LC; More shinobi rules that Natsuko is going to massacre.
Naruto; You really don't like rules, do you?
LC; I have a quote about rules.
Sasuke; Really? What's that?
LC; Rules are like paperclips, meant to hold things together, fun to twist, and easy to bend out of shape.
Naruto; Oh yeah, she's crazy about rules.
Sasuke; No doubt about it.
LC; On to my story now!
Disclaimer; I do not own Naruto so now go away! And no, I do not know where I got the quote!
Chapter 2: Practical rules, their exceptions.
Shinobi rule #13: A shinobi must be able to analyze their situation in a heartbeat.
Natsuko had seen examples of this. Take for example her first C-rank when her sensei was able to realize the white rabbit was for a kawarmii and told them to duck in time for the giant cleaver to miss them.
At the same time, she knew sometimes it didn't take that long, and sometimes it took longer.
Mostly no one analyzed anything and just went with their instincts.
Sasuke was an example of this, he charged into battle without thinking about possible attacks from other side, only focused on the fight here and now.
Only focused on his goal, and she knows that will one day get him killed.
Shinobi rule #42: Shinobi must know the basics of nin, gen, and taijutsu.
Gai-sensei and Lee only ever used taijutsu, though she was fairly certain Gai knew some good jutsu, he never used them.
You didn't need flashy tricks to be a succesful ninja. You needed the right mindset.
Shinobi rule #69: The mission is everything.
This rule was taught at the academy alongside the importance of teamwork. She sometimes wondered if being a hyprocrite was required for shinobi.
She could see ways that believing this rule could screw with one's life. She saw it everyday in her sensei, Kakashi Hatake.
Shinobi rule #86: Missing nin are to be killed on sight.
This rule was perhaps the most ignored. Largely, when shinobi had a chance meeting with a missing nin from their countries, they passed by without even a glance.
A fight took the lives of those you used to work next to, no matter if they betrayed you or not. No one wants to fight someone they used to know.
Not even the sannin wish to fight eachother, and perhaps that is why all three still walked the Earth to this day.
Shinobi rule 73: The Kage's safety is the number one priority.
Wasn't it ironic that everyone seemed to think the strongest shinobi in the village was the one that needed protecting?
Natsuko knew about the ANBU guards following Sandaime-jiji around. She could see how sometimes he would glance over at a seemingly empty corner and roll his eyes.
She remembered how they all used to react when they found out he had snuck away to spend time with her.
She wished she could see the ANBU's faces at times such as these.
Shinobi rule 17: A shinobi must accept death as a job hazard.
So many though could not take the death of a loved one. She understood this law most, despite that she had met so few who followed it.
That's why she never reported it when it was shinobi that attacked her on October tenth. They, in their own way, were grieving for their lost loved ones.
She couldn't bring herself to tell Sandaime-jiji who attacked her. She made excused like she couldn't remember or that she didn't see them before blacking out.
She thinks he knew she was lying, and sometimes, she thought she saw understanding in his eyes.
It's hard to deal when you've lost the thing you once fought for.
Shinobi rule 10: It is a shinobi's duty to give their lives for the civilians.
Sometimes, in the dark of the night, she wondered if this is the rule that sealed the fate of the Uchihas.
The majority of them had been shinobi, and she wondered if it was this rule's existence that forced them to die that bloody night.
She had wandered into the Uchiha district, injured from another beating, when she found the bodies.
She had been sick that night and had been ill the next day. She never spoke about it, not even to Sasuke. Maybe if she had, it wouldn't have turned out this way.
END OF CHAPTER NOW LEAVE THE SACRED SPACE!
LC; Okay, that was hardcore.
Naruto; You made me angsty!
Sasuke; She had to even it out. Last time you were all lovey dovey.
LC; Bye till next time!
