The Lone Brat

Roran sighed as he relaxed. He never understood why the academy had recess, but he loved using the time to read. Books were far more entertaining than exercising his nearly immortal body. At least, he had assumed he was immortal. He knew it was probably just to a degree, like total disintegration, since it wouldnt make sense otherwise, but it was still a dangerous skill for a ninja to have. Probably even more dangerous than the rinnegan, if used correctly. Even so, he felt no direct desire to train with a bunch of immature fools. He sighed to himself, trying to avoid that train of thought. The book he was reading was called "The Twenty One Walls", it was a philosophical book that no eight year old had any business reading. Granted, Roran was by far not a normal eight year old. He knew that, and everyone else did too. It was why he preferred being alone. He didnt like to deal with any of the mundane trivialities that the other children did, such as playing with dolls of all things. 

The book was suddenly pried from his hands. Roran had to restrain his anger to keep from striking out against the three boys now in front of him, with the one in the middle holding his book. Roran stared impassively at the boys before politely asking "Can you give me my book back?" He knew they wouldnt, but if they gave him his book back, he wouldnt fight them. It was well known it was near impossible for Roran to lose in a taijutsu fight, being stronger and more durable than the other kids, thanks to his bloodline and immortality. Of course, no one really knew that he had immortality, not even any of the teachers. Only his dead parents and him knew of it, and he wasnt about to tell anyone. Hell, no one even knew he had a bloodline, most just called him a clanless disgrace, since he couldnt prefer most jutsu. 

As Roran expected, the boy did not hand the book back, but sneered and chuckled "Your that bookworm from class 2-A, Ive heard about you, the nerd of that class eh? You know how we treat nerds around here?" Roran had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. He had heard that speech so many times it wasnt even funny anymore. "Tell me, why are you doing this?" Roran looked rather sad at this point. They never left him alone! All he wanted was to be left in peace to enjoy his solitude, which he seemed to be cursed with, but no, they constantly tried to bully him. At worst, it was degrading and humiliating, at best it was hilarious. The sneer, which looked ridiculous on a child's face, did not lessen, it increased if anything. "Because weirdos dont deserve to be at the academy with us real ninja." Roran's left eye twitched, and he clenched his fists. This was one of those kids who saw themselves as the best for silly reasons, such as Roran's heterochromia. That was something Roran disliked more than anything else. Before Roran could move, he felt a heavy impact in his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He hadnt been paying attention to the other two, and it cost him. The three began to gang up on him, using that moment of distraction to pin him down and begin attacking him. Roran barely felt half their hits, but the sheer number of them was taking its toll. He was also pinned, so he couldnt build enough strength to break free and just kick their asses. Damnit, why did he have to deal with these brats? On the bright side, it wasnt like it could kill him.

Korosu had just left the Academy. You see, every other day she was summoned to the Academy for a meeting, all regarding her son's behavior. However, these meetings usually only consisted of them telling her what needs to happen, she subtly threatening them within an inch of their life, and them shutting the frig up. Oh, how she loved being her. Violence was a necessary part of Shinobi life, and if Nozomi embraced that aspect, so be it! It would help them and all the other imbeciles later on in life. However, there were a few things she drew the line at, and as she walked through the back doors and into the recess field, she was met with one of those reasons.


The woman was immediately faced with the sight of three older boys, probably in their 3rd year or higher, ganging up on a young child who was no older than a 1st year. The kid was being pinned down and punched relentlessly, and there was a book lying forgotten a few feet away. She picked it up, noting that it was a rather mature book for a child his age to be reading. Definatly intelligent. Well, this just wouldn't do, now would it? The raging mother quickly walked over to the four children, the rage lighting her face in an absolutely terrifying way. Yeah, it's a really bad idea to make this chick mad. Within seconds she was behind the three assaulters who were, irrelevantly, completely oblivious. Oh, she knew these three. They'd gotten in a fight with Noz once, and she'd scared them so bad the leader wet his pants. They'd remember her face, and they'd run screaming for their mommies.


In one adept swoop she had the collars of two of the boys, whom she promptly threw aside. She made sure they wouldn't land too hard though, as she really didn't want to be sued for child abuse. She then picked up the leader of the gang, lifting him completely off the ground and the small boy, and turned him around to meet her scarlet eyes. "Ah, I remember you. Still at it, eh? Beating on little kids? You should be ashamed. Why, unless you swear on your life and the life of your mother that you will quit this freaking shi-, crap, I might have to teach you what its like to be on the victim's side, hm?" the woman said calmly. Korosu dropped the boy on the ground, who immediately dashed away screaming bloody murder with his counterparts. Something about the "demon witch with bloody eyes?" That was a new one.


Now that that was taken care of, the girl bent down and looked over the poor kid. He looked a bit roughed up, though not as bad as she'd assumed. High health. He also had one deep purple eye, as well as a blood red one. It was almost like hers, just not as intense. The lady cracked a soft smile, helping him off the ground and into a sitting position. She, too, sat down, crosslegged, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, I'm Korosu. My son, Nozomi, attends first year here -y'know, the violent one? Yeah. Anyway, are you okay?" she asked. Realizing she still had the book in her hand, she placed it on his lap. "Oh, I found this on the ground. Yours, right?"

Roran coughed, glad that was over. Apparently his savior was a strange woman who seemed to not mind violence. Granted, they were ninja, so it was to be expected. Even so, Roran was still wary about the woman. Who was she anyway? Some woman with a violence fetish, but she obviously had some pull on the academy for that brat to be frightened of her. That, or they had actually seen her beat the shit out of someone. He deeply hoped for the first, as dealing with a much larger and female bully was not on his to do list. Actually, he didnt have one, probably should get one later on though. After she spoke, he realized she was simply helping him, rather than taking someone else's prey. Roran smiled slightly. "Thanks. Im Roran." He had heard of this Nozomi, a kid who got into more trouble that even him. Admittedly, all the trouble Roran got in was for participating in fights at all. Even though he rarely fought back, he got in just as much trouble. The school was flawed beyond belief, and he knew it. Maybe he could change that one day? Nah, like he would ever get a position of power.

"Um... Ive heard of Nozomi, never met him though. Yeah, Im fine." It was true, it seemed as though what little scratches he had before were already gone. Of course, only he knew why, but the effects themselves were obvious. The cause was not. Roran hoped she wouldnt question it, but if she did, he would bullshit her about having a bloodline that let him heal faster, that would probably keep her from knowing he was a monster lab rat. He grabbed the book, trying to be polite about it, but obviously not used to coming into contact physically with others. It was obvious by his nervousness as he reached for the book, and the rushed way he pulled it back. Even so, his smile just widened, turning from a hesitant smile to a large grin. "Thanks! Those guys never leave me alone..." Roran looked down. Were they right? Was he just a freak, some weird abomination of science and nature? He would have to find out for himself one day, hopefully not soon.

Roran stood uncomfortably, shifting his weight onto one leg, holding the book. He wasnt used to speaking with people, even adults, especially adults actually. Ever since his parents died, he had been more and more reclusive, until he finally became silent unless spoken to. Even so, he didnt want her to leave because he didnt seem interesting. Those other kids might come back if she did. "So um... what are you doing here? Are you substituting for a class?" He tried to seem casual, but his curiosity was obvious, as obvious as his heterochromia. It was rather obvious that he didnt want her to leave. Though he would cover it up by saying he just didnt want the bullies to come back, Roran knew deep down that he was simply lonely. No one ever talked to him like she had, they just ignored him, as if he didnt exist, or just wasnt worth their notice. It felt... different to be talked to like an equal, like he mattered.

Korosu's smile widened a bit as he spoke, the woman standing as well. No matter how she tried to hide it, children had always struck a special string in her heart. "Roran, hm...? I like that," the woman said, looking down nicely at the little boy. She laughed lightly. Her? substituting? LOL. "Nah, I'm not substituting anything. I stop by every other day to.... 'talk' with the board, which really doesn't include much civilized conversation~" she said, seemingly proud of her 'achievement'. Oh, wait. That... might have no been a very wise thing to say, considering what just happened. Eyes widening ever so slightly, she caught herself with an, "Oh, don't worry though. I'm not going to hurt you or anything..."

The woman stood for a moment in thought, before a light bulb seemingly turned on in her head. A light grin touched her lips as she crouched down to his height and leaned in a bit, light she was whispering a secret. "Hey, let's ditch and go get some hot chocolate at my house. Warm, cozy, and totally safe from bullies and the like. Noz is on a field trip today, so I'm free for a little while. Oh, and don't worry about the dumb ole' teachers; Just tell them Korosu took you out early." The woman was smiling caringly now, a hand finding its way to his shoulder. Honestly, she no longer even realized when she made contact with a minor. Koro was so used to giving affection to her son that it was the same with any other child (that didn't bully other children of course). She rose back to her full, albeit rather short, height and ruffled his hair affectionately like she had done with Nozomi so many times.

Korosu could tell he wasn't used to this. Whether it was the affection, the protection, or both, it wasn't right. A child this young - 8, she was guessing - shouldn't be used to being alone. The woman was now on a mission, but not one for her village. This mission was to help the lonely, dark haired little boy in front of her. She couldn't stand sad kiddies... It was one of her very few weaknesses. Already she liked Roran, and now her mind was set on making him happy. So, of course, she would use hot chocolate. Nothing better that hot cocoa during a crappy winter day in Yuki. Absolutely nothing.

Roran blinked confused. Well, she did have some pull, so why not? It wasnt like he had to be home at any certain time. Plus hot chocolate did sound good. Even so, he was suspicious of the woman's intentions. He had no idea who she was, why she saved him, let alone why she invited him to skip school and go to her home. It was strange, this apparently random kindness. In his experience, people were only nice when they had ulterior motives. Other than that, people were cruel and evil. Even though he knew he deserved it, killing his parents in a fit of rage had proven that, it still didnt sit right with Roran. He deserved all the things he got, and he knew it, but it didnt make it any less painful. Having gone a year without his parents had changed him. Even so, he still tried to be kind and happy, but it was hard being like that in such a cruel world. Roran grinned widely and nodded. Even if she had an ulterior motive, it wasnt like he could die easily, especially not through poison.

"Thatd be great!" His wide grin showed his strangely perfect teeth. It was probably part of his bloodline, but Roran never cared enough to figure it out. Honestly, at this point, he had been stabbed through his heart and had survived, so he didnt really expect his teeth, fortified by both his kaguya blood, and his Jashinism, to ever get damaged. It might seem arrogant, but really, it was nothing after literally losing his head once. Frankly speaking, he had a right to be arrogant about what he could survive. Even though he could survive nearly anything, he knew he was just an abomination, an unfinished experiment of two scientists. He ignored that thought for now, figuring staying with her meant no one else would bother him.

He stiffened when she touched his shoulder and hair, not being used to people touching him. It felt awkward and foreign to him, to be touched by another. Even so, he tried to be less stiff, but it was still awkward. "So where do you live?" It seemed as though Roran didnt care about what the teachers were say, they never noticed him anyway, so he doubted they would today. It was one of those things that had helped him form the idea that he was worth less than anyone else. He was expendable, others were not. At least, it seemed so. Now, with his immortality, he was even more expendable, a pawn on a chessboard, going right into a trap. He still doubted the woman's intentions, but she had offered him chocolate, and if she wanted something, he could at least see if he could do it.

Oh, this was the strangest feeling. Absolutely peculiar. Korosu could feel her heart breaking for the boy. The looks of confusion at her kindness. The stiffness at her touch. The suspicion, albeit well hidden, in his eyes. Something wasn't right here, and she was determined to either fix the problem or fix the boy. It wasn't right that such a child  acted like this. What happened? Well, she'd find that out one day, but today, she just needed to get this kid some hot chocolate.

She smiled at the enthusiasm towards leaving school. She wondered if this bullying thing went on everyday, and nearly frowned at the thought. Koro only refrained from the action as to not give the boy any wrong ideas. She looked over his face as he grinned, noticing how utterly perfect his teeth were. Either it was something genetic or he was just that lucky... He teeth weren't bad, but still... The woman also noticed that all evidence of his being the victim of the attack had disappeared. That was probably genetic, unless it was some sort of bloodline. She decided to ask later.

"Oh, I live just a few minutes away. It's a small house, but it's cozy," Koro said thoughtfully. She would reach her hand down and grasp Roran's, gently instead of roughly, and begin to slowly lead him out through the back gate. There were a few questioning stares from the other students, more that a couple hostile, that were averted with a single glancing glare from Korosu. The woman made sure that she was holding the boy's hand loosely enough that he could easily shake out of her grasp if he wanted to, yet it was still comforting. "So, anything special you want in the hot cocoa?"

 
”Aack!” Echoed Rakka’s silent whisper as cobwebs covered her face. God, they really needed to clean these oversized tree limbs that were conveniently the right size for her to sit on and infiltrate the place unnoticed. Very convenient. Of course, she wasn’t here on a search and destroy mission, per se, more like… Recon. Yes… recon. Her mission, should she choose to accept it (Ha! That went without asking!) was to study the daily patterns of a certain individual, who was referred to by the codename “The package” (Boy did she have a package!), learn their habits, and report back to headquarters. Headquarters being Rakka’s house.
 
This was all, of course, completely off the charts. Plausible deniability meant that if she were caught, her superiors would not acknowledge she had been sent. Obviously, as a mission of such high priority assigned to her by the elders themselves was not something they would like to admit. Yes, I see you staring at me. OF COURSE this was a legitimate mission! Why else would Rakka be spying on that beautiful temptress? She was a perfectly normal, law-abiding citizen, after all!
 
Anyways, Rakka’s hands and feet were covered with invisible layers of chakra from her silent steps technique, which kept her from making any noise from crawling across tree limbs to follow her target. Very convenient. She made it to the next branch, looking down past it.
”Target acquired. She would mutter to herself, inaudibly. God, Rakka wished she’d stop moving around so much. It seemed she spent a lot of time at the academy though. She pulled out a small notebook and jotted down the current time, indicating how long Korosu had been there. Things were going pretty well so far.
 
Then came the slight crack from the branch she was putting her weight on. That told her she was about to have a bad time. She felt she was falling in slow motion, as she fell to the floor, landing directly on top of Korosu. Rakka would roll off her quickly, holding a bruised arm created by the fall, before glancing at Korosu.
 
”Well, hello there…” She would say seductively, while both of them were still laying on the floor.

It seemed even the shy and cautious Roran understood simple things, like holding hands meaning comfort. It took him a moment to understand, but the woman seemed genuine, if nothing else. As they passed by most of the students, he huddled closer to the woman, his only real source of protection. Although he could survive nearly anything, it didnt mean he liked the pain, deserved or not. It was instinctual to fear pain, and Roran was but a child. Perhaps one day he would grow immune, but until then, he would stick by the woman who had protected him. Even so, he had a small sense of doubt about the woman, though he could tell she was being truthful. Maybe it was just his paranoia. As she mentioned her house, he had to imagine a small cottage, just big enough for her and her son. As anyone would, he imagined it similar to his own residence. It seemed like it would fit her personality, at least.

Roran shrugged at the question involving cocoa. "I dont know, I... uh, never had any." That was the truth. His parents, being insane scientists, had no time for trivial things such as hot chocolate, they hadnt even spent much time around him until they preformed that hellish ritual which took away his humanity. It had gone on for hours, and it never got any less painful, so it was a pretty memorable thing. It was a wonder how a seven year old managed to keep his sanity through it, even if he developed a crippling sense of worthlessness. Truly, it was a miracle he hadnt gone insane after that, though any Kaguya had better pain tolerance than most. In any case, he had to wonder just what you would put in melted chocolate. What could you add to melted chocolate to make it taste better? He only had chocolate due to a former friend of his, who abandoned him when it convenienced them. 

Roran's train of thought ground to a halt as a woman fell on top of Korosu. As he saw this, an unfamiliar hollow feeling flashed in his chest, as if his heart had stopped for a moment to process what had just happened. Unknown to him, even though he was paranoid around her, saving him had made him consider her a friend, and that hollow flash in his chest was simply a brief flash of worry for her. Roran then noticed the pain in his arm, having been pulled down when the woman landed on the other. He glanced at his arm. To him, it seemed as if his arm was stretched, close to being two separate parts, rather than one whole limb. He blinked, then remembered what it was, a simple dislocation from the odd angle that his arm had been pulled from. He figured doing the opposite would fix whatever was wrong with it, so he did. A sickening snap was heard as he somehow got lucky and put his elbow back into place. For normal people, even grown adults, this would be painful. However, Roran was jashinist, and kaguya. Jashinism came with a decent pain tolerance, which only boosted his natural pain tolerance (especially when it came to bones) from being a kaguya. 

Roran glanced up from his arm to look at Korosu. He silently cursed himself, he should have worried about her rather than his arm. His selfishnes, in a more serious situation may have cost her. "Are you alright?" For once, that shy, rather high voice, sounded worried, rather than just paranoid. Perhaps it was because even other teachers never stopped the bullies, but the fact remained that Korosu HAD. That simple act had gained a bit of his trust, if just a bit. He really hoped she would be okay from that. He though if she was alright, maybe that odd ache in his chest would go away. It was fading since that flash, but it was still noticeable. He glared at the woman who had fallen on top of her, even though it was quite obvious she was a ninja, which meant he had no chance to actually do anything against her.

Rakka, not wanting to make this any more awkward, body flickered away before Korosu spoke

(Exit)

approved