Chapter 3.1- One thousand Hands

TEN YEARS BEFORE THE SECOND GREAT SHINOBI WORLD WAR- NARA SHIKAHIME

“Troublesome” She thought to herself as she walked into the classroom and found the seat that she’d been forced to occupy for the past two years filled by someone else. She almost tripped over her feet in surprise when she entered and found the Kurama boy sitting next to her Senju cousin. She’d expected the boy to get bored of her eventually, but the fact that it had taken him two years to do so was just something else. By his right sat, Uchiha Izuku. The only polite member of the family in her generation.

She wasted no time in taking her seat blissfully far away from the spotlight that followed the Senju on every waking hour. She heard a sound from their place in the centre of the classroom and enjoyed observing from a distance, the melodious tones the Kurama boy produced with the flute he held in his hands. It was a beautiful thing, made of pale wood that was so white it looked to be ivory from certain angles. The holes were perfectly circular, just as the mouth opening was made perfectly suited for the boy’s mouth. It was the work of a master craftsman and then sheer cost of it would probably have bankrupted many a family.

“A lovely gift, Senju-san”

“Shorirama please, Kizuru. I’ve told you a dozen times, call me by my name”

Well, that answered one question. The gift had come from the Senju boy. Of course he had. Hyuga blood on one side and Senju on the other. She doubted anyone would ever have access to the kind of wealth he did. The bulk of the village was built on Senju land, after all.

“Play me something else, please” He said, after the Kuram a boy said something to him. A melodic tune began to spread across the classroom. A haunting tone that both said everything and nothing at the same time. Shikahime would hesitate to call herself an expert in music- no Nara really could. But she did know what good music sounded like. She’d attended enough festivals and celebrations to make it clear to her what a master of their craft could produce. What she heard Kurama Kizuru produce was not at all far away from what those people could create. It made her wonder since when he’d been practicing the instrument. It also made her wonder just how the Senju boy had been able to find out about it in time to procure such a gift for the other boy’s birthday.

It didn’t matter though. Spending her time basking in the privacy of not being the centre of attention should have been enough for her. She leaned backwards and hoped to drift off into sleep. She should have had twenty minutes until their Sensei showed up. Of course, the Universe decided to put all her expectations to shame.

Her desk exploded in sound as someone slammed a hand down on it. She opened her eyes and came face to face with orbs of smouldering coal that looked like they were permanently alight with fire. Uchiha Uzume. Her black hair fell down her face in ringlets that framed high cheekbones in perfect lighting.

“You’re on my seat, Nara” She snarled, and It took Shikahime a second to parse the words and realise that the rude girl was indeed right. Somehow in her relief and haste to find a seat away from the centre of attention, she’d ended up on the seat that the Uchiha girl favoured. She cursed herself for it, knowing that she’d now have to stand up and move all the way across the classroom with everyone’s eyes staring at her. Not once did the thought of resistance cross her mind. Only two people could match up with the Uchiha girl when it came to the Ninja arts, and she definitely wasn’t one of them. She prepared to stand up and the bad situation suddenly got much worse as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“What are you doing, Uzume?” Her cousin said, staring down the Uchiha girl with his head tilted to the side.

“Your little cousin is on my seat” She said, stepping closer to the boy that had taken the space between them.

Shikahime wanted to roll up in about ball like a child and cry her feelings out. Because how had this gotten this bad? She knew that she should be thankful at her cousin for stepping up to defend her but she wanted nothing more than to scream at him for standing up and involving himself in this. If she hadn’t already been the centre of attention, then having the two best students in the class in a face-off over her choice of seating position would ensure it.

“I’m sure no seats have any names on them. The seats are first come, first served, Uzume. Sensei has made this clear more than once, I know. And so do you.” He said simply, weathering the glare that she tossed at him with no discernible reaction.

“I’ve sat on the same chair for seventeen months, Senju. Don’t play with me” Her voice rose now, making Shikahime shrink further in the chair. No longer a whisper that promised violence, her voice was now a snarl that assured it.

“Doesn’t matter” He said, and in the blink of an eye he caught a punch that had been sent flying at his head. Now, the entire class was on high alert. Uchiha Uzume proved to be deserving of her class ranking as number one student by sweeping her leg forwards and sending a high kick slamming for his head. Her cousin simply released the hand in his grip before moving his head backwards an inch to allow her foot sail pass his face with no effect before rushing at her.

Shikahime had very little doubts how this would go. It was only her cousin’s terrible shurikenjutsu marks that made him second place to the Uchiha girl. It was a testament to his skill that the gap between them was still so close, when one considered that he was dead last in the class when it came to kunai and shuriken throwing. He stepped into the Uchiha girl’s space before she could recover from the attack and released a duo of quick jabs at her face. The first hit. She used the momentum to send herself rolling backwards. She came up weaving hand seals only for her hands to be caught in a solid grip before she could continue.

“A great fireball jutsu in a closed classroom is more stupid than anything I’ve ever seen any of you attempt” Uraraka-sensei’s voice rang out. Shikahime absently checked the clock and noted that they still had about ten minutes until the bell was supposed to ring. That, at the very least, went a step in confirming her theory.

“Senju-san, Uchiha-san. Detention. You will both be staying behind after class today and this incident will be going on both your records” He said, before moving back to the front of the class and picking up a stick of chalk.

“Today was supposed to mark the beginning of survival and camping training but since you all clearly have too much energy, we’ll be doing some endurance training instead” He said, the rest of the class predictably erupting in mutinous groans and whispers. Even her cousin winced at the announcement. Endurance training wasn’t fun for anyone. Especially now that Uraraka-sensei had begun adding genjutsu detection training to the mix.

“Chop, chop. You should be at the lineup already. Last there gets to do an extra lap for good measure” Sensei said and the class moved almost as one. Her cousin was, predictably, at the very front of the line with his unholy speed. She hastened to take off and join the others. She couldn’t end up being the one to take the extra lap.

A/N; Here’s the first part of the next chapter.