Chapter 2: Vegetables and the Academy

It had been two weeks since the Ame orphans had arrived in Konoha. The Hokage, a kind, experienced Shinobi named Hiruzen Sarutobi, had managed to secure an apartment for the three to share. Jiraiya pulled some strings and managed to get the three admitted into the Ninja Academy, just as the new year was starting.

7:30am. The alarm bell rang for the umpteenth time. Konan poked her head out of the bathroom to see Yahiko still asleep, lying on his belly, his shirt riding up, drooling a little and still snoring peacefully. Nagato, by contrast, was just slipping on his sandals and was ready. Konan flung a pillow at Yahiko. "Yo! Get up, lazy bum! School's gonna start in half an hour and we need to leave early so we can find it and be on time."

Yahiko sat up, his eyes still half-closed, grumbling, words slurred. "Mmmannn…whuh.. why do we have to go to school?" Konan sat beside Nagato. "We've never officially received any ninja training, it'd be a good idea. Besides.." she prodded him in the chest. "After all the nice things Jiraiya-sensei and Lord Hokage have done for us the least we can do is abide by their village's rules."

Yahiko rubbed his eyes. He stood up and stretched, yawning, before falling to the floor and shooting off 20 pushups in quick succession. Konan opened the door. "Let's go Nagato."

Nagato nodded. "Right." He turned to Yahiko. "We'll go on a bit ahead. Catch up to us when you're ready. Oh, and please don't be late."

Yahiko, having finished his pushups and started situps, merely grunted in acknowledgement.

30 minutes later Nagato sat next to the window in his classroom. Where is he?

"Settle down, everyone." Came a cool command over the noisy class, as a smooth-looking ninja dressed in Konoha's standard flak jacket and blue costume, coupled with dark sunglasses, stepped into the room. "My name is Iruse, I will be your teacher for this year. I can't promise all of you will pass; however I am experienced and qualified, and I will ensure as many of you pass as possible." He smiled kindly. "Roll call; please answer when I call your names."

As he rattled off the names from his register, Konan nudged Nagato and shot him a dirty look, and the redhead knew it was regarding Yahiko. Where the hell is that guy?

"…Konan… Kushina… Minato….Nagato…Pinako…Sayuko…Yahiko"

Nagato sighed and raised his hand to inform his teacher of his friend's absence, when Yahiko burst in in the nick of time, out of breath and gasping for air. "Here, Sensei!" he announced with a broad smile on his face. He eyed around the class and, finding Nagato, went to sit down. The teacher stopped him. "Young man, I will not tolerate tardiness in this class. Please be on time."

Yahiko heard whispering in the classroom. He overheard snippets of conversation, and he knew they were talking about him. And it wasn't positive.

"I hear he's the outsider…"

"The Leaf has given him home yet he still acts like he's above us…"

"Who does he think he is, bursting in like that…"

Never one to take insults lying down, Yahiko faced the class openly and loudly challenged, "If anybody's gotta problem with me or my buddies, talk to me like a man. Stop hiding behind your whispers! I dare you to fight me!"

As Yahiko berated the class, Nagato's face steadily turned a shade of red matching his hair and his eyes, while Konan looked around in equal embarrassment. She looked to Nagato, Stop him now!

Nagato jumped up, ran to his friend's side and tugged his elbow. "Shut up, Yahiko.." he said in a low voice before turning to face the class, smiling apologetically. "Sorry about him, please don't be offended by anything he says. Actually, we are new to this village and we hope you help us fit in." Flashing another polite smile, he yanked Yahiko up the stairs to his seat.

For the next hour Yahiko endured two earfuls as his friends on either side of him berated his antics.

Finally, it was break time. Relieved to hear the bell, Yahiko pulled out his bag. "Aw man, I'm starving!" He pulled out two crudely made sandwiches and began wolfing them down. Konan wrinkled her nose and looked the other way, just as a pretty young girl walked up to them.

"Excuse me," she said boldly, "but I couldn't help noticing your red hair. Are you by chance an Uzumaki?"

Nagato was surprised. What was an Uzumaki?

"Umm… I don't really know.."

"You are! You must be! I mean… nobody else has hair that red. Except me of course. " the girl tugged her own tomato red hair. "I'm Kushina, who are you?"

"I'm Nagato, this is Konan and that knucklehead is Yahiko."

"You're the new transfers, right? Did you families move to Konoha because of the war in the Hidden Rain?"

Nagato's head drooped. Konan looked at her friend with sympathy. Yahiko swallowed.

"We're orphans." He said, roughly and briefly.

"Oh." And Kushina looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, I didn't know.."

"Forget it" Yahiko said, his voice still rough. Konan squeezed his hand, and he softened. "Tell us about you."

The three chatted for a while, before they were interrupted by a snarky voice. "Hey look, the Habanero's found some friends. Ain't one of them that loudmouth who was barging in like he owned the place?"

They turned to see a gang of about five boys, big and sturdy, standing over them, evil grins on their faces.

"You shut your mouth!" Kushina said fiercely, surprising the three orphans and the bullies.

"So I hear their families were killed in the war. What's it like being all alone, eh, midgets?" the bullies cackled.

Kushina's hands balled into fists. "You shut up right now or I'll knock you flat on your ass!"

"Oh yeah?" one of them leered, bending down to her level. "You and what army?"

Yahiko clocked the bully in the face, sending him spiralling back. "She's got us!"

A timid, blonde boy who had been watching the altercation rose to his feet. He spoke in a low voice, afraid but resolute. "Bullies don't have any place here."

"Heh. Fitting that the Habanero found another chili pepper, but you, carrot-top? You're a joke!" The bully taunted; however, he had heard of Kushina's reputation, and now that she had support, was no longer sure of his numbers' advantage. He backed away. "Tomato-head, chili pepper and carrot-top.. you're just a bunch of vegetables! I could eat you with breakfast!"

But he was backing down. Yahiko raised his fist. "Just try it buddy, we don't go down easy!"

The bully backed away, still muttering insults and provocations. Once the danger was passed, the blonde haired kid walked up to them. "Are you guys alright?"

Kushina snorted. "Of course we're alright, who do you think I am? Come to think of it, who are you?"

"I'm Minato, I was just, uh, I couldn't help but overhear.. you guys are pretty loud.."

"You shouldn't eavesdrop, mister. " an evil look came over Kushina's face. "It might just get you into trouble."

Minato sweatdropped and gulped nervously as Nagato and Konan laughed.

"Don't mind them. I'm Konan, this is Nagato and that's Yahiko. We're new in town, and we don't really know anyone or anything here."

Minato brightened. "Oh, I love to explore! I'd love to take you out some time! I mean…" he backtracked as Konan blushed. ".. I meant… to show you around.. not like on a date…" he laughed nervously.

Konan shyly accepted as Yahiko and Nagato cracked teasing jokes behind her back. Kushina thought, This Minato guy sure is creepy. He seems nice though. We could be friends, I guess.

And from then on, the group became inseparable, and due to Yahiko, Nagato and Kushina's vivid hair colour and Kushina's matching temper, became notorious as the somewhat-awkwardly named Vegetable Gang.