• Since agreeing with Shino about finding insects with him. I've met him by the forest everyday after he and I had practice done. He never really liked to talk, even though I tried holding a conversation with him, for when we were hunting. Then I got an idea to try to get him to talk.
    "Shino why do you were glasses even when you're in the dark?" He didn't even look up or give me an answer. I prodded at him again. "You'd think you wouldn't be able to see with those on," I said, looking down to see a centipede crawling up my leg. My face blanched, I looked back up to see Shino on the other side, of a bush that separated us. "S-Shino?" I stuttered still with the centipede on my mind. He turned to me, and I lifted my leg up, and pointed at the little creepy crawly.
    Sighing he walked over to me and took it off, and began examining yet another bug. Then stuck it in his container, and went back to his business. Sighing he finally looked back towards me. "Just stand there," He said pointing in front of a tree.
    "Why should I?" I asked warily.
    "I want to see if something happens," He answered. Wow this was the longest conversation we've had!! I walked to the spot and waited. A butterfly came into the little clearing, and it fluttered besides me till it landed on my shoulder. "Interesting," Shino said seeing as it landed on me and not him, I think.
    "What?" He moved his head slightly from the butterfly to my face, I think seeing as I couldn't see where his eyes were going.
    "Insects seem to like you for some odd reason," He told me. "Maybe it's the way you look, or even your scent?" That made me look at him like he was crazy.
    "Wait a minute," I interupted. "If you can communicate with insects why bring me?" I asked
    "It's just easier to have you as a magnet," Shino said bluntly.


    After a week or so of this, I was getting considerably better in the aspects of jutsu. The only one I hadn't been working on very often was Ninjutsu...but I would find time for that later. Iruka had recovered to the point where he could hobble around a little bit, and after spending this much time with Ino, I had learned a decent amount of flower arranging. Not that helpful, but still, an interesting skill.
    It was a warm afternoon that I met to talk with Kakashi. We were going to chat a bit before sparring - I had some questions on jutsu. "How do you develop a new jutsu, Kakashi-Sensei?" I asked, hands on hips.
    "What makes you ask?"
    "Almost everyone I know has their own, special jutsu up their sleeve. I have one."
    "Oh. Well, to keep you in the "in" crowd, I guess I'll show you." he said teasingly. "You have to experiment with the elements you want incorporated into this jutsu, see what compliments what, etc. And you have to adjust your chakra accordingly. First, show me this one special jutsu you have."
    I nodded to momoko, who scittered off a distance away. I made the appropriate handsigns and then - poof, I was in Momoko's place. kakashi turned to Momoko, who now looked like me. I watched as Momoko ran at him, arms raised to attack. As Kakashi turned, I leapt through the air, readying my 10 meter punch (using my medical jutsu I could channel a little bit of chakra into my hit. The farthest I could send someone was 10 meters away). Suddenly the training ground began spin around me...I hit the ground with an oomf, which made Momoko turn to me. We had swapped back to our right places.
    "Matsuo?" Kakashi asked. Dots began to swarm in my vision, and his voice became hollow. "Are you alright? Matsuo?"
    And then everything went black.


    Seeing as I had helped out Shino for a couple of days I decided it was time for me to get away from him, and take some time to get to do more stuff. Checking my fridge I discovered there wasn't really anything in there at all, and the only thing I had been eating was ramen. I had to find more healthier stuff. Miki and Sho had been left home for the last couple of days so I decided to bring them, which they happily obliged too. I went to the market which would surely have fresh produce. Once there I started scavenging for the food I needed. Grabbing fresh veggies, fruits and some meats. "Thank you," I said smiling towards the young woman who I just paid for my groceries.
    "No problem come, again!" She said back to me. I started walking back to my apartment to put things away.
    Rounding a corner smiling, I had ran into someone, who shrieked loudly. My groceries had dumped out of the bag when I dropped them while falling
    "O-Oh I'm s-so sorry! L-Let m-m-me help y-you," I looked up to see a very shy girl in front of me with back-ish blue hair, and milky, almost lavender eyes.
    "It's no problem really," I said smiling. She started blushing. "Really I should have had my eyes open while I was walking," I told her which seemed to calm her just a bit.
    "S-Still I w-w-want to help with something I caused," She said.
    I put my hand out to her in a kind gesture. "My names Akane Makoto. What about you?" I asked smiling at her while we stood back up.
    "I-I'm Hinata Hyuuga," She said shyly.


    When I opened my eyes, I was staring up at a hospital ceiling. Thinking I had fallen asleep next to Iruka again, I went to sit up - only to feel a heavy hand push me back down. I turned my head (gosh, was my neck stiff) to see my uncle, looking down at me worriedly. "Stay there," he murmured. "Don't move around too much."
    "What happened?"
    "You passed out." He shot an accusing glance at someone on the other side of the room. "You're not training with Kakashi anymore. That was too strenuous. I told you to take it easy."
    tilting my head, I looked in the direction he had glared. Kakashi was outside, leaning with his back against the window of the room. "I'm not going to stop training," I said hoarsely. "I'm getting so much stronger." I jerked away from his hand and sat up, head spinning as I propped myself up against the cushions. "It's probably because i used so much chakra. I experimented with a lot of new Genjutsu today. I'll be fine."
    Iruka folded his arms. For the first time I realized he was back in his Chunin outfit, crutches leaning against the bed. "I know I'm not your father, but you have to listen to me."
    I was silent, staring through the window. Kiba was outside now, looking slightly frantic. Kakashi was talking to him, hand waving around. Akamaru barked. "I'll figure something out. But I won't stop training. I have to be ready for the Chunin Exams."
    "Matsuo, you're killing yourself!"
    I set my jaw at his yell. "I'll just stop working at the flower shop with Ino. I'll use that time to sleep."
    Iruka threw his hands up. "Matsuo, are you hearing a word I'm saying? You. Are. Killing. Yourself. You need to rest. You need to relax. No more training."
    I glared at him. He sighed. "Okay, some training. Take the nap. Less hours volunteering at the hospital. Good, wholesome meals, and less hours visiting me. Deal?"
    "Deal."
    There was a knock on the glass. I turned to see kiba, who promptly made a funny face. I laughed and waved. Behind him, Kakashi gave me a long, expressionless look before turning and walking away