The First Day Of School

Starring:

Meimei (as Yoko), Kasumi, Risu, Minako, Ichiyo, Misayo

Date: November 15, 2010

Summary:

The first day of school at the Academy goes… Sort of well? Not all the students are happy. Or present.


"The First Day Of School"

Ninja Academy - Sunagakure

School has begun. Classroom is all set up. Most of the students were here. The first day was pretty easy stuff. Meimei just introduced herself, told the kids what they'd be learning, and gave a basic run-down of ninja, what it means to be a ninja, and what it means to serve the Village. All right out of the book. But it was… Boring. Stale. Pre-written. She eventually stopped part-way through and told the students what SHE felt being a ninja was about. "It's about dedication," she had said. "Being a ninja is more than just pretty ideals, or fancy words, or flashy jutsu. It's about more than power or knowledge. It's about more than loyalty or compassion. What is about… Is dedication to achieving one's dreams. If your dream is to be powerful, or be knowledgeable, fine. You and a zillion others. But how are you going to get there? Not every path is the same. And that's what I want to help you all to realize. I want to help teach you all both how to get to where you're going in life… And to give you the tools to do so. Maybe that doesn't make sense right now. And that's fine. But someday, I hope you'll understand."
That was about five hours ago. Some basic ninja instruction was provided on top of the other info, but other than reading some information on ninja tools out of their books, there was no homework for this first day. She'd make up for it tommorow. Now class is over and Meimei, in the guise of 'Hibiki Yoko', is sitting at her desk, looking at the attendance chart.

Kasumi gets out of her desk and grabs her bag hanging off the hook on the side of her desk. She shoulders the bag and walks up to the teacher's desk, waiting for the majority of the students to leave. She already liked the teacher, having thrown away the basic itenerary and decided not to sugar coat being a shinobi. She nervously scuffs her feet on the floor, waiting for the teacher to notice her. "Umm… Hibiki-sama, I have a question. I know it's only the first day but, I was wondering about the combination elements that the book mentions once or twice. Can anyone learn to do it? Like, make plants or metal?"

Risu had been sitting in the back of the room. She listened intently to it all, but was careful not to draw any undue attention to herself. After class lets out, she waits, still seated at the back. Even as Kasumi goes to the desk, Risu waits in the very back, at her desk, although she has put her stuff away for now, and just seems to be waiting for everything to be over with in the post class bustle.

Minako was acting bored throughout the entire class. She didn't raise her hand to ask questions, she didn't say anything, and just occasionaly cast disinterested glances at the blackboard every once in awhile, and the rest of time looked out the window. Head propped up on hand, elbow on the desk, etcetera. The moment class is over, she hmphs and gets up from her desk, still plenty irked that she was just pulled off the street, tossed into an apartment and told she was going to the Academy now.
'No one even asked me!' she grouses silently. 'And when I >told< them, they ignored me!' She pauses, school bag slung over one shoulder, suspended from her index and middle finger, and glares towards Yoko. She wasn't even allowed to bring her father's sword to school yet. "It better still be there when I get back…" she mutters. Suddenly, she feels getting 'home' is an even >more< urgent matter than before. She starts to walk along the elevated stone floor that makes up a series of 'stair'-like platforms, each with a long table/desk spanning each platform.
To add insult to injury she was even put in some kind of… Of… Schoolgirl outfit! Some lame, sickly-green/grey dress with a bow and ribbons on the front, and buttons down the front of the skirt. Thigh-high socks and boots were the only thing she could add to it to customize it, and that was done on the way to school, when she was no longer being 'supervised'. She thought ninja were supposed to each be unique! The redhead pauses when she catches sight of something out of the corner of her eye. A familiar face. She stops and stares up at the girl in the back row, having been unseen before now. "…Buyo? What are you doing here?" she asks.

Yoko looks up as Kasumi approaches, the tinted goggles over her eyes concealing where she is looking. But it seems pretty apparent she is looking at Kasumi right now. She smiles and says, "You're right. This is only the first day. I'll answer your question, but just keep in mind that Chakra Natures alone are a bit advanced for where we are right now. Combination Elements are… Well, they aren't Academy material!" she laughs a bit. "Still, to answer your question… No. Not just anyone can do that. It's usually restricted to a specific Clan, but sometimes a Combination Element is only possible for a specific individual too. But that's only for the really rare ones, like Wood. Wood is only possible for the Hokage — the leader of the Leaf Village, in the Land of Fire."
She gestures a little bit with one hand, indicating the Village in general, as she says, "Everyone knows about Wood and the Hokage because her Combination is so powerful and so rare that none have ever demonstrated it before her. Maybe someone else will develop it some day. But in the meantime, she's the sole holder of that power. Meanwhile, I believe Metal is possessed by a Clan of Iwagakure, in the Land of Earth. I don't remember for sure. I left that Village under unfriendly circumstances, thanks to the actions of one of their Chuunin…" she frowns a bit, but then shrugs.
She also notices the student that wasn't paying attention before stopping to talk to Risu, back behind Kasumi. She remembers now. She was one of the orphans from Noonshade…

Risu is definately looking better than she did at the orphanage but she is pretty distnictive with her hair and eyes and all. She frowns slightly at the sound of her old name, then says, softly, "My name's Risu, now. But… um, Yoko-san took me in. I got hurt when the village got attacked, my leg got all messed up, and then I wasn't able to run away so good when I was stealing to stay alive and… got caught. Only instead of putting me in jail, um… she… Yoko-san became my guardian. So now I get to go to the academy and everything."
Risu tilts her head as she peers at Minako, "How did you end up here? I lost everyone after the orphanage closed down… too hard to find food and all, and know where everyone went?" She asks as she peers at her fellow orphan. She looks over Minako's outfit and grins just a tad, "Do you like your new outfit?" Risu isn't wearing anything like that uniform mind you, she's got something more 'ninja' looking kinda. She seems to find the skirt mildly amusing for some reason.

Kasumi listened intently. She seemed quite interested in what her teacher was saying. "If something like metal is possessed by a clan, is it possible for other people to learn how to do it? It sounds kinda… Cool." The thin, pale, underfed, awkward and disfigured girl atemts a small smile. She seemed fairly intruiged by the concept of combination elements. "I mean, there had to be a first, right? Like the Hokage? Couldn't someone just re-invent the use of a special element?"
Her one-eyed gaze follows the teachers attention back behind her to stop to look at the two girls chatting. She recognizes one of them, but cannot even remember her name. "Or could you steal the technique? What would happen if you did that?"

Minako blinks her red eyes a bit. "You were caught too, huh? Yes, they don't really have a reason to put children in jail. We'd just take up space. They'd rather make us into ninja so we earn our keep." She frowns. "Well… At least you're looking healthier, Buy—Risu." When her skirt is mentioned she looks down at herself and frowns more deeply. "I didn't choose this, you know! I don't even want to be here! Stupid adults… Left me out on the street for a year… And you too! …And now they act like it's some privilege to be sent to fight for them. Tch!"
Flipping her long hair a bit, she looks towards Yoko and Kasumi. "Well… You seem to like her. But she doesn't look much older than either of us, so maybe she's trustworthy. Just remember, though… Adults can't be trusted! They stuck us in that orphanage because they didn't want to look at us and be reminded of how they ruined our families with their wars. Then they shut it down completely, hoping we would just die. They don't care about us."

Yoko shakes her head. "No, one can't teach people who are not related to by blood how to use their Kekkei Genkai—That is the genetic ability to combine elements. But people who ARE related… I imagine they could be taught, yes. And yeah, there has to be a first. But the genetic potential has to be there already also. If your DNA does not have the right 'information' for your Chakra to 'read from'… Sort of like a cook book, I guess. Well, then you can't do it. In the case of Metal… The Clan with that ability have the 'cookbook' built into them. They also have the right 'ingredients' of Fire Chakra Nature and Earth Chakra Nature. They're born with that book and those ingredients in place. It just takes mixing them correctly to control metal. The individual recipes in that 'book' could each be considered a different jutsu. But if, say… Someone who is not in that Clan wanted to make Metal, he or she just… Couldn't. No book, no ingredients. If he or she learned Earth and Fire, he or she could use either one seperately. But there would be no 'book' to tell the BODY how, even if the mind might know it is possible."
Her expression changes a bit at the question of theft. "…Yeah, people can steal a Kekkei Genkai sometimes. It's why we don't just all live in one great big Village. Because one person or group of people will want the powers of a different person or group of people. And the easiest way to do that is to kill someone who has it. A lot can be learned from a ninja's corpse."

Ichiyo walks back into the classroom from one of the lockers lining the hallways of the classes building. He climbs the steps back to his seat, about mid level in the class, and plops back down. This time, instead of his normal shoulder bag he carries around, he's got a smaller package tucked under his arm. Unfolding the wrapping, he pulls out a boxed lunch and slaps his hands together, "Itadakimasu." Then digs in.

Risu listens to Minako, and peers past her to Yoko. She frowns a bit, taking in the words, "Maybe…. They did leave us alone… I dunno… Yoko-san seems pretty nice though…." She sighs then stands up and puts her small pack over one shoulder, "I should go. But I'm glad you're in classes with me. Maybe… maybe we can figure this all out together. It's all real strange to me still. Cause I was homeless and near starving and now… I have my own bed, my own room, even… even some toys." She shakes her head, "I dunno. Maybe not all adults are bad?" She ventures, clearly unsure on this point, since a few adults she met recently seemed pretty darn nice.
Risu makes sure she has everything then says, "I need ta go, get ready for some things. But see you next class?" She says, almost hopefully to Minako.

The young scarred girl cants her head to the side, listening closely. Kasumi was quite interested, and when the woman mentions killing the person who has it she seems to get slightly mroe pale than she already is. "O-oh. Well. Thats not good." She laughs nervously. "That seems a bit harsh. So if the Kazekage or something caputred someone with one of those Kekkei Genkei, they would probobly killed and studied. That's kinda scary. I'm happy I don't have one of those."
She goes quit for a few moments, thinking. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter too much, but it is neat to know." She reaches up and rubs viciously at her blind eye. "People can learn more than one chakra nature? I thought everyone only had one. Oh! And would it be at all possible to make a new element? Like, I don't know… Plastic? It's silly, but you know what I mean."

Minako glances towards Yoko again, and then back to Risu. "Maybe. Just like there's bad kids, there's bad adults. It just seems like adults think they're somehow better than us, just because we're younger. Like we don't matter as much…" She shakes her head. "I guess I'll give the teacher a chance then. But the 'social workers' they sent for me… And that guy in the bandages… They didn't really care. I could tell. They're paid to smile." Her gaze drops down. "It's that kind of fake smile that I see all the time. Like when they're answering a question they feel is dumb. Or when they just you to be quiet so they can do their adult things. Or when they aren't really listening to what you're saying." She clenches her left hand into a fist, because her right still is holding her bag.
"I haven't seen a fake smile from Hibiki yet. So maybe you're right. Maybe some of them >are< good. We'll just have to see." She waves to Risu and says, "Tommorow for sure, Buy—Risu. I'll come even if I wasn't going to be forced. I want to see what this lady can do."
Then she turns her attention on Ichiyo. "…Late lunch?" she asks politely, though she is inwardly thinking about how much food he is casually sitting down with. A week ago that would have lasted her >two< weeks. Or maybe only a single day, depending on if she wanted to gorge herself or save it. Now she has all the food she can eat, within her budget constraints.

What had started out as a beautiful morning had turned into quite an eventful stretch of time. After being woken up late for her first day of Ninja Academy, the young Harada girl had done the 'oh sh*t I'm late' dance into her clothes and attempted to rush out the door! …Only to have to rush right back in and commence the chores that needed to be accomplished around the house that her sickly caretaker was incapable of doing. It had taken an hour, more or less, to see those through before another attempt at rushing out the door could be made. …Only to have to submit to her weekly treatment when a dizzy-spell had caused her to stumble just before reaching the portal to freedom.
Harada Misayo was not happy about any of this. But Harada Misayo wasn't often overly 'happy' about anything. The door to the classroom slides open with a loud *THWACK* several moments after Ichiyo has entered, revealing the form of a young girl, blonde hair, dull amber eyes, perhaps eleven, maybe twelve. Her brows hover low over her eyes, her mouth twisted down into a displeased frown, as if she were looking for something to blame for her misfortune.
"Oh. I'm late." Despite her words, as if she had expected to be anything OTHER than five or so hours late, her tone was lifeless, deadpanned. She continues flatly without pause"I can not accept your detention slip. I will take it tomorrow." She removes her hand from the door, her other hand empty, lacking any books or papers. She hadn't been here when they were given out!

Yoko is about to say, "Well, you never know. Not all Kage are interested in cutting peopl—Errr… Studying the abilities of ninja from other Villages… But I imagine that Kazekage-sama would not want it generally known if he has someone from another Village hanging out here in Sunagakure." She shrugs. "But yeah, it's tough being special. Some people can't handle it, and want to take your specialness or destroy it. And they'll do it however they can think of. And yeah, most people can learn multiple Chakra Natures. Everyone has a natural Affinity for an Element, but usually it's possible to learn how to control a second Element. Some people — mostly Jounin or higher — can have even have three! Four is unheard of, and all five is generally not possible. It would take more time than human beings have to live. Even two or more human life times might not be enough. It gets harder to learn more Elements the more of them you've already spent time developing. So the first is easiest, and then the second one is harder. The third is VERY hard, and can take years."
She pauses when the sliding door of the classroom *THWACKS* open. Looking in the direction of the door, Meimei examines the new arrival, and then compares her face to the attendance chart she was given. "…Harada, is it? Yeah, you're late. Luckily you didn't miss much, but I'd still recommend you show up on time tommorow. There will be actual homework assignments then. Good thing I saved some extra books for anyone who didn't get them before the Academy opened." She gets up from her chair and… Appears to not have gained that much in height between standing and sitting. She's almost as short as her students!
The purple-haired woman heads over to a nearby table and sets aside a main ninja text book, a ninja notepaper book, a ninja extra-reading guide, a guide on ninja tools, three ninja pencils, and a completely ordinary, hand-held, rubber eraser. They were out of ninja erasers.
"Here's your stuff. I'll let you know what we discussed, but there's no assignments due tommorow," she says as she indicates the stack and then heads back towards Kasumi. "It's possible to make a new Chakra Nature sometimes… Or rather, discover one. They already exist, after all. It's just a matter of the right person combining or using Chakra in the right way. Sometimes an Advanced Chakra Nature is possible. Like… Crystal. There's a Clan here in the Land of Wind that use the Advanced Earth Nature of Crystal. There's apparently Sasaki as well that have developed Advanced Earth and Wind Natures. But it's not easy."
She turns her attention on Risu when it seems she's about to leave, and waves to her. "See you at home, Risu-chan."

Ichiyo just stares at Minako for a second, eyes almost bigger than his spectacles. Then he snaps out of it, "Oh, y..yes, I was drawing something and missed the lunch bell." There are a few drawings on his bit of the desk. Nothing that resembled people, but more gears, cogs, and pistons. Technical drawings and some mathmatical equations. He looks down at his lunch and makes a face, bean curds covered in soy and some kind of brown rice.

Kasumi nods her head. Three? Even four? Crazy. "I know the Sage of Six Paths could use all chakra types. My mother told me that he was the strongest man who ever lived and brought chakra to the people while trying to bring peace. I don't know a lot more than that." The sickly girl shuffles from side to side, switching her bag fro one side to the other. Just holding the thing made her seem a bit tired.
When the new girl comes barging into the classroom Kasumi just stares at her quietly, wondering how someone could possibly pull off being more than five hours late. Pushing the thought out of her mind she bites her lower lip and rubs her eye roughly once more. Advanced chakra natures? That does sound interesting. As the teacher grabs some supplies for the late girl Kasumi gives the teacher a small bow. "I learned a lot. Thank you, Hibiki-sama. I will see you tommorow." The girl then quietly takes her leave, paying little attention to the activities of her classmates. She knew none of them, and wasn't really interested in them right now.

Minako blinks at Ichiyo. "Drawing, huh?" She leans over his desk and peers at the mechanical designs. "Hmm… Planning to be a ninjaneer? Hehehe! Get it? Like a ninja and an engineer in one? Ninja-neer? …What? Fine, go back to your lunch." She mutters and pushes past Ichiyo, headed towards the door. She should get home before the adults take away her sword. But then Kasumi leaves, and now it's just Minako, 'Harada', and Yoko.
"Five hours late?" she asks outloud. She considers this. Then she nods and walks towards where the blonde's books have been set aside. She waits near them, arms crossed. Whenever Misayo comes over, she slaps a hand on the girl's back rather roughly, and says, "I like your rebellious attitude and disregard for the rules! We should stick together!"

"Oh, hai, hai, Harada. Ha-ra-da. Do not mispell it." The preteen's eyes squint as she's told not to be tardy the following day, before giving a single nod of her head and expelling her breath in an affirmative "Hmph!" Her sandals clipclop against the floor as she walks, and she doesn't close the door behind her, eyeing up the materials set aside for her as if they were something she might have to wrangle into submission. The eraser gets a particularly scrutinizing frown of dismal unapproval.
"Nani, nani, nani! You are pushing substandard equipment upon me in an unfair manner!" The offending non-ninja-eraser is brandished like a trophy of mortification, held out between a thumb and forefinger as if it were something she really shouldn't be touching. Her heavily-lidded eyes turn to slits as she points it towards her soon-to-be teacher. "I cannot accept this writing utensil! It is a message that you want me to fail, neh? I am not liking this. I am thinking you are being discrimin-UH!!"
A rough hand on her back probably saves her from a year of harsher-than-average grading for bickering with her teacher, also causing the tiny erasing instrument to flip from her hand, turn a few somersaults in the air, and then plop onto the floor by the desk. Immediately the scowly-faced expression turns towards her 'assailant', Minako. "Hai, hai, five hours. Was it not obvious enough without the telling? What is this about the 'sticking together'? Speak up! I will not play with you. I do not play."

Yoko ignores the command not to misspell 'Harada' and instead nods towards Kasumi. Odd. The Sage of the Six Paths… She thought that was some kind of legend or myth. But then again, Kasumi is just a kid. She probably believes in stories like that. Yoko does not seem impressed with Misayo's complaints about the eraser as she is seating herself. "Look, the inked-on shuriken and speed lines are not going to make you erase any better. That one is just as good, and it's CHEAPER too." She looks at her desk once and spots her own ninja eraser. "Here, I'll swap you. Catch." She tosses her ninja eraser towards Misayo, but given as she is busy talking to Minako she may or may not notice.
Peering at Minako from behind her darkly-tinted goggles, she wonders whether allowing students to encourage disregarding the rules is a good idea, but ultimately decides she doesn't want to be one of THOSE teachers, so says nothing.

Minako's smile quickly turns into a lop-sided and perplexed-looking frown. "It's us against the world, you know. So-called 'kids', I mean. The world belongs to adults, and adults don't value us as human beings. So we have to work together if we're going to survive long enough for puberty to kick in." Then she becomes a bit suspicious. "Wait… You're not one of those pampered rich kids, are you?"
Her red eyes flick to the teacher as she tosses an eraser towards Misayo after explaining the functionality of a ninja eraser as opposed to a normal one.

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Mm! You are saying you have not started shaving yet. Do not ask me to show you how, I will not." Misayo tilts her head slightly to the side, quirking her lips for a moment, the tails of her bandana following the sweep of her blonde tresses as her hair shifts with the movement. "My uncle has done the retirement. His stipend does not make us one of the wealthy. My house is not big, if that is what you are asking. Do not rob us."
Kah-*thwop*… plunk-plunk.
The eraser tossed hits Misayo in the side of her head, right on her temple, before falling to flop on the floor a few times before becoming still. "OhhhhhhhhhhhhHO!" Her head snaps back in the direction of the teach immediately, her hand pointing down at the fallen writing utensil accusingly, the other with her wrist propped on her hip.
"So now I am to use the cheap and the inferior or the worn and the used! You are placing me behind my peers before the school has even started! I told you I would not accept your detention slip today. It will be taken tomorrow! You can not punish me for this. I will not allow you-" Suddenly her eyes widen as she brings up her hand, snapping her fingers together. "Oryo! You are doing the testing to me. I will be expecting the extra credit when I am forced to steal the erasers of those who would be my classmates." Amber eyes sweep over towards Minako, notably her pockets, and bag, if she carries one.

Yoko frowns. She's still not impressed by the blustering of this kid, but Misayo is also not scoring any happy points with Yoko. "Look, the eraser is brand new. I haven't even had a chance to use it yet. Looks like we're going to have to work on your awareness and reflexes though. I said 'catch', and so you blocked it with your head. Following directions will yield better results in the future." Then she returns her attention to her desk and marks Misayo as 'present' even though she missed everything. "—And I'm not giving you a detention slip! Just make sure to study the material I give you a bit when you get home. Like I said, no homework for today. But there's some things I think will help you out tommorow in the ninja tools handbook." She starts flipping through her copy of the handbook to find the specific tools she covered earlier in the day.

Minako blushes and starts off with, "Wha—Hey! That's none of your business! I was just trying to offer you some friendship and you accuse me of wanting to >rob< you!?" To be fair, she has stolen things before. But that was for survival! And she never entered anyone's home! And now it's not necessary! "Geez, whether you're rich or not, you're one real piece of work." She seems not to care that Misayo was jus thunked in the head with a ninja eraser, and instead hefts her school bag she has suspended over her right shoulder with two fingers. "I'm not your enemy, alright? But if you're going to be a jerk then we might as well be…" She mutters and starts to head towards the door. "See you tommorow, Hibiki." She intentionally leaves off any honorifics. Exceptionally rude, but she doesn't like adults.

"The head is a useful blocking tool! Big. Round. Put it in the way sometimes, just like fist. Instructors should know these things. Of course you will not give me the detention slip, I have told you I will not take it! You have to listen when someone is talking to you."
Now with both wrists on her hips, the young blonde-haired student is shaking her head with her eyes closed, as if she were the one lecturing an unruly student. But eventually she bends down to scoop up the 'substandard' 'ninja-eraser' into her hand, and then pulls her small pile of materails from the desk and into her arms, crossing her hands over them in front of her, hugging them to her chest. It's Minako that draws her blank stare once more. Ever so slightly, her eyebrows lift to look just a little bit less ticked-off.
"Oh, hai. I am glad you think so. But I will not give you money for compliments. You are saying you are not my enemy. This was obvious already. I do not need more of the rivals. I already have a 'super-riv-' Oh, oh, oh! You are doing the leaving! You have to stand still when someone is talking to you!" But it appears the red-haired girl has left, leaving her alone with the teacher to receive whatever notes were required for the day. A moment of silence hangs in the air before, "…You are very short."

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