I'm very sorry that this is late. I was convinced that yesterday was Tuesday and I seriously thought today was Wednesday until noon. It was a very weird experience. I had this all typed up and ready to be posted, but I was very confused. I'm sorry.

Before I start, I would also like to say that I don't know much about Korean schools, so most of this will be Americanized. (Since I'm pretty sure children don't get sent to the Principal's office in Asian countries.) I will just be writing what I know. Thank you for your understanding.

Also, to any Jewish readers, Happy Hanukkah!

The school office was empty save for Shi-Woon sitting on worn out leather couch. Shi-Woon stared at his hands feeling divorced from his body. He hadn't even meant to move that morning! His body just… reacted. His mouth opened and his voice sounded, but it was like he was being controlled.

Well not really controlled, more like his body was reflexively moving. Following some routine that Shi-Woon definitely did not remember being there.

Before Shi-Woon could have another introspection on his feelings, the door to the Principal's office opened with a click and a balding man took a small step out of the room, his small eyes leveled on Shi-Woon. There was a prolonged silence as the principal sized Shi-Woon up. Then with a tip of his head he beckoned the boy inside.

Shi-Woon jumped to his feet, feeling nervous and awkward. He stepped past the open door and into the office.

There was a modest desk facing the door with a comfortable looking couch and two sitting chairs placed in front of it. The office didn't seem particularly grand, it didn't have large expensive rugs or ornate vases, but all of the furniture looked like it was good quality and relatively new.

Shi-Woon shuffled near one of the chairs in the room, not sure if he should sit down or wait for the Principal to sit. Or stay standing. Or blurt out apologies or-

"Sit down, Shi-Woon," the Principal instructed, sitting himself on the couch across and pulling open a manila folder. Shi-Woon all but collapsed into the opposing chair, glad to have something to do.

"I was told by Mr. Wooseong that you had talked back during class." The Principal glanced up from his notes. "That doesn't seem like something you would do."

Shi-Woon let out a sigh, relieved to know he wasn't going crazy. Cause it really wasn't something he would do. There must be something wrong with him today. Shi-Woon made it to a point to not stick out. To follow the rules. To all but disappear. But in that one moment in the classroom, he had wanted everyone to -notice him. Look at him. Acknowledge that he existed!

Shi-Woon shook his head as a craving he never had before filled his stomach.

"So you agree." The Principal nodded along. "Well this is the first time that you have been sent to my office, and I see that you are very apologetic for your actions." Shi-Woon glanced up at the man for the first time since entering the office. "But, this is a major indiscretion. We take respect to our teachers very seriously."

Shi-Woon glanced at his shoes again feeling… surprisingly very little guilt. He actually felt a lot more contempt that anything. People who treated others as lesser didn't deserve his respect.

But it was better to keep his head down then allow the principal to realize that he was not nearly as apologetic as they had both first assumed.

"I demand a three paged apology letter addressed to Mr. Wooseong by the start of tomorrow. This will not be late. Do I make myself clear?"

Shi-Woon was glad his head was bowed towards the floor. The principal wouldn't notice the way his teeth clicked shut. It had almost happened again! He almost spoke without thinking! He was a moment away from yelling back some blistering insult at the principal. The man that he should never get on the wrong side of.

"I asked if I made myself clear." The principal tutted, a hint of iron starting to snake through his voice.

Shi-Woon nodded at the ground and forced himself to get as much control over his body as possible. All his muscles started to tense.

"Good." Came the sickeningly pleased reply.

Shi-Woon pulled a sharp breath in through his nose before carefully opening his mouth. "Sir, I'm not feeling very well. May I go to the infirmary?" Shi-Woon grit his teeth after he forced the question out, afraid that something else would try to slip through.

There was a put upon sigh as the Principal rubbed a hand on his head. "Well, I guess you might as well. Morning classes will be ending soon and lunch should begin in a few minutes.

Shi-Woon jumped from the chair, giving a bow of gratitude towards the Principal before stiffly walking towards the door. He made sure he gave the principal one final bow before he exited the room, closing the door sharply behind him.

His body almost shook with how much he was trying to stop himself from moving. His whole body was trying to rebel against him. Trying to jump and fidget and twist. His nails bit into the meat of his palm as he clenched his hand into a tighter fist. He had never felt so much unrest before.

Shi-Woon hugged his body to himself, trying to stop the shaking.

Could it have been the late night? Was that what was causing his mind to hum indistinctly? Was it the adrenaline from standing up in class? All the attention he gained?

Shi-Woon left the small office, heading towards the infirmary. He needed to get this under control. And it would be best if he did that alone.

Shi-Woon turned the corner and froze as he saw Chun-Woo standing in the hallway. Practically cornering Shi-Woon's history teacher Ms. Yoon-Ji Bae.

Chun-Woo would be a bad person to meet up with, especially when Shi-Woon felt like he might just say something. That his mouth might move without letting his brain know what was going on first.

Shi-Woon stepped back, planning on finding an alternate route to the infirmary, when he found himself studying the pair. He looked at the way Chun-Woo lazily draped his arm around her shoulder. He was saying something that must have been some sort of pick up line, what with the way he was watching her chest. He saw Ms. Yoon-Ji drop her chin and glance up beneath her lashes at the older man, a suggestive smile working its way onto her face. He saw the slow smarmy grin Chun-Woo returned as he leaned forward, trapping her against a near by wall.

'He's a pervert,' Shi-Woon thought, exasperated. 'Of course he's a pervert. They always are." Shi-Woon wasn't quite sure who they were, but they were always like this. Whether they were flirting with teachers in hallways, -or peeking into bathhouses or reading dirty books in public-, all great men could not avoid having some major sexual hang-ups.

Shi-Woon couldn't help but snort at the thought. 'Maybe all good men need a good women?'

Shi-Woon's eyes wandered back up to the two teachers' faces, both of who were now staring at him in surprise.

Shi-Woon started and did an about face, passing a vending machine with a couple of quick steps.

"Hey, kid, slow down," Shi-Woon heard the words yelled after him. He hesitated for a moment, thinking about whether he should stop, and that was why he was stopped. A heavy hand on his shoulder pressed against his shoulder. "Hey, Buddha kid, where are you going so quickly?" Came a rather ominous question.

Shi-Woon twitched at the nick-name. The sophomore turned around to look up into the tan face of his new substitute teacher.

Chun-Woo smirked knowingly "It's a good thing it was you who caught us, huh. Since you and I have a good understanding." Shi-Woon gave him a quizzical look. Chun-Woo shrugged casually, "You wouldn't want to spend the day with those "friends" of yours right?" Shi-Woon felt a cold rush at the thought. "I thought not. And I don't want to give you partner assignments in class. So you didn't see anything in that hallway, right?" Chun-Woo grinned as he threatened the sophomore.

"No." Shi-Woon responded dutifully.

Chun-Woo patted his head like an old grandma patting a dog. "Good, good,"

"But I did see what you did last night."

Chun-Woo froze. "What?" He looked genuinely confused. "Last night?"

"The fight." Shi-Woon almost smacked himself as his mouth continued to move against his will.

Chun-Woo hesitated before he burst into laughter. Shi-Woon felt annoyance clutter in as he watched the man pretend to laugh himself to death. "Fight? What fight? I don't get into fights. Do I look like someone who would get into fights?"

As Chun-Woo continued to bluster. Shi-Woon pulled out his phone and found the video file he needed. The yells and strikes of flesh against flesh and flesh against concrete filled the hallway.

The small sophomore watches as the older teacher's eyes slowly widened and his face began to pale. His mouth hung open as he looked at the small device in Shi-Woon's hand. "Well that's…" He pointed at the phone. "That's me?" he asked weakly.

Shi-Woon nodded, holding the phone farther forward so that Chun-Woo could clearly see himself leaping over grown men's heads and kicking down men twice his size.

The substitute teacher stared at the camera in shock and a hint of respect. But then a calculated glint flickered in his eye. It was the only warning Shi-Woon had of a lethal strike towards his phone. And it was all his mind needed to move his arm a few inches lower to avoid losing everything.

There was a beat of silence as Shi-Woon and Chin-Woo stared at the intact phone in shock.

"Wha-" Chun-Woo started to say but was cut off as Shi-Woon screamed and dropped his phone.

"What just happened?!" Shi-Woon yelped, his eyes bouncing between Chun-Woo and his phone laying on the ground. "Did you see that?"

Chun–Woo stared at the kid, his face slowly turning intense. "How did you do that?"

Shi-Woon shrugged with his whole body, hands flickering in front of him, "I don't know! My hand just moved!"

Chun-Woo scrutinized the kid once more. "Murim-in?" he muttered to himself then looked at the pale shaken look on Shi-Woon's face and made a dismissive shake of his head. "You must have great self-preservation instincts." He announced.

Shi-Woon barely heard the compliment, his eyes still glancing frantically between his hand and the phone on the ground.

"That was pretty impressive." Chun-Woo continued, watching the bafflement on the teen's face. "But, I'm still going to have to destroy that." Chun-Woo motioned down at the cell phone lying on the floor.

The anxiety of his body moving on it's own was doused as a torrent of fear flashed through Shi-Woon's body. "Don't! You can't!" Shi-Woon stepped forward as if he were going to try to take the larger man on. "I need it!"

Chun-Woo looked at the sophomore confused and a little dismissive. "Need it? What are you going to do with it?" Chun-Woo drew back, looking shocked and guarded. "Are you going to blackmail me?"

Shi-Woon shook his head. "No! I just- I just need to have it!" Shi-Woon begged. "When I watch it I feel… It makes me feel…" Shi-Woon tried to find some words that would get his desire across.

"Uh… look kid," Chun-Woo started looking uncomfortable. "I don't really go for guys and I'm not into that type of-"

"No! It's not like that," Shi-Woon snapped back, too annoyed to feel properly embarrassed. "I just feel like I found something I lost! Like some part of me is whole again, awake after sleeping for too long. That video gives me-"

Shi-Woon stepped forward and heard a snap.

Chun-Woo looked down. "Ah… it broke."

Shi-Woon stared from where he had collapsed on a stair staring into space. He felt heavy. The destruction of his phone had been a heavier hit then he had thought it would.

After he had broke his own phone, the bell for lunch had broken up the uncomfortable atmosphere that was growing between Shi-Woon and Chun-Woon. Chun-Woon had just wandered away as other students started to gather in the halls, but Shi-Woon felt like he was frozen in place. He had finally been freed when someone bumped into his shoulder a little too hard for an accident.

Shi-Woon stood up and walked out the door. He had given up on the rest of the day. He hadn't eaten lunch and had skipped all the afternoon classes in an abandoned classroom in F wing. He had stayed there until all of the extra-curricular activities had ended. He was just now wandering off the school campus, feeling that uncomfortable feeling of not caring. The same one he had every day since middle school.

Except now it was worse. Yesterday he hadn't cared about life, but he had always been in this apathetic mood. It was the best way to not get hurt by this world.

But now, now he knew what it felt like to actually feel like he belonged to something. What it felt like to understand someone without even speaking about it. And then to have that same gloom drop over him, to lose his one way out of his misery. It was devastating.

Shi-Woon wanted that back so badly.

He wandered down to a park, sitting on a bench without much thought of what to do next. His mom would probably be pissed that he broke his phone. She might make a good salary, but that didn't mean that they could waste money on extra expenses. And that had been the only way they had kept in communication with each other. She would definitely notice if he didn't have it with him tonight.

Should he try to buy a new one? Maybe then it wouldn't matter that his old one was gone.

He still had that 60000 won that he was supposed to give to Chang-Ho.

A shiver wracked up Shi-Woon's spine at the thought. He had avoided Chang-Ho today. Tomorrow would be so much worse. Especially if he didn't have any money to give him.

Shi-Woon stared at the wallet.

If he could defend himself, he wouldn't have to worry about these stupid things.

The thought hit his stomach hard, like a rock dropping into him.

If he could defend himself. If he could fight. If he learned martial arts. If he learned Chun-Woo's martial arts! Then, then he wouldn't have to worry about Chang-Ho. If he learned from Chun-Woo he would see that movement every day! If he learned from Chun-Woo then he wouldn't… be alone.

Shi-Woon curled in on himself.

It didn't matter. There was no way he would be able to speak to Chun-Woo again. The man would probably avoid him in the school, and the probability of him seeing Chun-Woo just walking by was improbable.

Shi-Woon looked up.

Chun-Woo wandered down the street, his hands in his pockets, sunglasses hanging from his collar. Their eyes met for a moment.

And then Chun-Woo pulled a face and turned around, walking in the other direction.

Shi-Woon jumped to his feet, running after the substitute teacher. "Wait, please, wait!" Shi-Woon couldn't stop himself. He didn't want to stop himself. "Teach me how to fight like that!" Shi-Woon froze as the words poured out of his mouth. God, he wished he stopped himself. Now his inner dreams were smooshed against the side walk

Chun-Woo turned to stare at the sophmore. "Uh… no. Why would I ever want to do that?"

Shi-Woon paused at the flat denial. "Because…" Shi-Woon's mind raced. Yeah, he didn't want to actually say it, but now that he had, he really needed this to happen. "I'll pay you!" Shi-Woon shoved out his wallet, still slightly plump from the 60000 won tucked inside.

Chun-Woo stared at the wallet, disinterested. "How much is that 60000? I couldn't do anything with that much money. And don't you need that money to buy yourself a new phone. You know, cause your other one is broken."

Shi-Woon jumped on the new conversation "Because you broke my phone! You need to compensate me for that!"

Chun-Woo didn't look impressed. "If I remember correctly, you broke your own phone."

Shi-Woon tried to switch tacts. "If you don't I'll tell everyone about you and Ms. Yoon- Ji!"

Now Chun-Woo started to look amused. "You're gonna try to black mail me?" Chun-Wo snickered. "And plus, no one would believe you anyway."

Shi-Woon stared at his dream, the one that he actually believed in, start to get further and further out of reach. If he didn't do something, if he didn't say something, he would lose the one chance he had to get this.

"I'll post that video of you on the internet."

Chun-Woo's face froze in that weird way again. Like he was being doused with cold water that was dripping down his back.

"I destroyed the phone, you don't have that video anymore." Chun-Woo argued, looking a little anxious.

"I copied it onto my computer," Shi-Woon lied. "If you don't take me on as your student, I'll go home and post it on the internet."

Chun-Woo froze again, his eyes flickering like he was thinking up plans. But each one seemed to be discarded, even the ones that seemed to focus on Shi-Woon with just a little too much fury.

Shi-Woon tried to cover up his uncertainty with a reminder of how much he could ruin the older man's life. "Well if you don't want that video to be everywhere on the internet tonight, let me become your student."

Chun-Woo stared at him. He reached up and scratched at his hair, his face unhappy, but resigned.

"You want me to teach you?"

"Yes! Please! You have to!" Shi-Woon winced at the poor choice of wording as Chun-Woo's face twitched in displeasure.

"Okay, fine," He let out a huge sigh, throwing his hands in the air. "I'll teach you. But-" Chun-Woo paused, "I have to know that you will be able to be a good pupil."

Shi-Woon stared at the older man in confusion.

Chun-Woo nodded to himself and then turned to walk off. He motioned Shi-Woon to follow him.

As Shi-Woon stumbled and skipped in a light jog, trying to keep up with Chun-Woo's long steps, Chun-Woo motioned with his hands. "Look. There are certain criteria you have to meet to be my pupil, you understand that, right?"

Shi-Woon tried to nod his head as he kept pace. They crossed a street and started to walk up a small incline.

"A good pupil will have to trust their master if they want to be able to learn martial arts. In turn, the master has to be able to trust that the pupil will follow his lead on everything." A tingle of unease crept into Shi-Woon's head at the word "everything", but Chun-Woo plowed ahead not giving the boy time to think. "So how can I trust that you will trust me to trust you?"

Shi-Woon blinked at the tounge twister. "Wha-"

"I mean how can I trust you to be a trusted student who will trust me?" They made it to the middle of a major bridge that crossed a river that bisected the city.

Shi-Woon blinked again. "I'll do what you tell me to?" Shi-Woon guessed.

Chun-Woo seemed to think it over. "You'll do what I tell you to?"

"Yeah." Shi-Woon shrugged, it made sense. If he was going to have a teacher, he would have to listen to what that teacher told him to do.

Chun-Woo nodded along, his eyes staring out over the river, his eyes dark. "In that case…"

He turned to look Shi-Woon over. It was a slow thing, a careful consideration. And then, he pointed out over the river, his eyes pinning Shi-Woon in place.

"Jump."

Shi-Woon stared at Chun-Woo aghast. Jump? Shi-Woon turned his head to stare at the small partition that separated the bridge from the 40 foot drop into the river. That? He was supposed to jump from there?

"I can't trust a pupil who won't do everything I tell them to do. I won't be able to trust you to do as you're told. If you are really certain about wanting to learn from me, jump off the bridge."

Shi-Woon felt himself pull back from the wall, his mind warring with itself. There was this implicit trust towards Chun-Woo. It was seated deeply within him to trust this crazy man with dark eyes. Something that told Shi-Woon that no matter what happened, Chun-Woo wouldn't let him die.

But there was another part of him that told him he wasn't stupid, and only stupid people listen to teachers who bullied them into jumping off a bridge, even if there was water below it.

"What. Are you not gonna do it?" Chun-Woo asked, unsurprised, "Well then I guess I can't train you." Chun-Woo spun around wandering off the bridge, his hands tugging at his back pockets as he lazily strolled away.

Shi-Woon watched him leave in a panic. He couldn't lose this again! He needed that weird feeling of belonging. He needed to be part of something. He didn't think he could survive without it anymore. He didn't think he could go back to how he was before.

Shi-Woon turned the glare at the bridge railing. He straightened his back and marched over. He clumsily clambered over, the metal railing tugging at his clothes and digging into his stomach. His rubber sneakers slipped on the narrow ledge causing Shi-Woon's stomach to flip and squirrel up to his pounding heart. Turning around so that he was facing the open air had to be the hardest thing he has ever done. His knees quivered under him as his hands gripped onto the rail on either side of him. There was no blood in either his fingers or his knuckles.

Shi-Woon stared out at the view, feeling like he couldn't breath. There were two white concrete slabs on either side of the river stopping the tall buildings built there from being corroded by water. The river glittered brightly as the lights of cars and buildings flooded the dark water. The river itself continued out, winding it's way through the city, seeming to end at a turn miles ahead.

Shi-Woon's eyes turned downwards and suddenly he was lookingdown at the drop right beneath his toes, The drop seemed to twist and turn as he looked at it. The ledge felt like it was drawing back and send him sliding down to his very imminent death. The wind tried to pull him away from his protective barrier.

Shi-Woon felt every insane thought leave him. He finally, clearly saw what an idiot he was. He could die if he let go right now. He could actually die.

Shi-Woon yanked his eyes away from his feet. Trying to break the terrifying if not hypnotic way the world moved when he looked downwards.

Trying to see if Chun-Woo was watching or if he had any wise words to stop Shi-Woon from continuing through with this plan, Shi-Woon jerked his head to the right.

But two other people got in his line of sight. -They were standing right next to him staring out, eyes focused ahead.

A hot wind blew against their faces. The harsh glow of the desert sun illuminated their skin. They were so quiet he could hear the leaves rustle and the sand move.

The man closest to him looked like he was made of marble. His skin was pale even in this hot desert. His hair was striking in contrast. Dark black styled away from his face. Shi-Woon knew that emotion rarely moved those features. The only place to see through to his thoughts were in his eyes. His eyes were a mismatch of red and black with a cold murderous determination hidden there.

The second person was a beautiful woman. Her skin looked like porcelain, her eyes emeralds and her hair was a pure pink sapphire. It fluttered around her face like feathers. But she stood like a mountain. Her feet were planted steadily. Her back was straight, pulling her into confidence. Her balled fists and furrowed brow belied her anxiety, but her eyes were just as determined as her counterpart, if even more fierce.

Shi-Woon turned to stare at the foe ahead of them. He took in the gigantic beast from his dreams.

The body was like it always was like bark growing on stone. The tails were disquietingly still, pointing up towards the starry sky above. It's face was almost human, a balding mummy with an unhinging jaw.

It was frightening.

But this was what he was born to do.-

Shi-Woon lowered his arms to his side.

-He was here to fight this beast and protect his people.-

Shi-Woon stared at his enemy

-His comrades were at his side ready to work together once more.-

Shi-Woon took a breath. -Felt his teammates tense. Then- jumped.

There was no power in that jump. He was falling short. His feet were swinging out in front of him.

The monster against dark blue sky faded and the dark grey of a city sky took over Shi-Woon's sight as his body hit cold concrete. The force drove the air from his lungs and he gasped in freezing water.

His body thrashed at the cold liquid trying to move somewhere in some direction. But he was in too deep. It didn't matter how much energy he expended, he wasn't going anywhere.

Shi-Woon shut his eyes to the cold darkness.

And opened them to more darkness. But this was different. This darkness wasn't empty. There was something there with him.

He didn't try to move. He knew it was pointless. This darkness was heavy. He didn't try to speak. He knew it was pointless. There was no noise here. He didn't try to see what it was. He knew it was pointless. This darkness was its own.

"I was expecting you later. Much later."

The voice sounded disappointed.

"But this is a fortuitous event. For, I am afraid, I.." There was a sheepish silence. "I made a small mistake."

Shi-Woon wanted to shift his feet, or yawn or say something, but he could only stand still and silent.

"When I brought you to this universe I had planned that the creature that was with you would disappear into the infinite. I thought that without a vessel it would turn into energy, give itself to a star or a cyclone. But I should have known better. That power is tied to you, isn't it? That power will not leave your side. So when I reincarnated you into this new world, the creature came too. The power… came too."

The darkness shifted about, like someone puttering around an office.

"It has been causing a large amount of chaos in that universe. So I implore you.

Naruto Uzumaki. You must save this world."

So we are in agreement that this is late. As an apology, I left in extra. I was thinking of cutting it when he starts talking to Chun-Woo, but I decided that you guys deserved this extra bit.

I hope you enjoyed that, and yes, yes that is plot you are noticing at the end there. I have finally reached plot.