New Student

[Hiroshi Kaida]

Kaida looked around for a moment, not used to being anywhere other than her home and the training grounds she had found. She was a bit lost, and this upset her greatly, but she wore a sweet smile on the outside. As she was looking around instead of where she was walking, she bumped into someone. Being the smaller of the two, she stumbled back a bit. She looked up at the person, bowing respectfully.

"I'm sorry," she said clearly, looking up at the person with an apologetic smile. "I was looking for the school…but I am a little lost. Would you mind helping me find it? You can just point me in the right direction." Kaida disliked asking a complete stranger for help, but she didn't know what else to do. If she didn't find her destination quickly, she was afraid she would get in trouble for being late.

 

[Kudo Akira]

Akira was hastily walking through the streets heading for the academy, hopefully he wouldn't be late this time. For once he had actually woken up in time, managed to help his mother in the kitchen hadn't taken long and his sister had been oddly calm he whole morning, though if he didn't hurry he just might be late again. So far the looked to be going to be a good one, and a wide smile spread across his face at the thought. So lost in his thoughts was he that he didn't see the girl in front of him and managed to bump into her. He let out a a surprised yelp and reached out the steady the younger girl. Though he quickly retracted his hand when he saw the girl wouldn't fall over. At her bow he scratched his cheek in embarrassment, he really wasn't used to people bowing to him in apology.

"Ah, no worries. I should be the one apologizing for walking into you." He said and waved away her apology."You're in luck then, as I'm going to the Academy too. We can walk there together." He smiled at her, showcasing his sharp teeth before ruffling his hair in embarrassment. "Whoops, I forgot to introduce myself there. I'm Kudo Akira, chronic latecomer and top notch elder brother." He joked and stuck out his hand for a handshake. On the subject of being late though, if they didn't hurry up they might just both end up being late. Though his teacher was probably used to his tardiness already, but it probably wouldn't be good for the girl to start of her first day late.

 

[Hiroshi Kaida]

Kaida smiled with an appreciative nod. "Yes, that would be great. Thank you." When she saw the offer of a handshake, she took his hand with a soft grip, shaking it lightly. She knew how to keep a weak girl act when she needed to, even though she despised it greatly. People always thought lowly of a weak, innocent little nine-year-old. Perhaps when she learned more about controlling her chakra and fighting technique, people would take her seriously, even when she was kind and generous on the outside. She fiddle with the yarn around her wrist as she though for a moment, then snapped out of her daze.

"Oh, we should probably get going. That way you can be on time today," she suggested, giving a soft smile and looking up at him. Kaida knew that she wanted to be on time as well, but she needed to put others first on the outside to keep them from thinking any different about her. It was a trait taugh to her by her mother, one she would always use and never forget in fear of losing her mother's influence. She found herself halfway listening to him as they began to walk, but she soon tuned in in case he asked her a question.

 

[Kudo Akira]

Akira shook her hand firmly and absently noted her soft grip, but thought no further of it. He laughed and nodded in agreement when she remarked that they should get going. "We should probably do that, arriving in time will probably make for a nice change." He laughed, before starting to walk towards the Academy at a sedate pace. He threw a quick glance backward to make sure the girl was following, satisfied he increased the pace a little. It was quite relaxing actually not to have to hurry to class because he was late, maybe he should start waking up earlier just for this. It wasn't that he slept in in the morning, he actually got up quit early but there were always thing to be done in their house, and he liked to help out his mother. His family was much more important to him than anything else, and he would gladly sacrifice anything for them.

As they walked Akira racked his brain for anything to talk about, while he didn't mind walking in silence it was much more entertaining to talk to someone. He almost tripped when he realized the obvious, she was headed to the Academy as well so he could ask the girl about ninja related things. "Why do you wanna become a ninja? I mean, I'm assuming that's your goal since you're headed to the Academy." He asked her and glanced down at her. Another thought suddenly struck him as he realized he had been referring to her as "the girl" in his head. "What's your name anyway? I don't think you introduced yourself."

 

[Hiroshi Kaida]

She smiled as she walked next to him, thinking about what her answer to the first question would be as she introduced herself. "My name is Hiroshi Kaida." She knew her reason of wanting to be a ninja, of course, but she couldn't tell him. It would ruin her character. So she made up a similar reason that matched her appearance. "I want to be a ninja because…well, I get bullied a lot. I want to prove that I can handle myself. Maybe then those mean people will be nicer." She offered a brighter smile, closing her eyes. Inwardly she wanted to tell the truth, but sometimes the truth was not the best choice.

"What about you?" Perhaps redurecting the question would keep Kudo-san from probing too much. Even though she was not the same person on the inside as she was on the outside, she was still respectful. Until she became good friends with this boy, she would continue to use proper honorifics. "How long have you been going to the academy?" Knowing more about him wouldn't hurt. She needed to associate with someone anyway.

 

[Kudo Akira]

Akira nodded as he listened to Hiroshi's reasons, looking at her small stature he could certainly see her being bullied. Bullies were cowards, and they tended to target people they thought were less likely to fight back. Inwardly Akira prayed that his little sister Aimi would never had to deal with that, if so he would certainly give those bullies a good beating. Hiroshi's reason was a good reason though, at least as good as any. he could feel his big brother instincts surface, and he privately decided to keep an eye on her until she became strong enough to take care of things herself. "That's a good reason. I'm sure that you'll do great, and prove to those bullies that you can handle yourself." He said and gave her a friendly wink. "There's nothing cooler or more scary than a strong woman"

Akira didn't really need to think about an answer about why he wanted to be a ninja. For him it was clear as day. "I want to be able to support and protect my mother and sister. I'll become a strong ninja who will be able to protect them from everything!" He proclaimed and smiled widely. That really was his only goal in life, but inwardly he had to admit that another reason that he wanted to become a ninja was to honor his deceased father. "I've been going to the academy for over a year." He answered her, before continuing. "So far it's been pretty great, and I'm sure you're going to like it there." The academy was tough, but you learned a lot of valuable things there, and despite his tardiness he did enjoy learning. He was looking forward to graduating though, and becoming a real ninja. He knew it wouldn't be a fun adventure, and that it would be tough and even life threatening, but it was still something he looked forward to.

 

[Hiroshi Kaida]

Hearing him explain his reason caused Kaida to inwardly frown. Kudo-san seemed to be fond of his family. What upset her the most was that she no longer had a mother to protect. In all honesty, it hurt. It hurt to know that she was basically all alone now. Her father was gone, and her mother dead physically. She had no one to run home to, no one to talk about her day with, no one to protect her, no one to console her. Perhaps that was the only reason she even left her house now. To seek someone that could fill that void.

"I don't suppose you know anyone else you could introduce me to, would you? I would love to have more friends," she exclaimed happily as she sped up a little to match his pace. Kudo-san was much taller, and he seemed to have a longer stride. Hopefully, Kaida would grow to be at least average height as she aged. She looked forward to the day she would stand taller than one of her friends. Or enemies, for that matter. Her strength being complimented by height would be a great asset.

 

[Kudo Akira]

Akira faltered a bit at her question and his mind raced. He didn't really have any close friends, acquaintances yes, friends no. He supposed that between his rather scary appearance and the fact that he's almost always late he must seem like a delinquent, but since he never skipped class he didn't really fit in with the delinquents either. Not to mention he didn't really stay to hang out with other students, since he was always in a hurry to get home or go to the market to get groceries. "Ah sorry, I would if I could, but I'm not the most popular guy around." He apologized with a grimace. He hoped he would gain some friends in the future, hopefully someone who didn't mind the fact that he used a lot of his time helping out his mother and looking after his sister. Though he supposed he would be too busy to when he became a ninja, unless he managed to bond with his teammates.

When he saw Hiroshi speed up to match his speed he briefly debated slowing down, but decided against it. With their current pace they would reach the Academy just in time, so they couldn't afford to slow down unless they wanted to be late. "Do you have any other friends that already go to the Academy?" He asked curiously, she had after all said "more friends" not just friends, so maybe she already knew some people there. Though hopefully those who bullied her wouldn't be there, she deserved to be able to escape form them at least.

OOC: Hi sorry I'm late, I had a migraine that lasted for two days >.<

 

[Hiroshi Kaida]

"Oh, it's okay," Kaida said, looking down. She cold find more friends if she felt like it. She would at least be an approachable person in case someone wanted to talk to her. She looked at Kudo-san, seeing that he didn't look all that approachable. But that was okay with her. Kaida was supposed to reach out to anyone and everyone. She wouldn't let her mother down in that aspect. She took a moment to listen to their footsteps as they walked. She was fine until he asked her about friends. Her step faltered momentarily, but she quickly found her footing and continued as if it hasn't happened.

"Well, I don't exactly get out much. This is the first time I've been away from my home," she explained, linking her hands in front of her. "I don't have any friends yet." Kaida kept a smile on her face, not wanting to be pitied for her lack of bravery to leave. "But I hope to make friends this year." She looked up at Kudo-san, hoping he wouldn't mind her talking to him until she did find a friend closer to her age.

OOC: Don't worry about it.

 

[Kudo Akira]

The air around them felt heavy as they continued o walk towards the Academy, and Akira scratched his neck. This really wasn't how he wanted the conversation to go, and he struggled to come up with something lighter to talk about. He snapped out of his thoughts when Hiroshi continued talking, and he tried to give her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure it'll be fine. It can't have been much fun staying at home though, you sound like you were living like a hermit." He joked and reached out to ruffle her hair. He couldn't help it really, she reminded him of his little sister.

"You'll probably make lots of friends, plus there's always me if you need some company." He told her, and turned to smile down at her. He wouldn't mind having someone to talk to during free periods, and when he was out shopping for groceries. His momentary loss of focus on the road cost him, as he managed to almost walk into a lamppost. He narrowly avoided crashing into it through some flailing and a clumsily executed turn. Laughing sheepishly in embarrassment at his almost crash, he could feel his cheeks dust a light pink.

 

[Hiroshi Kaida]

Kaida felt a strange sort of comfort when Kudo-san ruffled her hair. Sure, it was a bit belittling, but he was older. There wasn't anything wrong with it. She listened as he spoke and frowned a bit, thinking about it. Well, it was similar to hermit life, even though she had lied about not going out. She only went to the training grounds. But that didn't exactly change much since she rarely spoke to other people. "Yes, it was a little boring at home. I took care of my mom for a long time…" she stopped herself momentarily. How was she supposed to finish that sentence? She couldn't tell him about her death. "But she got better and started working again. It was her idea for me to go to school."

She mentally scolded herself for bringing up her mother. If she wasn't careful, she would start a large pile of lies too big to remember every one. However, she didn't have to worry long, for she was pulled out of her thoughts when Kudo-san almost ran into a lamppost. She had to move out of the way so she wouldn't get hit, but she still saw his clumsy spin and couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. The sight was embarrassing and funny. It wasn't often she found herself truly laughing or smiling, but she knew how different it felt. He had gotten her to give a real laugh and a real smile. It felt nice. "Thank you, Kudo-san. I would love to talk to you." She thought for a moment as they continued walking. "But we're not in the same class, are we?" she asked, a bit upset that they probably would be seperated most of the day. He was her first friend, after all.

 

[Kudo Akira]

Akira nodded his head in understanding, he knew how tough it was to have a mother who was sick. "I'm glad she got better. It kinda gives me hope too, to hear that." He muttered the last part absently, and he bagan explaining when he realized he said the last part out loud. "Mom is really sick right now, so I kinda know how you felt. I feel a bit guilty sometimes for leaving her home alone with my little sister, but if I become a ninja, then I can earn more money so it would be a bit easier for us." Hopefully he would graduate soon, and then he could really begin helping out at home.

He really hoped she would get healthy soon, but he knew that it wasn't that easy. The fact that they lived in a crappy apartment didn't help much either, and since his dad was dead they lived on the compensation they got from his dad's death. But it barely managed to cover their expenses, and Akira often did small jobs so he could help pay for groceries at least.

Hiroshi's laugh was refreshing, and it made Akria forget the embarrassment of nearly crashing into the lamppost. His clumsiness was probably one of the top reasons why he wasn't excelling in taijutsu. He smiled at Hiroshi before pondering on her question. "It's kinda difficult to explain. The classes are mixed with students from all ages, and I don't think there's a set class schedule. I never really thought about it, but I think we may have some classes together. It depends on the teacher I guess..." He explained, though his voice trailed of at the end making his credibility even more doubtful. But it was tre that he had never really thought that much about it, he just went with it.

 

[Hiroshi Kaida]

Kaida understood what he meant, knowing he was going through a lot with his mother being sick. And given he hadn't talked about his father, she guessed he was out of the picture. Wether or not it was the same way her father was, she didn't know. She didn't even know where we father was or whether or not he was alive. Given that he left her and he mother alone, she didn't have much respect for the absent man, but Kudo-san hopefully knew his father.

"So then we might have a few classes together?" she asked with a noticeable hint of excitement. She smiled again, skipping a lightly. "I can't wait for school! This will be so much fun!" Kaida kept up her innocent nine-year-old act, eventually falling into a comfortable pattern with her skipping. She knew how the kids her age acted when they were happy, so she put on the act whether or not she had the same feeling. Despite this being so, she truly as excited about getting to be around people again. She would finally make friends and learn how to be a ninja, just like the kids she saw practicing. She didn't know how long it would take her to learn, but she was determined to excel in everything she could.

 

[Kudo Akira]

"Yeah, we might." He confirmed and smiled at her. When they turned the next corner they could see the Academy, only a couple of minutes of walking away from them. "There it is, just in time too I think classes are starting soon." He told her and unnecessarily pointed at the building. He was a bit sad that they were already there, as he had enjoyed talking with Hiroshi. Maybe he could see if he found her during lunch, and they could talk a bit more then. She seemed to have enjoyed talking with him too, so hopefully she wouldn't have anything against it. "But I'll see you during lunch at least, if we don't have any classes together." He told her cheerfully, and smiled widely to her.

OOC: Sorry, I have no idea what else to write. My brain is failing me in the idea department right now XD

 

[Hiroshi Kaida]

"Thank you, Kudo-san!" Kaida said, returning the smile. Her excitement was soon settled when they grew closer to the Academy. It seemed a lot bigger than she had thought. How difficult would it be to find her way in such a large place? She had already proven she could get lost on the way there. With a small sigh, she returned to a regular walk. She followed him into the building, smiling as she looked around. She honestly had no clue where to go, but she wasn't about to ask for more help. She would figure it out on her own.

"I'm going to go to my class. I'll see you later," she told him, bowing slightly before moving off in a different direction. If she could just find a teacher, she would feel better about asking where to go. They would surely know, given they are higher in authority over her.

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[Kudo Akira]

"You're welcome. Just ask me if there's anything else."He told her, truly meaning what he said. He wouldn't mind helping her out more, and hopefully they'd hang out without just as friends too. "See ya later" He called to her when she started walking away, and he soon began walking towards his own class. His teacher would certainly be surprised when he showed up on time for once. It would be a pleasant surprise though, he hoped.

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