"Ka! Ka!" was heard from a lone crow passing by the academy.
Inside the academy walls, Iruka-sensei's homeroom class was about to begin.
Kanoko sat on the right side of the class, near the back. Her brother, Shikamaru sat on the left with his new friend, Choji. He brother was still sore about the small prank she played on him the night before. After her mother was finished with the both of them, Kanoko felt a small amount of remorse and guilt over her actions. Her father especially because he hadn't actually done anything wrong besides siring Shikamaru.
Kanoko was sitting up straight, as normal, awaiting the beginning of class, when she saw Naruto run in. He looked around for a moment, then expressed joy when he pinpointed what he was looking for. Grabbing the dry eraser, he placed it at the top of door opening, and closed the sliding door to keep it place. He then pulled out some grease or oil and spread it on the floor, in front of the door, on the classroom side.
"That idiot is going to get himself in trouble." Kanoko thought with a small frown. She looked around the room and noticed that many of the kids were now completely focused on Naruto. Many of them had looks of joyful anticipation.
"Is this why he does it? For attention?" Kanoko didn't understand. She hadn't known anyone who acted this way. Being this foolish would mean death.
Naruto proceeded to stand in front of the door with a large toothy grin.
Kanoko only showed a small amount of shock as she thought, "What kind of stupid is he?! He's definitely going to get caught, just standing right there with that stupid grin on his face!
*whoosh* *drop*
Iruka-sensei just stared at the eraser as it fell. He then looked up and gave Naruto a blank stare.
Naruto started slowly chuckling like an idiot, trying not to celebrate his victory just yet.
Iruka-sensei then looked up to the class and asked in a warning voice, "Ok, who did this?"
Kanoko returned his look with a blank stare thinking, "Seriously? Naruto is standing right. In. Front. Of you."
"Of all the juvenile pranks!" Iruka-sensei finished, turning back to Naruto. Naruto just giggled again.
Iruka-sensei huffed before stomping his way towards Naruto. He didn't make it very far before slipped on the grease. "Whhaaaa!"
Bam! Iruka-sensei landed hard and flat onto his back.
"Hahaha! I got you! That eraser was nothing, but a decoy!" Naruto yelled in celebration of his genius.
"I'll give it to him. It was well planned." Kanoko thought watching the exchange.
Naruto then finished with, "And you totally fell for it too!"
Iruka-sensei slowly got up and growled, "Naruto…"
Instead of ranting at Naruto, as the whole class expected (looking forward to), Iruka-sensei stopped and stared at him. He seemed to be thinking of something, but had a look of distaste.
It was quiet for a moment before Naruto grinned and threw up his hands and said, "I know! I'll go wait out in the hall." Naruto started to make his way to the door with a grin before Iruka-sensei stopped him.
"No. Go and take your seat."
Naruto stared up at Iruka-sensei in wonder. Confused, Naruto just walked slowly to the back of the room, where there was an open seat.
"Aww! I thought for sure he'd get yelled at. I was kind of looking forward to it, to tell you the truth." Kanoko heard Choji say to Shikamaru. She noticed Shikamaru shift around to sit up straighter as his eyes narrowed at the scene before him.
"He thinks it's strange too… I wonder what his thoughts are…" Kanoko thought looking at her brother, then back to Iruka-sensei.
Iruka-sensei walked over to the podium and said with a smile, "Ok! The last few days I was subbing for your homeroom teacher, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, he will not be able to take over. So I would like to formally introduce myself as your new homeroom teacher!"
"With that, lets open our books to…" Iruka-sensei started, but Kanoko wasn't listening. Instead, she looked over at Naruto. He looked… lonely…
"-therefore, a person's chakra is greatly influenced by that person's mental energy." Iruka-sensei closed the book he had in his hand when he heard snoring. He walked towards the back and found Naruto snoozing away.
Iruka-sensei's eyebrow twitched before he raised the book over Naruto's head. As he moved to slam it down, he stopped.
"He has that look again…" Kanoko thought narrowing her eyes on Iruka-sensei.
Suddenly Naruto jumped up and said, "Hey! Isn't it time for class to be over?!"
Iruka-sensei looked to the front of the class at the clock and said, "Oh. I didn't realize it was so late."
Iruka-sensei walked down to the front. He turned around and in a bored voice said, "Well that's it for today. I'll see you tomorrow." Then he walked out of the room.
Naruto snickered, jumping up from his seat and running over to the clock. He moved the big hand back a few minutes, "Haha! I got him again-"
Iruka-sensei walked back into the class, startling Naruto, making him fall off the desk he was using to reach the clock.
Looking up at Iruka-sensei from the ground, he said, "Boy that's smart, but how did you figure it out so quickly?"
Iruka-sensei gave Naruto a harsh look, like he was scum, before saying lowly, "Just return to your seat."
Kanoko stared at Iruka-sensei, not bothering to hide her shock this time. "Was that really necessary? Naruto is a pain, but he's never shown signs of being a threat." Kanoko looked over to her black and spiky haired classmate, "If anyone should be treated with suspicion…" Kanoko thoughts drifted off.
"Ok everyone! I want all demonstrate your skills in ninjutsu with each other!" Iruka sensei told the class.
Kanoko's class was currently outside the academy, in one of the practice areas. At Iruka-sensei's announcement, the whole class whined.
"Ungrateful brats." Kanoko thought glaring at her classmates.
Iruka-sensei laughed nervously before saying, "Don't worry! You're not being graded on this. This is only so I can assess where you are in your studies and plan how to proceed with our lessons."
Looking at his papers, he continued, "Ok, we'll start with a basic clone jutsu then. First up… Uchiha… Sasuke."
High pitched squealing was heard next. "Oh my! Sasuke-kun!"
Kanoko noted that nearly all of the girls in the class were cheering for Sasuke with hearts in their eyes. She stared at them, bewildered by their reaction. She caught her brother looking at her, so she turned her head to him. He pointed at her, then Sasuke, then made a small heart with his hands all the while smirking. Her eyebrow twitched aggressively before turned away with an indignant look.
She watched as Sasuke made a clone. The girls squealed again, before Naruto interrupted them, yelling that Sasuke's clone wasn't impressive and he knew which clone was real. Which he then attacked.
*poof*
"Idiot." Kanoko thought, closing her eyes. There was no reason to continue watching Naruto make a fool of himself.
His fight with Sasuke continued on for a while longer before Sasuke got in his face and said, "I don't know what your problem is, but leave me alone."
The Aburame kid added on by saying, "All you're doing is interrupting our class and wasting all of our time! You're becoming an annoyance."
"Hmm, that Hyuuga looks like she wants to sock the Aburame in the face. I didn't think she had an angry bone in her body." Kanoko thought looking at the pair.
Naruto looked back and asked, "What?!"
The group of kids moved forward as another student said, "He's right! But you're not just becoming an annoyance: That's all you've ever been or will be."
Another kid looked at his friend and said, "Hey that's cruel Hibachi." He then looked back at Naruto and said with a chuckle, "But sometimes the truth hurts!"
"WHAT?! Why you…!" Naruto went in for an attack when Iruka-sensei grabbed him. He then looked back at his students and scolded, "Hey! Stop ganging up on Naruto!"
Naruto looked at Iruka-sensei and a genuine smile grew on his face, "Sensei…"
Iruka-sensei looked back at Naruto and stared.
"Oh no. It's that look again. This isn't going to end well…" Kanoko thought with a slightly worried look on her face.
"Just ignore him."
.
Naruto's face fell dramatically. He looked crushed.
Iruka-sensei then called the class to follow him. While everyone followed Iruka-sensei, Naruto didn't move. He just looked at the ground.
Kanoko looked back at Naruto.
Flashback
Tobirama looked to his brother, Hashirama. Hashirama simple turned around and with a kind smile and cheerful eyes said, "The fellow countrymen of the Konoha make up each part of my body… those of the village believe in me, and I believe in them… That's what it means to be Hokage!"
Flashback End
Kanoko looked up in irritation. Of course her brother would choose to haunt her at this moment.
Closing her eyes for a moment in debate, she turned back around and walked slowly up to Naruto (you can never be too careful around him).
He didn't notice her as she approached and stopped right in front of him.
Kanoko continue to give Naruto a bored look, trying to think of something wise to say before she settled with, "Oi. Naruto."
Naruto looked up at Kanoko. After recognizing her, her narrowed his eyes and looked ready to defend his pride. Kanoko reminded herself that they didn't get off on the best of terms.
Kanoko turned her head to the side, not moving her body. She didn't do this heart felt emotional stuff. Her philosophy was that a good ninja is a ninja without emotions.
But the little voice in her head, that sounded an awful lot like a certain goofball Hokage, reminder her that she was dealing with a little boy. A little boy raised in peaceful times and if he wanted to honor his deceased brother, he would treat him with kindness.
"…-thought it was funny…" Kanoko mumble with a slight coloring of her face.
Naruto's expression changed rapidly to shock and confusion.
"Huh?"
Kanoko still wouldn't look at Naruto, but said, "I thought your trick with the eraser and grease was funny…"
Naruto was silent as he stared at Kanoko.
She took the silence as needing to say more, so she stumbled over her words trying to say, "And… the clock trick. That one was good. I thought you had sensei that time…"
Closing her eyes with her eyebrows slanted down, with a slight twitch, she forced herself to take the final plunge and said a little loudly, "And Uchiha… Sasuke's hair looks like the butt of a duck." "Ack! That last one was too much! So unbecoming…" Kanoko thought with another aggressive twitch to her eye, angry at herself and her immaturity.
Not hearing anything, Kanoko opened her eyes to take a look at Naruto.
Naruto had a large, open mouth, toothy grin, with big round blue eyes, with stars in them.
"Holy shit! Abort! Abort!" Kanoko thought backing up.
"HAHAHA! Duckbutt! It's perfect!" Naruto yelled, running off after the class – likely to inform Sasuke of his new name.
Kanoko watched Naruto run away. She had a bewildered and relieved look.
"That was a close call. I thought he was going to break out into tears or hug me to death." Kanoko thought with a bored looked before trudging slowing back to class.
But what neither Naruto nor Kanoko saw was a figure hanging around the corner, observing the whole thing.
Hiruzen, Third Hokage, smiled softly before walking away.
Author's Note:
I just wanted to say, "thank you" to those of you that have reviewed, "Second Time's The Charm". Whether it be good or bad, or just making factual statements about the show, I appreciate each one of them. :)
Much of what each of you says either inspires an idea or corrects my thinking of a future plot. So, please, keep it coming! :D
.
On another note, I posted a small picture of Kanoko as a genin. I drew it myself, so please be kind! I'm not much of an artist, but I wanted to have a visual for myself and I thought I would share it. She will change quiet a bit over time, but this is how I picture her currently. The link is posted below and on my profile:
Copy and Paste the following URL and remove the spaces:
krista06 . deviantart art/Nara-Kanoko-Genin-638984813