Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Shikaku knows a lot, he's a genius. He isn't boasting or bragging, it's a simple fact. The sky is blue, his son is eight, Shikaku is a genius. He excels in reading people and environments. He is called in by Inoichi many times when it comes to interrogating people who aren't dangerous enough to be tortured. He's good at it. His niece, Rinka, is much the same. Though only nine, she is incredibly intelligent, even for a Nara. She watches like a predator, analyzing every aspect of the people around her and deducts their intentions and motivations. She isn't perfect, not as good as Shikaku or Inoichi, but she'll grow to be better than them, he's sure of it. Though he's not sure if that's what she wants. He doesn't know what she wants. The girl is a ghost these days.

His sister died, and with her, his ability to understand her daughter. His sister was a strong woman, eager and wanting. She wanted what she couldn't have and clawed for it with sharp talons and a poisonous tongue. Shikaku never understood his sister, and now he can not understand her daughter. He couldn't define if the woman even loved him, always wanting his title, his name, she was first born but never even considered for clan head.

He stole her birthright, she would say, and Rinka stares at him like she believes the same.

Rinka is a monstrous thing, she screamed endlessly for days following the death of her mother and Shikaku didn't know what to do. After that, she shut down, a ghost haunting his home. She barely eats, barely breathes, and goes to the academy like it's another place she has died in. The teachers worry, but let her remain silent and sullen, they call Shikaku and Yoshino and speak of Rinka and her newly developing problems. She doesn't even attempt to pass anymore, she was a true Nara. Doing only what was necessary, but now she does nothing. She doesn't even lie, she goes to the academy and twirls her pencil between her fingers and does nothing but mourn.

Shikamaru misses her, she lives in his home but she is not the Rinka he knows. Despite the complaints of how Rinka always wanted to run into the forest, always wanting to bring offerings and recite prayers, now Shikamaru craves it. Shikaku understands that feeling. When his sister went on her first Kunoichi mission, she became somber, for a while. She didn't do her prayers, the only diligent one in their family, and she became a ghost. Though that ended, she returned to normal. Shikaku can not tell his son that Rinka will return because he doesn't know it himself.

Her eyes are blank, ghastly and empty. Her joys are gone, her prayers are now left only in her room, quiet and grieving. Her offerings are left on her bedside table half eaten and rotting. The spirits let it be, he thinks they know she is empty now, they must have felt the loss of his sister, she was the most devot.

A quiet pitter-patter coming down the halls. A ghastly child stepping into the dark. Shikaku turns from his whiskey, Rinka stares at him like he isn't even there. She is silent as she grabs a glass of water, sipping quietly on it over the sink. She does not turn around, she will not meet his eyes.

“Rinka.” She stiffens, like she's forgotten she wasn't already dead, “Come, sit.”

She steps over to the bar, sitting on a stool beside him. Her fingers trail over the glass over water and Shikaku watches her closely.

“Pray with me.”

Rinka stares, transfixed, but eventually she takes his hands. Their shadows curl and their heads bow. She begins to speak softly, offering the measly whiskey and water to spirits. Shikaku repeats her words, the prayer became foggy over years of not speaking it. He hasn't seen her speak this much in ages and he revels in it. His head becomes full, stuffed with the presence of ghosts and Rinka begins to speak louder. Her words now carry a weight and Shikaku misses how prayer felt, Shinobi life has taken much from him but the thing that angers him most is how he stopped praying. He won't begin again, he knows it, but it is comforting to feel the presence again.

Finally, the prayer ends and Rinka’s eyes open, she looks up and seems lighter.

“You're devot, like your mother was,” Shikaku states plainly.

Rinka nods, soft and careful, “You must pray, or they will forget you as they have forgotten everything else.”

It's the same thing his sister would say, becoming quiet after prayer, not so loud and overpowering. A girl and her spirits, that's all she became.

Now here is Rinka, a girl haunted. Her mother sits at the edge of her vision, his vision, and they sit together and mourn her.

(/)

Graduation, Rinka didn't think she'd make it. She wasn't going to kill herself, but she kind of assumed her body would give out before she got to this point in her life. She was expecting a heart attack, maybe she would just never wake up, but here she is, sitting with a headband wrapped around her waist. Neji sits beside her, she never minded his presence. He’s a proud boy, but he stayed quiet and never woke her from her naps. She supposes that's why he sat next to her, she didn't speak to him, never really asking for anything other than to look at his paper when she didn't want to attempt work. Though they won't be on a team together, he'd get on a team focused on strength, direct attack. Neji was objectively, very powerful, so he would be placed on a team focusing on that very point. Rinka isn't strikingly powerful like he is, but she's far more intelligent. A strategy team, perhaps. Or maybe a catch and return team. She'll be the team strategist, that's for sure.

Neji looks to her, pale violet staring into deep brown, “I hope the team you are placed on will be well rounded.”

“I hope the same for you,” She responds.

She has a guess, Touma Aburame would be a good match for him, he's more charismatic but near the level Neji is at with his taijutsu. His bugs are also specialized for attack, rather than chakra eaters, he has the man eating kind. Tenten is also a good match, excelling in weapons with near perfect aim, she's also stocky with a good punch even if her forms are less fluid than they should be. Jun’ichi Muta wouldn't be too bad of a fit, though hardheaded, he takes to taijutsu easily and she watched as he became a prodigy. She has no idea for her possible team, no one stands out as particularly intelligent, there are smart people but not to strategist level. They have never gone against Shikaku in shoji and it shows.

Maybe Kizuki Sato, he's intelligent enough, his chakra control is decent and he is quite good at genjutsu. Still, she can't be sure. The hokage makes all the teams and she doesn't know how his mind works neither does she know what is written in their files. Well— that's not entirely true. She knows what is written in hers.

Somber, Sullen, doesn't apply herself and hasn't stopped grieving. Intelligent but won't use it. Religious.

She didn't have to see it to know, the teachers are blatant with how they see her. She can't be fixed, she doesn't want to be fixed.

Their teacher walks in, silencing the class and he begins to speak. It's a speech, how he's seen them grow and how proud of them he is. Rinka ignores it until he begins reading off the teams. They seem reasonable enough, each balanced, though having a primary focus.

“Team 2: Neji Hyuga, Tenten, Rock Lee.”

Rinka was half right, Rock Lee is an odd addition but he has drive and will do anything to become worthy of being a ninja.

“Team 4: Rinka Nara, Kizuki Sato, Touma Aburame.”

Rinka’s eyes flick over to the boys, Touma smiles wide at her, waving enthusiastically from beside Kizuki, who hurriedly pushes the other boy’s hand down. She can half-see the reason for the match up. Touma is a talker, different from his clan, wide and bright and a true social butterfly. He'd also be able to assist with the fact Kizuki and Rinka don't have very powerful offensive attacks. Rinka’s are made for restraint, holding still until they can be incapacitated. Kizuki’s being better suited for masking reality until their target can be slain. Touma has a direct attack that's deadly, but he'd also be the main communicator. Kizuki is a meek boy, despite his intelligence, he hides his smarts but not intentionally and Rinka is not very sociable. Always weird, always off-putting.

It works well, but she's not sure if she can handle someone so excitable and someone so meek. Hopefully, their sensei can find a way to make it work.

Chapter Text

Sora-sensei is an odd thing. Thin and wiry, long limbs and a wild smile. She told them she was fine with any terms, call her a man or woman or nothing at all and she'd be comfortable with it. She made them introduce themselves, pronouns and dreams, their names and friends, what they think is their weakest subject. She started with Touma, for the reason anyone would start with him, loud, excitable, and all too ready to spill all his secrets.

“I'm Touma Aburame, I use he/him. My dream is to be as powerful as Shibi-sama. I don't have many friends, really only Kizuki-kun!” He then sticks his tongue out the side of his mouth and thinks, “Um… I guess strategy? I'm not very good at planning ahead.”

Sora-sensei nods and smiles softly, “That was a perfect example, Touma-kun. We’ll work on planning ahead!”

Touma nods excitedly, perking up at Sora-sensei’s words, “Thank you, Sora-sensei! Kizuki-kun, you go next!”

Rinka watches the blonde boy shrink into himself, but Touma just puts a hand on Kizuki’s knee and smiles at him.

“Uh—” Kizuki takes a sharp breath, “My name is Kizuki Sato. I'm a boy— but I— I don't really care about the pronouns. I—um… I want to be a medical ninja and help others… Touma is my closest friend and Rock Lee was really nice to me. I'm not good at talking to others— or thinking on my feet.”

Sora-sensei looks softer while listening to Kizuki, probably noticing what would calm him. She nods at him and speaks softly while not making direct eye contact. Kizuki picks up a bit more, finally looking at her face. Then, Sora-sensei finally looks to Rinka. She looks Rinka up and down, analyzing her. She then turned her whole body towards her, waiting for Rinka to speak.

“My name is Rinka Nara, she/her,” she pauses trying to remember the formula, “I want to master every possible way to use shadow jutsu. I don't really have friends, except my little brother and Neji, I guess. I don't do well with close quarter combat.”

Sora-sensei nods, then stands rather abruptly, “For your final test, one of you has to touch me. I will use no jutsu, and only defensive maneuvers.”

Then, she's gone. Touma jumps up and spins, seeing no evidence she was ever there. Rinka sighs harshly, leaning back on her palms and staring up at the sky.

“There's no way we'll be able to do it,” Rinka says, abruptly standing and smoothing out her pants.

Touma spins around to look at her, “What do you mean?”

“Sora-sensei is a jonin, and we aren't even technically genin. I know you didn't plant one of your bugs on her, so we have to find her first, which is already near impossible, then we have to actually touch her. There's a possibility I could get her in my shadow possession jutsu, but with our difference in strengths, she'd be able to get out easily.”

Kizuki curls in on himself, wrapping his arms around his knees and sighing. Touma’s brows furrow and he crosses his arms, “You really think that?”

“I know that,” Rinka states plainly.

“Aren't Naras supposed to be smart? Make a plan where we can do it!” Touma says.

Rinka glares at him, “She's a jonin, Aburame! Based on how old she is, she probably fought in the third Shinobi war. And I didn't see even a scar on her! We can't do it.”

“Then tell me how we can get close to her, not touch her, but find her.”

Rinka turns her head away from him, “Spirits… She's definitely within Konoha limits, so if you can send your bugs in every direction we might be able to find her. They can sense chakra better than we can, so even if she's hiding we'll find her. Then we just follow.”

“What would we do when we find her?” Kizuki asks, looking up from his knees.

“I have no idea,” Rinka states, “She's quick, we didn't even see her leave and I didn't hear her footsteps. She didn't clarify the exact terms, how long we have or what is considered ‘her’. Do clothes count or just skin to skin contact? Do we all have to touch her or just one of us? We can use jutsu, I presume, but she didn't clarify so either she doesn't think it through completely or it's because we can take the rules as we wish.”

Touma’s quiet, watching her almost in awe and Rinka raises an eyebrow at him. He then smiles, moving closer, “Watching your mind work is fascinating!”

Her face goes red and she takes a step back, “Thank you?”

He grabs her hand and snatches up Kizuki to drag him up, “We're gonna do it, got it?”

He throws his arm forward and bugs flow from the sleeve. They spread out in all directions and Touma watches patiently until he turns abruptly and runs. Rinka and Kizuki follow quickly after him, he weaves through the civilian sect of Konoha and Rinka doesn’t miss the sideways glances they get and she doesn’t blame them. Three child shinobi running through the streets is not a typical sight to see, she’s sure of it. However, the sun’s going down and she doesn’t want to track Sora-sensei at night. So, she runs, her stamina is shit but she draws from her chakra to make it less unbearable to breathe through hoarse lungs.

Touma then launches himself and Rinka sees Sora-sensei dive away from him. Rinka slides to his side, kicking up some dirt as she skids across the ground. She snatches him up with one hand and keeps her eyes focused on Sora-sensei.

“That wasn’t the plan,” she hisses out.

Touma grins wide, “We didn’t have a plan, remember?”

“Don’t tell her that!” Kizuki shrieks.

“You three gonna attack, or just sit there?” Sora-sensei has sat herself on a thick branch and she smiles widely, she tilts her head as she asks it, taunting them.

Rinka huffs, trailing her eyes over her sensei’s form. She’s formulating a plan but it’s fuzzy, vague around the edges with question marks scrawled across the middle. Her hand tightens around the fabric of Touma’s shirt and yanks him up to her level. Her eyes don’t leave Sora-sensei, not even when Kizuki gets closer to listen to her low words. Touma nods aggressively at the end and he watches the grin from Sora-sensei turn into something more sinister. She claps her hands together and dives down to the ground.

“Figured it out yet?”

“Not sure,” Rinka replies, “I hope so.”

Touma throws himself at one side of Sora and Kizuki takes the other, she jumps up, avoiding both and planting her feet on the trunk of one of the trees. Rinka finally runs forward, sliding underneath Sora-sensei and forming handsigns. Her shadow shoots forward, but doesn't attach itself to Sora’s. Not until she finally drops and the shadow diverts to reach her. It thins as Sora-sensei evades it and Touma takes this moment of distraction to throw his hand out to touch Sora-sensei. Only, there was one flaw, Sora flips over him, landing effortlessly on her feet and Rinka finally releases the hand sign holding her jutsu together.

Sora goes to leap again, suddenly spooked by the floor underneath her giving out, but Kizuki is able to graze her foot with his fingertips while he crawls out of the dirt. Rinka sees it clear as day and lets out a breath, Touma jumping up and down, throwing his hands up in victory.

Sora-sensei tilts her head, “What are they teaching you? Elemental jutsu is restricted until you become genin during peace times.”

“Not for clan kids!” Touma points out.

“The Sato’s aren’t a shinobi clan,” Sora-sensei responds.

“The Aburame are,” Rinka shifts her weight to her left foot, “Kizuki and Touma have been friends since before the academy and Touma is a prodigy within his clan. It gets him special treatment which also entails teaching his closest friend.”

Sora-sensei shifts her attention to Rink, “And how did you know? This wasn’t in his file so he didn’t show it during the academy.”

“It’s obvious when you look.”

Sora-sensei grins, “Well, good job, Kizuki! Being able to hold a jutsu that long is good, especially for your age. You all showed remarkable skill today and you have proven to me that you are all worth being ninja!”

“Yes! I told you both!” Touma shouts, grabbing Kizuki and Rinka and dragging them into his embrace.

Sora-sensei laughs, soft and deeper than her voice typically sounds, “I welcome you all to Team Four.”