Chapter 9
It is so damn refreshing to come back to writing after a long dry-spell. The good news is winter break and less stress about college apps. Bad news is I'm still as much as a procrastinator as always. Leave any feedback you like, even if just to call me an idiot in whatever language you want. As always Thank You!
-Sea
Ginjiro darted in front of his teacher before Naruto tried to maul him or worse, try out one of his "inventions" on him. Not that anyone would actually count his attempted mishmash of explosive and for some reason a cooling seal for food as an actual invention.
"Naruto." He said firmly, "This is Yamanaka Inoichi, he was my team's leader. Calm down."
With his back turned he couldn't see the man's reaction to his brother's agitation. He tried to focus on the overexcited blond instead.
"But you're hurt!" Naruto exclaimed. "This is why we should have been put on the same team! I could have helped you!"
Gin placed his hands on his brother's shoulders and hunched to look in his eyes, ignoring the twinge of pain from the wound on his back. "I'm fine Naruto, Hana and Toshiro tried to pull one over on me but Yamanaka-sensei stopped them."
All at once his frustration anger dulled, and Gin was sure something like worship entered his eyes,
"You stopped those idiots! Awesome!." He pushed the door open and beckoned them both in. "Come on you gotta tell me how you stopped 'em. Did you beat 'em up? Or like trap them in some cool jutsu? Come on tell me!" He said, practically dragging them into the apartment by sheer force of will.
Gin groaned to himself, he was hoping he could get Naruto alone before he had to break the news that only one of them had truly graduated.
"Ah, I simply failed them and sent them on their way, no... cool jutsu as you put it." Yamanaka-sensei said, giving the apartment a quick once over as he was bustled inside.
It was small, a single room with only a half wall separating the kitchenette and a worn door that would presumably lead to a shared bathroom. But despite the size and age of its tenants the apartment was remarkably well taken care of. A few posters neatly tacked up above Naruto's eye level and a small bookshelf that appeared second hand if not salvaged appeared to be most of the personal belongings in the room. And two bedrolls neatly stacked against one wall leaving space for what seemed to be a sparring mat.
It was impressive, but also saddening that they would be forced to live like this. Inoichi knew orphans of the kyuubi attack were housed until taken on by a master or having graduated as genin. He also knew they had made a special allowance for the jinchuuriki and eventually his adopted brother as well.
Something about their presence unnerving the matron and other children.
It was a curious case to Inoichi, that the two had grown so close, and the mysterious circumstances regarding Akiba Ginjiro's stay at the orphanage. He had been a few months older than Naruto on that October night, and his eyes had reportedly settled by then. The unnerving eyes some civilians swore were unnaturally metallic. And tales of ice-cold hands still frigid even when stuffed into mittens during the summer months. Perhaps he might have simply been excused as the offspring of a kunoichi, but his closeness to Naruto had damned him.
And now looking at those cursed silver eyes, Inoichi's choice solidified in his mind.
"If it suits you Ginjiro, I will take you on as my apprentice without a team." He spoke once again, "You would work directly for the T&I Division and work up to Chunin without the support of a team. Instead you would be trained by myself and any others up to the task. What do you say?"
It took Gin a moment to comprehend what he was hearing. As far as he knew there hadn't been a solo graduate for decades. It wasn't even considered possible to the point it had merely been brushed over as an achievement made during war time. He felt stuck on the implications of the decision as his mind buffered over the concept.
That is until his dear brother spoke up.
"Woah~ you're so cool Gin, you don't need those losers to be an awesome shinobi!" Naruto exclaimed, looking up at Gin with the same expression he made whenever he scored particularly high on an assignment or class exercise.
And much like his new mentor Gin's mind was made. He could do this.
"Of course, thank you for this opportunity" He bowed low, and felt pure joy when a warm hand pressed to his head like the ghost of a parent's approval.
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