikamaru asked, noting their similar appearance. "He is my little brother," Ginjiro replied loudly, so that everyone could hear.
"Ah…"
Shikamaru did not know this, but Ginjiro's public acknowledgment meant that Sekichi had been grafted back with the Iwa. He no longer required Natsu protection, and could move back with his brother at any time.
He did note, however, that Sekichi did not seemed pleased. A slight shudder passed through the boy's frail looking body, eliciting pity from the man. He realized the hypocrisy that he noticed at first was merely a survival mechanism. His view of Sekichi softened.
Then Ginjiro continued, turning to Atsuro. "We are very proud of his growth. When he was young we thought he was a hopeless case, so weak and sickly, but his change has been remarkable."
Atsuro was so happy, he could have danced. Not only did he receive public praise for his work, from the Mizukage no less, but it also meant that he was slated for bigger and better things. The long purgatory was over.
The Mizukage sauntered to the waiting group of children. He turned to the students and made an announcement that would shock each of them profoundly.
"Congratulations, as of today you will take your headbands and join the ranks of genin. There are no other tests or hidden challenges to secure your position."
"What?!" Manto declared angrily. "I wanted to fight Mizuro and take his place as the strongest in our class!"
"I'd like to see you try you big douche," Mizuro said with a dismissive shrug.
Almost all the students began to protest loudly at the announcement and a few declared they would rather be civilians than wear such a false band.
"Does anyone dare question the decision of the Mizukage?" Ginjiro asked quietly, his eyes narrowing with menace.
It silenced everyone at once. They all swallowed their protest nervously as they felt their leader's palatable murderous intent.
"That's better," Ginjiro continued cheerfully. "Now, Musou will call out your names and you will receive your hitai-ate. Be sure to wear them with pride."
Each student was called in turn by Musou. They walked forward, received their hitai-ate from the Mizukage, bowed, and turned back to the line. When Irika was called, he hesitated at first, but Mizuro nudged him forward.
"Just go," he whispered. "You don't have to worry about what we think."
Irika went forward and reached for his hitai-ate. It was then that he saw the Mizukage's face up close for the first time. He'd never seen the Mizukage outside of a vague distance. Being Mizukage, he rarely spent his time outside the Tower. When he ventured out, he wasn't one to visit the common people. Few knew where he kept his company. In the four years that Sekichi had lived with him, he'd never once visited.
His face was like Sekichi's, yet unlike. They had similar features, but there was a coldness to Ginjiro that Sekichi did not posses. His amber eyes were not warm, but calculating and piercing. The look Ginjiro gave him as he regarded him steadily, reminded Irika of a predator sizing up a potential meal. It was a menacing face and it gave him a distinct impression of danger. His first instinct was to flee. But he did not flee. He merely took the hitai-ate and bowed.
"Congratulations, Irika. You will be a surprise, I think." Ginjiro's eyes narrowed with the compliment.
"Sir," Irika replied curtly before taking his place.
It was only when he went back in line that he realized he had broken into a sweat.
The last to be called was Mizuro, who received another gift from the Mizukage. Despite his dismal showing on the written portion of the exam, he was considered their top graduate. He received the sword made by Master Houtoru.
Shikamaru handed it to him with a crooked smile and then said so that only he could hear, "This was a troublesome sword to make. I did most of the work, too. If you break it, I will beat you to an inch of your life."
"Hah, thanks, Ajiki Sensei."
Not that there was any chance of it breaking, mind you.
That evening, the four friends met at their favorite sushi bar to celebrate. Mizuro treated them as usual.
"I told you we would all pass!"
"You're always right, Mizuro," Ayume gushed. "I wouldn't go that far, but it's a good thing the Mizukage changed the rules this year," Sekichi said. "How could you all be so happy? " Irika asked. "What do you mean? It doesn't matter how we passed. We all passed and that's what is important."
"But we didn't really pass, we got a pass." "As long as the Mizukage said we passed, then that's all that matters," Mizuro explained. "Everyone thinks the same." "No," Irika said darkly. "I didn't get to prove myself at all. Everyone will think that I just passed because of a technicality. Nothing has changed."
"Please, think of it this way," Mizuro said as he munched on his newest plate. "In two years, you will fight one of us to the death and prove your strength once and for all. In the meantime, you'll get more time improve your skills."
"That's true," Sekichi affirmed. "You are both lying. Isn't that true Ayume?" "I won't consider you a true shinobi until you pass the chuunin exam," she replied bluntly. "And neither will any of the rest of us." Irika stood up from his place and slammed some money on the table.
"That's my share. Never buy me food again," he said plainly as he rose to leave. "Wait! Where are you going?" Sekichi called after him as he began to follow. "Leave me alone you smothering asshole!" "What's with him?" Mizuro asked as he began picking his teeth. "You're blockhead," Sekichi said simply. "So what if I am? At least I don't go around having tantrums in public," Ayume said with a sneer.
"Why did you say that, Ayume?" Sekichi asked. "Because it's true." "Of course it's true. But who cares?" Mizuro scolded. "Congratulations, Ayume, you've just set him back even further. He'll be too preoccupied with proving himself to you to really grow."
"Why?" she asked angry. "Why is everyone always protecting that weakling? What's so special about him? I've done all I can to prove to you that I am…"
"Shut up," Mizuro said simply. "And eat your sushi." Sekichi noted with concern that her eyes were watering up as she regarded the leader.
"I'm sorry," she said simply. She turned to her food but did not touch it.
The remainder of their celebratory meal was spent in uncomfortable silence punctuated Ayume's occasional sniffles. Sekichi had enough tact to pretend he didn't notice, but Mizuro was not as sensitive. After a few minutes of her sniffling, he murmured with irritation, "You three are such a pain in the ass. If it weren't for me, you would all be dead."
Irika's torture began soon after exiting the sushi bar.
Manto and his two associates were heading for a nearby training ground as they passed the sushi bar along the way. One of them happened to notice Irika.
"Hey boss," Shimo said with a gleam in his eyes. "Look who it is." "Well if it isn't pathetic little Irika," Manto said with a wicked smile. "Let's have a little fun!" Sumi exclaimed. "Hey, Irika-chan!" Manto called.
Although Irika tried to ignore them, they forced their presence by surrounding him and shoving him against a wall. "How does it feel being an official genin?" Shimo asked. "I bet you never thought it would happen!" Sumi said with a sneer. "Too bad now that you've graduated, you won't have Mizuro around to protect you," Manto taunted.
"Ooh Mizuro help me! Help me! Manto and his friends are beating me again!" Shimo mocked in bad falsetto, making his friends laugh. "I've never…." "Shut up you idiot!" Manto commanded with an angry shove. "Let's beat him!" the girl declared.
"Yeah. There is no rule against it," Manto said with narrowed eyes.
Irika did not fight back as they dragged him to a nearby field and beat him mercilessly. Another black eye was added to his injuries, as well as cut lip, a swollen chin and deep black bruises ran long his sides beneath his dirty shirt.
"He won't even fight back that pathetic worm," Manto said. "This isn't any fun." "Doesn't he look like a raccoon?" Sumi observed. "We should call him Tanuki-kun!" "That's a good name for him, isn't it boss?" Shimo asked. "It's perfect. Tanuiki-kun run along home or we'll turn you into a purse," Manto threatened. "Let's go and leave this wimp to his tears."
"Wait, one more thing before I go," Shimo said. He turned to the fallen Irika, who despite their taunts was dry-eyed, and spit on his forehead protector with contempt.
Irika did not go back home as ordered but marched straight to the foundry instead.
Meine was waiting outside, as usual. The dusk announced the end of Shikamaru's shift.
"Where is he?" Irika asked darkly. "Jeez, kid, what happened to you? I know that the genin exams can be rough but…" "Tell me where he is!"
"How should I know? I haven't seen him for the past two weeks. Master Houtoru said something or other about a project he's working on. But I still wait here every night like a fool. I've become so pathetic."
"I knew it…" "What did you know?" Shikamaru said from behind, surprising them both. "Ajiki-kun!" Meine declared happily as she dove towards him and smothered him with a hug. "I've so much tell you! Where have you been all this time? You should see what I discovered…"
"Don't hug me so tightly. Do you want me to suffocate you troublesome woman?" He asked with a genuine smile.
"No!" "Then give me some air." Irika gazed at him darkly, not affected by their rosy mood. "I must speak to you."
"How did you get so injured, Irika?" Shikamaru asked with concern. "Never mind that. I must speak with you alone," Irika replied. "I guess I can't get out of it. Why don't you wait for me at the udon shop Meine? And you better not pay for anything you order or I'll never see you again."
"You wouldn't!" "Maybe I would…" "You horrible man!" "You troublesome woman!" Shikamaru replied with a teasing grin.
Irika rolled his eyes at their flirting. What was wrong with Meine anyway? He was familiar with their clan and their methods since her younger siblings were his schoolmates. He had met her on several occasions. Their methods didn't involve losing your head and acting like a fool. And she had certainly never been so stupid.
"I would like to talk to you right now," he reiterated forcefully. "Alright, alright, Irika. Go ahead Meine; I'll join you in a few." "Fine," she said with a sigh. "You better not keep him for long or I'll add to those injuries," was her parting threat.
"What do you want to know?" "In private."
"Fine, let's go up to my room. Jeez. You tell me off and disappear for a month, only to come back and boss me around. You really are a bothersome brat. This better be good."
It took several minutes for Irika to gather his thoughts after they arrived at Shikamaru's room. Despite what Shikamaru had told him only moments before, he waited patiently for Irika to collect his thoughts.
"Why did you do it?" Irika demanded. "Why did I do what?" "Don't act stupid with me! Why did you have the test changed?"
Shikamaru masked his surprise completely.
"I don't know what you're talking about, kid."
"Stop it. Stop treating me like I'm stupid. You're just like everyone else! I know who you are. You're not some blacksmith," Irika declared. "Is that so?" "You're a shinobi. I don't see why it isn't obvious to everyone else. You had this test changed, why else would the Mizukage bring you here? This can't have been a coincidence! Why did you do it?"
Shikamaru was impressed with Irika's perception, but he could not let it show.
"Even if that were the case, do you think anything could be done without the permission of the Mizukage? If you don't like it, take up with him and stop bothering me about non existent issues."
"All this time I've wanted to prove to everyone that I…but now everyone thinks I'm only a genin because of a technicality. It will become worse. You stole my only chance. " "Who beat you up?" Shikamaru asked seriously. "It doesn't matter." "Why did you let them?" "…"
Some minutes were spent in silence before Shikamaru said his peace.
"If you're still going on about how weak you are, then you've learned nothing from me and there is no need to bother with you further. If you can't suck it up and act like a man, then you're no concern of mine."
"Ajiki Sensei." "Yes?" "What is your 'King?'" "If I told you that you'd never forgive me, kid."
The next day, Atsuro announced the genin teams. Shikamaru was the one who formed them, in conjunction with the Mizukage, using the same method of balancing the teams, considering the various strengths and weakness of each group that was used in Konoha. The instructors were carefully selected to enhance each team's natural skills. There was one difference, due to the uneven number of graduates, two of the teams had four students. Shikamaru was also careful to consider Irika's social standing. It seemed the kid had wormed his way into his heart, clouding his judgement. The usually impartial man was sure to group Irika with teammates who would not cause him problems. Of course, no one knew this to be the case. They all thought the Mizukage burned the midnight oil and did it himself.
They were announced in Fire tower of the training grounds, which Irika thought a bit strange. As everyone watched him arrive, he was well aware of the contemptuous glances he received from his fellow genin and the instructors alike. They bore holes in his skin but he kept his eyes firmly ahead, his pride keeping him from displaying his mortification. It was not a pretty sight. Not only was he bearing further injury due to the beating he received the night before but his clothes were still shabby and dirty. Ayume averted her eyes with embarrassment as he came near.
"Well, well," Atsuro Sensei said as he watched Irika arrive. "I didn't know there was a raccoon along with the graduates. It seems that Tanuki-kun arrived at last." Everyone laughed loudly. "Oi, don't get them too distracted," one of the jounin instructors said. "We can save the jokes for later."
"Yeah, yeah. Well, it seems that due to the goodness of the Godaime's heart, all of you sons of bitches are full-fledged genin. Good for you as most of you didn't deserve it, and I'm not just talking about Tanuki-kun here."
His remark was sobering. Most of the kids felt like a bucket of ice water had just been dumped on their shoulders.
"From now on, you are full shinobi with all the responsibility that comes with it. Starting today, you will be placed in teams of three. These teams have been organized by the Mizukage himself and are meant to balance out various strengths and weaknesses we have noticed in your Academy days."
From high above, away from view, Ginjiro and Shikamaru were observing the proceedings carefully.
"I find it funny you chose this tower, Ginjiro," Shikamaru said. "I am merely paying my respects to your service. After all, there is very little we can do for a man who does not exist." "Heh…"
"The teams will be as follows," Atsuro Sensei announced as he unfurled as scroll. "Team one: Team Ebiso. Khoru Mizuro, Natsu Irika and Haru Matsuki."
"Who is Haru Matsuki?" Mizuro asked Sekichi. "That would be Ghost," Sekichi replied. "She has a name?" Irika asked. "Go figure," Ayume said unwrapped a stick a gum.
"Team two: Team Keishi. Fuyuzake Sora, Ito Sekichi, Goto Shimo, and Yamahi Ayume."
"Nice! We're in the same teams," Sekichi observed. "Hmph…(smack)" Ayume mumbled with disappointment.
As far as she was concerned, she was paired with the wrong person. But at least she wasn't stuck with Irika, even if Sekichi was a pansy.
Only one person noticed that Sekichi did his best to smother a smile that came unbidden. Ameyo glared at Ayume with furious jealousy. She doesn't even notice how happy he is, she thought hotly.
"Team three: Team Yamoto. Ono Mikake, Mato Manto, Abe Sumi, and Fuyuzake Ameyo."
"Ahhh! Why do I have to be grouped up with those three?" she complained loudly.
"You will not question the Mizukage's word! That is your first duty as kunoichi," Atsuro said firmly. "Tsk," she murmured with disappointment as she glanced at Sekichi.
From his vantage point above, Shikamaru kept his eyes on Irika and observed him with concern. What he was experiencing was a more extreme form of what happened with several of his classmates long ago when he was a student at the Academy. Most notably would be Choji and Naruto, who underwent relentless verbal bullying from his classmates. Oddly enough, none of the most cruel children managed to graduate.
Although the had been partly to blame for Naruto's early isolation, as most of the children were, he was simply following his parents' orders. Never once had he thought of Naruto with malice. Yet he still carried some guilt over the treatment he made Naruto experience. At least he was able to befriend Choji, who impressed him with his gentle spirit. That was his only saving grace.
"I think I've seen enough," Shikamaru said, unable to watch any longer. "I'm going home." "You have one more week here, Shikamaru. What will you do?" "I still have that sword to complete for the bothersome jiji. After that, I'm done."
"Don't worry, your passage has been paid for and I have secured a horse. Your trip home should be much faster," Ginjiro said with a smile as he watched Shikamaru leave. "A horse? Jeez, couldn't I have just jumped the trees as usual?" "No, you're still civilian, remember?" "Che. I rather walk then. I hate horses. I don't even know how to ride one." "Ah, in that case, you may walk." "Fine by me," he said as he left.
After they were handed out their respective teams, Irika went off by himself as he sometimes did, not bothering to tell his three companions where he was going. Sekichi took that opportunity to head back Natsu household and relax before some more practice on his part.
When he arrived, Yukiko was very much herself: angry and inebriated.
"Oh, it's you," was her greeting at the door. "There is someone waiting for you in your room." "Who is it?" Sekichi asked with trepidation. "Some girl. I don't know who she is." "Thank you," he murmured as started up the stairs.
"On yes, one thing," she called after him. "Now that you're genin, I expect a fair sum of money from you. I'm tired of paying for your room and board you stupid mooch." "Yes, ma'am." "Without so much as a thank you, "she growled before stuffing her pipe with fresh tobacco. "He always wears such nice clothes, too."
Who is it? Sekichi thought excitedly. Is it Ayume? "Oh," he said when he opened the door, mimicking Yukiko exactly. "It's you." "Hello, Seki-chi," Ameyo greeted cheerfully. "What do you want?" "Well…"
For once in her life, Ameyo could not think of what to say. "Well?" Sekichi pressed. "I want to ask…something."
Sekichi sighed with aggravation as he watched her get close and lean up to his ear. "I want you to promise me that you'll kiss me before our chuunin exams."
"WHAT?! Why would I do that?" "Because I want my first kiss to be my choice. If I don't pass, I will die. But if I do pass, I will be trained and I will have to kiss men I don't like. So…I would like the first…."
Sekichi did not hate her, but he disliked her immensely. She was a bother who followed him around and watched him wherever he went. Ameyo had been a thorn in his side for the last six months that he could not seem to dislodge. She was silly, spoiled, nasty, and rather obnoxious. That voice she used (and he knew she did it on purpose) was enough to drive anyone mad. She was everything that Ayume was not, and it repulsed him.
Still, as he saw her fiddle with her hands nervously, looking down to the floor with embarrassment, a pang of guilt and pity crept unbidden. After all, had she really done anything to deserve his contempt? Was she really as cruel to him and Irika as all the other children? The answer to that question was an undeniable no. There was something in her manner that reminded him of a wounded animal and he could not ignore it.
"I am ….um…sorry about yesterday." "It's OK." "It doesn't hurt, does it?" "Not anymore. I was scared at first because I thought you would kill me even though I know you didn't…."
He knew was she was going to say and was not going to let her continue. In less than a second, she found herself pushed against the wall roughly, with his hand covering her mouth.
"Don't ever mention that again!" he hissed. "If you continue to snoop around you will die." She nodded her head slightly.
"Good," he said as he let her go.
He sighed, slumped on the bed, and held his head in his hands wearily. She could tell there was something bothering him but was too selfish to use tact.
"Sekichi?" "What?" "You haven't answered my question." "What question?" "Will you kiss me before the chuunin exams?"
"Sure," he said with a resignation. "Promise?" "Yeah."
As though satisfied completely, she left without saying another word. Unbeknownst to Sekichi, there was another side to her bargain. For the next two years she did as exactly as he wished and left him completely alone. She had gotten what she wanted, after all.
For the last week of his stay, Shikamaru spent most of his time in the foundry working on his last project. Meine barely saw him, and when she would visit him at night, he was dead to the world. The only thing she could do was lay by his side, and snuggle against his shoulder with disappointment.
Every day he drove himself to exhaustion, and every night he would close his eyes immediately upon resting his head. When he woke in the morning, he would head to the foundry after scarfing down a quick breakfast and spend most his time there until nightfall once again.
Neither Master Houtoru nor Meine could guess at what compelled him to work with such vigor. Whatever had picked his interest he kept to himself. On the third day of such treatment, Meine became very tired of playing second fiddle to an anvil and hammer so she burst into the foundry and demanded he take her to lunch.
"I only have four more days," he said. "I must finish this."
"You should be done by tomorrow," Master Houtoru said with unusual generosity. "There is no reason you can't take a girl out to lunch you worthless apprentice." "But I…" "If you don't treat her I'll beat you with my stick!" he said waiving his cane around menacingly. "I guess I don't have a choice do I? Jeez, you've all ganged up against me." "Thank you Master Houtoru," She said with a wink, which elicited blush from the old man. "Go on, and get out of here…"
Even though he took her to lunch she could tell his mind was occupied elsewhere. He spent the rest of the day at the foundry and promptly fell asleep when returning to his room. She was bitterly disappointed. Only four more days and he would be gone for good. But here he was, completely ignoring her. Did she even matter to him?
As her form of feminine revenge, she went home instead of spending the night with him, hoping that her missing presence would make him feel an ounce of guilt. Being a man, his only thought when waking was, "Ah, she must have had something to do," and did not think of it for the rest of the day.
When she arrived home that night, a summon from the Mizukage was waiting. "Why is he calling on you so late?" her brother Sora asked. "I don't know," she replied with a frown.
It was a complete lie. Not only was she fully aware of the reason for his summons, it was long overdue. She nervously dressed herself in uniform, making sure to polish her boots until they glowed, and then jumped out the window and hurriedly made her way to the tower. The tower guards were circumvented by a single leap over the wall.
"You are late," Ginjiro said when he felt her presence in the room.
Although she had to open a window to enter, a civilian would not have known she was in the room.
"I am sorry, Mizukage-sama," she said. "There are no need for formalities here, old friend," he said warmly. "Now come to the light where I can see you."
The room was only lit by a single candle, which was placed on the desk. Ginjiro seemed relaxed, although he knelt with his back straight. His signature fan was folded and placed on his lap. She accepted his invitation and knelt before him, but kept her eyes firmly on the floor.
"Your mission is almost over." "Yes." "How has it been?" "It has been easier than expected." "Has it?" "Yes." "Well, then, do you mind telling me exactly what it is you have been doing?"
Up to that question, his voice has been warm and inviting. But the tone of the question was threatening.
"Well?" he prodded after she did not reply. "I have been doing just as instructed," she replied firmly.
He took his fan and used it to lift her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.
"Is that so? I have been watching, you know, and as your Mizukage I must disagree. Not only have you not been doing your job, you have completely lost your head for him. The only reason I allowed it to continue was because it has opened up a singular opportunity. Your slavish devotion to that man is exactly what we need." "I…" "You what? You know perfectly well the consequences of failure. You will do as I say," he interrupted coldly. "Yes, Ginjiro."
He released her chin and then unfurled the fan to snuff out the flickering candle, leaving them in near darkness. Only the dim rays of a half moon broke the surrounding shadow.
"Prepare that special concoction your family is so famous for. Before he goes to bed tomorrow night, enter his room with a bottle of sake and two glasses. Fill them before he enters so he does not see you spike his drink. Dress in something provocative and compel him to drink. Light a candle by the window after he has been drugged. Do you understand?"
She nodded her head. "I will be waiting for your signal with Sotto, and we will begin our interrogation." "I'll prepare it right away," she replied. "Who would have thought such a genius would be completely blindsided by a woman? And you're not even a beauty. I guess every man has his weakness."
"What if he refuses to drink?" "You have spent enough time with him to know how to manipulate him. If you can't even do that much, then you really are completely worthless."
The next night, Meine followed his instructions to a tee. She knew his schedule pretty well. Since becoming obsessed with his project, he had been going to bed at around ten. But that night, it took him an extra half hour to get to his room
As she waited, in lacy lingerie that did its best to accentuate curves she did not have, with a bottle of sake and two shallow glasses filled as instructed, she could not keep her nerves down. Although she hated what was about to occur, she could not find a way out. Self-loathing and fear tore her in two. When half an hour passed and he still had not arrived, she panicked. Maybe he had figured her out at last and fled! The thought filled her with dread at having to face Ginjiro empty handed and sadness at not seeing him again.
But he had not figured it out. To her relief he opened the door and meandered into the room, not even giving her a second glance as he plopped in the bed, injuring her feminine pride despite herself. Shikamaru was showered and dressed in loose pajama pants and a long sleeved shirt. He lay on the bed and closed his eyes with his hands behind his head.
"Man, I'm tired," he said with a sigh. "That old geezer lied when he said it would be done by today." "You look worn out, Ajiki-kun, why don't you let me release some of that tension?" "I'm very tired right now, Meine. I think I'll just go to sleep." Shikamaru rolled over on his side, his back to her. She could barely contain her furry. Although she was supposed to act like the jilted lover to get his attention, the rest of the conversation was not an act on her part.
"But you haven't paid any attention to me all week! You're leaving in three days and you won't even give me a second glance. What am I to you anyway, a toy?"
That got his attention. He glanced at her and noticed that her large green eyes were misty with tears. "I was looking forward to spending these last few moments with you but you won't even look my way. How dare you! I was just a plaything!" she continued. Her lips began to quiver with emotion. "Don't do something troublesome like crying. I was planning something very nice for you tomorrow." "Liar! All you care about his that stupid sword!"
He sat up on the bed and took her in his arms. As he patted her head gently, he whispered comforting words to soothe her nerves. "I even bought a new outfit and everything. I bet you don't even think I look sexy," she whined. "No, I do. You look very attractive. I'm just very tired..." "Hmph." "Stop crying. I'll…muster up the energy and give you a little attention."
Women and their troublesome feelings, he thought.
"Oh, I brought some help for that!" she declared happily as she reached for the filled sake glasses, sure to hand him the bowl on the right.
Shikamaru noted with annoyance that her mood was altered completely. "No need," he said dismissively. "I don't drink." "You don't?" "I don't like anything that clouds the mind."
That's when he noticed her sharp intake of breath. It was a subtle movement and he doubted that someone less observant would have noticed. He gazed at the clear, shimmering liquid thoughtfully. His gaze then drifted back at her green, expectant orbs. Her breathing was controlled.
"For you, then," he said with a grin. "But I'm gong to the bathroom first. There is one thing I need to get. I don't want to have troublesome reputation of leaving women knocked up wherever I go." "I thought you kept them in the nightstand," she said with a giggle. "Yeah, but I bought a new pack and forgot them in the bathroom," he explained with a shrug. "You should drink before you go…" "Nah, I may forget. I don't drink, remember?"
When he came back, he set the item in question on the nightstand and then gave her a kiss on the lips. There was something very different about the kiss. It was not a passionate or dismissive, but a soft, gentle kiss that was filled with tenderness.
"Alright then, you troublesome woman," he said as he took the bowl from her hands. "I'll drink this for you."
AN: Thanks for the reviews!