Title: Rin

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Warning: Unbeta and horrible grammar. Language.

Chapter 8

Since that I trained my self to become a shinobi, I had to do some chakra control exercise in order to perform the academy basic jutsu. The hand signs were the easiest part and I already memorized every moves. Right now at the moment, the jutsu was useless but my chakra suppression technique was a crucial point for me in order to perform my task. To obtain a better result, I made a contact with Hyuuga Hanan. It was recess time and we could eat or played around the academy. Everyone was prohibited leaving the academy ground unless the class was over. I walked around the academy ground a few moments then noticed Hanan under shady tree and he was reading a book.

I approached him and smiled. "Hanan-kun, are you busy?"

Hanan lowered down his book and looked at me with indifference. Actually I couldn't really tell what he was thinking or what was expression he made since his eyes looked weird. Those white eyes were unreadable!

"We're not busy," Haru answered as she showed herself beside her brother. I didn't see her before so I thought Hanan was alone. Haru eyed me and smiled. "Do you need something?"

"Um, actually I need your ability to help me."

"Byakugan?" Hanan closed his book and let it on the ground.

"Yes, I need help to perfecting my chakra suppression."

"We can do that," Haru said and stood up. Hanan followed his sister and he picked up his book.

He looked at me. "So, when are we going to start?"

"Right now?"

Under Hanan and Haru observation, I managed to suppressed my chakra as minimum as possible. They praised my endless effort and Haru also joined together in the middle. Hanan already managed his suppression very well thus he observed us with his byakugan activated. We only did the training during our recess time thus it took almost three days for me to perfect the techniques.

"Don't forget the feeling." Hanan pointed the important point. "This technique is very critical if you're going to do infiltration or observation in enemy compound."

I nodded and wiped some sweat from my cheek. "Thank you Hanan, Haru. You two really help a lot these three days."

"You're welcome; also it's a good opportunity for Haru do the same." Hanan smiled slightly as he simply received a playful smack from his sister.

"Aw, brother, don't make Rin-chan think that I'm lazy…" Haru pouted and looked away. "I'm not lazy…"

Ignoring his pouting sister, Hanan turned to me. "You did very well but I must remind you that level of yours can be easily beaten by chuunin and jounin class ninja. They got more experience than us. Even genin also have better chakra suppression."

I nodded. "Uh, I'll keep that in my mind then." Chuunin and Jounin class huh? That was where my target ability.

"We don't really care why you're trying very hard in this but please be careful out there," Haru said once she overcame her pouting.

"Practicing from time to time will help a lot." Hanan advised.

Smiling, I bowed slightly to the twin. "Thank you for you advice both of you, of course I'm going to practice a lot."

Hanan and Haru smiled at my enthusiasm.

I picked up an apple when Iruka poked my shoulder a few times. He arrived at the market a few moments when I was searching for mango. Then I went to apple section and he followed. Irritated with his action, I glared at him. The brunette stopped his action and shrugged. I paid my fruits to the vendor and placed the apples and mango in my shopping bag. Slowly I left the fruit shop and entered the other section of the market. Iruka still followed behind me.

Wondering what he need since today was weekend and he rarely showed himself early in the morning, I stopped from my walk and looked at him. "What do you want Iruka? It's rare to see you this early on weekend."

"Uh…"

"To the point, please. I'm kind of busy right now."

Iruka sighed. "Fine, Suzu ask me out for weapon throwing and taijutsu training."

"Oh, good for you then." Ah, young love.

"But, I don't want to go alone." He sighed again. "Who knows what kind of punching bag I'm going to be? Didn't you see it in our last encounter?"

"Ah…That's pretty worrying," I said and at the same time I noticed someone at vegetable section of the market. I looked at Iruka. "Sorry Iruka, I know you're going to ask me but I got something to do at the moment."

"You're just shopping your food. I can wait." Iruka eyed my shopping bag.

Man, this boy sometimes was pretty annoying too. Couldn't he read the hint? I was busy. "Iruka, go ask Mizuki, I bet he really enjoy this." Sorry Mizuki, but I knew he would enjoy the training. Who wouldn't? An Uchiha asked for training.

"Mizuki? I think I can ask him." Iruka wondered.

"And don't worry about punching bag or what so ever. I think Suzu will bring someone else too." Knowing that Uchiha girl, I knew she was really proud to confess about her feeling to Iruka and she must bring someone with her so that they would start the training without any blush or stutter.

"Really?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure." I nodded with a grin. "You better go now before Mizuki got another plan or so…"

"Okay, thanks Rin!" Iruka ran to opposite direction with mine. I shrugged and looked at the vegetable store. That person was still at that place.

Knowing that chakra suppression won't work to someone with higher rank, I still would like to try it. Within few months at academy and with Iruka's instruction, I managed to find my own chakra. Focusing at it, I slowly collected my chakra around chakra coil so it would look like it wasn't trained at all. Compared with our organ systems in our body, the chakra coil was like heart. Even their position also similar except that the heart we could feel and see physically (in surgery of course, you wouldn't happy if someone could easily ripped your heart away if we could see it easily) while chakra mostly invisible under naked eyes. Satisfied with my work, I slowly walked to the vegetable store and stopped beside Gai.

I didn't even bother to cover my appearance, just simply stood beside him while checking on some fresh green vegetables on stand. The cucumber looked nice for facial therapy I decided. I picked one of the cucumbers and stared at it.

"A cucumber little girl?" The stand owner said and she smiled gently at me.

I smiled back. "Yes, I take this." I gave her the money and kept the cucumber in my shopping bag. Turning around, I noticed that Gai was no longer at the stand. "Where he go?" I asked absentmindedly.

"Oh, that greeny boy?"

"G-Greeny boy? I guess so." I shrugged and rolled my eyes. Gai was sure looking green here and there. I chuckled softly.

"Oh he always wears green and buys lots of green vegetables here everyday unless he is on mission." The woman explained. I nodded. She then looked at the direction, I supposed Gai went off. "He went that way."

"Thank you," I bowed slightly and left the stand.

I ran lightly scanning my surrounding while holding my shopping bag tightly. "Gai left without realizing I stood beside him? So, my suppression is a success?" I grinned and ran.

I halted my legs when I noticed Gai walked out from a dango shop. I went for hiding at nearest convenience store. Surprisingly in this world, there was convenience store that opened for twenty four seven. I was quite pleased with this discovery as it made me remembered what kind of world I was living before. Looking at the dango shop I found Gai was waving his hand at certain direction. He met a few friends from what I could see. "No Kakashi around." I nodded at another information I gained from my observation.

Gai walked away from the shop and I quickly followed him.

His next stop was two teenage boys. They were chatting about something and it took some times, so I went to the bakery which the nearest shop to them. I looked at them from the shop window while patting a bag of buns. One of them was having a senbon in his mouth and the other had a bandage over his face. Not enough for covering his face. He might be injured or something like that I thought. After paying the buns I patted earlier which I noted the owner quite pleased with my purchase, I quickly left the bakery since Gai already made his next move.

"I wonder where he is going to stop next." I murmured and changed the position of my shopping bag in my arms. "This is getting heavier."

After a few stop and my shopping bag getting heavier from time to time, Gai reached a training ground which I found wasn't weird. He was a ninja after all so he must have some training in his schedule. I smiled. Finally I could see what kind of training or taijutsu moves he was going to do today. My happiness didn't stay for long time as I noticed Kakashi presence at the field. Knowing this would go bad, I turned away with a groan. I was so near to my target!

Already few steps away from the training ground, I found that Gai went to somewhere else.

"So, he's not meeting Kakashi?" I wondered and grinned. "This's my chance!" I quickly followed Gai

Gai stopped at another training field which there was nobody else around. I also scanned the surrounding and smiled with satisfied huff.

"You can come out now Rin-chan," Gai casually said and I stiffened. I was hiding inside a bush near the training ground. Getting bitten by mosquitoes was unpleasant so I decided to come clean.

I slowly stepped out from my hiding place while dragging my heavy shopping bag. After that bakery, I stopped at another grocery shop and bought, milk, ketchup, soy sauce and flour which was quite heavy for someone with nine years old body. I also had received a small bouquet of flower from Inoichi as I went into his clan flower shop for a cover. I bet that blond man knew what I was doing around.

"Ah, since when did you know that I was following you, Gai-san?"

"Since that vegetable stand." Gai grinned.

"What?" I stared at him with disbelieve. It seemed that I was pretty immune with his sparkled teeth. I looked at him and shrugged. "So, you know this whole time…"

"Yes," Gai said and nodded. "It's very youthful of you, Rin-chan for trying to follow your fellow shinobi…um, I have this question since our last encounter." He rubbed his chin in thoughtful manner.

I waited and placed my shopping bag on the ground. I was so not going to held it while waiting for the question came out from Gai. It was freaking heavy!

Gai looked at me and blurted out his question. "You got enrolled to the academy?"

I nodded. "Yes, about seven months, wait tomorrow it is going eight months already."

"So you really did chakra suppression technique earlier."

"You know?"

Gai nodded and grinned. "It's pretty good even you're just pre genin now. I can't really notice it since I wasn't a sensor but several of my friends told me about it."

I sighed and looked away. So that senbon boy and his friend knew I was following Gai and it must also come from his friends at that dango shop too. So much for an achievement I thought. I just fooled my own self.

"Don't look so down Rin-chan. You're doing well in using your surrounding for a cover. Your stealth is pretty good."

I quickly calmed myself and looked at Gai with a smile. "It's okay; I know that I need more practice on it."

Gai smiled back and looked at me with deep gaze. "So, why're you following me?"

"Ah, about that, now you know that I'm a pre genin so this is getting easier. No more hiding or everything," I said and nodded at my statement. "I want to learn more taijutsu moves and I don't know who else and I'm not going to ask your eternal rival and then…"

"Kakashi don't know anything about you entering the academy?"

"No and I don't intent to tell him sooner or later." I answered Gai's question with firm voice. I crossed my arms over my chest. "I also need to ask you for a secret training. He does better not know anything what I'm going to do in my life."

"You hear our conversation at the book shop?" Gai finally asked. Sooner or later he might know that I hear what they had talked about.

I nodded slowly and stared at the ground. Slowly releasing my arms, I bowed at Gai. "Thank you Gai-san for not treating me like the Rin you once know."

Gai closed his eyes and bite his lower lip. After a few moments he sighed and looked at me with glassy eyes. "You're welcome Rin-chan! And you better prepare yourself. It's very noble of you choosing this path of life and I will help you with everything I know!"

"Thank you Gai-san!"

This went better after all and I must train my chakra suppression from time to time. I promised with Hanan and Haru anyway and I was going to do my best.

This is my life after all, I thought as I was staring at the bright sky.