A/N: And thank you yet again to Veve and elvesdragon for reviewing the last chapter of this. It makes my day to hear your encouragement. I'm going to switch styles for the next two chapters, doing one or two brief scenes per 'month'. I'm guessing you all know where this is going by now. Only three or four more chapters, guys. I hope you enjoy. R&R please.
And I still don't own Naruto.
Kiri – 11 months ago
"Mmhm, I see. You think that would really work?" Asked one voice. "Well, we'd need to alter it a little – remember, we're dealing with the inexperienced. But…" A third voice interrupted. "We could make it work." Kiri idly kicked her feet, her chin resting on her folded arms as she listened to her brother and her uncles as they got into yet another intent discussion.
Chizuru – 10 months ago
"Hey, Kyo. What about this? Do you think that one would apply?" The boy pulled the book closer to himself and carefully studied the paragraph Midori had pointed out. "Hm, it might… Let's flag it." The brunet nodded, adding a sticky note to the page and jotting down the paragraph number. The pair then bent their heads back over their respective books, dropping back into silence until the black-haired boy with the cast on his leg called the brunet's attention to his own book. Chizuru smiled to herself, quietly replacing the book in her hands on its shelf. She was careful not to disturb the pair as they studiously jotted down notes and quietly discussed points. Working at the Konoha Public Library, she was more accustomed to children being too rowdy and needing to be quieted over and over again. But these two boys, while intense, were tucked back at a corner table and were being unusually respectful of the quiet atmosphere. 'It's nice to see children so involved in their books' the librarian thought. 'Especially books that are apparently for school. Though I wonder, who would assign children to research Konohan law?'
Midori – 9 months ago
"Alright" the brunet declared. "Everything looks good to me. We've got everything filled out, so… all we have to do now is submit it." A skeptical Reiji spoke up. "And you don't think that they'll find this odd?" Midori gave a rare smirk. "No, Rei-kun, they won't. One of my guardians used to take me to the office some days when he couldn't find a babysitter. I remember asking him, and he told me that desk workers first look at the envelope. If it's not from someone from a ninja clan, an important civilian or a business, then they pretty much just toss it in the in-box and look at it when they get around to it. And that could take anywhere from three to seven months normally." Kyo smirked right along with him. "And with what we've started, it's going to take a lot longer than that."
-Fuuya-
"Someone, please… kill me now!" Fuuya groaned. His partner, Yuugo looked over at him, face paling. "Oh please, Fuu, tell me that's not what I think it is?!" The older man only hung his head. "I wish I could. I really wish I could." The pair looked at the stack of forms with dread. "More? …Okay, I know that Konoha has forms for reporting damage to buildings from accidents or Academy trainees." Yuugo complained. "And I know that there are forms for noise level complaints, and forms for damaged goods dropped because ninjas popped up or ran into someone, and forms for just about anything that reckless ninjas do, but…" "But since when does anyone actually use them?" his partner finished mournfully. "Good God, Yuug. In the last two months, we've had so many that we've had to open up a new storage room just to hold them all! We haven't gotten through the stuff we had from five months ago, and now all this just keeps pouring in!" Fuuya might have worked himself into a full rant, but at just that moment the bell jingled, signaling that someone had just opened the door. A little boy of about seven years old peeked hesitantly around the corner. "Um, excuse me" the child called. "Is this the Claims and Reports office?" Yuugo gave the boy a warm, if tired smile. "Yes, it is. What can we help you with, son?" The boy smiled shyly, stepping up and putting a stack of paper on the counter. "Um, I'm supposed to give you this." The clerks were too busy staring in despair at yet another complaint form to notice the satisfied grin on the child's face as he nearly skipped out of the office.
Genma – 8 months ago
He was SO bored. Just because of a few broken ribs, he was stuck with mission room and gatekeeper duties. Today was gate keeping day, so he dutifully watched the crowds of people going in and out of Konoha for anyone who seemed suspicious. So far, there had been no one. Absolutely nothing interesting had happened all week, and Shiranui Genma was bored out of his mind. This was not how he wanted to spend a Saturday. He idly glanced up as laughter and cheery calls of "watch out, coming through!" echoed through the crowd. Just before Genma decided to stand up, the crowd parted to reveal a group of young boys, probably between eight and twelve years old, toting lumber and pails of various construction supplies. His lips twitched as the five boys headed towards his gate, still calling out warnings and apologies as they came. He stood, stepping out from behind his booth to stand in the boy's path. "And where are you guys going?" he asked lightly. "Off to build…?" "It's a secret!" one child chirped. "A place just for us." another said. Genma really did smile now. "A clubhouse, huh?" The Jounin laughed out loud. "I remember making those. Alright, boys. Just be back by dark, okay?" He stepped aside, shaking his head in fond recollection as the boys maneuvered themselves out of the gate. A few hours later, he sighed and waved on yet another small group of children, this group being little girls carrying a picnic basket. 'Damn,' he thought idly. 'What is with all of the kids going out today?'
Noriko – 7 months ago
She smiled as she watched her son look carefully through the shop windows. 'It's really been too long since I was home last' Noriko thought sadly. 'He's grown so much.' It had been nearly two months since she had been gone, and her little boy was even bigger than when she had left. As always, the day after she had returned she took the nine year old shopping and bought him something that he wanted. 'Akihito has always been so easily pleased.' When her little boy stepped up to her, a serious expression on his face and his left foot kicking at the ground, she felt a brief flicker of unease. "What's wrong, Aki?" she questioned. "Mother," he replied "can I…" She tilted her head slightly, nodding for him to continue. "There isn't anything here I want. May I have the money that we would have spent instead?" She blinked, at a loss for words for one of the few times since her Chunin exam. "Well, okay… um, I guess." As her son gave her a strangely reserved smile, she felt that unease flicker again. But this was her son, so she shrugged it off. 'Maybe… he's grown up more than I thought…?'
Karas
A quick knock on the door, and he called out for another to enter. Small, quick footsteps echoed as a small person nearly bounced down the hall. "Karas-san!" a young voice called. "In here" he called back, recognizing the voice. The teenager could practically feel Akihito beam at him. "Guess what, Karas-san?" "What?" he murmured, smiling indulgently. "My mother came back yesterday, and when she took me shopping this morning I convinced her to just give me money instead of buying me something. So here." Karas heard the boy put something down on the table. "I brought everything she gave me. It'll help, right?" Karas grinned at the boy. "Yes, Aki-kun. Everything we collect will help. It was very smart of you to think of that." The two boys shared a conspiratorial grin as Karas gathered up, counted, and put the money in a drawer in the storeroom. Adding to a surprisingly large store of cash and other things.
Shiroji – 6 months ago
As the golden bird circled back around, the trees spun in a dizzying spiral. With the sudden blur of color, a ring of black edged in and a blond boy dropped to his knees. A low, sharp whistle split the air, and a moment later a piercing shriek echoed it. Shiroji stood, a little shaky but with a bright grin. A low, sharp whistle split the air, and a moment later a piercing shriek echoed it. As the boy held up an arm, encased in a thick leather glove nearly to the shoulder, a bright golden mass dropped out of the sky at a near blinding speed. Shiroji settled himself, feet braced wide as with a snap of wings, Talon pulled out of his dive and landed heavily on his arm. The boy grunted, his knees nearly buckling under the sudden weight. Shiroji opened his eyes, wincing slightly at the headache suddenly pounding behind those eyes. But his grin never faltered. He looked into the golden eyes of his partner for an instant before Talon buried his head under the blond's chin. The boy murmured softly to the bird. "You're not like my clan's bugs, but a lot of the same jutsu work. I can't believe that it lets me see through your eyes. I'm so glad brother wanted me to be prepared... at least, back when he still liked me."
Atsuko
The ten year old glanced up, stilling as she listened closely. The sound came again, a muffled thud and a choked gasp. Atsuko pushed herself off of the bench, drawing a deep breath as she forged on ahead. Coming around a street corner, her eyes narrowed as she found exactly what she was expecting. An older girl pushing a younger one around. The bullied girl looked to be about a year younger than Atsuko, with curly brown hair and a small, pale face. The older girl looked about twelve, with the face paint that meant she had been picked out by one of the nin-dog puppies that the clan raised. Atsuko stepped up and quietly asked the girl to stop. The bully smirked at the smaller girl. "And just what are you going to do about it if I don't?" Atsuko just set her jaw, and once again asked politely for the girl to walk away. The little girl, in the meantime, was simply staring at the older two. The bully smirked, reaching out to take a two-handed grip on Atsuko's shirt, lifting the girl to her tiptoes. "I'm warning you" Atsuko nearly growled. The older girl let go with one hand, drawing the other back to throw a punch. Before the bully's hand was pulled even halfway back, Atsuko's hand snapped out, one palm striking the older girl's breastbone and sliding up to catch under the older girl's chin. Hooking fingers into the hollows behind the angle of the other's jaw, she pushed up and in, causing the older girl to choke on her breath. As the other's hands dropped, Atsuko leaned in to snarl in her face. "I said, just go away." The older girl's eyes widened, her face paling as she looked into the fierce green eyes of the younger girl. When Atsuko let go, the older girl stumbled over her own feet as she bolted.
Atsuko turned back to the little girl, smiling at the little one. "Hi, I'm Atsuko. Are you okay?" The brunette nodded, eyes wide in awe as she answered. "I'm Mariko. And yes, I'm okay." The two girls simply stood for a few minutes, the oldest of the pair beginning to feel awkward as the younger stared at her. "Um, is there something else you wanted to say?" she questioned. The younger one bit her lip, fingers nervously twisting in her shirt before she finally blurted it out. "That was awesome! How… what was that? It doesn't look like something the clan teaches – we use punches, not… whatever that was." Atsuko grinned, her eyes lighting up as she got an excuse to talk about her favorite subject. "I didn't learn it from the clan. They're not real willing to teach me anything." Mariko just looked confused. "Then, where…?" Atsuko grinned. "Would you like me to show you?"