Meeting within the Classroom

Within the metallic confines of one of Amegakure Academy's Classrooms would be Nakushita Arata, a young male Academy Student of nine years of age that would timidly sit away from his fellow classmates, reading a book about Ninjutsu. The black-haired male wondered where the instructor was at today, as class should be about ready to begin and the teacher was not here to teach. He did hear however that they would be receiving a new student, which made Nakushita curious as to whether or not they are the reason the instructor is going to be late.

Remaining seated at one of the long tables which would make up the insides of the room, he could hear the constantly pouring rain crash onto the metal ceiling about, creating a small pattering noise while the windows remained coated in the falling droplets, giving a more gloomy, dull look upon the classroom itself, a look the students were all too familiar with, as they have lived in such an environment every day of their lives, and rain was a concept that would be odd to not find falling from the sky.

The air within the building was cold, most likely due to the rain outside. Though most likely commonplace, the temperature would naturally and noticeably affect outsiders. This was the case of Oda Denzaemon (or Denzaemon no Oda as he prefered to write it as). The young child was currently walking next to a adult. A teacher, whose face was concealed behind as mask that was embroidered with the Amegakure symbol upon the forehead. Oda, however, naturally looked out of place. While most of the inhabitants of Amegakure work pants and coats, Oda work a simple  pink kimono. While most wore sandals, he wore geta. While most did whatever hairstyle they liked, Oda shaved his head and put the remaining hair in a topknot to show his heritage. He was essentially the opposite of everybody here.

Soon enough, the man opened a door and walked in, tugging Oda in by the hand before presenting him to the class.

"Students," He began "this is our new student. This is his first day here, but won't be his last. His name is Oda."

The young boy simply looked down, his face churned into that of annoyance. Defiance even. He looked at no one in the class, yet, it was clear that Oda wasn't exactly a nice little boy.

Nakushita would notice the door to the classroom opening, in stepping their instructor, an adult Shinobi that always wore a mask with Amegakure's symbol etched into the forehead, concealing their face. The male child coming in from behind him was different, however, as he wore a simple pink kimono with what looked like geta on, and his hair shaven with a topknot, making him look almost like the Samurai they had read about, which would confused the black haired male, whom of which thought Samurai and Shinobi do not exactly mix.

The instructor introduced the boy as Oda, a new student to the class while the boy himself looked down, away from everyone else. "Why does he look so weird?" Nakushita could hear one of his nearby classmates say as he himself timidly looked away from Oda, returning to his book, wondering if the new kid was yet another student that will soon become a bully, picking on the weak in order to feel stronger.

Oda, despite being so young, managed to hear someone ask why he seemed strange. Almost instantly the young boy's head shot up, his eyes sharp as he looked to where the voice originated. The students within that general area tensed, unsure of how to react. Seemingly unnoticed by the teacher, he continued to speak. "Treat him as your ally and comrade. You never know what may happen within our Ninja World." With that, the man tapped Oda's shoulder. Looking at up at him, Oda was instructed to go sit down at a certain table. The table itself was empty expect for one boy, who sat away  from the main class. Without saying a single word, Oda made his way to it in silence. His geta constantly made a sound each time they met the stone-tiled floor, though it wasn't a annoying sound per say. In any case, Oda carried himself with pride, even as the class looked at him with bizarre eyes.

In silence, he would pull up a seat for himself and sit down in-front of the boy. He seemed to be reading a book about ninjutsu. The class around them began whisper and talk amongst themselves, no doubt about Oda. Though he showed no outward reaction towards it, deciding to ignore them. Bringing his attention back to the boy in-front of him, he observed him in silence, trying make him out.

Oh god, oh god, oh god, after the instructor lectured the other students on their rudeness, he would direct the new student, Oda, to the seat in front of him, making Nakushita nervous as he shrunk a little lower into his book while the other boy watched him. 'Oh god..' Nakushita said as he wondered what to do. He didn't want to just ignore Oda, that wasn't like him, but he also wasn't exactly the most sociable classmate in the class. He would give a light sigh of defeat as he knew that he should introduce himself sooner rather than later. Who knows, perhaps he may even end up liking this new kid.

Lowering the book and closing it, where his dark eyes would meet Oda's own, he would extend a hand for a handshake. "I'm Nakushita, i-it is nice to meet you, Oda-san." He would say, involving Honorifics as a means of not angering the Two Tails within him by accident. "Don't take what they say seriously, they like to be mean to people like us, different people." He said as a means of helpful advice as he continued keeping his friendly gesture to the new student, a friendly smile on his face as he did so. He didn't wish to get on the kid's bad side, just in case.

Oda, not missing a beat, could tell the boy was having a miniature freak-out in his seat. He watched as he shrunk into it, as if trying to make himself disappear. His eyes were staring straight into his. After a moment or so, however, the boy seemingly regained himself slightly and let out a sigh. He straightened in his seat as he lowered his book, revealing more of him. He looked.....delicate to say the least. Like the falling snow of Oda's homeland. But even something delicate like snow can turn into something fearsome, such as a blizzard. He would put out his hand as he introduced himself before going to explain that the other students don't like people who are different from them.

A smile was on his face, despite his obvious shakiness. Rather than take his hand, Oda suddenly bowed his head at Nakushita. "Thank you Nakushita-kun for your hospitality!" He would say, his voice firm (firm as a 9 year old's voice can get) and demanded attention, though was not rough or aggressive. He would then look back up at Nakushita, his expression still the same as before. "And Nakushita-kun, what makes you different from them? Is it your kindness?" The young samurai would say, eyes narrowing as they lingered onto some of the kids in the class before returning them Nakushita's big blue ones.

Nakushita would jump in surprise as he saw the new kid would suddenly bow his head, stating in a firm tone that he didn't expect before an expression of gratitude for his hospitality. Wiping the surprised expression off of his face as soon as Oda looked up at him, he could hear the boy ask him about what makes him different about them, and if it is his kindness that does so. Opening his mouth, Nakushita was about to spell the beans about his secret, about how he has a beast within him, about how this creature within him constantly threatens to escape, and how it terrifies him every day, though the problem with his saying that would be the fact that that isn't even why he is different, though it definitely helps in making him feel different.

He could tell why the new kid was different. He seemed extremely like a Samurai, enough so that he even has the attitude of one almost. Eyes closing slightly, Nakushita would keep a small, friendly smile as he looked towards the desk. In a way Oda acted more willing to be polite towards him than the other students had, which is refreshing. "I uh.. I can't say if it's my kindness or my not wanting to hurt people that makes me different." He responded in a lower voice as the instructor began. The man never really minded students conversing as long as it's silently, most likely believing that if they wish to fail they can, as it wouldn't be his problem. At the tone Nakushita kept he shouldn't be heard by any nearby students. "The Shinobi of Amegakure are known for their short tempers, Oda. It's encouraged at the Academy. I wasn't born with one, though. I don't think I ever lost my temper before, even." He would tell the boy, embarrassed with how this thing that shouldn't feel like a weakness does indeed feel like one. In a way, he wished he had such a bad thing as a short temper, as perhaps it could buy him a friend or two.

Oda would let out a knowing a "Ah" as Nakushita explained himself, as well as taking note of how he lowered his voice when the teacher spoke. "Rage is useful for this line occupation, yes. However, what good is the strength provided by rage without clear intent or skill?" Oda asked Nakushita, his voiced hushed as well. The boy was always taught to keep his emotions steady. Under control, even as he fought. To keep a clear-mind. What Nakushita just told him was the exact opposite of his teachings. He would then turn his attention to the teacher for a bit. The man was talking about the proper way to wield a kunai or some nonsense such as that. Naturally, Oda's attention-span on the matter quickly thinned out due to disinterest and, thus, turned back to Nakushita.

Figuring he can trust him (he was the only person nice enough to not talk about him), Oda began to speak. "You can tell I'm not from here, can you?" The young boy would ask before looking out the window on the far side of him. Raining was pattering upon it, a rhythm almost being made by the sounds as the skies seemingly grew greyer. Oh you just can't love Amegakure, can you?

Nakushita would listen to Oda as he would ask him in a hushed voice about what good strength that is provided by rage is without clear intent or skill. Nakushita was once more taken off guard by how this boy that was younger than him sounded like he was a full grown adult with how he weaved together his words. It was proper and wise, in a sense, each one fluidly falling after the other, creating an articulate and wise statement. Unlike Oda, Naku wasn't instructed as to how to keep his emotions steady, instead it would come from his being a loser in the eyes of other schoolchildren which had taught him, the constant beating and bullying keeping him from fully expressing an extreme range of emotions normally. Smiling softly, Naku would look away as Oda did, though he would return his gaze more quickly, looking at him just in time for Oda to inquire about if Naku can tell that he isn't from here.

Honestly to Naku it was rather obvious. Rarely any kids wear something like a pink kimono and keep their head shaven on top with a knot in the back like a Samurai. Honestly it was a strange hairstyle and appearance that could make anyone tell plainly that they are not from around here. It most certainly did not fit with the rain nor the pipes. Nodding his head, Naku would begin to speak. "Yeah, y-you didn't really put in the best effort to fit in with the village.." Though as he spoke, he felt an eraser hit the back of his head. The eraser most certainly did not belong to a teacher, though, instead to another student, whom of which he couldn't tell, but after this happened, he stopped speaking and looked away from Oda, his mood dampened temporarily.

Oda listened to Nakushita intently as he spoke, explaining that Oda didn't pretty put in any effort to fit in in the first place. He supposed it was true. He didn't really want to leave behind his culture nor did he want to be completely absorbed in this one. Thus, he tried to cling on to it. As he thought this, Oda's eyes widen as an eraser hit the back of his young acquaintance's head. Oda's eyes quickly looked to the source. A rather large child, both in shape and height, who was snickering amongst his friends, pointing at Nakushita. Seeing how this effected the young boy, the pink-clad youngster quickly reached for a box of crayons and chucked it across the room, the box hitting dead-on the boy's face. Luckily, the teacher had his back turned throughout the events, only twirling around at the sound of box hitting something and boy's yelp. The fat boy was currently holding his face as tears began to roll down his cheeks before suddenly pointing at Oda, who merely sat straight in his seat with a monotone expression, even as the teacher grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out the room to reprimand him. His voice could be heard even through the door as he closed it.

Nakushita, whom of which would begin to go quiet once more, planning to keep to himself, would be taken by surprise as he saw out of the corner of his eye as Oda would, without giving a sign and without warning, grab a nearby box of crayons, where the boy would throw them past Naku's head, the object flying across the room towards the boy behind Naku. When it would evidently hit the boy, Naku himself could hear both a smacking sounds and a yelp, and as the boy would be grabbed from his seat by their now angered instructor and dragged out of the room, Naku could not resist giving a smile of appreciation. He was not only just shocked by how sudden the other boy had acted in the situation, nor how he acted, but also because he was the first to actually stick up for him like this. Naku appreciated that, for once, he had someone he could really depend on, someone that obviously had a kind heart like his own, though a fiery personality to go with it.

"And he was so polite, too. He made me nearly think that some Humans would be something more than rude, informal monkeys. Oh well, at least he would have made for a better host than you, Nakushita-Kun." He could hear the beast within him exclaim about Oda, sparking a small ember of anger within the boy as he listened to the beast speak. For a moment he would have stuck up for Oda as well, to instruct the Two-Tails that his new friend, at least, was worth having a name, though he held his thoughts and tongue, instead wishing to better yet ignore her existence, letting the beast remain isolated without anyone to speak to.

A few moments would pass until the booming voice of the instructor would come to halt. After a short pause, the door to the classroom swung open. The instructor walked back in, holding Oda roughly by his arm as he did so. After a few steps, he callously threw his arm away before returning to the board, resuming his lecture on what each handseal represents. Oda, who simply glared at the man as he held his abused arm, calmly walked back to his seat. His geta made the distinctive sound of wood meeting a hard surface. Though not particularly loud, it was still audible, causing some students to stare while the instructor simply ignored the noise. Upon reaching his seat and sitting down, he would then look at Nakushita, his stern and serious face showing only a hint of concern as his slightly troubled voice spoke once again. "Are you alright? He did not hurt you, did he?" The young samurai-in-training would say, watching Nakushita and waiting for his response.

He simply wasn't going to sit there and watch someone utterly disrespect another for no reason, especially someone as seemingly gentle and kind as Nakushita.