A/N: Welcome back to Those Chosen By Fate. Truth be told, I was nervous about this sequel, but when I posted it, it got reviews immediately. Hasn't even been a week yet and its already been faved seven time. I hope everyone who reads this will have read Lavender Love first. That said, let's continue Rise's journey.

Chapter Two: First Class

The obstacle course was daunting, made up of three tiers with rope swings, punching bags and even a small water pit. Rise was growing impatient as each of the students ahead of her took their turns. The best time was five minutes, set by Serah, who had gone first. Kaze was just in front of her, and Rise couldn't see Yukiko or Hiro. A boy she hadn't seen before was currently attempting the course, and he was doing very well. When he reached the top and pressed the buzzer, Hanabi nodded and she came to Kaze.

"Alright Kaze, you're up. Make your father proud ok?"

Kaze nodded slightly and he crouched by the starting line. Rise was watching him intently. As soon as Hanabi had blown the whistle, the boy before Kaze sidled up to Rise and spoke, drawing her attention away from Kaze.

"You're Rise right? I'm Nanjo, Nanjo Inaba."

Rise was trying to see Kaze's run through the course, but this boy named Nanjo was distracting her.

"Yes, I'm Rise. Can we talk later? We're in the middle of class."

Nanjo grinned and he nodded, stepping back. When Rise looked up at Kaze, he was pushing his way through the sand bags with incredible strength and speed. Rise, Serah, Yukiko and Hiro were cheering loudly for him to conquer the course. Kaze hit the buzzer and the students applauded him warmly. Hanabi looked up at the timed and she grinned.

"Kaze, that was incredible. You beat Serah's time by a full minute. Rise, you're up last. The time to beat is four minutes. Are you ready?"

Rise looked at Serah and she grinned. Serah handed Rise a band and the young girl put her hair up in a bun. Rise nodded at her aunt and she crouched down, focusing all her energy into her legs. Hanabi blew her whistle and she was off.

"Go Rise!"

Kaze was chanting with his friends, watching as Rise made her way past the collapsible bridge in one bound. Rise, despite her Kyuubi blood and the seal, had extremely good Chakra control for her age. Rise next reached the first set of sandbags and she used her arms to push them aside. They were heavier than she thought they would be, and she lost time pushing them aside. The second tier was a pool of water, crossed by a rope swing. Rise tested the rope and she swung across the water, landing on the far side. Cheers erupted from the crowd of students as Rise climbed the rope ladder to the third tier. Once there, Rise was at the final obstacle, the sandbag gauntlet. Kaze was watching her intently, as was Nanjo. Rise twisted on her heel to avoid the first sandbag and she dodged under the second. Hanabi was grinning to herself, thinking. She really is Hinata's daughter. She even inherited her natural flexibility. Rise slammed the buzzer quickly after dodging the last sandbag, and the student's applauded her loudly.

"Very good Rise. You tied with Kaze and Nanjo. All of you will receive full marks, as will everyone who finished in under six minutes. Now, let us go back inside."

Hanabi led her class back inside and they took their seats once more. Once the class was settled and quiet, Hanabi spoke again.

"You all did quite well for your first run on the course. I must say, I am impressed. I know some of you have been training for years before the Academy. I know for a fact that Rise, Kaze, Nanjo, Kiana, Hiro and Yukiko have been receiving intense training since they were young. Now to business. I should have introduced him sooner, but this is Nanjo Inaba. He's another student from a foreign village, except his was destroyed, so he's staying at the Hokage Tower with Tsunade."

Hanabi had stood in front of Nanjo as she spoke, and the young boy waved at the class. Rise and her friends could hear some of the other students whispering about him.

"Inaba? I've heard that clan name before. They were supposed to have been from the old Grass Country."

Said one person behind Rise. Rise heard several girls giggling, but she ignored it. Rise was more interested in her education than in boys, although when it came to her male friends, it was different. Hiro and Kaze were the only boys she liked. Hanabi let the class talk amongst themselves for a while, but eventually she had cleared her throat, and the class fell silent.

"We'll end today with a very important lesson. As Shinobi, you'll be sent on missions that could mean your deaths. Its my job to prepare you for those missions. The obstacle course was the first of many you will run during your two years at the Academy. Each one will be more difficult and more dangerous. We'll be adding one obstacle a month for twenty-four months, until graduation day, when you'll run a gauntlet of thirty-six obstacles. The obstacle course is to hone your speed, strength and stamina. You'll need it to b Shinobi. That is all for today, however, I would like all of you to practice Shuriken and Kunai throwing for tomorrow. Please ask your parents to teach you. Class is dismissed."

The class rose and started to head home. Rise was stopped by Hanabi, however, who had pulled her and Kaze back.

"Could you let Hinata know that I'll be coming over for dinner tonight, with Uncle Hama?"

Rise nodded and she smiled.

"Of course. Shall we go Kaze?"

Kaze nodded and the two young Shinobi-to-be started to walk back home to the Uzumaki residence. On their way, they ran into Kiana. Kiana was one her way back to her house. She was beautiful as her mother, with her father's appetite. They stopped by the flower shop that Ino ran with her family. Chouji had moved his family there instead of the Akimichi Manor, simply because he wanted Ino to be around things she enjoyed, which were flowers. Kiana gave Kaze a lily and she giggled, running inside of the house. Kaze's face was red as Rise tucked the lily into his hair.

"Perfect."

Rise said laughing, and Kaze quickly pulled it out.

"Stop that. You'd look better with the flower, not me."

Kaze held the flower out to her Rise smiled.

"Thank you. Why don't we go home?"

She asked and the two of them resumed their walk back to their home. When they arrived, Kushina was preparing dinner. Rise hugged her grandmother and she smiled.

"I'm home!"

Syao and Lyn were already in the back yard training, and Hinata was helping Naruto patch a hole that Syao had made in the fence with a Wind Release Jutsu. Both Syao and Lyn had inherited Naruto's Wind Chakra affinity and were training daily with their father to improve their skills. Hinata saw that her youngest child was already home and she smiled.

"Welcome home Rise. How was your first day?"

Rise sat at the table with Kaze and they told Naruto and Hinata all about their day. Rise had delivered Hanabi's message and Kushina set an extra two plates on the table. Kaze was being quiet after talking about his day, and he looked out into the backyard. Syaoran waved at him and Kaze smiled. Kaze had always admired Syao for his natural strength and good looks. Kaze was going to be staying in his room for two years, and they were like brothers, so it worked out. Syaoran eventually came inside with Lyn and they took the two younger Shinobi aside.

"How was it with Auntie Hanabi? How did you do on the first obstacle course?"

Rise grinned brightly and she looked at Kaze.

"We both tied for three and a half minutes."

Syao looked at his twin sister, Lyn, and they grinned.

"You did better than we did. It took me six minutes. Lyn blazed through it. It took her four and a half. Then again, she's like a boy anyway, always wanting to train and not do girly things like you Rise."

Lyn's face grew red.

"I am NOT a boy. Just because you would rather slack off."

Syao laughed and he shook his head. The twins had a weird relationship. They were inseparable, but they loved to crack jokes at each other. Rise giggled and she smiled at Kaze.

"Can you teach us Shuriken and Kunai stuff?"

Lyn and Syao nodded and they looked at their mother. Hinata had shook her head.

"Wait until after dinner. Go get washed up, all of you. Your aunt will be here with Konohamaru soon."

The children nodded and they washed their hands and their faces, changed into more formal clothes and sat at the table just as Hanabi had arrived with Konohamaru and their eight year old son, Asuma. Rise and Lyn were sitting next to each other, talking about their training after dinner. Konohamaru was talking with Naruto about his latest mission. Hanabi was talking with her sister and Kushina, going on about how proud she was of all her students.

"Rise? Can we go out into the backyard?"

Kaze had nudged Rise once they had finished eating, and the two young Shinobi in training excused themselves and exited the house into the back yard.

"Sorry, I just like being outside more."

Kaze said and he sat on a chair, looking up at the moonless sky,

"I love it so much here, compared to Sunagakure. All there is there is sand. No trees, no water."

Rise followed her friend's gaze to the sky and she smiled.

"There's a lake deep in the woods, where my parents had their wedding. We could go sometime."

Kaze nodded and he closed his emerald eyes. He looked like Gaara had when he was twelve. Deep red hair, emerald green eyes. The only difference was that Kaze lacked Gaara's tattoo. Kaze and Rise sat in silence for some time, until Lyn and Syao joined them.

"Are you ready for practice?"

Rise nodded and she dug out her shuriken set. She handed half of the shuriken to Kaze and they watched as Lyn and Syao threw them, sinking them directly into a log that was used for practice.

"Now you two try."

Syao said and the twins stepped back. Rise placed the shuriken between her two fingers and she threw it, sinking it directly into the training log. She grinned and she looked over at Kaze. Kaze threw it and it landed directly in the wood.

"Not bad. Want me to show you something cool Rise?"

Lyn asked her younger sister. Rise nodded fervently. She idolized her old sister, and anything Lyn could do Rise wanted to try.

"Syao, just make sure Mom doesn't come out here."

Syao laughed and then she focused her energy to her hand. A red aura surrounded it, and it took the form of a fox's paw. Rise gasped and she watched as her sister threw the red shuriken at the log, cutting it clean in half. It made a loud noise as it fell. Syao saw that Naruto was coming outside.

"What was that loud crash?"

Naruto walked outside and he saw that the log had fallen over after being cut in half. Naruto looked at his oldest child and he had a dark look on his face.

"Don't ever tap into the Kyuubi's power unless you are in a life or death situation. Do you understand Lyn? That goes for you and Rise too, Syao. Now we have to get a new training log. Lyn, no dessert for you tonight."

Lyn sighed and she looked down.

"Sorry Dad. I understand."

Naruto hugged his daughter and he kissed her cheek.

"Its alright. And if your mother asks, I've already taken care of this, ok?"

He said with a wink. Rise hugged her father as she yawned.

"I think I'm going to go to bed. Kaze, I'll see you in the morning. Good night Daddy."

Rise hugged her mother and grandmother good night. She entered her room, shut the door and she stepped into her shower. She turned the hot water on and she sunk into the water. She thought about many things, but for some reason the boy named Nanjo kept coming into her thoughts. Who was he, and how did he know Rise? She finished her bath and she drew the covers back on her bed and climbed in. She was asleep before she even knew it. Her life as an Academy student had begun. Rise was just starting her journey in life, and she felt truly happy that her friends were with her.

TO BE CONTINUED