Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Chronicles of Kakashi & the Kunoichi from Thunder Country ❯ The Shinobi Path ( Chapter 2 )

The Shinobi Path

 

After two years of bearing with the spitballs, swearing, and snoozing, Iruka was now a seasoned sensei. A new class, a new beginning - Iruka felt the usual rush of adrenalin at the beginning of the school year. He stood behind the desk and scanned the list of names before he introduced himself to the class and before taking attendance. Most of the names were familiar - he knew nearly all the families in the village. One name stood out. A memory tingled and forced its way to the forefront. `Otori Rikako… sounds very familiar... the family name of the village doctor… It's the girl from before! She probably could have enrolled back then,' Iruka thought. `I guess her parents finally relented.'

 

He scanned the faces of the rows of students and recognized her immediately. Her dark hair was exactly the same, braided in the back with loose wisps floating across her thin face. She was sitting at the rear of the room, quietly writing in her notebook. `That notebook, it's a different one.' But he remembered how she always had it ready. Every so often she looked up from her book, then returned her attention to it to write something down.

 

The rest of the class was chattering loudly until Iruka called them to order. “All right you guys, class is starting now! I am Iruka-sensei. I'm one of several teachers here responsible for turning you brats into fine shinobi. Call out `present' when you hear your name.” As he took attendance, each child stood up and said present. When he called Rikako's name, she stood up, bowed deeply and answered, “Present, Iruka-sensei.” Some of the other children noticed her bow and snickered, but she showed no trace of embarrassment.

 

“Okay, class, this is your first day so let's start with introducing ourselves and telling us all why you're here, what are your dreams and goals.” As customary, the first day of class was an introduction to the school, to shinobi principles, to Iruka, and to themselves. It was something to break the ice, to get the students comfortable with their teacher and with each other. Iruka went down the line, row by row. The standard answers were: I want to be strong; Being a shinobi is exciting; I want to be Hokage; I want to be like the legendary sannin Tsunade/Jiraiya (luckily no one said Orochimaru). Finally he reached the back row.

 

Rikako had been sitting silently writing n her notebook throughout. Now she paused, brushed back a loose lock of hair, and slowly contemplated before answering, “I want to be a shinobi medic and save lives like my father.”

 

Someone called out, “But being a shinobi means you'll have to take lives, too!”

 

She nodded seriously. “Sometimes by taking a life, you may be saving more lives.” It was a solemn point, but even the children at that age understood. The class was suddenly quiet.

 

'Such mature and serious words for one so young. But not too surprising given who her parents are,' Iruka thought. “Well, I see we have our own little shinobi medic,” Iruka smiled and laughed to relieve the tension in the room. The rest of the kids laughed with him. Unfazed by his nickname, Rikako smiled and laughed along with everyone else.

 

-…-…-…-…-…-…-

 

In order to enroll, she had to learn the transformation technique. The books in the library showed the seal required, but still it was difficult. She had asked Iruka to perform it over and over while he walked her home. She studied the movements of his hands, his concentration, and the chakra ratio. From that day on, Rikako practiced the technique on her own for two years. `I can do this. They can't stop me from being a shinobi,' she resolutely thought to herself as she molded her chakra to transform herself from an underweight seven year old to a weary woman nearing middle age.

 

On the day of enrollment, Rikako transformed herself to look like her mother, forged the enrollment papers and attended the parental interview herself. Fortunately for her, students and parents were interviewed separately. At her level, she could not perform kage bunshin.

 

“Okay, next is Otori Rika,” Sandaime looked up from the list of interviewees.

 

The woman in front of him bowed formally. Her plain brown robes rustled, but she did not speak.

 

“Well, Rika-san, it's been many years since I've seen you. I hope your husband is doing well?”

 

She nodded in response.

 

“We could use his services again at the shinobi hospital if he ever decides to come out of retirement,” Sandaime continued.

 

She smiled and shrugged.

 

“I see your daughter Rikako, age seven, wishes to become a shinobi. You have no problems with this?” Sandaime raised an eyebrow.

 

The woman finally spoke, “She can do whatever she wants. It's not like she ever listens to us. If you can knock some sense and respect into her, by all means, take her.”

 

Sandaime chuckled, “I see, she's a rebellious one. Well, everything seems to be in order. It was good seeing you again Rika-san. Give my regards to your husband. Please, send your daughter in now.”

 

The woman again bowed deeply before leaving.

 

A minute later, a thin pale girl with large dark eyes entered the room. She stood in front of Sandaime and bowed respectfully. Her right hand casually brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. She was composed and calm, unlike most of the other children who were in awe of the great Professor.

 

“All right, Rikako-chan, tell us why you want to be a shinobi,” asked one of the other interviewers while the Hokage sipped his tea (he tried not to smoke in front of children).

 

“It's an important and honorable profession. I want to protect this village and its people, and save as many other shinobi as I can.”

 

Sandaime smiled affectionately. “Well said, Rikako-chan, as expected from the daughter of a fine shinobi medic like your father. I'm sure you'll be a great shinobi medic, or a kunoichi some day.”

 

But afterwards, the interviewers discussed a breech of protocol. “What should we do about this?” asked Izumo. He frowned and shook his head at the blatant violation.

 

“She's able to do the transformation technique at her age, but she does not have parental consent,” Kotetsu pointed out disapprovingly.

 

Sandaime took a deep puff from his pipe and deliberated carefully before replying. “She will. Her parents will find out soon enough. She won't be able to hide it from them forever. I doubt very much if they'll be able to stop her. Just go ahead and register her.”

 

-…-…-…-

 

Dinner was usually a quiet affair in the Otori household. Dr. Otori liked to read his newspaper while eating and forbade any talking. Rika was usually too tired to attempt conversation. Rikako ate little and was usually done well before her parents.

 

But this time, the night before the first day of school, Rikako announced to her parents what she had done.

 

“I'll be going to the Shinobi Academy tomorrow,” she said as she took a bite of her desert, green tea ice cream over mochi.

 

“You can't, not without parental consent. We've been through this.” Her father scowled as he glanced up from his newspaper.

 

“The school requires your consent. I don't.” She calmly continued to eat her desert.

 

“What's that supposed to mean?” Her father now gave her his full attention. His newspaper was forgotten, even though he had been absorbed with the gossip and advice columns.

 

“I transformed to look like mom and I enrolled myself.”

 

“You can't do that!” He nearly burst a vein.

 

“I already did,” Rikako said as she finished the last of her desert.

 

Her father was livid, but he knew he couldn't stop her without chaining and caging his daughter like an animal, so he gave in, rare for such a domineering giant of a man. “We know we can't stop you. You know how we feel about this. I hope you're certain this is the path for you.”

 

Rikako nodded and excused herself. She went up to her bedroom to read.

 

Her mother had said nothing throughout the exchange between her husband and daughter, and now she started to tremble.

 

“So it's begun. Maybe the school will help her.” Rika finally voiced her thoughts.

 

“Maybe, or maybe it will increase her chakra and make things worse.” her husband replied darkly.

 

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