Get back up(edit)

Chapter 4:Teammates! Secret Rules?

Waking up at four a.m. to get ready for my first team meeting—it was horrible.

How is anyone supposed to function with such little sleep? Then again, we were told more than once in class that sleep became more of a privilege the higher we go in our career....

Maybe this was practice or something?

Still, it was irritating.

Not to mention, Sensei suggested we not eat breakfast after explaining about the failure rates of the test he was gonna conduct.
It really contradicted with what we were told in class-always eat before missions, or we'll regret not having energy. Still, he was our team leader, he knew best.

Ugh.

Looking at myself briefly in the mirror, I settled on braiding my hair out of the way and clipping it into a bun with senbon and hidden lock picks. A quick dosing of chakra had my flyaway strands sticking in place until I allowed them to unstick later. We were taught that in Kunoichi classes, and it was one useful skill that had stuck to me with ease. Chakra control seemed to be instinctual for me, always has been. However mana by itself...well, I would definitely be getting lots of practice.
Chakra exercises should help me along with my mana as well.

Making sure not to wake up my parents, I sneakily snuck into their room and grabbed another hoodie, this time one made from a thicker material. I didn't want to accidentally shred one and be replacing it. The repairing charm only worked so many times on fabric before it failed completely. I haven't really had a chance to practice it either.
I'd work on it after our meeting today.
Along with the less instinctual spells I knew.

As it is, I held up the thick hoodie. I really didn't want to rip it...
And these weren't really mine, so....

*sigh*
"I really need to go shopping." Mumbling to myself as I softly closed my parent's bedroom door behind me, being extra careful not to wake them up.
They both had to work later, so I wanted to give them peace and quiet, it would make me feel horrible if I woke them up over something stupid.

Hoodie in hand, I headed back to my room to finish getting ready.

Getting dressed in a sports bra and some spandex shorts, I wrapped my hands, wrists and shins the same as yesterday. Then I pulled the hoodie on, casting a cooling charming beneath it whenever it started to feel too hot. 

Being a small wind/ice based spell for beginners-less advanced than the battle ready Novice Frost spell, it worked on my first try, though even better as I recast it and fixed my control. 'At least this one works fine...' I thought. 'I'm really glad I don't need to worry about overheating...'

Turning to my dresser for one last thing, I added a pair of earrings to my ears, a pretty pair of oval shaped studs, a ruby shaped like a tiny rabbit being in the middle of it.

From today onwards I wouldn't be removing them unless I had to.

I had loved them immediately when dad had given them to me as a gift last night for graduating the Academy. They looked familiar and the instant I had touched them I knew why.

They were meant for me. Someone who had owned them must have wanted me to have them, as they were connected to my mana in a way that screamed 'I'm a part of you now, never let me go!'
They held an enchantment on them too, one I recognized somehow, even though it wasn't my work.
The moment I was alone I explored the contents with abandon, potions and vials coming to my fingertips first, then candy and packaged food I had never seen before. Clothing was next, but they looked to be made for someone else, as they were too big for me just yet.
Then the weapons.