A little bird had wandered into the crow's nest of the Shima estate in the early morning to deliver his lady's message. He was careful not to be spotted, the young boy who could only be about fourteen. He had been Lady Shima's courier from the moment he was hired into the household, six years ago. She was always kind to him, treating him like a younger brother. So, when she left the household and became Spymaster, Jirou followed. Jirou slipped the letter under Masaru's door frame before making him scare to the Shima household. Sealed in an envelop, sealed with the crest of the Main Branch insignia, held a letter hand written by Haruka. In elegant yet forced handwriting, the letter read:
***
The chittering of morning birds danced softly through the misty air of Kumogakure's first light. She hadn't slept at all the night before, still sifting through every record Natsu owned to calculate the expense of every spy in her service. Some needed to be let go, others needed to be reactivated. It was a never ending process. Luckily, she had slept the day away and was energized. Her sleep patterns were swinging to that of a night owl. Children learned better in the morning, or so she had read once. So, despite how much Masaru would probably hate her for rising at such an ungodly hour, Haruka felt justified. The grounds were much quieter, without the distraction of the usual slew of children. He would need the concentration.
She didn't know much about his raising. She wasn't even sure if he knew how to hold a blade, but starting with basics never hurt anyone. She had decided on a fairly simple subject, Chakra. However, Haruka did not tolerate mediocrity. She'd take this lesson much further. He would come to understand the flow of chakra better than any in his class. Being 12 and just coming to the academy put him at a disadvantage, but after her methods were executed, he'd handle himself better than most genin. The Spymaster had a reputation to uphold, and if she were to one day call this boy her student then he needed to be a cut above the rest.
She donned the standard Main Branch uniformed issued under the orders of both Aion, the Dawnbringer and Takaki Masao. Although, Hikari had moved to abolish the skirts policy, a tradition that Haruka had advised not to demolish, Haruka still wore the uniform. She brushed off a stray thread sticking to her skirt. The clothing she wore the day Masao spent a quiet afternoon with her and when she became a Main Branch member. She hated that she was getting more and more nostalgic these days...
Masaru Shinomiya,
I hope you are an early riser. Meet me in the inner courtyard of the academy at 0700 tomorrow. Be on time, I will not tolerate lateness.
Shima Haruka
I hope you are an early riser. Meet me in the inner courtyard of the academy at 0700 tomorrow. Be on time, I will not tolerate lateness.
Shima Haruka
***
The chittering of morning birds danced softly through the misty air of Kumogakure's first light. She hadn't slept at all the night before, still sifting through every record Natsu owned to calculate the expense of every spy in her service. Some needed to be let go, others needed to be reactivated. It was a never ending process. Luckily, she had slept the day away and was energized. Her sleep patterns were swinging to that of a night owl. Children learned better in the morning, or so she had read once. So, despite how much Masaru would probably hate her for rising at such an ungodly hour, Haruka felt justified. The grounds were much quieter, without the distraction of the usual slew of children. He would need the concentration.
She didn't know much about his raising. She wasn't even sure if he knew how to hold a blade, but starting with basics never hurt anyone. She had decided on a fairly simple subject, Chakra. However, Haruka did not tolerate mediocrity. She'd take this lesson much further. He would come to understand the flow of chakra better than any in his class. Being 12 and just coming to the academy put him at a disadvantage, but after her methods were executed, he'd handle himself better than most genin. The Spymaster had a reputation to uphold, and if she were to one day call this boy her student then he needed to be a cut above the rest.
She donned the standard Main Branch uniformed issued under the orders of both Aion, the Dawnbringer and Takaki Masao. Although, Hikari had moved to abolish the skirts policy, a tradition that Haruka had advised not to demolish, Haruka still wore the uniform. She brushed off a stray thread sticking to her skirt. The clothing she wore the day Masao spent a quiet afternoon with her and when she became a Main Branch member. She hated that she was getting more and more nostalgic these days...