AN: SO, here we are again, a whole 5 reviews and 2 chapters away from where it started. THANK YOU! Pooka for your review that seemed interested in my character! Made my day . Glad you could be so understanding Inuyasha-girl :D
New chapter inc! DUCK!
Don't own Naruto.
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Tracing the Clouds
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Always do right-- It will gratify some, and astonish the rest.
-Mark Twain
Chapter 3: Bladesong
The soft, cold light of early morning seeped through the blinds, illuminating long strips of a Karu clan emblem Comforter, under which a large, restless lump was located. Iro risked cracking an eye, and was rewarded with a particularly invasive shaft of light catching him full force in the face. "Urgh." He hated it when that happened. Finding the strength to roll over, he found himself entangled in the comforter that had just a few moments ago been his haven. He wiggled an arm in a feeble attempt to wrestle himself free, cursing the treacherous bedsheet and the sinister trap which had obviously been carefully plotted against him. "Meh..." he muttered, considering giving in and going back to sleep, but suddenly snapped wide awake as he remembered what exactly it was today held for him. Exams. Graduation.
He looked over, bleary eyes widening as he read the friendly red digits that sat mocking his existence on the face of the small electronic alarm clock. 9:14. Shit. The buzzer rang. FUCK YOU! The damn thing never missed a chance to screw him over. The world seemed to be plotting against him today, and his gaze wandered longingly between the clock and the gleaming black-sheathed katana propped up in the corner. No, no time! He would horribly mangle the clock later, right now he had better stuff to do, like go back in time an hour or so.
Frantically he searched his small apartment for clothes. There was a crumpled dark grey shirt laying on the kitchen counter that looked clean enough, and after a quick search of the premises he located a pair of camouflage shorts and his favorite maroon Karu clan sweater. Pulling it over his head, he strapped his Katana across his right shoulder, his Wakizashi across his left, and made a hasty exit, leaping from his third story balcony to the street below, waving to the ever-perturbed landlord as he did every day, who in turn muttered a few colorful remarks about no-good kids and their never learning to use the stairs, as he did every day. Iro sped his way across the rooftops towards the academy, straightening his slashed Sound Hitai-ita, and cursing his horrible karma. If he was late and missed the exam, that clock was so dead.
Iruka was halfway through inhaling when he choked, spluttering and gagging on his unspoken sentence as a purple, brown, and green blur flashed through the open window and into it's assigned seat, expertly snatching several fluttering papers from the air as it landed, and placing them neatly on their various owners' desks. Regaining his composure, the Chuunin instructor grinned smugly at the new arrival, who was currently doing his best to look inconspicuous as the other gennin giggled at his sudden appearance. "Glad you could finally join us, Iro-kun." Iruka's malevolent grin widened, and Iro couldn't help but fidget just a little. "Ah well, Lost on the road of life, as the Copy Ninja likes to say..." he gave a melodramatic pose, inspiring more hushed giggles from the younger students. Iruka simply rolled his eyes. "Well at least you got here, I was worried I'd have to deal with you next year." It was Iro's turn to grin, as he replied "Oh Iruka-Sensei, that's the very thought that inspired me to get here so very quickly!"
"Alright, class." Iruka began, forming the Ox with his hands as he stood before the students, demonstrating what he had asked of them. "To pass, all you need do is demonstrate your knowledge of a simple Gen- or Ninjutsu. Used to be you'd have to perform a Henge no Jutsu, but due to the strengths and weaknesses each person has, we've broadened the field a little bit." Iro wore a vicious grin that just wouldn't budge. He was going to put the fear of God into these kids. As students went up, a certain head crowned with unruly brown hair bobbed up and down, nodding and smiling ever-the-more evilly to itself as it planned it's course of action. This was gonna be awesome. "NEXT UP IS: IRO-KUN!" A set of dark brown eyes glittered with just a little too much enthusiasm as he stepped up onto the raised concrete platform upon which Iruka was standing. Iruka glanced at him nervously. Oh boy.
There was a cold metallic ring as katana left sheath. The flawless steel of Iro's most treasured possession glinted in the sunlight, dancing threateningly in his grip as it twirled fluidly about him. It came to a stop directly in front of him, and intertwining his fingers about the midnight hilt of the blade, he formed two seals: Bird to start, and then gripping the hilt in the seal of the Horse. Iruka's eyes widened as he felt the maelstrom that was the young man's chakra build, swirling, ripping, tearing at the air around them as it forced it's way into the blade. Iro's eyes shot open, and in a deep commanding voice he shouted KenKashou No Jutsu! The Song of the Blade! Releasing the seal, he brought the blade up above his head, and in a single powerful swing, sank it as if decapitating an invisible foe into the concrete at his feet.
For an instant it seemed that nothing had happened, and the startled instructor risked cracking an anxious eye. The suddenly a sound akin to a small hurricane filled the room as a huge, surgically clean tear appeared in the floor where the blade had lodged itself, traveling the entire length of the classroom, and up the length of the stairway between the rows of desks, up the back wall, an partway across the room. It had every appearance of having just cut the classroom in half. "You pass." Iruka said simply, handing a grinning Iro his shiny new Leaf Hitai-ita, and dismissing himself to a quiet closet, where he could have his breakdown in peace. The class sat in stunned silence, most staring with enormous sweatdrops at the new divider in their classroom, the remainder staring in blatant disbelief at the scruffy-looking gennin who stood before them, fastening his new forehead protector about his disheveled hairline, and tucking his old one in one of his sweater pockets. He gave them a lazy wave, and headed toward the nearest exit, taking a team assignment sheet from Iruka's desk as he left.
Iro's expression went from smug to puzzled as he read the paper, his name having been highlighted along with the team selected for him. "Already prepared to meet me?" Iro smiled to himself. "Thank you, Iruka-Senpai, for having faith." There were directions jotted hastily on the sheet –apparently Iruka knew he would lift the paper- as to where his team was waiting to greet him...he wondered how on earth a team of gennin could have been formulated so quickly but as he stepped into class 214, the room they were supposed to be meeting, he knew there had to be some mistake.
Long, pink hair shifted as the owner shot an assessing glance in his direction, spiky blonde following suit, although the owner's face was instead plastered over with a huge dopey grin. A single lazy eye looked Iro over, pausing for a moment on the carved Hitai-ita that still protruded from his pocket, masked face crowned with a silver mane and showing no sign of emotion other than the deepest of boredom.
"Ah crap."
Three sets of eyebrows twitched.
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I really hope you like this, I think it's my best chapter yet. Amusing, and complete, I don't think I forgot anything this time. Please enjoy! I wish i could make it Double-spaced to ease the bleeding eyeballs I'm sure I've caused in the past, and will undoubtedly cause here...but it wont let me -.-;;