The Little Things

Chapter 5

 The classroom was just full of life for little Tankina. She'd never seen so many different kids altogether in one room. Normally, she was used to a smaller class and the other students were her siblings. But that wasn't the case anymore. Now she was here, with other people. She'd promised herself not to be too shy, but she knew deep down she would most likely not keep that promise. Not every kid seemed easily approachable, given how they were acting without the instructor in the same room.

 Not everyone was sitting at a desk. Most of them were either standing on top of them or standing around the room in little groups, talking. Tankina wasn't a social butterfly like other girls, so she avoided conversation and went ahead and found an empty seat. No one else even seemed to notice her presence. A little discouraging, but she didn't let it bother her.

 The door to the room slid open, making the kids stop in their tracks and turn towards the person entering the room. It was a middle-aged woman, with long dirty blonde hair. Deep parenthesis framed the sides of her mouth, probably from smiling. She closed the door behind her and walked over to the desk in from of the room. The students scrambled to find a seat and quieted down. She stood in front of the blackboard, examining the class.

 "Good morning, everyone. Nice to see that you're all awake and alive today." She spoke smoothly, a smile tugging at her lips. The wrinkles around her mouth became more defined. A whisper was heard from the back of the classroom, then the other students snickered. It seemed the instructor couldn't make out what it was, so she simply brushed it off and moved on, "As a matter of fact, we have a new ninja in training with us today." She added, a faint chime in her voice. Her eyes averted in Tankina's direction, making the girl sink in her seat from the acknowledgement. The sound of creaking chairs followed shortly after as the entirety of the class' attention shifted to her. Her stomach began to churn, and she squirmed awkwardly.

 Another snicker erupted from the back of the room again, only making Tankina feel more discouraged. 

 "Oh, come on, don't be shy." The teacher beckoned,  motioning for her to come to the front of the class. Tankina now just wanted to get it all over with. She forced herself out of her chair and made her way to the instructor. Her knees buckled slightly. "What's your name, sweetie?"

 "Tankina..." She murmured shyly.

 "Well, Tankina. I am Mikuta-sensei. I will be your instructor. I'm sure you will pass my class in no time. Every village's training is not that much different." She gave the child an assuring smile. "If you ever need any help, you can ask me, or a classmate." She added, turning to face the rest of the class. The sound of the door opening again caused another shift in attention. A boy stood in the doorway, his shirt and hair damp. It must've finally started to rain.

 "Oh, Sasuke... You're late. Where have you been?" Mikuta-sensei spoke up. Before Sasuke even had time to think of what to say, the whole class began went up into a giggling fit. The boy left Mikuta-sensei hanging as he continued to drag himself to his usual spot. The giggling failed to cease. Tankina had watched Sasuke as he sat down. She then took note that the giggling was directed toward him. A few students began to whisper to one another. Tankina could only make out a little bit.

 "Did you hear? He's the last of the Uchiha clan."

 "His whole clan was killed the night before."

 "Man, could you imagine the pressure he has? He must have it rough."

 Tankina frowned at the attitude her classmates had towards Sasuke. They were indifferent to his suffering. Mikuta-sensei just stood there awkwardly. It seemed that she knew, too. She cleared her throat and patted Tankina on the shoulder, "Go ahead and take your seat, Tankina. Today's lesson will begin shortly. I'll also give you everything you've missed from before you got here, but if you know it already, you don't need to do it." She explained. The child nodded and went back to her seat. Sasuke was seated just one chair away. The young brunette looked at him out the corner of her eye. He looked terrible; if describing someone who had the expression if a hurt puppy was even categorized under looking terrible. The two had something in common. Tankina knew that much.