Preparing to go to Hogwarts- Graduating and Meeting Harry
It was almost time for the graduation test, and Einjeru and Rock Lee have been undergoing extensive training both mentally and physically. Einjeru knew if she could ace the written exam and surpass her peers in taijutsu, she had a chance at graduating. She held her bokken in her hand, waiting for Kakashi to attack.
She closed her eyes and focused. Focusing on the wind and grass. Hearing a shift in both, she gripped her bokken and blocked Kakashi's kunai. "Are you letting me hear you, or are you losing your touch?" Giving a smirk, she pushed against him, going for sweeping kick.
"Maybe, just maybe you've gotten better, Einjeru." Kakashi jumps back and pulls out his bokken.
"Now I feel kind of cheated…"
"You're at the level of a genin for most of your abilities. That's what we we're aiming for. Sheathe your bokken and pull out your kunai. It's your turn to go on offense."
Einjeru got into a low stance, holding her kunai in a reverse grip. "Here I come!" She starts running at Kakashi, whom holds his bokken in a basic defensive position. When she got close enough, she dropped into a sliding position for an attempt at a sweeping kick.
Kakashi used it as an opportunity to bring his bokken down for a 'kill.' However, Einjeru's legs came up and caught it. She tried to use gravity to her advantage and utterly forgot how strong Kakashi is. He picked her up, nudged her with his foot, and said, "Dead. But nice try. It would probably work on someone your age and level. Not a 25-year-old jonin."
Einjeru huffed and looked at the time. Her recess was almost up, and she still had some final tests. She released her leg grip and landed in a handstand. "I gotta go."
"As punishment for dying again, you have to walk back to the academy on your hands."
"Cake. I'll see ya later dad." Einjeru immediately started walking on her hands toward the academy. Having gotten used to wearing ankle and legs weights over six years, Kakashi had to start introducing resistance seals to keep her pacing down. However, it didn't affect her hand walking at all. She started sweat dropping while internally thanking Guy for forcing her to hand walk around the village.
Getting back inside the academy grounds, she sees Lee waiting for her. Handspringing back on to her feet, she gives a smile and walks over to him. "How did your session with Guy go?"
"Died again. You?"
"Same. Although, dad had been teaching me how to swap between offensive and defensive as well as between sword and kunai. I just feel he's been letting me get hits in though. I wish he'd take me as seriously as he takes his genin."
"I'm glad that those rejects who beat us in the past were finally thrown out after your second year. Kakashi sensei really wasn't enthused after he found out that they were still bullying the academy students that couldn't use chakra."
"Sad to say the least that icy aura never left dad that day those creeps were thrown out. I had a growth spurt and the losers didn't recognize me. My dad wasn't too happy that I used the Tiger style without supervision and that only led to an awkward dinner."
"We should get to class. The sensei is waiting on us."
As they were heading to their classroom, they heard a loud yell.
"NARUTO! What do you think you're doing?!"
Einjeru paled, hearing one of her best friends get scolded. Remembering correctly, this particular class she was assigned to assist with. "Go on Lee. I have a friend that needs me." She pulls the sliding door to see an eraser falling. 'Please Naruto. I've seen this trick so much that it's easy enough to counter…' She thinks as she expertly catches the eraser.
"Naruto. What are you doing?" She squeezed the eraser to show she wasn't in the mood to play games.
Hearing a particularly icy voice that normally doesn't come out unless a particular person is upset, Naruto turned his head to the door. His voice hiked up 2 octaves. "Einjeru. I was fooling around! Honest!"
She looks to the sensei who was clotting his nose with tissue. "It sounds like you were using that perverted jutsu again…" She pelted him with the eraser. "What did I tell you would happen if you were caught using that jutsu again?"
In the other rooms, people heard a scream of terror. "NO! I PROMISE! PLEASE LET ME LIVE!"
Einjeru gave a weird look, and sighed. "My class is about to come back. Also stop failing your tests. You're not going to graduate at this rate." She ran out of the classroom to hear the other students of that class, aside from Shikamaru and Choji, wondering about who she is.
Getting into her classroom, the sensei looks at the clock and nods. Breathing a sigh of relief, she took a seat with Tenten, and pulled out her paper. The sensei starts off with the lesson. "Alright. I'm sure all of you know this, but the graduation exam is next week. I want you all to try your best. Depending on how well you do, you may end up in a three-man team or in an apprenticeship."
'Yeah, yeah, yeah… All this I've heard sensei. Get to the point.' Einjeru thinks as she looks out the window to see her father looking back and pointing to the sensei.
"Einjeru! Have you been listening?"
"Yes sensei." The sensei looks at her in an attempt to scrutinize and hopefully catch her off guard. "What did I say about the potential positions after you graduate?" She repeated it back to him verbatim, looking him square in the face.
The sensei looked dumbfounded as the rest of the class, aside from Neji, laughed at him. The sensei glared at Einjeru for making him look like a fool. "For that, you get a ninjutsu test!"
"You can't do that sensei. According to the hokage, based on my medical records and academy records, you're not allowed to give me any test that has to do with chakra." Einjeru glared back at the sensei, her voice calm and icy. "I may have to sit through the classes, but I am not required to take those tests." Her glare turned into a look that said, 'I dare you.' "Also, to give test out of spite shows how incompetent you are."
A throat clearing stopped the silent fuming of the sensei as a new sensei came in to explain what the next exam is. "I am Mizuki sensei. I'm here to administer your weapons examination. If you guys will follow me."
The students followed him to the logs and waited for Mizuki to give an explanation. "Alright, the goal of the weapons test is to hit the target at least five out of ten times. You get five shuriken and five kunai."
Everyone stood in front of the targets. Einjeru started off by getting a feel for the kunai and gauging the wind direction and the speed of the wind. Her hair flew back, making her think 'Hmmm… the wind is against me, meaning there's going to be some resistance, it's also pushing my hair to the left, so I should shift over a little bit or my kunai and shuriken won't hit on the mark.'
By the time she shifted, everyone else had thrown their weapons. At this point she unleashed her kunai and they all hit the target dead on. She checked her shuriken to notice that one of them was off balance. She threw the other four and hit the target, still holding on to the one. "Sensei… Why would you give me an off-balance shuriken? I could have hurt my fellow classmates with it."
Neji stepped in thinking about how his one shuriken went off to the side while the rest went straight. "It's not so much about hurting my fellow classmates but hindering our ability to perform."
Tenten thought the same thing since she normally hits every single target. "Einjeru and Neji are right sensei. Having faulty weapons can lead to accidents in the field."
Lee looked at them, wondering why there was an uproar. 'This seems most unyouthful right now.'
Mizuki looked at Einjeru and pulled out a new shuriken. "How did you notice something so minute?"
"Easily. When I first trained with kunai and shuriken I was always told to get a feel for my weapons. Even though I won't get that opportunity in battle, you always check your weapons prior."
A thunk distracted from the conversation, and Einjeru immediately noticed the shape of a bokken on the ground. 'A bokken?' Her eyes darted to the tree branches. 'Dad…' Her eyes twitched before Mizuki told her to throw her last shuriken. It hit the target dead on.
A clearing of the throat got everyone's attention. A bokken flew through and Einjeru caught it effortlessly and got into a swordsman stance. "What was that for?! You can get trouble for interfering on my exams!"
"Kakashi sensei! What are you doing here?"
"I just happened to be passing by and saw my young wards goofing off." The looks of disbelief and the fright of the proctor made him get serious. "On a serious note, the hokage had concerns that someone was rigging certain students' tests. I was told to observe the exams today, and Einjeru was proving his concerns right just by using her common sense."
Einjeru immediately shrunk while everyone glared at Mizuki.
"I was told to!"
An icy voice that normally comes out in an interrogation rung through the air causing the academy students to shiver. "By who? You are aware this is treason, right?"
By the time everyone realized it, the school bells rung, signaling the end of the day. Einjeru tossed the bokken back at Kakashi and ran towards the secondary division of the academy with Lee, so they can meet Hagrid.
Getting to the room, they see Hagrid talking with sensei and lord third. The three of them turn to the two, with the sensei and lord third holding headbands.
"What's this?"
"Normally to determine if a student is ready to become a shinobi, we'd give a ninjutsu test, but due to your situation and attitudes we decided to pass you guys without giving it."
"You two already have what it takes to become a leaf shinobi. You have the will of fire burning bright. As the hokage of the village hidden in the leaves, it is my honor to call you genin. Normally there's a second test that's given to determine if you can work in a team, but since you'll be apprenticing and attending Hogwarts, that test is a mute-point until you meld into a team. However, it's time for you two to go with Hagrid."
"We best be off. We have a lot to do in a short amount of time." Hagrid holds out a plush.
"What is this? It looks like the nine-tailed fox we learned about…"
"Exactly. Why is Hagrid holding that?"
"This is our port key that takes us right to Hogwarts. I need to grab something from there and then we need to grab someone. Now grab on."
As Hagrid counted to three, Einjeru and Lee grabbed hold and they were outside of his hut. They landed on their feet as opposed to the first time they learned how to use a port key.
Flashback:
It was after the first test and Hagrid was taking them to Diagon Alley to practice their basic English. Hagrid held out a kunai which led Einjeru and Lee to question why he had it.
"Hagrid?"
"Why do you have a kunai?"
"Oh! This is a port key. It's the form of a common object. For you it's this kunai. It's connected to only one place. For today's purposes, it's connected to Diagon Alley and here in this room, so when you return, it needs to stay here."
Hagrid gets a nod in return before mentioning that it's marked with an identifier. He counts off telling the two to grab it. After grabbing it, it seemed like a portal ripped open and they were floating. He told them to let go. As Rock Lee and Einjeru did, they landed in a dogpile in the middle of Diagon Alley.
Hagrid landed with a softness that isn't common for a half giant. "Welcome you two, to Diagon Alley." Einjeru and Rock Lee stood back to back with each other before Hagrid put his hands on their shoulders. "No need to be nervous you two. No one will hurt you here. You are both going to go into an open space."
Presently:
Hagrid comes out of his hut with a letter and a dainty key. "Here we are. Now we go riding."
"On what exactly?"
"And where?"
"Oh! My bike, and we're going to get a fellow classmate of yours. Dumbledore is concerned that he hasn't got his letter yet or responded." They hopped on and it started to fly.
Einjeru gripped to the sidecar tightly, not entirely sure if it was cool or downright dangerous. She eventually settled for the former. 'Magic is awesome.'
Lee was excited from liftoff. "This is one of the most youthful experiences of my life!"
Hagrid chuckled as he took note of where he was to go. As they got closer, the sky was blackened with clouds and rain was coming down heavily. As they started getting pelted, Hagrid started lowering the altitude and saw the island. "We're here. I want you two to stay behind me until I say so."
"Understood."
"This will be youthful!"
Hagrid hands them a box with a ginger smile on his face. "It also happens to be his birthday today."
"That's awesome, but I'm still the youngest…" Einjeru gets a dejected look on her face thinking about the fact that she wouldn't be turning 11 until November.
"Don't think like that Einjeru. Think of it like this, your birthday will be most youthful. November 17th is a wonderful day for you and you'll get a lot of presents just like every year. My dad even considers you family."
Finally getting a smile, he continues. "Not to mention my birthday comes 10 days after yours on the 27th of November. Now let's go in." At this point Hagrid broke down the door. The two peek out from behind him and sneakily go to the corner where they noticed Harry hiding.
While Vernon was telling Hagrid off about breaking and entering, Hagrid looked at Dudley and talked to him thinking he was Harry. Einjeru and Lee nudged Harry out the corner and nodded at him.
"I-I'm Harry sir…"
After Harry said that Hagrid's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Well of course you are. The two that came up to you have a surprise for you." They come up to Harry with the box saying "Happy birthday Harry. This is from the big man over there.
"Thank you." Opening the box, he smiled. He then addressed the elephant in the room. "Who are you?"
Sitting down near the fireplace, Hagrid lights it, warming up the area a bit. Einjeru and Lee joined him, shivering a little bit.
"I'm Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."
"I'm Ein—Angel Parker, I'm a fellow first year." Einjeru had to remember that everyone would botch her normal pronunciation. It didn't make her comfortable with using a different last name.
"I'm Rock Lee. It is most youthful to meet you Harry. I am also a fellow first year."
Harry noticed the biting of Einjeru's tongue but noticed the heavy accent on the voice, so he assumed that maybe she almost slipped into her native tongue. He then had to ask, "What is Hogwarts?"
Lee and Einjeru looked at Hagrid as if silently saying 'I thought he knew.' Hagrid took control and started to speak. "Blimey Harry, you never heard of Hogwarts? What about your parents?"
"What about them?"
"Where they learned their skills."
"What skills."
"You're a wizard Harry." He handed Harry a letter and let him read it.
Einjeru and Lee decided to jump in at this point. "So are we. You're not alone here."
Petunia scoffed. "What's so special about being a freak?" Everyone looked at her, two of the kids with disgruntled looks on their faces.
Einjeru started speaking with an emotionless tone in her voice, "Elaborate, and choose your words carefully." Lee grabbed her shoulder to hold her back from hurting someone.
Petunia started speaking, her voice shaking from the iciness given off by a 10-year-old. "His mother was always so perfect in our parents' eyes. They were thrilled when she got her letter, but I was the only one who could see her for what she was. And then she got involved with Potter and they got themselves BLOWN UP, and we got landed with him."
"Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"
"A CAR CRASH?! A car crash killed Lily and James Potter?! That's an outrage! A scandal!"
Vernon then intervened. "We had to tell him something."
"Well that was an unyouthful thing to do."
"You could have just waited until he was old enough to understand and not treat him like garbage." Einjeru wanted to punch something at this point. "My father had trouble being able to speak about my mother and just said how much I looked like her, and yet you disparage his parents and lie to him about it?! You are terrible people!"
"Enough Angel!" An unbearable silence took the room by storm before they heard the noise of someone eating. They look over to see Dudley eating Harry's cake.
"Dono yōna fattoso" "What a fatso"
"Sore wa mottomo wakawakashikunai Einjeru-chan" "That is most un-youthful, Angel."
"Watashi ga ki ni suru yō ni. Kare wa kare no monode wanai kēki o taberu hōhō de buta no yō ni atsukawa reru hitsuyō ga arimasu." "Like I care. He needs to be treated like a pig with the way he's eating a cake that isn't his."
Understanding what they were saying, Hagrid gave Dudley a pig tail. When Vernon and Petunia noticed it, they started screaming, leaving Harry, Einjeru and Rock Lee to laugh, and Hagrid beseeching them to not speak a word of it due to him being restricted from using magic. Looking at the time, he urges them to move. "We best be off."
Einjeru and Lee start walking, giving Harry a smile. "Come with us. I think it's better than being here."
"It will be a most youthful experience for us all."
Looking between the door and the panicking Dursley's, Harry makes his decision and follows them outside. Looking at the bike, he gets curious about how they were getting off the island. The moment he hopped in and everything was settled, they took off for London.