Obligatory Disclaimer: The series Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto; I only own the OCs, picture, and this story.
Chapter 5: Of Family and Patriotism
The entrance exam to the Academy went exactly how I had expected. The written portion was straight forward, though the last few questions were more open ended and hypothetical. Those tried to gauge my loyalty to the village I'm sure, and I answered them as the perfect little prodigy the clan expected me to be. There was also a physical examination to see how healthy I was. That had been a bit awkward, though I was proud to say I didn't do anything to embarrass myself in front of the iryō-nin who checked me. I hadn't like visiting doctors in my old life either.
I was certain that even if I hadn't done well on the exam, which would have been terrible considering how much I studied, failure was pretty slim with my clan status and the fact that we were in war. I was accompanied by Aunt Mei and Hideyoshi, as well as a few Hyūga children who were entering the academy, including some of the recently branded Branch members from my third birthday. I avoided eye contact with them as the opening ceremonies began.
The Sandaime stood on a podium as the new students and their families filed into the room. Although the man was much younger than he was in the beginning of the series, a sparse amount of gray was beginning to grow at his temples, and there was a weight to his shoulders and a heaviness in his eyes. It was understandable; he was sending children off to their deaths.
His voice was aged as he addressed the crowd.
"I will keep this short, as even now the threat of our enemies continue to claw at our borders." He let his eyes scan over the assembly before continuing.
"Through many generations, Konohagakure has succeeded through countless trials and tribulations by following the Will of Fire, a philosophy passed down to us by our founder and first Hokage, Senju Hashirama."
He paused, probably thinking of his past mentor.
"The fact that you are all standing here today demonstrates this; your love for the village and your families has led you to this decision."
A murmur ran through the crowd, the energy of the new students rising at his words. Yeah, totally not forced into it or anything due to the lack of available ninja. Nah.
"Like shinobi of the past and those who continue to fight in the present, you academy students now follow in their footsteps."
Oh, just get to the point already. There was only so much propaganda I could stand.
"Every one of you has inherited this Will of Fire, as those before you. This is what will give you strength against all odds so that in turn, you may pass that will on to future generations."
If we even have a future left after this. Some of the children around me began to whisper excitedly to one another, completely invested. Those poor children. How could they know that they'd become cannon fodder? My hands tightened slightly on the strap of my bag.
"Now go forth and do well. The future of Konoha rests on your shoulders."
I clapped politely as the crowd erupted in applause, greatly moved by his speech. There was nothing moving or great about war. They probably didn't realize that they'd have to kill out in the field in order to survive, too blinded by propaganda and the potential of glory. There was no doubt in my mind that most would die.
I was pulled from my bitter thoughts by a hand on my shoulder.
"Junko-hime, this is Kenta," Mei introduced as a lanky brunette with long hair stepped up, quickly dropping into a bow, for me all of people. "He will be escorting you to and from the academy, as well as helping you with anything you may need."
The boy, who looked to be about nine or ten, rose. The first thing I noticed was the bandage around his forehead.
"I hope to be of use to you."
My stomach churned at his words. There was everything wrong about those words coming from that young face, in that young voice. If ninjas were tools to carry out the will of the village or Hokage, then the Branch members were that to the Main family on a more apparent scale. Clan members of the Branch family were taught that from birth, that their lives meant little in comparison to the prosperity of the Main family.
Maybe I could change that too, if I survived long enough.
I smiled at him with a nod of my head.
"It's nice to meet you Kenta-kun," I chirped with a happiness I didn't feel. He seemed surprised by my response, though quickly covered it as Hideyoshi walked up to us. His eyes zeroed on mine and I straightened.
"Do remember your duty to the clan," he said, glancing at the rest of the Hyūga children who were standing in our little group. "You not only represent yourselves in skill and talent but also the prowess of the clan as a whole."
I gave my automatic response alongside the other children. It wasn't as though he'd accept anything else.
"Yes sir," I said, my mask of obedience in place; slightly widened eyes to show attention and submission with no expression or emotion. A ninja in the making I was.
He gave me a sparing glance before turning to the other Hyūga adults in our little group. The crowd was beginning to disperse, the new students being led to their classrooms. I gave Mei a smile when she looked down at me.
"I'll see you when I return won't I?" I asked. She nodded.
"Yes. Ken-kun will take you to your classroom," she said, before eyeing me critically. "Do not give your sensei any trouble, alright hime?"
I gave her a mock scandalized look. "I would never, oba-san. You know me better than that."
She did know me and while I was obedient for the most part, I could never pass up the opportunity to be a bit of a smart ass every once in a while. Especially to the elders. It had to be the Senju part of me. It was a good way to work on my deception skills too; whenever they'd come over to view my progress, I'd blow them away with over analytical answers to the material, given with an innocent smile and tilt of the head.
I could even give them the exact author, page number, and context of any material too, though I don't know if that was impressive or just sad.
She gave me a look that she knew what I was up to before sighing, placing her hand lightly on my head.
"Just remember to make your parents proud, okay?" she whispered. That sobered me up. I nodded solemnly.
With that she and the rest of the older Hyūga, as well as the other parents, began to file out of the building. I turned to my silent companion, placing a smile once more on my face.
"Shall we?"
I chattered nonstop to Kenta as he walked me to my classroom. I wanted to make a good impression and loosen him up a bit. His mother was one of my father's many sisters, and so I asked him if I could call him 'nii-san'. He had sputtered incoherently for a second before turning red and ducking his head. He was so cute.
He was also training to become an iryō-nin which surprised me, though it made sense. Hyūga were basically human X-ray machines. The byakugan would make it very easy for things like surgery and detecting issues within the body, as well as accurately locating them. He explained briefly that it was one of the fields Hyūga enter after the academy, though one of the smallest. Apparently, their skills were more useful in information gathering and tracking missions, but I had to disagree and praised his decision, causing him to turn red again.
There was a question in his eyes but he stayed silent as we approached my room. We weren't the only ones there. A boy with the Uchiha fan embroidered on the back of his wide collared shirt was standing by the doorway, who turned and watched us as we approached. He couldn't have been all that older than me, dark eyes and messy black hair surrounding a babyish face. Though I was one to talk.
Kenta regarded him briefly before turning to me.
"My classroom is the next one over," he informed me and I nodded. "I'll see you during the break."
"Okay, bye Kenta-nii!" I grinned as he blushed and rushed to enter the classroom next door.
The Uchiha boy made no move to introduce himself and so neither did I. There was totally something going on between the Hyūga and Uchiha, probably because they were both pompous and over-powered, especially being two of the biggest clans, with possibly the biggest egos in all of Konoha. Fixing clan relations would have to come later; I had my own clan issues to deal with as well as trying to figure out a way to fix the futures of a few other broken people. Having to deal with one Uchiha was more than enough.
We didn't have to wait long before the classroom door slid open and a long haired woman peeked out. Her purple eyes regarded us briefly before nodding.
"You two may come in now."
The Uchiha and I entered to a group of children about Kenta's age staring down us. Immediately, the room erupted into whispers and for the first time, I realized that I was basically in grade school again. Correction: 'ninja' grade school, which meant it was going to be even worse.
What have I gotten myself into?
The class fell silent as the teacher began to speak.
"These two have demonstrated exceptional potential and have been thus been added to this senior class."
Oh. I see what she was trying to do. If two toddlers barely out of diapers could be in this class, which was soon to be graduating, what did that mean for their skills? The whispers came back though quieter. More judgmental. She turned to us.
"I am your sensei, Ikeda Wakana. You will refer to me as Ikeda-sensei. Now, introduce yourselves to the class."
The Uchiha and I shared a look.
I walked before the podium and blackboard where the teacher stood, leaning over in a slight bow.
"I am Hyūga Junko," I began, although I guessed my clan didn't really need saying. "Please take care of me."
That was probably good enough. Still, I gave a disarming smile as I straightened and let my eyes wonder over the rest of the class. It was a surprisingly small class, about eight in total seated. The clan children stood out to me the most as they dominated the numbers. One who I assumed to be a Nara was taking a nap in the back row as a female Akimichi snacked quietly beside him. There were a couple of black haired, wide collared children seated in middle of the room, Uchiha if my assumptions were correct. An Aburame in their iconic trench coat and sun glasses sat next to a Hyūga in the front row who regarded me with some interest. Another Branch member. The last two students sitting next to each other in a middle row near the Uchiha didn't have discernible clan features, so I guessed they were civilians.
As I finished my quick catalog of the classroom, the young Uchiha joined me at the front of the room in a bow.
"I am Uchiha Shisui. Please take care of me."
You have got to be kidding me.
"Now that that's settled, you two may take a seat," Ikeda-sensei said, flipping open a lesson plan, "and then we can get started."
She didn't need to tell me twice. Ignoring the prolonged stares, I walked up the rising rows of auditorium-like desks to take an empty seat in the very corner of the room. It was a key vantage point in the room, back to the wall and a view of every other seat as well as the blackboard and podium. And the best part was that no one would notice me freaking out when Ikeda-sensei started class.
The classroom was obviously made for older kids as my head and the tops of my shoulders barely made it over the edge of the desk. Shaking my head, I pulled my book bag onto the desk and tucked my legs under me on the bench, seiza style, giving me a few extra inches that allowed me to use the surface comfortably. It would have to work.
As I got out my notebooks and pencils, I caught sight of Shisui taking a seat in the empty row in front of mine, sparing me a brief glance before sitting down. He didn't have any problems sitting at the desk, I noticed with distain. Ikeda-sensei began a lesson on ninjutsu, which seemed to be an introduction on nature transformation as the whispers and looks died down and I was left to my thoughts.
I didn't know much about Shisui, only that he had been a major influence in Itachi's life and was yet another victim of clan shenanigans and Danzō's manipulative bullshit; yet another future that could be changed for the better. I let out a deep sigh as I copied Ikeda-sensei's notes from the blackboard. I couldn't let that get me down; I had to focus on my plan. Making genin within the year, aka pulling a Kakashi, was the only way I could foresee myself being able to do anything effectively. It would give me the freedom I needed away from the clan and it would allow me to connect with the right people. There were so many people I wanted to help, but I couldn't do it on my own.
I knew the consequences of becoming a ninja and had come to terms with what that implied. I wasn't happy about it but in the grand scheme of things, in the potential future, I couldn't let that stop me. There would be a lot of lying, deceit, and manipulation. Especially if I wanted to change anything for the better.
Besides, wasn't that what a ninja was meant to do?
My inner turmoil petered to a halt as the lunch period came. The other students exited at random speeds, one of the civilians vaulting over his desk, while others languidly made their way out. The looks still came though less obvious as I hopped my way down the steps and walked to the doors. Just as he promised, Kenta was waiting for me outside but before I could meet him, a not so subtle push knocked me to the side.
If it's another Uchiha, I swear to God…
I easily regained my footing and had to look to up to see the culprit. Pale white-lavender eyes glared frostily at me. The Hyūga from my class.
"Oh, please forgive me Junko-chama," a feminine voice came from the androgynous face. "I hope I didn't dishonor you in any way."
Although I had expected disdain from the Branch family, the reception and care I had gotten from Aunt Mei and Kenta had left me unprepared for such blatant hostility.
Kenta rushed to scold her. "Satomi!"
Even more intra-family conflict. Just great. Satomi turned her nose at up me.
"Just because the elders promoted this runt due to her pedigree doesn't mean you have to bow down to her."
Wait. Runt? What the hell?
I frowned slightly, though the look on Kenta's face was a mix of sadness and resignation. There was a slight crowd starting to form around where we stood in the hallway.
"Satomi-chan, Junko-hime is the next potential heir and a member of the Main House. You can't say that." His voice was low. As though embarrassed to admit it.
It was just a job, a duty that he hang out with me. That he look after me. It hit me in a way I didn't expect; a slight tickle rose in my throat and my stomach felt heavy. I was twenty-five years old for crying out loud, a four year old prodigy in everyone's eyes. And yet I was reminded of the thirteen year old I used to be, who was too weird and too awkward, who trailed behind the backs of others for some semblance of friendship, companionship.
I cleared my throat, interrupting whatever possible insult Satomi was going to throw out next.
My voice was soft but steady when I spoke. "If you two are quite done."
They both looked at me, one with surprise and the other with anger. I wasn't aware that the crowd around us had gotten larger as I made eye contact with Satomi.
"You are right Satomi-san." Her eyes widened in surprise. "I do not need any babysitting."
A smile spread across my face, a little conniving and a little conceited. Belittling on an innocent face. Perfectly Hyūga-esque.
"After all, the elders nor the academy would have permitted a four year old to enter the graduating class if they needed looking after."
The whispers returned and a light, angry blush settled over her pale face. I turned to Kenta, confidence in my voice. As they say, fake it till you make it.
"I appreciate you taking time to show me around the academy and my class," I said more earnestly. "But as I said before, I do not need a sitter."
When he went to speak, I lifted a hand.
"I will let Mei-obasan know that I am freeing you from your burden. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble, it's the least I can do." I smiled. "If you will excuse me."
I managed to hold my expression as I walked through the crowd which dispersed to let me pass. It held until I made it to the bathroom where I isolated myself and locked the door, where I let the mask fall.
This sucks.
Author's Note
Posted/Edited: September 1st, 2016.
Second Edit; caught spelling mistakes and lore error: September 3rd, 2016
Third Edit: December 14th, 2016
-Slight changes to Kenta and Satomi's relationship; Kenta is now one year older than Satomi.
Minor editing: January 29th, 2017
...
Thanks to all those who have added this story to their favorites and followed it so far. Almost a hundred follows and almost sixty favorites as of posting this; pretty crazy, but I'm glad so many of you like it.
Reviews:
Thanks to Mina Luriya, k123, and Zafrinel for your feedback on the last chapter; I appreciate your comments!
Junko may or may not have a weakness to blondes with blue eyes, but who wouldn't have a crush on Minato? That man is too handsome for his own good. Anyways, Academy shenanigans have only just begun, and hopefully, our little protagonist will be able to handle it.
Hopefully.
Next time on For a Chance at Happiness:
Chapter 6: Of School Days and Classroom Bullies
{in which our protagonist makes a name for herself in the worst (best?) possible way and makes friends.}