Chapter Nine
Weeks passed and the village grew larger and stronger. More immigrants came flooding in, waiting for access to through the harsh tides and whirlpools. Those who grew too impatient and proceeded ahead without proper guidance drowned, some chose to swim finding the majority decision of waiting too long and drowning as well. People soon started to learn that patience was part of the steps needed to gain access and acceptance. Most migrants were families looking for a better opportunity for them or orphaned children wishing for a home.
Naruto found sympathy in those sad stories when he too had gone through some of those harsh realities. But some were denied only for the dangers they posed within the village itself. Half of the traveling migrants were denied before passing the treacheries of the natural barriers surrounding the island, the fourth were denied at the entrance to the village, and an eighth were denied inside doors of the central building. That meant that only an eighth of the participants were given citizenship as members of the Land of Whirlpools.
Some of the decisions were made based off the health of the people and others based on the backgrounds of each member. Those deemed too dangerous or wanted by those outside of the land would not be allowed to settle. Many faced disappointment at having been so close to restarting somewhere new and it broke many people's hearts.
There had once been a riot against rejecting all these applicants but things quickly died off in the next couple of days when the reasons for doing so were told. The villagers finally understood that it was for the overall safety of everyone that this type of cruelty had to be practiced.
Now the population is reaching well over two hundred. Had it really been a little over a year ago that this land was nothing but wilderness inhabited by a small group of people staking everything on a dream that could so easily fail? The world works in many strange ways.
Naruto's POV
How long has it been since I've had this much fun outside before? I've been smiling and laughing for the last hour, and I feel like I might just die from it soon. The kids started to attack me one by one from all sides prowling like cats hunting mice. It's amazing how far they've gotten in just a couple of months. I guess Maiko has been teaching them a lot because these little brats have some skill.
Dodging left to right, I jumped over a couple of awed faces before preparing to fend myself. The current curriculum for the first years was to learn basic chakra information, jutsus, and knowledge of working with weapons and on the field. Sure they didn't know anything besides a basic henge but that didn't matter. By next year, things would only be three times as hard because there was barely any classroom time. Everything they learned the first year would be tested and perfected from then on. There is no space for making mistakes when it comes to living in the real world.
"Remember, just because you know only a little doesn't mean you can't use it to your advantage. There are plenty of situations when being only a first year can be an advantage to a bigger opponent like me. Focus."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Koshio standing behind the rest of his classmates. What was he planning? If I remember correctly, Suzume's been helping to tutor him a little each day after school since he's been falling a little behind compared to the others. And if I know Suzume as well as I know I do, things are going to get sticky when the kid gets involved in this. "Give me the best of your killing intent!" I barked at them.
I dodged some more but didn't do anything to counterattack them. I knew where to draw the line and hitting a child in a mock spar was over the line for sure. Some were more quick, or strong, or more strategic when coming at me. The one thing I was really looking for was the killing intent, the one key component that would ultimately decide the overall winner in a fight between ninjas.
Koshio stepped out when everyone else was on the ground exhausted and covered in sweat while I had kept an even breathing pace the entire activity. Makio stood up on the overlook where the secret halls of each classroom connected into the underground. She smiled down at me and I returned it.
"Are you ready?" I asked him, searching in his eyes and stance for a shred of fear. There was no tremble; no dilation of the pupil, not even when he spoke was there a stutter.
Koshio charged at me at full speed aiming for a clean punch. Sensing that obvious move, I pushed at the back of his head and sent him lightly flying back. The kid got up with more spunk, this time making sure to keep a good distance away from me before doing something I never expected to happen, running in the opposite direction. I couldn't help but laugh at that, he sure was random for being so quiet. Laughing, I shifted from being the chased to the chaser. "I'm going to find you Koshio so you better be prepared. A ninja that runs from a battle is either a ninja who knows what he's doing or a ninja only prolonging his death."
And I felt it then, a small twinge of fear from a killing intent that seemed to grow in size right before my eyes. Koshio had hidden himself behind a boulder and was sitting there concentrating all while I searched everywhere for him. The next thing I knew, he was flying right at me by using the boulder as a means to store up his energy. Little fists kept coming at me and I managed to deflect every single one.
"What has Suzume been teaching you that's made you this dangerous already kid?"
His grey eyes stared into mine, "Courage." Then pale fists hit me twice right in the eye. I heard a laugh and couldn't help but laugh too, falling to the ground in a momentary daze.
"Courage, huh? Seems like you're the only one that's gotten to that truth compared to the others."
Makio jumped down and some dirt covered my face. Coughing, I sat up and opened one eye up at the woman smirking down at me. She chuckled and looked over at Koshio. "Good job Koshio. You managed to land not just one but two punches on our dear Uzukage in the eye. That deserves a reward. Tell your aunt and uncle I'll be stopping by with some of my famous octopus course meals then go help the rest of the class dust off."
Koshio vigorously nodded his head in excitement. "Yes ma'am."
"Let me guess what you're going to say to me." I cleared my throat and put on my best girl voice which sounded like a seagull choking on fish. "'I told you Uzukage that at least one of those kids would kick your butt and that you'll end up regretting underestimating my teaching skills.'" I raised an eyebrow at her, questioning her silently on whether I got the prediction right. Being a sparring partner for this class was easy in the beginning but those earlier times of overwhelming the kids with my power slowly dried away as Makio taught them more things about just being able to use the physical body as a weapon. Rubbing my now bruising right eye, I took the hand outstretched at me.
"He packs quite the punch, doesn't he?" I nodded. "Well adding in the extra practice he gets with Suzume then I wouldn't imagine him doing no less damage than that growing bruise on your face. You might want to put some ice on that."
Giving her a glare, I only walked off to the stairs. "Thanks for making me feel pathetic today Makio, definitely appreciate it." I waved a hand back at her, hearing that familiar condescending giggle. I really need to find some more friends to be with in the afternoons.
When I got back up to the surface into the bright midday light, I squinted a little and jumped back when Suzume appeared in front of me, a little too close to my face. She scrutinized the damage done on my eye than burst out laughing right there.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she wiped them away before they started falling. Clutching her stomach, a wheeze came out. "What…what ha…happened..pfft…to your face? Did Makio finally go off on you and attack you?"
"No, she isn't the one that gave me this black eye and don't worry, I'm doing just fine. I'm so grateful for the concern you have for my injured face. Don't worry; I'm just going to have someone give me ice for it." Walking past her, a hand grabbed out and held me at the wrist. "Let go of me." I hissed in annoyance. It was bad enough being teased about this without being held down but now that I am, my mood dropped so much more.
"Oh stop pouting like a child. You're supposed to be the Uzukage. This only proves that you are willing to look out for the feelings of the younger kids by letting yourself get a little…beaten." A laugh covered up by a cough came in between the silence.
"That's it, I'm really leaving now." Prying her hand off my wrist, I began to walk away when Nabuo came up. Oh great, just great.
"Um…. What's wrong with your face? Get bullied by some kids earlier?" He laughed but when he saw Suzume's face at the question, turned from her to me. "You're joking right? Some kid actually gave you that ugly looking thing?" When he tried to poke my injured eye, I slapped his hand away. Next thing I knew, I had spit in my face and Nabuo laughing right alongside Suzume.
Frowning, I turned my back to them and stomped my way to the central building. If I didn't get away from them, I might just kill them, or worse. Villagers asked me what had happened to me along the way and when I told them, they struggled to keep a straight face on. The respect is just overflowing today, isn't it?"
When Fumio and Hitoshi caught word of it, they came running to my door and sending it flying open. I looked up from my paperwork at them and sighed. Both were silently laughing, lips quivering from trying too hard at not smiling. "Just let it out already." I huffed and on that day, all of the island was in hysterics over my face.
Suzume's POV
Yesterday was just hilarious. To think that Makio and I trained Koshio well enough to do that to Naruto's face? It was priceless beyond belief. I made sure to get a picture of the special occasion and print off as many copies as I could. Koshio got one from me as a congratulatory gift for the accomplishment and Makio demanded that she got one to hang on her fridge. I made sure to hang one up just outside the door of the central building to help brighten up everyone's day…. Everyone except Naruto o f course. He moped about it in his office, doing paperwork without a single word. I sent Nabuo in a couple times to cheer the poor guy up but whenever I got back, Nabuo would be sitting outside the door with a bruised cheek.
"Stop wallowing in self defeat and cheer up would you? You gave everyone a good laugh yesterday and the kids over at the academy seem more confident about themselves. Shouldn't that be something to feel accomplished about?"
Naruto turned his head towards me before turning it the other side on the desk. Papers crumpled underneath him and I had to remove them before the tore them up. Such a child, really. There had to be some way of getting his spirits up again because I don't like being the adviser of depressed Naruto at all. It just felt awkward, like someone's cat or dog died just recently. Opening the pale blue curtains and opening the windows out, warm light entered the dark, dank room and the wonderful smell of the sea breeze carried away the depressing air.
Picking up the pride pummeled Naruto, she heaved him to the open window and grabbed his chin. "Look."
His eyes trailed down to the ground lazily and froze there. The kids from the academy and Makio stood waving up at us. They were smiling and calling them down.
"Uzukage-sama! Come spar with us again! Please?!"
"We've been waiting for days for you to come back and spar us again!"
"We miss you a lot, Uzukage-sama!"
Smiling, I peered at Naruto's face and saw a small smile and spark of the original energetic him. "Those kids have been waiting for you for the last couple of days, even Koshio. He's been asking me non-stop to bring you back. He thinks that the only way to get stronger is with you as a sparring partner and that's what the rest of them think too. Don't let this one little thing bring you down."
"But I'm supposed to be the Uzukage, I'm supposed to be strong enough to beat a group of kids that are barely ninjas."
"Well from what I saw and heard, that little event that happened means you're still learning how to be a proper kage." Naruto looked up at me and asked for clarity on what I was talking about. "You just barely started being a kage, and you're still a kid in a lot of ways, no one is going to judge you for slipping up once in a while. We're all still adapting to this whole thing here and you aren't any different from the rest of us. So stop drowning yourself in your injured pride and get down there. You have an obligation to those kids."
"An obligation?"
"Yes. And that obligation is to help them become shinobi who are fit to wear the symbol of this village on them." Giving him a light push to the door, Naruto thanked me before bounding through the door, hall, and out the door. Peering down, I saw him being engulfed in the hugs of dozens of arms and being led to the academy. "That guy, such an idiot." But he's a loveable idiot.
I closed the window but kept the curtains open. Organizing the papers into neat piles, I headed out and closed the door with a soft click. "I should enjoy my free day too." Making the final decision, I headed out in the directions of the businesses with a pocket full of money. Villagers passed me by, waving and greeting me. I waved and greeted back, occasionally stopping to converse before going on my way. Looking up I felt my smile grow wider. "This is going to be a good week, I can just feel it." But who would have thought that my prediction was off the mark enough to cause a ripple effect of worry to spread across our peaceful village.