~Chapter 8~

Enter Into Konoha

Kinata took a deep breath. It was morning. Her neck felt strained and her muscles were tight. She watched as the onlookers passed her by through the little alley onto the walkway. They paid her no attention. She slowly and painfully got up. She used the wall as support while her body tried to give out on her. She shook her head to try and clear the dizziness. It helped a little.

She had to locate the son of the Iwatsuru family. Word of the now lifeless village would soon spread, and she'd have to explain herself immediately, otherwise they would assume wrongful accusations. Stumbling into the streets of numerous people, Kinata tried to plan a way to the area close by from which Gramps-Izu's son lived. He had vaguely pointed it out when he'd taken her to the festival, explaining that if anything were to happen to them, she was to go straight there. Kinata figured that she should ask a couple where the Ninja Academy was, as they had passed it right before entering the alley to which his son lived in. The woman was in her thirties and was very kind and concerned after seeing Kinata's horrible appearance. Luckily no questions were asked. Kinata figured it was typical in a shinobi village to see those things.

She got to the building around noon. She'd lost her way twice. Konoha had many streets and confusing landmarks. She walked around the establishment first, figuring she might be going there soon. Kids suddenly began to exit just as she made her round, coming to the front of the place again. She froze, wanting to become invisible. If they were soon to become her classmates, she definitely didn't want them to see her in such a state. She couldn't help though but stare at so many children her age, naïve in a world of juvenile acts. The girls were mostly huddled together, giggling while they whispered and squealed about the plans for the weekend. They all seemed so happy. In fact, even the guys were nearly all smiling but hanging in more of three or four groups.

It was so new to Kinata to witness others associating in a welcoming society with those that shared common interests and were near in years. They were clearly on lunch break. One loner caught her eye however, for in the midst of his peers he seemed out of place. He was walking by himself, but held the impression that he wanted it that way. He was ignoring everything around him, caught up in thoughts. Not but a foot away stood another kid with blonde hair and odd whiskered streaks who was angrily staring at the black-haired boy. He too was alone. However, Kinata saw in his disappointed blue eyes a loneliness and isolation that she could all too well sympathize with.

Just as she began to turn away, the boy with the intense onyx eyes had caught her staring their way. She had to remind herself how out of place she too must've looked. She was bloody, bruised, her hair dirtied in tangled locks, and with dry mud covering her from head to toe. Yeah, she was for sure a sight to behold. She turned away quickly and began to go down the alley she remembered Gramps-Izu showing her. Familiar sights were giving her a bit of comfort. Finally she found the door with the same symbol as the one on the ring. She reached in her pocket, staring down at the engraved dragonfly.

The Iwatsuru family…Grams-Susano….Gramps-Izu. She took a deep breath. She couldn't delay.

Kinata knocked on the door, but there were no sounds of anyone even being vacant. She knocked again. Nothing. Kinata frowned. Should she wait? Or perhaps she shouldn't, as it would look suspicious with her just standing there. They could be gone for days for all she knew. She sighed, slowly beginning to turn away, when the door knob moved, and the wooden entrance opened. Standing in the entrance was a pretty young woman in her late 20s. She had long black hair and lime green eyes. But there were bags under them. She had on a plain black robe and was clearly surprised to see who was standing before her. Kinata bowed.

"Hello mam. Is this the residence of the Iwatsuru family?" The woman's eyes narrowed a bit.

"Yes. And who's asking?" The hostile tone took Kinata off guard, but she mentally shrugged it off, too worn out to be offended.

"My name is Kinata, err, actually is was Kisana Iwatsuru, but that was just an alias. I was adopted by Grams…" She faltered on using their nicknames, but figured that only someone close to them would know of those names, so she continued, "By Grams-Susano and Gramps-Izu. I was told to come here if anything bad happened."

The woman's expression changed, slightly becoming softer. Kinata held out the ring, handing it over to the woman's hands. She examined it for a few seconds, nodding her head and stepping back.

"Well, come in. You look terrible." Kinata stepped in, relieved to see that the inside was at least cleaner than the outside.

"Thank you. It really has been a long night." The woman scanned her up and down with scrutinizing eyes.

"Hm. Take a shower. You can explain yourself later when you've cleaned up." She walked down a hall and Kinata followed until the woman gave her a look.

"Don't track mud everywhere. The bathroom's in there." She inclined her head to a back door, to which Kinata went in. The woman's short attitude nerved her, but after the last few days she cared little.

Once she was done showering, which made her feel one hundred times better, she came out into the kitchen where the woman was sitting across from a man that had similar features to Gramps-Izu. This was assuredly his son.

The guy was tall and with a skinny build. He had short black hair and the same peppered grey eyes, along with his nose. He eyed her just as the other woman had.

"You are the Kinata orphan I take it?" He referenced to her in an almost unfriendly way. His voice was higher than Gramps-Izu had been.

"Yes. I was told by your parents to retreat to your home if something were to happen to the village." The man's face remained stoic. He asked her flatly, "And what's happened to the village?"

She frowned, looking down. Her stomach churned and she felt the tears building up. Kinata took a deep breath.

"Enemy shinobi attacked. There was a dispute about trade, and the villagers were killed in the surprised assail. Grams-Susano and Gramps-Izu are dead. They forced me to escape, but when I came back…" Kinata didn't want to elaborate, nor could she continue on with her subtle lie. She had never returned, because once the elderly couple had passed, there was no point. It had been her fault, yet she couldn't bring herself to tell them. It was better if they believed she was nothing but a pathetic and helpless twelve year old with a need for foster homes.

"And so now, you are our responsibility." He hadn't asked but had verified this in an annoyed way while turning to what Kinata believed was his wife. The girl glanced up, worried. The man wasn't happy about any of this.

"I plan on joining the Ninja Academy. If I graduate, I would have a steady income. I can earn my keep! Please." The both stared hard at her. The woman finally smiled gently.

"Well, we're not about to throw you out on the streets with no where to go." The man sighed loudly at his wife's remark, folding his hands on the table and narrowing his eyes at the girl.

"For you to join the academy, you must be a registered citizen of Konoha. Which we know you are not. And your year will be graduating in less than seven months. Do you have enough skills to manage?" She appreciated that the man was talking to her as if she were an adult.

"I am positive I will graduate in time." There wasn't one hint of hesitation or doubt. There was a silent pause, until he relaxed with a short nod of approval.

"Fine. I'll pull some strings to get you a registered ID. Prepare for this weekend. You will start the Ninja Academy by Monday, if all goes smooth." She smiled, bowing again.

"Thank you! I am very grateful." He waved his hand as a dismissal.

"Get some food. Then rest. We shall talk more afterwards concerning your clothes and room." The woman got up, getting items from the fridge and pulling out a chair for the girl to sit in. Kinata felt her body loosen up as relief settled in. She had found yet another temporary home. She just hoped that nothing would go wrong for this one.

Kinata wasn't accustomed to being nervous. Today was an exception. This would be the day she'd enter into the Ninja Academy. Her new guardians were far more different than their respective elders. Mura was the wife of Kigetsu, who was of course the son of Izugetsu (Gramps) and Ikotsusano (Grams), but there was a missing family member that Kinata had secretly discovered the day after arriving at the house. It was because of the room she was currently staying in; it belonged to their deceased ten year old son. The effect was clear as day on the parents.

Both drank every night. They were constantly depressed and had even yelled a few hours before she was to leave to the Academy. It was all over her unresponsive attitude with filling them in on her background. Despite the elderly couple's mutual trust, Kinata knew that if Gramps-Izu hadn't told them about the complete past of hers, then she was in no position to do the same. It had to have been for some reason, and she wouldn't betray those confidential facts. She had been shocked to see their verbally and physical abuse towards her when they'd just gotten to know her, but she'd ignored his snide remarks and darted out of the wave of his woozy punches. She had dealt with much worse and she definitely didn't want to lose control of herself again. She would have to put up with her new guardian's frustrating behavior.

Kinata had to be reminded of their pain. The Iwatsuru family had no outlet when they'd lost a loved one, but Kinata had training her whole life. She'd been lucky because of her sensei. The void for her new guardians seemed to be alcohol. She wasn't sure how to understand or change that, so instead she chose to pay no attention to it.

Kigetsu had thankfully kept his word and found the man to immediately forge a fake ID. He had signed the legal forms to get her into Konoha as a transfer. He had great connections with one of the Jonin who was part of the numerical systems of citizens and it had all been done in two days. No questions asked.

Now, the girl stood in front of the round building. She shifted her weight from foot to foot at the entrance. She was late because she hadn't been sure how to dress. She'd only packed three outfits in her rush to leave the ruined village. Currently, she wore dark blue jean shorts and a dark grey V neck t-shirt. All of which were neutral colors, suiting her mood. It was simple yet comfortable. To her, it seemed appropriate for a student ninja, or so she hoped.

She sighed, deciding it time to go inside the building. Kinata had explained that the sensei of her class was already informed of her "transferring" from her home taught lessons to the Konoha Academy. Kigetsu gave no other details on the subject, so Kinata was left in the dark as to what to expect.

Once she'd pulled herself together, she pushed open the door, which led to a long hallway of crème colored walls. Walking down, she made it to the one labeled D2, and paused for a minute. She took another deep breath (her fourth since she'd awoke). She felt as if she were about to plunge into a deep abyss, unknown to where she'd end up and what would lie before her. She pushed open the door, stepping in gradually.

Instantly the chatter ended, as soon as her figure approached all eyes. Kinata kept her face away from all of the other students. Sitting at the elevated desk to her right was her new sensei. He was a man with black hair pulled up and a straight scar across his left to right cheek. He had his face turned to a black board, while writing down some kind of jutsu. Kinata stood awkwardly still, waiting for him to notice her. He did within a minute's rest, taking in the silence of his classroom, making him turn to her, just barely catching her small figure. He halted at his actions.

"Ah! Seems the new student has finally made it." He impatiently waved her over. She didn't step forward which caused him to frown.

"Well, come on over and introduce yourself." She still didn't move. Instead, she shook her head, confusing the full grown man before her.

"I'm sorry for being tardy. I couldn't figure out what to wear." He gave her a small sympathetic smile as some of the girls in the class began to giggle.

"Looks like ya did just fine." He said offhandedly. She smiled, which gained a returned smile. Her beautiful expression seemed to have a positive effect.

"I tried." She nonchalantly replied, turning to her classmates. She instantaneously observed all of those in her class within a quick glance. There were 26 students in total. Only one spot was left in the tables, going 3 down and 3 across.

"My name is Kinata Iwatsuru. I hope to graduate alongside of all of you!" All were seemingly surprised by her sudden burst of easy-going confidence, as she'd appeared timid at first.

"Can you tell us something about yourself Kinata?" Her new sensei asked, setting the chalk down while taking a seat at his desk. She looked back from him to the class. She recognized some faces from the day that she'd recalled some from their lunch break. The blonde-haired boy with the abnormal markings sat at the desk in the middle on the far right. Across from that table sat the raven-haired boy near the windows. He was leaning in with narrowed eyes pointed towards her. She glanced away from those eyes, having a sense of being ill at ease because of the intensity. Surely that was a first.

"I guess. Well, I used to be home schooled." To everyone's astonishment the blonde-boy blurted out a question, completely interrupting her, while irritating their teacher.

"Why wouldn't you just come to the Ninja Academy?" Their sensei looked ready to bark something back at him when Kinata quickly cut him off.

"It wasn't up to me." She shrugged at the blonde's confused expression. "But, I'm glad I can be here now." Her content tone made the boy grin.

"Alright Kinata, why don't you take a seat next to Hinata so that we can begin class. And Naruto," the boy who was suddenly being lectured cringed a little at the infuriated look, "refrain from commenting when not called upon. Or I'll assign a graded group review on yesterday's lesson." The classmate's all shot the boy called Naruto glares. So he grumbled quietly but backed down.

Kinata sat next to the girl with pure white eyes and short black hair. The girl smiled shyly to her, so Kinata returned it with a reassuring one.

"Hey." She said, situating herself in the chair that was in the front, on the furthest right, in front of the still glaring raven-haired boy. She could feel his eyes on her back.

"Hi." The white-eyed girl whispered. She ignored the boy behind her, directing her attention to her new instructor.

"Let me star off by introducing myself to our new student, Kinata. I am Iruka-sensei and we have about less than seven months before the graduation exams. I expect that you should be up to date with the techniques and concepts of taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu. However, if you do have any questions, you are more than welcome to ask one of your peers." He gave the other students a look that read 'and you are expected to treat the new student nicely by answering her questions.'

"Alright Kinata, we will begin class."

The lessons continued with some worksheets on the Transformation Jutsu scenarios of the misuse in activating chakra which called for it. She had to group with Hinata and another girl on the far end named Matsa. She wore her puffy amber hair in two side ponytails. She was a bit on the chubby side and was more than loud. Kinata held her tongue on some of Matsa's comments on what she believed was right but was absolutely wrong. Hinata had tried to slip some advice to better the situation but would never implement a fight against the obnoxious girl.

'She's defensive, but only because of her self-esteem. At least the girl has a fighting spirit.' Kinata thought absentmindedly about the girl Matsa. Hinata however intrigued her. She had a calming aura around her when she wasn't acting so nervous.

When they had gone through half of the day's work, Iruka-sensei asked that she stay with him to gain a slight idea of her understanding over her knowledge of the subjects that a genin would have to know to graduate. After ten minutes he offered to buy her some ramen. Kinata was extremely grateful for that since she hadn't brought anything for lunch and didn't have money. She had only given him the gist of what she knew, not wanting him to become suspicious.

One their way back from the ramen shop, they found Naruto sulking on a bench. Iruka-sensei went over to him.

"Not still mowing down on Ichirima's noodles, huh?" Kinata awkwardly stood by the bench as the boy grunted a reply.

"It's Chichi no hi today. You know that." It was mumbled but she picked up on it just the same. Iruka-sensei frowned. Chichi no hi was father's day.

"Hmm, you know what I do on this day?" Naruto perked up at this, curiously glancing at their instructor, who gave him a gentle smile.

"What?" Iruka-sensei put his hands on hips while grinning down at the blonde.

"I go see an action movie…maybe…oh, what's that one that just came out?" He was tapping his chin in mock thought, but Naruto sprang off of the bench in excitement, his blue eyes lit up.

"Oh! You mean Village Justice 2: Koshi's Comeback!?" Iruka-sensei chuckled.

"I believe that's the one." Kinata smiled at Naruto's expression.

"Really, Iruka-sensei!? We're gonna go see it?" Their teacher turned to look at Kinata, who was still standing next to the bench silently.

"Sure. After class of course…if you behave. Perhaps Kinata would like to join? You're more than welcome." She gave him a surprised stare.

"Well, it um…it sounds like fun." She was clearly hesitant, not wanting to be a third wheel.

Naruto gave her a once over, followed by a cheesy grin.

"How could you miss out!? This is Koshi's one chance at victory! The reapers of Dano village have a huge army because of this imposter emperor who's supporting them, and they're really bad guys. So Koshi has to power up like he never has before! Believe it!" He had his fist clenched in the air as if rooting for the character. Kinata blinked in confusion, for he had said his synopsis of the movie fast. She nodded nonetheless. It did sound kind of interesting from what she could grasp of his words.

"I've never been to a movie. So yeah! I'll go." Naruto's eyes widened.

"You've never been to a movie theatre?" She felt her cheeks flush at his incredulous look. She shrugged, looking away from him.

"I, um, was training a lot." It was a lame excuse, and even Iruka-sensei gave her a pity glance.

"I haven't seen the first movie though, so you'll have to fill me in, Naruto." She was good at changing the subject, and like a fish to the worm, the blonde boy was baited in. He gave her a toothy grin.

"No worries! After I tell ya everything you'll feel like you had watched it!" Iruka-sensei ushered for his two students to start walking with him back to class. Naruto strolled beside Kinata, going into depth about the first storyline. Their instructor shook his head with a ghost smile, hoping maybe the boy who'd always been a loner may have found a friend.

As they made it to the classroom, the raven-haired boy met them at the door, coming from the other end of the hallway, probably from the bathrooms. Naruto gave him the stick eye. The boy ignored the blonde completely; he strode passed both of them silently to his seat. A few of the girls gave him a wave but he was now glaring out of the window. Kinata began to wonder about the boy's relationship and why the guy was so rude and distant all of the time.

"What's his problem?" Kinata asked curiously, coming near Naruto's row. Naruto scoffed. Rather than go over to his seat he followed Kinata to hers, which of course was right in front of the boy she was asking about. It made her feel awkward. He just continued staring out of the window as if they didn't exist.

"Who? Sasuke? Yeah, he's full of himself." The blonde loudly spat, enough to ensure the boy heard. So the boy's name was Sasuke.

"Hmph. And you're not?" She was surprised to hear the guy respond with a flat tone. Naruto's face went red. He turned towards the boy who still hadn't changed his direction of attention.

"Shut up Sasuke!" Kinata sighed.

"Okay Naruto, please calm down. If you act up, we can't see the movie. Remember?" She had established direct eye contact with her new friend. This caught Sasuke's interest though and his eyes darted to the two that stood in front of him. Kinata didn't notice him while she gave Naruto a quick smile once he remembered Iruka-sensei's offer.

"Oh yeah!" He turned back to Sasuke, making Kinata step slightly in front of him to block Sasuke from his view, but he still yelled over her shoulder.

"At least I get to see a movie! Better than what you'll be doing. Believe it!" Kinata almost rolled her eyes at his childish, yet somewhat amusing antics. It was refreshing to meet someone like him. He was super confident in the weirdest way. She looked back to Sasuke when he began to speak.

"Tch. Whatever, loser." He let the last word linger while he went back to his gazing session through the window. The bell rang. Kinata sat down while Naruto angrily stepped away to his own seat, holding his tongue for the sake of avoiding more conflict, especially when Iruka-sensei stood up.

"Back to our lesson. We'll have a reminding quiz over this morning." A unanimous groan came from most of the students. Kinata smirked. She could get used to this. It felt…normal.

Kinata grinned as Naruto practically skipped by her, his eyes glowing with delight. Iruka-sensei grinned beside her too, watching the blonde with amusement.

"It was the best movie I've ever seen yet! Believe it!" He hadn't stopped his babbling over how 'awesome' and 'amazing' Village Jutsu 2: Koshi's Comeback had been. Kinata had enjoyed it as well. A young boy who had blue hair took on a bunch of creepy looking monsters. It was grand and had elaborate designs. She'd had an incredible time experiencing something on such a huge screen. And Naruto had been so funny because of his gasping and cheering throughout it. Some parts of the plot were hard for her to follow, since she'd missed the first movie, but it was motivating. Koshi had persevered while saving a village that had turned its back on said ninja.

"Well, it's late. You two should head home. Get some rest for tomorrow. We'll have a lot to go over in class." Naruto grinned at this, in a great mood and not caring about the mention of the Academy. They were standing near a flower shop, but it was dark around them, with only the fire of the lanterns illuminating them. Kinata nodded.

"Okay. Thank you Iruka-sensei for treating us tonight! It was the best night I've had in a long time." She gave him a cheesy grin while his eyes softened. He ruffled her hair, nodding back.

"Of course. My students are my children. Anytime I'm able to allow for a fun time, I will. I'm not always the lecturing teacher Naruto may have you believe I am." He gave said boy, who was smirking at the comment, a mock pointed look. "If you behave that is."

Naruto huphed, crossing his arms.

"I behave in my own way!" Iruka-sensei chuckled.

"Unfortunately. Well I'm off. I'll see both of you tomorrow, bright and early." Naruto gave a quick wave to Iruka-sensei as he took off. Then the blonde's attention turned towards Kinata, who'd been fumbling with her shorts.

"So, where ya live?" She was taken off guard by his question. When she looked up to his curious blue eyes, she could only shrug. After he gave her a raise of an eyebrow, she sighed.

"Not too far from here. I guess it's near the Ninja Academy. Why?" He grabbed her left arm, gently to her surprise.

"Come on! I can walk you home." Kinata frowned as he dragged her along. She wasn't sure if that was such a great idea. Her foster parents wouldn't be fond of having strangers drop by. She halted, brining Naruto to an abrupt stop. He whipped his head to her, perplexed by her actions.

"Err…my parents don't care for company….but, we can walk most of the way together." She hastily added the last comment at seeing the look of disappointment tear his happy moment. He still seemed confused but nodded, giving a small grin.

"Oh. Yeah, that's cool." She was on the right of him as they casually walked down the streets.

"So, did ya like being home schooled?" He had an act of trying to converse, as if he wasn't accustomed to such. Kinata put on a fake smile at her vague background she'd given to her classmates. It was technically true; it just didn't feel like it. Her training had pros and cons. She'd just never had a chance to really make friends of her age besides Yoshi.

"I don't really know. Sometimes it was alright. What about you? How come you want to be a ninja?" His expression dropped. Kinata tensed. Had she asked an inappropriate question? It seemed a common inquiry.

"Hmph. It's cuz I'm always disrespected. Everybody treats me like a nobody. But if I were to become Hokage, then I'd be treated like a somebody!" His voice raised a little and Kinata could see his hands tightening. This was clearly a passionate topic for the boy. She watched his eyes narrow before him in thought.

"Hokage?" She asked quietly. He turned his head to her, his eyes full of disbelief.

"Uh, yeah. The Hokage! Ya know, the leader of all of the shinobi in our Hidden Village?" His head moved to face the direction of his feet once she'd nodded in understanding.

"I know I have a ways to go…" He rambled on, "but I'll feel much better when I can be the one that they have to listen to." Kinata frowned.

"Who's they?" He scoffed, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Tch. Just the people round here who wished I wasn't round here." His voice had become irritated. She stopped walking, causing the boy to stop as well and stare at her in wonder. She grabbed his hand, making him blush. She gave him a sincere smile.

"Then those people are foolish. Why wish stuff like that? If anything, I wish one day I can walk alongside you, addressing you as Hokage." He grinned at her, nervously scratching his back with his loose hand.

"Ya think so?" She tightened her grip, and his blush deepened.

"Believe it." She mirrored the words he'd been repeating since she'd met him. He let out a laugh, as she gave him a light punch, beginning to walk again.

"I already like you Kinata! You're different than most girls. You're not nasty like them." She gave him a raise of an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" He shrugged. A few fireflies flew silently around them.

"I guess it's cuz ya talk to me like I'm normal…" His voice faded, like he wanted to explain better but wouldn't. Kinata could tell that Naruto had a hard time being socially accepted. She had tried to decipher why but no plausible reason had yet to be revealed. The kids in class tolerated him while at their desks, but when they'd been released from the Academy today the others wanted nothing to do with him. He was a complete outcast, besides a few boys, who barely acknowledged him.

"What's normal Naruto?" Her voice had sudden strong conviction. She had asked that very question to her sensei. It threw the boy off. He gave her a curious gaze, and his eyes were brighter. He laughed, shaking his head.

"Guess I don't have an answer to that." She smiled again. They were walking close to each other. She was staring absentmindedly up into the night sky. She did it often. It reminded of her mother, who'd pointed out how large of a world it was. No one was ever truly alone, not as long as the stars remained glowing. It was cheesy, but it had always warmed Kinata's heart thinking about it.

"Most don't have an answer. Some believe they do. Others will always wonder." She looked down and back over to a non-moving Naruto. She hadn't realized her own movements had instinctively stopped too. She had quoted Yamamoto-sensei. Her eyes fell to the ground, now sad.

"So, then the answer is in the question itself?" Kinata asked. They were still traveling from the Higurashi residence. Her Master gave her a knowing smile.

"Seems you'll be one of those that are left to wonder."

Kinata took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

"Kay, this is far enough. Thanks Naruto, for the company. I haven't had such a peaceful night in awhile!" Her musical tone made Naruto grin. Her eyes lit up at his genuine display of happiness.

"Yeah! Same! Guess I'll see ya in class." She nodded.

"Yep. Good night, Naruto." He gave her a wave while he turned around, which she returned. Kinata watched as he walked away, his hands in his pockets. Her face scrunched up as she tried again to deduce what was wrong with Naruto that would turn so many people away from him. Sure, he was really outgoing, but there was no issue with that. He was outspoken too, yet that couldn't be why. She recalled the markings on his face. His aura had a unique chakra as well. It was hardly noticeable yet after spending so much time next to him she could feel that it wasn't inside her head.

'There's more to Naruto than what appears…' She dwelled on that lingering thought as she went home.

Perhaps she wasn't the only one at the academy with hidden potential.