Primary Education! (Flash Back/Private/Valkyrie)

"Argh! I don't get this! Why do I have to learn this stupid crap?! Why can't teachers just explain this stuff instead of writing it down?!"

The enraged voice echoed noisily throughout the halls of the orphanage. Takeshi moved both hands toward his head, allowing his long, slender digits to curl and tug at several tufts of blonde hair as he threatened to tear the strands from his scalp. The frustration was plain to see on the youth's face as his greenish blue hues glared down at the paper before him, lids slowly closing as his eyes began to narrow just a bit. Tears of frustration were already building at this point and were it not for the small girl next to him, the boy would have already given into the emotional surge. Already a light film of perspiration had formed over the boy's evenly tanned complexion, as if his body were finding other ways to weep due to his reluctance to cry so openly in the presence of another.

"Chikami, this is stupid! Why does this have to be so hard?"

This time the words came out softer as the child began to whine, his hands slowly loosening their grip on his own mane before finally sliding down toward the book in front of him, grabbing for the object in an effort to tilt it upward to better facilitate his attempts at discerning the strange symbols on the page. Never in his life had the child ever imagined he'd face a challenge so difficult. It was beyond frustrating. Unlike other challenges in the boy's life, challenges that Takeshi chose to face with a great degree of bravado and rage, this one seemed to get to him. The pain of each failure felt like a blade stabbing deep into his chest, penetrating deep past that rough outer shell he had only to tear at the tender core that was his psyche. No matter how hard the boy tried, how strong his will or resolve, his mind couldn't seem to wrap fully around the concepts that Chikami was trying to teach him. Each symbol had a sound, each sound joined with another to form words. That was easy enough but there oh so many symbols and combinations. It was difficult to keep them all straight in his head. With a low growl the boy set the book back down on the wooden floor before moving a hand up toward the bridge of his nose, pinching it lightly in an act of annoyance before letting out a slow breath. The child had never been to school before his admittance into the academy and his parents had never bothered to teach him how to read.

The first day of class the child had realized this deficit when the instructor had begun to scribble some strange symbols on the wall, symbols that all the other children had somehow seemed to comprehend and derive some sort of meaning from. For Takeshi though, it had looked like nothing more than gibberish. Of course he had realized right away the reason for this apparent lack of understanding. He was illiterate, unable to read or write. He was familiar with the concept of reading. He had seen Chikami doing it so many times before. The young girl was often glued to those strange things she called books. Pages upon pages of weird symbols. Never once did Takeshi think that such a skill would have been necessary to be a ninja though!

Even now, the child continued to question silently as to why such a skill was necessary for soldiers. The whole thing upset him greatly and his inability to quickly grasp and master such a skill caused the boy to grow even angrier. Despite his whining and complaining though, he had made good progress, but it wasn't enough. No matter how much he improved it'd never be enough to satisfy the boy until he was able to read and understand without trouble. He was impatient and that impatience was beginning to show as he continued to yell and whine with each failed line. At this rate it'd only be a matter of time before the girl got fed up with him and stormed off. At least that's what he thought. It was what he was used to, after all; people abandoning him. He wouldn't have blamed her. He wasn't usually like this. Under any other circumstance, failure would have been a driving force that pushed him toward improvement. But that was not the case here. Something so fundamental being so very difficult, something that everyone knew aside from him. It hurt him and absolutely crushed his pride at every turn. Eventually the boy's eyes would open again as the hand on his face slid away, his eyes now shifting from the book toward the girl.

"I'm not getting this at all..."

They were near the point of breaking. At least that's what he felt. She'd give up any time now. She'd walk away, leaving him to his own anger and moodiness. The thought caused a spike of fear to rise within him but there was little he could do about it. She's only helping me because I stop Buta and those other buttheads from picking on her. Even if that was the case, no amount of protection could be worth putting up with him when he was like this. She'd probably realize that soon enough.

Despite her usually skittish nature, the purple-haired girl watched her blonde friend with a level gaze and remained calm while he was getting frustrated with his work. Takeshi was a boy she admired greatly for his courage, but for whatever reason he couldn't hold his patience with reading and writing. Because Chikami had liked the activities so much as a young girl, she didn't see the huge difficulty with it, but that didn't mean that she was unsympathetic and unable to understand how he felt. After all, it was how she felt when confronted with physical activities at the Academy. Today had been a nice day for her in the most part, because it was largely theory and learning new things via reading and writing things down from the blackboard. After lunch, however, they had undergone practical Taijutsu and Weaponry lessons. They were the worst. She thought about that, and applied it to the current situation in putting herself in the shoes of her friend. Why wouldn't she help him? They had a strange bond of necessity, but that didn't lessen their bond in the slightest. She viewed the pair of them to be friends, of a sort (at least what she understood to be friendship), and she would never turn away a friend in need.

She watched him struggle once more to understand the words spread across the book's pages, and eventually she found her indigo orbs meeting his turquoise. Under normal circumstances, she would have lowered her head and shied away, stuttering and making excuses. But when it came to reading and writing, she felt a lot more confident; and that shone through. It didn't even occur to her that this was the case, it was merely her default stand-point on the matter. "And you won't get it if you keep up this attitude." She reminded him gently, but with a firm tone of voice. She realised that this wasn't what he wanted to hear, but she was also aware of how important it was that Takeshi learnt to read and write.

Without her normal reserved nature holding her back, she moved a small, delicate hand and placed it firmly, reassuringly on his shoulder. Her lips twitched upwards into her form of a smile; barely noticeable, but still somewhat there. "I know you can do it. You're just finding it harder because it wasn't taught when you were young. Small children, between the ages of two and five, have an easier time learning the basic things like speech, reading and writing. It's how the brain functions." She explained gently, unable to help her strange habit of reeling off random facts as she went along. She realised as such and laughed weakly, shaking her head and uttering a short "Sorry" relating to her small off-shoot of a conversation topic. It hadn't escaped her that Takeshi had taken his failure to read and write worse than he would take any other failure. Heck, even after he had been beaten up by the bullies within the orphanage, he had taken it much better than he was coping with this.

"At least you're better than me at actually being a ninja... that's what actually matters..." She smiled ruefully, her mind flashing back to the laughter that met her attempts at throwing kunai and sparring with a fellow student. It had been humiliating on so many levels for her, because it made her a noticeable weirdo in their class. Until that time, she had gone entirely undetected for her strangeness. "All of this... the reading and writing... is only useful if you want to go into the Intel section of the village, which I highly doubt you want to enter. But you need to be able to be somewhat competent to get you through the Academy, read mission scrolls, signs and other such things." She pulled the book over to herself a little more and lent over it, placing her pointer finger at the top of the page they had left off when Takeshi expressed his struggle. She briefly glanced up at her friend, encouraging him to pay attention without any words, and started to read from the book while using her finger to follow what she was reading. Her tone was level, with a slight undertone of mystery and dreaminess (such was her usual speaking tone), and she slowed down her pace considerably than what she was used to. That did not mean that she was doing it to belittle Takeshi; she was still reading at a somewhat decent pace, but accentuating each word so that he could understand how it was put together to make certain sounds.

They had gone over the basics thus far in their lesson, with Chikami telling him about vowels, consanants, basic letter sounds and the like in order for him to get some practise. She got a feeling that Takeshi learnt better while he was doing something, instead of being told. Numerous other books lay scattered across the table they had occupied, spanning all kinds of genres. Academy textbooks, some of the early fantasy novels that she had read, study books teaching how to read and write, and more. Right now, they were reading over one of the basic books, with nice large text and basic sentence structures. It was good to start at this level and progress. Chikami hoped that her friend was feeling at least a little better than before about this.

Word Count: 905

Takeshi didn't want to calm down nor lose the attitude. He wanted to be angry, to stay mad at everything. It was far easier to be angry and upset and to throw a tantrum rather than put the energy into calming down and focusing on the task at hand. So strong was the tendency to do this that had it been anyone other than Chikami lecturing him in that kind yet stern voice. She was right. She was always right. The two hadn't known each other for long but in all the time that they had, Takeshi found that Chikami had always been right about things whenever she worked up the nerve to give her opinion. This time was no different, aside from the fact that she didn't seem to be as timid as she usually was. Perhaps it had to do with her feeling a bit more in her element, or maybe she just felt more secure when she was around Takeshi. After all, when he was around she was relatively safe from Buta or any of the other bullies. No one laid a hand on Chikami when Takeshi was around. Whatever the cause, it helped to snap Takeshi out of his tantrum, causing him to slowly calm down.

A few deep breaths would pass between his lips, his chest inflating before slowly collapsing before puffing out again. Each breath worked to remove just a bit of that stress, bringing him back down from his high until he was able to focus once more.

"You're right..."

He'd manage to whisper lightly before turning his eyes back toward the book, his eyes scanning over the page for a moment before turning toward her to notice the faint smile and feigned laughter despite the harsh words she offered about herself. Hearing such words, Takeshi couldn't help but frown. He could tell that the sentiment was painful for her, nearly as painful for her as his inability to read was for him. With a small sigh the boy would reach out as the girl began to read in hopes of continuing his lesson, his hand moving up before drifting down gently to the top of her head. Once his hand has found its destination he'd gently ruffle her hair, his fingers pressing against her scalp gently as he did so.

"I may be better than you but it's not by much. But like you said, it won't mean much if I can't read my mission scrolls. Don't worry Chikami, you're stronger than you think. I'm sure of it. You'll get stronger. Until then you stick with me and I'll keep you safe. I'm not going to abandon you."

As Takeshi spoke he offered a small yet genuine smile to the girl. Such an occurrence was rare now-a-days. The boy was not one to smile or laugh. Though he was capable of enjoying himself, he wasn't the type to outwardly express his happiness or joy. Ever since the day his mother had killed herself, that part of him had seemed to vanish. In retrospect it was most likely a good thing that Chikami hadn't known him before that day. She didn't know nor probably ever would know just how much the suicide had warped him. She'd probably never know just how much he truly hated those who picked on others for their own sick enjoyment. He was glad for that. And he was glad that she seemed to trust him enough to allow him to stand up for her until the day she found the strength to stand up for herself. The last thing he wanted was for her to end up like his mother. With a small nod of reaffirmation the boy's attention shifted toward the book as his hand slipped from the girl's head.

"I won't give up. I hate quitters and there's no way I'm going to be one of those...and that goes for you too. I'm not going to let you become a quitter either."

It was reassuring that, after a short while, her friend took some deep breaths and calmed himself down. He offered his affirmation that she was indeed right, and that if he kept up his current attitude, he would never learn properly. She smiled slightly as she continued her steady flow of reading for his benefit, making sure to trace every part of the word she was reading and announciating correctly. It was difficult for her, because her vocal skills were so under-par compared to the speed in which her brain worked. Oftentimes when reading more complex tomes, she would stumble and stutter a lot more, because her brain was reading ahead for comprehension, while her lips were struggling to form the words and her vocal chords tripped over trying to say the correct words. Because she was reading so slow compared to her usual speed, it was easier for her. The words she was speaking slowly started to die, however, as she felt a hand press down and ruffle her hair affectionately and reassuringly.

She paused and her eyes widened, slowly looking up from the book in order to meet the gaze of Takeshi. While they had been friends for a short amount of time, he had never once ruffled her hair or touched her much in general. If ever he did, it was accidental. She got the picture that he was a very closed person with any outward form of affection or anything for that matter. It didn't matter to her, because she wasn't outwardly affectionate or expressive either. It wasn't like the matrons in the orphanage gave her hugs, ruffled her hair, touched her arm or anything of the sort. She learnt of such gestures from books, and formulated how to apply them in social situations from reading the scenarios and understanding in that way.

His words surprised her too, of how he was complimentary of her and supportive of the strength he assumed she had. In spite of herself, she found a genuine smile creeping onto her lips. Encouragement wasn't something that she was used to in any form. In fact, she thought that this was the only thing she had been given encouragement in aside from her academic studies from the nicer matron of the three. That, and reassurance was given to her verbally. This was a strange experience for her, to be sure. "A-Arigatou." She managed to stutter in surprise, not from embarrassment this time. It caught her completely unaware that he seemed to care so much for her that he was willing to continue taking hits for her, and protect her from those that bullied her. He had belief in her, that she would become strong one day, which was more than she had in herself. She wanted to become stronger, sure, in order to stand up for herself, but she had no idea where she could pull the courage from. That aside, she found herself smiling from Takeshi's gesture and words; her indigo eyes lighting up visibly.

He smiled at her in return, something that she struggled to see at first, but truly appreciated it all the same. Since knowing him, she had never seen him smile. Not one bit. This was a start, and meant that it was only for her. She liked that fact very much. With his spurring words about not being a quitter, and making her steer away from quitting too, she nodded a little firmly and closed her eyes to accommodate for her wider smile."That's the spirit!" She assured him before opening her indigo orbs again and meeting his gaze for a few moments, before clearing her throat and focusing back on their task. It was approaching at least two hours since they had started studying, and outside the skies were beginning to streak with red.

"Come on Takeshi, if you are willing to stand by my side until I grow a backbone, I can at least stay with you until you read a sentence." She smiled, making a fond comment about his earlier statement and showing her appreciation for it, while also letting him know how serious she was about him learning to read.

Words: 698
Total Word Count: 1603

Takeshi hadn't missed the fact that his words and actions had seemed to shake the girl out of her slight depression; if that's what it could be called. He didn't like how Chikami devalued herself and allowed the words of others to affect her so deeply. It wasn't such a big deal when the words were kind and encouraging. In fact it was good that the girl be praised for all the things she was good at. It helped remind her that she wasn't as pathetic as she made herself out to be. The harsh words though, they seemed to affect her more. It was true the girl wasn't exceptionally skilled at the physical aspects of being a shinobi but then again there were few in the academy that were. Takeshi himself was rather unskilled in that area as well, his abilities barely surpassing those of Chikami. Still, he didn't allow such a detail to bother him. He'd get better and so would she! He believed that with all his heart. He also believed in the girl's strength. She had it, he knew she did. It was just a matter of her realizing it and finding it. Until that day he'd be there, holding her hand and defending her from the harshness of the world. He wouldn't allow others to bury her with their poisonous bile. The small smile that tugged on his lips slowly slipped away as the girl spoke once more, redirecting their attention toward the book.

"Right!"

He wouldn't abandon her and it didn't seem like she was anywhere near the point of giving up on him. The thought was reassuring. It was nice. Both Takeshi's parents had abandoned him in their own ways. It was all he really knew. Everyone had a breaking point. Everyone, if pushed far enough could be a quitter. Yet, Takeshi hated those that allowed themselves to be pushed to that point. How many times had he told himself that he'd never allow himself to give up on the things he truly believed in? How many times had he promised himself that he'd never end up like his own parents? He was resolved to not become that type of person. He wanted to be the type of person that achieved anything he set his mind to no matter how long it took. He was also resolved to help Chikami become the same way. To become unshakeable, that was his goal for the both of them. He wasn't going to quit and he'd never let her do the same either. Taking the moment to reflect upon all this, the act of reading at least one sentence seemed rather simple. With renewed resolve and confidence the boy's eyes darted toward the page, his orbs narrowing in concentration as he followed the girl's finger across the page as she read aloud, waiting until it was his time to attempt a line. Once again the task was rather difficult, causing that familiar frustration to rise, but the child did well to keep from having another outburst. How foolish would that look? To have another tantrum after speaking so boldly to his friend about never quitting. He'd not allow her to see him in that light if he could help it.

With a deep breath, the child attempted a failed line once more, his voice uneven as he tried to piece together the syllables of each word, working his way slowly through the sentence up to its completion. Once he finished his eyes would slowly move toward his friend in a questioning manner, silently inquiring as to whether what he had just done was correct and acceptable or not. Regardless of her answer he'd eventually allow his eyes to drift shut.

"Chikami, I think I'm done for the day. My head's going to explode if we keep going. I'll practice more tomorrow."

The mental fatigue was now catching up to him. Classes during the day were hard enough for him to grasp but these extra reading lessons often took their toll on him. It was all rather time consuming and required a great deal of concentration on his part. Hours upon hours spent poring over texts and books was not the child's idea of fun by any means and though it was necessary, it was definitely not something he was used to by any means. With a small sigh the boy would soon move to stand, his hands moving to help gather and put away the books if allowed. Once the task was complete he'd hear the distant call for dinner, the matron's voice echoing throughout the corridors of the orphanage. At this, the boy's eyes seemed to spark with life, his head perking up a bit.

"Food! I was starving!"

With that the boy seemed to take off like a race horse, charging toward the dining area, but would suddenly slow before exiting the room.

"Come on! You need to eat too."

With that the boy would wait near the door, waiting for Chikami to catch up before heading off for their evening meal.

While she had little to no belief in herself, let alone the fact that she had any form of strength, her friend seemed to believe that she had the capacity to be strong in spite of herself. She didn't know how she could be; to her, strength was physical, and she couldn't fight with her fists to save her life. All she had was a sharp mind for her age, and that was it aside from having a slight leaning towards Ninjutsu according to her Academy sensei. She was happy that Takeshi seemed to have belief in her, even if she couldn't see why, and decided to accept his compliments whenever he gave them to her. He seemed to be back to his old self now, almost entirely, as he readied himself for the final task she had given him. She could see the focus set deep in his eyes, but she was right there next to him, nodding reassuringly and offering any help if he needed it.

Her finger traced under the words as he read them, finding her mouth moving to make the shapes of the words he was speaking and occasionally struggling over, until he had managed to read the whole line largely without her assistance. After he had finished reading, he seemed to stop in order to allow her to speak and offer comments on his performance. She nodded heartily and straightened up again, patting his back a little firmly before smiling at him again. "That was your best try so far, Takeshi-kun!" She told him, nodding as she saw his eyes slowly shut, knowing already that he was done for the day. They had been doing this for a long time, and she knew that it strained him a lot. "If you keep going like this, you'll be able to read properly in no time." She assured him gently, reaching forward for the book they had been reading from and shutting it gently. When she heard his words about how his head would explode if they did anymore, she nodded in understanding and giggled softly, finding his over-exaggeration to be comical.

"Of course. We're done for the day." She said to help put his mind at ease, slowly getting up from her chair and beginning to tidy up all of her books. Why, of course they were all hers. Every book she picked up, she gently stroked the cover to brush off any dust, or perhaps as a kind of caress, and then stacked them one on top of each other before gathering them all into her arms. Why yes, she looked weak and pathetic and lacked strength in actual physical activity, but could carry crazy stacks of books with little to no effort. Maybe it was all in her mind. Or maybe she was used to the weight of books, or took comfort in them. She held all of the tomes close to her chest, and looked in the direction of the dining area upon hearing the matron's call about it being dinner time. The look on Takeshi's face was rather priceless as he exclaimed that he had been starving, and was looking forward to dinner. He started to run towards the dining area before stopping and waiting for her. She looked at him and shook her head fondly, turning her head to all of the books she was carrying in her arms. She wasn't a big eater, and wouldn't usually eat most meals in the day if she could help it. But since Takeshi had been here, he seemed to have noticed and tried to get her to each meal offered in the orphanage or now, the Academy. It was odd for her, and she felt like she didn't need all of that food. After all, she was just a little girl.

She dumped the stack of books at the corner of the staircase leading up to the bedrooms upstairs, and admitted a non-verbal defeat by walking over to Takeshi and going inside the dining area with him to have whatever it was that the matrons had prepared that night. "Fine, but only a little." She stated with a small nod, taking a seat beside him and started to tuck into the meatloaf that had been prepared for them. Before long, the dining area was crowded with all of the children, happily chatting about what had happened during the day and what was happening tomorrow. And for once, Chikami was smiling while she was in such a crowded space. She was sat next to her friend, her only friend, and somehow, she knew that everything would turn out okay in the end.