"I hear someone has become a Knight. Any idea about whom it could be?" Anko asked with feigned innocence in her tone.
"Um... Surprise?" I said sheepishly and waved my hands in a faux Broadway fashion.
"I want to see it." she said eagerly and was rubbing her hands, it seemed overly dirty the way she said it, but I knew what she was talking about.
"Okay. But. Be. Careful" I said, accentuating every word. I reached for my belt clip and slid the release off the lightsaber, handing it to Anko who was holding her hands out in acceptance. She inspected it thoroughly, pointed it towards nothing in particular and slid the ignition plate.
"I want one." she said while twirling my lightsaber around nonchalantly.
"I have a semblance of an idea about how you can... acquire a crystal." I offered and she was now giving me her best puppy dog eyes.
"Firstly, you're going to have to design your own. Masamune can craft any design you hand to him, I've got a few standard designs for you to look over as well... The hard part is going to be the crystal. I found mine in a cave in the Land of Waves, I can pinpoint it to you on a map." she took in the information and then gave me a questioning look, bordering on pleading.
"Yes, as soon as you are ready, you can go and build yourself a lightsaber." I said with a sight. I was the superior in our little Order, though I didn't impose limitations as strict as the original one. I gave her the standard designs and she went off to what I would assume would be 'The Sharpened Kunai', to discuss blueprints with Masamune. I headed straight for the library, to check up on one of my new students.
Opening the door to the significant room, I glanced along each of the aisles until I noticed the girl, hunched over a myriad of books, pink hair draped over her forehead and eyes.
"Are your studies coming along nicely?" I asked politely and she seemed startled by my sudden appearance.
"Oh, it's you. You startled me Menma-kun," she said with a pout "and yeah, this stuff is really interesting! The history of the Jedi Order, and the different abilities the Jedi have... so thorough!" she said happily hugging away at one of the books I had written about the Star Wars universe.
"I'm happy you enjoy those, if you need any clarifications, feel free to ask." I offered and she seemed startled once again.
"Wait... you wrote this?" she motioned towards the material she had been studying.
"Yes, that's correct. You seem surprised." I chuckled lightly and she was flushing in embarrassment.
"No... I mean, yes. The eloquence and the theoretical knowledge needed to write this is incredible, and you're so young!" she exclaimed and now I was the one blushing.
"Thank you, Sakura-chan. Please, carry on with your work." I said and took my leave, this was the first private conversation I had with Sakura and she was just as much as a bookworm as I was, it was intriguing to know somebody like me that wasn't almost 70, like the Third. I now made my way to Haku's room and knocked two times.
"Come in." his voice resonated through the walls, producing a peculiar echo. I pushed the door open and found Haku wearing a casual black shirt and matching shorts, a far cry from his usual kimono. He was in a situation similar to Sakura's, hunched over his copy of the Jedi Path, apparently a slower reader than the bookworm.
"Forgive me for my intrusion, I only wished to see how your studies have been going." I offered and he raised his eyes from the page he was reading and smiled at me.
"It's helping me get through my loss, actually. After reading the Jedi Code I was somewhat confused but now I'm starting to understand it on a deeper level... I like how everybody melds into the Living Force after they pass on, I still miss him, but I'm not sad that he's dead now." he confessed with a smile that didn't show sadness or depression, merely acceptance.
"That's good to hear. Keep up the good work." I said with a wave and retreated into the hallway.
( '_')0*´¯`·.¸.·´¯`°Q('_' )
"You wished to see me, jiji?" I asked the man in his Hokage robes that seemed much, much older from the last time that I had seen him.
"Yes. I've been dealing with a troublemaker in the village. She was a promising shinobi but she's very rebellious... she's a Genin that has been kicked from her cell and would normally be taken off the active roster. Luckily, we have a team that's missing a member!" he exclaimed with a chuckle, this Genin wouldn't be his problem anymore.
"Okay, count me in. Who is this 'troublemaker'?" I was in need of a member for participation in the Chuunin exams and I was a firm believer of 'one man's trash is another one's treasure'. The Hokage said 'Send her in,' in a surprisingly quiet tone, but the secretary heard him nonetheless and the doors opened.
"Menma-kun, allow me to introduce Aya Kimura." he motioned towards the girl and I was speechless for a moment. The girl was stunning, even for one part of this universe. The first thing I noticed was her eyes, orange-red eyes that shone with mischief. All her facial features were flawless and angular, akin to a cat's, ready to pounce. Her eyebrows were very thin and angled sharply, just like the rest of her features. She had short hair that didn't reach past her neck and that was tucked behind her ear on the left side. On the right side, she had a side bang that slightly covered her right eye and that continued on to hide her ear, hanging freely when compared to the left one. Her hair was a dark blue colour, highlighted blonde and strawberry blonde on her bangs. A perky nose and slightly plump lips completed the picture.
Her body was lithe and athletic, she had shapely legs, great hips, a slim waist and what seemed to be C-cups, she was wearing a tight black T-shirt that ended just above her bellybutton and similarly form-fitting black shorts that ended high on her thighs. Covering the rest of her legs were thigh-high solid black socks and standard shinobi footwear. She also had a pair of black fingerless gloves that ended just below her elbows.
"Hi there. My name is Menma Uzumaki and I'm your new team mate." I said with a smile, extending my hand in greeting and she reluctantly shook, but had a look of surprise on her face.
"All right. Why don't you two get to know each other?" the Third offered and motioned for us to leave, I smiled reassuringly at the confused girl and motioned towards the exit.
We walked through the streets for a while when I decided it would be time to break the ice.
"Are you hungry by any chance? I happen to know a great ramen place." I offered and she nodded meekly, we headed to Ichiraku's and sat down.
"I thought that they would finally kick me out of the roster, you know? I've been doing a lot of shit lately and I realised that it might be finally coming back to bite me in the ass." she said honestly.
"Why do you do it, then?" I asked good naturedly.
"You don't know anything about me!" she hissed and I raised my hands to show no ill intent.
"I didn't mean it like that. Now, what is it that's so bad it could get you kicked off the roster." I asked, sort of.
"A couple of things. Defacement, vandalism, insubordination... those are the big three." she said shamefully.
"Defacement? We don't have that many monuments here... wait. You painted the Hokage Mountain?" I asked disbelievingly, this was something that Naruto would do in Canon, not some previously unknown Genin that was up for discharge. She nodded once, a semblance of pride showing through the cracks, I smiled at that.
"Ah, Menma-kun, great to see you again, I hear you've been gone on a mission for the past few weeks!" Ayame said excitedly.
"Yeah, a C-rank that turned A-rank... We handled it like pros." I smiled at the elder sister figure.
"So, the usual, then? Oh, are you with Menma-kun," she asked Aya "as much as you love our ramen, you shouldn't bring a girl on a date at a ramen stand!" she scolded and I chuckled.
"It's nothing like that, she's my new team mate!" I defended and motioned towards Aya who was now blushing lightly.
"Oh, okay. Sorry about that," she apologised sheepishly "so, what can I get you-?"
"Aya. I'll have a miso ramen, please." she said and turned back to our conversation.
"Forgive me for asking, it probably isn't my place, but why?" I asked, referring to the girl's pastimes.
"Art." she whispered under her breath but I was able to distinguish what she said.
"He he, next thing I'll find out is that you're an explosive experts." I chuckled and my thoughts turned to a certain blond Akatsuki member. Aya, on the other hand, was having none of the same thoughts, her eyes were widened and her jaw was slacked.
"You're an explosive experts, aren't you?" I asked sarcastically and she grinned.
"I don't know how you guessed that, but you're right on the mark! I like to refer to myself as an explosive artist, but whatever floats your boat."
"You don't happen to mould explosive clay with little mouths in your palms and yell 'Art is an explosion!' when you release, do you?" I asked, almost rhetorically, Aya was now looking at me with a mixture of disgust and amusement.
"Now you're just pushing it. That's creepy as hell." she chuckled and I followed suit.
"Yeah, don't know where I got that idea from." I said, still imagining Aya dressed in Akatsuki clothes riding a white clay bird, laughing hysterically while throwing bombs from her perch.
"It's your turn, tell me about yourself." she said while slurping her ramen, I quickly vanquished my current bowl, preparing for the next one. I held both half of Kurama and I had Uzumaki genes, my appetite was nothing short of amazing.
"Well... I'm great with Water and Lightning jutsu, I'm actually close to mastery with those and I can start working with Storm soon enough... I suck at Genjutsu and I'm really good at Kenjutsu. My Taijutsu isn't on the same level as Gai-sensei's but I'm not too shabby. I also have monstrous chakra reserves and a few other tricks up my sleeves." I said through loud slurps and she was nodding with appreciation.
"So... you're not a pushover, then. Who's our other team mate, and who's our sensei?"
"Our other team mate is a boy by the name of Haku... you might think he's a girl at first because he's feminine and beautiful in the way only a woman could be... I feel wrong saying that. Anyway, he's great with Hyōton jutsu, medical jutsu and knows how to use senbon extremely well. We don't really have a sensei, though." I explained and her look was utmost suspicion now.
"What do you mean 'we don't have a sensei'?" she repeated.
"Exactly what you heard, Hokage-sama trusts me as team leader and to work with your abilities, it's a little more complicated than that, but I'm not at liberty to say just yet." I elaborated.
"You're stronger than you seem, then. Or we're a bunch of misfits that don't even deserve a sensei..." she seemed ashamed more than anything, I put a hand on the shoulder closest to me and rubbed it in comfort.
"Yes and no. Think of it like a second chance. I can promise you one thing, though, if we work together, our team has the potential of being the best team in this damn village." I said honestly and she raised an eyebrow cutely at my sudden burst of excitement.
"What's our designation, anyway? Team 11? Or are we Team Menma?" she asked with a chuckle.
"We're Team 0." I answered and she seemed convinced it was a joke.
"Team 0, as in 'nothing'. Are we really that pathetic?" she asked mockingly.
"You know... the Egyptians' symbol for 0 also meant 'beautiful', 'pleasant' and 'good'." I said and a second later realised my mistake.
"Who are the Egyptians?" she asked.
"Well... they are a civilisation that lived two millennia ago," I said, wanting to get rid of this subject as soon as possible "The Chuunin exams are coming up. We should focus on those as our first goal as a team. We can also train with Team 7, if you guys want to."
"Why Team 7?"
"My brother is part of that team and I was under an apprenticeship with their sensei. Besides, I know everything there is to know about their abilities so there wouldn't be any trust issues between us." I said and she was now smiling mischievously.
"Your brother, huh? Is he older than you? I bet he looks better. Wonder if you could hook us up?" she teased mercilessly and I just chuckled, that would have probably worked on a twelve year old... maybe next time.
"That's cute," I said and she blushed "he's my twin. His eyes are cerulean blue and his hair is solid blonde, we look identical besides those two. How old are you, by the way?" I asked curiously and she looked a lot like a young Hinata right now, burying her chin in her chest and glancing down shyly.
"Fourteen." she muttered almost inaudibly.
"Hey. What's up?" I said, nudging her chin up with my index finger to meet her gaze.
"I'm a failure, okay?! I couldn't even make it to the Chuunin exams, my sensei always told me I was bringing the team down!" she exclaimed angrily and I couldn't help but feel for her. I could sense she wasn't weak and her attitude 'issues' didn't seem THAT bad. I threw my left arm around her shoulders and pressed her against me snugly.
"You're not a failure, Aya. You still have a chance to prove them wrong, so do me a favour and stop downplaying yourself so often." I muttered while holding her a little bit too intimately for our first meeting, my nose was buried in her hair and I could smell jasmine, sandalwood and a hint of chocolate and hints of spray can aerosols and... sealing ink?
"Aya-chan," I have no idea where that suffix came from "how exactly do you make your explosives?" I asked, curious about my hunch.
"Seals. I make them myself, why?" she turned her face up, her sparkling vermilion eyes meeting my midnight blue and I got lost for a moment in those beautiful orbs.
"You smell wonderful." I complimented and the position we were in seemed entirely inappropriate at that moment, we swiftly scrambled to our original position and threw each other awkward smiles, Ayame, on the other hand was giggling furiously. She calmed down just enough to take our empty bowls and she leaned a little too far for Aya's, her face now near the latter's ear, I acted on instinct, and in hindsight, unbecomingly, and focused on extending my senses, that coupled with my training as a tracker and my contract with the ninken allowed me to hear everything that my 'elder sister' had said.
Aya and I were now sporting similar crimson blushes. Aya was muttering incoherent words and I was scratching the back of my ear awkwardly, Ayame, on the other hand, was laughing heartily and saying how we look 'great' together.
( '_')0*´¯`·.¸.·´¯`°Q('_' )
Sensing Anko's proximity to the estate, I headed towards the gates to greet her. She looked just like usual, in her purple Jedi outfit, except for the saberstaff that hung neatly from her belt, ornate, flowing and over-all very elegant in its design.
"Long time no see, Anko-chan. How was your trip?" I asked, glad to see her again after more than a week's absence.
"Good to be back. It was brutal... did you know that saberstaves need four crystals in order to work properly?" she vexed. I chuckled at her antics.
"Yeah, I knew that. Have you tested it?" I pointed towards the hilt.
"Tested it? How?" she asked with confusion.
"Well, if the components are misaligned, the worst that can happen is implosion, but when it meets another energy source, it could practically shatter your blade if it's constructed poorly. I tested it with my old sword and lightning chakra channelling." I explained and she had a look of mild fear on her face, if this didn't go well, she had to go back and find another four crystals, and then attune them to the Force. She elegantly drew the weapon and held it parallel to the ground, left arm extended fully and right arm and leg behind her. The blade came to life with a purple glow and the familiar sound of a lightsaber. I drew my own blade and ignited it, holding it in a reverse grip behind me. Anko launched off and threw a flurry of strikes at me, all glancing blows and I dodged and blocked them with ease. We kept this up for a dozen more strikes or so, to test both the blades and she seemed proud of her construction.
"Good work, Anko-chan. Are you happy with it?" I teased and she brought the powerless hilt to her chest, hugging it tightly and casting an aggressive glare towards me, as if to ward me away from her new love.
"She's my little kid. She's perfect." she said and I was starting to think that Anko was losing her mind.
"I don't suppose you gave 'her' a name?" I asked jokingly, not expecting any answers but Anko turned a glare towards me.
"Of course I did, she's my little Mamba!" she said, all the while hugging her new weapon. I sweat dropped at that.
"You named your saberstaff after a species of highly poisonous snakes? Why am I not surprised?..." I said with a sigh and Anko was now grinning widely at me while silently motioning me if I wanted to hold 'little Mamba'. I shook my head 'No.' and she pouted.
"Come on, Mamba-chan. We'll go play without 'Meanie-kun' over there!" she said while walking away, rocking Mamba in her arms.