Winter Friday 9:09 am
x12 ANT (Twelve years after Nine Tails)
She promised her family she wouldn't cause any problems on the first day. No matter how much she wiggled, the strength of three grown men kept her pinned to the ground. All the while, someone that smelled like fish rummaged through her pockets. Her first day at the ninja academy and she would be late. Shifting in the dirt once more, she screamed into the cloth that stuffed her mouth damping the fabric. Her golden eyes glimmered in contrast to the silver-eyed thief, their hands leaving her dark pants as the little money she had stuffed into her attacker's pocket.
She was defenseless, her heart pounding in her chest. Being taken by surprise and dragged into the dank, musty alleyway was all the proof she needed. "Kid. People carry money in other places, check it all." The voice came from the side with a disgruntled tone, and the person shrouded in a black cloak gave a slight nod. She felt her chest tighten as she worked to suppress her sobbing. Her boots dug into the ground, chest puffed in and out as his slimy hands tugged at her pants. It seemed luck was in her favor. Someone yelled at them, causing the three men and the boy to free her.
Watching one of them pull out some sort of brown ball, the narrow alley filled with smoke in seconds, and she was free. She stood dashing through the hazy cloud, not wanting to lose her attackers. Reaching the street, she let out a low growl, tears rolling down her cheek. Losing the cash her father gave her, and now covered in dirt, she fought the urge to go home. "Fish and silver eyes." Murmuring those words, she carried herself towards the academy.
It didn't take long to reach her destination, and adding the fact she stopped by the restroom to fix herself made this accomplishment even better. Though upset, she stood in front of the classroom, faces she would need to remember staring at her. Looking back at Iruka, she smiled as he gave her the signal. "My name is Saki Doubutsu. I hope we get along." Following her brief introduction with a bow, she waited to hear where she would sit. Most of the first three rows had taken, leaving the rest of the seating in the back of the room available. Listening to Iruka, Saki stayed still as he left the room. She knew one person in this room, and that took some pressure off her shoulders. Before she could make her way toward Naruto, another classmate stood.
Aju skipped joyfully to the fresh addition, her cheeks straining at how wide she grinned. "Welcome! You're the second transfer this year. My name is Aju Katsuki." The young girl held her hand out, expecting some sort of greeting.
Saki eyed the tanned girl before partaking in the handshake. Nose twitching at the scent of goat's fur, she shook her head, removing her hand. "Who transferred before me?"
The bubbly girl latched her arm around Saki, dragging her around the classroom. "Naoko Nara came a few months before you. We know little about her, but she's quiet. I tried to introduce her to everyone, and she strangely whimpered." Dark-reddish hair bounced as they walked, the two short twin tails giving her a raggedy appearance.
Saki struggled against Aju's grip. It was like she was trying to free her arm from a seven-ton boulder. Giving up midway, she turned her attention to the other transfer student. Yet another tanned girl, the difference being her hazel eyes, was oddly dark. "She seems nice, but could you let me go?" After being released, she massaged her arm while she waited for the rest of the tour.
Aju mentally cursed herself before pointing at yet another student. "A couple of seats from Naoko. We have Mia Kobayashi. She is an outstanding student, always achieving one of the top grades in the class. She seems to have a special charm that has made most of the boys in this class swoon." Rephrasing some of the instructor's words, she smiled, introducing the next child. "Next to Mia is the famed Sasuke Uchiha. I won't need to say anything about him; his fan girls will do all the talking." Watching Iruka march back inside, the young girl stepped to the side, "I'll introduce the rest during lunch," heading to her chair, she greeted Ino.
Upturned golden eyes picked apart the brown-haired idol. Mia had a dignified aura surrounding her, and if Aju's words were true, then the fans made sense. Leaning forward, Saki took one more glance around the room before settling at an empty seat. Turning her head, she gagged at the horrid aroma of sardines. The source of such smell emitted from her desk mate, who was currently head first sleeping. Ignoring the white-haired child, she readied herself for today's teachings.
Luckily, the instructor gave her some handwritten books on what she should catch up on, and as time passed, Iruka left once again. During this time, Aju took the seat on the opposite side of her, continuing the makeshift tour with Naruto looming over her shoulder. "We left off on Mia, right? Next, there is Koyuka Chinoike. Now these aren't my words, but people call him a brat." Before she could dwell on those characteristics, Naruto chimed in.
"He acts like he owns the world, like Sasuke over there." Scooting to the side to get closer to Saki. "Forget this tour! I can show you this entire school and everyone in a flash!" The blonde brat gave his trademark grin, only for a flying eraser to smack him in the face. With no words, he returned the favor, tossing it back at Kiba.
In a matter of minutes, paper balls and what could only be fruit were flying across the room, some people joining in while others hid. During the small skirmish, Iruka came back only to be slapped in the face by a saliva-covered paper ball which resulted in everyone that took part cleaning up and the rest being sent outside.
Saki crossed her arms over her chest, the purple cropped loose t-shirt she wore underneath her mesh tank top wrinkled with slight movements. During the fight, Aju got involved, and some other children she has yet to meet.
Gold eyes watched as water poured out of the faucet. On her first day, even if she was mugged before getting there, the school had a pleasant atmosphere. Pale fingers twisted the rusty knob, a sigh parting her lips as she left the restroom. Although the hallway was quite lengthy, a faint smell of mold was detectable beneath the marble flooring as she walked. The ninja academy didn't seem rundown. Each wall had a coated of fresh paint and when she first came in; the sign seemed brand new. Above everything else, the classroom gave the impression that had frequent renovations.
Turning the corner, she stopped in her tracks, watching a short-stature girl with what could be black hair with a hint of dark red along the ends chase the boy Aju mentioned earlier. Although being told his name, she had trouble remembering.
"Koyuka sure knows better than to piss off Cree. Supposedly, the last person who tried something had to drop out. Apparently, she cut his tongue and made his dog eat it." Saki cringed at the horrible rumor. Even if this Cree girl was loud, such a rumor wasn't necessary. "Hey new kid, I am Rika Sakamoto. Let's be friends?" Taking in the chubby face, the edges of her lips curved into a grin.
"Sure, thanks for being straightforward." Replying to the thick girl, Saki's golden eyes watched as many of the students cheered on Cree for tackling Koyuka like a bear pinning its cubs.
"Aju was giving you a tour first? I can do it better." Not questioning the confidence, Saki let Rika think whatever.
"We have the infamous mutt, Kiba, the boy with the hooded fur coat and stripes on his face." Reddish-tanned skin pointed towards the corner of the courtyard. "You can't miss him. Smells like dog fur and acts like one sometimes. Next to him is Ino; she's what most boys in this class call a blond bombshell." Rika giggled before going to the next set of students. "Then there is Strom. He's weird, but some people find him attractive, I guess. Uh, is there anyone Aju didn't cover? I take it you know Naruto and Mia? Those are two Aju always covers first."
Saki took in the two unfamiliar names, and to help keep the conversation going, she pointed at someone and Rika would say a name with extra information. It would stop once she got to the last person in the class.
"Ah, that's Fuko. He sleeps during every class and the teachers would make him sit on the ground holding a bucket of water above his head to keep him awake. What else… people say he has pretty eyes. I think they're like clear silver?" Finishing her statement, she felt a chill run down her spine. This was a similar feeling when she accidentally pissed off Cree. "Did he do something to you?"
Saki stared at the sleeping boy, her vision blurring. The person who dug through her pockets smelled of fish and had silver eyes. Even her instincts were telling her it was him, inhaling and exhaling she stopped herself from outright attacking him. Tilting her head, her eyes didn't waver. "He did."
Winter Friday 12:34 am
Everyone watched as Aju dismantled Kiba during the light sparring. To say he put up much resistance would be lying. The young girl made him look like a lost child searching for their mother, and throughout it all, Saki couldn't keep her attention on the battle. The person who had her pinned and stole her money was a few feet away, watching the aftermath with open eyes. With the full frame, she noticed too many similarities for him not to be the culprit. Unfortunately, she was the new girl and if she asked about him, it would seem odd. The funny part about this was the fact he knew exactly how she looked, and when he would look at her, there was no sign of guilt. Keeping her anger in check, she ignored the next battle that took place.
"Damn, did he steal your underwear or something?" Cree plopped next to the redhead, joining her in glaring at the boy across the room. "He doesn't seem like a pervert, but you never know… ya know?"
Saki gave the small girl a questioning glance before rolling her eyes. "You think I would've left him alive if he did that? He just wronged me." She filled with seething rage as she remembered the way his hands moved carelessly through her pockets and the obnoxious laughter that followed from the adults.
Following her words, dark eyes picked apart the new girl. Cree knew people avoided her altogether, so she took her chance of speaking with Saki before anyone could spill the rumors about her. "You should follow him home and burn his belongings." Smiling, she kicked her feet in the air, unexpectedly freezing at Saki's reply.
"Interesting, I like that idea… but that will cause a world of problems I can't handle." Not minding Cree's destructive plan, she figured if she was going to take revenge, it had to be behind closed doors.
Snickering at Naruto flinging Ino out of bounds, Cree offered more of her knowledge. "That bastard is always sleeping and stinks like fucking fish. I don't keep track of when he's around, but I overheard some people say he comes to class once or twice a week."
Listening to Cree speak, Saki counted the number of eyes on them and not the match. Even if she was the new student, everyone should pay attention to the match. That only meant they were staring at the girl sitting next to her. Curious about all the allegations against the small girl, she pondered if Cree was really all that they named her to be. Sure, this lifestyle was new to her, but even she knew how words can influence others. Distracting herself from the attention, she asked about the next fight. "So, what do you think of the two about to fight?"
Glancing towards Sasuke and Strom for a moment, Cree rolled her eyes. "Edge lord and the slimy fucker? I don't care about Strom, but dear god, Sasuke is all some people talk about here. I swear they need to get off their knees and breathe a little." Gagging and mimicking puke noises, she pointed towards the brown-haired child with a faded pompadour cut. "They say you can't trust a man that knows how to talk well to everyone, which applies to Strom."
Not bothering to question the quote, she took a long look at the dark-haired Uchiha. In the days leading up to her first day; she studied Konoha's history along with those with prominent names in the academy just to know what to expect. For example, Aju Katsuki is part of a clan with a deep history of espionage and if she were to take what they wrote to heart, then the Katsuki were two-faced. Simple research could take someone a long way, and it helped ease her curiosity. Her brief meeting with the girl gave her a warm feeling and felt genuine, so whether it was the truth or fabricated, shouldn't define the person.
Lost in thought for the duration of the sparring match, it shocked her to discover three people standing around Cree.
"Listen, Saki right? Limit contact with this bitch. She broke my friend's nose the other day, all because her mother was called a slut." The child wore a smug grin, challenging the ill-tempered girl to strike. "AFTER ALL HER MOTHER ONLY KNOWS HOW TO DO IS DRINK AND SUCK," fingers dug into the poor girl's mouth, palm forcing her headfirst into the ground.
Watching as Cree threw fist after fist at the girl's face, surprise caught her when one of the remaining friends grabbed a fistful of her shirt. "Get her off, Rose!" The verbal aggression in the air was palpable, but Saki maintained her calm and collected demeanor. Spit hit her in the face as the concerned friend yelled. Naruto attempted to reason with the livid girl, which resulted in him being shoved into Kiba and yet another fight starting.
Saki's nose flared as she sighed before being thrown onto the ground. This village wanted to test her, yet she knew exactly where to take her anger out. Leaving Cree to deal with her own mess, she stood at one-hundred and forty-seven centimeters eying down the silver-eyed boy, whose sweat lingered down his forehead.
And she swung.