warnings: minor character death, violence, mentions of bullying
When I get to school the next day, Miss Momoko tells me, Aburame, Hyuuga, and Uchiha our team assignments. Those three are all on a team together; when I hear I'm not part of it, I tune out the rest of what Miss Momoko is saying - because I don't really care who their high-rank ninja teacher is - until she turns to face me.
"Matsushita, you'll be part of Team Eleven with Yakushi Kabuto, Tsurugi Misumi, and your teacher, Sueno Hotaka. They should be here in an hour; head over to 1-F to get your picture taken and get your registration card and number in the meantime," she tells me, and I nod, bowing before heading to the door. She returns to her work.
Once I get my picture taken (I'm glad I wasn't told to smile, though - I hate trying to smile on command, and I think I look better with a neutral expression anyway) and get my registration card, only about twenty minutes have passed. I decide to head out to the tree with the swing on it and climb the tree while I wait.
I daydream idly, switching from topic to topic for the next forty minutes while I wait, and then, eventually, I see three people walking up to the school: one of them has glasses and brown hair and looks older than the others (our teacher, then); another has really light hair, almost silverish, and is also wearing glasses; and the last has a bandana covering his head and a mask over his face. I steel myself, deciding that they must be my teammates, and jump out of the tree, bending my knees with the fall once I hit the ground, arms splayed out for balance. I straighten back up and walk toward them.
"Uh, hi, I'm Matsushita Setsuna," I say before realizing that they're all boys. Everyone who bullied me is a boy. I don't want to be rude, so I just look away and tighten my ponytail some.
"Hello, Setsuna," the brown-haired adult says. "I'm Sueno Hotaka, and this is Yakushi Kabuto," he says, gesturing to the silver-haired kid. Yakushi bows a little, pushing up his glasses afterward. I feel relief that I wasn't wrong about who this trio was.
"Nice to meet you, Setsuna," Yakushi says. I get a little annoyed; it's one thing for my teacher to call me by my given name, but I don't even know Yakushi.
"This here is Tsurugi Misumi," our teacher says, pointing out the kid wearing the bandana and mask.
Tsurugi rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Hi."
I don't really respond, too intimidated to think of anything to say.
Our teacher leads us to the field and has us sit down; it's empty, because there's really no one else at the Academy right now (it's summer break).
He claps his hands together before leaning back slightly. "Let's introduce ourselves a bit more thoroughly. I like gardening and dislike sour food. I want to teach lots of low-rank ninja and help them get stronger."
Tsurugi's eyebrows curve downwards, mask shifting a little bit. "Teacher, we've already done that," he complains, folding his hands over his arms.
"Not when Setsuna was here," Yakushi points out. He turns to face me, smiling a little. "Well, I like medical chakra techniques and learning them. I dislike people who are arrogant without the skills to back it up. My goal is to become a medic ninja." Yakushi glances over at Tsurugi, eyebrow raising.
Tsurugi makes an angry noise but seems to decide arguing anymore isn't worth the trouble. "Fine. I like winning. I hate losing. My goal is to become strong." I decide I don't like this boy - and I'm a little afraid of him - but I try not to let it show.
"Uh... okay. Um, I like reading and learning new stuff. I don't like bullies. And my goal... is to become a high-rank ninja," I answer. I know other kids my age usually have dreams of becoming the Fire Shadow or something, but I don't think that's very realistic for me, since I come from a civilian family. Also, I don't know if I could handle being in charge of the whole village. Scary.
Mister Hotaka looks pleased - I think - and then we head over to a training field. We warm up by running sprints, which is way more difficult than the long distance running we did in the Academy, but even though I start getting tired very quickly after we start, I make sure to give it my all every time. I'm pretty fast (or I was, until I started getting tired), which makes me kind of happy. I know I need to work on it though.
Afterward, Mister Hotaka runs us through evasion and stealth drills, which is apparently so we have a better chance of surviving out in the field. I make sure to try my best at them too, even when I trip over roots or get caught almost immediately. If I'm going to be a high-rank ninja one day, then I need to make sure I work hard every day.
"Most opponents out there will be much faster, stronger, and more experienced than you. But-," there's a moment when he pauses, but for less than a second, "if you can hide well enough until they leave or backup arrives, you'll live to face another day," Mister Hotaka tells us.
After a moment, he crouches down in front of where I'm doing some cool-down stretches. "Setsuna, this goes double for you. You haven't been in the field yet, and you're a low-rank of about one day so far. If you meet an enemy ninja, you must acknowledge that they will, about 90 percent of the time, be better than you in most things. Once you hit puberty, that'll change a little - your chakra reserves will expand, and you'll approach your adult strength - but for now, I want you to focus on hiding and evasion." He seems really serious, and of course I don't want to die, so I make sure to commit the words "focus on hiding and evasion" to memory. He's high-rank, and kind of old, so I think he knows what he's talking about.
I think he seems kind of sad when he says that. Once the day ends, he smiles and tells me I'm on the team because I'm a hard worker. I don't really understand, though. Wasn't I already on the team? I go home a little confused, but decide it's not very important.
We settle into a new routine; I'm always exhausted when I get back at the house. Even though I'm usually too tired to talk much anymore, Dad is pretty happy that I'm so active now, and I think Mom is just glad I'm still in the village.
I didn't think of it at the time, but after a few weeks it occurs to me that teams are made with three low-rank ninja, not two; something must have happened to Team Eleven's other member. Considering they don't talk about them, I assume they died. Better not bring it up.
We continue to work on evasion and stealth. Mister Hotaka has me focus on long-range attacks with kunai or shuriken (I'm not a big fan of senbon. They're kind of unwieldy; there's not a lot of room for error. Kunai and shuriken are more straightforward and damaging), which is actually pretty fun. I like learning new things. Yakushi focuses on his medical studies, and Tsurugi is the close-range fighter. I can usually beat Tsurugi in hand-to-hand unless he brings in chakra techniques, though; but that makes him really, really mad. He's kind of mean when he's angry, but he's not mean like how the other kids were at the Academy, always making fun of me. He doesn't talk to me, but I don't want to talk to him, either. He reminds me of Etou.
I take some solace in the fact that I graduated earlier than Etou Hikaru did, but I'll probably always dislike him.
It's about 6 weeks later when we finally get the word that the Third Ninja War is over, though - the Third Earth Shadow and the Third Fire Shadow signed a treaty. About a month later Namikaze Minato, the Yellow Flash, hero of the Hidden Leaf Village, becomes the Fourth Fire Shadow. Sooooo cool. He can teleport or something? That's so amazing. I want to learn how he does that. Then everyone would like me and think I'm cool.
Almost immediately after the war is said to be over, though, Mister Hotaka starts signing us up for peacetime D-rank missions. We weed, find lost pets, clean dishes, paint fences, and other seriously boring stuff. It's not all bad, though; on one of the pet missions I found a baby kitten, all silvery with black stripes. It's kind of scruffy looking. I don't know where its parents are, or if it has an owner, but it's thin and so small I can hold it in my hands. I take it home with me after I determine that it's a stray and no one will miss it.
When I take the kitty home, my mom kind of freaks out a little. She eventually calms down, but tells me that I have to take care of the kitty and feed it and clean its litter box, and that we have to go to a vet to make sure the kitten is healthy. I ask Mister Hotaka where a good vet is the next practice.
He purses his lips. "Hmm. I'd say go to the Inuzuka clinic for the best service, but there's a civilian vet somewhere in the commercial district."
"Which is better?" I see Tsurugi making faces at me from behind Mister Hotaka. I get a little upset but try to just focus on what our teacher is saying.
"Well, the Inuzuka clinic costs more, but with the money you've earned from those D-ranks, you'd probably be able to pay for a visit," he says.
"By the way, Setsuna, what did you decide to name your cat?" Yakushi asks me. I'm not sure if I like him yet. He's polite to me, but I feel really awkward talking to him, and I don't need friends anyway. No one wanted to be my friend in the Academy, so maybe I'm just not destined for friendship.
"Her name is 'Plum'," I say.
"You named your gray cat after a green fruit?" Tsurugi asks with some disdain. You idiot, he's probably saying.
I stare down at the grass. No, I named her 'Plum' with my parents because we thought her eyes looked green like the fruit. But if I say anything, he'll just laugh at me. Actually, I want to say something - something like "what, you'd be able to name my cat better?" - but I've spent too much time thinking now. It'll be way too awkward if I say anything now.
I look away and don't answer.
Mister Hotaka dismisses us for the day, and thanks to all the training I've done, I make it to my house in about 5 minutes. Dad and Yasu aren't home - maybe Dad brought Yasu with him to work? - and Mom is working at the hospital. Once I make sure I have my wallet in my hoodie's pocket, I start looking for Plum. She isn't on the couch, or under it, or in the kitchen, or in my room, or Mom and Dad's room, or Yasu's room. I look in the bathroom, and she's hiding under the sink.
I giggle a little. What a silly kitty. I reach down and scoop her up. She's a little fussy, but I hold her close and not too tightly. I think I can carry her all the way to the Inuzuka compound where the clinic is. I don't run, but I do walk fast; I think we make good time.
I pet Plum a little bit on the way there, because I can tell she's not very happy, but eventually I get to the Inuzuka compound. There's a sign that says "Inuzuka Clinic inside", so I hold Plum a little more firmly (but not too firmly) and make my way through the gates.
Almost immediately a young girl with long hair and three gray dogs jump toward us. I startle, and Plum scratches my arm in protest.
"Sorry," I whisper to Plum, shifting so her head is on my shoulder again, and then look at the younger kid. I scratch Plum behind her ears, and after a moment, she starts purring.
"Hi! I'm Inuzuka Hana!" she says brightly. She spots Plum. "Oh! The vet place is this way, come on!" she says, and I follow her. I'm kind of relieved someone found me; it was a little awkward walking through the compound alone.
"I'm gonna be a vet one day," she tells me as we make our way to the clinic.
"That's cool," I say. And it is cool, but not really something I'm actually interested in.
When we get to the clinic, Hana holds open the door for me. Her three dog companions scuffle in the dirt beside her, letting out little barks and yips as they play-fight.
"Thank you," I say quietly, and then head to the tall counter. I can't really reach the top; I try to peer over it, to see if there's a bell or something, but I'm too short.
"Grandma Kaori! There's a customer!" Hana yells for me, almost startling me as bad as a few minutes ago.
An old woman opens the door in the back, walking out to see what's going on. Her hair is gray and cropped short, and she's wearing the standard middle-rank flak jacket. Despite how old she looks, her red face markings don't seem to have aged at all.
"What's your name?" she asks, leaning over the counter.
I step back. "Matsushita Setsuna. Um, I have- This is Plum. I found her a few days ago- My mom said I needed to bring her to a vet if I wanted to keep her-"
Kaori held up a hand. "Okay, first time vet visit for you and the kitten. You know how to take care of a cat?"
I look down and off to the side, a little embarrassed. "No..."
"Well, that's fine. You can learn now," she says, and leans over the counter to pick up Plum. "Where'd you find her?"
"Um... I was on a D-rank, and it was near... uh, someplace by a bunch of stalls that sell food."
The old woman raises an eyebrow but continues to look over the cat. "Looks like she's around 6 or 7 months old. Alright. Wait out here," she tells me. She takes Plum with her to another room, and I lean back and forth, lightly swinging my arms in front and behind me in worry.
Hana and her three dogs walk up to me. I turn around, pausing, and then Hana leans in close to smell me. I scrunch up my face.
"What was that for?" I ask, a little bewildered.
"I'm just smelling you," she says as if it's plainly obvious. Is that normal? Do people usually do that? I lean back, frown, and then lean forward and sniff her too. She smells... Actually, I'm not really sure what she smells like. Dogs? Whatever she smells like, it's not that important.
She ends up wrestling with her dogs after we fall into silence. I don't really want to talk to her anymore; it's really kind of awkward. I don't know what to say to her. After a while, she leaves, and I wait in the room alone.
Eventually, Inuzuka Kaori comes out of the other room with a pet carrier. Plum is nowhere to be seen. Probably in the room or pet carrier?
I get up, but don't say anything. I'm a little nervous.
"Alright, I gave Plum some vaccinations, but I'm going to need you to make an appointment and come back later if you want her spayed."
What? "Spayed?"
She barks out a laugh. "Right, you wouldn't know. Spaying is the removal of the ovaries from a cat."
Ovaries. I know that word. Where have I heard it before?
I scowl, biting my lip for a second in concentration.
Okay. I can't remember. "What are ovaries?" I ask.
She puts the pet carrier on the ground next to me. "They're organs that hold eggs. People who have 'em can give birth."
"You mean... my mom has ovaries?" I ask incredulously. And I do too?
"Well, if she gave birth to you, then yeah," Inuzuka Kaori laughs.
"Why would I need to get Plum, uh- spayed?" I ask.
"Well, if you don't want to see kittens anytime soon..."
No way. My mom was upset at seeing one unexpected cat; I'm not sure she'd let me keep others. "No."
"Well, do you want to make an appointment now, or...?"
I think about it. I'm probably going to talk to my mom first, if only because I'll probably need to borrow some money from her, too. "Um. Later," I say, placing a hand at the side of my neck and not meeting her eyes.
"Alright, kid. Here's the bill." She hands me it, and I count out the money carefully. Just enough. I'm glad. "See you around!" she says, throwing a pamphlet at me. I catch it, looking it over briefly. Oh, it's about taking care of a cat.
"Thanks. Uh, goodbye!" I say before leaving with the pet carrier, avoiding everyone as I head back home.
I make a new appointment for Plum after talking with my mom, who was actually more helpful than I thought she would be (I think she's warmed up to Plum, though I can't say the same of my dad, who calls Plum a rat).
We take our first C-rank about a week after I turn 9; I think Teacher was making us wait for my birthday, but I'm not going to confront him about it. It's a little annoying, but D-rank missions are also important jobs, no matter how gross or disgusting or tedious they are. Our first C-rank is kind of uneventful. I was expecting at least bandits or something, but there was nothing besides wildlife for the two weeks we guarded that merchant. I still haven't had any field combat experience, but Teacher is making us spar more and more and running us through combat drills.
I still usually beat Tsurugi, but Yakushi is more difficult to beat. He's tricky, and doesn't shy from stuff like poking me in the eye or kneeing me in the groin (not that I don't do that either, because if I see a chance, I'll take it). I don't think I'm even a million years close to getting good enough to defeat Teacher in combat, though. Everytime I think I'm getting better, he steps it up and makes me realize how much he was holding back before.
Yasumaru enters the Academy's autumn group about a month later. I was hoping this would make him less annoying, but every day at dinner it's always "Setsuna, I bet you didn't learn about this when you were at the Academy" or something like that. Mom has finally stopped acting weird about me being a ninja - well, mostly. She keeps trying to get me to become a medic ninja, since they have less dangerous jobs.
I like reading Mom's medical texts, but I'm not so sure I want to become a medic ninja. Maybe. I'm only 9. I have time to decide.
I'm in the library's low-rank section late in the evening one night, looking at a scroll on sealing techniques, when I feel malicious, monstrous chakra settle down as if someone had thrown a blanket on top of me. It doesn't feel anything like regular chakra, like human chakra. Whatever this monster is, it hates me. It wants me dead. The scroll falls out of my hands and flutters to the ground.
I can't move. I can barely breathe; I'm gasping at the heavy atmosphere. I don't know how long I'm frozen in fear, feeling like I'm continuously one second away from dying, but eventually another low-rank scrambles past me, shaking. I hit a bookshelf, shoulder thumping into the wood and book spines, and that snaps me out of it. What's going on? Is the village under attack?
I stumble toward the exit, cold fear coiling around me. Once I make it outside- it's all chaos. People are running, screaming. In the dark distance, I see a towering red-orange monster bellowing, tails flicking and swiping behind and around it. A Tailed Beast?
Wait. Mom and Dad and Yasumaru and Plum! I have to find them! They aren't ninja. I run toward where my house is, shrieks of chakra techniques and human fear filling the air. I try not to let my thoughts gather on what could have happened, if they're alright or not - I just need to find them. I'll deal with whatever's happened then.
The monster gets bigger as I head toward my house, and I can't get a deep breath anymore. I'm shaking and terrified. I'm going to die. I'm going to die.
I swallow hard and press on, trying to ignore how my thoughts have stuck in a loop of that repeating phrase. More ninja are around, and as I move to pass one by, one grabs me by my hoodie, yanking on the hood so I'll stop. I choke for a moment before turning around, fear momentarily replaced by spiking anger.
"Wh-" I begin, but the ninja (middle-rank, judging by their vest) cuts me off.
"Fire Shadow's orders! Non-adult ninja are to evacuate to the barrier!" they snap, and I realize blood is all over their clothes and face.
I want to protest, but this is an order. I nod, and then everything blurs together for a few seconds as they drag me along until I'm suddenly thrown from the ninja's grip. I catch a glimpse of a fiery red tail burning through most of the other ninja in an instant as I try to look up from where I'm laying on the ground.
My arm hurts. Gods, my arm hurts.
But- they were- they're just an arm now! That could have been me. That was almost me. Oh, gods. I can't move. I'm frozen again. Blood splattered against me, gravel digging into my stomach.
Move! Move! Get out of the way! Get up! GET UP! I furiously think at myself, but nothing works; I can't move at all.
I'm about to die. I'm about to die. I'm 9 years old. I don't want to die. Please. Please, I don't want to die.
Another tail slams into the ground nearby, and I'm thrown into the air, tumbling backwards, and then my back and head connect with something-
I wake in a hospital.