Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

POV ITSUKI-SENSEI

It was a dreary morning when I entered the classroom, the familiar weight of duty already pressing down on me. The Academy was buzzing with the chaotic energy that only young children could produce. Shrieks, laughter, whispered conversations, a cacophony that was all too common and, unfortunately, all too annoying.

I sighed internally as I made my way to the front of the room, stepping around the clusters of students that still hadn’t learned the meaning of “discipline” yet. This was my third year teaching this particular class. When I first received the assignment, I thought it would be like every other, a handful of promising talents, a majority of mediocrities, and a few outright disasters.

But this year’s group... this year’s group was different.

Seven heirs, an heir apparent, and the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, all crammed into one classroom. Whoever thought that was a good idea clearly never spent an hour trying to control them.

I set my materials on the desk with a loud thud, and immediately the noise level dropped by half. Good. They were learning, if slowly.

I allowed my gaze to sweep across the room, noting the faces I had come to know as my students, some better than I would have liked.

There was Naruto Uzumaki, practically vibrating with restless energy, dressed in that ridiculous orange jumpsuit that screamed “target practice” more than “stealth operative.” He was standing on his chair, waving his arms and loudly proclaiming something about becoming Hokage. Again.

 "Sit down, Naruto," I barked. He flopped into his seat with a pout, but at least he obeyed.

Near him sat Sasuke Uchiha. Quiet, brooding, a dark cloud of anger and grief that followed him everywhere. His black eyes were sharp and constantly calculating, but there was something dangerous simmering just beneath the surface. If anyone was likely to make it to the top, it would be him. But if anyone was also likely to fall spectacularly, it was him too.

Right next to Sasuke was Sakura Haruno, civilian born, always desperate to impress. She hung onto every word I said, frantically scribbling notes with an intensity that bordered on obsession. She was bright, brighter than most, but her focus was too narrow. Too centered around Sasuke. A waste, honestly. She had potential if she ever grew out of it.

On the far side of the room sat Shino Aburame, as still and silent as ever. Always wearing those dark glasses, hiding half his face. Even when called upon, his answers were short, efficient, and emotionless. His control was impressive, even this young. But control without communication wasn’t much use. Strategy without leadership wasn't leadership at all.

Hinata Hyuuga sat a few seats away, barely audible when spoken to, flinching at even the gentlest reprimands. Such a powerful bloodline, wasted on such a timid child. She was like a delicate flower in a field meant for weeds. It was painful to watch sometimes. Her eyes often flickered toward Naruto, full of something too soft to survive in this world.

Kiba Inuzuka, by contrast, had no trouble making himself known. Loud, brash, competitive... everything an Inuzuka was supposed to be. His connection to his small dog, Akamaru, was strong, and I knew it would serve him well. If only he could learn when to shut up and think instead of charging headfirst into every situation.

Ino Yamanaka sat with perfect posture, already acting like she owned the place. She was smart, no doubt, and she had a natural charisma that made others follow her. Too bad she wasted half her brain cells swooning over Sasuke and arguing with Sakura. Another tragedy of wasted focus.

Speaking of swooning, the collective group of Sasuke’s fangirls was already whispering and giggling behind their hands, throwing shy glances his way. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

 "Fangirls," I muttered under my breath. "They’ll grow out of it, or they’ll die trying"

Then there was Shikamaru Nara, slumped lazily over his desk, half-asleep as usual. His intelligence was undeniable, but his laziness was catastrophic. I sometimes wondered if he would ever find anything in life worth lifting a finger for. Or if he would just sleep through it all.

Next to him, Choji Akimichi was munching on a bag of chips, offering one to Shikamaru absentmindedly. A kind soul, that one. Too kind, really. Strength wasn’t just physical in this world. Without the will to fight, kindness could get you killed.

Among the less remarkable, or perhaps less flashy, students sat Noa.

She was an enigma, that one. No last name, no family ties that anyone knew of. She was always at the back of the class, silent, staring at the board but never really looking at it. Like she was somewhere else entirely.

She was not disruptive. Not stupid. Just... distant.

I had thought about moving her closer to the front, to force some engagement, but something in her stillness made me hesitate. There was a sharpness there, hidden under the layers of apathy. But whether it was the sharpness of a blade or a broken shard of glass remained to be seen.

"Noa" I thought again "Strange one. Too strange. Won't last till graduation, I bet"

The classroom was alive with small conversations as I turned to write today’s lesson on the board. Konoha’s founding, the First and Second Shinobi Wars, the rise of the Five Great Nations. They needed to understand their history, the legacy they were expected to carry.

They didn’t know it yet, but this world was cruel. It would chew them up and spit them out if they weren’t ready. I would make them ready.

 Even if it meant dragging them kicking and screaming.

The bell rang for the start of class, and with a sharp clap of my hands, I pulled them all to attention.

"Listen up!" I barked. "Today we will discuss the formation of the Hidden Leaf Village and the wars that defined its existence. You may think you know this story already. You don’t. And until you do, none of you will survive out there."

Some students straightened in their seats. Others groaned. Shikamaru muttered "Troublesome..." under his breath. Naruto slammed his forehead against his desk dramatically.

Good. That was the spirit. They would hate me. They would curse my name.

 But they would learn.

Chapter Text

POV ITSUKI-SENSEI

Another week came and went, without any problems. The second lesson of the day had just begun when I noticed something strange.

Noa’s gaze was not on the board, not exactly. She was looking slightly past it, as though watching something unfold behind the wall itself. Her eyes weren’t glazed, but focused. Sharply, eerily so.

It was subtle, the kind of detail most teachers would miss, but not me.

“Noa-san” I called, tone clipped. “Repeat what I just said.”

A few students snickered. Naruto turned to look at her, probably expecting another space-out. But Noa blinked once, then repeated my explanation about the Senju-Uchiha alliance word for word. Not just the general idea, the entire thing, tone, inflection, even my pauses.

The room went quiet.

Sasuke glanced sideways at her, calculating. Sakura stared in open confusion. Shikamaru’s eyes opened a little wider, while Ino leaned forward, suddenly interested.

“Very good,” I said coolly. “Next time, try looking like you’re paying attention.”

She dipped her head in acknowledgment, not apology. I moved on, but I could feel the shift in the room. A single moment of exposure and the class had recalibrated their expectations. Or at least the smart ones had.

That was how it always worked.

. . .

During the break, Naruto practically leapt over his desk and landed in front of Noa. “Hey! That was awesome! You didn’t even look like you were listening, but you still knew everything! How’d you do that?”

Noa just blinked at him.

“I mean, I space out all the time too, but I never remember anything!” he added, scratching his head.

She tilted her head slightly. “I don’t forget things”

Naruto stared at her like she’d just invented ramen. “Cool! We should totally hang out!”

“Why?” she asked, not cruelly, but genuinely puzzled.

Naruto faltered. “Uh… well… you’re interesting?”

That seemed to stump her more than anything.

Before the silence could stretch into awkwardness, Kiba sauntered over, slapping Naruto on the back. “Give it a rest, dude. You can’t just force people to be friends.”

Naruto scowled. “Says you”

“Oi,” Kiba leaned toward Noa, grinning. “That was pretty slick, though. You some kind of secret genius?”

Noa didn’t respond. Her eyes tracked the movement of his dog, Akamaru, more than his words. “Maybe she likes dogs?” I wonder

“…Okay then. She’s a quiet one,” Kiba muttered, scratching behind Akamaru’s ears. “Whatever.”

A few meters away, Ino was whispering something to Sakura, clearly about Noa. I couldn’t hear the words, but I knew the look: suspicion, curiosity, maybe a hint of threat. It didn’t take long for a new girl to disrupt the fragile balance of their group dynamic.

By the time lunch rolled around, things had shifted even further.

I watched from the hallway as the students filed outside, breaking off into their usual cliques. Sasuke sitting alone near a tree, Naruto chasing Choji around trying to trade his rice ball for chips and Shikamaru lying down in the grass while Ino hovered nearby.

Noa stayed inside.

That wasn’t unusual for her, but something about it today felt off. I made my way back into the classroom under the pretense of grabbing a forgotten scroll, but paused at the door.

She sat at her desk, lunch untouched, eyes scanning the front chalkboard as if the lesson were still going. There was no boredom in her posture, no restlessness only… quiet intensity.

I cleared my throat. She didn’t flinch.

“You know,” I said, stepping inside, “most kids your age don’t act like the mission is already on”

She looked at me then, expression unreadable. “maybe It already is”

I blinked. “Pardon?”

Her gaze dropped to her bento box. “They don’t know it yet. But it is.”

There was no bravado in her voice. No arrogance. Just a flat truth, as though she were observing a storm on the horizon and calmly stating that rain was coming.

I found myself unsettled, and I didn’t rattle easily.

Before I could press her further, the door behind me creaked open. Shikamaru stepped in, hands shoved in his pockets.

“I knew you’d stay in” he muttered to Noa. “Didn’t peg you for the dramatic loner type, but it fits.”

She glanced at him without expression. Mmm, interesting. I wonder how this will plan out.

“I mean,” he continued, “you had a whole classroom’s worth of possible lunch buddies, and you chose "haunted silence". That’s a choice”

“You’re here” she pointed out.

“Yeah,” he said, dropping into the desk next to hers. “I’m lazy, not blind. Something about you’s not adding up.”

She turned her head slowly toward him. “Does that bother you?”

Shikamaru yawned. “Nah. I like puzzles. More interesting than algebra.”

Their conversation, if it could be called that, drifted into comfortable quiet. I left them there, oddly reassured. Whatever Noa was, or wasn’t, she wouldn’t be entirely alone.

And Shikamaru, for all his indifference, noticed everything.

Chapter Text

POV SHIKAMARU NARA

4 months later…

It’s not until the sun begins to dip lower that the noise finally starts to die down. Even Naruto and Kiba are too tired to keep going with their ridiculous wrestling match. Kiba collapses next to Choji, gasping for breath, and Naruto flops onto the ground like a dead fish. Ino rolls her eyes, clearly annoyed by the lack of organization and all the dirt everywere. She glances over at Sasuke again, her gaze lingering longer than I’m comfortable with. I’m sure she thinks no one notices, but to me it’s painfully obvious how obssesed she is.

Sasuke, of course, hasn’t moved. Not an inch. He’s still leaning against that same tree, staring off into the distance, his posture perfect in a way that makes it look effortless. It’s like he doesn’t even see any of us. Maybe he doesn’t. I can’t help but wonder what’s going through his mind. It’s not like he’s my friend, but it’s hard not to notice the way he stands apart from everyone else. Detached. Untouched. He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t need to try. He doesn’t care, and everyone else is just... there. Maybe things would have been different if his family was still alive, I remember he used to be more open, more childlike. I guess there is no use thinking about the what ifs. So toublesome.

Sakura’s still near him, hovering in her usual spot like a shadow. Her eyes flicker to him constantly, even when she’s pretending to be engaged in some other conversation. But I can see it. Her lips move, but her focus is on Sasuke. Always on Sasuke. I don’t even need to hear her words to know what’s going on in her head. The obsession, the adoration, whatever you want to call it. It’s painfully obvious. And it’s getting harder to ignore.

Ino’s fixation is less subtle but no less intense. She’s pretending to listen to Choji as he talks about his food, but her eyes keep drifting over to Sasuke, following him like some kind of magnet. There’s something about her attitude today that feels almost desperate, like she’s afraid of missing her chance, whatever that is. It’s a little sad, really.

I can’t stand it. Honestly, it’s exhausting. How do they even do it? The way they act like he’s some kind of prize they’re all competing for, like he’s the only person in the entire world. I know they say he is “very cute” or something like that, but isn´t all the obsesion a bit too much? It’s... troublesome. It’s a miracle Sasuke doesn’t find it annoying enough to warrant a reaction.

“Troublesome” I mutter under my breath, half wishing I could just fall asleep right here and forget this whole mess, but right now I can´t. I have too many thoughts running through my head. It sometimes gets like this, and I can´t do anything about it. Very troublesome, indeed.

Hinata’s still standing quietly at the edge of the group, her eyes fixed on Naruto as usual. There’s something in the way she looks at him, soft, almost timid. I can’t help but think that it’s different from the way Sakura and Ino look at Sasuke. There’s no fire in Hinata’s gaze. It’s more like... hope. A quiet longing that’s been buried deep inside her, hidden away like a secret she’s not even sure how to express. But it’s there. I can see it. If she weren’t so shy, she’d probably have a better shot at getting through to him. But Naruto’s too oblivious to notice her. He’s too wrapped up in his own world.

And I think, maybe... maybe that’s just how it is. The ones who go after people who are completely out of their league, the ones who idolize them—maybe they’re just fooling themselves. It’s not like I have any room to talk. I’m not trying to figure out the inner workings of anyone’s head. I’ve got enough on my plate as it is. But this... this feels like a waste.

My eyes flicker over to Noa, sitting quietly on the other side of the group, away from the chaos. She´s wearing the same oversized hoddie as always, probably a hand-out from the orphanage if I had to guess. It´s black, but not as black as her hair.  I have never seen anyone with such a dark hair, it´s almost like carbon. She wears it long, with bangs, but it kind of suits her. Her eyes are unfocused, a dull green that brightens when she focus on something. She is not like Ino or the other girls I know. She doesn´t really care about being pretty or adorable. She doen´t really pay attention to her clothes or anything like that. She is different, but in a good way. I think. Maybe.

Unlike the others, there’s no obsession in her eyes. No secret crush or desperate longing. It’s like she’s not even playing the same game. I can’t help but be curious about her. There’s something about her, something... intriguing. She doesn’t follow anyone, doesn’t act like the rest of us. She just... exists. I can’t figure her out.

It’s frustrating, honestly. Why can’t I just ignore it like everyone else? Why do I have to be the one who notices everything? I shouldn’t even care. The whole “crush” thing seems like a waste of time and effort, like it’s just setting them all up for disappointment. But I can’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, there’s something more to Noa than meets the eye.

And then again, maybe I’m just overthinking it. It’s not like I’m some kind of expert on feelings or relationships. Hell, I’d rather nap than deal with this stuff.

Ino’s voice pulls me from my thoughts. “Shikamaru, are you planning on just laying down there all day?”

I glance at her, raising an eyebrow. “What’s it to you?”

She shrugs, but her gaze flickers to Sasuke once more. I can practically hear the internal struggle in her head. I don’t say anything, though. It’s not like I have anything useful to add.

I rub my temples, already feeling a headache coming on. “Yeah, I’m done with this.”

“Done with what?” Choji asks, his voice muffled by a mouthful of chips.

I shake my head, not answering. Maybe I’m done with all of it. Or maybe I’m just tired of standing around, watching everyone obsess over things that don’t matter. It’s all just so... troublesome.

Itsuki-sensei´s voice cuts through my frustration. “Alright, enough standing around. Let’s get back to training.”

His words break the spell, and everyone groans in unison. It’s like a signal, and just like that, the moment is over. I glance at Noa one more time, but she doesn’t notice. She’s still lost in her own world. Maybe she has it all figured out, after all.

“I guess we better go. What a drag” I mutter, not bothering to wait for the others.

Sensei gives us a quick glance before he turns and leads the way, and we follow, all of us falling back into the familiar rhythm of our training. There’s a kind of peace in that. A peace that, for now, I’ll just have to settle for.

. . .

“Al right, everyone, form a line. We are going to introduce you to sparing" sensei calls out, his voice firm carrying above the fading chatter. "for now, just do your best. Only taijutsu. I will stop the fight and declare a victor"

Troublesome. We weren´t supposed to spar until next year, but I guess he is trying to introduce us to it first. Start bit by bit. That kind of thing.

I drag myself up with a groan, brushing crumbs off my vest. Choji looks at me in mild panic, a chip halfway to his mouth. "Do we really have to fight today?"

"Looks like it" I reply, stifling a yawn. I glance at the rest of the class, already beginning to shuffle toward the center of the training yard. Naruto bounces on his heels, practically glowing with excitement. Sasuke moves with a quiet grace, already scanning the crowd like he’s hunting prey. Ino and Sakura exchange a glare sharp enough to cut wire. Fangirl rivalry. Predictable.

"First match! Hinata Hyuuga vs Ino Yamanaka"

There’s a murmur through the crowd. Not the expected match-up. I raise an eyebrow. That might actually be worth watching.

Hinata hesitates a second too long before stepping forward. She swallows hard, hands clenched into tiny fists at her sides. Ino flips her hair and struts confidently, though I can tell she’s eyeing Sasuke out of the corner of her eye. Of course. This is as much a show for him as it is a match.

They face off. I settle beside Choji under the shade of the nearest tree. Good spot. Decent view. Low threat of being noticed and called next.

"Begin!"

Hinata strikes first, surprisingly fast, even tentative as she is. She clearly is well trained, if a little shy while fighting. Her Gentle Fist, is precise and fluid. Ino hardly gets to parry it, and counters with her own clan’s taijutsy style, trying to find an opening to hit Hinata.

They circle, exchange a few more blows. It’s clear Hinata’s more technically skilled, but she holds back, always holds back. Ino presses forward, aggressive, determined. The frustration is visible on her face.

The match seems pretty even for a moment and then, just as Hinata is going to hit Ino on the stomach, she falters. Ino doesn´t let that moment pass and starts on the offensive again.

Hinata´s eyes flicker, just briefly, toward Naruto, who's yelling some clumsy but loud encouragement from the sidelines. It’s enough. Suddenly Hinata snaps back into focus and twists away, landing a light tap to Ino’s throat. Ino winces, pulling back. Their movements slow.

"Stop!" the instructor calls. "Good effort, both of you."

They bow stiffly and walk off. Ino storms past, fuming.

"Ahhhh" I think "she´s going to complain so much later. What a drag"

"I almost had her. I would have won if she wasn’t so weird about Naruto," she huffs to Sakura "Seriously, what’s even appealing about him?"

"You’re just mad you lost in front of Sasuke-kun Ino-pig" Sakura bites back smugly.

"Unlike you, forehead, I don’t need to beg for his attention." answers Ino flipping her hair back. Does she really think that is attractive or something?

I roll my eyes. Honestly, being Sasuke sounds exhausting and really annoying. All that that unwanted attention, all that constant noise. No wonder he barely talks.

Troublesome.

At least Noa’s not like that. Wait, why am I thinking about her again?

My eyes drift toward the edge of the yard, where she sits alone, arms loosely folded, her expression unreadable as always. She doesn’t cheer. Doesn’t gossip. Doesn’t even flinch when others do. There’s something I can´t figure out about her,  like she’s watching the class from behind a thick wall of glass.

I wonder what she’s thinking. If she’s thinking anything at all.

Whatever it is, she’s the only one here not obsessing over crushes or clan expectations. The only one not trying to prove something every second.

I can’t decide if that makes her the most grounded one in the room… or the most dangerous. It certainly is something new.

The instructor starts calling the next matches. I tune out the names until I hear mine.

"Shikamaru Nara versus Kiba Inuzuka."

Great.

Kiba is already bouncing on the balls of his feet, grinning like a maniac, Akamaru barking in sync with his excitement. I sigh, dragging myself to the center.

"You ready to get flattened, lazybones?" Kiba jeers.

"Troublesome. Is this really necessary?" I say

"Yes" answer Kiba and Itsuki-sensei at the same time

"What a drag" I murmur, while I prepare myself.

The match begins.

I dodge his first charge easily. He’s predictable. Fast, yes, but linear. I let him rush me two, three times, just enough to map his rhythm. Then I bait him left, pivot right, and trip him with a well-placed sweep.

Akamaru yelps. Kiba tumbles. Choji whoops.

I stand over him, but I know this isn´t over.

He growls. "Ohhhh, now you´ve done it"

He goes on the offensive again. This time much more aggressive. He starts going faster and faster. Eventually, he manages to maneuver me into a corner. I could get out, but not easily and deffinetly not without reciving one or two hits.

"I forfeit" I say.

Kiba stops suddenly, almost knocking me over.

"Whaaat!!!"

"Honestly Nara" signs sensei "Okey, the match is over. Kiba Inuzuka is the winner. Next time try a little longer okay?” he says the last part to me.

"Too troublesome." I think, but I nod nonetheless.

I shuffle back to my spot. Choji hands me a chip in consolation. I take it, too tired to argue.

The rest of the matches blur together. Naruto yelling, Sasuke dominating, Sakura and Ino trading barbed compliments and insults between fights.

Only Noa doesn’t get called up.

Sensei glances her way once, as if considering it… then shakes his head and picks another name. I watch her subtly raise an eyebrow, the closest thing to a reaction I’ve ever seen from her.

Curious.

Eventually, the sun dips lower and the matches end. We’re dismissed. Students scatter like leaves in the wind, some still bickering, others laughing.

I stretch, glance toward Noa one last time.

Still in place. Still watching. Still silent. Still unreadable. What a mystery really.

Troublesome. I think again knowing I won´t be able to let it go.

Chapter Text

POV NOA

I can tell Iruka-sensei is trying not to be obvious, but he keeps sneaking glances at me like I’m some kind of nervous stray he’s trying not to spook. Clipboard in hand, overly gentle tone, a warm smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“So,” he says, tapping his pen lightly “how’s everything going? Classes, training... your workload?”

Translation: You’re quiet and vaguely suspicious, and I’ve decided to check whether you’re about to emotionally combust or not.

“I’m not falling behind,” I say “If that’s what you’re worried about”

Iruka tilts his head, smile still in place. “Not worried. Just checking in, Noa-chan”

I resist the urge to sigh. I get it. I really do. I'm not exactly what you’d call socially vibrant. But I’m not brooding in corners either (not emo-Sasuke, thanks). I´m just… efficient with my words. Focused. And honestly, not everyone needs to be running around yelling like Naruto to be doing okay.

We’re in our penultimate year at the academy now. Almost done. One more year until we’re eligible to graduate and become genin. One more year until the story of “Naruto” officially starts. Of course I am nervous, and a bit scared. Okay, a lot. But it´s not like I can tell him that. Or anyone for that matter.

Iruka-sensei is new this term. Our previous instructor injured his leg badly during a mission and had to step down from teaching. Iruka-sensei is less strict, less formal, but somehow he manages to keep the class more focused. Almost everyone likes him more. I think it’s because he actually cares, and we can tell.

“You’re doing very well academically” he says, scanning his notes. “Your theoretical scores are very good. Chakra control’s improving, and your field assessments... well, those are already at genin level.”

He says it like it’s the peak of what I’m capable of. Like I’ve reached my full effort. I let the compliment sit, nod once.

The truth? I’m not really trying that hard. The exams are terribly easy for me, but if I show them  that, I would be painting an enormous target on my back.

I mean, I do the work. I train. I show up. But I’m not pushing myself the way I could. Not where people can see. There’s something about standing out too much that draws the wrong kind of attention, and attention is dangerous. I haven´t forgotten about Danzo, or Orochimaru. It gives me the chills just to think about them.

So I stay just above the middle of the class rankings. Not too high. Not too low. A little above average, like someone who works hard but isn’t born exceptional. That way I’m not a threat, and no one asks too many questions.

Except in taijutsu. That’s the only place I let go a little. No chakra tricks, no bloodline abilities, just movement, timing, control. I like the simplicity of it. And besides, it’s the one area where excelling doesn't raise eyebrows. Just makes you “disciplined.”

Iruka is still speaking, his tone thoughtful.

“But,” he continues, and there it is. The but. “Being a ninja means working as part of a team. I want to make sure you’re connecting with your peers. Building trust.”

I glance at the window. Outside, the sun is catching on the iron railings, making them glow faintly. Below, Naruto is trying to talk Sasuke into a race. It’s going poorly. Sasuke looks like he’s debating a fire jutsu just to make him stop.

“I’m not a hermit” I offer. “I sit with people at lunch”

Iruka smiles at that, amused. “Shino-kun and Hinata-chan?”

“Quiet table” I say, shrugging. “We understand each other”

It’s true. We don’t talk much, but there’s comfort in the quiet. No forced conversation. No pressure to be someone I’m not. To act like a kid. Shino will occasionally offer an insect fact no one asked for. Hinata will nod and smile politely and never interrupt. It’s peaceful.

“Progress, then,” Iruka says.

“Micro-progress,” I reply.

He actually laughs. “Still counts”

There’s a small pause, not uncomfortable. Just… thoughtful.

“I know you’ve been through more than most, Noa-chan” he says gently. “But you don’t always have to carry everything on your own.”

I look down at the edge of the desk, fingers brushing over a deep notch someone carved years ago. I wonder who it belonged to. If they were also asked to “open up” more.

“I’m not trying to carry everything” I say after a moment. “Just… what’s mine.”

He nods. Doesn’t push further. I appreciate that about Iruka-sensei, he listens without trying to fix things or meddle too much.

“I’ll keep working on the team thing” I say finally

“That’s all I ask,” he replies with a warm smile, making a note like I just agreed to a treaty.

The bell rings. I’m the first one up.

As I shoulder my bag, Iruka says, “Oh, and nice job in sparring last week. That feint against Ryota? Clean execution.”

That actually gets a real smile from me. Small, but there.

“Thanks,” I say, and this time, I mean it.

Outside, the sunlight is bright but not harsh. The kind that makes everything feel temporarily golden. I step out into it, stretching slightly. My arms are sore from morning drills, but it’s the good kind of sore. Earned.

Behind me, I hear Iruka close the door and sigh. Not frustrated. Just tired.

Honestly, he tries so hard it’s almost endearing. I smile a little.

…

That same week I find myself walking past the clothes shop again, glancing at the brightly colored fabrics hanging on display. There's something so strange about it, how people can just pick out a piece of clothing for no reason other than it looks good, how they can spend their time doing such simple things without considering the consequences. I used to be like that once... not anymore. It’s a luxury I can’t afford in this life, and honestly, I don’t know if I’d even want it. Now, it seems almost… frivolous.

In this world I am and orphan and, unlike Naruto, I still live in the orphanage. I do have a bit of pocket money to spend, but is not nearly enough for all the supplies and extra food I need as a ninja-in-training. Usually I try to earn a little more by doing extra chores or helping another orphan out, since getting a job at my age and with my schedule is almost imposible.

I shake my head, pulling myself back from the distraction. Those clothes might fit better, but they wouldn’t change anything. No one notices me enough for it to matter anyway.

The rest of the village passes by in a blur, my thoughts drifting as my feet carry me. The streets are busier now, people coming and going, the faint buzz of chatter filling the air. It’s strange, how normal everything seems. People going about their daily lives, unaware of the constant tension that lingers in my mind. How could they? They don’t have the weight of the future on their shoulders, the pressure of becoming something more than just another shinobi in a village full of them. They don’t know what it’s like to train in silence, to push yourself harder than anyone else because you can’t afford to fail. Because failure means death.

But, of course, I’m not alone.

The students at the academy all know the stakes, at least the smart ones. Every one of us dreams of becoming a ninja. But not all of us take it as seriously as the others. I’ve seen the confidence in some of my classmates, their belief that they’re on the right track. It’s frustrating. I know I’m doing everything I can, but I also know it’s not enough. I’ve been pushing myself so long, yet sometimes it feels like I’m still falling short.

I try not to think about it too much. If I did, I’d probably lose my mind.

Instead, I focus on the practical things, like what I need to buy for training.

I’m almost there when I hear a familiar voice calling from across the street.

"Noa-san"

I turn to find Shino, his expression as unreadable as usual, but his tone isn’t as flat. It’s something close to curiosity, but then again, he’s never one to show much emotion. He’s always been quiet, reserved, but there’s something comforting about him. He’s never pretended to be something he’s not evn ehen the other kids weren´t the nicest. That is something I admire about him.

"Shino-kun?" I stop walking, and he joins me at the corner.

"Are you preparing for the survival exercise?" He asks, his voice steady.

Survival exercise. I’d completely forgotten. It’s going to be a two-day thing, starting tomorrow. They’d mentioned it briefly in class earlier this week, but there hadn’t been any details yet. I´ll have to inform the matron about it.

I frown. "I forgot about that. They didn’t say what we would need. Just... survival stuff, I guess?"

Shino nods. "That’s what I’ve heard, too. I’ll need some extra supplies. Do you have everything you need?" His dark glasses hide any glint of concern, but I know he’s thinking the same thing as I am.

"Well, I don’t know yet. I guess I’ll grab some kunai and maybe some food rations. Probably better to over-prepare than under, right?" Yes, they sell kunais to kids here, well, only academy students, but stil... I was surprised too.

"Yes. I’ll pick up some medical supplies, as well" he adds.

I nod, glancing toward the supply store nearby. It’s a small shop with shelves crammed full of everything from basic kunai to specialized tools for more advanced missions. It´s one of the cheapest ones in the village and I always end up buying more than I need, but I guess that’s just how it goes when you’re training to survive.

“Are you worried about it?” I ask, curious.

Shino raises an eyebrow, though I can’t quite tell if he’s surprised by the question or just thinking it over. "Worried? No. Cautious, yes. Why? You can never be too prepared. The exercise will test our resourcefulness and teamwork. It’s important to stay alert.”

“Teamwork,” I murmur, thinking of the teammates we’re likely to be assigned. I haven’t heard much about the specifics, but knowing the academy, we’ll probably be grouped with random people. I’ll be stuck with whoever they decide, which could be anything from a dream team to a disaster.

“That’s true,” I reply, glancing at the shop again "I just hope it’s not one of those exercises where we end up running around with no clear goal. I hate those.”

“You’d rather have structure?” Shino asks, and I can almost hear the smile in his voice. Almost.

“Maybe” I sigh, trying to imagine what tomorrow will be like. I’d rather have something concrete to focus on than wandering aimlessly for days. At least if there’s a goal, there’s something to work towards.

Shino’s silence stretches out as he looks toward the store too. “We’ll manage,” he says finally, his voice calm, steady. I almost envy that about him. How easy he makes it all seem. But then again, maybe he just hides it better than the rest of us.

"Yeah" I reply, pulling myself out of my thoughts. "We’ll manage."

We part ways to go inside, and as I browse the shelves for my supplies, my mind wanders. I don’t need to buy much. Just the basics: kunai, shuriken, food rations, and maybe a new water bottle. The usual.

But I also can’t ignore the nagging thought that something more might be required. They haven’t told us how dangerous this exercise might be, but I’m not naive. They’re preparing us for the real world, and that means we might have to face real challenges. Not just pretend ones designed to test our skills.

I grab everything I think I’ll need and head for the counter, my mind still whirling with thoughts of tomorrow. It’s only when I’m walking out of the store that I realize something else: tomorrow will be the first time we’re really going to be tested as a team. Honestly? I am not looking forward to that. I’ve worked alone for so long, I’m not sure I’ll be able to adjust to working with a group.

The thought nags at me for the rest of the walk. As I reach the orphanage, I push it aside for now. There’s no sense in worrying about it yet. I can only focus on what’s in front of me.

Tomorrow, I’ll do my best. And whatever happens, I’ll survive.

Chapter Text

POV NOA

Training Field 23 looms ahead of us, vast, uneven, and teeming with trees that stretch high into a dull gray sky. The air smells of moss and dirt, and the deeper we go, the more it feels like the forest is closing in. No comfort here. No clean lines or safety nets. Just wilderness.

Iruka stands by a wooden post where a makeshift chalkboard leans against a tree, clipboard in hand, flanked by four chunin in standard flak jackets. Their expressions are unreadable, their posture relaxed but alert, the kind of calm that comes from knowing exactly how much more skilled they are than everyone around them.

“Listen up!” Iruka calls out, voice crisp and loud. “This is your first extended field training session. You’ll be out here for two days. You will forage, prepare your own meals, construct shelter, and basically survive on your own”

He pauses, letting it sink in. Some students whisper, others fidget. I remain still, shifting my pack slightly. I packed light, but carefully. Rope, wire, flint. All approved items. Nothing fancy. The rations I purchased had to stay in class, but at least I am glad I didn´t go overboard on that front.

“No premade food is allowed,” Iruka continues. “You’ll rely on what you can gather or prepare yourselves. The chunin instructors and I will be observing you all , but we will NOT intervene unless someone is in real danger. That means not asking for help either. This simulates a real-world survival situation. Keep that in mind”

That quiets even the loudest mouths.

“Now for the teams. All groups are in fours. Your teammates are your allies for the next 48 hours. Cooperation is not optional"

“Team One: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Kiba Inuzuka… and Kinji Aoba.”

Naruto explodes “YEAH! Sakura-chan and me on the same team! This is the best day ever!”

Sakura visibly recoils. “Wait. What? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Naruto doesn’t hear her. He’s too busy doing a little fist-pump dance while Kiba slaps him on the back, barking laughter echoing beside him. Akamaru barks in agreement.

“This is a nightmare” Sakura mutters under her breath. “Kiba and Naruto? Two loudmouths and a mutt. Great.”

Kinji, a quiet, wiry boy from one of the lesser-known clans, doesn’t say anything. His silence is probably his best decision.

“Team Two: Ino Yamanaka, Sasuke Uchiha, Choji Akimichi, and Reika Matsuda.”

Ino gasps like someone just proposes to her. “Sasuke-kun! Finally, destiny understands me!”

Sasuke’s expression doesn’t change. Choji looks between the two of them and shrugs. He has been a little sad and down since he had to leave all his bags of potato chips back at the Academy. Reika, a plain but efficient girl, already has a small notebook in hand and is jotting something down. She is a little flustered, a clear indication of her appreciation towards the Uchiha heir. At least she is not loud about it.

“Team Three…” Iruka scans the list. “Shikamaru Nara, Shino Aburame, Ami Kuramochi, and Noa.”

A beat.

Then Ami groans like someone had just told her her favorite lipstick is discontinued. “Ugh, are you serious? I’m with bug-boy, nap-boy, and her?” She glares directly at me. Oy, that is completely uncalled for.

I blink. “You’ll survive.”

Shikamaru mutters, “Barely” just loud enough for Ami to hear. That makes me smirk.

Shino tilts his head. “Statistically speaking, survival chances increase when unnecessary complaints are minimized”

Ami narrows her eyes, but says nothing.

I try to keep my face neutral, but inside I’m suppressing a laugh. This is going to be difficult, but at least it is not dull.

Iruka continues listing teams, most of which blur into background noise. There are some names I don’t even recognize in there too. I note Hinata, Kenta, and Shira end up together, which makes sense. They’re quiet and solid under pressure. Another team with the Saito twins and that loud boy from the taijutsu class looks like chaos waiting to happen.

After the announcements, Iruka hands each team a scroll.

“This contains your specific quadrant map and a special flare. Do not open the scroll until you’ve chosen your camp location and do not use the flare unless you are under extreme duress, understand? Early tampering means disqualification. You are graded on efficiency, cooperation, and ingenuity”

One of the chunin walks past and hands ours over. I take it without comment and slide it into the pouch at my hip.

Ami immediately demands, “So, who’s in charge?”

Shikamaru exhales. “Can we not start with that?”

“We’re gonna have to pick a leader” she pushes. “Might as well be someone who’s not allergic to effort.”

Shino’s sunglasses glint. “I suggest we walk and argue later. You’re already wasting time.”

I nod, already stepping forward into the woods. “Camp first. Drama later.”

No one objects, not out loud, at least, and we disappear beneath the branches of Training Field 23.

The real test begins now.

…

The trees close in as we step deeper into our assigned quadrant. Iruka explains the perimeter clearly, then leaves us under the invisible eyes of the four patrolling chunin. Each team is dropped at a different entry point, spread out so we don’t encounter each other unless someone gets really lost, or really careless.

We have our packs, our basic gear, and the general rule: survive and work together. No pre-cooked food, no easy shortcuts. Just our heads, hands, and whatever we can gather.

Shikamaru is the first to break the silence as we enter the tree line. “Okay,” he says, glancing at the rest of us. “Before we run around doing things that’ll probably exhaust us, we should think this through.”

He stops walking and turns, folding his arms lazily but not without purpose. His eyes flick to each of us in turn.

“Let’s play to our strengths. Shino, you’ve got tracking and intel. Noa’s quick, strong, and decent at reading terrain. I’ll handle overall strategy: laying out the perimeter, watching patterns, evaluating risks. Ami…” He pauses, clearly struggling. True, what can Ami do? “You can help with construction. Maybe traps. Make yourself useful or something”

Ami scoffs. “I’m not here to build things. I’m here to pass.”

“Yeah, well” Shikamaru mutters, “passing involves doing things. Troublesome, I know”

I smirk faintly.

Shino adjusts his collar. “We move until we find optimal ground. Near water, but defensible. Why? Because water is essential, and we don’t want to be ambushed in our sleep.”

“Agreed” I say, stepping forward. “I’ll take point”

No one objects, even Ami. Though she does roll her eyes in a grand, theatrical arc.

We hike for about fifteen minutes, weaving through increasingly dense undergrowth until we find it, a shallow incline with a level clearing at the top, surrounded on three sides by trees and a natural drop-off behind us. A narrow stream trickles through the bottom of the slope below.

“Perfect,” I say, glancing back. “Defensible and close to resources. We’ll have shade, too.”

Shikamaru gives a slight nod, surveying the perimeter. “Good lines of sight. We can set a watch system here without too much trouble. I’ll mark the outer line, maybe rig a noise trap or two.”

“My kikaichū warn me if someone gets close,” Shino adds. “I can post a few scouts now. Why? Because it’s more efficient than visual alone.”

As he wanders off silently toward the trees, I begin stacking potential firewood into a rough pile. Ami stands awkwardly near the edge of the clearing, eyeing a nearby log like it might bite her.

“Start gathering long branches and flexible twigs,” I tell her without looking up. “We’ll need at least two sides for shelter before nightfall.”

She doesn’t respond right away. Then, “You don’t get to boss me around”

“Not bossing. Delegating. We’ve got eight daylight hours left, and unless you plan to sleep in the dirt, you might want to contribute”

She mutters something under her breath and stalks toward the trees.

I move toward the slope with a small pouch and dip into the stream, checking for water clarity and depth. I know Shino will run the technical tests later, but it doesn’t hurt to get a read. Clear flow, no smell, shallow but constant. Usable.

When I return, Shikamaru is crouched with a stick in the dirt, sketching a rough diagram of the site, watch zones, sleeping area, fire circle.

“Didn’t take you for the drawing type” I say.

“Too troublesome to memorize,” he replies. “This way I can adjust easily. If we rotate shifts, we’ll only need one person awake at a time. Assuming Ami doesn’t sleep through hers.”

“She won’t” I say.

He arches an eyebrow. “Confident?”

I shrug. “Not really. But I’ll keep her awake if I have to”

Shino reappears then, moving like part of the forest itself. “No threats. Ant lines suggest no recent movement in the area. Why? Because ants react quickly to disturbances. Also, I posted two scout insects. They alert us to anything unusual.”

“Perfect,” Shikamaru mutters, still drawing. “We’ll build the shelter along the eastern tree line. Easier to catch morning light. Fire goes central. We’ll want dry rocks to ring it.”

I set to work gathering tinder, letting the rhythm of it settle my thoughts. The physical labor doesn’t bother me, if anything, it helps. This kind of task is simple, honest. No secrets. No reading between lines.

As I pass Ami on another trip, I notice she has tied her first branch wall with what looks like a shoelace.

“You might want to try something that won’t snap if a squirrel runs into it” I say mildly.

She narrows her eyes. “Why don’t you just do it yourself, since you’re obviously perfect”

I don’t reply. What is the point?

Shino is already stacking stones in a neat circle. Shikamaru is carving notches into sticks for alarm lines.

We are working. Imperfectly, but working.

I glance up at the sun filtering through the trees and let the breeze brush the back of my neck. The forest smells like wet bark and dry grass. My hands are scraped. My boots already carry dirt from the trail.

But something about this, about us, even like this, feels... balanced.

And that is more than I expected.

…

The fire cracks lazily, casting orange shadows over our tired faces. The others go quiet after eating, if you can call what we just consume “dinner". Most of it tastes like something between overcooked radish and boiled cardboard. We haven’t found any animal to hunt, so we have to make do with what we have.

“Next time,” Shikamaru mutters, “I’m just eating bark. At least that way I don’t get my hopes up.”

I look over from where I am tying a cord between two branches for our drying line. “That was bark.”

“Oh.” He gives a low groan and flops onto his back with an exaggerated sigh. “Troublesome.”

“Isn’t everything?”

He cracks an eye open. “You get it”

I smirk. That, I do.

Ami is a few feet away muttering about bugs while poking at her arms with a stick like she expects them to explode at any moment. Shino seems more amused by her flailing than anything else.

“She’s going to swat a bee and get chased by the hive” I say, not quietly.

“Then we’ll have honey,” Shikamaru says, deadpan.

I blink, caught off guard by the dry wit. Then, before I can stop myself, I laugh. Just a short one, a breathy chuckle.

Shikamaru raises an eyebrow. “Wasn’t expecting that”

“What, that I have a sense of humor?”

“No, that you’d find mine funny.”

“Well. Credit where it’s due.”

He grins lazily and folds his arms behind his head again. “You’re not bad company.”

“High praise,” I say, sitting cross-legged beside him. “From someone who seems to hate everyone.”

“Correction: I don’t hate everyone. I just don’t need everyone.”

That… makes more sense than I expect.

The quiet around the fire thickens again. Ami kicks dirt at a bug. Shino watches the flame like it holds secrets. The forest creaks softly around us, full of cicadas and rustling leaves.

A couple of minutes later Ami starts to poke the fire with a stick. “You people are insane. Who wants to be a ninja if this is the kind of crap we have to do?”

“You knew what this was” I say flatly, not looking at her. “We are told it would be survival-based.”

“Yeah, but I thought that meant, I don’t know, something cooler. Something more… ninja-like. Not crawling through bushes and drinking boiled tree soup.”

“You’d die in the field in a week,” Shino remarks, deadpan. “Why? Because you lack adaptability.”

Ami scowls. “You lack personality” Harsh.

Shino doesn’t even flinch. “Irrelevant”

I smother a snort.

Shikamaru stretches his arms overhead. “We’ll have to rotate night watch in two-hour blocks. I’ll take first, then Noa, then Shino. Ami, you’re last. Don’t fall asleep.”

Ami groans. “Why am I last?”

“Because if you were first, you’d sleep through it. And if you were in the middle, you’d complain the whole time and wake us up anyway.”

Shikamaru doesn’t even bother to sound polite. His voice is a slow drawl, but with enough edge to silence her.

I lean back, arms draped over my knees, eyes scanning the treetops above. The stars blink faintly through the leaves, just starting to emerge.

No city noise. No lamp light. Just crickets, wind, and us.

I hate how much I don’t hate it.

“I know what you’re doing” I murmur, just loud enough for Shikamaru to hear.

He doesn’t even blink. “What’s that?”

“Acting like you’re just lazy and uninterested. That way no one expects anything”

“Not true,” he says, though he doesn’t sound all that defensive. “People expect me to complain”

“You’re second-to-last in the rankings”

“Yep”

“You’re letting yourself fall behind. On purpose”

“Also yep”

I look at him sideways. He has a faint smirk on his lips, like this whole conversation is a game he is half-enjoying and half-too-bored-to-finish.

“You know that’s risky”

Shikamaru turns his head slightly toward me. “So is standing out”

…Fair.

“You’re better than they think you are”

“So are you, Noa”

The words are so casually tossed that I nearly miss the weight behind them. I stay silent for a moment, watching the firelight play over the edge of his face.

“We’re being observed” I say finally. “There’s no way they’d leave a bunch of genin-to-be unsupervised in the woods” I add trying to justify myself.

He tilts his head slightly toward the trees. “Yes, I´ve been feeling eyes on my neck for some time now”

I blink. “So you’ve been paying attention”

“Of course I have, not like they are being really subtle either” He stretches again, spine popping. “I’m not dumb, just tired.”

I let that sit for a moment. “Maybe you should try a little harder”

“Maybe you should try a little less”

We stare at each other. Then, almost at the same time, we both give a small snort of amusement.

From across the fire, Ami narrows her eyes at us. “What are you two whispering about over there? Scheming something?”

“Just planning your midnight insect massage” I say dryly.

Ami looks horrified. “You’re joking.”

“Am I?” I let my voice drop just a bit, and Shino adds, in his usual calm drone:

“It’s good for circulation. Why? Because it improves blood flow”

Ami makes a strangled noise and scoots closer to the fire. Shino resumes watching the flames as if nothing has happened.

Shikamaru grins, but says nothing.

After a while, I shift closer to him again, voice low. “I train harder than I let on, you know”

“I figured. Iruka thinks you’re giving it your all. But you’ve got a lot more to give.”

“Only in taijutsu. The rest I… let slide.”

“Smart”

“Not always”

He nods slowly. “Still. It’s nice. Being around people who aren’t exhausting”

I chuckle again. “You mean me and Shino?”

“Yeah. No offense, but you're both… manageable. Quiet. Thoughtful. Not flailing all the time like Naruto or yelling like Kiba.”

“Flailing and yelling seem to be the academy’s main exports”

“That, and broken dreams”

I laugh again, surprised by how easy it comes this time. The night doesn’t feel quite so cold anymore.

“I think you’re going to be insufferable” I admit.

“Oh, I am. Just in small doses.”

We share a small smile.

A long moment passes before I ask, “Why second-to-last? Why not last?”

“Believe me, I try, but...” he says simply.

“But?” I say, confused.

“Naruto.”

I stifle another laugh. “Right.” Of course, leave it to the most unpredictable person alive to be the one to outmaneuver Shikamaru Nara. Hilarious.

He turns his head slightly to look at me again. “You ever get tired of pretending?”

“All the time” I say, surprised by my own honesty.

He nods, understanding in his eyes. “But it’s easier than explaining”

“Yeah”

But also… Danzo and company. Better not to get into that one.

We lapse into silence again. This time, it isn’t awkward. Just… still. Comfortable.

I watch the glow of the fire, the way it flickers over the dirt and Shino’s coat and the half-finished shelter. The sounds of the forest press around us like a thick blanket, and somewhere deeper in the woods, a night bird lets out a high-pitched call.

“I hope we don’t get eaten by a bear” I say eventually.

“If we do” Shikamaru murmurs “I hope it starts with Ami”

“Shikamaru”

“What? It’s the natural order of things”

I am still laughing when the fire snaps again and a bit of ash drifts upward into the night sky.

Chapter Text

POV NOA

The forest smells different in the morning. Damp earth, pine and something faintly floral I can’t place. My fingers are stiff with cold as I re-lace my boots, sitting on a log near the ashes of last night’s fire. I feel freer that ever before. The sun barely filters through the high canopy above us, but we have to start moving soon if we want to catch anything more edible to eat. I seriously doubt any of us want to eat bark again.

Shino is already up, as always. Quiet and methodical, moving like mist through the underbrush, checking the perimeter of our quadrant with his bugs (they’re called kikaichū, by the way). Shikamaru, meanwhile, is doing his best to ignore the new day altogether. He has somehow managed to turn a pile of leaves and his jacket into a passable pillow. It is truly amazing how much effort it takes to be lazy, huh.

I can’t help but snort at my own pun.

“This is ridiculous” I hear a voice at my back. “We shouldn’t have to live out here like animals. What does this even teach us?”

Ami, of course, is already complaining.

“Survival” I say, not looking at her.

She snorts. “We’re not going to be dropped in the woods during missions”

“Maybe not” comes Shino’s voice, calm and flat as he steps back into the clearing. “But we may be outnumbered, out of supplies, or forced to hide. Why? Because shinobi do not always fight on their own terms”

Ami scowls at him. “You’re so weird.”

Shino doesn’t respond. He just walks past her and crouches beside the fire pit, checking the embers like he’s cataloging their temperature. I almost smile.

“He’s not wrong” I say. “This is actually a very easy scenario compared to the ones we’ll probably encounter in the real world. After all, we don’t have to fight anyone right now, nor is any of us injured”

“Agh, do you really have to always have the last word or what?” snaps Ami, walking away toward the stream. “I swear all you weirdos are the same” she murmurs.

“Shikamaru-san, you should get up. Why? Because we still have to look for breakfast”

“Troublesome. Do I really have to?”

“Unless you'd rather eat moss” I reply dryly.

That makes him pause, and then groan from his nest of leaves. Yep. Definitely not a morning person.

“If I go, will you all stop being so loud?”

“No” I say. “But if you don’t go, you’ll be walking into a bug nest when we break camp. Shino found three last night.”

That gets him moving, albeit slowly.

…

The terrain here isn’t flat. There are ridges and dips, brush that catches at your ankles, and low branches you have to duck beneath. It isn’t difficult, exactly, but it demands attention, and Ami’s constant muttering isn’t helping.

“Seriously, this is a waste of time” she says for the third time as we pick our way downhill.

“You could just stay behind” Shikamaru offers “Lie on the ground. Let the elements take you.”

“Ugh, you’re the worst” she snaps.

I shoot Shikamaru a look. He just shrugs.

Still, we move efficiently. Shino takes point, with me in the middle and Shikamaru bringing up the rear. Ami oscillates between all three positions, unable to decide whether she wants to lead or be protected.

About halfway down, I pause at a large tree and kneel beside a cluster of small white mushrooms. “Not edible” I murmur, more to myself than anything. I think I have seen them before in a book.

“Poisonous?” Shikamaru asks behind me, leaning on a stick like it might help him survive the exertion.

“They’ll make you sick for a day or two. Not worth the trouble.”

“Noted” He gestures with his chin up ahead. “Let´s go, Shino’s veering toward the left. He has probably spotted something.”

Sure enough, we come upon a shallow animal trail, and Shino raises a hand to stop us.

“Rabbit” he says quietly. “Recent”

We crouch in silence, tension simmering. I glance down and spot the paw prints. Fresh. Shino releases a few kikaichū to track.

Ten minutes later, we spot two little rabbits grazing in a clearing. Okay, we found them. Now we have to kill them. Easy, right? Not really.

I grab one kunai and prepare to launch it. Okay, it’s just a rabbit. I will have to kill humans in the future, I can’t keep wasting time now. I have to…

Before I can keep doubting myself, I watch as Shikamaru kills one of the rabbits with a well-placed kunai (exactly what I should have done). The other is taken care of by Shino’s kikaichū. I swallow.

“Thank you, guys” I say quietly. “I got frozen for a second there” Damn it.

“Don’t worry about it, Noa-san. The first time is always hard. Why? Because you’re not used to it,” says Shino. Is it weird that I find his logical thinking comforting?

“Maa, don’t dwell on it,” adds Shikamaru “It’s just that our families have already done this with us. You take care of the animals we will have to catch for dinner. Now we have another problem”

“What?”

“How do we cook them?” he asks, looking at Shino.

Suddenly, I find myself the prey of three pairs of eyes pleading at me.

“Hahahahaha!!!” I burst out loud. “You can kill it no problem, but is cooking where you draw the line?”

Turns out, none of them know how to prepare meat properly. Shino handles clean cuts well enough, but only I know how to boil, season with herbs, and roast without charring it.

“You’ve done this before” Shikamaru says, chewing thoughtfully. Is he… ashamed?

“I help out a lot in the orphanage kitchen,” I reply. “You get good at feeding a lot with a little.”

Shino nods. “Useful skill. Why? Because preparation is key to survival.”

Ami mutters something about “weirdos and rabbit stew” but at least she eats in silence.

The sun is still hanging low in the sky, casting golden streaks across the canopy as we trek deeper into our assigned quadrant. After about half an hour of walking and some very minimal arguing, we finally find a small clearing close to a stream, surrounded by thick trees and a few mossy rocks that can work as seats. It isn’t perfect, but it is defensible, quiet, and has water nearby. A good place to establish our camp for the day. Tomorrow the instructors will come for us, and the exercise will finish.

Shino nods in approval. “Ideal position. Why? Proximity to water is crucial. Also, the terrain offers natural cover”

“Troublesome” Shikamaru mutters, though he doesn’t protest. In fact, he drops his pack right by one of the rocks and starts scanning the area. “We’ll need a watch rotation again, and we shouldn’t light a fire until it gets darker.”

I agree silently. Fire means light, and light means visibility, which is good, but it´s also something we can’t afford too early. Even in an exercise, I don’t underestimate the possibility of sabotage or scoring penalties. Maybe I am being paranoid, but honestly I will not risk our safety for something so basic.

Ami tosses her bag to the ground with a dramatic sigh. “This place is crawling with bugs already. Do you really want to sleep here?”

“Better than in the open” I reply simply, kneeling by the edge of the stream to check the clarity of the water. My fingers dip into the flow, cool and clean. Usable. That is good.

“I’m just saying,” she continues, arms crossed. “Why should we get the boring, bug-infested patch of forest while Team 10 probably gets somewhere by the lake or something?”

“Because that’s not how this works,” I say. I keep my tone even. Calm. But it is already the hundredth time Ami has complained since we left the starting point and it is starting to grate on my nerves. Her voice grates like a kunai scraping stone, not just because she is loud, but because it feels like she is trying too hard to control the situation through attitude instead of action.

“Again, it’s not like this is a real mission,” she scoffs. “I don’t get why you’re all acting like this is some life-or-death thing.”

“It’s a training exercise to simulate one” Shino says, turning slightly toward her. “That’s the point. Why?”

“Oh, shut up with your ‘why’” Ami snaps “So damn annoying”

Shikamaru straightens slowly. “Okay. Here’s an idea. How about we actually divide tasks before we murder each other with kunai before dinner?”

I stand and nod. “Good idea”

We circle up, or well, most of us do. Ami hangs back but is close enough to listen.

“I can handle traps and perimeter,” I offer. “I’ve been practicing my wire setups” Honestly, when I watched the anime it felt the Academy was like a school beck at home, where all you learned was theory and everything else was reserved for when you were genin. Coudn´t be farthest from the real thing.

“I’ll prep basic insect wards” Shino adds. “And I’ll take second watch tonight.”

“Troublesome,” Shikamaru mutters, glancing up at the trees. “I’ll draw a simple patrol grid. Might as well use my brain for something”

…

There is a moment of quiet as I watch us, all so different, but here, somehow functioning. I don’t expect to feel comfortable, specially taking into account my obvious lack of social interactions at school, but I am not uneasy either. Just... alert. Like waiting for something to finally explode. Kind of.

Shikamaru is surprising. Lazy, yes, and constantly whining but when he starts thinking, his whole posture changes. Like his brain shifts into a higher gear and the rest of him has to catch up. And he actually works. And he´s funny too.

“You’re good at this” I say under my breath as I watch him sketch in the dirt with a stick again.

“Don’t tell anyone,” he replies. “I’ve got a reputation to protect”

I almost smile.

Ami doesn’t say anything.

Shikamaru gives her a look. “You gonna contribute, or are you planning to complain to us to death?”

She throws her hands up. “Fine! I’ll collect firewood. But I’m not cooking. Or washing. Or watching anything. I’m not a maid.”

“You’re a ninja in training” I say. “We’re all pulling our weight here”

“You’re not my captain,” she sneers.

“No” I agree. “But we’re a team. If you’re not going to act like part of it, we won’t cover for you”

“Is that a threat?”

“It’s a statement”

She storms off into the woods, muttering something about “stupid know-it-alls” and “teacher’s pets”

Shikamaru blows out a breath. “Wow. That one’s a real bundle of joy”

“She doesn’t like not being in control,” I murmur. “Especially if someone quieter makes her feel shown up”

“You think you make her feel shown up?”

“I’m above her in the rankings. She’s been bitter ever since Iruka praised my kunai form”

“Troublesome” He gives me a sidelong glance. “You know, you’re more observant than I had given you credit for. More talkative too”

“That´s good then. I don’t like people looking at me too hard”

That earns me a faint smile from him.

“I get that” he says “It’s easier to stay invisible than explain why you’re not huh”

A comfortable silence settles for a moment as we work on our tasks. The sounds of the forest fill the air.

For a moment, I feel... okay. Not like I belong, exactly. But like maybe I am not entirely out of place either. I don´t remember the last time I felt so at ease.

And then, a crash.

Not far. Branches snap, a grunt of surprise, then a frustrated shriek.

Shino and I bolt first, Shikamaru groaning but following. We find Ami maybe twenty meters from camp, her ankle caught in a simple snare trap. Nothing dangerous, but she’d clearly fallen hard.

“What happened?” I ask, already crouching to inspect the snare.

“What do you think happened!?!” she snaps. “Some idiot has set traps out here! I could’ve broken something!”

Shino is calm. “It’s a standard trip snare. Placed with spacing and basic tensioning. Not lethal. Why?”

“Because someone has placed it in the middle of a public field, that’s why!”

“That was me,” I say evenly.

She stares at me, aghast. “You trapped our own camp?”

“Yes. We don’t know if the other teams will follow the rules. Some might even raid supplies. Or test their luck at least”

“You could’ve warned me!”

“I did. Back at camp, when we planned the perimeter and each of our tasks. I was to plant traps if you remember”

She scowls. “You expect me to memorize your nerd strategy?”

“No” I say, standing again. “But I expect you to listen”

Her face flushes red, and I see  the real anger, buried under the show. Not embarrassment. Fear. Because for a second, she realizes she doesn’t know what she is doing, and that scares her.

“Next time, don´t put any traps where I can fall into them” she says, brushing past me roughly. “And don’t talk to me like you’re smarter than everyone else!”

“I don’t think I’m smarter” I reply softly “I just prepare more than you do”

Shikamaru snorts behind me “And you still sound smarter”

Ami doesn’t respond, disappearing back toward camp in a rage.

Shikamaru walks up beside me and gives a sideways nod “You know, for someone who doesn’t like people looking at her, you’re pretty good at holding your ground”

I shrug “Only when I have to”

He grins. “Still. Kind of badass”

…

The Next Morning

The morning sun is already creeping above the horizon, its light soft and golden as it filters through the trees. We have spent the night in relative quiet, but the lingering tension from Ami’s outburst still hangs in the air. She hasn’t spoken to any of us since the incident with the trap, and even now, she lingers at the edge of camp, barely looking our way. So much for being a team huh.

We have packed up most of our things by the time the Chunin arrive. There are two of them, not the five we knew were in charge of the exercise. As we were told, they have been keeping an eye on us from a distance. Shikamaru is lazily leaning against a rock, not at all concerned, while Shino stands silently, his gaze moving from the trees to the sky.

“Good morning, team,” Iruka says, giving us a warm but serious look “We’ll begin the evaluation now. You’ve all done well, considering the circumstances, but we’ll need to discuss your actions in detail, both as individuals and as a team.”

The other chunin, a woman with dark brown hair tied back in a tight bun, nods “As you all know, we’ve been monitoring your progress throughout the exercise. Now it’s time to go over everything and give feedback. You’ll be evaluated on leadership, adaptability, cooperation, resourcefulness, and field awareness”

Shikamaru stretches lazily. “Sounds like fun”

Iruka looks to me. “Let’s start with you, Noa”

I nod and step forward, posture straight.

He glances down at his notes. “Exceptional perimeter planning. You showed restraint, caution, and precision with your traps. You delegated well, took initiative without overstepping, and contributed heavily in practical tasks. However...”

His eyes meet mine.

“You need to trust your team enough to share your reasoning before something goes wrong. Communication isn’t a weakness. Especially for someone with your skill”

I nod again. That one stings. But it’s fair, I guess.

Iruka turns to Shikamaru next. “Strategic mind. You organized patrols, assessed terrain, and defused tension. But we both know you could put in more effort. You stay just above the threshold, and that’s not going to cut it in the long run Shikamaru. Not everything can be done with minimal effort”

Shikamaru shrugs. “Yeah. Troublesome, huh?”

Iruka chuckles but presses on.

“Shino” he says, “your discipline and awareness are commendable. You maintained calm in every situation and utilized your abilities efficiently. But your emotional distance can be a barrier. A team is more than tactics. You need to work on that.”

Shino nods slowly. “Understood” I nod at him, he did great.

Then comes Ami. Iruka sighs “Ami... your frustration is clear for everyone to see. But being on a team means carrying your part too, not resenting others who carry more. You have potential I am sure, but it’s buried under attitude. Also, as a ninja you will have to work with all kind of people. You need to learn to leave your personal opinions and biases behind”

Ami looks away at that.

Iruka straightens “Okay. That said, no one failed. You all survived. You learned. That’s the point. Team Three completed the exercise”

I let out a slow breath.

Shikamaru mutters “Now can we go home please? I want a nap”

Shino adjusts his glasses and mutters  “Preferably before Ami sets off another trap”

Chapter Text

POV IRUKA UMINO

It’s been three days since we ran the survival exercise. Honestly, it was kind of a gamble. With so many clan kids in the class, we couldn’t venture too far from the village, and there aren’t exactly a lot of viable wilderness options nearby. It was a nightmare to organize but I think, in the end, it paid off. The class dynamics seem… better. The results were impressive in general. I hadn´t expected some of the teams to do so well. Even the other chunin have complimented me on the general level of the class. I can proudly say these kids really gave their all on the excursion.

I step into the classroom early today, clipboard tucked under my arm, and watch as the room gradually begins to fill. Naruto, who is early for once, is already talking at double speed, arms flailing as he re-enacts some clearly exaggerated moment from the exercise. From what I can gather between his theatrics, he’s telling anyone who’ll listen how he “fought a bear with his bare hands”. As if. I scoff amused. That child sure is something.

Hinata looks utterly enraptured. She’s red as a tomato but nodding along firmly every few words. So cute.

Kiba, leaning against a desk with Akamaru snoozing in his hoodie, barks out a laugh.

“It was a rabbit, Naruto. Not a bear. And WE caught it, not just you!”

“Yeah, but I could’ve taken a bear!” Naruto insists, puffing out his chest.

“Yeah, in your dreams” Kiba shoots back, still grinning.

I shake my head. Well. At least is the good and friendly kind of banter. That’s what I like to see, real camaraderie. The survival training was a good idea if they’re starting to connect. Most of them, anyway.

Sakura sits near the front alone, flipping through her notes with practiced precision. A few seats away, Ino keeps sneaking glances at her. They haven’t spoken in months, still caught up in that cold war over Sasuke, I imagine. Speaking of him, Sasuke is, as always, in the corner, arms crossed and eyes half-lidded in disinterest and annoyance towards everything and everyone.

I don’t know what to do with that boy. He’s always alone, and not because no one wants to be around him, if anything, it’s the opposite. I understand that what he’s gone through is… well, unimaginable and horrible but trauma doesn’t excuse cruelty, and sometimes he toes that line. He’s top of the class, but he’s building walls no one can climb and it worries me. I sigh. Some days, it feels like I’m failing him entirely as a teacher. Even after spending two days with his classmates alone he has not shown any kid of improvement on that front. What else can I do?

I take a deep breath and sit down at my desk at the front of the class.

Kiba looks more alert than usual. There’s less of that superiority edge in his voice now when he talks to Naruto. That’s new. Good. He´ll need that.

Shino is already at his desk near the window scribbling something, probably in neat and meticulous handwriting, in a small square notebook. His insects are quiet. That usually means he’s calm, I think.

And then there’s Noa. She’s at her usual desk in the back row, hands neatly folded.

I didn’t expect her to mesh so well with her survival team. When I reviewed the reports from the chunin in charge of her group, I half-expected notes about miscommunication or excessive friction. Maybe even how she was avoiding everyone. Instead, she showed initiative, precision, and restraint. Even Shikamaru, of all people, seemed to have worked well alongside her and Shino. He wasn´t as lazy as he usually is, and he didn´t spend the majority of the time sleeping either. True, I thought Ami would handle it better, but in general I was very surprised by the whole group.

Speaking of Shikamaru, he strolls in three minutes before the bell, Choji trailing behind him. The two drop into their usual seats without a word. Choji glances at Noa, hesitates for a bit, then unpacks a small paper bag and offers her a chip.

She hesitates for a bit, then takes one and thanks the boy.

I find myself smiling. That might be the most social exchange I’ve seen from her all year.

Before I can dwell on it, the door creaks open again. Mizuki, the new assistant, slips in and makes his way to my desk. He was a classmate of mine back in my own academy days, though we drifted apart after graduation. Now, apparently, he’s caught the teaching bug too. I´m glad. We need more people who really like what we do here.

"Morning" he says quietly “am I late?”

The class is still in its usual chaos, so I don’t look up from my notes “Not really, don´t worry”

He peeks at the paper in my hand. “Still looking over survival exercise notes? You still worried about Ami?”

I sigh. “More than a little. Well, her, and a few others. The results overall were encouraging. But I’m not convinced everyone’s cut out for being a ninja”

“This life isn’t for everyone, that´s true” he murmurs “Especially not kids who don’t know what they’re getting into”

“Yeah” I nod slowly… Our profesión is not filled with rainbows and roses, after all. “Well, it´s time. Let’s get started.”

I step forward and clear my throat.

"Alright, settle down. Today we’ll be reviewing strategy patterns from the survival exercise. Naruto, that does not mean retelling how you punched a bear, understand?!?"

He groans theatrically, slumping over his desk. The class chuckles.

…

Recess hits like a kunai.

The minute I dismiss them for break, the classroom erupts into motion, chairs scraping, wrappers crinkling and voices overlapping. It’s a swirling storm of teenage energy, hormones and half-contained chakra. Today is raining, so the students will stay in class. I stay near the blackboard, pretending to review the lesson scroll, but I’m not really reading. Recess often tells me more about them than the lectures ever could.

At the heart of the room, Naruto is still buzzing with post-exercise energy. He stands on a chair like it’s a stage, flailing his arms and talking fast enough to trip over his own words.

“And then BAM! I jumped out of the tree and landed right in front of the enemy team and they were like, ‘Oh no, it’s Naruto Uzumaki!’”

A small group listens in with varying levels of amusement: Hinata, of course, eyes wide and cheeks pink; Kenta, nodding along; and, somewhat unexpectedly, Choji, who munches on a snack while watching Naruto with quiet fascination.

From a nearby desk, Kiba barks out a laugh.

“Enemy team? Naruto, you fell out of the tree because you tripped over your own foot”

“I did not!” Naruto protests, puffing out his chest. “It was an ambush!”

"With your face?!?"

That zone bursts into laughter. Naruto scowls but doesn’t let it stop him, he just dives right back into the story, undeterred. I can’t help but smile. I have come to admire him a little, to be honest. Resilience like that, even if sometimes it’s ridiculous, is going to serve him one day.

Across the room, a quieter kind of tension simmers.

A group of girls are loosely clustered in a circle. Ino, Sakura, and a few others. They’re not really talking so much as orbiting each other, and looking at Sasuke. I catch the sharp glint in Ino’s eyes as she tosses a barbed comment into the space between them.

“Some people just lucked out with their teams, you know? It’s not like they earned anything”

Sakura’s jaw tenses, but she keeps her eyes on the scroll she’s flipping through. She doesn’t rise to the bait. Ino smirks, satisfied with the lack of response. My eyes drift to the back of the room.

Noa sits in her usual corner, a plain rice ball in her hands. She watches the exchange between Ino and Sakura without a hint of expression. Just calm, steady observation. But she doesn’t look disinterested, her gaze lingers on Ino for a few seconds too long before she blinks and returns to her lunch. If I hadn´t observed her for as long as I have I would have thought she wanted to join them. Now I know that is not the case, even if I can´t for the life of me predict what she can be thinking.

Near the window, Shino has moved to join Hinata and quietly begins telling her about a beetle species that stores chakra in its wings. She listens, nodding carefully, and even smiles once.

Choji walks by Noa’s desk again, holding his familiar plastic bag. He offers her another chip. This time, she accepts it easily, even murmurs a quiet thanks. They don’t talk, not really, but there’s something tentative and mutual there. A small bridge forming.

And then there’s Shikamaru.

He’s lounging like a cat with too much sun, head back, eyes mostly closed. But I notice one half-lidded eye tracking across the room from Naruto, to Ino’s clique, to Noa in the corner.

Mizuki leans in the doorway behind me, munching on a rice cracker like he’s part of the class himself. “That Nara kid’s sharp” he says.

I hum. “And lazy. But which Nara isn’t?”

“True” he concedes “But this one’s paying attention to that girl”

I don’t answer.

Mizuki gives a quiet laugh. “Interesting, isn’t it? What could a clan kid, an heir no less, possibly see in an orphan without any type of special ability?”

I turn my head slightly, expression neutral. “What are you getting at?”

“Nothing” he says “Just making conversation”

I frown at that, but before I can respond, the bell rings again.

Students groan and shuffle back to their seats. I take a minute looking at Mizuki disapprovingly. Finally, I raise my voice over the noise to call the kids to order. We have work to do.

…

A few days later…

POV NOA

I needed out. At first, I was sitting with Hinata and Shino like always. It was nice. Then Naruto came bounding over with Kiba and a few others in tow, loud and bright and excited. The entire area felt… crowded, suffocating. Like too much heat all at once.

I told myself it was just the noise. Said something about not feeling hungry anymore and took my half eaten bento with me.

Sometimes, something twists in my chest. A strange buzzing, like I’m being pulled in ten different directions. Like someone dumped a storm into my stomach and forgot to warn me. I’ve always had that... feeling. But lately it’s been sharper, stronger. It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, I just need space. Stillness. Distance. When I was younger I thought that there was something wrong with me.

The matrons took me to a doctor, but he said that I was perfectly fine, that I was just having anxiety or something like that. I think he didn´t like kids, specially orphans, bothering him. Since then, the feeling has never stopped. It´s not always bad per se. Sometimes just weird. Sometimes annoying.

I walk across the courtyard and head toward the wide tree on the hill behind the academy. It's Shikamaru’s spot. The grass is longer here, a bit patchy in places, and the breeze is stronger than down below. He’s already there, of course, flat on his back with one arm over his face, the other lazily resting on his stomach. His lunch is untouched.

“Mind if I sit?” I ask, already lowering myself beside him.

He lifts a finger in a vague gesture of approval without opening his eyes. “Sure. As long as you don’t ask me to move.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it” I scoff

Shikamaru feels nice. Not too hot or cold. Not loud either.

I sit cross-legged and unpack my bento again. It's simple, leftovers from the orphanage kitchen. Rice, pickled plum, and a single piece of tamagoyaki that I saved from breakfast. Perks of getting stuck with cooking duty again.

I start eating in silence, letting the breeze cool my skin and the quiet wrap around me. I let the calm atmosphere get to me. I start to relax a bit.

“You usually sit with Shino and Hinata” Shikamaru mutters, not bothering to open his eyes.

“I usually do” I agree.

He shifts slightly “Too noisy today?”

I hesitate. “Yeah”

He doesn’t press. Doesn’t give me a look. Just lets the answer sit. That’s what I like about him, he doesn’t ask for more than you give.

A few minutes pass in companionable silence. He eventually opens one eye and glances sideways at me.

“You ever notice how people think if you are quiet, it must mean you are weak?”

“All the time.”

He grunts. “Troublesome idiots”

I nod and keep eating. The tamagoyaki is slightly overcooked. Still sweet.

Shikamaru stretches and sits up slowly, dragging his lunchbox into his lap. “You’ve been less… invisible lately.”

“Is that bad?”

He shrugs. “I don’t mind it. You’re smart. And you don’t talk unless it’s worth hearing. Makes you easier to be around than most”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It is”

We fall back into a rhythm of eating without talking. It’s not awkward. Just... settled.

That’s when Choji approaches. He walks slowly, a small paper bag crinkling in one hand. His face is a bit red, but he’s smiling.

“Hey,” he says, eyes flicking from Shikamaru to me. “Can I sit too?”

Shikamaru waves a lazy hand. “You’re late. I was gonna eat your dumpling.”

“You always say that,” Choji grins and flops down beside us. “You never do.”

I give him a nod, and he offers the bag toward me again “Want a chip?”

I accept one with a quiet, “Thanks.”

He sits quietly for a moment, crunching his snack, then glances at me. “So... um. I was wondering something.”

I blink. “Okay?”

“My birthday’s this week,” he says. “We usually have a thing at home. With family and all. But this time… I was thinking of inviting a few friends from class.”

I pause. “That’s nice”

He looks down at his bag. “I, uh... I wanted to know if you’d come.”

I blink, a little stunned. “Me?”

“Yeah. I mean, if you want to. You don’t have to. It’s just… you’re cool. And nice. And I like talking to you”

That does something strange to my chest. Something warm.

“I’d like that” I say softly. “Thank you Choji”

Shikamaru raises an eyebrow but doesn’t comment.

“Oh! I also invited Naruto” Choji adds quickly. “He doesn’t know yet. But I figured... he’d like it.”

Of course Naruto would like it. That kid is the most starved for affection person I have ever met. In both lives. I don´t blame him either. Life is tough here. His, even more so.

I nod again. “It sounds fun. He will love it.”

“Great!” Choji beams. “My mom’s already making the food. It’s gonna be awesome.”

Shikamaru leans back again, arms behind his head. “Better be. Last year your cousin almost started a fire with the grill.”

“Hey, it wasn’t that bad.”

“You say that because you didn’t get barbecue sauce in your hair.”

They start bickering playfully, and I find myself smiling. This… doesn´t seem so bad. Maybe... maybe I could relax a bit right? Maybe I could make a few friends. It can´t be that bad, right? I like not feeling so alone. The last few days have been better. Still not perfect. But better.

Maybe I’m starting to belong in this world. Just a little.

I keep thinking about it the whole walk home.

Choji’s birthday. At the Akimichi compound. A CLAN compound. A party. With family. With people. With expectations.

It’s not that I don’t want to go.

It’s that I don’t know how to go.

I’ve been to plenty of group meals at the orphanage, of course. Rows of kids, trays of rice, the occasional donated dessert if we were lucky. But fancy parties? Invitations? Choosing a gift, dressing for the occasion, not standing awkwardly in the corner?

That’s new. And imposing.

I clutch my satchel tighter and take a detour. The market's thinning out, most stalls already closing, but the old vendor I like, a gruff man with a permanent scowl and the softest tofu in Konoha, is still packing up.

“Still open?” I ask.

He grunts. “For you, maybe.”

I smile faintly and hand over a few coins. “Do you have apples?”

He gives me a look. “What for?”

“I want to try making something”

He narrows his eyes at me like I’m plotting a coup against the Hokage, then hands me a bundle of slightly bruised fruit and a whispered, “If you burn down the orphanage, don’t tell people where you got these”

“Deal”

I carry them home carefully. At the kitchen, I tell the matron I want to try baking something special. She looks at me like I’ve grown a second head but lets me use the oven anyway.

The pie doesn’t turn out perfect. The crust is a little lopsided. I had to mash crackers to make a passable crumble topping, and I don’t have cinnamon. But it smells amazing. Warm. Sweet.

Apple pie. The way I remember it from a café back… back when I wasn’t here. I don´t have much money on hand, certainly not enough to buy a proper gift for a clan heir. But Akimichis are foodies right? And the pie is kind of new here, so that has to count for something. I even made sure to make a big one.

I wrap it carefully in cloth and set it on the windowsill to cool.

That night, I sit on my cot with the blanket up to my chin. I’m tired, but my thoughts won’t stop turning.

Why does it feel so strange to have been invited?

Why does it matter? Why do I care about it so much?

And then… there’s Naruto.

Choji mentioned he’d be invited, and I already know what that means. Noise. Energy. Attention. Everything at once. I know that will be hard but also… he is kind of nice. Sometimes. Well, he is very annoying. And extremely loud. And he gives me the worst headaches sometimes. But he is also the kyuubi jinchuriki. A kid. A lonely one at that. I sigh. What a mess.

…

The next day, I get to school early and head for my desk in the back.

Naruto’s already there, which is odd. He waves as I pass by.

“Hey, Noa-chan! I heard you’re coming to Choji’s party too! It’s gonna be awesome.”

His grin is so wide, it feels like it might knock down walls.

I nod. “Yeah. I’m bringing a gift”

“Oooh, what is it? Is it ninja tools? Is it ramen? Is it both?”

“Apple pie”

He freezes

“...you can make pie?”

“Yes”

He leans in with reverence. “You’re officially cooler than Sasuke”

“That’s a low bar” I say without thinking.

Wait. He thinks Sasuke is cool? Actually, that explains a lot.

Naruto bursts out laughing so hard he nearly falls off his chair.

When he settles again, his eyes crinkle in that rare way. “Hey… you’re funny, you know that?”

I blink.

"Am I?" 

Chapter Text

NOA POV:

The Akimichi compound is massive. Not just in size, but in presence.

Red-painted wood, broad gates, everything here feels sturdy and warm and… established. It’s not super fancy, not in the way nobles or bureaucrats might do things, but it’s big. It feels lively. Full of scent and sound. Like it has a heartbeat.

I stop at the edge of the courtyard and press the cloth-wrapped pie tighter against my chest. Too late to turn back. I can do this.

Kids are already running across the lawn, shouting about tag or exploding tag. I don´t want to know about that last one. Adults chat in clusters. Some have aprons, others with scrolls tucked under their sleeves. All well dressed.

I scan the crowd and spot Choji near a low table in the shade, already surrounded by cousins. His hair is perfectly put and he’s wearing a little clan vest over his shirt. He looks happy. Nervous and a bit shy, but happy nonetheless.

Then I see Shikamaru, seated on the edge of the porch, arms draped over his knees. He gives me a lazy half-wave when our eyes meet. Near him is Ino, who’s clearly just finished brushing her hair. She looks radiant. Sparkly clips. Pale blue yukata. Her eyes slide over to me, flick down to the pie bundle, then flick away.

Okay. You don´t like me. Noted.

I swallow the knot in my throat and walk forward slowly.

I feel the shift when I step into the courtyard. The eyes. Some subtle, some not. A few parents glance over. A couple of kids whisper. I ignore them all.

Choji sees me and perks up immediately.

“Noa-chan! You came!”

His voice is bright and full of surprise, like he wasn’t quite sure I would.

“I said I would” I say simply, stepping forward. “Happy birthday Choji”

He flushes pink and motions me closer. “Thanks! Wow. Is that for me?”

I nod and offer the bundle. “It’s apple pie. My recipe. Sort of”

His jaw drops like I just handed him a forbidden jutsu scroll.

“Pie?! You made this?!”

A couple of his cousins crane their necks to look.

“It’s not very fancy” I mutter. “But I—”

“No, this is awesome!” Choji clutches it like it’s a national treasure “Nobody bakes pie here anymore! My mom’s gonna freak!”

I blink. “In a good way?”

“The best way”

He runs off toward the house, yelling something about “pie from a friend!” and “Kaa-san, look!”

I turn to find Shikamaru watching the whole exchange with a slight smirk. He scoots to the side and pats the wooden steps beside him.

“Not bad” he says “Might be the first time I’ve seen him that excited about something that isn’t food”

I sit beside him “It was food.”

“Not really”

We sit in quiet for a moment, watching guests shuffle in. A few jonin from the clan arrive. They all have big builds but their voices are warm. A tall woman with wild hair swings a toddler onto her shoulders. Everyone seems to know everyone.

I know no one (well, Shikamaru and Choji, Ino does not count). Even so, I’m not as uncomfortable as I thought I’d be. Not exactly. It’s more like… walking into the middle of a story you weren’t written into, but nobody’s kicked you out yet.

Naruto arrives next, bursting through the gate like he owns the place.

“Choji! I brought ramen coupons!”

Shikamaru sighs. “He brought coupons to a party catered by Akimichi chefs”

I blink. “Do you think he knows?”

“Not a chance”

Naruto makes a beeline for Choji, yells something about “best party ever,” and manages to trip on a decorative lantern without spilling a single thing.

There’s a moment of silence, and then laughter. Real laughter. Even from the adults. Naruto seems over the moon.

He’s so loud. So clumsy. So… open. But nobody here makes fun of him for it.

That surprises me.

Choji comes back with his mother. She’s tall and strong-looking, with kind eyes and flour-dusted hands. She smiles when she sees me.

“You’re the one who made the pie?”

“Yes, ma’am”

“Well, bless you sweetie” she says, beaming. “You just made my son’s day”

I duck my head and smile a little “I’m glad”

…

SHIKAKU NARA POV:

The Akimichi compound is, as always, bustling.

By the time I arrive, the front gate’s wide open, and there’s already music spilling out into the street. I exhale through my nose and straighten my vest.

Family events. Never simple, never short.

Long tables are set up under striped awnings, food laid out in orderly rows that I know won’t last long. There’s color everywhere, lanterns swinging from beams and crimson and orange banners stitched with the Akimichi crest.

The yard is alive with kids darting between the trees, chasing each other with paper tags and streamers. They are dressed their best. Well, I guess that´s normal. This is a formal event. After all, it is Choji’s birthday.

Speaking about the birthday boy. He’s standing near the central table in a new vest, cheeks already red from excitement and heat. I can spot him instantly, even among the dozens of other Akimichi kids. His posture’s straighter than usual, a little nervous and also a little proud.

I go to him to congratulate him. "Thank you, Shikaku-oji-san!" He says, but I can feel he is not entirely here. He’s constantly watching the gate. Waiting. For what?

A few feet away, Inoichi leans back against a pillar, arms crossed, already sipping from a tiny cup. He’s smirking at something his daughter said. Yoshino’s speaking with Choza, no doubt coordinating food service and making sure nothing catches fire this year.

I linger near the edge, looking at the door too.

The first one I notice isn’t even a Nara or Akimichi. It’s the orphan girl Shikamaru talked about. Noa, I think. Quiet feet, firm spine, a cloth-wrapped bundle clutched tight to her chest. She´s not very well dressed, but she is clean. Probably the best she can do with her circumstances. She’s hesitating at the border of the party. A bit intimidated perhaps.

Then she steps forward. Brave girl.

Choji’s face lights up like someone handed him an S-rank mission scroll when he sees her. I can’t hear what she says, but I do see the moment she hands him something. A pie? From the shape, probably. Home-made. Thoughtful. Choji’s reaction is immediate and genuine, all teeth and glee. He runs toward the house, shouting for his mother like the Hokage just arrived.

Shikamaru watches from his usual perch on the porch steps, chin in one hand. He shifts when she comes closer and scoots to make room. Mmmm? Interesting.

Ino’s seated nearby, looking perfectly put together. Her eyes trail Noa from top to bottom, then flick away fast. Too fast.

I make my way closer, slowly enough not to draw attention. The adults acknowledge me with nods. I nod back. I hear snippets of the kids’ voices as I pass:

“Pie?”

“She made it?”

“For real?”

“Do you think there’s more?”

Then comes Naruto, barreling in like a thrown kunai.

“Choji! I brought ramen coupons!”

I almost laugh. Almost. So much like his mother.

He’s loud. Wild. Chaotic. But nobody flinches. Not the adults. Not the kids. Not even Choza, who catches the boy by the collar and rights him before he knocks into the food table. It’s... peaceful.

That surprises me. But maybe it shouldn’t.

Shikamaru shifts again on the steps, hands in his lap now, posture open, with Noa beside him. Comfortable.

They aren’t talking, not much at least. Just watching. But the space between them is easy. Shikamaru’s relaxed in that lazy, unreadable way he gets when he’s actually thinking, which, despite what he likes to pretend, is often.

There’s something in his eyes when he looks at her. Not infatuation. Recognition? Curiosity?

And the girl… she’s watching everything around her. Taking mental notes I´m sure, like someone assembling a puzzle from the outside in. Learning. Not trying to impress anyone. Sharp kid. There are not many of those these days.

I ease myself down beside my wife as she finally stops ordering people around. Her arms are crossed, but her eyes are warm.

“She came” she murmurs, nodding toward the girl.

I grunt. “He invited her.”

“She brought pie.”

“Mm. I saw”

We watch a moment longer. Then she says, softly “He looks more at ease when she’s around.”

I don’t ask who she means. She could be talking about either boy. Or both.

We sit quietly. Around us, the party continues. Laughter builds. Plates clatter. One of Choza’s nephews drops a grilled meat skewer, and a chorus of groans erupts.

Yoshino nudges my elbow. “Look at them. They’re growing up”

I sigh at that “Too fast”

…

The pie makes its grand entrance just as the second round of food is being served.

Not by Noa. She’s already seated beside Shikamaru again, quietly sipping something warm from a cup that Yoshino probably shoved into her hands. It’s Choji who brings the pie out like it’s a divine offering. He places it gently,  reverently, at the head of one of the long tables.

“This is from my friend Noa!” he announces proudly, chest puffed out. “She made it herself!”

The room pauses. Just a beat. Then murmurs ripple outward.

“Pie?”

“Is it really a pie?”

“Is it sweet?”

“Can I have some?”

“No, you wait your turn, Shiba!”

Yoshino swoops in to save the poor thing before the crowd descends like vultures. She claps her hands, calling order.

“Alright! Pie is after the food! Let the guests of honor eat first, and no whining or you get dish duty!”

The threat works. Barely.

Naruto is the first to run up and start asking how many seconds he’s allowed. No one’s surprised. The kid is as bottomless as any full-blooded Akimichi.

The food is, as always, delicious. And overwhelming. Pork belly cooked in sweet soy glaze. Steamed dumplings stuffed with root vegetables. Pickled burdock, fluffy rice balls, grilled skewers of glazed mushrooms, smoked fish on tiny crisp leaves.

It’s a culinary ambush, and everyone’s more than happy to surrender.

I watch the kids cluster into small groups as they eat. Ino joins a trio of girls from the Yamanaka side, but her eyes keep flicking back to Shikamaru and Choji’s spots. Her expression is hard to read, not angry, but not entirely at ease either.

Beside her, her mother whispers something. Ino nods tightly, then turns away and dives into conversation.

I lean back on my cushion, a dumpling in hand, and scan the gathering again.

Naruto is now seated between Choji and one of Choza’s younger nephews, talking at full volume with his mouth half-full. It should be obnoxious. Somehow… it isn’t. He makes people laugh. Especially Choji, who keeps elbowing him and shaking his head fondly.

The boy has that strange energy, like a storm that brings rain and thunder, but also clears the sky afterward.

And Noa, she hasn’t moved much from her seat, but she’s not isolated either. Shikamaru’s still near her, half-listening to his cousin’s conversation while picking at his food. They don’t talk constantly, but every few minutes he says something quiet to her. She replies just as softly. Every now and then, one of them actually smiles.

She’s not performing. Not shrinking either. Just being.

That’s harder to do than most people think.

Inoichi slides onto the mat beside me, arms crossed, eyes sharp as always.

“You’ve been watching”

I grunt. “Always do”

He nods toward the steps. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“I think my son is finally engaging with someone who doesn’t bore him to death”

Inoichi smirks. “And she’s not intimidated by him”

“She’s got a good read. Stays quiet, but it’s not fear. It’s choice”

A third voice joins us, deeper, warmer. Chōza.

“She listens before she speaks” he says, settling beside us with a mug in his hand. “You don’t see that often in kids”

I glance at him. “Choji did well to invite her.”

“He picked her. Not because anyone told him to. Not because she’s from a clan. Just… because he wanted to. He thinks she is nice” Chōza smiles faintly. “That tells me a lot.”

Inoichi hums. “Meanwhile, Ino keeps brushing her hair whenever she sees the girl.”

Chōza chuckles. “Your daughter’s a handful.”

“She’s her mother’s daughter,” Inoichi deadpans.

We laugh, quietly. As if he wasn´t just as bad when we were younger.

Then I say, more serious now “She feels replaced.”

Choza’s brows rise. “Already?”

“Not fully,” Inoichi murmurs. “But she sees something shifting, even if she doesn’t understand it”

“They’re still just kids” I remind them

“Yeah,” Chōza says slowly. “But the foundations they build now… they shape everything. Teamwork. Pride. Jealousy. Bonds.”

“Troublesome” I mutter.

“But necessary” Inoichi replies.

We fall into silence again, each of us watching our own children.

By the time the pie is finally served, the crowd is half in love with it.

One bite and I hear a kid shout, “It’s like sweet apples but warm and mushy and amazing!”

Another one chimes in, “It’s soft! But crunchy? How??”

Chōza demands seconds. Yoshino steals a second small slice while pretending it’s her first.

Naruto asks if Noa can legally adopt him.

Shikamaru just eats in silence and nods like it’s an obvious outcome.

Noa looks overwhelmed at first. Blinking. Frozen. She even gets a little flushed. But then something in her relaxes, just a bit, and she takes her own small piece, a tiny smile on her face.

Then I see it. The shift. Not just in her, in all of them.

The Nara kid. The Akimichi boy. The Uzumaki hellion. The orphan girl. All at the same table, laughing over pie. I feel like I am witnessing something truly important.

Yoshino glances at me from across the courtyard and raises an eyebrow at my face.

I exhale.

“Maybe they’ll be alright after all.”

…

NOA POV:

The scent of grilled meat lingers, mingling with the sugar glaze from the mochi skewers. I’ve eaten more than I should, but nobody here seems to judge, least of all Choji, who just finished his third helping and offered me seconds like it was a personal mission. 

I’m back on the porch beside Shikamaru, knees pulled to my chest, juice cup in hand. The sun’s sliding down, casting everything in warm amber. Adults chat under lanterns. A few kids toss a ball in lazy arcs. The hum of contentment is thick in the air.

That is, until Daiki Akimichi stands up on the table.

“We’re doing the Whisper Duel!” he announces, arms flung wide like a festival announcer “Old-school version! You all know the rules!”

From the other side of the porch, Choza groans. “Daiki, you’re going to turn this into chaos.”

“It’s tradition, Uncle!”

Shikamaru sighs beside me. “This is about to get loud.”

“What’s the Whisper Duel?” I ask.

“It’s like telephone,” he mutters, “but backwards and with more yelling.”

Daiki grins. “Alright, round one! Here’s how it works. You get two players. The referee gives both a ridiculous phrase. Then they take turns whispering it at the other, trying to mess them up. Fastest perfect repeat wins. If you laugh, hesitate, or mess up a word, you lose. Think of it like a genjutsu duel, but dumber.”

“And louder” Shikamaru deadpans.

Naruto is already on his feet “I CALL FIRST MATCH!”

Choji waddles up beside him, still chewing. “I’ll go easy on you”

“No way, this is WAR!”

They’re given the phrase: “Fat frogs flip fresh fish five feet.”

Naruto whispers first. Emphasis on “whispers”,  which is actually more like a hoarse shout. Choji repeats it, slowly but clearly. No mistakes.

Then Choji leans in and whispers it back at Naruto. But he slurs “flip fresh fish” just enough to trip him.

“Fat frogs FLUSH fish—no, wait—FRESH—!”

Laughter erupts.

“You’re… OUT!” Daiki cackles. “Choji wins!”

Naruto collapses in dramatic defeat. “I WAS SABOTAGED!”

“Your brain was” Shikamaru mutters.

The matches continue. Someone from the kitchen staff is pulled in. Then one of the Akimichi aunts. Somehow even Inoichi ends up sitting back-to-back with Shikaku at Daiki’s insistence.

“This is beneath me,” Inoichi says, arms crossed.

Shikaku just smirks “Which is why I’ll win, as always”

Their phrase: “Seven silent shinobi sipped sour soup in the sand.”

Yoshino, clearly enjoying herself, calls it out.

Shikaku repeats it flawlessly. Inoichi tries, gets tangled on the last “sand” and says “sandals.”

Groans and laughter follow.

“I still say this game is rigged” Inoichi grumbles, but he’s smiling.

When Shikamaru is finally dragged into a round, by Choji and Daiki teaming up, he gets paired with me.

“Come on” Choji urges. “Just one round!”

Shikamaru slumps dramatically. “So troublesome”

We sit back to back on the porch steps. Daiki leans down.

“Okay,” he says, clearly savoring the moment. “Your phrase is… ‘Ninja noodles never know normal ninja noodles’"

Shikamaru snorts before even starting. “Who writes this stuff?”

“It’s an art.” Daiki smiles

He whispers it to me, carefully, but with the kind of deadpan delivery that almost makes it worse. I get it right. Then it’s my turn.

I lean back, whisper it quickly, with just enough twist in the rhythm that it catches him.

He blinks. “Wait. Did you just say—?”

He repeats it, but he’s a syllable off.

Daiki howls. “Victory to Noa!”

I laugh. Choji cheers. Shikamaru stares at me with narrow eyes.

“You’re trublesome”

“I cook and destroy. Balanced skillset” I say, teasingly

Naruto immediately declares I’m a “stealth jutsu master” and insists I teach him.

“No.”

“Please?”

“No”

“Pretty—”

“No”

Even as I say it, I’m grinning. I don’t realize it until Shikamaru smirks and nudges my shoulder with his.

“You’re not bad at this whole party thing.”

“I’m enduring it” It´s fun

“Could’ve fooled me”

Chapter Text

A year and 3 months later: Graduation day…

NOA POV:

The classroom was so quiet I could hear every scratch of pencil against paper, every fidget, every breath held too long. The light from the window stretched over my desk, catching on the corner of my exam sheet. Five pages, fifty questions. Two hours. Theory.

I finish writing the last answer with steady hands. The questions were what I expected: chakra theory, mission protocol, anatomy basics, battlefield tactics and lots and lots of history. One could think Hashirama is going to appear one day and kill us all for not knowing about how many times he got into an imposible battle and won. I flinch. Okay, bad joke. Edo tensei is bad, we don´t joke about that.

“Five minutes,” Iruka-sensei calls from the front of the room, glancing up from his watch.

Somewhere two rows down, Naruto groans softly, and I can feel the panic radiating off him. I don’t look. I can´t help him now. I’ve helped him cram the whole week, or at least I tried to. The kid is super hyperactive and studying theory with him can sometimes be like hitting your head with a boulder on and on.

I had started helping Naruto some weeks after Choji´s party. He isn´t really that bad at ninja stuff, but you have to give him a little time and have lots of patience. Skip the theory as much as posible and go straight to practice. He is more like an instinctual learner while I am more a reflexive one, you can say.

I was still uncomfortable around him sometimes, especially when he was in one of his super super excited rants, but in general I enjoyed it a lot. Being with him was equal parts exhausting and exhilarating. I don´t know at what point he had even started referring to me as his nee-chan, but I really don´t mind it. He´s cute like that.

Time was called. I set my pencil aside and leaned back in my seat.

…

The rest of the day moves fast.

After the written test, we head out to the training field for part two of the exam: shuriken and kunai accuracy. The sun has climbed higher by the time we reach the Academy training fields, casting sharp shadows across the rows of targets. A breeze stirs the grass, but the tension in the air is thick enough to slice with a kunai.

Iruka-sensei stands in front of us with his ever-faithful clipboard. “Alright, listen up! Five kunai, five shuriken. Aim for precision. Sloppy technique gets points off. You have to throw like it’s your last mission and your life depended on it, understand?”

A few people nod. Naruto raises his hand like it is a race.

“We’re not taking questions” Iruka says without looking up

“But what if my awesome power makes the target explode?” Naruto asks anyways, wide-eyed

Mizuki mutters something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like “Please let that happen.” Iruka just pretends like he didn´t hear him.

The first few students are called. Some have decent aim. Others miss entirely. I watch as Sakura adjusts her grip three times before throwing, solid form and decent grouping. Then Kiba, who throws like he is in the middle of an ambush. One kunai lodges in the grass three feet from the target. He doesn´t seem to mind.

“Next! Naruto Uzumaki!”

Naruto practically bounces into position. He cracks his knuckles and shoots a look over his shoulder towards me.

I give him a small nod.

He straightens.

Then, with surprising steadiness, he draws his first kunai and hurls it. Thunk. Just left of center. The next four follows. Not perfect, but none missed. One was a little too high. One bounced slightly off the edge. But all hit.

Murmurs rise behind me. Even Iruka looks mildly surprised.

“Not bad,” Mizuki admits with the fakest smile on his fase “Great job, Naruto!” He seems excited, but I knew the truth. He is anything but happy about my adopted little brother succeeding.

Naruto grins, brimming with pride. “Told you! I’ve been practicing!”

He turns to me. “Nee-chan! Did you see that?!”

“I saw” I say “You didn’t set anything on fire. I’m impressed”

“YEAH!”

The shuriken are next. Naruto squints, tongue peeking out of the corner of his mouth. He misses the first one, barely. Hits with the second. Hits again. The last two curve awkwardly, but clip the target. When he steps back, he is winded but proud. Iruka-sensei gives him a small smile. “You’ve improved, Naruto.”

Naruto scratches the back of his head. “Hehe… yeah. I had help”

He says it without looking directly at me, but I can feel the warmth of it anyway.

A few more students go and then it´s my turn.

“Noa-chan, go ahead”

I step forward.

The kunai feels cool and familiar in my grip. I adjust my stance, exhale once, and throw. The first sink into the heart of the target with a satisfying thunk. So does the second. And the third.

Someone behind me lets out a low whistle.

The last two follow in quick succession, tight grouping, just off-center. What? I could throw two or three at a time, but I was not about to that duh.

Then come the shurikens. Slightly trickier with today´s wind, but I´ve accounted for that already. I release them in a rhythm I’ve drilled into muscle memory.

Five clean hits. Not center, but on target.

Iruka raises his eyebrows as he jots something down.

Mizuki, for once, doesn’t say anything. Just clicks his pen. That is enough.

As I turn, Naruto flashes me a thumbs up.

“You’re scary good, nee-chan” he whispers.

“I know” I say simply, and move back to the line with him.

…

Next up is the taijutsu part. The sparring ring is a chalked-out circle on the hard-packed training field, flanked by two wooden dummies and the clipboard-bearing forms of Iruka and Mizuki.

I stand near the edge with the rest of the class, watching as Mizuki calls up students one by one. We are supposed to fight him and show what we can do until either him or Iruka-sensei tells us to stop.

“Next! Kiba Inuzuka.”

Kiba grins and tosses his jacket over his shoulder as he steps forward “Finally”

Mizuki barely has time to adjust his stance before Kiba lunges in with a wild rush, leading with his shoulder and a barked laugh. Akamaru barks from the sidelines, as if cheering him on.

It doesn´t go great.

Mizuki sidesteps cleanly and gives him a firm tap between the shoulder blades, spinning him halfway around.

“Too open” he says, voice flat.

“Wasn’t trying yet!” Kiba growls, lunging again.

Three sweeps, one poorly aimed kick, and a tumble later, Mizuki calls the match. Kiba lands on his back with a huff and a sheepish grin.

“Yeesh” Naruto mutters behind me. “Hope mine goes better”

I glance sideways at him. He looks nervous but not panicked, and he isn´t bouncing off either. Better than before. We’ve practiced a bit, after all. Enough that his balance does not betray him every third step.

“You’ll do fine Naru” I say “Just don’t try to flip. You always try to flip”

“But flips are cool.”

“You’re not cool enough for flips yet.”

“Rude!”

Still, when his name is called a few minutes later, he goes into the ring with a grin and only trips once getting into stance.

Mizuki looks like he is preparing for a headache. Naruto, to his credit, does not charge in this time. He watches first and then he moves and attacks. He misses more than he hits, but he keeps up, doesn’t give in, and lands at least one decent strike to Mizuki’s side.

When the round ends, he stumbles back, panting but proud.

Iruka gives him a nod that looked suspiciously like relief and pride.

Then is my turn.

I walk into the ring with calm steps. No cheering. No jokes. Just the circle, the dust, and Mizuki’s cool gaze.

He doesn’t wait. His strike is fast, a palm thrust aimed low. I shift my weight, letting it slide past my side, and catch his wrist on the rebound. He twists, fluid, already resetting for the next move. I move too, efficient, measured, a low sweep to offset his stance. He blocks with his shin and goes in with a hook elbow.

I duck. He kicks. I turn. Then he puches me on the back, when I pretend to lose my balance.

My performance isn’t flashy. But it is clean and fast. And that is what I wanted them to know. I am reliable and sharp. When he finally steps back and raises his hand, the class is quiet and still.

“Good form” Mizuki says

I nod once, breathing slowly but even. I walk back to the group, and for the first time in all the time I spent at the Academy, a few classmates move aside without needing a word.

Behind me, I hear Kiba mutter “Okay. Remind me to never make her mad”

“Noa-chan, is scary” Adds Choji between munches

“Troublesome”

…

At last, Ninjutsu test, the most troublesome part. And the longest.

We have to go back to the class where we wait until our name is called to go into another room and perform the three academy jutsus there. Not hard, but definitely annoying. Ugg am I turning into Shikamaru now?

One by one my classmates go in but none returns. So once this part is finished you can leave, I assume.

Our friends go in first. Then Naruto, who is seated next to me, gets called in and I have to wait until the end for my turn.

That´s what happens when you have no surname at all. You either go first or last, never in between. "Noa, come with me" calls Iruka-sensei from the doorway. I go into the other classroom. There is Mizuki and another chunin instructor I don´t recognize.

"Well Noa, you can start with whichever jutsu you want. We don´t mind" says Iruka entering behind me.

"Okay sensei" I decide to start with kawamiri. A puff of smoke, and I am some meters to the left, a log left behind where I’d been just seconds ago.

Next henge. Iruka’s form wraps around me, height and uniform cleanly copied, even the little mole near his eyebrow. Not very original, but it will do. When I drop it, I catch the brief flicker of a smile on his face.

Lastly the stupid and utterly useless bunshin, basically an illusion that can´t do anything at all and can be recognised simply by looking at the floor and seeing it doesn´t make a shadow. I do it with all the handsigns, of course, and only make 3 clones, the bare minimum. They shimmer once, but don’t flicker. Perfect.

Iruka puts on a bright smile “Well done, Noa-chan. You pass. Take a headband from the other table please”

I step forward, fingers brushing past the standard blue band. Most students take that one. A few grab the red or green when they are feeling bold. I pick the black one. For me it makes sense. It is clean and can blend in with almost any type of clothes.

Iruka doesn’t comment. Just gives me a quiet nod as I step aside.

…

Now, the exam is officially over. I still hold the headband in my hand as I go out. Naruto is nowhere in sight, and by now I know well enough I am not going to find him if he doesn´t want to. He has probably failed.

It didn´t matter that you were perfect in all the other tests. If you fail jut one, in Naruto´s case the ninjutsu part, you fail everything. Unfair and clearly stupid. I still wonder how Lee did it.

Behind me, cheers and chatter burst like fireworks. Shouts of joy. Groans of disappointment. Classmates calling for friends and families.

I don’t look back.

The metal plate with the Leaf symbol catches the sunlight in my palm. I hadn’t put it on yet. I keep walking, like if I wait long enough, I’d know exactly what this moment means.

I am a genin now. This was supposed to feel big. And somehow it does, but not in the way I thought it would. I still have a lot of work to do. I am still to weak to survive what is to come.

I let the sound of celebration fade behind me until it is just wind and footsteps.

Some years ago, I wouldn’t have cared about any of this. Not about the rank. Not the headband. Not the kids hugging outside. Back then, I was focused only on my survival. Detached. Do your work. Stay unnoticed. Don’t get involved.

But then Shino stood next to me. Then Hinata lent me a book, Shikamaru moved over on the porch without asking, Choji invited me to his party, Naruto started hanging out with me a lot more… Now I don´t ever eat lunch alone.

It wasn’t in the plan. None of them were.

But somehow, between drills and lunch breaks and quiet walks to the orphanage, something shifted. I stopped being invisible. I started… existing with others. Not just beside them.

I look down at the headband again.

All the pieces of who I’ve been, both in this life and the last, sit in quiet contradiction in my chest. I remember too much. Things I shouldn’t know, things no one here could ever even guess were going to happen.

Like what would happen tonight. The Forbidden Scroll. My fingers tightened slightly on the cloth.

Mizuki would move tonight. He’d trick Naruto into stealing it. He’d try to run with it towards Orochimaru. Iruka would be the one to stop him. Naruto would learn the truth about the Nine-Tails, about why people looked at him with hate and fear. And in the middle of it, he’d unlock his first real jutsu. The Shadow Clone. It would change everything. And I´m not going to stop it.

Not because I don´t care. But because I do. Still… that doesn’t make it easier.

I can´t help but think that I haven´t done enough. I could’ve helped Naruto more. Could’ve taught him the trick to stabilizing the damn clone. He would have passed then.

But in my heart I knew this was how it had to happen. Even if it was cruel. So I played God and didn’t interfere. Now all that is left is to see if things follow canon or not.

I slip the headband into my jacket pocket. I’ll wear it when I am ready. I´m not ready yet.

Chapter Text

NOA POV:

Today everything changes. Team assignment day. Real squads. Real work. Well, provided we pass the jounin´s test.

I look at  myself in the cracked mirror in my new living-room. The flat is small and run down, but it´s still better than sharing a room with 5 other girls.

I moved out of the orphanage yesterday. The moment I had my headband in hand I was eligible for an apartment. Not a great one, but good enough. The village will pay it for me for the first three months of my genin career. Then I am on my own with rent and utilities, but is not very expensive either. That is why my neighbours are what society here would consider second or third grade citizens.

I wear the new clothes I bought two days ago after the exam. Long black shirt, pants in dark tones with bandages at the ends and finally a pair of ninja sandals. I add some pouches for kunai and suriken on my back and my right thigh and I am ready. They are not too fancy or pretty, but they are functional, and that´s all I need right now.

I know it is going to be a while before we go to the field but it doesn´t hurt to be prepared. First come the famous and dreaded D ranks that I have carefully avoided telling Naruto about. What? I deserve to have some fun too. Sue me.

I also took my photo for my file that same day.

The only thing left is my hair. I usually wear it around my mid-back but that will simply not do now. It gets in the way. It will slow me down. And I don’t have the tools to keep it properly tied or hidden. Besides, it´s just hair. It does not mean that much to me.

The knock at the door is sharp but not hard. I already know who it is.

“Come in”

The door creaks open and Aya, my next door neighbour, steps in already dressed for work: tight blouse showing lots of cleavage and too much makeup. Not everybody has the privilege of choosing what they want to do. Sometimes you just have to do with what you can. She has been dealt a horrible hand, but she’s still kind to me. And that is the bravest thing in the world. That´s why I admire her.

Aya whistles low when she sees me. “Wow, you look good. You sure about this?”

I nod, trying to hold still. “It’s just hair.”

“Mmh. Yes, but is a long, beautiful hair that makes your eyes pop and look like real pieces of jade” She crosses the room and picks up the scissors on the table anyways “But okay. It is yours. You’re the boss”

Aya was the one who helped me to install myself yesterday. She’s not a ninja, clearly, but she understands certain things about hardships and survival. About danger. There was a time I was very near to follow her same path. I don´t think I could have affronted it with as much strength as she has.

She combs her fingers through it once, gently, like she’s saying goodbye to it for me.

“Why now?”

“I’m a genin now” I say simply. “Hair can get pulled in close quarters. Get snagged. If I can’t tie it properly, it’s a liability”

She doesn’t answer for a while. Just lines up the blades and starts cutting. The sound is soft, deliberate. Almost ceremonial. I start to relax in my seat when she speaks again.

“You’re not wrong,” she says eventually. “Still a shame. But smart. Do you want to keep the bangs?”

"Yeah, they aren´t super thick either, so it´s fine"

She tilts my chin up when it’s done, and I look in the mirror again. The cut is sharp, chin-length and practical, a little uneven in a way that feels more real than polished. I look good. I love it.

“You look older” she says with a knowing smile “Tougher. Like a real ninja.”

“That´s good, I guess” I smile at myself in the mirror “Thank you very much Aya-san.”

She laughs. “don´t worry chibi, it´s no trouble. Well, I better go now. I have my first client in half an hour"

I nod. I should too. I´m excited to see Naruto.

On graduation night, the village activated the alarms for everyone to stay inside their houses, so I guess things went well and followed canon. Naruto should have Iruka´s headband and should know the truth about the fox. 

I grab my headband off the table and look at it for a moment. I know there is some kind of custom for parents or loved ones to put the headband for you the first time. Is kind of a welcome-to-the-group kind of ritual.

It would have been nice to have someone like that, but I can´t do anything about it. I take it and lace it to my left thigh. Time to go.

…

The academy’s front steps are wide and worn from years of feet, sunlight spilling across the stone. I go in and feel Naruto´s bright and big chakra almost immediately. He is almost at the door of what has been our class for the last 6 years.

“Naruto!” I call

Sure enough, he spins around the corner at full speed, nearly colliding with a teacher. He’s clutching his headband on his forehead like a trophy and comes at me with a grin that threatens to split his entire face.

“NEE-CHAN! I WAS LOOKING FOR YOU!” he yells, bouncing on the balls of his feet “LOOK!”

“I am looking, Naruto” I say happily

“Check it out! I passed! I made it! Full-fledged ninja, baby!”

I raise an eyebrow. “Ahhh I see it, I see it. Let me guess... you tackled Iruka with tears in your eyes and that puppy fase of yours and he gave in?”

“HEY!” he frowns. “That’s not what happened. I earned this. And with an even cooler clone that yours! Believe it!”

My mouth quirks. “Good”

His eyes search my face, suddenly quieter. “You’re not... surprised?”

“Not really. I’m proud of you Naru”

He blinks. The noise drops out of him like someone pulled a plug. “Oh” I think he might cry

“Seriously” I add. “You deserve it”

He grins again smaller this time, but more real. A true smile for once. “Thanks, Nee-chan”

Then, without missing a beat: “Also, what happened to your head?!?”

“Nothing happened to my head Naruto, I just had my hair cut"

“I mean it looks good! Like, awesome good. Like, if someone tried to pickpocket you, your hair alone would punch them.”

“That’s quite the compliment.”

He shrugs. “It’s what I do.”

We head toward the front doors together, slipping into the chaos beyond.

…

The classroom is a war zone.

Not in the literal sense, there are no flying kunai or detonating tags, but the energy is frantic enough to qualify. People are shouting across rows of desks, tossing paper balls like they’re explosive tags, and trading theories about who’s going to be on what team. Ugh, I can already feel a headache coming.

Naruto doesn’t even pause. He barrels straight in, shouting, “Sakura-chan! Did you see my headband? I’m officially the coolest ninja in this room!”

Sakura rolls her eyes from the second row, where she seems to be fighting Ino for the seat next to Sasuke. “What do you mean? You didn´t even pass the exam!!!”

“And yet,” Naruto says, pointing dramatically at his headband “Here I am!”

Kiba groans. “We’re doomed”

I slip toward the back of the room, where the chaos fades slightly, and claim my usual seat, the one near the window, tucked just out of the spotlight. The sun filters through the blinds in narrow stripes, painting gold lines across my desk. I trace one with my fingertip.

People are happy today. Nervous, excited, chaotic. It´s kind of contagious.

Naruto has passed and is a genin now, so I can relax a bit on that front. I wonder what rank he will have now. In the anime he was the "dead-last" if I remember right, but now, save from the bushin, his other grades were fairly good. Well, it probably doesn´t matter. I don´t think they will take him out from Kakashi´s team just for being a bit above in the rankings. He is still the Jinchuriki, after all.

Shikamaru is slouched in his usual spot a row ahead of me, staring at the ceiling like he’s trying to bore a hole through it with apathy alone. Next to him, Choji offers a piece of chocolate to Naruto first, who immediately accepts it with suspicious speed.

“Hey,” Choji says, quieter now, turning toward me. “I brought extra today. Take some Noa-chan”

He holds out a small square wrapped in wax paper. I blink.

“Chocolate?” he adds, a little awkward.

My chest warms. “You remembered?”

Choji shrugs, cheeks faintly pink. “It´s your favourite. Thought you might want some. For team day”

I reach forward and take the piece gently. “Thank you, Choji. You are really kind.”

He nods, eyes flicking back toward Shikamaru like the whole exchange exhausted all his courage for the day.

Across the room, the Sakura-Ino War reignites.

“I was going to sit there!” Ino snaps, pointing dramatically at the seat beside Sasuke.

“I was already sitting Ino-Pig!” Sakura fires back.

“You weren’t even touching the chair, Forhead!”

“I had a toe on it! That counts!”

Sasuke, caught in the middle, does not move. He doesn't flinch. Doesn’t blink. Just continues to stare forward like a stone statue of teenage angst. I don´t really like him, but even I have to admit that takes talent.

Naruto narrows his eyes at the attention Sasuke’s getting and charges forward without hesitation and ends up on top of Sasuke´s table looking directly at him.

“What do you even have to make them fight for you?!? Eh, Teme!”

A loud jostle, an overzealous shove, and somehow... crash!

Sasuke and Naruto accidentally collide, and when they pull back from the scuffle, their lips are… oh.

There’s a half-second of stunned silence before the entire class erupts.

“WHAAAAT?!”

I slam a hand over my mouth but laugh so hard I nearly fall off my chair.

“Oh my god,” I wheeze. “I wish I had a camera. This is historical.”

Even Shikamaru turns halfway in his seat, raising an eyebrow with a smirk “Troublesome…”

Naruto is making wild choking noises, frantically trying to wipe his face on his sleeve, while Sasuke looks like he’s about to murder someone with his eyeballs.

“You—YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!” Naruto howls.

Sasuke doesn’t dignify him with a reply. His glare could curdle milk.

I lean over toward Shikamaru with a mischievous smile. “You know, wouldn´t it be funny if they actually ended up together. Can you imagine it? The greatest enemies-to-lovers arc of the century”

He gives me a side glance. “Ugh. Don’t give fate ideas”

I smirk. “Come on, you have to admit it’d be kind of poetic”

He groans into his palm. “Troublesome woman”

The chaos eventually simmers when Iruka enters the room, clipboard in hand, mouth set in a firm line.

“All right settle down!”

It takes him a minute, but the room slowly stills. Naruto flops into a seat looking like someone just told him he failed again. Sasuke… well, he still looks murder-adjacent. But at least he’s seated.

Iruka scans the room, then nods. “Today’s the day you’ve all been waiting for. Your teams have been decided. You’ll be paired into three-man squads, each under the leadership of a jounin. These teams are meant to balance your strengths and weaknesses, so don’t expect to be with your best friends”

Groans ripple through the room.

Iruka continues. “Once your teams are called, take some time to eat lunch together and start getting to know each other. Your jounin instructors will arrive this afternoon to retrieve you.”

I sit straighter. My hands feel cold suddenly. I rub them together under the desk.

Names start spilling out. Some make sense. Others draw snickers or groans. However, I know most of them won´t make it, and will end up in the genin corps. I am determined not to be one of them.

“Team 7… Naruto Uzumaki, Skura Haruno and… Sasuke Uchiha”

“WHAT?!” Naruto explodes. “Why HIM?!”

“Because I’m better than you” Sasuke says flatly.

“AHHHH” Screams Sakura “I am with Sasuke-kun. Take that Ino-Pig!”

Naruto lets out a string of dramatic howling noises.

Behind it all, I wait for my name.

“Silence! Let´s continue please” says Iruka-sensei “Team 8: Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame. Team 10: Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi and Shikamaru Nara”

“Not a very big surprise for you two huh” I tell them quietly

“Not really. So troublesome” He says, looking at Ino, who is already looking like a kicked puppy. Choji gives him a little pat on the back.

Then finally:

“Team 12: Noa, Ryoma Kirai and Daichi Yumako”

I blink.

I know the names. I’ve seen them in class. But I’ve never spoken more than five words to either of them. They’re both quiet. Ryoma has a lazy sort of posture, constantly rubbing the back of his neck or scribbling things in the margins of his textbooks. I´ve heard him mutter some comment or another under his breath, but in general he is a quiet guy. Daichi is… big. Solid. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him raise his voice.

I chew the inside of my cheek, trying not to fidget. Team 12. Huh. Neither of them are from a clan, either. Seems they don´t expect us to pass the jounin test.

We’ll see about that.

…

The academy cleared out fast after Iruka’s announcements. Some kids left in excited clusters, others in resigned trios, and a few just… wandered off, shoulders slumped like they’d been paired with their worst enemies.

I lingered.

I’d already packed a bento, planning to eat in a quiet corner somewhere with Naruto or someone who would adopt me into their teams for a while, so when I hear, “Wanna grab lunch with us?” I do a double take and look over my shoulder to make sure it’s directed at me.

Ryoma stands just a few steps away, hands in his pockets, mouth tugging into a half-smile like the words had surprised even him.

“‘Us?” I repeat, mostly to stall. I need time to think.

“Daichi and me” he confirms. “He doesn’t mind. And I don’t feel like eating in silence. We are going to be a team after all”

I glance past him. Daichi is leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, his expression a flat mix of tired and unreadable. But when he sees me looking, he gives the smallest of nods.

Ryoma is still waiting. Not pushing. Just offering.

I hesitate for a moment longer. Then: “Okay.”

He gives me a short, satisfied nod. “Ichiraku?”

My stomach flutters. Ichiraku? That Ichiraku?

I’ve walked past the stand a hundred times. Naruto talks about it like it’s a sacred place. But I’ve never stepped inside. I have made a million excuses not to go:  too broke, too nervous, too unsure I belonged.

Now I have a reason to go.

We walk together. Not exactly in step, but close. Ryoma hums a few bars of something tuneless. Daichi stays quiet, but I catch him scanning alleyways and rooftops like it’s second nature. For someone without shinobi parents, he moves with a kind of natural wariness that I feel is rare. I file that away for later.

When we reach the familiar canvas flaps of Ichiraku, I pause just a moment, letting the smell of broth and grilled pork hit me full in the face.

It smells… incredible.

We slide onto the stools, Ryoma and Daichi flanking me like bookends.

“Three miso specials please Teuchi-san!” exclaims Ryoma

“Extra scallions, if that’s okay” I say quickly

Ryoma leans over “Scallions?”

“They’re really good” I reply, maybe too defensively. “Crunchy, fresh, not too spicy. Perfect.”

Ryoma raises a brow. “Didn’t peg you as a scallion evangelist”

“I think about food more than you’d expect” I mutter.

“Same” Daichi says softly. His first word since we left the academy.

I blink, then smile.

The bowls arrive, steaming and fragrant. I hold mine in both hands, letting the warmth sink into my fingers. One bite and I’m gone. Soft noodles, rich broth, and just the right hint of miso tang. Naruto wasn’t exaggerating. This is what heaven tastes like.

Ryoma slurps a long strand and says, “Guess we should do the whole team bonding thing. Now that we’re officially Team 12”

“Team 12 sounds like a filing cabinet” I mutter

“Right? I was hoping for something cooler” he says. “Like Team Lightning Blade or Team Inferno”

“Those are horrible names” I say again

“Exactly. That’s why they’re perfect”

Daichi just quietly keeps eating.

Ryoma sighs. “Okay, let’s do quick intros. Icebreaker style. I’ll go first.”

He doesn’t even wait for us to agree.

“Ryoma. I like spicy food and crossword puzzles. I’m not great at running or punching things. But I’m really, really good at genjutsu.”

That makes me pause. No one talks about genjutsu like that. At least not at our level. Most people treat it like a side dish. Ryoma sounds like it’s the main course.

“I’m Noa,” I say. “I like reading and storms. I hate forced small talk. I’m decent with chakra control and taijutsu. I´m fast. Also…” I decide to add at the last minute. We will have to work together soon “I kind of taught myself how to tree and wáter-walk already”

Ryoma stares at me. “Wait, what?”

“Yeah”

“You taught yourself chakra surface walking before graduation?”

“...Yes.”

He lets out a slow whistle. “Okay. Scallions and genius. Got it.”

I shake my head, trying not to smile. “I’m not a genius. I just don’t like waiting around for people to teach me things I can figure out on my own. It´s a waste of time”

“Still” Daichi says. “Impressive”

His voice is quiet, but the compliment lands hard.

I glance at him. “What about you?”

He sets his chopsticks down. “I’m Daichi. I live near the east carpentry quarter. I don’t come from a shinobi family. But I’m strong. And fast. I like taijutsu, even if I don’t have a fancy style yet.”

“You’ll get there,” Ryoma says easily. “Big guy like you? Add in a bit of ninjutsu and you’re gonna be terrifying”

Daichi hums, maybe a thank-you, maybe just acknowledging the words.

A quiet lull settles over the three of us. It isn’t awkward. Just… tentative. Like we’re still figuring out the rhythm.

Ryoma breaks it. Of course he does. What about this guy seemed quiet? Seems like he will be the talkative one in the group.

“All right, bonus question: if we were characters in a story, what would our archetypes be?”

I blink. “What? Are you serious?”

“Absolutely. It’s for team synergy. Super important”

“Sounds like something you made up”

“It is, but it still counts”

He grins at Daichi. “You’re the silent powerhouse. The guy who doesn’t talk much but punches through trees”

Daichi blinks. “...Okay”

Ryoma points at me next. “And you’re the dark horse. The mysterious and intelligent damsel with hidden depths”

I raise an eyebrow. “That’s dramatic”

He shrugs. “It fits”

“And what are you?” I ask.

He leans back smugly. “The clever, misunderstood prodigy. Possibly with a tragic backstory”

I snort. “Possibly?”

He shrugs. “I like to keep the audience guessing.”

Daichi gives the faintest smile. I think I see the corner of his mouth twitch.

We finish our bowls. Ryoma slaps down some coins, declaring it a team treat. I promise to pay next time, and I´m glad none of us eat as much as Naruto or Choji. Daichi just nods again.

As we step out into the midday sun, I realize I’m not tense anymore.

Maybe we’re not the star squad with fancy bloodlines or flashy scores. Maybe we don’t have a clan name to carry us ahead.

But I think we might be something good.

Something valuable.

Chapter Text

POV: GENMA SHIRANUI

It had been a while since I last came here, but somehow it seems like nothing has changed.

The Academy still smells the same: chalk dust, sweat and something vaguely rancid I have never been capable of naming. I glance at the paper someone in the administration has given me with the classroom number, then at the plaque on the door. Right place.

I step quietly inside. A few students are still lingering without their jounin-sensei. Good. I didn’t want to be late, but sometimes things happens. At least I´m not the last one. I scan the room and quickly spot my maybe-team.

They are all together at the back of the class, with Naruto in front of them. He is talking animatedly to the girl with short hair while the other two listen.

The Uchiha and the pink-haired girly are on the other side. The first one is just brooding in silence while the second is constantly looking at him and blushing. Poor kids. If I knew Kakashi like I thought I did, Team 7 would be waiting here for a long, long time.

As for me, my team seems quiet overall. I’d skimmed their files earlier that morning: nothing flashy to note, but also nothing broken. Mid-rank scores. No clans. No kekkei genkai. An orphan, a civilian and shinobi kid with no clan. Pretty standard and uncomplicated. That meant this was either going to be the easiest task in my life or a logistical and emotional headache. I am open to either.

Green-eyes girl notices me first and gives me a questioning glance. She is sitting sideways in her chair, legs stretched out like she doesn’t care if it was disrespectful or not. There is a book on her knee, thumb marking the page while she half-listened to Naruto and his never ending ramblings.

The tall one, Daichi Yumako, sits next to her like he’s never relaxed a day in his life. Big shoulders and a firm but calm energy. Not a fan of talking, if Iruka´s comments on his file are accurate.

And lastly Ryoma Kirai. I recognize him the moment he raises an eyebrow and starts whispering something to the girl, mouth twitching like he was crafting a joke in real time. Great. A commentator. So much for quiet. At least they wouldn’t be boring.

I sigh and step forward.

"Team 12?"

They stand up slowly and start approaching me. No scrambling. No fake enthusiasm or over the top nerves. I like that.

"Let’s go," I say "Training Ground Twelve awaits us. Pack light. Bring legs."

Ryoma opens his mouth and I see the gears turning in his head, but the girl nudges him with her book before he can open his mouth.

We walk for a while in amicable silence. The village was quiet at this time of day. I let them follow at their own pace while I stick to a more disinterested posture and move around the senbon in my mouth.

I notice Noa walking slightly off-center, just enough to keep everyone in her peripheral. Daichi takes up the rear like he’d been doing it forever, like it was his place. Mmmm? Were they friends before this?

Ryoma... I´m not sure what Ryoma is doing.

"So, uh... are we allowed to ask questions, or is this more of a ‘speak only if dying’ kind of leadership style?"

I don´t stop. "Ask a question and find out"

"That’s a trap"

"Correct" I smirk

I hear a quiet snort behind me. Noa. So the girl had a sense of humor after all. I bit back a smile.

Training Ground 12 was a mess. Overgrown grass, half-buried kunai, a training dummy with only one arm and a suspicious burn mark in plain center. If they pass, cleaning and adapting it is going to go on top of the list. For them, of course.

Most fields have names or at least some kind of nickname. This one just got ignored most of the time. A little further out and no water in sight. This is usually where I went when I was younger and didn´t want to be found. Fitting for today I guess.

I stop near the middle and turn to face them.

They spread out instinctively, not in a line and not too tight. Just enough space to move.

They are still watching. Still cautious. They don´t trust me. Very good. Maybe this team is not going to be an instant fail.

"Alright," I say "Names first. I know your files, but files lie. Tell me who you are."

The girl answers first.

"Noa."

"Just Noa?"

"Just Noa. No surname" I already know that. That wasn´t what I was asking though. 

"Fine" I sigh. Couldn´t she give me something more? "Got a favorite element?" I ask randomly

"Water. I think."

"Good. Maybe we’ll see if the feeling’s mutual."

She cracks the tiniest smile.

I point to Big Guy.

"Daichi Yumako" 

"Can you talk?"

"Sometimes"

"When’s that?"

"When I have something worth saying”

I nod “Smart kid. You might live the longest”

Then I look at Ryoma.

"Ryoma Kirai. Genjutsu specialist in progress. Handsome ninja and resident wiseass"

"I figured that last one out already."

"Then I’m already predictable. Terrible start"

I pause for a second "You’re lucky I’m patient"

I let them standing there a few moments longer, then I pull the senbon from my mouth and twirl it once between my fingers.

"So. Here’s the deal. You’re Team 12. No fancy surname or bloodlines to back you up.  Also no hype. You know what that means?"

Daichi doesn´t move. Noa tilts her head to the right. Ryoma raises an eyebrow.

"It means no one expects anything from you. That’s a gift and a curse. If you screw up, no one cares. No disappointment for you or the village. If you succeed, suddenly you’re interesting and everyone is going to say they already knew it”

I tap the senbon against my palm.

"Alright. Let’s get to the real reason we’re here. Graduation doesn’t make you shinobi. Not really. It makes you a possibility. A maybe. This is where we find out if you’re worth keeping or you go back to the Academy or right into the genin corps. Fair warning, it is hard to get out of there”

Ryoma and Daichi are surprised, but they don´t seem scared. Noa… already knew. The quiet shift in her stance. The way her eyes flickers to the edge of the training field and back to me. She is ready to put up a fight.

“I am going to test you. It’s on me to decide if you pass or not. Some jonin fail their whole team on the spot. Others mess around with bells and lectures about teamwork. I don’t do theater. I don’t believe in stupid mind games or pretending that you need to know how to be a true ninja just 5 minutes after graduating. Just do your best and work as a team"

I look at them, one at a time. They are awake. Shoulders tense, ready. They look at each other and I see Daichi giving a subtle nod to the other two.

“Ok, we start now. Fight me, and try to land a hit on me. That´s it”

Ryoma squints “Wait, like… now now?”

“Unless you need to stretch?”

Daichi doesn´t even flinch, Noa narrows her eyes slightly and Ryoma tilts his head like he is  trying to figure out how much I am bluffing.

“No tricks” I added. “Just me. One minute”

Ryoma takes one long breath and mutters “Well. This is going to be humiliating”

I drop into a casual stance, legs loose, my weight shifts to my back heel.

“Whenever you’re ready”

They hesitate briefly. Then they move.

Noa is first. Straight in, fast and clean, no wasted motion. Not recklessness. She isn’t trying to take me out; she is probing me, testing space, watching how I adjust.

Ryoma peles off to the right, circling, already forming seals. I felt his chakra flicker, illusion prep. Good timing too.

Daichi holds back half a beat longer, then rushes forward low, aiming for a sweep.

They are coordinated, but not perfect. No plan yet. Still testing the waters. But they don´t have time. I sidestep Noa, duck under Daichi’s leg, and break Ryoma’s genjutsu just before it slips in. Simple stuff, visual distortion. 

“Nice try” I say aloud. Then, I vanish with a Body flicker, just enough to get behind them.

They turn fast. Fast reactions and good instincts. Good. But they don´t follow up. Tch.

“Thirty seconds” I call

Ryoma looks at Noa, and she nods.

Something has passed between them. Daichi exhales, deep and solid, and steps forward like a battering ram. He doen´t sprint. He presses. Deliberate, tank-style. I wait.

Noa goes low behind him, obscured by Daichi´s size, and then kicks off his back like a springboard, leaping overhead. Aerial angle.

I pivot and catch her ankle midair, twisting gently,  not enough to break but enough to hurt.

She twists and lands on her feet  a little heavy. I flick my wrist and with a Kai Ryoma’s next genjutsu is gone too.

“Ten seconds”

They rush again, this time all three together. The coordination is better, but I still Dodge each of them easily. Each hit is timed and they are constantly watching each other as well as me. They are adapting.

I take a step back just as Daichi’s punch grazes the edge of my vest.

“Time”

They stop immediately. No arguing about injustice or crying about not being able to do something like this. They are panting, but their eyes are determined.

They look at me, waiting for the judgment.

I stretch  my neck and let the silence hold for a few more seconds.

“Well” I say  finally “I’ve seen better… but I have also seen worse”

Ryoma grins and wipes a bit of dust from his sleeve “That’s almost a compliment”

Noa doesn´t comment, but her shoulders have dropped, not in defeat but in adjustment. Her brows are a bit frowned. She is already filing the fight away in her head. Probably thinking about what they did wrong and how to improve it. Seems like I got a little thinker in the making.

Daichi just nods once. I swear the kid is harder to read than an Uchiha.

I pull a new senbon out of my vest and pop it into my mouth again.

“You’ve got the basics. Coordination’s rough right now, but we will work on it and it’ll come. You watch each other. You don’t freeze. And you didn’t scream, cry, or try to stab each other, so we’re ahead of the curve. The rest is patience and training. You pass”

I point to where we were.

“Tomorrow we meet here. 6 am sharp. You are going to learn what training really means. Real drills. Real pain”

Ryoma groans

“That wasn’t the real pain?”

“That wasn´t even the warm-up”

I turn to walk off but before I exit the training ground I pause

“Ah, almost forgot. Guys” I call

They look up

“Good job today”

…

POV: SHIKAMARU NARA

Troublesome day. Really, really troublesome.

It all started with Asuma showing up with that red-eyed lady and him constantly trying to be cool or something. It did not work.

Then, when we finally go on our way he gives us this whole speech about "testing our synergy" and having to pass a special test to truly become genin and then, get this, he pulls out a board of shogi and two sets of wooden practice kunai. That was his test. He made Choji spar with him for a bit and had Ino do some chakra control trick with a flower on her palm. As for me, he sat me down for a game os shogi. He was so smug, clearly thinking he could win. He lasted 15 minutes. Barely. At least his incredulous face was fun.

Then he dragged us to Yakiniku for barbacue. Said it was a "team bonding exercise" and that he was the one paying. Rookie mistake. Of course Choji was over the moon, and made the rest of us follow along. 

Ino spent the whole meal crying and complaining about why she got stuck with us instead of his incredible "Sasuke-kun" and bossing everyone around.  Asuma-sensei kept looking at the prices as Choji kept ordering more and more food. It was all very troublesome.

So by the time I finally make it home I am full, tired and ready to dive into my bed and not be disturbed in at least a week. Naturally, it is not to be.

"Shoes off Shikamaru!" comes my mom’s voice from deeper inside

"Already off" I mutter

I walk into the living room to find my father and uncle already halfway through a shogi match.

"Hello" I mumble, looking at the board and setting my bag down "You're cheating, old man. You moved your bishop like a rook."

Dad didn't even glance up "That's called psychological warfare"

"That's called cheating"

"Only if I get caught"

Ensui-oji-san snorts. He was slouched on the opposite side of the board, long fingers drumming on the table's edge. My uncle looks just like Dad, only a little sharper around the eyes, more pulled-together. The main difference between them are the height (my dad´s taller) and  uncle´s signature green eyeliner. 

I like him and when I was a kid I used to look up to him a lot.

Nowadays, he rarely visits, and when he does, it's always late and he doesn´t say much. Which is weird, because when he does talk, he's actually funny.

I think he is just tired. It´s been some years since he started doing a lot of missions one after another. Mostly classified ones, never giving any details about where he was going or for how long. ANBU probably.

"Hey Shika-kun" Uncle greets me with a smile, sliding one of his pieces forward without looking "Pass me that bottle of tea, can you?"

I throw it without fanfare and he catches it one-handed

"How was the grand jounin test?" Dad asks, moving a pawn.

"Stupid"

"Passed?"

"Obviously"

He hums like he expected nothing less.

Mom's voice rings out from the kitchen "You sound grouchy. Did Ino drag you shopping again?"

"Luckily no. It was Asuma. Thought it was a great idea to invite an Akimichi to dinner, and we just tagged along"

"Ahhh. Rookie mistake" Dad muttered.

"That´s what I thought too" I said flopping next to the boar to keep up with the game. Guess my plan is officially derailed.

"Did the other teams do their tests today?" I ask after a while

"Most jonin do the real tests the next day" Ensui- oji says without looking up. "Gives them time to breathe, observe, play the long con"

"Only Genma’s team did it today too. They passed" Dad adds, dropping that casually like he isn´t giving up information I should probably not be privy to. Well, I asked after all. 

I sat up slightly "Genma?"

Dad finally looked at me. "Yeah. One of Chouza´s students. He is Team 12 sensei now. He came into the Hokage’s office this afternoon while I was there. Wouldn’t stop going on about his new team and how well they did on his test"

Ensui smirked "I saw him at the jounin lounge. He actually seemed...happy. Like, real happy. Couldn´t stop blabbering about them"

"Yeah. He said they were sharp, that he tried to keep it simple and short, just told them to land a hit on him in a minute or something like that" Dad leans back, his back creaking at the move "Didn’t expect much at first. Got surprised"

"Team 12?" I ask, pretending I don’t know who is in it. I know. Of course I know. I keep track of everything. Especially when my friends are involved. 

"Mmhmm" Dad nodded with a smirk that tells me he hasn´t believed my act for a second “Noa-chan and other two boys: Daichi Yumako and Ryoma Kirai. Do you know them?”

“Barely. Both were very quiet in class. Didn´t give trouble nor did anything specially impressive” I say trying to remember more “Ah. I think Ryoma borrowed my notes a while ago. Said I had ‘dead guy handwriting’, whatever that means”

Ensui barks a laugh “He said that to your face?”

I shrug. “Yeah. He’s weird”

Mom enters the room then, wiping her hands on a cloth. "What’s this about Genma-kun?"

"Passed is first genin Team. Team 12, Noa-chan´s”

“Yeah? How was the test then?”

"Noa-chan was the first to move. Real quick and good instincts and improvisation. The big one, Daichi I think, gave her a boost mid-fight. Uncoordinated, but solid. Ryoma is the surprise of the day. Genjutsu type, very good for his age. Almost tagged Genma twice, apparently. Genma actually said he might've had to blink if they kept pushing” Dad answers

Ensui-oji chuckles. "Yeah, seems like they made an impression. Nobody expected it"

"Noa-chan´s team huh… Haven´t seen her in a while” She tilts her head, looking thoughtful. "You know, she’s a good one. Polite. Helped me with groceries once."

"She likes dogs too" I offer before I can stop myself. 

Dad raises an eyebrow at me

“Oho… Dogs uh…”

I shrug, a little ashamed. Why did I say that? "Akamaru likes her a lot. She petted him at school all the time"

"So" Mom says slowly, changing the topic. I give her one thankful look "Team 12 might actually shake things up."

"If Genma doesn’t overdo it" Dad mutters

"If he does, the girl will call him out or do something about it" Ensui says "She’s got a spine, that one"

"You´ve met her?" I ask surprised

"Once. I was... kind of in the middle of a mission" He answers vaguely looking at my dad. A classified mission then "She doesn´t say much but she´s always watching and noting everything. Terrifying instincts too. I liked her"

The board between them shifts again. I don’t even know whose turn it is anymore.

"You know" Dad said, tapping a rook "you should keep an eye on them Shika. They might be nobodies now, but with enough training and some time… maybe they will give you and your team a run for your money"

"Wouldn´t be the first time” my uncle murmurs

For a moment the room falls in silence.

"Troublesome world" Dad mutters

"But it´s worth playing" Mom replies giving dad a kiss on the cheek. Ugh. 

Chapter Text

POV: GENMA

Today I am in a good mood. The air is crisp enough to bite, but not enough that it is uncomfortable. Perfect day to start training my little demons.

I have to admit that at first I was not very happy with this… assignment. I am not even a full jonin. Just a tokubetsu, thank god. So I shouldn’t have to take on students, only apprentices in my specialty, if I wanted them (I didn’t).

But the Hokage asked me himself. Said they were short on jounin instructors, too many teams and not enough hands. Just get them through the test, he said. It’s mostly for show, he said.

I said yes because I figured they’d be a disaster and I could wash my hands clean within a day.

But they weren’t.

They weren’t flashy and they didn´t stand out much. They were just 3 smart kids that had no fantasies about the life they were getting into, and just wanted to get better.

After the test I went straight to the Academy to talk to the instructors. Iruka had assured me that before yesterday they did not talk to each other at all. They moved in completely different cicles. So they just had the lunch before the announcement to talk to each other and establish some kind of rapport. Their teamwork wasn´t practiced, it was just their will to work together, to unite to be able to fight against someone that was so obviously superior to them.

I liked them.

Let the others keep their fancy clan heirs. Let Kakashi keep his genius Uchiha and the Jinchūriki wildcard. Mine have brains and guts.

THAT is the type of team I want.

…

Training Ground Twelve looks like it has just woken up hungover. Damp grass, half a mistbank hugging the low shrubs and birds that sound personally offended by the hour.

I am there ten minutes early, hidden in the trees. No reason, really. I tell myself it is to get set up, but I don’t need to set up anything. I just like the quiet before the kids show up. And maybe, maybe, I am a little curious to see who would be first and how would they act when they thought I couldn´t see them.

Daichi arrives 5 minutes later. Straight back, steady steps, gear squared away and eyes clear.  Not a sight of sleepiness in his frame. Honestly, the kid’s like a living mountain. I chuckle to myself.

Then comes Noa, not long after. Just on the dot. Hair still damp from a rinse. She moves without rush, no sign of nerves. Just sharp-eyed calm. She stops just when she is about to reach Daichi an frowns. Slowly she starts turning her body to where I am hidden, before pausing mid-motion. Huh. A sensor? There was nothing about that in her files.

“You good?” Asks mountain-man scanning the surroundings too.

“Yeah… Just thought there was an annoying bird around here. Must be a bit paranoid”

Ryoma staggers in last, muttering something into his sleeve about war crimes and child abuse. His vest is half-zipped and he has toast in his mouth like a kid in a sitcom. He looks like he sprinted halfway and gave up the second he spotted his teammates.

“Why” he mumbles past his breakfast, “are all ninja morning people? What kind of dystopian institution is this?”

Daichi blinks. “It’s six-oh-three”

“My point exactly” Ryoma grunts, flopping onto a patch of grass like it insulted his ancestors. “I was promised explosions and cool moves, not sleep deprivation”

Noa doesn’t answer. Just tosses him a small cloth from her pouch. He catches it mid-toast and uses it to wipe his fingers with a half-mumbled “Thanks”

She still hasn’t looked toward me again, but she hasn’t turned her back on the treeline, either. Smart kid. I’m starting to get the feeling her paranoia has nothing to do with the academy and everything to do with what her life has been, being an orphan with no support can not be easy. Makes me curious.

After a few moments of quiet (aside from Ryoma groaning into his toast), I finally drop from the branch with a slow stretch.

Ryoma yelps and scrambles half-up. “Oh come on. Really?!?”

I grin around the senbon already tucked between my teeth.

“Good,” I said. “You’re on time. Keep it up and we will get along just fine kiddos!”

Ryoma makes a show of collapsing onto the grass. “Are you always this cheery in the morning, or is it just when you know we’re going to suffer?”

“Oh,  I’m delighted when you suffer. It's how I know you’re learning. You´ll see”

Noa snorts and Daichi blinks slowly, which I am starting to recognize as his version of amusement.

After one last glance, I drop the grin and square my shoulders. Time to lay it out.

“Alright,” I say “No more jokes. Here’s the deal” I pause for a moment, thinking about how I am going to say what I need to “Starting today, this is your life. Every morning, every day, until I say otherwise. You show up here at dawn. We train and we train hard. Then we go on a mission. Then, depending on how wrecked you are, we review the day, work on strategies, or drill individually. That’s your routine for the foreseeable future. We will just rest a day a week. And when I say rest is rest. Not an excuse to experiment or do anything stupid” And I say that from personal experience. Does not end well.

No one speaks. I nod toward the center.

“Now. Let’s start with something simple. I want to hear it from you. What do you think your strengths are and, even more important, what’s dragging you down?”

Ryoma raises a hand

“Yes, Kirai, future comedian of the year?”

He lowers it, unbothered. “I’m good with genjutsu. Mental interference, Illusion layering, all that. In terms of chakra usage, I am more about precisión than power. I’ve been studying medical theory for some time too, but I’m not nearly good enough to help anyone. Weaknesses? Physically, I’m built like a twink. My resistance can be worked on too…” He pauses “And I complain a lot. Especially when I am frustrated”

Mmm. Interesting abilities, rare ones at that. I know his parents are both chunins working in the hospital, so the medical part makes sense but... Where the hell has he learned to use illusions like that? More importantly, he knows himself well. Good. I can work with that. This is starting to look like gold material.

“You weren´t so talkative in the Academy” interrupts Noa “Why the change?”

“Ah, that” Answers the mini-demon “Well, there is no elaborate reason or anything really. Just… thought I was better off keeping my thoughts to myself, you know?”

So the kid is also perceptive uh… Noa nods at that.

“Fair” I say “Next?”

Daichi looks up.

“I am strong, really strong. And fast enough. Steady. I make a good defense. I lack a good taijutsu style though. Aso I am weak at ninjutsu. My chakra control is lacking at the moment”

“You talk in footnotes too” Ryoma mutters

Daichi blinks at him. “You talk in essays”

Have to fight a laugh at that.

“Good,” I say “You two are honest and don´t brag. That’ll help. Daichi, I´m going to need to test your punches later ok? Just to have a clear picture”

“Yes, sensei”

“Last but not least, Noa. What do you have for me?” I am excited now. it´s been a while since any no-clan-ninja has given trouble to the clan kids.

“Control is my strongest point. My chakra’s clean and responsive. My taijutsu is decent too. Is not the heavy-hitting kind. I lean more towards fast movement and precise strikes. Also, I think I am quite intelligent too. I pick up terrain patterns quickly. And I learn concepts pretty quick. Weakness...?”

She pauses.

“My mind and lack of jutsu arsenal mainly. I tend to analyze too long if I don’t catch myself. Overthinking makes me slow. Also, lack of experience in general. Aside from the spars we’ve done at the Academy, I’ve only practiced with training dummies”

She looks at me like that was enough, and yeah that was a very extended report of her abilities. But what about her sensing capabilities? Was I wrong?

I decide to let it slide for now.

“Alright guys, great descriptions. I applaud you. It is not easy to admit one´s weak points” I tell them honestly “Now  here’s what I see:  

Ryoma, you’ve got high potential but zero patience. Genjutsu and Medical Ninjutsu fit you well, I believe, and we are going to keep working on them. However, your combat capabilities and lack of patience are a concern. You’re going to break something, hopefully not yourself, if you don’t learn to breathe before casting.”

Daichi, you’re probably the most stable genin I’ve ever seen. You move like you already know what’s important and your body gives you and advantage in close quarters. But you’re going to need to be more than a shield. Versatility is also important. Don´t worry, you’ll get there.

Noa… I agree you are smart. I think you have an exceptional ability to draw patterns and think strategies. That’s a strength and a trap. Learn when to move, not just plan. About the jutsu arsenal stuff and experience, that will come with time and I will help you, but first we will have to master the basics”

I pause and let it sit for a second. I really like this bunch. They are not arrogant nor submissive. They have that kind of determined shine in their eyes that I shared at their age and they are open to working together. Also, they are smart enough to understand I am not a magical fairy. That I can help them, but they will have to put the work for it.

None of them speak now, they are taking all in. I give them another push.

“You’re not like the other teams. I’m not saying that to make you feel special. I’m saying it so you don’t forget what you’re up against.

Those other kids in your class? They’ve got clans backing them. They’ve been throwing kunai since they were six and had tutors and specialized scrolls handed down for generations. You are weaker than them. But you’re not behind because you’re worse. You’re behind because you’re starting further back.

Which means you have to work harder. Smarter. Cleaner. No wasted time.

I’ll train you. I’ll push you. I’ll get you strong. But I don’t carry anyone. You will be the ones sweating and suffering”

I let that land.

“So… are you ready to work with me? To put in the work?”

All three of them look me in the eyes. They are burning. Determined.

“Yes, Genma-Sensei!”

I smile wildly

“Perfect” I clap my hands “Now… today’s schedule. First half of training: physical. Resistance, speed, strength, taijutsu, agility. Yes, Ryoma, you’ll suffer” I tell him before he can open his mouth.

“Second half, chakra control. We’re starting with the basics: tree-walking, target channeling, balance under strain. Once you stabilize, we move to elemental affinity and jutsu shaping. Today, no missions”

“Any questions?”

Ryoma raises a hand again. I gave him a look. He put it down.

“Great” I said, spinning the senbon once around my fingers. “Let’s begin! Try not to throw up”

…

POV: NOA

I’ve never hated grass before.

Not really. Not until my face is in it for the third time in less than an hour and I’m too tired to spit it out.

I roll onto my back, arms aching, chest burning, vision filled with the sky. Clouds drift overhead like they have somewhere better to be.

Above me, Genma’s silhouette blocks the light of the sun. Ugggg, It´s just mid morning and I already feel done. My body is not responding any more.

“That was better” says Genma-sensei, chewing lazily on a senbon, with half a smile. “Still tragic. But better than at the beginning of the session”

Then he’s gone again, strolling off happily like gravity doesn’t apply to him. He is having fun with this, no doubt about that.

Across the field, Ryoma is facedown in the dirt, whispering something that sounds like a death curse. Daichi’s still upright, somehow, but barely I think. His shoulders are sagging, his eyes are almost closing and his shirt is soaked through. He looks like a boulder someone forgot to roll downhill.

I thought I trained hard. I thought this was not going to be so different. Maybe more focused in fighting or in ninjutsu or something like that. But no. THIS is training. Real ninja training.

I want to complain. I want to hate sensei, to tell him this is too much, that we are only 12 but I can´t.

This is hard, too hard maybe. But I also know that it´s necessary. But I hate it. I really do. And despite everything, I kind of love it too.

This is exactly what Genma promised. Hard training, but good training. The kind that will make us better. Stronger. The kind that will help us survive in this fucking crazy world.

…

Some time before...

The morning starts with a run. Not a casual jog. A terrain loop. Full incline, unstable ground, roots that try to eat your ankles, and a fallen tree Genma definitely could have cleared himself but made us climb like goats.

Daichi leads. Steady, deliberate, no nonsense. His pace doesn’t change whether Genma barks or Ryoma wheezes. It just continues.

Ryoma keeps up through sheer force of pride. He complains almost immediately but doesn’t fall back. That counts for something I guess. For me, it does at least.

I stay in the middle. Always the middle. I am fast, but I don´t know when we will be allowed to stop, or if after this comes something worse. I have to make an effort, but I can´t afford to flail mid session.

When we finally stumble back into the clearing, Genma tosses us water bottles like we’re dogs who just pulled off a trick. Fuck, and he seemed like a nice one.

“Stretch,” he says, lounging on a rock like a smug forest cat.

Then come the weights.

Sandbags, ropes, vests. Ankles, wrists, back.

“Imagine they’re your bad decisions,” Genma says “Carry them”

We run drills. Taijutsu basics. Punches, kicks, pivots, stances. Genma-sensei, always there. Always correcting our posture and making sure we don´t injure ourselves. It does not make the exercises easier.

I’ve done resistance training before. Mostly on my own. Tying rocks to my legs. Sprinting behind the orphanage. But this is different. This is designed to hurt. It’s specific. Unforgiving.

Ryoma keeps trying to make jokes at each turn. They start strong, fade to wheezes, and die entirely when Genma adds another set of reps.

Daichi barely says a word. Occasionally grunts. Stays upright like it’s his personal mission. Of course, he is lifting almost twice as much as we are.

Genma circles us like a critic at a half-decent play.

“More weight in the back foot, Noa.”

“That’s not a kick, Ryoma. That’s a cry for help.”

“Daichi, you can have all the strength in the world, that if your posture is wrong you will be the one on the floor”

There’s a rhythm to it. Strain, sweat, correction. The kind of rhythm that makes your body memorize pain in layers.

Then we spar.

First round: Ryoma versus Daichi.

It’s… tragic. But educational.

Ryoma’s fast. He darts in with sharp footing and clever angles. But Daichi doesn’t chase. He lets the attacks come, absorbs what he can, blocks the rest, and presses forward like a closing wall.

Eventually, Ryoma slips, breathless, and Daichi tags him with a flat palm to the chest. Match´s over.

Genma doesn’t comment. Just points at me.

“You’re up”

Daichi and I step in.

He doesn’t smile. I don’t, either.

We move.

It’s careful, at first. He’s big, but not sloppy. Controlled. A bit indecisive at times. I test his range and footwork. He tests my timing.

I land one glancing blow to his side, twisting mid-dodge to touch his vest. Nothing serious. Just a point.

He nods to me.

Genma nods too but says nothing.

In the end he calls it a draw. I´m fast enough that Daichi can´t hit me, but my attacks are also too weak to do any damage to him.

After that is Ryoma and I´s turn. I can´t do much this time. Too exhausted to move properly and he knows it. The match is over in les that 5 minutes.

It seems we are finished for the day.

Or not.

…

5 minutes of rest. Maybe less. Then Genma-sensei tosses a scroll to each of us. 

"That´s a storage scroll" He explains "Right now it has a few bottles of water, but you can later reuse them for whatever you want. Now drink up, we are not finished"

Daichi opens it first. Drinks. Ryoma goes next, dramatically wiping his forehead like someone in a fevered play. I sip last. I don’t gulp, I measure carefully.

Genma doesn’t say anything for a long moment. Just watches. Then:

"Next" he says, rising to his feet with that lazy kind of balance he uses like a brand "Chakra control" Okay, that is not so bad.

Ryoma groans softly, though it sounds more like a groan of anticipation than dread. I raise an eyebrow. He’s good at genjutsu, meaning his control should be at least decent. Daichi shifts his weight like he knows exactly what’s coming and hates it already. Finally, we might see golden boy have a tough time. 

"Come here” Says Genma moving to the nearest tree.

I already know what this will be: the tree-walking drill. The very first step in chakra control. Well, real chakra control, the leaf exercise does not count. I spent almost 3 days learning how to climb. Not super easy, but once you get the hang of it, it´s only a matter of practice.

Ryoma rolls his shoulders and stretches his wrists. Daichi flexes his fingers twice and narrows his eyes at the trees like they’ve offended him personally.

We line up.

Genma points to the bark. "Ok, see the tree? Your objetive is to climb it” A dramatic pause “With chakra, of course”

We must not make the reaction he expected, because he sighs and mutters something about “students being no fun”.

“How about a demonstration, sensei?” asks Ryoma

“Sure”

Then, sensei goes up the tree and starts explaining how to distribute the chakra and some tricks to do it right. Oy, Kakashi didn´t say anything about that in the anime. But also… Kakashi was not what I would call a good sensei either.

I huff a little. I´m glad Genma-sensei is competent but… all this would have been great when I was learning it. Damn it.

“Now, show me what you’ve got kids"

I don’t wait for a cue. I take a breath, mold my chakra out of habit, and walk forward, straight up the tree.

Four steps. Eight. Twelve.

Halfway up, Genma’s voice cuts the air.

"Noa"

I pause, one foot balanced perfectly flat against the trunk.

"Did I forget to mention that this was supposed to be hard?"

I glance down. “Sorry. I’ve done this before”

Silence.

Ryoma mutters something faintly like, "Right, she did say that..." under his breath.

Genma squints like I’ve ruined his morning routine. "Tree-walking huh. What about water-walking?"

I nod. “Yeah. That too”

“Since when?”

“Couple months now”

“Who taught you?

“Books mostly. Then just… practice, a lot of it” I say remembering the multiple times I fell on my butt or drenched myself in cold water.

He blows a slow breath through his nose. "Of course I get the self-taught overachiever" 

He turns to the boys "Did you two know she could do that?"

Ryoma shrugs. “She mentioned it at Ichiraku. I thought she was exaggerating a bit. Turns out, not”

Daichi says nothing, but his jaw ticks. What? He can destroy a boulder with a punch, I do not pity him sorryyy. Ara, turns out I can be petty too.

Genma shakes his head like he’s had too much coffee and not enough explanations. “Fine. New rule: Noa carries Daichi until he gets it. I will think about what to do with you later" he adds the last part looking at me weirdly. 

Ryoma lifts a hand. "Is that metaphorical or do I get a turn being carried too?"

Genma gives him a look. “Try me”

We refocus. Ryoma steps up next and, to no one’s real surprise, manages a decent start. He’s not flawless, and the does fall a couple of times but it’s clear he’s got good chakra control”

Daichi, though… He takes three steps. Holds. Fourth step. And he drops. Hard. The bark scrapes his palms. He doesn’t cry out, doesn’t flinch. Just exhales, gets up, and does it again.

This is going to take him time.

"Slow down your flow" I offer quietly after his fourth try. "It’s not about strength. It’s rhythm."

He nods once. Next attempt lasts six steps.

I keep coaching him through the exercise. Is not exactly hard, I just have to tell him when he should put more chacra and when less. He is also not too bad at channeling it, just unused to it. I guess it is normal, his main strength is his own body and he did say that he had a hard time learning the academy three.

Genma doesn’t interrupt. He just observes from a crooked perch in the tree, one leg dangling, senbon turning slowly between his teeth.

Minutes pass.

Then more.

By the end of the morning, Ryoma has made it up and down three full times, muttering insults to the tree the entire way. Daichi has made it halfway up without falling.

Genma finally calls time.

“Alright,” he says, voice easy, like we haven’t all just wrung our chakra systems dry. “That’s it for today”

I drop down lightly. My legs tingle with feedback.

He tosses a wrapped bundle to each of us “Eat something. Stretch. Then go home to rest. You will need it, if you want to survive tomorrow”

Three onigiri, perfectly packed. I grab one. Ryoma collapses beside me and tears into his like it’s his last meal.

Daichi sits last, carefully folding his cloth before unwrapping the food. Always neat, that one.

Ryoma leans back into the grass with a satisfied hum. “Okay, this was hell. But also weirdly addictive”

“Spoken like a true masochist” I say, deadpan.

He grins. “You love it”

“I tolerate it”

“Same thing”

Daichi looks between us. “We’ll be sore tomorrow”

I nod. “Good. Means it’s working”

Up in the tree, Genma hasn’t moved. Still lounging like a cat who owns the world. Still watching.

He sees me glance his way. Raises an eyebrow and smiles like he is the least harmful person in the world. Seem like nice-sensei is back.

I look away with a small smile myself. I know I’ll be back here again tomorrow. And every day after. 

After all, I´ve wanted someone to help me for a long time. It wouldn´t do to start being picky now. Better get used to his methods.

Chapter Text

POV: NOA

The first memory I have in this life is of the sound of bells. Weird right?

It was not some traumatic memory or a pillar moment on my life or anything dramatic, really. 

Just the sound of the little golden bells the old matron wore on her belt at the orphanage, so we’d always hear her coming. I think it was some kind of conditioning so we would stop causing a ruckus and acted all polite around her. Not too sure about that tough.

They weren’t cruel at the orphanage. Not unkind. Just… indifferent in the way people can be when they’re too busy, too tired, or too stretched to care deeply about more than the basics. There was food and shelter. A schedule. Chores. Rules. The matron wasn’t a monster, but she also wasn’t anyone’s mother, and they made sure we knew it.

The bells meant it was time to move. Wake up. Line up. Eat fast. Be quiet. Sit still. 

They used to make my stomach twist. Even now, I sometimes flinch at the sound of those chimes. It’s not fear, exactly. Just… a memory, a little trigger that still makes me pay attention and straighten my back.

From the beginning I was not as clingy and prone to tears as the other kids. For me it was just normal to not have that kind of attention we saw the kids with parents enjoy at the park. I thought it simply was not meant to be. I was used to it, specially since I did not remember anything before the orphanage.

Little did I know that I would soon start getting a different answer in the form of weird memories and knowledge nobody had taught me.

It all came little by little and by the time I was six, I already had the full picture of Before, and I had a bit of an understanding on where exactly I was. It was confusing and terrifying. Even with all the knowledge in the world and the memories of another life, I was still a kid, confused, scared, alone and very, very small. A kid without her home, a kid that by then knew she had had a family once. A real one.

I missed my mother the most. My real one, from Before. She was a sharp woman, strict but warm underneath. She had that kind of strength that didn’t yell to be heard. The kind of person who would not punish you for a mistake, she simply would make jokes about it or sarcastic comments here and there and laugh at you. It was very embarrassing, but really effective.

She divorced my father when I was a teen. By then, I already knew how fucked up our family was. What a narcissistic and horrible dad I had. I remember watching her stand her ground when he tried to make her small. Tried to turn her into a servant in her own home.

She didn’t let him. She protected me and my little brother from him and from everyone that meant us harm.

I like to think, there’s a part of me that still carries that, her firm resolve. The will to not let anyone make you small.

Maybe that’s why orphan life never quite broke me, even when it felt like I was fading into the wallpaper. I had something to anchor to, even if it was just the memory of a voice saying they loved me and meaning it.

Nowadays, I find myself thinking of my mum a lot. We´re not completely there yet, but I´m starting to feel like Team 12 could be something like… family. I feel at ease with them. We are a bunch of weirdos, all of us, but somehow we fit.

It’s been a whole month since we were assigned to our teams, and honestly, this time has been... something. The month has not passed too slow nor too quick. It´s been just... full. Maybe too full.

Like someone took four months’ worth of sore muscles, dirt-streaked uniforms, chakra burns, and half-digested field rations and crammed it all into a pressure cooker labeled “basic training". That someone being Genma-sensei, the jerk. In all honesty, I really like him, but when you are tired and sore insulting him can be really therapeutic. 

By the way, D-ranks are hell.

We’ve done at least twenty by now. Probably even twenty-five. All of them ridiculous.

We’ve weeded community gardens, helped rebuild a fence some drunk villagers knocked over, carried lumber for old carpenters, and even unclogged a canal drain that had a dead raccoon stuck in it.

I still have nightmares about the smell.

And yes, we chased Tora. The infamous cat. I used to laugh at that episode in the anime. It was so funny watching poor Team 7 try to catch the cute little pet.

Haha. No.

Tora is a menace. A devil in fur and ribbons. And the worst part? She’s smart. And fast. Why would someone want a cat like that as a pet? Dogs are better, anyway.

Still, training’s been the real killer.

Genma-sensei does not understand the meaning of moderation.

Mornings are for physical training: resistance drills, sparring rounds, strength-building that makes your bones ring. Afternoons are mission time. Evenings, if we’re lucky, are lessons in survival and strategy. If not? More drills.

No complaints accepted. No excuses recognized.

His idea of encouragement is “Try not to pass out this time”. Again, I like him, but sometimes I find myself planning his murder.

Ryoma is exhausting.

A walking monologue of sarcasm, complaints, and dramatic flair. He acts like the world is ending any time we have to do anything involving physical labor. But for all the noise, he’s usually the first to offer an extra round, the one asking Genma follow-up questions, taking notes when he thinks no one’s watching. Underneath the theatrics, he’s sharp. Dedicated. And he wants to be better, even if he complains about the entire process.

Daichi… surprised me the most. He was quiet at first. Still is, mostly. But there’s a dry kind of humor under all that stoicism. He made a joke the other day, an actual, deliberate joke, and I think Ryoma nearly fell off a wall from sheer shock.

He trains like it’s a kind of meditation. Steady. Relentless. Doesn’t talk much, but he watches. Takes everything in. And he doesn’t dismiss me when I speak or voice my opinion.

There’s a patience to him I find oddly comforting.

We’re starting to crack him open, I think. Slowly.

Today, we have the morning off. It should be great news right? No, I don´t think so. We had our mandatory rest-day (one every week), just two days ago, so Genma-sensei giving us free time with no strings attached? Ha! That’s not mercy. That’s a trap.

When he told us yesterday, I thought I was hallucinating from exhaustion. Turns out not.

Still, I’m already trembling thinking about what’s waiting for us this afternoon. We´ll probably need the extra rest time just to survive it.

I pause when I hear someone calling me.

"Noa-chan!"

…

I turn, blinking toward the voice.

"Mmm?"

Hinata is hurrying down the road toward me, one hand half-raised in a tentative wave, dark hair catching in the sunlight. She stops a little too suddenly when she reaches me, like she forgot she was in motion at all. Her fingers twist together briefly before she tucks them behind her back.

“I—I didn’t expect to see you here” she says softly, eyes warm but curious. “Are you… heading somewhere?”

I shake my head. “Not really. Just walking. I have the morning off"

That gets a real reaction. Her brows lift. “You have free time?”

“I know” I sigh, exaggerated, letting the weight of it fall in my voice. As I said, we have one day off each week. The problem? That is the only time we have off at all. And I normally spend most of it sleeping and dunking in cold baths for my poor muscles. My only social interaction in this month has been with Naruto. And even those talks have been few and far in between. I have crossed paths with Hinata before, but I was always in a hurry. As for Shikamaru and Choji, last time I saw them was on team assignment day. Am I a bad friend?

She tilts her head, confused. “But… isn’t your team training all the time?”

“We are” I nod “and that’s why I think it´s suspicious. Genma-sensei might be trying to lull us into a false sense of security before throwing us off a cliff”

“G-Genma-sensei?” she repeats. “I… don’t know that name”

“Mmmm that doesn´t surprise me” I mutter. “Senbon guy. Always wears a bandana on his head. Lives on sarcasm, weird jokes and tormenting his students”

Hinata looks vaguely alarmed.

“It’s fine,” I add “He’s… effective. And nice when he wants to” And he gives us food too. Good food.

She doesn’t look entirely reassured.

“Anyway, yeah. He gave us the morning off. But well, after waking up at sunrise every day for a month straight, I couldn’t actually stay still. So now I’m… kind of wandering?”

“Ah” Her face softens. “That makes sense”

“I mean, it’s weird. I should’ve enjoyed sleeping in, I love sleeping in, but my body just decided to launch itself out of bed at dawn like training was hardwired into my bones” I say a bit annoyed

“That… happens” Hinata nods, gently. “I woke up early today too.”

I glance at her. She’s fidgeting again, just slightly. “Do you have training today, or is it your day off too?”

“Neither, not really” she murmurs, brushing a stray hair behind her ear. “Kurenai-sensei is busy today, so she asked us to do independent drills this morning. I was going to start later”

Kurenai.

Right.

I keep my face neutral, but I can’t help the flicker of judgement in the back of my head. The anime made her seem kind, sure. She was poised and graceful, but not exactly useful. She barely taught Hinata anything. Let her confidence rot while everyone pretended it was a mystery. A jounin should’ve done better.

“You like her?” I ask casually.

Hinata’s shoulders tense, but she nods. “She’s nice. Very patient”

I hum. That’s something, at least.

“What about your team?” I ask, shifting the attention. “How are things with Kiba and Shino?”

The change in her expression is immediate. She brightens a little.

“They’re good,” she says, and I can tell she means it. “Kiba-kun is very… loud. But he’s funny. And Akamaru is sweet”

I grin. “I’d steal that cute dog if I could” 

“I-I know” she says, smiling behind her hand.

“And Shino? How is he?”

Hinata nods. “He’s good. Quiet, as always, but very kind. And smart. He´s always helping me to speak up and in training too”

I smile. Sounds just like him.

Shino has always been sharp and very observant. We’ve been teamed up several times during academy exercises and we used to eat lunch together a lot. It was oddly calming being next to someone who didn’t need to fill silences with stupid conversation. Hinata too. That’s probably why we became friends in the first place.

I glance around at the street, then back at her. “You doing anything right now?”

She shakes her head.

“Wanna go for tea?”

Her eyes widen slightly, and then she nods. “Yes. I’d like that”

…

“You’re always so composed”

That’s the first thing Hinata says once we’ve sat down, cups steaming between us. No preamble. No soft build-up. Just that.

I blink at her across the table. “What?”

She looks down, flustered, like she didn’t mean to say it aloud, like the words slipped out without permission. They probably did. Her fingers tighten slightly around her cup, knuckles pale.

“I mean…” she hesitates, voice already retreating into her throat “how do you do it? you always seem to know exactly what you’re doing. You don´t care about what others think about you or how you dress or speak. You don’t… hesitate. Not like...”

"Like you?"

Hinata nods timidly.

We’re tucked into a corner booth at a quiet little teahouse near the edge of the market. Cozy and old. Dim light, warm cushions, soft-spoken staff. It´s peaceful. The kind of space where you can relax and let go a bit.

I stir my tea absently. “I hesitate all the time”

Hinata blinks, surprised. “What? You do?”

“Sure. I just don’t show it” I glance at her. “Or I pretend it’s part of the plan”

She laughs quietly into her cup. There’s relief in the sound, like hearing I’m flawed somehow gives her permission to breathe. I sigh for the hundredth time today. Poor girl.

For a moment, neither of us says anything. We sip our tea slowly. Let the warmth settle.

Then I ask, more gently this time “How’s the clan?”

Her smile fades so fast I almost regret it.

“I… it’s fine” she says, in that way people do when it’s obviously not.

I don’t push. Not directly, or verbally. But I tilt my head slightly, watching her hands fidget near the edge of her saucer.

Hinata’s always been like this. Gentle, cautious, too used to hiding things that hurt. She doesn’t lie, exactly. Just curls around the truth and makes herself small enough to disappear.

“They’ve been expecting more” she says eventually, voice soft. “I’m trying. I really am”

I nod slowly. I already know, of course. The Hyuga clan practically breathes hierarchy and disappointment. Her father. The elders. The constant measuring up. The competition with her own sister. I’ve seen enough, in the show and in real life now, to know the shape of it.

But I let her give me the pieces she’s willing to offer.

“They shouldn’t expect perfection” I say. “Specially not while giving you so little support”

She doesn’t reply to that. Just stares into her tea like it might hold better answers than I can.

So I try again, softer. “You’ve been doing better though, right? You said training’s helping?”

A little nod. “Kurenai-sensei is kind with me and doesn´t get mad when I make mistakes. The boys are good too.  They bicker a lot but they help me a lot too” A pause. “Shino especially. He’s very thoughtful”

I smile faintly. “He is”

“You know Noa-chan… I... I miss you” Hinata’s voice dips again, hesitant, “I really miss seeing you every day. At the Academy, it always felt easier. When you were there, I felt a little braver. Like maybe I wasn’t… as hopeless as everyone thought”

That one hits.

I blink, caught off guard by how earnestly she says it. There’s no self-pity in her tone, just quiet truth. Like she’s finally let herself say something that’s been sitting in her chest for months.

“You always gave me courage” she adds, almost shyly. “You were always so calm. And smart. And… well, pretty too”

I raise an eyebrow. “Okay. Who spiked your tea?”

Hinata’s eyes go wide. “W-what?”

“You’re being very honest and open and weirdly complimentary. Are you sure you’re not secretly on something?”

She covers her mouth with both hands, a nervous little laugh escaping between them.

Still, I tilt my head and study her. She looks better than she did in the Academy, a bit steadier on her feet. Her posture’s improved, her voice has a little more shape to it. But that shadow in her eyes, the one that flickers every time she talks about home, that’s still there. Still deep. Rooted.

And I get it. I do.

But still.

“Hinata,” I say softly “you are shy. And you do lack confidence. That’s not judgement, it’s just the truth. And it’s something you’re going to have to change”

She freezes, and I know she’s waiting for the "but"

There isn’t one.

“I know your life hasn’t been easy. You didn’t get the support you should have, neither emotional or ninja-like, while getting all the pressure. And that’s not your fault. But it is your responsibility now. You’re the heiress of a powerful clan. A ninja" I point to her headband "You can’t afford to let people walk all over you forever. That’s not kindness, that’s surrender”

She bites her lip. I watch the tension creep into her shoulders.

“You’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever known” I say carefully “and yeah, that matters. But kindness without strength doesn’t protect anyone. Not even you. Specially not you”

Silence settles again.

Hinata looks down at the table with a little frown, and for a second I think maybe I pushed too hard. But then she nods, just a little. A quiet, trembling sort of nod, but it’s there. I smile.

“I get it. I´ll try” she whispers.

"Good. That´s the first step"

"Noa-chan" she adds "Can... Can you help me? How do you do it? You... you  always act like you know who you are. Like… nothing shakes you”

I stare at her. “Seriously?” We are back on that topic? 

She nods timidly.

I let out a short, sharp laugh.

“Hinata, just to be clear, I am not perfect. Nobody is. That is simply not possible. I panic at least once a week. I overthink everything. I spiral about the dumbest stuff. And don’t even get me started on how I talk in my sleep”

Her eyes widen. “You do?”

“Apparently. Ryoma says I mutter about senbon and vengeance. It’s fine.”

She giggles behind her hand.

“I’m not perfect, Hinata. I’m good at some things, bad at others. I just try to play to my strengths and minimice my shortcomings”

She nods slowly, taking that in.

...

I sip my tea. Am I doing the right thing? Should I keep talking like this to Hinata? Helping her? Telling her these things? Should I keep pushing?

I wonder about this often.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m just making ripples in water that should’ve stayed still. This world had an ending once. It was not perfect, but good. Happy enough. They survived. They grew. Naruto became Hokage. Hinata found her strength and she seemed really happy. What if stepping in, saying too much, changes something I shouldn’t touch?

Sometimes, at night, I think about not doing anything. Quitting being a ninja. Letting myself fade in the background. But then I look at her, at them. Really look.

They are my friends. They have real feelings and goals and normal problems. I have laughed with Hinata, shared food. I have been with her after her father scolded her. She has given me something to eat when I was short on money.

They are not a character on a screen. Not a side story I can turn off and forget about. 

She’s real. And hurting. And trying.

And I’ve already changed some things. Little ripples. I have made things better, even a little. Naruto is like a little brother to me already.

Maybe that is not a bad thing. Maybe that’s the point. Maybe I’m not here to play silent witness. Maybe I’m here to act. To help them a bit where I can. I had once thought I was paying God by letting the story continue as in canon. Now, I am doubting myself for wanting to do the oposite. I don´t think there is a correct answer anymore. If it´s like that, why shouldn´t I do as I see fit? Why can´t I make my own decisions?

Yes. I am not going to doubt anymore. I will live my life how I want to. And if a change some things well... I can only hope it is for the best. I am already here after all. That, on itself, is already a change.

...

The silence that follows feels softer somehow.

We both just sip our tea for a while, letting the warmth seep in.

Hinata looks steadier now, like some tension has drained out of her shoulders. Not gone, but loosened. She shifts her fingers along the rim of the cup, thoughtful.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the clan style lately” she says suddenly, almost like she didn’t mean to say it aloud.

“Oh?”

She nods. “Jūken is beautiful. Precise. But… sometimes I feel like it’s not made for me”

I blink. Now that’s unexpected. This was not supposed to happen until shippuden right? 

“It’s so rigid” she continues, eyes still on her tea. “The stance, the strikes, the expectations. It feels like I’m trying to wear something that doesn’t quite fit. Like… I’m not moving with it. I’m moving inside of it. I feel a bit... constricted?"

I lean forward, intrigued. “That’s a really good way to put it”

She blushes a little. “Sorry, I...”

“No, don’t apologize. That’s smart. It makes sense”

She glances up, tentative. “Have you ever felt like that? Like you were being… shaped into something that wasn’t quite you?”

I huff a laugh. “Hinata. I live in a village where twelve-year-olds are trained to throw knives and kill people before they get their first real crush. I feel like that every time someone talks about "duty"”

She laughs. Quiet but genuine.

I rest my elbows on the table. “Look. Jūken is a good style. But that doesn’t mean it’s sacred. And it definitely doesn’t mean it can’t be evolved”

She blinks. “But… it’s tradition. The clan...”

“Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people”

Her jaw drops a little. “Noa!”

“What?” I shrug. “It is. I’m not saying throw everything out. But you’re allowed to question it. You’re allowed to ask: ‘Does this serve me? Does it help me grow?’ Because if the answer’s no… then why are you molding your entire future around it?”

Hinata looks stunned. Not offended, just like the thought never really had permission to exist before.

"But father..."

“I’m serious” I say, softer now. “You’re not betraying your clan nor your family by wanting something different. You’re growing. People who fear change confuse evolution with rebellion. But every great ninja, every legendary one, they adapted. They made the old into something new. That’s how real strength is developed”

She breathes in slow. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“You don’t need to know yet. You’re not building a new style tomorrow. But maybe… maybe think about what kind of movements feel natural to you. What parts of Jūken make sense to your body? What feels forced? Start there”

She nods again, slower this time, absorbing it. “I… I want to protect people. But I also want to feel like myself when I do it”

“That’s a good goal.” I smile. “And maybe one day, when people look at how you fight, they’ll say, ‘That’s Hyūga Hinata’s style’ Not because you broke the rules, but because you outgrew them”

She looks down at her lap, and I can see her shoulders trembling just a little. I worry I went too far.

But then she whispers, “You always say the things I’m afraid to think out loud”

“Yeah, well, I’m annoying like that”

She smiles again. A full smile this time.

...

I lean back, letting myself relax into the cushions. Outside, the street sounds drift in through the thin paper walls, distant chatter, the clack of carts on stone, birdsong above the rooftops. Life, just happening.

Hinata sits quietly in front of me, and for a moment I just let the silence settle again. But my mind is still turning.

Because this, this is why I can´t keep quiet. Pretend I don´t see anything. Did I even have a choice from the beginning?

The story I knew is already shifting. Little cracks spreading through the familiar scenes. Naruto’s smile comes easier now. Hinata sits taller. The threads aren’t unraveling, exactly, but they’re being rewoven. Looser. Brighter.

And I’m not sure how much of that is me, or them. Does it even matter?

But I do know this: if I can help them get to where they were always meant to go, sooner, stronger, surer, then I will. Even if it means stepping out of the background. Even if it means changing more than I planned to.

I glance at her again, watching how she holds her cup a little steadier now.

“You wanna train sometime?” I ask suddenly. “Together, I mean. Just us” 

You matter Hinata. You matter to me, and I will prove it. I will make time, even if I have to take it from under the rocks.

Her eyes widen. “Really?”

“Sure. I’m curious to see what that Hinata-style might look like”

She blushes furiously but nods, smiling behind her hands. “I... I’d really like that”

“Good” I say.“Let’s do that then"

Chapter Text

POV: NOA

The sun's already high by the time I make it to Training Ground Twelve, cutting through the trees in thick, golden beams. I spot Daichi first, seated on a wide tree root with his back straight and hands resting on his knees. Ryoma is pacing nearby, throwing a kunai up and catching it again and again with increasing annoyance.

They both glance my way as I step into the clearing.

"Well, well, look who decided to show up" Ryoma says, dramatically placing a hand over his heart. "We were starting to think Genma had sent you on a secret assassination mission"

"If he did, I’d be smart enough not to tell you" I shoot back, tossing my bag aside "Besides, we didn´t set a time to be here, just "afternoon" is not a time“ Ryoma sends me an unimpressed glare "How long’ve you been here?"

"Twenty minutes" Daichi replies without opening his eyes

"Twenty-three" Ryoma corrects, just to be petty.

"And Genma-sensei?"

"Not here yet, obviously" Ryoma huffs 

I stretch my arms above my head and glance around the clearing, trying to feel if sensei is hiding nearby again. Nothing.

Well, I sit next to Daichi, we´ll just have to wait a bit. I don´t think it´s going to take long anyways. Maybe I a short nap woudn´t be a bad idea. Who knows what we are going to be doing later.

A while after, I open my eyes slowly. Someone’s coming.

Sure enough, a familiar voice calls out.

"Morning, kids"

"Afternoon" Daichi corrects quietly, deadpan.

Genma ignores that. He appears from the treeline with his usual lazy stride and wide grin, bandana in place, senbon already tucked into the corner of his mouth.

"Oh, don´t be like that. Good news: I’m still alive. Better news: You’re getting promoted"

We all freeze. What?

He grins. "To elemental ninjutsu. I think it’s time we start playing with chakra natures"

Ryoma perks up immediately. "Wait, seriously? We’re doing that now?"

Genma nods "Let´s..."

"Wait a second, sensei" I interrupt "Aren´t chakra natures advance stuff? Why are we doing elemental ninjutsu now?"

"Mmm?" Adds Ryoma "True. I think it usually comes later, way later. My parents said that now we would only be focusing on basics, teamwork and such"

Daichi, to his credit, just shrugs.

I glance at Genma, who’s already leaning against a nearby tree like he’s been waiting for us to catch up.

“Some jonin wait longer” he admits “They focus on fundamentals until their team’s practically bleeding precision. And there’s nothing wrong with that” 

“But that’s not your plan” I say

He nods. “That’s not my plan”

At least he has a plan.

Ryoma raises a brow. “So we’re what? special? an experiment maybe?” 

“You’re competent” Genma corrects, pushing the senbon between his teeth a little further to the side. “You work hard and are diligent. And you are moving pretty fast. Which doesn’t mean we’re skipping anything. Trust me, your footwork still sucks and your endurance stills needs work, but you have already mastered the chakra control exercises I´ve shown you and can even fight on water so we are moving up"

Sensei pulls a small folded stack from his pouch and fans out three slips of chakra paper. "Besides, now we are going to see what nature you are more attuned to, and then I am going to try to help you learn a few useful jutsus, low level, mind you. That is not going to be done by tomorrow, you better get that now. I’d rather give you tools early and have you incorporate them into your styles than cram them in later and have a ninja that knows many things but does not know how to use them effectively”

There’s a pause.

“That makes sense” Daichi says.

Ryoma still looks a bit doubtful, but he says “So, we’re just… adding it in? Slowly?”

“Exactly,” Genma says. “You’re all not the same person, so you won’t fight the same way. Eventually, I want you to think about how you move, how you hit, how you protect, how you win. It is essential to know oneself. And for that, knowing your chakra nature is important”

I think about that. It makes sense, really. In the anime, it felt like they gained new abilities so easily but no matter how good they were, that is simply not realistic.

Genma claps "Let’s see what kind of trouble we’re dealing with"

Daichi steps forward first. He holds the paper like it might explode. It doesn’t. Instead, it bust into a flame and burns out.

"Fire" Genma says. "Not bad. We are in the Fire Nation so it was kind of expected. Good one, regardless"

Daichi nods, and walks back.

Ryoma snatches his paper like it owes him money. The second his chakra hits it, it bursts into fire too, but before it can consume the whole paper, the top starts to crumble.

He blinks "Uh. Is that supposed to happen?"

Genma just grins and laughs "Fire affinity too. But with a secondary: earth. That suits you, I think"

"Mmm. So I have two affinities then?"

"Yes, you do" Sensei answers and before Ryoma can start celebrating he adds "That also means double work if you want to master them"

Ryoma scowls at that.

I step forward next, take the paper carefully between two fingers and push chakra into it. There’s no tearing or crumbling. No burning. Instead, it becomes soft and damp pretty quickly, like it’s absorbed all the moisture from the air around it.

"Water" Genma notes "Interesting"

I stare at the paper. Water huh. Not unexpected. I didn´t see many water users in the anime, so I am a bit lost there. Well, it is supposed to be one of the more versatile elements right?

"I like it"

…

By the time training starts in earnest, we’re already spread out across the clearing. Well, as spread out as we can be here.

Genma-sensei made two shadow clones with the kind of nonchalance that suggested he expected gasps and applause. And, to be fair, he did get some. Ryoma looked like someone had pulled a magic trick in front of him. Daichi blinked twice, which is basically a shout, coming from him.

Genma looked smug until I muttered “Naruto can do hundreds”

The grin twitched. “Really? and how do you know this huh?”

“He showed me” I tell him “A while back really. He loves them, but they are really chakra intensive so I can´t do any yet. They pop if you breathe on them thought, but they are still useful”

“Anything else you’d like to casually drop on me today, kid?”

I blink innocently. “No?”

He mutters something under his breath that sounds like"know-it-all" and “I need a raise”. Mah, he´ll get over it.

So now it’s clone-one with Daichi, clone-two with Ryoma, and the original standing next to me near the edge of the field, just beside a slow-moving  small stream that cuts behind the training posts. The boys are somewhere behind us. Distant flashes of heat and the occasional crunch of scorched bark tell me enough about how that’s going.

My section is the quietest.

Genma tosses me a scroll.

“Let´s start with something easy: Water Bullets. D-rank They are not super dangerous, but they can be quite painful if they hit right" sensei starts explaining "In your case, I can´t give you any kind of demonstration. I´m shit with water. On the positive side, you are smart and I have seen this technique a hundredth times before, so I will be able to correct you. I think"

I raise my eyebrows at the last part "Wow, that sure gives me a lot of confidence, sensei"

"Brat, get on with it"

I kneel in the grass, unrolling the parchment. It’s thick and stiff with age, ink faded in places. I wonder whose scroll is this. Written techniques are not as common as one might think. Someone’s hand has annotated the diagrams in clean forms, sharp transitions between seals. This is good.

After a few minutes, I go near the water to try it. Supposedly it helps.

“I was surprised when you said you liked water release” Genma comments suddenly, watching me with that classical nonchalance that somehow still allows him to see everything “Most people with your speed and reflexes lean toward lightning”

“Lightning huh?" I say while I think about it. About kakashi´s chidori "I think that lightning can be useful. Really cool, even. But... it sounds tiresome"

Genma-sensei laughs "tiresome? Well, I didn´t expect that one"

"Yeah. I mean... I feel like lighting is very flashy. That´s great and everything but after a while... it´s just always the same" I sit down and touch the stream "Water is more adaptable. Flexible. You can´t fight with it, you have to work with it" Beside, is not like this was new information. I have had some time now to think of some great ways of using water. Sadly, those will have to wait for some time.

“Mmmm” he says “True, you also said something about liking water in your introduction a while back right?” 

I nod. He is fishing for something, but I still don´t get what.

"Guess luck is on your side this time"

I focus on the scroll again. The instructions are simple. The execution? Probably not so much.

Ram. Tiger. Serpent.

Mold chakra. Take it to the mouth. Create form. Anchor intent.

Simple. Right.

I push chakra into the seals. A faint tremble runs through the air. The stream at my side ripples a bit. I think i might feel the change...

But that’s it.

I frown, reset, and try again.

Behind me, I hear Ryoma yell, followed by the dull crunch of something very solid being hit very hard.

Daichi doesn’t say anything, but I catch the soft boom of impact echoing through the trees.

At least I’m not the only one struggling.

“Don’t force it” Sensei says, watching my hands “Feel it. Your chakra’s already attuned to water. Let it move the way it wants to”

I nod.

Ram. Tiger. Serpent.

This time, I feel my chakra flowing easily. I take it to my mouth and start to fill it, slowly. I feel the bullet taking form. It forms a loose outline, shimmers once, then collapses in a splash. I cough and double over.

“Better” Genma says.

“Still tragic” I mutter.

“Tragic is step one. You’re not supposed to get it on the first try”

He sounds almost pleased. I give him a glare. I don´t like to fail at things. Damn it.

I roll my shoulders and force myself to relax. The seals feel more natural now and I don´t have to think about them so much anymore. There’s a rhythm to them.

“I’m going to leave you with it for a bit” he says finally. “Keep practicing. Try not to drown”

“Helpful”

“I try”

He walks off, probably to yell at Ryoma again. From the noise, I’m guessing Clone Two is a step from having an aneurism.

I am at it for a while now, and finally I make a complete bullet in my mouth. I fail the launching big time, but progress is progress.

I breathe out, quietly satisfied. I will get it soon.

…

I’m packing the scroll away when Genma reappears, hands shoved in his pockets.

“You’re done yelling at Ryoma?” I ask.

He shrugs. “Clone Two threatened early retirement. Figured I’d let him cool off”

I smirk.

Suddenly, I feel a shift in the air.

“Walk with me” he says. Voice low, like he doesn’t want the boys to hear.

I pause to glance back towards the others. What is this about? Ryoma’s voice echoes faintly through the clearing, something about Daichi cheating and rocks having feelings. Everything good on that side then.

I follow Genma as he cuts a slow path around the edge of the trees, just far enough that the others probably can’t hear. Not unless they really try.

He stops beside a half-fallen log and leans against it like it’s always been his seat. I stay standing.

“Look Noa” he says after a beat. “I’m not gonna dance around it. You’re a sensor, yeah?”

I blink at him, caught off guard by the bluntness. Not that I didn’t see it coming, he is a jounin (tokubetsu, my ass) after all. I am not stupid enough to think I can avoid this conversation forever. I just hoped it would take a bit longer.

“Yeah, I guess” I murmur. “When did you figure it out?”

“Didn’t take long” he says, eyeing me sideways. “You hid it better on the first days but it is pretty obvious once you pay attention. You turn your head towards where someone is coming from even before any of us can see them. Also, when you spar you sometimes react too quickly to movements that should be in your blinds spots. It is a good ability to have and I know you know that, which takes me to my next question. Why hide it?”

“Because it’s kind of weird” I admit. “I studied sensors a bit. In the library. I know they are rare. And useful. But my “sensing” not exactly what you could call normal”

Genma raises a brow, expression unreadable. But he does not push it. He is giving me a moment to get my head clear.

“Normal sensors feel chakra like a pulse, right?  Like… like a sonar with different ranges depending on the person” he nods “well, for me it´s not like that. It’s more like... impressions, textures, feelings sometimes”

Genma blinks. “textures?

“I said it was weird”

He gestures for me to keep going. I sigh. I guess there is no hiding it anymore.

“I have always been very attuned with chakra. My own and others. I can feel quantity, its movement and the characteristics of each person´s crakra too. Some people feel hot, others soft or sharp. Some flare like firecrackers. Some are simply loud or sound weird. I can´t help it. It´s always been like that”

Probably because in my last life, there was no chakra whatsoever so for me it. is a strange energy. At least that is my theory.

He’s quiet for a while. I expect judgment. Maybe even doubt. Apparently I am wrong.

“Noa, if we’re gonna be a team, this can’t be a secret. I know you like your secrets, and you don´t trust easily” I flinch at that “I don´t think that is a bad thing. You are entitled to keep your privacy. But you have to understand, out there, in the field, the things we don’t say can get people killed. How well can you coordinate with your team can be the difference between living or dying”

The words hit hard, but I know they are true. Genma-sensei is being 100% serious now. No senbon or stupid smirk in sight.

“I know” I say softly “I like them. I don´t mind telling them, it´s just…" 

Before I can say anymore I fell them approaching. The two clones beside them. I sigh.

“They’re coming” I mutter. “Well, I guess I should tell them now”

Sure enough, Ryoma stumbles into view with the grace of a half-awake cat, followed closely by Daichi and the two plus-one. They all stop a few feet away, blinking at us like we interrupted something. With a wave Genma dismisses the clones.

“We, uh… heard voices” Ryoma offers, eyeing us warily. “Everything okay?”

I glance at Genma. He doesn’t say anything. Just gives me a look that says it’s my call.

I nod. “Yeah. It’s fine. We were just talking. Em. You should know too” They both look at me with interest “Mmm, I am kinda… well, I am a sensor” Finally. I said it.

They look to one-another. Then at me. Then…

“That´s it?” asks Ryoma

I nod. What?

“Ugh. Don´t act so mysterious then. We thought something serious had happened” Daichi nods in support

“Wait. What?” I finally say “What do you mean not something serious? Why are you two not surprised. Hello? I said I am a sensor. That´s a big thing right?”

“Well, it certainly makes a lot of sense now, but it is not like we didn´t suspect something of the sort”

“What?!?” What the hell, that is not possible. I make sure to always be super discreet.

“woah, don´t be so loud. It is not like you were specially discreet either” Or not.

I huff and cross my arms.

I have spent my whole 12 years of this life and nobody had noticed. And now, 1 month in this team and everyone knows? Imposible! Have I gotten too careless?

“Well, back to topic”  Ryoma straightens a little. “So you are a sensor. That´s great. Were you panning some formations or what?” He looks at sensei.

“Well, not exactly” He answers, senbon back in his mouth “actually, it´s great you´re here. Noa was just explaining how her sensing works exactly”

Daichi doesn’t say anything, but his gaze sharpens, focused entirely on me. Not hostile or judging. Just interested.

Maybe I am not so careless after all. Maybe I am just comfortable here. With them. Ugh, so annoying.

Ryoma’s eyes start shining at that.

“Sooo, you ARE a special sensor then, right?”

“Uhhh, kind of? I guess so”

“So how does it work for you?” he asks, stepping closer. I feel a lot of pressure coming from him “Like, do you see chakra? Or feel it? How detailed is it? Range? Do emotional states affect it? Can you filter through layers of presence?”

I blink. “That’s… a lot of questions” What are you, a mad scientist?

He shrugs. “Ah, sorry. I just think it´s cool”

“No, it’s okay. Uh… it’s mostly sensory feelings. Kind of like touch and sound mashed together. I don’t see chakra at all. I feel it. Sometimes it has weight. Texture. Heat. Sometimes it´s like I can hear it. There are colors too, but not really colors? It´s more like some sensations fell like a certain color? I am not making any sense right?”

Ryoma nods like he’s mentally cataloging everything I say.

“I get it” He says “It’s kind of like synesthesia”

Nobody speaks now.

“Huh, now THAT actually makes a lot of sense” interjects Genma-sensei “Your chakra sense is like a sixth sense, and you perceive it with the other five. Or four, at least. Does it make you confused?”

“Not really”

“Noa, can you elaborate? It might be logical for you, but we need you to explain a bit more” Daichi says

“I mean…” I try to find my words “You have to understand, this is not new for me. I´ve been like this from the beggining. For me it´s not like if I know which sensations are from the “normal” senses or not. It is just one and the same. I´ve always known things. Like when someone was mad, even if they smiled the whole time. Or when someone was about to walk in, even before the door opened”

"can you feel emotions?"

"Mmm, no. Thank God, no" I say "That would be horrible. I just... guess it? I mean, what I feel is that your chakra gets stronger and moves more erratically when you are mad. Or that, it moves slower when you are relaxed. That kind of stuff"

“And the drawbacks? It can´t be all so simple” asks sensei, worried.

“It´s not” I anwer honestly “Normally it´s fine. Background noise in a sense. The problem is when I focus on it. It’s like tuning a dial. Everything sharpens and if the chakra is very strong or very far away it huts a lot. I haven´t used it much so apart form headaches I don´t know if there are any other effects”

“Okay, don´t worry about it. I´ll ask some people I know for tips about this. We will train it too, it can probably be controlled and trained somehow”

I smile at that. Ahhh, I am so done for, aren´t I?

“And us?” Ryoma  prompts suddenly looking “What do we feel like?”

I smile a little. “You? Actually the both of you are really funny”

“Funny how?” he asks curious

“Well, Daichi´s super heavy and loud. He is super warm. Yours on the other hand…” I make a dramatic pause “is super quiet”

Genma burst out laughing “Quiet, she says!”

“It is like slow embers. Solid. A bit grounded, too”

“Sweet” Ryoma says, clearly pleased.

Daichi tilts his head, then nods once. Accepting.

“What about me?” Asks Genma after finally getting his composure back. It feels like we are having a fun time, instead of an light interrogation.

I glance over. “You are earth-natured, right? But not like Ryoma. It is your first nature right? You feel more… crunchy”

Genma blinks. “Crunchy?”

I shrug “That´s the best I can describe it”

Ryoma breaks into a grin “Crunchy sensei huh”

Daichi huffs.

Genma groans and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Why do I even try? You are clearly the worst”

“Ohhhh, don´t be like that senseiii. You know deep down you love us”

“Deep, deep down” Genma mutters.

I shake my head, but I’m smiling now. All the tension tension gone now.

Ryoma shifts again, expression turning thoughtful. “So if you can feel people coming, could you warn us if someone was sneaking up? Even if they were masking their chakra?”

“If I’m not too tired, yeah. I could at least get a sense of movement. Maybe, direction too”

Daichi finally speaks. “That could make a big difference in missions”

Genma nods. “Exactly why it´s important to share your abilities with the team”

Ryoma crosses his arms. “Okay. But if she’s gonna warn us, we need a system. Some kind of silent signal”

“I can work on that” I say. “Hand signs, maybe. Or code words”

“And we can rotate who covers you when it gets too much” Daichi adds. “So you don’t burn out”

I stare at them for a moment, surprised. It’s not what I expected. It’s better. I can help but secretly thank whoever put us up together.

Sensei lets the silence stretch for a few seconds, then claps his hands together.

“Alright, brainstorm session over. Everyone stretch, rehydrate, and go home. I want working brains and working muscles tomorrow”

Ryoma groans. “I just sat down”

“Good,” Genma calls over his shoulder. “That means you’ll stand up faster”

Daichi offers me a hand up. I take it.

“A genjutsu expert and future medic, a sensor with great chakra control, and a big guy who is going to dominate fire ninjutsu” states Daichi smirking “I think we can become more that good”

“We will be great” answers Ryoma

I pause for a moment.

“Yeah, we will”

…

Four months later…

“Suiton: Mizurappa!”

The blast of water tears through the brush like a battering ram. I dive left and roll until I slam into a rock. My ribs protest, but I push up fast. Another jutsu already? That was way too fast.

“Ryoma!” I shout “You good?”

“Still breathing!” comes the reply, somewhere to my right. Good. He’s holding the high ground.

This was not supposed to happen. We were just going home from an easy mission. Nothing high-risk.

Then four chakra signatures closed in, silent and fast. Then, we were separated, easily.

Now I’m pinned down by a nin with a slashed forehead protector and a an expression on her face that tells me she enjoys this way too much. She hasn’t said a word since the fight started. Just grins like a mad woman. Her movements are fast, too fast. Somehow, I let myself free with Ryoma´s help.

She is toying with us.

I hate being toyed with.

“The other one is not down. He is a bit sloppy, but we should not forget about him” Ryoma calls out again, kunai whizzing from the trees and striking bark with sharp, even rhythm. “Could be faking the rank”

“Or not” I mutter under my breath. “And Iwa and Kiri? Together? Yeah, right.” What the hell is happening here? My bet is on the headbands being false.

The Kiri woman lashes out again. Her water-style is brutal and fast, but her taijutsu is better. She closes the distance between us in a flicker and forces me into a brutal close-range exchange. I’m faster now, months of drills, of Genma correcting every stance have given great results, but I’m still not fast enough.

I barely deflect the kick aimed at my temple. My footwork holds. Just barely.

Ryoma launches a genjutsu mid-exchange, he whistles low, two short notes and I feel the flare of chakra behind me. Illusion. Just for a second. It gives me the opening I need to disengage.

We’ve been training for this.

“Switch!” I shout, and he moves like he’s known me forever. He drops into range, throwing a volley of shuriken wrapped in  explosion tags, detonations set for delayed impact. They don’t hit her, but they don’t need to. They drive her back. We need space.

“I’ve got five seconds of distraction, max!” he shouts. “Use it!”

I press my hands together, already drawing moisture from the air. My chakra flows faster than it used to. Water condenses around my palms and I launch the jutsu just as she clears the smoke.

She dodges, of course she dodges, but the smile drops from her face.

The chunin appears behind Ryoma, mid-leap. I’m already moving, chakra threads whipping forward, catching his ankle mid-air and yanking him sideways into a tree. He slams into it hard and doesn’t get up right away.

“One down” I mutter. “Maybe”

The Kiri jonin doesn’t look worried. If anything, she looks thrilled.

She makes a hand seal, one I don’t recognize.

The air shifts.

“Oh no”