She stopped bringing her ninja equipment to school. The other students almost didn't recognize her without her signature bandana and sandals. Instead of throwing fists, she threw herself into her studies. She didn't exactly know how she was going to prove her value to the village, but if she couldn't do it as a ninja, then this was her only option.
Professor Ayame was pleasantly surprised by her efforts, though didn't go easy on her. She had a lot of catch up work to do from her previous delinquent choices.
But, she persevered. She no longer crouched in the shadows of her classmates. She ate a quiet, simple lunch. She fought off sleep in the dusty classrooms, and she no longer skipped class with the old woman.
In the evenings, traffic was too heavy for her to venture to the village gates, and she had no reason to go there. Dressed in her worn old civilian clothes, she took to the Konoha roads to and from school, equations dancing through her head, in search of a route that was less crowded and more direct.
For long stretches of time, she went home to an empty house, as all her family had been dispatched. She made her food, and sat alone eating it under the dim lamplight before pulling out her textbooks and homework assignments.
"The warfront is getting so close. What if there's a sudden ambush on the village?" a boy muttered nervously in muggy air of the Science Academy hallway.
It was around the end of the year. The summer was hot. Everyone was anxious. Yasahashi's bare thighs stuck to the edges of the chair she sat in, waiting for her end of the year performance review. Takamaru sat next to her, his knees shaking.
"I can't defend myself, I'm not a ninja like you, Yasahashi." The stress of finals, as well as the stench of war drifting in from the village bounds must have been drawing this out of him.
Yasahashi scoffed, "I'm not a ninja, Takamaru."
"You know what I mean," he trembled, "And what if there's some kind of big jutsu attack and a bunch of buildings get destroyed. You know, nature is transformed where ninjas battle. My dad tells me all sorts of stories when he comes home… Whole apartment complexes come crumbling down with people in them as giant snakes and frogs battle!"
"Koizuma Yasahashi," called their professor's voice from the open door. Another girl walked out with a downcast look.
"Oh, that's me. Sorry, Takamaru." She shrugged indelicately and left him.
As her homeroom teacher, Professor Ayame was doing her review. Her nose wrinkled slightly as she saw him.
"Have a seat." He shuffled some papers and adjusted the spectacles on the bridge of his nose as she sat down in another sticky chair.
"Not counting your less than desirable performance during the first 3 months of the year, since then you have excelled enormously in geometrics, calculus, and mechanical physics. I can see why you came with recommendations from the ninja academy. I would however like to see you improve your draftsmanship, as your handwriting is very careless. And, a more genial attitude would be likened as well."
She blew a strand of hair infront of her face. Her professor curled a lip.
"Do you have any preferences for course selection in the next year?"
A week prior, she had studied the literature on course selections. Through these options, she mapped the different routes she could take. By furthering her studies in math and physics, and taking courses in tactile technology and electrical engineering, she could help to develop tools for ninja in the field, or even improve defence around the village.
"I'd like to take a class in electrical engineering."
He pushed his glasses up on his nose and thumbed through a stack of papers to his left. "That class is full, unfortunately."
She wasn't surprised, of course. Many of her classmates were great with electronics and showed a lot of interest in it. And, since they hadn't wasted their first 3 months with poor marks, they got first dibs on class selection. She was disappointed, but she pivoted.
"I guess I'll just take an extra math class." She could study electronics in her spare time in addition to math so she could test into the electronics program the following year, though that sounded like a lot of extra work. But, she was willing to do anything to prove her worth to the village.
"Or…" Professor Ayame interjected, "There is another class open that I think you may be interested in." He produced a printed sheet, handing it to his student.
She looked at the words on the page. "Urban Planning 101?" It was one of the classes she hadn't even bothered to research, having only glanced at the title with little to no understanding of what it was. "That's like, building city stuff?"
"Civil engineering, planning and designing the layout of an urban center with regard to traffic pattern, lifestyle, communal need."
"So, building city stuff…"
He nodded, "It's not as flashy as electrical engineering, and your draftsmanship would still need to improve, but…" He looked at her with an expression she wasn't used to, a kind of calm acceptance, "I can see you doing this, Yasahashi. You have a mind for it."
"I… don't know…" she wasn't quite sure what he meant by that.
"Give it some thought, Yasahashi. This is my recommendation as your professor. You can always choose to switch to a different class if you don't like it."
She stumbled out of the room with a dark look on her face. She wasn't quite happy about how that went. Takamaru was babbling to a boy about the same fears he had expressed a moment ago when his name was called. He jumped up in fright and hurried passed Yasahashi into the office where he would be recommended to take the same class.
Kaeda and Haku often came over for dinner too. They would avoid inviting Mizuki, so the two old friends could dish and gossip without his energy around. Mizuki was more than happy to have his freedom from wife and child.
On one such night, the two old friends leaned up against the unsanded kitchen counter, which Yasahashi had just installed the previous weekend. Kaeda had made a comment about it. She always made comments about Yasahashi's various apartment modifications.
"It makes no sense that you moved into a shitty joint like this, only to spend so much money fixing it up. Might as well just tear the damn place down and build a new building!" Kaeda floundered.
"Yeah, but then the new building would cost too much. Everyone who lives here is pretty low income, you know."
"Well, you get paid good money, don't you?"
Yasahashi shrugged.
"Well now, how much do you get paid? You're not that afraid to tell me, are you?"
There came a knock on the door and the familiar yelling preteen voice of Naruto croaked from the other side, "Yasahashi-sensei! I need your help! It's for class, ya know!"
"Are you serious?" Kaeda stared at her friend.
Yasa shook her head and answered the door.
"Yasa-senseiii!"
"Calm down, calm down. Bud, I told you to stop calling me sensei."
"Oi, but you used to be a ninja, right?"
Yasa acted surprised. "Hmmm? How'd you figure that out?"
"Old man Hokage told me!"
"Ah. He betrayed my secret."
Kaeda just covered her face with one hand in the background.
"You just gotta help me. If I don't learn this technique, they'll never make me a ninja!"
"You eaten yet, kid?"
"Oh, Yasa, please… don't…" Kaeda pleaded, bouncing Haku on her lap.
"How can I eat in a time like this!?"
"Good food will go right to your brain and help you figure this out. C'mon in. I'll help you after dinner."
Naruto didn't stay for dinner per se. He mostly just rambled about stuff and talked obnoxiously, ignoring Kaeda's death glares and Yasahashi's comments for him to eat with his mouth closed.
"Why'd you quit being a ninja, Yasa?" He asked randomly, in between complaining about Iruka-sensei and some kid named Sasuke in his class.
"Well, I couldn't pass the ninja exam, same as you, Naruto. So, I never became one."
Naruto went pale, "Are you trying to say that I'll never become a ninja?"
"Could be," Yasa replied.
"Don't get your head in the clouds, Yasa." Kaeda chuckled darkly, "That brat's still a bit better than you were. You can tell by how high he can reach with that spray can of his."
Yasa shook her head, "You forget Kaeda, I was about at his level. Couldn't mold chakra properly, the works."
"I can too mold chakra too! Watch!" With that, Naruto stood up on his chair and made the hand signs that he and Yasahashi had practiced earlier that year. He grunted and wind blew up around him as he expelled his chakra, focusing intently, probably a little too intently.
Kaeda, though extremely perturbed, looked over at Yasahashi with amusement.
After a poof of smoke, a weird Naruto-shaped blob appeared on the floor next to his seat. Kaeda and Yasahashi both got up to peer over the dinner table at the puddle. Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow and started grumbling. Haku looked down at it and said, "b-ad"
"Well," Kaeda looked at her friend, "He's still better than you were, Yasa."
"Guess so," Yasa folded, "Still, kid I'm not sure what kind of ninja uses puddle shaped clones of themselves in battle."
Naruto seemed slightly satisfied at that, but his impatience revealed itself. "Well, whatever. I'm not going to end up like you. I can't wait another minute! I've got to train!"
With that, he jumped over the table, toppling Haku's sippy cup. The small boy cried. Naruto paid no attention, landing on the window sill and jumping outside. Yasa clicked her tongue, seeing the scuff marks his feet had left on the sill.
"I just painted that last month."
"Why do you even let him come over if he's such a brat?" Kaeda bounced Haku on her lap, calming the boy down.
Yasa smirked, "Who knows."
Time began to pass in the blink of an eye as she fell into her old routine. She was starting to feel a tad bit ground down by it, though. She started a habit of going out to bars alone every two weeks when her pay check came in. Kaeda's house for dinner every other week, alternating. What she was looking for, she didn't know- but somewhere in this routine she found a special kind of peace.
Tonight she decided to treat herself to BBQ, and was sitting on her own when she ran into Mizuki and Umino. They both sat down with her.
"Yeesh, I was hoping to avoid seeing you until next week." Yasahashi groaned, unhappy to see the silver haired drunk.
"Sorry for intruding, Koizuma! This guy needs some protein," Iruka blushed. He seemed to be minding the other academy professor.
"Oh, you better not go home to Kaeda like this." Yasa mentioned.
"Bitch would have my head!" Mizuki grinned wildly. Yasahashi sat back, sipping her sake peacefully. So much for her special kind of peace.
They all ordered and Mizuki and Iruka started talking about students and Yasa listened in. She was hoping to hear more about that Rock kid. But, instead they started talking about Naruto.
"Can't believe you're soft for that weasel," Mizuki said to Iruka, "He killed your parents, right?"
Iruka sighed, "Mizuki, have you ever talked to the Hokage about how you feel about Naruto?"
"Yeah, the old man's a fool. I can't believe that boy's allowed to exist."
Alright. "Just what is your problem, Mizuki?" Yasahashi shook her head.
"What do you mean, what's my problem? I mean," Mizuki looked around like everyone in the restaurant was on his side, "That's like asking 'why is Yasahashi gay?' I mean, everyone knows it, but you're not supposed to ask."
Yasahashi scoffed. The waiter came by with their meat and they all grew quiet for a bit as they ate.
But, Mizuki wasn't done. "You were there, Iruka-" he turned around to look at Yasahashi, "You were there too, Yasa- he put your dad in a coma."
"Naruto didn't, Mizuki. He had no part in it."
"But, you can't possibly think that it's just tucked away in some neat little bubble and that there's no chance of it escaping, or taking control of that hyperactive brat in some way-"
"Mizuki," Iruka said sternly, "Let's talk about something else."
Mizuki's face reddened with anger. "Yeah, whatever. I guess I should just get home to my wife and child." He slammed down some money on the table and left the restaurant.
Iruka and Yasahashi watched him leave. She made a displeased noise with her mouth, "Kaeda is going to give him an earful tonight."
"I'm sorry about him," Iruka apologized.
"Don't be," Yasahashi continued eating, "I've known him for years and I know he's full of shit like that."
Iruka looked pensive, "Keep this between you and me, but I often doubt Mizuki's ability to be a good teacher for young students."
Yasa scoffed. "What does he teach again?"
"He's a homeroom teacher, but he also teaches our taijutsu classes."
Maybe it was the blush on her face or just the idiocy that Mizuki had just displayed, but something compelled Yasa to be bold and say, "I should just beat him up and take his spot."
"That'd be funny, you could probably take him." Iruka laughed. He looked at the urban planner, "You know, you should apply for a position when the renovations are done at the end of the year."
She snorted. "There's no way I'm qualified."
"Well, just wait and see how you feel in a year!"
She laughed. What a funny joke.
"You know, we just graduated Rock Lee."
She dropped a piece of meat by accident and it fell onto her lap, "Oh? You did?" she asked while cleaning up the mess she'd made.
"Sure did! We found a perfect jonin to teach him. One who specializes in taijutsu. Lee himself suggested him, it was quite astounding." He looked at her knowingly, "You know, the hokage once told me, real teachers pass on a lot more than just knowledge to their students. They pass on courage and inspiration."
Yasa was exasperated, she stared at the academy professor in disbelief. Not at him, but at the universe. She sighed and made a gesture for the waiter to come over to collect her money.
"Say, Iruka, do you want to go to a gay bar with me after this?"
Iruka's face paled, "W-what?"
She smirked, "Ah, you're not ready. Ah, well." The waiter arrived and she rooted through her wallet.
"Yasahashi-san, I'm not…" Iruka blushed.
Yasahashi sighed and smiled, handing her money to the waiter.
"I was just kidding, Iruka-san, don't worry. I had to get you back somehow for stealing my kimchi at the grocery store."
Kakashi's Prius here, beep beep. BEEP BEEP! BEEEEEP! BEEEEEEEEP! E
