Still Waters Are Deep 3
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the respective legal owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Summary: Follow the life of Senju Rurimi, daughter of the late Second Hokage. Read as the shy, reserved girl transforms into a quiet, self-assured leader on the battlefields of the Second Shinobi World War. However, behind the pretty facade, the Senju princess hides an incredible secret. Reincarnation!MOD
Warnings: major character death, language, mentions of character death, canon-typical violence, fem!Harry, gore, dark themes, major plot holes
~ Chapter Three ~
Over the following days, their new sensei drilled them mercilessly in the mornings. He always kept up his lazy, bored tone, but whenever that changed the genin knew they were in deep trouble.
After the exhausting training sessions, the Nara forced them to complete at least one of the D-rank-missions still available.
Even then, the children were not allowed to compete against each other, but had to work together in some way or another. Usually they received the missions no other team wanted to be obligated to complete, such as weeding gardens, drain fields of excessive water, repair storm damage, shop for older citizens or veterans and even, on one memorable occasion, perform mock-fights for a group of lower-tier nobles that had too much money and time on their hands.
Shy Rurimi-chan was forced to sing and play the Koto in front of them, as they had been undercover as waiters and part of the entertainment group respectively, which had been booked for the event. Naturally, their mission only worsened the longer they stayed, mainly because the younger men were leering at the young girl dressed in the elaborate Maki-costume.
Another time, they had to reorganize someone's warehouse, scrub the Inuzuka's dirty kennels, built a pigsty...
Each of the children thought they would not be humiliated further until they somehow managed to get stuck with a mission to clean the local hot springs.
Rurimi bit back the resigned sigh she felt welling up inside of her, wondering what the team would require for such a mission. However, both boys glared heartily at their leader.
Pretending not to enjoy their misery, the Jōnin in question merrily led them to the bathhouses.
As soon as they had arrived, their client forced them into ugly water-proof bodysuits, old and scratchy yukata were supposed to to be worn over that, and forcefully cleaned each of them with a strong water-jutsu. Only then were they allowed to enter.
Rurimi and the boys were also forced to wear a hairnet, as if their humiliation hadn't yet been extensive enough.
Apparently, the day before had been a 'family day', allowing parents with babies and toddlers to bathe. (You can imagine that mess without further details, the author believes.)
That was the day the young Senju swore to get revenge. A soft, angelic smile lit her face as she used her suiton-jutsus to clean pool after pool, filling buckets with filth for the boys to transport elsewhere. There was a certain glint in her usually warm, green eyes that promised nothing good for whomever she thought of.
Both boys learned not to disturb her fantasizing/plotting early on - unless they wanted to get doused with the filthy bubbles of water that she had extracted from the pools.
Tanako-san shivered once they heard the chiming, bell-like giggle from their normally stoic teammate. He exchanged a terrified look with his other teammate. Neither of them would get in-between the target and a girl thirsting for vengeance.
If possible, they would beg to be included in the prank she plotted for their sensei. Poor shmuck.
Rurimi finished with the cleansing of the pools, which led them to scrub the pathway on their hands and knees.
"Rurimi-chan," Takano-san tried after a while, voice and eyes begging pathetically. As if he was a child whining for candy.
The girl took one look up from her brush, smirked crookedly and went back to work.
Uchiha-san smirked as well, hoping she would cook up something particularly awful.
When the torture was over - er, their mission was completed to their client's satisfaction, all three genin were dangerously close to simply falling asleep on their feet. They smelled as sweet as any full latrine and felt about as disgusting too.
The trio left together, too tired to bicker as they usually would.
Both boys noted almost absentmindedly that the kunoichi in their midst attempted to appear particularly pathetic: emerald eyes glistening with tears, white hair dull and in wild disarray, lip trembling as if she was about to cry.
Their sensei managed to look slightly uncomfortable whenever he met that defeated visage, but turned away almost immediately whenever she sniffled.
In the boys' humble opinion, it was a brilliant act. (They knew better than to expect a whiny, crying princess by this point. Their third teammate was about as tough and unmovable as a mountain, just like them.)
While they finished their report at the mission desk, a trio of elder shinobi entered the room. It was Team Hiruzen, all of whom had been promoted to Jōnin a few months previously.
Instantly the blonde kunoichi's eyes focused on Rurimi, taking in her pathetic appearance, the tears and trembling lips, before she stared hard at their sensei.
"Rimi-chan! What have you done to that cute little girl I left behind?" Jiraiya-kun demanded, having also scrutinized the trio of genin.
Orochimaru-san said nothing, but seemed intrigued nevertheless.
"Bathhouse-duty," Uchiha-san supplied helpfully, glaring disdainfully at his sensei.
Instantly Tsunade-nee's eyes narrowed further.
"It's okay, nee-chan," Rurimi stammered out softly. "Sensei always picks out the missions he thinks suit our talents best."
Slowly, the Uchiha began to catch onto her plan. He smirked darkly, never even minding that his teammate was the one to have arranged their revenge.
All three genin left quite a bit more cheerful than when entering the room assigned to the mission desk.
The last they heard was a threat from Tsunade-nee, who promised to tell the Nara's wife about his cruel mission choices.
As they had the next day off, the trio met their sensei only two days later for morning practice. He was accompanied by a terrifying woman who gently cradled a toddler in his arms. Shikata-sensei appeared quite henpecked and harried, but set them to run their usual laps.
During spars, Nara-sama whispered dramatically: "Well played, Rurimi-chan. You are one troublesome girl. Where has the cute little kunoichi I got settled with after her graduation gone?"
A quick smirk flickered over her features before settling back into the politely blank expression the white-haired Senju usually preferred. "Thank you, Sensei. I've learned from the best."
That's when Nara-sama's wife bursted out laughing delightedly. The toddler in her arms muttered a sleepy "troublesome", echoing his poor father.
"You dears have to join us for dinner soon," she decided. "And please call me Hanako, Rurimi-chan."
It was the start of a beautiful friendship.
Four months after passing the second genin exam, Shikata-sensei deemed them ready for a C-ranked mission. It was a simple delivery mission to the capital of Fire country, not requiring anyone above Chūnin-level.
Tsunade-nee oversaw the packing process, recommending certain tricks before allowing her sister to leave. For the special occasion, the blonde had procured new clothes for her imōto. They were still green, easy to move in, but less noticeable in the woods around the village. Neither would the clothes mark Rurimi as a kunoichi, something that she had considered at length.
Finally, the young girl was finished, slipping into her ninja sandals as they were about to leave. Nawaki-kun and nearly every member of their close family demanded a hug though, so it took the white-haired kunoichi a while to escape.
Tsunade-nee just rolled her eyes at the pleading look, but the adults allowed them to pass eventually.
xxx
Tanako-san and Uchiha-san were already waiting at the gate, perhaps wondering where she was. Nara-sensei ambled down the road, hands in his uniform pockets.
After checking their packs, they signed out and left.
Rurimi sent one last glance back at the village, then the rush of adventure filled her with a longing of a different nature. Although outwardly none of her excitement shone through, the rest of her team could tell.
It was a little surprising, to see her so anxious about learning something new. Shikata-sensei forced them to pick up the pace, always carefully noting their surroundings.
xxx
For the most part, their journey went well. The first day passed without incident, despite everything. They rested for a few hours at night, to recuperate. But only because they were still Genin and this was their first mission outside the village, as Nara-sama informed them.
Courier missions usually required one to speed through the country as fast as possible, with as few breaks as possible.
Rurimi contently sipped some water from her canteen, mulling over the day's events.
She found she liked her teammates and sensei, despite all of their misgivings. They had become tight-knit over the last few months, especially after dinner at the Nara compound. As the kunoichi analyzed her behavior over the last two months, she realized that she had steadily begun to open up more to the three males. Often allowing her to speak more around them.
The boys had settled into a friendly, professional relationship with her, treating her like a comrade instead of an useless braggart. She had gained their respect with the retaliatory prank on their sensei, especially after securing a deal with his wife.
They would receive free dango occasionally, in exchange for some hours of babysitting Shikaku-chan. The boy almost always napped or slept around them anyway, so it was an easy job which benefitted everyone.
"What's up with the clothes?" Takano-san wondered curiously.
Torn from her thoughts, Rurimi smiled slightly, remembering her fierce sister's hug. "My old ones were becoming too small, so I received these instead. Besides, they won't allow others to pick me out as easily in a forested area."
Their sensei nodded. "Clever use of your hitai-ate," he complimented.
She blushed at the praise, but thanked him anyway for his kind words.
"White is not a color that naturally originates in the forest," the kunoichi clarified quietly to her slightly confused teammates.
Soon the topic changed to their own families, exchanging news for a moment, while still keeping an eye out for anything unusual.
On the second day, Rurimi woke with a strangely familiar foreboding feeling settling into her gut. The Other urged her to be very cautious today, somehow communicating her worry.
So the kunoichi packed everything carefully, strapping the few weapons she did not already carry on her person to various concealed spots.
Shikata-sensei observed her for a long moment, but didn't comment.
Instead he nodded thoughtfully, eyes shining calculatingly. The boys kept quiet that day, eyes peeled as well.
They were right to do so.
Just an hour from the capital, bandits suddenly attacked them from out of the woodwork. Knives, old and rusty, rained on them, thrown with precision.
The three genin did what they could to avoid getting hit. However, by the time the first wave was over, all of them had suffered some kind of cut.
Shikata-sensei had already gone from defensive to offensive.
Rurimi could hear her heart pounding in her ears, but ignored it for the moment. Instead she gripped her sword without hesitation and began to defend herself against a nearly hairless, toothless bandit.
At the same time, the two boys had both tight grips on their kunai, throwing shuriken with the other.
The bandit who attacked Rurimi had obviously not received much in the way of training, but he could still keep her busy.
The Other gave her a resigned push, encouraging the kunoichi to defend herself and her friends.
So Rurimi did. She quickly incapacitated the bandit with previously unknown confidence, new calm streaming through her system. The adrenaline in her system sharpened her senses to new heights.
For the first time, the genin felt completely alright with using the katas that had been drilled into her since she was three years old.
The ones she would never use on an ally. Ever.
With time, she would learn to read her opponents properly, but for now it was enough to know when her next enemy would approach.
Quickly, the three genin fought side-by-side, protecting each other's backs. The Uchiha had already killed one of the ten or so attackers, as did Tanako-san.
Suddenly, one of the stronger opponents slipped by their sensei who was battling three of them at the same time. He threw a knive, with unnerving accuracy.
Rurimi could calculate the trajectory line, clear as day. She also knew that it would hit the Uchiha's blind spot in the back.
With a quick twist, she raised her left hand, holding a kunai, deflecting the weapon in the last possible second.
It landed harmlessly in the dirt, a few meters away.
Seconds later the fight seemed to be over. Only when everyone stared horrified at her, Rurimi noticed the sudden influx of pain. Something had hit her face deeply enough to scar.
Shikata-sensei quickly examined her wound, competently treating it. Then he muttered angrily (at himself): "That was very foolish! You could have lost an eye!"
The kunoichi glared defiantly at him. "So? I would gladly sacrifice an arm for the sake of my teammate! This way no one died. I can live with a little scar in exchange for that!"
All three males stared in complete surprise at the normally so soft-spoken, quiet female. Had she really raised her voice to their sensei?
Rurimi's glare only seemed to intensify. "What? Can we please move on so I can properly retch violently in some bushes, please?"
Struck dumb, for once, the three males quickly helped her to clean up the scene of the attack and move on.
As promised, the kunoichi lost the content of her stomach in some bushes a little ways from the attack. Shikata-sensei held her hair back in a paternal gesture, rubbing her lower backside so she would be soothed enough to function for the next hour.
As soon as they had delivered their message to the Daimyō's palace, the trio of genin plus sensei booked a large family room in one of the inns.
Shikata-sensei sighed resignedly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Alright. First, let me see your injuries," he ordered.
They all obediently exposed the wounds they had received during the scuffle. Most of them would heal on their own, but the Nara made sure to disinfect them anyway. Afterward, he rebound the gash on Rurimi's face.
"Talk. Rurimi-chan, start," the Sensei demanded unbendingly.
The emotionally and physically exhausted kunoichi slumped almost imperceptibly, but nodded obediently. Her eyes were glazed absentmindedly, as she recalled her feelings. "Is it normal to feel dirty and bloodied after killing a human for the first time? Rationally, I realize that they were trying very hard to kill us all, but... And then I got really angry all of a sudden. Just when I saw that kunai heading for Uchiha-san, I didn't really stop to think about the consequences... My body simply moved."
Shikata-sensei smirked crookedly at her, ruffling the dirty white spikes affectionally. "You're a good person, Rurimi-chan. Never lose that attitude towards teamwork. A lot of higher ranked shinobi fall due to arrogance and underestimation of functional teams. Just try not to get hit next time."
"I don't understand why a Senju almost sacrificed an eye to save me though," Uchiha-san muttered quietly.
Rurimi rolled her eyes. "You know, my father never hated your clan, not even during the Warring Clans Era. He didn't particularly like you either, but was rather neutral towards the Uchiha in general. After the founding of the village, he discovered that any of your clansmen had a much deeper capacity to love than others. That is of course not in any way a negative trait. However, imagine you love someone deeply. Then, imagine someone kills that person."
Everyone flinched.
The white-haired female nodded. "Some Uchiha have gone mad with the loss of their anchor," she whispered softly, "so Father wished to lower the chances of that happening by establishing he Military Police Force. He hoped the Uchiha would channel their love not only into the clan, but also the village they helped to establish. Despite Madara Uchiha's defection, he always treated the Uchiha clan the same way, never seeking retribution for the actions of one of their leaders."
"What about banishing us to the compound?" Uchiha-san argued back, anger slipping into his voice. It sounded like a desperate attempt to hold onto his previous beliefs.
Rurimi sighed sadly. "For the same reason as the Hyuuga, Akimichi, Senju and every other clan has their own compound. Civilians feel safer if they think they know where their shinobi counterparts are. They enjoy our protection, but none of them necessarily trust any shinobi as far as they could throw them. Especially not the older, more accomplished ones. Besides, compounds add another security measure. Haven't you ever heard about the kidnappings? Other villages try to kidnap their 'own' clan children, in order to breed the Kekkei Genkai they carry in their blood. In compounds, an abducted orphan would be missed earlier. Plus, the infiltration of a clan compound is much more complicated than simply infiltrating a Hidden Village..."
Everyone smirked at the tiny girl as she awkwardly trailed off.
Shikata-sensei ruffled her hair. "It's alright, Hime-chan. We like to hear your pretty voice."
"Especially if you rant," Tanako-san contributed cheerfully, evoking laughter from all of them.
"Although that seems to happen a lot more frequently now, Hime-chan," the Uchiha pointed out for good measure.
Rurimi managed to pout and glare at them. Simultaneously.
"Plus, you may call me Jiro. It gets old being 'the Uchiha'," he added after a moment.
Sighing, the white-haired Senju accepted the olive branch for what it was.
The team continued to talk about their experiences for a bit more until Shikata-sensei was satisfied none of the three would collapse from mental strain anytime soon. Nevertheless, he made a mental note to organize a date with a shrink for each of them when they returned to the village.
As the Nara turned his head back to the increasingly lovable bunch of reckless morons he dubbed his team, the Jōnin nearly caught himself cooing at the sight.
All three gakis somehow had cuddled up to each other, deeply asleep. Rurimi had ended up in the middle, snuggled comfortably in-between Jiro-kun and Hayato-kun. Both boys had one arm slung around her waist, holding her in place.
They were adorable.
Sometimes, Shikata wished he'd have the money for a portable camera... Or a Sharingan. The blackmail possibilities...!