Author's Note: Since I'm new here I'm still figuring things out…so I didn't say this last time but:
Garuki © 1387tortures (member of Deviant Art)
Nariko and Rai © Rising Black Rose (member of this site)
Naruto and Ninja World Concepts © Masashi Kishimoto
And everything else here is of my own invention Hope you are enjoying Hotaru's stories so far!
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The Frigid Winds of Hope:
A Ninja's Tale
(Hotaru: The Academy Years, Story Two)
As I stood before the gates of Yuki, Village of Snow, for a moment I forgot I was not alone.
I was nine years old and had just completed the three-day journey from home to the ninja village for the first time. My traveling companion, a boy I barely knew, stood beside me, but staring up at the great wooden gates, I lost myself in their majesty.
I was startled awake by the rustling of bushes on either side. The boy and I were surrounded.
My first instinct was to cry out, but then I looked more carefully, saw the silver flak-jackets they wore, the snowflakes engraved in their forehead protectors. I relaxed. A quick look to my right showed my friend without the slightest hint of any worry – then even a spark of recognition.
"Hiroshi-san!"
One of the ninjas started, then laughed and waved off the others. "It's all right, boys, I know this one."
"You're sure it's not genjutsu?" asked another.
"I'm sure. Because I don't know that one." He pointed at me. "If it was an illusion, I'd know them both. We can let them in."
"All right. Open the gates!"
"How's the old lady, Garuki-chan?" the ninja asked politely as the great doors creaked open. "We sure miss having her here."
"She's great. She said she'll teach me a bunch of cool moves!" my companion piped up.
The doors stood open and welcoming.
"In that case, you'll be unstoppable before long." The ninja known as Hiroshi took us each by the hand. "Now, if you two could follow me and wait just inside here…" He motioned to a bench inside the walls, and we sat. The gate closed behind us. "I'm going to have one of our Jounin-ranked ninjas come to greet you and settle you in. Please wait there."
Just as he turned to run off, a beautiful young ninja with long silver hair strung in two braids came around the corner. Her purple robes swept behind her, then fell limp as she came to a halt. "There is no need, Hiroshi-san. I will see to them."
"Yu…Yukiko-sama!" Hiroshi stammered. "Are you sure? I could easily find someone else…"
She held up a hand. "I'm sure. The Jounin are occupied at the moment. Besides…" She looked at me. "…this one interests me."
Hiroshi-san bowed and returned to his post at the gate.
As the Jounin ninja walked over, the two of us stood and bowed as well, mimicking Hiroshi-san's gesture of respect. Looking back up at her, I noticed her eyes were the same deep purple as her robes.
"I heard we had two recruits on the way. What are your names?"
"I'm Mikata Garuki." The boy, Garuki, grinned.
The lady ninja returned his smile. "Mikata, eh? Your grandmother has ever served this village well. We are pleased to have you." She turned her eyes on me. "And you?"
I wondered if this ninja had heard about my brother.
"Yoruhana Hotaru."
Her face grew serious. "Ah." She examined me quickly. "Ah," she repeated. "I was wondering…but never mind." She looked at me carefully, violet eyes piercing but kind. "We expect much from you, child. I am aware of the heavy burden you carry. Please, if you ever need anything, feel free to seek me out."
"And…who are you?" I asked.
She smiled. "You may call me Yukiko."
I brightened. "Okay, Yukiko-san. Thank you!"
"Now," she said, stepping towards the village spread out before us. "Let me show you both to your quarters. Classes begin tomorrow morning."
That night I sat in my room, staring out at the icy moon. In Snow Village, there is no spring. It is winter year round; a cold, harsh winter with biting winds and frequent blizzards. Even with the extra blankets Yukiko-san had brought for me, I was chilled to the bone. I came from one of the more distant parts of Snow Country, with real seasons, and my clothing had not the strength to withstand the cold.
The room was small, but enough. It held a bed, bookshelf and desk, a refrigerator, chair and table, and a stove. I wasn't allowed to use the stove; I was still too young. Instead, a nice old lady named Maiko-san, who lived next door, had volunteered to make my meals until I was taught how.
Her cooking was good, and I was grateful for it, but she wasn't my mother. As I sat alone in my room, it became painfully clear: there was no family for me in Snow Village.
The next morning I awoke early, ate some cereal to save Maiko-san the trouble of fixing breakfast, and hurried to the Academy just down the street. A friendly-looking young man ushered me into the room. It was a lecture room like any other, with a chalk board up front and rows of desks stacked like bleachers in the back.
Even as fast as I had readied myself that morning, many other kids already filled the seats. A brown-haired girl surrounded by friends saw me and waved me over. "Come join us," she offered.
I nodded and smiled, taking an empty seat in the row below them.
"I'm Tsukiki Aiko, of the historic and powerful Tsukiki clan of ninjas. Who are you?" the brown-haired girl asked.
"I'm…Hotaru," I said. I had no mighty ninja heritage to claim. I listened shyly to their conversation, but I didn't have much to add, seeing as it was only my second day in the village. The girls soon lost interest in me.
My eyes wandered across the room, passing all the unfamiliar faces. Garuki, my companion from the trip over, walked in; he saw me, waved enthusiastically, and took a seat across the room with some friends. I hardly had a chance to wave back before the cheerful ninja man entered, closed the door behind him and clapped his hands.
"Good morning, everyone!"
"Good morning, sensei!" we replied in one voice.
"Welcome to Ninja Academy! I think we are all here, so it is time to begin. First, you may call me Honu-sensei."
Honu-sensei grinned. He wore a head-protector like a bandana over his head and his black hair in a short ponytail. His silver flack-jacket, indicating a rank of at least Chuunin, shone against his simple black clothing. A more average ninja I had never seen – but he seemed nice enough, and anything he could have taught would have been new to me. I decided immediately I liked him.
"Starting today, you will be learning everything it takes to become a ninja. But first, since not all of you are from nearby, we're going to have a Snow Country history lesson."
He pulled a map down from above the chalk board.
"This is the current Snow Country."
"That's pretty big!" a boy pointed out.
Sensei laughed. "Not compared with the older countries like Fire and Wind, perhaps, but it is much bigger than it used to be. When our village was founded about 30 years ago, the country was very small. But in the last war, Snow Village fought evil ninjas out of these regions," he pointed, "and took them over. Now they belong to Snow Country."
In one of those regions lay my home.
"Does anyone know who held these regions? Yes, you." Sensei pointed to a boy with a raised hand.
"A group of villages led by the Sound, including Lightning and Oni."
"That's right. But while it is important to know our enemies, it is even more important to know our allies. We formed some new alliances as a consequence of this war; does anyone know who are allies are?"
Garuki answered. "Konoha and Sand Villages."
"Right. We are also on good terms with Hidden Waterfall, although they are so small that one could hardly call it a military alliance."
"Sensei," a girl asked, "that war was only a few years ago, right?"
"About five, yes."
"And we freed the lands from the evil ninjas, right?" she pressed.
"Correct." Honu-sensei waited to see what the girl was getting at.
"So…war is a good thing, then?"
A female voice answered from the door of the room." War is never good, child. Remember that."
The lady stepped inside. I recognized her, though she was wearing a funny blue and white hat that day; it was Yukiko-san, the ninja who had welcomed me to the village.
She continued. "War results in countless unnecessary deaths and the destruction of entire villages. Our own founding ninja, the first Yukikage, was killed in that war. He died teaching us a valuable lesson: that war should be avoided at all costs."
Honu-sensei smiled, but his eyes looked sad. "That is correct, Yukiko-sama. While you are here, may I introduce you to the class?"
She smiled. "Of course."
"Class, you are very lucky today to be in the presence of our own village's leader, the Second Yukikage. You owe her your loyalty and devotion. It is thanks to her that our village still exists today."
My eyes shot open. Yukiko-san was the Yukikage?
She inclined her head in a sort of bow. "You are too kind. The class should also know that you are a superb instructor and they are lucky to have you." Sensei blushed. "If I may, Honu-san, I would like to observe class. It seems we have a promising group this time, yes?"
"Indeed." He turned back to use. "Now that we've had a brief introduction to the politics of Snow Village – the most important information, I must suppose – we shall we shall move on to our next topic. Ninjas fight with a wide variety of techniques, known collectively as jutsus. Who knows something about jutsus?"
Several hands shot up. Honu-sensei chose mine.
"Ninjutsu and genjutsu are two types, and to use them you need chakra," was the first thing that came to mind. I was thankful spying on my brother had paid off.
He looked impressed. "Very good. May I ask your name and clan?"
"I…don't really have a clan, not a ninja clan anyway…I mean, my brother…"
"She is Yoruhana Hotaru, Honu-san," answered the Yukikage. "She and I have met already. She is bright, is she not, considering she comes from a non-ninja clan?"
Honu-sensei said something in reply, but it was the whispers behind me that I heard instead.
"Yoruhana?"
"My dad told me, that dropout kid…"
"He's a Missing Nin, I heard! The ANBU are hunting him down!"
"Are they related?"
Ryuro… I thought sadly. I knew they were rumors, lies, but I still felt badly for him. He would never be welcome in this village.
More, though, I felt sorry for our parents. They had given so much to the village, yet the family name had been dishonored. Even at nine years old, that was clear enough.
The rest of the lesson passed quickly. It was difficult at first with people staring at me – I knew they were, even though they were behind me – but I was so eager to learn that I focused and soaked up all the information I could.
After class was dismissed, I turned to ask the group of girls what they were planning to do for the afternoon. They ignored me and walked away. I sighed, then spotted Garuki across the room. Hope renewed that I would not have to spend the rest of the day alone, I made my way over.
Before I could reach him, I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see the Yukikage. She had stayed for the entire lesson. I was speechless, staring up at her, wide-eyed.
"Hotaru-san, I wanted to let you know that I was impressed with your focus and hard work today. If you continue like this, I see we have nothing to worry about. You will do fine here."
I only nodded.
"One more thing…Please ignore what those girls are saying. They do not understand the situation. Remember this: you are worthy of respect."
"Yes, ma'am," I said as she walked away. It was difficult to understand, however, as I stood alone.
I remembered where I had been headed. Garuki stood with a group of boys around the desk nearest the door. He saw me and waved cheerfully.
"Hello, Hotaru-chan!"
"Hi, Garuki-kun. Want to come explore the village with me?"
"I would, but I told these guys I'd play ninja with them," he said. "Why don't you play with us instead?"
Before I could even say yes, one of the boys piped up. "No way! We don't want no girls playing with us!"
Garuki frowned.
"I promise I won't slow anyone down," I protested.
The boy shook his head. "Nope. No way."
Garuki looked back and forth between us.
The boys got up and moved toward the door. "Are you coming or not, Garuki-kun?"
Garuki frowned again, looked at me and shrugged. "Sorry. I already promised them."
He left with the group, and all at once I was alone.
"So much for making new friends," I said to the air. "Nobody wants me." With that, I moved outside and down the street which led to my lodging.
A frigid wind blew some dirt on the street into a flurry.
"Good morning, class."
"Good morning, sensei."
"Welcome back. I hope you slept well."
I hadn't, but Honu-sensei was so cheerful that I couldn't help but smile. In any case, it was class time once again; my happy time, a time to learn and grow and to not be alone. I wasn't even sitting alone that day; Garuki had chosen to keep me company. My optimism could not be shaken.
Sensei began his lecture. "There are many important skills to learn in order to become an effective ninja. Many people forget, however, how crucial practical living skills are. City survival is just as important as wilderness survival, and both are probably more important than jutsus to a ninja. Ninjas must be able to blend in as well as stay alive.
We at the Ninja Academy believe that boys and girls are of equal value. That does not change the fact that society as a whole views you differently. You have different roles to fill, when blending with the rest of the world. Therefore, as we start practical living classes today, we are going to break you up into groups. The boys will come with me. Today we will be studying hunting and fishing techniques."
"The girls will come with me," said a female ninja from the corner of the room. I had not even noticed her before then. She had long dark hair and a camouflage dress on. "My name is Kaoru-sensei. I will be teaching you girls traditional women's skills such as cooking and flower arranging. Today, however, we will study the tea ceremony. I assume many of you may already be familiar with it."
Wait a minute…they're breaking us up into boys and girls? I looked at Garuki. He shrugged, and stood to follow Honu-sensei outside. Great, I thought. Alone once again.
Kaoru-sensei led all of us girls into another room which had low tables and tea sets already in place. After a quick lecture, she asked us to divide into groups and practice what we had been taught.
I looked around. A bunch of girls saw me standing there and pretended not to notice. They turned away quickly whenever I moved towards them. Finally, there were only two of us remaining: me, and a girl with really long brown hair and a small hippopotamus at her side. Kaoru-sensei saw us standing there, looking lost. She pushed us gently toward a table in the corner.
"Why don't you two girls go together?"
She hurried off to observe the groups who had already gotten started, leaving the two of staring blankly at each other.
"I'm Hotaru," I finally said.
"I know that. Everybody knows who you are. My name is Nariko, and this is Rai."
I picked up a tea cup and tried to remember in which order the first motions went. "How come you have a hippo with you?"
"My daddy summoned her for me, to protect me. He's super special, he goes with me everywhere. Not like a normal summon that goes away."
I had heard about summons, the animals that ninjas called to protect them, but I didn't know much about them. I remembered my brother saying he wanted one, but the technique to call one was too advanced by far.
"He seems pretty friendly." I could have sworn the hippo smiled at me.
"Oh, he is," Nariko said, pouring some tea for us both. "But since he isn't normal, all the other girls are afraid of him." She nodded in the direction of Aiko and her group of friends. "They won't talk to me. I don't really mind though."
I sighed. "They don't like me either. But I don't know why. Yesterday they were talking to me, and then they just stopped."
Nariko blinked. "You don't know why? It's because they found out who you are."
"What do you mean?"
"You're the dropout's brother. They say you shouldn't be here, because you're related to a Missing Nin."
"He's not a Missing Nin!" I said a little too loudly. Some of the other girls looked over. Aiko-san smirked and went back to her ceremony.
"Sorry," said Nariko. "I didn't mean it that way. I'm just saying, it's what they think. That's why they ignore you."
"Oh." It was all I could think to say. Then, "Wait. How do you know?"
"They ignore me. That doesn't mean I ignore them. I hear stuff."
It made sense. We both rotated the cups in our hands and drank.
Later that night, I sat in my room sipping chicken-flavored ramen from a bowl. The chilled night air and few thin clouds gave the moon a frosty appearance and tainted its light as it fell through my window.
I didn't understand it. They were judging me based on my brother's failure. I hadn't done a single thing wrong, and for that matter I was a quick learner. I wouldn't end up like him, and they shouldn't assume that I would.
Yet I could see their point, in a way. Ryuro was a failure. The only ninja ever to come from my clan had run off in disgrace and dishonored our entire family. It seemed only logical to expect the same from me.
I slurped up the rest of my soup with vigor. They wouldn't get the same from me. They couldn't. If I failed, my brother and I would probably both end up dead, and my parents would never recover.
I loved them, and despite his flaws I respected my brother. I knew they depended on me, and I would not fail them.
"Congratulations, all of you," Honu-sensei said with his usual grin. "You have all passed the chakra theory examination. That means that today we can begin with actual techniques."
Everyone cheered. We had been studying chakra and its theoretical uses in ninjutsu class for two weeks, but we had yet to use a single ninja technique. Some of the cockier kids had tried techniques on their own outside of class; after the first few injuries, I think Honu-sensei decided it would be better to give us something reasonable to practice as homework.
I aced the theory exam. Some was knowledge I had gleaned from Ryuro, but much of it was information I had learned on my own, and I was overflowing with pride. Whatever the girls in class had thought about me following in my brother's footsteps was obviously wrong. Yes, I was shunned by my female classmates, under Aiko's influence, and ignored by the boys, as were all the girls, but I used all the time alone to study in my room. Not only was my ninjutsu theory strong, but I grasped strategy concepts faster than most of my classmates, and was keeping up in my taijutsu class as well. Never mind that I was a year behind; I was determined to keep up with my classmates.
"I am going to teach you a very important jutsu today. Please pay attention; with winter coming, and by that I mean true winter in all its frozen treachery, this jutsu can save your live."
Everyone sat on the edge of their seats.
"We call it Chakra Warmth No Jutsu. With this technique activate, a very small amount of chakra is converted in to heat and will continually flow within your blood, keeping you warm in the coldest of winter no matter what amount of clothing you have on. Once activated, it will continue to warm you until you dispel it or until you run out of chakra. Most Snow Village ninjas have this jutsu activated at all times."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. After all the frozen, sleepless nights, finally I would be able to find some comfort!
"The hand signals are Tiger, Horse, Tiger, in that order. If you mix your chakra correctly, following this diagram, you should feel a warmth in your ki, or center, right away. Soon, circulating this warmth through your chakra stream will become second nature."
He showed us the diagram, and we spread out in the room, each trying separately to activate and complete our first true ninjutsu.
I understood the theory perfectly. It was a simple enough jutsu…rotate chakra once, add a small amount to each hand seal…more for the third than the other two…
Simple enough; so why wasn't it working?
Around me I heard cheering and sighs of relief as the other children found warmth for the first time in weeks. Some kids were stripping off their jackets.
I was still cold.
"Hey, look at that. The dropout's sister is a loser, too."
Aiko-san.
I didn't say anything. Why should I? But it wasn't exactly easier to concentrate.
"She's a year older than all of us, but she can't even complete a simple warming jutsu? Wow, you're going to freeze to death!"
Another girl jumped in. "Maybe you should just run back home where it's warm…oh, wait, you can't do that can you? Guess you're just going to have to stay here and be a loser."
I jammed my fingers together trying to perform the seals, looking the other way.
"Well," said Aiko, "somebody has to be last in the class, I suppose."
Everybody laughed. Even the boys started to listen in. I didn't look to see who was involved; it didn't matter. Nobody liked me; that was clear enough. I served no purpose other than to be laughed at.
I think Honu-sensei knew that something was going on. It's like some sort of radar that teachers have, even when they don't know exactly what's wrong.
"Umm…very good, class. Now if you will return to your seats, we need to put you into groups for the next lesson, shuriken target practice."
Great. We're going outside, and I have no way to stay warm. I shivered merely thinking about it.
Once again, nobody was interested in welcoming me into their group.
I took several steps outside of the classroom, numbly, before simply halting in place and staring at the piece of paper before me. Three weeks of Academy training had passed and we had just been given our first progress report. The other children ran past me, eager to share their grades with their parents.
Even if I had parents nearby with which to share the grades, I wouldn't have wanted to share what I saw.
Name: Yoruhana Hotaru
Subject Rank
Theory:3
Taijutsu:16
Ninjutsu:27
Genjutsu: 31
Practical
Skills:7
Weapons:21
There were thirty-two students in my grade. I was in the lower half of the class in all but two subjects. I was nearly last in ninjutsu and genjutsu. Genjutsu…the one thing Ryuro had been talented at. I had none of his ability, none at all. I was even worse than he had been.
"Why can't I get anything right!" I demanded, but even if anyone had still been nearby, nobody could have answered.
I didn't need them to tell me the answer though. Aiko-san had pointed it out quite accurately only days earlier: "The dropout's sister is a loser too."
It didn't matter how hard I tried; I would always be the loser with the dropout brother. I would become a dropout myself. I was doomed to fail.
It was so cold. The longer I stood in place, the more the temperature bit at my bones.
"I want to go home! I can't do this anymore! I can't help it if I'm awful at being a ninja!" I cried out. It wouldn't do any good to take Ryuro's place anymore; having a ninja as useless as me would be no better than having no one at all.
I crumpled up the report card, tossed it on the ground, and fell to my knees in frustration. Making one last desperate attempt at my dream, I made the hand symbols for Chakra Warmth No Jutsu, mixing the chakra and praying for any little bit of warmth which would signify success.
Tiger, Horse, Tiger…
"Please work…"
Tiger, Horse, Tiger!...
"Why can't I get it?"
Tiger….Horse….
"It's so cold…it's so cold…."
I leaned against a nearby boulder and wept.
"Ah, excuse me…Yoruhana Hotaru-san, isn't it?" asked a male voice from behind me.
I didn't look up, and barely squeaked a response.
"Sister to Ryuro-san?"
I couldn't believe it. Another complete stranger, judging me by my relationship to my brother!
It didn't matter anymore though. He'd be right if he called me a loser like Ryuro.
"Your brother was a highly competent ninja. Smart, and brave. He was simply not suited for the profession…he was too kind."
I looked up, damp eyes wide with wonder. An exceptionally kind face smiled back at me. The man winked. "But you are not your brother, are you? You've always wanted this. And that, I think, is enough."
"S…Sutiibu-sama?" I barely recognized him without his ANBU coat and mask, but it was the ninja who had recruited my brother that stood before me. And when I thought about it, I recognized the voice as well…
"Hey... you were the ninja who rescued my brother from getting killed when he left, right?"
Sutiibu nodded. "I was his sensei, for a bit. I was going to claim him for the Genin group I supervise, as well, when he graduated. When he left, it was a great loss for this village."
"You really think so?"
"I do. But do you know what would be an even greater loss?"
I didn't have any idea.
"If you left…that would be worse."
I only stared at him in shock.
He knelt to be on level with me, and placed a hand on my shoulder. "I have seen you, and I have talked with your teachers. You will be a great ninja."
"But my grades are awful!"
"Is that so important? Let me tell you what is…you have a great amount of potential. If you work hard, refuse to give up, and if you ask for help when you need it, I promise that you will become strong. You will surpass your classmates."
What he said was so overwhelming that I ignored the larger part of it for the
moment. "If you say so…but, nobody here likes me! They want me to go back home. Who am I supposed to ask for help?"
He considered. "Well, you could as me, when I am in town, or your sensei…however, I think I know of someone who will help you."
"Who?"
He stood, stepped to the side, and pointed near the bushes behind him. There stood Mikata Garuki. He stared at the ground sheepishly.
"It was this boy who found me and asked me to come to you. He said you were thinking of quitting the Academy…and that he didn't want to lose the first friend that he made here."
I blinked. "Garuki-kun…?"
"I'm sorry, Hotaru-chan," he said, walking up to me. "I didn't mean to ignore you or leave you alone. I don't want you to be sad, though."
I smiled. "It's okay. You were busy. I understand."
"I can tell you what you're doing wrong with the Chakra Warmth No Jutsu…"
Sutiibu-sama looked on for a moment, pleased, and then disappeared with the speed only attainable by a ninja.
Garuki knelt next to me, and held up his hands, making a shape. "You were doing the Tiger seal like this…" He changed them. "…this one finger was out of place."
Applying myself immediately, I preformed the jutsu and was overwhelmed with warmth. I was comfortable for the first time in weeks.
"Hey, you're pretty good at practical application of jutsus, aren't you, Garuki-kun?"
"I guess…but you're tons better at theory. I bet we'd make a pretty good team."
I smiled. Finally, the cold had left. I even imagined the sun shining on me.
"You're right. I think we will."