NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: Land of Waves.
Now, officially graduated, I had to work on my shinobi uniform. I mean, after the first year I gave up on trying anything too complicated. Too expensive to have the clothing store Oba-san craft it just for me since I’d replace it just a few months later. I was a growing girl, and clothes got destroyed fast when you’re training to be a ninja.
But this time I wasn’t training to be one. I was a ninja!
I already had my ideal uniform in mind. Heck, I had already paid the ninja people to craft it for me. Years of saving money — and maybe selling a seal here and there — I ordered four sets of matching clothes. I would order more when these didn’t fit me anymore. I was still a growing girl, after all.
I still didn’t break tradition of the opentoed shoes. They had their reason. Those stayed. White stocking to cover my toes, going up to mid thigh. The usual skirt ended up just shy above the stockings. A finger width of exposed skin. I mean. I was twelve already. I wasn’t a kid anymore. I mean, I was still a kid, but wasn’t. I was proud of myself. I wanted to feel pretty. If that annoyed anyone, they could go practice their chakra control elsewhere. Not that anyone would see anything under my skirt. We were tree-hopping ninja. I wore shorts beneath it all. The skirt was just a fashion statement. There were small hidden pockets on those shorts where I kept my new miniature seals. It took years of research, but I was finally able to create small seals that could to store large things. My Koto was there, so was my supply of exploding tags. Can’t blame me for keeping the important stuff on hand.
I wore what was basically a short sleeve dress shirt, collar, yoke, button stand and all. To top it off, a small red tie, and open finger gloves. My fan-girl side mute squealed in delight when I saw myself in the mirror. Damn I looked good. My hair had changed. It had always been dark, more toward blue. But now it was completely black. I couldn’t see a hint of blue there. I’m not sure when that happened, I never paid attention to it. It was only when Sakura-chan pointed it out for me last year I noticed the difference.
The shorts, skirt, shirt where all shinobi approved, of course. Crafted with wire mesh underneath, and reinforced to provide any protection it could. It was all black. Save for the tie, which was red. I wore the forehead protector beneath my fringe, almost all hidden. It was cool. It looked good. I mean, If Naruto can wear a orange jumper, Gai a green leotard, why couldn’t I abuse my earth days for some fashion statements?
The rest of my preparations was packing stuff. The story never went in details what sort of training Kurenai-sensei put the team eight through, but I was confident the team wouldn’t fail because of me. Team eight was supposed to be a tracking specialist team. I didn’t have byakugan anymore, but I could still feel chakra. Even if I hadn’t told anyone yet. Should I have spoken to Iruka-sensei about it? I shook my head. The academy covered the basics only, these things were the purview of a jounin-sensei.
Dressed and prepared, I went to the academy. I got in, sat on my corner. Observed the other kids. The mood was cheerful. Kids talked, waved, laughed. It got strange when Naruto sauntered in wearing a forehead protector.
I watched in nostalgia the scene play in front of my eyes. Kids demanding to know what he was doing here. The brat pointing at his forehead protector. He sat on the same row as Emosuke. Sakura arrived soon after, sat between the two. Naruto was head over heels for Sakura. The bimbo only had eyes for Emosuke.
Even the kiss scene was the same. I couldn’t helped it. I cheered. I mean, couldn’t make a sound, but I jumped in joy like the fan-girl I was. A trickle of worry percolated in my mind. If the world had a way of imposing the same events, was Emosuke destined to be Outcastsuke? I thought saving his clan, and preventing his brother from committing genocide would solve the problem, but Sasuke turned ever more taciturn and emo over the years.
But things had changed, I could change things. My next big issue right now was preparing for the chunin exam. With the changed time-line, I wasn’t sure if Orichimaru would target Emosuke in the Forest of Death; countless other Uchiha were alive after all, but I guess that was just an attack of opportunity. Evil Snake plan had always been to kill the Third. Old man Hokage had gone soft, Danzo was right about that, but I didn’t want the old man to die. I had time. Six months to train with Kurenai-sensei, to prepare, to change the world one more time.
Class had settled after the impromptu love comedy between Naruto and Sasuke. Even more after the fan-girl squad beat the crap out of Naruto. I was glad I managed to disentangle myself from that can of worms. Emosuke still tried to beat me in the areas I was better, but years of silent treatment were enough to make even the most depressed and obsessed of kids give up. There was no satisfaction involved when confronting me. Take that, you jerk!
Iruka-sensei walked inside the class room. Called for order.
“Starting today, all of you are real shinobi.” He called out. He stood straight, hands joined at his back. “But you are still genin. The hard journey that lies ahead has just started.” He said. “Now you will soon receive missions to help the village, so today we will create three man teams, and each will have a jounin-sensei.”
Iruka-sensei looked at the class. His eyes lingered on Naruto. His face softened a bit. Lips curled into a smile. From what I remembered, Kurenai-sensei went to the Hyuga clan house to talk to Hiashi about training Hinata. Would this still happen here now that I wasn’t Hyuga anymore? Iruka-sensei started calling names while I still daydreamed.
If I took into account my years before I ended up here, I was about twenty two. Kurenai just became a jounin. According to the fandom, she was what, twenty six? It was a shame she was into Asuma-sensei. I wouldn’t mind the teacher crush trope. I mean, she was pretty, bad-ass, and had lovely red eyes. Or I assumed she did. Hadn’t met the woman yet.
“Team seven.” Iruka-sensei called. I perked up. Comedy time. I looked expectantly at the row with the trio from team seven. “Uzumaki Naruto,” he called out, “Hinata,” he said next. I tilted my head. Wasn’t Naruto supposed to cheer and Sakura to get sad at the news? “Uchiha Sasuke.” Iruka-sensei ended. Naruto played half of his part. Slouching on the table at mention of his team up with Sasuke, Sakura also looked devastated.
“Iruka-sensei!! Why an outstanding shinobi like me have to be on the same team as that prick over there?” Naruto hollered.
Iruka-sensei put hands on his waist. Leaned over, face stormy. “Sasuke’s grades were the best of all twenty seven graduates and yours were dead last. Do you understand we have to balance teams, right?”
Emosuke did his emo routine. “Bah, just don’t get in my way… dead last.”
Class exploded in noise. Naruto yelled, others laughed. Something still didn’t seem right to me. Sakura looked sad. Shouldn’t she be happy for teaming with her crush?
Iruka-sensei called the classroom to order again. “Team eight.” He started. “Haruno Sakura, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba.”
I blinked. Tilted my head again. Looked a the row with team seven. Sakura looked pretty freaked out. That made sense, she couldn’t deal with insects. I tilted my head the other way. Wait? Sakura on team eight? I replayed the previous scene in my head. Played again Iruka-sensei’s words.
It finally dawned on me. I was on team seven, not eight. Shit. I was so screwed.
Here is full cover image, which is just a simple image overlay.
Here a few images Microsoft copilot created:
