"And remember, class, chakra control is vital to maintaining the transformation! So please don't forget to practice after school."
Yuuji Inuzuka groaned and knocked his head on the back of the academy seats, earning looks of annoyance from the other concentrating students. "Oh man, I just don't get this stuff!"
Next to him, Kazahi hummed accordingly. His mind was too preoccupied to deal with the grumblings of his scruffy-haired friend. The kid scrunched his face as unsteady waves of vibrations washed over his other senses.
"—And, like, I'm gonna be a ninja hound user! I don't need this stuff!"
The waves in Kazahi's head spiked, and he grimaced. "Yuuji…"
"Oi! Kazahi-chan, let's go get some snacks!" The Inuzuka boy shouted, forgetting about his homework.
Kazahi sighed. "Yuuji, we have to stay and practice. Daichi-sensei will get mad if we leave."
Yuuji waved his hand aside, shooting a fang-filled grin. "Don't sweat it! I'll come back, m'kay? That way sensei can't be mad at us. What sensei doesn't know won't hurt 'im!"
Before he could protest, another wave ripped through Kazahi's mind, and Yuuji had already skipped out the classroom door. "Just remember not to leave the school grounds," Kazahi called out, and a call of affirmation was heard through the halls of the academy.
Without a second distraction, Kazahi returned to his teacher's task. He folded his hands into the proper handsign. He concentrated, blocking out the rippling waves in his senses, and closed his eyes. Like a trickling stream, wisps of blue swirled into focus and settled around the darkness behind his eyes.
"C'mon, kids, chakra is a mix of the mind and body, right? Control your chakra by mixing an equal amount of physical and spiritual energy within yourself."
"Mix an equal amount…"
The wispy blue danced around, jutting out in imbalanced spurts. Kazahi clenched his teeth, a drop of sweat rolling down his cheek. His chakra still stayed ever so apart, ghostly blue tendrils brushing against one another.
"A mix of the body and mind…"
He tensed his muscles, focusing all his thoughts and energy into bringing his chakra together. Beat after beat, the blue slowly furled into a flame, and the outside image of Kazahi wavered slightly as chakra flooded through his body. He urged his chakra further. Just a little more and soon, very soon, he'd have a transformation. Daichi-sensei and Yuuji and everyone would look at him like he was the best, the coolest, and that'd only happen if he could just—concentrate—a little—more—
It was like a kunai had cleaved his brain in two.
His focus, ruptured, disappeared as his chakra fizzled to a dim glow. His eyes shot open, like his ears had been blocked with a deadbolt and the inside of his nose had been shredded with fire.
The waves had left as abruptly as they came, but the pulsing had stayed. An unsteady thrum made his ears almost bleed as he splayed his hands against the classroom window, searching for the source of the pain. He pressed his nose against the glass and blinked away tears, when his eyes landed on another academy kid kicking a puddle left from the storm the night before.
"Kazahi-chan!"
Yuuji suddenly appeared, snacks in hand.
Kazahi ignored him; he couldn't hear, to be more precise. He shoved past the Inuzuka and dove through the classroom door left ajar, tumbling through the academy's hallways. He had half a mind left not to crash into the walls amid the splintering waves in his head.
The outdoor wind slapped his face as he exited the building and skidded into the schoolyard. Kazahi looked around, tears threatening to cascade down his cheeks. All he saw were his other classmates practicing.
"Kaza-chan! C'mon, what's wrong?" Yuuji had chased after him, the loyal friend he was, but he still couldn't break through the pulsating waves in Kazahi's mind.
Another sharp spike nearly blinded him, but he still saw the splash of muddy puddle water across the yard.
Yuuji had no time to stop his friend as Kazahi barreled straight for the fair-haired kid stomping in the puddle.
"Stop it!" Kazahi cried.
"Huh—?!"
Kazahi slammed into the kid, knocking both onto the ground, and not an instant later the grating waves in Kazahi's head ceased.
"Kazahi-chan!" Yuuji pulled him away, dusting the tears from his friend's eyes with his sleeve. "What was that for?"
Shiki Yamanaka, the boy who had been knocked down, glared as he stood up. "Yeah, what the heck? I wasn't doing anything to you, crybaby."
The kids who had been outside had started to gather around the boys. Shiki, obviously ticked off, sized up Kazahi who had lost his previous rage, no longer frustrated by his headache. Kazahi slunk back, but the other boy wouldn't let him.
"I asked you a question, crybaby!" Shiki pressed and stepped forward.
The young Yamanaka's foot landed into the puddle, and a spike shot through Kazahi's mind.
"I'M NOT A CRYBABY!"
Kazahi punched Shiki.
The offended boy growled and within seconds both with locked in a struggle, trying to beat the other up. Yuuji tried to intervene, but he only managed to get pulled into the fight. By now, the crowd of students had started to pick sides and cheer on the fighting kids.
Kazahi lunged at Shiki who was busy trying to tug the Inuzuka off his sleeve. But with a flawed estimate of trajectory, their heads crashed together in a loud and hollow thunk, and all three boys crashed to the ground in a heap.
"Stupid Yuuji. Stupid Kazahi," grumbled Shiki, stuck at the bottom of the pile.
"Oi!" The Inuzuka shoved the Yamanaka and rolled away. "I wasn't the one who started it, Shiki!"
"Damn it, you're right! Crybaby—"
Kazahi scowled. "Shiki—!"
"You stupid idiots! What do you think you're doing?"
At this new voice, the crowd quickly scattered. Like clockwork, all three shut their mouths and hesitantly looked up into the scolding albeit laughably furious face of Awai Uchiha.
"A-Awai-chan…" Yuuji stumbled over his words, a look of horror overtaking his face. "It's not what it looks like!"
Shiki scurried to sit up, shaking his hands desperately in front of him. "Yeah! We—we were just—just, uh…"
Kazahi took his cue. "We were fighting Shiki 'cause he made me mad."
"KAZAHI!"
"Damn it! You were supposed to say we were practicing!" Shiki groaned.
Kazahi's face scrunched up, but before he could defend himself, Awai cleared her throat and stood menacingly in front of them. Her large yet soft black eyes mimicked the harsher ones of the older shinobi in her clan.
"Shiki," she started in a calm, commanding, and undeniably childish voice.
"Hmph."
"Kazahi," she continued.
"Yes, ma'am."
"And Yuuji?" she finished, sounding less than pleased.
"Er, sorry…"
Awai nodded, hands on her hips as she failed to hide her grin. "You guys are going to be in big trouble. Sensei is already on his way here right now!" She pointed over their shoulders, and low and behold, there was Daichi-sensei being led by another one of their classmates, Setsumi Hyuuga.
"Stupid Uchiha," grumbled Shiki in a quiet voice.
Yuuji, ever the bright one, raised a hand to wave at their less than happy teacher. "Oh, hello sensei!"
"Geez," Shiki griped when Awai was too busy to notice him whispering to Kazahi. "How can you be so easy with her?"
Kazahi glanced at him, his brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
The Yamanaka bit back a groan. "Uchiha. Awai. Her eyes look just like those old guys in her clan. Ugh, always harsh and scary."
Kazahi mulled over his words, but he couldn't bring himself to agree and frowned, confounded. He opened his mouth, right when Daichi-sensei and Setsumi arrived. "I don't think Awai's eyes are scary. It's the Hyuuga eyes that are creepy."
"KAZAHI!"
"Ah—Awai-san!"
"Oh boy…"
"Stupid Kazahi."
This time, it was Awai who started the fight.
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"I'm home."
"Oh, Kazahi," Grandma greeted from the kitchen stove. She was currently making dinner for the house. "Welcome home!"
"Uh, yeah… Is Tou-chan home?" Kazahi slowly shut the door of their house that was situated on the outskirts of Konohagakure. He dusted the dirt off his jacket and fixed the haphazard mess of shoes that belonged to his father.
"Hm, as if he has anything else to do." She sighed, slowly stirring the pot. "That boy, I still don't know how poor Mizuhi-chan put up with him."
Kazahi walked through the house to the back door, and that was where he found his father sitting in a chair and setting a crossbow.
Kazamaru was no shinobi, his tanned face was mysteriously devoid of any stubble, and his brown hair was longer than his whole life's list of achievements. The only things Kazahi knew his dad could was shoot a crossbow and laze around.
"Have a fun day at school?" Dad asked.
Kazahi leaned down to pick up the spare bolts and arrows. "It was okay. Sensei taught us how to do a transformation technique."
"Henge, huh." Dad nodded and leveled the crossbow to his shoulder. "Daichi-kun came over earlier. Said something about you getting into a couple fights."
The crossbow released and shot into the bush. The leaves rustled, and an injured rabbit hopped out.
"Tch, damn it. Ya see, this is what I'm always telling you—"
"Leave no injured prey alive?" Kazahi finished. He started to return the arrows to the rack built against the wall, neat and tidy.
His father huffed as he reset the crossbow. "Atta boy!"
Kazahi paused and watched as the rabbit had been shot down, the two arrows sticking straight up in its unmoving chest.
Dad's lopsided grin grew wide when he ambled over to pick up the new addition to their dinner, heading to the back door with a huff. Then, Dad stopped at the door, stuck his foot in the entryway, the rabbit over one shoulder and the crossbow over the other. "Now tell me, did the fight have something to do with the storm yesterday?"
"…" Kazahi ducked his head. The remaining arrows in his hand beat a steady thrum as he rolled them around.
Dad frowned. "The same as your mom, huh?"
"..."
"Mh, guess you do look just like her."
"It's not that!"
Kazamaru hummed and leaned against the doorframe patiently.
"He was… he was hurting the water…" mumbled Kazahi.
His face was ablaze as he jutted out his jaw.
"It's stupid. I hate it. All it does is make my head hurt."
He sniffled but quickly wiped his sleeve over his face.
"I wish it would go away!"
Dad slowly lifted his hand, then dropped it on his son's near steel-colored hair. He ruffled the soft mess, sporting a wry smile. "Come on now. You are just the same as your mom."
Kazahi swatted at his dad's hand.
The older man let out a dry chuckle as he pulled back. "You'll learn how to control it, just like your mom did."
Kazahi hastily shook his head.
"No? But it'll kept hurting if you don't. You do know Baa-chan's boiling water to make dinner, right?"
Kazahi shook his head again. "Not that. I'm going to be a better ninja than Kaa-san!"
His face was furrowed and stern for such a young kid, but his frown was adamant. A blazing fire was set in his eyes so unlike his father's.
Dad blinked once, twice, then burst out laughing.
Kazahi pouted, offended at the lack of encouragement. "And I'm gonna master the transformation technique first!"
"That so. Well first, let's eat. I'm starvin'!" Dad entered the house, Kazahi following at his heels.
"KAZAMARU! Don't you dare bring that bloody animal into my house!"
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"Man, I sure hope I'm on a team with you," Yuuji Inuzuka spouted with eagerness. "We'd be the best duo—er, trio, actually—but just think about the cool maneuvers! The jutsu! We'll be amazing, Kazahi-chan!"
Yuuji Inuzuka, aged 10 years old like the rest of the class, was a brown-skinned boy with fluffy black hair and warm eyes. He could barely sit still next to his friend as their teacher called out team assignments to the newly graduated genin.
"Hm? Uh, sure," mumbled Kazahi. The pattering rain throughout the village kept the boy distracted, a dull hum thumping in his head.
Kazahi Shuuji, another young boy with pale skin and steel-blue hair, his brown eyes as sharp as the pair of purple lines stretching from his jaw across his cheek.
"Hey, maybe it'll be just us two! With Takeki that makes three—but that doesn't mean I wouldn't mind having any of you guys on my team either!" Yuuji assured, patting the head of his young ninken as he addressed his classmates. "Right, girl?"
"Arf!"
"Yeah, like that'd happen," interjected Shiki Yamanaka, "Learn how to do math, dumbass. I really hope I don't get stuck on a team with you."
Shiki Yamanaka leaned down from behind to spoil the Inuzuka's fanfare, his fair-toned hair messily tugged into a ponytail.
"And for Team 2, Nori Akimichi, Yuuji Inuzuka, and Shiki Yamanaka."
"Damn it!" Shiki cried. He slammed his fists on the desk, sitting up. "Daichi-sensei! Lemme change teams!"
Their teacher looked up from his clipboard, peeved. "Shiki." Daichi slapped the clipboard with the list of teams. "Lord Hokage was the one who assigned these, so no, you ain't changing teams."
"Grr… and it's almost like that stupid Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Damnit."
"Aw, c'mon, Shiki! Kazahi-chan, help me cheer him up!"
Kazahi grimaced. The rain was pounding even harder now, and having that younger class outside for recess wasn't helping. Between Yuuji and the headache, he was almost going deaf.
"Would you two shut up?" scolded Awai Uchiha, sitting across from the trio of boys. Sitting beside her was Setsumi Hyuuga. "Daichi-sensei is trying to talk."
Awai Uchiha, a proud girl with pale skin, high cheekbones, and thin dark hair. Despite her sickly look, she was the boys' common enemy as she took her status as Uchiha of the class with pride.
Setsumi Hyuuga was the more refined of the two, her large white eyes and perfect posture common nature of her clan. Her hair was a color resembling that of seaweed and was thicker than that of her friend's.
"Sorry, Awai-chan…"
"Arf!"
Shiki just grumbled.
"But Kazahi-chan," Yuuji whispered after Awai turned away, "I really am sorry we aren't together. I wish we could change teams, but you know how intimidatin' Lord Third can be! Old guys are scary!"
"That's okay," Kazahi replied. The rain had let up a bit, easing the drumming in his head. "At least I'm not on a team with Shiki."
The larger boy hadn't missed the comment. "What're you implying, Kazahi! Get that constipated look off your face before you say shit like that!"
"Shut up, Shiki!"
"Ack—get off me, Uchiha!"
"Awai! Shiki! Sit down!"
"Daichi-sensei is mad again…" mumbled Setsumi.
A couple more teams were called until their teacher reached the list of names for the genin to be assigned to Team 6.
"Setsumi Hyuuga, Kazahi Shuuji, and Awai Uchiha! You three will make up Squad 6."
Shiki whistled long and pleasantly amused. "Yeah, sure glad I'm not on that squad. What's that, a coward, a damn Uchiha, and a no-fun Hyuuga?"
"Ignore him, Kazahi-chan! That's a perfectly fine team!" Yuuji soundly patted Kazahi on the back. Takeki licked his cheek in encouragement.
Kazahi groaned. The headache still pestered him, no thanks to the puddles forming outside. "Not if Awai doesn't kill me first."
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"So… do you guys want to get dinner together?"
"Really, Kazahi? We have to wait for our sensei!" Awai protested, hands on her hips. She stood in the front of the room, pointedly glaring at the boy.
The sun had started to set, the window bathing the classroom in a warm pink hue. The other squads had been picked up hours earlier, leaving the three new members of Squad 6 alone and grumpy.
"I'm sorry, but I was planning to have dinner with my family."
Awai turned around. "Setsumi, don't encourage him!"
The young Hyuuga frowned, her eyebrows twisting in confusion. "But he asked a question…"
"Ugh! You both are so awkward!"
As Awai clutched at her head, rolling in waves of annoyance and exhaustion, Kazahi glanced to the other girl sitting across from him. Her off-white eyes met his, and he quickly looked away.
Awai had not missed the action.
"You."
Kazahi startled. "Huh? Me—?"
"I saw that. You were thinking her eyes are creepy again, weren't you."
"Ah, I mean—"
Kazahi swore he saw a flash of red behind her dusky eyes.
"Awai, calm down!" Setsumi scurried up from her seat, almost slipping against the cool wood flooring. She held back Awai from stepping any closer to Kazahi, her mouth set into a tight line. "He doesn't mean it."
Kazahi had to bite down on his tongue to prevent himself from speaking.
Awai grumbled, very clearly upset. But she stopped struggling and Setsumi released her hold.
"Why don't we make a truce?" the Hyuuga girl started, gaining the attention of her other two teammates. Her hands fumbled at the sudden attention. "Let's agree not argue with each other over the minor things, alright? We are a team now." She paused for a moment, unsure, but then her eyes lit up. "Then we... we can become ninja like—like the legendary three sannin."
"But isn't one of them a pervert?" Kazahi doubted, walking over to join the two. "And Tsunade-hime is just like my dad, and the other one is beyond creepy."
The Uchiha glared at him, her voice offended. "They're heroes—"
"Awai," interjected Setsumi.
The girl sneered but relent.
Setsumi stuck her hand out in front of Awai and Kazahi, smiling for the first time that day. "Let's do our best to work together."
Awai's frown washed away and she grinned, setting her hand atop Setsumi's. "Alright. I have to learn to work with a team if I'm going to become the chief of the Uchiha police force, right?"
Setsumi nodded, her smile growing ever more sincere. "Kazahi?"
The boy in question jutted out his jaw, but it wasn't much longer before his hand joined theirs', a slight smile quirking up on his face. "Yeah. I can try."
The three new teammates stood in silence, their hands joined in the middle as the classroom slowly darkened with each tick of the clock. Soon enough, their smiles faltered and they pulled away, Awai coughing into her hand as she glanced around.
"Where is our sensei, anyway?"
"They might've forgotten about us," Kazahi suggested.
"Huh? What're you three still doing here?" Daichi-sensei asked as he stopped by the classroom door in passing, arms full of paperwork.
"Oh, Daichi-sensei!" Awai eagerly ran up to him. "We're waiting for our sensei!"
Kazahi waved from his spot in the classroom. "Do you know where they are, Daichi-sensei?"
The chūnin frowned, scrunching his face up as he tried to remember. "Squad 6… Squad 6… um, to be honest, I don't really remember who you guy's sensei was supposed to be…"
Awai's face melded into confusion. "Huh?! But—but Daichi-sensei, you always know everything!"
Daichi-sensei's face flushed and he scrambled to flip through the papers in his hand. "Oh, hold on. Lemme see, Squad 6's sensei… is…"
The genin waited on impatient toes.
"Ah, here. Try heading out to this place, he should be there."
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"The… Aburame compound?" Awai looked up from the slip of paper Daichi-sensei had given her.
"Isn't that the bug clan?"
"Kazahi-san, don't be rude," scolded Setsumi as she started to walk into the compound. The village was lit only by the streetlamps, the three great stone faces covered in darkness.
"Setsumi, hold on," Kazahi called out, pointing to the spot in front of the girl.
Startled, said girl looked down at the puddle. She blinked then nodded in understanding, carefully stepping around the huddled rainwater. "I'm sorry. Thank you for pointing it out."
Awai was less modest as she jumped over the puddle. "I gotta say, as much as I would love to stomp in that, it must hurt living with a power like that. No wonder you always look so constipated."
In agreement with their team's truce, Kazahi kept his mouth shut as they searched the compound.
"Do you know where we can find Kumo Aburame?"
The Aburame clan member looked at the children in interest.
"He's our jōnin sensei, Aburame-sama," Setsumi said.
"He was supposed to meet us back at the academy, but he never showed," Awai added.
The Aburame hummed knowingly.
"He didn't lie about being a jōnin, did he?" Kazahi wondered aloud.
"KAZAHI!" thought both girls in alarm.
Awai sneakily pinched Kazahi's forearm, and he squirmed as she twisted his skin.
"I'm sorry about our teammate, Aburame-sama," Setsumi quickly apologized. "So do you know where Kumo-san is?"
The Aburame nodded. "Yes. He should be in his room, the third one down this hall. But I ask that you be quiet. Why? Because—"
"Oh, cool! Thanks, Aburame-san!" Awai called out as she tugged Kazahi away, Setsumi following at her heels.
When they were far enough away, Awai let go of Kazahi who looked at her in both confusion and frustration.
"What was that all about?"
Awai sighed. "Don't you know anything?"
"That man was the Aburame hier, Shibi-sama," Setsumi interjected, "We didn't want you to cause any problems."
Kazahi's face twisted even further. "How was I supposed to know that?"
"Anyways, look, the door's open." Awai waved them over and she gently pushed the door.
The room was dark, just like outside, but there was a mound on the laid-out futon covered in blankets. The pile made no movement as the three genin curiously inched their way closer.
"Is that him?"
"I think… I think he's asleep."
"He's not dead, right?" Kazahi lifted the heavy comforter, and a face covered with a sleeping mask stared back at them.
Awai laughed awkwardly, crouching down beside Kazahi. "He's just sleeping. C'mon, Kumo-sensei, wake up."
Their sensei did not move, however, and the genin grew antsy.
"Maybe you should move the mask," suggested Setsumi.
Awai tried to remove it, but she found it was tightly attached around the man's curly hair.
"Pull harder."
"Did you think I wasn't going to?" Awai griped, again tugging on the mask. This time Kazahi helped, and the two genin used every ounce of strength they had, as Setsumi stood back, a hesitant look overtaking her face.
"Um, Awai? Kazahi-san?"
The mask slowly started to peel upwards.
"Ha! I think it's coming off!" Awai exclaimed, excited.
Only when the sleeping mask did come off, it wasn't a pair of beady eyes staring back, but a large spider resting on their sensei's face.
Awai squealed, throwing the mask into the air as she tumbled back, dragging Kazahi along with her by accident. The commotion had caused their sensei to stir, and he slowly sat up as the comforter fell back over his head. With practiced effort, he reached out to grab the sleeping mask, slipping it back on before Setsumi could get a good look at his eyes.
"What… Who are you kids?"
It wasn't easy to see in the dark, but Kumo Aburame could easily tell there were three freshly minted genin making a ruckus in his room.
"We're your genin squad, sensei! I'm Awai, Awai Uchiha." The girl picked herself up and dusted the dust—no, fleas?—off her shirt.
Setsumi cleared her throat. "I am Setsumi Hyuuga. Daichi-sensei said to find you here, because you never showed up at the academy. It's very late, and we were worried."
The room paused. Awai and Setsumi urged their third teammate to introduce himself with a less than gentle nudge.
"…hm? Oh, my name's Kazahi Shuuji."
Kumo stared at them, and the trio of kids started to feel sweat running down their backs.
"Um, Kumo-sensei?"
Then the jōnin's head twitched up, and his mouth fell slightly open as a slow and drawn out gasp left him. "Oh… I forgot…"
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Kazahi Shuuji, a fresh genin at the age of ten, now had a small flame lit in his heart.