Broken Youth
(Life of Konoha Academy Teens)
CH.3.4:Closer II
Lady Chiyo amused herself with the chaos and confusion she had created. She enjoyed seeing the look on her students faces as they frantically searched for their seats.
The students knowing Lady Chiyo, weren't quite sure what to anticipate of her little experiment, but they did had some sort of idea of the outcome in mind. They all asked themselves, 'I wonder who my partner is going to be?' as they all searched for their corresponding number.
As the students all found their new spots, they got a bit stunned at who ended up sitting besides them. Some of the class groaned, while others were content with who they got placed with.
In the new seating arrangement each table contained one guy for every girl and the reverse situation. Students looked around to see if there was some sort of mistake in their placement, but of course there wasn't. Now it started to make sense to them why they couldn't seem to find any matching numbers on their scroll.
"Okay class now I will take roll," announced Chiyo. "You know, just to make sure you're in the correct spots." Chiyo gave a quick wink with her right eye. Those words made the students lose hope of ever trying to switch their seats.
"Let's see," said Chiyo taking out her glasses and put them on to look at her chart. " Table #1 should be Sakura and Sasuke. Check." Lady Chiyo put a mark next to their names and continued. "Following them should be Naruto and Hinata, then Ino and Sai, Neji and Tenten, Temari and Shikamaru, next is Gaara and Matsuri, Sari and Kankuro, Suigetsu and Karin..." She continued to list off various names. "... Almost done," Chiyo said as she took a breath. "Karui and Kiba, and last but not least- Yes?" Lady Chiyo said answering to the raised hand.
In the back end corner desk of the classroom sat a boy who seemed to be unnoticed by everyone. He had been raising his hand for a long time and he finally just got called on. What was it about this boy that made him so invisible? Was it his dark shades, or that he always hid behind a hood, or maybe everyone sensed a dark aura around him, whatever it was it seemed to keep everyone oblivious of his existence.
" I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I have to point out that I'm the only one without a partner."said the boy putting down his hand.
"I was already aware of your situation and I have also found a solution for you, Shino," replied Chiyo.
"You have?" asked Shino bewildered.
"Yes, I made my new list so perfect to where everybody would have a partner including you," answered Lady Chiyo.
"Really, then who is my partner? There is no one else I can think of that is in this class that doesn't have a partner. " said Shino. 'If, her list really is so perfect than where is my partner? Wait, could it be that she planning to make herself my new partner?' thought Shino anxiously.
"So impatient to know," Chiyo said shaking her head. "Well, lad your are exactly right, there aren't anymore classmates to pair you up with. Yet I did find you a partner, even though she isn't officially a student of this class any longer because your partner is none other than my... lovely and wonderful T.A."
"Your T.A?" whispered Shino at the same time he let out a breath of air. His face warmed, he had totally forgotten about the T.A. He turned his head to look to the back of the room where the girl he had forgotten was located. How could he have remembered she even existed, if all the time she was buried in stacks of paper or studying without saying a peep the entire class period. For a first their was someone more forgotten than Shino.
"Come now, sit by your partner," Lady Chiyo spoke to the girl at the back of the room who once again was stacked with papers.
"But Ma'am I still have to correct all these papers," replied the girl standing up, she pointed out the papers with her opened palms.
"I thought we made a deal," remarked Chiyo.
"Yes, but-" said the girl getting cut off.
"No buts Missy, a deal's a deal so please go sit with the boy, and beside I don't need those papers done by today," explained Lady Chiyo with a wicked smile.
"Yes Ma'am," said the the girl maneuvering her way around the large table she sat at to her new spot. Her walk had somewhat of an unwilling pace to it. 'And I thought last year was my last as a student of this two year class,' thought the girl to herself. 'How did I get myself involved in this mess, again? Oh, yeah...'
Before Class (During Lunch):
A girl with slightly tanned skin, a ponytail, and very noticeable red fangs imprinted on each of her cheeks; opened the door into Lady Chiyo's classroom with a stack of books in one hand and on top of them her lunch. She glanced over at the desk at the front of the room as she walked in.
"Good afternoon Lady Chiyo," she greeted.
"Good afternoon indeed Hana, but isn't a bit early for you to be here?" asked the old woman looking up from the scrolls that she had on her desk.
"I guess, but I really needed to find a nice and peaceful place to sit down and study," answered the Inuzuka girl.
"Working hard as always, I see," commented Chiyo.
"Yes, truly I can't behind even once. I have to focus solely on graduation and preparing to enter college next year," replied Hana. She then placed her belongings on one of the front row desks. "But that's enough about me. What have you been up to Sensei?"
"Nothing too out of the ordinary, just making a new seating chart for the next class period,"stated Lady Chiyo staring at the scrolls.
"A seating chart?" repeated Hana as she walked up to the old lady's desk. "Why the decision all of a sudden? Is this because of the stick bomb incident last Friday?"
"Yes and no," answered the aged woman with a sigh. "Hana, I've lost all my patience with this years students. Have you seen that class? They are just so..."
"Distant," Hana said finishing the sentence.
"Precisely! That really irritates me, because I've never had a class that has acted like this in all my years of teaching!" stated Chiyo with slight anger in her tone."That's why I feel I have to something to fill the gap these kids have created, before it's to late."
The two women remained silent for a brief moment.
"So..." began Hana hesitantly. "Which girl did you pair up my brother with?"
"What make's you think it's a girl?" inquired Lady Chiyo.
"Well, various things," answered the girl without hesitation. "First off the reason for the seating chart is to bring the two distanced genders together, right? If that is so, then that would explain why you are making two lists instead of one and why there are numbers in the front of all the desks."
"So you've noticed that much, very good deducting skills Hana," complimented Chiyo.
"It wasn't that hard to figure out," Hana boasted." Yet it was extremely easy to figure out your plan since I am able to read your plans for the day from where I'm standing," Hana pointed out with a giggle in her tone.
Lady Chiyo quickly turned to her lesson plan journal. She then picked it up and stuffed it in her drawer.
"Very cunning indeed, Hana," acknowledge the elderly dame. "Now, going back to your initial question, why is it that you want to know who your little brother ended up? Could it be that my little Hana is a jealous big sister?" teased Chiyo.
Hana's face reddened at the comment. She would not let the old woman see her crimson colored face so she turned it to look out the window.
"That's not it at all!" she lied. "I just wanted to know if Kiba was going to get along with the girl or not."
"'Kay if you say so," chuckled Chiyo. "I paired your brother up with one of the transfer Kumo girls."
"Which one the blonde of the redhead?" asked Hana turning back her face.
"The redhead, Karui," answered Chiyo with a smile.
'Good at least Kiba won't be staring at a pair of breasts the entire period,' thought Hana. "Oh, Karui you say, I've spoken to her a few times she seems like a really nice girl. Not to mention she's pretty too. I really admire her golden eyes," stated Hana to Chiyo.
"Sounds like your satisfied with my choice," responded Chiyo.
"I guess I am," replied Hana with a smile. "I should stop disturbing you now and go eat my lunch and study." Hana rotated her body 180 degrees and began walking to where she left her belongings.
"Wait a minute Hana, before you do that there's a matter I want to discuss with you," announced Lady Chiyo.
"Matter?" stated Hana confused. Hana turned her body back around.
"Well, Hana I seem to be in a bit of a predicament. I thought I made my chart perfectly, but then I noticed I left out a certain variable from the equation. I seem to have surplus males and I thought maybe you could help me out with it," explain the dame.
"But Lady Chiyo I'm no longer a student of this class," said Hana. "And I really don't to take it all over again."
"I was afraid you would say that, but I have no one else to turn to and I can't leave that poor lad to work by himself," Chiyo said. "You wouldn't have to do much, but the labs and of course your help wouldn't go unpaid I'll pull some strings to make this class be worth two credits instead of one."
"I don't know," said Hana unconvinced."It's sounds like a nice offer, but I really don't need it." Hana began to turn around.
'What can I do to convince this girl?Wait a minute I got it!' thought Chiyo. "It's to bad you don't want it. On top of the credits I was also willing to give an intriguing recommendation to one of my friends at that veterinary school your always talking about."
Hana paused. 'Why is she doing this to me? I would be I really big idiot if I let that opportunity go,' thought Hana as she let out a whimpering sigh. "Where do I have to sign?" she asked in a dead tone.
"Good! So you except my proposal then?" asked the olden lady.
"Who's my partner?" answered Hana with another question.
"Oh, your partner is none other than..."
'...Shino. He's not bad for a partner I guess,' thought Hana sitting down next to him. 'He doesn't seem to talk much, I know him a little because of Kiba, and now that I get a closer look at him he's actually kinda cute.'
"Now to finish roll call. Shino and Hana, check," announced Chiyo. "Okay now that that's over with, we can start with today's activity."
The old woman put her list down on her desk and walked to the chalkboard behind her.
"We are going to play a little game today it's called: Bonds. The rules are quite simple, all you need to do is thoroughly introduce yourselves to your partner. I know what thinking 'Lady Chiyo we already know each other. Why do we have to a stupid thing like this anyway?' My real concern is do you really now them as well as you think you do? "
So to figure out how much you really know them, you are going to interview them. I know that sounds a bit boring, so to avoid the boredom from happening all of you are going to pretend this is the first time you've met."
The process should start like any other meeting, first you greet the person then share personal information about each other by asking questions. Your personal information could be things like your family, dreams, things you like and dislike, et cetera. That's all the instruction I really need to give you, you can preform the rest anyway you wish. One more thing this activity should last until the end of the period. Are all the steps understood?" asked Chiyo as she finished writing the procedure on the board for those visual learners (and/or people that weren't paying attention).
"Yes," replied the class along with a nod.
"Okay, then begin!" proclaimed Lady Chiyo with enthusiasm. She then went to make her self comfortable at her desk. She wanted to get the perfect angle on the entertainment she had created for herself. A hint of wonder appeared in her mind as she asked herself how this game was going to end and if it was going to backfire. Yet the mystery of finding out made her grin from the bottom of her heart.
There was something odd about the old frail woman: Lady Chiyo. It was as if she was an all knowing being and pulled the strings of fate with her own hands. She was all knowing for she knew more about her students than even they knew themselves. To some extent she didn't comprehend how she was able to understand the children so well, it was no more than mere intuition. Yet, in truth she did like elaborating master plans that involved manipulating others. Especially those games where she set up the pieces and waited for them to fall into place on their own after giving them a slight push in the right direct, setting off the unstoppable chain reaction.
End of part 3.4.