Hello again! Thank you oh so much for reviewing, jasmine hatake-chan and anonymous-chan!
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'Introductions'
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I looked up at the shop in front of me nervously. It had been marked out on the map that had been in the envelope together with a schedule for the academy (I was in the same class as naruto by the way.) and the letter from Sandaime-san. But what if I had taken a wrong turn somewhere? That would lead to embarrassing situations…
I re-read the letter for what had to be at least the hundredth time, just to make sure. (I was eternally grateful to nee-chan that I could read, because if not, it would have been a tad bit more complicated to get all the things I needed.)
'Fuyuno Yuri-san,
The map in the envelope is a map of Konoha with a marked out shop. This shop sell basically all the equipment that you will need for your future training to become a kunoichi. The owner, Takuchi Aruki-san is a good friend of mine, so if you show him my official seal (the red mark at the bottom of the page), he will give you a good discount.
Here's a list of what you'll need:
1 kunai-pouch
3 sets of kunai
1 shuriken holster
3 sets of shuriken
3 packages of explosive tags
1 pair of ninja sandals
3 (or more) training outfits of your own choice
1 ninja mesh outfit (it works as armor, so make sure you don't forget it)
(optional) weights; they will speed up your progress
I hope you find everything you need. If you get money left over, spend them as you wish. After you've bought your equipment, (you have to be finished before lunch time) go to the academy. Umino Iruka-sensei will meet you there. He is very easy to recognize; he has brown hair in a ponytail and a scar across his nose.
Have a nice first day.
(Insert a big red mark here)
Third Hokage of Konoha.'
If it was the wrong store, I probably couldn't afford all this. That would be pretty awkward at the cash-desk. I sighed. Oh well. I had checked the map quite a few times by now, and some people were starting to give me odd looks. Might as well go inside.
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When I was finally done, I put on my new equipment, rushed back to Naruto's place with the stuff I wouldn't use and then leaped the rooftops to the academy, wolfing down a couple of onigiri on the way there.
I loved my new clothes! They were so much easier to move in than the kimono, and the shoes were (although they might not look it) extremely comfy. I really felt like a ninja, dressed all in black. It felt a bit weird to wear weights, but I was determined to get strong.
My new training clothes consisted of black long sleeved top (I was adamant about the long sleaves. I had to hide my scars) and black shorts (I was thankful that there weren't any burn marks on them, the nurse had removed them with her jutsu), and of course my equipment; shuriken in their holsters strapped to my right and left leg (as soon as Takuchi-san found out I was neither right- or left-handed, I got an extra holster without extra cost, among of the many other things I got for free or at a really low price), kunai, explosive tags and smoke bombs in the kunai pouch, and of course my swords at my left hip.
They even managed to dig out a pair of sandals my size that wasn't blue but black as well, just because I said I liked black! And when Takuchi-san's wife found out it was my very first day, she even went trough the trouble of brushing my hair till it shone and tie a black ribbon in it. Come to think of it, the only colourful things on me were the two purple streaks in my hair. Even the small kitten shaped backpack with my notebooks and pens was black, as were the little bow it had on its head. I had the locket around my neck as usual, I never take it off anymore.
I smiled as I thought of the Takuchi couple. They really were nice… I knew that the discount I had gotten was a large one. I got plenty of money left over!
I landed on the roof of the academy stealthily (I had practiced A LOT at landing with Naruto. If I hadn't, I probably would have crashed head first, or spread eagle. Ouch.) I glanced down at the young man that stood on the ground beneath me. He had a high ponytail and a scar on his nose. I grinned. I didn't know why, but I felt like pranking. I jumped down landing soundlessly behind him, holding my breath I looked up cautiously. He hadn't noticed me. My grin widened. I drew in a deep, long breath…
"KONNICHIWA IRUKA-SENSEI!!!!" I yelled cheerfully at the top of my lungs.
I couldn't contain my laughter when he jumped several feet in the air and 'eeped!'
He spun around looking confused and turned beet-red in embarrassment when he saw me. I smiled brightly back at him. I had no idea what so ever where this confidence was coming from.
"I… didn't see you there." He laughed nervously, looking unsure if I should be punished or not. Then he shrugged slightly and composed himself. "You are the new girl, correct?" at my nod he continued. "Nice to meet you. You seem to know my name already and Hokage-sama told me yours, so introductions won't be necessary, ne Yuri-chan?"
I shrugged. "I guess not, Iruka-sensei."
"Well then, please follow me. We're going to the classroom, and then you'll get to introduce yourself to the class. They're currently taking notes on how to mold chakra, so you'll have to borrow someone else's notes and copy them so you don't get behind."
"Isn't it better to know things like that by heart though?" I asked, remembering Takuchi-san's advice.
"It's easier to learn it if you write it down." He said.
We entered the classroom, and immediately what felt like a hundred pair of eyes turned to look at me.
The new girl.
It grew quiet for a brief moment, then they began to talk and murmur amongst themselves. The confidence I had felt earlier was whisked away in a heartbeat. I suddenly didn't know were to put my hands or were to look. Should I smile at them? No, no smiling, they'll think I'm a freak. But I can't scowl either, can I? Ah, what to do?? Oh no, I made eye contact with someone! Look away, look away!!
"HI YURI-CHAN!!!" I looked up to find Naruto waving at me cheerfully from one of the rows. I could have run up and hugged him right there. Instead I smiled back brightly, feeling confidence rush back to me in a warm wave.
"Hi Naruto-kun!" I waved back.
"Alright class, quiet down." Iruka said with an authority that went ignored. an anime anger mark popped up on his forehead.
"I said QUIET!!" he boomed.
Wow. You could hear crickets chirping.
"As you can see, we have a new girl joining our class as of today. I expect all of you to be nice to her, alright?"
"Haaai." the children chorused.
"So, tell us about yourself." He said, turning to me. I froze up. I gotta talk too?! O.o
"A-Ano… what should I say?" brilliant! Now I was stuttering!
"Well, start with your name and what you like and dislike and if you have a goal or a dream, I guess."
"Okay…" I took a deep breath and looked out over the class, determined not to show any insecurity. How difficult could it be? I liked Miyako-nee-chan, I liked to be around flowers since it reminded me of her, and I remembered the first time I was outside the basement and I saw the sun, I couldn't look away. But if I said it like that, there would be questions. Oh well. Here goes.
I smiled and bowed elegantly, not too low, not too fast, hands on my thighs with fingers barely touching to show respect, just like the teachers at the camellia had hammered into my skull to do.
"Konnichiwa, I'm Fuyuno Yuri." I said pleasantly, rising from my bow. "I like Miyako-nee-chan, being outdoors, doing martial arts, and flowers. I dislike, eto…" I halted.
I disliked a lot of things. Oka-san. Having been looked up in a basement for the major part of life. Nee-chan's death. Tsubaki. Small spaces like The Room. Feeling pain. Being abused. The scars on my body. New Years Eve. My sadistic side. But if I told them that, they wouldn't dare to approach me, and I would be left without any friends, safe Naruto. But then again… I could always say what I disliked about those things… right?
"Maa, I guess... bright, girly colours, being indoors for too long, fake people and… broccoli." I added with a grimace. I did not like broccoli. "As for my dream…" I paused to again. I didn't want to lose anyone again because of my own weakness. Ever. "My dream, is to be strong and protect those I care about."
"Alright Yuri, you can take a seat next to Hinata over there." Iruka said, pointing at an indigo haired girl sitting next to a window.
I walked over and sat down next to her, hanging my tiny backpack over my chair. I adored that bag! It was cute and fuzzy! If I hadn't known it was a backpack, I would've thought it was a plush toy.
I took out a pencil and my notebooks. Then I didn't know what to do. I looked around. All the others had their heads lowered, concentrating on their work. I glanced at Iruka-sensei for help, but he was busy helping someone else. I sighed.
'I guess I have no choice.' I thought.
"A-Ano, I'm sorry to bother you, but could you please help me?" I whispered.
"Y-Y-You mean m-me?" she replied, her stutter even worse than mine.
"H-Hai. You're Hinata-san, right?" I smiled shyly.
"H-Hai, I'm Hinata… what do you need help with, Y-Y-Yuri-san?" she replied, just as shy.
I scratched the back of my head sheepishly.
"Eheheh…maa, everything? I don't even know what it is you're all writing…"
"O-Oh." She smiled nervously back at me. "I'm not s-s-s-sure if I can help though, I'm n-n-not th-that good at …anything… really." her smile faded and her eyes were downcast.
"A-Ano, I know that you're at least better than me, at least you know what to do in school, ne?" I smiled at her, and she smiled shyly back.
"So… help me? Please, Hinata-chan?" I smiled and cocked my head to the side.
"W-Well, if you think I can… Y-Yuri-chan." She looked up at me nervously through her bangs, as if asking me for permission.
"Arigato!" I beamed.
"O-Okay, we are taking notes about chakra. It's a spiritual energy, and…"
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Luckily for me, the next lesson was easier; target practice. We were all placed in neat rows with one target each in front of us. I was hoping to be next to Hinata-chan and Naruto kun, but instead I got placed on the end of the row, so the only one next to me was a dark-haired boy I didn't know, though some of the girls in my class seem to know him quite well, since they kept following him around all day and declaring their love to him. The boy didn't seem to be too happy with that though, he kept scowling at them. I briefly wondered why they kept following him even though he obviously didn't like it. But I shrugged it off. Maybe it was customary; I wouldn't know, I wasn't from around here after all. Maybe it was his birthday, and this was a strange way to congratulate him..? Hmm. Yeah. That was probably it. I made a mental note to congratulate him later. Sure, I didn't know him, but one should be polite, right?
It was nice to be outside the warm classroom, but hitting bull's eye became a little tricky since it was pretty windy that day. But after chucking kunai and shuriken at a log for about forty minutes, it gets old. After those specific forty minutes, I decided I was fed up, and went over to Iruka-sensei. I tugged at his shirt sleeve to get his attention.
"Yes?" he looked at me. "You need help with throwing the kunai?"
"No. I'm bored." I stated.
"Well, you still have to practice." He frowned.
"Why? I already hit the bulls eye." I complained.
"It doesn't matter if you hit it once, you need to be able to hit it dead center always." He explained patiently, as if he was trying to tell a three year old that no, you can't put the cat in the washing machine.
"But I already do that! Isn't there anything more difficult for me to do?"
His eyes widened a bit. Then he composed himself. "Show me that you can do it first."
I nodded and pulled out two kunai, one in each hand. I threw the one in my right hand: bull's eye. Then the left one: right next to the previous one, grazing it with a metallic noise as it went. I turned to Iruka-sensei with a triumphant grin. My grin widened when he looked dumbfounded. I noticed from the corner of my eye that the dark-haired boy threw a glance at me and then scowled even more, attacking his target with new energy. I frowned. What was that supposed to mean?
"Err… this is the first time you try this?" he asked hesitantly.
I nodded vigorously, grinning from ear to ear.
"Either you have incredible luck… or you're a natural." He smiled and I felt pride swell in me. "Well done. Now, you said you wanted to do something more difficult, right?"
"Hai, Iruka-sensei!" I replied eagerly.
"Alright. Wait here." He said and walked off with a smile. I decided right then and there that I liked Iruka-sensei. That makes it… I counted on my fingers… six people I liked in Konoha. Naruto-kun, Sandaime-san, Takuchi-san and Takuchi-san's wife, Iruka-sensei and Hinata-chan. I felt a little overwhelmed. I had so many friends already!
I was brought out of my reverie by Iruka-sensei placing down two seemingly heavy targets next to the one I already had with a loud thump. He adjusted them so that they had the same distance to each other. Then he walked over to me.
"Okay. I want you to try and hit the bull's eye on all those tree…" I nodded. That seemed easy enough. "…at the same time." My shoulders sagged. Dammit! "Now, are you right- or left-handed?"
"I'm both, I think… I mean, I can write with both my hands without a problem."
"Hoo? You're lucky, then. Then you don't have to train more with the other. In that case…" he walked over to the targets, dug around in his pockets for a permanent marker and drew target circles beneath the original ones. "In that case, your goal is to hit the bull's eye on all these targets at the same time. Now, you might not be able to do it on your first try, so try to hit two first, then three and so on up to six. That might be easier for you. Okay? Work hard." He smiled again and walked off to help a student who kept hitting his neighbor's target instead of his own, earning irritated yells from said person.
With that, I turned to the matter at hand. One kunai in between each finger (not the thumb though), I threw.
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Gah! So frustrating! Just who the hell was she anyway?! The minute she came into the classroom, I inwardly groaned. 'Oh god, not another fangirl' I thought. I had enough of those squealing things already. And it got worse when I realized she knew the idiot ramen-freak. Uugh…
I didn't bother to listen as she introduced herself, why should I care? Probably liked things like dolls and kittens and whatnot. Probably disliked getting dirty and the likes of that. See? That's how painfully obvious all girls are.
What was so frustrating was how easy seemed to be for her! I practiced every day for a week before I hit the bull's eye all the time. And here she was, on her first day, and did it just like that! And now Iruka-sensei let her practice with not only three (like me) but six targets! It was so unfair! I was supposed to be top of the class!
I scowled and gave the targets a death glare, as it was their fault. It was bad enough that nii-san always beat me at everything, now her too? I threw the kunai and groaned in exasperation. They were yet again was a bit off the center. The first from the left was dead centre, but the two others were always a bit off.
"A-Ano?" a timid voice spoke up. I turned to the source of it, expecting to see Hinata.
"What!?" I snarled.
She winced at my voice. It wasn't Hinata. It was that new girl, whoever she was.
"A-Ano, you almost hit the bull's eye one those two, but you always miss it, so… I was wondering if you needed any help…?"
"I don't need your help." I cut off and turned to continue what I was doing before she interrupted me.
"But if you don't need any help, why don't you hit it dead center?" she asked. It wasn't an insult, she sounded genuinely confused.
"I don't need your help." I repeated and threw the kunai hoping it would hit bull's eye so she would just leave me alone. The kunai didn't like me today, and got even more off target than before. I felt like kicking something. Preferably her.
"See, what you do wrong is that you release them at the same time." I fought the urge to twitch. How did she get behind me without me noticing?
"You have to release them one at a time in a fluid motion, like you're opening a fan."
I twitched. "I have never opened a fan in my life." I said through clenched teeth. Why oh why couldn't she just go away?!
"Oh. Well, you have to release them in order… uh.. how to explain this…? Ah!" she exclaimed and whipped out a black fan from absolutely nowhere. "The fan can't open up all at once, you have to start somewhere, and continue from there. It's the same with the kunai. You have to release them one at a time."
I sighed. Fine. I give up. I might as well do as she says so she'll just shut it leave me alone after that.
I went up to that targets, removed the kunai and went back. Without really believing they would hit, I threw the kunai. To my surprise, they all hit dead centre. I turned to the girl behind me, just to find that she wasn't there. She was back at her previous spot, throwing kunai with both hands against six targets. She turned to me with a small smile on her face.
"You're welcome."
I muttered a "thank you" and continued to practice.
"Oh, and happy birthday by the way!" she beamed. My eye twitched. What the…?
"It's not my birthday."
"Hm? It isn't? But why were those girls following you around then?" she mused.
"…what has got to do with anything?" Was she an idiot?
"Well, I just came to Konoha, so I'm not used to everything here. I thought it was the way to congratulate someone here." She said with a shrug.
"It's not. What kind of bizarre place do you come from if you think that?"
"Hmm… who knows? But it really is a weird place, Konoha…"
"If anyone's weird it's you." I scoffed.
"So ka… I didn't know I was weird. Hmmm." She said with an absentminded look on her face as she threw another six kunai at the targets, hitting dead center with a rapid six thuds.
"Okay, break time!" Iruka sensei called.
Yes! Finally a chance to escape!
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A/N: Hello all!!!!!! I'm so sorry for the wait, and I know that this chapter doesn't really bring the story forward much, but school's about to start (Thursday, and today's Sunday) so things are a bit hectic.
-.-'
AND I GOT SO MANY REVIEWS!!!!!!!!! I DON'T EVEN DESERVE THIS MANY!!!!!
To all of you who reviewed, THANK YOU SOO FREAKING MUCH!!!!
You all get hugs, cookies, parades and festivals (WITH FIREWORKS!! :3)
()()
(^.^)
And a bunny. (if you can see it's a bunny, haha)
THANKS TO:
7thDwarf
KyuubiJinchuuriki
Cherry Blossom Haiku
Anomous Duckweed
Anonomous
Jasmine Hatake
I love reading your reviews, I love knowing that you like my story and I love you.
I gotta go, cause I'm about to fall asleep onthe key board,, I thinjk my spelllin g might be suffering right now, I jjusnt kingda tired…….ajnajrjjjn
//IZZURU_sama