Spring Monday 9:12 am
x12 ANT (Twelve years after Nine Tails)
Butterflies batted around, taking the nutrients from the burning star in the sky. Ladybugs made appearances after a long winter. The snow that littered the ground melted, leaving some puddles nearby. With winter ending and spring rearing its pearly whites, the academy was entering a new phase. Students would prepare to become ninjas, where grades started to matter and people grew. The latest student, Saki, came in three months ago, and the second she touched down, the atmosphere changed. Iruka rubbed his temple, watching the students take a mock test. In his opinion, things gradually improved, despite the rocky beginning.
Because of the altercation, Cree had a three-day suspension, and Saki had to apologize to Fuko. Although she claimed he and three grown men mugged her, no one took her words seriously. To say there was bad blood between the two was an understatement. After having his nose broken, he demanded money to get himself checked, which resulted in the Doubutsu clan handing such Ryō over. Since then, Iruka felt like if he left them alone, Saki would tear the poor boy apart. That negative didn't outweigh the positive. Cree, although still getting in trouble, has mellowed out in a way. He assumed it was because of the trouble she would put her mother through, but he saw Saki sticking up for Cree when she wasn't around. According to Aju, since that day those two hang around each other.
With Cree being in less trouble than before, he felt taller, like a curse dispelled. There was a project he was going to assign and the students would need to be paired in groups of four, and the last thing he wanted was to pair up students that would kill each other. On another hand, Naoko, the second transfer, was creeping out of her shell from the constant attacks of Aju and Rika. Their friendly disposition and welcoming appearance allowed them to chip at her outer shell. She never partook in-class activities, let alone made herself known most of the time she was simply there.
"Time!" Standing up, he shook his head. The food he ate earlier came back to haunt him. "Mia, collect the papers and place them on my desk." Excusing himself, he made his way to the restroom.
As she stretched her legs, her teal doe-shaped eyes carefully surveyed the area. Iruka assigned a task that seemed too effortless, yet she could feel the tension in the air, and she knew her classmates were up to something. She started from the left side, only to stop five papers in as Kiba was making yet another scene. This was slowly becoming a common occurrence. The human-dog would provoke Saki only to be put in his place; at first, she stopped the annoying altercation, but he kept trying. "Kiba. Sit." Two words oozed out of her mouth, making the boy flinch as he sat and she resumed. Mia didn't care about the rumors, how she had no clue what fun was, and that all of her efforts would be in vain.
Ivory complexion glistened with the ceiling lights, her dainty fingertips loosely grabbing ahold of the paper. She had a basic understanding of all her classmates; she knew who was a troublemaker and who followed the rules. Finishing what she was told, she took her seat, waiting for class to continue.
"You know, you're really admirable." The voice caused her to turn, her brown ponytail bouncing. Strom Slytherin, despite being a lower-tier troublemaker, was among the smartest students. Replying to his praise with a curt nod, the young girl faced forward. Even if she put on a poker face, she enjoyed the good-natured praise and positive image her peers conjured up of her. Perhaps her mother helped with her enjoyment of such acts.
The test scores were unimpressive; while a few students passed, most of them failed by a large margin. Iruka knew he had a tough time committing to this goal and even if he poured his heart into teaching, the students still needed his energy to reach the finish line. Rubbing his thumb against the eraser marks scattered around the paper, he sat them to the side. He figured he conquered his guilt during December, but here was March and he was in the same position. If the guide wasn't there, the children could not find their way, and the fault would fall onto him. He was pitiful. It's been years and he couldn't find his way toward freedom. Swallowing, he glared at the mass of brats. If it was inside him, then he'd only stunt their growth. Then again, maybe his heart drifted far away from Konoha.
Counting the issues with the village would only amount to more internal problems, and if these children were mediocre, then the village would undoubtedly crumble. Pulling out his notebook, his eyes scanned over the ink-filled pages, the smell of alcohol crunching his nose. His mindset was the problem. He could easily pick out the flaws in everyone here, but not the strengths. The only time he could name some beneficial aspects was when he would drink. It helped him forget everything and focus on the present. Chuckling weakly, he placed his book in the drawer. "Attention!" Even if he was halfheartedly trying, they still needed to work. "Group project, due in two weeks. Come together as a group and explain why you deserve to be a ninja." It was a whole different topic than what he had stored, and truthfully, he did not know why he switched the content. "It's break time. Come back in fifteen minutes."
Alone in the room, he ventured back into bad habits. His hand roamed around the inside of his desk, sliding unnecessary objects around. Lazily eying the sliding door, Iruka exhaled as Asuma made an unwelcome appearance. Thankfully, he misplaced his bottle. Taking out a fresh roll of chalk, he gave the male a brief smile before turning to the green chalkboard. "I take it you didn't stop by to bring me food?"
"Noted." Lips parting smoke roamed out of his mouth. "Just following up with a task given to me." Heels tapping against the floor, he took a seat on an empty desk. "The new girl that was robbed a few months back. We found one culprit and they are claiming they acted alone." Inhaling the gray stench, he clicked his tongue. "It contradicts what that girl was saying, but nothing we can do." Removing the yellow toxin stick, the odor that foretold of tar-infested lungs wiggled into the air. "After further intel, we found out that the man lives in the slums. Concerning for him to be in contact with a child, but nowadays, who doesn't know each other?"
Iruka knew where this was going. Would any of these students have a reason to head there? They had personal lives he migrated away from. "The boy in question works at that failing fish market. He helps and lives with the old man that owns that place." That was all he could offer. During the first two weeks of the incident, he gave them everything they needed, so unless they found something, this visit was a hindrance. "What'd you find?" Writing on the board, he listened, eyes growing wide. It's been a couple of years, so he forgot. "Is that enough to dig further?"
"No. It shocked me when I read it though. Who would've thought that the boy who does nothing during class could beat a student to death's door?" Pinching the burning cigarette, the chemicals stopped burning. "Suspended for four months, and placed on house arrest… seems this class will really be unique." Standing, Asuma memorized the names placed into groups. "Rika, Aju, Cree, and Saki? Then you have Strom, Naoko, Mia, and Koyuka. Interesting." Disappearing, Iruka grimaced at the cigarette left on the table.
Spring Monday 3:30 pm
Naoko pressed her pencil to the paper and drew random shapes, the sound of lead scratching against the paper filling the endless pathways. Once class officially ended, she quickly gathered her belongings and rushed out the door, ignoring the project that Iruka assigned. Unfortunately, the golden child of the academy caught her and reluctantly dragged her into the library. The people around the table were quiet, mostly, which was a plus in her book. Occasionally, the ashen blond-haired boy would speak out, only to be corrected by Mia. She never took a progressive role in introducing herself to her peers, but it seemed her name traveled around. Throughout her time in the academy, she hardly spoke to anyone. Aju and Rika would sometimes initiate some sort of conversation with her, and that was about it.
Her hazel eyes peeked over towards Strom's blank paper. Although she hardly spoke to everyone, she had general opinions and ideas about her desk mates. Some of her views were a consequence of her hearing rumors with a mix of what she gathered. Mia and Strom, for example, were among the gifted in class, having high marks during tests and having some sort of fans in school.
"Hey, almond. Do you ever talk?" Naoko squinted her eyes, sucking in the urge to scream. The last member of the group was Koyuka Chinoike, the ashen-haired brat who was a pain in the ass. He was the epitome of annoying, with a lack of personal space and downright degrading nicknames. "How long are you going to ignore me, weirdo?" Naoko never responded to his attempts to belittle her, but he would end it every time by throwing a fit.
"I-I just want to finish this project." Turning her head, she knew her voice was hardly audible, and even if she wanted to strike up a conversation, most people ignored her submissive voice.
"Then why are you drawing?" He asked as she sucked in her bottom lip, closing her eyes, trying to calm her racing heart. Pushing the boy from her, she flinched as a thud echoed out, gathering unwanted attention.
Koyuka flung a few words cursing like a sailor, "YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Ignoring the adults telling him to be quiet, he nearly grabbed Naoko by her red turtleneck only to be stopped by Strom. "Let go of me before I give you a scar, punk." Bright amethyst clashed with brilliant emerald, both boys waiting for each other to make a move.
When Naoko opened her eyes, she watched Mia de-escalate the situation while apologizing to the onlookers with a quick bow. Even as everyone settled down, she felt Koyuka burning holes into her. Clearing her mind from what had happened previously, she jotted down the answer to the project. She had difficulty figuring out how this topic could put them in groups, and she knew from Mia's perplexed expression that others had the same thought. This seemed more like a relationship exercise than anything. Sitting in silence, she wondered how the other groups were progressing and when she could escape home.
Rika's chubby fingers mixed the cold noodles in the dark sauce, adding a pinch of salt to balance out the tangy flavor. Something had to keep her full and healthy, and the naengmyeon dish was a great substitute for the lack of meat variety the restaurant served. Popping her finger in and out of her mouth, her taste buds cheered like citizens screaming for their queen. "Gosh Saki, do you have issues with everyone?" Searching around for her utensils, the egotistical girl let out a sigh. "I mean, I saw you arguing with Kiba many times, or it seemed like arguing, but with Fuko, you seem pissed?" Finally, finding her bamboo chopsticks, she readied herself.
As she chowed down, the other two group members joined the table. Cree took a spot next to Saki while Aju got the outer seat near her, both of them carrying some sort of soup dish with fish on the side. "The food here is superb, shame it doesn't have many customers." Voicing her opinions, she moved the paper resting in the middle. "I can't find a reason this project requires us to be grouped up, but we should each write our reason." Looking up from her bowl, she watched Cree and Aju sit still with untouched food. Not understanding why they were waiting, she asked, only to shy her head in disbelief. How was she supposed to know that it was polite to wait for everyone's food to come before eating? Luckily, her food came not long after.
"Sorry for the wait." The server's voice rolled off, and Rika's nose picked up on the sweet lemony scent rolling out of the cooked fish, and she debated on ordering again.
"Oh, Iruka told me to tell you that you're grouped with Naruto, Ino, and Kiba." The reason she picked this place was to knock out two birds with one stone. She could get something to fill her up and do what she was told. Not minding his remark about how his group was full of idiots, the wooden table shook.
Saki grabbed the male by his apron and her golden eyes hardened, and Rika could only watch the scene play out. The altercation between them three months ago was something she knew she should navigate away from, but it seemed she was the only one with that mindset.
Aju separated the two, letting out an awkward chuckle. "You shouldn't joke like that. You know Saki and Naruto are close-ish… heh, can you maybe apologize for the sake of it?"
Aju was admirable coming between those two. It was like coming between a fox hunting a spider. Nothing good could come from getting involved in whatever that was.
Ignoring them, she choked on the noodles, hearing Fuko tell them he was stating the facts. Cursing under her breath, she pushed her food to the side, leaping over the table, and tackling Cree to hold her still. Aju pushed Saki into the chairs, all four females kicking for different reasons.
In the end, Aju led Saki and Cree outside to cool off, leaving her to clean up the mess they made. Sweeping up shards of glass, hazel eyes with long lashes batted as she started a conversation with the boy who was helping. "So what gives you the confidence to belittle people? Last time I checked, you're one of the worse in class and you hardly attend." Discarding the glass into the bin, she watched the flaps move back and forth.
"I'm just telling the truth; people can be oblivious to the facts but it only makes it harder on them. The sooner someone comes to terms with the truth, will they conquer them?" There was a long pause after his sentence, but as he continued, her left eye twitched. "Plus, I'm a hypocrite." He laughed, and she sighed in utter disbelief.
She was in good standing with most of her classmates, and funny enough, he was one of them. She knew the reason he couldn't attend class was his job, and although she never asked him why he was working long hours, everyone was different. Although the establishment had some issues, like the dust staining some windows and tables with paint peeling off the walls, the food was something magical when the old man was cooking.
Paying for the scraps of the meal and leaving, she walked down the dirt road leading back into the center of Konohagakure with Aju and the rest trailing behind. Somewhere in-between crossroads, Saki and Cree split from her and Aju, heading home.
"We didn't have time to start the project, with everything going on." Rika voiced her opinion on the situation, kicking pebbles to the side with every other step. Some blame could fall on her, but most would fall on Saki.
"Well, if it helps, my reason is to become one of the physically strongest ninjas in the world while helping my clan." Aju smiled before turning the corner and giving Rika a wave goodbye. "Tomorrow! WE WILL OFFICIALLY START!" Although she was walking away, nearby villagers stared at her for yelling at someone a few feet away and Rika rolled her eyes, heading home.
Two short introductory chapters to the new additions and cast. Had to redraft this chapter many times to capture how some characters act while building bridges for the future. For future reference at the start of some chapters, I will mention a trigger warning.
If you want to update the rival section and relationship, pm me. Have a blessed day/night.