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[Megumareta]

The smash of a dropped plate silenced the general mirth in the cafe, prompted by the question 'who's Chaka Khan Momma?'

Megu walked the steps to the academy staring pointedly at his scuffed brown shoes, ignoring everyone around him, reliving the conversation that brought him to the giant stone building in front of him.

'Chaka Khan...I think you mean chakra honey. I was waiting for you to ask this... I don't really know what to tell you, it's about your father.'

Megu had been plucked from the serenity of dish washing, swapping reciting specials to reciting hand seals, from hams to exams, which made little sense but sounds great anyway.

He'd become a member of the Konaha elite. Well the pre-elite. Pre-pre-elite? The doctors had discovered that his body had contained a level of chakra, enough for him to be eligible to train as a Shinobi. He'd not really been aware of being different from his brothers, but it explained how his father always seemed to stand tall no matter how many hours he'd toiled in the field, and why he'd been hired to fight so often.

"Hey! Watch it!"

He barely registered the shout and half muttered an apology before moving on, finding the room listed on the timetable.

The classroom was fairly small with desks littered throughout the room, a large chalk board at the front bearing some phrases that were familiar, others that were less so. He wordlessly praised his mother's discipline for making him stick to his studies when he'd hardly seen the point. Farm life and education rarely went hand in hand.

He sat in a seat towards the back wanting to gain his bearings, placing his bag next to his feet. Fingering his pencil he wrote the date on a fresh page in his notebook, and strangely enough his own name. He wasn't even sure why he was there yet, nor how Chaka Khan took such a weird turn into a ninja academy. But a better life? The chance to support his family? Sick ninja weapons? Not really an offer he could refuse was it.

The class quietened as someone took a register.

"Megumareta?"

"Here Miss."

The first day of his training had begun. Hopefully the first day of many. He looked toward the students sitting either side of him, giving the one on the left a particularly appraising view. He thought maybe he'd like it here.

Spoiler

Waiting for name change and also Leaf banner, but OCR completed and new char created.

 

[Hiyasu Shiori]

With the register checked, there was a lull in teaching. Many of the students chatted with each other, the excitement of their first day of ninja academy almost palpable in the air. Shirori looked about at them all, friends who had known each other, acquaintances that would form strong bonds over the coming years. Maybe even he would form a bond. Apparently the training was many years. By the law of averages, he should eventually get to know someone.

Shiori then reached into his bag, as sorry and tattered as his own clothing. After fumbling for a few seconds, he pulled out a piece of bread. As he chewed on it, he remembered making the simple meal. He had used some beer from one of his father's nearly empty bottles to try and make the stuff rise. It had seemed to work, not enough for his liking. The yeast of the beer should have caused the dough to rise more as he had fried it on a small pan. His mother had pushed him out of the door with a pat on the head, the boy making his intrepid journey to the academy alone, and in a rush, as he was apparently running late.

Masticating thoughtfully, Shiori looked to the right, to the boy he had sat next to. Though he wore a patchwork of clothing, the most striking feature was the shock of red hair on his head. The boy's green eyes flicked to Shiori, catching him in the act of glancing.

Shiori glanced down at the bread in his hands, two-thirds still left. He quickly took another bite, chewing furiously, building courage.
"Hiyasu Shiori". He mumbled, extending a hand. He was in a new place, knew no-one and had nothing. There was no time like the present to become a new person.

 

[Megumareta]

Megu was staring again. He didn't mean to but he just found others just so interesting to watch, and with a slight pause after he called his name he found himself lost once more until he realised what he was staring at, was actually staring back.

He noticed a small boy with small features had taken residence in the desk next to him, chewing on a loaf of homemade bread and looking right back at him.

The boy extended a bready hand that Megu took, and introductions were made.

'Megu...'

He glanced down at his bag and brought out a bowl of stew, still steaming. The perks of working in a cafe.

He watched the boy and for a split-second his eyes fell to his tatty clothing and he knew what he had to do, passing over the bowl before the idea had even fully formed in his mind.

' Hey that looks good, you make it? Wanna trade some? House special, not even an hour old'

He held the bowl out, building bridges the best way he knew. Food.

 

[Naru Hiroshi]

Hiroshi had been barely able to hide his excitement as his first proper day at the Academy had dawned, and he had worked hard to not seem to be quite so eager as he felt as he sat in the classroom. The sheer act of choosing where to sit had been strategic, as he had sat somewhere near the back so as to not seem keen, but not right at the back where the stereotypical 'naughty' kids might hold court and disrupt his ability to learn.

It was due to such calculations that he had found himself sat on the far end of the third to last row of seats, his chair balanced precariously as he leaned back on it, eyes seemingly closed to those around him without actually impeding his ability to see. When his name had been called from the register, he had mustered a brief “Here,” before settling back into the carefully constructed appearance of nonchalance.

With the register having been called and a lull spreading before the teaching began in earnest, the young boy slowly cast his eyes around the room, taking in the new members of the class who he would be learning with. He wondered to himself whether he would find enemies here, or friends? There were several people he found himself naturally drawing away from slightly, whereas the endearing first fumblings of friendship between others made him grin slightly, even while he wondered whether this whole act of being unconcerned could actually hamstring his ability to make new friends?

His thoughts were pulled back from these musings as the teacher motions pointed towards the the first lesson of the day, and the real beginning of Hiroshi's journey towards being a shinobi.

 

[Hiyasu Shiori]

Shiori's eyes widened slightly at the steaming bowl in front of him, his stomach ruining his composure with a loud gurgle. He tore a piece of bread off, handing it to Megu. The smells of the warm stew almost made his mouth water. He hadn't eaten much more than bread and rice for weeks now. He dipped the bread into the stew, taking a bite of the soaked bread. The stew was amazing. A rich broth of beef stock and spices. It took a lot of Shiori's willpower not to simply snatch the bowl and scoff it down.

"It's really good." Shori said finally, his bread now gone. "So, you live in a restaurant? That must be nice." Shiori started conversationally, their teacher still not present for their first lesson which, in Shiori's view, seemed to be a little lax. But as was always in the forefront of his mind, he was new to Konohagakure. This may simply be how they are.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noted the boy on the far side of Megumareta, seemingly dozing in his chair with a smile on his face. He was amazed by how relaxed someone could be on their first day in the academy, a path that would eventually turn them into shinobi, an elite class here in the village. A class with a paycheck and respect. A class that lived a life of excitement and adventure.

He was about to introduce himself when the teacher finally walked in.

 

[Megumareta]

Megu tore into the bread hungrily as he dipped it in the stew, and he was pleasantly surprised that he wasn't even lying when he said how good the bread actually tasted. Between mouthfuls he replied to Shiori.

"Yeah it's nice... busy but nice. We used to own our own place but you know, things.."

Finishing the stew he moved the now empty bowl back to his bag.

"Hey it's free leftovers though, as much as you can carry! That bread's great by the way, we can always use a hand if you ever feel like putting your talents to better use!"

He left the comment hanging and doodled slightly in his notebooks, a twelve sided sword being drawn as the newest addition to his imaginary ninja inventory. The class had been odd so far, with a free period amongst themselves seemingly over as lessons begun. The introductions to the different aspects of chakra, ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu, all left Megu's head spinning.

I don't even know what any of this is let alone what it means...this is going to be a long year.

His thoughts and numerous scribbles were punctuated by the sound of the bell, indicating class was over for the morning. Being their first day they had the afternoon off, but unfortunately Megu would be working as usual. He looked around and saw that many others had filled pages upon pages of notes, yet others seemed to be oddly slack in their note taking, with one seemingly lacking even a notebook.

He collected his things an walked slowly out of the classroom, smiling at a few students as they passed, looking out for Shiori whilst engaging in brief conversation with some of the others.

 

[Naru Hiroshi]

Hiroshi’s seeming lack of interest had lasted all of the way through the morning’s lessons on the basics of the shinobi arts, mentally following what was being taught even while pretending to doze. He caught the teacher glaring at him on more than one occasion, but was pleasantly surprised to see that he wasn’t called on his seeming lack of attention. Clearly this would be the sort of institution that would not try to rescue trouble makers and let them fail if they couldn’t be bothered to try.

Let them think I don’t care, I know the truth, and I know just how much I want to be the best.

The bell that rang to signal the end of the morning’s lessons was a welcome one, Hiroshi’s mind being full of the knowledge that had just been imparted on the class and he knew he needed to find a safe place to write up his notes before he forgot anything.

A restaurant or café of some sort, somewhere close but not quite on the beaten path.

He didn’t have a lot of money on him, but he had enough of an allowance to be able to get a decent enough lunch without having to go without for the rest of the week. The decision made, he opened his eyes fully, brought his tilted chair to rest on all four legs once more as he stood up, stretched lazily for effect more than anything else, and plunged his hands firmly into his pockets. His posture and gait suitably carefree, the young shinobi ambled down towards the exit from the classroom and out into the warm air.

Now, where can I find myself some decent food?

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[Hiyasu Shiori]

As the bell rang, Shiori packed away his exhaustive notes, tattered pieces of paper held loosely in the bag. It had been an interesting day so far, Shiori keen to record all the information the teacher had passed on. Paying attention and taking notes were the only way to advance. Advancing would mean he could provide more, support his family. When he got home, he would go over the notes again and again, imprinting the knowledge onto his mind.

Home, to his cold house, probably to a thin broth made from the memory of chicken, and a bit of vegetable if he was lucky, and his father had found some work. His stomach grumbled, reminding the boy of the lovely stew shared with him today. Megumareta had mentioned a job at his restaurant. He had mentioned something about leftovers as well...

His stomach rumbled again, and his mind was made up. A job at the restaurant would pay, and if the stew was anything to go by, he could eat for free, saving the money for his parents to support themselves. He tied to drawstring to his bag, securing the precious knowledge, the plan formed in his head. He would ask his new friend for a job.

By the time he looked up Megu was already nearly at the door. He hurriedly slung the bag over his shoulder, pushing forward towards the prominent red mop of Megu's hair. He tapped the boy on the shoulder.
"You said you could get me a job?" He couildn't keep the earnest hope from his voice.

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[Megumareta]

Feeling a tap on his shoulder Megu turned round, breaking off small talk he'd been making another student.

"You said you could get me a job?"[b/]

He smiled, noticing slightly the eagerness that Shiori spoke with.

"I should be able to, the owner's been saying how he needs someone else, especially now I've started at the Academy and he's a great guy. I know he'll say yes. Trust me!"

At least I hope he says yes, I'm as thin on friends as this kid's thin...

He walked out the room with Shiori, off towards what would hopefully be a better shift.

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