Knitting Fate
Second installment in Canon Patchworking with Uchiha Ren series
Twenty-Fifth Thread
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ATTENTION
The contest is still on. For further detail go see 'Seventeenth Thread'.
(The contest ends 31st of March!)
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This chapter has been beta'd for you by nhraney. Thanks a lot!
(hestia8639 is vacationing. Everything good on your trip, though!)
My tumblr name is KillerGirlFuria, in case any of you wants to spam by askbox. I'm pretty open person, and if anyone would like to discuss CPwUR, or anything else, really, you're very welcome.
Since I'm stupid, stubborn donkey, I got to correcting the title only now, because CPwUR is supposed to be kept in terms of working with fabric. And me, idiot not-native English speaker took 'kneading' instead of 'knitting'. Sorry, it's changed now.
"If idiots could fly, the sky would be like an airport."
― Laura Davenport
0
Hana, true to her word, starts following Ren around. Not that Ren minds, or that it's any different from usual, though, so it goes by basically unnoticed by the Uchiha. The Inuzuka just fits into her life, her routines, as if they were made specifically for her. Or, that's just how being best friends work. Not that Ren would know, it's her first time ever having one, after all. She didn't mind either, because having one was a nice feeling. But Hana actually (out of pity and resignation, Ren is sure, but nevertheless) greenlit her for minor physical activity, which was specifically mimicking kenjutsu katas. Of course, mimicking them slowly and without any sudden movements, and Ren knew Hana would be there and watch her like a vulture or something, in order to prevent her idiot friend from doing anything more than just that.
And the scary thing was, that, despite being a medic, Ren knew Hana definitely wasn't below tackling her if she crossed the line. But hey, that's Hana for you, and she apparently decided that if Ren was feeling good enough to train, she was feeling good enough to get tackled.
"I apologize for inconvenience, Ren," Shibi says before the two of them leave in the morning. "That you must seek tutelage elsewhere instead of your sensei. I don't think there's much an Aburame could teach and Uchiha, though."
"But aren't I a replacement Aburame since there weren't any in our class?" Ren asks, raising her eyebrow, but Shibi shakes his head.
"That might be true, but you have an affinity for bugs. Nor you are any good at sensing chakra," he says, and the girl sighs heavily. "And I'd rather not have you taught any more ninjutsu for the moment. That would prove a danger for you, and for the environment. Especially for the environment."
Ren snorts, and Hana sighs while nodding, and still manages to glare at her friend.
"What?" Ren asks.
"Nothing," Hana shrugs. "You're just stupid and reckless, is all."
"Thanks for the compliment!" The Uchiha grins, and the Inuzuka splutters in offense, because it was definitely not a compliment. Shibi only sighs in exasperation. He adores these kids, and they do have potential, but that doesn't make them any less taxing on one's psyche.
He had no idea how Ren had managed to rope a ninja from another village entirely to actually tutor her, though. It did further prove to him that Ren was more of an experience and a force of nature than a person sometimes, but still baffled him. Not to mention the ninja in question was Hoshigaki Kisame, who had every making for a future member of the Seven Swordsmen. But Shibi didn't mind. He was shinobi for long enough and could catalogue people well enough, and Kisame was a good person. Insecure about his appearance, obviously, but a good person. And a patient one.
(He allowed Ren to use him as a jungle gym, for crying out loud.)
Ren arrived at the selected training ground (dubbed Rocky the nth because they were all the same, goddamnit) with a bit of time to spare, because she wasn't Kakashi and was definitely not planning to emulate him. Never. One Kakashi was really, truly, annoying enough. Nevertheless, when Ren and Hana finally reach the training ground, Kisame is already there. Better (or worse) yet, he's not alone – Zabuza is there, vividly arguing with the shark, and with them, the Generic Bitchface Kiri Genin that Ren knows qualified for the finals from Hana.
Ren did interrogate her teammates and sensei for the scores, so she knew. The matchups were to be posted in two days – the tournament ladder, because eight people have passed. She knew that Chōjūrō did, she saw him, and that Hibiki did. Deidara passed, of course – she just hoped she wouldn't have to face off against him, because his distance attacks were a pain. As for people she didn't care for, there was the Kiri genin snarling at her, but also some kid from Konoha she didn't know – apparently an Akimichi, from what she gathered – also one from Suna, of course a puppeteer, because how else would a suna nin fight, and some random chick from Taki.
But, back to matter at hand, Zabuza was yelling at Kisame and the genin was looking at Ren and Hana in very, very unfriendly way. Ren did not like that even one bit.
"Just what the fuck man!" Zabuza argues, gesturing vividly. "My brat advanced, won't you train him?"
"Zabuza, I'm not his sensei," Kisame sighs, and it's clear from his mimic that the same arguments have been thrown around for a while already. "Besides-"
"Besides what?"
"Besides I already called dibs on Blue," Ren calls from where there are approaching, instantly gaining the attention of the three. "Sorry, Twig Man, first come first served," she says, and sounds nowhere near apologetic. Smug, if anything.
"You?" Zabuza asks.
"Me," Ren nods with a smile that's definitely borderline smirk. "Now, if you don't mind, Blue really promised to tutor me today, he even helped me get a blade, so if you could so kindly go and check if you're not somewhere else. I would really, really appreciate that, okay?"
"You little-" Zabuza growls and almost lunges, but Kisame catches back of his shirt and hauls his back, while giving him disapproving look to the point that Momochi actually falters.
"Zabuza, take your genin and leave," Kisame says, voice stern. "I agreed to tutor Ren, and I will tutor Ren, because you know I never get back on my word. Your genin is your responsibility, not mine."
"But-"
"Zabuza," this time the shark-nin looks at his colleague with so much disappointment that if it was directed at Ren, she would probably suffer a minor heartbreak and instantly burst into apologies and promises of betterment. But Zabuza isn't Ren, so he just scoffs and walks away, his Generic Bitchface Kiri Genin trailing after the man.
"So," Kisame claps his hands together, looking down at the Uchiha. "What do we do today?"
"Something not too taxing," Hana says without even looking at the two, as she plants herself on a nearby rock, a scroll with some medical jargon unravelling on her lap. "I'm watching you. Both of you," the Inuzuka says, and Ren actually shudders, before her friend's eyes venture to the scroll's content. Hana won't look up from her lecture, but Ren be damned if she doesn't have some sort of sixth sense. Because she just knows. Everything.
"Is that a spider on your shoulder?" Kisame asks, taking out his tantō from where it was strapped to his belt. He quirks his eyebrow, looking at Ren quizzically.
"Yep," she nods. "His name is Awai, because I'm creative as fuck."
"Naming an albino spider 'pale'," Kisame snorts. "Nobody will ever beat that."
"Of course not," Ren puffs. They look at one another, and then suddenly burst out laughing. Well, Ren does sound like a drunken donkey, and Kisame is more snickering than laughing, but still.
They eventually come to stop, and Ren mirrors Kisame in taking her tantō out, and the fun starts.
"The tantō is a relatively small weapon," Kisame starts. "Bigger and heavier than kunai, but you don't throw these around. I mean, you might, but it's not advisable. My point being, with its size, weight, and the shape of its handle, you have much more freedom with the grip than on a katana. You can easily hold a tantō in one hand and modify your grip however you see fit within seconds."
Of course, Kisame demonstrated two simplest grips, the one where the blade is pointing from the wielder, and the one where its lining with the forearm. His swap from grip to grip was fluid, and Ren passionately cursed her short fingers while trying to do the same. She managed, but it took much longer and was much clumsier. Still, apparently, for someone who never held a proper blade, it was passable, so Ren would take it. Grip change was all about practice anyway.
"Now, I will show you some katas," Kisame continues. "Thrusts and undercuts. There's, of course, no real recipe for a fight, neither it's like this with taijutsu, because fighting isn't dancing and doesn't have choreography. However, proper movements can save a lot of grief. What swordplay truly relies on, is your speed and situational awareness. You must have good eye-to-hand coordination and fast thinking, but that's something you can work through. However, do not think – never think – that kenjutsu is something anybody can do. An amateur with a best-grade blade is nothing compared to the master with a twig."
"I've heard that one somewhere before," Ren smiles, "but it went along the lines of shuriken and a stone."
"You are stubborn and passionate," Kisame flashes her a grin. "I can only do so much in three weeks, but if you take up on the art, enjoy it and pursue it later on, you can come really far. I, at least, am sure you can."
Ren feels her brain stop for a moment, and then suddenly her face burns because oh shit, oh shit, Kisame is praising me, oh my god.
"What?" shark-nin quirks an eyebrow in question at her.
"Well, nobody ever really praised me, you know," she mutters. In either this, or in former life, she doesn't say. Never.
"Oh," Kisame smiles, and this time it has less teeth, as if attempt at something gentler. "I don't see what I shouldn't. Now, give me more reasons to, yes?"
"Yessir!" she chirps as her coal-black eyes suddenly bleed into eerie red.
When the time of dinner rolls around, Ren's head is spinning. It might or might not be her using sharingan constantly to copy the moves, or it also might be the sheer number of various thrusts one can perform with a short blade. It's baffling. If Kisame hadn't taught her that, she would have never, ever guessed herself. Ever. Hana eyeing her like a vulture ready to strike doesn't help at all, but at least, aside from starring, she decides on a break to go and grab some dinner, because Ren apparently really doesn't look good. On top of that, her leg itches again, this time with sweat under bandages, and it's infuriating, so she instantly jumps at the idea. She's getting hungry anyway.
Somehow, they end up by the same Teppanyaki restaurant where they meet Deidara the first time. And maybe it's fate, but a tiny blonde bundle collides with Hana once again. She doesn't appear to be amused in the slightest.
"Hi Dei," Ren waves at the blonde, who looks at her and sighs.
"You're stupid, you know that?" he asks, and Hana snorts.
"I've made it pretty clear to her, so I believe she does," the Inuzuka says.
"Oh Dei, have you been worried for me?" Ren cooes, bending slightly forward to him, and Deidara's face suddenly bursts aflame.
"No I don't, un!" he shoots back instantly, and then looks at Kisame. "What are you three doing, though, un?"
"Having a break from my idiot friend trying to handle a blade properly, why?" Hana asks. "Ren qualified to the finals, you know, even if she fainted shortly after."
"Hana!"
"I know she did, un, I'm not stupid," blonde huffs.
"Any news on the matchups, though?" Ren asks, because Deidara is Tsuchikage's apprentice, so maybe-
"Not much yet, but tomorrow they should be done," the blonde says. "I do know, though, that if you want to fight me, you gotta get to the final round, because we're going different routes. That's all I know, though."
"Oh," Ren says. "So I have to fight two idiots for the honor of fighting you?"
"Yeah, un," he nods. "I'm just that awesome!"
Ren snorts, and bends down more, so that she's on his eye level.
"What makes you think that you're not fighting for the honor of facing me?" she asks, and Deidara snorts.
"You're on, un," he glares at her, and she glares right back.
"Weren't we going to get food?" Kisame asks, finally breaking their bickering, and the kids just sigh. "Why won't we take pipsqueak with us, so you can talk more inside?"
"Hey, I'm not a pipsqueak!" Deidara squeaks, and Ren promptly bursts out laughing.
It's dangerous as fuck, and will probably come to bite her in the ass countless times in the future, but she loves this life.
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laternenfisch – Shibi is around, he's just trying to preserve his sanity. Also, the ninja wire! I totally forgot about that, thanks!
mujoona – yeah, the two of them are quite a sensation together. Kisame is getting his pre-Akatsuki Uchiha-handling experience, I guess? xD
Someone – she already got one from Sasuke, but she's still a bit too small for a full-blown katana, so.
calcu22 – he will know what he's getting himself into. The Uchiha are an experience xD
Shadowpawzzz – its either short chapters or irregular updates once half a year. Take your pick.
HikariNoTenshi-San – no, he's just going to give her basis and pointers. After, it's all Ren and her drive. Hibiki himself has no fucking idea what the fuck is he doing with his life tho. Ever. He confucked much. And Genma's just awesome and proud of his chicks. Nobody else is amused, tho.
NatNicole – everybody can use a tantō. Hell, Kakashi uses a tantō. The same one his dad killed himself with. Nobody can convinced me that Kakashi isn't emotionally stunted. Also, Hana is Done With Your Shit, Ren, much to Shibi's Not Amused posture.
Aka-chansama – well, thanks for pointing that out, I will definitely have to pay closer attention for Hana and Ren's interactions based on Ren's idiocy, because Hana genuinely cares. And Hibiki still can't comprehend that he isn't exactly the Dead Last.
ILurveManyAnimeBoys – discipline is hard, though. I don't know how I managed to keep the updates even for so long myself.
trouvaille – oh I relate with this actually. There's no better way to spend time before a test or something other than reading fics.