Disclaimer: 'I do not own Naruto or the aptitude test or Winnie the pooh.'
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Night Rain
II: Bother Turned Anger
…Depart from my sight…
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There must have been a mistake. Yes, a simple mistake. That he would correct later.
And he was definitely not curious as to what she had. Nope. It was purely to test his stealth and observational skills.
He told himself this as he causally stretched his head higher and peered over to his right. The girl's face was completely immersed in her own report card; without warning, she closed the paper fold and quickly turned to look straight at the side of the boy's head with a suspicious look. When the girl was back to examining the paper, Kakashi slowly turned to spy once more, barely managing to escape being caught as she whipped her head back to him again in lightening speed.
As he opened his own report card to review his rankings once more, he felt a prickling sensation on his neck in which he knew he was being watched. Kakashi turned his head to the right only to see Amaya innocently staring at the ceiling as if she were merely bored and passing the time.
Without further ado, Kakashi picked up his paper and walked over to the sensei's desk, placing the open report card on his desk.
"There must have been a mistake."
His sensei scanned over the ranks then raised an eyebrow at the boy. "Mistake?"
Kakashi gave a grim nod and pointed to a specific rank.
Hatake Kakashi:
Subject/Class/School
Taijutsu 1/42 1/126
Ninjutsu 1/42 1/126
Genjutsu 1/42 1/126
Senjutsu 1/42 1/126 (A/N): senjutsu means strategy
Weaponry 1/42 1/126
Individual 1/42 1/126
Team 2/42 2/126
"Hmm.." The man held the paper in a hand and flipped through a thick, grade book with the other, stopping on a page and running a finger across figures and calculations while looking back to the report card from time to time, frowning more.
Afterwards, he took out a red pen, uncapping it. "Ah, you're right Kakashi, please forgive me for this inconvenience. There is a mistake."
The boy couldn't look any more 'I-told-you-sooo' and awaited the due corrections.
"Amaya, please come here for a second with your report card."
Naturally, the students all murmured accusingly "Ooooooooooo…" ,as they usually did when one got called up by the teacher, before turning back to their own conversations and eager exchanges of who got what and so on. Kakashi watched her walk forth in disbelief.
'…Don't tell me…'
Exchanging their usual way of greeting-the squint of an eye and downturn of the mouth-Amaya placed her paper beside the boy's, her eyes subtly widening at his rankings, but not in amazement.
'..Kuuusooo! I was soo clooose…' ((Kuso.—Damn.actually harsh word for 'you'))
Ishiguro Amaya:
Subject/Class/School
Taijutsu 2/42 2/126
Ninjutsu 2/42 2/126
Genjutsu 2/42 2/126
Senjutsu 2/42 2/126
Weaponry 2/42 2/126
Individual 2/42 2/126
Team 1/42 1/126
'…nooooo…can't be…' Kakashi, on the other hand, did stare widely in amazement at the girl's rankings. She was smart. He grudgingly, teeth-grindingly, under-threat-of-lifetime-torture, admitted that she was smart. Above average. Amongst the sharpest crayons in the box. Brightest crayons, whatnot. Etc, etc.
But not that smart. Otherwise, he would have most definitely noticed. …Right…?
Regardless, the two papers were now handed back, the red marks bright against the contrast of the black and white. The youths openly widened their eyes, taking in the correcting marks while holding their own papers with both hands.
Hatake Kakashi:
Subject/Class/School
Taijutsu 1/42 1/126
Ninjutsu 1/42 1/126Genjutsu 1/42 1/126
Senjutsu 2 1/42 2 1/126
Weaponry 1/42 1/126Individual 1/42 1/126
Team 2/42 2/126'………………W-H-A-T.'
Ishiguro Amaya:
Subject/Class/School
Taijutsu 2/42 2/126
Ninjutsu 2/42 2/126
Genjutsu 2/42 2/126
Senjutsu 1 2/42 1 2/126
Weaponry 2/42 2/126
Individual 2/42 2/126
Team 1/42 1/126
'………………WOO-HOO!'
"Sorry for the mishap. Thank you again for pointing that out Kakashi." The sensei gave a small smile and nodded his head. The boy scrutinized the paper relentlessly before peering over the top with mistrusting eyes. He wouldn't…couldn't..shouldn't…no..that would be utterly illegal and fraudulent..but…it was too perfect, almost like a setup. …Almost..like he had expected him to come up, insisting on a mistake…
…Just how many sneaky people did he have to watch out for anyway…! Kakashi simply decided the whole world was just out to get him.
While the two were walking back-while one sulked back as the other skipped along-the girl couldn't hold back the overjoyed grin at what must have been the best day of her life. It could very well compete with that most spectacular, memorable event in which her sneaking ability was exceptionally good that day for her to manage a full-blown wedgie.
Well whadeeya know. He was the tidy-widy type. All the better. Wedgies never worked well with boxers.
Skipping beside the boy, she turned and gave a grin, eyes curving up. "Hehe." If he wasn't so pompously humiliated, if he wasn't so horribly shown up, if he wasn't so crammed with unbelieving, spitting, torrid fury…Maybe, just maybe he might have smiled back. That wide, carefree grin was rather contagious.
"..tch..can't believe this…still some mistake…senjutsu out of everything…" The low grumbles were picked up, and the girl's happy mood and face dissipated, transitioning into the usual surly scrunch of the face. She stepped in front of the boy, holding her place.
"No, really, what is your problem? Why can't you just accept things? For one, you don't work well with a team..or other people for that matter..and for a supposed genius, you over think way too many things. …Heh, remember the giraffe and the refrigerator?"
The boy scowled and looked away.
oooooooooooooA Flashback of Sortsooooooooooooo
"Class, you're in for a treat today!" Excited and curious murmurs buzzed around.
"A pop quiz!" The buzz died into grouchy moans and complaints; their sensei was too evil. Papers were passed along, and with it, confused expressions came. Kakashi paid no attention, too engaged in focusing for the quiz.
'…Lets see, we've been recently working on ninjutsu..most likely on that. The hand seals and such. Maybe a review on basic taijutsu..and—'
Question 1: How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?
'…………Excuse me……?'
He skimmed over the next questions, a surprisingly short but baffling quiz.
'………………………'
To his bitter astonishment, taps of moving pencils sounded out…the loud taps of many moving pencils. Including one to his right. Amaya was lightly smiling, leaned back in a blithe posture, a hand behind her head as the other zipped across and down the paper, producing neat marks. And then, barely seconds into the quiz, she placed her pencil aside and flipped her paper over; proceeding to lean back further with both hands behind her head and doze off. Others followed suit.
Impossible.
He was a bit relieved when others as himself looked around, perplexed at those scribbling away on their papers.
"10 minutes left!" Their sensei shouted out.
He cursed mentally and frowned. 'There must be some trick to this! But what?'
"Oi…you need a little hint?" Amaya looked at him with slight worry. He realized he was staring back wildly while pulling on his hair. Kakashi immediately composed himself then snorted.
"Like I need your help."
At his response, the girl frowned angrily and returned the snort. "Fine."
Determined, Kakashi gripped his pencil and began to write.
ooo
Really. The things that were wrote down. Every year, the mass of answers never failed to surprise him.
Question 1: How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?
Answer 1: --'Um…pickle?'
--'Kill the giraffe and any witnesses. Problem solved.'
--'…It doesn't have to be alive right? And…not bodily intact right? You can chop it up into tiny pieces and then put it in right?
--'Are you on crack sensei?'
--'I got it! Its all imaginary! An imaginary giraffe!'
--'Like I give a hoot.'
--'Um..um..um..I DON'T KNOOW! OH…NONONO…PLEEASE..I CAN'T FAIL!'
----
Question 2: How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?
Answer 2: --'…Trees?'
--'Kill the elephant and any witnesses. Problem solved.'
--'..Make elephant soup and store it away…?'
--'No, dude. Seriously. A-r-e y-o-u o-n c-r-a-c-k?'
--'Nothing's real…its all in the mind…an illuuuusiiooon..wooooooo.'
--'What part of I don't give a hoot do you not understand?'
--'OH CRAAP! THIS IS A REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY BIG SUPER TEST ISN'T IT? THAT MAKES OR BREAKS YOU!'
----
Question 3: The Lion King held an animal conference. All the animals attended except for one. Which animal did not attend and why not?
Answer 3: --'…Winnie the Pooh..'
--'Kill the Lion King, animals, and that one animal and any witnesses. Problem solved.'
--'Er...does it matter if its's chopped up into tiny pieces?'
--'Do you prefer to snort or inject it?'
--'Aaall iiin daaa miiind…in fact…I'm not even real…wooooooo.'
--'Your mom. Oh. Snap. Cuz she was too fat. Ooooh.'
--'THROWING EVERYONE'S GUARD OFF, ITS NOT A POP QUIZ IS IT? IT'S THE ULTIMATE TEST OF DOOOM! NOOOOOOO!'
----
Question 4: You must cross a wide, bridgeless river, but it is home to crocodiles. How do you manage to cross it?
Answer 4: --'…Duct tape fixes everything..'
--'I'm getting tired of this…kill the test maker and any witnesses. Problem solved.'
--'I don't suppose the crocodiles could be chopped up into tiny pieces..?'
--'Really. I'll keep it hush-hush. Where can you hook me up?'
--'Spirituality, man. The forces of life and peace, freee yooour sooouul…'
--'Chuck your fat mom in as bait and swim across while they're busy eating.'
--'IIII CAAAAAN'T TAAAAAKE IT! TOOOO MUUUCH PREEESUUURE! GAAAH!'
Really. Kids these days.
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"Time's up! Switch your papers with the person beside you and correct their answers." The man announced, rolling up the projector screen to reveal the chalkboard with the correct answers. There was a ruffling of papers as the students did so; keeping her laid back position and not opening an eye, Amaya smoothly slid her paper to the left with a mere side tap of a finger. She finally did open her eyes to correct the paper in front of her.
Hatake Kakashi
Question 1: How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?
Answer 1: The series of the matter entirely depends on the specific conditions and situation. In such an instance, it may be stated that it is impossible to place a giraffe into a refrigerator. Or in other instances, the giraffe may in reality exist a toy or stuffed animal or perhaps a model and is thus able to be placed into the device. The method of how-to though, may be to remove the contents of the refrigerator and lead the giraffe in with the aid of such animal specialists with a lure of food most likely. Of course the size of the refrigerator is also not specified and can range as with the giraffe. The state of the giraffe is also not specified as such as well, and if alive, may be reduced into deceased, smaller pieces. The possibility of the matter in all has many outcomes and thus the answer is at most, inconclusive. At the most…
She blinked her eyes with a most blank expression.
--Chalkboard--
This pop quiz is to actually show if you tend to over think situations. Remember, a clear way of thinking is essential for ninja.
Answers to Quiz:
Answer to Question 1:
1.)Open door.
2.) Put giraffe in.
3.) Close door.
Amaya thoroughly enjoyed marking a large, red 'X'.
--Paper--
Question 2: How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?
Answer 2: (See above to Answer 1 and replace 'giraffe' with 'elephant').
--Chalkboard--
Answer to Question 2:
1.) Open door.
2.) Take giraffe out.
3.) Put elephant in.
4.) Close door.
Well…at least he wasn't repetitive. Another happily marked large, red 'X'.
--Paper--
Question 3: The Lion King held an animal conference. All the animals attended except for one. Which animal did not attend and why not?
Answer 3: Again, the situation is inexplicit in any details and a number of possibilities could be true. For one, specific invitations may have been carried out in which one animal was not invited. The idea of animals holding a conference for that matter may also be regarded with impossibility, a trick question to which the answer is that animals are not capable of such things. There is also the classic case in which taking the Lion King background, would lead one to answer the non-participant was the King's brother, 'Scarface.' Or perhaps the animal was something relating to the hippopotamus and such from being unable to travel from water for so long. Perhaps the meeting itself was canceled and none attended the conference. Or maybe all the animals were captured and/or killed by poachers and such. Or maybe the animal was the human being himself as humans are considered 'animals', mammals to be precise, but since there is no clear way of communicating, the human did not attend…
--Chalkboard--
Answer to Question 3: The elephant. He was in the refrigerator.
She knew her vocabulary, yes. But reading his answers were starting to hurt her head. And they were looooong. Amaya didn't know that it was possible to actually write that small in order for the answers to fit in the space boxes.
--Paper--
Question 4: You must cross a wide, bridgeless river, but it is home to crocodiles. How do you manage to cross it?
Answer 4: …………
Yes! He ran out of time! No long answer!…Ooohh..there's a back…and a nice little arrow to indicate it..
…Well for one, the river is not necessarily stated to have been…
And so on…she barely skimmed the lengthy response before tiredly placing another 'X'.
--Chalkboard--
Answer to Question 4: Swim across. The crocodiles are at the conference.
For a genius, he sure was dumb. She slid the paper back indifferently while receiving hers with equal coolness. Her eyebrow twitched.
"Oi Scarecrow, and just why are all my answers wrong?" Amaya flicked the paper into his face, displaying the red marks he made. Kakashi merely looked back with disinterest.
"Well, the answer for the first one is 'open door', you wrote 'open the door'. And for the second one you wrote 'put the elephant in'. I'm just being precise. Shall I go on?"
The girl stared back in a doubting look, raising her brows. "Well you know…maybe I should just ask sensei to clarify what's right and wrong.." With this she began slowly stretching her hand up mockingly. The boy grumbled and snatched her paper back, crossing out the marks, and then shoving it back to her again. Lowering her hand, she smiled.
Yup, it helped not to over think. Seeing what was on the chalkboard before class started also helped too in its own little way.
ooooooooEnd the Really Long Flashback of Sortsoooooooo
"..Jeez..you have major issues… Stop taking life too seriously..you got to be more laid back. Just chill once in a while."
Kakashi sniffed and faced her with a fierce glower. A deep humiliation with an added reminder of another had him just a little more then ticked. "Life is serious. You think everything is fun and games. Its not. And being a shinobi is definitely not fun or a game. People like you…people like you...make me sick."
Any other day, and she would have passed it off as she normally did: his usual PMS'y go have a cow and bugger off days. But his bitter words held an unpleasant truth ringing to them that she didn't want to face. For once, sharp words worked their way up like building bile ready to be spat out instead of the typical retorts.
"…Yeah? Then, take life seriously. And go die. Die without happiness. You pompous ass." Like shadowy pools of unknown waters, her eyes churned darkly, hiding any looming sharks underneath. He was taken aback only for a second before irately regaining his enraged stance.
"You who were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, know nothing of suffering. Then again, why should I even blame you, you're just a kid."
"Poetic. And you aren't? You're a kid at heart for maybe 12 or so years, and by far less as a shinobi. Go ahead and label me a spoiled brat, but I'll tell you this, Kakashi-san." She leaned closer, radiating vehemence and embittered hurt.
"Hatake Kioko-sama was a good friend of my nurse. And she always said that life without joy is no life at all."
The bell rang. And the rest of the excited students piled out to show off their grades and later return for the afternoon to watch the graduation exam and cheer on the only two from their class nominated to take it.
"Kakashi? Are you okay?"
"...Hai...sensei."
The lone boy stood in the same spot before making his way to the door as the last to leave. It had been years since he heard his mother's name.
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…oh dear..quite a somber ending…