Chapter 36 – The First Day
After meeting up at their usual location, the trio made their way to the administration building with about half an hour to spare before the appointed time. When they got down into the main street, which was lined mostly by businesses, the group was greeted with hostile glares and dark grimaces from the townsfolk. Though it was clear they were directed at Naruko, Kiba and Hinata couldn't help but feel equally uncomfortable at the scrutiny of their teammate. The attitude these people had towards her, was that of one towards a criminal who had been tried and convicted, but went unpunished and left free to walk among them. The normal activities of the people often ceased as they were passing by, only to speak in hushed whispers of Naruko. Although she appeared outwardly calm, a feeling of unease was gradually settling into the girl and causing her head to start aching.
The throbbing was incessant like the steady beating of a heart. Ever since their return from the last mission, she had started getting these headaches whenever she was around the villagers. The feeling was similar to when those ninjas had spoken of killing her mother, but this was less prominent. Although she had always felt a certain degree of discomfort when the whispers came to her, they had never affected her like this. And somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard other whispers as well… they were very faint initially and she couldn't make them out at all, but now on the day of the exams the words had become distinct. They belonged to the girl inside of her.
Naruko knew this for certain, as she could not mistake her own voice. But the words sounded wrong to her, they spoke of death and concepts unknown to her like loathing and vengeance. All of which were directed towards those whom she was supposed to protect. The voice was loud and harsh, even commanding at times, and it always felt like spiders were crawling around inside of her head when she heard it. The red haired girl was trying her best to hide this uncomfortable condition, but if things kept going the way they were she might be unable to cope with it without showing any signs. Naruko could tell Hinata was worried about her as usual, but she had no idea what how Kiba was reacting to all of this, since it was the first time he had been around her outside of their missions and meetings. She only hoped he wouldn't do anything rash.
When they neared the large bowl shaped structure, the attitude towards the group changed slightly, where many foreign ninjas were milling about or also heading inside. Most bore curious or amused expressions, though a few openly ridiculed her appearance. Naruko bore it all with a quiet stoicism as she always had and said nothing in return. The dark blue haired girl next to her appeared extremely nervous at all the eyes directed towards them. Although she had experienced such instances in the past with her friend while in school, this show of attention from foreign faces and the hostility from the villagers was something completely new to her. Hinata felt she needed to do something to comfort her friend, however she was scared, not only of what it would mean, but also at being at the center of such intense hatred and ridicule. She didn't even have time to think about what happened last week.
Kiba on the other hand, was becoming more upset by the minute. Though most people merely whispered their thoughts among each other, the boy did manage to catch some of what they said occasionally and was appalled. How could these people say such horrible things about someone like Naruko? Though she had been very distant to him initially, the girl he had come to know was the most polite person he had ever met and among the most kind. He couldn't understand it, were rumors and gossip such powerful things? What reason did they even have for all of this?
After handing their passes in to one of the officials at the door, the group entered the grand hallway of the Administration building. Each side was mostly made up by offices, but there were a few displays tucked away in between them, which depicted some remnants of past technology. Banners also hung down from the ceiling that displayed various ninja codes of conduct and ethical guidelines. Up ahead was a large staircase that was paralleled by two smaller hallways which went to different areas of the complex. A sign pointing up the stairs, indicated where examinees needed to go, though several groups were still standing around chatting. When they were nearing the stairs, Kiba was unable to restrain himself any longer and lashed out at another local team.
"What the hell is your problem huh?-! Saying shit like that about someone you don't even know!" the boy spoke heatedly.
The other boy, apparently the leader of the group was standing out front and dressed in a pale two-piece shaggy ninja outfit. He shouted back with equal fervor, "We can say whatever we want about that freak! The useless blind bitch shouldn't even be here! She's a stain on the Konohagakure name!-!"
Hinata flinched at the insults, like she had been struck in the face. It hurt her immensely to hear people say such things about the gentle girl she had known for so long. Clasping her hands together, she tried to hold back her feelings in light of the situation. It wouldn't do any good to start trouble here, and she knew her friend wouldn't wish for it either.
A sharp pain shot through long haired girl's head, and the voice within spoke to her harshly, 'Kill them! Put these insects in their place then watch how the rest of them cower from you in fear! The fools will never stop unless given reason to!' She tried to suppress the voice as much as possible, but she knew it was right. The only time the whispers ever ceased was when she was at home or away on a mission. Glancing over at the other boy's group, a shadow fell across her face. Nothing had changed from the past… how much longer would things like this go on?
"Why you piece of—!" Kiba growled, but just as he was about to take a step forward, he felt a familiar hand on his arm holding him back and he turned towards her in frustration.
"It's alright Kiba… please don't worry about me," Naruko said softly.
Her calm demeanor caused him to waver a little, but he persisted, "No it's not alright dammit! How can you take all this crap from everyone without saying a word?-!"
All the other groups in the hall were listening in now and watching the exchange with interest. It was clear they were expecting something to happen, for many of them bore eager excited expressions.
"Hah, it seems like she knows her place!" the other boy jeered.
Kiba's jaw clenched tightly, but held back as he waited for her answer.
Holding his arm up, she placed her other hand on top of his and stared at him directly, before replying quietly just loud enough for him alone to hear, "It's what I've been doing my whole life."
Her heavy reply penetrated through the hazy fog of his anger like a cold wind. The boy faltered and looked down, unable to stare at her. Hinata's words from that day outside the fishing house came back to him keenly, 'abused and tormented by most of the villagers', only now did he realize the gravity they held. As he was regaining his composure, Kiba noticed her sleeves had fallen back slightly and he saw the beginnings of some strange marks. Without thinking, he twisted his arm and held hers in return, pulling back her white sleeve. Scars and what appeared to be burn marks, lined Naruko's arm. Feeling his anger swell again, he turned towards Hinata, the girl had a helpless and pained expression on her face. It was clear she knew about these. What the hell is this? Why would anyone have done this to her?
Seeing how close the two of them were being, the other boy's face wrinkled in disgust, "I bet you even like that filthy animal, being a part of that stupid dog loving Clan of yours!"
Akamaru, who was standing defensively next to his master, started growling menacingly at brown haired boy, and Kiba felt emotion boil within him unlike anything he'd ever experienced. Not only had he exposed his feelings for Naruko, but mocked them and his clan at the same time. Releasing the girl's arm, Kiba turned around quickly and went into a low stance in the same motion and lunged at the other kid in a blind rage, roaring wildly in his attack.
The group's leader barely had time to brace himself, in both surprise and fear of the tattooed boy's sudden and crazed attack. However, just before Kiba reached him, he was struck soundly from behind and fell forward limply. Naruko caught him quickly, regret clearly written on her features.
"I am sorry Kiba," she apologized to his unconscious form.
The white dog turned towards her and started whining in a low tone.
"He's just unconscious Akamaru," Naruko replied gently. Turning towards the now frightened boy and his teammates, she spoke in an emotionless voice which came easily to her, "The Exam rules do not allow for unsanctioned fighting, otherwise I would not have stopped him. You should keep in mind that inciting battles is also against the regulations and will get your team disqualified."
The cold manner in which Naruko spoke caused Hinata to shift uncomfortably. It had been quite some time since she last heard her speak like that. The red haired girl glanced at her friend, who now had a vague uncertain expression. She strode up quickly next to her, to support Kiba on their shoulders between the two of them. Most of the onlookers that had been watching were clearly disappointed at the turn of events, the fight had been averted and the chance for further conflict reduced. Several people were clearly surprised by Naruko's actions too, as they indicated not only adherence to the ninja codes, but also a desire to participate in the exam. The speed of her intervention was especially of note, since none of the Genins except Hinata actually saw her move until she appeared next to the boy. The other groups gave Team 8 a wide berth as they passed by carrying Kiba, while heading upstairs.
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"Will he be waking up soon?" Hinata asked quietly, while staring down at their teammate who was sitting against a wall with Akamaru next to him.
"The length of time various between individuals, but it shouldn't be much longer…" Naruko confirmed in a sullen voice.
The three of them were situated just outside the room where all the other Genin were waiting. They still had about fifteen minutes before the start of the exams. It seemed like most, if not all, of the others had already made their way inside and they were alone in the hallway. Noticing the long haired girl's downtrodden expression, Hinata looked around warily before drawing closer to and grabbing her left hand then squeezing it gently. Naruko's faced relaxed and she turned towards the other girl, closing her own fingers lightly over her hand.
"I am sorry," the dark blue haired girl said distraughtly. "I was so scared back there… with all those people, but Kiba he…"
Her friend shook her head in response, before speaking lightly, "I know you wanted to help me and that is enough."
This was one of the few times Hinata wasn't comforted by her words, because she knew inside of her that it wasn't enough. She should have been the one to speak out against that team, like she had done against that purple haired instructor. And what if what the other boy said was true? Did Kiba really like Naruko? She had a hard time thinking otherwise, considering how he reacted when that was spoken of. Looking back over at the boy, she saw Akamaru was licking his face now and causing him to stir. Reluctantly, she tried to release Naruko's hand, but she was held fast.
Gazing curiously over at the other girl, Hinata saw that her attention was drawn elsewhere. She was staring out one of the windows which overlooked the village, with a distant look on her face. What is she thinking about?
A groan escaped Kiba's lips as he reached up and petted his dog while slowly opening his eyes, "Hey boy…"
Turning back towards her friend, Naruko gave her a short but meaningful glance before releasing her hand finally. Walking over, she knelt down to the right of the boy.
Staring at her hand which still contained some warmth, Hinata was lost in thought for a few moments before shifting her eyes towards her the other two.
"About earlier…" Naruko started uneasily.
Now fully awake, Kiba's gaze shifted towards his teammate, she wore the same face from that day when she was nursing him. It was obvious she was the one that had knocked him unconscious. He sighed, "I suppose that was a bit rash of me… but I think you hit the wrong person."
With her ears already drooping, Naruko's body seemed to become even more dejected at the boy's words.
"Kiba-kun, you shouldn't—" Hinata started to protest weakly.
"I was just messin' around…" he interjected mildly, then glanced at the double doors to his left. They had a plaque denoting it was room 301 above them. "We still got time?"
"It hasn't started yet," the dark blue haired girl answered with a touch of irritation.
Turning towards Naruko again, he placed his right hand on her shoulder briefly, then spoke in a friendly tone, "Come on let's get going..."
She stared directly at him and nodded slightly, her face clearly relieved he didn't appear to be angry at her. Standing up, she stuck a hand out to him. Kiba grabbed it, and she helped him to his feet.
Hinata never felt particularly close to the boy, and watching their short exchange she couldn't help but feel troubled. Though Naruko was unable to see it herself, Kiba's eyes spoke volumes each time he looked at her friend.
With that, the group made their way inside the room. There were well over a hundred Genin packed into the auditorium sized rectangular chamber, which was lined with tables and chairs. The majority of them had bored expressions on their faces, but a few wore grim visages that served both to show their determination as well as intimidate some of the others around them. Most paid little heed to Team Kurenai as they entered, but a couple of groups seemed to take in their presence, among them being Team Guy and Team Asuma. The latter of which merely watched them from afar, while the two male members from the other approached them casually. Their blond female member was arguing heatedly with a pink haired girl from Team Kakashi.
"Hey Kiba, finally wake up from your nap?" asked a plump male with brown hair. He was wearing a green vest, a yellow shirt with a circular red symbol in the center, dark grey shorts, a white scarf, and bandages on his arms and legs, along with the typical blue ninja sandals.
"You could say that," the boy replied with a smirk, his mood lightening at the sight of his old friends.
"Like I said Chouji, he wasn't taking nap man, he was unconscious. It wouldn't make any sense for him to sleep in a place like that," a slim boy with sleek black hair tied into a ponytail followed up next to him. His outfit consisted of a small grey vest with olive lining and his clan symbol on the back over a ninja mesh shirt and dark grey pants.
Staring at the top of the plump boy's head, Kiba spoke slyly with a grin, "I see you're still wearing the Konoha girl's underwear on your head Chouji. You really should have a talk with him about that Shikamaru."
The overweight boy's face flushed in embarrassment as he looked at Hinata and Naruko, then protested in a fierce but low voice, "Would quit saying that!"
The boy with a ponytail sighed deeply— he knew this was going to come up again. "It would be better if you just stopped bringing it up," he replied evenly in irritation.
Hinata glanced at Chouji's head. It was his forehead protector… but the way he wore it certainly appeared just as Kiba said.
"Why would you wear girl's underwear on your head?" Naruko asked quizzically. "Is that some kind of new fashion?"
Kiba laughed, feeling some of the earlier tension disappear.
"Umm Naruko, that's not…" Hinata spoke up quickly next to her, and then began whispering into her ear.
Chouji was so flustered now he had become absorbed in eating his potato chips furiously without looking at anyone.
Shikamaru turned towards the girl with the red hair, the look on her face clearly showed genuine curiosity, which surprised him given what she said. Looking her over, she seemed out of place somehow among all these other Genin. Thinking back to when they were in the academy, he recalled that her locks were a different color and she didn't have those strange ears and tails, but now she also appeared livelier and much less like 'the doll' she had been nicknamed at the time. He had never spoken to Naruko before but had always wanted to, given how she always had the highest academic scores in the class. This indicated she was very intelligent and unlike him always appeared to have an interest in all things around her, seemingly putting forth her best efforts to learn everything that was taught. What made them different? He wondered.
Stifling his laughter after a few moments, Kiba composed himself and spoke calmly with a gesture towards the two girls, "Chouji, Shikamaru, this is Naruko. I've already told you a little about her… And I am sure you guys remember Hinata, who graduated with us last year."
The long haired girl bowed briefly, "Nice to meet you two."
Hinata merely gave them a small wave, as she remembered the pair.
"How do you do," the plump boy replied, in between his nearly ceaseless eating.
"Yo," the slim male pitched in while staring at them curiously. Even though, he didn't have any particular fondness towards girls, seeing them as more trouble than they were worth. He had to admit, Kiba was right when he said they were both pretty. And neither appeared interested in Sasuke either, who was currently surrounded by both his usual entourage of Sakura and Ino, plus a couple of other local girls who had graduated in the same year.
Kiba started up a conversation with his old friends, feeling much more at ease now among people he could relate to easily.
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Staring restlessly at the group from the middle of the room, a girl with dark brown hair tied into two spherical buns on the back her head stood up abruptly, seemingly having made up her mind about something. She wore a pink vest with red trimming around the arm holes, and three horizontal golden lace fasteners on the front. Her baggy pants were a dark sea green and had a ninja pouched attached to the right leg with bandages and a single strap.
Realizing her intentions, a boy with long brown hair and white eyes, who was sitting next to her, spoke up in a calm collected tone, "There's not much time left Tenten."
"I know that Neji, but I still want to talk to her," she replied with a touch of impatience, in a light girlish voice.
The tattooed boy's voice in the back of the room could be heard even from where they were sitting.
He stared at her for a moment then sighed, following up with, "Alright, but don't make too much of a fuss. The one with the dog is already making enough of a commotion as it is."
Glancing briefly back at him, Tenten nodded and walked off towards Team 8.
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Shikamaru and Kiba were chatting away, talking about what they had done the past few months. The tattooed boy was doing most of the talking, but the one with the ponytail was doing his fair share as well, having found something to alleviate some of his boredom. Chouji had been mostly listening, but joined in occasionally adding onto something his teammate said or discussing the types of food they came across in the various places they visited. The dark mood from earlier, had disappeared almost entirely while Kiba talked away with his previous classmates. Naruko and Hinata were standing off to the side listening in on the conversation. Of the two, the girl with the light lavender eyes was clearly the more attentive, as the red haired one appeared distracted. It was clear something was still bothering her. When Tenten got near them, Naruko turned towards her with discerning gaze.
The girl with the buns hesitated only very briefly before speaking up casually, "Do you remember me, Naruko-chan?"
The blind girl was silent a moment, as she took in the scent of this newcomer and scanned her, "Your name is Tenten, a Genin specializing in using ninja tools of all kinds through summoning techniques, and you are part of Team Guy."
Clearly surprised, she was remembered not only right away but quite distinctly, the girl with the brown hair was agape, "Umm… that's right. I didn't think you would remember, since it's been almost a year and a half."
The blind girl, tilted her head downwards momentarily before staring directly back at the other girl, she sounded tired when she replied, "There are few things I don't remember."
Hinata, having noticed the girl with the pink vest, was glancing at her sideways while trying to listen to both conversations.
Confused by the way she answered, Tenten asked tentatively, "Is something wrong?"
Naruko shook her head in response, "It's nothing you need to worry about. Was there anything you needed in particular Tenten-san?"
"Guy-san has told me a lot about you since our team was formed. He said you're the strongest female Genin here, so I was hoping to get the chance to ask you a few things," the girl with the pink vest said with a bit of excitement.
Gazing at her intently, Naruko returned casually, "I don't know if Guy-sama is right or not, but I don't mind answering whatever questions you may have."
"Is it true when you were in the academy only Hinata-san could spar with you, because the others couldn't keep up?" Tenten asked brightly.
"Yes…" the long haired girl answered.
She wasn't sure whether to ask this question or not, since it seemed kind of rude, but her curiosity got the better of her, "… are you really blind? It's kind of hard to believe considering you've made it this far to the exams and all."
Her case was indeed unique, among Konoha at least, so she answered seriously, "It was difficult for others to train me at first, but yes. And I have developed a special sensory ability, which helps me in many ways."
This was something she didn't know anything about, so Tenten decided to shelf it away for later since she didn't have any ready questions to ask, and continued enthusiastically, "I heard you were forbidden from using your katana while in the academy. What was the reason behind that?"
Initially annoyed by Tenten's appearance, Hinata was relieved to know that this new girl didn't appear to know Naruko very well. They probably met only briefly at some after graduation event. It appeared this girl was interested in her friend based solely on what she mentioned earlier.
Pausing for several moments, Naruko wondered why this girl was so interested in such things. Was she trying to probe for information about her abilities in case they fought? It seemed too direct though, if that was the case. She decided to give a somewhat vague answer, even though she knew the exact reason, "It was because of my sword techniques. My sensei didn't want me using them against other students."
"Humm…" she replied strangely. Even though Tenten didn't quite know what to make of the answer, she was still impressed nonetheless. Were they really that powerful or dangerous? She had never heard of an instance like this before, but if Naruko had learned something beyond what normal students had access to, it would make sense. "What made you choose to learn Kenjutsu? That's not something which Konoha teaches normally," she went on.
"It was one of the few things I could pick up well initially. Not being part of a clan, I have no heritage to follow, so I chose something my sensei said I was capable of becoming good at," Naruko replied softly, recalling the memories of that time.
She really is quite interesting, Tenten thought. She only wished they were on the same team, having Kurenai as her sensei would have been much more preferable to her current and often embarrassing team leader.
"Did you come to a similar conclusion or were your circumstances different?" the red haired girl asked curiously.
"You could say that, I didn't have anything I was particularly good at until I started using summoning techniques and ninja weapons. I wanted to be like Tsunade-sama at first, but since I wasn't good at Taijutsu or medical jutsu I had to seek other paths," the girl with the pink vest replied.
Hearing the faint, but strange sound of a wooden panel sliding open, Naruko turned towards the front of the room.
Following suit, Tenten asked, "What is it?"
Suddenly, a large cloud of smoke puffed into life at that location. Everyone turned towards it and the outlines of about a dozen ninja could be made out. When the smoke dissipated, it became clear these were the proctors of the exam. A particularly large man in the middle of the group, called out in a stern voice, "Alright you bunch of slackers! It's time for the first part of the exam to begin, so quiet down and get situated! We will be assigning random seating here, so when you hear your name called out by an instructor, go to the row they are on. You will be seated from left to right."