[Nara Shun]

NARA SHUN CHRONICLES

- t h e  t a l e  o f -

A  T I M E  T O  L E A R N

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08:30 - Konoha, Academy

”Settle down, class!” a young man spoke over the chirping of many children. A whole class of students had gathered outside of the Shinobi Academy. There was a whiteboard in front of them and it looked like class had not started yet. In the meantime, it looked like all the kids had formed smaller groups and were chatting to each other.

Amidst one of those groups was Shun, a raven haired girl in a dusty pink shirt and black joggers. By her age, girls started putting more effort in and would show up with hair, make up and nails done more often than not. However, there was a good proportion of students who came in very casual and the young Nara was one of them. She liked pretty things as much as any other teenager but simply could not be bothered to get up earlier and prepare. Maybe, if it wasn’t so early…

”So I got both, see? Which ones are better?” a girl in Shun’s group was showcasing two different types of nail colour. One was a dark tone with flowers drawn on top and the other was a multicolour wave pattern. It looked like a lot of time was put in both. Shun was sort of zoning out and the only one not really participating in the conversation. Her mind was still busy from the events going on in her training life.

The girl had many passions but was very selective about effort. She liked to train - but only the hardest things and didn’t enjoy menial training. Her pet peeve was morning jogs but, apparently, kunoichi need stamina, so it couldn’t be helped. *I still can’t believe the old man woke me up at sunrise to go running again… isn’t that abuse or something?* The memory of the morning events led to her crossing her arms and furrowing her brow. Shun was definitely not a morning person - no matter how much her family wanted her to be. The girl took a slow breath and sighed heavily with her head hanging low. *It’s definitely abuse…*

”Shun, what do you think?” one of her friends finally got the young Nara to pay attention to the present again. Shun lifted her gaze to her classmate: ”Oh, sorry, I got lost in thought…” This was followed by some remarks on how that’s nothing new at all and some of the girls quickly dismissed the common occurrence and continued chatting about something else.

”I think both of them are great! I guess it depends on the feel you’re going for.” Shun said with a smile after carefully looking at both patterns.

”Tch, that doesn’t help at allll, Shun!” her friend groaned and blew a part of her fringe out of her eyes.

Suddenly, the teacher spoke up again. It looked like he had been trying to talk over some kids for a while now but finally the guest instructor had arrived. ”Ok, class! Quiet down and listen up! I’d like to introduce your instructor for today!”

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Words: 526
Shun: 496b36
Tag: senju rinka

[senju rinka]

KICHIJOTEN PRESENTS: It had been a very long time since Rinka had worked as a professional performer, but the theater was in her blood, and she understood the importance of a decent cue when she heard one. As soon as the teacher in charge said quiet down and listen up!, Rinka stepped out of the academy and into the grass. Sunlight-yellow hair cascading to her hips in perfect curls, swathed in a creamy white dress and a cloud of fragrant incense, jewelry jingling from exposed throat to bare ankle: she looked less a jounin than a foreign dancer, and yet the Konohagakure hitai-ate was belted comfortably at her hip, a clear sign of her place within the hierarchy. "Good morning, students,” she said brightly, clasping her hands together. She surveyed the classroom, making brief eye contact with each student, one by one. "My name is Senju Rinka. I hope we have a wonderful lesson together today.” She turned in place, taking a marker that the instructor offered, and wrote a single kanji on the whiteboard: 歿. "Show of hands,” she said as she carefully drew the character, stroke by artistic stroke. "How many of you have known someone who has died in the line of duty?” The instructor blanched, staring at her—a protest clearly rose to his lips, but as his eyes met Rinka’s his courage failed him, and he was unable to re-assert dominance over the assembled students. Meekly he subsided and began furiously scribbling notes, presumably in an effort to cover his ass. Nara Shun -- 250

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[Nara Shun]

NARA SHUN CHRONICLES

- t h e  t a l e  o f -

A  T I M E  T O  L E A R N

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”Good morning, Senju-sensei!” the class responded in a choir after their instructor introduced herself. All the students had sat down and were mostly attentive looking up at Rinka. No one spoke and the only other sounds besides her voice were a light breeze and the murmur of other classes coming from the building behind them.

Sniff, sniff Shun’s nose picked up the fragrance Rinka was carrying with her. The Nara was sat with her ankles crossed at the front of the class and looking up at the Senju. *That scent is very calming… kind of makes me want a cup of tea and roll up in a blanket.*

As far as first impressions go, Rinka had done great. She captured the attention of everyone and the way she carried herself was confident enough to inspire respect and some awe. Some of the students started whispering amongst themselves that their instructor was very pretty and some would discuss her outfit amongst themselves. It was a subtle veil of whispers very expected of a bunch of teenagers… it ceased immediately when Rinka wrote the kanji on the board.

”D-death!?” someone sitting near Shun stammered out in surprise. With the airy and sunny look of the teacher, no one expected her to drop such a subject. The class was taken aback for a moment but, after a brief silence, some hands started lifting up.

”I have. My aunt…” a boy spoke up from the back. Most glanced back at him in a form of condolence and soon after other hands started raising up. ”Me too! My grandpa.” someone called out. ”Me, too!” Soon about half the class had lifted their hands.

Shun looked around and suddenly felt a bit ashamed. Only a moment ago had she complained about her dad even though she was the one who had insisted on training so early a few years back. Sometimes it was easy to forget that the profession they study for has casualties more than other jobs. The question was in the air now - the cheerfulness of youth was very present in the group and the kids were relatively close - would they all retire together, too? Or even get to retirement?

*Somehow the atmosphere got a bit heavy now…* however, most of the students were curious as to where Senju-sensei was going with this.

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Words: 405
Shun: 496b36
Tag: senju rinka

[senju rinka]

KICHIJOTEN PRESENTS: The aura of their little outdoor gathering space grew noticeably heavier, a tension rising in the air as children offered up deceased loved ones like libations to an altar. Where was Senju-sensei going with this? A question the lead instructor would surely have loved an answer to before Rinka had opened her mouth, but alas: none was forthcoming. "I have also known death,” Rinka said, soft and sure. Beneath the character for death, she wrote another number of kanji, more quickly now: a series of names. Uzumaki, Senju, Uchiha, Yamanaka. Nara. Some names less notable, but all clearly written, without hesitation, twelve in total. "One was a chuunin I directly mentored for five years. She was a girl from the Nara clan—beautiful, intelligent, quick-witted, as lazy as a foxling on a summer’s day.” Rinka held out the marker to the gathered students: an open invitation for any one of them to take. "Memorialize those who have passed, if you would. Keep them in your heart as we continue our discussion today. Consider how it might feel to have to write your best friend’s name on this board—how it might feel for your best friend to have to write yours.” Then, as she waited for whichever brave soul would be the first to take the marker and write a name, she asked: "Who here can tell me the purpose of the shinobi village?” Nara Shun -- 234

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[Nara Shun]

NARA SHUN CHRONICLES

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A  T I M E  T O  L E A R N

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”?!” Shun tensed up and felt a cold plunge in her stomach. Seeing her clan name on the board was intimidating. All the students in the class were a little thrown but it was especially strange to see their family names on a list of deceased people - even if they weren’t too specific. Senju-sensei described her Nara apprentice and Shun couldn’t help but feel anxiety take a hold on her body. She was never cowardly or too shy but her imagination enhanced the slight dread and now the girl was thinking it could have been her. The description of being clever and lazy wasn’t far off as well. At that point it would match a lot of members from the clan, actually, but the young girl took it personally.

She looked down for a bit and tried to decipher what it was her body was feeling for a moment. The teacher held out the marker for others to go up and write names but Shun felt like it wasn’t the place for her. The girl empathised too much with others and hadn’t lost anyone ‘close’ to her. Of course, coming from one of the shinobi clans of Konoha, there were casualties she was aware of but thus far no one she knew well had passed - it was always just a name of a person that seemed very distant from reality.

Some of the students came up and went up to add names of their loved ones. At first there was just one but then a couple more lined up. The subject seemed to have urged the young ones for some deeper thought. Some also lifted up their hands to answer the next question.

”The purpose of a shinobi village is to serve the lords of the country and work as part of their military force when called upon.” one boy spoke up. Another girl lifted her hand and added: ”I think the purpose of a shinobi village is to win.”

Shun, on the other hand had always had a more romantic view of what the village meant and, trying to let go of the pit in her gut, she also lifted her arm and spoke up: ”The village protects the country.” simply put she saw the shinobi force as aides for maintaining the wellbeing and interests of the ruling parties and citizens.

”What happened to your apprentice? The Nara chuunin?” before she even knew it, the girl had posed the question. Her curiosity met anxiety and she let it get the best of her.

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Words: 433
Shun: 496b36
Tag: senju rinka

[senju rinka]

KICHIJOTEN PRESENTS: Names went up, slowly at first, then more as the students’ courage was mustered. Most were names that she didn’t recognize; Konoha was a large village and thousands of shinobi were in its employ. But the sentiment was there, held and acknowledged in a moment of collective grief. Rinka nodded in quiet acknowledgement as hands lifted and her question was answered—the faintest of smiles crossing her lips at the confident assertion that the purpose of the village was to win. Win what?, she might have asked, pushing down the line of inquiry that there was a universal challenge to be bested or fight to be conquered. Instead there was one more hand that lifted: a young girl with dark hair and pale skin. A ghost of her past made flesh. "Nara Shibaji,” Rinka said. "We embarked on a mission to oust Otogakure shinobi from the borders of Forest Country. It was a difficult fight with unexpected parameters, and Shibaji died in defense of her closest teammate.” A wistful smile, there and then gone. "They’d had a date scheduled for that weekend. A tragic, needless loss.” A pause, and then: "What is your understanding of protecting the country, miss…?” An invitation for the girl to share her name. Seeking a connection, perhaps, though there was undoubtedly none to be made. Nara Shun -- 223

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[Nara Shun]

NARA SHUN CHRONICLES

- t h e  t a l e  o f -

A  T I M E  T O  L E A R N

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”Eh!?” Shun uttered as she heard the story of the other Nara clanswoman. Some of the girls sitting near her started sobbing and saying how sad that was. More kids in the class were saddened and you could feel the occasional sob. Just as many people thought they would never die like that. The Nara girl swallowed the lump in her throat and took a moment to realise she had goosebumps. It was hard to imagine being on a mission since the children hadn't done any yet. Mainly, to Shun, it was just hard imagining going about your usual day and never returning.

”Nara…” her voice was a bit shaky at first, ”Shun, sensei.” The others already knew who she was and the clan symbol was always plastered on her clothes. It was easy to see how the story might get under her skin. Despite being shaken up, the girl still explained her take on the previous question: ”To protect is to ensure safety of the country. It may be the safety of the future - ensuring survival, safety of the country - physical safety of the borders and assets in the country or mental safety of the citizens - preventing causes of terror. At least, that's how I understand it.” Both of her parents had spoken quite openly (as far as allowed by their positions) to her about what it was like being a shinobi and what they had come across as mission objectives and some mission outcomes, so Shun had pieced together the information she had and worked off of that.

More than anything, however, her brain was coming up with probably plans on how to avoid death in missions. It was an abstract concept with little to no experience in the actual field but her imagination was colourful so she started listing plans from A to Z in case she was ambushed or in what conditions. Overthinking was a talent of hers.

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Words: 330
Shun: 496b36
Tag: senju rinka

[senju rinka]

KICHIJOTEN PRESENTS: Nara Shun. A ghost of the past, indeed. Rinka breathed in deep: a slow inhalation of memory, an even slower exhalation of grief, and the moment passed. Her smile was ever-present, her expression inscrutable beyond a brief flicker of emotion. "An interesting perspective,” she said. On an unclaimed corner of the board, she bullet-pointed what Shun had said: safety of the country, its assets, its borders, its citizens. Protection against terror. "When you enter the ranks of Konohagakure’s shinobi, you will be trusted with the execution of missions,” Rinka said. "Missions are contracts issued from many different sources—sometimes business owners seeking protection or civilian political leaders in need of assistance in their towns. Other times, business owners may seek to sabotage their competition, or a civilian political leader may want to subdue or eliminate dissenters.” She paused for a theatrical moment, allowing the sentiment to sink in. "You may not always agree with your mission objective,” she said gently, "but it is our duty as shinobi to see the mission through to the best of our abilities. That is what it means to trust in your leadership—your team leader, your Hokage.” She went on to explain that genin, as they would eventually be, would be entrusted with D-rank and C-rank missions; she talked about those kinds of mission parameters, the stakes involved, the payout. Broad-strokes terms and general concepts all—nothing that wasn’t information available to any curious citizen—but surprisingly detailed in spite of the delicacy with which Rinka navigated around the information. "Shun-chan,” Rinka said, clasping her hands together--picking on what, to her, seemed to be the most certain of the bunch. "How do you think completing missions allows us to protect the country—to achieve what you think is our purpose as a Hidden Village?” Nara Shun -- 294

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