Fitting In [Konoha Genin]

Quiet steps carried a young boy across training ground number four. His hands were crammed deep in the pocket of his cargo pants, his jacket halfway zipped, as his gentle, purple eyes scanned the earth at his feet. There was a lot of troubling talk running about. Talk of war against the Leaf, talk of murder and the breaking of bonds. Try as Michihara Kento might, he didn't quite understand it. Would the Leaf actually do such a thing as to turn their backs on their allies and friends? The more he thought about the scenario and the hearsay, the more confused he became.

Every villain sees himself a hero. Every hero sees an adversary as a villain. What paints a man or an organization as one or the other is subject to the opinions and ethics of the age. Yet, the other villages had often resorted to espionage in the past, betrayal was common, and wars were fought endlessly over the conquest of power, peace, and greed. What made Konohagakure any different from the rest? Was it because they were the first to strike, allowing others to retaliate with a sense of "righteous vindication"? If that were the case, was starting war against the masses truly worth punishing the choices of the few? Was that what peace was?

Moreover, Kento began to question where it was that the younger generation fit into it all. The village Jounin were growing increasingly absent, likely running mission after mission, attempting to reconcile and salvage what integrity they could in the name of the village. The villagers talked in muttered whisper, trying not to raise alarm against all the gossip that they themselves were spreading like wildfire. Kento felt like there was little purpose to the solution of this nonsense. The Kage would meet, they would do their political gambit, puff up their chests, sign a piece of paper, and everything would be done and over with.

Meanwhile, Genin like himself would be kept busy rescuing lost pets from the tops of trees, helping the elderly cross the street, and self-educating their own individual skill sets to be only the most miniscule of margins above the capabilities they had yesterday. Kento didn't want any of that. He hated that which served no adequate purpose. All that the senior shinobi hoped to do was to pull a veil over the eyes of the younger generation and blind them to the smoke that rose from the ashes of the Festival of Peace. The Michihara child was no so blissfully ignorant.

If there was going to be a war, Kento wanted to be part of it. He just...didn't know why. He needed a reason and he needed to hear the reason for his own ears. He needed to validate the purpose of war and the purpose of being a shinobi. If his village had committed the crimes at the Festival of Peace, then why did he serve as one of its dull daggers? Why was he continuing to sharpen himself for a village that fanned the flames of war? Was it patriotism to go against what one felt was morally correct? Was that the life of a shinobi to ignore all rational thought and follow orders as they are given?

Maybe he wasn't cut out for all of this...? Damn, he was awkward. He honestly doubted any of the ninja his age thought this way. Who was he supposed to talk to? He didn't even have any real friends...

He needed answers and he needed help. He needed a distraction, as well. Maybe someone else would come along and offer a solution to the current funk that he was in? Regardless, as his lazy steps carried him further across training field number four, a hand reached up from his pocket and brushed some of the unruly red hair from his eyes. He readjusted his headband to secure the hair from further obstruction of his vision and cinched it tighter for good measure.

A sigh passed his lips and he glanced over his shoulder, "Oh...I didn't notice you. Can I...help you?"

The ears of an Inuzuka heard more than what others did or even could. Sometimes, more than they should. A war. Was that what the jounin, ANBU, and kage all busied their time with now? Quarrels that could easily be dealt with were just meaningless fights, and only those without backbones accused others without truly running investigation. That's what her ears had let her hear in recent days from those who thought no one was close enough to overhear anything. Of course, if she was found out she could be out of there almost twice as fast as most of the jounin in town. Few chose to put so much practice into mastering taijutsu, but the results were well worth it, especially for an Inuzuka.

Hanone hated being a tool - an instrument of war only to benefit someone else. Honestly she didn't much care for others, other than the little black puppy that walked by her side day and night. Without her, Hanone might not have earned the restraint she needed. Still, she wasn't exactly looking for the acceptance of her clan, or anyone else. No one controlled her feelings or her actions, and if anyone ever tried, they'd regret it after.

"Go, Kuroi!" The little wolf raced at Hanone, and in the same instant she jumped, Hanone was making a powerful kick that started sideways and ended flying up. Even though she knew she would eventually fall into the race of dogs mastered by the Hokage, she had her own personal reasons for getting stronger as well. Her parents had never accepted her accomplishments. While she knew she'd done well the majority of the time and was at the top of her graduating class, it still burned when they wouldn't even congratulate her. Sometimes the girl wondered if it would be better growing up without a family rather than having one that hated you.

The little dog was sent flying up into the air spinning at high speeds, then righted herself. The two were working on the basics of creating a new jutsu - one that would use gravity to increase the lethality of an attack. It still meant that the target could simply move out of the way, so it was still in development. Tying them down in a trap would help work - only a moment would be needed for the attack to strike.

She caught the pup on its way down and threw it back into the air playfully, smiling. Rarely did she ever do that, and only around Kuroi had she ever done so. Most people didn't even know she had the ability to smile. She sighed. Finding someone else she had never actually sparred with would be good. The only way to better oneself was to test the weaknesses, after all. Only way to learn them in the first place is to test for them..

The training grounds were more of a home to her than her real one. She'd spent countless hours here in her academy days learning how to throw a shuriken or the transformation technique right until she was blistered and tired. Now, the dummies set up here couldn't stand up to even one of her punches, nor could the trees or rocks if it was full blown.

She found another boy there, around her age. She supposed her was a genin like herself. Hanone eyed him for a moment, wondering if he was worth anything and decided she'd test it. She leapt down from her spot high in the trees and silently crept up behind him. His senses seemed to not fail him though. She was somewhat impressed, but that only meant he could also be a sensor.

Hanone breathed as his head turned. She straightened herself and only looked back at him for a moment after his question. She wasn't a people person. "Would you.. like to spar?"

Michihara Kento was neither a sensory type, nor possessed a heightened talent for tracking or attention to detail. What he did possess, however, was that haunting feeling that one gets when they are being watched. A small chill had run up his spine, giving him the urgency to check his surroundings. That was when he noticed the girl behind him. She was around his age, that much was certain. As far as girls went, she was slightly taller than even he was, though lithely built.

He was able to mark her rather easily. Her hair was long and an even brown. Even when kept back in a tail, Kento could tell that, like his own, it was difficult to manage in some sort of fashionable way. Her outfit was dressed for mobility, the fang markings on her cheeks were red and easily visible, there was the headguard, and, of course, the small black dog at her side. She was an Inuzuka. That, alone, was enough to tell a lot about her, though the Michihara kid wasn't exactly one to make assumptions about someone. If he had to, though, he would have chosen to do so based solely off of one feature alone...

Her eyes.

Deep chocolate orbs that seemed to bear fangs of their own. As he looked upon them, he could see the faintest of movements, suggesting that she didn't miss much and she had a penchant for being slightly overactive. They were aggressive eyes, but that wasn't what struck Kento so profoundly. The eyes held a certain...fire. A gnashing of teeth towards something or someone that he couldn't exactly locate. That passion wasn't geared towards him, though. She couldn't help the way her eyes viewed the world. The point for him, however, was that her eyes were painted with a color other than grey. She had a purpose hidden behind her gaze. Kento envied that purpose, whatever it was.

He had turned to face her some moments ago, not wanting to be awkwardly standing with his back to her. There was a silence between them for a time, in which the young shinobi questioned whether or not he should already have known why she was standing in front of him. Just how long was she watching him? The unshakable feeling of doubt and the need to shrink away and hide under one of his rocks was slowly beginning to creep over him. To make matters worse, however, he heard a voice similar in tone to his own.

"Would you.. like to spar?" The note of indecision was enough to tell that she, like him, was not quite as socially inclined as others. While that rang a small bell of calm with Kento, the first and most powerful thought that pounded at the front of his brain was how little he enjoyed confrontaton.

"U-umm..." His hands crammed deeper into his pockets (if it were even possible) and his head hung down. He took a slight, uncomfortable step back and pushed up his shoulders in a display of meekness. "I...don't like to hurt people." Sparring didn't usually mean hurting people, he knew that. Sparring was mandatory in the academy, but he disliked it just as much then as he did in this moment.

Moreover, Kento hadn't really learned a single offensive jutsu. His chakra didn't respond well when his emotions turned towards anger and it didn't feel right when he attempted to mold it. He tried to take out a tree on several occasions, but only managed to imprison it in a shroud of small spikes. He didn't like the idea of piercing things. That being said, the most he ever managed to do in a fight was to defend himself and withdraw. He wasn't much good to anyone, really.

"I'm not very good, either..." His taijutsu and genjutsu skills were marginal, at best. He wasn't the quickest, strongest, and he certainly wasn't the boldest. He could use his head calmly and he could throw up walls between himself and an enemy. That being said, if she wanted a moving punching bag, he could offer himself in that regard. It wasn't like too many people relished being that kid, though.

More to the point, Michihara decided it was best to shift gears for a moment. At this point, he knew nothing about her and didn't even know her name. Before he engaged with anyone, he would at least qualify an introduction as a necessary asset towards civility and equality. He would not even consider a spar with someone who thought themselves his better. Regardless as to whether or not it was the truth, Kento valued integrity and respect above most things in this world. "...Y-You're an Inuzuka, right? What's your name...?"

Most would think him intimidated, but that wasn't really the truth of it. Michihara hadn't ever practiced being openly expressive towards anyone, not even towards his own family. The inhibition only grew more dynamic and abrasive in nature when faced with his peers. Superiors were slightly easier to confront, as he understood the basis of their general purpose and desire to even speak with him. This girl was much different. She had been watching him for an unknown amount of time, crept up on him, and requested a sparring match as the first words out of her mouth. Kento believed he had every right to be apprehensive and withdrawn.

Still, as much as he didn't want to spar he also didn't want her to just turn and leave. She was...talking to him. A little. She noticed him, which was a rare enough occurrence, and he did well to remind himself that she probably was just as poor as he was at actually maintaining a conversation with depth and meaning behind it. Perhaps their trees were similar and their apples fell close to one another? Maybe that's why she wanted to spar with him?

During the awkward time that Hanone stared at him, she examined him once over. He didn't seem extraordinary. The only thing in his wardrobe he seemed to spend the most time on was his raggedy jacket - it had more patches sewn on it than a homeless man's. Sticking out seemed like his own downfall - he just wanted to faze into the background and be left alone, it seemed. Hanone was not known for her people skills, but those who don't talk learn to observe much better. Behavioral instincts were second nature to her - all canines spoke through the language, both to those who can and cannot speak directly to them. Kuroi can't hide anything from her - from pains to lies.

Before his response, Hanone could tell that the boy did not want to fight - spar or no spar. The words that followed his humble hanging head, step back, and shrug were useless at that point. It was like watching a smaller animal cringe away from a fight against a larger one. She had no pity for creatures afraid to fight. His words seemed to mock him - saying that he did not like to hurt people while his body said that he did not enjoy fighting. A lack of skill could bring on the conception of just plain not being worthwhile in battle. Perhaps it was that. Probably not. All Genin had their own way of either defense or offense - it just depended on the timing. Her own skills could not necessarily stand up to everything - that was impossible.

Her lips tightened a little. Even though it was evident that he didn't want to fight rather than not hurt her, she still hated it when people did not explain what they were saying correctly. Sparring could not always mean hurting the other person - it could just simply be some rule, like whoever stepped out of a ring first, falls first, getting to an object before the other person. "Sparring doesn't really mean 'hurting'," she responded. She wasn't exactly cocky, but her tone was more of an awkward matter-of-fact. Her arms crossed, feeling uncomfortable. Maybe he'd feel more comfortable seeing who could catch Kuroi first.. even though she wouldn't exactly be a neutral party, she could at least keep up with Hanone to stay away. Hanone looked off to the side.

The girl looked at him again when he said he wasn't good, eyes a little wider and less menacing. So he wasn't too good. Well that was great. The first person she'd met in the training grounds A. Didn't want to train (with another person, at least), and B. Wasn't good at fighting (or in this case, sparring). Sometimes she hated that she had spent so much effort in taijutsu. Her skills exceeded most of those at the same level, however that meant she sucked at most other things as well. Against a genjutsu user, she would be the weakest. She hated knowing that. Her mind wasn't able to handle as much pain as her body was.

And then he asked for her name. It was a simple enough gesture - one that actually scared the Inuzuka. Not the actual gesture itself but the event behind it - small talk, it was generally known as. Bonding. Closeness. Friendship. She wasn't really looking to find friends. All she needed was Kuroi. The only conversations she'd ever truly had were with her parents, and those had always ended up in some sort of argument of disappointment and smudged with hatred. Conversation was always a delicate balance between "Good morning" and a bloodbath of words sent flying through their home.

She stifled for a moment. Some part of her mind didn't want to scare away this boy like she did everyone else. A small 'woof' came from her small wolf's mouth and she nudged Hanone, proceeding to continue sitting at her master's feet after. It made Hanone jump a little - as if a snake had just bitten her, but Kuroi seemed not to take any offense. The girl looked trapped. She hated feeling trapped. That little canine got more out of her than anyone else ever had. Suddenly, her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment and she crossed her arms again, not having any place to hide her hands and fidget them. "Yes.. M-My name's Hanone.." The girl felt a glow of pride from Kuroi without even looking at her.

He was screwing this up, he was screwing this up! Michihara needed to think. She was freezing just as badly as he was, and he wasn't entirely certain how to speak the language of a clan of ni-dog and wolf breeders. He wasn't steadfast and forward moving like most of them. If he had been assertive with her, she probably would have stuck her nose up and a bout of challenges and mocking banter would ensue, just like most did when it came to competing with a rival's skill set. While Kento understood the benefits of such behavior, he just didn't have it in him to place himself in that kind of light. Sure, he had ability. His seals and ability to form and hold chakra were rather good-- better than most, even. It was just the sad fact that Michihara had absolutely no idea what to use it for.

Hanone was doing her best to accommodate him, he could see that. She wasn't pushing him or making him feel inferior, like most of his graduating class did when he refused to spar with them. In her own way, he supposed this was her showing restraint. Suddenly, her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment and she crossed her arms again, not having any place to hide her hands and fidget them. "Yes.. M-My name's Hanone.."

Michihara replied almost too eagerly afterwards, "Michihara Kento!" Realizing the speed in which the words leapt out of his throat made him seize up in his awkward stance and his head hung down, again. This time, however, the faintest of smiles crept upon his lips. Man, he was an idiot. He seriously needed to educate himself on how one became likable. There had to be books on how to make friends somewhere out in the world. If not, then someone should definitely start writing them and save him a lot of time!

Kento's ears twitched as he heard a small and condensed 'woof' come from the puffball of black fur at her feet. "...Umm..Y-you have a cute puppy. Is it a he or a she...?" When one complimented an Inuzuka's animal companion, did one also compliment the Inuzuka? This was one of his first real attempts at making actual conversation that didn't have to deal with a mission, training, jutsu techniques, family history, or duty to village and family. It felt...weird.

A hand reached up as Kento began to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. He needed to find something that they could connect on, right? Something that they had in common that would make it easy to form ideas into words and word into sentences. He just wasn't entirely certain what that thing could be. He liked her jacket. It was somewhat similar to his. She also had fur lining the back of the collar, but the sleeves were a three-quarter and it was brown. But...similar, right? That wasn't a stretch. Maybe they could talk about jackets!

Sometimes, Kento felt it truly best to mentally decapitate himself for the thoughts that crossed his mind. He needed to be a little more realistic with his conceptions of what young kunoichi would want to spend their time doing. Most of them did makeup, brushed and styled their hair, picked flowers, talked about boys with their friends, and then squeezed in some training time so that they can say they were improving on their skills.

This girl didn't seem to be into any of that. She had no makeup, no hairstyle, she didn't seem the type that would have many friends, let alone go all head-over-heels for some boy. No, Kento was screwed when it came to figuring this one out. He'd just have to muscle through it and be as patient as the stone. So long as he kept talking, it was a good sign, right? They could talk, learn about one another, and they wouldn't have to be competing. She wouldn't kick his butt, he could feel better about himself, and he might actually try and make a friend!

He needed to say something interesting. He needed to tell her something about himself! "I...am an only child. I don't have close friends. Sorry if I'm..you know, boring." It was almost like an explanation coupled with an apology that spoke an understanding that his feelings wouldn't be too hurt if she decided he really wasn't worth the time.

There was a slight pause when suddenly a light clicked on in his head! That was it! He just needed to offer something that they both wanted and they would be able to take it from there. "Umm...If I get to know you, I can spar with you..." After all, if she was his friend, it wasn't quite the same. Maybe it'd feel like a game instead of a competition? He hadn't quite thought of it that way, before. Everyone he knew was always too cool to lose, too hyped up to be smooth, too obnoxious to regard others for their feelings, or too stupid to be tolerated for over a span of ten minutes. He needed someone more like him.

What was the saying? "Iron sharpens iron."?

Weren't they a lovely pair - standing around awkwardly, not really having a good conversation?   She didn't like it - talking, that is. She was more a person of action - didn't they say action spoke louder than words? Something along those lines.. Talk was little and cheap, though, and conversations only lasted for as long as the interest of the speakers.

Her mind started to wander to other things - like what she'd eat for dinner - then the boy practically shouted his name in response. She started, and even Kuroi jumped a bit. Her interest peaked a little as he asked about Kuroi and realized she hadn't even introduced the wolf cub that couldn't communicate with many humans like she could. "Kuroi's a female," she said. God, was this really all they had to talk about? He kept fidgeting one way or another, saying how he would spar with her if he got to know her better. Somehow, she doubted it. She truthfully didn't want to fight with anyone who was unwilling to - it just meant that they might not fight to their full potential.

Then she smelled someone else coming. Someone she didn't know. He walked up and said hi to the two of them, but she looked at him for a moment and could tell he seemed like more of a person like herself - more, well, offensive. But still, he appeared to lack the physical qualities that would bring him to her level. He was taller, older. Both of the two who stood before her were older than herself, actually, if only by a year. She tried to not let it get to her, but she was itching to fight them. Maybe then they'd have something to talk about.

For the most part, Hanone was quiet up until Michihara turned to leave. Her first thought was 'No! Don't go! We were talking... sort of...', but before she could react Kuroi was barking at him - not angrily; in a sad way. She jumped up and bounded to Michihara, pulling at his pantleg with her teeth to try and get him to stay. Even though the wolf cub was fairly strong for a canine it's size, it still wasn't more than a soft tug to try and get him to stay.

Hanone felt a pang of anger when the newcomer - Aomine? - started picking on him for being antisocial. She frowned, glaring deeply at the kid. Somehow she felt for Michihara - as unwilling to fight as he was - he was nice, though awkward. She bent and threw a punch at Aomine, more out of her usual general disliking of people and for Aomine since he wasn't going to stand up for himself.

She was such a hypocrite sometimes..

The small animal made a purring-like sound, somewhere between acceptance and understanding of Michihara's words. His ears flicked back before the punch had been thrown - she knew how her master could act. In truthfulness, Hanone didn't want to hurt anyone either, but she did want to protect those who couldn't which was a reason she felt so much loyalty to Konoha - not everyone was a shinobi, so they would need protection from others. As much as their weakness bothered her. It must've been a dog-like thing - the loyalty and wanting to protect weaker ones. That might actually be the reason she hated weak people - because they needed protection instead of just protecting themselves.

The Inuzuka's eyes never left Aomine. Her brows furrowed when he leaped up into a tree, thinking he was out of reach. She could take down all the trees in that training field within minutes if she wanted to - maybe less. He wouldn't have anywhere to jump up to. Her slitted eyes narrowed when he stuck his hands into his pockets, looking down on them, and if she had hair on the back of her neck it would be rising. She hated being looked down on, and he'd already gotten her angry. Now he just seemed to be rubbing it in.

Her eyes flashed to Michihara, the stern look still in them. Her posture was straightened - stronger - not nearly as awkward as she was before. "If you can't back yourself up at this point, then just give up, but if you can do anything worth while, then you better not let anyone else push you around." She rarely ever had words of wisdom for others, nonetheless actually told them. It wasn't even about the sparring now - it was more about putting Aomine in his place. Everyone seemed to need that at some point or another.

In a fraction of a second, Hanone would disappear from both the other genin's view - but not Kuroi's. Since the little dog had the same level taijutsu and they had trained together, they could both anticipate each other's movements both in and outside of a battle. They always knew where the other was, even without seeing them. It was more than just teamwork for them at this point, which was one reason Hanone didn't want to be in a team. She felt she'd be slowed down by the others.

Hanone would barely even be visible as she jumped up to the same branch where Aomine had gone to, but rather than landing on it, she would go above it just enough to kick down into it - into him. If she hit the branch, it would more than certainly brake through. That punch she'd thrown before could hardly even be thought of as a third of her true abilities in hand-to-hand combat. She wasn't playing around. Maybe just one punch or kick hit would make her feel better..

OOC: I waited a day less of a week for someone to post. So, I'm excluding myself from the topic. Just pretend that I never came. Which is why I slashed out my previous post.
Sorry guys, but I have other stuff I want to do as well with this character.