6 years later.
I turned 12.
My orange hair is longer now and still had curls. It falls back to my waist when I let it fall so I always tie it into a high ponytail, sometimes in a bun. But there were fringes that covered my forehead and longer fringes at the sides of my face.
My eyes turned darker than it was 6 years ago. Specifically my left eye. It became a dark orange but the other was lighter. I don't know how it happened. My father's eyes were both oranges. Unlike mine, darker and lighter shades of orange. But I liked how my eyes were colored, it made myself feel unique.
I wear a short black kimono dress that ends below my rear and a black netted sando underneath and is tied with a turquoise belt. I have a netted black leggings and it ends up to my mid-thigh and a netting from my elbow to my wrists. And finally a black fingerless gloves.
Today is the most awaited day, the graduation day. The day before we are assigned to teams. The day before we go outside the village and do different missions. The day before I turn eyes glaring at me to eyes that looks at me with hope and admiration. The day before I fulfil my dreams and become the best kunoichi and a medic ninja there ever was. How ironic that I wanted to become a medic ninja but I hate staying inside the hospital.
I leaned my chin at my hand as I see Iruka-sensei enter our room,. documents at his hand.
I looked at my seatmates. The both of them looking forward. Sasuke was at his usual mood. His hands were, as usual, knitted and his chin resting on it. On the other hand, Naruto is grinning excitedly in the air. Humming a song that he invented. Maybe.
"Excited?" I asked Naruto.
"You bet it! One step closer in becoming the Hokage!" He grinned, dancing merrily at his seat.
"Goodluck Orange Blob!” I grinned back. “How about you?" I raised my eyebrow mockingly at my other seatmate.
"Hn." He answered, looking at me for a moment and back in front.
"Emo Sasu-baka.." I muttered and looked in the front. “I swear I’m going to catch you later in a headlock.”
He became like that for the past six years. Being emo and stuff. He usually desert himself from other people. Except for me, let him try and I swear I’m going to kill him… or kick his butt. Annoying people is my expertise, by the way.
"We will now start the Final exam, please go to the room next door if your name is called. Your final exam will be the replication technique."
Naruto started to panic beside me, I know why. He isn't good when it comes to this. I asked him if he wanted my help. I can help him and give tips on how he can make replications or clones easier. He just shook his head like how a kindergarten will do when he’s asked to drink a bitter medicine.
"Don't worry Naruto. You'll pass. I believe in you. You didn’t ask my help so I’m sure you can do this perfectly." I tapped his back. He nodded and gave me his smile but I didn’t miss the way he gulped nervously.
Our names were called one by one. We were called by row, so I will go before Sasuke and Naruto.
"Koizumi Nami." The guy dressed in all black, a ninja I suppose, called. He waved for me to come to the next door.
“Goodluck Guys. I’ll wait for the both of you outside.” I said as I ruffled their hair. They grunted in unison as they swatted my hand away.
I went to the room next door where the ninja earlier pointed to. To be honest, this is making me nervous. I’m good in doing ninja activities, seeing as I went to some missions with my dad. I get nervous when this kind of things becomes a test. It’s making me all clammy and sweaty.
I peeked my head first from the door and scanned the room. The room was clear except for a long table on one side with Iruka-sensei and a white-haired guy sitting behind it. I nodded at them and walked where we are supposed to stand. Iruka-sensei smiled at me.
“Koizumi, Nami-chan. Don’t be nervous on me now.” Iruka-sensei stated. I nodded and smiled at him, readying myself. Well, suddenly, all the nervousness raking inside my head was gone. Maybe it was because, it IS Iruka-sensei and I know that he believes in his students. He believes that it will just be a piece of cake for me.
As my eyes travelled to the guy beside him, I saw him frown and roll his eyes at me but in a second, he was smiling too. A fake smile. I rolled my eyes inwardly when I stared at him. It’s official. I hate him.
"So Hello there Nami. This guy’s name is Mizuki. The both of us will be judging for your final exam." He waved for the guy beside him. “ So to start, the final exam is to make 2 or 3 replications of yourself.”
I bowed to them as a sign that I will start making the jutsu.
I closed my eyes and did the needed hand signs while focusing my chakra. I clasped my hands and opened my eyes and saw I made maybe 6-8 clones.
"I overdid it.” I looked at Iruka-sensei seriously and walked towards him.
"A piece of cake, right? You pass, Nami-chan." He told me and held out my forehead protector. It was black, not like the other blue ones. Yet, another unique possession.
“I knew you would say that.” I grinned from ear to ear and tied my forehead protector. The whole forehead protector was covered by my fringes so it didn’t look like I was wearing one. Iruka-sensei raised his eyebrows at me. “You shouldn’t put it there. It is hidden between your bangs, it looks like aren’t wearing one. But you still pass. You should wait for the others outside.”
“Okay. Thanks a lot Sensei. Thanks Mizuki.” I smiled.
"It's what to expect in the Koizumi Clan." Mizuki commented.
I rolled my eyes, making sure that he saw it and went outside. Maybe I should go home first, I will go eat and go back later. I grinned as a thought passed. I went outside the building and jumped to the highest window.
“Hey Grandpa Hokage! Guess what?” I told him excitedly as he turned his chair to face me.
“What is it? Isn’t it your graduation exam today?” He asked, clearly oblivious at my forehead protector.
I wiggled my eyebrows at him and grinned.
It took him a while to recognize it.
“Oh! So you passed. You know, you shouldn’t put it there so others will see it. It looks like you aren’t wearing one.” He told me as he puffed a smoke.
“I’ve been told.” I smiled.
“But oh well, Congratulations Nami.” He smiled through his wrinkled face.
I jumped at him and hugged him. “Thanks!” I beamed. “So Grandpa, do you know when will father go home from his mission?”
“Hmmm. I think it will be today so he can congratulate you on your graduation but something came up. There were problems on the mission he did. So maybe tomorrow morning.”
“Oh!” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Thanks Grandpa. I need to go. I’m going to pick up some food and congratulate my friends.” I waved as I jumped from the window where I came in.
“Like mother, like daughter.” I heard Grandpa say. Or maybe it was my imagination?
"Hey that kid is the kid. He was the only one who failed." Was the voice I heard as I got back from my house. It turned out, there was not much food left on my house so I need to go shopping. I activated my legō-fēlēs and searched for the others. I searched for Sasuke but I can’t hear him or feel him here in the academy, maybe he went home.
My attention was back to the two adults whispering to each other, but it was like they were talking on their usual voices. I can clearly hear it and I know, Naruto can hear it too.
"Serves him right." Tch. What’s with this adults? I balled my hands into fists as they continued.
"If he becomes a ninja, it'll only cause trouble."
"Because he's really a.."
Naruto adjusted his goggles, wearing that same look I had seen him with when I made friends with him. That lonely and sad look that I promised to myself I will never let Naruto wear ever again. But I am failing..
"Hey! It's forbidden to say anything more than tha--"
"Excuse me?" I smiled innocently at them and they looked over me. The same disgusted look on their faces. Oh Nami.. you can do this.
"You guys adult or something? How can you judge people like that?” I told them, putting my hand into my hips.
"Shut up, kid. You're the same as him. We don't need you two in this village." One of them retorted.
“Oh! And he isn’t the only one who didn’t graduate. This little brat didn’t graduate too.” The other snickered.
“Oh really? You should take a closer look lady.” I said as I flicked my fringes away.
“Hmph.” She said as both of them turned to their heels.
I sighed. Good one Nami. You really lost it. You should work on that temper of yours. You didn’t have to answer those adults who don’t even know anything about the both of you.
I hadn’t noticed that people hated me not until other kids started throwing me insults and my friends throw insults back at them. I had only thought that it was only between us kids but I noticed some villagers glaring at me, rolling my eyes at me and every other possible things. But some of them were good guys like Teuchi, Asuma, Aoba, and many more. I had it go the way it was, well who do they think they are, judging me like that? Judging my clan like that? Power-hungry fools? Selfish dudes? Ha! I’m going to prove them wrong.
I ran to where Naruto is and sat at the ground beside the swing. Crossing my legs.
"Hey Orange blob." I greeted.
"Hey. You passed. That's great. Congratulations." He told me looking back at my forehead protector and looking back at the ground.
I raised my eyebrow at him and hit his head.
"Ow! Wha- What are you doing?" He asked me as he watched me taking my forehead protector off. "You need to wear that! You’re a ninja now!"
I laughed at him. "You know what I think, orange blob? You will have your own forehead protector in.. hmm.."I looked up as I saw a movement on the tree above where we are. Mizuki.. huh.. I knew this guy can’t be trusted. “you’ll have your own forehead protector after some hours. I can feel it in my bones! I’m not going to wear my forehead protector, not until you wear yours.” I cheered and stood on my knees as I faced him.
I held out my pinkie at him. “ So you just have to trust in me. Don’t ever doubt the people around you. Promise?”
"Yeah." He smiled and put his pinky on me.
I passed by Sasuke’s house after that. Congratulating him and running around his apartment, catching him in my famous headlock.
“I win.” I grinned as he squirmed beneath me. He was facing the floor and I am sitting at him. Pinning him on the floor.
“Sasu-baka. Emo Sasuke. Duckbutt. I’m hungry! What’s your food here?” I asked as I stood up and walked towards his kitchen. He slid his arm to my feet and made me fall face-first to the floor.
“Ow! Ow! Hey! That was unfair!” I said as I rubbed my forehead and my nose.
“Hn.”
I went home when I saw that the sun was setting, holding my forehead protector at my right hand.
I slumped on my bed as I stared at the picture frames on my room’s wall. The pictures came from my happiest memories and at the same time, worst memories too. It just proved that what happened before will never happen again. I closed my eyes, reminiscing things.
1. I was with Aunt Mikoto, Itachi-nii and Sasuke. Sasuke and I were grinning while covering our foreheads.
“Sasuke! Nami! Be careful!” Aunt Mikoto scolded.
“Okay.” I answered, stopping infront of her. Sasuke suddenly bumped to my back and made me trip to my feet and made me fall to the ground.
“Oof!”
I turned and glared on Sasuke as he helped me up laughing innocently.
“Hey you guys. Come here.” Itachi-nii waved for us towards him. As soon as we were infront of him, he flicked his fingers on our foreheads.
“OW!”
2. It was myself, Itachi-nii and Sasuke. Sasuke and I were pinching each of Itachi's cheeks to look like he was smiling. His face was dead serious. And we both flashed a peace-sign at the camera.
“Itach-san! You should smile.” The cameraman said as Sasuke and I inched closer to him.
“Don’t worry camera man-san. We got it all covered.” Sasuke told the cameraman and gave me a knowing look. I nodded at him.
“Okay. On three. One. Two--” The Camera man said.
“Three!” Sasuke and I grinned as we pulled each of Itachi-nii’s cheeks and flashed a peace-sign.
3. I was still confined in the hospital and I was sleeping. We were six years old. Shikamaru and Choji were still drawing at my face (my sleeping face was frowning) and Ino was above my head grinning. And Shino was in the background, you can clearly see that he was a part of the guys who drew on my face The four of them drew figures to my face. So I kind of look like a sleeping clown.
“What the heck did you do to my face?” I asked them as I cracked my knuckles.
“Ha.Ha.Ha.” Ino laughed nervously. “I don’t know anything about it. Ask Shikamaru and Chouji. Oh! Look at the time! I need to go now! Bye guys!” She said as she went for the door.
“Ohh. I’m h-hungry.. I-ah-need to go now too. Bye guys!” Chouji followed.
I looked at Shikamaru who flinched at my glare. “Well?”
“How troublesome.” He murmured and rubbed the back of his neck.
4. All of us were in the picture. I think it was when we are 10 years old. We were with the Hokage.
“Children. Hurry and tend to yourselves.” The Hokage sweat-dropped when he saw all of us arguing on our own issues. Ino and Sakura about Sasuke. Sasuke and Naruto about their rivalry but when the camera man said that it’s picture time. All of us just stopped arguing and made our own pose.
5. I was with Naruto and Sasuke and I caught the both of them in a head-lock. Sasuke was smirking and looking at Naruto and Naruto was laughing but at the same time, both of them were squirming off my grasp.
6. It was me and my father. I was little. I don't even remember when the picture was taken. I was sitting on my father's shoulders and gripping his hair. I was smiling and my mouth was open and I was giving a toothless laugh.
I still have two pictures with me.
One of them is my mother's picture. Her hair was black with a bit of an orange on it. She was very beautiful. I wish I could've met her. I wish I could’ve felt her embrace.
The other picture was when I was still inside my mother’s womb. She was together with my father. Father’s arm are on her shoulders and her arm was on his waist. They were smiling.
I stared at my room's ceiling. I can't sleep. Tomorrow will be our team assignments. I activated my cat ears. I just wanted to.
I was surprised when I heard something. Naruto stole the scroll of sealing. And almost all ninjas are searching for him. NARUTO? Stealing something? Are they kidding me? Naruto won’t do something like that.
I sat up. Concentrating my kekkei-genkai so I can cover more distance. I needed to find Naruto. Fast.
What the -- A certain voice caught my attention. I knew I heard this voice somewhere.
"Naruto's going to destroy the village with that scroll. You saw his eyes didn't you? It was eye of the demon fox."
It's Mizuki! I knew it! He was a bad guy! So he's behind this..
Wearing my normal clothes and putting my weapon pouch on my waist. I grabbed my Forehead Protector and sprinted to where they are. I don’t have time to change on my combat clothes.
"Iruka, I told you that I will kill you later, I take that back." Mizuki told Iruka-sensei, spinning his giant shuriken at his hands.
He threw the Shuriken to Iruka and Naruto threw himself at him, unable to stop the spinning Shuriken.
Iruka-sensei braced himself just as I threw a two kunai at it to slow its speed and kicked it to the ground. I panted as I saw the giant shuriken, now on the ground, and catch my breath.
"Arrived in the nick of time." I breathed, placing my hands at my hips, smiling at Naruto and Iruka-sensei.
"Oh my, The Little Koizumi Girl is here." Mizuki grinned evilly.
"Oh my, Big bad Mizuki is here." I asked back, feigning fear.
"Nami-chan! What're you doing here?" Iruka-sensei and Naruto asked in unison.
"To help you guys?" I questioned, smiling.
"Want to know a little secret, Koizumi? This boy" He pointed at Naruto as I picked a stone from the ground. No one has the right to point like that on any of my friends. "was the one who killed your Clan. He is the Nine-tailed fox. He is a monster. "He finished, his face showed that he is insane. I can't explain Naruto's expression. Mixed emotion was there. Confusion. Betrayal. Fear. I don't how to explain it.
I closed my eyes, and opened it, glaring at Mizuki. I threw the stone to his hand pointing at Naruto.
"Naruto and The nine-tailed fox are two different beings. The Nine-tailed fox is sealed inside Naruto. It's not Naruto." I walked towards Mizuki and pulled his collar down to my height. "Don't you dare call Naruto a monster. Don't compare him to someone like you." I spitted the words at his face and shoved him backwards. I walked back to Iruka and felt something coming from my back.
"Nami!" Iruka-sensei shouted at me, I turned around just to see Mizuki attacking me with a kunai and before it reaches me, Naruto threw himself again at Mizuki.
"Don't you dare lay a finger to Nami and Iruka-sensei" He warned.
I smiled to Naruto and jogged back to Iruka-sensei.
"You okay Sensei?" I asked him. He just nodded and we watched Naruto as he beat the lights out of Mizuki.
It was sunrise then. The breeze was warm and cold and Iruka whispered something to my ear.
I nodded.
"Naruto close your eyes." I told him.
"Close my eyes?" He asked me.
"No, don’t. I just told you to close it, didn’t I?" I told him sarcastically which made him frown.
He closed his eyes and waved for Iruka-sensei to cover his eyes first. That I need to do something first before he do what he plans on doing.
I tied my forehead protector and covered Naruto's eyes as Iruka-sensei tied his protector to Naruto.
I removed my hands to Naruto's and he slowly opened his eyes.
He turned around, facing Iruka-sensei and I. I grinned at him.
"Congratulations Naruto, You graduate." Iruka told him. "As a celebration, I'll treat you both to Ramen."
Naruto tackled Iruka-sensei to the ground. And stood up after a few minutes.
Naruto and I made an eye contact and grinned.
"Oh yeah! Ramen!" We fist-pumped in unison which made Iruka-sensei sweat drop.
“But. Congratulations Orange Blob! You’re a ninja now!”
--end