Sunlight streamed delicately through the opening in the curtains. Daybreak greeted Komura as it had for the last year in this house, quite cheerily. Leaping from the plush mattress, she swiftly donned her crisp new ninja clothing. The style was similar to her favorite choice of the year previous, however now that she was seven, her clothing was tailored to fit that. Her growth required a new skirt, chosen in the divided into three sections style and a color only a a shade or two darker in the scheme of possible brown colors.
Instead of leggings, her appendages were covered by a pair of loose navy pants that were sealed from just above the ankle to the mid-calf by hand-wrapped creme colored bandages. The pants could stay up on their own if so desired, but where she was about to go in a week might constitute a bandage or two.
On the top half was a similar idea of loose clothing, this time a pine-needle green, long-sleeved shirt that was capped with even more bandages on the sleeves, these ones reaching from her elbow to the worst and wrapping across the palm and between the pointer finger and thumb. The extra force applied there made her hand have to work harder to stay in a position of attacking with an open palm so it was primarily used for training purposes. To top it all off, her red hair was wrapped up into two hair sticks, each with a small raccoon charm hanging off of the end.
The reason for her excitement today was that very soon, in a week to be exact, she would be attempting to take the Chunin exams in Sunagakure itself. Komura had yet to even become an official genin with a team, but for the Chunin Exams one was necessary, so she would be meeting them today.
It seems money really can buy everything these days. Governments are so corrupt with power that anyone will do just about anything for it. Not that she was complaining of course. Komura's lips were sealed if questioned about the validity of her Ninja documents. The one downside was that whenever dealing with anyone from then onward, if they were ninja, then her face would have to match the picture.
They hadn't gone over the bend with the transformation-jutsu modifications, in fact it was exactly the same that Komura had used out on the street for cold nights in the winter. Brown hair and green eyes could go a long way in changing one's appearance.
Once told about the possibility of hiding her true features, her training had worked for several days on specifically working to lengthen the amount of time that the jutsu could be held. All in all, she could only hold it for about 5 hours with fighting involved, and seven without. Even then though, the façade slipped occasionally.
As Komura finished the last of the wrappings, she arose and stealthily slipped from her bedroom. Having to have some fun, it became a game in the household to see how long, and how many morning tasks, could be completed without being seen. Her record so far was 4, making and eating breakfast, washing the dishes from her breakfast, making her way back upstairs to grab her tools, and heading outside to begin the self-training.
They always caught her doing the actual training so the fifth one has yet to be achieved. Theology had given way to practice with kunai and other possible tools. Shuriken were immediately discarded because which they could be effective sometimes, kunai and her hair sticks were much more reliable. The sticks were favored above any other itemized weapon in her arsenal because they were the most versatile.
They could be used for keeping hair out of the way, quickly drawn in an emergency, lightweight, common enough that they wouldn't arouse suspicion, and used as a weapon. Of course there's the use of a pointy object at close range which is all well and good, but most of the time her limbs would be free enough to deal with any attack. A neat trick that a puppet-master had taught her was chakra strings.
Immediately connecting her chakra to the ends of the sticks, they could be sent into long range and used as if she was holding them. After learning this skill, the sensei was dismissed like all the others, and so she quietly adapted the idea to work with energy. It's the same general principle as chakra, it just took a bit longer because Garoma could only teach in dreams.
Today she only made it to 3 tasks, her jubilant bouncing around practically asking for Sanchin and Saifa to find her. "Well you certainly look happy this morning," Sanchin comments with a smile and a pat on the head.
"Well of course!" Komura replies, getting out plates for the three of them. "I get to meet my team today!"
"Is that really today?!" Saifa asks with mock surprise. "It looks like you've all grown up on us now!" Komura giggles, about to get open the pantry when Sanchin stops her.
"Of come now, you can't expect to make yourself breakfast on this special day! Run upstairs and grab your things. I bet you that I'll be done by the time you get back down~"
Komura grins before dashing off at a breakneck speed, only slowing when, "And no running in the house!" follows her up the stairs.
"This is what you chose huh? Instead of giving into the market you're giving into the school?"
"What else can I do Sanchin? She's not ready to kill for sport yet, so she needs a push to attack. This is what can give her that push."
"She might die you know, not everyone makes it out alive."
"They'll go easy this year because they need as many to pass as they can. More troops means more power."
"So then where's that push you were so confident in talking about?"
"Her teammates of course. Most people will not be satisfied if they have to drag around a team member who won't fight, much less someone they will barely know. Hopefully, they'll find a way to make her attack."
"What if this year is different from all the others? What if there won't be any fighting at all?"
"Sanchin, every year is different, but they're not that different. The third portion is always rounds of battles to see who wins, this year won't be any different."
"And if it is?"
"Then Hasuka will become a Chunin and everything will be great. I don't see the problem here."
"Nevermind. I just want one thing to be done before she heads out today. The symbol of our lineage should be put upon her. It won't fit with the life she's going to live, but it would make me feel better. She would always have a little part of us wherever she goes."
"The symbol that means a healer?" Saifa scoffs. "Sure, that tattoo is going to be the death of her you know. If anyone sees that it'll either be traced back to us or she'll get laughed at for it. Imagine, the victim of an assassination attempt mocking the assassin for a symbol seen through a ripped sleeve. Ridiculous!"
"What assassin?" Komura quietly asks from her position in the doorway. Both heads snap towards the sound, mild shock revealed on their features.
"No assassin dear, we were just speaking of the time we first met you after all. Didn't you know that what you were doing is called assassination?" Sanchin lies quickly.
"I suppose that I didn't know that..." Komura mutters. "Will I ever have to do it again?"
Saifa sends a quick glance at Sanchin before responding, "We hope so, there are many jobs open for young people as they are easier to hide. Would you like to do that?"
"I mean I guess," Komura replies. "Would I actually kill people this time?"
"That's what we've been training you for dear," Sanchin explains. "If you get an official document saying that you're a Chunin, many more opportunities become available to you in the field."
"What would I get out of it?" She asks, a slight hesitation in her voice. It was not that she had any qualms about killing someone, she did not even know the full scope of what that really meant yet. The problem in her mind was if she would even have enough skill to best someone who was likely older than her.
"Well you would be repaying us for all of this past year and the work we put in. Simultaneously, you would receive a portion of the funds for your own use. You could buy new clothes, new tools, a new house, food, whatever you want." What she didn't mention was that even if she bought new living quarters, there was one particular aspect of chakra control, something that she excelled at, that was not taught.
It would be a tragedy after all if Hisako somehow was able to figure out that she had a follower all this time. It's not like she ever really left the property, but no chances could be taken in insuring that Hisako would remain here. The sensor wouldn't follow her on any jobs or anything of that sort, but they hoped that she would return anyway.
"Then I'll do it," Komura nods, determination filling her voice.
The adult pair share a smile before Sanchin sends Komura outside to practice a little before meeting her teammates. "If you're so opposed to a tattoo, what if she just has a forehead protector with the symbol on it?" She asks, returning to the previous conversation as if nothing had happened.
"Hmm..." Saifa mutters, contemplating the idea. "It could get risky and raise an eyebrow or two...however if you're so determined than I suppose that she can do that. I'll put in the order for it right away."
"Thank you Saifa," Sanchin says. "I know this is a special case but it still means a lot."
"Hmph, I just hope that she won't be opposed to the idea. We got lucky that she's okay with death, in times like these she could be valuable if skilled enough."
Silence falls between them as Sanchin finishes making breakfast. Before she heads out to bring the food to Komura though, she asks one final question. "Do you think they'll work well together? As a team?"
"Not in the least," Saifa replied with certainty. "Twins will always have a stronger bond than someone who just arrives and only must be with them because has to. If anything I'd be more worried about them turning on her in the middle of battle. Don't forget that she's significantly younger than them."
Sanchin says nothing but a deep frown graced her features as she heads out.
Komura leapt into the air, swinging from tree-branch to tree-branch by the hold of the wrapped hairsticks alone. It was a dangerous game, if her concentration broke the chakra string would snap, hurling her to the ground. It was during this concentration exercise that Sanchin found her.
"Hasuka! Your breakfast is ready!" She called, the girl's form being obvious in the small forest simulation. They had several trees, but not enough to hide much of anything other than perhaps at the trunk. "I even have some tea! Your favorite of course."
A few seconds of no response passed before Komura swung around a tree at the edge and came to a stop after a relatively decent roll to stand. Sanchin lets out a small chuckle before motioning Hisoka closer. "Come on you can eat it on the way, we have to be sure that we are early if nothing else.
"Okay!" Komura replies, running up to her guardian. "I'm so excited, I can't wait!"
"I hope that they like you dear, that's all that I ask for."
"Why wouldn't they like me?" She asks, confused. "They're my age right?"
Sanchin sighs before stopping to sit down, setting the tray to the side of her. "I won't be there with you to make sure that everything goes alright, neither will Saifa. I just want you to know a few things."
"Firstly, I apologize if you felt that we ever mistreated you in any way."
Komura interrupts with, "I never thought that...at first my training was difficult, sometimes it still is, but I know everything is to make me stronger. Even the biweekly tests."
"Exactly my dear, you're becoming a full fledged ninja now, so we didn't want anything that you might face out there to break you. That leads me to my second point in fact."
"Don't let the world break you. We've pushed you on a physical level to the point of extreme blood loss, however there are those who specialize in a mental form of torture. This is the folly of many in the past and surely the future. Whatever happens, don't lose sight of yourself and your aspirations."
Komura remains silent, only giving a nervous nod in affirmation. "Lastly, even if your name is not really Hasuka, you can't let anyone know your real name."
The look of shock upon Hasuka's face makes Sanchin chuckle, "You've grown used to the name by now, but in the beginning you didn't always respond to it."
Continuing on, she deepens the subject a little by saying that, "For all intents and purposes, you are Hasuka now, Komura doesn't exist. Hasuka Iryou, the last name of my family. Remember it well for you will hide many more secrets in your life Hasuka, hide them well and keep your lies straight."
Komura, nods tentatively, giving a moment to let go of herself. Whatever her past was, doesn't matter anymore. The face of her mother had faded to the background of her memories, lost to the wheel of time. Even Akino, her brother, was slowly losing the devotion that had brought her thus far.
Only Hasuka now, Hasuka Iryou.