Heyyyylo! It's been awhile, oh two readers of mine. :D I know, I suck. I'm thinking of changing this story a bit. I'm going back to the beginning! I just realized it had been like half a year since I started this... and I think I've improved. All those english classes better be paying off, damn it! Anyways, here is your chapter!

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Ch. 7- Surprises

Kyuubi: Sporks own more than HERRRR!

Kitty: It's true. *Sniff sniff* Thine words are harsh.

Once I regained consciousness, the Hokage's voice made me aware of my surroundings. I was in the hospital, once again. And by the shifting and mumbling of voices around me, the whole class had come to visit. One person I didn't know by name, one of those randoms, said, "We have put aside our pettiness and decided that it will be an honor to count you among our comrades." Such comments were made over and over, and I wasn't awake for most of them. I wasn't badly injured, not at all; I just didn't want to hear them drone on and on. I had barely woken up when I hurt myself, and it seems I needed a bit more sleep. The Hokage visited on his rounds occasionally, as he told me he was procrastinating, but it was mostly quiet for the couple days I was in the hospital. These days gave me some time to think, and I finally decided to stop trying for the desperate approval of others. My training was what mattered most, and so that is what I would focus on.

So for the next year, I talked mainly to Iruka, who had actually forgiven me easily, Hinata, who still thought me fun despite my personality disorders, Naruto, who refused to be shut out, and the Hokage, who checked on my progress. I talked to my other classmates occasionally, and we got along fine. The people who had problems with me kept out of my way.

Eventually, my sense of chakra grew beyond most- I had to learn the academy jutsu just by feeling the manipulation after all. It was a curious feeling- a little like feeling air currents sliding around you. And it was beautiful. I could never express it to anyone who could see… the perfect shifting of the chakra by a shinobi's will, be it the rough academy students barely able to shape it, or the masters- jounin, Anbu rank, and the Hokage. Everyone's chakra moved in a different way, and you could see their heart in it.

Finally December came, and so did my birthday. Eleven years ago I had been found. But now, a year older and much wiser in my opinion, I developed questions about my parents again. Waking up slowly, I wondered if they had this bloodline thing. I was determined to ask Iruka about it, the first chance I got. I found him merely hours later, in the classroom like usual. "Iruka…" I heard him turn towards me, reluctant at my tone. "Bloodline traits… Hinata told me a little more about them a while ago." My voice failed me, and he sighed as if knowing what I would say next. "Are… are you sure you have never heard of anyone like me?"

"No, Hoshi. Never. But…" I raised my head again. "I think I have something to cheer you up." He covered my ears and I almost panicked.

"Wait, wait Iruka… I'm not sure I'm going to like this surprise if you don't allow me to know what it is!" I knew he heard me, but I couldn't hear a response even if he presented one. Ugh, ninjas and their stupid superfluous skills! With my senses sealed, I tried to feel where we were going… but I failed. Miserably. I got myself even more turned around than before. I had no guide point, no place I knew was there. I gripped Iruka's arm more tightly than he had sealed my ears, and I tried to trust he wouldn't run me into anything. It felt like an hour before he stopped, uncovered my ears, and tapped me on the shoulder. He hummed a tune, as if he just couldn't hold back his excitement anymore, and my world righted itself... Just in time for it to explode in colorful, brilliant ribbons of sound and chakra. The ribbons danced at the edges of my mind, tickling almost physically.

"SURPRISE!" They shouted.

"They wanted to throw you a traditional surprise party… but we figured since you couldn't see streamers, we could try to make them out of chakra… but then noone could do it… and then Hinata asked her cousin Neji, and so he's here. He made the streamers and stuff. Hinata tried, and so we got confetti…. She's really torn up about it, actually…" A lot of people started to talk at the same time, so I only got the gist of it, but I heard Hinata trying to apologize under it all and I threw my arms around her in a hug. She seemed to understand that I loved it, even though she wasn't used to so much contact and hastily wriggled out of the embrace.

"I never thought this could be possible. Thank you so much, you guys…" And I never thought myself the hugging and carrying on type, but everyone in the room got hugged at least once. I even hugged Neji, Hinata's cousin, who I had no idea about. They aren't close, which made me wonder why she asked him for help. Filed away for further inspection. Now, I had a party to enjoy.

We played 'pin-the-kunai-on-the-heart', which I won of course, musical chairs, which I thought was just cruel because I couldn't see the chairs, and then everyone told me to sit down, so we could eat cake and open presents. This was new and foreign to me, but made a little sense because most of the gifts were practical. Hinata gave me a special package of kunai meant for throwing in the dark- she said they were skinnier and darker than normal kunai. The Hokage stopped by to drop off a new batch of tapes he said were 'especially suited to me'. Most of my other classmates gave me a new kunai, a lucky charm, and small, useful items. Naruto gave me, of course, his backup gift of Ichiraku coupons, while telling me he didn't just give them to anyone. I just smiled in return before everyone tucked into the cake, and enthused about various ninja-esque interests.

Iruka finally called it quits a while after dark fell, and told everyone it was time to break up the party. Despite my pleas, he pushed everyone out the door and gave me a hug. It was a little random, so I asked, "What's the hug for?"

Iruka ruffled my hair and replied, "You know you're like a little sister to me, right?"

I made a face at him. "But you're old!"

Iruka pretended to be angry at me. "I am NOT!"

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Fine, you're immature in mind."

"You started it. But… I'm very glad that you and Naruto are friends. He has trouble making friends sometimes. Most parents don't like their kids around him."

"Well, parents are stupid." My thoughts were interrupted in a yawn.

Iruka slapped his hand to his head as if he'd forgotten something. "Goodness, it's late. I still need to give you your present!" The rustle of wrapping paper filled the room. He showed me where the edge was, and I ripped it open. "Careful now… it's going to be a challenge to start, but once you get the feel…" I slid my fingers over smooth wood. They touched smooth, spun cords of different sizes. Iruka then pressed another item into my hands, a smooth, thin branch of wood with hair strung from end to end. I looked up at Iruka. He simply said, "It's a violin- a musical instrument. You can play it by running the bow along the strings of the violin. Here, you place this end at your chin, and here…" He directed my fingers to grip the bow the right way and drew my hand carefully across the strings. A beautiful sound rose from the instrument, and I listened, astonished. Holding the bow and the violin tightly in both hands, and threw my arms around Iruka. He just laughed at me and patted me on the back. "Now, that's quite enough excitement for today. Off to bed."

"But Irukaaaa!" I whined. "I want to learn to play it!"

"Tomorrow then, after school AND training, if you aren't exhausted. Then only for a little while!" with those parting words, Iruka bustled me off to bed like a mother hen does her chick.

The next year, the final year before my genin test, was fairly uneventful. I excelled at the violin, taking lessons from some of the civilians that weren't too afraid. Becoming a ninja didn't exactly help my image in their eyes, but they were still too preoccupied with Naruto's flamboyant personality to care about me much. I finished learning Henge and Kawarmi by feel, and tried some of the rare techniques in the tapes Hokage gave me. Many ninja thought they were useless due to the fact they almost ignored the visual skills of the ninja using the technique. Almost being a key word here- I still struggled to grasp them. I felt useless at many times during the academy, like when Iruka had to read me written tests or put them on tapes, and at times when the class involved a graphic, such as the map of the nations and such. Still, I made friends, and learned not to hide myself from them. They understood that I had emo days, ridiculously happy days, and days where I really didn't want to do anything but I had to, which made me mad. On all of these days, they were kind enough to stay away, or deal with depression, giggle fits, or physical injury themselves. They also understood that I didn't like to show others my fighting style, because I was just learning it and I felt a little… insecure in my new style, having to adapt the 'blind-style' of taijutsu to my odd claws and talons.

When the time for genin tests rolled around for me, Naruto was a big help. He failed it several times, being a little older than me, and he helped me with what to expect, while clearing my mind of all stress about the test. Instead, I was stressed from his annoying voice telling me that I had better have all the academy jutsu down to an art or… and at that point he'd make a choking sound, and cackle evilly. Then, of course, I would have to run around trying to kill him for scaring me. All the same, I studied… trained… and kept training. I had to get it on my first try. That way, people wouldn't just see me as a blind girl; they would see me as someone who could be a decent kunoichi.

So when I was too exhausted to train my mind or body anymore, as night fell and I slept, I dreamed one more time of practicing my academy jutsu. Just in case.

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