Apparently, Ami was right, and yes, everyone knew that Sasuke had said a few words in my defence. No one in my class is happy about that. Especially not the fan girls, which made up the majority of the female population, as depressing as that is.

It wouldn't affect me that much, not really. I may be in a new class, but my routine was pretty much the same, studying and keeping to myself with just a few interactions at lunch with people like Choji and Ami. Except Ami was now upset with me, so that was out.

I figure this will all blow over soon. However, I am quickly proven very wrong.

"Hey, ghostly-ghastly!" A girl named Nahoko says she's one of Ino and Sakura's 'inner circle' friends. The name, apparently a spin-off of the tease 'ghost-girl,' is a mild agitation. I look up, unimpressed from my book but glad I decided to sit away from Choji today. He doesn't need to deal with extra negative attention on my account.

Biological Knowledge Proficiency Level 87

Your overall level of biological knowledge. Shows the overall level of knowledge good for first aid and targeting vulnerable points of the body.

To be honest, I don't really keep much track of this or the other knowledge-based skills, and it still confuses me how some knowledge gets to be classified as a skill while others can't be. Maybe it's about how applicable it is.

I can see Ino and Sakura a bit away from me not participating but not condemning this either. Honestly, can't these girls get that Sasuke is just a kid? He probably just wants a friend?

I decide to ignore her and look back at my book with interest. It is a biology book, not super advanced really, it talks about the circulatory system and how blood helps to cary minute levels of the physical energy from the cells to the spirallatis.

"Ino…?" I can hear Sakura say a little more unsure, which makes sense since she herself was a victim of bullying.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Nahoko yells, getting murmurs of agreement from her friends.

"Oh me?" I say innocently as though I didn't know.

"Yes, you!" Nahoko presses with a sneer. Perhaps in another circumstance, I wouldn't have been aggravated by this girl, but right now, I was.

"You didn't say my name, so why would I know you were talking to me?" I ask, closing the book and putting it back in my bag. I am just sick and tired of these children acting like, well… children. But not just children but bullies and brats. I'm just done. So done with everything and just want to scream at the top of my lungs, 'enough already!'. Why aren't adults getting involved? Why are things the way they are? Why am I even here to begin with? Not just at the academy but in this world at all. I mean, is there a reason?

"You think you're so cool? Just because Sasuke pities you? Just because the Hokage pities you? You are a nobody." Nahoko still presses, and I get up, standing. We aren't allowed to fight outside of spars, and I don't really want to hurt anyone… much. I'm not going to fight… I'm not going to fight. If I say it enough to myself, it might be true, right?

"Just leave me alone," I say and, without thinking, start to move away from her calmly. The library is still closed at lunch, but maybe I can sneak in? I try to hold my chakra tightly, practicing just a little bit, concealing my chakra just the smallest amount. I keep doing this every day, every second I can think of it, and hopefully, my skill will improve. Right now though it's an alternative to think about, a distraction to keep my mind off of brats.

"Your own parents are embarrassed by you. They don't even dress you right!" Nahoko then says, and I freeze mid-step. Why am I letting her words have this sort of power over me? She knows nothing. She doesn't know me; why am I listening? Yet, at the same time, I can't help but feel a cold fury even as the calm races to dampen the flames it sticks around. I am just so sick and tired of all this! I'm… I'm feeling a little… scared… and hurt? Not by what she is saying but by Ami just deciding that my imaginary betrayal warranted her deciding to treat me as though I am a stranger.

"They never come to pick you up. Everyone has noticed. They clearly are embarrassed by you, or maybe they can't show their face? Maybe they're thieves and cheaters just like you." Nahoko taunts, and I have enough. I spin and stare right into her eye. Seriously who does she think she is talking about my family like that? Faces flash in my mind, blurred from the time of my first life and this life. They were good people.

"Don't talk about my family. I don't care who you think you are or how cool you think you are, trying to belittle me." I begin to speak, my eyes locking onto her own, and her expression begins to change

You have released Killing Intent!

Ok, maybe I need to calm down a little.

Energy Flaring Proficiency level 17

The ability to flare your chakra outwards to alert others to your location or flush your chakra system to release a genjutsu. Highly skilled sensors can coat surroundings in a thicker chakra/energy for various uses. (Currently available energies to flare chakra, killing intent) Range and thickness of flare increases per level, thick chakra range increases by 0.2m. The chances of breaking a genjutsu increase per level. Cost 100-300 chakra depending on how large the flare is. The current chakra coating range is 3.4 m

I take a deep breath. I can't get carried away. She seems to relax a little as I reign the intent in.

"Your just a…." Nahoko begins to say, and I cut her off.

"Orphan. I am an orphan, I don't have parents, but I don't appreciate you speaking about them like that." I snapped angrily and took a calming breath once again. Nahoko looks me over again. I walk away, and though I know that this little announcement certainly won't hold off the teasing but I can get away for now until I am in a better mood and can handle the situation better. I almost miss the curious look from a blond that most people ignore sitting a ways away on his own.

POV Kakashi Hatake

Sometimes when I watch Naruto at the academy, I can remember how I was during my admittedly very short tenure at the academy. Of course, things were different then. War was around the corner, even if no one outwardly acknowledged it.

I remember my father returning from each mission looking worn and battered, but he never lost his warmth. How he did it, I have no idea, and recently my respect for him has only grown. How did he manage after everything he saw to be still so… so normal?

An image of his bleeding, dead body flashed through my mind. He had it all under control until he didn't.

I try to think about less… well, other things. I wonder what Obito would think of Naruto. From what I can see, he is just like Kushina. Still, I can definitely see Obito in him, especially how he seems to follow that girl Sakura around though whether Sakura is anything like Rin… well, that is debatable, to put it nicely.

I look at the kids and feel relief they will get to stay this way. They get to stay kids, even if for just a little longer. There will be no five-year-old graduates. There hopefully won't even be any nine-year-old graduates like Obito and Rin had been. No, there will just be kids.

My eyes flicker to a small commotion in the yard. Or at least I hope so.