After Class

The bell for Yumi's last class rang; it was time to go home. Students were getting up from their desks and filing out of the classroom and into the hall, but the brown haired girl remained. She was deep in her sketchbook. She had been sketching for the entirety of the class and was on a roll. Yumi had sketched a nature scene of Suna's surrounding dessert. A mother coyote was placed in the foreground in mid step, whilst in its mouth was a poor jack rabbit – a tasty meal her her babies. Yumi was adding some last-minute touches to her drawing when she looked up and realized the class was over with and she was now sitting in the classroom alone. She decided that was enough for today and that she'd finish her picture at a later date. The day was still young for the aspiring ninja as she gathered her things and headed to the academy's projectile range.

I hope the range instructor hasn't left early, really want to brush up on my throwing skills, Yumi thought as she causally strolled down the academy's dusty halls.

Yumi finally reached the range which was located on the opposite side of the academy and set her books and her sketchbook down by the exit and walked over the range master who was still at his desk reading an orange book. Yumi walked over to the instructor's desk and stood beside it. The range master did not take notice and continued to read his book.

”I'd like to practice some throwing today, if it's not too late,” Yumi asked in a polite tone. ”I think I would like to throw shurikens this time.”

The range master nodded and gave her a pouch full of four-pointed shurikens, ”You know the drill. Bring these back when you're done, do not take them with you, and try not to cut yourself.”

Yumi grabbed the canvas pouch and walked over to one of the stalls. Wooden walls were placed going down the length of the room making several corridors so that one's mistake did not effect the person practicing beside them and let one collect his/her weapons at their own pace. A wooden training dummy stood at the end. Yumi set her pouch on the ground and began to stretch. It was crucial for doing such exercises before training, one could very easily pull a muscle which could lead to further injury. Yumi began with her arms – making sure to stretch each one as she planned to throw with both of them. Next she stretched out her waist. To throw accurately and with force, one needed to throw with all of the body. She finished with her legs stretching them last. Yumi then undid the clasp that held the pouch closed and got into position. Yumi eyed the wooden practice target which stood at the end of the range. The wooden dummy stood stoic and ever vigilant, as if it were standing there guarding something.

The only thing you're guarding is the key to my graduation! Yumi thought as she lined her shot. Even though I've heard rumors that we're suppose to preform jutsu for our exam, I know to be a good ninja, I'll have to be able to hit my target with every throw!

Yumi flung her shuriken at the wooden dummy. It sliced threw the air making a 'swishing' sound, but as it approached its target, its trajectory was a bit off. Yumi forgot her follow through resulting in the shuriken missing the dummy by a foot to the right. It stuck into the wood on the back wall. She was not the first to do this however. The boards had several noticeable chips in the painted wood from other academy students who had missed their mark before her.

Follow through, Yumi! The shuriken will travel exactly where your hand ends. It pushed to the right because you left your hand there, silly, the young ninja told herself as she reached in the pouch for another throwing star.

Yumi lined up her second throw, bringing the shuriken towards her chest and then back out towards the target. She repeated this a couple times before throwing it. Same as before, the shuriken 'swished' in the air. But the young student had missed her mark yet again. This time however, she missed the wooden dummy to the left.

Crap, I over corrected myself! Yumi grumbled.

Another chip in the back wall was made. Another to be added to the ever growing number of chips. The instructors had to replace the wooden planks from the back wall every once in a while as the number of wood chips which chipped away were sometimes enough to render the boards useless. The back wall now possessed two of Yumi's shuriken; they had sunk deep into the grain. The young student missed her target, but had the wooden dummy brought friends, they would have surely been hit...

Its mocking me, Yumi thought as she stood staring it down. I see your smug face. You were carved that way on purpose, weren't you? I see you watching me watch you. I will hit you yet, Mister Target!

Yumi threw a third shuriken. It whizzed in the air as the others did and in a split second the wooden backboard rang with another thud. Another miss, but this time Yumi's shuriken was getting closer. This time Yumi was only off by a couple inches.

”Ha! You're getting scared now. I can see you're trembling in fear. Let's face it, Mister Target, how much longer can you last?” Yumi blurted out forgetting she wasn't alone. The young girl's eyes widened a moment later realizing her folly. ”Heh, heh. Sorry, sir, I got a little carried away.”

The range master did not seem to take notice. He witnessed academy students taunt his wooden targets all the time and did not even glance up from this book. Yumi turned back towards the target and picked up another shuriken from the canvas bag. This time Yumi was going to hit it. Yumi could feel it. The anticipation swelled within her very being. Yumi placed the shuriken in her throwing hand and threw it making sure that this time, she would follow through. The shuriken flew in the air and stuck the wooden dummy in the shoulder. Yumi landed a hit! Not the best hit in the world, but a hit all the same. If it were an enemy, they would feel it, but it wouldn't have caused much damage, and only serve to make him/her more angry. Yumi's aim would need some improvement, that much was clear.

Yumi continued throwing shurikens until her canvas pouch was empty. The young student managed to hit the target a couple more times, but same as before, none of the throwing stars managed to hit a vital spot. The neck was an ideal target as one could try and cut through the jugular vein, but that was hard to, even with a stationary target – like the wooden practice dummy. A real enemy would be capable of movement, being able to dodge past every attack. Not only would Yumi need to work on her aim, she would need to throw harder and faster if she were to become a respectful shinobi. But, for now, working on accuracy throwing would have to work for now.

Yumi threw the contents of the canvas pouch many more times. Her aim improved slightly but the more notable improvement was her consistency. After the tenth time throwing the contents of the pouch she was able to hit the target with every shuriken. Most of her hits landed on the limbs and were nothing to brag about, though some of them would have dealt some damage if the wooden target was a living being. Her most notable hit was when Yumi threw her shuriken landing it into the wooden target's eye, or rather where the target's eye would normally be. The young ninja had worked up an appetite and was anxious in returning home.

Don't worry, Mister Target, I'll be back to kill you again, Yumi thought as she reached for a shuriken that was stuck in the wooden dummy's face. A big smirk could be seen upon the young ninja's face.

Yumi gathered her last round of throwing stars and brushed off any wooden particles which stuck to the metal shuriken before placing them back into their canvas pouch. She then walked over to the range master's desk and placed the pouch in front of the range master who was still reading his book. Yumi then gathered her books and her sketchbook and walked down the academy's long corridors. All of the classrooms were empty and the janitors had already began their normal after school routine. Yumi then exited the academy and walked down the courtyard. The young ninja was headed for home.


(Word Count = 1492, Claiming 7 Stat Points)

Approved.