Ch 3
I could see why Mr Richmond didn't do placement evaluations. He emphatically did not share the same views on educational standards as the state laws. Like his firm opinion that I spoke english just fine and taking more classes on that subject would be pointless. And that didn't even approach his disdain for the state requirements that I study a second language, when I could be studying something useful, like the two dozen different science classes available to me. I think he wanted me to take all of them. It was like dealing with a stubborn argumentitive child, and I was the one who was supposed to be twelve. That didn't even mention all the unrelated topics he kept trying to bring up. (Unrelated to school that is I am sure he always considered science relevant.)
I ended up stealing the paperwork to fill out myself. At least until he managed to lure me into a discussion on the theoretical implications chakra might have on particle physics. which sidetracked me for more than an hour, but I managed to get it done. I, apparantly, seriously needed to brush up on my particle physics.
"I can't believe you signed up for a Knitting class, In what universe would you need to know how to Knit?"
"A very cold one." I replied solemly rolling my eyes "I've never learned before and it could be interesting. How is it possible to have so many classes, in such a small school anyway?"
"Aside from the core classes, most of the classes are mostly self directed with the teacher only being required to show up once a week or so, and the older students fill in as teaching assistants in the lower classes." He gave me a bored half smile. "At least half of the students are fairly independent and self directed by the time they go to school here, and the other children tend to follow their example." He brightened a bit and added.
"Now that were done with this tedious school nonesense, do you want to discuss your barrier seal research?"
"Please don't tell me you conspired to drag my family down here just so you could pick my brain about my seals? How would you even have known I remember? and they won't even work here, so why bother?"
A slow smile crept across his face.
"Are you so certain that seals don't work here?" He responded, looking unbelievably smug.
I absorbed that for a moment, but before I could form a coherent response, the door to mr. Richmonds office exploded open and a familiar blonde crashed through, dragging yet another painfully familiar person.
"Its her isn't it!" He nearly shouted.
Sauske, It was Sauske whatever name he went by now, deliberately untangled Naruto's fist from his shirt, and looked me over. When my eyes met his they were solemn and touched with longing. He took a deep shuddering breath and said,
"Yes, I think its her."
It was the second time that morning that 'Tyler' Slammed into me. This time he wrapped his arms around me like a vise, and managed to babble the entire time.
"OhMyGosh! I can't believe its really you! Why didn't you tell me when we first met that you were the third member of our triad! We have been waiting for you, like, Forever! I thought for the longest time Hannah was our third member even though Steve was like 'No way, Its not her', but Whatever, your here now. We're a whole trinity, so we should go celebrate! Ow!"
The last part was uttered as Sasuke slammed the hilt of his sword on the back of Tyler's head.
"She needs to breathe, idiot. And she's new, she probably has no Idea what a triad is."
"Bastard" Tyler muttered, but his hug eased enough for me to breathe, and hug him in return, because it was Naruto. I had missed him.
It was Naruto, I had missed him. My hug tightened and I buried my face in his shoulder. Not to keep the tears at bay, definitley not.
"Welcome Home 'Tria." Naruto said quietly, for only me to hear. I lost myself in that moment, the shock, confusion, and questions falling away, for a time I just was. I was safe and warm in the arms of my best friend. It was home. The moment held me, and so did he.
I'm not sure how long we stood like that, but eventually Sasuke, or... well I really should find out his new name, coughed awkwardly. Bringing my awareness back. I pulled away to see Sasuke looking sheepish and uncomfortable, and Mr Richmond observing impassively. I turned to Sasuke.
"Um, you probably already know my name." I said tilting my head toward Nar...Tyler. "Whats yours?" I said timidly as I offered him my hand. He took it easily, without hesitation, and replied with a smirk.
"Actually, he told me you had a really wierd name with a tree in it." At the look on my face his smirk broadened into the playful grin I had cherished in another lifetime. "I'm Steven Vasquez, but our moron probably thinks my mother named me bastard."
I sighed and huffed a laugh. "My name is Demetria Jones, I suppose it does have a tree in it...Um. Whats all this about Triads?"
Mr Richmond cut in with the explaination
"many of us tend to form up in groups of three, like myself, jake, and Sarah" He gave me a significant glance, yes I knew who 'Jake' and 'Sarah' were, no need for introductions. "With the three of us to set a precedent, and... Our peers instinctively forming groups of three, the tendency was remarked upon and subsequently labeled as 'Triads', or 'Trinities' If one does not want to confuse us with certain asian criminal organizations. Nowdays even the normal children tend to form groups of three based on complimentary skill sets. Its fascinating really."
I bet it was fascinating, I had remarked once a long time ago that if one person stared at a spot on the pavement they must be a wierdo, If you have two people it must be something interesting. To have been able to watch an entire culture grow from people with leftover habits from shinobi life... and the people who grew up with those people. that would be interesting. I wondered if he had notes.
"But Its generally aknowledged that 'Forest People'" once again there was a beat of significant silence, followed by a knowing smirk. "Already have a Trinity, and they do not accepts substitutions or stand ins lightly. Although some have slightly less involved subgroups"
It also occured to me that Oro...Mr Richmond liked explaining things.
At least, the things he found interesting, to people who also found those things interesting.
It kind of explained why he was a teacher in this lifetime, and hadn't locked himself away in a lab somewhere. It also made me wonder if other villains should get teaching jobs so they could actually monologe productively. Then I wondered if Mr Richmond still counted as a villain, with Jiraya and Tsunade still at hand to presumeably keep him in line.
So people who were in close knit three man squad tended to regroup. It kind of made sense that teamwork was so deeply ingrained into konoha shinobi that they instinctively sought out their teams. Even If they hadn't had one particular three man squad, they would likely form one with people they had worked with often enough to form a bond.
Tyler was glaring at Mr Richmond with blatant suspicion throughout this entire explaination.
"Hey! Who do you think you are, bringing her here and, and, telling her stuff like that. We're her triad, we should be telling her stuff!" Tyler shouted rudely.
If someone could look eloquently bored, and vaugely amused at the same time, Mr Richmond managed.
"I thought I was a teacher, which is someone a school employs to 'tell people stuff' Although given your GPA, I am not entirely surprised that fact has escaped you."
Steven interjected before Tyler could form another beligerent reply. His voice laced with quiet suspicion. Much to my bemusement I realized that he had positioned himself between myself and Mr Richmond.
Naruto and Sasuke had come to my rescue.
"You don't usually handle new student orientations, or even talk with individual students in your office. What is your interest in Demetria in particular? You have to admit your singling her out is suspicious."
"Fair enough." Mr Richmond replied "I have singled her out, because the third member of your trinity is a Sleeper, who specializes in many of the same scientific fields as myself." He frowned slightly and continued "And my dislike for dealing with students on an individual basis, is more due to wanting to avoid giving any validation to certain persistent and ludicrous rumors, than anything else."
Steven coughed and shifted awkwardly. "Oh. Yeah, well I can understand that I guess."
"a sleeper?" I said interrupting, Mr Richmond started to answer, but only rolled his eyes as Tyler loudly spoke over him.
"It means your super smart and stuff! and also kinda lazy, and like to sleep alot. Hey! I can show you all the places where Josh likes to nap and look at clouds and stuff, or we could get Charlie or Darlene to do it, cause Josh says I'm noisy and he doesn't like me in his quiet napping places."
So, basically, being a Sleeper means someone has pegged me for being a Nara.
"I am a Fighter, that means I'm awesome," Sasuke snorted "and Steve is a Rememberer, they can recognize people, sort of. They're rare."
"Rare?" I said frowning. That was odd. The Uchiha had been a large clan, before the massacre, with a high percentage of chunin and jounin level shinobi.
"The 'Rememberers' as they are called, posses higher than average skill and visual memory retention." There was an odd weight to Mr Richmonds words despite his distant analytical tone. "They also are the only 'Forest people' to regisiter a set of observable neurological abnormalities under a PET scan. The numbers of Identified Rememberers have been dropping steadily for the last twenty years or so."
I felt slightly cold
"You think something's happening to them, or someone else has been finding them. Who? and Why?"
"I don't know."
"But you have a theory." I asserted grimly.
He looked at me with narrowed eyes for a moment, then spoke very carefully.
"There was a certain contemporary of my teacher, they parted ways over a difference in opinion, and he subsequently took up a career in the shadier parts of the government intellegence organizations. I have been unable to reliably keep tabs on his activities, or whereabouts for quite some time now."
I closed my eyes. Danzo. He meant Danzo. Of course he would be here too, why would I think dying and being reincarnated into another world would get me away from him? And now Uchiha were dissapearing under suspicious circumstances, and who knows who else could be unaccounted for... When I opened my eyes and met Mr Richmonds I had an odd sense that he felt exactly the same way.
"What are you two talking about?" Steven interrupted suspiciously. Bringing my attention back to my surroundings.
"Nothing." I said too quickly, not suspicious at all. fortunately Sasuke seemed inclined to leave me alone, and dropped the subject with only a sharp glare at Mr Richmond.
"Nevermind all that. Me, and Steven need to show you around! Show you all the important things like the corporation headquarters, city hall, the bank, and that really cool aisian resturant that serves Ramen! Really good Ramen! Even better than the packaged stuff you get in the grocery store."
"I guess we could meet up after school." I said.
"No! this is way more important than school! Our Triad is Bonding!"
"Um I'm not sure that would be such a good Idea." I said eyeing the teacher leaning casually against the doorframe of his office watching with amusement.
"Of course, it would be irresponsible of me to allow a group of children run around unsupervised during school hours." Mr Richmond replied smoothly. "Therefore, I will accompany you."
That was. What.
"Won't you get in trouble if you just let us go off and skip school?" I asked bewildered.
He shrugged "Jake will pretend to scold me, and Sarah will realize he's only pretending and yell and him for being irresponsible, and such. So really, I am just getting Jir...Jake into trouble."
He seemed quite cheerful about that.
"Why would you want to come with us?" Steven asked.
Mr Richmond smiled slowly
"There is a certain statistical anomaly I wish to research. One I have not really had the opportunity to observe for myself. I am not about to pass up the chance now."
"What kind of statistical anomaly? I asked frowning.
"I believe its known as the team 7 curse."
"Thats ridiculous." I protested. "There is no such thing."
The look he fixed me with was entirely unnerving without being in any way threatening. It reminded me of a cat that has just spotted its favorite toy do something interesting, a sort of bright eyed amused attentiveness. That was nonetheless unsettling because it belonged to a predator.
"Have you ever seen Sarah gamble?"
"No? What does that have to do with anything?"
He just grinned.
So my New/Old Friends and I skipped school to show me around the village. There were actually tree pathways marked with ribbons, on branches that proved sturdy enough to hold most peoples weight. Apparantly Branch jumping was something of a local sport.
It was however an inefficient method of travel, (without chakra) so after establishing that I didn't actually need anyone to show me how, we mostly walked on the forest floor.
Having just had breakfast, and being sane, normal people, Steven and I convinced Tyler that Ramen could wait until lunch time. That left several other locations to visit, while listenting to Tyler's enthusiastic commentary, and Steven's occasional comments.
Mr Richmond tagged along at a ANBU stalker discretion and distance. I wasn't sure I was comfortable with knowing he was there, without knowing where he was. Fortunately without chakra, it was almost impossible to completely hide from a trained observer, who knew you were there.
The bank was one of the major destinations, because a great deal of engineering and archetectural efforts had been expended to make it possible to enter from any of the high windows on the side of the building, but not to leave. (you could just go in through the front door, but that would be boring, I was solemnly informed)
I had to admit, it was fun to climb the brickwork open the windows and drop to tiled floor of the main lobby.
Tyler began shouting greetings over the din of echoing conversation, pointing out several people he knew, and...Was that Kakashi? A teenager, younger than I expected wearing a turtleneck and baggy jeans and about half a dozen different themed masks somewhere on his person. The gaudy feathers on a Carnival mask almost obscured the short sword at his hip.
I was just about to ask Tyler about him when two people pulled out guns fired a shot into the ceiling and started demanding everyone get on the floor.
Unseen, Orochimaru's laughter echoed in the sudden silence.
