Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
The Village
We entered their village just as the sun is setting over the horizon. Their village is huge! It is way bigger than the village that was close to my home. I have never been to a place this big before. Every building is a different shape or had been painted a different color. Sometimes both. And there are people everywhere. I see tall and short people; old and young people. Some have interesting hairstyles, while others have no hair at all. I see some families that have kids around my age, and there are some couples hugging each other who look to be the same age as Chouji, Ino, and Shikamaru. It is hard to imagine that Father used to live here. When Father ran away, why did he not run to another village that is like this one? This place looks so busy and fun. At the little village back home, every store would be closed, and everyone would inside having diner during this time of day. But I should not let this new place distract me. I still do not know what these people are going to do with me. And although Asuma said that the two scary men that killed father my family will not come after me, I am not convinced.
"Manami-chan", Ino called, beckoning for me to keep up with her and the group, "We're almost there".
I have to run every other step to keep up with them. All of them seem to be walking on air. Chouji and Ino started talking about what they are going to do after they are officially off duty, and Shikamaru nonchalantly throws in ideas once and a while. Asuma is not contributing, but there is a slight grin on his lips. I want to ask them where we are going now that we are in the village. But what if they are taking me to a bad place? Would they tell me if they were?
They take me to a big circular building that is next to a big rock wall that has faces carved into it. Asuma said that those are the faces of Konoha's past and present leaders. Once inside the building I follow them to the second floor, and inside a big office. Inside, a blonde woman who has a small diamond-shaped mark in between her eyebrows sits behind a desk with a lot of papers in front of her. At the sound of our intruding footsteps, the woman looks up and glances at everyone before stopping on me. No one moves or does anything for a few very long seconds. Just in case, I take a few small steps towards Chouji. The woman's eyes follow me. "Who's the brat?" She asked as she leaned forward, and rests her elbows on the desk before folding her hands and placing her chin on top of them. I flinched. The blue scary man had called me a brat too.
"Her name is Manami", Asuma began. "We found her in the Land of Fire after we finished our mission". He then proceeds to tell the woman what I told him last night. I am glad that I do not have to tell it again. If I had to, I would probably cry. Every now and then one of the others will add something that Asuma left out. Shikamaru mentioned that he has the weapons they had found me with. I take a moment to frown at him. At least now I know for sure that he is to one who has them.
Asuma and the woman share a long look when he talked about the two scary men in matching cloaks. And they shared an even longer look when Asuma told her that my father used to be a shinobi here before he ran away. Once Asuma is done talking the woman looks at me in a way that makes me stand up straighter. "I guess that means we have to keep her". The woman said. Keep me? What would she have done with me if they did not have to 'keep me'? The woman leans back into her desk chair. "Your mission?" She asked, her line of sight now focusing on the others.
Shikamaru stepped forward. "The package was received, Tsunade-sama", Shikamaru addressed her in a respectful manner. Who is this woman?
Tsunade nods her head, "Good. Team ten is dismissed. There's just one more thing". She looks pointedly at me. "That needs to go somewhere for tonight". I bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself from blurting out that I am not a 'that'. For someone who receives respect from others, she is not very polite. "I'll have someone organize an apartment for the brat, but that can't be done any earlier than tomorrow. So she'll have to go with one of you until then".
"She's going to live by herself?" Chouji asked.
"Manami's only nine", Ino chimed in.
"Nine and a half", I muttered under my breath as I stare at my shoes. Why are they all talking like I am not here?
Tsunade sighs, and I feel her eyes on me again. I look up to see a slightly bothered expression on her face. "She won't be the first brat in this village to live alone", she said. "So who's it going to be?"
Asuma coughs into one of his hands. "I have plans tonight", he said.
"Probably meeting up with Kurenai- sensei", Ino said. I can hear the smile in her voice. I look at Asuma to see that his face has turned slightly red. "There's not enough room at my house", Ino added, turning back to the previous topic.
Shikamaru sighs and everyone's eyes turn to him. "My family has a spare room", he offered as he rubs the back of his head.
Tsunade nods in his direction. "Good, tomorrow you can enroll her at the ninja academy. Then come back here. It's time for this year's chunin exams, and I have a job for you".
"How troublesome", Shikamaru mumbled before asking, "Should I register Manami under her clan name?"
Clan name? "I am not in a clan", I said.
Tsunade expression is careful as she said, "Your father's clan is your clan".
"What was my father's clan?" No one answers me. Father's clan must be a big secret because Father would not tell me its name, and neither will these people. But if I do belong to some clan I should get to know what it is called.
Still looking at me Tsunade bites her lip as she thinks. What is there to think about? "No", she said, addressing Shikamaru. "Until we know what is going on with", She pauses. "With the other clan members, it'll be safer to keep this quiet". Does that mean that I have family somewhere? A family that is not dead?
I want to yell out, "what clan?" Why can they not just tell me? It must be important, because of the way that they are acting. I bet it has something to do about Father's special blood. Not knowing is giving me a headache.
Tsunade nods her head again. "You're dismissed". Everyone turns to go, but I hold my ground and stare at Tsunade, she stares back. This is not fair. She does not know me, and yet she is planning what I am going to do tomorrow. And what I get to know and not know.
"Manami", Shikamaru called. "Let's go". I do not want to, but I listen. I do not want to make them angry. Father used to say that only a stupid person makes a shinobi mad. But I will find out what she was talking about eventually. She can count on that.
Shikamaru's family is alright, but they are nothing like how mine was. Shikamaru's father looks like an older version of Shikamaru. They even act alike. The phrase, 'the apple does not fall far from the tree', applies nicely to them. When we reached Shikamaru's house his parents were sitting at their dining table. His mother was nursing a cup of tea while his father was taking shots of sake. When we stepped into the entry way, his mother had called out, "Shikamaru, where have you been?" But she lets her question go unanswered when she saw me. His father spared me a glance, asked me who I am, and left it at that. Shikamaru's mother was another story. She asked about twenty questions in one breath, I swear, she really did. All of her questions are either about why Shikamaru brought me home or why I am so scrapped up. Shikamaru tried to answer everything that he could. But it was not enough, and his mother proved to be relentless in coming up with new questions. I had to focus on not laughing. Finally, Shikamaru just threw his head back, rolled his eyes, and said, "I don't know mom. Ask her".
His mother scowled at him, openly showing her disapproval before she came over to me, and grabbed my hand. "Come on dear. I'll run a bath for you", she said as she pats my hand. She looks down, gasps, and said, "My, your fingernails are filthy". And then she ushers me in the direction of their bathroom. But not before she called over her shoulder to tell Shikamaru to wash his hands before eating. I hear him sigh loudly in response.
My mother did things a lot differently than Shikamaru's mother. Shikamaru's mother wants to help with everything. While my mother wanted my brother and me to look after ourselves so she would know that we could. Shikamaru's mother turned on the bathtub faucet and turned it off once the tub was full. She got out the soap and a towel for me to use while saying that I have to make sure that I get rid of the dirt that is under my fingernails and to get behind my ears. She even dug up some of Shikamaru's old clothes from when he was my size that she had saved for memory's sake. My clothes were not good enough for wearing anymore. They had gotten torn and stained during the time I spent running.
After the bath, I look in the mirror for the first time since I ran away from home. It scares me because I still look the same. My black hair still matches my eyes, and besides the scraps and scratches that I had collected, my skin is still the same. How can I still look the same after my family has been murdered? I do not feel like I am the same person. Should I not look like a kid who has no parents?
When I leave the bathroom Shikamaru's mother is waiting for me. She has warmed up leftovers, and she pushes me over to her table, telling me to eat a lot. Shikamaru is there, eating, and talking with his father. When I come in he looks at me a little weird. I think it is because I am wearing his old clothes, but he does not say anything.
I ate some rice and some sesame chicken. It was nice to eat real food. When I had been running, I mostly ate squirrels because they were easy to catch. But they were all stringy when cooked, they did not taste good. I did not like having to kill them either. I can help it, I will never kill another squirrel again.
After eating, Shikamaru's father gives me a long look before suggesting that I should go to bed. Apparently, I look tired to him. He has a good eye, but I sure do feel tired. Shikamaru's mother is quick to agree. I wonder if she ever does nothing because as long as I have been here she has been up on her feet doing something for someone.
As she is taking me to their guest room Shikamaru reminds me that he is taking me to the academy tomorrow. I spend the night tossing and turning on a futon that smells like soap; wondering what school is going to be like.
Shikamaru is not a morning person. I figured that out as we walked to the academy. He has his hands in his pockets, yawns every couple of steps, and he has not said one word yet. I only knew that he had wanted me to go with him because he gestured for me to follow before we had left his house. If he is always this tired in the morning then he should go to bed earlier.
The village is not as active as it was yesterday. There are still plenty of people out, but it is quieter. A couple of kids, who are a few inches taller than me, run past. Are they going to this academy too? What is school like? My brother always said that school is boring. What if I do not like it? I kick at the ground with the toe of one of my shoes. My shoes are the only things of mine that did not get ruined when I was running or get taken by a shinobi that has a pineapple-shaped head. I look up at Shikamaru. "What if I do not want to go to the academy?" I asked.
"Huh?" Shikamaru looks down at me; slowing his pace ever so slightly.
I look away from him. "No one asked me if I want to go to this academy. What if I do not want to go?"
Shikamaru sighs, and turns forward. "Tsunade-sama told you to attend the academy, so you're going".
My cheeks puff out before I let out a huff. "Who exactly is Tsunade? What is so important about her that she can tell me what to do?"
He shrugs with his hands still in his pockets. "She's the Hokage; the leader of this village. She can do what she wants".
I sigh and bow my head. This is going nowhere, at least, nowhere that I like. Why is it that people either answers my questions with answers that I do not like, or they do not answer at all? It isn't fair. I kick at the ground again. "If I have to go to this ninja academy will I not need my weapons?"
"No".
"Are you ever going to give them back?" Why will he not let me have them? It is not like I want to hurt people with them.
I can feel his eyes on me but I do not lookup. He takes a long time before replying; "You can get them back when you become a genin of this village".
Shikamaru has me cornered. Now I will have to attend the academy and graduate. I throw my head up and glare at him. "That is cheap!" He does not say anything back, but there is a small smirk on his face. Stupid pineapple head.
When we get to the academy the front yard is swarming with kids of all ages. Some of the younger ones are chasing around a ball, and others seem to be playing tag. A group of older looking girls stand under a tree; talking. And a little ways off from them, a group of boys, who look to be the same age as the girls, are wrestling. There are other little groups doing different things all over the yard. What group will I belong to?
Shikamaru walks into the school building with me at his heels. The school seems like an okay place. It is clean and well lit. But I still do not want to be here. It was Father's job to teach me. I wish he was not dead. Shikamaru seems to be very comfortable in this place. He takes us to a closed door that has the words, 'staff room', written on it. He knocks once before opening the door and calling out. "Oi! Iruka-sensei".
Shikamaru is blocking my view so I cannot see what is in the room, but a few seconds later a dark-haired man with a scar across his nose comes out. "Shikamaru, what are you doing here?" The man asked.
"Tsunade-sama asked me to enroll Konoha's newest resident", Shikamaru said, nodding his head in my direction. The man looks down at me. "Her name is Manami", Shikamaru continued.
The man nods his head. "Okay. I just need you to fill out a form", he said to Shikamaru before stepping back into the staff room.
Shikamaru turns to me. "Wait here", he said before following after the man. I let out a small sigh, and lean against the wall that is facing the staff room door. Great, here is something else in my life that I do not get to be apart of. Father would have filled out that form in front of me. He might have even let me fill it out.
A few minutes later Shikamaru and the man return. "Hello Manami", the man said. "I'm Iruka-sensei, and you're going to join my class". He smiles at me, but he is looking at me differently than he had when he first saw me. Why? Did Shikamaru say something to him?
A couple of seconds pass before I said, "Hi", in response. I want to go home.
"Manami", Shikamaru starts. "Later, someone will drop off the key and directions to your new apartment, so don't leave here without it, okay?" I nod; trying not to pout. Father used to get mad at me if I looked like I wanted to complain. "Later then", he said as he turns, and walks away.
"Bye", I called out a bit weakly. Shikamaru does not turn around but he raises one hand. I have not noticed this before, but from the back, Shikamaru's head looks even more like a pineapple.
"School's about to start", Iruka-sensei said. "Come on. I'll show you where our classroom is". With a smile still on his face, Iruka-sensei turns and walks down a long hallway. I inhale deeply before following him. I want to go home.