Child of the Moon

Team Tsukiko

"I don't care how many times you tell me, that thing was not a cat," Aki insisted as the group left the Hokage's office. "Serves it right, hope that fat lady crushes it."

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Nanami said softly.

"You're right, the lady wasn't that fat," Aki shrugged. "So what now, Tsukiko-sensei?"

"Lunch, and then training," Tsukiko answered, stretching in the sunlight. "You guys go eat wherever, I'll meet you in an hour at the training field outside the village."

"What? No time to digest?" Aiyanna joked.

"Nothing too heavy then," Tsukiko chuckled, as she set off.

The girls went off together, to talk and eat as they tried to puzzle out what their sensei had in mind for them. Aki also chose this moment to explain the difference between cats and what they had to catch.

Tsukiko smiled to herself, and stared up at the Hokage Stone Faces, allowing herself to relax as she contemplated what she would do for the next few minutes. Once more, her feet took her where they pleased, and she found herself outside a dango shop this time.

She paused, before going inside, ordering some to go. 'Itachi used to love these.' She thought to herself absently, before shaking the thought away.

With dangos in hand, she set off to observe how Naruto was doing, sure that they were still going at it with that test of Kakashi's.

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"And then, I punched him in the nose," Aki finished her story, making a punching motion as she jumped to her feet.

Nanami chuckled, as she sipped her soda carefully. "What did he do then?"

"Ugh, please, you've heard her tell this same story like.. Fifteen times!" Aiyanna groaned, burying her face into her arms on the table.

"That's not true!" Aki said indignantly.

"No, it's only the twentieth time," Nanami said lightly.

"Exactly! Hey!" Aki glared at the blind girl, who was smiling lightly. She continued to glare, and the girl sighed.

"I can't see it, but I assume you're glaring at me?"

"You know, it's weird how fast we all got on with each other," Aiyanna said, shoving a piece of roast into Aki's mouth.

Her glare vanished as she tried not to choke on the meat.

"I mean, Aki and I have been training together since we were tiny," Aiyanna continued, absently pounding Aki's back to help with the choking. "But we get thrown on a team with some complete strangers, and we're pretty much family."

"Tsukiko-sensei prefers it that way," Nanami said, pushing a glass of water at the red-head girl, who downed it with a loud sigh.

"Me too, ya?" Aki said, wiping her face with her sleeve. "If I'm gonna be trustin' you guys with my back, then you may as well be family, ya?"

Nanami smiled. "I think part of it comes from how Tsukiko-sensei was trained."

"Oh, backstory!" Aki said, resting her chin on her hands. "Tell us, ya know!"

Nanami smiled, though the smile was slightly sadder than usual. "I don't know all that much, but Tsukiko-sensei isn't from here originally. She just appeared one day, and the Uchiha clan become her teachers. But then... they were wiped out, and I think it was like her whole family was taken from her."