In which Fuu meets someone important and Naruto goes to school.
O-O-O-O-O
It was a rare night when most of the jinchuuriki were in the Room together. Utakata and Yugito were deep in conversation, sitting across from one another. In one corner, Roshi, Han, and Killer B traded stories about the Third Shinobi War.
Fuu looked at the two children sitting in front of her. Gaara was listening to Naruto as he told them a story about a girl he met while at the park. Fuu listened attentively and grinned. It's nice to see Naruto making friends.
"Fuu-chan," Yagura's familiar voice interrupted.
"Yagura-san?" she asked as she turned to look up at him.
"I have something to tell you," he said with a frown. For a second, she felt a weight drop into the pit of her stomach, terrified about the possibilities. However, Yagura only looked confused.
"What is it, Yagura-san?" she asked.
Yagura opened his mouth as if to speak before reconsidering. He scratched his chin and closed his eyes, deep in thought. Fuu stood up. The boys followed her and stood at her sides in silent support.
"I got a message from Isobu," Yagura finally said while crossing his arms in front of his chest. "It was weird."
"A message?" Gaara asked.
"Isobu?" Fuu asked.
"Weird?" Naruto asked.
Yagura nodded. "Isobu is the name of my bijuu," Yagura answered. "He told me that one of his siblings tried talking to him while he was resting in the space the tailed beasts share."
"The bijuu share a room of their own?" Han asked in an incredulous tone, distracted from his own conversation.
Yagura shrugged. "It's what Isobu told me. He described it to me one time. He says it's infinite and that the floor is made from a shallow pool of water. He says the other bijuu haven't really used that space ever since the Nine-Tailed Fox threw a hissy fit about being the strongest."
"Oh, yeah! Hachibi said the same thing," B rapped. "He says they never give 'im a ring! Up in their space, they're always displaced, oh yeah!"
"So, anyway," Yagura continued, ignoring B completely. "Isobu sent me a message from the Seven-Tails. He told me to tell you that your bijuu wants to talk."
"With me?" Fuu asked, blinking in confusion. "Why?"
Yagura shrugged. "I don't know. He only told me to send the message. He says the Nanabi says that it wishes to speak in person."
"No! You can't talk to your bijuu, Fuu-chan, I forbid it!" Roshi yelled as he walked closer, a furious frown on his face.
"W-What? Why?" Fuu clutched the hem of her skirt.
"It's dangerous!" Roshi answered. "Bijuu are creatures made of hate. They love to watch you suffer and in pain. You're not old enough to face it alone!"
"Not all bijuu are like that," Yagura commented. "I consider Isobu my friend and comrade and has done a lot to help me survive. If Fuu is careful, she can-"
"No!" Roshi repeated, shaking his head. "It's too dangerous. We don't even know what the beast wants!"
"Roshi," Han interrupted. "Yagura has a point. My bijuu is stubborn and sometimes unpredictable, but she has helped me before. I know you have trouble with your tailed beast, but it's possible to have a cordial or even friendly relationship with them."
"Matatabi says I remind her of a kitten," Yugito admitted. She tried to sound annoyed but sounded pleased instead. "She says I have a desire to prove myself to everyone, so she lets me borrow her power whenever I want."
"The six-tails lets me use acid with my jutsu," Utakata added with a lazy wave of his hand. "He and I both like to watch bubbles floating in the air."
"Oh yeah! With the Hachibi, I'm never alone! With our powers combined, our power's streamlined, you dumbass phonies!"
Gaara crossed his arms in front of his chest and sighed. "Why do you all have nice bijuu?" he complained. "Shukaku is really mean."
Yagura chuckled and ruffled Gaara's hair. "Sorry about that, Gaara-chan. Maybe eventually you will have full control. It's also possible that someone could alter your seal in the future."
Gaara sighed but nodded at Yagura's words. Fuu felt a pang in her chest. She knew how much pain Gaara was in from having Shukaku's voice in his head. The village's treatment of him over something he couldn't control only made it worse.
"Roshi, I think it's going to be Fuu's choice," Yagura said. "I'm only the messenger. So what's it gonna be, Fuu. Are you going to talk to your bijuu or not?"
Fuu bit her lip. She remembered yelling at Shibuki about not judging her bijuu earlier. However, now that it was her turn, she was finding it difficult to remember her own words. What if my bijuu is more like the one Gaara and Mama have instead of the one Yagura-san has?
She considered the situation. She didn't know what her tailed beast was like. But now that it had asked to speak, she burned in curiosity to know. She thought about the question one more time. Are you going to talk to your bijuu or not?
She made her choice. Eyes full of determination, she looked up at Yagura and nodded.
"How do I get in touch with it?" she asked, trying to ignore Roshi's pleading look.
O-O-O-O-O
Fuu took a deep breath in and out to calm herself. She made herself remember all of Yagura's instructions and warnings.
Make sure you are in a safe place where no one will interrupt. Close your eyes and concentrate. Meditate and enter your mind space. Look for your bijuu once you're there. Listen to it, but obey nothing. Don't destroy the seal or let it out.
She leaned back against the tree, looked around the empty forest, and stared up at the sky. For a few minutes, she watched the clouds drift by from behind the canopy. She sighed. Well, there's no going back now.
Fuu closed her eyes. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, focusing her mind on her breath. She felt a pulling sensation originating from somewhere near her navel, similar to the force that took her to the Room. She allowed it to whisk her away.
When Fuu opened her eyes, she blinked twice as she found herself in one of the school hallways. She looked around, but she saw no one else. Every mind space is different, she remembered Yagura telling her. Why is my mind space at my school, though?
She shivered before she walked down the familiar hall toward her classroom. She could sense a strong chakra nearby and she followed its call. A few minutes later, she found the door to her class. She placed her hand on the hinge to open it.
With a nervous gulp, she slid the door open. To her surprise, instead of her normal bright classroom, she could see only darkness. Her breath froze in the sudden cold and she swallowed. Part of her wanted to turn around, slam the door closed behind her, and run away to never come back. However, her bijuu wanted something and it had gone through the trouble of sending a message through another bijuu to achieve that goal. I can't ignore it now!
Forcing her body to act, she placed her right foot inside the darkness. She gulped and moved her left foot in front of it. Taking tiny steps, she walked inside. Her breathing was labored and she wanted to cry, but slowly she forced herself to enter the darkness. She felt a second of victory and pride when the door suddenly slammed shut behind her.
With a gasp, she turned around to leave, but her escape had vanished, leaving her alone in the dark. She tried to feel for the door, but her hands felt only air. She clutched her hands together close to her body as her eyes tried in vain to see. This was a mistake, I have to leave.
She rubbed her hands against her eyes and felt tears forming. She jumped when she heard a clicking noise emanating from the darkness.
"Wh-wh-who's there?!" Fuu stuttered.
She saw a point of light. In the darkness, the effect was almost blinding, and she moved a hand in front of her eyes to shield herself. Biting her lip, Fuu hesitated for only a moment before she ran toward the source. Please be the way out.
As she approached the light, she nearly crashed against the bars of a jail cell and her heart sank. Tears fell from her eyes and down her cheeks but she didn't care. How do I get out of here!?
She looked through the bars and yelped when she saw a giant shape moving inside. It traveled closer and Fuu jumped away from the bars with a scream. She landed on the floor and looked up at the hulking beast.
It looks like a rhinoceros beetle. A soft orange glow emanated from behind the helmet that made up its head. Two giant pincers covered a mouth full of sharp teeth. It had six legs, three on each side. From farther back, Fuu saw six tails that looked like wings while its seventh tail grew from the end of its abdomen.
Fuu wanted to scream at the sight but her body refused to obey. She was glued to the floor and her throat was paralyzed. She waited for the beast to escape its cage and eat her.
"So you finally came!" it said in a sharp and grating voice. "I'm glad Isobu-kun set the message!"
Fuu unfroze. The beast sounded... happy?
"W-what?" Fuu asked dumbly. She stared wide-eyed at the giant insect. She heard a chattering noise that might have been giggling.
"I'm Lucky Seven Chomei!" the insect announced. "I told Isobu-kun to send a message for me since I couldn't contact you directly yet."
"I... I... My..." Fuu wanted to respond but her mind ran a mile a minute as it processed the new situation.
The insect giggled again. "I know your name," it said with a chattering noise. "I've been watching you for a long time. I'm glad we could finally get to know each other."
"I... I..." Fuu swallowed and cleared her throat. "Why did you call me here, Chomei-sama?" she asked.
"Ooh, polite aren't you? You don't have to be so formal! Just call me Chomei!" the insect said.
"Chomei?" Fuu repeated. Her experience in her own mind was getting more and more strange. I thought bijuu were supposed to be really arrogant.
"That's me!" Chomei replied, its voice full of cheer. "I'm glad we finally got to meet each other, Fuu-chan! I guess you have a lot of questions for me? I'll answer as best as I can before we get down to business."
Fuu swallowed again as she tried to get her thoughts in order. She had a lot of questions, but she had no idea where to start. After some consideration, her brain caught onto one thing she had wondered since she heard Chomei speaking.
"Chomei," Fuu began. "Are you a boy or a girl?" Their voice had sounded neither particularly masculine nor particularly feminine. She wasn't sure how to refer to the insect and she didn't want to be impolite.
Chomei clicked its pincers together in a way that reminded Fuu of a human rubbing their chin in thought.
"I don't really know," Chomei answered eventually. "We bijuu are manifestations of chakra, so we don't have gender the same way you humans do. My siblings have decided on genders for themselves though. I suppose if I were to choose, I would say that I'm both and neither."
"Both and neither?" Fuu tilted her head to the side in confusion.
Chomei moved its head in a way that might have been a nod. "I am simply me. You may refer to me however you wish. He, she, it, they... it doesn't matter. I am Lucky Seven Chomei and I can't be categorized into a single box so easily."
Fuu nodded. She hadn't known it was possible to be anything other than a boy or a girl. It sounds cool though. "Okay, Chomei," she answered.
"Good! Do you have anything else you want to know?"
"Uh..." Fuu racked her brain for ideas, but her mind drew a blank.
Chomei giggled again. "Don't worry! Now that we've opened up communication, we can talk to each other without you needing to come to my space. You can ask me anything later."
"Thanks, Chomei," Fuu answered, smiling for the first time since she arrived at the prison. "Why did you want to talk to me?"
"Because of what you said to that brat!" Chomei answered cheerfully as it slithered closer to the bars to inspect Fuu. "Don't you remember? 'I bet my bijuu is really nice but since no one has ever talked to it, everyone thinks it's evil!' It was one of the best things I've heard in a long while."
"Thanks!" Fuu answered with a smile. She was glad to see her indignation had been for something. "Why did you send the message through Yagura-san, though?"
"Our seal doesn't permit it," Chomei explained. "I couldn't talk to you unless you talked to me first. Since I didn't know when that might happen, I asked Isobu-kun to send a message for me."
"I've been watching you try to get into the archives," Chomei continued. "Your chakra control is too weak to climb up and the distance between the tree and the window is too wide to jump. I know a way to help you with that."
"Oh?" Fuu asked. Her bijuu was much nicer than she had expected. "Well, I'm glad we could talk! I was a little afraid of meeting you, Chomei, because Shukaku is really mean to Gaara and Mama says his bijuu is really stubborn."
"Mama?" Chomei clicked their pincers together.
Fuu nodded. "Roshi-san. He has the Four Tails. He says he has a monkey bijuu and that it's rude and mean."
Chomei made a chattering sound that Fuu realized was laughter. "I'm not surprised! Shukaku has always been an impulsive idiot while Son is too arrogant for his own good," Chomei said. "Don't worry! You have Lucky Seven Chomei at your side! We can do amazing things together."
Fuu nodded and beamed at her bijuu. "So you want to thank me for what I said to Shibuki?" Fuu asked with a tilt of her head.
"I do, but there's more to it than that," Chomei fluttered its wings. "I have a plan to help you get into the archives."
"A plan?" Her heart began beating frantically. She had been trying for almost a week to sneak into Hisen's office but had failed every time.
Chomei nodded and stared into her eyes. Their pincers shifted into what could almost be described as a smile. "Yes," they said. "I'm going to teach you how to fly."
O-O-O-O-O
Fuu stood under the window to Hisen's office once again. For the past week, she had been getting to know Chomei. They were funny and interesting, often interrupting lectures in school to tell Fuu a story or add information. The only downside was that Hana and Rin had been giving her weird looks whenever she giggled to herself.
'I got lucky with my bijuu.'
'You sure did, Fuu-chan!' Chomei replied. Fuu smiled to herself.
She breathed in and out to calm her nerves. Around her was a thick blanket of snow. Anyone with half a brain had already gone inside where it was cozy and warm. Fuu, meanwhile, had mild treason to commit.
'You will feel a pull of chakra. Focus on that pull and my tails will appear as physical manifestations,' Chomei said.
Fuu closed her eyes and concentrated. Within seconds, she felt a source of chakra that felt simultaneously new and familiar. Wary, she called the chakra to her, letting it travel through her body and settle at her waist.
She breathed out and opened her eyes. She looked down. Her body floated a few inches off the ground because of the insect wings that had sprouted from her lower back.
'I told you I could teach you,' Chomei's voice said smugly.
'Thank you, Chomei!'
'You're welcome!' Chomei answered. 'Now, practice flying a little. You don't want to crash into the window and leave a trail!'
Fuu knew she had the best bijuu. What tailed beast could teach their jinchuuriki how to fly?
Willing her new wings to obey, she floated higher up. To her surprise and amazement, when she looked down, the ground was farther away than before. Determined, she moved her wings to take her over the tree, where she hovered for a few seconds. The wings obeyed her every command.
What more can I do? Curiously, she tested her wings. To her delight, they were easier to control than she had expected. She wondered if Chomei had something to do with their ease of use.
From the tree, she flew through the sky, ascending and descending as she wished. She did a taijutsu kata in the sky and found it almost easier than if she were on the ground. She struggled to hold back her laughter and instead chuckled as silently as possible. Flying is the best!
'Didn't you have a mission?' Chomei's shrill voice interrupted, voice full of amusement.
'Argh! I almost forgot!' Fuu heard Chomei chuckling at her words.
Chastened, Fuu descended slowly and hovered next to the window to the archives. She checked for traps or alarms but saw nothing.
'Hisen-sama needs better security.'
'No kidding. Any half-decent shinobi who knows how to walk on walls could sneak in and steal intel. You should tell your village leader to be more careful.'
'But then, how would I get in?'
'Good point. Now, open the window and go inside. I don't think we have any time to waste.'
Fuu opened the window cautiously, waiting for a trap she might have missed. Nothing attacked and she could only hear her own breathing and the breeze from outside. She sighed in relief as she climbed through the window and stepped inside.
'If I were a scroll containing classified information about Takigakure missing-nin, where would I be?' Fuu asked herself.
'Check the labels,' Chomei answered. 'Disturb as little as possible.'
Following their instructions, Fuu walked to the nearest stack of scrolls. She began to read through the labels. Trade. Taxes. Mission logs. Genin list. Chuunin list. Jounin list. Nothing looks promising.
'Don't give up, there are a lot of books and scrolls to check through.'
Fuu nodded, although she knew that Chomei couldn't see. She flew to look at the contents on one of the high shelves. Missing-nin, she read on the spine of a book. Her heart began beating faster in anticipation.
Hopeful, she took the book and floated back down to the ground. She took out a candle she had brought with her and lit it to read. She swallowed before opening the book to the first page.
'What are you looking for, anyway?' Chomei asked.
'Yagura-san said he saw a tall man with his face covered and green eyes. He said he looked really scary.'
'Good to know. I'll help you look. We have two sets of eyes here.'
Fuu didn't have a long time to read and she couldn't risk taking the book with her. She scanned through the first few pages. However, none of the pictures and drawings looked like what Yagura had described.
Losing her patience, she flipped through the most recent additions to the list. She tried not to despair as she moved further into the past. The list of Takigakure missing-nin was short— many already crossed out by Hisen or other previous village heads.
She was ready to close the book in frustration when she saw a drawing of someone who fit Yagura's description.
'This is him!' she said to Chomei.
'Are you sure?' Chomei asked skeptically. 'This profile is ancient. He would be either an old man or dead already.'
Fuu frowned. Chomei's words made sense. Yet, based on everything Yagura had said, he was the only person that looked anything like his description.
'Maybe Yagura saw his son or something?' She read the biography.
Kakuzu of Takigakure. S-Rank missing-nin. After a failed mission in Konoha, Kakuzu defected from Takigakure, killing the village elders and stealing their hearts. During his escape, he also stole the forbidden Earth Grudge Fear jutsu which grants him immortality by taking the still-beating hearts of other people. Approach with extreme caution.
Fuu's heart beat faster and faster as she read through the profile. When she finished, she closed the book with shaking fingers as all the pieces fell into place. Fuu shivered.
'I hope I never run into him! Immortal and takes the still-beating hearts from people? What kind of monster is he? That's why no one could find him in the newest version of the bingo books! He's been a missing-nin for over sixty years!'
'I know! Talk about creepy!' Chomei added.
Fuu bit her lip before opening the book again. She read the short passage one more time, whispering the words to herself in order to memorize them. She couldn't afford to miss any detail.
O-O-O-O-O
Naruto stared up at the entrance of the Academy and grinned.
He hoped he and Hinata would be in the same class. He hadn't seen her since they met, but he wanted to keep their promise to be friends.
Around him, the other students entered the school, most being dropped off by relatives. He saw some older students returning from spring break, but the majority seemed to be new like him. A few appeared anxious about joining the school while others were as excited as he was.
With a spring in his step, Naruto stepped inside. He found the classroom the Hokage had told him about, Class 1-B, and entered. He was one of the first students there. Excited, he looked around to search for Hinata, but either she hadn't arrived or was in another classroom. His heart sank, but he consoled himself with the knowledge that at least they could talk at lunchtime.
He sat down in the middle of the classroom and looked around at the other students. In the back corner was a boy with spiky hair yawning next to a chubby boy eating potato chips. At the front of the classroom was a dark-haired boy reading a book. Giggling girls surrounded him, trying to talk to him. However, he only looked annoyed as he ignored them.
Naruto snorted. He didn't understand what was so special about him. Already bored, he fidgeted in his seat and looked around the classroom. He wondered how much longer he had to wait for the teacher to arrive. He was eager to get started. He tapped his foot, shaking the desk, and received a glare from the girl sitting next to him.
"Eh, sorry," he said while scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Just a little nervous, ya know. I don't suppose you want to be friends?"
"With you?" the girl scoffed and left the table, moving to sit somewhere near the front of the class.
Naruto felt his face heat up in embarrassment. Why did I expect anything different just because we're now in school?
Frustrated, he glared at the chalkboard, hoping for their teacher to come in soon. I wish Gaara or Hinata were here.
To his relief, he didn't have to wait long. A few minutes later, a kunoichi entered the classroom, holding a stack of books. She had wavy hair and wore oval glasses.
"Settle down, kids!" the woman yelled and dropped the books on the table with a thump. "My name is Suzume and you are to refer to me as Suzume-sensei, got it?"
"Yes, Suzume-sensei," all of them answered.
"Good!" Suzume said with a pleased smile. "Now, before we start, I think we should all introduce ourselves. Please tell us your likes, dislikes, hobbies, and your dreams. I'll start. I like flowers and flower arranging and dislike when men underestimate the power of a kunoichi. I enjoy reading and cleaning in my free time. My dream is to one day enjoy peace and tranquility in Konoha."
From there, everyone took their turn to talk about themselves. Naruto listened intently, trying to remember everyone. Over time, however, their names started to blur as they moved through the classroom. He sat up curiously and made it a point to listen to the boy who had been surrounded by girls earlier. Is he a big deal or something?
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha," the boy said. "I enjoy spending time with my brother and dislike weakness. In my free time, I train with my brother or my cousins. My dream is to one day be as strong as my brother."
At the end of his introduction, a gaggle of girls sighed dreamily as Sasuke sat down. Naruto ground his teeth in annoyance. What the heck is with this guy? Why the fan club?
Eventually, it was Naruto's turn, and he stood up. A few of the other children glared at him. Undeterred, he smiled at them.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki," he began. "I like ramen and spending time with Old Man Teuchi and Ayame nee-san. I don't like the time it takes to make ramen. My hobby is training! And... gardening, I guess? My dream is to one day be the Hokage, ya know?"
A few of the children burst out in fits of laughter and Naruto felt his face go red, in anger or indignation, he wasn't sure.
"You? Hokage?" one boy at the front says. "As if! You're just a loser no one likes!"
Naruto grit his teeth and growled at the boy, fist raised. "Just watch! I'm gonna be Hokage one day and you're gonna have to listen to me!"
Naruto looked at Suzume for help, but she said nothing, holding a hand up to her mouth to stifle her giggles. He looked around the room, but only the sleepy-looking boy, his friend at the back, and Sasuke were silent. With a huff of impatience, Naruto sat down, glaring at the desk.
"Now, now, children," Suzume finally said. "We all have our... dreams. Let's continue with the introductions."
Defeated, Naruto placed his chin on the desk and tuned out everyone else. He only listened when the boy at the back introduced himself as Shikamaru, giving his likes as watching clouds and sleeping. His friend followed him, stating his name as Choji and his hobbies as eating. Naruto decided that once he was Hokage, he would make sure they only go on easy missions for not laughing at him.
The few hours he spent in that class were some of the most excruciating in his short life.
Once they finished with introductions, Suzume handed out their textbook. She explained that they would spend the morning practicing their reading and writing skills. Naruto felt panic in the pit of his stomach. He was terrible with kanji and characters always seemed to turn around and move whenever he had to read. He was fine reading by himself because he could take as much time as necessary. He dreaded having to read out loud in front of others.
Eventually, Suzume called on him to read and Naruto stood up with the book in shaking fingers. He cleared his throat, but he was only delaying the inevitable. He tried to read well, but he stumbled often and his speed was slow. When he finished the passage, he slumped down on his chair and he heard the others giggle at his misery.
He only perked up when it was Sasuke's turn to read, hoping for the other boy to fail. However, he read the passage perfectly, not making a single mistake. When he finished reading and sat down, he heard sighs of admiration from not only the girls, but the teacher and some boys as well. Naruto ground his teeth.
After reading, they moved onto math and Naruto had never felt more stupid. At least with reading, he could guess what the next character was. For math, he understood nothing and the teacher refused to explain anything to him. Suzume only slowed the pace when Shikamaru raised a hand and asked her to explain, giving him time to catch up.
When the bell rang to release them from lunch, Naruto breathed a huge sigh of relief. That was terrible.
He waited for all the other students to run out before leaving the classroom with the lunchbox Roshi had forced him to make. He peered out of the door and turned his head to glance down the hallways. He found Hinata standing at the end of the hall, a small bento box clutched in her hands.
"Hinata-chan, Hinata-chan!" he yelled as he ran up to her with a grin. "You're here too! Do you wanna eat lunch together?"
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata looked almost surprised to see him and she glanced down at her feet. "You remember me?"
Naruto snorted and grabbed onto her hand. "Of course I do. We're friends now, ya know?"
"F-friends?"
"Friends!" Naruto started to lead her away before remembering that she hadn't accepted his offer. A feeling of shame settled into the pit of his stomach and he let go of her hand. "I mean... if you want."
He readied himself for rejection, but Hinata squeezed his hand instead. "Friends," she said with a smile.
Feeling happy for the first since school started, he returned her smile. Side by side, they walked out to the courtyard. They sat down at a bench away from most of the students.
Naruto's food was simple: rice with a hardboiled egg, furikake, and steamed vegetables he had promised Roshi to eat. It was basic but filling. In comparison, Hinata's bento looked like a professional had prepared it. Naruto couldn't help but feel a little jealous. He would ask Roshi to teach him how to make those egg omelets later.
Naruto and Hinata talked about their day, comparing their experiences so far. Hinata's class was friendly according to her. Nothing interesting had happened except for a boy named Kiba jumping up on the desk. She let Naruto rant about his experience, sympathetic to his plight.
"You can be the Hokage, Naruto-kun," she said with a smile.
Naruto grinned in return. It was nice to see his dream validated by someone that was not a jinchuuriki. They spend the rest of their lunch break talking about whatever came to mind. He learned about Hinata's baby sister Hanabi, whom she adored, and about the rest of her family, including her strict father and gentle mother.
When the bell rang to indicate the end of their lunch break, Naruto didn't want to leave. I wonder if I can ask Gramps to transfer me to Hinata's class.
Naruto and Hinata walked back together, chatting, before waving goodbye at each other. Naruto gulped before stepping back into the classroom. He wanted to leave and run back home. However, Yugito had threatened to teach him how to play the shamisen if he ever skipped class. Her threats were always real, too.
He entered the classroom to find it in chaos. The students were rowdier after their lunch break and they all turned to sneer at him as he walked in. He forced himself not to flinch under their gaze. Keeping his head high, he sat down at his desk, staring intently at his nails and waiting for Suzume to come back.
The afternoon passed by in the same way as in the morning. Naruto was confused by new kanji and the characters continued to turn around whenever he tried to read.
However, once Suzume moved onto talking about practical aspects of shinobi life and history, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. He had eight other people lecturing him about what it was like to be a ninja. He sat up eagerly at the change of topic.
"Now, who can tell me who the first Hokage was?" Suzume asked with the air of someone not expecting anyone to know. No one answered as they all racked their brains.
"Yes, Naruto, do you have a question?" she asked when Naruto raised his hand.
"Hashirama Senju," Naruto answered.
"What?" Suzume blinked and all the students turned to look at him. Naruto tried not to squirm under their gaze.
"Hashirama Senju," Naruto repeated. "He was the first Hokage. He founded Konoha with his friend Madara Uchiha and his brother Tobirama Senju. He was called the God of Shinobi. His younger brother eventually became the Second Hokage. When Madara Uchiha rebelled, he was forced to fight and defeat his friend."
The classroom was silent at Naruto's answer. He tensed under their stupefied reactions as he looked around the classroom. Shikamaru gave him a calculating look from the back of the class. Meanwhile, Sasuke scowled for some reason that Naruto couldn't begin to comprehend.
"Th-that's right," Suzume said, pushing her glasses up in surprise. "How did you learn about that, Naruto?"
"Read it in a book." Naruto shrugged. Han taught me. He forced me to buy a book about the history of Konoha and tell him about everything I read.
"As if! You can't even read, you idiot!" one student said. Naruto felt his face burn in a combination of anger and embarrassment.
The rest of the class burst into laughter and it took a while for Suzume to calm everyone. Defeated, Naruto refused to answer any other questions, even though he knew the answers to almost everything Suzume asked.
The rest of the day dragged on. Naruto breathed a huge sigh of relief when the bell rang to release them for the day. He stood up to leave.
"Wait, kids!" Suzume yelled and everyone turned to look at her. "Before I forget, we will have a physical exam on Saturday! We will test your physical conditioning and set a baseline for improvement. We will also have our first practice match. We may force any students who do not meet the basic standards to leave the school."
A few of the children muttered amongst themselves nervously at the announcement. Shikamaru, meanwhile, only yawned and walked out. Chouji followed close behind him eating a bag of chips. Sasuke nodded solemnly at the news before glaring at Naruto and walking out. Naruto only shrugged. This'll be a piece of cake.
He ran out of the classroom and went on the lookout for Hinata. However, when he found her, the same teenager from before was leading her out by the hand. He only managed to shout goodbye before she disappeared among the crowds, waving at him.
With a pout, Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest and began to head home. However, before he could leave, he felt someone pulling him back by the elbow.
"How do you know about Madara Uchiha?" Sasuke glared at him, a furious frown on his face.
Naruto blinked. "What?"
"I said, how do you know about Madara Uchiha?" Sasuke asked again, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
Naruto snorted. "I read it in a book. What does it matter, anyway?" Naruto tried to shake Sasuke off, but he pulled him back.
"How is an outsider like you familiar with my clan's history?" he demanded. "Outsiders aren't supposed to know about our clan."
"So what if I know?" Naruto retorted. "What do you want me to do? Erase the information from my mind?"
"Tell me the truth! There is no way you learned about Madara in a book!" Sasuke shouted. "You don't even know how to read!"
Naruto growled and grabbed onto the front of Sasuke's shirt. He clenched his teeth and watched as Sasuke glared at him. "I know how to read, ya know! It just takes me a while!"
Sasuke grunted and grabbed onto Naruto's shirt as well. Frustrated with the events of the day, Naruto got ready to punch Sasuke in the face. From the look in Sasuke's eyes, he could tell that his classmate felt the same way.
"Sasuke! What are you doing!?" a feminine voice interrupted.
Both Naruto and Sasuke froze. They turned to look at the source of the voice. A pretty woman with long straight black hair walked closer. The look of disappointment in her eyes reminded Naruto of when Roshi had scolded him for eating only ramen for three days.
"Mom?" Sasuke asked with a start.
Naruto let go of his shirt and tried his radiate an aura of innocence. He knew, however, that any adult would side with their own son over Naruto. He prepared himself for the familiar scorn from all the adults in his life. He stared at the ground and watched the woman's sandals walk closer.
"Sasuke! Fighting on the first day?" she scolded. "Itachi and your father would feel so disappointed."
"But, Mom!" Sasuke whined and Naruto glanced at him briefly and was glad to see the panic in Sasuke's eyes. "He started it! He knows stuff about our clan! He knows about Madara Uchiha! He knows Madara was friends with the First Hokage!"
"And? That's public information anyone can read in a book," the woman answered with a heavy sigh. Naruto snickered. That's what I said!
"But, Mom, I-"
"No excuses, Sasuke," the woman interrupted. "I will speak to your father about this. Fighting over something so petty... Itachi would have never done that on his first day of school!"
Sasuke flinched back, and he stared down at his feet, the very picture of admonishment. Naruto couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. Hesitantly, he turned his gaze to look up at the woman.
From close up, she was prettier than she had appeared from a distance, with unblemished pale skin. She had large black eyes and her eyebrows were creased into a small frown as she stared at Sasuke. Side by side, Naruto realized that Sasuke looked a lot like his mother.
"I'm sorry about Sasuke," the woman said with a small bow of her head in apology. "I was hoping he would make friends. What's your name?"
"Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto answered warily. He awaited the all too familiar glare but to his surprise, it didn't come. Instead, he saw a flash of recognition in her eyes that was soon followed by a smile.
"Ah, Naruto-kun," she said. "Please forgive my son. I was hoping you two would be friends."
"Oh, uh... that's okay," Naruto answered, bewildered at her response. Where's the hate? Why doesn't she tell Sasuke to stay away from me?
"My name is Mikoto Uchiha," the woman introduced herself. "It's very nice to meet you." She looked back down at Sasuke and her gaze hardened. "Now, Sasuke, apologize to Naruto before we go home."
Sasuke pouted and shifted his feet in anger. Nevertheless, he sighed, and he turned to Naruto. "I'm sorry," he said insincerely.
"That's okay," Naruto answered politely.
"Hn," Sasuke grunted as he turned around to leave.
With a sigh of exasperation, Mikoto watched Sasuke walking away. She looked down at Naruto and smiled. Naruto felt shivers of some indescribable emotion course through his body. People aren't usually so nice to me.
"It's very nice to meet you, Naruto-kun," she said. "I hope one day you and Sasuke will be good friends."
"It's nice to meet you too, Uchiha-san," he answered while scratching the back of his neck self-consciously. "I... I don't know if we can be friends though, ya know?"
She chuckled. "Well, I can always hope."
She walked away, leaving Naruto standing near the exit of the Academy in confusion. He felt like she was someone he was supposed to know, but he didn't have any idea why. Confused, he walked home, trying to put into words his feelings. He had a lot to tell the other jinchuuriki.
O-O-O-O-O
"And on top of all that, he accuses me of being unable to read!" Naruto ranted. Yugito, Yagura, Fuu, and Roshi listened attentively, offended on his behalf. They had been letting him vent for the past couple of minutes, wincing and muttering when appropriate.
"What an asshole," Yagura said. Roshi glared at him for the foul language but Yagura only raised an eyebrow.
"I know!" Naruto crossed his arms across his chest and pouted. "But the look on his face when his mom made him say sorry was awesome, ya know!"
Fuu giggled and she leaned forward to ruffle his hair. "Reading is a little hard for me too, Naruto-kun," she said. "Kanji is the worst!"
"Yeah, well, now everyone thinks I'm stupid," Naruto complained. "Suzume-sensei asked a lot of questions I didn't wanna answer cause they were just gonna make fun of me." The others winced sympathetically.
"When do you start your shinobi training, Naruto?" Yugito asked, leaning casually back on the floor using the palms of her hands.
"Not until next year," Naruto said. "We're gonna have some kind of physical conditioning exam this Saturday, though. We're gonna have a spar, too."
"Sparring?" Yagura repeated before grinning. "How about I teach you a few tricks? Your classmates won't make fun of you once they see how well you can fight."
"You'd do that for me, Yagura-san?" Naruto looked at him admiringly. "Yugito and Fuu have been teaching me a little taijutsu already, ya know."
"My style of fighting might not be what's most suitable for you, Naruto-chan," Yugito explained. "Yagura would probably be a better option. You are shorter than most of your classmates. You need techniques that can take advantage of that height difference."
"Are you calling me short?" Yagura asked, annoyed.
"You are short, Yagura," Roshi said with a smirk.
"Look who's talking!" Yagura stood up to point at Roshi. "You're only an inch taller than me at the most!"
"I think it's more than that, Yagura-san," Fuu added cheerfully.
Yugito snorted. "Roshi-san is definitely more than one inch taller than you, Mizukage-sama." Despite the honorific, Yugito made the title sound sarcastic.
Naruto watched the argument break out and grinned. He might only have Hinata in Konoha, but in the Room, he was never alone. With their help, he would dazzle everyone on Saturday and hopefully wipe the smug look off of Sasuke's face.
O-O-O-O-O
A/N: No more dead moms for now. Hinata's mother is alive because I want her to be. Sasuke is one of my favorite characters even though I used to hate him so much. His arc and story in this fic will be VERY different than in canon, however.
My Tumblr is waffledogwrites, if you want to get in touch with me for whatever reason!
Next chapter: more rivalry.