She didn't want to wake up. The room was dark, and in spite of the hard mattress and thin blanket, she was comfortable. And everything was quiet, there was no noise anywhere in the small dark room, but she had heard something. . . .hadn't she?

Kisa frowned at the darkness. It was too complete, and she couldn't see past the heavy bell curtain. She cuddled down into the bed more, trying to will herself back to sleep.

She heard the soft sound again. It sounded muted, like she were listening with her head under a pillow that was underwater.

Everything was silent again, but as the saying went, it was too quiet. She couldn't sleep with the unearthly silence in the room. It was freaking her out. The hairs on her arms were standing up straight, and a tingling feeling was building at the nape of her neck.

'Close your eyes and sleep,' she ordered herself mentally. The tingling increased, causing her to sit bolt upright and shoot foreword out of the bed.

Except her head connected with someone or something. Stars exploded in her vision and she heard a thump as someone hit the floor.

"Damm," she heard a boys voice.

"What happened?" Drake's voice cut through the darkness. "Did you're new teammate attack you?" he asked harshly. "You'd think that you would have been able to defend, what with all the extra training that you take, Kenneth."

Kisa rubbed her forehead gently. She wanted to apologize, but she didn't want to talk to any of the boys in the room.

The curtains soundlessly parted again. "Ki?" yet another black haired boy asked. He had an angry red bump on his forehead.

Kisa completely forgot about her name for a moment, so she didn't answer. Then, when she remember, she nodded.

"You're tiny!" he exclaimed. "How the hell are you supposed to help our Cell?" he demanded. He reached over and tried to grab her hair, but Kisa bit his hand. He was scaring her, and it was her last defense.

The next thing she knew she was on the floor, staring at the black ceiling while Kenneth dropped to the floor beside her. "Bastard!" he exclaimed. He kicked her ribs sharply causing her to gasp sharply.

A brunette boy leaned against one of the ebony bed frames. "He is tiny. With the amount of noise he was making last night, I thought he had to be built like a lumberjack!"

"Shut up, Konimitsu!" Kenneth exclaimed. He went to kick her again, but Kisa had rolled to her feet. He switched to a punch and swung towards her face only to be stopped.

"What the hell do you think your doing?" a white blond boy demanded. He flung Kenneth's fist aside and waited for an explanation.

"He frigging bit me!" Kenneth shouted.

"And he knocked him flat on his back," Drake said. "I'm not sure how. . . . He's built like a timid little girl."

Kisa swallowed hard as Drake pointed out exactly what she was. She was a timid little girl, not a big and strong ninja.

The boy with the blond hair turned towards her. "Are you Ki Souma?" he asked. She nodded once, still keeping her distance from Kenneth. "Frost, give me your papers," he said.

Kisa blinked. 'He must be talking about the note Briar left for me,' she thought. She reached into her pockets, noting the dried mud that she had been too tied to clean the night before.

Frost took the note and began to look it over. Kenneth scowled at her. "Your registration and transfer papers, you dumb - "

Frost held up his hand. "That'll be enough," he said coldly. Kenneth shut up immediately. Drake and Konimitsu left the room completely. He turned his icy blue eyes to Kisa. "Today is your first day?" he questioned.

Kisa nodded silently again.

Frost shook his head with a disappointed look on his face. "Briar comes up with the strangest things. . . . . " he muttered. He turned to Kenneth. "Show Ki around and help him through his drills. Give me an evaluation by the end of the day."

Kenneth snapped to attention; his heels together and his fist held at a right angle to his chest. Kisa didn't move at all.

Frost's gaze racked up and down her for a moment, making her shiver slightly. "Show him an attention stance first," he said after a moment. Then he left the room, leaving her alone with Kenneth.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Kenneth led her out of the room almost immediately. The halls were still as dark as they had been the night before. She walked in silence slightly behind him until they stopped.

She almost bumped into him as he stopped moving without a sound. Of course, considering that he had started moving without a sound, that really wasn't that impressive.

"You're really loud for your size," he muttered.

Kisa didn't say anything.

It obviously bothered him, but there was nothing he could do without getting in trouble with Frost. "Go in and get fitted for a uniform," he ordered sharply, pointing at a seamless black door.

"Why's everything so. . . . . dark?" she asked hesitantly. "And how am I supposed to open the doors?"

Kenneth sneered at her disdainfully. "Ninja don't need lights, and you open the door with your handprint - like this," he said pressing his left hand to the door. It slid open and he walked inside, the door closing behind him.

Kisa pressed her right hand to the door, but nothing happened. She was concentrating so hard on the door opening that she didn't hear anyone approach behind her until a voice whispered in her ear.

"Ki Souma, did you know that you're supposed to use your left hand?" Briar asked. His voice was quiet. "How are you finding your Cell?"

"Cell?" Kisa inquired. "What a fitting word for it, just like a prison." She surprised herself with the sarcasm etched into her words.

Briar laughed softly. "That's not why it's called a cell," he said. "You're going to have a hard time fitting in, but Frost was short, and a member was needed. Of the new recruits you're the only one that I think could adapt in time. Too bad you're built like you are. You'd get more respect if you weren't short and bright."

"Short and. . . . bright?" Kisa questioned.

"Your hair will make you stand out a lot at Shinobi Academy," Briar said.

'Great, now it'll be just like going to school at home only this time if I mess up, I might die,' Kisa thought bitterly. It wouldn't have been so bad if there was something other then her hair that irritated people.

He pushed her shoulder lightly. "You have classes shortly and still need a uniform that'll fit you. Kenneth is waiting, I suggest that you hurry and see him, Ki."

Kisa moved foreword until he stopped pushing her. "Why are you calling me Ki?" she asked.

"Because it's your name. We don't have much use for last names around here. Would you prefer Souma?" he asked.

Kisa shook her head. She had once again forgotten about her name. "Ki is good," she said. "Like you said, it is my name." She placed her left hand on the door.

This time her hand got tingly and the door silently opened. She gaped in awe for a moment then hurried in.

Kenneth smiled humorously at her. "It took you long enough," he said sarcastically.

Kisa ignored him. "Whatever you say," she said. It was the wrong thing to say. Within moments he had crossed the room.

"Find something that fits yourself," he hissed and shoved her backwards roughly. She could see him forming a fist as she fell backwards through a small laundry chute. In his fist had been a kunai.

He had been intending to cut her with the sharp weapon. She felt grateful for the chute's presence. She only hoped that it wasn't too hard of a landing.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Author's notes;

Now that I've finished introducing the main characters for this story I'll head into the plot. (Although you'll have to wait until the next chapter to see that \_/ )

Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed so far.

And thanks to everyone that's read this story. \_/

Kissa-chan