• The next morning, I was bundled up in bed, too stiff to even move. It was only with extreme willpower that I managed to pull myself up and get changed, before collapsing into the chair by the kitchen counter. I looked up at Iruka pleadingly. His eyebrow twitched and he frowned in irritation. "What?"
    "Can you hand me a poptart please?"
    He obliged, before leaning on the counter across from me. "Sore?"
    "Unbelievably so," I remarked, tugging open the wrapper and biting into the pastry. "Kakashi-Sensei is a very strict teacher."
    "How so?"
    "Ehn...just a lot of Taijutsu stuff." I began drumming my fingers on the counter. "I don't think I'll ever be able to beat him in an actual fight. I don't get how enemy ninja can NOT run away when they see him."
    "Well, he graduated from the academy when he was only five or six." Iruka remarked. "And he was a Jonin when he was your age. A lot of people from the other villages DO fear him. I think a lot of them would run away if they could."
    I gaped at him. 'wait, so he graduated when he was that young?"
    "Yep."
    "Holy crap."
    There was silence for a while as I finished my pastry, before getting up to brush my teeth and comb my hair. "Goodbye, Uncle Iruka." I tossed over my shoulder, before leaving to go to the park, where Kurenai Sensei would -finally- be waiting. And with Hinata! I hope we get along, I thought to myself. It would be awesome to have another girl on the team!
    I was almost to the training grounds when I glanced into the 'cemetary', which was actually just an area set aside for a large block of stone. All of the deceased Leaf Ninja were mentioned there. Kakashi Sensei was standing in front of it, just staring silently.
    Curiously, I approached him.


    Waking up with cramps in my neck and back, woke up on my balcony very sore. I thought I had seen my brother last night, thinking it was a dream for a little while, till I saw a note in my bedroom. Jumping into my room, I ran to my bed only to see the note with my name on it.

    ~To Akane~
    - 'I'm so sorry I had to leave, Akane. But as you now know from last night I cannot be seen with you, for reasons that I'm now a rouge ninja,' I stopped reading for a moment thinking that the Sand ninja had told me he'd been kidnapped, I went back to reading. ' I know they told you I was kidnapped, but that was only to cover it up since you were so young when it happened,' Well that explained everything, I thought "I'm proud that you've become a strong ninja, like you were hoping to become. Please don't look for me," That was the last thing I read in the letter being it so short I just kept reading it over and over. There was a knock on my door.
    "Coming," I yelled running down the hall.



    "Kakashi-Sensei?" I asked quietly. He turned slightly.
    "Oh, Matsuo. Good morning." He turned back to the stone, folding his arms. "What're you doing here?"
    "i was about to ask you the same thing," I said, knotting my fingers anxiously behind my back, as I moved to stand aside of him.
    "Just...thinking." he glanced at me. "You?"
    "Same," I lied, trying not to look at the stone. He kept his gaze on me.
    "Someone you know?" He asked.
    I looked up at the sky, a pale, robin's egg blue. "My mom."
    Kakashi was quiet, eye widening slightly. He turned back to the stone. "I didn't know."
    I scanned the list of names, eventually finding Umino, Natsumi near the bottom. She had been a Chunin when she had passed away. My dad had been a Jonin. just for the heck of it, I looked at the list to find Aratas. My grandparents names were there, but not my father's. I turned to Kakashi. "Who are you here for?"
    His gaze softened. "An old teammate," he murmured.
    "What was his name?"
    "Obito."
    I paused until I found the name. Obito Uchiha. Was he related to that snob, Sasuke? "Do you come here every morning?" I asked.
    "Pretty much. That's usually why I'm late," he added with a chuckle.
    I nodded, and then said, "Sorry if I'm bugging you."
    "Not at all, Matsuo. Thanks to you this is probably going to be the one day that I'm not late." He turned to me. "Sorry about your mother."
    "Sorry about your teammate." I said. There was an awkward silence then. "I have to go meet Kurenai Sensei. I'll see you later for training?"
    "Of course. And to make up for right now, I'll be later then usual." He smiled.
    i stuck out my tongue at him with a mock glare. "Bye, Kakashi sensei!" With this, I hurried off to the training grounds    .



    The door banged opened to reveal a perturbed Naruto. "Why are you in my apartment?" I asked looking at him. "Sasuke's acting like he's the best. Well he's not!" He yelled, pacing back and forth. "I need get back at him at him," As he rambled on for the next ten minutes I ignored him, seeing as he didn't notice. Once he was finished he thought of something to do. "Thanks Akane for understanding I now have an idea," He began to walk out the door.
    "But I didn't say anything!" I yelled to him.
    "Well then thanks for listening!" I sighed getting my ninja my ninja gear together and heading towards a ninja ground. Once there I began with target practice. I began to hear a wailing coming from my right side. Turning I saw a giant boulder like object rolling towards me. I screamed in terror and began to run.
    "Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" I jumped out of the way just before I almost got crushed.
    "What was that?" I questioned myself.


    I walked over to the bench where Kiba and Shino sat impatiently when I reached the training grounds, with Kakashi and Obito still on my mind. What had Obito done that had impacted the Jonin so much?
    "Hey, Matsuo." Kiba greeted, with a nod.
    "Hi." I sat down next to him, instead of inbetween my teammates like I usually did. (So I hold grudges, all right?) We sat in awkward silence for about five minutes before Kurenai Sensei strode up.
    "Hi, sensei!" I called, waving spastically. She lifted a hand in a motionless wave as she approached, and then turned to the girl next to her.
    "Team 8, this is Hinata Hyuuga. Make her feel welcome."
    Hinata, on my first impression, seemed to be very shy. She stood blushing lightly, fiddling with her jacket strings. Her hair was an odd bluish-purple, with two long strands on either side of her face and bangs, with her hair cropped short in the back. Her eyes were a pale white, almost lilac sort of color. They were unnerving but strangely cool. As she watched us, I stood and extended my hand. "Hi. Matsuo Arata - well, Matsuo Umino, too, I suppose."
    She shook my hand. "N-nice to m-meet you." she stammered anxiously.


    Flipping my red hair out of my face, I looked over to see none other than Chouji lying on his back in pain. I ran over worried that he'd be injured. He seemed like he had been knocked out, from whatever that boulder thing was. "Uh, Chouji, are you okay?" I questioned concerned. The only thing I got back from him was an odd mumble of words, that I couldn't understand.
    "I found him," I heard from behind me. I looked to see Ino, my number one enemy so far. She glared at me, then Asuma came from behind her, holding a bag of chips fro some reason.
    "Akane what are you doing here?!" He asked cheerfully.
    I smiled back happily since he was one of the first people I met, and who were nice to me. "I was going to train myself today," I answered. "But it seems one of your students knocked himself out. I think it was that giant boulder looking thing that went by?" I told them. I watched as Asuma opened the bag of chips, and Chouji popped up off the ground like he was totally fine, then started munching on the chips.
    "Oh that boulder was Chouji, it's one of his jutsus," Asuma told me, while my face looked stunned.
    "Man this is a drag if only Chouji could control the jutsu more, then I wouldn't have to walk around as much, and I could get more sleep," There was another kid that was my age. Another on of Asuma's students by my guess. The spiky pony tail on top of his head, and his headband was on his arm.
    he yawned once again. 'What's up with this guy?' I thought.
    "Oh right you probably already know these two," Asuma said talking about Chouji, and Ino. "This is Shikamaru Nara," Asuma pointed at him.
    "Yeah and he's one lazy guy," Ino said. This comment didn't seem to bother me , since he was really lazy looking as it was to me.
    "So Akane training by yourselve?" I nodded. "Come train with us, I'm sure it'd be better for you plus, I saw what you did to the other field," He winked to me at the field comment. Why does everyone notice the field? I thought to myself, while following them towards where they were training.



    Kiba and Shino both stood, but only Kiba shook her hand when he introduced himself. Shino just nodded as Kurenai introduced him, and Hinata eyed him apprehensively. I leaned towards her. "Don't worry," I whispered. "He's always a grouch."
    Shino turned to me, sunglasses flashing in the light. I could almost see his eye twitch. I grinned mischeviously at him.
    "Okay, Team." Kurenai clapped her hands. "D Ranked Mission today. Nothing huge, just finding a goat that got lost in the woods."
    KIba did a double take. "A goat? People keep those as pets?"
    "That would be hilarious if goats were used in jutsus like Akamaru and Momoko," I said, grinning at him. He laughed.
    "That would be."
    Kurenai rolled her eyes, but smiled slightly. "Alright, let's get going."
    She led us over to the woods, where Momoko instantly leapt from my shoulder and followed Akamaru as he sprinted down a trail in the mud. Kiba took off after them with a wild cry. "Akamaru! Wait!!!"
    Hinata and I began to pick our way through the underbrush, following the footprints. I smiled at her. "So, Hinata. You're related to Neji?"
    "Y-yes. He's my cousin."
    "Cool." We walked a bit in awkward silence, until she spoke.
    "A-are you r-related to Iruka Sensei?" she asked quietly.
    "He's my Uncle."
    "Oh. Thats nice." She smiled. "I just...you two seem very close."
    "Well, yeah." I gave her a confused look. "Why? Aren't you close with your dad?"
    She shook her head. "Not really..."
    "Well, why not?"