Chapter 2! Yes. It took forever and I'm sorry... but I got 0 reviews... I'll continue anyway! Getting kinda desperate here...

Don't own Naruto... sigh. Depression.

… Someone got me to the hospital. I heard beeping, soft voices, and the crinkling of sterile sheets. What a stupid, stupid girl.

When I woke, they poured water down my throat in tidal waves, with an IV in my arm and a thin sheet over my legs. Soon enough, I was sitting up on my hospital bed, arguing with the Hokage. His voice was coarse but kind and I knew him as the man who let me have the tapes immediately. I knew I should have been more respectful, but I wasn't having the best day, and his proposal was ridiculous. My eyes burned red, accentuated by the dark circles under my eyes. "You can't make me stay with some person that will feel pity for me! I have taken care of myself in the orphanage and that is what I will continue to do, academy or not. You don't control my life!" I crossed my arms and tried not to look like I was pouting. The Hokage sighed.

"Now, now, Hoshiko, don't throw a tantrum. It won't help. Don't you want to be a ninja?"

My breath hitched and I replied swiftly, "Of course. More than anything. But… I know… stuff. I'm not that sheltered. I can be realistic." I almost touched my scars, but turned the motion into scratching my ear.

"Keh. If your will of fire is strong enough, and you train as hard as you can, perhaps you can approach the level of others despite your blindness. But, I must warn you, your training won't be easy. Iruka can be a harsh taskmaster if I ask him to. And I will."

I nodded. I would give anything for the strength to get past this life of a pathetic orphan. "No problem."

"I have a problem." Iruka was startled as he entered the Hokage's office, where I sat waiting for him, arms and legs crossed, pouting. "He moves too slow, he stops when he's startled, and you haven't told him yet, have you? How young is he? He doesn't sound like a jounin… Hokage-sama this wasn't the deal!"

Iruka cleared his throat and answered me, "I'm a chuunin, actually." He turned away from me. "Hokage-sama, is this the girl you mentioned? She doesn't seem too exhausted. Actually, first, why am I here?"

A couple of hours and a few tantrums later, both on my side and his, I got tired of dealing with their antics and settled, seething, "Whatsyourname, c'mon. I need to pick up my stuff from my bed. Follow me." Iruka made a face I didn't see to the Hokage as he followed my short form out the door and to the orphanage. I was silent as he tried to make conversation. I would not be won over! I may have given up on arguing but I had not given up all the way. One week, two weeks tops this guy will see that he can't just keep me like a pet.

Having gathered up my few belongings (one set of headphones/tape player, the tapes, and a rusty training kunai I traded a pretty rock for) I reluctantly gave him the go-ahead to lead the way to his house. One week. Then I'll be gone.

It has been a month. I cannot believe this guy and his unshakable belief that I'm just 'misunderstood.' I'm not misunderstood, damn it! I just don't want to be here! I want to be trained by one of the most prolific ninjas in the village, not a private tutor. History, grammar, math, for goodness sake! I thought that the 'repetitive training' would be repeatedly throwing kunai or kicking, not times tables. I crossed my arms as I sat in a chair across from him. After the academy students leave for the day, I walk here, by myself, to join him at his job and receive this so-called training. It was embarrassing that he had to guide me here the first day, coming back from work just to return.

"Hoshiko? Is something wrong? Are you listening to me?" My head rose from my reverie and I scowled in his general direction.

"Does it look like I'm listening?" He paused.

"Quite honestly, no." I snorted and folded my head on my arms, slumping in my seat.

"This is boring. When do I get to do something?"

"Well…" He paused before saying anything, as if he were dangling a present just out of my reach. I knew that tone, used by the caregivers if they had a cake or present for a child. I only got one on my birthday, only for myself. No one outside the orphanage knew of me. "If you learn this last lesson…" I raised my head and tried to look interested. "I could enter you into your grade level next week. But! If you don't learn properly, you will be entered into a lower grade level and be older than everyone else."

"So… I could train? REAL training?"

"This is real training… and some of it is still like this, although you would have actual battle exercises at times."

"Done. So… how many kids are there going to be? How often will we train? Will I make friends? Could you tell me next week if my clothes are clashing, 'cause I can't tell and I don't want to make a bad first impression… What will I need to start? Oh, crap, I don't have any money! Do we need to pay?"

As I fired off questions, Iruka tried his best to keep up. "Uh… wait… huh? Let's just take this one step at a time…" Deep down, I think he kind of regretted telling me so early.

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