Chapter 4

[Bunko]

His first impression of Sho's kenjutsu was that it was…

Just as unorthodox as his taijutsu.

The initial stance showed as much. Bunko would admit never to have faced someone who used both a katana and a wakizashi, but he was fairly sure whatever Sho was doing wasn't anywhere near a standard stance. He wouldn't be caught off guard like Yome had though. He wasn't the leader of one of the big groups in their class just because.

He knew to be wary of Sho and his unexpectedly chaotic fighting style, and that'd be half the battle. The other would be to show that he knew what he was doing in an armed spar. Something that'd be easy enough to do.

Bunko wasn't there just to practice though. He was trying to get a read on one of the unknown factors in their class. Kankuro's lackeys, Saya's underlings, and his own group were the ones that stood out in the picture. After them, there were Ameno and Koji on one side and Yome and Sen on the other. Then came the rest of the rabble, who didn't really matter.

Now though, there was Sho and Hyaku Bunraku.

Bunko couldn't afford not to know what those two could do and how they might affect the status quo. Especially considering Saya was taking an interest in the Bunraku. At least they didn't seem like they would join Kankuro, so that was a small mercy. Even if they stayed by themselves though, that didn't mean they couldn't affect Bunko's group anyway.

So, it was better to get a reading on them.

Thus, his spar with Sho.

Both of them stared at one another from opposite sides of the ring. Neither moved from where they stood, but Bunko saw his opponent look at him curiously, tilting his head as if asking for him to get on with it. He wouldn't though, because he was more of a defensive player when it came to armed combat. He used forearm guards as weapons for a reason, after all.

"Ok then," Sho said, realizing things wouldn't get anywhere if he didn't make the first move. Bunko's only warning was the tenseness in his opponent's legs before he rushed at him. The slash of the longer practice katana was blocked easily enough, but by the time that was done, Sho had gotten even closer. Within the range of his shorter blade, to be exact.

That was how Bunko learned the benefits of Sho's weapons of choice. A katana that offered him range if he needed it and a wakizashi that worked wonders when the enemy was closer. Bunko, with his inferior range, found himself facing the former more often than not. Whenever he tried to get closer, his opponent would proceed to attack him with a flurry of slashes from the shorter sword and use that time to build the distance once again.

However, even if it was tricky, it was just another style, just another weapon. There was no such thing as an invincible approach, be it in taijutsu, kenjutsu, ninjutsu, or anything else. Sho was better at kenjutsu than he was taijutsu, that much became clear to him as they fought. There was no doubt of that.

But Bunko was better at bukijutsu than Yome was at taijutsu.

Much better.

So, once he got the hang of Sho's fighting, he started pushing back. It was still tricky and he got smacked by the fake blades more often than not, but he could push through. Soon, he was the one who was delivering more punches and backhanded attacks with the fake blades of his forearm protectors.

Credit where credit was due though, Sho could take a beating and keep going.

After a few minutes, even Bunko started feeling the toll of the fast-paced spar. The hits Sho had gotten through were making nuisances of themselves and his muscles were beginning to tire. Looking forward, he noticed the other boy's breathing was even more winded than his own. He'd also taken more damage than him.

So…

'Why is he still standing?' he thought, eyes slightly wider. He'd admit, in the privacy of his own mind, that he was a little perturbed. Usually spars like those tended to go two different ways. Most people preferred to disengage and recover from the mental strain of a continuous fast-paced fight. That way they could gather their wits and rethink their approach. In the scenario someone decided to keep fighting, however, it became a trade of damage, stamina, and will. Until, eventually, one of the two would go down due to the accumulated damage or slow down due to the loss of stamina.

Yet, the guy in front of him seemingly refused to do either. He refused to retreat no matter how tired and hurt he was. He refused to reduce the intensity of the slash onslaught. He refused to just… go down.

"Fuck," Sho cursed, despite the grin on his face. "You are good," he praised between gulps of breaths, slumping the smallest bit. This was the first lull in their battle since it had started. "You'll be nice to spar against," he added and Bunko almost felt like taking a step back.

What was up with this crazy bastard?

Didn't they have enough crazy people in their class already?

He didn't have time to ponder before Sho rushed at him once more. 'His attacks are just as powerful,' he thought with a grimace as he blocked the fake blades once more. 'Doesn't matter,' Bunko told himself, pushing aside the doubts and nerves that had suddenly slipped into his mind. 'I'm winning this anyway.'

He knew he would. He was better, had sustained less damage, and seemed to have more energy. It was just a matter of time before Sho just collapsed. It'd happen, of that, there was no doubt.

Still, Bunko made a mental note not to get on the boy's bad side. Considering his showing in taijutsu and now kenjutsu, Sho seemed to be a generalist, much like him. He also didn't have enough information to know if he was truly better than the retained student. One would assume yes, just because he was that, a retained student. However, Yome and Koji had already gotten a taste of what underestimating Sho could get one.

'Definitely someone to be wary of,' he thought, managing to get a punch through the flurry of fake blades.

Finally, Sho's knees hit the ground.

"Fuck," the boy cursed once more before laughing. "Oh, man. We are definitely having a rematch," he added, looking up at him from the ground. Bunko looked back at those manic eyes and that mad grin…

Bunko stared at the other boy, almost expecting him to stand up again.

That was it for the spar though, but he stood there for a long moment either way. Ultimately, going over what he'd observed and learned, Bunko turned around and left the ring. He glanced towards the teacher looking at their spar, but they didn't seem too concerned about either of them. Instead, she just signaled for the medics to come and treat him.

"So… verdict, boss?" Datsuji asked him, tilting his head.

Before saying anything, Bunko took a moment to gather his thoughts and also pull himself together. Thank God he was good at acting, because that spar had been brutal, sure, but he didn't want to show that. He needed to keep appearances with everyone else.

His was already the weakest of the three big groups in the class, after all. Speaking of, he regarded both Datsuji and Goji. The former seemed to keep his attention on Sho, through the cloth that covered his eyes – which Bunko still didn't know how he managed –, probably thinking of ways to more effectively take him down. Goji was more straightforward though, simply looking at him and waiting for his opinion on the two anomalies that had appeared that year.

"Unnerving," he answered simply, glancing over his shoulder and noticing that Sho was getting up on his own, even if he was struggling. "We need to learn more. Don't antagonize them, but especially Sho," he added. He didn't want to know what the mad bastard could do if he was motivated instead of in a random spar.

"Another Saya?" Goji asked curiously.

"Sort of, but not really," Bunko replied. "More like a mix between Saya, Yome and Sen. He's crazy, but I don't think either of them cares to put a group together. They aren't going out of their way to approach anyone either. Kankuro antagonized them, Saya approached Bunraku and I did Sho. A neutral party, if you will," he explained, just in case it wasn't clear enough for them. Neither Datsuji nor Goji were idiots, but they could miss the bigger picture at times.

Glancing towards Sho again though, Bunko wondered if neutral party fit him.

It felt more like having a rabid, starving coyote in a corner of the room.

[}-o-{]

[Ameno]

"The teachers don't like you, do they?" she asked Sho as she continued treating the wounds he got during his spar.

"Your observation skills are amazing, has anyone told you that?" the boy asked back with a half-smile. "What was your first clue? The fact that they didn't call proper medical staff for me or that they did so for Bunko?"

"Both," Ameno answered, her lips twitching up despite her concerns.

"Nobody likes the guy that skips extra class, least of all the Academy itself," he told her, his smile dropping and his expression turning… not quite sad, but also not quite dejected. Resigned, she supposed was a good enough approximation. "To them, I'm just a waste of space and effort."

"Why not just take a class then?" she asked curiously. She wasn't immune to the mystery that the two retained students had brought with them, she'd admit. Everyone wanted to know what was up with them, and she was no exception.

"I have better things to do with my time," Sho replied with a shrug that made him grimace. No wonder though. He'd taken one of Bunko's fake blades to the back and that had to hurt when he moved, especially like that.

"Better things than preparing to be a ninja?" she pointed out, raising an eyebrow. "You might be in the wrong place."

"Better things than just preparing to be a ninja," he corrected, turning towards her with an expression she couldn't quite decipher. He then looked over her shoulder. "Your boyfriend is glaring at me, by the way."

"Koji's not my boyfriend," Ameno said, without even needing to turn back.

"Ouch, no hesitation, huh? I almost feel bad for him," Sho replied with a chuckle that only made him grimace again. Yeah, he wouldn't be doing much of anything for a bit. That spar had been madness. It only served to prove her point further though, because a teacher should have stopped that long before it got that far.

Just like the second taijutsu spar shouldn't have been allowed.

The faculty really didn't like Sho, it seemed.

"I don't see him that way, is all," she commented idly, finishing with one of his arms.

"It's like that, then? Poor bastard," Sho said, shaking his head. "Please tell me you've told him that to his face… Or maybe not. Can I watch when you do if you haven't?"

"You are trying to distract me," Ameno pointed out and he grinned in response. "Why?"

"You are asking too many questions. I don't feel like being interrogated after that beating… or ever, really," he told her bluntly.

"I can answer questions too, if you feel like asking."

To that, he hummed almost distractedly. Evidently, he wasn't nearly as curious about them as they were about him and his friend. Still, he did turn after a moment, while she worked on his other arm, and gave her a thoughtful look.

"You are taking the medic class, I'm guessing," he stated more than asked.

"I am," she confirmed either way.

"Hm, good to know. I learned a few things but I don't know if it's worth learning more. I'll keep you in mind if I have doubts," he said and she blinked. Well, that was rather forward, wasn't it?

"Just like that?"

"Sort of," he told her vaguely, not looking like he wanted to elaborate further. "So, I guess I got a question in. Is this where you ask another, or are you feeling generous?"

"You are good."

"Thanks. Compliments will get you almost everywhere," he replied jokingly. "That wasn't a question though, nor an answer to mine."

"Why were you retained?" she asked, because it made no sense. Both did well in theoretical classes. Bunraku was solid in taijutsu and Sho himself was a menace. From what she'd heard, the former was pretty good with puppets and the latter had just shown he could go toe to toe with one of their strongest classmates in bukijutsu. They weren't great by any means, but they were good and they didn't seem to have any glaring problems.

So, all that just made her more curious.

"Wasn't good enough," he answered plainly. To her stare though, he shrugged. "Hyaku and I had a bit of an… accident at the start of the year. It complicated matters. Barely managed to get our feet under us once more. And now, here we are."

"What happened?"

"Maybe when we are closer, if ever," Sho told her bluntly and she nodded. She hadn't known what to expect when she was told to treat him, but the conversation so far certainly wouldn't have been it. "Do I have to worry about your not-boyfriend?" he asked, glancing over her shoulder once more.

Ameno held back a grimace.

"He might… visibly dislike you, but no, you shouldn't need to."

"Very reassuring," he told her dryly, which was… fair. "If he wants a fight, he better come at me directly. If he stabs me in the back, I'll be pissed." That was what he had to say on the matter? "Don't look so surprised. I'm always down for a fight. Just means more practice for me."

He was crazy.

"That's a funny face," he told her, leaning towards her slightly. "Why are you all always so surprised? The world out there won't hesitate a second to kill you, to kill us. Why are Hyaku and I the only ones that seem to take that seriously?" he asked, shaking his head.

"That's a rather bleak way to see things," she commented, looking down. That was far from the first time she heard such a thing. It was always very… sad though.

"I prefer to call it realism. Just the way things are," Sho told her, leaning even further, to the point where it was a little uncomfortable. Before Ameno could say anything though, he opened his mouth again. "Do you mind if I kiss you on the cheek? I think that might make your not-boyfriend snap."

So, that was why he was getting so close, huh?

"You know you are in no condition to fight, right?" she asked, discreetly pushing him off. She imagined it'd just make Koji more angry if she did it overtly. She loved her friend to bits, but he was a bit… much.

"The world won't care about that either," Sho replied looking at himself. "So, you done?"

"Yes. Do be careful… if you can."

"You catch on quick," was all he told her, grinning before standing up and moving away.

[}-o-{]

[Hyaku Bunraku]

Hyaku played with the rim of the empty glass of water, balancing it on its edge. He placed his cheek against his palm, careful not to let the added weight make the cheap wood table creak. The room entered a peaceful silence, only interrupted by the muffled noises from the streets that reached them through the thin walls. His fellow transmigrator and him waited as the breathing of the little girl, who rested on top of the old mattress at one end of the room, got slower and more consistent.

"I think she is asleep already, Sho," Wara whispered from within the tight clutches of the now exhausted six-year-old Saki. "Man, I thought she was going to tear me apart. No offense, but doing this often can't be good for my parts, you know?"

The girl was positively taken with Wara. Every time he visited, the girl would squeal and rush towards the puppet like a tiny devil. What would follow was a whirlwind of laughter and clapping as he moved Wara along the girl's childish demands. This would always continue for a few hours and end with her tired and sleeping soundly.

"Your sacrifice will be remembered, little guy," Sho mumbled, his lips tugging up into the smallest of half-smiles.

A flicker of his finger saw his puppet swiftly, but obviously carefully, free itself from the girl's embrace. His shinobi training helped him achieve the task without disturbing Saki's sleep. Hyaku didn't want to know what his friend would do to Wara, him, or both if they did.

"Are you sure it's okay for us to be here? Don't you have some odd jobs to do or something?" his puppet asked while walking across the room on its tubby legs and jumping onto his shoulders. He could have made it float, but… it wasn't really necessary.

"I finished one quicker than I expected," Sho answered with a whisper, his eyes still locked on his little sister softly. "There wasn't anything particularly good either, so I thought it'd be better to save us some money from the babysitter."

Hyaku supposed that was fair. The unofficial jobs paid a pittance, according to Sho, so if he said there weren't even any good ones, then the pay was probably next to nothing. It'd cut into his pseudo-training through fake missions, but Sho would always put his family finances first. Sachiko was already struggling to make ends meet, after all, even with the extra money Sho made.

"Well, you know we are free if you want us to watch over her when you and Mrs. Sachiko are out. Don't hesitate to ask. It certainly beats wasting away inside that old, creepy clan compound, that's for sure. Ain't that right, partner?" Wara offered and poked at his head with its tiny elbow.

Hyaku raised a hand and gave his fellow transmigrator a thumbs up.

"And you know you can come whenever you want to get away for a bit," Sho told him with a weak half-smile.

Alas, Hyaku couldn't do that as much as he'd wanted to. The same way he couldn't just take money from his loaded family to give to his friend. They were always watching and he knew firsthand how displeasing them could go.

Absently, he rubbed the side of his neck as he leaned back on his chair.

"Heh, we will certainly keep it in mind, pal… Now, gloomy stuff outta the way. Let's talk some business, shall we?" Wara said, trying to change subjects. A bit of his discomfort seeped through the puppet's personality. "Any juicy new info?"

"Bunko is… chill, I guess. His group seems neutral so far. He makes for a good spar partner," Sho commented with a shrug. "His group was definitely watching us and they were not subtle," he added thoughtfully. "Yeah, I'm putting them in the neutral group, cautiously so."

"Want us to check on them? They are a bit smarter than what I'd expect from their looks," Wara inquired.

Hyaku didn't remember them from the show, but that only accounted for canon and the manga. That still left filler and movies up in the air. Both of which were part of the media neither of them had paid too much attention to.

"They do have that generic bad guy look, don't they?" Sho commented wryly. "I mean, it'd help, but I wouldn't say they are a priority. You learn anything on your side?"

"Well, that Saya girl most definitely has a few screws loose. That's for sure. We got invited to some kind of 'tea party' next month, so I'll run it back to you if she is the harmless or the dangerous kind of cuckoo." One could never tell when it came to the Naruverse.

"Well… At least she's not ugly?" his friend asked him jokingly.

"She's twelve though," Wara drawled. "Though, I guess Hyaku here conquered her heart faster tha-" Hyaku tried to slap his puppet but the blasted thing dodged out of the way with a twirl and mocking laugh. Granted, he was the one that made it move, but still…

Damn that puppet.

"I mean, we are thirteen," Sho told him, looking like he could barely keep a straight face. "God, this will never not be awkward, will it?" he added, dragging a hand over his face. "Well, better you than me. Nothing on the rest of the class? That Yome girl was good, but she didn't seem to be in a group, to me at least."

"Not much we got about her. Other than the fact she seems to stick to that other girl, the tall one. Not sure if you saw her. We don't know her name," Wara commented, walking absently on top of the table and looking up thoughtfully with its arms behind its back. "They seemed to be talking about some Shira guy when I eavesdropped."

"No idea who that'd be," Sho replied, his expression showing not an ounce of care. Then again, their class was too full of people for them all to be relevant. They had better things to do than to give too much attention to extras. Especially if they didn't really have a reason to do so. "Well, makeup guy is annoying but he seems like the straightforward kind of annoying. I'd say our main concern right now is your girlfriend then, huh?"

"What about medic girl?" Wara asked, tilting his whole body to look at Sho.

"She was… there? I don't know how good she is. Didn't get much from our interaction, but she seemed like a nice girl. That's all I can really tell you," he answered before shrugging. "Class seems decent enough for what's hopefully gonna be our last year at the Academy. If Saya turns out to not be a pain in the ass, she might even be useful. She seemed influential or rich or both. Having a friend like that would be nice."

"We'll see what we can do," Wara replied with a firm nod. Hyaku was a lot less sure about that than his puppet showed, but it wasn't like they weren't used to difficult situations by then. "You keep an eye on that Bunko guy, just in case."

"Of course," Sho readily agreed with a bland smile. After that, silence filled the room for a long moment, with neither of them having anything to say. His friend turned momentarily to look at Saki before gazing towards their empty glasses. "You want more water?" he asked.

"Nah, we are fine," Wara lied for Hyaku easily. If there was one benefit of speaking through his puppet, it was that it could hide how he felt a lot easier. Truth was that he could do with more water, but he wouldn't ask more from Sho. Even water was expensive in Suna, although some might think that predictable. He would never ask for more from his friend because of that.

He got to see him running himself ragged with training and missions enough to know that his situation wasn't much better than Hyaku's, if for completely different reasons. Hell, he'd seen Sho haggle at the market for one Ryo once. That was like arguing over cents back in their old world.

He knew, by then, that if Sho could cut a corner somewhere without shooting himself in the foot, he definitely would. It showed in everything. His worn clothes were full of ugly fixes that Sho had stitched himself. His meals were always the smallest he could get away with at home and always the cheapest he could get away with outside, if he ever did eat outside. Hyaku didn't know how many hands Sho's equipment had gone through before he got it.

God, he really wished he could give him some of his clan's money. Alas…

"I thought this year would be easier, but maybe I had my hopes too high," Sho commented after another long silent moment. He was resting his back on his chair, but not too hard, probably afraid he'd break it. "That taijutsu spar fooled me, but it looks like it'll be a tough year again."

"Unlike you to be so optimistic, pal," Wara pointed out jokingly even as Hyaku held back a sigh.

"Too true, buddy. Too true," Sho mumbled, leaning forward and draping himself over the table tiredly. "This world sucks… Happy first anniversary of being in this hellhole, by the way," he added, a wry smile on his face.

"... Happy anniversary."

[} Chapter End {]

Adrian: Well, with this we more or less close the introductory period. Not quite a prologue or first arc, but we think it's enough to introduce the story, so we'll be jumping to something else after this.

Arc: Let us know if you liked this story so we might take it into account for future updates too!

Adrian: What he said. I know there's a bunch of characters to keep track of, but that's just how it is. We'll try to keep them all around through the story. You could say they are to Sho and Hyaku what Team 8 and 10 were to Naruto and Sasuke. They should also make this academy arc more interesting… for however long it lasts. And that's at the very least. I think they'll be fun to have around even after graduation, but it all depends. You know how it goes with me.

Anyway, again, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.

Random Adrian Question: We've opened a few plot lines we might or might not follow already. Any of them catch your attention?

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