Academy II. The Years Going By
First lesson the next day was about chakra control. You would think that the instructors back at Otogakure would had thought to instruct us on something so basic. No, they did not. We were instead taught how to use it as quickly as possible before they started training us. As such, these kinds of lessons in Konohagakure were the ones where I actually paid attention in class.
Chakra was, in essence, almost the same as magic, a form of energy present in all of us. It was an energy that was drawn directly from our ‘stamina’, a collection of spiritual and physical energy. Spiritual energy, or mental energy as some like to call it, was the energy that was derived from our mind’s consciousness. Physical energy was then produced from our body’s cells. These two were then combined in an area of our Chakra Pathway System called the Chakra Coils to produce Chakra, which was then spread throughout our bodies in the aforementioned system. There were also many theorists who believed Chakra to be the life force of a person as when people die, their chakra fades with them
That was where it was different from magic, I realised. While Magic was also a type of energy that lay within our bodies, as taught by Equestrian Education, it was only detectable by magical means, appearing as a haze of foreign particles of colors unique to the type of magic it’s owner specialised in.
Like chakra, however, it was tied inherently to my life force, and there was no reason for me to doubt that statement, given past… experiences. However, from what I feel, they were separate energies but the consequences of biting off more than you can chew would end in the same result. Simply put, use too much chakra, you die of chakra deprivation, use too much magic, you die of mana deprivation.
The only way out of this conundrum was simple. Practice. The chakra coils would produce more chakra as we developed our mental and physical faculties. The mana pool one could handle would also increase as long as I constantly trained my magic.
If only there was an easier way. I thought wistfully. It was not like I disliked training to better myself. I was the princess’ student for a reason. However, the fact that I had to train up my chakra as well as my magic handling skills to maintain an advantage over any adversary I would face meant that I had to put in twice the effort. Seeing that I would need to develop not one, but two aspects of myself.
I sighed. Looks like I had my work cut out for me.
At least my social skills were being put to good use. Ever since the first day, I consistently met up with the Nara and Akimichi boys on the small grass incline during lunch, taking advantage of their general tolerance of my presence. It was a slow start, but the two boys warmed up to me eventually.
On the other end of the spectrum, my relationship with Ino and Sakura got on without a hitch. Ino was glad to finally had another girl in the class that was not, as she puts it, ‘one of Ami’s mindless, backstabbing adulators.’ Truth be told, I was slightly taken aback by her vehement nature with regards to Ami and was more than a little impressed by her command of vocabulary at her age.
She will be a good ally in the future.
Surprisingly, their relationship with me had exploded exponentially for the better when they realised that I had zero interest in chasing after the class’ eyecandy: Sasuke. That did not stop Ino from poking fun at me from time to time for being ‘hopeless at romance.’
Good riddance I say. Romance was the last thing on my mind.
It didn’t take long before they too joined my little group on the small grassy incline during lunch break. Maybe it helped because it gave them a bird’s eye view of Sasuke Uchiha.
Ino quickly established herself as the leader of the group. Alright, that might have been unfair to her, but seeing as she was the most ‘motivated’ among the rest of us, it was probably inevitable that she ended up taking up that role. That and probably the fact that she was the most sociable one out of the rest of us. Truth be told, why she bothered to stick with us was something I could not understand, but would never question.
Others slowly joined us, either by my design or by accident. Naruto Uzumaki, for one, was deliberately included by me. It was during an obstacle course lesson, where we were to form into groups of four. Ino and Sakura, starry eyed lovers that they were, managed to form a group with their crush, Uchiha Sasuke, leaving me with no potential partners. That was, until I saw Shikamaru and Chouji waiting at one side.
“Want to form up?” I asked as I headed over to them, giving the two a smile.
“Sure,” Shikamaru replied in his own typical way of conversation. Chouji did not say anything, but merely smiled and offered me some of his chips.
We still needed a fourth member, and that was when I saw him. Standing off to the side, shunned by the majority of the class. It was then I knew that a perfect opportunity presented itself.
Walking over, I ignored the murmurs of the others as I made a beeline towards him.
“Naruto-kun? We need a fourth member. Want to join?”
The look of joy that he gave me was almost painful. Almost.
Thankfully, the other duo did not have any complaints about the arrangement. Shikamaru complained about it as he did everything, muttering “Troublesome”, but was otherwise friendly to our newest addition. Surprisingly, Chouji and Naruto got along fine, mostly because Naruto had enough tact to not insult the other kid.
It was only when we began hanging out more during lunch period when I realized my mistake.
It was not tact, it was merely because the child himself was an attention-seeker. If there were a phrase to describe the little blond, it would be that he was ‘attention-starved’. He would do anything, cause any amount of headache just to get a lick of attention from anybody in the vicinity.
Ino had complained a bit, though she soon accepted the fact that Naruto being around us would soon become the norm. Not that I could blame her. We were probably the only kids in the class that were willing to give the ‘dead last’ some time of our lives.
The only constant voice of dissent was Sakura. Apparently Naruto was very smitten with the pink haired girl, and had only redoubled his efforts to woo her with each rejection, however physical, that she had handed him. The rest found the scenario rather entertaining, and it even managed to get a smirk out of the reserved Shikamaru.
Honestly speaking, I could not help but wonder why Sakura would want to become a Shinobi. True, her parents were Shinobi, but they were only part of the Genin Corps, a collection of those shinobi who were judged unsuitable to advance into the Jounin Course after multiple failed graduations from the Academy. Not to mention that she was much more focused on romance than was healthy for a person who wanted to become a shinobi. Unlike the other three, who I could understand due to familial pressure, and Naruto, who actually took becoming a shinobi seriously despite his joking nature, Sakura had absolutely zero motivation to become a killer, a ninja whose sole purpose was to protect this village. She was much more suited to be a healer, seeing how natural she was with medicine and the healing salves that we were taught in our lessons.
It was quite painful to watch, seeing her waste her talent like this.
On the other hand, I had been portraying myself as the quiet but helpful girl in the class. Thanks to the skills I learned in Otogakure and in my kunoichi lessons, I had managed to grow onto Iruka-sensei. His general favoritism allowed me easier access to some materials in the school library. Nothing overly sensitive, of course, Konohagakure was not that incompetent, but it was still a baby step. After all, it would take a miracle to know a secret that my ‘father’ did not already know, considering his rank and all.
Of course, that was way out of my job scope. My work simply consisted of letting Shiratama know the location of the sentries were out of the compound, or whenever the Hokage had left his office.
It was a simple job, but a grueling one nonetheless. After all, he had impressed upon me the consequences of being found out as a spy. And considering the stories that he told about Konoha’s Torture and Interrogation Division? Let’s just say that I would much prefer to not be exposed as one at all.
Still, I could hardly complain. Orochimaru-sama had given this job to me personally and I intend to fully capitalise on this to win his favor.
Still, Shiratama was such a confusing man. Sometimes he would act cold and distant, at other times, he would act as a nice parent would. There was this one time, where I finally beat Sasuke in a taijutsu match(it was a fluke, lucky strike to the side of the head), when Shiratama invited me to a meal at his favorite restaurant.
It was called Shirobeko, a quaint little place that served plenty of different types of Rice Bowls. The two of us would sit and chat, almost like a father and his daughter would.
“How did you beat him?” He asked, seeming genuinely interested.
“Luck,” I replied after swallowing the rice in my mouth.
“Then you gotta make sure that you don’t need no luck next time.” He grinned before downing a bowl of miso soup. “Still a good effort tho, congratulations, Kyoku.”
It was a good experience, and I found that I enjoyed these trips we had, even though it was only make-believe. Even though it was all fake.
Two months into the Academy curriculum, and I found myself once again sitting with the five of them during lunch break. Shikamaru had brought a shogi set, the result of complaining that he needed someone else other than his father to play with.
That was when one of the things that I had been dreading finally happened.
“Come to think of it, where are you from?” The dreaded question was finally asked by none other than Ino, as she was watching Shikamaru and I face off in a game of Shogi.
The attention of the entire group was focused on me as the question sunk in. Shikamaru appeared disinterested in the question, seemingly focused on the game, but I could tell that he was listening intently. Even Naruto had stopped his incessant chatter with Kiba, who had recently joined our little clique, and Sakura and opted to listen in. The only sound that broke the silence was Akamaru’s growling at me, for some reason, that dog could never stand my presence.
Of course this would eventually happen. It was too much to hope that Shiratama’s request to Iruka-sensei to keep my background a secret from the rest would be enough to dissuade the rest.
And I must give them an answer. Children, after all, were very inquisitive at this age. Refuse to tell them anything, and they will beg you incessantly for it. I should know, I was there.
I sighed, to steel my nerves. I didn’t need to fake it, either.
“A small village at the edge of Kumogakure.” I lied, remembering the story that I was trained to remember. “ It was where I met Shiratama-san.”
“Met?” Ino asked, an eyebrow raised.
“He’s not really my dad.” I chuckled darkly, mixing truth and lies in the same statement always made it more convincing. “On one of his missions, he found me, and brought me here.”
Silence descended upon our group. It was awkward, to be honest. “So you’re like me, huh?” Naruto said, breaking the silence.
“Sorry?”
“I mean that you don’t have parents either… So I kinda get how you feel.” He looked away.
I blinked, was he trying to comfort me? “I… already accepted it long ago.” I said carefully. “Besides, Shir- Father, was trying his best too.” It was a lie. Of course it was, Shiratama was a spy, and I was his accomplice. He did not have time to play parent with me.
For some reason, my eyes felt wet at the thought, even as an image of an alicorn flashed into my mind and was banished just as quickly. I quickly rubbed at them. Tears? I started, I did not cry, ever. Not since I had left that cell with Orochimaru-sama…
A pair of arms wrapped themselves around me. It was Ino. She had this insufferable look of pity on her face. But for some reason, I was okay with it.
Except that I couldn’t be okay with it, I reminded myself.
I had read my fair share of spy novels back in Equestria. Some dealt with mystery and intrigue, others dealt mainly in action and adventure. However, none of them actually told you how simple and ordinary a spy’s life and work actually was.
Everyday, I woke up and went to school. I bonded with my ‘friends’, studied for the next upcoming tests and returned to my home at the end of the day. Sure, I kept an eye out for any outstanding information which I steadily relayed to my ‘father’, but such occasions were far and few between.
I was falling into routine and on multiple occasions, I almost lost myself in it. I almost forgot that this village was an enemy of Orochimaru-sama. That the kids that I was talking to now would become my adversaries later down the road. That when the order was given, I may even have to dispatch them before they become a threat.
Being a spy is hard. I sighed internally, even as I smiled at Ino and returned the hug. But Orochimaru-sama has saved my life, and so I owed it to him. If it was his order, I would fight all these kids. Not happily, I realised, but I would do it all the same.
That night, I took out the Diary again.
I miss you. Those three accursed words stared back up at me as my pen hovered at the line beneath those words. Yet even as I stayed in that posture, I couldn’t form the words. I don’t even know how to start.
“What do I even want to write?” I sighed, closing the book and tossing the pen aside. I eyed the book. “Why am I even writing when she has not even apologised yet?”
“Kyoku, tomorrow’s the graduation exam, am I correct?”
I looked up from the book I was reading. “Yes father.” Two years had passed since I had been placed into Konohagakure alongside him. Funny, I had already grown comfortable enough to call him that. Of course, it was all for the sake of appearance but...
He grunted. “You know what happens after the exam, correct?”
I nodded. Of course I do. It was something that I had researched in advance. The Shinobis were separated into the failures and the graduates immediately after the examination. All the graduates were to be promoted to Genin and placed into three-men cells, overseen by a Jounin instructor. It was an accelerated course, so to speak, in which the three Genin will be trained and tutored by the Jounin instructor, being groomed to be the next generation of Jounin in Konohagakure. This was the Jounin course, where the next generation of leaders of the village would be nurtured.
“Good.” He nodded, “make sure you pass.” The underlying meaning was clear as day, as it was obvious that the higher the rank you possess, the more secrets one would be beholden to. Secrets that can prove useful to Orochimaru-sama. Hence, the Jounin course was pretty much a course which I MUST qualify for, for the alternatives were much, much worse.
To explain, those who failed the graduation exam would need to join another class at a later date. However, the instance one had failed more than three times, they will be drafted into the Genin Corps. In the Great Shinobi War many years ago, the Genin Corps were a reserve unit, meant to reinforce the numbers of shinobi in the combat cells fighting on the front lines. Nowadays, in times of peace, they became almost a byword for ‘failures’. It was nigh impossible to rise up above one’s station once drafted into the Genin corps. Those that were recruited would spend the rest of their days constantly doing rank-D missions in an effort to get by and hoping that they would be lucky enough to pass a Chunin exam in order to have a shot at a better future. It was, all told, a rather bleak path to walk.
As such, it would be in my best interest to pass on the first try.
Of course, there were alternatives. The Medic Corps were always looking for personnel to join them, and all one had to do to join was to pass an entry test and interview with them. There, one would be trained in their chosen specialisation for three year. The two specialisations were field-medic and hospital personnel. Field-medics were shinobis who were deployed on missions like regular shinobi squads, while hospital personnel were pretty much self-explanatory. Assuming that I fail, becoming a field-medic would be in my best interests, as like with the shinobi in the Genin Corps, the chance to attend a Chunin exam was always there, but considering the training I would receive, the chances of passing was significantly larger. Unfortunately, it was still a much longer route to Jounin than the aforementioned Jounin Course, so it was still a much less desired outcome.
“I understand.” I replied. “Though I don’t see why I should be worried.” The graduation exam was reported to be a physical test, a written test and a jutsu test. It was as simple as it could get and nobody that had studied for it should fail.
“Hn.” Shiratama smirked. It was not the unkind smile that he had displayed to me in my first few months of living with him(he hardly did that nowadays, in fact.) Rather, it was one of those ‘I know something you don’t’ kind of smile. “Do your best then,” he got up and patted me on the head before exiting the room.
I frowned as I ignored the affectionate, but clearly fake gesture. Sure, we might have pretended to be close, but in the end it was all just an act to fool the general public. It was an unneeded sentiment and would no doubt interfere with my duties.
However, something about this still did not quite sit right with me and father’s little display confirmed a small part of my suspicions. I could not really place my finger on it, but something just seemed… off.
Gradeswise, I was among the top of the class for all three components of the Graduation test. In terms of taijutsu, there were only two kids that I had yet to beat on a consistent basis. In terms of pure written grades, I was one of the two who could consistently receive perfect scores on tests.
Even in ninjutsus I was not lacking. Sure, my chakra reserves were rather small when compared to some of the boys in our class. However, I was still capable of the three academic jutsus and had tree-walking and water-walking somewhat down thanks to his dutiful instructions during our weekly after-class practice. Then there were the basic medical ninjutsu that I had been tutored in in Otogakure which while chakra-intensive, I could rely upon to heal myself. As a last resort, I may even fall back on the one water release that father had deigned to teach me, though it would deplete my chakra reserves rapidly if I did not have a nearby water source to rely on.
And if all else fails, I’d have my magic to fall back on. My mana reserves had increased over the years, mostly thanks to my constant practice with it. Most of the basic spells could be used and maintained, and my telekinesis had most definitely became stronger. It would still be awhile before I could use any major spells like teleportation without siphoning more than half of my reserves though.
However, even when I disregarded the skills I learned outside of the academy, we were still rather thoroughly prepared. So why was the examination slated to be so easy? Perhaps there would be combat involved? That seemed likely. After all, the capabilities of a graduate could not be so easily judged by these three mere tests. If that was the case, everyone would be in the Jounin course, and the Genin Corps would be empty.
Yes, I was as prepared as I could ever be. I should have all the confidence of a tactician who had all the pieces he needed to win the game on his side. But yet, for some reason, I still could not shake off the sinking feeling I had in my stomach.
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I'm really loving the way you portray pre-reformation Sunset's conflicts, both in this and the Warcraft story
Wait, how many spells does she know? I don't mean how many she can currently do, I mean how many she could practice. She doesn't have an efficient way back to Equestra, so she can't learn them from books, she'd have to go based on memory.
10072232
Mmmmh, well, she knows most of her basics, and some of the advanced spells(which she can't really use right now.) . Just think of her as a dnd wizard without a spellbook that was forced to become a narutoverse shinobi. XD. Oh, and to your previous question, Smile Agents are pretty much the MI6 of MLP, who hunts monsters.
10071613
Aight! Thank you for your support!
10073142
Thanks for clearing those up!
I gotta wonder if writing Sunset into Naruto where she takes the place of one of the main characters, is easier to write then just having Sunset exist in the Warcraft universe and figuring out how to get her involved in major events.
Granted I know very little of Warcraft lore so maybe its actually easy to insert Sunset but I gotta think it's pretty simple with Naruto since she's in position to get involved with major events from the beginning without much effort needed. Though I suppose that could change depending on what happens when we finally get to the Chuunin Exam.
Regardless, loving this so far and looking forward to seeing how this plays out.
10075523
Actually, I find inserting her into the WC3 universe a lot easily, mostly because I am a fulltime Warcraft geek. Well, was a full time geek anyway. Still, this story was extremely fun to write, mostly because I wanted to try a new kind of Sunset. A more cautious one as opposed to the cocky one in my other story. Main problem I be facing here would be how much things would be derailed in a way that it makes sense hahaha.
I never understood why tree-walking and water-walking were presented as lambda or not that much note-worthy in fanfictions (especially self inserts) in canon, this was quite the big deal for first years Genin since they didn't knew it from school, and the fact than Sakura could do the former quickly earned her praises from Kakashi.
I think than except if Sasuke had shown his Katon, the knowledge of Sunset/Kyoku doing the tree and water-walking would put her as the best of her class.
honestly, i kinda hope than they (her classmates) will discover a infime bit of the truth about Celestia, with them knowing than "Kyoku-chan" was raised by a women who teached her about her powers (pssibly due to being part of the same clan), and then kyoku had left for knowing more about her possibilities of power (and at 7-8, Sasuke could use the fireball jutsu, which was a jutsu than lambda first year genin couldn't do easily, and this world is weird anyway) but screwed up, was founded by Shiratama (or if this cover is blown, explain about Orochimaru) and then the rest is the events of the story.