I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P

Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Five Ninja Academy Students

It's been a week since the Ninja-tag games. Class is back in full swing. However, it seems that certain students are holding back some painful secrets. What are they hiding? And why?

All underlined terms are explained at the end of the chapter.

#All sign language text will be announced like this. Seriously. See that sign?#

~Yuuna's POV~

"All right students, who would like to show me which one of these plants is known as hybiscus?" Inuzuka-sensei asked as soon as class started. Well, I'm not really sure you'd even call it a class really. We kinda just walk around and sensei would kinda point out some stuff that would totally be useful during missions.

"Is it this one, sensei?" I pointed to the weird leafy looking flower. It was really pretty, but a little odd... still it felt sooooo soft and smelled nice too! I love hybiscus!

"Well done, Yuuna-chan. Yes, that is the red hybiscus flower. There is also a yellow, a purple and a pink version to it. Now, which part of the flower is used to make tea, and what are the affects of that tea?"

"Ummm, you use the petals after drying them for two to three days. They are good for colds, to help fight loss of appetite, and help clear the respiratory system of liquids. And if you make a salve with it, it helps keep your skin and hair soft and smooth." I love hybiscus.

"Excellent, Yuuna-chan. Now why is it important to know this?"

"Ummm, soldier pills cut your appetite and they tend to constipate you for a while. So the hybiscus tea counteracts that. And it tastes really nice by itself too, kinda sweet-sour, but once you get used to that it is totally addictive."

"I see you've been taught the basics of herbology then." Inuzuka-sensei smiled warmly at me. It was kinda strange that no one else took this class. I guess they all thought it was pretty useless when compared to other classes, but it totally rocks!

"Okaa-sama was pretty strict about me learning most of this stuff. It totally paid off though! I'm a decent cook and I can make some pretty neat salves and cosmetics." I stopped to take a long sniff at one of the eucalyptus flowers. "But sensei, why are you still saying 'students'? I'm like totally the only one here."

"Hope springs eternal." Was all she would commit too. "Maybe I should rename the course."

"No way, the one on one attention is totally needed for this sort of stuff, sensei. Besides, I sooo don't wanna share you now!" I teased.

"Oh, and here I was thinking that you were the shy type."

"Ano..." How do I explain that? I totally don't wanna start talking about stuff that'll get Nee-chan totally amiffed with me. "I'm... like... it's just that..."

I totally did a retake. "People don't like me." Sensei just stood there, totally staring at me. It was kind of like uncomfortable. Doesn't she know it's rude to stare, totally.

"I'm sorry, people don't like you?"

"Totally don't like, dislike, maybe even really dislike. I totally don't get it, but it's not like I can change it or anything." She's - like - staring again. Rude!

"Do you know why?" Like duh! Of course I know why, but telling you is like totally going to Pee Oh Nee-chan. And she is the only person alive you SOOO don't want to see Pee Oh-ed.

'Oh Em Gee, what do I say to like totally get her off my case? What would Hi-chan do?' Turn on the light bulb, part the clouds in a storm... and when you're done come back and let me tell you what divine inspiration has revealed unto my humbled soul: I shrugged. Total genius.

She totally bought it too!

"What a totally disasterific day." I mumbled as Hi-chan and me entered our room. Well, technically it wasn't his room, seeing that Nee-chan and me lived together on the girl's side of the group home, but Hi-chan never slept in his room. Can't say we even know who his roomie would be either. We never really thought to check.

Normally boys weren't even allowed on our side of the home, but Auntie Reimi was totally overcome by the power of the puppy eyes! No one can withstand that awesome might that is my begging them! I could sooo bring peace to the Elemental Nations if I could like get all the kage in one room. Totally.

"What are you complaining about, Chibi-chan?" Hi-chan asked once he closed and secured the door. Cue 'resigned to my fate' sigh. Screen-writer-san, you're soooo getting fired for this.

"Nothing, Hi-hi, just tired." He can't tell the difference anyway, right?

"You couldn't lie your way out of a paper bag, now what happened?" Le sigh.

"Fine, Inuzuka-sensei was kinda nosing around during class. I mean, it's not like we had anything better to do - seeing that she planned on talking about herbs and stuff, which I totally aced like forever ago." And of course Hi-chan starts motioning with his hands to get to the point.

"Long story short, she was asking why people dislike me, and I was like totally at a loss as to what to say so I was like 'What would Hi-chan do?' then it totally hit me and I shrugged it off and just kept looking at all the cool plants and stuff." That hurt him. I knew it hurt him. It had to hurt him. His eyes went wide at first, totally in shock, then he kinda went all mushy on me when I was wondering what to do. He totally worries about me. Oh Em Gee!

"Oh Em Gee, Hi-hi, are you like crushing on me?" I teased him. If Nee-chan were here he would totally deny it, but it's just us, right?

"Oh Em Gee, like how did you know? Are you like totally reading my mind right now?" He teased me right back. I was all like 'Oh no you didn't!' and he was like 'Oh yeah I did!' and I like I totally smacked him for it! It was just a love tap, don't worry. I won't break him.

Then he was like all 'Oh no you didn't!' and I was like all 'Oh yeah I did!' so he poked me in my ribs with his finger. I totally squealed when he did that - I am sooo ticklish!

'Well, there are sooo many worse ways to end a day than a tickle fight with my Hi-hi. I'm sooo getting him to admit that he is totally crushing on me though!'

"So, Hi-chan, what are we not learning about this time?" I asked playfully as we sat down in Homeroom. Iruka-sensei was totally engrossed in his work, as always. He is sooo predictable.

"I think Umino-sensei was going to talk about the Economical and Industrial Revolution in Ame no kuni. We have pretty strong ties to them, so Umino-sensei wants us to learn some of their history too."

"So what are we going to be doing while he is talking about that?" I asked, nudging Nee-chan. She is totally going to say something about her paying attention while we goof off, then she'll be all like 'why weren't you paying attention when sensei talked about it' the day before the test. I totally have Nee-chan figured out, and she doesn't even know it. Evil smiley!

"I plan on paying attention, and you should too." Stick in the mud. Well, maybe I'll toy around with that new seal I was learning the other day. Hi-chan would never openly disobey Nee-chan, but if I could sneak something to him without her knowing, he'll never turn it down.

"Good morning, you three. Early as always, I see." Iruka-sensei finally looked up from whatever he was doing and finally noticed us. Well, that means it's time for my 'good little student' persona to take over. I am totally against it, but Nee-chan insists that we not draw attention to ourselves.

"Good morning, Iruka-sensei." Triple intonation greeting jutsu! I sooo wish I could use Ototon like Nee-chan! The things I could do with playing with sounds!

"Hi-chan, I totally know what I'm going to do today!" How I wish I could actually say it, but now that Iruka-sensei was actually paying attention I had to sign it to him instead. Luckily Nee-chan taught us signing forever ago, otherwise I would totally lose my mind in this class!

#Hi-hi, totally have plan. Sound-fuuin. Need Dragon. Help?# I totally laughed at remembering that to make Hi-chan's code name, I had to use the sign for 'light' twice. It was kinda weird, but in Senju Battle Signs using the same sign twice meant it was small. Using much or more made it big. So Hi-chan's codename was 'little light' or 'little fire'. My code name kinda sucked though: 'small small', or 'Chibi'. Hi-chan came up with it to get back at me for calling him 'little light' when we were choosing our codenames.

I had to create the sign for 'totally' though. I sooo don't get why no one else would think of creating it before!

#Affirmative.# I was sitting next to Nee-chan, but if I signed to her Iruka-sensei would see it, and we totally couldn't have him know what we were planning. He was sooo going to totally flip his lid on this one! Hi-chan hummed something I couldn't follow. That was his and Nee-chan's way of communicating during class. He was brainy enough to figure out how to take signing and turn that into some octave musical language-thingy.

#Dragon requests details.# Details? Am I like the leader now, or something?

#Chibi makes seal. Dragon powers seal withototon. Dragon activates seal. Dolphin-taichoutotally wets pants.# That would totally work! Now, I better get started on the seal. Wait, nooo. Iruka-sensei would totally see me working on it. But If I started working on it when he starts his droning, he would be like totally busy and will think I am taking a lot of notes! Sweet! This could sooo work!

#Dragon is unsure. Requests more details.# Hmm, good point. What do I want this seal to do? Oh, I know.

#Chibi makes seal to change much noise 2 0 noise. Totally!#

#Confirm. Two Zero Noise. Confirm.# Silly Nilly.

#Negative Hi-hi. Convert much noise to zero noise.# I spelled out zero that time. Silly boy.

#Understood.# Well, he totally needs to start reading my signs better. He like almost sent the whole plan into confusion!

I could see Nee-chan's lips curl up into a subtle smile after half a minute. #Dragon affirms. Commence on Dragon's mark.# It was sooooo hard to not smile at that too. But if I smiled, the cat was totally out of the bag,

#Understood.# Now it was just a waiting game. Well, at least I could totally start planning out my seal. I sooo hope I can get it to work properly in time...

"... so on March 23rd in 1465 RS, Hanzou the Salamander is finally defeated in honourable combat; handing the reins of power over to..." I was one of the lucky ones that had something interesting to totally focus on. Who cares about a lizard in Ame? Seals were soooo much cooler. Totally!

'Okay, I think this is it. I designed a 'blackhole' trap door to store all energy of a certain type within a perimeter of:

A=(E^3*16/(Ohm-natural*3))/30T^2

Where A is the affected Area in millimetres.

E is the energy put into the seal in Joules.

Ohm-natural is the natural resistance to the element in Mega-Ohms.

T is time in seconds.

'Now since the natural sound resistance in the average classroom is actually pretty low, but not low enough to multiply the matter; so it's a liability here. And time is a total bummer!'

#Hi-hi. Seal complete. Awaiting mark.# There was a short pause.

#Dragon requests calculations.#

#Negative. Seal is totally stable. Request full throttle.#

#Confirm. Full throttle. Confirm.#

#Affirmative! Totally!# This is going to be good! I figure at full throttle, Nee-chan might be able to knock out all communication within the Academy for at least an hour. That would be sooooo cool! Sure, we'd get in trouble, but it'd be totally worth it!

True, I could have made it more long term, but I needed time to be a major factor so that it would wear off on its own. No point in risking long term damage, right? Totally the right thing to do.

#Mark in T minus ten seconds. Confirm.#

#Totally!#

When the countdown reached zero, Nee-chan reached over and slammed her whole palm on the seal. I was about to jump back in shock, when it hit me. Nothing could be heard. Nothing. Iruka's droning was completely muted, as were the now obviously rejoicing students surrounding us. Iruka looked like he was going to blow a fuse in his head! El Oh El!

"... do you have any idea how mu-... -ou three have caused this time! I ought to... -f weren't for Hokage-sama you all wou-... STOP PLAYING WITH THAT SEAL!" Iruka-sensei was totally Pee Oh-ed. Majorly. The fact that Nee-chan was practising with the newest seal in her arsenal right in the middle of his rant was soooo not helping. That is actually a habit of hers. I totally rock at seals, so I make them on the spot when I need them. She totally claims anything that catches her eye though! I don't mind so much, seeing that I owe her sooo much.

"Tatsuko-chan, may I have a look at that?" Hokage-sama asked her.

"That is sooo not happening; Nee-chan is totally possessive of her things. I remember the one time I-"

"If Hokage-sama asks you to do something you do it!" Iruka-sensei really needs to have his blood pressure checked.

"Have you been drinking too much coffee?" I sooo shouldn't have asked, because he was obviously suffering from acute nicotine deficiency. Smokers everywhere suffer from it, though I totally didn't peg him for a cancer stick user.

"Iruka-kun, I think I can handle it from here."

"..." Luckily for us, unluckily for sensei, Nee-chan chose that exact moment to test the seal again. His lips moved, and he bowed reverently, but no one would ever know what he said. And since he left before the light itch in my ears subsided, I totally think he just bugged out and ran! Ownage!

"Tatsuko-chan, please stop antagonizing your Academy instructor." Oh Em Gee! Hokage-sama is totally fighting to not laugh! "You three do realise that your little prank blotted out all sounds for miles in every direction?" He was more serious this time. Totally not cool. That was a fun prank! And I totally refuse to accept that anyone could possibly be hurt by it!

"You three have no idea what kind of position I am placed in." Totally serious. "On the one hand, there is proper decorum and your prank disturbed not only your class but many serious business meetings throughout Konoha. The fact remains though, that Yuuna-chanmanaged to defuse the seal - and therefore an indeterminable timespan where everyone in its effective radius, for all intents and purposes, would be deaf - lessens that somewhat."

"On the other hand, Yuuna has just created a very useful seal that deserves a lot of study to assess the potential."

"Which is hereby denied to the public and/or shinobi ranks." Uh oh. Nee-chan has that gleam in her eye again. This is sooo not going to end well.

"But-" The Hokage was pouting? KAWAII!

"But nothing. Until we are officially graduated and ensconced by the hitae-ate of Konoha, we are mere civilians. As such, our services are renderable - and therefore deniable - to any we so choose." Go Nee-chan. Go Nee-chan. Go, go, go Nee-chan.

"And what would you like in return for this seal's mysteries?" He actually smiled at her? Jeez, Nee-chan has some weird powers over this old guy.

"You know what I want, and so far you have successfully withheld it from me."

"Am I to understand that you willingly overpowered the seal to that extent just to be escorted to my office in what is usually the calmest part of my day?"

"No, that was Yuuna's idea, well the overpowering it anyway. I went along with the prank to be sent here though. And with Iruka-sensei gone, you really have no excuse why you can't do it. Now are you going to be a man about it, or not?" Okay... Totally not following. Can we go back a few steps here, I am sooo lost.

"Thirty-two hours. That has got to be a record, you know that?" Hokage-sama placed his kage hat neatly on the desk and walked around. Of course we were standing at attention more or less two metres from his desk, so he didn't come too close to us when he finished a half lap around his desk and half sat on its top.

Without warning Tatsuko jumped into the Hiruzen's happily waiting arms, embracing the girl he had thought so many times he had lost forever. Even I could see, even though it was brief, they were reunited. Not as head of state and civilian, not as principal and student (which was technically the case since Hokage was the head position over the Ninja Academy). Not even as Hokage and kunoichi.

A man in the winter of his life, was reconciled with his granddaughter in the spring of hers. "I've missed you, Saru-ji-chan."

"And I, you, Tsu-chan."

'Kawaii!'

Well, after that heart warming scene, Nee-chan decided to drag us to the library to make up for the day of class we were missing out on. Something was different about Nee-chan; she was smiling. I mean like, smiling-smiling. Like the eyes twinkling, face glowing, can't help but laugh at the stupidest thing smiling. She was totally giddy!

"Hi-chan, I think Nee-chan is totally crushing on Hokage-sama." I teased as we scoured the library for the books we wanted. Hi-chan was totally going for one of those acupuncture books again, it was becoming a theme with him. Nee-chan was totally looking for a new book on psychological profiling, with a side of katon/suiton jutsu scrolls.

As for me? I was sooo going to write Hokage-sama a letter of complaint regarding the distinct lack of the 'Pretty Pink Pony and friends' series I was totally hooked on. But seeing that Nee-chan was about to tell me something waaay harsh, I decided to go with my second best bet: Designing a master seal, Prodigy edition - by Namikaze Minato. Who knew that Yondaime-sama wrote a book? I was soooo getting a copy to keep at home!

As I lost myself in the PSDs, Algorithms, designing the perfect seal by the power of elimination, advanced calculus for seals masters... Kami-sama, I love fuuinjutsu! Anyway, as I got lost in the sheer vastness and totally attractive way to explain the subject, something struck me. Uzumaki Naruto was still alone.

"Nee-chan?" I ventured, hoping that she would hear me. I was totally whispering to not alert the Librarian that we were in the Jounin section of the library - we were already there, so she can just go suck on some cheese.

"I already started the process. Naruto should officially be our responsibility by day's end." Kami-sama, how does she do that? She totally just read my mind!

"But-"

"Hikaru's keeping an eye on him for us until then." Like, big eyed smiley! I am sooo going to learn how to do that! Mind reader no-jutsu! Ohhh poopie!

"But-"

"Hikaru's already learned that jutsu from Aoba-sensei- and he uses it better than both of us combined. If anything is going on, we'll know." Okay, this is sooo not funny any more. I am sooo writing a letter of complaint to Hokage-sama about this.

"But-"

"I already told Naruto to meet us here after class lets out. So we only have to wait about two hours for him. Do you want to start looking for some books for him?"

"But-"

"Imouto-chan, he's fine. Or do you doubt that your Hi-chan can actually track him that well?"

I paused to think about that. I had managed to make like thirty crows when I really focussed, so if Hi-chan was better that that there should be no problem right? "I just-"

"I know, Imouto-chan. I know." She looked up from her book and our eyes met for a long silent moment. "That's why we're doing something about it."

"But-"

"We can't change the past, Imouto-chan. All we can do is make the future better." I am sooo going to learn how to do that!

Time seemed to pass all too quickly as I started bringing up favourite jutsu style even further, totally helping it to reach brand new heights. If Nee-chan were to analyse it for me, she would sooo compare it to playing a piano piece designed for twelve fingers... or something unrealistic like that. Totally not my thing!

So when Naruto-nii finally showed up I was more than happy to get my nose out of that book for a few seconds. Don't push your luck though, I was sooo coming back for more!

"Welcome to the book club, are you a new member?" Hi-chan teased, he didn't even look up from his book. Bookworm!

"I... uh... ummmm... that is..." Totally not focussed. He is sooo going to learn to change that!

"Just sit down." Nee-chan instructed. "Do you know why you're here?" Oh Em Gee! We were totally doing the Godfather scene! I am going to make you an offer you can't refuse. Total classic!

"Ummm... no?"

"We started coming here two days ago. We pick out one or two books and study them as best we can using three separate but closely related techniques." Okaaay, so that was why she kept asking me what was written on page X somewhere in the middle of the page. Totally not cool to do that without warning! Or at least consent!

"The reason is simple, even though Iruka-sensei is trying to teach us, we have to teach ourselves. If you want in our little group, you will have to learn to swim and fly right alongside us." Okay, we totally never go swimming any more! And I sooo don't remember flying anywhere!

"Why are you doing this?" Naruto-nii asked subdued.

"Because no one else will." You sooo don't need to say it like that.

"So why are you any different?" Umm, duh? And people tell me that I'm clueless?

"Birds of a feather, I suppose." Was Hikaru using his Kurogaresu no-jutsu again? I sooo didn't see any birds around anywhere!

Naruto-nii looked really, really... I mean like totally disheartened. My heart totally went out to him, totally getting how he felt!

"Look, I am not expecting you to trust us because we helped you out. I am not asking you to be buddy buddy with us because we ask you to sit down to a table with us that we are not even really allowed to sit down at." Okay, this is totally counter-intuitive!

"So what are you trying to do?" Yeah, Nee-chan, what are you trying to do?

"I am trying to free your mind." Morpheus? This is sooo AU; and did he totally henge into my Nee-chan? Sooo not cool!

Even Hi-chan's eyebrow shot up at Nee-chan's totally Oh Oh Cee words.

"Huh?" Naruto-nii was totally confugled! Ditto!

"Tell, me Uzumaki. Why do people hate you?"

"..." Total confugulation! Poor thing was totally uninformed. What would I be like if Nee-chan had never started teaching me? A total ditz, no doubt about it. No redeeming feature either. I am sooo writing to the Hokage about that too! I'd better make a list, now what was the first thing he needed to hear about again?

"I don't know." When Naruto-nii finally uttered those words a book I picked out for him was jostled across the table only to stop with the writing the right way up for him too read. "The Uzumaki Clan, the story behind the legend - by Uzumaki Mito?"

"You will have more questions when you are finished, but you will understand a lot more." He eyed the eight-hundred sixty two page book suspiciously. "Lesson one: power reading."

"So the Uzumaki clan and the Senju clan are distant relatives? As in the Senju clan that founded Konoha?" Naruto-nii's underused mind was abustle with new ideas, information and - le gasp - thoughts!

"Closer than you might think. Uzumaki Mito was the Shodai Hokage's wife. And the Uzushio-gakure swirl decorates the uniforms of each and every Konoha shinobi."

"Seriously?" Naruto was quick to find out that making any noise and alerting the librarian would really Pee Oh Nee-chan - courtesy of an activated 'soundless seal' and a totally bruised shoulder - so he made sure to talk softly like the rest of us.

"Seriously, and the Kitsunaga clansmen were their most loyal retainers." I rolled my eyes at her creative explanation.

"Retainers? Buy only-"

"Only royalty are allowed to have retainers?" And there comes the first of many odd questions in Nii-san's mind. "You're right. The Senju, Uzumaki and Uchiha clans are the only shinobi clans in Hi no kuni that were considered royalty and were therefore allowed to have retainers."

"But I thought-"

"That the Uzumaki were from the Whirlpool Country and therefore should have no legal standing in the Fire Country?" That mind reader no-jutsu is dangerous! "Technically you're right, but seeing that the ties between the Senju and Uzumaki clans were so close the Uzumaki clan was officially instated in the Fire Country's nobility in addition to their home country."

"But if I'm-"

"Royalty, why are you so hated in a village that bears your clan's markings so intimately?" You know what, I'm going to start looking for that jutsu scroll! Right now!

"Did you notice that you are not the only one hated in Konoha?" Naruto could only dumbly nod at that. He clearly didn't like it, but it was kinda hard not to notice. "Who are the others?"

"Well," He looked around at us curiously. I could totally tell what he was thinking! "You guys, I guess." I totally knew he was going to say that! That sooo deserves a high five!

"What do we have in common then?" Are those crickets chirping? Oh Em Gee! I totally hear crickets!

"When you understand that, Naruto, then you will have the answers you seek. Until then, here is the next book you need to read." Uzumaki Fuuinjutsu 101, where it all began - by Uzumaki Kushina.

Totally a must read!

End Chapter 15

A/N: Kiravu! Kiravu! Kiravu! Poor thing had to read this at least three times through! Poor thing. She really hates the type of girl Yuuna is :S So please, those of you that know Kiravu, please thank her!

I may have produced this fairly quickly, but I had a LOT of trouble with it! That was actually the whole point behind it. As a writer I want to be able to capture the spirit of my character completely, and I think I did it annoyingly well! Tell me what you think guys, did you love Yuuna before and hate her now? Do you think I overdid it a bit with the American ditzy chick persona? I would usually ask Kiravu, but I know her answer lol, she hates Yuuna with a passion now :P If you see a bimbo getting stabbed in her fics, you know it's really Yuuna in there lol.

Question though! Does anyone miss my little outtakes with the characters at the end of the chapter? I am thinking of putting them back in, and in some cases start throwing in an Omake from time to time. No, not as a chapter in itself, I mean at the end of a chapter. Tell me what you think, okay!

Taichou- Captain.

Hitae-ate - Forehead protector, headband. That thing that identifies what village you hail from.

Hi no kuni - Fire country.

Ame no Kuni - Rain country.

Henge- Transformation/transform.

Confugled/confugulation - Thoroughly confused/thorough confusion. Don't try to use this word at home; it is known to give you blond streaks in your hair! You have been warned.