Juno slowly meandered along the wooded footpath, dappled sunlight illuminating the way. She heard the distant call of a songbird, and paused to listen to the musical tones, faint breeze tugging on the stands of her hair. As she walked, she stopped to smell every new flower, and run her fingers along the knotted whorls of an old tree.
Was she procrastinating? Yes. Yes, she was.
Slowly but surely, she was making her way back to the village. After spending the better part of an hour getting a grip after the disastrous results of her spar with Kakashi, Juno finally felt ready to go and face the music. That, and she was starting to get hungry again.
As she walked, the serene atmosphere of the forest went a long way to further calming her tumultuous emotions. By the time the tall walls of the village came into view, she felt prepared to face the Hokage and hear his judgement of her performance.
She stared up at the high walls and then craned her head in either direction to see if she could spot a gate. Not seeing one, she shrugged and, getting Asa to grip her tight, decided to take the easy path in. With a mighty leap, she bent the air beneath her to propel her into a speedy wall-climb. Perched atop the wall, Juno could see Konoha laid out before her.
She had come to the village from the east, and could see the Hokage's tower some distance away. She could only hope that was where he had gone after she had fled the training ground. If he wasn't there, she would just have to wait until he returned.
Following a deep sigh, Juno leapt down onto a nearby roof. She decided to forgo trying to navigate the confusing streets from below, and started to leap from rooftop to rooftop towards her destination. With the number of ninja she had seen travelling in a similar way, she hoped that her appearance wouldn't cause any heart attacks to spectators.
Landing lightly in the clearing in front of the tower, Juno made her way indoors, politely asking the man at the front desk if she could speak with the Hokage. She waited patiently as he did something mysterious on the device upon his desk, and spoke quietly into a crescent-shaped object attached to it with a curly-cue rope. She wished briefly that Kakashi was there to help her navigate the strange environment, not at all used to the technology or rituals around her.
Luckily, the man confirmed that the Hokage was indeed in his office, and that he wanted to meet with her. Thus confirmed, she retraced the path she and Kakashi had taken just the day before, and quickly found herself outside the office doors, after only taking one wrong corner by mistake. Taking a bracing breath, she waited for the masked guard to indicate she could enter.
She didn't have to wait long. She was quietly ushered inside by the ninja outside the door after a few short moments. The Hokage, who was fiddling with a large stack of papers, looked up at her entry.
"Ah, Juno, I'm glad you've returned so quickly. You worried no small number of people when you ran off like that." Though his tone was deliberately neutral, Juno shrunk inside at the implication of his disappointment. Although she had only known the man for a short while, she could tell that his approval was something to be highly valued. She hoped she hadn't muddled it all up completely.
She drew her back up straight and folded into a formal bow.
"I apologize profusely for my behaviour, Hokage-sama. I didn't mean for anyone to worry."
He simply hummed in response, and leaned back in his chair, regarding her with a considering gaze. She met his eyes and held them, refusing to look away in shame, though she desperately wanted to. She waited for him to speak again.
"That was some show you put on earlier. Kakashi explained that he had you under a genjutsu, but he couldn't quite explain what happened after you were ensnared. I assume that is not a usual expression of your abilities?"
Juno shook her head. "No, what happened was something that has not occurred since I was very young. The Avatar State is the ultimate expression of the Avatar's power. It unlocks the combined strength and knowledge of all my past lives. Usually to access it requires a deliberate focus...today I lost control and entered the state through instinct." She swallowed. "If my old spiritual guru had seen me, she would have been very disappointed."
The Hokage nodded, seeming to expect her response. "Is the achievement of this state a skill that is common among your people?"
"Ah, no. Only the Avatar can enter the Avatar State. And only the Avatar can bend all four elements. I'm something of a novelty I suppose...or at least I was until that fiasco at Hurosai's Lair...now I guess there are many others just like me…" She chuckled weakly and forced herself to stop rambling. She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
The Hokage nodded once more and they fell into silence. Juno fought the impulse to fidget.
"I have discussed your assessment with the others. Based on their recommendations, Kakashi's testimony and my own judgement, I have decided to grant you the status of a probationary ninja of the leaf."
Juno let out a sigh of relief. But he didn't stop there, and she quickly snapped to attention.
"Your rank will be that of a Chunin. Although you certainly have the power and skill of a high-ranking shinobi, you still require education on our ways and methods of combat. Getting caught in a genjutsu like what happened today while in the field could have disastrous consequences for you and your comrades."
Juno nodded. It was about what she had been expecting. But he had one more pleasant surprise in store for her.
"I have decided to stick you with Team Seven on a permanent basis. You seem to get along with them well enough, and heaven knows Kakashi could use some help wrangling those genin of his." The Hokage chuckled, then continued. "You'll essentially be his second in command, although you will need to follow his orders and whatever training regime he deems necessary for you. But Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura will defer to your experience and teaching as well." He nodded. "I'm sure Kakashi will get in touch with you soon to coordinate your training and attendance for any missions the team will undertake. Until then, I hope you will enjoy settling into the village and getting to know your new home. I know you have a very experienced and formidable kunoichi as your landlady, so you should have plenty of help."
Juno bowed, "Thank you Hokage-sama"
He waved her off and turned his attention back to the stack of papers in front of him. Juno left the office, and, after walking down the hall away from the masked guard's eyes, pumped her fist up in the air and danced a little happy dance. Asa squeaked and chirped, getting caught up in her excitement, and tugged and poked at her playfully. She stopped and tickled his belly.
Leaving the tower in a much better mood than when she had entered, Juno decided to head back to her apartment. She knew Futaba would want an update, and hopefully would cook more food for her while Juno regaled her with the news.
Walking off with a jaunty bounce to her step, Juno couldn't keep a smile off her face. Finally, after weeks of uncertainty and aimlessness, she had a purpose. She would become a shinobi of Konoha, and take her place in her new world.
With all of the deliberation and delicacy she could muster, Juno set at the task before her. Slowly lifting the instrument in her hand, she ignored the slow, tickling bead of sweat dripping down the side of her face. Tipping her hand ever so slightly, she focused her not inconsiderable attention to an almost feverish degree. Under the watchful gaze of her teacher, she could not fail.
And, proudly, she did not spill a single drop of boiling water out of the cup-of-noodles.
She set the kettle back on the stove and double checked that she had turned it off properly. Under Naruto's careful supervision, she dutifully swirled the noodles and dried vegetables several times with her chopsticks. Setting them down, she looked to him for approval. He nodded decisively.
"Now, it's best to wait a few minutes for the noodles and toppings to cook properly at this point. You might be tempted to eat it right away, but you need to be patient to get the best results."
Juno, more than a little amused at the notion of Naruto lecturing someone on being patient, wisely kept this feedback to herself. She heard a light snicker from beside her and shot a quick glance at Sakura, warning her to keep quiet, but sharing a smile with the young girl.
Unfortunately, Sasuke couldn't resist.
"Tsk, you wouldn't know patience if it bit you right on the ass, idiot." The dark-haired youth was amusing himself by sharpening a kunai while seated at her low table, but, despite feigning disinterest, couldn't help but pipe in with sassy comments at every opportunity. It made any domestic lessons take twice as long as they otherwise would have.
Almost on cue, Naruto turned with a shout, "Hey, I'm plenty patient! Who was it who had to wait for your lazy ass to get here all afternoon, huh?"
"That's not being patient, that's just you not having a life!"
"Boys!" Juno's voice cut in sharply. She didn't mind a little bickering, but she swore that those two did it like it was their life's work. Constantly undercutting and pricking at each other. It was exhausting to listen to. Now that she was officially their superior, Juno was going to drill a little civility into them if it killed her.
They fell silent, Sasuke going back to sharpening his knife and Naruto turning to inspect the progress of her noodles. She felt a little annoyed at constantly needing to be the referee between them, but didn't have the heart to kick them out of her apartment.
At first, Juno had been somewhat baffled at the constant company at her new residence. Since two days prior when she had told them that she was officially joining Team Seven, the three young ninja had unerringly converged at her apartment every day. It was only when Futaba told her over dinner and sake the other night that both Naruto and Sasuke were orphans that it started to make sense.
With an internal sigh, Juno had resigned herself to her new situation.
In a way, it felt more familiar to her than not. At the air temple, she had constantly been surrounded by other air monks. They had shared rooms, ate communal meals, and even bathed in public baths. Juno was most comfortable surrounded by people, and welcomed the company.
And it was obvious that these three were almost desperate. The two young boys were so hungry for it that they continued to show up at her apartment despite knowing that their despised rival would also be in attendance. And Sakura was so excited for young female companionship that she still stuck to Juno's side like a little turtle-duckling.
Often, Juno felt like simultaneously hugging Kakashi as well as giving the man a swift kick in the pants. It seemed unfair to pair such an obviously socially reclusive sensei with such needy students. She wondered what the Hokage had been thinking.
In any case, Juno was settling into her new role as maternal/friendly/mentor/student. She made sure to lavish praise on the young ninja when they cooperated or helped her learn something new about their modern world, as well as sternly corrected any mean-spirited bickering and excessive rivalry. She praised Sakura when she showed off her intelligence. She tried to coax Sasuke into conversing with them and constantly tried to chip away at his cold exterior. All she had to do for Naruto was listen to him and shower him with affection, the young boy soaked it up like a sponge. She could only hope that over time her influence would warm the team members up to each other as well as fill an empty hole in their lives. It was a task she was all-too-happy to take on.
Soon enough, and only after securing Naruto's approval, Juno settled into her meal. She had undoubtedly been enjoying the modern amenities of her new world, although many of them still remained largely a mystery to her. She also had a feeling that her education under her young teachers was a little lop-sided. So far, she had learned how to make a few basic meals, mostly of the 'processed' variety. She could also reliably use the facilities in the wash-room, and how to use the various grooming products Sakura had instructed her to purchase the other day.
Unfortunately, she had received little instruction of the cleaning or laundry variety. Sakura still lived at home where a parent took care of such things, Sasuke's estate included hired domestic help and Naruto...well, she shuddered to think of the state of his living arrangements based on his current lack of knowledge or interest. She resolved herself to gleaning that information from Futaba and 'sharing' her discoveries with the young ninja, in the hopes that he would take the lessons to heart.
Of the three of them, Naruto's situation was the most infuriating to her. In offhand, rather innocent ways, he constantly demonstrated his overly isolated and desolate upbringing. How could such a technologically 'advanced' village have left such a young orphan to his own devices at such a young age? The air temple, despite not having 'microwaves' or 'electric kettles', at least ensured that every member was nurtured and supported. In Juno's mind, there was no excuse for such neglect of their young people.
She had also noticed the civilian reactions to Naruto's presence whenever they ventured outdoors. Their scorn and outright hostility confused her immensely. Sure, he could be a little brash and obnoxious, but that was clearly because he was so used to looking for attention in a world where he received so little. What could it be that turned the populous against him?
She resolved to speak with Kakashi about it. The man had been conspicuously absent from their recent team-building activities, apparently wanting to take advantage of their three day break from training and revel in his antisocial tendencies as much as possible. Juno was a little conflicted about that. On one hand, she felt somewhat resentful of his absence. If it was obvious to her that Team Seven was in desperate need of some socialization and bonding opportunities after only knowing them for a short while, then it must have been obvious to him too. Juno couldn't help but perceive his rather dismal effort to rectify that issue as a failing on his part. As their teacher, it was his responsibility to turn the surly, lonely, and broken individuals into a cohesive, strong whole.
On the other hand, she couldn't help but be a little glad to have some time apart from him to process their recent, rather strange meeting.
Night had fallen. Juno sat cross legged on her bed, pouring over a letter's primer that Futaba had managed to procure for her. She was painstakingly tracing over the letters with a ballpoint pen, trying to commit to memory the different characters and punctuation marks. Luckily, it wasn't too far off from the alphabet that she was familiar with. Instead of feeling like she was learning a new language from scratch, it felt more like she was deciphering a somewhat confusing code. With dedicated practice, Juno felt confident that she would master the new written form in a few short weeks.
Just as she was looping off the corresponding character to the letter she knew as 'r', she heard a tap on the windowpane.
Glancing up, she was surprised to see Kakashi perched on the narrow sill of the window closest to her. He shot her a two fingered wave.
Rising gingerly from the bed so as not to wake a snoozing Asa, Juno approached the window. It took her a second to figure out how the latch worked, but soon enough she had it cracked open wide enough from him to slip inside.
"Yo." He rose to his full height after gracefully stepping inside. Standing this close to him, Juno was struck by just how much taller than her he was. The tip of her head barely cleared his shoulders. She had a flash of memory of when he held her in his arms in an attempt to curb the Avatar State. Her head had tucked neatly beneath his.
Shaking off the strange trail of thought, Juno backed into the main room of the apartment.
"Kakashi, what's wrong with using the front door like a normal person? Were you raised in a barn?"
He simply shrugged his shoulders and didn't respond. He was looking about her apartment with interest, taking in the small space. His eyes lingered on the small pile of dirty laundry that had accumulated next to her bed. Juno glanced over and noticed with slight horror that a pair of her underclothes was on a place of prominence right at the top of the pile. Juno felt the absurd urge to blush, but valiantly fought it off. She refused to be embarrassed by the fact that she didn't know how to use the laundry machine yet.
The silence was starting to get a little bit awkward.
"Uh, why don't you sit down? I can make us a pot of tea." Juno gestured to the plush pillows in the seating area.
Kakashi nodded and made his way over, squatting down onto the nearest one. To be honest, she was somewhat surprised that he had accepted the offer. She couldn't fathom what brought him over at such a late hour. The Hokage had said that he would be meeting up with her to discuss the details of her involvement with Team Seven, but she hadn't been expecting that meeting to be during a late-night house visit. She made her way into the kitchen, taking a moment to kick the offending dirty laundry underneath her bed.
Juno turned the dial of the stove burner and, after checking to make sure the kettle had enough water inside, gently placed it on top. She busied herself with fetching the tea and preparing the teapot as she cast about for something to say.
"I'm assuming the Hokage told you about the results of my test?"
Kakashi folded his hands on the surface of the table and regarded her.
"Yes, he informed me of the verdict shortly after you ran off." Juno winced, reminded of her embarrassing actions during their spar. She poured the boiling water into the pot and swirled the leaves inside. Placing two cups and the pot on a tray, she carried it over to the table and set it down, sitting cross-legged on the cushion opposite of Kakashi.
"Ah, yes. I'm sorry, I owe you an apology for that. I lost control and it could have ended a lot worse than it did."
"Well, I did provoke you." It was probably as close to an apology as she would get, aside from his repeated 'I'm sorry's' as he attempted to calm her down. She shook her head.
"No, I knew you were going to push my limits, I should have kept it together. It's just…" She looked over to where Asa slept peacefully, belly up, thick tail trailing off the side of her bed. His mouth was slightly ajar, pink tongue lolling out. She felt a rush of affection for him.
"...well Asa is all I really have left from my old life, and my dearest friend. You did a great job at picking at my worst vulnerability." She smiled, a little self-deprecating.
"Hmm, something of a specialty of mine, I'm afraid."
"Comes with the territory, I suppose." She regarded the silver-haired man consideringly, suddenly struck by the thought that he had most likely taken many lives using that exact skill.
Determining that the tea had steeped long enough, Juno went to pour them both a portion. Impulsively, she decided to waterbend the tea into their cups, and with a flick of her wrists, did just that. Kakashi raised his eyebrows at the slight showmanship, but then nodded his thanks to her before accepting his serving.
As he fiddled with his cup, Juno started after a moment, realizing that he couldn't drink his tea without removing his mask. She angled her body away from him and deliberately faced towards the kitchen. After a moment, she heard a soft rustle and then the sound of him sipping at the brew. She took a sip of her own tea, and let the natural break in the conversation lead into what she was really burning to ask.
"So, what brings you by this evening?" She inquired, "I'm assuming it's not just for the sake of my glorious company?"
"Ah no, not just that." She fought the desire to face him at that, unable to tell if he was joking with her, or being genuine. He continued before she could over-think his comment too much. "We need to discuss your role in the team. Although it's not unheard-of for an extra member to be added to the typical four-man cell, it does add a different element."
She nodded, though she wasn't sure he could tell looking at the back of her head.
"You'll accompany us on all of our missions, of course, and I'll expect you to join the majority of our team practices for group training. The genin, as well as you, will need to learn how to fight as a team, and learn the various codes and formations in the typical shinobi's arsenal. But I suspect that you will also need extra training on top of that." She heard him deliberately set his teacup on the platter with a clink, and took it as an indication that he was finished drinking it. Sure enough, when she turned around, his mask was firmly in place and he was leaning casually back on one arm.
"You'll need to learn some of the more basic ninja combat theory and techniques. I don't expect you will be able to learn to use them, as you have no chakra, but you'll need to anticipate what your allies, as well as your foes, are capable of. In the future, you won't be caught off-guard by genjutsu again."
She nodded, then suddenly recalled her sudden sense of unease slightly before getting caught under Kakashi's illusion. "Actually, I think I can do better than that. I'm pretty sure I sensed something just before you put me in the genjutsu. Maybe my spiritual powers allow me to sense chakra use somehow?"
He hummed, looking interested at that. "Yes, that brings me to my next point. Aside from learning the theory, I think we'll need to do some experimenting. We can't know for sure how your bending will interact with typical jutsus. I think you and I will need regular training one-on-one to determine how we will integrate your abilities into the shinobi framework. I expect I'll find ways to push you that may surprise you." He tapped his temple, "Ever since I saw you fight with Zabuza, I've been brainstorming. Now, I can actually see if we can put some of those ideas into action."
Juno was simultaneously apprehensive, and excited. At nineteen, she had managed to learn almost everything she could about bending. She could heal and bend lightning, along with many of the other secondary and tertiary bending abilities. Although some things, like her earthbending sense, were not at master-level, she was at least able to use the basics. The thought that there were new frontiers for her to explore was somewhat thrilling, though she found it hard to imagine what Kakashi could be thinking of.
She smiled, "Should I be worried about that?"
"I think you're more than capable of what I have in mind for you."
She was a little taken aback by the compliment, wondering if she was just imagining the slight suggestive tone. She blinked owlishly at him, eyes wide.
He noticed her reaction and looked away, as if sheepish. It all but confirmed in her mind that he had meant it in a slightly flirtatious way. Juno was suddenly reminded that they were very much alone, late at night, in her apartment. And that Kakashi was very much an attractive man.
She shook off the butterflies that had suddenly bloomed in her gut just as Kakashi cleared his throat and rose from his cushion.
"In any case, in three days the team will be gathering at our usual training ground for our first post-mission training session. Meet us then and we can discuss further what your training regime will be. I'm sure Sakura will show you where it is. Thanks for the tea." Without another backwards glance, he smoothly exited the same window he had come through, disappearing seamlessly into the night.
Juno rose to close the window-latch behind him, feeling slightly ruffled by the sudden realization that she was a little infatuated by her new teacher. As she made her way back to her bed, she sighed internally at herself. Rubbing at her temples, she flopped onto her back.
Asa grumbled a little at the disturbance, then crawled over to tuck himself under her neck. Stroking his soft fur, Juno marveled a little at her situation. After not having any romantic feelings for anyone since parting with Benji more than two years ago, the idea that she had suddenly developed a crush on her new teacher was so unexpected as to be almost funny.
And on top of that, he was a lazy, asocial prodigy with a love for pornographic novels.
She heaved a dramatic sigh and turned on her side. "Oh Juno", she thought to herself, "You sure know how to pick em."
Slurping her noodles noisily, Juno reflected a little on the days since then. She hadn't come to any better conclusions about her feelings other than to confirm without a doubt that they existed. She wasn't sure how to deal with this new reality, so she decided to try and ignore them for now. She would just have to hope that she doesn't do something embarrassing like blush or laugh girlishly whenever they trained together. Although even thinking about tussling in close-proximity was enough to bring a low heat to the pit of her stomach. She shook her head, thinking privately that it had been far too long since any romance had been in her life to have such a palpable reaction to just the thought of a little physical contact.
This was a decidedly inappropriate line of thought to be entertaining while surrounded by literal children. She was glad that none of her young ninja friends had any weird telepathic abilities, otherwise they would have definitely been scandalized by some of the turns her mind had taken when she let it roam. They were at the age where such thoughts were firmly in the 'weird and disgusting' category. Or at least, the boys were. Juno winced, thinking about the undoubtedly gleeful reaction Sakura would have in response to this whole situation, and privately resolved to never speak of it with her.
Finishing her meal, Juno disposed of the remains in the trash. She was still slightly uncomfortable with the amount of waste that was produced by eating such processed meals, but the kids had assured her that this was normal.
Naruto and Sasuke were working their way up to another row, and Juno pivoted to break them up once again when they were all interrupted by the doorbell. Juno blinked and went over to answer the door, at a loss to who it could be, though her traitorous heart jumped to one possible conclusion very quickly.
As she answered, she was somewhat disappointed to find it was just a delivery person. He handed her a few boxes in exchange for her signature, then went on his way. Carrying the parcels to the kitchen counter, Juno was confronted by a trio of interested, and a little too innocent-looking, spectators.
Juno knew what the package must contain. The day after passing her assessment, Juno had gone to get fitted for her new ninja outfit. Futaba and the three genin had accompanied her, all offering opinions on what she should get. Ultimately, she had decided on a uniform of the typical ninja-trousers paired with a long dark-blue cheongsam. The tunic/dress had slits going up to the tops of her thigh so as to allow a full range of motion. It was sleeveless, and she had gotten corresponding cloth bands to wrap around her biceps. Her fashion advisors had agreed that the outfit appropriately showed off and complimented her air-bending tattoos in a quote "totally badass way".
Opening the package however, Juno was taken completely by surprise.
Sitting at the top of the stack of clothing was the expected cheongsam, but with a detail she had not been expecting. Tracing her finger delicately along the embroidered design squarely at the back of the dress, Juno felt a welling of tears form on her eyes.
It was the classic symbol of her heritage, the all-too familiar three whorls of the air bending nomads. They were embroidered in the same color blue as her tattoos, and took up the whole upper back of the tunic.
She looked up to see three faces observing her reaction. Naruto smacked Sakura on the arm. "Way to go Sakura, you made her cry!"
Sakura smacked him right back on the side of the head, "You idiot Naruto, those are happy tears!" She looked uncertainly at Juno. "You are happy right? I didn't mess up the design? I tried to get it just like you had described…"
"It's perfect," Juno choked out, wiping at her eyes. Suddenly impatient, she quickly took the clothes to the washroom to change into them.
Tying the string of the second arm-band, she regarded herself in the mirror. A capable-looking ninja warrior stared back. As the final touch, she lifted the last article from the box; the ninja headband. She tied it around her waist, the blue of the fabric complimenting the rest of the ensemble. Turning to look at her back, the air nomad swirls stood out proudly.
Emerging from the washroom, she did a slow spin for her attentive audience. Naruto whistled and Sakura clapped. Even Sasuke gave a nod of approval.
"Now you look like a real ninja. Clan symbol and all. A clan of one perhaps, but still important to show nonetheless."
She met his gaze and nodded, understanding the importance of his statement now that she knew his background. A feeling of comradery passed between them, and Juno was unsurprised that, despite the constant prodding to get him to come out of his shell, it was this moment that made her feel like she finally connected with him.
The serious mood was broken when Naruto suddenly whooped. "Ah yeah! Now you're a real shinobi of the leaf, believe it!"
"Naruto! Way to ruin the moment!"
"Ow! Sakura! Why'd you have to hit so hard?!"
"Stop yelling! You're such a pain!"
Juno just laughed, suddenly feeling lighter than she had in days.