Disclaimer: Life is a race and everybody is a toaster.
Authors Note: Slacker me: So it's a little late…
OCD me: A little late? A little late? Are you crazy?! It should have been ready two weeks ago!
Slacker me: … Oh my God, your right!
But seriously, I do apologize for this chapter taking so long. Most of the time I couldn't right more than one or two paragraphs before it stopped flowing. I try not to write when it doesn't want to cooperate so as not to produce less than satisfactory work. The level of my 'satisfactory' work is arguable, but let's not get into that right now. Instead why don't you get into this next chapter? Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 18- Eventually
The crowd waited with bated breath as the man at the plate hit what would surely be the winning ball. He raced across the bases, untouchable. A deafening cheer broke out as the man slid into home. In that moment everything was perfect. He did it, our team won. Because he didn't just play for himself, he played for his entire city.
My dream kept replaying itself in my head, over and over. Today was the day of the third exam and I was pumped. Sports had never been my thing; I couldn't play without getting extremely embarrassed. Watching sports from a TV was just boring. The only time I ever showed any excitement for sports was when I went to a game.
It was an experience like no other. It was impossible to get bored watching from the stands. The atmosphere would pull you in until you couldn't distinguish yourself from the rest of the wild audience. The best part though, was the pride you felt when it was your team that won. It had been so long since I'd experienced that and I had a feeling the exam would be very similar.
Two Konoha teams had made it to the final round and every villager available was at the stands supporting them whole heartedly. They were two years ahead of us so I didn't know any of them personally, but pride in my nation wouldn't let me cheer for anyone else.
"Who do you think will win?" Kiyoshi asked, nearly jumping out of his seat. The three of us had decided to get to the stadium early so that we had a chance to explore. After walking around the food stands we had made our way to our seats to wait for sensei.
"How should I know? I barely know the Konoha ninja and their abilities, and nothing about the foreign ones," I answer with a roll of my eyes.
"Heck, we don't even know what other villages still have candidates in the race," Hiroshi added.
"Well we can assume there are Mist ninja because of the Mizukage's presence, and that dude over there looks like the Kazekage," I say pointing at the men in turn. Something about the Mizukage gave me pause. Looking at him made me uneasy, sending off warning bells in the back of my mind.
"How'd you know that?" Kiyoshi asked, bewildered by my knowledge.
"I looked at their hats, duh," was my absent minded reply. That had to be the fourth Mizukage because he was a guy. Aside from the graduation exam that gave them the reputation as 'The Bloody Mist', what was making me feel like this?
"Are you alright, Suikazura?" Hiroshi asked when he noticed my staring.
"Yeah I'm fine. I guess I just kind of spaced out there a minute," I reply sheepishly. Having this feeling bothered me when I couldn't figure out why, but I decided to give up for now.
"I see you three found your seats all right," sensei said as he made us scoot over to make room for him. We spoke a little longer before quieting down as the contestants entered the arena. It was amazing to see them all fight. Each country had presented strong Shinobi. What really amazed me though, was the way ones upbringing affected their fighting.
Konoha focuses on teamwork, and it showed. As a whole, a Konoha team is flawless. Separate them, and the results could be surprising. The fact that two teams had made it to the final round meant they worked well together, but it was obvious that they lacked one on one experience.
The first two tests were very team oriented. Mist was much more focused on individual skills. For a Mist village team to have made it this far they had to be fairly good, and now was their time to shine. They sliced through the competition like a knife through butter.
Last but not least was the Sand Shinobi. They were just good. Suna is not the easiest place to live. No one was unaffected by the harsh living circumstances. Because of this their Shinobi numbers were smaller than most Hidden villages; however, it is also the reason why they are all good Shinobi.
Suna did not produce below par ninja. Those who couldn't make it didn't. By the end of the tournament only six had been promoted: four from Sand, one from Mist, and one from Leaf. There was a feast that night for the new Chunin, their sensei, and their Kage.
After spending the whole day watching such a thrilling competition I couldn't just go home for the evening. Instead I headed toward the training field, hoping to release some of my excess energy. For twenty minutes I ran around the field, before practicing my still shaky tree climbing. An approaching presence had me jumping out of the tree and grinning widely.
"Hey stranger, long time no see," I say as Kurenai popped out of the trees. She rolled her eyes at my greeting and folded her arms over her chest.
"Hey brat, remember when you used to respect me?" My laughter filled the field at her reply. I wasn't the least bit offended. Over the years our relationship had changed from teacher and student to friends on very different fighting levels.
"Were you at the tournament today?" I asked her, eager to discuss it with someone new.
"No I was on a mission. Did anything interesting happen?"
"Well there was this one dude who kept throwing around Ninjutsu like crazy. I'm surprised he didn't run out of chakra faster. It wasn't the smartest tactic. He won his first two fights but was completely drained by the third. It's a pity, because he was pretty good.
"He did this one earth Jutsu that seemed to give him some sort of armor." My eyebrows wrinkle in thought. I had expected him to go down fast; he had been hit with a kunai point blank. Instead he just shook it off and continued fighting.
"I want to learn it." Every winter when I wore shoes I felt crippled. My Disposition just wasn't as good as it could be without skin contact with the ground. It was ironic really. Fall and winter had always been my favorite seasons. Something about the cold just made me relax.
Summer on the other hand is my worst enemy. Sweating was part of why I hated summer, but the air itself was icing on the miserable cake. The feeling of hot and humid air filling my lungs disgusted me. It felt like I was suffocating. It was ironic that the season I hate most is when I am strongest.
Konoha summers were hot and as a ninja I couldn't just hibernate all summer. Eventually I got used to them. Now I had to depend on them, and that made me feel weak. I wasn't completely incapable in winter but the shoes made a noticeable difference.
Another flaw in my fighting was making itself prominent. Foot injuries are slower to heal than others and as a person who walks around barefoot I am much more likely to get one. The thought that stepping on a stray kunai could put me off duty for a month had me nervous. Suddenly learning this Jutsu seemed like a great idea.
"If you are serious about learning it then you should check out the library. I would also suggest talking to your sensei and have him test you for your elemental affinity. Some Jutsu are only possible if it is your primary element," Kurenai said helpfully, interrupting my thoughts.
"That is a very good idea. I'll definitely talk with Aoba-sensei about it," was my reply. We spoke for a little longer before heading off in separate directions. On my way home I almost went straight to the library before deciding it was a stupid idea. It was getting too late and I had the feeling that I would fall asleep on the table.
The day of excitement was catching up with me leaving me ready to go to bed. My parents greeted me at the door with inquiries on how my day was. Apparently the boys weren't back yet and my parents were curious about the tournaments outcome. It was with a content heart that I went to sleep that night.
The next morning I got dressed hastily, eager to see what sensei had in store for us today. I wanted to rush to the training fields but was unable too. Things outside felt different; it was really distracting. I knew it was just the usual spring build up, but it amazed me each year.
Every year in early February I could feel the changes. Plants never grew, but I could feel them stirring, beginning to awaken underneath the layers of dirt. They waited patiently, gathering energy so that they could bloom healthily once spring arrived.
It made me restless, like I was building up energy as well. So with skyrocketing energy levels I made my way over to the boys. We sat in silence under a tree in the training field as we waited for sensei to arrive. I occupied my fingers with the hem of my shirt sleeves.
"Morning sensei," I yelled across the field with a wave as he approached.
"Good morning you three, I trust you all slept well?"
"Yep! So what are we doing today?" Kiyoshi asked, just as eager as I was to see what sensei had in store. It had to be something good. Yesterday we had observed the Chunin exams for the first time. That in itself was a huge lesson for us.
"Alright then let's start. Can one of you tell me the main advantage the candidates have over you?" sensei began. Advantage? There were a lot of them. All of the candidates had shown great skill and experience, something we were still working on. Before I had the chance to voice my thoughts Hiroshi was already talking.
"Elemental Ninjutsu," he said immediately.
"But you also use Elemental Ninjutsu," Kiyoshi said sounding confused.
"Yeah because Hiroshi's abilities will be a great help to you when you're stuck in a one on one battle." I say to Kiyoshi sarcastically, having caught on to what Hiroshi was getting at.
"I get that, but we have other skills to make up for our lack of Ninjutsu. You have your Disposition and I have my Genjutsu," Kiyoshi argued.
"You have to be very skilled with Genjutsu to use it freely in a one on one battle, Kiyoshi. Most Genjutsu users rely on their teammates to keep the enemy busy while they cast their Jutsu. As you three saw, that dependence on teammates was the downfall of quite a few of the candidates," sensei broke in.
"Today I would like to test the three of you for your elemental affinity," sensei continued as he pulled small square pieces of paper from his jacket.
"Not that I'm not curious, but why do we need to know our affinity?" I asked, getting into the lesson. It was so much more interesting to be learning this all first hand.
"Knowing your affinity is very important. There are some Jutsu that can only be learned if that element is your primary element. Knowing your element can help you in battle as well. They all have their weaknesses and strength. Fire, as you could expect, is weak to water. Knowing this could help you limit mistakes made on the battle field." Sensei explained patiently.
"So do you know our elements?" Kiyoshi asked already forgetting his previous argument in the excitement of learning something new. A corner of sensei's mouth twitched at Kiyoshi's change of attitude before he continued.
"I have a few guesses, but today we will find out for sure." He held up the papers in his hand as he explained, "these papers, when infused with chakra, will tell us what element you three possess."
"Paper?" Hiroshi asked skeptically.
"Yes paper. Here why don't you try first," sensei said as he gave one of the pieces of paper to Hiroshi. Hiroshi approached the paper cautiously as if it might attack him before holding it up with two fingers. I felt a small surge of chakra from him. The paper drooped almost instantaneously as it became waterlogged.
"That is so cool!" Kiyoshi practically squealed. I couldn't stop a small smile at his reaction.
"Well that explains your adaptability with water Jutsu." Sensei said as he waved Kiyoshi forward and handed him one of the identical papers. Kiyoshi gripped it with two hands and infused a large amount of chakra.
The paper spontaneously combusted causing Kiyoshi to drop it lest he get burned. I outright laughed at his panicked reaction. Hiroshi snorted before saying, "I guess that makes you a fire type."
Sensei held out the last slip of paper to me. I already had a pretty good idea which affinity I had, but it was always nice to know for sure. Holding it between my thumb and index finger, I infused it with my chakra. It quickly turned into a clump of dirt before crumbling to the ground.
"I assume that makes me earth," I say looking down at the pieces of dirt left on the ground.
"Is that why you're as stubborn as a mule?" Kiyoshi teased.
"Oh Kiyoshi, you flatter me. But you should know by now I'm much more stubborn than a mere mule," I say with a dramatic air about me. Sensei rolled his eyes at us before clapping his hands to gain our attention.
"That's enough fooling around now. Over the weeks we have gone in depth with chakra control. You are all moderately capable at both tree walking and water walking. I say we put this training to use."
"Does that mean we get to learn a lot of new Jutsu?" Kiyoshi asked.
"Not quite," was all sensei replied, as if he were trying to egg us on. Hiroshi took the bait.
"What do you mean 'not quite'?" Aoba-sensei looked us all in the eye seriously.
"It takes many Shinobi years of training before mastering any one affinity. There are Jutsu you all will learn, but it will take time for you to become efficient with most of them. Right now our goal is not to master your elements, but to begin the process. By the time the three of you enter the Chunin Exams I want each of you to have learned and become proficient with two techniques.
"This training will help to build your chakra reserves as well as strengthen your control. Today's main lesson will begin in the library where each of you will pick out two D-Rank Jutsu of your element to learn. But first I would like you all to go through the normal morning warm up." Sensei then left the middle of the field to observe us from under a tree to the side.
I shrugged at the boys annoyed faces and began my laps. By the time we had finished rain began to fall from heavy grey clouds that had congregated during our exercises. We were all glad that we could take shelter in the warm library.
The library was huge. Ceiling to floor bookshelves filled the wide area. Books both old and new lay displayed for the public. I inhaled the musty scent that only a library could possess and smiled. This relaxed feeling was something I had missed. I missed books and reading in general.
The life I had chosen had come at the cost of one of my favorite hobbies. I still read, but not as often as I could have. Being a ninja required you to be active, and being active took time. Eventually I found it hard to stay still. Time I would have once spent reading a good book was now spent running around a field or throwing sharp objects at trees.
We each wandered off in separate directions, intent on finding new Jutsu to add to our slim arsenals. I walked the aisles completely enamored by the large collection. The most exciting part had to be knowing that this wasn't even half of it. The main library is open for the public and therefore only held books with common knowledge.
The only reason I knew there were deeper levels was because sensei told us about them. Aoba-sensei had explained how the system worked; how all the good Jutsu were kept split into sectors underground. Only Chunin or higher could even enter that part of the building.
And let's not forget all the separate clan libraries. Most clans kept small libraries filled with Jutsu unique to their clan. While that was interesting, the one I am most interested in has to be the Yamanaka library. I had a feeling that I would find the most knowledge about plants in that one. Yamanaka-san had taught me about the properties of the seeds he had given me, but I knew there was more.
I made my way towards the back of the main room and found myself in the section dedicated to low level lightening Jutsu. Wrong aisle. The lightening area seemed to stretch to the wall on my right so I turned left and began walking. Two aisles down, I came across Kiyoshi and sensei. The snippet of their conversation that I caught had me laughing.
"I said D-Rank, Kiyoshi."
"But sensei, just imagine how awesome-"I didn't stick around to hear the rest of it for fear I would be kicked out of the library for laughing too loudly. The earth area was one of the largest. I wanted to read it all, but knew that would probably never happen. Instead I skimmed all the tittles I could see and examined every scroll that looked promising.
With scrolls tucked under my arm and books pilled so high I could barely see where I was going, I made my way over to an empty table to read. It was amazing how much there was. Half of the things listed in the books didn't even count as real Jutsu, just tricks. Small things one could do with their element without hand signs.
After reading one passage that explained how to practice molding rock and dirt with chakra I knew I would feel like some kind of earth bender when I tried it. It seemed so ludicrous to be able to just bend an element just like that, no matter how small the alteration was. As the girl who can grow things unnaturally fast, I didn't really have a right to complain.
I hadn't kept track of the time, but it couldn't have been too long after I settled in to read that Kiyoshi, Hiroshi, and sensei joined me. No words were spoken as the three of us poured over our material. After an hour of working like that I looked up to see sensei sitting by us patiently.
He planned on sitting with us until we were done; always on hand in case we needed help or a question answered. I don't know how he can manage sitting like that for so long, but he has my everlasting respect for it. With a shake of my head I brought my attention back to my reading.
By the time my stomach started growling I had picked the Jutsu I wanted to learn. At that point I kept reading for the extra tidbits and interesting tips about training I continued to come across. I ignored my stomachs' demand for nourishment and continued reading. It was only when Hiroshi's stomach made its presence known that sensei spoke.
"Why don't we go discuss our finding over a late lunch?" When sensei said we should eat it usually meant he was paying. With big smiles the three of us placed all of our books on a counter for a clerk to deal with before picking up our things and heading out to our usual lunch place.
"You can speak in turns about what you found. Let's start with Kiyoshi," sensei said after our orders were placed.
"So the first four on my list-"Kiyoshi began before sensei cut him off.
"Narrow it down to two."
"Aww. C'mon sensei! If I can't learn a big one why can't I learn a lot of small ones?" Kiyoshi whined in reply.
"Two," sensei reiterated. With a large pout Kiyoshi crossed off a few things on his list.
"So the first one I have on here is the Sticky Fire Jutsu. It's a fast burning fire that's hard to put out that clings to its target," Kiyoshi said as he looked up at sensei as if challenging him to veto this Jutsu as well. When sensei nodded his head in acceptance, Kiyoshi continued.
"The second I picked is just a plain Fire Ball Jutsu. You shoot a fire ball as big as your head out of your mouth. I bet it looks really cool," he said becoming more animated by the minute.
"Good choices. Both are decent Jutsu that aren't hard to learn. With enough work you should be on your way to mastering them in no time," sensei told Kiyoshi before turning to Hiroshi and saying expectantly, "Hiroshi?"
"The one I picked is called the Black Rain Jutsu. It creates a flammable mist that covers a predetermined area," Hiroshi said tiredly. A snort from sensei had his attention back on the table.
"What's so funny?" he asked rather indignantly.
"What's funny is that out of all the Jutsu you could have picked, you picked the only one capable of working with fire Jutsu," sensei answered, amusement clear in his eyes. Hiroshi's cheeks tinted red as if he were embarrassed he had been caught doing something he shouldn't have. Then it occurred to me that he had only named one Jutsu.
"So what else did you pick?" I asked, curious.
"I didn't pick a second. I don't need it," he replied stubbornly.
"That's not fair! If we have to pick two then how come you don't?" Kiyoshi said, not even trying to hide his outrage.
Leaning back in his chair, Hiroshi replied smugly, "I don't need a second Jutsu because I already have my water whip."
"That's cheating," I told him, disapproval clear on my face.
"I have already spoken with Hiroshi about this. His water whip counts as a second Jutsu. He may already know how to use it, but there is always more with that Jutsu. Do not think you will be studying alone. Now Suikazura, what Jutsu did you pick today?"
"Um…" was my response as I gathered my thoughts and finished my mouthful.
"The first one I chose is this rock staff Jutsu thingy. It basically makes a staff out of rock that you can use to fight." My explanation didn't do the Jutsu justice, but sensei seemed to know the one I was talking about.
"And your second?" he asked with a nod of his head.
"The Earth Pillar Prison Jutsu," was my immediate reply.
"Both could be used for offense and defense… A good selection," he muttered to himself before looking up at us again.
"Now that you three have a goal we can discuss the methods of achieving them. I will explain what you each will be doing, but we will not put what I say into practice until tomorrow. It is getting late and we still have yet to take a mission for the day."
I was kind of bummed that we didn't get to start right away, but it was probably a good thing we didn't. It was already mid-afternoon and we wouldn't have much time to work on anything we learnt.
Looking each of us in the eye as he spoke, sensei said, "Suikazura, tomorrow you will be molding rocks, much like you mold your vines. This will help you get a feel for the element you will be working with. Hiroshi, you will be pulling water from the river with nothing but chakra. And you Kiyoshi will stop a flame from consuming a leaf while it burns."
We all stared at him with dumbfounded looks. He wanted us to what? How in the world did he expect us to mould rocks like clay, hold water without a physical container, and stop a fire from burning without putting it out?
"And just how do you expect us to do all that?" Hiroshi asked him skeptically. And with a half grin, sensei replied, "You'll just have to wait until tomorrow for that part. Now why don't we head up to the tower for our mission? I'm sure they're wondering what is taking us."
Aoba-sensei could be very irritating sometimes. Our fence painting went off without a hitch, sending me home on time for dinner, that is, before I was accosted by Kotetsu and Izumo.
"Hey Suikazura, you have a moment?" Kotetsu asked me casually.
"Yeah, do you guys need something?" They both seemed very relaxed. It put me on edge.
"We just wanted to talk," Izumo said. Not believing the act for even a second, I crossed my arms over my chest and said, "Alright, who's dying?" Their eyes widen in surprise at my seemingly random reply.
"Nobody's dying we just wanted to talk! Jeez woman, you're so paranoid." Kotetsu exclaimed defensively.
"Just spit out what you want to say and I won't need to guess something drastic," I tell them with a roll of my eyes. It didn't seem to be anything bad, so I let my position relax and unfolded my arms.
"Maybe we should go somewhere private first?" Izumo suggested. Suspicion and curiosity were battling inside me as I followed them down to the riverbed. With Kotetsu in the middle we settled on the grass. They were quiet for a bit before Kotetsu looked down at me and dropped a bomb shell.
"Izumo and I plan on moving out." Wait, what? He sounded too serious to be joking. Were they really planning on leaving?
"Why?" I blurted out, unable to suppress my confusion.
"What do you mean 'why'? Suikazura, we're almost twenty! By all rights we could have moved out years ago. We aren't kids anymore." Rationally, it made sense to me. But I didn't want them to move out. Never before had I had such a close relationship with my siblings.
My old family just wasn't close. By the time we were all at the point where we could have gotten along, we had each started moving in separate directions. Growing up with the boys and my parents had been like a childhood dream come true. I had had a real family, in more than just blood.
Knowing their intentions to move out shook me to the core. It felt like the moment they left they would forget about me. Like the moment they had their own life, completely severed from us, they wouldn't want anything to do with me.
It was irrational, but I was scared I would lose my family all over again. Izumo, who had been quiet up until that point, seemed to read my mind and chose that moment to speak.
"It's not far from the house. We wanted to make sure we were close by incase you guys needed us. There's an extra bedroom as well. We're going to make it a guest room that you can use if you ever need to get out of the house." My heavy breathing slowed at his assurances that I would still be seeing them.
"Have you guys told mom and dad yet?" I ask quietly, eyes glued to my lap.
"We plan on telling them tonight. I wanted to tell you first though," Kotetsu said, watching me for a reaction.
"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go home," I said in a small voice as I stood and headed off in the direction of our house. The boys followed me home silently. Perhaps they thought speaking would provoke me into going on a homicidal rage. Or maybe they just felt awkward. At that point I was too angry to be awkward.
This was the next step in their life, but for some reason I couldn't seem to accept that. I wouldn't stop them, but I didn't want them to go. That night at the dinner table they brought up the topic of their move. My parents heard them out to the end and agreed that it was a good idea.
A small part of me wished my mom would get upset and tell them 'no'. Even if she did say 'no', that wouldn't stop the boys. They were adults now and the choice was theirs. The fact that they brought it up to us instead of just leaving showed great maturity on their part.
After my usual after dinner training with Yamanaka-san, I sat under the tree in our backyard to think. It was cold outside, but I couldn't bring myself to go inside where they were treating this newest development as a reason to celebrate.
The sky had cleared enough for me to see the stars and watching them seemed to clear my mind as well. How incredibly selfish I was being. The thought hit me like a ton of bricks bringing with it enough guilt to last me a life time. This was a big step for my brothers. This was supposed to happen.
Was I really going to sit there and mope like a ten year old denied candy? It was almost laughable that a thirty year old woman was getting upset about her older-younger brothers moving out. With a shake of my head at my own thick headedness I went inside to congratulate them.
A/N One thing I wanted to bring up was reviews. While reading fanfiction I have often come across authors that hold the next chapter 'hostage'. Please don't feel like you need to review for the next chapter. While I always enjoy them, I don't want you to feel forced. If the next chapter is late that's because I either don't have the time or my brain won't work. I would like to thank those of you who do review, they make my day. And to those of you who don't review, that's fine too. I rarely review too. Thank you for sticking with me this far.
ToeGirth,
Signing Out