I don't own Naruto...but in my heart, I can right?
The board highlighted the groups of the project, and to say some were mismatch was an understatement.
Lacy white-edged clouds rolled in over the blue sky, their centers as deep as any shoreline rock. The tangent star in the sky easily submerged by the puffy white floaties, despite no forecast being present many hardened warriors, could tell by a simple glance that rain would bless the village once more.
Different expressions marked the corridor, some painted with confusion and others with frustration and disbelief.
1. Mia Kobayashi, Aju Ishigo, and Naruto Uzumaki.
2. Hinata Hyuga, Kiyoshi Narukami, and Shinobu Asobiemu.
3. Shikamaru Nara, Kiba Inuzuka, and Choji Akimichi.
4. Hotaru Kyokai, Fukō Adohira, and Sasuke Uchiha.
5. Shino Aburame, Ino Yamanaka, and Sakura Haruno.
6. Kirayari Kirazomi, Kimi Magotuo, and Lou Hishigami.
The list bought different emotions out, some people were paired up accordingly while others had simpletons. Heading into the classroom, everyone took a seat; the humid air not doing much to Mia's pale complexion.
The doe-eyed female wasn't sick nor weak, but her partners for the project were below subpar at best. Comedic tears almost threatened to spill out as her perfect record would soon come crashing down; Naruto was the prime definition of stupid or below average, and Aju was downright like a rock; no sentient brain working her body simply mass and movements. Hell, even a mindless cripple could think better than her. Rubbing her temple, Mia thought of various ways to motivate the team; she heard from local sources that Naruto can be baited in by Ramen, an advance on her allowance should suffice for him, and then Aju was the missing piece. Mia couldn't fantom what could move her, then taking in the fact the two idiots knew each other would entail for some long drawn out third-wheeling. Using her brainpower, the young Kunoichi recalled the terms; Iruka never mentioned that groups couldn't work together...but the thought was pushed away almost on impact. Mentioned or not it was really natural common sense it wasn't allowed. Oozing into her seat the female basked in her options.
Aju sat on the wooden table, her petite frame enjoying the gentle breeze that found its way inside; she was absent the other day for personal matters revolving around her clan. So, it was a surprise to see her name next to Naruto's and the young alluring Mia. The two girls weren't close in the slightest, but on occasions, Mia helped them particularly her settle down when class was starting. Her thick wavy hair trademarked in its long bushy pigtails bounced as she moved from the table; dark brown hair moved as Aju found herself skipping towards a familiar blonde idiot.
Naruto and Shinobu were in the middle of some sort of conversation when the squinty-eyed female joined, her thin eyebrows raising as her hands placed around her back. A natural smile coming into play, "What were you two talking about?" The chippy voice got a smile out of Naruto and a confused expression out of his friend.
"Nothing, we're talking about the groups Iruka put us in! That witch is in for a real treat!" Naruto's voice was loud enough to be heard around the room, and Aju flinched at the volume; sure he didn't mean anything ill behind it but his stupidity did range.
"A-ah...I mean she isn't a witch...uh just more task orientated? She sees stuff differently than everyone." Aju attempted her best to rid the nickname given to Mia by the blonde, and although it never worked anyone who paid attention to the brat obviously knew who he was referring to. "I mean in the end we all are trying to become someone strong right?" Removing her hands from behind her back, she placed her index finger on her cheek and gave yet another smile. The baggy yellow top not matching the dark blue shorts in the slightest, the article of clothing wasn't in the best condition but it didn't matter as much.
Shinobu being the quiet one among the three, carefully watched the two. He wasn't aware of Naruto's other friends, and the bubbly character in front of him is someone new in a way? He seen her around, but never properly introduced himself nor has she? Was this proof of different social groups? The sudden influx of male students hit Aju's back and unlike normal students, she didn't waver in the slightest. Instead, members of the group fell.
"Watch out, don't get monster girl angry!" One of the few boys joked the rest forcing a harsh laugh and pointing at Aju, it was embarrassing trying to bring a peer down; if everyone wasn't secluded in their own groups everyone would've heard.
"That's nice and all but your boss is here." Shinbou pointed his slender finger at the white-haired male that had his head down, the joke went around their heads but got a nice reaction out of Aju and Naruto.
"Psh, whatever let's go ask Fukō about his project?" One of the few muttered the group moving away.
xXx
The uninterested male was suffering at the current timeframe, the sound of chattering all around was building into a headache; plans were changing constantly, he was annoyed. Placed on a team with two of the brightest students was going to bring in trouble, failing could only be a dream now. If that wasn't too much, the people that stuck around him inside the academy were making it a big deal to be paired up with Hotaru and Sasuke.
"You have to put in a good word for me okay? She may not seem like much, but Hotaru's a top ranking in the book of future kunoichi!" Whoever was speaking took out a book that apparently had the rankings of each girl they saw in the academy.
Feeling the sudden stiffness of a stare, Fukō glanced towards the cat-like eyes narrowed on the group; they were loud enough to capture Hotaru's attention which either meant she was annoyed at those speaking of her, or the fact her name was called which interrupted her book. Ushering the group away, the lazy male was left with his thoughts. Sasuke was an inconvenience; adding Hotaru to the equation made the positive a negative. Not underestimating Uchiha's intelligence, the male knew he was different from normal people.
Pulling the curtain on Hotaru was a hard challenge he didn't want to start, if anything he'd like to keep the relationship they had now among anything; sure she seem as disinterested in many subjects like him, but whether she liked it or not she was already in the open; people were watching her awaiting the talent to prosper. Getting tangled with her would put him in the same path, she was smarter by far and if asked would make sure to put her best in achieving something.
Letting a deep sigh out his eyelids shut, lips parting as oxygen came inside. "Maybe running away isn't so bad?" The outwards thought was closed, the scent of ink rushing into his nostrils. Throwing his head back and opening his eyes silver pools met with golden hues, both uninterested beings stared at each other for a moment. One acknowledging the other in the same moment one was questioning the other.
"I called her over here to speak about the project, despite you being absent I know you aren't as stupid as you make yourself out to be." Sasuke broke the contest, his voice catching both of their attention. "Let's simply go over where to meet and get a base understanding of a couple of things." The Uchiha looked at both of them expecting some sort of question or at least a hint of language, both held a lazy expression although one was more ready than the other.
A hand suddenly clasped over the female's shoulder, the sudden interaction making her raise a brow swallowing the shock that almost freed itself, she listened to the request of her peer. Things akin to this were normal, she was useful. People often came to her for answers or guidance when Mia wasn't present, more importantly, they came for the help she'd give which ended up being more than what she originally agreed upon.
"So, we'll see you at the library sometime later?" Sakura's voice rattled inside Hotaru's ear and a nod was enough to solidify everything, before leaving she fluttered her eyelids towards her love interest it was enough to make the emo scoff.
Despite that sort of distraction, Fukō couldn't help but let his thoughts slip out. "Pathetic, I guess what everyone says is true." They hardly knew each other, so it could've come off as rude, but he was blunt and honest. "You're only needed when people don't want to work." Fukō knew Hotaru had an idea of what was happening, she wasn't lacking in that aspect, "Friends or not...you're going to help even when you have your own issue."
"It's a fairly easy project, which can be completed in the time span of hours given people do their jobs; I don't mind having extra work as it allows me to learn." Her tone wasn't annoyed nor dictating, she was telling him how it was to her in a grouchy nature.
"Good, then you'll have no problem doing my portion.? In your words, you don't mind the extra work as it's something you adore." Standing the young man looked towards Hotaru then Sasuke, before leaving his own seat for dramatic expression.
Golden hues watched him leave the room, her mind tracing along what occurred. She was tricked? No, that wasn't what happened he saw something he could use to get out of work and took it; using Sakura as a scapegoat he was able to work around his true goal until the very end. Hotaru exhaled as she concluded, in the short instance of meeting each other officially he was able to get her to explain something about herself then piled more work onto her shoulders. Now, here is where she couldn't wrap her head around; did he do it cause she stated that she got an excuse to learn more or for himself? So, far she was leaning towards his own interest. If they weren't stationed on the same team then this conversation wouldn't have happened, to top it off when she came over she heard what he said. 'Running away?' The sound of someone tapping against the table freed her from her thoughts, gulping she turned to the time. She had been standing lost in thought for well over a minute or so, "Interesting." Her words came as a surprise to none other than Sasuke.
For the past two minutes, he has been speaking about the project, and at first, it seemed like she wasn't listening but out of the blue, she replied. Sasuke knew he got a strange group but they were manageable, some kinks here and there nothing he couldn't work by. "You should go back to your seat, the instructor will be coming shortly."
Taking his advice, she dragged her feet back to her chair; shirt folding into wrinkles it still outlined her baby fat. Taking out the book about the arts of Fuinjutsu, she pondered the interaction once again; she surmised that he wasn't bad or good for that matter...it was like he was there. Not dwelling much more, she cracked open the new handbook and started the process of reading.
xXx
Shinobu ended up leaving the hyperactive duo, both of them were in the middle of some sort of crazy conversation about which food group was better and that wasn't something he was currently interested in. The red long-sleeved shirt he wore, tucked into his black trousers from the previous prank he pulled; shaking his head the red hair that stopped directly at his knees brushed against the clothing, in hindsight his hair was divided into eight segments. Going all around his head, he had two short bangs that sat firmly on his forehead, one would even say he had eight tentacles on his head. Coming to his seat, the young man found it relaxing.
Everyone was busy discussing and hanging out, and here he was in the back of the class with some mutt. "Oi, you are drooling there Mutt." Shinobu's emerald eyes followed where the male was staring upon a sight he shivered slightly. "C'mon man you have it hard for Mai."
Kiba's eyes widened for a moment before throwing a hand around Shinobu's mouth only to let it go moments later, "N-no I don't I simply..admire her and her scent.."
"Sure..whatever you say, dog boy. I mean..what about Hotaru? She's a bit taller and she has more meat on her..not all bones and dust.." Shinobu joked briefly before hearing the growl emit from Kiba. "C'mon man be realistic, the likelihood of you getting an ounce of attention from her is zero to none! Unless you've started reading those naughty books everyone older reads?" A dainty finger pushed against the fat in Kiba's cheek.
"Even if I did read whatever you're talking about why would I tell you? Tentacle boy." Kiba took his eyes off the female before turning to Shinobu, "Listen we are going to be full-fledged shinobi's soon; and as you know most people fawn over those handsome dangerous men." It didn't take any more talking to know what the dog-guy was hinting at, "Of course, I know Mia is going to be a Kunoichi that's well over many others catching her attention means I have to shine over everyone else!"
Shinobu began counting, and it was enough for Kiba to ask. "You aren't even higher than me in class which means you have to be along with Naruto in rankings, if you put your ranking into consideration I am positive you'll be a Chunin for the rest of your life...even if you become a Ninja." The snicker that left his lungs was enough for Kiba to imagine choking the male, "Better step up your game. Who knows what will happen in the future, Sasuke could end up wooing everyone and getting that harem ending."
Kiba pictured the scenario and couldn't help but bang his head on the wood, the sound gathering some attention. "I...don't want to think about it cause it's plausible. He and every other Kunoichi being sent on a mission when they are older and the harsh environments pushing them close."
"You need a detox you creep, I don't even think Sasuke will be here in the near future. You know how emos are, always brooding plus one time I could've sworn he said he wanted to grow stronger to take revenge." Scratching his head, the young man yawned.
The door was kicked in, and on top of the broken item was none other than Carrot Girl as some people referred to her.
xXx
Kirayari Kirazomi curled up against the door, it was so sudden she couldn't react and on top of that, they made her break the door. Uncurling, she helped herself to her knees; they weren't ordinary people. Of course, they were people that graduated last year; they had a habit of coming to pick on whoever was around since they were dead-last in their grade.
Standing, she was glad her dark purple hair was a mess it hid the bruise forming on her light tanned cheek. "Must be pretty small for you to come to lay hands on the next group to surpass you." Her sharp remark made the leader of the little trio grimace.
Zuko couldn't help but roll his eyes, "Small, pretty original. But...I would guess you know how it looks from how much your mother takes it for you to come here." The comeback was just as deadly as the previous. Now everyone was fixated on the altercation, some wondering how such a girl got mixed up which someone higher ranking than them at the moment.
Kirayari's jaw tightened, her round olive green eyes sharpened on the leader. They thought they had the upper hand, and even if they knew some subpar Jutsu's she figured she could take them.
Zuko walked inside the room, with his lackeys behind him. "All of you cherish your carefree lives now, once you become a ninja it changes everything. Hell, some of you won't even make it...I can almost guess who'll be in a brothel." His sly tongue got some reactions from the crowd mainly Ino and Sakura telling him off.
Kirayari gathered up her saliva and when he motioned forward, expectorate left her mouth and landed on Zuko's cheek. The slimy bodily fluids trickling down his cheek, "Maybe...I should show Carrot bitch here what happens in the real world." Stomping his foot on the ground, the male let out a chakra pulse.
"If you attack now, it's an act of treason and as a comrade and aspiring Kunoichi I will be forced to take matters into my own hands." Mia stood her eyesight directly on Zuko.
"Do you think you can take me? Have you ever killed someone before?" Zuko's wrinkled forehead, match the clenched teeth he sported. "Lackey's get the bitch."
Naruto jumped off the table and went headfirst into the male's face, "Leave Kirayari-chan alone!" It was heroic and notable, but predictable enough for him to get chopped in the neck; his body falling flat on the ground.
The door underneath Kirayari rattled as another body hit the floor, looking past Zuko she saw one of his teammates lying on the floor; the other currently pinned up against the wall by one hand.
Kiyoshi pressed against the male's chest, his strength causing the lackey to shake uncontrollably. He only intervened cause they seemed stronger than most in the room, at least from everyone's reaction and body language. Forcing himself to stop, he removed his hand and let the preteen take a nice fall. "
Before Zuko could process what happened, Aju's fist came into contact with his face. The battle-spirited woman knocking him out in a singular attack; the body collided into the wall and on impact, the ground shook.
Kirayari froze with a baffled expression, she hardly knew these people and they were helping? Well, it wasn't like they were directly attacking her; but it was a strange sight. Even the whiskered kid currently unconscious on the floor.
Mia exhaled her focus on the boys knocked out on the floor, explaining this would be difficult luckily they had one of the victims in the class.
After the minor altercation and a simple conclusion, everyone agreed that a written apology was in play; and the parents would cover the damages to the class. It looked like a fairy tale ending but that wasn't likely. Carrot girl otherwise known as Kirayari found the taste of her mothers cooking a tool to calm down. She was embarrassed that they caught her off-guard and on top of that made a huge scene, sure the in-class teasing stopped to a degree a year or so ago but the bullying outside was prominent especially among older kids. They found picking on her a blessing. Kirayari fought back and even won many of the fights but some proved to be more than she could handle. She didn't have any friends in the academy to draw back on and rant to, sure she tried to speak to Sakura but was ignored given the Uchiha present most of the time she was ignored, and her dreaded nickname and family history didn't help.
Naruto was nice and fit the description of a friend, especially how he attempted to protect her. The brat was fun and creative, the sole reason why she didn't hang around him was the reason the village didn't. Her parents informed her to stay away from the young child from early on, they said it was for the clan's safety she didn't mingle with the male. Usually, she'd follow her gut but she couldn't erase the look they had then; it was general fear. It made her curious; still, she didn't disobey them then.
Following Naruto was the hyperactive dark brown-haired girl Aju, she was a fun individual from what Kirayari was able to muster; always the life of the party. They ran into each other from time to time, simple greetings weren't enough to form some bond; it wasn't even enough to get a stable understanding. You can loop everyone else in that bubble, conversating was one thing but actually calling yourself friends was another. Using the chopsticks to grab a pair of potatoes she stuffed herself, being stuck in her own headspace wasn't normal she liked to talk and mingle even without friends. Unfortunately, Zuko ruined her mood.
The table vibrated and the new heat source on the side made Kirayari raise a brow. Aju clicked her tongue, before leaning to get a better glance at the other party's food; mouth-watering at the scent. The awkward atmosphere only indulged in one party.
"Um, are you perhaps hungry?" Kirayari questioned before popping another potato in her mouth, the juicy edible vegetable leaving her tastebuds wanting more. Without any further discussion, the dark purple-haired girl scooted the homemade dish over to Aju; the latter easily diving inside the remains of the food like a rabbit chewing on a carrot. Using this moment to her advantage, Kirayari's lips parted, "Why did you help me in the classroom?" The question caused Aju's ears to twitch the table wobbling from her placing her elbow against it.
"No reason, you looked like you needed help. Plus us Kunoichi need to stick together no matter what." Slurping up the side part of noodles, the 128.016cm female gulped down the content. Placing the now empty dish on the table, she turned to view 'Carrot girl' a smile coming onto her face. "Thanks! If you ever need help again don't be afraid to ask!" Before to jovial girl could scatter, she heard something rather odd.
"I mean, I probably won't I honestly could've handled myself I am stronger than those bastards -Kira!" Aju puckered her lips together in some sort of attempt to hold back the laughter that tickled her throat; the gust of wind blowing each of the girl's hair. "BAHAHAHHA." Holding back wasn't in the Ishigo's dictionary along with a surplus of other words. "W-WHAT WAS THAT?" Clutching her stomach, her other hand hit the table to over signify the enjoyment.
Olive green eyes squinted as the one who chowed down on her food began dying, she didn't get what was funny but one thing was certain Aju's laugh was contagious. In little to no time, both were laughing for different reasons. The outburst caught the attention of everyone and some chimed in laughing at the two while others looked at them like weirdos.
Calming herself the young woman wiped a tear the lingered from her eye, "Your weird you know that?" Aju got comfortable, "Do you mind telling me why they decided to attack you?"
Kirayari couldn't stop the smile from running onto her lips, "Thanks! I'd rather be weird than normal, and sure so..." The conversation drifted off as the one spoke about what happened and the other listened.
xXx
Kiyoshi Narukami used his earmuffs to an extent, after his involvement regarding the situation some blame came onto him and it was not worth it; the two lackeys were easily beneath amateur. Theoretically speaking, he could've tried against Zuko; yet some classmate handled him with ease which spoke much of his status. Kiyoshi was at a crossroad, no matter how far he progressed in his training he was stunted. The spars in class were the only thing that helped him mature. On that topic, he noticed Jiei's fundamentals in pairing them against one another; at least it's what he assumed. Hand raised above his mouth, he covered the yawn that slipped out. The taijutsu professor organized everyone in skill gaps, one couldn't guess how many ranks there was but Kiyoshi figured since he was usually paired up against someone that knew the advanced form of the basics he was in another tier. That didn't mean he was curious about the other ranks, he recalled Shinobu's fight as a prime example of skill, it was most likely a rank-up match and he was disposed of easily.
Sasuke was on par with himself, if not a tad higher. The Uchiha's style consisted of major speed and leg movements and despite being near the top in taijutsu, the female portion blew the men out of the park. Kiyoshi batted his dark eyes, it was without saying the girls this year would outshine the boys in many aspects so those sexist remarks some of his fellow genders make will be put to shame. The match between Hotaru and Kiba was yet another quality comparison, she was simply too versatile; and to matters worse, she was hardly trying. The uninterested look she had made the boys laugh at Kiba for numerous amounts of days. His silence was ruined by a pair of hands pulling his earmuffs off.
A pair of emerald eyes set onto his dark hues, "Hey? I was wondering why you weren't responding." Shinobu's mischievous smile was enough to make Narukami roll his eyes. "Can you help us with something?" It was straight to the point which he enjoyed greatly, less time would be wasted if people didn't roll around what they truly wanted.
"No." The reply was instantaneous. It was the answer he gave to his peers normally when they requested something absurd, the Asobiemu child was a known prankster, and involving others especially himself would only bring much more unimportant consequences. Using his hand the male took his earmuffs back and prepared to reach sudden silence once again. Placed on his head, he couldn't hear anything again. Bliss.
Something wet splashed against his cheek, the smell of harsh chemicals making him cover his nose. Turning his head, he paled.
Sasuke dazedly sat processing everything, the droplets of blue falling off his hair and onto the table caused him to shake silently. Lifting up he saw Naruto and Shinobu pointing and laughing, and out of the corner, he saw a shocked expression on Kiyoshi. The feeling of death washed over the Uchiha, and it was all he needed to know.
Kiyoshi knew better than to make female's angry, their rage was something, not even the Hokage could handle; when he accidentally marched into the women's bathhouse the pain he felt that day was enough to make him have strange dreams. So it was only instinct to stand from the table, his legs backing up.
Sasuke's group of fangirls were in the radius of the missile of paint balloons, and to make matters worse Hinata was nearby which made her collateral. If everyone wasn't mad about pranking Sasuke they would be about the amount of paint that covered Hinata.
That was the day Kiyoshi, caught in their scheme, ran with Shinobu and Naruto away from the horde of girls trying to kill them.
Mia's POV
The library was packed, books and scrolls about the previous Hokage were gobbled up. Familiar faces were scattered everywhere, many lodged into the according groups. It was my plan to enroll and rent something that gave the information I needed for the project, but dragging Naruto to the exact place he needed to be was horrid. The annoying loud-mouthed brat was a pain in the ass. He didn't listen at all, and after all the pestering Aju told him she'd spar with him later on and he followed suit! Making a mental note, I told myself that I wouldn't treat the group for being so disorderly. It seriously bothered me.
Searching through the mountain of scrolls, I prayed someone left any sort of thing that would help. The clock ticked, and as seconds turning into minutes I gave up my pitiful search; the other option was to simply wait. It was time we didn't have, teal-colored hues rotated to my classmates; Aju was talking to Naruto about something and the look on his face only alerted me his little patience was running thin.
My ballerina-like frame speedily navigated through the pathways, the sight of Hotaru and Sasuke together with a mountain of scrolls immediately caught my attention; in little, to no time I made my way over. I didn't pay the now joining Sakura and Ino any mind, my focus solely on the Uchiha and Kyokai. "Would you mind lending me one of the pieces of information you have acquired?" I forced my lips to mix into a smile, a bead of sweat making way down my forehead only to be caught by my messy bangs.
"How about joining us? We have enough textbooks to share with everyone else." The generous offer wasn't normal, especially coming from Sasuke. Unfortunately, I didn't have room to decline; it wasn't stated by Iruka himself that we couldn't share materials with peers. Taking up his offer, my raggedy group joined the round table along with Sakura's project buddies. Everything was finally coming into place, I was able to transfer some information onto a discarded piece of paper while Aju and Naruto struggled on where to start.
After some time, Naruto's lips curved an excessively loud sigh leaving his lungs, the smell of ramen ran amuck and I found myself holding my breath for a few. "Hey, Sasuke! It's supposed to be group projects, it seems you and Hotaru-chan are on a date!"
The table was quiet, and being loud as ever he managed to silence the whole room, eyes prickling in our direction. Mentally exhausted already, I let the scene play out in front of me.
"Shut it dobe." Sasuke turned to ignore the ongoing stares of Ino and Sakura.
Aju lifted out of her seat, the chair falling back onto the ground a small wave of dust emitting on impact. "Now that you mention it, you two were alone when we came..." A teasing expression danced onto her features, her eyebrows descending and raising. "Sasuke, if you are taken I think it's only appropriate you inform the mass amount of girls who'll beckon to your call." Aju's voice got an eye roll out of me.
"I'm not in the mood for this, believe what you must but let us finish researching for the project." Sasuke's voice hitched, the double-team was slowly getting to him despite his words. I finished dotting on the front side of the paper, turning I started on the back. I would never let someone else lack of following hurt my record.
"Well, if you're saying that then you won't mind Sakura-chan being mine?" Naruto gave his signature grin towards the pinkette, only for Ino to burst into laughter.
The table erupted into a loud mix of answers, insults being thrown to one side and the other redirecting it towards another. It amazed me how Hotaru was able to focus on the work placed in front of her, it looked like she was thinking about something important but her hand was moving flawlessly across the sheet of paper. As much as it pained me to admit, Naruto and Aju got the better of me. It did look like some predetermined meeting before we joined, but it didn't take a Nara to guess why their last member was present.
Swallowing down whatever came to mind I started once more on the project in front, "Naruto, Aju. You better have at least half of your portion done before I finish the backside." My threatening tone was enough to see the two into their books. The sudden bliss enough to make Hotaru shoulders fall, luckily I hardly caught it.
The sunset in the sky as fresh colors brushed upon an artist's canvas as if those rays were destined to create a great work of art; one given to those open to capturing simple moments in the soul. In little to no time, night fell the blue haze of day lifted to reveal the stars.
The four who remained present were obvious except for one person, granted they fell asleep quite some time ago it was surprising that they didn't come to.
Sasuke shut the fifth book he read, a sleeping haze clouding his eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Hotaru rolling up the scroll she reread. She was something else entirely, having to read so much in a little amount of time it was like she was doing the project for two.
Watching her stand, I was the first to notice the wobble she had, and following a drop of blood left her nose causing me and Sasuke to look at her for different reasons. Listening to Sasuke speak, I wasn't surprised she was pushing so much effort for her own project and Sakura's; it sounded exactly like Hotaru. Standing, my leg knocked the side of Aju's chair, dark purple hair shaking as the hyperactive female awoke with a groan. At least I can do was help everyone get home, Hotaru overworked herself and Aju was in the midst of falling asleep once more...Sasuke was self-explanatory.
The walk wasn't tiring, I happen to be supporting Hotaru as we walked; Sasuke and Aju splitting off halfway during the walk, even as Aju complained about making sure we both made it home I dismissed her. The nice breeze that washed past us halted our progress, my gaze heading into the sky. In the serenade of the black, the stars are a choir; they are lights that sing in infinite patterns. Sometimes eyes need music, and the darker the night the sweeter the song. The light from the white-gold moon blessed us, the sound of footsteps alerting my senses. Attacks during the night weren't common, but I had to be prepared; even Hotaru who was just as tired managed to break away from my grasp and face the noise.
Fukō dragged his feet across the grime pathway, and upon seeing him I could say this was the most exhausted I ever seen him. Sweat lingered all across his body, the glistening from his arms enough to tell. The plain black shirt and shorts were covered in rips and holes, his white hair even had a smudge of dirt in it. "You look like you were ambushed by pigs." My comment was enough for him to flick me off.
My mother told me Kunoichi or not a gentleman was supposed to escort a woman home no matter the circumstance, Sasuke was tasked with taking Aju home and I was going to bring Hotaru back to her clan's compound. Plans could change depending on the male, but I didn't trust him nor did I figure Hotaru did much.
After a meaningless struggle, Fukō ended up carrying Hotaru on his back; her weight combined with his weakened state caused the ride to be rather bumpy. Sticking to the side, we walked. I was able to learn that his brother was hunting him down as part of his training, it was smart. It would help in a lot of aspects, smart couldn't cut it...it was downright genius; being hunting would force someone to learn how to hide, sneak, evade, and increase stamina. I envied the male at the moment. In the midst of that conversation, I told him how Hotaru pushed herself for the sake of her own project and Sakuras. His lackluster response was exactly how I foretold it.
Hotaru during the walk somehow found time to find a comfortable position, at first she put up a fight but as they gave their points and whatnot she found her way on her peer's back. The sound of the two became a distant thing of the past, as she drifted into slumber; normally one would have to hold on but Fukō leaned forth to keep her weight on top of him, the lingering sweat was a small problem but her exhaustion overwritten it.
"I take it you feel guilty and this is your attempt to make up for your lack of sense?" The brutal truth, I was direct and didn't sugarcoat my words for anyone.
"No, just saw an opportunity and took it. Realistically, I've been caught but being near you and Hotaru is enough to stall my brother. In the process, I can regain my bearings but once I finish dropping you off I'll be running once again." I didn't take the growing boy to be so crafty. He was thinking on his feet and to weigh out the pro(s) and con(s), I had to agree he was playing his cards right.
"If you applied yourself like this always, I think you'll become a prominent shinobi in the future." Taijutsu can be taught, along with other aspects but quick thinking was a skill one adopted and mastered. "Don't let my words serenade you and make you delusional." Placing my hands behind my back, another gust of wind came my hair and dress blowing with the small breeze.
Reaching Kyokai's compound, I noticed the hidden gem for the first time it was beautiful. Plants scattered at the entrance different varients all around, but the huge tree that peaked over the wall was what gave the place a warm feeling. Not exactly paying attention, I failed to notice Fukō giving Hotaru up to some old man.
For the seconds I was near, I could smell the flowers and make out which one needed water. It was truly magnificent.
Another chapter, a little less action this time around, and more interactions and bonds being built.
Introduced a couple more characters, so far adding to the roster which means more personalities to write. Thank you for the support/reviews/likes and follows so far! I mean it!
Kei's abilities and capabilities will be revealed sooner rather than later (maybe), but on that topic I want him to be able to hold his own with certain Jonin, but compared to the Copy Ninja himself I think he'll get destroyed. He does have some sly tricks in his arsenal, underhand tactics would be my main go-to if I was ever in Naruto; when your life is on the line I'd start throwing dirt in everyone's eyes.
Thanks, I wanted to give people a chance to get to know each character first before really forming cells. I am waiting for two more submissions, so expect even more people next chapter some returning from the old story and new.
Let's just say Iruka may or may not try to bring Mia's mother some sort of flower!
Honestly, without context, I laughed rereading when Fukō gave Hotaru up to Mitsukaze; it could've been some stranger and he just gave her up. Again, thanks so much for the support; spots are open so keep sending/also if someone wants two characters in the story just pm and we can discuss it! Will explain what a syoc is and answer more reviews soon.
With all that said, see you next time.