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The room was spinning, colors were dull, and everything seemed out of wack. Well, at least it all did to Alcaeus. Noshima was close to breaking her hard, exterior attitude just to laugh her a** off at the kid. She crossed her arms and threw a book on top of his head. Alcaeus jumped to his feet, rigid with anticipation for another kick, punch, or throw. This time, nothing came. He relaxed a little, just enough for Noshima to yell, "Again, brat!" Alcaeus sighed in his mind and set himself firmly on the ground. The dizziness subsided and he began to feel better. He allowed his chakra to flow freely for a second before focusing it deep inside him. Alcaeus formed the seal and a clone stood next to him. It couldn't move though. He just needed to get their motor skills working to get it right for once. This time, a desk nailed him square in the back and sent him sprawling into several others, creating a pile of desks on top of him.
(2/3)(175 words)

Alcaeus laid back against the wall, tired. Suddenly, a real kunai lodged itself right next to his head. He knew that was a warning shot and stood up straight. Alcaeus knew Noshima wasn't going to wait, so he focused his chakra right away. Noshima was flicking a wooden kunai between her fingers as she waited. She had little patience normally, but she knew that he'd take a while to build up his chakra. Alcaeus smirked without Noshima noticing. He thought he was going to ace this jutsu like it was nothing. How wrong he was. Noshima flung a kunai straight at his head and connected. The jutsu hadn't even worked! Alcaeus stumbled for a few seconds as Noshima shook her head in despair.
(1/4)(123 words)

Noshima strolled over to Alcaeus and forcefully grabbed his collar to drag him to his feet. She brushed his shoulder off and poked him in the chest, saying, "Do it right for once brat. I may let you go do something else besides jutsu after this...maybe." Alcaeus sighed in his head and loosened himself up by rolling his shoulders and stretching himself out. Noshima sighed and walked back against the far wall, pulling out two wooden kunai this time, to show she was serious. If Alcaeus was hit with two of them, he'd most likely be unconscious. Then Noshima would be like a wolf with her prey right in front of her. Noshima brought her arm back and then flung the kunai from her hands in an instant. Alcaeus built his chakra up quickly and burst it out as he disappeared. In his place, the two kunai hit a chair, almost splintering it. Alcaeus appeared in the back of the room, muttering, "I think she's trying to kill me..."
(3/4)(169 words)

As soon as Alcaeus thought it was safe, Noshima appeared behind him silently, kunai and shuriken ready. She smiled impishly again and said, "Hey, brat..." Alcaeus froze and slowly turned to look behind him before screaming at the top of his lungs. She started throwing kunai and shuriken right at him until she had chased him out a window. Noshima then pointed to a nearby tree that was three times the size of the Academy's roof. She tossed a kunai into his hands and smirked, yelling, "Climb brat! Climb before I start forcing you to climb!" With that note, she unsheathed a ton of shuriken and kunai into her hands. Alcaeus yelled and started focusing chakra into his feet before starting to run up the tree. He slipped about five steps up and fell onto his back, dizzy. Noshima wasn't pleased and partially grazed his head with a shuriken.
(1/6)(149 words)

Noshima brought her arm back again. This time, it was a fuuma shuriken, large and sharp. Alcaeus started panicking. Where the hell was she getting all these weapons from?! She might as well bring out a catapult or something next!Alcaeus was up and focusing his chakra the second he saw her with a weapon in her hands. Just as the fuuma shuriken left her hand, Alcaeus got his first step up the tree. He made it all the way up to twelve steps this time, just as the fuuma shuriken smashed right below his ankle into the tree. As Alcaeus fell back down, he thanked god that she wasn't really trying to hit him. If she wanted him to die, she'd have done it by now...unless this was just toying with him. Alcaeus sighed and went face first into the ground.
(3/6)(141 words)

Noshima smirked and leaned back against a nearby tree. She didn't need to push this kid anymore to make him enthusiastic. He was learning by himself at this point that he's going to have to push himself in order to become a capable shinobi. To become exceptional though, he would have to find his own way. then, he'd be able to surpass everyone's expectations. Alcaeus looked back briefly, only for a second. Noshima actually wasn't doing anything to him. Was he actually doing something right for once? Maybe she decided to just leave him alone? He shook his head and focused his chakra. It didn't matter at this point. His training would come first, questions come later. Alcaeus sprinted up the tree again. He didn't count the steps, but he knew he was about 3/4 the way up it. He was almost there, just one more time.
(5/6)(147 words)

Honehime walked slowly up to the entrance to the Academy. It was a large structure, she could easily sense the sheer number of lives it had touched. In it's own way, it was as much alive as any ninja inside of it. All of the ambient feelings that had been shed by those inside had bled into it, staining it like virgin blood stained white silk sheets. She stood still a moment, as a slight gust of wind ruffled through her robin's egg blue hair, her amber-gold eyes staring with a deep empathy that seemed wise beyond her relatively few years. There was a depth to her eyes, something that not everyone could gain, something that only came with the genesis of much pain and knowledge, something she had received both of in abundance. Her clothes were simple, similar to that worn by the shrine maidens which served, obviously, in shrines the land over. A white top and red hakama bottom, accessorized only by simple white socks and wooden sandals. She didn't look anything like a prospective ninja, she looked more at home waving a haraigushi in front of a large bonfire to try to receive visions of the future. Which, to be honest, she had done. Those visions were fleeting, flickering like the flames themselves. Not like the visions she'd seen through her own ability, she couldn't forget those images, even if she tried. They were what guided her path, setting her destiny up before her. She could try fighting it, but she knew the end result would be the same. It was always the same. So she'd come to terms with it, accepted it, made it a part of her. And that path, that guiding light, had led her here. To the Shinobi Academy, to the path of the ninja, the path of shadows. She knew the reason why she was to come here and learn the ways of the ninja, but she did not understand. That was far beyond her, or anyone's understanding. That was the knowledge held in a drop of water, the wisdom written in a beam of sunlight. That was the Truth, and that was what she sought. Even while she stepped to the rhythm it told her, she strained against it inside, searching for the small fragments of knowledge each action would unearth. Eventually the entire picture would be laid bare, and only then would she understand why. She finally stepped forward again, and continued towards the doors of the Academy. She already knew a vague outline of what would happen while she was here, but no specific details. Something that those without the gift to see the future never understood. One's destiny was set in stone, but one's fate often led to a different path. And when different people met, their fates would intertwine, leading to a general muddying of the waters, making any true predicting woefully inaccurate. Even so, there were things that would happen regardless, these were the manifestations of destiny rather than fate. She opened the doors and slowly walked inside, letting the general feel of the building wash over her, commune with her. There was no sound save the measured tapping of her sandals on the floor, but the silence itself spoke volumes to her. Even though she'd never been inside of the building before, she already knew precisely where to go. She turned down a hallway seemingly at random, ascended and descended stairs equally sporadically, and in the end stood just outside of a classroom. Faint sounds from within made it obvious there was currently a class in session. She finally opened her eyes, revealing that she'd walked the entire path with her eyes closed, yet had never taken a wrong turn or false start. She waited a long moment. until finally reaching out to open the door. Just a half a foot away from the door, the instructor stood in mid-stride, their hand already reaching out to open the door. Their eyes widened, but they adjusted quickly enough, stepping aside to ler her walk in. She moved slowly but confidently until she was standing in front of the class, a few feet away from the instructor's podium. They took their place and introduced her, writing her name on the board behind them. She bowed deeply to the class, quietly introducing herself, then going to sit down when the instructor gave her a seating assignment. She did so, seating herself neatly before looking around. She had one of the seats closer to the windows, there was one person sitting next to her. A young girl, she looked no more than twelve, and wore very elaborate clothes, all black and frilled and lacey. As well, she had a heavy looking suitcase beside her, it rested against her leg, and Honehime could feel a very strong affectionate link between the girl and the contents of the case. She introduced herself again, even more quietly, and nodded in recognition when the other girl did the same. Then she turned back to the instructor, because they were already getting back into the swing of things, continuing on with the lesson. She'd been late, but it didn't seem to be a problem, she was still following what the teacher told her, they explained it very well. Undoubtedly a skill they exercized regularly, considering their job. Teaching young ninja year after year, of course.
(900 words)