As I walk away the little girl watches me depart. Every so often I glance back and she's still there, her hair is a contrast of the grey stone that surrounds the academy. She may even still be there as I turn the corner to go out of sight, she doesn't trust that I may not turn around and exact some retribution for what she did on her.

I cannot much see the point now.

I'm, tired, stiff and uncomfortable in many many places. I head through the gate and the guards nod me through. I wonder if they noticed I was gone, or maybe they had been ordered not to ask questions. That may very well be the case but I don't linger on the thought. I just want to take a bath, to get some real food, I just want to, to think.

Memories go through my mind as I wash myself clean and lay in the water. I close my eyes and my thoughts drift back to the little girl, and to myself.

I know who and what I am. I am a family heir, and in many ways I am the best in my class. I have the most talented ninjutsu user in my year, I have managed to use higher tier jutsu for three elements and have been working earnestly on the fourth. I scored highest in my class for placement into the strategy and infiltration class. In a lot of ways, I am ahead of most of the people in my year. I have had classes and tutors in etiquette, law, history, geography, rhetorics and everything a proper heir is supposed to know. I should be the very top of my class, but in many ways I am not.

And it burns.

The Hozuki despite not having the knowledge is in three more standard courses, excelling in physical training and ninjutsu, regardless of the fact that he is only proficient in one element. It is frustrating the edge he has, but not unexpected considering his lineage. Even if he is not the heir he would be thoroughly trained. But the boy with the glasses, the one who is in two physical training courses even though I could not get into a single one pass the standard he shouldn't be. None of that should be, I should be at least in a secondary course like kenjutsu, or at least genjutsu. But I have yet to sway them into thinking otherwise and my family will not argue for me. They say it isn't necessary, that a proper Kishi need not take a higher physical course, but they don't understand. I was put in one, like so many others, I should at least be in two to be a better shinobi, the best. I could do it if they let me, but then again, I'm not even the best in my strategy class. Several others are above me, but it is not as embarrassing as the one in my own class.

Three years my junior, from civilian stock, that little girl who could barely keep up with laps is in a physical course. Worse yet though, she's smarter than me.

It still makes me clench my teeth thinking about it. I study every night, I go to class, I am always looking up strategies and books and she, does nothing. I'm not even sure she's paying attention half the time, it's not fair it's not…

"What laws are those?"

Her voice grows sharper as she stares at me with those grey eyes. I don't know anybody else with those eyes and even though I don't want to admit it she has the upper hand.

"The laws that if a founding member steals from us, we say nothing. That if a founding member hurts us, hurts our friends, our family than that is their right. That if we apply for a job and someone from the families applies for it they will get it, not because they've earned it but because they were lucky enough to be born to them. Those rules, do those rules seem very fair?"

Seeing the confusion in my eyes. It wasn't fair, fair but what was fair?

She beat me, she captured me, she humiliated me but then she just stopped. She let me go, why?

I hit the water, this wouldn't do, this wasn't right. This, wasn't a setback, maybe she was lying maybe she is accumulating blackmail she clearly doesn't trust me. She must have something up her sleeve, must have some plan. What she said must have been deliberate, she must be trying to sway me, but to what cause.

There isn't enough information.

I pull myself out of the tub and move to dry myself off. I was tired, but I'm never too tired to do research. I need more information before I can come to a conclusion, that's what I was always taught.

I needed to do research.

I do not return to school immediately, the school doesn't have what I need and I still have some time before I am expected to return. I am not even sure my parents have noticed my return, but that's fine they're probably busy.

The selection of books there is unimpressive and most of it is rather redundant. First I need confirmation, that was what you did when you are given intel from an unconfirmed source, it was the ninja way.

The first place I look history but quickly discard it. It is a rather limited section, which I've always found incredibly odd. So then I look up the law books, which are much more numerous.

The basic study of law is required teachings of my family, but the sections I see are more specific. At first, I find nothing, or nothing to substantiate the girls claims. But going through numerous cases, there is a pattern, that pattern goes to one of the ancient laws, the law of testimony.

The law of testimony is at it's base something like a code of honor, the stating that when asked about an incident that may have caused trouble for the village or the assets that those who testify will be believed about their merit and contribution to the community. Of course, such honor hadn't been honored since the extinction of the noble swordsman of the village, the samurai of the land of water. I saw extinction in that they were literally and liberally killed by ninja tactics from outside factions when it became clear that their way of life wouldn't benefit the country long term. Only the Akebino really followed anything resembling the way they were and even then it was heavily twisted to more practical uses.

But basically the law of testimony meant that your standing of a member of the community was the only evidence needed in a dispute large or small. This was foggier and investigations were made when similarly ranked members made contradicting testimony, but counter checking with smaller reports and case files as well as death warrants it seemed that this law still held strong. Which if you looked at it from the most pragmatic standpoint it meant one thing.

The little girl was right, the seven families could do whatever they will with the lower class and they're testimony would not overrule theirs.

I had to double check several times, I asked several of my family members to clarify before I got to that conclusion and when I asked more questions they seemed to shrug it off as trivial, shrug me off. I'm not sure what made me more angry, that they wouldn't answer my questions or that the subject matter was itself trivial.

When they won't speak to me I try a new tactic, I try to talk to the clerks. Clerks are usually shinobi who work the desks and missions but several stay on the Kishi compound. They themselves are usually not Kishi so maybe they would understand this better, maybe they would answer some questions.

They don't.

Or more like, they won't. They always seem genial when they see me, very polite very respectful but the subject I bring up, the questions I ask, they all seem to, shut down at them. It isn't like the family members who just brush it off, they seem nervous. Why? What are they afraid of?

It takes all three days for me to hit my dead end on the information.

This won't do, I need to gather more information. Maybe not from them, I have all the information I can get as myself. Who else would talk to me though, the adults, they're afraid, all of them, I need someone who isn't afraid. I need someone like..

No, no, no, I'm not asking her about this. I already did that once and all she said was all but useless to me.

But I need more information, more first hand knowledge. Who else isn't afraid?

The answer hits me quickly, but the question is how do I make an approach. It doesn't take long to find another answer.

A simple request from the supply office gets me a set of the grey clothes worn by the other students. After I remove my cap and mess my hair up. Most the other students have a spiky mess on their head, the members of my family think it a sign of commonness to have such messy hair and it's strange the difference in look as I look at the deliberate bedhead I usually spend so much time smoothing out with special oils and a brush.

Of course I can't leave the house looking like that, so I leave under a henge and head to the school early to participate in the runs. I slip into the groups unnoticed, keep a normal pace though I can't help but be nervous.

It wasn't like a henge or a full disguise, I just changed my clothes and my hair. Surely someone would notice, or point it out. But no, the run ends and no one seems the wiser.

But that isn't a real challenge, the real challenge is breakfast for the academy kids. The eating hall is the same room where announcements are held I find out. Every student here lines up and they're handed out from boxes a ration each. I thought she was kidding when she said they ate it every day. I got to the line and looked at the bland bar for a moment before someone gave me a shove so I could get moving. I turn on my heel and look at them, to yell at them for daring, then I pause.

No, do not break, do not reveal yourself, you haven't found anything useful yet.

I instead nod my head and remove myself from the line but I am stumped by the next obstacle.

Where in the world do I sit?

The hall is a flurry of movement as students run and bump past me claiming tables and seats for themselves. They are mostly moving in groups, in formation actually, pushing through the crowds and claiming patches of empty table.

My hesitation fades, I need to find a place to sit or I will sit nowhere. That would be both embarrassing and make me stand out. I see a flicker of red in the crowd and find myself following it. In a sea of grey, black and brown it's like a beacon and I find myself near the edge of a table on the far edge of the room. Seated in a cluster is the rest of my class. They are all hunched around a basket of rice surrounded by bowls. On closer examination, all the tables have this.

The little girl and her paler friend are filling the bowls with the spoons and passing them down the line. The bowls aren't full and I'm not sure why until I see two boys at the end once they get their bows breaking up the bars and scattering it among the rice before dousing it in soy sauce and passing the bottle down the line. It's a neat and orderly scene and I sit absently near the very end just watching.

Is this what they did every day, every meal?

I am distracted enough by the sight that I don't notice a bowl being set in front of me. It wasn't until I was nudged by the boy next to me that I looked down.
"Hurry up and move the line."
It was one of the basic course boys. He looked right at me but didn't even comment on my presence.

I blinked at him before I felt a bottle touch my hand. There was a boy flanking me and he had passed me the soy sauce. I nod my head and quickly mimic their pattern before passing down the line.

Breakfast conversation for the group was loud dialogs that ranged from tactics, to soreness from tests, to most peculiarly music. Music came up a lot, and more than once would a song start among the group and they would go through the whole thing. The girl with the red hair would pull gottan off her back and play along with the music.

I looked at it curiously, I just thought it was just there to disguise the sheath of her sword, that she actually knew how to play was unusual. I knew no instruments myself, such things were considered the realm of the Aozora or maybe the Sumire who are known to carry flutes (mind you, said flutes are more well known for their ability to throw poisoned darts). I pretended to sing along during these sessions mostly moving my mouth at a low hum with the beat of the music. I doubt anybody could truly hear that I did not know the words of these unusual songs.

I eat the food in front of me, it's, tolerable with the soy but I needed a few glasses of water to wash it down. By the time I'm finished there is movement likely a signal that we need to move to our next class. Everyone moves their bowls and set them on a table on the far end of the room before we move onto the next class. I wonder who cleans all those dishes.

As we go to our first class the little girl doesn't speak much until we are directly down the hallway from our tactics class. I see out of the corner of my eye she is clearly surprised. That at least is amusing. That something so simple alluded her through the laps and our meal even though I was so close.

I expected questions, or shock, or accusation even but instead she only asked one.

"Why did you change clothes?"

That wasn't what I was expecting but I don't let it show as I crisply answer.

"I'm gathering information."

We are required to give mission reports in tactics about our assignment. I had to write mine several times before I had a version I was satisfied with. I had thought about lying on the mission report but the problem was that when the report was compared with my captors there would likely be more evidence and witnesses to support hers.

Though given what I found, it's entirely possible they would disregard it on my word.

I had almost done just that, had almost pushed for that but the words came up again in my head. The words she said.

"Do you think you've been acting like a hero?"

I crumpled up manage scrolls at those words. It burned that she beat me, burned so bright, I wanted too so badly just push a little bit, to beat her, to humiliate her, but, but, heroes didn't do that. They wouldn't cheat or at least cheat on something like a class assignment. My graduation wasn't riding on this assignment, even if I didn't pass because of this I doubted such a mark would impede my advancement. Plus I had to have some pride.

The teacher did a discussion about the infiltration assignment but didn't discuss the individual reports. I was glad for that at least.

I leave and head for my next class which I positively loath. It's the kenjutsu basic course. Or really several kids with wooden sticks practicing the basic form. Somehow no matter how many times we repeat it, whatever I'm doing is not good enough for placement into the standard course.

I line up with my class, we are all required to stay in the same basic area in the training hall. We grab our wooden shaft swords are given our form instructions and then are expected to execute them for the entire class session. It's mind numbingly simple but I haven't found any way out of it.

As I am going through the steps though, something unusual happens, a boy from my class speaks.

"Hey, your stance is a little off."
I turn and face the boy, it's the loud one. He is usually around the little girl and her paler friend, at breakfast he was also the loudest singer whenever they started a song. Loudest, and most tone deaf, it was a blessing that he was mostly drowned out during the meal.

My eyes narrow and I move to snap at him that I know what I'm doing but I hold back and relax my face.
"Oh?"
I try to keep my voice steady trying to curb my annoyance, but I can hear that some bled through. Not that he seems to notice.

"Yeah, you gotta widen it and turn your foot like this."
He mimics what he is saying as he pulls back his blade.
"Then you push off like, yah!"
He moved forward through the last part of the form in an exaggerated and enthusiastic gesture. But, he's not wrong, his footing is more steady and the swing stronger for it.

I calm my voice and mimic, there was no harm in trying. I set my foot and hold my grip and push forward my hands more calm as I swing forward.

"Yah."
My voice is more contained.

"There you go!"
The loud boy cheers before walking over.

"You're pretty good, I bet we'll be out of this course in any day now and we can have our own swords!"
He hold the handle of his sword out with a wide smile. I'm just staring at him. That was just a simple form, how could he be so excited. How could he smile like that, at me?

"I haven't seen you around, are you from a different barracks?"

"I, yes, I.."
The boy cuts me off.
"Oh cool, they usually stay to themselves, did you want to spar?"

"Um sure ma.."
I start again but he cuts me off.
"Cool, I'll get in stance you can get in stance, remember the stance!"

I'm caught off guard and complying simply because I'm not sure I'd get a word in edgewise. The boy stands across from me in stance and pauses for a few moments as he's looking at me and puts a hand on his forehead.
"Darn it, I forgot."

I blink for a moment and don't speak as I get out of my stance.
"Forgot?"

"Yeah, names, we haven't exchanged names. I'm so bad at that, sorry. Kiriko keeps saying I need to slow down when I talk."
Well Kiriko is right, if he had done what he did in courts or to superiors he'd be reprimanded heavily.

He walks over to me and holds out his free hand.
"My name is Enji."

I look at the hand for a moment and grab it.
"Enji-san,"
I say it testing it.

"Nah, just Enji, san's so formal, I don't think I've ever been a san. What's your name?"
He holds my hand but doesn't shake and I look into his eyes. Does he really not know?

"Um, Yuudai,"
I mutter out a little embarrassed at my choice but I didn't have much time to think of an alias, or more like I didn't think I'd need one so soon.

He gives my hand a hearty shake.

"Yuudai, I like it, I bet Gonmaru would too. Hey Gonmaru!"

He waves his sword over to another boy who is nearby.

I turn to look at Gonmaru and recognize him as the largest boy in our year. I wouldn't say tallest, that is the Hozuki but certainly the widest. He would be intimidating if his face wasn't set in a grin as he approaches.
"Yeah?"

"Meet my new friend Yuudai, we were about to spar."
Enji bounces on his palms as he moves back into position for us to spar. I stare at him, for a moment as he does before I mimic. I'm still not exactly sure what happened. He called me a friend? He literately just met me, how can someone be so simple? Is he just stupid or what?

I look at the boy trying to search his features as we get into a ready position with our swords. There isn't any doubt or hesitation in his stance, he can't possibly mean it, can he?

Enji and by association Gonmaru stick to me for my other classes until I have to separate for the ninjutsu standard course. The two of them chatter endlessly while mostly I nod along. We went to lunch together which was much the same affair as breakfast. Though I noticed immediately that the bowls we left on the table at breakfast were taken from the same stack and hadn't been cleaned. I had to hide my disgust at the slovenliness of it. I carried my bowl next to Enji and Gonmaru but when I sat down I couldn't hand it over, so instead I did a water jutsu to at least wash it out. Apparently I wasn't the only one to do so as a few students were dumping water out of their bowls, Enji and Gonmaru didn't bother. When I asked them why they did they both shrug.

"We don't know that jutsu, not that I could use it anyway, I suck at water jutsu because it's my opposite nature."
He held up the side of his bowl.
"Anyway, it's my bowl, there's a chip on the bottom after all, so no problem."

I process that for a moment. He was fire nature? That was a hugely offensive jutsu set and considered incredibly useful.

"Why didn't they put you in the ninjutsu standard if you can use fire jutsu?"
The question came out as I passed my bowl to get the rice.

Enji scratches the back of his head.
"I suck at chakra control, but it's no problem when we graduate I'm sure they'll teach us a bunch of cool jutsu."

I blink at him for a moment then look at my bowl. Bad control but a rare nature, shouldn't they be training him more thoroughly. Even I couldn't use fire jutsu since it was opposite to my nature. If he learned wind jutsu with it he would be good at it. Or at least, he'd certainly try. If he put as much enthusiasm in swordsmanship or in eating in ninjutsu he could learn at least some basic ones to expand upon.

My train of thought on this is interrupted when someone speaks out.
"Hey you guys see Hiroshi around? I didn't see him knocking around with his sword today."

Most the table shakes their heads.
"Nah, probably sick or at some super important conference with his family."
The girl with green eyes puffs of her chest and tries to deepen her voice to emphasize importance. The rest of the table laughs before they continue eating. My grip tightens on the table head but I keep repeating in my head don't blow, don't break cover.

Taijutsu class has Gonmaru depart to join the standard course. It's much like the kenjutsu using forms and such with occasional sparring. I usually isolated myself in this class since we were not required to stand by our class. Standing with them though we went through the stretches and practiced a few forms before a boy comes over.

"Guys, guys, come watch!"
The boy look at us with expectancy.

"What is it Benjiro?"
Enji perks up bouncing on his feet. Where in the world does he get the energy to always be moving like that.

"Manami and Ume are sparring again!"
Enji makes and immediately jogs behind him. I walk behind curious as to what can such a spectacle be.

"Is this something interesting?"
I ask as I keep up to the circle.

"Best show there is. No one will spar with Manami and Ume anymore, so they only really spar with each other in class."
Enji said bouncing along.

"Why is that?"
Truthfully I had seen these gatherings before but never thought it important to look. What could they possibly offer me when I needed to train?

"Easy, they both fight super dirty."
Enji smiles.
"It's great, but you gotta keep an eye on Minami, she's started to use flash tags."

"Flash tags, where in the world did she get flash tags those are incredibly expensive?"
I kind of remember where those went.

"I think she stole them from one of the teachers or something, it's always hard to tell where she gets her tricks because Manami's fingers are stickier the wet rice. Anyway, she hides them in her sleeves, so if you see her reach in there close your eyes."
We come up to the crowd, have to move up on my toes to look over the other kids but I see the little girl and the girl with the green eyes circling each other. There's someone in the middle holding a hand out. It's the curly haired girl she looks at the two of them before moving her arm off and jumping backwards.

The little girl, Ume, the one who beat me smiles as she closes the distance between her and her opponent with an elbow. Kami, was she always that fast?

The girl with green eyes, Manami twists with the attack. It hit but she rolls backwards grabbing the smaller girl with both hands and pushing her over her head trying to slam her in the ground. Ume responds promptly by, biting her. Manami pulls back one of her arms and Ume puts a hand on the ground flipping with Manami still clutching onto her and the two of them fall into a heap onto the floor. They start rolling kicking, Manami has a grip on Ume who is trying to use her free hand to pound her on back and let her go. Eventually she decides she can't get out that way and headbutts the other girl who finally releases her and jumps back.

Manami rolls back into a crouch position and Ume starts to get back into position for a stance but Manami smiles and does a sign.
"Seal!"
I close my eyes as I hear a yell from Ume. I'm mostly blocked by the crowd so I don't get the brunt but I can see when I open my eyes where the seal was. Manami had put it on Ume's chest while they were grappling. That was clever. The look around the girl's eyes shows she's been blinded temporarily as Manami closes in on the girl. However Ume only seems stunned for a few seconds before she ducks down as Ume throws a kick at her and barrels forward head down into the other girls chest like a boar.

They continue their brawl, because that is what this is I'm surprised the teacher is even letting this happen, until eventually Ume taps out apparently exhausted and tired of being blind. Manami is not without her bruises, including a prominent one on her forehead as well as a few more bite marks before she goes over and helps Ume up. The kids cheer as the pale girl grabs Ume and the curly hair girls grabs Manami and they are pulled to the side probably to seek medical attention.

"Is it always that, fierce?"
That is all I can say about that. I knew there was racket during class, knew that some fights were big but I never knew they were this, pragmatic. They hardly conformed to any form or teaching even though we were drilled in it.

"Well not always, sometimes Ume knocks Manami on her butt before the fight gets into full swing. She's really good at that."
I nod knowing first hand that is true and wince in response.

"Anyway, let's start working on our forms, can't fall behind the girls."

I am secretly dreading my ninjutsu class as I walk down the corridor, I have gotten no confirmation but it is very likely that whatever happened to reveal my captor, it happened in this class. Despite my worries it seemed that Ume didn't actually tell anybody that she had captured me, or at least they did not discuss it around me. There were some off hand comments but most of the students seemed content to chat about their own things. They weren't overly concerned about my whereabouts.

I'm still not sure how I feel about that.

I get to the training ground in a group and we start the class as usual, some people glance my way but really don't see me, but that's not the same for everyone. One or two people stare, but no one speaks. It's a little eerie honestly, I wasn't the most popular in this class, I wasn't popular anywhere but some of the more courageous students would approach and ask my opinion on jutsu. It was one of the only times I really spoke to my classmates. Now though, they didn't really recognize me and no one made an approach. But I know people are looking at me, I can feel it on my neck.

It's like that for two fights and I cannot take it anymore, I go straight to the instructor and ask.
"What happened here last week?"
I don't mince words with my instructors, I never have. There is a certain amount of deference to my family and the school is no different. Most instructors go with it, one or two seem a bit insulted by the tone. Shimanouchi-sensei however usually finds it amusing. That was probably because unlike most the instructors he was part of the seven families.

The Shimanouchi were actually a vassal family of the Sumire, most of the students didn't know that because as far as they knew the Sumire had no vassals. Officially, the Sumire were a standalone family who just shared their name over a handful of branches making them the smallest of the seven families. In reality, it probably had the second largest number of vassals supporting them behind the Mizushima. It wasn't common knowledge even among the seven families, but there were very few secrets from the Kishi.
"So you're back Hiroshi-san, a shame I was getting fun of that little konouchi."

I'm not sure if my glower was deep enough to convey my distaste, but it didn't seem to affect him.
"You had a question?"
He asked lightly.

"I already asked, what happened?"
My tone was low so as to not draw attention.

He paused for a moment to think and reached into his sleeve. After a moment he pulled out a pipe, he occasionally smoked it in class, though I think he kept more for the visual effect because the smoke would often make shapes depending on his mood.

"Well, if you're willing to share, I'm sure we can form an accurate picture."
He made a gesture with his hand and a flame appeared on his fingertip a trick he was found of to light his pipe. He dragged onto it lazily.

"But it doesn't seem like a topic you would wish to bring up."

"You already know what happened."
I said the annoyance rising in my voice.

He blew out a puff of smoke.

"Do I? That little konouchi didn't make any mention on what she did with you, she even asked the rest of the class not to speak of it."

I stared at him for a few moments trying to process the new information. They weren't talking about it, they knew but she asked them not to speak. She, she,

"Why?"

"Why what?"
He looked at me with a lazy expression.

"Why would she do that?"
She could have, should have humiliated me.

Shimanouchi didn't speak again, instead taking another drag before let out a ring of smoke in the air as we stood in silence.

"What are you thinking Hiroshi-san?"

"I, I don't know."
I would have done it. If I had beaten her, I would had told everyone, especially my classmates it made me feel. Better, maybe, superior, because even though she was smarter than me I would have beaten her. It would have been…
"What was she thinking?"

"Don't know,"
He replied as he tipped his pipe forward.
"I can only guess."

"What? What do you guess?"
I ask looking at him. I couldn't think of a reason, not really.

"I guess, she's understands that long term, she gains nothing from treating you badly."
He was taking his teaching posture, we all recognized it.
"Hiroshi what are the main aspects of shinobi work?"

"The physical, the political and the mental."
I replied quickly.
"Mental for strategy, the political for managing, physical for execution."

Shimanouchi starts to spin the pipe in his fingers.

"Right, what part of shinobi work was she doing? What do you think she excelled at in this case?"

"Um,"
I think about for a few moments. There was deeper meanings for each individual practice, as well as branches and specialties. Honestly in this case I would think politics but..
"She didn't collect evidence for blackmail though."

He put the pipe to his lips and took a drag before puffing out, the resulting smoke turned into a bird that dissipated out.
"Classic Kishi, gather all the dirty secrets and file away, always have a weakness ready to exploit. Loved for their utility, hated for their tactics."

I made a face at him, it wasn't the first time I've heard that saying.
"What then? What is she doing?"

"Not all politics are about having an advantage on someone Hiroshi-san, not all managing is done with an iron fist."
He held the pipe aloft.
"It doesn't cost anything to be nice Hiroshi-san and if done correctly the benefits greatly outweigh the risks."

He turned away to see to the other students.

It wasn't until he was out of sight that I realize he hadn't actually answered my question. Was it really that simple, had she just tried to be nice, but she doesn't even like me, she doesn't…

"I hate the way you treat other people. I hate that you think that just because we aren't part of the family that we shouldn't be treated if not with respect, with common decency. I hate that nobody ever corrected you in that thinking, but I don't hate you."

She doesn't like me, but she doesn't hate me. It didn't cost her anything to be nice, so she was. What would I have done if she had actually followed through, if she had actually humiliated me? I, I wasn't sure. If I didn't lash out, my family would have. Something so public and shameful, it would call for retaliation.

Was she really thinking that far ahead though, did she think that far ahead? She was intelligent, maybe, but maybe….

I stand there pondering when I am called to watch the next round of fights.

This would need more research.

Hi guys, this won't be updated as regularly, but as you can probably guess it will be a retelling of certain events from different points of view.