Chapter Two: A cat- - and a cuddly adorable kitten?
"Didn't you think about the other students before you cheat? Don't you think it's unfair for them who have studied weeks to come home with a great grade, but you only cheat to get a good mark?" Iruka-sensei lectured the students in detention.
Jiina and Denji looked down, guilty. He handed a paper sheet to the both of them, they were suppose to write that they will never cheat again until the whole paper was full and then their sensei left the room.
"You really are a bunch of idiots." the young Hyuga scoffed. "Getting caught cheating by a sensei, morons."
Neji was looking for Iruka-sensei, but he ended up mishearing their conversation. He didn't understand what was so wrong about cheating, but he did think that Jiina and Denji must've been one of the dumbest people in the village to get caught.
"Well at least we understood that cheating is wrong." Jiina defended, pouting.
"Why is it wrong? I don't see anything wrong with it."
"Because it's unfair to others." said Jiina.
"And? Why should we care about other people? Nothing bad happens to the cheater." the boy started glaring.
"But you'll also get detention out of it." Denji said.
"Only you two will get detention 'cause you got no skills. The senseis are in my pocket. There were times where I did cheat back in my days in the academy, but I got no punishment because I didn't get caught. There's nothing that benefits me to stop cheating." Jiina couldn't believe how arrogant and selfish he was being.
Jiina was even more annoyed at the fact that he had just admitted that there were past time where he had been cheating, but no punishment he had gotten. I want justice!
Neji thought that everyone had the right to cheat. Those who didn't have enough skills to cheat, they had to study. It was justice in his eyes.
"People won't respect you if you cheat." Jiina pointed out another fact, trying to prove the boy from the Hyuga branch that cheating is wrong.
"What difference does it make with respect? What good will it do me if my classmates respect me but I don't get to pass the class?" Neji challenged back.
"Well let's say that you go to a forest for the first time mate. You don't know which foods are poisonous or not. If you just eat any food you might die. So what do you do? You ask an expert" Neji's ears perked with interest "You can't say, I'll teach myself. If you don't know something, you ask an expert. The expert here are the senseis in a way, and Kami-sama.
You can't prove that cheating is bad logically. Heck, you can never point out that it's bad scientifically.
You require a creator to tell you what is wrong and what is right." the fellow Keshiki continued. "Don't you think there should be justice? There are a lot of people that end up being genins because of cheating.
This world is unfair. Like you said before, there is nothing that benefits you to stop cheating. Well we, the Keshiki's, believe in the afterlife, and then there are the Jashin believers. Jashinists do believe in life after death too, some of them sacrifice bodies to become immortal while the others do that to go to heaven. This is what my dad told me though, I've never seen a Jashinist in my life before..
Unless the concept of life after death you can't prove anything is bad. Fine, you may be a good cheater and pass the class now, but nothing here is permanent. As it's said, ❛❛Indeed, the death from which you flee- - indeed it will meet you. Then you will returned to the Knower of the unseen no the witnessed, and Almighty Kami-same will inform you about what you used to do.❛❛" Jiina narrowed her eyes slightly at the Hyuga.
There was a little moment where his eyes sparkled with light as he looked at Jiina. He wanted to know more about the girl, suddenly getting the urge to see her more.
"JIINA! COME HERE YOU BRAT!!!" Jiina's face immediately started paling at the familiar voice of her mom. The door was swung open harshly by Jiina's mother, every kid in detention started sweating.
"M-mo-"
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Mrs. Ajia was following after a pouting Jiina as she fumed in anger, couldn't believe that her daughter got into trouble on her first day of school.
"I thought I made myself clear that I don't want the same things to happen here with your old school young lady." everyone's attention were on them. It hadn't been long since class ended, every kid from her class was still here.
"What happened in Sunagakure wasn't my fault mom!" Jiina raised her voice higher without realizing it.
"DON'T YOU EVEN DARE RAISE YOUR VOICE AT ME JIINA! DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU WERE GONNA GET A PRIZE FOR TRYING TO BURN YOUR ACADEMY?"
"I DON'T CARE! I WARNED THEM COUNTLESS TIMES TO TREAT GAARA LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN BEING, BUT NO ONE LISTENED! SERVES THEM RIGHT" Jiina used the same tone as her mother. Her mother sighed, her eye twitching as she covered her face with her hand as if she was face-palming.
Gaara and Jiina had so many memories together, Jiina didn't understand why people would treat him as if he was garbage. Gaara hadn't been that sad in his entire life when Jiina had to leave, he liked hanging out with Jiina so much. He was planning on killing every sensei for expelling Jiina, but Jiina assured him that it was okay.
But that wasn't all. He was furious that she had to go so soon. Gaara still hadn't figured why his heart would start beating unusually fast with her, it was killing him.
"I know that this time it was really my fault mom. I promise I won't help anyone cheat again." Jiina mumbled quietly, but enough for her mother to hear. Mrs. Jiina was satisfied with her answer.
Jiina really was the oddball out. Every kid was getting more surprised by her actions every second while there were some who were envying her with full hate, especially a certain pinky.
Why is my Sasuke always staring at the new girl?! That witch is trying to take him away from me! Sakura was glaring, Sasuke had a soft look in his face as he was looking at Jiina and her mother. She wanted him to have that look only when he was looking at her, not Jiina!
Both Neji and Denji exited their way from the academy. They had heard Jiina's bickering, well the whole school had heard how she tried to burn her own academy because of the people back in her old academy bullying her certain friend Gaara who no one knew about yet.
Neji and Jiina made eye-contact, Neji started cursing mentally as he made his way back to the training grounds. He was becoming curious, too curious. Who could blame him though? He wondered if she was good at battling like how good she was with her words. Neji's head was filled with questions.
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"Why are you guys in such hurry?" Jiina asked her parents, trying to spin the apple in her hand with one finger but failing miserably. She cringed when the apple hit the ground. She brushed the apple with her hand and opened her mouth to eat it,
"Don't tell me your not gonna wash that?" her mom gave her an expected look. Jiina deadpanned and stood up from the chair she was sitting on, washing the apple while mentally whining.
"Do you remember how I would tell you tales about one friend of mine from the Nara clan and I? They invited us for dinner tonight princess." Tetsuya Keshiki answered his daughter.
"Ohh," Jiina took one bite from her apple. "when are we going?"
"Now." Jiina started choking at the sudden news. Her dad started hitting her back gently as Jiina coughed. "Come on Tetsuya, let's get going. Jiina don't eat your apple, you won't be able to eat dinner. Try to be extra careful to not be rude Jiina."
The Keshiki family started making their way to Mrs. Yoshino Nara and Mr. Shikaku Nara's house. It was dusk, the streets of Konoha had only a few people on its roads which were almost all civilians. Tetsuya wasn't that good when it came to maps, it took them a while to get to their destination.
"Welcome!" Yoshino Nara had dark brown eyes and matching dark brown hair that kept in a low ponytail. Some strands of hair was framing her face, she had gray hoop earrings on. Mrs. Ajia and Mrs. Yoshino shared a hug.
Jiina's eyes widened when she saw one of her classmates, the same thing happening with Shikamaru.
"Shikamaru, why don't you take Jiina-chan to your room? You can show her your shogi board and play together." Shikamaru's mom smiled an eye-closed smile.
"Uhh okay.." Shikamaru scratched his neck awkwardly. "Follow me"
Shikamaru's room was pretty plain. His room only had one bed that was tidied up, the blankets neatly fold and a shogi board. Jiina's eyes bored into the room, trying to find something that they can have fun doing.
"My dad told me that you and your dad are really good at shogi." Jiina tried to start a conversation.
"Not really." Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders. The two of them starting playing. Jiina was the YOLO type, she wouldn't think too much unless she was stuck in a serious situation.
They could hear sounds coming from the living room, but they weren't able to tell what exactly they were discussing about.
"DANG IT" Jiina stood up from the floor in frustration. "YOU MOVED THAT PAWN IN A REALLY WEIRD POSITION FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND THEN YOU USED IT AS CHECK MATE!"
"You're too loud.." Jiina mumbled a quiet sorry as she pouted and sat down. Shikamaru didn't expect her to apologize, his face held amusement at Jiina's expression and at how annoyed she was.
"Can we play another round?" the young girl asked, a bit shy because of her outburst.
"Sure."
Jiina kept losing over and over again. Her 8th match she was so close to winning, or so she thought, but she ended up losing once again. There was a time where the Keshiki smiled fakely while laughing in annoyed manner, putting her tongue on her cheek in irritation when she lost. Another time where she only bit her cheek, trying not to shout.
Shikamaru couldn't help but laugh out loud at her actions. He would notice how she would quietly start cursing at herself when she realized she was caught in his plan or when she would start lecturing herself about how much of a bad player she is. Shikamaru could see how frustrated she was, it was hilarious. He didn't think she would take a game of shogi this serious.
"Ugh, I don't wanna play anymore." whined Jiina and laid her back on the floor as well. "Gosh you play shogi like a professional. You got some skills the- - A cat!"
There was a brown cat standing by the window outside. It had a line running down her forehead along with a few lines. It most likely had an owner because it had a ribbon on it's left ear, but that didn't stop Jiina.
"Let's go look at the cat!" Jiina said to Shikamaru, getting up.
"My mom doesn't allow me to go outside at late hours." he also got up. Jiina who was wiping off the dust from her dungarees looked at Shikamaru while grinning mischievously.
"Who said they were gonna know about it?"
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Jiina held the door handle and creaked the door open slowly and carefully. She started tiptoeing her way to get her and Shikamaru's shoes. Jiina hurriedly yet cautiously made her way back to Shikamaru's room.
She put both of their shoes to the floor and opened the one and only window that was in Shikamaru's room. She, then, threw the two pair of shoes outside through the window attentively.
"Come on." the female turned her head towards Shikamaru who was unsure about this.
"You know that we could get ourselves into trouble just because of one cat right?" Jiina nodded while smiling. Shikamaru sighed and jumped out of the window, Jiina following after.
The preteens put on their shoes. Jiina opened her hand for a high-five, Shikamaru high-fived in hesitation.
"We escaped from The Enemies of Joy partner, now let us find Neko-chan!" Jiina fist-bumped in the air. She looked at Shikamaru who was staring at the window "Don't worry Shikamaru-kun!"
She started running slowly with Shikamaru behind, trying to find where the cat went to.
Jiina kept looking around trying to find the kitty, she put her tongue in the inside of her cheek after two minutes passed and still no sign of the kitten. She stopped her pace, turned around to ask Shikamaru which way the cat might've gone to. But this didn't really end up the right way..
Shikamaru was not looking at Jiina at that moment, he crashed right into her body. Shock crossed Jiina's face as her body dropped together with Shikamaru to the meadow-like high soothing green grass.
The fellow young girl's light brown hair was scattered all around the grass, it was then when Shikamaru realized how long her hair actually is. Jiina's cheeks were naturally a bit pinkish, now her whole face was seared rosy. She grew shy under his close stare as his eyes were gawking at her.
The boy from the Nara clan was feeling like a hot oven, seeing Jiina that flustered made it worse. He would've never thought that a boisterous girl like her to be this fragile. Jiina had turned her head to the right, biting the inside of her cheek while closing her eyes tightly.
Too close! Too close! My heart will explode any second if this lasts any longer! Jiina was having a hard time breathing. Shikamaru was really close to her, and he was a boy!
While Shikamaru on the other hand was feeling amused at how red she was yet he was sure his face was somewhere along that beat red color, but Jiina was different.
Ba-dum
Shikamaru was able to free his legs from Jiina's and he laid his body next to her, watching the clouds slowly move under this night with freckled stars.
It hasn't even been one day since I met her.. Why won't my heart stop beating in this pace..? Shikamaru closed his eyes softly and his memories from seconds ago flashed through his mind. He remembered how Jiina's cheek changed slight form when she bit it, and that redness on her face when she couldn't look at him while her eyes were closed tightly in a cute manner. Shikamaru gulped, opening his eyes.
Just why do you have to look like a cuddly adorable kitten Jiina..
A/N:
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*awkward laugh*