Chapter 5 - Adventure 5- The Odd Man Out

Whoosh! Tomp! Tomp! Tomp!

Little Ryouko landed next to Genma, Hayate, and Raito, feeling very intimidated. The Tokubetsu jonin had all been friendly, it wasn’t that. But the fact he was here, working with them, it made him feel out of place. But they had included him, and even let him do some of the work.

“Remember, there are still bandits in the area, we need to be looking out for them,” Genma reminded everyone as they squatted in the bushes.

“Ryouko, do you remember anything about the attacker?” Raito asked the youngest of the group. Ryouko looked slightly surprised to be called on, but was quick to answer.

“He said something about the academy being a lousy target, and he wished the boss would give him better assignments. He was wearing bandages on his face. He didn’t have a headband that I could see…I think that’s everything. Oh, wait, my transformation didn’t fool him for long, so he’s at least a genin level. But the fact that I beat him means he wasn’t very good, and definitely not the strongest of this group.” Ryouko frowned, thinking that his words didn’t mean much, except for proving that there were other bandits out there, and they were likely to be high-ranked. That was more info than they had before, so maybe he had helped, just a little.

“Good (koff), that’s something. One of us should go in the trees and watch, someone else should be a distraction…bait.”

Hayate’s idea led to a short but fierce discussion. Ryouko didn’t say anything until the end.

“I should be the bait. They know me, and they’ll probably try to get revenge. Besides, I’m younger and lower than a genin, making me an easy target.” That made sense, and everyone knew it. Hayate started to speak up against it, but Genma ask to talk to him.

“You’ve got to forget this ‘big brother’ complex you have with him. You know he’s right. That’s the best course of action. We have to do it.”

--

Ryouko walked by himself, doing his best to look lost and unconfident. That was easy- he FELT lost and unconfident. But he also understood the concept of ‘for the mission’, even at such a young age. Still, he had doubts. With only a couple jutsus in his repetoire, Ryouko wasn’t sure he could hold out until the jonin calvary arrived. It would only be a few seconds, but in this world, even a half-second could mean life or death. It was a heavy thing for a ten year old to comprehend, but at the same time, it just made sense to Ryouko. It was a concept others could spend years pondering, but something about it just felt natural to the boy. So he walked around aimlessly, knowing the jonin were watching from the trees.

If we’re attacked, then the attackers won’t be jonin. A jonin would have picked up on the fact that this was a trap...right? But still, if there are a lot of them, rank might not matter so much.

Whizzzzz!

Ryouko ducked, hands over his head. A shuriken buried itself in the ground next to his head. Ryouko scrambled to his feet, returning fire in the direction the shuriken had come from, then turning and running.

Too late.

Ryouko was starting at three large bandits. They were soon joined by a fourth, whose arm was bleeding from Ryouko’s random shuriken throw. Ryouko hadn’t aimed- he had just guessed, and tried to flush his attacker out. It had worked nicely, apparently.

Instantly, Raito, Genma, and Hayate appeared next to Ryouko.

“Nice job kid. Now we’ve got them!” Genma smirked, shifting the senbon in his mouth. To Ryouko’s delight, he hadn’t heard Genma say ‘don’t get involved’- Ryouko had every intention of fighting. He was a firm believer in a fair fight- four on three wasn’t fair. So Ryouko stepped up next to the jonin, across from the one he had wounded. As if a wordless command was spoken, everyone leapt up at the same time. Genma spat a senbon, Hayate drew his sword, and Raito leapt in for taijutsu. Ryouko scrambled forward, leaping gracefully for a Dynamic Entry kick. It was a standard side-kick, but Ryouko had aimed for a specific spot. The enemy blocked, as expected, but Ryouko’s heel swung around and hit the shuriken wound. The enemy leaned back, shocked by the pain, giving Ryouko time to land, prep himself, and kick. The telltale CRACK of bones breaking echoed around the forest, as Ryouko had kicked the bandit on the kneecap. It only too seven pounds of pressure to break a knee, and Ryouko had put WAY more behind that strike. Ryouko quickly kicked the bandit’s weapons away from him, then held a kunai at his neck.

Genma’s senbon had taken care of his bandit after a few hit some key joints. Raito was the only one who was hurt (Later, a nasty scar would develop on his face [Yes, the origin of Raito’s scar!]), as Hayate’s opponent had simply given up when matched with Hayate’s sword. As it turned out, this was just a talent-less group of punks that barely qualified as Shinobi.

“Let’s go home, boys. This one is over,” Genma said, sticking a new senbon between his teeth. As he did, he thought of something.

It’s strange…Ryouko, right? Mild-mannered, but he was different in combat. Efficient, but he did no more than necessary. Most young guys go right for the kill, but he didn’t do that. But even that by itself isn’t so strange…it was how he worked. His taijutsu wasn’t anything special, but it was placed so perfectly. Apparently, Ryouko is capable of anticipating attacks and there results very well. I’ll have to tell Lord Hokage, he’ll be happy to hear it. Rumor has it he’s taken a personal interest in Ryouko’s case.

--

Ryouko would continue like this for some time. In one area, he had managed to surpass Neji- the instructors liked Ryouko better. But Ryouko kept thinking about how Neji had stopped Tenten from being friends with him. Ryouko couldn’t understand it, but he felt really bad about Tenten. When he had said ‘sure, we can be friends’ he hadn’t really meant it. It was clear she really like Neji, and Ryouko wasn’t the type to come between that. So, slowly, he weaned himself away from talking with her, and only worked with her when he was told to in class. She was distracted by Neji, so it was easy enough to pretend that nothing happened.

Rock Lee, Ryouko’s other friend, was off more these days. He had met some sensei that really focused on him. That meant he didn’t spar with Ryouko so much anymore. All the girls in class liked Sasuke, and all the guys in class were already in groups. It was an akward time for Ryouko. But he didn’t give it too much thought- to him, as long as he kept working hard and doing well, then things would work out by themselves.

It was a child’s view of the world.

--

Very quickly, graduation day came. Ryouko and Neji and been number two and number one, respectively. Tenten had taken the number 3 spot. At the final exam, by chance, Ryouko and Neji were paired together. Each was supposed to create at least three perfect likenesses of themselves. After that, it was transformation jutsus- Neji had to turn into Ryouko, while Ryouko would assume the form of Neji. For two boys who had butted heads, this was fodder for another fight.

POOF! Neji looked like Ryouko. In a gesture of mocking, he sat down and opened a scroll.

“I see…I’m talentless, but I work hard so everyone likes me!”

Ryouko suppressed a snarl- it was his turn to be Neji. POOF! Flawless. But Ryouko had to take a shot back at Neji.

“The heavens have foretold that I will be a fate-spouting moron, and I’ll blame fate for everything!”

POOF! Both boys undid their jutsus, glaring at each other. Ryouko broke the glare first, remember what Iruka-sensei had said about no more fighting. Neji hadn’t been given the same warning, and he charged forward, losing control. Ryouko didn’t know about the Hyuuga family curse, and he had inadvertently hit a nerve with Neji. That became apparent when Neji punched him with all his strength, sending Ryouko into the wall. Ryouko stood back up, but held himself in check. He couldn’t hit back, Iruka-sensei would be angry with him. Instead, Ryouko dodged Neji the best he could, but he was getting his butt kicked. By now, they had attracted the attention of everyone in the room. No one dared get involved. There was only Iruka-sensei and a gray-haired chunin named Mizuki in the room, and they had to coordinate their plan before they moved. One boy who had already failed the exams had seen enough.

“KNOCK IT OFF!” Naruto cried, ramming into Neji, sending him spinning away from Ryouko. That turned Neji’s focus toward Naruto. This time, forgetting the rules, Ryouko stepped in and cracked Neji in the face.

“Don’t hit my friend!” Ryouko said in a low, threatening voice. Everyone in the room shifted uncomfortably- Ryouko, the top of the class, was friends with Naruto, the fox demon, the knucklehead, the prankster?!

“Then don’t let others fight your battles for you,” Neji shot back. Ryouko ignored him, instead turning to Iruka.

“I’m sorry for fighting, Iruka-sensei,” Ryouko spoke respectfully, adding a bow. “I didn’t mean to, and I didn’t want Naruto to get hit, but the fact is I got in a fight with Neji. So, it’s just an explanation, not an apology, and not an excuse. You can fail me, if you need to.”

Iruka told Mizuki to watch the boys while he thought about what to do. Mizuki’s eye wandered to Naruto. Somewhere in his mind, the perfect dupe was born. He just had to bide his time…

Iruka returned. “Ryouko and Neji, you’ve both passed with full marks. Neji, starting that fight was wrong. Ryouko, egging Neji on was wrong. But…you followed instructions. You defended a friend, and that’s something we stress, so I can’t yell at you for it. Now, those of you with headbands: congratulations, you’re now genin, apprentice Shinobi…”

--

Ryouko waited outside, his headband in his pocket. Naruto shuffled out, looking depressed.

“Naruto, do you have a second?”

Naruto looked at Ryouko strangely. No one ever asked anything of Naruto unless they wanted to yell at him for something. But for some reason, Naruto decided Ryouko was safe to approach.

“Thanks…you know, for earlier,” Ryouko murmured. “For your help, I mean. I, uh, got you these. I didn’t think anyone would defend me, and it really means a lot you did. Here.” Ryouko handed Naruto coupons for free ramen, much to Naruto’s delight.

“See you later,” Ryouko said happily, giving a wave over his shoulder. Naruto looked at the coupons in his hand, then at Ryouko.

“Hey!” Naruto called to Ryouko. Ryouko turned his head to show he was listening.

“Let’s go get some ramen together sometime, okay?” Naruto offered. This was where Naruto’s uncanny ability of making friends without saying much came into play. It was as if Naruto knew Ryouko’s emotions better than Ryouko did. Naruto was lonely, and he could sense loneliness. Without knowing it, Naruto was trying to remedy the problem.

Ryouko offered a smile. “That’d be cool. Thanks.”

--


Ryouko’s fortune would stay much the same. He had graduated, but for him, that didn’t mean anything. Because on the day everyone got a sensei and a team, Ryouko sat by himself, wondering what he had done wrong. He wasn’t going to get a team or a sensei. But why?

“But why…” Ryouko whispered to himself, near tears for the first time in a long while. “Did I do something wrong?”

As Ryouko sat at the top of the classroom thinking just that, Iruka was sitting at his desk, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He had no answer to this problem. There weren’t enough people to go around, and Ryouko was the newest one here. That left him the odd man out. Of course, the fight was still in Iruka’s mind. If only Naruto had passed, then Ryouko could have been paired with him, and maybe Rock Lee. Lee and Naruto would have been weak links, but by all indication, Ryouko would have covered them. (Later, of course, Naruto and Lee would become great ninja, but at the time, who knew?) And senseis…there was no way to assign genin to a sensei- being a genin was learning teamwork, and you couldn’t get that with one on one instruction. So what to do about this…

Ryouko had since walked over to the window, looking out through the glass at the happy teams. Maybe even more at the groups of friends. In Ryouko’s eyes, he had worked hard to be a part of this world, but he hadn’t been allowed to be. Some people still gave him strange looks. It was sad, but Ryouko was happy to have left his old life behind.

-

Iruka looked up when the door slid open. With a tall, black-haired man and a women with long red hair was a small girl, roughly eleven years old. She was wearing a school uniform, a rarity in this village. Blue skirt, white blouse, red tie, blue vest- that wasn’t the norm here by any means. Everyone wore gear to fight in- unless you were dating someone, skirts were out. But such a small girl wouldn’t be going into combat, so it was fine.

The girl had her red haired pulled into a ponytail on one side of her head, leaving long bangs on the other side. The ponytail was held in place by a yellow ribbon, giving the girl a look of cure innocence. She must have been a new student, so you can imagine Iruka’s surprise when Ryouko spoke up.

“Masamitsu Azami-chan?”

Ryouko couldn’t help his curiosity- he hadn’t seen this girl in a few years, but that red hair, those wide eyes, and that uniform- it had to be her.

“Amakatsu Ryouko-kun?” the little girl piped up. The two kids walked toward each other. Iruka’s heart warmed a little, but that stopped quickly.

“Oh no…” groaned Azami’s mother. “Azami-chan, please remember your-”

Azami (Formerly known as Linda Mawashi) had walked up to Ryouko and looked him up and down. Then a sneer grew on her face.

“Bet I’m still better than you!” she said with a laugh, poking Ryouko in the chest. “Give me a little while and I’ll have you beat, just like before!”

Ryouko’s face darkened. He ignored Azami and bowed to her parents instead.

“Iruka-sensei, may I leave? I don’t want to be in the way…” Ryouko said quietly, not at all like his normal self. His voice usually had conviction and certainty behind it- this time, there was none. Only a sincere wish to leave. Iruka nodded.

“Come see me later, okay Ryouko?”

-

Once Ryouko left, Iruka looked towards Azami’s parents.

“Is there a…history between them?” Iruka asked, not liking Ryouko’s reaction.

“Yes…(Sigh) Azami and Ryouko just didn’t get along when they trained together. They competed in everything, and Ryouko always lost. He trained hard, as I imagine he’s done here, but Azami has just been naturally gifted in everything she’s tried. Sword katas, empty hand martial arts, sparring matches…Azami always came out on top, and she always rubbed it in. My husband and I always thought it was just a kid thing, that they’d outgrow it. But she just teased him more, and he just took it. He never spoke up. Then he left, so it didn’t seem to matter.”

Iruka sighed. “That kid…he finished second in his class here…no wonder it was bothering him so much…Well, I’ll deal with it later. For now, when will Azami be starting?”

--

Ryouko wandered around the village, for the first time truly depressed.

Why did SHE have to show up? She was always so mean! I like it here, but if she’s here, I won’t enjoy it anymore! Why is this girl haunting me? I was always second to someone! To her, or Neji, or Sasuke! It’s not fair!

Ryouko looked around, finally finding a good spot to sit, where Azami couldn’t reach him- on top of the Village’s dam. Unless she had chakra control already, she couldn’t get up here. Ryouko was still young, but he had learned chakra control right away. So he got a running start and took up off the wall, reaching the top on his first try. He sat down, overlooking the village, wondering what to do.

Maybe we can move again…I don’t have a team or anything…Mom and Dad could always get a new job…But I don’t want to leave! Why did Azami have to come here?

Tok!

A jonin Ryouko didn’t know landed next to him on the dam.

“Hmm? Oh, sorry, didn’t see you up here. I was just going to catch up on my reading.” The jonin had silver hair that stuck out at a weird angle, and eyes that looked as if they were ready to go to sleep. Their owner even talked like he was asleep or bored. But he wasn’t unkind, so Ryouko didn’t shy away.

“Are you a new graduate?” the jonin asked, seeing Ryouko’s headband sticking out of his pocket.

“Yes, sensei. I’m Amakatsu Ryouko,” Ryouko replied.

“Hatake Kakashi. Shouldn’t you be with your team now?” Kakashi asked. He had meant it kindly- after all, no genin had ever not had a team before.

“I don’t have a team, Kakashi-sensei. I graduated kind of early…”

Kakashi, looking at the boy instead of his book, could now clearly make out a look of depression on the boy’s face. Kakashi thought about it for a second, then put a hand on Ryouko’s head.

“Well, if you have a problem, then it’s best to see Lord Hokage. If anyone has a solution, it’s him, after all. Now, there’s something else bothering you. Care to tell me what it is?” Kakashi thought that maybe if he helped, the kid wouldn’t jump.

“A girl from my past who is the incarnation of evil,” Ryouko said instantly. Then he laughed. “Only to me, though. Everyone else thinks she’s a perfect little girl. But she’s always been better than me at everything, and she always rubs it in. I just ignore it, but it still bothers me…”

Kakashi winced inwardly- no way he could answer that. “Well, maybe she likes you?”

Ryouko immediately denied it, but somehow, Kakashi guessed that really WAS the case. After all, he had some experience with girls in his past. All the same, it was best for Ryouko to see Lord Hokage about this sort of thing.

--

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