2.
I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm dead. "Ren! Are you listening?!" Am I? I wonder….. "REN! SNAP OUT OF IT AND PAY ATTENTION!" Sorry, sir. I have a very short attention span…. Wait…. What did he just say? I feel a sharp tap on my head. I slowly look up at Takeshi Sensei. Judging by his face I could tell he wanted to hit me a lot harder, than just a tap on the head. "Yes?" Takeshi Sensei glared daggers down at me. "PAY ATTENTION!" He roars in my ear. I nod, slowly, my ears ringing. "Yes, Sensei." He steps back and surveys us carefully, as if seeking out our weaknesses and strengths. I stare incomprehensively back at him. I watch as he holds up two bells. "Your task, will be to get these bells from me. Now, Go!" Ryo and Shoji bolt off, leaving me standing alone, dazed and confused. I look around. That's right, were in the desert, not that far from the village. Takeshi Sensei glared at me. I should probably hide. I look around, again, surveying the landscape. Hide where? There are only rocks around here. Oh well…. I bolt behind the nearest clumps of rock, moving between them as quickly and silently as I can. Sensei probably knows where I am anyways, but I should at least try…. I peer out to where Takeshi Sensei is standing. What do I do now? I feel something tap my shoulder. I spin around. Ryo and Shoji are crouching behind me, grinning madly. Crap. In moments I was tumbling to a halt at Takeshi sensei's feet. I got to my feet, jumping a few paces back as I did so. Damn those two. Chucking me out into the open like that. I sigh. Might as well do my best to try to stand up for myself while Takeshi Sensei kicks my ass. "That was quite an entry you made there, Ren." I look up to see Takeshi sensei grinning like a madman. Oh, Shut up. I watch with disinterest as Takeshi Sensei crosses his hands over his chest, tapping his feet impatiently. "Come on! You going to attack me or what?!" I feel my head throb from the sheer volume of his voice. Geez. Does he ever talk normally? I sighed and put my hands up in front of me in a fighting gesture. "Ok…..Bring it on!" Takeshi smiled. "If you insist…" I barely had time to blink and he had me sprawled on the ground, his leg pressing down on my back, forcing me to the ground. "That all you got?!" I sighed. "What do you think?" "Just what I'd expect form you!" I tensed up as Takeshi continued, his voice almost dripping with mockery. "….being only half Sand and all!" I felt my blood boiling. "What did you say?" I whispered my voice shaking with anger. Takeshi laughed a low hollow laugh. "What do you think?! Your father was one of those Konoha bastards!" I knew he was trying to rile me up…and it worked. Takeshi gave a sudden gasp of pain and stumbled back, releasing me. I slowly got to my feet. Takeshi smiled. "So this is your secret jutsu? Passed down from your father, huh? Just as you'd expect. They'd be the only ones to possess such a bloodline trait... What you going to do now, Ren?!" I looked up at him. Takeshi chuckled softly to himself. "No wonder you have eyes, the colour of blood…." I felt the anger bubbling inside me, overwhelming me. I tried to fight back, to put that anger back under my control. But it was too late. The demon inside of me had been awakened….