CNN, this is all your fault.
Naruto eyed the nine men and women standing casually around the front of the classroom intently. One of them, though he didn't know which, would be the teacher who was supposed to help him get started on his path to the title of Hokage. Would it be the lazy-eyed fellow chewing on the senbon? The pudgy woman he vaguely recognized as that loudmouth, Kiba's, mom? The really big guy with the scars? Or - though he hoped not - the scary lady in the perv-bait getup?
By the time Iruka got around to calling out the roster of Team Seven, he was so stressed out from trying to hold relatively still that he practically exploded out of his seat with a shout. "Finally!"
Then he flinched as Sakura-chan started to sputter. "But... but do I have to be on the same team as hi-"
"Yes," their teacher interrupted flatly, in a tone that cut through Iruka-sensei's bellow just as cleanly as his crush's protest. "You do. The teams are not random. All three of you were selected carefully. Follow me, and I'll explain why."
Naruto hesitated, caught between irritation at the way he'd adressed her and a warm, unfamiliar glow at having someone defend him - even in such a roundabout way. Then he followed, scurrying to catch up to Sakura and that bastard, Sasuke as they trailed in their teacher's wake on the way out of the Academy building.
The Jounin was taller than they were by a good margin, with longer legs, and he walked quickly enough that the only view they had of him was the long, almost knee-length braid, the trailing ends of his headband, and the way his long, green coat swirled around his legs. "Uchiha-kun is relatively advanced in taijutsu and ninjutsu and slightly less so in genjutsu; his academic, tactical, and non-combat skills lag seriously."
Naruto would have jeered, but Sasuke beat him to the punch with an indignant snarl. "What?!"
All three of the Genin pulled up short as the older ninja stopped abruptly and turned to face them. He wasn't ugly, but his nose stuck out and his eyes were too round and a threatening grey like a winter stormcloud behind his glasses. Mostly, though, he looked young, no older than his late teens, closer to their age than Iruka-sensei's. "I will not say that you were incorrect to judge those categories as having less bearing on your agenda. But you have an obligation to recognize the consequences of neglecting them."
The Uchiha scion snorted and looked away.
The Jounin mimicked the sound right back at him, then spun on his heel and picked up walking again at the same brisk pace. "Also, he has no manners," he said, dryly.
"Haruno-kun's grasp of the academic and theoretical aspects of ninja work is perfect and her practical skills are at least fair, but she lacks staying and striking power. While the weakest combatant in the squad, she is also the only one among you three with the acting ability or background knowledge to carry out any sort of covert or infiltrational mission."
As he spoke the last words they came up before the main entrance of Konoha's Archives building, a massive barn of a stone fortress that loomed only a little taller than the surrounding civilian structures but sprawled across an area equal to several residential blocks. Sakura and Sasuke easily produced the access tokens that would allow them past the seals securing it from access, but Naruto pulled up short.
"Uh," he said, when the others turned to see why he wasn't coming. "The lady... told me never to come back here."
His teacher's face darkened noticably. "Who told you?"
"I don't... remember her name. But, but, she had big bushy hair and glasses and-"
"Suzume," the snarl of recognition cut him off, and for a moment the tone of voice and the expression that matched it were enough to worry the blond boy... before both melted away to be completely replaced by a sort of bland neutrality that was surprisningly comforting. "Hold on," his teacher told him, then vanished into the depths of the building.
To expand on my opening comment, our own Catty Nova recently reviewed the early chapters of TGNH, and in so doing called my attention back to the consequences of the fact that chapter one was quite literally the first thing I'd written in years.
So, here I am, doing something about that.
Ja, -n
===============================================
"Puripuri puripuri... Bang!"
Naruto eyed the nine men and women standing casually around the front of the classroom intently. One of them, though he didn't know which, would be the teacher who was supposed to help him get started on his path to the title of Hokage. Would it be the lazy-eyed fellow chewing on the senbon? The pudgy woman he vaguely recognized as that loudmouth, Kiba's, mom? The really big guy with the scars? Or - though he hoped not - the scary lady in the perv-bait getup?
By the time Iruka got around to calling out the roster of Team Seven, he was so stressed out from trying to hold relatively still that he practically exploded out of his seat with a shout. "Finally!"
Then he flinched as Sakura-chan started to sputter. "But... but do I have to be on the same team as hi-"
"Yes," their teacher interrupted flatly, in a tone that cut through Iruka-sensei's bellow just as cleanly as his crush's protest. "You do. The teams are not random. All three of you were selected carefully. Follow me, and I'll explain why."
Naruto hesitated, caught between irritation at the way he'd adressed her and a warm, unfamiliar glow at having someone defend him - even in such a roundabout way. Then he followed, scurrying to catch up to Sakura and that bastard, Sasuke as they trailed in their teacher's wake on the way out of the Academy building.
The Jounin was taller than they were by a good margin, with longer legs, and he walked quickly enough that the only view they had of him was the long, almost knee-length braid, the trailing ends of his headband, and the way his long, green coat swirled around his legs. "Uchiha-kun is relatively advanced in taijutsu and ninjutsu and slightly less so in genjutsu; his academic, tactical, and non-combat skills lag seriously."
Naruto would have jeered, but Sasuke beat him to the punch with an indignant snarl. "What?!"
All three of the Genin pulled up short as the older ninja stopped abruptly and turned to face them. He wasn't ugly, but his nose stuck out and his eyes were too round and a threatening grey like a winter stormcloud behind his glasses. Mostly, though, he looked young, no older than his late teens, closer to their age than Iruka-sensei's. "I will not say that you were incorrect to judge those categories as having less bearing on your agenda. But you have an obligation to recognize the consequences of neglecting them."
The Uchiha scion snorted and looked away.
The Jounin mimicked the sound right back at him, then spun on his heel and picked up walking again at the same brisk pace. "Also, he has no manners," he said, dryly.
"Haruno-kun's grasp of the academic and theoretical aspects of ninja work is perfect and her practical skills are at least fair, but she lacks staying and striking power. While the weakest combatant in the squad, she is also the only one among you three with the acting ability or background knowledge to carry out any sort of covert or infiltrational mission."
As he spoke the last words they came up before the main entrance of Konoha's Archives building, a massive barn of a stone fortress that loomed only a little taller than the surrounding civilian structures but sprawled across an area equal to several residential blocks. Sakura and Sasuke easily produced the access tokens that would allow them past the seals securing it from access, but Naruto pulled up short.
"Uh," he said, when the others turned to see why he wasn't coming. "The lady... told me never to come back here."
His teacher's face darkened noticably. "Who told you?"
"I don't... remember her name. But, but, she had big bushy hair and glasses and-"
"Suzume," the snarl of recognition cut him off, and for a moment the tone of voice and the expression that matched it were enough to worry the blond boy... before both melted away to be completely replaced by a sort of bland neutrality that was surprisningly comforting. "Hold on," his teacher told him, then vanished into the depths of the building.
To expand on my opening comment, our own Catty Nova recently reviewed the early chapters of TGNH, and in so doing called my attention back to the consequences of the fact that chapter one was quite literally the first thing I'd written in years.
So, here I am, doing something about that.
Ja, -n
===============================================
"Puripuri puripuri... Bang!"