NEVERLAND
Chapter One
SHION GOT INTO HER FIRST FIGHT AT THE ORPHANAGE ON HER SECOND DAY, however, according to her, the girl needed that punch to the face to learn some manners. Living with fellow orphans was, in Shion's mind, very similar to making it in prison. You find the biggest girl in the room, walk up to her, and punch her straight in the face. After that, nobody would dare steal your pudding or put dead rats in your blankets.
What she did not count on was making herself a target for everybody who thought they were strong enough to fight her. This was probably why she trained so hard to get better. This was also because getting egg out of her hair took two hours and training to dodge them was all she could do to retaliate at the time.
"Suck my dick, assbutt," Shion snapped, kicking the boy in his ankle and watching as he fell to the ground.
"You don't have...I'm gonna kill you, Shion!" Assbutt hissed, picking himself up and running off before the girl could do anymore damage.
"If you're gonna shove me, you better be ready for retaliation, you moron!" Shion screamed, causing a few kids in the orphanage to turn their heads towards her before rolling their eyes at the fuss such a small kid was making.
Shion had no last name and she was tiny and scrawny, but she made up for it by being a pure ball of rage. During the attack of the Leaf village a few years ago, she discovered the perks of being an orphan as her mother decided that with the loss of her father, she couldn't take care of her daughter.
Of course Shion, at the age of four, could still remember staring at her mother through red eyes that were sore from crying as she begged her mother not to go. It had been nearly six years since then, and Shion hadn't cried since.
"Beating up the bullies again," the lazy voice of Shikamaru darted into her ears and she swiftly turned around to see him lounging in the grass, a small distance away from where she had knocked the assholes to the ground.
"They think just because I'm tiny that they can walk all over me," Shion snapped, her voice lowering into a hiss. "I'll show them how tiny I am when I bring them to their knees so I can kick them in their balls."
"How do you have so much energy so early in the morning?" Shikamaru muttered and Shion scoffed.
"It 12 in the afternoon you lazy idiot," she muttered, plopping her butt next to him so she could get a view of the sky.
In response, Shikamaru only yawned. "Stop talking already."
"Shut up, you love my voice," she snapped, but it didn't come out even half as threatening as she wanted considering she let out a monster yawn right before her last word.
"If you're going to be unpleasant, then you can leave," he muttered. "I get enough from my mother. I don't need it from you too."
"I am five seconds from beating you an inch from death," she muttered out with a harsh frown.
"How are you older than me...I'll never know," Shikamaru muttered and Shion gave him a bitter scowl as she sat up from her spot and turning towards him in one motion. Of course, like usual, all her fast motions made him nauseous, but he didn't show it. The seven-year-old boy merely turned over so his back was facing her.
"Are you trying to ignore me Shikamaru? Boy, I know how to break your jaw," she threatened easily, and he groaned.
"Go away Shion. I am not in the mood."
"You're never in the mood when you come to visit me. I want to play, not sit around and stare at clouds all day. You're like an old man."
"I don't want to play."
"You said that last week."
"I meant it then...and I mean it now."
"Shikamaru, if you don't get up on count of three and play hide and seek, I'm going to scream."
"You are so annoying," he muttered. "I'll seek. You go hide."
"You mean it?" Shion narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she remembered the last time she hid for two hours just to give up and go look for the lazy idiot, only to find that he was asleep on a hilltop. "You really mean it this time?"
"Sure."
Shion pouted but nodded. "Okay, you have five minutes and then you have to come find me."
"Whatever."
"Okay. Starting now," she dashed off as if her life depended on it, and ran towards her special hiding spot near the back edge of the orphanage. Usually kids would play there, but since Naruto started going and nesting, they had stopped.
Like clockwork, Naruto sat alone on the swing set that she named 'sad boy swing'.
She ignored him and ran to the tree where the swing rested on a thick branch. She noticed he glanced her way, which she promptly ignored as she began to climb the tree. She slightly scraped her knees against the bark as she reached the top.
She finally turned her head to see Naruto staring at her and she frowned. "Look away. You're gonna give away my hiding spot, doofus."
"You're playing a game?" he asked and she glanced back at her through her pink bangs that hung over her face.
"Yes," she answered and saw him open his mouth. "No you can't play."
He sounded disappointed, but she didn't glance at him to see him. "I didn't want to play anyway."
"Then it's no loss," she retorted with a bit of sass as she leaned against the tree branch. She absorbed the sound of Naruto swinging back and forth as she gazed through the leaves in search for Shikamaru. She decided to get comfortable, despite the fact that her suspicion was growing.
Naruto had opened his mouth to speak a couple times, and Shion knew this since she heard him made a small sound each and every time he tried. It wasn't like she'd completely blow him off if he did speak to her, so it was just a matter of waiting. She tapped her finger, impatient, against her leg, feeling the swing go back and forth as Naruto nervously swung.
"Are you any good at hide and seek, Naruto?" Shion finally asked, her guilt breaking through the surface as she turned her head to see Naruto had paused in his swinging. She wasn't able to see his face from up above, but she could guess he was surprised she talked to him. It wasn't something she made a habit on doing, and this was less because everybody bad mouthed him behind his back on some nonsense like 'my mom said he was not to be trusted'.
After all, Shion didn't currently have parents to tell her that. Instead, she made a habit to avoid him since she still remembered an incident two years ago where she had been hit in the face with balloons full of paint. It was safe to say that this bitch could hold a grudge and Naruto made it easy to maintain since he was very annoying.
"I am the best at it," Naruto said, getting louder and making her wish that he could have been more humble and less loud. She rolled her eyes, glancing over through the leaves of the tree in search of Shikamaru.
However, the boy was nowhere in sight and she slightly frowned, wondering if she had been fooled again. She could practically picture the boy still sitting on that hilltop, unmoving. Her fist clenched, and just as she was about to climb down from the tree, she heard the branch start to snap as Naruto resumed swinging.
She glanced over towards it with wide eyes and attempt to find leverage, but sadly only twigs surrounded her. "Naruto move!" Shion screamed, and the branch that the swing was connected to her immediately fell, and she fell along with it.
Naruto did not move in time, but luckily, Shion had managed to swipe the heavy branch away before it could fall on his head. It probably would do the annoying boy some good, but she didn't have it in her to see him get hurt because of something she did.
She felt her body collide with his, breaking her fall as her stomach rested against his back. "Ow. You alright?"
She forced herself off, inspecting the broken skin over her elbows, only to find that Naruto was obviously trying not to cry. His hands were scarred and his clothes were filthy, causing Shion to feel rush of guilt. She forgot about her bloody arms and instead, forced him up so she could inspect his hands.
"What are you doing, dattebayo?" Naruto asked, and she attempted to apologize, but the words would not escape her mouth.
"You should have moved you idiot!" she snapped, immediately chiding herself afterwards. Good apology Shion. Nice.
She decided not to stay, bleeding and embarrassed so she stormed off, leaving Naruto there so she could get away from the emotion that resembled guilt. As soon as she was a distance away she felt even worse that she didn't try to at least help him.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she muttered as she walked towards the hill where she had last seen Shikamaru. She took an angry inhale of breath when she saw he hadn't moved. In fact, he had been in that one place so long that an indent of his body was very evident in between the long strands of grass around him.
She felt her eye twitch and she reached down towards her boot, placing her fingers around the kunai she had stolen from one of the older orphans last year. I am going to cut his hair off.
"Can you put that away. You are so troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, and Shion let out a hissed breath before she held up a finger.
"I hid for one hour. A whole hour," she commented and she opened her palms wide in front of him. "I have splinters."
"Technically," Shikamaru yawned loudly into his hand. "I said I would seek. I never said when."
Shion held her temper with nimble fingers before she could explode. "That's just rude, Shikamaru. I'll get you back for this."
"Shouldn't you be meeting your new team about now," Shikamaru said mid yawn.
Shion's eyes widened, having forgotten about such a thing in the midst of kicking Assbutts's ugly face. "Shit."
She didn't hear Shikamaru's reply as she dashed off towards the training grounds. Likely, Shikamaru wouldn't know she was gone. She cursed once more, kicking off her shoes and grabbing them in one motion. With her feet free, her speed increased until people became a blur to her.
By the time she neared the training grounds, she saw the blurred figures of her teammates in the distance. She came to a stop in front of them, raising a finger to stop them from talking as she caught her breath.
"D-did I make it in time? Where's the teacher?" Shion glanced around, looking for the sensei, but the only one in front of her was the two classmates who had been announced as part of her team. She had never talked to them much since she was always at the back of the class, taking notes and drawing stars in her books.
Misaki Kazuma and Hikaru Hyuuga rolled their eyes as if they were holding back some kind of secret that Shion wasn't apart allowed to join.
"There's no 'I' in teamwork, guys," Shion commented and simultaneously they crossed their arms.
"As far as I'm considered, you aren't part of the team considering how late you were," Hikaru chimed in and Misaki nodded her head.
"If the sensei isn't even here yet, then I don't know what you two are so testy about," Shion fired back smugly.
Before she could get a reply, she was lifted up by her collar so roughly that she lost her breath as her feet came up off the ground. "Look at this," a monotone voice drawled out. "Tell me, is showing up late supposed to impress me?"
Shion attempted to turn her head to look her assailant in the eye, but the collar stopped her from turning it far. She attempted to escape, but the grip was firm and struggling hurt more than staying still. "Yo, let me go. I wasn't that late."
She was tossed to the ground, and she barely managed to land on her feet. She turned and met the eyes―or rather―eye of the woman with vibrant orange hair. It spiraled in careful curls and her silver eye that was visible was set in a glare, with just barely the glint of amusement.
"I'm Tsukasa. You will call me sensei or Tsukasa-sensei. If you call me Tsu, Kasa, Kasa-chan, Tsu Tsu, or any other nickname, I will fail you," the woman placed a finger on her lips as if she just told a deep secret. "Any questions?"
"So you're our sensei," Shion asked, pointing to the dainty looking woman who looked like she wasted far too much time on her appearance. It was hard to take her seriously since her eye and lips were coated in a layer of makeup.
What kind of ninja took so much time to look so dressed up? But more than that, she looked so young.
Shion couldn't help but feel an air of disappointment and if the woman could tell, she didn't comment on it.
"You are later than Shion, sensei," Hikaru said with a grin as he folded his hands behind his head.
Tsukasa smiled, "I was here on time. Didn't see the point in training a partial squad so I took a nap."
"But then why-" Misaki began but Tsukasa's wide eye stare broke her off.
"Do you know why we have three man teams, Kazuma Misaki?" Tsukasa said the girl's name as if it were strange for her to say it.
"Proper formation? Easiest for teamwork," Misaki listed out a few more, but Tsukasa didn't look impressed.
"We have them because some old men who never fight decided it was proper," she answered with a wave of her hand. "Lesson one." Tsukasa raised a single finger. "I don't give a fuck about teamwork. If you want to show up late and never bond with your team, then so be it. But if you are easily tossed around and out of breath by the time you get here, then we have a problem. I want strength."
Misaki raised a single hand, her blonde hair bobbing as she did. "Tsukasa-sensei, I'm a medic."
Shion noticed that Tsukasa's expression slightly darkened and almost immediately Misaki was tossed on her back from a wire that had wrapped around her leg. None of the three had even seen Tsukasa do it.
"If you want to lag around like an idiot, healing your comrades and letting them fight for you, then you will watch them die in front of you," Tsukasa dragged the wire in one motion until Misaki was at her feet. Shion found herself suppressing a shiver at the annoyance in her teacher's eye. "Come on. Don't be shy. Heal your leg after I sever it from your knee."
Misaki's face was red and she looked close to crying by the time Tsukasa chuckled. "Lesson two. Iryō-ninjutsu is versatile. You have to be able to defend yourself from attackers as well as heal your comrades. I can help you there." She held out her hand for Misaki to take, and with an obvious brush of hesitation, Misaki gripped it and stood.
Hikaru's usual smile was gone as he stared at the teacher with a frown. "You're our sensei? Seriously?"
Tsukasa straightened her back as all expression disappeared from her face. "Was I not to your fantasy perception of Shinobi life?" She twirled a strand of orange curls around her fingers. "I'm not here to coddle you guys. I'm not here to kiss your wounds and tell you that you will always be safe. Spoiler alert: most likely one of you will die or kill someone. Do they not tell you that in ninja academy?"
"They usually leave out the part of people dying," Shion finally chimed in, and immediately regretted it as Tsukasa's expression once more darkened.
"I intend not to," she commented. "I intend to properly prepare you. If this isn't the life you are ready for, it's best you take yourself out of the game now."
"Have you killed anyone, sensei?" Hikaru's question was greeted with silence and what looked like amusement.
"Another lesson for another day," she replied, sparing another glance towards Misaki who still looked to be close to crying. "You can cry later. Now is the time to show me you potential."
"I heard there was gonna be another test," Shion commented, and Hikaru groaned.
"Another? Are you serious?" At this, Hikaru let out an annoyed complaint.
"Think of the Genin test as a preliminary exam, testing basic knowledge set on standardized practices. Example being the three basic types of Jutsu categories: Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu. Any idiot with a couple months of practice can pass it," as Tsukasa spoke, Shion felt her annoyance rise as she made light of the exam she spent so much time to pass.
"It was super easy of a test," Hikaru agreed with an arrogant sniff that made Shion snort.
"Weren't you the one who nearly failed?" Shion commented in return and Hikaru's face turned into a bright shade of red.
"You must have me mistaken with someone else," he replied and Misaki slightly lifted her head, mid sniff.
"I heard the teachers felt bad cause he cried," she said, and Shion's lips curled into a smug smirk as Hikaru's face ignited.
"As amusing as this had been," Tsukasa didn't look at all amused and that look made any humor leave the three new Genin. "As I was saying. You three passed that easy exam, and are considered Genin only in name. To me that headband means as much as any other accessory. If I choose to do so, I could send you back to the academy right now. Especially the one who was late..." The pink haired girl stiffened as her heart slightly raced from the coldness in Tsukasa's face. "Lucky for you, I believe quite intimately in fact in second chances. Now. To this village, you may be considered Genin, but to me you are nothing more than academy students playing with weapons."
"What can we do to prove to you that we are more?" Shion's fear drizzled away as she stared into the dark void of Tsukasa's eye.
"A mock mission. I just want to see what you guys can do. How you work together," Tsukasa's answer made the three Genin perk and Shion stood straighter, wanting to make a good impression since she was so obviously late to this meeting. Something told her that being on this woman's bad side was not a good thing.
But something also told her that this woman didn't have a good side. With that in mind, Shion all but forgot how young she looked.
Author's Note
I know. Another story when I still have so many to finish, well, let me tell you. Same universe stories are a pain since everything has to connect and I can't tell the full story without Shion, Tsukasa, AND Anomie. Now, you don't necessarily need to read the other two stories (Chasing Smoke and House of Cards) to fully understand this, but certain things in the Naruto universe do change from one story to another. So events that happened because of my other two OCs are mentioned, but it shouldn't be too hard to understand where and how things will happen from there. However, be warned that some things mentioned probably won't ever be explained in full in this story. If you were wondering about the order of the stories, technically, Chasing Smoke (Kakash), then House of Cards (Itachi), and finally Cheating Fate (Naruto)
Now that all three are officially uploaded, this universe will start to tie together.