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Edit: Last one, ohmahgad.

Chapter Five: Lessons in Perseverance

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The first event doesn't take an immediate effect on Raika's life. She'd been expecting it since her arrival in the Naruto-verse, given the timeline, but she was too young for it to directly influence her day to day.

It was the war, and Raika had known it was coming.

Even without her knowledge of the future there had been signs that things were changing. Nothing too noticeable at first. Mugens more frequent missions that lasted longer and longer with less time in between. The slightly wary look of all the high ranked shinobi, like they knew a storm was on the way and it was only a matter of time before it hit.

Then more pronounced. Merchants complaining about the blocks on travel through Earth country. More and more people coming to the village; Ninja being recalled, Nobles awaiting escorts, Blacksmiths and workmen arrived by the dozen and eventually a trickle of refugees on their way through to a more safer location.

Tension between Earth and Fire had been slowly rising with more conflicts along the borders and trouble with trading. When the Iwa shinobi invaded the smaller nation that housed Kusagakure it was the straw that broke the camels back. As far as Raika knew - which was more than she should have known, but less than she would have liked - the Mizukage and Raikage were keeping their noses out for the moment, while the Kazekage was only interested in making sure fighting between Fire and Earth didn't encroach on Wind territory.

It is announced officially within three months of Raika's enrolment at the Academy, though she has a suspicious feeling the Elemental Nations have been at each other throats for a lot longer than they are letting on.

Hadn't Hikari's team been patrolling the Earth border when she was ki-

Distant sirens - "I'm in the business of misery, lets take it from the top-"

- Coincidence, maybe. It explains the prestigious placement of her name on the Memorial – like a medal of honour. A death of purpose. What had the Hokage said? Sacrifice.

It doesn't matter though because despite the seriousness of war, it doesn't really touch the Academy. The other children in her class understand it's bad – not quite as well as Raika does – but it is a distant thing and doesn't involve them. Not now anyway, fresh into the Academy as they are. The end of first term is more interesting and a hell of a lot closer.

The teachers keep everything under control for the most part. Lessons run as normal, homework is given out as usual and so are detentions. School carries on obliviously, which is a nice way of saying it remained boring as all hell.

That isn't to say that they shy away from the oncoming war. Raika and her classmates are shinobi-in-training. They're being taught to kill – not now, admittedly – but that is the build up. They will be killers and they will carry the fate of future battles on their shoulders. Win or lose depends on how prepared they will be, and to be prepared they need to know.

Soton-sensei's lessons shift almost imperceptibly towards fighting. They cover more on tactics, go over battle strategies and discuss formations. Their Taijutsu classes grow more intense and see the children putting what little they have learnt into practice with short sparring matches. They even begin to learn the basics of their first jutsu – a simple clone technique, but it's a start.

Raika doesn't think any of the other kids even really notice the subtle shift in their curriculum. Or maybe they do and just don't care because they are finally learning jutsu - or as Raika still privately calls it, ninja-magic! Either way, they don't seem bothered.

It is the fact of all wars that no one except those fighting on the front lines really feel it until later on when food shortages become a problem, lack of soldiers, supplies, people. Not until the bodies start piling up. When that happens the children in Konoha will understand the gravity of war. When their parents and siblings go out and don't come back, but for now they are happily oblivious. Luckily there isn't -to Raika's limited knowledge - an atomic bomb jutsu to worry about.

The biggest effect it has on Raika -other than the sense of impending doom- is that Mugen is gone more and more, spending weeks away and coming back tired and worn. He still tries to make time for Raika though, which makes her feel suitably terrible because he needs rest more than she needs a trip to the park or a hike in the mountains.

She is fine on her own, it gives her more time to read and plan. But mostly read.

So the war begins, and while Raika is aware of it, it doesn't conflict with her life directly, not right now. It is background noise that she only has to deal with when her father returns, sometimes injured but mostly just exhausted.

And that is that.

The second event is much more immediate in her life.

It begin five months and thirteen days after her first day at the Academy, only a few days after they had returned from their summer break.

Raika is sitting between Hana and Iruka at their usual desk at the back of the room. Her maths text book is open in front of her but she is reading the thin paperback on Elemental Affinities hidden inside it.

Kojima-san had given it to her. The old woman isn't interested in shinobi nonsense as Kojima-san called it - but she likes books and has a wonderful habit of hoarding them even if they are of no relevance to her. She even has a copy of Icha Icha Paradise which Raika is infinitely curious about but has carefully avoided, because that is not something she wants to be caught reading at the tender age of five. Questions would be asked, the Naruto-equivalent of social services would be called. It's a headache she isn't willing to deal with just to sate her curiosity.

She's also a little weirded out by the fact that Kojima-san has it, but Raika isn't going to judge and is certainly not going to spend any more time than she already has dwelling on it. The woman has been a widow for an awfully long time after all, if raunchy romance novels floated her boat then that's her business.

Elemental Affinities, Raika discovers, are unsurprisingly a thousand times more interesting than the basic multiplication they are working on in lessons – and have been working on since before they split up for the summer.

Raika finds it hard to be angry at the constant repetition of such fundamental learning, it's how kids learn and she has to deal with that. But that doesn't mean it isn't frustrating to have to sit through hours of being taught things she already knows when there is so much she doesn't know. More important things. Like how to set people on fire with a few hand seals and a bit of well placed chakra.

So she keeps up the pretence of following the lesson while actually learning something completely different instead. Everyone wins.

Iruka had warned her that she would get in trouble if she was caught, and Raika had agreed with him but done it regardless because she'd rather shave her head bald and dance naked in front of the Hokage Tower than pretend to relearn the four times table again. Or any times tables for that matter. Fuck that.

Soton-sensei has noticed because of course he did. He's a ninja and no student ha probably ever looked at multiplication with as much intensity as Raika is studying her concealed book on affinities. He calls on her to solve the puzzle of four times eight and as usual she is too engrossed doing her own thing to realise until Iruka not so subtly slams his elbow into her upper arm.

"Ow 'Ruka what are you doing I was – oh," She cuts herself off as the scarred boy at her side tilts his head in Soton-sensei's direction, his eyes comically wide in warning. "Sorry sensei, could you repeat the question?"

"Am I boring you, Raika?" He asks, one eyebrow cocked.

Raika hesitates a dangerously long second because while he heart says yes; hell yes, her mind says shut up and don't say that out loud. Wisely her head wins because she knows the true answer will only get her in more trouble. So instead she shakes her head and replies with her most earnest, "No sensei."

"Answer the multiplication on the board." Soton-sensei demands in a tone that says he knows she is lying and does not appreciate it in the least. Oops.

"Thirty two." Raika supplies quickly after the briefest of glances.

He watches her for a long minute before continuing on with his lecture, pausing a further two times to call Raika out for not paying attention. The final time he simply orders her to see him after class and then proceeds to ignore her for the rest of the lesson – which is rude but fine with her since she is just getting to the good bit anyway.

Before returning to the section on chakra variation for wide range lightning techniques Raika makes a mental note to figure out how to listen to one thing while being focused on something else. Soton-sensei might be a ninja, but he is catching her out way too often for her liking. If she wants to make a habit of reading other material in class - which she does - then it is a skill worth mastering.

At the end of the class while the rest of the students hurry out the door for first break Raika stays firmly seated at her desk under the watchful eye of Soton-sensei, trying to look at least a little apologetic and failing miserably. Soton-sensei waits until the last of her classmates - a worried looking Iruka and a nosy Hana - have reluctantly slid the door closed behind themselves before turning his attention to her.

"Raika," Soton-sensei begin sternly, using what Raika likes to think of as an adults 'you're fucked' voice. "I understand that mathematics is not a subject that everyone enjoys, but it is an integral part of day to day life. While your grades are good at present I've noticed you don't seem to pay attention in most of your lessons – how do you expect to become a competent shinobi if you don't concentrate in class?"

"Yes sensei," Raika starts, scratching the back of her head with what she hopes is a sheepish expression on her face. She very deliberately doesn't mention that her grades aren't just good. Even when she isn't paying attention she still manages to average higher than everyone else in the class. "Only, there are a lot more interesting things I could be learning becau-"

"As I said, you may not find these subjects interesting right now," Soton-sensei cuts her off, sounding disappointed. "But they will be invaluable to you in later life."

"I understand that sensei," Raika agrees quickly, nodding solemnly to prove she appreciates the gravity of the situation. Because yes he is right, maths is important for other kids, but for her it's like watching paint dry or doing taxes - mind numbingly boring. "The things is.."

She had decided only a few weeks into her new education that she wouldn't publicise just how much she knew. Raika had planned to do enough to get good marks and leave it at that. Nothing fancy, just an average student. She hadn't factored in how increasingly difficult it would become to sit through lessons re-learning the basics when she could be learning other new, much more interesting things and not run screaming from the room.

Not only that but it is really hard to gauge just how much intelligence is acceptable for a five year old. How much is believable for a child of her age to know? How much does she admit to before they start to question just where she has learnt these things? Raika knows that she is already pretty peculiar, can she afford to draw more attention to herself? The answer to that is a resounding no.

It doesn't help that the Naruto-verse makes weird things possible.

Raika feels like her mind works quicker here, faster than it had before. And maybe it does. She knows the rapid rate her brain collates information isn't normal for her own world, is more that just prior knowledge of another life. Thoughts seem to process faster, she retains information for longer, require less time to memorise things.

There are a hell of a lot more geniuses and prodigies here than in her own world too. Is it chakra that increases their learning ability? The fact that they are encouraged to be independent from such an early age, forcing them to absorb knowledge quicker? Something hinky in the water?

More questions she doesn't have the answers too.

"The thing is," She repeats as she takes a deep breath. Start small, she thinks to herself, baby steps. "Maths is actually pretty easy."

"Easy?" Soton-sensei echoes back flatly. Predictably unconvinced.

"Yeah, I think I've got it already." Raika tells him and then fights back a wince. Oops. Probably a little too blasé there, she decides. Careful now.

"You're telling me you've already learnt your four times table?" He asks and Raika frowns, wondering how best to word that she knows all the times tables. Probably everything on the Academy syllabus to boot. Nothing convincing springs to her mind.

"And the others too." She explains simply, while inwardly cursing herself and wondering what happened to baby steps, damn it!

"All of them?" Soton-sensei says sceptically. Raika hesitates a beat then nods. In for a penny, in for a pound. "Alright Raika, what are three sixes?"

"Eighteen." Raika replies instantly.

"Seven Eights," Soton-sensei questions.

"Fifty six."

"Twelve twelves."

"One hundred and forty four."

Soton-sensei lets out a breath like an annoyed balloon deflating and considers her for a second. "Sixteen by twenty two."

Raika pauses and scrunches her face up in thought, shuffling some numbers around in her head before announcing, "Three hundred fifty two."

They stare at each other in silence. Raika feels like she should look away under his assessing gaze, her cheeks growing warm, but she makes herself hold. Thirty seconds passed, forty, a minute. Was it too much? Damn it, she'd said too much. Another ten seconds passed, "Where did you learn that?"

Raika gives a non-committal shrug and fixes a haven't-got-a-clue look on her face, "Maths just makes sense to me, you know?"

Soton-sensei returns to being the infuriating mute for another awkward minute before asking, "Your father's home from missions at the moment, isn't he?"

Not sure what that had to do with maths but glad to be moving on from the silence, Raika answers with a nod.

"He picks you up from school, doesn't he?" she gives another nod. "Okay. You can go but I want to see you after school today with Tsugaya-san, understand?" Soton-sensei asks with a frown, perhaps worried that, while she can handle multiplication she will be floored by such a simple question.

"Yes sensei." Raika nods, filled with a terrible sense of foreboding as her teacher stands and makes his way back to his desk without another word.

Raika glances at the clock and sees there is only ten minutes of break left. She wonders if there is any point in going out? The answer to which she decides is yes, because if she doesn't Soton-sensei is going to think she's even stranger than he already does. How many five year olds give up break time to sit in an almost empty classroom and read? None, that's how many.

Pushing to her feet with a sigh, Raika glances at Soton-sensei who is already seated back behind his desk, scribbling away and ignoring her. She beats a hasty retreat.

Unsurprisingly Iruka and Hana are waiting for her outside the Academy entrance, eyes wide when they spot her strolling over. Raika is a little amazed they hadn't tumbled in when she had opened the classroom door - Iruka might not be the type for eavesdropping on his own, but pressing an ear up against a door to hear what is being said inside has Hana written all over it – and it's the kind of thing the blonde girl can quite easily convince their young scarred friend into doing.

"There she is!" Hana points unnecessarily, swatting at Iruka's arm as Raika ambles towards them. "Raika-chan! What happened?"

"We tried to wait for you in the hall but Akira-sensei made us leave," Iruka says, pulling a face which Raika mirrors. Ah, so that was why.

Akira-sensei is a teacher to one of the upper classes and is quite terrifying, even for Raika, who had survived Geography with Mrs Whittles all through Secondary. She thought she was immune to intimidating teachers by now. It is not a pleasant surprise to find out that she is apparently just as susceptible as her two friends.

Iruka says, "I told you you'd get in trouble." He manages to not sound to smug about in - which Raika isn't sure she could have done in his place - just resigned to being friends with an idiot.

"I know," Raika grumbles, though she isn't really sure if she is actually in trouble. The five year old in her says that yes, being held back at break by the teacher is bad. Being asked to stay after school is worse and adding her father into the mix is practically Armageddon.

"Soton-sensei wants to see my dad after school," Raika tells them as calmly as she can, to gauge a reaction. It's kind of amusing to see their eyes go wide with worry, even if part of her feels the same. She squashes it down. She's an adult, damn it! "It's no big deal."

Apparently it is a big deal to five year olds.

Hana immediately goes into hysterics about losing her friend. About how Raika is going to get detention. She is going to get kicked out of the academy. Expelled. Disowned. Forced to leave the village.

Logically Raika knows none of that is likely to happen – well, maybe the detention part, but the rest is horse shit. What kind of teacher punishes a student for being too smart? It isn't like they'll kick her out of the academy for wanting to learn, right? And hadn't Naruto done all sorts of crap and still been allowed to graduate?

Raika shakes her head. All because she can't keep her big mouth shut and put up with a bit of basic maths.

"It'll be fine," Raika assures again, hoping they'll drop it. They don't. If anything Hana doubles her efforts and begins predicting Raika's untimely death as a exiled hobo. After a full minute in which the blonde haired girl goes into great detail about just how she is going to die, Raika decides it's time for another one of her blindingly brilliant distractions. "Come on, we've still got a little break left, lets go play."

And play they do, though Hana continues her predictions as to how Raika will be punished, getting more and more elaborate and unlikely until even Iruka is grinning and laughing at her outlandish comments by the time break finishes.

The rest of the day goes by quickly, except for Taijutsu practice which remains a slow torture of failed press ups, aborted lunges and stitch-filled laps around the training hall. Hana is still talking about how much trouble Raika is going to get in, and how nice it has been to be friends with her for the short time they have known each other. Raika stopped listening after the other girl suggested she could join the circus, about three hours previously.

When it's finally time to leave Raika is convinced that if Hana fails as a shinobi she will make an excellent actress. The kid's good with drama. She's also giving Raika a headache, which, when added to her sore muscles from training make the prospect of returning home to crash on her bed almost too wonderful.

Except she can't go home yet.

Her father is waiting where he always waits, by the tree with the lone swing hanging sadly from one of it's limbs. Mugen pushes away from the tree as she meanders over to him, a smile on his face.

"Hey kit, ready to go?" He asks, extending a hand to her which she takes automatically. Mugens hand engulfs Raika's and she idly runs a thumb over one of the more pronounced scars that snakes across his knuckles like a thick pale worm.

The 'yes' is almost out of her mouth before she can stop it, but Raika locks it reluctantly behind her teeth and grumbles out a despondent "No," then begins tugging her dad back towards the Academy. "Gotta talk to Soton-sensei."

"Oh?" Mugen questions in surprise, eyebrows raising to his hairline, but Raika doesn't elaborate.

She isn't overly surprised to see Soton-sensei standing beside the doors, watching her and Mugen approach. Of course he doesn't trust a kid to tell their parents when they're in trouble. Ignoring the summons might have seen her safe for the day but it would have put her in worse predicament later on. Most children aren't in the habit of seeing the big picture though, so no doubt the younger students usually take the first chance they get to leg it.

"Good afternoon Tsugaya-san," Soton-sensei greets warmly once Raika has come to a stop beside him, her father following in her wake. "I wanted to talk with you for a little while, if you're not in a hurry?"

"No, it's fine," Mugen says with a carefully blank voice. "Is something wrong?"

"Not precisely. Please, come with me." Soton-sensei says as he turns back into the Academy. Mugen steps up beside him and Raika is dragged along behind, her fathers hand too tight around hers to offer any chance of escape.

They return to Raika's classroom in good time, where Soton-sensei hands her a few sheets of paper that turn out to be tests and asks her to work her way through them while he speaks with her father. Mugen simply makes a shooing motion with his hands which earns him an annoyed pout and a huff in return.

Raika grumbles all the way back to her desk and takes up her regular seat out of habit, frowning down at the two shinobi who move to the front of the room and out of earshot.

They are speaking in suspiciously low tones, almost whispering, voices inaudible from her place on the back row. Raika squints down at them and tries to read their lips – which she quickly realise isn't going to work after she translates the first words out of Soton-sensei's mouth as 'No tortoise likes art.' She gives it up as a bad job and makes another mental note to look into learning to lip read at some point in the future.

Frustrated and annoyed at herself, Raika sets to work on the tests. Sinking into the mathematics problems like they're a warm bubble bath – easing her mind with their predictable patterns and equations.

It takes little over fifteen minutes for her father and Soton-sensei to finish their talk, still too quiet for Raika to eavesdrop on, even with her attempt at enhancing her hearing with chakra – which ends up not working and leaving her with a dull ringing in her ears that lasts just long enough to make her worry that she's done permanent damage to her ear drum.

Finally the two adults stroll casually up to where Raika is still toiling away over her papers, acting for all the world like they haven't just had a secret meeting about her. Assholes.

"Come on kit, time to get home." Mugen tells her with a smile that seems genuine. That's probably good, Raika decides, her father wouldn't be grinning if he thought they were going to bounce her from the Academy.

Raika frowns up at him though, "But I'm not finished."

"These were just to keep you out of trouble while I talked to your sensei, leave them and lets go." Mugen explains, eyes flicking to the tests and away again. He snatches up her backpack from where it's leaning against her chair and slings it over his shoulder – which looks ridiculous on his large frame.

"Oh," Raika lets out, still frowning. If they'd just wanted a way to keep her occupied she could have been reading instead of working her way through a mess of algebraic formulas. "Well, that's kind of waste of time, but okay," She just can't help herself, can she? "Uh, see you tomorrow Soton-sensei."

"Goodbye Raika. Thank you for your time Tsugaya-san." Soton-sensei says in farewell as Raika follows her father out of the room. She doesn't see her teacher glancing over the tests she had completed, nor the thoughtful look on his face as he gathers them up and carries them back to his desk.

...

Nothing else happens for a few days.

Raika still reads her own books in class and while Soton-sensei definitely notices he doesn't say anything. Iruka continues to make little nervous noises of protest whenever he spots her sliding Elemental Affinities or A Comprehensive Guide to Chakra Pathways between the pages of their various text books and Hana still acts like a complete fucking weirdo.

So everything is normal.

Until the beginning of the next week when Raika, along with Iruka and Hana, stroll into class for the new day, taking their seats while they wait for the rest of the class to filter in.

"Do you want to come to dinner tomorrow, Raika-chan?" Hana asks once they are comfortable.

Raika scratches the soft spot behind her jaw and shrugs, "Sure, dad's still away so it'll be nice to eat with someone other than Hotaru for a change. I'm getting sick of eating fish anyway."

"Great! Will you come too, Iruka-kun?" Hana asks, turning to the boy, whom she receives a nod from in reply. "I'll let my parents know you're coming! We can go straight from school if you want, or do you want to go to the park first? Someone broke one of the bars on the climbing frame, I saw it the other day but -"

Hana cuts herself off, which is strange enough that it makes Raika look up - to see if something shiny has distracted her, only to find Soton-sensei standing silently beside their desk like an eavesdropping statue.

"Morning sensei." Iruka pipes politely, smiling up at him.

"Good morning Iruka, Hana, Raika. I trust you all had a good weekend?" Soton-sensei questions, returning the smile. They nod and then have to listen to a three minute run down of Hana's days off before Soton-sensei can speak again. "That sounds wonderful Hana," He even sounded like he meant it, "Raika, gather your things and follow me, please."

"Did I do something wrong?" Raika asks, her eyebrows drawing down into a confused frown. It probably says more about her than she's willing to admit that her first thought when approached by a figure of authority is that she's in some form of trouble.

"No, nothing wrong," Soton-sensei tells her reassuringly, though she doesn't feel overly reassured. "Didn't your father speak to you?"

"He's on a mission. What was he supposed to speak to me about?" Raika asks, starting to feel suspicious. There are a few other students watching now and while Raika doesn't want for this to turn into a scene, she totally isn't above it.

There's nothing worse than not knowing.

"Ah I see. Come with me and I'll explain." Soton-sensei smiles.

Raika scowls and debates digging her heels in like the child she is. Realistically she knows it can't be anything too bad, otherwise her father definitely would have mentioned it – hopefully. That is reason enough to see where this is going, but it doesn't mean she has to like it.

"Okay," She agrees after a moment of quiet deliberation. She stands and tucks her chair under the desk then gave her companions a smile, "See you guys in a bit."

Raika hurriedly shoves her things into her bag and slings it over her shoulder before making her way to the door where Soton-sensei is already waiting. He tells the rest of the class that he'll only be a minute and to behave –which in a room full of five year olds is like asking the sun not to shine – and motions her out the door.

She steps out into the corridor and Soton-sensei follows behind, sliding the door shut with a clap that sounds distinctly final to Raika's ear. Behind the closed door the noise level is already starting to rise.

"I'm sure you're wondering what's going on. Don't worry, like I said before you aren't in trouble," Soton-sensei repeats again. "You're a smart girl Raika and we both know you've not had any trouble with the work we're doing in class."

Raika nod because it didn't seem like he requires her verbal agreement.

"After speaking with your father and showing a few of the other teachers your tests we've all agreed that you need something a little more challenging," Her sensei admits as they walk, Raika taking three strides for every one of his. "And as such, we've decided to move you up a grade."

Her steps falter and she blinks away her confusion as what he just said processes through her mind.

It makes sense, in a way. There isn't much use wasting time teaching her stuff she already knows, and if they think moving her up a class will be more beneficial then it really is the smart thing to do.

It's unexpected though. Moving kids into upper classes wasn't done very often in Raika's old world - not to her at least. If anything it was more likely that you'd be held back, instead of advanced. The thought hadn't even occurred to her – but things are very different here, a fact she still hasn't reconciled herself to.

In the Naruto-Verse, kids aren't just kids. They're soldiers, bred for battle and trained for war. Real geniuses like Kakashi and Itachi graduated the Academy within a year, and if nothing else that proves the Shinobi world doesn't make exceptions for age. Raika isn't a prodigy though – she just has the advantage of experience.

She catches up with Soton-sensei after two hurried leaps and considers her response.

It doesn't seem like they care much about her opinion, considering they hadn't even asked if she wants to move or not, but that doesn't mean she can't give it. It's pointless of course and won't change anything other than to soothe her own pride at having decisions made for her. Which isn't really worth it in the long run. Instead Raika focuses on what it will actually mean for her as a ninja in training.

"My new class will be more advanced with Taijutsu and Ninjutsu, won't they?" Raika ponders aloud. She isn't worried about the other lessons too much. Chakra is the only academic thing she might need to swat up on, but Raika has plenty of practice with pulling all nighters from a previous life where deadlines snuck up without warning. There'd be less coffee and energy drinks involved here, but if necessary she could substitute them with the child equivalent; enough candy to turn anyone in the immediate vicinity into a diabetic.

"Yes, they will be, but not by much. You're already almost half way through your first year so you have at least a basic understanding of Taijutsu forms," Soton-sensei confirms as they move. "From what I've seen of your chakra control you're probably on par with this year group, perhaps a little more advanced even. Your father told me you've been practising primary chakra management since you were fairly young?"

Raika nods again and tries not to feel uncomfortable about having people talk about her behind her back. Too much attention is never a good thing. Not for her at least.

"That will make your transition into the next year easier. A lot of the ninjutsu techniques you'll be learning are also a base for chakra control. You already have a strong start in that respect, I believe you can catch up if you work hard." Soton-sensei answers as they stop beside a closed door.

Without waiting to see if Raika has anything else to say her teacher raps his knuckles on the door frame, twice in quick succession and steps back. It opens a second later to reveal a man Raika knows to be one of the second year teachers. "Raika, this is Seichi-sensei. You'll be studying with him from now on."

And just like that she is bumped up to the next year. No warning, no preparation, not even paper work to fill out -at least not for her. It's all very sudden and not entirely welcome but Raika knows she has pretty much bought it on herself.

"I understand, thank you Soton-sensei," Raika say quickly, remembering her manners. She gives her now ex-teacher a bow and suppresses a sigh as he waves goodbye, returning to his own class -who are probably climbing the walls by now.

"Ah, Raika, please come in," Seichi-sensei offers kindly, sweeping his hand in a curve to motion her into the room. Raika does as she's told and steps over the threshold, trying not to fidget as all eyes turn to rest on her. "Class, this is Tsugaya Raika, she'll be joining us for the rest of the year. Please make her feel welcome."

"I look forward to working with you all." Raika lies, making herself meet every eye around the room. It doesn't make her feel any better about being the new kid, but hopefully they don't know that.

Seichi-sensei directs her up the left aisle to take a seat. The class is full, so there are no actual spaces at the desks, just a chair pulled up at the edge of one, beside a girl with red stars on her round cheeks.

Raika gives the girl a smile as she sits and receives a tentative one in reply, but there isn't time for introductions. Seichi-sensei dives straight into the first lesson – which is maths, annoyingly.

Within ten minutes of the lesson starting Raika is already bored. She settles herself back in her chair and resigns herself to the fact that it probably isn't going to get any better – and now she doesn't even have Iruka and Hana to cheer her up.

….

Raika doesn't think it will hurt too much when the small fist collides with her jaw – but holy fuck is she wrong.

She drops to the floor with a thud, one hand out to brace herself against the training mat and the other pressing the side of her face where she's be hit. Her cheek is throbbing painfully, warm under her fingers and almost certainly going to bruise by tomorrow.

The pain fades slowly and when Raika finally looks up she isn't surprised to see her opponent – Fukuda Gozen – standing a few feet away with a grin on his stupid little face.

The kid's an asshole and has decided since day one of Raika's ascension into year two that it's his own personal mission to make her life a living hell. And credit where credit is due - even she has to admit that he's doing a pretty good job of it.

Having never been bullied before – the only advantage of being completely plain and too boring to bother with in her first life – it is an unwelcome addition to her second. Gozen picks on her for everything. He bullies her for her small size, her accent, her hair colour, her cleverness – and in the same breath mocks her for being stupid, weak, a loser and friendless.

He's right on the last point if not the others.

She is on speaking terms with Akimichi Narumi, the girl whom Raika shares a desk with -three months in and she still doesn't have her own space- and a smattering of other students – but she doesn't have friends.

Her new class had been together for over a year and a half before she joined. They have their own friendship groups and a hierarchy that Raika isn't a part of. She's just the weird kid from the kiddie class, which, when added to the fact that Gozen has singled her out, effectively isolates Raika from everyone else who doesn't want to risk the bullies wrath.

If not for the fact that first and second year classes share break times Raika would be completely alone during her school hours. Luckily Iruka and Hana haven't forsaken her for leaving them behind and they still play and have lunch together.

Oh – another thing Gozen bullies her for. Eating lunch with the babies.

It doesn't matter that he is only a year older than Raika is. He's bigger, stronger and meaner – which apparently is everything he needs.

All the old sayings like 'they're just doing it for attention!' and 'don't react, it's what they want!' or 'ignore them, they'll soon stop!' fall a little flat where Gozen is concerned. He might be doing it for attention but ignoring him doesn't help, if anything it makes things worse. He doesn't stop and he isn't above putting hands on her when he doesn't get the reaction he wants.

She made the mistake of trying to talk to him like an adult, trying to reason with him or find out why he was bullying her. Maybe he was having trouble at home? Or at school? Maybe he needed help and was lashing out at her.

Apparently asking your bully if they're directing their own frustrations at life into hurting other people is a good way to get kicked in the shins, as she found out.

Raika has lost count of the number of times he has yanked her hair, hard enough to pull out clumps. Or how many times he's pinched her. Or kicked her. Or upended her backpack. Or stolen her things.

The list is slowly growing. He finds new ways to torment her each day, and the worst part is that he gets away with it.

The teachers at the Academy don't seem to want to interfere. When Raika approaches Seichi-sensei about it he tells her that if she can't handle a bully then she how does she expect to become a good shinobi? She goes to Soton-sensei, who tells her that she's a smart girl and that she'll figure it out. Out of desperation she even asks for help from Akira-sensei, who has the worst answer out of all the teachers.

"Boys pick on girls they like, it's a compliment." The man tells her with a smile, like he really believes it.

Raika debates showing him the fist sized bruise on her shoulder where the boy punched her, or the newest bald patch on her head where he had ripped out a clump of her hair. She thinks about showing him the torn pages and scuffed corners of her text books where they had been thrown across the playground that morning and asking just where the compliment is, exactly?

But she doesn't do any of those things. Instead she curls her lip, gathers up all the disgust her five year old body can hold and levels him with a look that actually makes him take a step back.

She doesn't ask for help again after that.

"Are you done already, little baby?" Gozen taunts from above her, bringing her back to the spar and the pain in her jaw that has turned into a dull ache.

Raika runs her tongue over her teeth and pushes to her feet, taking a step back because she knows from experience that Gozen doesn't always wait for his opponent to get back on their feet before he attacks again.

She remains silent and falls back into her ready stance, which is more than enough to make the older boy to rush forward.

Gozen is a lot stronger than Raika. Which isn't exactly hard. She's shorter and weaker than him, but she's faster. Four out of five times he can't even hit her in sparring – but when he does he makes sure it hurts.

When he is only two feet away from her, drawing his fist back for another punch, Raika side steps and hooks her foot around his. Gozen's momentum topples him, but it also makes Raika stumble, not enough to fall but enough that she can't right herself and take advantage of the opening she created. Despite how hard she's been pushing to get better, three months in the second grade just isn't enough for her to have a proper grasp on the way a body moves or reacts during a fight.

Another thing she needs to work on.

Gozen is growling when he climbs back to his feet, an angry look on his face. He's always angry when she evades him. Raika thinks he should have gotten used to it by now, but apparently he doesn't take losing well – something she has learned the hard way. He more than makes up for any missed strikes during the rest of the school day though.

They repeat the process a few more times, Gozen swinging and kicking while Raika dances out of his way. She manages to score a hit, but Gozen doesn't even seem to feel it and for the next two swings she ducks his follow up punch catches her in the stomach and makes her gag.

At six Gozen doesn't have much technique to his attacks – which Raika is infinitely grateful for - and he's no Taijutsu prodigy. In fact he's probably only scraping average, but that's enough against Raika. His fighting style consists of throwing out punches with as much force behind them as he can muster and hoping for the best. Inelegant, but annoyingly effective when Raika's own technique is to run away whenever possible.

Thankfully Seichi-sensei calls an end to the lesson before Gozen can take full advantage of her undefended body and pummel her into the ground.

They're supposed to bow to each other after a spar or use the seal of reconciliation to show there is no animosity – but with Gozen all Raika feels is animosity. He never offers anyway, and she wouldn't have trusted the gesture even if he had.

Raika straightens up, wheezing slightly and is just in time to jerk back as Gozen's hand grasps for her hair. She thinks she's gotten away, just out of his reach, when his fingers snag in the tips of hair and he tugs several blue strands free, making her wince.

It hurts. It always hurts, but she won't give him the satisfaction of admitting it. Besides it didn't hurt as much as-

A starless sky and a dark road, icy wind

Raika shakes her head to clear it, blinking the darkness from her eyes.

"-such a freak." Gozen is saying as he flicks his fingers, trying to shrug off the fine hairs that are tangled around them. He ends up using his other hand to pull them away and angrily throws them in her direction where they swirl harmlessly to the floor. With a snarl Gozen barges past her, bashing her with his shoulder. "Get out of my way."

Turning with him - it's never a good idea to let Gozen into her blind spot - Raika makes sure he's actually leaving before she curls around her stomach, groaning. It's probably just some light internal bruising – but maybe she can play it up a little and stay home?

No.

Raika pushes that thought down and straightens slowly from her slump, feeling pathetic. She's a grown woman being bullied by a six year old and there's nothing she could do about it. The answer to bullying has always been to tell someone about it, to get help – but what was she supposed to do after she'd tried that, and it had only made her feel more useless.

Deep down Raika knows she only had two options.

Either she puts up with it and allows Gozen to carry on picking on her – or she finds a way to stop him for good. The problem is that she can probably stop him once, but he will come back. He always comes back, like a persistent mould with fists. If she fights back it will have to be with something that will make sure he never touches her again, and she just isn't strong enough for that kind of retaliation. Yet.

So what's the point in trying to stand up for herself when she knows it won't get any better?

With a snort of disgust Raika heads out of the training hall, feeling dejected and more than a little sorry for herself.

Once Seichi-sensei has dismissed them for the day Raika grabs her things, pulled her coat tight around herself and hurries from the classroom. She makes it out of the Academy doors in record timing, cast a quick glance over to the now leafless tree to see if her father is waiting for her – he isn't – and sets off quickly.

Like all good bullies, Gozen has a posse of equally mean and annoying cohorts who like to terrorize the other first and second year students with him. Raika is their favourite target, but not their only one, which means that if she gets away quickly they'll pick on someone else for a change.

The adult in her cringes at that. It's selfish and horrible, sending someone else to the headsman to avoid the axe herself, but the five year old in her says better them then her. She takes a beating every day, let someone else play punching bag for a while.

Raika has just reached the gate when she hears, "There she is!" shouted from somewhere behind her. She squashes down the impulse to scream every curse word she knows at the top of her lungs - because there are a lot of parents and teachers around, and at least four of those curses will get her a week of detentions at the least. She debates just bursting into tears and hoping one of the adults will come over to see what's wrong – maybe take pity on her and walk her home – but then Gozen will know how much he's getting to her, and that just isn't going to happen.

Instead Raika pulls the straps of her backpack tighter and bolts.

...

After spending an ungodly amount of time hiding in an uncomfortably prickly bush and freezing her ass off, Raika manages to sneak round the back of her house and vault the wall while Gozen and his cronies stalk back and forth out the front, arguing about which direction she has gone in.

They don't come onto the property, which is a small mercy. It's like playing a very violent game of 'IT', anywhere else in the village is fair game, but within the walls of her home she is free of them.

Once inside the Tsugaya family home Raika shrugs the backpack off her shoulders and leans against the door. It's warmer inside and much like Gozen, the cold November wind can't breach the walls. A relieved sigh escapes her. Then Raika immediately feels angry at herself for feeling relieved. She shouldn't have to feel so happy about getting home safely, damn it!

With a shout of pure frustration she launches her backpack across the open courtyard where it lands with a thump a few metres away, throwing up dust as it does so. She follows it, stalking out and giving it a kick for good measure, which ends up hurting her toes and not alleviating any of her rage.

That only makes her angrier.

Funnelling chakra haphazardly to her foot Raika gives the rucksack another kick. This time it sails through the air, smashes through the panelling of the kitchen doors and crashes into the pan cupboard with a noise not unlike two marching bands colliding together.

Not that Raika sees any of it because the moment her foot connects with the bag her leg spasms, buckling and dropped her to the floor where she lies in a frustrated heap.

Then her foot cramps.

"FUCK OFF!" She yells furiously at her own leg, loud enough that even the practically deaf Kojima-san has probably heard it from two doors down.

Raika doesn't care. Tears gather in the corners of her eyes as she tries to massage the ache out of her toes which is quickly turning into pins and needles, racing all up and down her leg.

Her reward for improperly moulded chakra and poorly channelled frustration.

Raika sighes in defeat, her rage dwindling away as quickly as it had come. She scrubs a hand through her hair -ignoring how patchy it feels in places- and carefully picks herself up. When her leg doesn't instantly fold beneath her she takes a tentative step and breathes a sigh of relief that there is no lasting damage other than a god awful ache.

The red dirt of the courtyard clings to her like metal filings on a magnet and stubbornly refuses to be dusted off no matter how many times Raika pats herself down. After the third attempt she gives up.

"I need a holiday," Raika mutters quietly to herself, shaking her head as she turns toward the kitchen to see what damage she has done with her backpack-turned-cannonball. "And a long, hot bath."

And here we see that Raika is a complete and utter wet bag and has no idea how to deal with bullies. This chapter and the next one were all supposed to be in one but it got too long so I chopped it off here. Hope you guys like it, please review/follow/favourite as you see fit. Much love.