It was too much. Hachino-sensei, messing with my head, Hiryuku-san, with all her bluntness, nosiness, and obliviousness, I could help it at all. All I know is that I reached for my chopsticks and threw them Hiryuku-san, snapping, "Shut up! Shut up!" I know that my face was contorted with annoyance as I continued, "Stop yelling at Hachino-sensei just because you don't understand, and just because you don't listen." I was about to continue my rant, but a sharp pair of chopsticks shoved themselves into my head, and I fell back to the floor, muttering curse words.
"I appreciate you've finally addressed me correctly." Hachino-sensei said with a heavy sigh, "But fighting is not nesseccary at the moment. Hiryuku-chan," Hachino-sensei smiled at her and I scowled, "I do believe what Kira-kun is saying is that I originally said 'because Orochimaru has requested it from us, we must participate' without any kind of objection, unless of course," His smile contorted again, "we want to become exiles for treason or something. In fact, just talking like this to you would probably cost me my life if we weren't in my apartment- one of the least patrolled buildings. At any rate, we have to go. What I meant by back out is during the exam. If you find your life in danger, there is no point in sacrificing it for this exam- there's so much else you can give your life for, yes?"
I scoffed and folded my arms, though my attention was turned back onto Hachino-sensei when he frowned at Hiryuku-san, "But. I suggest you not tell anyone that where you were raised, you were taught to never give up. Don't forget where you are, Hiryuku-chan. This is Sound, and things run differently here, as you can tell." I glared at Hiryuku-san. Never give up. I tightened my grip on my sleeves, gritting my teeth behind tight lips.
"DamnAlienShinobi." I muttered in almost an incoherant blurb to myself, and Hachino-sensei shoved his heel into the back of my head, "And you'd be better off not mumbling that to yourself around Sound too. I'm not the only one with sharp ears." He smiled at me and I scowled, my dignity falling by the second. Hiryuku-san was an Alien to Sound eh? I turned my glare onto her again, almost as fast as I'd begun to hate Hachino-sensei. Just my luck. Followed by the past, because everything fit together now. Even though I usually had bad memory for commoner's, dead family? Of course I knew what that was supposed to mean. The insignificant Kira branch I'd stayed with was obliviated as well. But. I wouldn't jump to conclusions. She could very well be from that disgusting Konoha place. Their virtues made me sicker then the zero moral here.
Hachino-sensei seemed to completely forget that Hiryuku-san had practically shouted out for the world to hear that she was not of Sound origin. But I couldn't even let it go for a second, as Hachino-sensei cheerfully remarked that the soba noodles were pretty good. Why did it have to be me? Surely the only other Alien Shinobi in Sound was her. I hated when my luck took a turn for the worse. I was tense all over, and ready to leave. At once.
~ + ~
"It's like the gods are sending us off!" Kikari-sensei laughed gleefully, and took long-strides across the paved path out of our village. The sun was peeking out from behind rain clouds which hadn't cried since last night, and Tsuyoi was in a very good mood after beating his brother at an all-time record of 45 minutes. Hayaii, who was never in a bad mood seemingly, was peacefully watching the rain plants that grew here blow in the soft wind. It wasn't exactly sunny, but for Rain, it was good enough. I smiled and felt like I was being ripped apart. Ripped away from the home I had so earnestly tried to earn for myself.
"Shioko-san," Hayaii said, glancing at me and I jumped, and gave him my attention, "you seem kind of detatched."
"She's leaving a noble house for what?" Tsuyoi said bluntly, "A cot and stinky shinobi from other village's. Is that not disgusting enough for Shioko-san?" He emphasized the "san" and smirked at me, making me flinch, and Hayaii giving him a whack across the head. I blinked and smiled as they bickered with one another, Kikari-sensei making it worse by cheering on one, then the other. It wasn't what I'd imagined, I supposed. I didn't even think about the noble family of Kira's, and it kept me in high spirit's until a man standing shrouded by a black coat and a white hunter-nin mask practically glided past us. Or, more like, he stopped and chatted -silently- with Kikari-sensei, while Tsuyoi and Hayaii were stock still and silent.
The hunter-nin stopped in front of my, inclined his head and tapped the forehead of his mask before going on his way again. I know my knees were trembling, and the Kira Clansman was laughing at me, in the Kira's eerily silent way. Kikari-sensei seemed to talk a little less after that, to Tsuyoi or Hayaii, but mostly to me. She would glance at me over her shoulder while Hayaii tried to figure out why I was still shaking, and Tsuyoi would sigh and tell his brother that he didn't need to know.
"N-No really, I-I'm fine!"
"Hunter-nin's." Tsuyoi snapped with a glare at me, "Don't, bow to nobles."
Kikari-sensei whirled about and said strictly, "Quiet you two. Don't bother Hikaei." And it ended. The peacefulness on our long trip of Konoha was shattered, as Tsuyoi and Hayaii wondered, as I shook, and as Kikari-sensei became serious about making pointed avoidances of Hunter-nin, who traveled this road on their way back from hunts. Normally, they wouldn't show themselves as they moved, but, for the exiled princess of Kira's...
They would do all they could to antagonize her. And judging from my hands and knees, it was working.
