Chapter 11: Preparatory Actions
Hyūga Main Compound, Konohagakure no Sato (1732 hours, March 4, 8 AK)
She could not help but endure the harsh beating.
She was training vigorously with her father. Rather, she was the source of her father's ventilation. She was not skilled enough to be on par with her father, or even Neji-onii-chan. Her attacks fumbled sloppily as she tried to strike her father, only to have him retaliate brutally. One by one, each of her tenketsu points were closed, then forcefully reopened, by her father's relentless onslaught while her little sister watched in horror. The pain was excruciating, but she no longer minded.
What was the point in worrying about the pain if it was going to occur every single day? She gained nothing from her training with her father, only discovering different methods in which he inflicted gruesome pain to his daughter.
She was tired of it all. There was no point in fighting back.
So she took the pain.
Occasionally, Neji-onii-chan would join the sparring hall and sneer at Hinata while her father was busy rearranging her chakra flow with powerful and elegant jabs. He always stared at her that way, since he was three years old. Since he became a subject to the Caged Bird Seal. She wanted him to look at her like the loving cousin that he used to be. But she was too weak, and he was too spiteful.
So she took the pain.
Nothing in her life was going well. Her mother had died of complications a year after giving birth to her sister. The only person in the world that truly loved Hinata for who she was had left her alone with her cruel father and cold-hearted cousin. It was a harsh existence, one that she had no option but to be birthed into.
Sometimes she wished that Hanabi was born before she was. Maybe then she could have received the Caged Bird Seal herself and live a life unloved and belittled within the Hyūga Branch Compound. Maybe then, Neji-onii-chan would not be as harsh as he was to her. Maybe she would not have to deal with the constant shame of disappointment that plagued her every walk of life. But she was born the first daughter to Hyūga Hiashi, the clan head of the Hyūga. By birthright she was destined to lead the Hyūga towards the future. But the only thing she had ever led in her life was herself into obscurity.
Hinata just gave up on everything. Her sister was to turn 3 in several days. At that age, she was to be branded with the Caged Bird Seal and remove herself from the Main Compound. But Hiashi was desperately pleading with the Hyūga Elders to spare her branding until either she, or Hinata, proved to be an inadequate candidate for head of the clan. She wouldn't mind if Hanabi was the future leader of the Hyūga. Anything would make her happy if she was denied this miserable existence.
So she took the pain.
"HINATA!" Hiashi shouted as he pumped as much chakra as he could into his palms. Thrusting his palms onto her chest, Hinata could feel her torso spasm uncontrollably from the invasive influx of foreign chakra. Her ivory eyes twitch hysterically while she coughed out blood. Struggling to hold her stomach, Hinata collapsed onto the floor, trembling from the pain and the loss of blood. She felt like she was finally dying. But she knew better. Her father would never drive enough chakra into his palms to kill her. He was satisfied with her shriveled, defeated body holding itself as an outlet trying to frantically forget the pain.
She could cry out. Scream disturbingly as a notice to her father and all the onlookers that she was in terrible pain. But that would do no good, would it? They would just ignore her and glare at her with scorn in their eyes. Regardless, her screams incentivize her father into continuing the onslaught.
So she took the pain.
"…That will be all for today." Hiashi said coldly as he regained his composure. He took some time to fix and align his haori. During their "scuffle," his clothing had gotten itself wrinkled. It would do no good at all if he were to show himself off to his clan with a wrinkled shirt, now would it? "Pick yourself up and head to your room. The nursemaids will nurture you back to health. Remember, same time, same place tomorrow. Do not attempt to skip out, or you will suffer the consequences. Just like last time."
Hinata's eyes widened in despair as she recollected the eventful day where she decided she had had enough of Hiashi's training. The torture that she went through…it was enough to crack any normal child her age. Yet Hinata was not like kids her age. In any case, she was already a cracked deposited form of her former self. Not that that was much.
"Onee-sama!" Hanabi shouted as her little legs sprang into action, running to were Hinata's battered and bruised body laid pitifully.
"Hanabi!" Hiashi yelled, stopping Hanabi in her tracks. She hesitantly turned towards her father, who looked upon her with apathetic eyes. "Do not go anywhere near that miserable excuse of a daughter."
"B…but Otou-sama…" Hanabi whimpered.
"What?!" Hiashi screamed, activating his Byakugan. The bulging veins that leapt forth from the calm skin of his face added to his intimidation factor. Hanabi lost her will to talk, fearing what would become of her. "I will only repeat myself once. Do not associate yourself with trash like her. You are the future of this clan and she is not. If you dare even meet her gaze…you cannot possibly imagine what I have in store for you."
Hanabi's eyes shuddered at Hiashi's veiled threat. She nervously turned to look at Hinata, who was gradually accumulating a pool of blood from where she laid. Hinata struggled vainly to meet Hanabi's eyes, trying to convey the message "do as he says" with her broken look.
Hanabi couldn't bear to look at Hinata anymore. Tears leaked from her eyes, lamenting her inability to help even her older sister at her time of greatest need.
Hiashi saw the tears though, and erupted into damnable indignation. "Hanabi! Are you expressing emotions for this worthless scum?!"
"N…no!" She screamed in fright. The tears wouldn't stop flowing however. She coughed and chocked sporadically, crying her heart out at Hinata's predicament. Unrestrained fear from thoughts on her inevitable punishments also bolstered her sorrow and anguish. With her father's rage etching ever closer to her location, she crawled into fetal position and waited for whatever beating was coming her way.
"OTOU-SAMA!" Hinata screamed as loud as she could in a miserable attempt to grab her father's attention. It worked, as Hiashi violently turned his head towards where his daughter was laying. She had managed to pick herself up (somewhat) and was barely holding onto the ground for support. "Please…don't hurt Hanabi-chan…she's done nothing wrong."
Hiashi's rage would not yield simply from a request by his repugnant daughter. He continued his march towards Hanabi unabated.
"Please…Otou-sama…if you need to be angry with someone…" She gulped. She knew the repercussions of her actions. She did not want to go through anymore training, but if she had to… "Let it all out on me…I am worthy of your anger, Otou-sama."
Hiashi stared at his daughter with hatred brimming in his eyes. For some of the longest seconds of their lives, both Hinata and Hanabi waited in dread for their father's decision. Instead of going up to Hinata and recommencing his one-sided vicious assault, he just relaxed his shoulders. His anger left him, and he took slow, steady breathes to regain his composure.
"…Hinata…you will be registering for classes at the Academy at the start of the Spring Equinox." Hiashi said, completely surprising the little girl. "As the 'heiress-apparent' for the Hyūga, you are expected to compose yourself in the utmost pinnacle of abilities. You represent our clan, and as such I expect excellence in every aspect of your academia. I will not tolerate failure. This is your only opportunity to rectify yourself in the face of me and our clan, so choose your decisions wisely."
"Y…yes, Otou-sama…" Hinata affirmed.
"Oh, and two more things. Firstly, you are not to communicate, under any circumstances, with the Academy student known as 'Uzumaki Naruto.' He is an abomination, and it will serve you well to steer clear of his presence at all times. I cannot fathom why Hokage-sama granted permission for him to attend the same learning facilities as our children, but I cannot argue against him."
"Uzumaki…N…Naruto…" Hinata repeated.
"Secondly, you will be in the same year as a criminal. Fujibayashi Suzu is currently undergoing solitary confinement for cruel and inhumane acts of violence against two orphans several months ago. She is dangerous and unpredictable, and contact with felonious filth like her will only undermine our clan. Like the Uzumaki, you will do well to remove yourself from her presence. Am I understood?"
"Y…Yes…Otou-sama…" Hinata stammered.
"Excellent. If there is any redeeming factor to your worthless existence, it is that you heed directions obediently." Hiashi smiled. Hinata was shocked at his smile, but weakly returned the favor. Any form of affection from her father was greatly appreciated. Even with "compliments" as horrible as the one who just made.
He calmly walked towards Hanabi. In a warm, loving smile, he told her "Hanabi, make sure you do not grow up to be a pitiable excuse like your sister. You are the future of this clan, after all."
"Y…yes, Otou-sama…" Hanabi reluctantly replied.
With all he needed to say done, Hiashi walked out of the sparring hall to continue the bureaucratic tasks of maintaining his clan. Just as he walked out of the door, Hinata finally succumbed to her wounds and fell unconscious onto the tatami mats below. The last things she heard were the fraught cries of her little sister. She did not know why she defended Hanabi. She even volunteered to take more pain so that Hanabi could escape their father's tyranny. It was…just an impulse. A desire to protect someone who was precious to her. Even though Hanabi was bound to completely ruin her life, being the source of Hinata's eventual branding. Maybe this was what it was like to love. She had not felt this way since their mother's passing. Who knows? But for now, as he body slammed on the ground and her world became dark…
She took the pain.
Yamanaka Flowers, Konohagakure no Sato (1947 hours March 21, 8 AK [Spring Equinox Begins])
As the sun began its decent down the western horizon, the time for closing shop was drawing near. Yamanaka Ino was thrilled to have assisted her father today in maintaining the flower shop, considering that one of her favorite hobbies was flower arrangement. Ever since she could remember, her entire life had been revolved around the motif of violet flowers, so it inevitable that she would pick up the family trade and enjoy every waking moment in the presence of flowers.
She carefully returned the display flowers on cabinets hanging from the wall, careful not to disturb their original positioning. Many of these flowers were arranged using the art of ikebana, so Ino was especially wary when handling the plants. The elaborate design of the stems, leaves, and the flower exemplified the natural beauty of the plant as a whole, and Ino wanted to preserve the beauty to the best of her abilities.
Yet, she was not as skilled in ikebana as her father or mother was. She could never truly understand the intricacies behind the designs of each individual flower and how they coincided with each other to bring about their beauty to the beholder. Rash and impatient, she often would forget branches or the roots and she would not consider the meaning behind each of her flowers and what role they play in the overall arrangement, much to her father's disappointment.
Whenever he fixed her own mistakes, she would always watch in amazement. Somehow, diverting a branch slightly would boost the plant's aesthetic appeal tremendously. Shifting the places of each elderberry in a branch would cause the viewer's eyes to divert in attention from, say the actual flowers, to the entire piece. Ino never had an eye for that sort of detail. So she observed her father's work to the best of her ability, noting every small detail that came with her father's occupation.
Now marked the end of an unusually busy day at the shop. Her father, tired from the strain of greeting and assisting customers, fell on top of the couch and laid down. He stretched his arms in an over-exaggerated fashion, and let loose with the longest sigh Ino's ever heard.
"Neh, Otou-san!" Ino pouted immaturely.
"What is it Petals?" Inoichi responded in as innocent a tone he could make. He knew what his daughter was angry about, and he would prefer it if he could just laze about for a couple of more minutes. His feet were tired from standing up throughout the day, and he just wanted to collapse on the bed and fall asleep.
"Stop being a lazy butt Otou-san!" Ino shouted. "C'mon, help me clean this stuff already!"
"Petals won't you let your old man relax for a couple of minutes? I'm so tired…"
"Enough with your excuses!" Ino shouted as she marched up to the couch and began pulling on his arm. "Hurry…up…and help me…!"
"Fine, fine…" Inoichi grumbled reluctantly.
"YATTA!" Ino celebrated. With Inoichi's assistance, the cleaning job was much quicker than with Ino all by herself. They returned all the plants, locked up all the displays, swept and mopped thoroughly, and made the place tidy for the next work day. Satisfied with a job well done, Ino clapped her hands together and smiled.
"There!" Ino said in triumph. "All done!"
"Man, I am so beat!" Inoichi cried, slumping onto the couch in defeat. "Couldn't you have done this all by yourself? You're a big girl now."
"Otou-san, I'm only 7!" Ino pouted. "There's only so much I can do…"
"Petals, if you put your heart into it, you can do anything." Inoichi said with a reassuring smile.
"Really?"
"Yeah!" Inoichi responded. "Like clean this store! You just wasn't thinking hard enough about it!"
"Otou-san, you lazy butt munch!"
Inoichi burst out laughing. He really enjoyed messing around with his gullible daughter. He took all the time he could now to enjoy his daughter's innocence. Eventually, she's going to grow up and find interest in other hobbies or topics, like gossip and boys. That's how most girls seem to grow into these days. Then she will start desiring independence from her parents; probably scream "hate" at them for prohibiting certain activities, and try new and radical methods of self-expression. He really hoped that the latter would not ever come to fruition, but Inoichi was well prepared to accept his daughter should she ever "go Goth"
However, Ino had the personality most akin to popular girls. She was outgoing, talkative, engaging and accepting. She was also very pretty for her age, and younger girls admire (and envy) more beautiful girls, seeing them as a sort of limit they themselves needed to reach or surpass. Inoichi was positive that Ino would be very popular among the females in the Academy. Just look at how attached Sakura is to Ino, for instance.
Ino was also very bright, and Inoichi had the utmost confidence that she would excel in her academics. This year, there were plenty of potential candidates for the coveted "Rookie of the Year" award, such as the Hyūga heiress-apparent and the youngest Uchiha child, but Ino was overflowing with natural talent. Surely she would outshine those other clan kids.
Speaking of potential students, there was one that Inoichi really desired for Ino to meet and befriend. Suzu's solitary confinement was scheduled to end within the week in preparation for registration. Inoichi had promised Shiina and Mumei that their daughters were to be good friends should they ever meet, and he was not the kind of man who went back on his word.
"Hey, Petals?" Inoichi called on Ino, who was busy dusting the rest of the shop, applying finishing touches to their cleaning.
"What is it, Tou-san?" Ino answered, busying herself with the dusting.
"There's one thing you should know before you beginning your Academy training."
"Oh boy!" Ino yelped in excitement. "I totally can't wait to join the Academy! Me and Sakura talk about it all the time!"
"Yes Petals, I was as excited about it as you were when I was your age. But this isn't about the Academy per se."
"What do you mean Tou-san?" Ino asked in confusion.
"It's about meeting new friends. You remember what I told you about violets, right?"
Ino sighed. "Violets are symbols of candid love. I should cherish the bonds that I make with the people around me and I should always think of my closest friends. Ugh Tou-san, you have this drilled into my brain!"
"Hahaha! That I did, Petals." Inoichi confirmed with a laugh. "You should value your closest relationships. I mean, look at me, Chōza-jii, and Shikaku-jii!"
"You mean how you guys just drink and gamble every Friday night?"
"For 25 years!" Inoichi exclaimed with pride. "Never had any issues with that."
"And…?"
"Oh, um…yes. Getting back to what I was saying. So, you see…there's going to be this girl that will be in the same year as you. Her name is Fujibayashi Suzu."
"Ooooh! What's she's like?" Ino asked with interest.
"Well…" Inoichi muttered, trying to remember what she looked like. The last time he saw her was when he left a bouquet of flowers for her in the hospital. They were his form of apology for having to block 6 years of her life from her memories. Inoichi very often thought about that deed, and he always wondered if there were any other alternatives to that punishment. He felt that it was wrong to deprive an already asocial child from all of the fond memories of her childhood, but orders were orders, and Hokage-sama seemed adamant about its effectiveness.
Following the hospital visit, he only received updates on Suzu's situation from the Hokage whenever he brought it up. He never visited Suzu during her stay at Komatsuzaki Homes, which he regretted but could not help, considering his already hectic work schedule. Upon hearing news of Suzu's deeds, and the Hokage's response, he was not given an opportunity to reevaluate her psychological profile. Gradually, Suzu became an afterthought while he focused on raising his own daughter to meet and exceed his standards. Although Shiina and Mumei were gone from this world, he still took his bet seriously. Ino would become a better kunoichi than Suzu was.
"Suzu has long, sepia-colored hair that matches strikingly with her eyes." Inoichi began to describe. "She always keeps her hair in a ponytail, and her bang extends over her left eye. She loves the color red and wears it as her pseudo-motif, kind of like her mother once did…"
"Tou-san?" Ino asked with a concern tone.
"Sorry, just…just remembering an old friend. Anyways, she's a very quiet girl, doesn't enjoy spending a lot of time with other kids and is not very conversational. But she is also very active and adventurous. She is the kind of girl who would bravely step forward if asked to leap across a ravine. She really enjoys kenjutsu, so she often walks around with a bokken that her mother…her mother…"
"Tou-san, are you sure you are okay?"
"I'm…I'm…look," Inoichi said trying to change the topic from the exceedingly depressing memories that were grasping his thoughts. "Suzu, despite appearances, is actually a very lonely and fragile young girl. She would really appreciate it if you guys could become friends."
"You mean like me and Sakura?"
"Yeah, exactly!"
"Yeah, totally! Yeah, we could become friends! Me and her and Sakura could be like, best friends! Even better friends than your dorky pals that come over!"
"Yeah!" Inoichi said. "Wait a…they aren't exactly that dorky…Are they?"
Inoichi and Ino shared one great laugh, recollecting all of the silly things the trio went through during their times together. All in the meanwhile Inoichi was thinking about how proud he was of his daughter. If there was anyone that could break that façade that Suzu had raised, it was his daughter. Inoichi looked forward to the coming school registration, and he wondered how bright Suzu's future was going to be.
The Academy, Konohagakure no Sato (0945 hours March 24, 8 AK)
Suzu had waited 6 months for this one day.
The day her confinement would end, and she would be allowed to sprout her wings in freedom.
Today was the start of registrations for the Academy. Registration lasted all week to compensate for the various working families applying for entry, and classes began one week following the first day of registration. Eager to begin her shinobi training, she requested to be allowed to register on the very first day. Weasel brought the appeal to the Hokage, who accepted almost immediately. She was brought to the Academy promptly, under the watchful eyes of Weasel, and prepared to register for classes.
Suzu was rather nervous for this occasion. She did not know what to expect when it concerned the Academy curriculum. Naruto had described what classes were like in the Academy, so she had a vague sense of what's to come. She knew that they taught basic and advanced mathematics, as well as history and science. Essential knowledge one would need in order to function adequately as a shinobi. Classes on subjects such as literature and the arts were unnecessary, considered civilian luxuries, and frowned upon by the Academy. Instead, cryptanalysis and other topics based on cryptography were provided as alternatives, a means to enhance one's own critical analysis skills.
She had no idea what the more physical arts would be based on. Naruto never personally practiced taijutsu or ninjutsu in her presence, preferring to spend their time hanging out, having fun, and pulling pranks. But he always grieved over the difficulty behind ninjutsu. He always complained about how he did not seem to have a knack for ninjutsu. He did not even want to begin on his subpar abilities with genjutsu.
Suzu looked forward to learning some ninjutsu. She really wanted to learn how to mold chakra efficiently and use that chakra to conjure superhuman techniques, or jutsu. During her stay in the orphanage, she was fascinated by the concepts governing chakra theory, and she would read books upon books detailing the significance of hand seal regarding the alteration of the flow of chakra in the coils, and other interesting topics of that sort.
Unfortunately, following her isolation, she was unable to catch up on her reading, and gradually rusted her memories of chakra theory. If there was anything else to hate about her confinement, it was that she was denied ample opportunities to read and expand her knowledge base.
Indeed, she had many opportunities to practice her kenjutsu and her taijutsu. But Suzu felt that she would still be entering the Academy under a handicap. It unnerved her a bit, but happier thoughts about her reunion with Naruto kept her resolve strong and burning bright. So she took all of her doubts and stored them deep within her mind.
As she walked with Weasel, she noticed inquisitive stares from parents and children also desiring to register. She disregarded it as mere curiosity over her ANBU escort, but she began to hear the gossip that was steadily flowing around the group.
"Oh it's that girl…"
"…You mean she poked out that poor boy's eye?"
"I wonder why the Hokage would allow a psychopath to walk freely around our village."
"I heard she killed somebody…hearing voices and the like."
"Kaa-chan, who's the weirdo walking with ANBU-san?"
The rumors and gossip spread silently all around her, but she learned to ignore the glares and the misinformation. She would not be this tough if she allowed such petty actions to influence her. It was a daily occurrence in the orphanage, so she was used to the stigma forced upon her by her peers and adults.
Weasel also took a mental note of all the gossip, keeping track on those that disclosed classified information pertaining Suzu's detainment. He will go and notify the Hokage following this registration as a means to control the apparent leak.
They travelled to the highest tower in the Academy, where all of the administrative work was being done. The Academy had a Grandmaster that acted as a liaison to the Hokage, who was the true chair behind the Academy's activities. In essence, many of the important decisions that revolved around the Academy was made by the Grandmaster, but issues regarding the curriculum, budget, and maintenance of the Academy were handled by the Hokage. It was a fair separation of power, considering that the Hokage also had the important task of running the village, allowing the Academy to function efficiently and unperturbed.
In the top floor, there was a large oval conference room that looked remarkably similar to the Hokage's office. It was built comparable in design to the office to prepare students for their eventual acceptance of missions. The anxiety of receiving your first mission, ironically, is what causes many genin to back out of their career, so easing them of their fears during the Academy has made a tremendous improvement on overall morale.
Upon entering the room, Weasel had disappeared from sight. Suzu was used to his unexpected departures, but she tormented herself every single time that she did not anticipate it. He would leave her just as quietly as he would enter her life.
At the very back of the room was a table in a half-circle. Its occupants featured two unknown faces and the Hokage. There was a man with a massive scar on his face that crossed the bridge of his nose. He had light brown skin and kept his hair in a ponytail that defied gravity, like a bushy pineapple. The other was a rather attractive woman in her late 30s with short amethyst-colored hair and matching, gentle eyes. The Hokage was as he usually appeared, with the exception of his Kage hat that he usually does not wear unless it was important occasions.
"Ah, Suzu-chan, it is wonderful to see you again!" Hiruzen opened up with glee at seeing the young girl after several months. "I hope your stay at the cabin was not too terribly uncomfortable."
"It was…quite pleasant, Hokage-sama." Suzu said with a formal tone lacking the same vibrant emotion as Hiruzen's. It was rather cold and detached, and Hiruzen was aware of the shift in atmosphere. "Cat, Dog, and Weasel made the experience worthwhile."
"Well…good to know that you've gained something from the…tribulations, as I may call them." Hiruzen retorted. He was honestly taken aback by Suzu's shift in demeanor. He expected as much, but it still affected him greatly. He missed the good old days, when she would affectionately refer to him as "Jiji-chan." Those nicknames always brought a smile on his face.
Suzu did not say anything afterwards. She remained silent, wishing that the registration would proceed onwards. She did not know how long she could remain in that room with…that man…after all the things he had put her through.
"…In any case, let's get started on the registration. This shan't last long." Hiruzen continued. "I will be introducing the people around the table. They are very important people that you will come across time and again throughout your education at the Academy. You already know me, but I am Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage of the fine village of Konoha. The lady to my left is Eine Katarina, the Grandmaster of the Academy."
A bow from Katarina. "It's wonderful to meet you, Fujibayashi-chan. Please refer to me as Eine-sensei or Kōchō-sensei whenever we come across with each other."
"Katarina-san is in charge of the entire school. She will be the one who issues your trimester progress reports, as well as the person in charge of the behavioral committee." Hiruzen explained.
"You seem to be a well-behaved young lady, Fujibayashi-chan." Katarina said. "I would rather hope not to see your name when the disciplinarian review comes through. That would certainly make your time at the Academy most…troubling."
She had a sick smile on her face as she explained her expectations. Maybe it was a sort of fear tactic used to get kids to follow the rules, but Suzu paid no mind to the eeriness behind the act. She continued to absorb whatever information Katarina had to offer.
"Moving on to our next person," Hiruzen said, continuing on with the schedule of events for the day. "To my right is Umino Iruka, the head instructor for the Academy."
"Yo!" Iruka called out in the most informal, nonchalant manner he could.
"Y…Yo…?" Suzu hesitantly repeated, repeating the same hand gesture as Iruka did. The three adults sitting at the table chuckled shortly, amused by the break in stiff demeanor by Iruka's sudden and welcoming greeting.
"Hahaha, that was pretty good, Fujibayashi-chan! May I call you Suzu-chan?" Iruka asked.
"U…un…" Suzu replied. She was not expecting Iruka to be this blunt in his greeting. He instantly warmed up to the distant girl with a mere "Yo."
"Thank you very much!" Iruka said. "Likewise, you could call me Umino-sensei, or Iruka-sensei if you really want to. I wouldn't mind."
"U…un…" Suzu replied, still unsure on how she should have handled this.
"Iruka-san is the primary instructor for the majority of all the classes throughout each grade level of the Academy. He is also in charge of coordinating your Academic schedule, as well as the head of the Teacher's Association within the Academy. You'll see him very often during your day, so please try to be nice to him."
"It will be an honor to work with you, Suzu-chan." Iruka said, following up with a bow.
"Now then, if you have any question, please ask them now before we can commence with the registration." Hiruzen concluded.
"A…a…ano…when will I meet Naruto-kun?"
The three heads looked at each other in discussing who would answer that question. With a simultaneous nod, it was decided that Katarina should answer Suzu.
"Are you referring to Uzumaki Naruto-san, Fujibayashi-chan?"
"Un."
"Ah." Katarina mumbled. "Because you two are of different grade levels, and to maintain the level of consistency that we exemplify based on our mission statement, we prohibit the interaction between sempai and kohai on a class-by-class basis."
"Pardon?" Suzu said, not entirely sure what Katarina meant by that.
"What she said, Suzu-chan, is that you and Naruto are in different classes. You guys cannot see each other in fear of interruption of your learning."
"But that's not fair!" Suzu shouted. "I want to see Naruto-kun! How come he gets to fight Neji-teme then if they are in different grade levels?"
Katarina laughed lightly from that statement. "Goodness, I see Uzumaki-san in my office almost every week because of that issue. If it's not his fights with Hyūga-san, it's his silly pranks."
"Don't remind me…" Iruka grunted, painfully remembering the glue-and-feathers trick he fell for. To this day, he wonders just how Naruto got his hands on that large amount of feathers.
"Just because you do not see each other in classes, does not mean that you cannot see each other during breaks or intermissions." Katarina elaborated. "I'm certain that you and Uzumaki-san will pass each other by while walking around the halls or something to that extent."
"I promise you that and Naruto will meet again very soon." Hiruzen reassured with a warm smile.
"Do not promise me anything, Hokage-sama." Suzu responded coldly, chilling the atmosphere in the room. Hiruzen sighed to himself. Getting Suzu to trust him again was going to be more tedious than he originally thought.
Following initial introductions, Suzu was made to sign important documents pertaining to her education at the Academy, including a "denial of liability" form that prevents the Academy and Konoha from taking blame in the unlikely occurrence of severe injury and death. After all the essential documents were signed, Suzu was escorted to the medical facilities of the Academy, where she took her vital information. Her height (114 cm) and weight (24 kg) were measured and recorded, and they took samples of her blood (B-) to end the registration. Once they were satisfied with all the information they had received from Suzu, they sent her on her way to enjoy the rest of her day in peace.
All of the tests conducted on her made her both very anxious and excited for classes to begin. It was as if the tests confirmed the fact that she was going to be an Academy student, and she couldn't contain all of her tension. On her way to the exit, she did not notice the young boy with the eye-patch covering his right eye. Nor did she hear his hear his toxic declaration of his desires.
"I'm fuckin' gunn kill you…"
Mentioned Measurements
114 cm – 3 ft 8 in
24 kg – 53 lbs
Hey Y'all!
Now is the official beginning of the Academy Arc. Many things are going to happen to our central characters, as this is the time in their lives where their personalities truly solidify. What exactly are each character's personalities, you may ask? Well, you are just gonna have to find out!
As for the person introduced at the end of this chapter, its another OC. I am going to try to limit the amount of OCs in this serious, as I myself do not like OCs unless they are well written, but OCs in a fan fiction seem like an inevitability, doesn't it?
Another OC introduced in this chapter is Eine Katarina. Now, before you say anything, she is not related or inspired by the character Katarina from the League of Legends franchise (although I do enjoy that game). Rather, she was heavily inspired by the character Katarina from the Fire Emblem series. Katarina is one of my favorite characters in that series, up there with Mist and others, so of course I had to give her a cameo. She will not be like Katarina from Fire Emblem, although her surname is Katarina's actual name in the game she originated from. She will also be a minor character, used to give the Academy more depth than it already has. Whether or not she will play a more pivotal role later in the story has yet to be determined, but she is definitely here to stay (for now).
I'm really enjoying the filler arc so far in the Naruto anime. There is a lot of material in these filler arcs that I can use in my fan fiction. So I'm gonna make use of it.
While we are discussing canon and filler, let me just take a second to discuss the Hyūga Main ine and Branch Line. After months of careful consideration, I have come to the logical conclusion that Hiashi's family is not the only family in the Main Line. And, from reading articles in the Narutopedia, I have also determined that branding members of the main line with the Caged Bird Seal is also out of the question. How else would the main line persevere if a limited amount of kids eventually grow up and reproduce to ever dwindling offspring? Of course, Hanabi would not be the heiress, as she was born after Hinata, but that does not mean she will be branded with the Seal at three years of age.
That being said, however, I will continue to use the model of the Main Line being susceptible to the Caged Bird Seal for this story. On subsequent stories henceforth, however, I will abandon that model for a more accurate and acceptible explanation for the Hyūga Clan separation. Hopefully this is satisfactory for you guys.
Update on story stats: 34 Reviews, 29 Favorites, 43 Followers, 1 Communities, and 3,924Hits. My goal is to break 4,000 hits, 30 Favorites, and 45 Followers by the end of April. I know its a stretch, but I believe you guys can help me achieve it.
Until next week, I'm out.
Arcs So Far
Introductory Arc: Chapter 1-10
Academy Arc: Chapter 11-ongoing (thus far)
-Blackrazgriz 4/29/2014 10:57PM EST
NOTE (4/30/2014 10:39AM EST): Added more information to the Author's Note.