Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

3

Convergent Thinking

Convergent thinking is a process that entails deductive reasoning. Logic is applied to a recollection of facts and established rules. This allows possible solutions to be narrowed down until one remains. It involves seeing patterns in phenomena originally thought to be unrelated by combining two or more observations or concepts to provide additional information.


Anzu stood in front of the mirror; using her fingers to comb through her hair as she studied it with great scrutiny. "Hmm, my roots are starting to show again", Anzu shared without looking away from the mirror. "I wonder what color I should get this time".

"Ne, Sis", I interrupted her musings. Sitting at the make-shift desk that I thought was more cumbersome than useful, I twisted around to look at my sister. With angular bones, a sharp nose, and a clear complexion it was obvious that Anzu was beautiful. Even with that unfortunate purple hair dye she had last chosen. My sister hummed again as a sign for me to continue. But I held out; waiting for her to look at me. Which she did after a moment of silence. Her black pupils met my brown and I asked, "What does it mean when someone says your name to your face and then just walks away".

Anzu blinked. At this point, I knew more than she did. Meaning, I rarely asked her questions that weren't about what we'd be having for dinner. "Did that happen?" She asked.

Running a tired hand over my face, I grumbled. "Yeah. Today during lunch". Where Shino attempted to approach me when I was scrambling to find a solution and made my state of mind worse. But Anzu didn't need to know the details. Not when it would just make her worry.

Anzu blinked again before a cat-like grin stretched across her face. "Was this someone a boy?"

At Anzu's teasing tone, I leaned back into the makeshift desk. Damn it, Anzu. That wasn't what this was about. "Yes", I answered honestly with a frown. "But that's not-"

"Oh", Anzu chortled gleefully. "My baby sister has her first crush".

My face heated like when I pushed my limits during taijutsu training or when Daichi decided to turn on the heat for the entire building. "Gross. I do not!"

Anzu kept going as if I hadn't protested. "And it sounds like this boy might like you too if he gets embarrassed right after saying your name".

Ugh, spare me. "He wasn't embarrassed. He…." What was Shino? Even though he was quiet, shy didn't feel like an appropriate descriptor of him because when he did choose to talk, it tended to be in a direct manner. "Shino's just weird", I settled on. Now, was weird a good alternative description? No. But it was the best I could come up with that I thought would crush Anzu's amusement.

Sadly, it wasn't the description she keyed into. "So, his name is Shino", she said like a kid that had just been allowed a second helping of dessert. Looking up at the ceiling, Anzu tapped her bottom lip with one finger. "Shino and Rion", she said to herself; ignoring me when I left out an irritated groan. "Rion and Shino", she tried again. Shaking my head in defeat, I climbed to my feet and moved away from the makeshift desk. "It has a nice ring to it", Anzu teased.

"I'm going to the store to get dinner", I said; hastily shuffling towards the door. "You good with instant noodles again?" It went unsaid that instant noodles were usually the only thing we could afford.

"Wait", Anzu called; laughing as I pulled on my sandals. "Don't you think it's time I told you about the birds and the bees?" She was joking. Or at least I assumed so. In our walk of life, I was exposed to the 'birds and the bees' earlier than most. I walked out the door. Please let her be joking. "Hey!" Anzu yelled after me. "Get some hair dye too. Maybe red this time!"

Anzu was the only reason I had survived in this world this long. She was my sole purpose for getting up in the morning and putting up with the daily grind of the academy. I loved her more than anyone else across lifetimes. That was the holistic truth. And yet, despite that, I found myself cursing my luck at having an embarrassing big sister.


Iruka-Sensei didn't lie when he told Ami she would only have to sit in the back corner for one day. What he didn't share was that Ami would not be returning to her preferred seat surrounded by all her friends. Walking into the classroom the next morning, we were greeted by a smiling Iruka-Sensei and a seating chart. When asked why by several complaining students, Iruka-Sensei answered, "We're trying something new. Besides, it's important that you're able to cooperate with all your classmates. Shinobi don't get to pick who they're sent on missions with". And with that pearl of wisdom, my peers dragged their feet to their new seats.

Examining the chart Iruka-Sensei had proudly posted on the blackboard, it was clear that he had really done on a number on us. The only friends who were still seated next to each other were Chouji and Shikamaru. Which I suspect was a move of self-preservation for Iruka-Sensei. When Chouji was next to his best friend, Iruka-Sensei didn't have to wake Shikamaru up every time it was time to leave the classroom. Sitting in the same row as them was Kiba. The row in front of them was Ami, Shino, and Ino. Poor Shino. Hinata and Sakura were mixed in on the other side of the room with the others that wouldn't become a part of the rookie nine. And me…. I was assigned to the front row. Smack dab in the middle between Naruto and Sasuke; the loudest student and the most popular student. Was Iruka-Sensei trying to kill me?

"What's wrong, Rion? Do you need help finding your name?" Speaking of the demon. Turning around, I faced my teacher with my usual unreactive face. But I think my façade was losing its effectiveness because Iruka-Sensei's smile was more… friendly than was the norm.

"No thanks, Sensei", I said quickly, hurrying away. That was the best choice; to keep myself from saying something I'd regret later.

Sasuke was already seated with his elbows on the desktop, his fingers laced together, and his hands covering his mouth. At my approach, he glanced at me with his peripherals; completely indifferent to my presence. Which was fine by me. I have no opinion regarding Sasuke. I wasn't fond of him, but I wasn't harboring any feelings of dislike towards him either. To me, he was just another boy in my class who would forget I existed after graduation. The problem with sitting next to him was the jealousy that would be directed at me by his many fans. Also known as more attention than I couldn't handle.

Sitting down, I tried to keep as much space between me and the surviving Uchiha as possible. Self-preservation was my specialty after all. Even if Iruka-Sensei was currently making things extremely difficult. However, when Naruto appeared a few seconds later to claim his seat; grumbling about the lameness of this whole situation, I was forced to scoot closer so the blond had enough room. "Stupid Iruka-Sensei", Naruto complained; his bottom lip sticking out as he dropped heavily into the seat. "Making me sit with the fake and the jerk". Two guesses who the fake and the jerk were.

As academy students, we had never felt killing intent. Nor had we been taught the concept. But, I swear, as I sat sandwiched between Naruto and Sasuke, someone else in that room was plotting my demise. With my hands shaking, I placed them in my lap to keep them out of sight. Unless orchestrated, tells were dangerous.

"Now that we've all found our seats", Iruka-Sensei began. "We're ready to start the new unit. Who can tell me what departments make up the intel division of Konoha's military force?"

As Iruka-sensei used the morning to tell us about; cryptology, espionage, internal affairs, the research & development division, and torture & interrogation, I sat in my new seat trying to breathe normally; not listening to a single thing he said. Everything I had been taught, every safety net I had set up for myself centered around being perceived as unremarkable. To be seen as no one worthy of a second glance. Someone who was easily forgettable. Why was Iruka-Sensei taking all that away from me?


Back when I was in class three, schoolyard brawls were common, expected, and subliminally encouraged. For many that were in class three, their fists were the only way they knew how to communicate. The people who were most likely to be confronted by these individuals were those most likely to be in favor with the teacher. I was one of those kids spending my free time putting my hard-earned taijutsu skills to use.

It was easy fighting back when I was in class three. Um… I mean, fighting wasn't easy. That came with a steep learning curve that I had to overcome before I could beat others at their own game. Literally. What I meant by easy was that while in class three no one cared. Fighting was a good way to practice.

But in class one and being semi-close to graduation, unsanctioned fights garnered more of a response. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe we actually knew enough to be a danger to each other. Maybe because it was time to shift our thinking from childhood enemies to;

Konoha = comrade

Not Konoha = Fight

Or maybe they wanted to protect the maturing investment they placed on us as human capita.

Either way, when Ami and her friends surrounded me at lunch, I knew I was between a rock and a hard place. "You've gotten too proud for a gutter rat", Ami sneered; her friends sniggering to back her up. "Sasuke's too good for trash".

I clutched my notebook tightly as I tried to think of a plan. "I didn't choose to sit next to him. Iruka-Sensei made the seating chart", I tried to reason without a hope that it'd work. Ami wouldn't make it into the rookie nine. Therefore, my rule about throwing matches didn't apply to her. If she attacked, I could fight back. The problem was Iruka-Sensei. He would find out about this… confrontation no matter the outcome. If I lost, he might start a 'we're allies' lesson. Which was attention I didn't want. If I won, he'd probably do the same lesson, but be reminded of my match against Naruto. Both ways, I was in the spotlight. A place I didn't want to be.

More and more students joined the circle surrounding Ami and me the longer we stood there. "Why are you even here?" Ami continued; playing to her audience. "The teachers should have kicked you out like they did the rest of class three". It was something I've heard before. So, I didn't react. Maybe if Ami talked long enough, one of the teachers would intervene before it led to fisticuffs. Still not ideal, but better than nothing. Unfortunately, like all bullies, Ami was looking for a reaction. "I bet you're just as dirty, ruined, and disgusting as your sister. You sh-"

Ami never got to finish. At the mention of Anzu, the person who sacrificed everything for me, my blood boiled and every thought I had about plans and consequences slipped out of my head. Dropping my notebook to the ground and rolling up my right sleeve, I stomped forward. Every step I took felt like thunder. Call me names, fine. Beat me up on the schoolyard, whatever. I could deal with that as I have been for years. Insult my sister, who she's never met, and acting like Anzu's and my lifestyle was a choice… well, someone needed to die.

The look on my face must have truly been a sight because Ami's confident, superior smirk slipped right off her face along with the color in her cheeks. As I got closer and closer, Ami froze. Funny, if you think about it. Someone trying to initiate a fight at a ninja school should at least be able to make a stand. As I pulled my arm back, Ami winced and closed her eyes. What a coward.

Aiming to break her nose, I didn't blink as I planted my feet; necessary to put as much force as I could into this blow. However; before I got to hear the satisfying crunch of cartilage breaking under my fist, my punch was intercepted. Silence fell over all the spectators as they, like me, blinked in confusion at the interruption. "What are you doing?" I growled in frustration as I tried to pull my wrist out of his grip. "Get out of the way!"

Shino stood in between Ami and me with his back facing the other girl. Taking a step forward; he forced me to back away. Realizing that she wasn't about to have her head bashed in, Ami slowly opened her eyes; looking at Shino in confusion with a hint of mild concern. In her fantasies, Shino probably wasn't who she envisioned coming to her rescue.

Maddeningly, Shino didn't respond. He just stared me down through his sunglasses; ignoring Ami behind him and all those around us. I tried twisting my wrist out of his grip, but his hold was solid. The spectators started mumbling about this being boring. Some of them wandered off to save what was left of the lunch break. My blood had cooled enough for me to understand that was good. But I was still holding on to my anger and annoyance that prevented me from accepting that Shino had probably just done me a big favor.

Ami was still standing behind Shino; studying the interaction between him and me with a type of scrutiny that was making me nervous. I tried to twist out of Shino's hold again. But nothing. Narrowing my eyes at the boy, I readied myself to verbally berate him in a fashion a ten-year-old can get away with. However; before I could, one of the spectators took away the last of my bite. "Hey, isn't this the rat's notebook?" Eyes widening, I stopped fighting Shino as I listened in to what was happening somewhere behind me. There was the ruffling of paper before, "Chouji Akamichi's preferred chip flavor; barbeque. Average number of bags of chips consumed in a day; three". It was my turn to lose all the color in my face. This was bad. Like no return bad. When I attempted to break from Shino's grip on my wrist once more, I slipped free. Not because I was stronger, but because he allowed me to. Spinning on my heel, my eyes immediately landed on who was holding my notebook. It was one of Ami's friends; of course. She was standing at the front of the circle, holding my notebook open with others peering over her shoulder as she read aloud. I hurried forward; needing to stop this before they realized everyone in our class was in that notebook. "Chouji's observed traits; kind, loyal, low-" The girl was cut off when I yanked my notebook from her hands. Snapping it shut, I tucked it under my arm to make it difficult if someone decide to grab it from me. Using my shoulder, I pushed through the circle of students; not looking at anyone. I'd hide in the bathroom until lunch ended, somehow make it through the rest of the day, and then…. Crawl under a rock and die.

Once through the circle, I hurried for the cover of the academy building. But nothing could shield my ears from the snickering that erupted behind my retreating back.


By the time lunch had ended and everyone was back in their seats, Ami had succeeded in spreading a rumor that I had a crush on Chouji and was creepily stalking him. I learned everyone had been informed of this when I returned to the classroom. Upon entering, everyone stopped their chattering and stared as I made my way back to the row I now shared with Sasuke and Naruto. All except Chouji who was blushing scarlet and refusing to look at me. Exhaling sharply through my nose, I resigned myself to spending the rest of the afternoon under the uncomfortable judgment of others.

As it was, I couldn't pay attention to anything Iruka-Sensei was saying. Nor did I make any new notes in my notebook. On my left, Naruto kept eyeing me with suspicion and my notebook in curiosity. Causing me to keep a firm hold on my notebook just in case. I wasn't sure if Naruto would be able to comprehend all the data as I had recorded. But this notebook in the hands of a prankster could mean nightmares for many. And Sasuke, bless his heart, didn't care in the slightest. He never looked in my direction; keeping his focus on Iruka-Sensei's lesson, whatever it was about. I kept my eyes on the clock; tracking the minute hand and trying to will it with my mind to go faster.

Finally, Iruka-Sensei stepped away from the chalkboard. "We'll continue tomorrow", he announced. Thank God. "Be safe traveling home", Iruka-Sensei dismissed us. The normal bustling of packing up school supplies followed. Having just my notebook and something to write with, I was ready to spring up and run for it. But before I could push Naruto out of my way so I could escape, Iruka-Sensei added, "Rion, stay behind".

Glaring at my teacher, I contemplated not listening and making a break for it anyway. However, Iruka-sensei made eye contact with me and gave me an almost daring look. So, I sunk back down into my seat; running through every curse word I knew in a language unknown to Konoha. Although, I suppose trying to avoid Iruka-Sensei was a pointless move. This was the man that routinely chased Naruto around the village. While I wasn't his favorite student, there was nothing to suggest he wouldn't do the same with me just to prove a point.

When everyone had filed out of the classroom, Iruka-Sensei took his sweet time moving from behind his desk to standing in front of mine. In his hands was a file folder stuffed with papers. He opened the folder in a way that prevented me from seeing its contents. Taking the top paper, he laid it in front of me. "This is your test from yesterday", he said.

Glancing at it, I saw that it had already been graded. Marked up in ink from Iruka-Sensei's red pen was a score of twenty out of twenty-five. Just as I had attended.

Before I could return my eyes to him, Iruka-Sensei placed a second paper next to the first. "This is a test on the shinobi code you took two years prior".

Two years prior? I would have been in class two at the time. Studying the second test, two things stood out. I had gotten a 100% and this was the same test as the one sitting next to it. He had given me a third-year level test. One I had already taken and passed. Ironic, considering that yesterday I had wondered about him giving me a harder test to prove I had been manipulating my grades.

Slowly, I arched my neck to look at Iruka-Sensei. He was staring at me; waiting patiently with the scar running across his nose prominently standing out. "I must have forgotten stuff", I said reasonably.

The smile Iruka-Sensei gave me was humoring and spoke of being two moves ahead of me. Damn it. "Possible", Iruka-Sensei allowed. "But during class, when I called on you to answer questions, the same questions you got wrong on the test were the ones you answered correctly during discussion". Shit. Iruka-sensei shrugged. "As long as it was the third question you were asked".

My mind whirled as I sat ramrod straight; trying to think of how I was going to get out of this. However; I couldn't get past the thought of 'He knows. Iruka-Sensei knows'.

As if I wasn't having an internal crisis right in front of him, Iruka-Sensei continued. "I pulled your accumulative school record. Looking at notes from your previous teachers and your past grades I started to notice a trend". If I wasn't already feeling kind of crummy, I'd probably be shaking. As it were, I passed that point a long time ago and it felt more likely that I would internally combust. "Daikoku-Sensei wrote, 'Rion is a strong student in academics and theory. Upon her entry into the academy, she was illiterate. At the end of her first year, Rion is now reading at a level appropriate for her age group. Rion met all benchmarks in the area of math. Notably, she seemed to enter the academy with this knowledge. Her full ability in the area was not fully assessed. In the areas of taijutsu, handling weapons, physical strength, and meditation; Rion has made sufficient progress. Socially, Rion distances herself from her peers. She has not been observed to have friends. A target for many unsanctioned fights, Rion has had success besting her opponents as the year has progressed. I recommend Rion's promotion to the second year. I recommend that this student's potential be closely monitored".

I gulped as Iruka-Sensei paused to get to a different page in my school record. Daikoku-Sensei was the person who taught class three. Moving on, Iruka-Sensei read, "Suzume-Sensei wrote, 'Rion excels in the areas of; reading, mathematics, history, and chakra theory. At the end of this year, Rion tested to be above grade level in reading and math. Rion has a relative strength in the area of math; having maxed out on all assessment questions examining this ability. The accumulation of her knowledge in this area is unknown. This year, Rion has successfully unlocked her chakra and has made sufficient progress in learning how to manipulate the energy. She is performing adequately in the areas of ninjutsu, taijutsu, handling weapons, stamina, and sparring. Socially, Rion keeps to herself. Notably, Rion has refused to participate in the kunoichi class and has not attended a single lesson. Rion requires careful supervision due to her tendency to avoid attention. I recommend Rion's promotion to the third year'".

Suzume-Sensei taught class two. Hearing both reports from my previous teachers had me on edge. By those statements, maybe I hadn't done as good a job in hiding as I had thought. Iruka-sensei looked up from my file. "Next, I looked at your grades and previous test scores. This is a record of all your scores from your first year". Iruka placed a spreadsheet on top of the test papers. On that sheet was a bunch of dates on the left-hand column and a bunch of numbers on the right-hand column; all one-hundreds. "This is a record of all your scores from your second year". Another spreadsheet was laid on the desk in front of me. Again, all the scores were one-hundreds. "And this is an accumulation of all your scores from the time you've spent in my class". The sheet Iruka-Sensei put in from of me had more dates and scores than the others; spanning a couple of years. There were no one-hundreds on this sheet. Mostly there were scores ranging from the seventies to the eighties. With one ninety percent in there from last year when I had completely bombed a genjutsu assessment and had to make up the points to keep my standing as an average student. "I did the math", Iruka-Sensei explained. "Each one of your marks, with exception to one, secured your place as a middle-ranking student". Iruka-Sensei waited until I raised my read and made eye contact before asking, "Rion, why are you holding back?"

For a brief moment, I held my breath as I came to the conclusion that… I didn't know what to do. In a feeble attempt to deflect, I said, "I am trying my best, Sensei".

Iruka-Sensei hummed, unconvinced. "After reviewing your classwork, I looked at my records of your sparring matches. With exception to Sakura and Naruto, when you are matched against a student from a civilian family, you win. When your opponent is a student coming from a ninja clan, you lose. Care to explain?"

I shrugged and looked away; finding that maintaining eye contact was too difficult. "Clan kids are better". Which was a common enough bias.

Unfortunately, Iruka-Sensei was one of the few who didn't buy into that. "Maybe. But you've lost matches against Chouji, who usually loses when he is paired with a female opponent because he refuses to but any aggression behind his attacks and allows himself to be pushed out of the ring".

Good grief! Iruka-Sensei had done his homework. "Haven't you heard the rumor?" I countered. "I love Chouji". Which was extremely difficult to say with an intacted poker face.

The corner of Iruka-Sensei's lips twitched. "About that, may I see your notebook?"

"No", Came my quick and adamant refusal.

Iruka-Sensei closed my file and held out his hand; telling me that his asking had been a courtesy. It had always been his intention to see what filled the pages for my notebook. Sighing in defeat, I handed it over. As Iruka-Sensei flipped through years of data collection and observations, one of his eyebrows raised. At what specifically, I'm unsure. Maybe it was the graphs; trend lines, aim lines, or the base rates. Maybe it was my calculations for effect size, or what I had done to see if my data was skewed by unknown third variables that were hurting internal validity. "This is impressive", Iruka-Sensei said after a moment. "I never realized that I yelled at Naruto so frequently".

Folding my arms across my chest, I grumbled my response; annoyed that he found my notebook interesting. "Your average is five. Though it will raise slightly around midterms and finals. That's when Naruto acts up the most. I think he has test anxiety".

Iruka-Sensei hummed again as turned a page. "But you don't use this information to stalk your classmates", he said; returning to the rumor. "You keep this notebook so you can avoid them". Turning away from the pages, Iruka-Sensei stared at my scowling face. "Everything you do is a calculation". He nailed it. The honesty in his words had me squirming in my seat. Okay. I'm a big fake, just like Naruto says I am. Can I go now? "Rion, are you ready to tell me the truth?" Iruka-Sensei prompted.

With no mathematical formula that could help me get out of this, I uncrossed my arms, sighed, and just let it all out. "Sensei, I don't want to be a ninja".

Iruka-Sensei blinked, but he didn't seem surprised. "Then why attend the academy?" He asked.

"My sister", I admitted. "We don't have money for tuition so the only way I could learn how to read and write was through the academy. She signed me up and forced me to attend".

"Okay", Iruka-Sensei accepted my answer; shifting his weight so he could easily balance his hold on my school record and my notebook. "But now you do know how to read and write. Why haven't you dropped out?"

"My sister", I repeated. "She… You know I'm from the red district, right?" Iruka-sensei's cheeks flushed and I had my answer. "Even though I can read and write, no one is going to give a girl from the red district a respectable job. The only way we can get out of the red district is if I become a genin. I don't want to be a ninja. But I want my sister to… quit her current job more".

To check for understanding, Iruka-Sensei summarized. "So, you're going to become a genin to save your sister even though you don't want to be a ninja?" I nodded to show he got it right. "That doesn't explain why you're purposely aiming to be an overall average student".

I wasted some time chewing on my bottom lip as I thought how much I should say. Seeing how deep I was already in it; I decide just to let it all out for Iruka-Sensei's judgment. "I pay attention, Sensei. I listen to people and what they say to each other. I know that after graduation, you'll assign me to a three-man genin team and our jonin sensei will give us one last test. My plan is to fail that test and get sent to the genin corps. But to do that, I have to be assigned to a team that is…" How did I want to phrase this?

"Likely to be unsuccessful?" Iruka-Sensei filled in the blank. I nodded in agreement. Not that he was completely right. But I hadn't lost myself enough to admit that I knew who would become fully-fledged genin. Iruka-Sensei didn't need to know that I was actively avoiding the chance of being placed on one of their teams and that I was trying to avoid a scenario where I turned the rookie nine into the rookie six. "How long have you been planning this?" Iruka-Sensei asked.

In light of things, that was a relatively harmless question. "Since my third year', I answered.

Letting out a huff of air, Iruka-Sensei walked away and returned to his desk; taking my notebook with him. "Rion", he said slowly as he put my notebook and the file on top of his desk. "What you've done was deceptive and strategic. The work you've put into this alone…" Iruka-Sensei paused as he shook his head and waved a hand over my notebook. "Speaks volumes of your potential. If you truly tried, you could be an exceptional kunoichi".

"No, it doesn't" I argued. Why was he even saying that? Shouldn't Iruka-Sensei be focused on the fact that I don't have the will of fire and should not be anything more than a genin corps grunt? "You read it yourself. Suzume-Sensei and Daikoku-Sensei hinted in their reports that there was something going on".

Despite talking back to him, Iruka-Sensei remained patient as he smiled assuredly at me. "For an academy student, keeping up this ploy for four and a half years, with only a basic education in deception and espionage, is remarkable". Despite being praised, tension filled the room like one would expect to feel when being scolded by their teacher. "Rion", Iruka-Sensei continued. "There is a reason I placed you in between Sasuke and Naruto. Do you know why?"

I didn't, but that didn't stop me from answering. "To paint a target on my back and drive me to insanity".

This time, when Iruka-Sensei smiled, it was out of genuine amusement. "You're no longer going to be allowed to hide, Rion".