First Encounter

When they got to the tower, Kana's face held visible worry. When the silver haired man spoke, the blond girl looked at him, noticing how his eyes were strangely glowing. She listened to his words, though looked slightly surprised by them. While it could have worked, Kana had never been outside the Crested. She slowly took the paper as he handed it to her, looking at it, before bringing her gaze back up. "Why are you helping me?" she asked cautiously. What was his game? He didn't seem the type to help out of courtesy.

Felix looked at her when she asked why he was helping her. "Because I threw a kunai at you." Felix was not one to apologize, and maybe one could say this was his apology. Felix didn't like owing favors, so he did his best to make up where he could. It was the only thing he could manage anyway. Felix placed his hands in his pocket and went inside. He was greeted by Izua, who was looking rather pissed. Felix hoped that look was for Kana and not him, but he had a feeling it was for him. "Come with me," he said to Felix. The jonin sighed and followed his Captain. Two guards came up and guided Kana to the Kage's office.

So...this meant he hadn't meant to hit her? Well, he'd thrown the kunai, so chances are he'd meant to hit, but perhaps he hadn't known it was her. Even so, she wasn't sure if she wanted to take his help. He sure as hell wasn't apologizing for kicking her off the squad. Kana walked with the guards silently to the Kage's office. If either of them had tried to touch her for going up the stairs slowly, they'd have promptly had their hands swatted away with an angry glare. The blond girl's gaze, however, remained on the ground when she entered the Kage's office. It was surely after midnight by this point. She hoped he'd been in the office late doing paperwork, and hadn't been awoken by this...not that she actually cared.

The moment she walked into the door, the Kage spoke. "Kana Julianna Kianashi. I promised your father that I'd make sure that you'd be taken care of if anything ever happened to him. That's hard to do when you're attempting to be a runaway. Waking everyone up in the middle of their sleep and wasting necessary resources and energy to track you down is not helping this village. You are not proving to be a reliable ninja. Your parents would be so disappointed in you. It's bad enough you nearly flunked out of the Academy until their deaths. You can't start downhill, go uphill, and then go back downhill." The Kage shook his head. "I tried giving you some space after you ran your last adviser. Now you're being assigned a new one and you're under house arrest. You may only leave your house for training, and the adviser will be there every step of the way." He peered at the girl. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Kana's head was bowed as the Kage spoke to her. As ashamed as she felt when he spoke to her like this, she didn't regret trying to leave. She only regretted getting caught. When he mentioned how her parents would be ashamed of her, the only thing she could think of was how she'd foolishly thrown away her last picture of them. It hurt just to think about. Her hands clenched lightly when he said that she was being placed under house arrest. She only looked at him when he asked her to speak. "What's the point? Why should I stay in this village if I can't get anything done, no one wants to take me as a student!" she protested, her eyes tearing lightly. Of course, half the reason for the tears was because she'd been trying to hold them back because of the pain in her leg. But now that she was getting scolded like this, she couldn't keep herself from getting a bit emotional too. "I'd be better off in a village that actually wants me! A village that would actually let me become a good ninja! I can't do anything here!" While Kana was trying to keep herself from being overly emotional, it was beyond clear that she was upset by all that was happening. She wasn't about to take the man's help and lie to the Kage. She respected the Kage too much for that.

The Kage sighed. "You're not the only one without parents Kana. Other kids feel the same way. Others want to prove their greatness, but they don't run from their problems. They get knocked down all the time, but they keep moving forward. That is the way of this village. There is no problem that we cannot overcome." The Kage looked at her closely. "Kana, you have to learn that it's not all about you," he said. "You're stubborn and that's good, but it can also be very bad. Let it be known right now that we do want you here. " He gave a sigh. "But you have to try to be a bit tolerable." He gave her a small smile. "You've got a bit of an attitude."

Kana looked back down at the Kage's words. She knew she wasn't the only one...but...no one else seemed to be looked at the way everyone looked at her. She looked at him when he said that they did want her in the village. It sure didn't feel like it. Swallowing, Kana looked back down. "Maybe you do, but it doesn't seem like the rest of the village does...this is the third squad I've been kicked off of," she said, sounding a little choked up. "If I can't make it as a ninja, what do I have left..." she said, her body shaking lightly. She didn't want to cry. Not here. Not after all this.

"Because you're so stubborn and intolerable," the Kage told her with a sigh. He was tired of repeating himself and he wanted to go back home and sleep, like he'd been doing before he was awoken to be told that a genin had tried to run away. "You can still be a ninja, though any other Kage would have suspended you for such actions. You, my dear child, must keep going forward. You'll do just fine if you take the time to listen instead of always jumping right in. Patience is the key to success. You're headstrong and smart, but there is a time and place for everything. So go home and get some rest, your advisor will take you to your squad in the morning." He raised his hand before she could speak. "There will be nothing more said this night. Behave yourself from now on. Go make your parents proud."

Kana's shoulder slumped a bit when the Kage told her what she'd been told on so many occasions before. She only just kept her gaze on the Kage as he spoke, intent on not letting him see how upset she was by this. She'd heard his little speech given by teachers at the Academy, and not just to her. To whole classes of students. What was she to them. What was she to him? The only reason he looked after her was because of a promise with her father. When he said of her being taken to her squad in the morning, she opened her mouth to speak, but was almost immediately silenced by him. She had no squad. Or didn't he know? She looked back down and nodded lightly. "Goodnight sir," she said before turning, and slowly starting out of the office and down the stairs.

For nearly the whole night, Kana found she couldn't sleep. For two reasons, really. One being that she found herself resenting the Kage for daring to use her parent's memory against her, and that thoughts of leaving were still occupying her mind. The other reason was that, she had never gotten any medicine for her leg, and she couldn't find a comfortable way to sleep. Eventually though, exhaustion overtook her and she fell asleep. Unfortunately, her rest didn't last for more than an hour before she had to get up for training. Her body was still rather exhausted from running so long the day before. Even if her leg hadn't been injured with a burn and a kunai injury, she wasn't sure she'd have been able to do much running today. Getting out of bed, Kana waited for her adviser to come and take her to whatever new squad she would be put on this time. She was really getting sick of jumping from squad to squad.

Tamero had heard the rumors about this squad. How everyone was getting kicked off. Part of him was a bit scared, but an even greater part of him was excited. He held a small grin on his face as he stood in the center of the training grounds, occasionally walking around in a large circle too keep from being excessively bored. He knew this squad would be great, that was, if he could make it onto the squad. No one knew the guy's name, so Tamero couldn't see who his sensei was, but hey, that was fine. Surprises were good too.

The adviser showed up to Kana's house, gave her a good morning, and took her to the training grounds. He then walked away without a word. He would be back before her training was over to take her home. He didn't have to worry about the sensei not being there, after all, there was another student there that he could question if Kana tried to leave.

Renji made his way to the spot he was supposed to meet his sensei, his hands flitting around with his gloves as he walked. He didn't mind wearing them, but sometimes they were uncomfortable, especially in the heat. It was a good thing it was a cool morning though. He'd heard that something had happened last night, that someone had tried to run away from the village. Approaching the spot, he saw a white haired boy who he guessed was going to be one of his new teammates. "Hey," he said casually as he walked up to the kid.

Kana completely ignored her adviser as he led her to where she was supposed to be meeting her new squad. It wasn't until they got there and he started walking away that she realized what was wrong. She turned to look at her adviser as he walked away from her. "H-hey wait! You screwed up, I'm not on this squad!" she called after him. Part of her didn't want to face that silver haired guy after last night. That same large part of her just didn't want to face rejection again. Her face was a bit worried, for sure. She glanced towards the two boys before looking back to her adviser.

The adviser looked at Kana for a brief second. "My orders were to bring you here." He said. "No mistakes her." He then waved goodbye to her.

Tamero smiled as Renji approached him. "Hey," he said with a kind greeting. The white haired boy looked to the girl when she told the guy who'd walked her there that he'd made a mistake. He glanced at Renji and then walked over to Kana. "You know, if you're scared it's perfectly fine. We're a team, so we can make it through, right," he said looking to Renji for support.

Renji blinked as he saw the girl from the day before come over, claiming that she was taken to the wrong place. Why was she being escorted? And why was her leg all wrapped up? And she'd been limping, hadn't she? His red eyes turned towards the white haired boy as he went over to her. He blinked and looked at her. "She's right though. Sensei hasn't been paying any attention to her training. I thought he kicked her off the squad..." Renji said honestly. But a moment later, he sighed. "Maybe we can convince him to take her back. I don't know what you did Kana, but he tried kicking me off just because I asked a question...so I'm not sure if you deserve to be off the team."

Kana swallowed when the guy said he'd been told to bring her here. Had she been brought back here just to be turned away again? Was this part of some kind of punishment for her attempt to run away? She was starting to feel a little sick. She turned and looked at the two boys, one of whom she recognized, as the white haired boy came up and spoke to her. "You two don't get it," she started angrily. "The teacher of this squad doesn't want me here. I kept trying and trying to stay on this team and each time he either told me to get lost or ignored me completely." She glanced back at her adviser, who was now pretty far off. At this point, while she was angry, she also seemed pretty hopeless.

Felix woke up with little care for training today. If it were up to him, he'd cancel training, but he had a new member on the squad and once again they were behind. Felix wasn't in the mood for bull crap today, so it was going to be an easy going day, as long as they didn't piss him off. Because he'd had to spend most of the night filing paperwork on Kianashi's escape, he'd not had time to think up a proper training schedule either. Felix shook his head as he approached the group. Both Kader and Kianashi were there with a white haired kid. The new member he suspected. "Good morning everyone. We're three days behind the rest of the squads, which means there's not time for fun and games. In this line of work, there never is. First off, I want names and goals." He looked at the kid with the white hair. "You first."

Tamero blinked when the two explained. Well then, at least he knew he was in the right place. He went to speak again but saw a man walking towards them. The guy had silver hair and it was pretty cool looking too. When he was told to go first, Tamero nodded. "My name is Tamero Oujinshu. My goal is to become the Kage's Adviser." Tamero liked to aim high. He was a strategist, so he figured the Kage could use him from time to time.

Kana couldn't help but take a cautious step back when the teacher showed up. She blinked, however, when he addressed them. She was just waiting for another student to show up like yesterday so he could tell her yet again that she wasn't on this team. So when he started by asking names, she stayed silent, her gaze down. He knew her name and goals, and he'd practically shot her down. Twice. And while this new kid Tamero didn't know who she was, she had a feeling he wouldn't need to.

Renji wanted to ask Kana a question, but before he could get the chance to, their sensei showed up. He went to stand next to Kana as the one kid introduced himself as Tamero Oujinshu. Blinking when Kana didn't say anything, Renji went instead, just to prevent an awkward silence. "My name's Renji Kader. My goal is to become one of the Crested's top infiltration specialists," he stated, casting a glance to Kana, who remained silent. Why wasn't she saying anything?

Felix nodded when the kids stated their names and goals. When Kana didn't speak, he turned his gaze towards her. "Is there a problem?" He asked. "I asked a question and I expect and answers. Either that, or you can go home." Felix's voice was very much even, but his eyes held a hint of something that could not be determined. Yeah, his mood was about to go down hill and possibly his squad as well.

Tamero blinked when Kana said nothing. Was she serious? He wondered what would happen when their sensei started to speak. He wanted to tell Kana to just say something, anything, but that look the guy with silver hair was giving her, was enough to keep him quiet. Tamero looked at Renji and then to Kana and finally to their sensei.

Kana looked up at the man when he started speaking to her, blinking. Did this mean she was on the team? Had someone forced him to take her on the team? Or was he still trying to make up for what happened the night before? Whatever it was, the gaze he was giving her didn't allow for much time to think about it. "N-no problem, sir," she stated quickly. "My name is Kana Kianashi, and my goal is to become a member of the ANBU Black Ops," she said, straightening up. Was this for real? Was she actually on the squad??

Renji looked at Kana, giving a small grin when she finally spoke up. He wouldn't lie, he was actually kinda happy for her. While he hadn't cared the day before, she hadn't been on his team the day before. And he hadn't known just how tough the teacher was. Of course he'd noticed how hard she'd been trying to stay on the team the day before, any idiot could have seen it. He'd also noticed the look that sensei had been giving Kana. That hadn't stopped him from shooting the girl a small grin. It faded a bit when he looked back at the teacher though. The guy didn't seem to be in that great of a mood.

Felix gave a tiny grin when Kana stumbled over her words before answer. "Good. Each on of you have reachable goals, if and only if you listen to what I have to say. I do everything for a reason. Whether you like the way I teach or not is not of my concern. You each have been chosen specifically for this team. Be honored because I don't often taken students without testing them first," he said as he looked at Tamero, who instantly straightened up. "Now, it's time to start training. I want the three of you to take five laps around the forest, the path is marked by red tape. Meet me back here when you're finished and then we'll get started." Felix then turned and walked off towards the edge of the clearing, but paused. "Oh, I almost forgot, welcome to Squad 8."

Tamero gave a smile when their sensei finished speaking. He looked at Renji and Kana, his eyes shinning. "Nice to meet you all," he said as he started off. Wow, he didn't even have to go through the trouble of being 'tortured' before joining. He really was honored. Starting into the woods, he started at a moderate pace. He'd never been so happy in his life. This was it, he was going to become a genin, then a chuunin, then a jonin, and then the Kage's Adviser.

Kana couldn't believe this. She was actually on the squad? She didn't even care if he wanted her on the team anymore, she was there! While she felt like tearing up over it, instead a small grin passed over her face. She glanced at Tamero as the teacher mentioned how he usually didn't let students on unless he tested them first. Then she paused and looked at him, her smile fading a bit. She swore at that very moment, if everything that had happened before had been a test, when she got older and stronger, she was going to murder him. Kana swallowed when he said five laps before they started the real training, but nodded. Chances are, she would end up lagging behind the two boys because of her leg. Taking a breath, Kana started off after the welcome, but smiled a bit at it. She finally had a team.

Renji listened to their teacher's talking, glancing at Kana only to notice that wide smile she was wearing. Dang, she really was happy about this. He only shook his head. Upon being instructed, he started off behind Tamero, but looked at Kana, dropping back next to her. "Hey, aren't you injured?" he asked, glancing at her leg. If she was injured, why was she running..? In fact, why had she shown up to training?

Felix carefully threw three kunai into the ground. Walking around the clearing, setting up little tasks. Five laps were to keep them from interfering with his work. He needed a training plan and quick. Kana's injury would help slow them down.

When Renji fell back to run with Kana, Tamero raised a brow. Were they like...dating? He wasn't trying to be nosy or anything, but he felt out of the loop. Those two seemed to know each other, he noticed that earlier. Falling back to run alongside them he gave them a small smile. "So, I guess this isn't you guys first day. Is he as bad as people say he is?" The purple eyed boy was just trying to make conversation.

Kana gave a light glare to Renji as he asked about her injury. "Yeah, so what? It was an accident, it happened while I was training by myself. Something like this isn't going to stop me from training."

Renji gave her a bit of a look when she got snappy. "I was trying to be nice. But if you wanna be that way, then are you sure you didn't get that trying to escape from the village last night? I heard a genin was trying to sneak out. It was you, wasn't it?"

Kana clenched her teeth and glared at the black haired boy until Tamero spoke. "I've been trying to get that guy to accept me on the team for three days, and each day he ignored me completely or told me to scram," she said bitterly. "From what I've seen so far, his trainings are harsh, and so is he." It was clear from her voice that she didn't exactly like him. Hell, she actually spoke of him as if she already hated him.

Renji rolled his eyes and answered as well. "I've only been on the squad one day, today not including. Yeah, the guy's pretty tough. As a test he had me and two other teammates fighting each other yesterday, to eliminate kids from the squad," he told Tamero. "Good thing it seems you're safe," he said with a small grin.

Tamero blinked when Kana spoke with bitterness. She didn't seem like one to make friends very easily. Maybe her attitude was why their sensei hadn't wanted her. He wouldn't dare say that aloud though. "Oh." Was all he said. When Renji spoke he gave a nod. "That is harsh. And I'm glad that I didn't have to fight you guys." He gave a smile. "But I'm sure he'll have some kind of test for me. I don't want to seem as though I've been let off the hook." He shrugged. He wandered if Kana had really been the one trying to run away. His sister had told him it was a genin and so had most of his friends.

Renji looked at Kana as they were running. Well, jogging really, thanks to her injury. "You didn't answer me. Were you the one who tried to run away?"

Kana had half a mind to hit him at that point. "No, it wasn't me. I told you, I got this while I was training by myself." She was going to stick to that answer. She then looked at Tamero when he said he wanted a test. "Trust me, you don't want to be tested by him. If you do, you're crazy," she stated none too friendly.

Renji looked at Tamero. "You know, I actually agree with her on that. You shouldn't hope for something like that..."

Tamero was a bit embarrassed when they told him otherwise. He just didn't think it was fair that he had not gone through the same test as them. As if he were being rewarded. Deciding not to speak on how he felt, he turned his attention to Kana and Renji. "Why does he think you're the one of tried running away last night?"

Kana didn't say anything on the fact that Tamero stayed silent. She was too busy trying to concentrate on not falling. Her leg was killing her. She was sure that by the end of the day, the stitches would reopen. She shook her head when he asked why the black haired kid thought she'd tried to run away. "Hell if I know why he thinks that."

Renji clicked his tongue. "Your leg is injured."

"Yeah, and I told you-"

"And your lower leg is burned." At that, Kana was quiet. "Now unless you use fire type jutsu against yourself, as well as kunai and shuriken, someone else did that to you. And you were escorted to training."

"He's my adviser," she told him bluntly. "I live by myself, so I need to have one."

"You didn't have anyone escorting you yesterday," he retorted. At that, Kana fell silent, her face holding an expression of anger. Had he just outsmarted her?