Hers was a rundown 25-meter square apartment in Masako Ward and a budget of 4000 Ryo per month for food and ramen. Summer was not too bad since the window next to her bed could welcome the generous flow of winds from the southeast, cool and carrying the pleasant smell of the sea, but in winter, things might get a bit tricky. Half of her money went to coal, warmer clothes and bathhouse visits so there were days she had to sacrifice breakfast for a nightly steamy delicious bowl of Ramen at Ichiraku.
Ino called it one step above homelessness and Sakura deemed it to be inappropriate for a lady but to Naruko it was just life. A suck one, no doubt but there was no reason to moan and complain.
All men and women must go through trials and challenges, just like the iron ore has to be heated, bent and beaten down to make a fine steel blade, The Old Man Hokage once told her when they sat around the campfire under a starry night sky. When he said it, his eyes and shoulders sunk in sadness and for the first time Naruko realized the mark of time on his wrinkles, And you Naruko, you will have more trials and challenges than most of us. But in the end, when you come out of the forge you will be the finest blade ever made.
When Naruko stood in front of the mirror today, adjusting her newly-earned Konoha headband, she wondered what kind of blade she was now. Not quite there yet, she decided but the shiny piece of metal on her forehead told her this was the right path.
Seven years ago, when she felt like she was the last of her kind, the Old Man came and shared the fish with her by the stream. Then when everything seemed to be unjust and men seemed to be unfair at the Academy, Iruka showed her that not all hope was lost. Believe it, five days ago she couldn't fathom the idea of graduating either. After two failed attempts she was afraid that they wouldn't allow her the third and that was why Mizuki's offer was so tempting.
And I fell for it like a moron.
Iruka-sensei almost died because of her stupidity, only saved by that Jutsu, that miracle. Even now Naruko still had no idea about what had happened. The traitor had Iruka sensei pinned to the ground, his kunai raised high ready for the killing blow as she frantically weaved the hand signs written in the scroll. And then...and then... there was a flash, Naruko found herself a breath away from Mizuki, her kick sending him flying and crashing into the nearby tree in Iruka's shock and horror. Lightheaded with the first victory and her teacher's headband wrapping around her forehead, tears streaming down her cheeks, she forgot to learn its name.
Horse, Boar, Tiger Boar, Snake, Dog, Dragon, Ram. Turning around and facing the opposite wall where the dining table used to be, she weaved the hand signs again but like a hundred times before, nothing happened. In the last five days, a fool's errand had been carried out in this room and the fool soon learned a crude yet truthful lesson: A miracle is supposed to happen once.
"Nah, doesn't matter. My Jonin sensei will teach me cooler jutsu."
For some reason, she was convinced that was the case ever since Iruka informed her the new Genins would be grouped into a team of three led by a Jonin. Truth be told, she was more anxious than excited at the prospect. Naruko Uzumaki wasn't made to learn new stuff. Iruka nearly drained all his life force to help her master the Transformation Jutsu and swore to gods if she had to endure one more chakra control lesson from Sakura, she would likely grow another forehead. Yeah, she was not the sharpest tool in the box, no need to dwell on it. When you were dumb, just admit that you were dumb. At least, by admitting you got smarter... not much but smarter still.
Outside her crampy apartment, it was still twilight. Birds chirped on the branches of leafless Sakuras, the streets were nearly empty, tired drivers snored on their rickshaws, hot dumplings were pulled down the road on a wooden stall, milky white steam quickly vaporized in the breeze, a typical morning of an early spring day. She grew a habit of walking early and being the first to arrive at class. It was utmost essential before she learned how to leap from building to building for the fewer people on the street, the less hateful gaze she received. Naruko hated those gazes. They were vile and unearned but the worst part was they never told her why. A great mystery it was until Mizuki unveiled it :
"You are the Nine Tails. You kill Iruka's parents." The silver-haired man told her from the tree branch, a wicked smile on his face. "Everyone hates you. Your friends hate you. Iruka hates you."
The old man knew. Iruka knew. Ino's father knew. Sakura's father too. Hell, even Teuchi knew there was a monster that lived inside her. And they all choose to be silent, she reflected. The Hokage said it was about her safety as a Jinchuriki and how he would have Iruka tell her later if it wasn't for the incident. Much of that was as truthful as things could get but when she asked why it was she who carried this burden, the old man narrowed his eyes and took a moment to answer :
"Because you were nearby, Naruko-chan. It's unfair and unjust, I understand but your...the Fourth Hokage had done everything he could to contain the beast. Had any better options present themselves, I'm sure he would never let you suffer this fate."
He was hiding something. Naruko wasn't good at reading people like Ino but she had known the old man since she knew her face. The last time he had such gloomy air around him was when Naruko wanted to know about her parent. However, she decided not to dwell too much on this. The world might hate her as much as it wished but the old man and Iruka wished her no harm. If they wanted to keep something secret, it was probably for her own good.
With high spirits and wings attached to her legs, Naruko rushed to the Academy but contrary to her expectations, she wasn't the first to arrive. From the higher bench, sat Shikamaru with his feet on the table and arms folded behind his head. His eyes gazed at the ceiling with his usual dismissive annoying look.
"So the rumour is true." He said without looking down at her, "They actually let you pass, didn't they?"
Naruko tended to correct him but she managed to get a hold of herself. The Hokage had advised her not to tell anyone about the incident, whether it was about Mizuki's betray, the scroll she stole or what happened after that. "You're early." She said, "That's..."
"Unoriginal is the word and you can thank my mom for that." He yawned, "She yanked me up at the break of dawn, dragging on and on about how being late on the first day would leave a bad impression in my sensei's eyes. What a drag, if there were any bad impressions, they may all come down to how I beat Asuma effortlessly in shogi. But how is it my fault then? He's just a bad player."
Naruko's eyes widened, "You know who your Jonin sensei is?"
"Of course, I know. Asuma often come to my house for a shogi game with my father but during this year, it's me whom he seeks. At first, I didn't give much thought to it but then I realized he tend to ask a lot of questions about myself while we played." Shikamaru clicked his tongue, " I should have known better. My father, Ino's father, Choji's father were on the same team that led a Sarutobi back in the day so obviously, they want to continue the tradition with the 15th generation of Ino-Shika-Cho."
So Ino wasn't without a point when dreading the day she had to deal with Choji's never-stop chewing mouth and Shikamaru's laziness. Naruko felt a bit sad about it. Not only because the chance of being on the same team as the blondie was reduced to zero but also because of how lucky the Yamanaka girl was. She was easily the prettiest girl in the class, the best kunoichi when it came to Ninjutsu and battle theory, and the heiress of a great clan who always knew what was expected of her. Naruko didn't even come close to that. Her unusually long hair earned her the nickname ' Walking Haystack' and when she held it in place with two big ponytails, people started calling her 'Dobe'. Her academic performance was average at best except for the physical parts and for years she jumped back and forth between Hokage, rouge ninja and housewife.
"It can't be as bad as you make," Said Naruko, " You guys have known each other since you were kids."
The lazy boy sighed, " Yeah, I guess it's better than teaming up with strangers and people you don't like. Few can stand that dog freak Kiba and I must be the unluckiest man alive to have Shino or Sasuke as a teammate. The latter especially, no matter if you're a guy or a gal."
Like Ino, Shikamaru wasn't without a point. Kiba was obnoxious, and Shino was just weird, but Sasuke Uchiha was a different matter entirely. The raven-haired boy was a person of few words, stern but undeniably handsome and talented, a combination that made him a battleground for the Kunoichi of their class. Ino made her first move when she was eight from what Naruko heard, Sakura tried her luck not long after and ever since then, the two looked at each other with Kunai in their eyes. Fighting over Sasuke's affection was something Naruko was glad that she was spared of but it didn't mean she was safe. As the only one who could put up a challenge to Sasuke, Naruko became his regular sparring partner in Taijutsu, trading blow after blow without holding back. However, about a year ago, on a rare occasion where she managed to get two victories out of three matches, he suddenly felt the urge to walk over and give out his hand for the sign of unison.
"Nice moves, Naruko. I better watch after myself next time."
A warm smile and a compliment. He didn't buy her lunch, ask her out or do things men did when they liked someone but it was just enough for Naruko to become the enemy of the state. Ino gave Naruko the silent treatment for a week and you might find the graveyard more cheerful than Sakura two months afterwards. It took a lot of effort to clear all her charges but the misunderstanding only truly ended in the next sparring session where Sasuke came into the ring with bruises, scratches and a broken nose before proceeding to send Naruko to the medical room with two broken fingers.
They are going to kill me if I'm teamed up with Sasuke.
Somehow this was her real fear now, instead of a Jonin teacher who hated her guts and her inability to learn.
More graduated students arrived after she took the seat below Shikamaru's. As usual, Hinata Huyga walked through the door with her clanmates and cousins, Kawabe and Fuchimura who had delayed their study at the academy a year so they could be her personal bodyguards. Upon seeing Naruko and her new headband, the Huyga girl was briefly confused but then managed an approving smile and a nod before going to her seat next to the window. They used to have a more intimate interaction but Lord Hisashi was quick to make sure Naruko understood the difference between her and the Huyga heiress. Had she dared to cross the line again, there would be consequences.
"You must have pulled off some trick," Kiba decided as he passed by her seat, " No way they let the one who failed at clone jutsu and walking on water graduate."
Naruko's nostril flared as she bolted up, " Who needs those useless techniques? You can create a hundred clones and I still kick your ass with my eyes closed, Kiba. By the way, did I miss an ocean nearby? Perhaps not because the last time I checked, the sea was 200 hundred miles away."
"Then put some money to where your mouth is, Dobe. The clearing behind the academy at 5:00." The Inazuka snared, "Don't be late nor expect I will be light-handed just because you have a nice pair of tits."
Naruko gasped, her face turned pink while her arms instinctively covered whatever lay beneath the jacket, "Kiba, you pervert!" She yelled.
The dog boy smiled victoriously, "What? Did I say something wrong? Tell her, Shikamaru."
"You're partially correct."
The answer didn't come from Shikamaru because the Nara boy just groaned in annoyance. They turned around and saw Shino Aburame climbing the steps, jacket with collar pulled up, sunglass indoor, hands buried deep in pockets, looking grim and weird as ever.
"Who was talking to you, Shino?" Kiba asked.
"No one. But since Shikamaru doesn't involve himself, I feel compelled." He then turned to Naruko, " It's true that the Clone Jutsu and water walking lack combat potential but there isn't without a point in teaching them. Both require a level of chakra control, chakra distribution and mental focus for a successful performance, a level that will serve as a foundation for much more complicated jutsu. You Naruko, have failed to achieve even that."
Naruko bit her lip. It was true that most didn't control their chakra at Sakura's level and yet none was as bad as her. It felt like drinking a river dry through a straw and it had been this way since day one. Sometimes she wondered what the cause was. Didn't she train hard enough? Did she do it the wrong way...or worse, some had the talent for the Shinobi art and some just didn't. Sakura said it was just a matter of time and Iruka-sensei told her a story about a mighty Shinobi who couldn't use any Ninjutsu and yet managed to take down several members of Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Their intention was good and noble but sometimes, when Naruko sat alone on her bed in the dark, it felt like they were shielding her from the harsh truth.
Perhaps Kiba is right. I don't deserve to be here.
"Then why did you say I was partially correct?" Kiba pointed out, arms crossed. "That was what I was trying to tell her in the first place!"
"And I'm trying to be as accurate as I can" Shino replied cooly, "Although you were right to question her qualification for a Genin, there is no guaranteed victory in your Taijutsu match against her. With the exception of Sasuke Uchiha, none of us here has the strength, speed and endurance needed to defeat Naruko. Furthermore, you were wrong about..about..."
Naruko and Kiba's necks seemed to grow longer as they waited for Shino to finish. The Aburame boy often chose silence over socializing but whenever he chose the latter, he was never afraid to speak his mind. This hesitation was so rare that even Shikamaru rose from his morning sleeping routine.
"You are saying...?" Naruko asked, weary.
Shino sighed heavily before continuing, "Kiba was wrong about not being light-handed because you are a girl. You do have a nice pair of tits and he may get distracted by them."
After Kiba and Shino went to their seats with a hand imprinted on their faces, she spent the next ten minutes ranting to Shikamaru about how lewd men were to which the Nara boy let words go from one ear to another. Then she heard Sakura and Ino's arrival. Yes, she heard them before seeing them. Pushing each other at the entrance, mouths non-stop yelling 'Ino pig' and 'Forehead', the pink-haired girl and Yamanaka heiress earned another groan from Shikamaru and a burst of laughter from the rest. It was a sight so familiar that it became irritating to watch. They used to be close friends once but now they were just two opposing forces and a mediator. All of this was just because of a boy who didn't have a spoon of affection for them. In fact, Naruko doubted Sasuke Uchiha cared about anything besides training and fighting, given the bruises and scratches he was often being seen with, but she had a better chance at winning the Leaf Lottery than making them see the truth.
"Naruko?" Both of the girls said in unison upon seeing the blonde, eyes widened. Naruko replied with a grin, "You make it !"
Chirping like little birds, they flanked her on both sides, immediately asking how things came to pass to which she replied with a lie that the old man had prepared for her. Apparently, five days before now, Iruka-sensei insisted that her failure in the exam was just an accident and sought permission for her to perform the clone Jutsu in front of the Hokage. She got her shot, she succeeded and that was the end of it.
"Well, I guess being sensei's favourite finally pays off after all." Said Ino with a smirk, " And the Hokage too. He dots on you like his granddaughter. Geez, don't ever go to me and complain about how lonely it is to grow up alone."
"Can you be more insensitive, Ino-Buta?" Sakura interjected angrily, "You don't know how hard Naruko has trained. She almost..."
"Calm down, Sakura-chan. It's just a tease nothing more."
Naruko laughed nervously with her arms stretched out, trying to halt another storm in vain. She knew the Yamanaka heiress well enough to realize who was the subject of ridicule here.
"It was a tease alright. But this one isn't." Ino threw a wicked half-smile at the pink-haired girl, "With a tutor like you Forehead, no wonder why she struggled."
Gods have mercy. If this is what they mean by 'Alls fair in love and war' then I would rather become an old maid. Their bickering seemed to last for eternity until the prodigy of class 105, the prince of the night, Sasuke Uchiha and his pal finally saw it was time for their arrival. Naruko was never a fan of this behaviour, holding your breath and growing those dove eyes like idiots in front of your love interest but even she must admit the Uchiha as a whole was something to look at. Sasuke was always the centre of intention of course, but his tag-along, Edagi Uchiha wasn't bad either. It seemed that strong chin, mysterious eyes, warm yet rare smile, and cool-guy attitude ran deep in the clan's bloodline, not to mention he was the brother to Shisui of the Body Flicker, one of the strongest Shinobi in the village.
"What say you, Ino? After I have my prize, you will have my blessing to take the second best." Sakura whispered.
"Seem like overconfidence has gone through that forehead of yours and found ample room within" Ino chuckled silently, "You don't even deserve Edagi. When the victory is mine, Naruko will have a share of my glory."
Good luck with your first objective then, Naruko wanted to say so but she decided to remain silent and wait for Iruka-sensei. When the clock hit 7:30, Iruka finally came to his class... well, technically at least. She could hear her teacher having a conversation with someone in the hallway, an intense one at that. Words like 'Absurd', 'Unbelievable', 'Nonsense' were repeated several times but she couldn't make out what the fuss was about. A few minutes later, Iruka-sensei opened the door and proceeded to march to the podium, looking grimmer and more ominous than he should have. He gave Naruko a weird-looking glance before opening his book.
"As you have been told. All of the graduates will be assigned to a three-man squad led by a Jonin teacher," He reminded them, "The team you are placed on will be determined by your academic scores, your abilities, your strengths and weaknesses, and your heritage. I will read the composition of the teams of class 105. Those of you whose names have been read will remain here and wait for your Jonin to pick you up."
Her scores were embarrassing and she was good at nothing besides Taijutsu but there was still a straw to hold on :
"What did he mean by "Your heritage"?" She whispered to Ino.
"Clan and tradition I think." Ino sighed, "That is why I suck with lazy boy and fatty over there while Sasuke will likely be teamed up with Edagi and someone. Well, as long as it isn't Sakura then nothing is lost."
Then she could still be on the same team with Sakura. Both of them were clanless, Sakura wasn't good at close-quarter combat and Naruko needed someone to tell her where to hit. What else could people ask from such a perfect combination?
"Team 10, Jonin Kurenai Yuhi." Iruka announced, " Genin Shino Aburame, Genin Kiba Inazuka, Genin Sakura Haruno."
The reactions were various. Shino remained stoic as always, Kiba grinned a wolfish grin, Sakura was visibly disappointed while Ino let out a cliche villainess chuckle. So down the drain went Sakura's love fantasy and along with it, Naruko's expectation.
"We always feared this day may come and now here it is," Sakura told Naruko, her voice soft and sadness haunting her green eyes, " Take good care of yourself my Dobe. Eat healthy, be nice to your teammates and obey your sensei. I can't always be with you all the time and get you out of trouble like before, remember that."
The Uzumaki blonde snorted, "Come on, I'm not five years old and you're not my mom." She giggled, "In fact, you better look after yourself. Kiba is always among the worst but never do I know Shino is a pervert too."
Then she told them what had transpired in the morning to which they giggled through the announcement of team 9. Then came the composition of Team 8, Team Asuma.
"Team 8, Jonin Asuma Sarutobi, Genin Ino Yamanaka, Genin Choji Akimichi, Genin Edagi Uchiha."
"Well well, Isn't this a surprise?" Said Ino, her back leaning contentedly against the chair. She winked at the pink-haired girl, "Seem like I have won Sakura-chan. I get rid of Shikamaru and just imagine what Edagi may pour into Sasuke's ear after he sees how wife material I'm"
"You celebrate too soon, Ino-pig. You won this round but the war is far from over!"
Naruko looked around, wondering what other members of Team 8 thought of this development. Choji obviously didn't care unless his team was made of potato chips, Edagi whispered something to Sasuke to which the prodigy responded with a small chuckle. And nothing much came from Shikamaru. The lazy boy's reaction was just an annoying glare and the usual catchphrase 'What a drag'.
Well, since Hinata will be with her clanmates, I guess I must make do with Shikamaru then. The Nara boy could be an arse sometimes but at the very least, he didn't try to pick up a fight with her nor try to kill her nor make her days miserable because of being in the same team with him and that was good enough. However, once again, fate saw it was fit to blue ball Naruko like an idiot.
"Team 7, Jonin Kakashi Hatake, Genin Sasuke Uchiha, Genin Hinata Huyga, Genin Shikamaru Nara
She could hear the sigh of relief coming from Sakura, Ino and the rest of Kunoichi. The fear of a female teammate stealing their Sasuke was very real in their mind, but if that female teammate happened to be Hinata Huyga then there was nothing to worry about. Sasuke barely acknowledged her existence and truth be told, that was the norm around here. Besides having two bodyguards and a Lord father breathing down your neck, Hinata's excessively timid nature always led the conversation to an awkward silence, which was kinda annoying. Ino and Sakura had been trying to approach her since the second year and after her short-lived friendship with Naruko, none bothered to give it a shot.
She didn't expect this arrangement to cause any problems but :
"We object!" She turned around and saw Kawabe standing with his arms crossed, displeasure written all over his face. Fuchimura followed suit and finished what his clanmate had started, " Huyga stays with other Huygas to hone their techniques. Tradition dictates."
"Tradition may dictate but there are still personal strengths and weaknesses that are counted into," Iruka replied dryly with no warmth in his eyes. It was always a strange thing for Naruko to witness. Her sensei obviously favoured her, no need to deny it, but he was also a fair man who genuinely cared for his other students...well as long as your names were not Kawabe or Fuchimura anyway. He treated them coldly, with outright disdain sometimes but Naruko never had a chance to ask him why, "The decision comes from the Council of Jonin and the Hokage himself so in case any of you disagree with the decision, you know where to file your complaint."
"Lord Hiashi will hear about this." Declared Kawabe.
"I'm sure he will. Next, Team 6. Jonin Hoyoshi Namikaze, Genin Atsutori Uchiha, Genin Tazuka Uchiha, Genin Shaburo Kuro."
Then as the members of Team 5, Team 4, Team 3, Team 2, and Team 1 were respectively announced, Naruko felt all the eyes shifted to her while hers shifted to Iruka.
"Oi Iruka-sensei! Did you forget something?" The Uzumaki blonde stood up and waved her hand, "Where is my team?'
It seemed Iruka had been expecting that question for some time and yet he still managed to look like a cornered mouse. Hesitantly, he gave her a nervous and forceful smile: "Well...There are some problems with your assignment, Naruko. Don't worry, don't worry, we are working it out. Just wait here with the rest."
"What do you mean by 'problems'?" She exclaimed, "Why does everyone have a team and I don't?"
"Just sit down, Naruko. The Hokage and I are working on it."
And with just that he walked to the door and unceremoniously left her behind confused, angry, and ridiculed. Unsurprisingly, Kiba was the one suggesting the idea of the Jonin Council finally regretted its decision which earned him a hateful glare from his new teammate, Sakura and a shouting match with Naruko. Ino stood up, looked around and then told Naruko that there were 31 graduates currently presented in the room which in her speculation, was a positive thing.
"You may end up having a whole Jonin teacher for yourself." The Yamanaka beamed. " If he happened to be a young, handsome, talented Shinobi like Edagi's brother, then I'm truly jealous. At some point, you should stop calling him sensei and call him senpai instead."
Had Naruko's life been full of roses and candies, she might well believe that. Truth be told, Ino wasn't without a point, but Iruka acted strangely today, and her instinct said this had something to do with the argument in the hallway. Anxious and curious, the Uzumaki blonde brought her concern to the most clear-headed person in the class while others went socializing with their teammates.
"Troublesome." Said Shikamaru boringly.
"Why?"
"The three-men team is just a tradition dating back to the First Hokage era, nothing more. There is no tactical value in the number 3 so it doesn't matter if you have one more member or lacking one. They could well give you a spot in any teams here but they didn't, did they?"
That scared her to the very core but the Nara boy spoke the truth nonetheless. However, be as it might, she could do nothing in this situation besides Iruka's instruction: Sitting still and watching her classmates get picked up by their Jonin, one by one. Ino's Jonin was one of the Hokage's sons as she had been told but he bore little to no resemblance to the old man. Asuma Sarutobi was a tall muscular man, with brown eyes, olive skin, short black spiky hair, and a strong black beard. Looking at him, Naruko couldn't help but envy Ino's luck.
He must have known a ton of cool Jutsu. A man like that certainly knows.
Then like adding more misery to an already miserable day, she had to watch Sakura leave with a beautiful raven-haired woman called Kurenai Yuhi whom Naruko would love to assassinate Kiba and replace him as her student. Slowly, the room was dripped out of people, leaving only four graduates behind :
Sasuke, Hinata, Shikamaru and Naruko.
The waiting was just tiresome. Naruko went from bitting her pencil, humming 'A Shinobi in love' to prancing around in twenty minutes before returning to a die-hard hobby and placing an eraser on top of the sliding door.
"What are you doing, Dobe?" Sasuke asked with mild amusement, "Our teacher is a Jonin, an elite Ninja. You think he will fall for that?."
"Then no hurt in giving him a chance to show off, wouldn't you agree?"
And showing off he did. Ten minutes later, the door slid open and the eraser fell down but it was caught exceptionally by a..shadow? The Genins couldn't really tell. Right at the moment the eraser was stopped on its track, a man appeared before them as if there were two person existing at the same time or simply he was too fast for their eyes to track. The man was still in his prime, short-haired, wearing a green flak jacket, a sword on his back and an eyepatch covering his right eye. He had a striking resemblance to someone Naruko knew.
"Senpai," Sasuke stood up and respectfully bowed down his head.
Now Naruto was certain of who the man was. Shisui of the Body Flicker, Defender of the Uchiha, one of the Leaf's strongest Ninja. She couldn't help but shed a tear of joy. Yes! Yes! This is what I'm talking about!
"Congratuation, Sasuke-kun. You finally make it." Shisui smiled warmly, "We will hold a small party tonight for the Uchiha graduates, would you like to join?"
The twitch on Sasuke's face only lasted for a quarter of a second but that was more than enough for Naruko to notice "Yes, Senpai. I'm honoured."
"Good, good. It has been a while since you were last seen at our clan's social gathering." He then turned to look at the rest of team 7, "Kakashi-san is waiting for you on the rooftop. He requests your team's presence."
After they left, Naruko walked up to Shisui, facing him with hands on her hips and the biggest grin she ever had.
"So when do we start our first mission, sensei? I can hardly wait, believe it."
The one-eyed Uchiha gazed at her cautiously before releasing a sigh, "I'm not your Jonin teacher, Naruko."
"What...what.." Naruto stuttered in disbelief, "This is a joke right? It has to be!"
"The Hokage sent me here with his congratulations and a few words for you." Shisui continued calmly, "Did you tell anyone about your incident with Mizuki five days ago?"
To say Naruko was surprised was an understatement. This question came out from nowhere, "Wha..No, of course not. The old man made me promise not to tell anyone and I do not like to go back on my words." She insisted angrily, "Why does Mizuki have anything to do with this? Where is my sensei? Where is my team?"
"Last night, there was a crowd gathering in front of Hokage building and demanding to remove you from the rank for misconduct, collaborating with the enemy and treason. Apparently, someone had leaked the details of the incident to the public and the reaction was...stronger than we expected. We don't know who he was but it doesn't matter anymore. The civilian council also got involved and from what I heard, they go as far as to demand the Hokage's resignation for allowing you to become Genin. The Jonin council managed to get things under control but some compromise had to be made. At the moment, you remain an active Leaf Kunoichi carrying out missions given to you like others. However, you will not have a team or instructor Jonin. Many demand it as your punishment and hope you quit because of it."
The ground seemed to shift beneath her feet and she could barely hear the last part. They wanted to punish me, Fury clouded her mind as her shaking hands clutched into fists, They wanted to punish me for something that wasn't even my fault.
She wanted to scream that out loud but a voice in her said "But it was your fault, wasn't it?"
It was she who failed the final exam. It was she who agreed to steal the scroll. It was she who broke into the Hokage building. It was she whom Iruka-sensei tried to protect and almost died from it. It was all her intention, her mind, her hands and her fault.
"Tell the Hokage I'm sorry for giving him too much trouble." Said Naruko with her head down, trying to hold back her tears. I will not cry, I will not quit, I will not give you people the satisfaction. I will prove you are wrong. "Tell him I will serve faithfully as a Leaf Kunoichi, a repayment for what he did for me. One day I will become the finest blade ever made as he wishes and I never go back on my word. That's my Nindo."
Shisui smiled kindly, "He told me something similar. You're really an impressive Kunoichi, Naruko." He trusted his hand into the bag on his belt and presented her with a black wooden book with a red spiral symbol engraved on the lid, "Here is his gift for your graduation."
She opened it and was surprised to see four scrolls of different colours inside- Red, Yellow, Blue and White- . " What are these?" She asked.
"A little help from the Hokage. Many shinobi have great teachers, and many aren't that lucky but it doesn't mean they can't self-teach. The Hokage hope you will find the techniques written in these scrolls useful."
She smiled and opened the red scroll, her second favourite colour. It was a Ninjutsu scroll as far as she could tell but the first thing that caught her eyes was :
This is the property of Red Hot-Blooded Habanero