I apologize for the lack of updating, but I had a bone test in anatomy, and then a test in my math class, and then a test in my English class, and I was just fucked all the way around. So, to make up for it, I tried to make this chapter longer than the others and more interesting. I threw in a new character because I didn't know what else to do, and he also pops up way later on in the story. I'm actually not entirely sure if I want him to be good or bad yet. I guess it remains to be seen. *shrugs* Enjoy!

And now it's your chance
To move on, change the way you've lived for so long,
Find the strength you've had inside all along

-Three Days Grace, Life Starts Now

There were times she wanted to believe that her situation was impossible. There were times she wanted to believe that it was one of those dreams Shisui had once told her about, the ones where you could actually believe everything was okay. A part of her, even if it was just a small part, wanted to pretend that it was exactly like one of those dreams she'd never actually had. She could smile and laugh and pretend she understood the very things she could not believe she ever would. Like the love Shisui had for his village. It was actually the one thing she could never understand. It was the one thing she could not bring herself to pretend to do.

To love something, one first has to experience being loved. That was something Naoko had not felt before. She had known hatred and anger; sadness and pain; profound knowledge and complete ignorance; and maybe, just maybe, a little bit of happiness along the way. Long before she had found herself on the outskirts of Konoha these feelings would have been a bad thing; a curse. It would have been the cause for imperfection. She would have scorned herself for the things she felt and locked herself away. She would bring herself back to the darkness, recollect herself, and leave again as nothing. As everything they would say.

Perfection.

"So you have to have an opinion by now," Shisui said suddenly, leaning across the table and wagging his eyebrows conspiratorially. "I know you do. How long have you been living here? Two months? Probably closer to three. Well, anyway, how do you like the village so far?"

Naoko did not look up from the book she had stopped reading over half an hour ago. "I still do not have an opinion. I would rather remain indifferent for the time being." She tapped her tongue with her index finger and turned the page, her expression dull.

"Oh, come on!" Shisui groaned as he fell back into his chair. "You know you're enjoying yourself at least a little bit. You're lying if you say you aren't."

She sighed. "I am not going to argue. I have already told you once." She glanced at him, but he was glaring at the table, tapping his fingers impatiently. He looked like a little kid waiting for his mother to stop nagging him. "And I won't tell you again."

"I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times." He sighed. "Are you even reading? You don't look like you're reading. If you're bored, we could go find something to do; it's still early."

"Shisui, no." Naoko snapped her book shut and tucked it under her arm as she stood. "Besides, we do not have time for that. We should leave within the next five minutes."

He frowned, glancing up at the clock that sat on the wall across from him. "Five minutes? If we leave so soon you'll be early. Do you want to be called a nerd so early in the school year?"

"No, I simply do not want to be last. If I am the first there, I can avoid unnecessary attention. My punctuality is tactful." Naoko walked to the door and sat down to pull on her shoes. The ones she wore now were a pair of black ninja sandals Shisui had bought for her without her knowledge, and the shoes she'd had before had been a pair of worn out canvas sneakers.

In a way, she wished he had not gone to the trouble, but she did appreciate it. He had insisted she didn't thank him at all, saying that it wasn't like he'd gone out of his way or anything and that she'd really needed them, but she had not been able to thank him enough.

"You're gonna get made fun of," Shisui said as he walked up behind her, his socked feet barely making a sound. "I'm just trying to help you out."

"If we do what you say, I will be late." She snapped, slamming her feet against the ground as she stood. She turned to face him. "I am going to do this my way. You will simply follow. Understood?"

"Meow~!" Shisui pawed at her, grinning as he stepped into his shoes. "Someone is a little tense."

She ignored him and opened the door, pulling her key out of her pocket as she went. Shisui followed close behind her, muttering under his breath about things Naoko didn't care to listen to. The only thing she was worried about was the fact that today was going to be her first day at school. It wasn't just a new school (Shisui had explained that concept to her.) It was her first day at a school. Period. She would never admit it to Shisui, though he already knew, but she was scared.

No, not just scared, but terrified. It was one thing to fight people she didn't know. She was on the battlefield; she didn't care nor did it matter who she hit. It was another thing to face people she had never seen before and not be allowed to fight. She would have to be nice.

"You're thinking about something." Shisui said conversationally. "And I think I know what it is."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "You obviously think way too much. You should relax sometimes. That usually makes things easier."

Naoko shook her head. "It does not matter."

"It kind of does," he said, "but whatever suits you." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Do you think you'll do good in school?"

She nodded. "Academically speaking, I am sure. Socially, I am not quite as sure."

Shisui laughed. "It's because you talk like you're a thousand years old! You should talk normal. Talk like me."

"How do I talk like you?"

"I don't know, just repeat whatever I say." He said, looking at her expectantly.

"Am I supposed to repeat that, too?"

"Yes!" He sighed. "I did say everything!"

"Yes! I did say everything!"

Shisui laughed. "Yeah, like that. But it doesn't suit you." He nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Just keep talking all smart-like. You'll attract smart people, which is good. You don't want a bunch of idiots dragging you down."

Naoko frowned. "Dragging me down?" She thought about that for a moment. "Do you mean hurting me?"

"I guess so. It depends on what you're talking about." He shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "If you're surrounded by idiots, then you'll have to pick up the slack. The Academy students work in teams. You'll have two other people with you whenever you go outside for training or something."

Naoko nodded. "And I want to attract smart people so I can be the best."

"Exactly!" Shisui grinned and nodded. "You want to be the best of your class. At the very top. Since no one else will be really making sure you're doing your best, I'll do it. Don't think I'll go easy on you."

Shisui stopped walking suddenly and ducked into a mock fighting position, jumping around and thrusting his fists forward rapidly. "We can train everyday, and I can even help you with your homework, but don't count on me for the math. I can do it, I just don't like it." He returned to normal and patted Naoko on the head. "You're on your own with that one, kiddo."

"Don't call me that," she muttered, slapping his hand away. She walked around him and continued walking in silence, her eyes staying glued to her feet. How much further away were they from the school? Twenty feet? One hundred feet? With every step she took she could feel herself getting more nervous.

"If you don't stop walking you'll hit the wall." Shisui said. Naoko looked up and quickly stopped walking, shocked.

And then she felt sick. "Okay, time to leave."

"Oh, no you don't!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. "Where's all your bravado from the other day, huh?"

"It never existed in the first place." She said, her eyes shifting from the school, to Shisui, and back to the school. "I am sure you know what acting is."

"Duh." He rolled his eyes. "Why don't you just keep acting? They'll eat you alive if you let them."

"You said they were just kids!"

"You're a kid too, kiddo!" Shisui laughed. "They're not afraid of someone so small."

"I cannot do this."

"Sure you can. Take deep breaths, ignore the loud-mouthed idiots, and sit with smart people." He nodded to himself. "That's what I did. You'll be just fine."

"Did you have problems in school?" She asked hesitantly.

"Of course not. I was freakishly tall then and alarmingly adorable. Of course I did get into a lot of trouble for fighting. But that's beside the point. The point is that you just need to worry about yourself. Don't worry about all of the other kids. Let them do the worrying."

"I am going to blame you if something goes wrong." She said, turning away from him. "And I am going to hit you."

"I'll let you beat me to a pulp." He said with a grin. "Only because one, I know you won't be able to lay a finger on me, and two, because nothing is going to go wrong. Go get 'em, kiddo!"

"I told you not to call me that." She snapped, then took a few steps towards the school. Then a few more until she was walking at a slow, even pace. Her heart was beating in double-time, almost tripping over itself because she was so nervous. There was no reason why she needed to be nervous; it was a brand new year. More than likely, no one would recognize her as a new student. She had been walking around the village for a long time now, so maybe everyone would recognize her. Maybe she wouldn't get asked a ton of questions about where she came from.

But that was just wishful thinking on her part.

When she reached her classroom, it was almost completely empty. A few students were already sitting in their desired seats and talking quietly amongst themselves. They looked up to see who she was, then after a few seconds of staring, returned to their conversations. Naoko, with her eyes to the ground, quickly walked up the steps to the seats in the very back of the classroom. When she sat down, she took deep breaths and felt herself calm down a little bit. So far, so good.

"You're in my seat."

I spoke too soon.

"I am sorry. I did not know." Naoko stood, but was pushed back down by a boy. She looked up, alarmed, but he was grinning. White hair hung low and sat on long white eyelashes. His skin was tanned from what had probably been years of exposure to the sun, and his eyes were a quiet color of blue.

"Don't worry about it," he laughed, taking his hand off of her shoulder. He sat down in the seat beside her. "It actually isn't my seat. I saw you sitting up here by yourself when I walked in and thought I would come up here and introduce myself."

"That was nice of you." She frowned. "Though you should not have gone to the trouble."

"It's no trouble." He said. "My name is Akihiro by the way. Kobayashi Akihiro."

"I am called Naoko." She said.

"You don't have a last name?" He asked, honestly curious.

She shrugged, thinking. "Are last names important?"

"They can be." He nodded, frowning. "It tells people what clan you're from and things like that."

She tapped her chin, thinking about the last names she had heard around the village. If she wanted to make people think that she was from their village, or at least make them think that she had been here for a while, she would need a similar last name to the ones she had heard. She glanced at Akihiro and said, "Uchiha."

He blanched. "You're an Uchiha?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No, of course not." He laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "I just didn't think you were from that clan. I guess it makes sense; you sound like them. I just didn't know because of your hair and your eyes. They always have dark hair and eyes, but you- well, you're-"

"Glowing?" She frowned and held up some of her hair so she could examine it. "I was told that my hair is radioactive."

"Well, whoever told you that was right," Akihiro laughed again. "Well, it was nice to meet you Uchiha Naoko. We should hang out sometime, just you and me. We could just walk around the village or we could get something to eat."

She smiled hesitantly. "Okay." Then she frowned. "I will have to ask Shisui first."

"Is that your cousin or something?" Akihiro rested his chin in his hand, watching her curiously.

Naoko shook her head. "He looks after me."

He sat up quickly. "Do you have parents?"

"I do not," she said slowly, looking away. "Or, I am unsure. I suppose I do. Shisui tells me that you have to have a mother and a father, because that is how you are born, but I have never seen either of them." She reached up for her hair and mindlessly twisted it around her hand as she got lost in her thoughts. "Are they important to have?"

"Very important," Akihiro nodded, sitting up straighter now. "Your mom is supposed to be there to… to feed you and make you feel better when you're upset. And your dad is there to make you strong and keep you on the right path. They're the coolest people you'll ever know, but I always hear some people saying they hate their parents. They would probably think you're the luckiest girl in the world."

"I think I understand." She said quietly. Akihiro sat in an awkward silence, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't he sighed and stretched his arms above his head. When she didn't react, he began tapping his fingers on the desk in front of him. Glancing at her out of the corners of his eyes, he realized she was still thinking about something. He grimaced and looked forward again.

"Akihiro-san," she said suddenly. "Do you have a mother and father?"

"Of course," he scoffed. "My dad is one of the best shinobi in the village, and my mother works in a tea shop. My dad is the best. He trains me every chance he gets. Say, Naoko, does this Shisui guy train you?"

"He has not trained me in the way you mean," she said, "but he teaches me things I do not understand."

"Really?" He turned his whole body around so he could face her. "Like what does he teach you? I bet I could teach it better."

She hesitated. "He teaches me personal things. You know," she gestured with her hands in a way that made her look like she was trying to grab the word she was looking for out of mid-air. "Things like family and what it is. He teaches me things about the village," she reached up and touched the side of her head. "And how to be normal around other people."

"Normal?"

"Yes!" She smiled at the memory. "Shisui tells me that I do not talk like everyone else, so I sound weird and too old. He tried to teach me to talk like him, but he told me it did not suit me. I suppose I am not good at being normal, but I think that he thinks that that is best. He did not try anything else, but I thought it was…" she struggled for the word again. "Fun."

Akihiro laughed. "You're weird, but it's cool."

"Good morning, class!"

Naoko quickly turned her head to look at a woman with brown hair pulled back into a tight bun. She had dark brown eyes and wore a bright smile. She had her hands on her hips, and sitting on the desk behind her was a rather large stack of papers. By that point the class had filled up with kids Naoko had never seen before.

"My name is Mori Hana, but of course you may only call me Mori-sensei." She smiled brilliantly. "I think we'll start the day with introductions and see what we can get done after that. We have a busy year ahead of us. Remember this: you'll be Genin soon!"

The class cheered, but Naoko did not. She look around confused. Akihiro sat beside her with a huge grin on his face. She turned back to Mori-sensei.

"You," Mori-sensei gestured to Naoko. "You can be the first to introduce yourself. To make it fun I'll choose at random."

Akihiro grinned at Naoko, unaware of the fact that her heart was pounding in her chest. She stood and walked towards the front of the classroom where Mori-sensei gave her an encouraging smile and gestured for her to begin. Naoko turned and faced the class, looking at every student, wondering how they could all be so different and still look the same. They were staring at her, obviously bored, waiting for the introductions to be over. Her eyes fell on Akihiro who nodded his encouragement. She sighed and clasped her hands together tightly.

"I am called Uchiha Naoko," she said, keeping her eyes on Akihiro. A few girls sat up a little straighter and glanced at each other, their eyes conveying their disbelief. The guys smirked at each other. "And…" she frowned, looking down at the ground, grasping desperately for something else she could say about herself.

"Where are you from?"

Naoko look up alarmed. A tall girl with pretty blonde hair had rose to her feet. Her palms were pressed against her desk and there was a mean smirk on her face.

"Where are you from, Naoko?" She asked again. "I've only seen you a few times, so I know you haven't been in this village for very long. Who are your parents? Are you really an Uchiha? You don't look like one. I think you're lying."

"I…" Naoko grimaced. "I live here. I do not wish to speak of my past. My lineage does not happen to be any of your business." Naoko's hands held each other tighter as her agitation with the girl grew. "If you would like to prove me wrong, then by all means, do." She took a deep breath and turned away from the blonde haired girl. "I like the sun," she said. "I like to be outside when it is warm."

Naoko turned to look at the teacher, who smiled and nodded. "Very good, Naoko. You can go sit down now, if you're done."

She nodded once and hurried up to her seat. Once Naoko was seated, she rested her head on her arms and glared at the surface of her desk. Akihiro nudged her with his elbow. She peeked over her arm to see him grinning.

"That girl down there, her name is Tsubame." Akihiro whispered. "She was in my class last year. She's really smart and comes from a wealthy family, and she can be really mean. What you said to her was awesome. I never would have been able to say something like that."

Naoko shrugged. "I felt angry that she would try to…" she struggled again for the words. She sat up and crossed her arms. "I do not know exactly. But I felt angry, and I retaliated. Is that a bad thing?"

"No, not at all," Akihiro grinned. "If someone is mean to you, you're allowed to be mean back!"

Naoko nodded. "I am allowed to defend myself. I do not have to be nice."

"Exactly."