Chapter 3
I learned that falling Hurts Today
It had been two weeks since classes had begun this year at the Hidden Leaf's Shinobi Academy, and needless to say much of the charm of being a Shinobi had worn off of many students after what had basically been two weeks of homework, and lectures. So many had taken to bringing pillows, especially those from the Nara clan, that the school had started implementing a ban on all soft head cushions (as some students had taken the pillow ban as negotiable and started bringing in couch cushions, throw pillows and even bundled up blankets).
For one class however, it had been anything but boring. To call Medea's teaching methods a bit odd would be to call Naruto a man who likes ramen. A Glorious Understatement. From having students on day 1 attempt henging, to by the end of the first week making their weekend homework assignment be to collect two hundred mushrooms collectively, while blindfolded, which none were sure how she'd know but none wanted to risk it, their class had at least always been eager to find out what came next.
Today, on the start of the third week, however things got Strange. For starters, she had informed the class to meet her on the roof in two hours, and to spend that time divising flying aircrafts. They had assumed she meant toys, or paper airplanes.
She had not.
Upon reaching the roof, she smiled at them all and had them hand her each of their written ideas, before snickering. "All of these are far too small," she noted while flipping through them. "How ever will they make you children fly?" her question came out as both curious and sincere. To the children, it was like she had suddenly sprouted a third head.
"U Us?!" Shouted Sarah in stunned surprise. She gripped her chest, gulping a bit.
Aureum grinned widely however. "Uzu! But of course, how could we be so silly as to assume she meant toys?!" she shouted with excitement that few of the others shared.
"Now now, I am sure you will all find a safe landing still. Somehow," their teacher said, while turning to the ledge. Suddenly, a three sided box of bones lurched up, blocking us off from the door back down into the school. She then grinned, and motioned to the perch, 3 stories up above the ground. "Now, who wants to try first?"
Her question left many of us stunned, but we quickly started to huddle up and talk. This had become somewhat expected. Medea-Sensei always had weird quirky ideas and tests. If they were being asked to jump, then the test wasn't to fly, it was to land safely.
"This will be tricky, it's pretty high," muttered Mhx. "Still, I think I could use some water from my bottle to help me land, or at least step down," she smiled, pulling out her sports bottle, filled with fresh tap water.
"A good plan for u. I think she wants us to show our own specialties," mused Takata aloud. She had a small smile on her face, and it was clear she didn't feel too endangered. Many of the children even seemed excited to show off a bit for the teacher and class. Sarah however, did not.
"Alright, line up and be ready for your attempt!" Medea called out, as the kids formed a line, with Takata in front, and Sarah at the end.
"This shall we simple enough," She said, simply walking right off the edge, as long chains of ethereal energy sprung out of golden little holes in the air. She easily walked right to the ground without a single issue.
'Must be one of those gifts she got from her parents, Blood limiters or whatever mom called em,' Sarah mused mentally, smiling to see her friend safe.
"Very Good Takata! Good to see you all are catching on, next!" She called as Mhx marched up, before popping the lid on her bottle and spraying it down the wall.
"Alright!" She shouted, as she took a step over the balcony, and onto a wet spot along the side of the wall, before proceeding to walk straight down the wall easily. Many of the children ooe'd and awed at this feat, but Hana and Sarah knew it came from her mom, who had been blessed by some lake spirit to be at one with water.
"Good Good, neeexxxt," She sung out, as Kimi stepped up alongside Jamie who she kept assuring she'd be fine.
"It is easy, trust me," the quiet girl patted her friend/girlfriend's arm, before stepping to the ledge. Everyone watched, excited to catch a glimpse of Kimi's gifts, before she simply leapt off. Many eyes widened as she flew to the ground, no sign of slowly before she fell, and kept falling right through Takata's shadow, before sliding back out of it.
"My, a talent of shadows outside the Nara. A gift indeed. Nexttttt," Sung out the teacher to a stunned series of kids. Jamie of course was next up, as she hopped onto the ledge. She breathed deeply, looking up at the sun before pointing to the ground. A beam, very thin but visible, of sunlight formed from the ledge to the ground, which she hopped on and slide down like she was on skates.
"The legendary Valyrous jutsu, I must say you are developed for one so young," Medea commented, grinning at the sight of her students talent. Jamie's response was a grunt, and a hug to Kimi. "Nexxxttt," the teacher sung out.
"Uzu! I will surely land without any harm!" Was Aureum's response before sprinting off the ledge, spread eagle as she flew rapidly to the ground. Medea sweat dropped at the sight, and began to reach for her phone to dial the hospital before a massive rose grew on the ground, which Aureum landed on with a loud, but safe, "oomph!" while grinning ear to ear as she climbed out.
"How interesting, a fire user who also can form plants," she mused to herself, smiling. "Nextttt," she called while writing that down.
Momo grinned, stepping up as she ran through a number of handseals. However, they weren't any Sarah recognized. In fact they almost seemed fake while Momo's lips rapidly moved, just like Sarah had sworn she saw Medea-sensei's doing on their first day. Medea noticed as well, and a sense of pride welled in her. When she finished the last 'seal' she shouted "Mystic Style: Stairway to Heaven!" as she clapped her hands, then slammed them down on the ledge. A surge of light blew forward, before a stairway from the ledge to the ground formed entirely from light. Momo was panting, as it clearly taxed her to do this, but as she walked down the stairwell grinning, she seemed completely happy with the result.
'Clever cover up' thought Medea, the use of Mystic Style as a title for their special brand of chakra usage. "Nexttttt," She sang out, snapping her fingers as the stairway vanished just as Momo stepped off it.
Rebel slowly walked up to the ledge, looking over it with an audible gulp. "we can do this, we can do this.." she muttered, making Medea raise a brow, and think 'We?'
Slowly, the girl took a step back, before leaping head first off the ledge, flying rapidly toward the ground. The people on the ground saw her rushing through a few handseals, and the complete change to the nervous, hungry geeky girls visage. She seemed dead serious all of a sudden. "Wind Style: Breath of the Typhoon!" she roared, before thrusting both hands forward, and blowing hard toward them. The resulting burst of air sent any scrap of litter nearby to go flying, and made those on the ground dig in their heels to stay put. The trick worked however, as the blast slowed her steadily enough to land with a soft thud on her feet, completely fine, and back to her quiet self.
Medea slowly grinned, before writing that down as well, simply singing out "Nexxxttt," as her only response. Hana took a deep breath, before slowly marching toward the ledge, smiling despite her own shakiness.
"Alright, here go nothin!" the girl declared, before shimming a little, then hopping off. The girl fell, but she didn't seem to catch the same speed the others did. If anything, Medea would of called what she was doing a slow float down comparitively, and even as the girl flipped and landed she barely left any mark in the dirt, grinning ear to ear. "Woo! It work!" She declared.
"What did you even do?" Takata asked quickly.
"Hehehe! Family gift, weigh as much as like! Can even float on good breeze if want to," she declared, smiling widely.
'A similar tactic to the Akamichi, but in reverse. Clever' The teacher mused as she wrote down this new information. "Alright, last but certainly not leasttt, Sarah. It is your turnnn," she sang, smiling at the girl.
Sarah on the other hand, was promptly losing her mind. All her friends had cool and interesting ways to subvert this test. Sarah, on the other hand, did not. She very slowly made her way to the ledge, even as she gulped and shook with trepidation. She peered over the ledge, gulping nervously. Surely her teacher wouldn't actually let her hit the ground without helping her, right? No. She would. Medea was exactly the kind of teacher to love a rough lesson. What lesson could be rougher than a stern reminder of how Gravity feels?
"Come onnn, your classmates are waaaitinngggg," she sang, standing behind her now. A gulp passed through Sarah's throat, as she slowly stepped onto the ledge, thinking hard about how in the hell she could manage this, before taking a deep breath, clutching her favorite knife, a black stylized dagger resembling a fox's tail her mother had bought her, before leaping off.
She felt time slow down, watching as the ground slowly approached, before getting a very sudden idea. She had always had a talent for knives, and could even manipulate them to an extent. Maybe, just maybe...
"Raaa!" she screamed, focusing on her blade as she thrust it upward. After a single moment, she felt herself stop falling. She opened her eyes to see herself held in the air by the knife she dearly loved, still about halfway to the bottom of the building. She started to grin, and eagerly shout her excitement, before promptly losing control. She promptly learned that while 1 and a half stories of falling may not kill you, but it does hurt. A lot.