Chapter 4! Happiness! Its a lot longer than usual, so enjoy... I hope.

Dont own it! Darn.

He raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Yes ma'am. I'll get them on my way to the Hokage. Might I ask what your plan is? Is this for hiding your hands?" I shook my head and held up a foot.

"Not all of it. I'll tell you the plan when you get back. Pick up the shoes, gloves, some socks, lots of thread and some really strong leather-needles. Get some nail clippers just in case... oh, lets try a nail file too… might need something stronger?" Iruka scribbled these things down as he shrugged his jacket back on, keys in hand, and stepped out the door.

"Got it. That all? Stay inside, and don't answer the door for anyone, ok?"

"I'm not five. And I'm not stupid. I don't want anyone to see me like this. Go already!" It barely took a second for Iruka to be out the door and down the stairs outside the apartment.

I heard a thump as Iruka nearly slammed into the door, trying to unlock it before realizing he hadn't locked it in the first place. Muttering to himself for missing such an essential detail, he stepped inside with the junk. His footsteps were a great deal heavier and the couch sank as he sat down next to her, dumping the pile of stuff in between them. As I ran my new fingers over everything, he sat up and reflexively said, "Watch it- they didn't wrap the needles… um, nevermind?" I had found a needle and was repeatedly stabbing my other fingers with it. Just a test, really.

My voice was quiet and low as I said, "It doesn't hurt at all. I can feel how sharp it is, and the edges, but…" I shrugged. "Nothing. They aren't scratching the surface. Something tells me the clippers and file won't work either." Iruka picked up a file and began on my left hands index finger. In an unexpected reaction, I screeched and yanked my hand away, back to the very back of the sofa and tipped over the side. I poked my head up over the side and seethed, "Never ever do that again. That tickled." Iruka started laughing as I grumbled at him. I crawled back on the sofa and sorted through the pile for the clippers. Didn't work, of course. I tried to make a fist and yelped. The skin past my fingers was obviously still human and tender from the frayed edges of the skin I scraped off. I growled before standing up and shaking my hand a bit to get rid of the feeling. "Let's just get to work. We're going to sew all of these together. The shoes will have one top with the rest of the soles sewn on. We will fit the gloves tighter and then sew them together. I doubt I'll be able to use my hands after this."

"You know, there has to be a better way to do this. We could have a custom order put in; there are plenty of weird people in shinobi villages so…"

"No! Nobody else will know. If you don't want to help get out of my way," I snapped at him, I admit. It wasn't an insensible idea, but I was ashamed. My eyes reddened slightly. "Just work."

It took all night to fix the gloves and shoes. They weren't pretty, but they'd hide my oddness for a few days.

I dragged myself to the school feet slow and clothes sloppy. Far from the first impression I'd wanted to make. My shoulders slumped as I walked in the front door and down to my class. Reaching for the door I was shocked out of my stupor. Iruka was... late? And… laughing? But he was up just as long as I was, and was doing most of the work! I made a face at him as he put a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, Hoshiko, would you do me a favor? Will you stay out here 'till I call you? It's a straight walk to my desk so you can just follow my voice." I was a little ticked off at this.

"I've gotten much better at feeling where stuff is. I could find you if you were talking no matter where you hid." I crossed my arms and pouted. "But no. I don't mind. Why?"

He giggled again and an ominous feeling rose in the pit of my stomach. There was something evil afoot. I wouldn't know, considering there were twelve shoe soles that my heel punched through on my feet. He left me to my thoughts and stepped inside the classroom. I could hear an earsplitting yell and then silence. A few seconds later, the classroom seemed to reboot and I could hear Iruka's words. "Now class, today we have a new classmate, and eventual comrade, to introduce to you." The class roared. "QUIET!" He repeated himself. The class fell silent. "Now. Need I remind you that a new student is very rare here, and you need to be nice... blah blah blah blah." Iruka lectured on and I could almost feel the class become more impatient. When Iruka must have felt the suspense was at its peak, he spoke louder, as if I couldn't hear him before. He hadn't even told them I was blind. Perfect, just perfect. I slid back the door and stepped inside. I paced myself to reach Iruka, not wanting to show just how nervous I had become outside waiting for the word to come.

I turned as I reached him, and turned to face a class I couldn't see. I bowed but kept silent. I could tell their eyes were watching me, and judging everything from my clothes to my scars to the tips of my hair. What was Iruka thinking? They were going to call me out as blind and say I was useless as a comrade or a ninja. Perhaps he just wanted a reason to yell at them.

But against all of my predictions, a loud and rather grating voice blurted out, "Your shoes are weird-looking!" I raised my eyebrows at the irony and couldn't help but smile. My shoes? Not my eyes, claws, or talons, blindness or state of dishevelment, but my shoes. My smile grew until I was grinning to the class, something I don't do often. Iruka started to laugh and I joined in, a light and cheerful celebration of mundane normalcy that I had never experienced. The class didn't get the joke between us and I soon quieted down, but my smile remained. At the very least, my first memory of the academy was a good one. The rest, I could deal with later.

As the class progressed, talking about stuff I knew already from Iruka, my nervousness returned. He had told me that the students had a practice session almost every day with kunai and sparred together, which was approaching fast. I listened to the clock tick, ignoring Iruka's lecture. I don't think that the other kids understood that I was blind yet. They probably thought the scars were some kind of decoration. Iruka told me some of the weird people in his classes had all sorts of markings and odd characteristics. Tick, tick, tick, tick…

"Alright kids. Lecture over. Everyone outside!" The kids cheered as I sank lower in my chair. I'd just skip today, then try tomorrow after I practiced at home a little more. Iruka put a stop to that line of thinking. When all of the kids went outside, and I was left in the room, he walked up to my desk and put his hands on it. "Hoshiko. Go outside with the others." His voice was different now. I wouldn't get out of this. I groaned and stood up. Making my way to the doors, I thought about what I could do. I would be last in line for everything, play everything off as clumsiness, and try to look into the eyes of whoever started yelling at me. The longer I could put off the fact I was blind, the more normal, happy days I could have. As normal as a girl with pieced-together shoes and several layers of gloves could have, of course. Struck by that thought again, I nearly started crying. How in the world was I supposed to hold a kunai, let alone throw it?

Then I was at the doors to the training area, and everyone there sounded so happy. They were all so normal, yelling, cheering, having little sparring sessions. I didn't belong here. But Iruka pushed me through the door and I stumbled into the clear air. Taking a deep breath, I took a few steps. Iruka grabbed my shoulder to keep me from running away and addressed the class.

"Hoshiko here doesn't seem to have made friends yet. Please make her welcome and treat her well." I bowed to the class yet again, although I could tell some had continued training and weren't listening at all. They went back to work, and all ignored me again. I could sense Iruka getting ticked off. His brilliant plan wasn't very good… "Ok. Come here, Hoshiko. You are going to show them how to throw a kunai… blindfolded." I almost choked on my own breath. So this was his plan. Since I was blind, I could throw kunai in complete darkness better than any of these academy students. I threw back my head and laughed. Brilliant. The other kids didn't get the joke and just backed away, whispering.

"Blindfolded? She won't even get close!"

"No way. She's stupid for even trying."

I grinned at Iruka and my only worry was about my gloves, and talons. He tied a blindfold around my eyes and directed me towards the target. He handed me a kunai and I struggled to hold it the way I was used to.

"Just take your gloves off. It's not cold at all." In fact, my hands were sweating under the layers, my talons twitching in the stuffy heat. Cursing under my breath, I shot a look in Iruka's direction and he took off one of my gloves unexpectedly. I could feel the class's stares, but noone ran around screaming, "Demon! Devil! Creep! Mutant!" So I figured I was ok. Iruka took off my other glove and handed me the kunai again. Despite what I had thought, The claws fit perfectly around the kunai as if made to hold it. The air felt so good, and I knew where the target was. I was comfortable with the kunai. With a flick of the wrist, I threw it and heard a distinct 'thunk!' sound. I shredded the blindfold, as if to see it, and Iruka announced, "A hit on the middle ring." I almost jumped in happiness. I could do it! The middle ring wasn't a bulls-eye, admittedly, but it was good. Especially for someone with no sight. The class started clapping and I flushed with success. Iruka patted me on the back and addressed the class about the importance of learning to throw in the dark, killing stuff, blah blah blah. I was dwelling on the fact that I had made the gloves for nothing. Ugh.

"Do you think I could take off the shoes?" I mused aloud.

"Yes. Why?" I spun around. I didn't know this voice. I tried to meet his eyes, or where I thought they were. "Are your feet like your hands?"

I thought about it. This was my classmate, and I had to make friends someday. "Yes, kind of. What's your name?" I sat down under a tree to remove my shoes, but he remained standing.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha. How did you throw the kunai like that with a blindfold on? I could do better, but not everyone can."

"Sasuke Uchiha? Are you sure? Youre awfully chatty for your reputation." Iruka had sewn the shoes so that the laces came out in front and they opened up, so that I could pull my foot out. But every time I took a step, my weight pushed down on my heel, and drove it into the sole. As such, when I had to take my foot out, I had to yank on the shoe until it gave. "Can I get some help here?"

"No thanks."

I tried not to get too mad. He was probably a spoiled brat anyway. "It wasn't an invitation you know."

"I know. How did you learn to throw without seeing?" I almost growled at him. Seriously. But then the shoe finally came off and I fell backwards. Trying to regain just a sliver of pride, I shook my hair loose from the tie I had it in and combed out the leaves and twigs. I reveled in the simple pleasure of not having my feet crushed by confining shoes. I yanked the other one off with considerably more force and sighed happily.

"Now, what did you want?"

End! Now please make your way to the little green box? Please? Love to all of you anyways. Ja ne!