Konoha Academy: ... And Another one

Kazusa sighed deeply as he arrived at the academy. The place was a joke. This place practically smelled of weakness. As he wrinkled his nose in distaste two 13 year old kids ran past him, almost bumping into him. His hand tightened into a fist of barely controlled anger. He was too good for this place, he had too much talent to be wasted here, and yet, his parents hadn't been able to find a way for him to bypass attendance. Another failure on their part, one he was sure they didn't consider but he added it to the long list he had been tallying in his mind. They'd pay for the way they had treated him over the years. One day he would show them how weak they really were, and their own distaste of it would destroy them.

However, he did have to attend and he may as well get it over with. Even if his likelihood of actually learning something was about as likely as him one day walking on the moon. He slunk into the classroom he'd marked as the one he'd be attending and took a seat in the far corner. He noticed he was one of the first to arrive and settled for scowling his displeasure out the window. He ignored the rest of the students who filtered in. The bright side was that his teacher seemed to have recognized the same notions as him. He'd caught her smoking out front earlier, and only someone who realized what a joke teaching these amateurs was wouldn't try to hide their dirty habit. He almost spat, the faint taste of a cigarette and mediocrity had filled his mouth. He'd never tasted either, but he was sure they tasted as vile as he had imagined.

He was surprised by the woman, Nokino's, speech. It seemed she might take this job more seriously than he thought. He had no desire to start a conflict with someone as pathetic as a teacher of this lot so he reluctantly stood up and came to the front of the class when it was his turn. He stared at the sea of faces in front of him and he felt nothing but shame. Shame to be stuck here in front of this lot of nobodies. To even be associated with them was... distasteful to say the least. After a long pause he decided to get this over with, "I'm Kazusa Uchiha. I'm sixteen years old. I have one word for what kind of ninja I want to be, strong, and I have no intention of getting dragged down by the weakness of others. I suppose what I want to learn is... how to get out of this academy as quickly as possible to begin my real training as a genin."

With a cocky almost half smile he walked back to his seat and ignored the other's reactions. He returned to scowling out the window, seeming as if he wasn't paying attention but he was listening, hoping to pick up something interesting from the monotony that was this class.

WC: 516
TWC: 516
MTWC: 995/3,000

In the many months before the ebb and flow of tensions that marred the world had taken their due course and ravaged Konoha, leaving it damaged and at the mercy of a string of weak Hokage and defenseless against the whims of dangerous Missing Nin, Aoi had dreamed of the Academy. The building itself had become sanctified in his mind. Within its walls he would find friends and rivals, knowledge and power, and if he was honest maybe even a love somewhere along the way. Then came the hard times and many of those potential friends and rivals left. The once hallowed grounds seemed less like an important step on the road of destiny and more like a necessity if one wanted to carry on some spark of Konoha passed.

Aoi did not feel like an aspirant ninja.

When he arrived at the gates of the Academy, it didn't look like how he'd imagined it to be. From an architectural standpoint it was very utilitarian. Smooth walls with almost no accent to them. Windows that alternated curved tops with pure rectangles. An almost garish melding of light tan, and green, and red with accents of gold. It was an ugly building, not like the imagined dojos of yesteryear where an almost monastic class of shinobi perfected the arts that kept their home safe. In fact it seemed to Aoi that the Academy building itself very much lent itself to the utilitarian focus of having as much room for storing its students as possible at the expense of any true artistic flair. It was admittedly disappointing.

What was not disappointing however, was the energy once he'd finally let reality overtake his boyhood fantasy and moved inside. Students came and went, buzzing with anticipation for their futures. Here a girl chatted with her friends nervously about expectations and there boys through up fake handsigns and imagined what jutsu they'd perform in short order. The dream of the Academy may have been dead, but the reality, garish though it may be, still beat strong.

So enthralled by the energy, and his worries so soothed that the Academy Student almost lost his way and was worried that he'd find himself late in arriving into the classroom selected for him. He took his place among his peers and listened to their idle conversations. It seemed everywhere on the first day there was to be excitement and it certainly was palpable. Aoi hoped that he managed to hide his silly grin as he listened and he figured he did a good job, as he was not called out for looking silly when Nokino sensei took center stage and introduced herself and the expectations of the class.

Aoi felt his eyes focus on her, the wild, excitable energy of the room seemed to drain and she gave them their expectations and her introduction. It seemed in form as well as function that her instruction would be just as utilitarian and strict as the design of the building it would take place within. He felt a wave of focus take hold of him and mix with the anxiety and apprehension that came naturally with such a strict introduction. He steeled himself against it and by the time that Kazusa gave his introduction, Aoi had nearly mastered himself once again.

For his own part Kazua introduced himself well enough. He was an Uchiha, a well enough known clan and he carried himself with all the dignity that one would expect from that station. A focus on strength seemingly above all else mixed with an air of unapproachableness that he probably considered confidence whereas most of his peers would likely find it to be arrogant, perhaps even a little vexing. Aoi wondered what Nokino sensei would have thought of the display as he tried to make sense of his first impressions of Kazuma.

After Kazuma introduced himself another student or two, both less memorable came and passed before finally Aoi's turn came. He stood in his seat and took a moment to look out over his peers. Their faces all focused on him, he felt his heart skip beat for just a second before he felt his voice summoned from his chest as he began to speak.

"My name is Aozora Aoi. I'm fifteen years old. I have always been interested in Bukijutsu but I also have an affinity for the wind element." He said with a nervous pause before adding. "The sky will be mine." He nodded a self assuring nod meant for himself and sat down, his ears hot with the declaration, somewhere between embarrassment and pride.

WC: 769
TWC: 769

Kazusa paid little attention to much else going on in the class, and little of interest happened over the course of the day. As he left the school and headed home for the day he sneered and hoped he would not need to come back again.

Exit

WC: 46
TWC: 562
MTWC:  1,810/3000

250 WC Transformation Technique
250 WC Clone Technique
62/250 WC Genjutsu Release

Mission Completion:

Spoiler:

The rest failed.

Total:
+3750 ryo
+18 AP (New bonus total 18 AP)

Stats:
+5 chakra