Woohoo! Another chapter is up! I should have an image of what Maho looks like up soon, so I'm getting on that. I already have the picture, I just have to edit a few things. If I had better drawing skills, I would totally just draw her out, but, well….. T^T; yeah… Anyways! Read, review if you feel any thoughts you have need to be expressed. As much as I love criticism, please no flames! . They are just plain mean and hurtful. If you personally don't like something in the story or have an awesome I idea and feel the need to tell me so, go ahead! I like knowing what my readers like! So please help me out~
3 Kago of the Funk
"Great another hour until we leave, oh wait…I'm not leaving because I have to stay behind for something that wasn't even my fault!"
"Quiet down Maho."
"For crying-out-loud!" She sighed as she placed her head in her hands on the desk. This was so stupid... She grumbled to herself, laying her head on her hands and glaring out at the window which was a few seats down. Closing her eyes, she accidently fell asleep and only woke up when Kiba kicked her from behind, waking her with a start. Drowsily looking around the class room, she saw how all the students were now standing, packing all of their things away in the backpacks and leaving.
Maho turned around, blurry eyed, when Kiba kicked her again for the fun of it waking her up properly. Growling at him, she punched him in the ankle when his foot came up once again, "Okay Kiba, I got it the first time!" She snapped.
The young Inuzuka boy grimaced as the blow struck him, pulling his foot to him and rubbing it to try and ease the welling pain. But even through the pain, he smirked arrogantly, "Just checking," Akamaru barked, probably siding with Kiba in some way, shape, or form.
"Why didn't Iruka-sensei didn't shout at me or wake me up? He didn't even rudely ask me a question when he knew I was asleep so I wouldn't answer or even if I woke up I wouldn't know the answer?" Maho asked, somewhat puzzled at having actually gotten away with sleeping in class.
Of course, Kiba just shrugged, not knowing the answer either, and stood up. "Hm, Iruka-sensei's nicer than I thought. Maybe he knew you were asleep, but since you have to stay behind anyway, he wouldn't punish you and just let you sleep?" The dog-boy proposed. Kiba was getting ready to leave, but Maho stood up.
"Sweet! Did anything exciting happen, what did he talk about?"
"You didn't miss much he was just going on about tomorrow and how to revise easier tonight for the exam tomorrow, but you missed the best bit!"
"I did, really, what was it?"
"After Iruka-sensei told you off for sleeping, Sakura and Ino made a smart remark about you to show off in front of Sasuke and instead Iruka said that they have to stay behind as they had caused more trouble than you and that you only have to stay for a few minutes so he can talk to you,"
"Wow even better! I should nap more often!" She said with a fox-like grin. "Well anyways, bye Kiba. See you Hinata, Shikamaru, Chouji." They all waved at her as they walked out the door. She then turned to Naruto who was still in front of her.
"See you tomorrow as well Naruto. Good luck with the exam!"
"You too, bye!" He shouted as he jumped out the window and dashed across the buildings. Sasuke still hadn't packed up his things and was just getting to it, obviously being irritated by Sakura and Ino who had purposely used the staying behind time as an excuse to talk to him. That's when Iruka spoke up.
"Sakura, Ino could you please step out? I need to talk with Maho privately, you too Sasuke. Hurry-up please."
"Hm," Sakura and Ino turned and left, grumbling to each other as they left and Maho walked cautiously to the front. As she passed Sasuke who was leaving as well, she glanced at him. It was awkward as they both seemed to slow their pace, him turning to look at her as well. They held each other's gaze, longer than what any normal person usually does. Maho was the first to pull her head away, coughing to try and erase the uncomfortable feeling she had, and walked to Iruka. Sasuke then jumped out the window, the tiniest bit of a smirk on his face, so small that it looked almost exactly the same to his normal, blank expression. But of course, Maho caught this. That Sasuke, he's so weird sometimes. What was with that look?
Iruka waited until he knew for certain that he had the red-head's attention, knowing how she loved to just tune him out when he spoke. But this was important."Now Maho this is a serious matter, okay?"
"Yeah, I think I know what it's about." Maho frowned. She really didn't want to talk about this. Why couldn't Iruka just let it go. It really wasn't that big of a deal. Things would be changing in a few days once she became a genin.
"Probably, you've been coming in awfully late these past couple of weeks and you always seem to have some sort of cut or bruise on you somewhere." The concerned look on my sensei's face made me feel guilty. He was worried….
"Yeah well this morning, I was walking down an alleyway to try and avoid this gang of older girls who always argue with me. There were two drunken men fighting and I got caught in the middle of it, that's all." She said with a bright smile. Just make him think everything's fine. Everything is fine. Come on Iruka-sensei! Take it and go. Take it and go!
"That doesn't explain the other days you've come in with bruises and cuts though. Would you mind telling me why?" Dam you Iruka-sensei!
"It's nothing really; I'm just…clumsy." Yeah, because he'll totally believe that, Maho.
"Maho…" Iruka said, trying to be sympathetic. He then placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and knelt down to her height. "If there's something more going on here, I'd like to know about it so I can help you." Shoving his hand off her shoulder, Maho took a step back, not looking up at him as she did so.
"I don't need your help; I'm doing fine on my own. There's nothing you can do to help." Maho bit back bitterly. She was fine, she didn't need help. She had been dealing with this for a while. Besides, it wasn't like she was weak.
"So there is something. Please you don't have to tell me, but I know you'll feel a lot better when you get it off your chest." The teacher, knowing his student's stubbornness, tried a different approach. If she wouldn't tell him to ease his worries, then maybe she would tell him for herself.
Looking up at the brunette, Maho couldn't help but look hopeful. As much as she could handle it, if something made things better, even if only by a little bit, then she would try it. "Promise? Because I'm not telling you because I want to, but because you've just told me it will make me feel better."
Iruka couldn't help but smile. Oh yeah, she most definitely was stubborn."I promise."
"Well the reason I've been coming in late for the last couple of weeks is because…Well I know you and the Hokage and all the other jounin know that my parents just left me as a toddler and tried to kill me by setting the house on fire when they left…And all of you also know I was adopted by a very nice single women…Well…recently…she got a boyfriend and now she's pregnant. She doesn't know this, but while she's out or resting…her boyfriend…tells me I should leave because once the babies born, my adopted mother will have no time for me and she won't want me anymore…I…I know this is all lies, but he just tells me in a way…that makes me believe it…Then it doesn't help that I'm bullied all the time and so…before school I started getting really angry and taking my anger out on the training. I worked myself too hard and injured myself or got bruised everyday, but I felt stronger and happy when I hurt myself…I got hurt so much I didn't realize how badly I was hurt; if that makes sense. Recently though, now that her boyfriend is spending more time with her and away from me he doesn't get me angry and I stop training."
"Oh Maho…Nobody knew that she had a boyfriend or was pregnant. The boyfriend, he never…hit you or did indecent things, did he?"
Maho's eyes widened at the disgusting thought that Iruka presented. Ew ew EW! "No way, I wouldn't let him! He only hit me once, but it was a complete accident. I swear, he's never hurt me. He only tells me weird things and I can't help but believe them. Then at night I have weird nightmares…" Iruka was surprised to see Maho in front of him like this. He never thought it was possible, but he could see the tears in the young girl's eyes. She's so cheerful at school. All the time she gets bullied. Pulling the girl into a quick embrace, Maho didn't think of it as weird; she just thought of it as a comforting gesture because he felt sorry for her and she returned the gesture.
Wrinkling her nose to dry away any and all unshed tears, Maho put her hands on her hips, giving her sensei a stern look, "I don't want to be treated any different because I told you this. I'm taking the exam tomorrow and even if I mess up make sure you don't treat me any different; fail me if I do it wrong. I can live with nine more months of that guy. If what he says is true, I can just leave Konoha if my adopted mother wouldn't want me anymore." Iruka released her from the hug, giving the girl a tender look before he told her she could go.
"Oh Maho, you'll head straight home, right?"
"Obviously." The girl said with a sarcastic roll of her eyes.
And she was back to normal… "Good. I don't want you getting into more trouble."
"Don't worry Iruka-sensei, I've been put through worse." She smiled and went to leave, but as she opened the door, Ino and Sakura fell into the classroom, landing splat on their faces. Oh crap, I forgot these two were outside! Bet they heard everything. Both girls instantly stood up and hugged Maho as tight as they could. The orange-haired girl, use to the abuse these two gave her, was extremely wierded out by their sudden action and simply pushed them off. "Get off me!"
"Maho, we're so sorry we didn't know!"
"Yeah, we wouldn't have treated you so bad if we knew…" Both girls practically wailed, making Maho cringe.
Iruka stood behind his desk, a frown set deep on his face, but he took advantage of the opportunity that this gave him. Maybe they could actually learn to get along now. "Now that you girls know this, nothing's going to change between us." Maho firmly told them, a scowl remaining on her face. "I still don't like you and I don't want any of your pity either. So tomorrow, after the exam if we all pass, even if I'm on the same team with one of you, my feelings will not change towards you, got it? And how come you both know Naruto has had a worst life than me but you don't try and make friends with him? You're both still pathetic." Maho pushed the two girls out of the way and calmly walked down the hall, not bothering to even look back at the fuming pre-teens.
Or maybe things will never change.
"Iruka-sensei…"
"Don't worry about it girls, you may go home. Please, if you know it's going to upset Maho, don't tell anyone about what you heard." They nodded their heads and left, whispering to themselves about what they had witnessed. Iruka instantly jumped out of the window, so fast that he was just a blur, and he landed outside the Hokage office. He was deeply worried about his student and truly wanted to make sure she was safe. He needed to find out some information about this boyfriend of Maho's adoptive mother. Why hadn't anyone else heard about him?
As Maho left the school yard, she tried to shake off the odd feeling she had deep in her gut. She wasn't happy at all that those two brats had gotten into her personal life. They could easily just torment her more know that they know something personal. Maho, so deep in her thoughts, didn't notice a figure in the dark, crouched near the window and tucked away in the shadows of the ending day. They had heard everything and had now witnessed her leaving. As silent as any ninja could be, they jumped away swiftly.
Knocking lightly on the door of the fire shadow, Iruka opened it hesitantly, "Hokage-sama?"
"Iruka, I'm assuming you're here about the Igashowa girl. We are aware of the situation already and an ANBU nearby had heard the whole thing and witnessed Igashowa Maho leaving building."
"Then you'll know we need to get to that man immediately? He could be a danger to her and I won't let him put one of my students in danger."
"My assistants are on it now. We have actually been watching the situation. It was now only just confirmed that the man is not originally a Konoha villager, only posing as one. He is a dangerous criminal who was only after money and women, usually murdering the women he was with once he was finished with them. However, he seemed to have a particular attachment to Maho's mother though and stayed with her, trying to get rid of Maho as he knew she would interfere with his plans."
Iruka stared down at his feet, guilt washing over him. Maybe he wasn't good enough to be these kids' sensei. It was only two or so years ago he had begun to watch over Naruto, who had been tossed aside by most, if not all, of the villagers; treated like scum. Now he felt as if he had failed in protecting Maho from what he should have picked up on.
"Iruka, do not hold yourself responsible for having not known. This man, he has a ninja ability that puts those he comes in contact with almost in a genjutsu; in a hypnotized state if you like. So I assume Maho's mother is a victim of this technique and the things he has told Maho, she was most likely effected too, whether to harm or injure herself or not, I don't know." As Sarutobi finished consoling the chunin, an ANBU member appeared, crouched on one knee and head bowed.
"Reporting in, Hokage-sama. The criminal, Takahashi Ganju, has been captured and sent to the ANBU interrogation room where he is currently being questioned."
With a relieved smile, the Hokage let out a small grunt of acknowledgement, "And how are Maho and her mother?"
"Ms. Igashowa has been taken to the house to the hospital; just to ensure nothing has been done to her physically and to check the baby. Then ANBU will check to undo anything that has happened to her mentally."
"And Igashowa Maho?"
"Well, she has not been home, according to her mother, but we expect her to return home shortly. Other members of ANBU think she will be young, healthy and strong enough to fight her way out of the mentally harmful things Ganju had done to her. The injuries are only minor and will heal."
"Thank you, you are dismissed,"
"Arigato." With that, the ANBU that had seconds before been in front of Iruka and the Hokage, had now disappeared.
"Thank goodness she's okay. She might be able to concentrate on passing the exam now. It's a shame the teasing won't stop,"
"Teasing? What do you mean Iruka?"
"Well because of her brightly colored orange hair and the fact that she hasn't got a strong 'fan-girl obsession' over Uchiha Sasuke, the girls seem to treat her differently and insult her. She doesn't seem to mind though, she is good friends with Inuzuka Kiba, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji, Hyuuga Hinata and she seems to be getting along nicely with Uzumaki Naruto,"
"That's good to hear, you are dismissed."
"Thank you, but would you like me to check if Mahp is alright, or alert her that her mother is in hospital?"
"Yes, that would be convenient."
"Hai." Iruka then disappeared from the old-man Hokage's sight and jumped out the window. He headed for the place where he thought Maho would be: the training grounds.