Shinmen Musashi awoke with a start. The screaming sound of the alarm clock was perhaps the closest simulation to what it sounds like to be in Hell. He quickly rolled over, and fumbled with the alarm clock before finally silencing the infernal contraption. Panting, he lay back down on his bed, and looked up to the dull gray ceiling tile.
He hated this part of the day the most. Leaving the sanctuary of his dreams was a torturous experience he dreaded every day. But, it still had to done. After laying in his bed, stewing in his self-pity, he finally mustered the energy to get up. He stumbled over to the light switch, and drowned the last of his sleepiness in the cold, sterile glow of florescent lights. He grabbed a towel, and tip-toed into the bathroom. The warm water of the shower was soothing, and helped him prepare for the day ahead.
After a quick shower, he quickly toweled off, wrapped the wet towel around his waist haphazardly, and walked back to his bedroom, still dripping water as he walked. He donned his favorite outfit: a blue pair of cargo shorts, and a tight black tee shirt. He tried for about ten seconds to tidy up his ever unruly hair, and then gave up.
He put on his Konoha forehead protector, meticulously straightened it, and then set about tidying up his room. Young Musashi was neurotic to the bone, and couldn’t stand to be in a messy room for even minute. Once he was sure everything was in its appointed place, he stepped out the door, and began his fifteen minute walk to the Academy. The morning was a little chilly for this time of year, causing him to quicken his pace.
There was a large throng of his fellow students waiting outside the academy when he arrived. Most seemed rather cheerful, gaily running about or clustered in small groups of close friends. He swallowed, and tried to hide his anxiety as he walked forward; clutching his books close to his chest, hoping no one would notice him. For the most part, no one either noticed him or seemed to care.
As the morning bell rang, Musashi breathed a sigh of relief. The environment of the classroom was always more comfortable to him. It had a sense of order, and he found security in that. He quickly moved into a seat near the back of the lecture room. Better to see and not be seen, or so he thought. The rest of the graduating class of Genin shuffled in slowly, and settled into their desks amidst much playful banter. It has often been suggested that it is the reclusive “emo” types that attract all the attention of young girls. However, there are different sorts of “mysterious”, and not all are created equal. While the dark, brooding mystery may attract attention, the silent ghost like Musashi is far more likely to never be noticed at all.
”I sure hope Munisai-jisama is right about this,” he thought to himself. That instantly brought to mind the one person he didn’t want to be grouped with: Ishikawa Setsuna. That fiery red-head had been hostile to him ever since he could remember. And even worse, she had decided to sit in the desk right next to his. Musashi cautiously glanced over at her.
She had her back turned to him, and was busily chatting with the girl sitting on her right. Musashi couldn’t remember the other girl’s name for the life of him; she seemed so quiet and introverted, it was more appropriate to say that Setsuna was talking at her rather than to her. It looked to him as though a lion had stopped to chat with a meek little mouse. Something about shoes and haircuts, Musashi wasn’t really listening to what they were saying.
While Musashi and the rest of the class in general were distracted in conversation or eavesdropping, Umino Iruka took the opportunity to sneak into the class unnoticed. He sat quietly at his desk in front of the class, and glanced at his wristwatch. He had a little under a minute until the second bell rang, so he decided to sit and wait patiently. When the bell finally did ring, Iruka stood up, and quieted the class down. Everyone with ready to burst out of their skin with a mixture of excitement and anxiety, for now they would be grouped into their teams.
Iruka-sensei cleared his throat, and spoke to the class in his nurturing, paternal voice, “All right class, today is the big day. Today you get to find out your team assignments. Let me assure you that this process is completely fair, and everything will work out just fine. Okay, Team One will consist of…”
Right about there, Musashi stopped really listening, he was so focused on when he would hear his name and which group he would be with. Consequently, it seemed like Iruka-sensei kept blathering on and on for what felt like an eternity. He could hear plenty of people emit cries of elation, or sighs of despair; it would appear that not everyone is getting what they want.
After about a minute of reading off the team rosters, Iruka-sensei looked up at his class. “Did I get everyone,” he asked. “Oh, wait a second, I missed a group. Team Five: Shinmen Musashi…” With that, Musashi snapped to attention, his eyes and ears fixed on Iruka. “…Tanaka Misato, and Ishikawa Setsuna.”
”Damn it!” Musashi muttered under his breath. Truth be told, he didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry, he was so frustrated. The one person he didn’t want to be teamed up with. He glanced ever so carefully over at Setsuna, only to find her menacing glare shooting back at him.
”What the hell are you looking at?” she threatened. She was as displeased at this result as Musashi was. She turned to the girl sitting next to her. “Can you believe this, Misato? We’re stuck with this loser.” She pointed lazily at Musashi, as if he wasn’t good enough for any of her effort.
”Well, I don’t know, Setsuna-san,” Misato whispered, “I mean, there must be some reason why they grouped him with us…” It was a weak defense, something quite characteristic of Misato. She was mousy and timid, which provided the perfect foil for the bold and domineering Setsuna.
Iruka-sensei began directing the teams to where they would meet with their new sensei. He called out the team names one by one, starting with Team One, and worked his way up the number system. “Team Five: you will wait here for your sensei. He will be here shortly.”
The three of them acknowledged in unison, and went back to eyeing each other suspiciously. Rather than stand up for himself against Setsuna, Musashi chose to fidget with his pencil, hoping vainly that if he didn’t acknowledge her, she would go away.
She didn’t. After the room had emptied, and they were the only ones left, Setsuna began doing what she did best: making Musashi miserable. “Hey, are you just going to sit there and look dumb?” she said, trying to instigate a reaction from him. “Hey, I’m talking to you! What the hell! Are you deaf!?”
”Ah, come on Setsuna…” Misato said shyly, before being cut off by Setsuna.
”Come one, pussy! Say something! Or are you too scared!” Setsuna jeered.
”…what did he ever do to you?” Misato continued, still as shy as before. Musashi continued to try ignoring Setsuna, though it wasn’t working.
”If you’re too afraid, why don’t you just run home to your momma and cry!” Setsuna laughed.
The pencil snapped in Musashi’s hand. He stood up in his desk, and stared Setsuna straight in the her bright green eyes, tears already starting to blur his vision. “My mother is dead, you bitch!” he yelled.
Misato tried once again to defuse the situation: “Uh, guys, I think you need to…”
Setsuna cut her off, “What did you call me?!” She stood up, and glared right back at Musashi.
Musashi didn’t know where the sudden burst of courage came from, but it probably had a lot to do with being mad as hell. “You heard me!” he barked back at her.
Misato didn’t give up. She tried to be as assertive as she could, almost yelling now. “…calm down! Seriously guys, this has to stop. Just apologize and we’ll all get on with our…”
Setsuna clenched her fists, and yelled, “No one calls me a bitch!” With that, she slid effortlessly into her combat stance, with her feet spread far apart to ensure balance, and hands ready for either closed or open hand strikes. A split second later, she attacked, throwing all of her strength behind a right jab. Musashi tried to parry, but he was caught flat-footed and totally unprepared. Her fist collided hard with his cheek, knocking him off balance. He unceremoniously tripped over the desk behind his legs, and fell flat on his back.
”By all the gods, knock it off!” Misato screamed. Setsuna didn’t care, and moved in for the finishing blow. She vaulted over the desk, her right leg sprung, ready for a stomping kick. Musashi quickly rolled out of the way, and sprung to his feat. Setsuna quickly resumed her attack, sending a powerful roundhouse kick Musashi’s way with her right leg. He caught her leg; it hurt like hell, but he stopped the kick. While keeping her kicking leg pinned to his side with his left hand, Musashi quickly stepped in towards her, and pinned her right arm to her right shoulder with his right hand. Within a split second, he brought her torso forward and his right knee upwards. His knee struck her in the abdomen, knocking the wind right out of her. As she recoiled and gasped in pain, he maneuvered his right foot behind her left leg. With a quick sweep, he knocked her balance leg out from under her; she quickly fell backwards, landing flat on her back.
To the untrained observer, it would appear that something very wrong was occurring right now, as Setsuna was lying flat on her back, and Musashi was leaning over her, standing in between her legs. But neither of the fighters noticed or really cared what it looked like; they were locked in battle. Musashi aimed a Tiger Claw strike for her face. She quickly parried it aside, and grabbed Musashi by his shirt, meanwhile maneuvering her legs under his body. She planted both legs on his abdomen, and kicked while pulling his chest forward. This motion flipped Musashi end over end, causing him to land in an awkward dive roll behind Setsuna.
They both quickly snapped back to their feet, back in fighting stance. Setsuna immediately went on the attack, launching a furious salvo of lightning fast jabs at Musashi. He couldn’t parry or block them all. Every fourth punch hit home. They didn’t hit near as hard as her first punch, but they still hurt like the Dickens. A blow to the shoulder, a blow to the chest, another right on his forehead. He couldn’t keep this up for much longer; she was beating him into a pulp. He quickly guessed where the next punch would be aimed, and grabbed her wrist with both of his hands.
As he grappled her right arm, he thought he had her right where he wanted her. As he pulled her forward, using her natural momentum to pull her body off balance to set up for a shoulder throw, her other hand lanced outward, grabbing Musashi by the throat. He gagged, and let go of her arm, and in a reflex reaction, grabbed her throat.
There they stood, two proud shinobi, trained in the martial arts, resorting to merely choking each other. Misato screamed something incomprehensible; it sounded like “Stop!”, but no one could tell. Just then, the door to the lecture room creaked open. Both Setsuna’s and Musashi’s grips relaxed, but they still were literally at each other’s throats. As they turned to see what disturbed their fight, a tall grey haired ninja walked into the room. He wore a mask over the lower part of his face, and his forehead protector was tilted over his left eye like an eye patch.
Misato stood in terrified fright, her usually pale face a crimson read from terror. Setsuna and Musashi were frozen in place. The grey haired ninja spoke, his voice conveying unpleasant surprise, “Did I miss something?”
Setsuna and Musashi let go of each other’s throats. Musashi spitefully glared at her, and took a large step away from her. Both of them tried to avert their eyes from the older ninja who had interrupted their rather undignified battle.
After a very long, very awkward silence, Misato managed to say a few words, “Who…are you?”
The man clearly couldn’t help being condescending. He replied, “Well, my name is Hatake Kakashi, and I’m supposed to be the sensei for certain Genin team, a certain Team Five. Do you know where I can find them?” The message was clear: grow up!
”Yeah, that’s us,” Setsuna replied. Her voice had lost all of the fire that it had before; she sounded almost submissive.
Kakashi sighed and shook his head. “This is going to be a long day.”