Starring:
Date: October 21, 2013
Summary:
A day at school for Zunoi gets an unforseen pair of visitors
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Abnormal Day At School"
Academy, Kumogakure
Another boring day in class. Most of the children had arrived already but the instructor was not there yet. Today was supposed to be one of those mundane days that taught about which end of the kunai to point at your enemy or something. Some of the other kids were already getting a little talkative and it was obvious who was in a clique clique here, a clique clique there. Here a group there a group. Everyone was grouping up.
Saito and Reizei amazingly were talking to one another though, along with some Yotsuki and a yamayuki kid that just got to the village last week.
Some commotion in the hallway as the rest of the kids come in, dispersing to the groups they feel the most comfortable in. There is some teasing, and some trashtalk between who was a better clan/fighter or who's mom makes the best ramen. Some mom jokes.
On the chalkboard at the front of the classroom was scrawled in big letters 'Rank Structure and Roles'. Guess that answers the question of what was on the dockett today for learning this morning. Some of the students start heading to their seats and sitting down out of habit, but the conversations continue.
The instructor then shows up a little late, but behind him is someone in a big hat and overcloak. It was Ogosokamaru, with Misaki walking with him up the hallway, would pause in the doorway, looking into the classroom from under that terribly large Raikage hat, and he would watch for a minute as the INstructor begins the day.
"Today, we will be learning about Ranks, team setups, specific jobs and tasks that can be handled by the individual ranks, and later today we will be doing mock exercises as small teams so you can better learn the structure." He makes some handmovements to goad the students to their seats more quickly.
Ugh, class, not something Zunoi wanted to be a part of today and if he could, he'd skip it, but having already missed so many classes this school year, he had to show up at some point. So like normal, he'd sit toward the back practicing with his training puppet as it walked across his desk. Some kids that sat nearby would watch with curiousity, while others considered it just playing with dolls. A useless skill for a future Kumo shinobi. Zunoi never paid them any mind as he kept his focus on the puppet, pulling a finger this way and that he could unlock all the secrets the training puppet held.
At the same moment the instructor showed up, Zunoi managed to adjust his fingers in a certain way while pulling back, causing one of the hands of the puppets to shoot off and fly toward the chalkboard. "I did it!" Zunoi would shout, but seeing the instructor walking in with the Raikage behind him, he instantly grabbed his puppet and took it off the table. Some of the students would snicker, but Zunoi just slouched back in his chair and pulled the flat bill of his hat over his eyes a little bit.
Misaki soon follows after Ogo with an equally entertained face. Maybe she and Zunoi got some things to talk about. You know, she never liked academy. And now she's here to help out her mentor. Greeeaaaat…. "What are we teaching again?" She asks just to be a bother. Obviously directed at Ogo. She couldn't believe this would be useful for her training. On which she was already so much behind her previous peers. She knew exactly what she would be teaching, and what a teacher she would be. She would probably be the last Shinobi to give a hoot about someone's rank. Or orders… Or any of that schoolbell. She tries… She keeps up apperances, but in the end of the day she's as stubborn as a mule, especially in the field!
The instructor pauses starting the lesson when the hand comes flying down to the front. He walks over, picks it up and throws it right to (maybe at) Zunoi. "Keep your toys at home."
The instructor introduces the five basic ranks while Ogosokamaru steps into the room one step, turning his head and asiding to Misaki. "-We- aren't teaching anything today. We're just watching. You never know when or from where you might learn something." Ogo knew she didn't care about rank. Maybe there's a reason he brought her here today. Ogo then steps to the side to stand near the wall at a vantage point from where he can see the entire class. One student has a question.
"Takuyu-sensei? Can a genin be more powerful than a Jounin?"
The response from Taikuya comes quickly, "Your rank is not based upon your power. It's based upon your leadership ability and attitude. So yes, in combat, a genin can be more powerful than a Kage-" He stops, looks at Ogosokamaru with a quick glance, then back to the class. "'Can be' is a very broad phrase." Eyes move to Ogosokamaru and Misaki. Many had heard from their parents that she was a jinchuuriki of the two tails. Noone wanted to say anything.
Keeping his eyes on the Raikage and somewhat on Misaki as he wondered why they were here if not to teach the class, Zunoi wasn't paying attention as the tiny puppet hand came flying in his direction and hit him in the head, before bouncing off and landing on the table in front of him. "Ow." Sliding his hat up to rub at the spot with one hand, while the other grabbed the puppet hand and tucked it away.
"Sorry, Takuyu-sensei." Definitely a day he should have chosen to skip class, but with the Raikage being here, it was probably better that he hadn't, even if the lesson was rather boring. Oh well, he though as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk and his face in his hands. "Takuyu-sensei, I thought the Raikage was supposed to be the strongest in the village."
Misaki looks at the teacher, the Ogo, then the class, she sighs. "De-ja-tutoring-vu… Ogo-sensei." She says while leaning back against a wall. Arms crossed, closed attitude, furrowing eyes. Which wander to the boy with the 'toy' She then looks away dismissively. She's sure he will, like most others, dismiss her as some monster. Easy peasy, less people to worry about when grade hits the fan!
It was still quiet after the puppet hand was retrieved by Zunoi. Misaki's comment and attitude gets a hand placed on her shoulder from Ogosokamaru. The instructor nods to Zunoi in response to his apology, and now stepped back when he saw that Ogo was attempting to lead Misaki to the center of the front of the room, before all of the students there.
There were some whispers of kids just then. Some of them saying how a certain student being absent too many times has brought the wrath of the two-tails upon them. Another child sitting next to Zunoi nods and there's a few mutters in agreement about his comment.
Takuyu quickly states, "Go ahead and try to find out, Toi Zunoi-san. It is a decision left up to the elders and the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning. So not necissarily, but I don't doubt that Raikage-sama meets that criteria." More whispers about Misaki.
Whether or not Ogo got her to the center of the room, when there, he would remove his hat and put it on the instructor's desk. "The measure of a shinobi is threefold." He holds up his fist, raising the first finger. "Ones actions during their own life." Second, "The reputation and works of their predecessors." Third finger. "The works and reputations of their disciples."
He points at Misaki with that hand that just counted. "Kunoichi. Shinobi. Past becomine one, we are all the same when it comes to the village-" His hand drops to his side. "-when it comes to peace. Becuase that is what we fight for." With that, he eyeballs the class for another few moments, and he turns to pace in front of the class. "A genin, what does it mean to you?" He looks around at the class, asking them directly.
Misaki grumbles and didn't like to be used as an example. It looks like she's bracing for stuff to be thrown at her. Oh right, not her old class… She looks at Ogo with pleading eyes. Somewhere between: KILL ME and GET ME OUT Of HERE …. She crosses her arms and then clenches her hand over her stomach. "Ack.." She trembles for a moment. To those who know her jolts of pain are easy to recogince, but she's fairly good at hiding the extreme pain she's havings since her seal has started to crumble.
"Are you giving me permission to fight the Raikage, Takuyu-sensei?" Zunoi would push the bill of his hat up a bit to get a better look at the two walking toward the center of the class. Unlike the others in the classroom, he had no idea who Misaki was or why she was here. "I know I'm not your favorite student, but sending me straight to my death doesn't seem very responsible, Takuyu-sensei."
The boy would shrug and sit back in his chair, having no intention of starting a fight with the Raikage or anyone for that matter. He wasn't exactly, 'combat-capable'. Not yet anyways. "Oh, I know." Zunoi would raise his hand at the question, but without even waiting to be recognized he'd answer, "A genin to me means nothing." That's probably not the answer anyone was expecting and it sure was shocking to hear. "A genin is simply a title given to students who graduate the academy, it doesn't really mean anything more because it's what you do that makes you what you are, not a title."
Someone who makes sense. It's a miracle… "He's right…" Misaki tells the teacher while nodding at Zunoi, smirking. "It's not impossible to hit him you know. I did it before." She smirks. "It was a long-shot and it nearly got my killed. And he might not admit it, but I got him good once!" Note, he's a Reizei, hitting a Reizei is an achievement on its own. Hitting a Reizei Raikage is, according to Misaki, much more than that! And she cherishes the small scar she put on his chin like a trophy! Maybe mixed with a little pride in her sensei teaching her how to do that. It was proof of her getting better ads well!
Now Zunoi wasn't oblivious, he heard the whispers and mutters of the others in the class calling Misaki a monster, he just didn't know why. That is, not until she claimed being able to get a shot in on the Raikage. Clearly she's a monster in strength and ability if she's able to do that. It made some sense. "Well I still wouldn't want to try it, I'm sure I could get lucky, maybe, but the backlash just doesn't outweight the rewards." Zunoi has never even been in a fight, so getting hit for the first time is a bit worrysome.
Ogo couldn't help but look up at Zunoi, when Takuyu answers that question himself, "Skipping class for nearly half your time here at the academy sounds like you've got a plethora of advice on responsibility."
Ogo's question, and then the answers. Most were ok. Some comical to the other students. Zunoi's answer strikes a note.
Ogo responds to the puppeteer student. "Then you can leave this academy. If you don't think finishing this course is something to be proud of yourself for. 'Student' is a title for someone striving to learn their next step. And if Genin means truly nothing to you, then you shall not have it in Kumogakure." He was being serious, even gesturing to the door.
Misaki's stomach pains and commentary aren't unnoticed to Ogosokamaru. It seemed he needed to take her to be seen once again by the sealing shinobi. They were so close to developing a seal stronger than some third party made-in-a-sweatshop seal. Or however she and the two-tails were brought together. Ogo never heard the full story.
And Misaki would have none of it. No new seals. Even the sealing team told Ogo the chances of them matching the seal were small and not without risks. So she's really skeptical and prefers Matatabi's plan. Even if it's more dangerous. she grins at Zunoi. "Don't listen to him, he's a bully sometimes. Tell you what, if he kicks you out, I'll leave with you." She smirks and stares at Ogo, grabbing her stomach, wincing and speaking between clenched teeth. "I'm sure the Raikage wouldn't help that happend.." She then looks at the class. "See this is called leverage, even though I'm a genin, I can influence the Kage's decision, because I have something he wants or needs. Thus, while he can outweight me in rank, his decision needs to keep my opinion in mind, since it could affect his interests to cross me. Causing him to lose something he potentially holds dear to himself." She pauses. "That thing that I posses, which others hold dearly, is called leverage. And it's one of the many advanced tools we Shinobi got." She smiles at Ogo and the teacher. There, now go unteach your students that! Soon enough all of them would be looking for leverage on superiors! Not an ideal situation! Misaki sports the biggest trollface on campus! Which soon turns into a wince, her stomach burning.
"I, uh…" He was speechless at Takuyu-sensei's quick comment, but the teacher hit it right on the head. Zunoi had skipped a lot of classes, but most of them were as unimportant as this one. "Sorry, Takuyu-sensei." He'd offer as a quick remedy before turning to Ogo who was already responding to his answer with a bit of an overblown response. "You misunderstand me, Raikage" No longer using the sama as the moment Zunoi was being talked to that way, he doesn't feel it necessary. "But it's clear to you a title is more important than ones actions." The boy would stand up, grabbing his belongings as he started to make his way for the door.
"You can't hide from your past if you're still going to act the same way. You might be the Raikage, but that doesn't change who you used to be. I heard about you and now, if others don't they will as well." Walking down the stairs as he made his way past the Raikage. "You claim titles to be important and yet, you threw away your title, you left the village to become a wanderer and you stand here, telling me I should take the title of student or genin proudly? You threw your title away, how proudly did you take it? You come back and become a Raikage, but what did you do to earn it? You just have a title." He'd continue walking out.
Ogo looks at Misaki with a simple smile crossing his lips. He looks up at Zunoi. "You can still leave. She can't, as a sworn shinobi to Kumogakure. That's another thing that Genin means. It means you gave fealty to your village and Kage. That's me."
He looks at Misaki, and while pointing over her shoulder to the door, "I'll speak with you in just a moment." He looks at Zunoi walking by, and Ogo squats in his way.
"Little boy," he squats down in Zunoi's path, looking him in the eyes with passive sympathy, "Oh, little boy. Where did you hear that story from? You see, people think they know the whole story," a glance to Misaki, then back to the student who was leaving. "And then one day, it gets explained to them and they get so angry because for so long they thought they were right. That the story they heard was absolutely and undoubtably true. I did leave. Because I was young and stupid. Just like right now, you and Misaki herself are getting through your own times of being stupid. It's a part of life. And I even had a stupid moment. See.. I promised Misaki something without asking any effort of her in return, which was stupid of me, wasn't it? So, now, she thinks she has me. But up until now, she's thought she would get away with it scott free, but there's someone else who I'm certain is a little tired of her attitude. And to him, I sincerely apologize for getting caught in the middle."
He pats Zunoi on the head, and then looks at Misaki, "Outside. Now."
From there, Takuyu would continue teaching the class.
Misaki looks at Ogo and squints, following him outside. Uh-oh… Maybe she pushed it a littlleeee too far this time!
Seeing the Raikage step in his path, Zunoi feared this might be the moment where he'd need the luck that Misaki had, but it never worked that way for him. So he'd stand there, holding his puppet in one hand, while trying to look upset, but refusing to look Ogosokamaru in the face. He didn't have the backbone for it. Though he did listen to every word the man said, some of it making sense, while the rest he'd probably get later if he continued to think on it. Something about not knowing the whole story and being stupid. The latter wanting him to try and push the man down and just ran past, but then there was a pat on his head and the Raikage and Misaki were already walking out.
Zunoi just stared in silence, watching the two walk out, not knowing what to do. He didn't actually want to leave the class, of course he wanted to graduate the academy, become a genin and some day even more, but what should he do? Takuyu knew what to do as he threw an eraser that hit Zunoi in his head, "Get back to your seat, Zunoi! I'm tired of you skipping class. You're lucky the Raikage-sama didn't throw you out the window." Zunoi would stumble from the eraser, correct himself and slowly make his way back to his seat with head hung low and the class simply laughed.
