Tree Amongst the Leaves

Chapter Three: Mad Morie-sensei

Morie woke up feeling like she'd had the crap kicked out of her. In a sense, she had. She rolled her head towards her night stand, checking the alarm clock. Only 2:00, that was wonderful, she could get six more hours until she had to get up for the day, and—wait. What?! She shot up and grabbed the clock, eyes wide. 2:00… in the evening!

"No, no, it can't be that late!" She closed her eyes and reopened them, willing the numbers to change in childish hope. Alas, the numbers didn't change. "I can't be late; I don't run late!" Practically killing herself falling out of the bed in a pile of sheets, she cursed, then darted to the closet next to the bathroom. For the first time in a long time, Morie found out how hard it was to put breast bindings on while brushing her teeth. Not something she really wanted to repeat. While pulling on her last sandal, she realized she hadn't brushed her hair. "Ah, just forget it."

She grabbed a hair tie, and ran out the door.

The classroom was in that awkward state between buzzing with excitement and puking with anxiety. It was the day where their fates would be decided, the day they got their sensei. The academy staff began to call the teams; the groans and cheers that accompanied the placements were pretty common, but in as the examiner called, "Team Eight: Nara Michiko, Yamanaka Kaito, Amikichi Naoto," three adolescents in the back remained quiet. All that remained was to wait for their sensei.

"So… do you think it will be a man or a woman?"

"I want it to be a lady so we won't have to get too dirty right now. I just got a manicure, and there is no way I'm going to break a nail."

"Akimichi, for a dude, you are such a girl."

"Yep, love you too Yamanaka."

The teasing was in good jest, both boys knowing each other long enough to poke fun at each other.

Silence followed after that, none of the three wanting to break it, as if the very next second a sensei would come through the door. The silence was too much for some though, and of course the more talkative of Team Eight tried to get rid of the unsteady feeling in his gut.

"Hey, does this outfit make me look fat. I mean, maroon is so great with my skin tone, but I'm not sure about how—"

"Oh, shut it. I'm really, really, not in the mood to be fashion police right now," snapped Kaito, tense from the waiting.

"Hey, I was just trying to pass the time…and look great! Not my fault sensei hasn't shown up yet."

"Um… guys?"

"What is it, Nara?"

"Well, Yamanaka, it's only been half an hour. Only one team is missing out of nine, so that is really only eleven point one repeating percent missing. Or closer to ten percent for practical purposes, so approximately ninety percent is left, leaving us in the majority." The two anxious boys looked over at their female teammate and had an unspoken agreement to shut up if that meant more numbers were going to be thrown at them.

"Sorry, Michi... I guess I-"

Right when the unusual Amikichi was going to address the girl and interrupt the Yamanaka's stuttering, a sensei strode the through the door.

"All right, Team Eight, meet me on the bridge, if you are actually willing to go through with this naïve idea that you're going to be 'heroic' ninja. Oh, and if you aren't there in five minutes, your asses are going back to the academy." As quickly as the lady sensei came through the door, she disappeared in a puff a smoke.

The rather shocked trio on the back row heard a meek Uchiha girl say something about a clone, but quickly came out of their stupor.

"What the hell was that?"

"I don't know, but…isn't the bridge like a seven minute run?"

"Crap!"

Sprinting out of the room, they tried to get to the bridge before their careers ended before they began.

Morie looked towards the path from the Academy. She glanced back down at her stopwatch. Yep, they wouldn't make it. Not by much, they were just rounding the bend; they tried, but they just didn't get there on time. A gentle smirk played on her features. Oh, this might actually turn out to be interesting.

Three panting, hacking adolescents stood before her, looking at her with hopeful eyes. "Did we make it?" was their unspoken question, and being the gracious lady that she was, she would put them out of their misery.

"Hello, my name is Senju Morie. I don't particularly care what your names are right now, so close your mouth, Blondie."

The obviously Yamanaka boy closed his parting lips and glared at her, which had exactly zero percent impact.

"You arrived here in five minutes thirty seven seconds. Go back."

"But that's not fair! We technically made it in five minutes if you weren't using a stopwatch!"

"All right, Specs, here's a lesson since I feel generous today: Life isn't fair, and ninja make life seem like justice incarnate. So, please wait, and listen."

"But... but we can't go back! We didn't even have a first day!"

"Go back to where, pray tell?"

"Um… the Academy? I mean, like, you totally told us that we'd have to retake all our courses if we didn't get here on time."

"I never said that."

"Senju-san, you said, I quote, 'Oh, and if you aren't there in five minutes, your asses are going back to the academy.'"

"Yeah, I did. And it's 'Morie-sensei' to you three. What do they teach you at that place?"

"What? You mean you'll teach us?!"

"Right. I said if you didn't get here in five minutes, you were going back to the academy. I just thought that if you didn't get here in five minutes, it meant you were not in-shape to begin my training. And I'm right before you say something again, Blondie.

"So, instead of letting you stand on a bridge, I'll let you sit at an Academy lunch table so we can make introductions in peace. Lesson two for the day: never assume. You can reason and use logic, but look beyond the apparent if you want to live for another year.

"All right, let's walk back and you can tell me your names if you're done heaving you three."

As she spun on her heel and began walking back, the three watched her with a certain sense of awe.

"Is she crazy, or just really unpredictable?" Kaito spoke with a stunned face as Naoto looked with wide eyes.

"My observations say both."

"Team Eight, get up here with me or I might actually drop you."

"Coming, sensei!"

As the group of four took the scenic route to the outdoor tables, Morie decide she would see how well they could gather verbal information. Difficulty level: easy... ish?

"So, my name is Senju Morie as I told you. I dislike new genin since they always seem to be too verdant to explain anything but how to actually throw shuriken. I am older than most sensei here, so I know more about how you guys will be more trouble than you're worth for the next three years. Now, introduce yourselves and ask one question."

"Alright, I'm Yamanaka Kaito, and I'm going to be better than our cousins that always make up the highlight Ino-Shika-Cho team. I dislike being called 'Blondie.' Why are you older than the other sensei here?"

"Okay, give me a reason to call you by your name tomorrow, and I won't call you Blondie, Blondie. Also, you will be better than your cousins if you actually try to be. And I mean you might be visiting the hospital more than you'd like if you're going through with it. Also, I'm older than the other sensei since I was born before them. Yeah, really bright there."

"You know what I meant!"

"Sorry, did you say something?"

She looked over with feigned innocence at his shocked face. Well, we know who the brash one is.

"Hm, Chip-boy, what about you?"

"Oh, my name is Amikichi Naoto. I only eat baked chips since, ya know, trying to watch my weight. Just big-boned, ya know? And I love espionage class since we get to dress up and act, totally like a play! Um… why are you teaching us since you look kind of like you rather not?"

Well, wasn't he observant. He may look oblivious, but he does pick up on things.

"Same rule for the name goes with you, kid. Baked chips are still chips, hence Chip-boy. I'm aware of you family's ability, so if I were you, I would eat what I actually want to. Your technique depends on a larger than average weight. Be comfortable with was the worst subject for me when my father taught me, but I apparently became more proficient since I'm still around.

"And that was barely a semi-decent question since you figured out I don't exactly want to be teaching. As you couldn't put two and two together, I was ordered to. At least you didn't assume though, but you'll have to figure out the line between assumptions and analytical reasoning."

"And, Specks," she drawled out, just itching to see what's behind that sweet face. seeing how her teammates usually shut up around the girl, she obviously commanded respect.

"I'll tell you my name tomorrow since you don't care now. I mean, why should I when you can use it against me? I wear glasses, but they could or could not be of any use to me. I might just be faking it. My teammates are my teammates, and while you already gathered enough on them to turn in a report, it doesn't mean I have to give myself away. One left to get back up is more useful than three in a jail cell for interrogation. My question is. why are you beginning the lessons now?"

"Good, at least one of you got the exercise. Just so you know, this is one of the most basic of verbal interrogation, so would you please figure out that you guys need to always be on alert?" She gave them a look that should have been repremanding, but there was a hint of something behind it, almost as if she were remembering something.

"You do need your glasses though. Those lenses are too thick and graduated to be anything but that. Before you say, 'I look over /under them,' you have them where you can't look anywhere but through your lenses. Also, as soon as the words came out of your mouth you adjusted them to a different frame of reference so you could give me that innocent 'I gottchya!' look. Cute, but I think I'm right. You see, I could believe you, but I don't. I wouldn't wage my life on it in a battle, but I do have some things I gathered.

"I think you're on the right track though. As for the team thing, you would make a great analyst once you learn to not voice everything that comes to your mind. And I'm starting lessons now so I can see how I'm going to lead the team."

As she gave them an appraising glance, akin to a shop owner wondering how much he could get out of his wares.

"Ah, we're here!"

"Okay, what are we going to do now, Morie-sensei?"

"Thanks for asking, Blondie. Since I think I know enough for now, I'm leaving. Tomorrow, your real training begins. Meet me at the tea shop on the corner of the C-section housing, the cross of the teashop at Ho and Tsuki. Quite whimsical names, don't you three think? Housing developments always have those... Anyway, if you're not there by 0700, then you can actually retake your classes at the Academy since you obviously can't read a map. Bye!" She poofed out of sight with a cheshire grin lifting her freckled cheeks.

Three genin stood for a moment, wondering about their fate. On unspoken agreement, they parted ways to hopefully sleep, and perhaps gather the mental fortitude for the next day.

Ah, sorry for the late update, nonexistent fans. Thanks to Elly for keeping on the straight and narrow.