Iruka leads me through the maze of halls of the Academy. The silence is comfortable. In fact, I find myself feeling incredibly calm in his presence. My guard is still up—years of being on my own means I never truly let it down, but I am grateful for the comfort I have at the moment. I remain hyperaware of my surroundings, mentally mapping the building and listening for any unexpected encounters. He seems to sense my apparent tension, but thankfully makes no effort to start a conversation. I'll have to remember to thank Shou later for sending me in Iruka's direction.

"Lady Hokage's office is just ahead through those double doors. She should be in by now." Should be? It's mid-morning now, where else would the Hokage be? "I'll introduce you, explain the situation, and ask for her permission to move forward with our plan." He gives me a reassuring look before reaching for the door.

"Iruka, wait." The words are out of my mouth before I've even processed the thought. Great, now he's looking at me like I'm an idiot.

"Don't worry. I'll be with you the entire time."

"I just wanted to thank you. I took a huge risk back there, but you are too. I appreciate—"

SLAM! The door is thrown open by a red faced, yellow-haired monster. Naruto. I can feel my expression melting into a glare. This kid is really emotive.

"I'll complete all the D and C rank missions! THEN YOU CAN'T STOP ME FROM LOOKING FOR SASUKE, GRANDMA—"

"Naruto!" Naruto and I both flinch—me because Iruka's scolding happened to be entirely too close to my left ear, Naruto because he's clearly going to be reprimanded. "This is no way for a shinobi to behave! And certainly no way for you to address Lady Hokage!"

"Sorry, Iruka-sensei," he mumbles. The angry flush in his face is replaced with embarrassment. "Oh!" The kid finally seems to notice I'm here. "Does this mean Iruka-sensei is going to help you, Mei?"

I turn my attention to the man in question. "I certainly plan to try," he smiles, ruffling Naruto's hair. "Now, I thought you were going to get started on a mission?" With that, Naruto takes off down the hall. I've known him for half a day and my head is already spinning.

"Quit lurking in my doorway and come inside already" calls a woman's irritated voice. This must be the Hokage. Following Iruka into the room, I search for the woman with my eyes. Is that, Tsunade? One of the legendary Sannin? So this is where she wound up. Tsunade is slumped in the chair behind the desk, frustration clearly etched on her face.

"Lady Hokage," Iruka dips his head in deference. I follow suit. "I understand you're busy and likely in need of a break having just dealt with Naruto so early in the day."

"This better be good new, Iruka. Who is this shinobi?" She turns her piercing glare to me. "Where are your papers?"

I take a breath, willing myself not to smart off. "This is Mei, an unattached traveler and informally trained shinobi." Iruka answers before I can. Good, this will go much smoother if I don't have to speak. "She's come to the Leaf Village in hopes of making a life here."

"And how do you know you know she is trustworthy?" Tsunade's suspicion is clear in her voice. My hand twitches.

"I have heard her story in detail. She showed no signs of dishonesty and there was nothing of concern in her story. Mei has already agreed to align herself with the Leaf. I only need your permission to move forward with training and testing." Why didn't he tell her I showed him my face? I hold my head high, forcing my features into a calm mask. I can't read too far into this right now.

Tsunade glances between me and Iruka. The silence is nearly unbearable. "Very well, Iruka. I trust you on this, but you are responsible for her. Any slip-ups and you will be the one to face the consequences." I let out the breath I was holding.

"Thank you, Lady Hokage." Iruka and I dip our heads again. Tsunade pulls a stack of papers out of her desk drawer.

"Here. Fill these forms out." Iruka steps forward, waving me to follow when I don't immediately move. "This is a sponsorship form. Completing this makes her your legal charge and responsibility until her citizenship is confirmed. Each of you should keep a copy on you." Iruka begins filling out the forms as Tsunade turns to me. "This is the citizenship handbook and application form. If you become a shinobi of Leaf, the process can be expedited and you'll be able to stand on your own without Iruka. If you decide otherwise, you are subject to the same immigration laws as everyone else." I take the booklet and form, only briefly glancing over them. I have no plans of becoming a civilian.

"Thank you, Lady Hokage." I say, startling both Tsunade and Iruka. "I am truly grateful for the opportunity you have given me." She does not respond. Iruka hands her a copy of the sponsorship form.

"Well, I believe that's it." Tsunade reviews the form, her face scrunched in concentration. "You are dismissed."

Iruka and I bow for a final time, then make our way back into the hall. He closes the door behind us, something Naruto neglected to do. I can't help but think this meeting could have gone exceptionally better. It's already approaching noon and I haven't secured any work or even begun looking for a place to live. Shit, where's the paper Shou gave me? I must have left it in the classroom.

"See, nothing to worry about." Iruka's cheerful voice interrupts my thoughts. "If you have time, we can grab lunch work out a plan for getting you trained and tested."

Lunch sounds great considering I skipped breakfast this morning. "Sure." I can use this time to question Iruka about mission assignments and housing now that he's my sponsor. "Would you mind if we stopped by your classroom? I left my paper there this morning."

"Sure thing." He sets off on the now familiar path to the classroom.

"I can't thank you enough for helping me. I didn't realize this would require so much of you." My eyes trail the floor, avoiding his gaze.

"I'm happy to help, Mei. Everyone needs a hand every now and then."


I've never been that big of a fan of ramen, but Ichiraku Ramen is something else. Even Naruto—who seems to stay in a perpetual state of talking—was silenced by his meal. I didn't realize at the time of his offer that lunch with Iruka equates to lunch with Naruto. I wonder how he affords it; two seats down the kid's just starting on his third bowl and there's no end in sight.

"Thank you for lunch, Iruka." His kindness seems to know no bounds, refusing to let me pay for my meal. "While the break was nice, I think it's time we discussed some more serious matters." I unfold the paper from Shou and flip through the advertisements in search of affordable apartments. "I need a more permanent housing arrangement."

"Of course." He leans toward me to scan the ads himself. "I don't know why you're looking for apartments though." I freeze, confused. Why wouldn't I look for apartments? He can't expect me to stay in a hotel indefinitely. As if he can see the gears turning in my head, Iruka suddenly starts laughing. A gentle, full-bellied laugh. I want to be offended by his actions, but can't bring myself to be after today.

"Mei, you're officially my charge until granted full citizenship. You can stay with me," he explains.

"Iruka, you can't be serious about—"

"You're an unknown in this village. All of the apartments in this village are owned by prominent clans. I can vouch for you, but realistically there isn't going to be anyone trusting enough to let you rent from them. Not to mention you aren't going to be allowed to take on any missions at the moment." My high hopes from this morning grew smaller and dimmer with every word. This has never been a problem in the past, granted I never stayed anywhere for longer than a month. Nothing is going according to plan here. "Hey, it's not all that bad. I have a spare room so you'll have your own space. If you'd be more comfortable, you can stay in the hotel down the road but I doubt you'll want to waste your money while you're essentially jobless."

"Iruka, you're being too generous." I'm an adult. I've been on my own for years and I can take care of myself. "At the very least, I want to pay rent. I'm not a child, I want to be treated as an equal—a roommate."

"Of course," the corners of my mouth perk up, "as soon as you qualify for missions and can afford to," and back into a frown. "You can pay rent, buy groceries, whatever you feel like you need to contribute. Until then, I can manage just fine." He's smirking. Smug bastard. Naruto suddenly belches—it's a monstrous noise that makes my spine tingle.

"Your bill, Iruka" the shopkeeper lays a slip of paper on the counter. Naruto is suddenly up and halfway to the corner.

"Thanks for lunch, Iruka-sensei!" he giggles. I hear Iruka choke and see his eyes widen at the bill.

"That little brat," he grumbles. Turning to the left, I take count of the stack of ramen bowls. Five, six, seven. Where does this kid put it all? A sly grin creeps up on my face as I reach for my weapons pouch.

"I'll cover mine, Iruka. You can obviously handle Naruto's appetite" I say with a smirk and a wink, throwing the bills on the counter. Pleased with the blush gracing his cheeks, I start a mental tally: Mei-1, Iruka-0.


Author's note: So it looks like I'll be updating more frequently than I originally thought. Bear with me while I work out grammar and mechanics of writing fiction. I'm an all-star essay writer, not so much a creative one. Well, yet. As always, constructive criticism is welcome and very appreciated!