In the end, the revelation concerning Keiko's fighting skill had done little to silence her detractors. Oddly skilled as she might be on those occasions she could be properly coaxed to fight, her endurance was sadly lacking. Improving only slightly over the course of the year, she rarely lasted more than a couple minutes before slowing almost to a stop as if she were half made of stone. It was made even worse by her need for a warmup. If she was confronted with too much too early on in a spar she tended to run away – hardly a virtue in a prospective kunoichi.
One thing had changed. The bullying against Keiko used to just be motivated out of prey instinct, would-be predators preying on the weakest link in the chain. Now though, there was a certain element of fear about them. Keiko didn't quite fit in the hierarchy, but they were trying awfully hard to make her. They gathered in bullies now. They would lie in wait, harass her and destroy the homework that Shikimaru had worked so hard to complete for her. As if Shikimaru needed another complication in keeping Keiko from failing.
Naruto proved an unexpected ally. For some reason or another the little orphan boy that everyone inexplicably hated or shied away from had decided to become Keiko's protector. It was nice not to have to intervene personally all the time, but Shikimaru was careful to always keep an eye on the boy. He still wasn't sure whether Naruto's protection was from some form of altruism, payback for Keiko's defeat of the math teacher, or from an ill-conceived crush. Naruto was ten now to their nine, so it was far from impossible, which was all the more reason to keep an eye on the boy.
Whatever crush Naruto might or might not have on Keiko, she didn't seem to return it. At best she seemed to tolerate the boy, and only in small doses. She'd never been one for loud sounds. But as long as the boy remained useful Shikimaru wouldn't intervene. Naruto acting as Keiko's protector gave him more time to observe. He was still no less curious about where Keiko's fighting style had come from. It was more than possible that someone had made contact with her discretely, taught her the style as a way of befriending her. Shikimaru loved his sister, but he wasn't blind to her faults. She was so innocent in most ways that she was a ripe target for a spy or subversive. She couldn't speak any secrets to them, but they might trick her into carrying off some of father's documents without knowing what she did.
Time would tell, but he would protect her, come what may.