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Arc I Chapter 3

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Terribly bored, Asami played with her hair to pass the time. Hama was nowhere to be seen.

Hama arrived, eventually. She was only two hours late.

“Come, Asami-chan, introduce yourself. Don't be shy!” Okaa-san encouraged her.

Asami grumbled, but she obeyed. Stupid pleasantries. Stupid etiquette Stupid humans.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, I am Asami.” Armed with an innocent smile, Asami bowed.

Hama beamed. “The pleasure is all mine, I am Hama.“ She immediately attacked her cheeks, trying to pinch them in vain.

Asami dodged. No pinching. Just looking.

“I can't believe how polite and cute you are, Asami-chan. Kurano didn’t lie when she boasted about her little treasure.”

Asami raised her eyebrow. “Did she? I suppose okaa-san has the tendency to exaggerate when it comes to me, Hama. The majority of her claims are probably ... insubstantial.”

Hama blinked in confusion.

Asami tilted her head. Had she done something wrong?

“I don’t think so, Asami-chan. Kurano told me you are quite the prodigy, an incomparable fast learner, highly intelligent.”

Asami deflected. “Not really. I am neither a prodigy nor intelligent. I just know a lot. Nothing more, nothing less.“

Her mind. Reading, speaking, writing didn't represent a serious challenge as her biological and mental age didn't correspond. She was older than her actual body suggested, but okaa-san didn't know.

They sat down. Okaa-san and Hama discussed various mundane matters she didn’t care about. As usual, Asami suffered from boredom. She fought against her inner desire to fall asleep. She felt sleepy, and the ground was strangely inviting. Take a little nap! Nothing can happen!

But then something interesting came up. Something that drew her attention.

“Hama, tell me, doesn’t Shino enter the academy soon? Didn't you say he wanted to become a shinobi?”

Academy? Shinobi? There existed an academy for shinobi? Interesting. Asami listened.

Hama nodded. “He trains night and day for the admission exam next week. He will need a high score to make it into one of the better classes with all the clan children.”

Children? Asami blinked. Even she understood that shinobi had to come from somewhere. After all, they didn’t grow on trees. But recruiting children? Was the manpower situation really so desperate that Konoha had to rely on children?

Asami shook her head. Konoha had plenty of stupid ideas, but sending your youngest out to fight was the pinnacle stupidity.

Still, Konoha's stupidity was her chance. Her current life bored Asami. It lacked entertainment. Maybe she should enter the academy? Being a shinobi whatever sounded like a lot of fun, didn’t it?

Asami's eyes glimmered in delight. A plan was made and a conversation interrupted.

Supported by childish glee, Asami tugged on okaa-san's sleeves, “Okaa-san! Okaa-san! Okaa-san! Okaa-san, can I become a shinobi too?”

Kurano fell very silent.

Asami didn't understand why. Wasn't it perfectly normal for any girl to dream of being a kunoichi? And she would certainly make for a good kunoichi, wouldn't she?

Asami tilted her head.

Kurano patted her daughter. "Asami-chan, why are you saying something like this? You shouldn't become a shinobi. The life of a shinobi is dangerous. You could die."

"Don't think being a shinobi is a harmless game. Nobody forces you to be one, my little princess." Okaa-san pinched her chubby cheeks.

"But ... But ... Why? If Shino can be a shinobi, why can't I too?" Asami protested. Nobody could beat child logic. Okaa-san didn't have the strength to deny her little princess anything. She had just to beg until she got what she wanted.

Kurano tensed up. "Asami-chan, deciding on being a shinobi is a serious matter. Besides, your constitution doesn't allow it. Your body is frail, not suited for the hardships of shinobi life. "

Kurano sighed. “So why do you even want to become a shinobi? Because it's en vogue these days?“

Asami pumped her fists and opened her heart. "Because I want to protect okaa-san! I want to protect okaa-san with everything I have!" Asami pumped her tiny fists.

Her cheerful declaration touched Hama while okaa-san remained hard. Neither convinced nor relieved, okaa-san refused to budge. Her concerns were plainly written all over her face.

"Please! Please! Please!" Asami continued with her childish pleas, and eventually, she succeeded in breaking okaa-san's defence.

Kurano gave in to her combined assault of adorable cuteness. "We will talk about this later again, Asami-chan. Understood?"

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Hama left. Asami and Kurano were now alone. The sat together, staring at each other. Neither of them spoke, not daring to disturb the encroaching silence. They just sat there, waiting for the right moment.

Time passed, and day turned night. The sun set and darkness took its rightful place. The atmosphere was icy. The silence heavy, suffocating, nearly insufferable. But even the thickest ice would be broken.

"Is that really what you want, Asami? Is becoming a shinobi truly what your heart desires?" Kurano struggled to find the right words.

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