Substitutes

Masuyo Kaede wrote:Mission Name: Ninjutsu Instructor
Mission Type: Education
Mission Rank: D
Mission Goal: Show of your Ninjutsu skills while teaching.
Description: The usual Ninjutsu Instructor is out sick and the Academy needs someone to fill in. Head on over to the academy and take up the instructors class for the day and show of your skills in Ninjutsu.
Payment: 10,000 Ryo
Requirements: Genin+, Ninjutsu Skill.

Master Sukimori had always said that the greatest way for a student to learn was to teach. To that end, the WASP School had created mentorship programs for underclassmen and upperclassmen. It had provided a rigorous tutoring program, and it was even in talks to permanently recruit certain graduates as teachers. Kitsuki had tutored others in music before, and while she was pretty patient with people's skills she found the whole thing to be a bit of a drag. She wanted to practice and compose her own music, not help people play basic notes. She respected that kind of work but she wasn't sure if it was for her. Regardless, Kitsuki had learned to model her behavior after the ideals of her alma mater and so she readily accepted a D-Rank mission to fill in as a substitute.

The mission coordinator had mentioned that there'd be another genin helping her today although a name was not provided. Kitsuki shrugged. Maybe it was best to get to know her comrades over missions rather than reading a dossier. She didn't go to the local Academy and so she appreciated the chance to get to know her peers (and potential rivals) in person. Daisuke had proven to be a rather strange fellow. Rude and uncouth but underneath it all he had what seemed to be a good heart. She was curious as to what this new person would be like and she was even more curious as to how the new person would perceive her. Kitsuki was dressed to impress as always. The Kurahasa was wearing perfectly tailored navy uniform complete with blouse, jacket, pants, and bowl tie. The jacket had some golden buttons and a brooch depicting a small wasp, a token of appreciation from the Headmaster. Kitsuki was also wearing a pair of ultra-stylish but extraordinarily functional pair of boots. She styled her hair in bunches which were painstakingly combed and evened out so that they were identical in terms of length. The ends were tied with small golden elastic bands. The dapper musician sat on a swing in front of the Academy and waited for her partner to arrive.

Hm....maybe I should have asked Kat to sign up with me on this one..

Truthfully, this was the first time that Chigetsu had ever set foot inside Kirigakure’s Academy.  He had been blessed enough to be born to wealth, which had allowed his family to provide him with the finest private tutors that the Hozuki Clan could afford. All that wealth might have been poured down the drain with how absolutely mediocre he ended up when it came to combat skills, but that was hardly relevant at the moment. Even if his skills ended up less than adequate after all that tutorage, it at the very least provided him with a great deal of experience when it came to what tutorship entails. For this reason he was more than comfortable applying to act as an instructor, mistakenly misreading the mission’s description as entailing something that would be familiar to him.

The extent of his naivety would quickly be revealed to him as he first arrived at the village’s academy. Having been so entrenched in the idea of private, one on one tutorage, the sheer masses of children that seemed to be scurrying about was initially something that confused him. It became clear that he should have read further into the description of this mission rather than just giving it a quick skim through. He had made sure to memorize everything that seems to be important, like where he was supposed to be, and that he apparently had a partner or something, but beyond that he was having a difficult time recalling even what he was supposed to be teaching them in the first place.

The moment he arrived the male would end up being stuck in place, with his “bad interior design” alarms ringing off inside his head like an air raid siren the moment he had set his eyes on the building. Of course, he hadn’t even set foot inside yet, but he could already tell that his intuition regarding the fact was absolutely going to be proven correct. The thought of it made his lip curl upwards slightly, a visible sign of disgust. Just the outside was so incredibly… austere. All of it was grossly practical looking, which was probably exactly how a military academy for shinobi was supposed to look, but the idea of it still made his skin crawl. How drab it was sure to be would only serve to emphasize how colorful he was, with his dyed pink hair already almost seeming offensive against the rugged simplicity of the academy. Together with his excessively casual dress, it only served to give him an appearance that screamed “I really don’t belong here.”

“I really don’t belong here, do I?” He would grumble his thoughts aloud to himself, already beginning to whine as he rested his face in his hand for a moment. Chigetsu was beginning to already have second thoughts, despite how much he knew he really, really had to follow through with this.

Kitsuki didn't need to wait long before her partner arrived. She saw (what at least appeared to her to be) a young woman with pink hair skulking outside the Academy building. She could tell by the stranger's body language that there was some hesitation at play here. It would make sense for a possible substitute teacher to be a bit nervous on their first day. Kitsuki felt much the same even though she had some experience teaching. She hopped of the swing and walked towards Chigetsu. The musician gave a cheerful smile and wave towards her presumed compatriot. When she walked up to the girl she introduced herself politely.

"Hi there. Are you here for the Ninjutsu Instructor mission? If so, I'm your partner...Kitsuki Kurahasa. Nice to meet you."

Kitsuki would give a traditional bow before turning to the school and pointing.

"I guess we should get going. Class is starting soon and if this academy is anything like I've heard....the kids are probably going to be restless"

Kitsuki wanted to make idle conversation with Chigetsu but she wasn't sure how to go about it. She had mainly kept to herself back at the WASP School and making new friends didn't always come easy to her. Most of the people that she hung out with were musicians, family, or training partners. She hoped that Chigetsu would be a better conversation lead than she was. It wasn't that she didn't want to get to know the "girl", it was just that finding the right words to hit it off with someone new could be quite difficult.

Kitsuki Kurahasa. At the very least he wouldn’t have to go around searching on a wild goose chase to figure out who he was supposed to be doing this with. The fact that there was someone else along for this ride made the entire experience a bit easier to swallow. Perhaps it was in part that it was better to commiserate together rather than flounder alone, but that was just as a result of Chigetsu’s poor attitude towards the entire thing. This girl, Kitsuki, had a sort of sense about her that seemed reliable though, and that was encouraging to the young male. Maybe it was the formality of the bow that she gave or the way that she was dressed, but something about this girl made her seem well suited to a job like this.

“I’m Chigetsu Hozuki. It’s nice to meet you too.”

Speaking of the way that she was dressed, it was something that Chigetsu was unable to resist. She very clearly had this whole military aesthetic going on, from head to toe. A bit stiff and stuffy, but there was nothing wrong with it if you could pull it off successfully. His eyes scanned down over her outfit, clearly giving it a moment of thought.

“They are probably waiting for us in there, but… the soldier chic look you have going on looks good on you. I would never be able to pull a look like that off, at least not... “

The midsection of his pink braid would be pulled into his hand and tousled for emphasis.

“Not with hair like this. But you pull off the whole aesthetic like you were born for it or something. Did you get it all from one of those academy things, or do you just dress like it for fun?”

It was a double-sided question. With how she looked alone, Chigetsu was already pretty confident that he could rely on her for the purpose of this mission. If she did come from one of those whatever academies, it would probably be easy for him to relax and let her take the lead when it came to this.

His last letter, was to the one named Kitsuki. Checking the mission assignments had shown him that she should be here at the academy somewhere, being a substitute teacher for the class. Considering he was supposed to wait for a response, this could be slightly awkward. However he would hopefully find a moment to step in to deliver the message as he was supposed to. The tall man still wore his earlier outfit, a black shihakusho with a white haori over it, and black combat boots. With his black hair decorated with a couple of kenseikan. He carried himself with his usual posture, straight, respectful, almost regal in appearance. It was an odd appearance for what effectively was a mailman he supposed, but he didn’t care. He would perform his duty as requested, regardless of how menial the task might seem.

Calis arrived at the school grounds to see two individuals standing outside. One had pink hair of all things, with purple eyes. They were a full foot shorter than him and looked to weigh about 60 pounds light than him too. The other individual, a dark skinned girl who stood a foot shorter than him as well. She was dressed in a full on navy uniform, complete with tie. Golden buttons decorated the jacket of the uniform and a brooch depicting a small wasp decorated her coat as well. Based on descriptions, this should be Kitsuki.

The taller man would move toward her, his letter to her already in his hand. It seemed for timing was fortunate. If she was out here than he wouldn’t be interrupting a class with his delivery. Or more likely, be waiting for it to be over. As he approached them he would speak, his voice calm, and even. “Kitsuki Kurahasa? My name is Calis Kazehana, and I have a delivery for you.” He would say, holding the letter to her with a small polite bow. Should she take it, he would stand up straight once more, and await her response.

Letter here

Chigetsu introduced herself with the same air of politeness and warmness that had been extended to her. That was good as it seemed they were off to an amicable start. Chigetsu went on to compliment Kitsuki's clothes which in turn elicited a blush and a smile. She took great pride in her attire and it was nice when that effort was acknowledged. Chigetsu lamented that she couldn't pull off such a look. She asked where Kit got the look from to which she replied:

"Thanks. Its something I put together in my spare time. Its based off of the uniform from the private school I attended. Its called the Sukimori School for War, Art, Science and Philosophy....most of us just call it the WASP School. A lot of my style is based off of the uniforms we'd wear there. Its'grown on me."

It was easy for Kitsuki to open up about fashion. It was something that she took quite seriously and could easily talk about for days.

"Your hair is gorgeous" Kitsuki said. "If you like, I can help you craft a look that's close to mine. One that fits with your hair color and style. Fashion is kinda my thing...that and music at least"

Kitsuki could sense that Chigetsu might be a budding fashionista. The ninja world was a cruel and violent place, but there was no reason as to why they shouldn't dress their best. It might brighten a civilian's day or add some nice color to an otherwise crimson soaked world. She was excited to talk about clothes but they had a job to do and given Chigetsu's posture she was guessing that this girl was even shyer than she was. It was time for her to take charge of the situation and display some leadership. She was about to have them head inside when another person showed up.

This time it was an older man. One who looked quite serious and wore clothes befitting a high ranking official. The stranger marched directly up to them and introduced himself as Calis Kazehana.

Hozuki? Kazehana? Are all ranked shinobi basically part of clans?

“Kitsuki Kurahasa?”
"That's me" she replied

He stated that he had a letter for her. She accepted the parcel and returned his bow. She then turned to Chigetsu who was probably waiting to get started on the mission. "I'm sorry but this looks pretty important. Do you mind if I open it now?" If Chigetsu answered in the affirmative then Kitsuki would open up the letter and read its contents. Kit's brown eyes scanned the letter and they grew wide as she internalized its message.

The Letter:

"No way..." she whispered quietly. Kitsuki was stunned. Hana Kaguya was offering her the opportunity to join the Imperial House of the Kirigakure Empire. She considered the weight of the letter in silence for a few moments. Kitsuki had yet to hear the news of the Mizukage's resignation and so she wasn't even sure where Hana was getting the authority to make this offer, but she guessed that since this was an invitation to join the Imperial House it must have come straight from the Mizukage himself. Master Sukimori had often told her that she and her sister were one of a kind. Geniuses. Girls destined for greatness and valor. Kitsuki had never really paid his compliments any mind. She didn't think of herself as being all that talented, at least not when it came to combat. Yet her conversation with the Mizukage during the passing of the Comet had made her begin to think otherwise. This letter was the latest proof that Master Sukimori wasn't just buttering her up. She figured that Hana (a Kaguya) might have her own agenda for wanting the Kurahasa sisters to be placed front and center in this new Empire. Sure they had potential but they couldn't possibly be the only ones that did. Kit turned the idea over in her mind. It'd interfere with her music. It'd interfere with her clothing designs. She had come back to Kiri and wanted to take it easy. Focus on the things that made her happy and do good where she could. Unfortunately, as the WASP School often said: Shinobi life rarely let's one sit on the sidelines. You did good or you did evil. It was that simple sometimes. It was a big commitment but she already knew in her heart that the right thing to do was to accept. Even more importantly, Kitsuki knew that Kat would accept and she couldn't let her sister go it alone. She'd need someone to temper her excitement and pugnacious attitude.

Kit folded up the letter and tucked it inside her uniform's inner pocket. She sighed and looked at Calis before giving her answer: "I accept." This was a serious matter. If Kirigakure was calling upon her to step up and represent the village then she'd do her part. Of course, the perks mentioned in the letter wouldn't hurt either. If that was all, Kit would turn to Chigetsu and point to the Academy.

"We really need to get going. We're gonna be late!"

Kit would then start briskly walking towards the building. It'd be hard to focus on the mission given the major opportunity she just accepted but she was sure she'd find a way to balance everything.

Calis would nod his head in acceptance as the young woman gave the answer he was waiting for. ‘I accept? Accept what? A dinner date? An award? A marriage proposal? Lord have mercy she’s quite the talker isn’t she?’ He would think, his mildly humorous thoughts hidden by the somber, respectful expression upon his features as he bowed his head in exit. “In that case, I shall leave you to your mission ma’am. I apologize for any inconvenience or delay I might have caused.” He would say before turning to leave. He had to bring her reply back to the office before he could head out to start his own missions. It looked to be a long night, which was luckily, something he didn’t mind.

[2 and exit]

What Kitsuki said about their school was interesting, although Chigetsu would be lying if he said he had any interest in really any of the four things that made up the WASP acronym. The prospect of the fashion behind it was what he cared about more than anything else, although he could gain an appreciation for how the unique aspects of the WASP school influenced its aesthetic design. It sounded like there was at least a lot that could be talked about regarding it all, even if Chigetsu would be speaking entirely from a point of ignorance. Hopefully, she would fill him in, if it ever got to that point.

The compliments that Kitsuki gave to Chigetsu about his hair and the offer to help craft a specific look made his eyes light up immediately. He had originally been just probing for opportunities to make small talk, but somehow it luckily ended up on a subject they both were passionate about. Fashion and aesthetics were one of the few things that Chigetsu had a legitimate passion for and was willing to put honest effort into. It was an art form after all, and the act of crafting an appearance, whether that be for an individual person or for a room with interior decorating, felt uniquely special to him.

“Really? Thank you so much! And I would love that. It sounds like a lot of fun, and we could both plan-”

A taller man, one who would tower over the both of them, approached. Chigetsu, not as perceptive as he should have been after the discussion turned to something so interesting, ended up blindsided by the sudden entrance and ended up swallowing his words. The sudden introduction together with the delivery caused Chigetsu to take a step back and disengage. Having a delivery boy come out and deliver a letter to her by hand made it seem as though the issue was probably somewhat important, and likely beyond Chigetsu’s depth. Plus, being involved in the act of her reading her mail felt somewhat invasive. When she asked for his consent to open it he would just nod.

The reaction she gave, one of stunned shock, made Chigetsu a bit interested though, even if he had partially removed himself from the situation. Whatever it was, it was probably super important, or at the very least dramatic to invoke a response like that. He could only speculate on it all uncomfortably, not really being involved in anything that was going on and not really knowing either individual all too well either.

The transition as Kitsuki finished caught Chigetsu a bit off guard. As she briskly walked off he would only hesitate a second before following after her, trailing a few steps behind as she lead the both of them into the academy. In a palpable sense of confusion, Chigetsu would turn back to steal a glance at the strange delivery man, trying to make sure that he could remember their face.

“Yeah, It’ll probably be bad if we end up late to the class we’re supposed to help teach…”

He trailed off, unsure of what exactly to say. A sense of weird awkwardness hung over him after what had just happened, and he was unsure of how exactly to progress now.

Kitsuki was glad that Chigetsu shared her enthusiasm for fashion. She felt a friendship budding between them and although they were going to be late to their first mission, she had a feeling this would not be their last. K led them through the Academy doors and down the hall. The dossier provided the exact room where they were supposed to be teaching in and Kit had committed it to memory. When the pair finally arrived at the proper room, there was an middle aged man with thick sideburns waiting for them. The man grunted and crossed his arms as he looked down on Kitsuki and Chigetsu.

"Kitsuki Kurahasa? Chigetsu Hozuki? You two are late...."

The WASP School despised excuses and normally Kit wouldn't even bother providing one, but since it was mainly her fault, she felt the need to give one if not for her sake then her partner's.

"Its my fault Sir. I received an urgent message from Hana Kaguya that I needed to attend to"

The Academy Head Instructor harumphed and narrowed his eyes at the two of them. He clearly wasn't buying the excuse and the fact that he had been kept waiting wasn't so easily forgiven.

"I don't recognize either of you which probably means neither of you two ever attended this institution. I can also tell by your last names that the two of you think your better than the local public academy. Fancy private schools, tutors, and all that nonsense. I know how the Kurahasa and Hozuki operate....listen here, they may not have taught you the importance of punctuality but here at the Kiri Academy we arrive to our mission on time!"

Kitsuki could tell that this man had a grudge against the rich and privileged. He couldn't blame him. The Kurahasa were not nearly as rich or old as the other clans in this village and yet the temptation to act snooty was always there. The instructor had probably been pressured to look the other way while children of noble background got away with murder. She said nothing as the man chewed them out. She knew that responding would only stoke his fire and cause another cascade of berating. When he was finally done, he pointed to the lecture room and said:

"Okay, they are a bit wild since you guys took your sweet precious time to get here. Teach them some of the basics of Ninjutsu. The lesson plan can be found on the teacher's desk."

"Thank You sir" Kitsuki whispered before bowing and entering the classroom.

Just as the Head Instructor had warned them, the room was in complete anarchy. Children were running to and fro chasing each other with cardboard kunai. The arrival of two genin didn't bother them in the least and many became even more rancorous. Kit looked at her mission partner and sighed. This was normally where Katsumi did all of the heavy lifting. Her older sister had a way of reining people in especially children. Unfortunately now the task fell to the more quiet and shy Kitsuki. Chigetsu seemed even less likely than her to take control of the situation. After a few seconds of analyzing the situation and coming up with a strategy, she sprang into action. She checked the door to make sure the Head Instruction was gone and then formed the Ram seal. After that, she released her Fuuton chakra into the area. Four medium sized tornadoes were conjured up in front of them. Kit was skilled when it came to chakra control and she expertly manipulated the constructs so they would not create any adverse damage to the room. The demonstration was enough to cause the kids to stop in their tracks or duck for cover. Kit allowed the roaring tornadoes to continue spinning for a few more seconds before cancelling them.

"If you all will please sit down. I can teach you guys the fundamental skills that made that possible."

The authoritative and no nonsense tone of the otherwise unassuming and innocent looking girl jolted the children into action. The academy class righted itself into the order as asses became glued to seats and eyes faced forward. That's more like it...

Kit turned to Chigetsu and winked. She was pretty pleased with herself. She had managed to get the kids in order without calling for help. A remarkable accomplishment for someone as conflict adverse as her. The lesson plan had been given to them in the form of a stack of papers that had been on the instructor's desk. However, in using the tornado technique, the papers had scattered across the room. No matter. Kitsuki decided it was best to improvise in this instance. They could get a lesson plan any day of the week from their other teachers. What Kitsuki planned on teaching them was a bit unorthodox. A real treat from a special guest lecturer who hailed from the greatest military private school on Earth.

"Okay, s-"

Before Kitsuki could get started, a mounted TV in the corner of the room sparked to life. The television buzzed and displayed video from the village's primary news network. A news anchor began speaking but the thing that drew Kitsuki's attention was the bright red words flashing at the bottom of the screen.


The classroom was silent. The reporter went on to explain that the Mizukage had stepped down and named Hana Kaguya as his successor. The news station then played footage of the Mizukage's Address:

"Good morning everyone. I have brought you all together to give some good news. As of immediately. I am stepping down as Rokudaime Mizukage. Though I will remain on the council as a new position. I will be one of the Sannin, a ninja who compares in power to the Jounin Commander. But will be overseeing the rest of the Empires nations interest overseas, while the Mizukage leads the capitol, Kirigakure. The new Mizukage will be have to be voted upon, but I have my own pick for the position. Hana Kaguya. She has displayed exemplary skills in our sacking of Iron. And is constant force here within the village. If she accepts I'm sure she will lead you well. That concludes my message everyone. It will take some time to adjust but I'm sure you all will do so soon. Good day."

Kitsuki listened attentively and when Kyoji mentioned sacking Iron. She raised her hand to her mouth in horror. She replayed the words in her mind and heard Kyoji's voice reverberate through her head.

"She has displayed exemplary skills in our sacking of Iron."

Kirigakure is at war with the Land of Iron?

This revelation would have major implications for the Empire and its relationship with foreign states. Kitsuki wasn't aware of any conflict between Kiri and the Land of Iron. They were so far away and their interests so different that it was hard to believe that they would ever need to fight each other. Kitsuki looked at Chigetsu and the look of shock on her face told the whole story. Kit was totally blindsided and wasn't sure how to handle this new development. The smart thing to do would be to ignore the news stream and continue teaching but that was impossible. All eyes were set on the TV as even the young academy students could tell they were watching history unfold before their very eyes. While they were distracted by the news, Kit tried to make sense of what she was hearing. Kiri had attacked a far away country and Hana was being rewarded for her efforts in the operation. But that didn't answer several questions: Why had Iron been attacked in the first place? Why was Kyoji-sama stepping down?

Come to think of it, Kit wasn't sure why Kirigakure had even become an Empire. She knew that they had acquired many nations through war and conquest but the reasons for why those wars were necessary were never clear. She wasn't aware of any military policy that outright stated Kirigakure had a right to rule its neighbors and could use war to just take them over. She had always assumed Kiri had good reasons for doing what it was doing. National security, securing the rights of others, mutual cooperation. Those were the words that were tossed around in defense of the creation of the Empire but none of them seemed to really stick with her. Back at the WASP School they had learned how extreme nationalism could poison and destroy entire peoples. Taking over another country just because you could was wrong and even back then Kiri's actions were singled out above other nations. Kit and Kat had felt compelled to defend the actions of their homeland, but now that she knew about this "sacking of Iron" how could she defend the Empire? Worse yet, Kit felt as though the invitation to join the Imperial House was now poisoned. Hana had become the Mizukage but she had taken point in an operation that probably violated Kitsuki's convictions.

Kit began to fear that Hana would ask her to do similar things in the near future. The rumors about Ken Tetsudashi and his pillaging of the Land of Demons were bad enough. She had dismissed most of it as anti-Kiri propaganda, but now the truth was staring her in the face. Kiri was a rogue state that was attacking peaceful countries and taking their resources. It made Kit sick to her stomach. She had accepted an offer to join a flawed and morally compromised institution. Kit balled her hands into fists uncertain as to whether she was even capable of finishing the lesson. She looked down and considered what her options were.


I need to withdraw my acceptance....or at the very least I need to demand answers.


Master Sukimori had warned them that evil was seductive and progressive. That it crept up on you like a shadow. It tantalized you with gifts and visions of a better life, not just for yourself but for others. Then once it had cozied up to your conscience, it swallowed you whole until there was nothing left of the old you. Kitsuki had vowed that she'd never let that happen to her. She wore it at graduation and she had sworn it before Hagoromo's Comet. Yet today she had already taken the first step on a long road to injustice. It was a lot to take in and she wasn't in the right headspace to keep teaching. She needed to get out of there and take a breather. Kit turned and left the classroom. She shut the door behind her and leaned against the wall. She sank to the ground and rested her head in her hands. She was depressed, demoralized, and desperately in need of a friend right now.

Wind Release: Divine Wind 1,806/150 WC LEARNED

The sense of discomfort continued as they arrived into the proper. A large, especially grouchy looking man seemed to be waiting for them. The disappointment he was wearing was almost palpable, and seeing his body language instinctively made Chigetsu shrink. Something about big and angry figures of authority made him naturally cower. Chigetsu was prepared to allow himself to be chewed out, mostly resigning himself in acceptance of his fate. His natural cowardice when it comes to situations like this made him appreciate Kitsuki’s attempt to lessen the blow, even if it had been futile. The man’s anger was something they could only listen to stoically, not saying anything in response. There was nothing that could be said anyway, as the man was right. Chigetsu had personally benefits from all those fancy tutors and all that nonsense. The Hozuki in general did feel like they were better than those who came to the public academy, and that was generally obvious by the way they carried themselves and interacted. That sort of snootiness and arrogance had rubbed off on Chigetsu as well, and it showed in his general distaste for the aesthetics of the academy, but his status as a general waste of space within the clan humbled him enough to not criticize anything more than the building’s interior design.

With the man finished his rant, Chigetsu would follow Kitsuki’s lead in bowing and mumbling something resembling a ‘Thank you’, before slipping as fast as he could into the classroom. The moment Chigetsu was away from that situation he would become visibly relieved, although stepping into the warzone that was this classroom became a new issue entirely. The Head Instructor hadn’t been kidding when he had said that the class had gotten rowdy. Chigetsu wasn’t any better in situations like these than he had been cowering before the Head Instructor. The sheer numbers was a bit overwhelming, and significantly broke apart from Chigetsu’s mental image of what teaching entailed. His entire breadth of experience regarding the matter came in one on one tutoring, and in his naive ignorance he had assumed that this would be a similar situation to what he experienced. Even though he was aware of the wealth disparity that lead to the academy, he had only thought there would be at most around five pupils for them to teach. This was several times that amount, which seemed like an absolute impossibility for the two of Kitsuki and Chigetsu, much less a professional, to reign in.

Kit’s wit was sharp enough to think of a solution to the problem almost immediately, all while Chigetsu was still in shock. The several tornadoes that began spinning around the classroom brought nearly everyone to a halt all at once, and after the situation had calmed Chigetsu could only look over at Kit in awe. Even though he was still completely out of his scope in being here, for some reason being next to Kit gave him a lot of confidence. He would have a big smile on his face as Kit turned to wink at him, and Chi would give her a thumbs up in response. It was incredibly impressive, especially to someone as meek as Chigetsu.

“Amazing! You’re incredible, Kitsuki.” He would whisper to her, just loud enough that she would hopefully be able to hear and most of the now awed into submission students wouldn’t. Excited now, Chigetsu was barely concerned about the fact that they hadn’t planned anything in advance, and that they had come late, and that the lesson plan had been blown all across the room. It was obvious that improvisation was necessary, and to a certain extent Chigetsu was relying on Kitsuki to take the initiative, but for some reason it all was beginning to feel like it was falling into place.

The moment the mounted television buzzed to life the silence in the room became amplified. Everyone’s attention was on the screen, even Kitsuki’s and Chigetsu’s. The very first few words, being that the Mizukage was stepping down, made it impossible to ignore. Even though the talking head on the station had just said it, Chigetsu was almost unable to believe when the Mizukage himself came on screen and explained himself in his decision. In Chigetsu’s ignorance there were a good deal of things that he didn’t understand regarding the situation, not being the most knowledgeable on world affairs, but even then the implication of what was happening was completely clear. A change of power to however this Hana Kaguya was. It was a name he recognized from a few places, mainly the whisperings of other members of his clan throughout the Hozuki district, but more recently just the letter that Kitsuki had gotten. While he had been giving her privacy when she read the letter, the fact that she had just mentioned to the Head Instructor that the reason she was late had been a message from Hana Kaguya, it wasn’t exactly impossible for Chigetsu to understand the magnitude of what had just happened. As the letter had just been delivered by some sort of exotic delivery boy from the Kazehana Clan just moments prior to the television announcement that Hana Kaguya would be the next Mizukage, it must have contained something incredibly important and political in nature. Still, there were significant elements to this mystery that went flying over Chigetsu’s head. He didn’t really know how to process all this new information and the dramatic turn of events, and would essentially be stunned into silence.

Given that Chi already didn’t know what to do, he especially didn’t know what to do when Kit turned and left the classroom. With the door slammed behind her, Chigetsu would be left in the room with the students, all of which were still glued to their seats. Confusion was evident on everyone’s face, both from the news and Kitsuki’s reaction to it. It would only take a few seconds of being alone with the student for Chigetsu to begin to panic though, even though they were all well behaved for the moment. Turning to stare at the door, and then back to the students, and then back to the door, a variety of options would all spin around in his head like a tornado. The idea of running out of the classroom with her was a tempting one, both for the purpose of getting out of this uncomfortable situation and also to see if she was okay, but Chi was more than aware that leaving all these students along without any supervision again would be a terrible idea.

His hands would flash together into a single hand seal. Tiger. They were supposed to be teaching ninjutsu after all. Taking after Kit’s lead in using live examples as a way to manage the class, Chigetsu would quickly perform a technique of his own. His body would stretch in an odd way for a moment, before a new form would pull itself entirely from where he would be standing. A body double of Chigetsu would be standing right beside him now, generously gifted through the Water Clone Technique. This was something that normally required a pool of water as a medium, and given their position within the classroom he was forced to liquify his own body through the Hydrification Technique and use it as the medium. The act of drawing so much water from him to make the clone was enough to make him feel absolutely light headed though. The effects of dehydration became immediately clear, with his mouth excessively dry and a slight fog creeping through his mind. Still, it was necessary that he do this. With the furthest extent of bunshin-jutsu that most of these students having seen before being the standard academy clone technique, the fact that what Chigetsu produced was able to move and look around on its own accord was something that clearly impressed them, and a round of whispered ran throughout the classroom in response. The water clone that he had formed already knew the plan that Chigetsu had for it, with the two of them having been sharing thoughts up until mere moments ago, and so after a moment of awkwardly staring around at the class it would clear its throat.

“The Water Clone Technique. It’s, uh, very different than what you’re probably used to seeing… which would be the...”

The clone started on its best attempts at giving an improvised lecture. That Chigetsu both had no idea what he was doing and was also terrible at public speaking was probably obvious, but given these were children hopefully they wouldn’t notice how nervous he was.

While that clone was occupying the classroom, Chigetsu would go to follow after Kitsuki. He couldn’t help but be a bit concerned over her reaction, even though he just met her. The best case scenario was that she suddenly had to rush off to the use the girl’s room and had no time to tell anyone, but that seemed extremely unlikely given both what Chigetsu could already see of her personality and the issue regarding the mysterious letter that she had just received. He would quietly slip out of the classroom in search of her, hoping that she would be close enough that it wouldn’t be too far to maintain the Water Clone.

With Kit being right outside of the classroom, the worry regarding the distance involved disappeared from Chigetsu’s mind. The door to the classroom would be closed again, and following this Chigetsu would carefully approach Kit, sitting down beside her against the wall.

“Hey… Kitsuki?”

He had no idea how to go about situations like this. Very carefully, he would reach out and place a hand on her shoulder, hoping that something like that would at least be a little comforting.

“... Are you okay? You rushed out suddenly, are you… Do you need some space right now? Or… Is there anything you’d like to talk about?”

Not wanting to pry or be invasive when she wanted to be alone, Chigetsu would be ready to get up and leave if she showed any signs of wanting to be left alone. He really didn't know her well enough to pry into personal issues like this, especially since they only met today, but the dramatic reaction felt as though it necessitated some sort of response, and that had been emphasized by seeing her sitting on the ground with her head in her hands. Even though he wasn't good in situations like this, Chigetsu couldn't help but want to help.

---

[1695/150 Water Clone Technique]

Kitsuki could hear Chigetsu begin teaching from the other side of the wall. The class was pretty silent after the earth shattering news broadcast by the television and the walls of the academy were not as thick as you might expect. Kitsuki was glad that her partner was still carrying on the mission. She felt guilty about leaving her pupils in such a rude fashion but she was just too overcome with sorrow to get up. My first year out of the WASP....and I'm easily tricked into supporting imperialism... She didn't look up even as she heard the door open. She realized that Chigetsu had left a clone in the room to teach the students. It was thoughtful and showed that she was more responsible than her timidness might otherwise indicate. Chigetsu had complimented her on her skill with Fuuton but it was nothing really and she had said as much just before the television came on. Kit was a humble girl both in terms of the things she was genuinely talented at (music) and the things that she was fairly mediocre at (pretty much anything ninja related). It was possible she was far more skilled than she gave herself credit for, but when you grew up in the shadow of someone like Katsumi you tended to second guess yourself a lot.

She sensed Chigetsu's presence as the boy sat down next to her. He spoke her name but she didn't reply. It wasn't that she wasn't grateful for some company, it was that she felt ashamed. She was ashamed that she had let her emotions get the best of her and had caused her to leave in the middle of a mission and she was ashamed that she had jumped at the chance to join the Imperial House without knowing the full scope of what the Empire was up to. It was a failure on two accounts and it caused her to put up walls around herself. As if to physically manifest that imagery, Kitsuki drew inward. She brought her knees close to her chest and put her head down. She had wanted to be a professional. A virtuoso. Someone to be looked up to and respected. But as a result of today's events, she was just a little girl curled up into a ball.

Chigetsu asked if she was okay and in response Kitsuki kept her head down and shook it slowly. No point in denying the obvious. Chigetsu asked if she needed space or if she wanted to talk about it. This was a much harder question to respond to. On one hand, Kitsuki had always admired the stoicism of Headmaster Sukimori. He never seemed like the type to ask for help or go crying to others. All he needed was the solitude of his study. He'd go through his seemingly endless supply of reference material and find a specific solution to whatever problem he was dealing with. On the other hand, utilizing solitude to reach a solution required a level of maturity and discipline that Kit simply did not possess. She was further along than most, but not far enough to take it on the chin and keep moving. Kitsuki was no Headmaster and while she tried to live up to his ideals she had a long way to go before she could compartmentalize her feelings the way he did. Whenever things went bad she talked to Katsumi about it and while she would do that eventually, she felt the urge to vent to someone right now. Kitsuki remained silent as she mulled it over. She didn't want Chigetsu to leave though. She felt pressured to respond quickly so that the young man would at least stay awhile.

Kitsuki sighed.

"I don't know what to do Chigetsu" she mumbled. Kitsuki looked up for the first time and stared straight ahead. She wasn't crying. She was much too strong for that. Even so, the hurt was still there. It was expressed through her eyes, voice, and body language. Where to even start? She wanted to get everything off of her chest but she wasn't sure what she could tell him. Chigetsu was a total stranger and one from a noble clan at that. Kit had learned at the WASP School that teenage girls with last names like "Uchiha", "Kaguya", and "Inazuma" tended to be very haughty and catty. You would tell them your closest secrets and they'd use that to hurt you. Kit had learned the hard way that the only one you could really trust is your own flesh and blood (Katsumi) or people who proved their loyalty time and time again (Emiki-chan). She did get good vibes from Chigetsu though. Kitsuki felt that she was sincere because she didn't fit the mold of most clique-y clan girls. She was timid, shy, and willing to acknowledge someone else's skill. Kitsuki decided that it was unfair to Chigetsu to judge her based on the actions of others. She wanted to befriend this person and what better way to establish friendship than to show vulnerability?

"That letter you saw me reading.....outside the Academy. The one that Calis gave me. It said that me and my sister were going to be inducted into the Kirigakure Imperial House and that's amazing it really is.... but something was telling me that maybe I should just wait for awhile, think about it you know? But I accepted right away and now I regret it." K felt as though she was rambling a bit but she was too emotionally exhausted to care. "Then the news comes on...and I learn that the new Mizukage, Hana Kaguya....the same woman who sent me that letter....was involved in the sacking of a foreign country."

Kitsuki was embarrassed at her own failings. She felt guilty that she was so willing to jump into the glamour and glitz of being a Royal despite knowing next to nothing about the Empire's internal politics. Yet for all of that self-blame, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of anger. Hana Kaguya had manipulated her and her sister. She had sent this letter asking them to be the face of an Empire that had just sacked a sovereign country. It was possible that Kirigakure had very good reasons for doing what it did. Reasons that Kit wasn't priviy to because that information would be classified. But something felt off about the whole thing. She knew about what Ken had done. The countless people he had hurt. She knew that Kiri was taking minor nations left and right. The whole thing didn't sit right with her, and to hear that the new Mizukage was involved in what appeared to be open imperialism, that was just fuel for her fire. Kitsuki's sadness slowly morphed into anger when she realized that the rot of the shinobi world had infected her homeland.

"I shouldn't have been so quick to accept. Now I'm complicit in whatever crimes Kirigakure might have perpetrated. Its wrong what we're doing Chigetsu. Taking these countries and hurting the people in them....I can't be apart of that. I need to know more but I'm not even sure I can do anything about it. I'm just want...."

Kit wasn't sure how to complete the sentence. She had just spilled her guts to a genin that she had only met a few minutes ago and while it felt better than bottling it up, it made her realize just how powerless they both were. Chigetsu couldn't do anything about the situation. This Hozuki couldn't remedy geopolitics anymore than this Kurahasa could. The realization caused Kit to put her head back down in defeat.

.........I just want to make a difference....

There wasn’t much that Chigetsu could do other than listen to Kitsuki as she spoke. The issue with the letter had been something that he had been able to most of the pieces together through basic deduction, although the subject matter being a formal invitation into the Kirigakure Aristocracy was something he never would have expected. While he was at vaguely aware of these sort of political-y things, the general apathy that he had towards them led to him not having many opinions on the matters of foreign relations and warfare. As much as it felt bad to think about given Kitsuki’s extreme reaction to the entire matter, Chigetsu just didn’t have enough moral training to care about these issues in the same way that Kit did. They were far away, so far away that he couldn’t even imagine them. Having spent his entire life within Kirigakure, and the vast majority of that within the Hozuki District, Chigetsu was blissfully naive of the world. The issues of how to dress and what to eat were much more relevant to his day to day life, although it in situations where these issues were directly brought to and presented to him, like it was now, they were much more difficult to be apathetic about. Maybe it was a luxury to be able to afford to not care about global politics, especially as the unfortunate citizens of the Land of Iron definitely weren’t so fortunate, but realizing this was a level of political consciousness that Chigetsu had yet to achieve. Instead he would just listen, allowing Kitsuki to speak until she went quiet.

As much as he had no idea how to relate to or what to say on the matter of the aristocracy, the Mizukage, or the sacking of a foreign country, Chigetsu did have a lot of experience in failure. Being a general embarrassment to his clan, whether it be through his general incompetency at being a shinobi, his inability to manage money, or the way in which he dressed, was a constant and ever-present part of his life.

“I don’t think... “ Even if there was nothing that he could say to help here, Chigetsu wanted to try. “I don’t think you’re complicit. You didn’t do anything wrong, and you didn’t know about what the Mizukage did.” The sort of body language that Kitsuki was giving off made her seem so fragile in the moment that Chigetsu was almost afraid that just touching her would make her shatter into glass. He would slowly withdraw his hand from her shoulder, adjusting himself into a more comfortable position. Prepared to stay with Kitsuki until she was comfortable and steady enough to get up again (or until the academy’s headmaster came by and chased the both of them away for not actually teaching the class), Chigetsu sat in a way that mimicked Kitsuki’s body language, with his knees tight to his chest.

“It’s not your fault. What Kirigakure did and what Hana did… It’s not your fault.” It wasn’t her fault, but even if it was true the act of saying it probably didn’t do anything to help. “Just because you’re joining them, doesn’t mean… you have to be like them...”

Chigetsu wouldn’t know if his attempts at comforting her fell flat or not. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say beyond what was obvious, and what was obvious probably wasn’t helpful in the first place. Just having someone tell you that it wasn’t your fault, or that things would be okay didn’t remove the self-loathing that swirled around inside when you think you’ve screwed up. An uncomfortable silence would follow as Chigetsu finished speaking, his voice sputtering out and growing quieter with each passing word.

“Hey…” He would break the silence after a few moments, a new thought coming to mind. “Why don’t we… We can let the clone I made finish teaching the class, and how about after that we go get some milkshakes? I think I saw a shop that sold them not to far from here when we were walking in. I’ll treat you.” The use of comfort food was something that Chigetsu was well versed in, and although he didn’t know Kit’s preferences it was hard for him to imagine that there would be someone who didn’t like milkshakes. At the very least it was obvious that his clone would have to somehow figure out how to teach the rest of the class period, given that he couldn’t imagine Kitsuki teaching in her current state, and he didn’t want to leave her right now. As long as he didn’t get too far from the classroom it wouldn’t be a problem, and it also solved his initial desire of shoveling the majority of the work on someone else, even if that someone else was actually just another version of himself.

Chigetsu was truly a kind soul. Kitsuki could tell just by listening to the way the girl spoke. She was gentle in the way she used her words. Kit could tell that she wanted to comfort her and it was difficult to comfort someone when you had very little in the way of prior interactions with them. Nevertheless, the sincere effort that Chigetsu put forth was enough to make her more than just a potential friend. Just the fact that someone cared enough to alleviate her hurt made her feel better. For the first time in a long time, she felt as though she could rely on someone other than Katsumi and Emiki-chan to support her. The Hozuki went as far as to offer her milkshakes which caused Kit to smile. She was a big fan of milkshakes and knew not a single person who would turn down such an offer. The sweet and creamy treat could make even the worst of days better.

Out of the blue, Kitsuki turned and hugged Chigetsu. She wrapped her arms around the boy and squeezed him tight. It was an invasion of personal space and not as refined as she'd like, but when someone cared so much for a stranger they deserved to be appreciated. Hoping that Chigetsu wouldn't pull away, she maintained the hug for awhile before breaking it.

"I'd love to get milkshakes with you" she said with a genuine smile. "But. I can't let a clone do all the teaching. Its not my style" she accentuated the word "style" by flipping one of her afro-pigtails. It was done for comical effect and to lighten the mood. They had been talking about some heavy stuff and Kit was ready to move past it all. The uncertainty and guilt was still there, but now she had a new friend to help her. She wasn't sure whether she was complicit or not, whether it was her fault or not, or whether she could join them and still maintain her integrity. The answer to those questions would come in time. But Katsumi, Emiki-chan, and perhaps Chigetsu would help her navigate that path. The shinobi world was difficult and fraught with physical and moral hazards. If she gave up now and slumped into depression at every setback, then she'd have no hope of completing her goals. Assuming the joke landed, she'd stand up and dust off her clothes. She'd inspect her outfit and turned to Chigetsu.

"How do I look?"

Despite the unfortunate circumstances that Kit seemed to have been suddenly thrust into, it didn’t seem that Chigetsu’s efforts at comforting her were in vain. The mention of milkshakes, which had been Chigetsu’s secret weapon and something of a hail mary, had actually managed to elicit a smile from Kit, and seeing that she was smiling was enough to make him smile too. Even if he was shooting in the dark with all of this, it felt good to know that you were making a difference. The hug that came next did catch Chigetsu slight off guard, but it would only take a moment for Chigetsu to return it. Wrapping his arms around the other girl, Chigetsu would gently squeeze back at Kitsuki. He would be more gentle with her, almost a bit afraid that she would be fragile after all of what she had just confined to him. He would only let go after she did.

Giggling at the little flip of her afro-pigtail and the emphasis on style, Chigetsu would nod his head. The idea of leaving his clone all alone in there was… He did want to shift the work off to the clone, but also it made him feel a little bit guilty. If he did just leave, it would have been himself that he was taking advantage of, and that was a strange thing to think of. He could only imagine what sort of awkward improvisation that his clone had gotten into in the attempt to supervise the classroom. Chigetsu was almost afraid to find out.

“You look perfect. Like a princess.” Chigetsu would get up as well, following after Kitsuki’s lead. He would take a moment to brush down at his skirt to get off any dust before standing up in full. “If you’re sure you want to go back in, we can get milkshakes together some other time.” Turning back to the door, Chigetsu would glance in through the little rectangular door window to see his clone frantically attempting to keep the class’s interest through a variety of arm waving and demonstrations of its ability to use the hydrification. While it didn’t seem like the students had gone back to being rowdy or anything, it was pretty clear that the clone was failing pretty hard at the whole ‘improvisation’ and ‘teaching’ aspects. There was a growing puddle on the floor beneath the clone, seemingly produced from repeated applications of its liquification. Seeing his own awkwardness second-hand like this was somehow vicariously embarrassing. “Yeah… I don’t think my clone is doing a very good job anyway, so maybe it’s for the best that we don’t leave.”

Kitsuki was glad that she had made a new friend. If she had closed herself off from the Hozuki on the basis of nothing but her last name then she'd have never realized just how nice the young man was. Interestingly enough, Kit was still under the assumption that Chigetsu was a girl. Although it wouldn't matter much to her, she'd later be quite surprised that boys could show that much emotional sensitivity and maturity. Kitsuki blushed when Chigetsu said she looked like a princess. She often did her best to look absolutely stunning and although she had invited the compliment, it still felt good to receive one every now and again. Kitsuki agreed that they were on for a milkshake date sometime in the near future. For now, she turned her attention to the liquid clone that was trying to teach the students. The construct was having a bit of trouble, but that was fine. It had done a good job keeping the students at least somewhat engaged while Kitsuki got herself back in order.

"Hahaha, its okay. I'm sure its doing a good job but I'll take over from here. It wouldn't be fair to let your clone do all the work."

Kitsuki opened the door and walked into the classroom. Her prescence was totally adjusted. She had channeled the spirit of the WASP and in an instant her will was invigorated and unbreakable. There was a notable shift in the atmosphere in the room as Kit re-entered. She was rather confident and poised in her body language. It would be hard to believe that she had been on the floor on the verge of tears just minutes before. Leaning into her commanding presence, she smiled and turned to the water clone.

"And that is the wonder of Water Release everyone" she said with a degree of finality. It was a subtle hint to the clone and Chigetsu that she wanted to switch gears and focus on a different subject.

"Its one of the five elements which I'm sure you all know of: Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, and Lightning. But its important to remember that elements aren't only useful in of themselves...they can also be used to augment your physical attacks. Allow me to demonstrate."

Kitsuki spied a shuriken embedded into the wall and wretched it free. She guessed that while they were running late a few of the kids had pulled out real weaponry and decided to get some practice in. Kitsuki focused on the object and began to imbue it with Wind Release chakra. The shuriken levitated in her palm for a few seconds and then it started spinning. A shroud of wind began to enrapture the object as its sharpness was dramatically increased.

"For example, the Rotating Shuriken technique increases the speed and edge of a throwing star"

Will of WASP Activated

Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken Canon C-Rank 473/150 LEARNED

Entering the classroom again, Chigetsu’s would follow Kit’s lead almost immediately. Very quickly he would rush to his clone and hug it tight to his chest. The water clone would quickly return into its state of being liquid water, and then absorb into Chigetsu’s body, along with the puddle that it had created. All this had been water taken directly from Chigetsu’s own body, and as a result removing it to make a clone left him feeling dehydrated and gross. Reabsorbing it all was like drinking a huge glass of cold water. Incredibly refreshing, and all that dryness that he had been feeling earlier had disappeared. It was a wonderful feeling, and Chigetsu would allow himself to bask in that glow as he got back to work with Kitsuki. Chigetsu didn’t bother to check up on the clone or ask it how it had done, or anything along those lines. It was better just to put it out of its misery.

Luckily for him, Kitsuki was incredibly competent. This was good, because Chigets was not competent. Infact, he could even be called incompetant. With Kitsuki leading them on from the applications of Water Release… Chigetsu didn’t really know how to do anything else. Well, he was more than capable of basic ninjutsu, but really Suiton was the only thing he knew more than the absolute basics in. So once he had absorbed that clone (hopefully something that wasn’t too weird), Chigetsu would be regulated to the position of Kitsuki’s assistant. She did say that she would take over from here, so perhaps Chigetsu shouldn’t feel too guilty about it, but at the same time it felt bad to be completely useless.

Kitsuki had already once shown that she was more than proficient with wind release, and this new technique with the spinning shuriken just reinforced that. After she finished her explanation Chigetsu would begin clapping, and this would provoke the rest of the equally impressed classroom of wide eyed students to begin clapping as well, until Kitsuki was receiving a full on applause.

“Fūton is pretty amazing…” Chigetsu would marvel, momentarily forgetting that they were supposed to be helping out somehow. Using an element in conjunction with a weapon like that was completely new to him. Although it was a little concerning that there had just been a random shuriken lodged into the wall like that. Were these kids just throwing those things around like toys?

Realizing that they should probably say something teacher-y, Chigetsu would clear their throat. “Uh… It’s important to know how ninjutsu can be used to supplement your other skills, just like that. Rather than relying on only one thing, or only one skill at a time, it’s important to combine skills together to amplify each other like this to become a more effective shinobi.” Even though he sort of just bullshitted that out, it actually sounded pretty good. Chigetsu was a bit proud of himself now.

Kitsuki turned to see Chigetsu clapping. She had never received applause for performing ninjutsu only music. She smiled at him and when the enter classroom began clapping her smile grew wider. She cancelled the jutsu and would allow Chigetsu to speak. The combination of Ninjutsu and Bukijutsu was a martial tradition that went back to Kiri's founding days. That probably explained why the village had legendary swords in the first place. Kitsuki nodded in agreement.

"Absolutely. You all should write down an idea for how you plan on applying your ninjutsu to your fighting styles. It will give you a goal to work towards and it should occupy your time for the next few minutes or so"

The class was remarkably well behaved. Their decision to show them real life jutsu as opposed to going off of a teacher's guide was a good one. The class silently began writing out or drawing the different ways they'd use their signature elements or ninjutsu for combat purposes.

“You’re really good at this!” Chigetsu would whisper over to Kitsuki excitedly as the class all went to work writing down different ideas for applying ninjutsu to fighting styles. Getting the kids to do work like this to take up time wouldn’t have been something that he would have thought of at all. They had been a bit rowdy at first, but showing them real ninjutsu along with Kitsuki’s natural aura of authority was doing a great job in keeping them all down in their seats and quiet. This was going very well.

“I don’t really… know anything other than Water Release though.” Maybe that was obvious, with the whole Hozuki thing and all. “If you want, I could show off some more of it, but it would probably make a little bit of a mess.” Taking a quick look back at the class, it seemed like they were all too focused on their writing too have been paying attention to Chigetsu’s whispering. “Do… Do you think we’d get in trouble if I soaked the classroom?”

Kitsuki blushed at the compliment paid to her by Chigetsu. "I had some pretty amazing teachers back at the WASP School so I guess I might have picked up a thing or two." She mentioned that the only element she knew was Water Release. That was perfectly fine. Many shinobi didn't learn more elements until much later in their career. Kitsuki was blessed to know both Wind and Water Release techniques. She asked if they'd get in trouble if they soaked the classroom and Kit stifled a laugh in response. The Head Instructor would almost certainly blow a gasket. She didn't know him personally but he seemed like the type to not have a sense of humor. Old Kitsuki might have gone along with such a plan but given that he was already upset with them for being late, she opted not to push their luck. Kit had even left the classroom after the whole Mizukage Resignation announcement, so if that got back to him they'd probably already get some kind of penalty levied against them.

"Yeah, the Head Instructor seems to be quite the hot head. I wouldn't even try it Chi." Kit had used a shortened version of Chigetsu's name. She hoped the girl didn't mind.

“Yeah…” She would remember then how the head instructor had chewed them out earlier. He was a pretty intimidating guy, and it seemed that they already didn’t like either Chigetsu or Kitsuki. Weird politics about their family wealth seemed to be the result, but that wasn’t something that either of them could do anything about. “Yeah, I guess that’s… probably a pretty bad idea. He’d probably yell at us a lot again if we make a mess.” Chigetsu would take a moment to scroll through their mental list of known ninjutsu. It would only take a moment for her to realize that she didn’t know anything that wouldn’t make a big mess. The only thing was the water clone, which she had already shown off earlier when Kit had rushed out of the room.    

The Academy was a strange place… With neither Chi or Kit having even gone to the academy before, she had to wonder why either of them had been accepted for a mission like this. Not that they would deny two Genin from such prestigious families, but at the same time it wasn’t like they had checked to see if either had any relevant skills. Chigetsu clearly didn’t understand this whole ninja stuff yet. Still, that barely mattered. Right now she was just happy to see Kit taking back to the teaching stuff naturally and back to normal after what had happened in the hallway. There was still a tinge of worry in Chigetsu’s chest for the other girl, but there was nothing that could be done right now in the middle of class.

The class would continue rather uneventfully. With the syllabus blown around by the initial Futon technique both Kit and Chi would be stuck to improvising. Honestly, Kit would be doing most of the teaching with Chi mostly just being an assistant. She took to the whole teaching thing much more naturally, and had a personality suited towards it, unlike the overly shy Chigetsu. Eventually the bell would ring, drilling through the air to signal that the class had ended. The entire thing went faster than Chi had expected, but at the same time that was probably for the best.

“Kit!” Seeing as she had given Chigetsu the nickname of ‘Chi’, Kitsuki would be dubbed her own nickname in return. “Now that’s we’re free… do you still wanna go get milkshakes now?”

[EXIT]

Chigetsu agreed that the Hot Head Instructor wouldn't take kindly to them making more of a mess than they already had. Kitsuki blown the teaching materials away with her tornado technique so he might already be made about that. Fortunately, the rest of the day was pretty uneventful. Kitsuki hadn't forgotten about the groundbreaking moments of the day but as she got in the groove of teaching, she found that she was able to compartmentalize that information for now. As the day wore on, she decided she'd just gather up her courage and speak to the Mizukage directly. Kit noticed that Chi was a bit on the shy side. She was arguably shyer than Kit herself. Kit decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to put her new friend on the spot and so she took the lead on teaching for the rest of the day.

Finally, the bell rang and they were freed from their duties. The teaching mission had been completed and they headed outside to exit the building. Chigetsu called out to her with the nickname "Kit". It made her smile because usually only  friends and family called her that, and after today's episode she figured she could firmly say Chigetsu fell in the former category.

"Yeah, let's! I could definitely go for one."

Kitsuki enjoyed Chigetsu's company and what better way to nurture a budding friendship than with some nice cold milkshakes.

Exit