Author Note: So I recently got a review from what I believe is a bot account. Please never click or copy any links in my reviews.
Chapter 14
I never thought I'd be saying this, but I missed socks. The morning air was crisp and cold which, when combined with the dew accumulated on the grass, left my exposed toes feeling numb. The Land of Fire was quite a temperate climate but the rare cold wave did pass through from time to time and this morning was one of them. The sky was starting to transition from night to morning, a wave of yellow and blue was slowly starting to creep over the horizon and the stars began to fade away.
"Ninety-seven. Ninety-eight." I grunted out the numbers as I finished my latest set of squats. Misaki had told me to take it easy until school started, but I just couldn't sit still anymore. She had seen to that herself, after that month of training my body just couldn't settle down until I got some exercise in. On top of that, I couldn't sleep in past five anymore. I kept waking up barely a minute before my alarm would go off, before the sun had even begun to rise. And yet, despite all that I never felt tired throughout the day, being young again was quite something.
Even after my light morning workout, I still couldn't settle down due to these feelings of anxiety and excitement churning in my chest. And of course they did, today was the big day; Orientation. I knew that there shouldn't be anything to worry about, we'd probably just be doing what any school did for their first day. Organize students into their classes, maybe sit through an assembly and get an overall feel how the year was going to go. Yet there was no controlling one's emotions sometimes. They could be so irrational.
My morning workout was nearly done, there was only one thing left to do. On the wall of my house was a pile of pillows and Sengo's old mattress, my insurance policy. I planted myself at the base of the tree opposite the house and focused on another old pillow sitting alone in the grass. "Okay. Today's the day." I said confidently. Hands slapping together, my index and ring fingers pointing upwards while the others sat interconnected. Chakra flared through my body and into my legs and launched myself forth.
For a brief instant, the world was a blur before coming back into focus and I got a face full of my insurance policy. Bouncing off and landing hard on the grass I took a moment to recollect myself. "Bleh, next time for sure!" I shouted and was soon lying on the same spot after another failed attempt.
"Urgh. Why am I having so many issues with this. Too much chakra and I go flying into the wall, too little and I barely get anywhere." I loudly grumbled to the transitioning sky. I had one shot left for now, three was the limit Misaki had imposed on me and I was going to stick to it. Sitting myself up, I got back into the starting position, ready to make my final attempt for the morning.
Once more I formed the Tiger seal before turning my mind inward, feeling the chakra in my body. "Gently now." I muttered. Chakra, in my experience, tended to flow better when I wasn't trying to force it. Something I had a tendency to do when frustrated. Taking a long, slow breath I began refining the chakra needed for the jutsu. Legs charged once again, I looked to my target, focused and initiated the Body Flicker.
The world blurred and came back into view. Stopping was still a pretty big issue for me, even after the sudden deceleration I still carried a large amount of momentum. Thankfully, there was some space between myself and the wall so I didn't need to use my insurance policy this time. Stumbling a bit I managed to keep my balance at least. I had over shot my target again, but hey, I'll take it. I could make some more attempts later in the evening once my chakra had time to replenish itself.
Speaking of chakra, Misaki had told me to work on my control. I had originally thought that learning Chakra Reinforcement would naturally lead to improved control but sadly that wasn't the case. Fundamentally, reinforcement was simply the act of moving chakra through your body. Control on the other hand, meant mastering the finer details. Tweaking things only the slightest amount to get the optimum results.
The question was how I could go about practising it. There was the Leaf Concentration Exercise of course, but that was something we would likely be learning in the school among other things. Personally, I think I learned more by doing anyway so a more proactive training method would probably do me better. Sadly, Misaki didn't have the time anymore to beat chakra control into me.
While I was contemplating my little issue, I felt a touch of warmth hit the back of my neck. Turning, I saw the sun was starting to peek once more into the village. Gentle rays wormed their way through the leaves of the tree on the property.
"Wait..." My eyes slowly tracked down to the trunk. Perhaps it was due to me having pulled out that old notebook, memories long dormant were slowly welling to the surface again. And within them was a training method, one that would build strong chakra control and it was quite simple. "The Tree Climbing Technique!"
Running over to the pile of pillows, I grabbed a few before darting back to the base of the tree. After dropping them at my feet, again an insurance policy, I turned my head upwards. From where I stood and my short stature, this tree felt gigantic. Even though it couldn't be taller than eight meters at its apex, that was still like, four of my Dad standing on each other's shoulders. The thought of climbing up that and falling sent shivers up my back.
"Best to take it easy then..." I said with an awkward chuckle before regaining my focus. If I was recalling it correctly, by focusing chakra into the soles of my feet, they would be able to grip onto various surfaces like trees, walls and with enough practice, even water. "I wonder if it would be possible to use it to step on air?" I mused to myself, it was something I had never seen done in the series proper so it was likely impossible.
I formed my hands into the seal of the ram, not for any specific jutsu but it had become my go-to seal for when I needed to focus my chakra. The energy moved into my feet but they weren't in the soles, it felt more like it was just floating in the general area. Not really much different from reinforcement. It took some work but I was eventually able to feel a thin film of energy on the bottom of my right foot. Unstable as it was, it ended up tickling me and with a simple muscle twitch I lost it.
"This is a lot harder than I thought." Trying something different, I attempted the same thing with the palm of my hand. While still difficult, it was easier to create a similar film of chakra around my palm, albeit unsteady. Carefully I placed my hand on the trunk of the tree and tried to slide it downwards. My hand passed along the bark without any resistance. "Huh, maybe its too thin?" I mumbled, the film was thin and weak for sure so perhaps giving it a bit more oomph would help.
I pressed my hand into the bark again, this time sending a larger amount of chakra to my hand. Slowly it began to pour out and pool around my palm. "There we go, that should be eno-" Before I could finish my thought my hand was suddenly blasted away, a small bang sound emanating from where I had been touching it. Small bits of wood went flying past as a stinging pain pulsed in my palm. Thankfully, the damage appeared to only be superficial and I wouldn't have to worry about splinters, but what was more concerning was what I had left behind.
Embedded within the bark was a noticeable crater, right where I had been touching it. "Eh? Ah... Oh..." I stammered awkwardly, "Probably too much chakra..."
"Meiko? Are you still out here?" Mom's voice suddenly called from the kitchen window. Panicking, I yelped and quickly placed myself between her and the tree.
"Y-yeah! I was just about to come in!" I quickly replied.
"Okay, well your bath is ready. And don't forget to bring the pillows you borrowed back in, just toss them in with the laundry. Oh and could you wake up your Father for me?" Mom then retreated back into the house and I sighed with temporary relief.
Turning back to get one last look at the crater, knowing I should come clean about it. Hoping I wouldn't get in trouble for this, I went about gathering up all the pillows and the old mattress. Tossing them in a basket and awkwardly waddling them inside. Leaving the basket beside the washer, I ran down the hall and slunk my way into my parent's room. Dad was still in bed, snoring away. How Mom could sleep through that racket was anyone's guess.
"Dad, wake up. It's morning!" I said as I started shaking his massive arm that dangled over the side. No reaction. I took in a deep breath and moved in close, right next to his ear before screaming, "DAD! MOM SAID IT'S TIME TO GET UP!" Most people would probably wake up in a panic if someone started screaming in their ear. Dad however, was not most people. Instead, he let out a small grunt and began to stir.
"Mmm... Meiko?" He mumbled, barely able to process what was going on.
"Morning Dad! Mom's got your coffee ready." I said cheerfully as I tugged on his arm. Dad often needed a good deal of coaxing to get him up this early. Alarm clocks were a no-go though, after the fifth one it was cheaper to just do it ourselves. At least he was a lot less slap happy when a person was screaming in his ear.
Once zombie Dad was awake enough that he wouldn't immediately fall back to sleep, it was time for my bath. Taking a quick detour to see if Sengo was up. He was like Dad and often slept like a log nowadays. Even my screaming from earlier hadn't roused him. I figured he could sleep in a bit more and Mom would get him when breakfast was ready.
By the time I had finished my bath, Sengo was awake and running around like crazy. He may sleep like Dad but he sure didn't wake up like him. Mom was chasing him around the living room table, trying to get him to put his clothes on correctly. "Oh, Meiko! Help please!" She asked, exasperated. Swooping in for the rescue I scooped up my little brother who was currently a giggling monster and passed him over.
"Sengo, you need to put your clothes on properly." And gave him a very light flick on the nose.
"Ow!" He yelped, rubbing his nose. "Mom! Mei hit me!"
"Well, you should have listened to me." Mom said sternly before planting a small kiss on his nose. "That feel better?"
"Y-yeah..." He said meekly, knowing he was in a bit of trouble. Mom mouthing a 'thank you' as she took Sengo back to his room to get him properly dressed.
Dad had sat himself on the couch, a cup of steaming coffee in hand. Judging by his glazed over look though, he was still in the process of rebooting. So I returned to my room to pick my outfit for the day. Deciding on a red short sleeved shirt, a faded white pair of short-legged pants and the woollen wrist bands and leg warmers Mom made me to cover the training weights. Thick metal bracers weren't the most aesthetic of things after all.
The knitted pieces were a light red, almost pink hue with white petalled flowers embroidered into them. I had to admit, they were cute but never really felt I was the kind of person who could really pull them off. Especially as the weights had been increasing in size over time, at this point both my forearms and shins were covered in their entirety. When I started, they were about the size of a large bracelet or anklet.
My clock read ten after seven, according to a handout we had received a short while ago, class time was from nine in the mourning and lasted until three-thirty in the afternoon. Students were expected to show up about half an hour beforehand, except for today of course. Due to orientation, we had been instructed to arrive around nine with the start time being half an hour later. It wasn't much, but there was just enough time to sit down for a quick breakfast before we had to head out.
Speaking of breakfast, since I no longer had to train all day we were finally able to sit down as a family at the table again. I hadn't realized how much I missed those little moments until I sat down with everyone for breakfast the day after Misaki's exam.
By the time I got out of my room, Mom had already wrangled Sengo into his booster seat and Dad was semi-conscious at the table. Breakfast was still in the process of being cooked but was nearly done. Bacon, eggs and toast with a side of leftover miso soup. Simple but effective. Soon, Mom plated up everyone's portions and took her seat. After our prayers were said, we could dig in.
Almost immediately, Mom sighed when she looked at me. "Meiko, you're not going to your first day like that are you?" She said, clearly disappointed and frustrated. I didn't think there was anything wrong with my outfit, I mean sure I had zero fashion sense but it should be simple enough right?
"Not your clothes, your hair!" Mom stated, almost coming over the table at me. I pulled on a few strands of my bangs, pulling them straight and watching them bounce back into their usual messy form. I wasn't sure what she wanted me to do with it, I had tried many times over to brush it myself to no avail. Sighing again, Mom settled back down in her seat. "After breakfast, I'm straightening out your hair." My moan of annoyance was quickly cut off by her razor sharp glare shot at me.
"Anyway," Mom said, her demeanour switching to a much kinder one in an instant, "Today is your big day, are you excited?"
I didn't answer right away, instead I broke the yoke of one of my eggs and swirled it a bit, mixing the runny gold with the cooked whites. "Yeah..." I eventually replied. Even now I could feel the uneasy tingling in my chest and it would only likely grow the closer we got to the academy. "I don't know why, but I just can't settle down." I admitted quietly.
"You'll be fine." Mom said gently, "You've worked so hard to get to this point, I'm sure you'll be able to overcome whatever the academy will throw at you. Besides, you won't be alone. You'll have your friends, Kiyomi and Mana with you."
I couldn't help but smile. Mom's words were so genuine, just hearing them warmed and eased my troubled heart. "Yeah, that's true." I said with a smile and finished my breakfast.
"Owowowowow!" I cried out in pain as Mom tugged away with the hairbrush. This was one of the biggest reasons I gave up on trying to style my own hair, the knots were utter hell.
"I know, but you'll just have to tough it out." Mom replied, holding my head firm. "You've finally got hair long enough to do something with, it would be such a waste not to."
"Mmrgh..." I grunted, "What's the point? It's just going to get all messy anyway."
"Would you rather people still call you a boy?" Mom retorted, the brush catching on another knot.
"Oww..." Despite the pain, I couldn't bring myself to say anything against that. "...Fine." I said, giving in.
"Good girl"
It took quite some time for Mom to finally get my hair under control, passing me a small hand mirror so I could see her handiwork. Once again she had performed a miracle, my wild tangle of hair had been straightened out. By her 'request' I had allowed my hair to grow out these past few months and it now reached about halfway down my neck. The left side brushed behind my ear and clamped in place with a small golden pin. The rest of it had been brushed over to the right, my bangs exposing the left third of my forehead. Finally, despite having been extensively straightened, the tips were still slightly curled. A final act of defiance.
"What do you think?" Mom asked expectantly.
I nodded, "It looks cute. I don't know how you did it though." I replied while barely able to recognize myself in the mirror.
"I'll have to teach you sometime, you can't be relying on me to do your hair everyday." I could tell Mom was extremely happy since, due to my usual temperament, it was basically like living with three boys in the house. Being able to share moments like this was something she really enjoyed. Perhaps I should surrender- err, oblige her more in the future.
"Hey, I hope you two are almost done," Dad's voice boomed as he entered my bedroom, "But it's ten to eight. If we're going to make it on time we need to hurry."
"Oh dear!" Mom said with a slight panic. Gathering up her various hair-care products and tossing them messily into a bag. "Meiko, go get your shoes on, I'll be there in a moment."
The four of us soon rushed out the door, Sengo in a stroller as we all hurried towards the academy. As the academy was in the administration district and thus the far side of the village, my folks were really hoofing it so we could get there in time. Dad was one thing but Mom certainly did not have the stamina to keep up such a pace for long. Especially when pushing Sengo's stroller. After convincing her to slow down before she collapsed, we proceeded at a far more sensible speed.
Thankfully, we all arrived at the gates with a couple minutes to spare and no one passing out from hyperventilation. We were greeted by quite the crowd huddling around the entrance. Parents and their children all waiting to be admitted onto the grounds. I could see two shinobi flanking the gate as we made our approach. A moment later, a third shinobi came into view, saying something to the guards who nodded back.
"Can I have everyone's attention!" One of the guards shouted, his voice booming louder than even Dad's when he was angry. The crowd quickly quieted down as the guard began to give out instructions. "Please make your way onto the academy grounds, we will begin the processions shortly!" With that, they began to start waving families in.
"Just in time." Mom said with relief. Both of my parents placing a hand on my shoulders.
"Go get'em." Dad encouraged me as both gave me a light shove forward.
Nervously I approached the gate and found myself freezing up. Beyond it the myriad of other families and new students stood scattered around the field. I could hear the drum-like thumping of my heart echoing in my ears, my body starting to tremble. I took a long and deep breath. "Here we go." I thought as I took my first step through the gate.
To nobody's surprise, there was no big event, no fanfare to greet me. There was however, a feeling of relief as much of my anxiety subsided. Maybe it was that little push my parents gave me, or perhaps it was just me overthinking things. Regardless, there would still be many other firsts I would encounter today and needed to steel myself. I could not continue wallowing in anxiety.
I took this moment to scan the crowd, trying to see if I could pick out any familiar faces. It was something easier said than done however. There was way more kids here than I had expected, I'd estimate no less than triple digits in number. Plus their parents and/or guardians, it made finding someone specific quite a task.
That is, except for one.
A single boy sat alone on a single swing, the crowd making a point to avoid coming within a good few meters of him. If it wasn't obvious enough who this child was, his spiky blonde hair and goggles all but confirmed it. Naruto Uzumaki. Personally, I had figured he would be a bit more boisterous considering this was the first day. But then again, all these kids here with their parents, he must have been feeling incredibly lonely.
My heart tightened at the sight. It would be so easy to reach out to him, to just walk over and say hello. To be that one friend to save him from that loneliness. My body had already started moving towards him when someone called out to me.
"Meiko! You made it!" A familiar voice cried out, Kiyomi was running towards me, dragging along another familiar face. Mana, held by a death grip I was quite familiar with, struggled to keep up with the hyperactive Yamanaka. Their parents following close behind. "Oh my gosh, you actually did your hair! It's so cute!" She complimented, reaching out to touch it. I weaved my head back, avoiding the grasping fingers. Worried that any wayward touch would undo all of Mom's hard work.
"Hey guys!" I responded happily as my head bobbed and weaved to avoid the grabbing fingers. She was the same as ever, hyper and excited. Mana meanwhile, was shrinking back behind the blonde girl. Not from me, but from the massive crowd just a short distance away. Since having met her, I had learned a few things about the odd little girl. Namely she could be extremely shy when around people she was unfamiliar with. In those times she would clam up and communicate only through various gestures. "Feeling nervous Mana?" I asked gently.
The dark-skinned girl took a small step out from behind Kiyomi, nodding several times in quick succession before ducking back. I reached out and placed a reaffirming hand on her shoulder, stepping around Kiyomi in the process. "Don't worry, I am too. It'll be okay though, Kiyomi and I will be here for you." It was kind of funny considering how nervous I had been just moments before, now consoling my friend on the matter.
"Darn right, this is what we trained for too Mana!" Kiyomi shouted, causing a short-lived ringing in my years. She also shot me a devious grin, "I'll have you know that both Mana and I can use Chakra Reinforcement no problem now. Easy peasy."
I chuckled, "So it's a tie then?" I knew Kiyomi would have easily fixed her issues with the technique, although I was surprised and sympathetic for Mana having become that heavily involved. Chakra Reinforcement was perhaps the least interesting thing Kiyomi could have taught Mana yet somehow she had managed to get through to her and kept her on task long enough to learn it.
"Nuh-uh!" Kiyomi retorted, "I taught Mana how to do it and I can do it myself. That's two to one so I win and Kazuma is the better teacher!"
"Is he now?" Came another familiar voice.
"You made it!" I cried out in joy as the three of us spun around. Misaki was standing there with a wide smile in full uniform. "I thought you'd be too busy!"
"Of course I made it." Misaki replied, pulling out a small camera. "I wouldn't miss your big day, but honestly," She chuckled a bit, "I just happened to be assigned patrol in the district so I only got a couple minutes before anyone notices I'm gone. Just enough time for a few pictures!" With a grin she pulled out a small camera, showing it off for all to see. Small, personal cameras like that were rare here so as soon as the other adult's saw it, they began to pile in.
As we were taking our pictures, my gaze could not help but wander back to the lonely boy on the swing. His own gaze occasionally turning my way only to quickly look away if he noticed my own.
"Whatcha looking at?" Misaki asked, standing at my side while Kiyomi got a few shots with her family. Her eyes followed mine, finding Naruto at the other end. "Oh..." Suddenly, Misaki was a lot less chipper. "Meiko, you should avoid that boy." Her tone was serious, she was telling me this as a warning. At least I couldn't feel any hostility in her voice, but it still stung to know that she too seemed to be shunning Naruto.
"Why? Everyone seems to be avoiding him on purpose. Did he do something bad?" I 'innocently' questioned.
"That's because he..." Misaki's words caught in her throat, "He's a notorious troublemaker. Always pulling pranks and committing vandalism." Her tone suddenly shifted once she found her words. "He's constantly causing us headaches, every time he pulls one of his stupid stunts we get swamped with complaints for days." Her complaints sounded quite... personal. Being the type to really try and interact with the townsfolk, it would be no surprise Misaki would end up bearing the brunt of complaints from Naruto's escapades.
"Ah..." I replied halfheartedly. I could understand why Misaki would want me to avoid a notorious prankster like that, but it certainly did not explain why so many people were avoiding Naruto like the plague. Of course, that was something she could not say. "I'll try," I said, my voice obviously lacking sincerity, "But we might end up in the same class."
"That's true." Misaki admitted, this conversation then coming to an end as Kiyomi started calling for me to come over and take a picture with her. Shortly after, Misaki's time with us sadly came to an end. Placing the camera safely in a pouch, she promised to get the photos developed and delivered soon.
"Misaki!" I shouted just before she could leave, "Thank you for making it!"
"Remember! I won the bet! Kazuma's training is way better than yours!" Kiyomi also called, taunting the Uchiha with a mischievous smile.
Everyone said their goodbyes and Misaki flickered out of sight. The rest of us gathering back together and engaging in a bit more small talk until another voice boomed over the crowd. "May I have your attention please, will all new students please gather by the entrance. Parents and guardians, near the gate. We shall begin shortly."
Mom, Dad and Sengo all came to my side, "Alright Meiko, we'll be here to pick you up at the end of the day." Mom said gently before giving me a hug. Dad placed a massive hand on my shoulder, saying nothing but giving me an approving nod. Sengo joining in on the hugging action.
"Thanks everyone, I'll see you later." I replied. Sengo was a little resistant to me leaving but Mom was able to pull him away and place him back in the stroller as Kiyomi, Mana and I joined the other kids.
My friends and I stood at the back of the group. While we waited for the teachers to start I tried to scan the crowd again for any familiar faces. However, as it turned out, I was one of the shorter kids in the school. I had enough trouble seeing over the heads of the kids in front of me without standing on my toes.
Finally, the teachers called for order once again. "Welcome everyone," Said a portly man, "I would like to be the first to welcome you all to our academy. My name is Koichi Tanaka and I am your headmaster. Today, you shall be taking the first step on the long and arduous path of the shinobi. For those of you who have the mind and force of will to follow this path to the end, know that you shall enter the ranks of our honourable protectors. The Shinobi of the Hidden leaf! We instructors shall endeavour to guide you all to the best of our abilities so hold nothing back! Strive forth and reach out to grasp your future!"
Applause followed the end of the Headmaster's short speech. He then deferred responsibility of the orientation to one of the other teachers and took a step back. The man who stepped up had his brown hair tied in a ponytail and sported a scar across his face.
"Greetings everyone, I am Iruka Umino, one of the Instructors. Parents, Guardians, I thank you once again. At this time we shall be unveiling the classroom assignments so we ask that you please take your leave and look forward to seeing you all again at the end of the day." He then bowed and waited as the parents slowly filtered out the gate. "Alright everyone, please turn your attention to the boards here." Iruka gestured to his left and with a large poof, a large board appeared. The header read 'Classroom Assignments' and then split into five categories, Class A through to E and each had a list of names underneath. From what I could tell, there was about twenty to twenty-five students per class. In addition, each class had a picture of what I assumed would be their homeroom teacher. Iruka himself was in charge of class A.
"Please find your name on the board and then stand before your respective teachers." Iruka instructed, motioning to a line of teachers off to my right. Excited muttering then broke out as students started cramming forward to find their class assignments. Kiyomi turned to me, eyes twinkling with stars.
"This is it! Meiko, if you're not in my class I'll never forgive you!" She said, grabbing my hand tight. I didn't even have time to make any sort of retort as Kiyomi had already turned her attention to our other companion. "That goes for you too Mana! Now let's go!" It had been quite some time since Kiyomi last pulled me along like this. I had to reach out and grab Mana's hand to ensure the three of us weren't separated as Kiyomi dove into the crowd, pushing her way through to the front.
With Kiyomi at the helm, we were able to force our way through the crowd. Kiyomi's brute force methods gaining us a lot of ire and more than a few curse words. I was unleashing a chain of apologies to those inconvenienced by our advance while trying to make sure Mana did not get separated. The poor girl appeared terrified being squished through so many bodies.
Finally we managed to break through to the front. Once Kiyomi was through, she gave a mighty pull, the amount of strength her tiny frame was able to exert surprising me as the two of us were nearly thrown off our feet as we emerged. My shoulder striking a boy to my right as I came out.
"Hey, watch it!" The boy said, obviously irritated and I couldn't blame him.
"Sorry about that, my friend can be a bit-" My voice cut out mid-sentence when I realized just whom it was I had barged into. "-Oh, Sasuke!" Of all the people for me to bump into, it was quite the coincidence it would be him. The Uchiha too was surprised and confused I knew his name. His eyes squinting as the spark of recognition began to grow.
"Oh you're... Meiko right?" Sasuke replied, his irritation calming down a bit seeing a familiar face, even if it took him a moment to remember my name. "I could barely recognize you." He said, this time leaving me confused.
"What's that supposed to mean!?" I replied indignantly.
"Uh, well..." Sasuke stammered and looking both annoyed and conflicted, "You just look more... girly. Just a bit!" His cheeks turning slightly pink as he spoke.
"O-Oh..." I said, backing down and embarrassed myself.
"So what's the big idea pushing through like that?" Sasuke said, quickly changing the subject to both our relief.
"Yeah... Sorry again." I could only scratch my head while chuckling, "My friend is very energetic and can sometimes get carried away. I often get dragged along when that happens." Attracted like a moth to flame, said friend in that moment threw her arm over my shoulder.
"Meikoooo~" She whined, "What are you doing? You're supposed to be finding what class you're in not talking with some boy." Kiyomi shot a sharp glare at Sasuke, sliding herself in between the two of us. "Who are you anyway?"
With a loud sigh, I stepped back in. Pushing Kiyomi off to the side and pulling Mana a bit closer. "Kiyomi, stop it. You're being rude." Giving Sasuke a very slight bow of apology, I motioned to my friends. "Sasuke, these are my friends, Kiyomi Yamanaka and Mana Nakotsumi." Kiyomi was still a little miffed, at what I couldn't say. The only thing coming to mind was the delay on learning our classroom assignments. Mana was quiet and trying to stand behind me, she said nothing during her introduction and only gave her own slight bow. "Guys, this is Sasuke Uchiha."
"Oh great, another one..." Kiyomi grumbled.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sasuke snapped back, the two now glaring daggers at one another.
I quickly stepped in before things could escalate further, placing myself between them. "Okay, okay, let's calm down." I said, trying to sound as level-headed as possible. "This was my fault, I bumped into Sasuke and was just trying to apologize. Come on Kiyomi. Let's go find our class assignments. Sasuke, sorry again." I quickly bowed again.
"W-well whatever. I already know what class I'm in so I'm leaving." Sasuke replied, shoving his hands into his pockets and walked off. Kiyomi on the other hand, had quite the sour look.
"You and your Uchiha." She scoffed.
I chuckled, "Sorry, I met him the other day during training. Misaki brought me to the compound for some shuriken training and he happened to be there." This did little to alleviate Kiyomi's attitude.
"So you'd rather train with random Uchiha boys then me?" Kiyomi said pouting with big puppy dog eyes. My response was to grab her head and mess with her hair. "Waaaahh!" She cried, pulling away, "My hair! You meanie!" Small tears began to twinkle at the edge of her eyes as she tried to fix her hair.
I smiled at my friend, it wasn't often I was the one doing the teasing so I may have been relishing the moment just a little bit. I wasn't going to push it too far though, we still had to find our class assignment and get in line. "I know it's been a while since we've been able to hang out and I do want to try and make it up to you two. How about we all get together soon and do some training. I can see how your brother's training measures up to Misaki's." I said as I helped to try and re-straighten her hair.
Kiyomi's eyes widened, "Really!? You mean it!?" She said, barely keeping herself from jumping at me.
I nodded, "Of course. I'll even bring snacks, so will you forgive me?"
Kiyomi straightened her back, crossed her arms and snorted, "Well, I guess I can this time."
"Thank you my lady!" I replied with a much fancier bow before turning to Mana. The girl was so quiet even I kept forgetting she was there at times. "Come on, let's find our class assignments." I took her hand and we all shifted over so we could clearly see the entire board. The crowd behind us had thinned by half already as students were beginning to line up by the teachers.
"Let's see, Class A..." Class A was lead by Iruka and a quick skim found a list of familiar names. Sadly neither mine nor my friends ended up in this class. "Darn, Iruka would have been a great teacher."
Class B's homeroom teacher was a woman named Suzume. She had long, curly black hair and wore narrow glasses. In the picture, the flash of the camera reflected off the lenses so I couldn't see her eye colour. Our names weren't on this list either, a small mercy. Two down so the chances of sharing a class together was now one in three. I crossed my fingers as I looked to the list for Class C.
Daikoku Funeno was the name of their homeroom teacher. A portly man sporting a small, pointed beard at the tip of his chin. This too was a bust. "Fifty-fifty now."
"There I am! Class D!" Kiyomi shouted happily, grabbing my shoulder and shaking. "Meiko! We're all together in D!"
I turned my attention to Class D's list, indeed there was my name, right underneath Mana's while Kiyomi's was higher on the list. I was positively beaming as I turned to my friends, grabbing them both and pulling in for a group hug. "Alright! This is the best!" I cried as Kiyomi and I cheered, Mana was still silent but clearly happy at the results.
Kiyomi took Mana by the hand and quickly went off to join the Class D group. I lagged behind for a moment to take a look at who our teacher was. My grin was instantly wiped off my face when I saw who was staring back at me. There in the photo was a face that instantly brought back memories. Perhaps it was due to them being fresh in my mind again after reviewing and translating my old notes that I was able to recognize him.
The Man had shoulder length white hair that held a slight tint of blue and green eyes. His forehead protector worn as a full bandana over the top of his head. This man, from what I remembered, played a small part in the overall series but he held the honour of being the first villain Naruto defeated.
The name written above the photo read: "Mizuki."