Ichiraku - Tumblr Posts

Staying in the Shadows (A Naruto Fanfic) Chapter 4 - Dropping Out.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 (Part I) Chapter 3 (Part II)

"Two Ichiraku Special, please," Jinko ordered as both her and Mitsuki sat at a table.

"Ichiraku ramen is the best ramen in the world!" Jinko looked at Mitsuki. The room smelled of spices and filled with customers chatting amongst themselves. The place had been redecorated. It was much larger than Jinko remembered. Jinko couldn't recognise it.

"Here you go!" A waiter placed their food. Both of them said their prayers and dug in. Mitsuki was gulping the noodles. His eyes were wide, amazed at the taste. Jinko chuckled at him. Mitsuki finished his bowl when Jinko's bowl was half. "Do you want some more?" she asked. Mitsuki shook his head. Mitsuki wanted to ask her about her past but was not sure how to bring up the subject. Jinko knew something was on Mitsuki's mind but she let it slide. He will tell her when he wants to.

"Uh, Jinko," Mitsuki interrupted in between her bite.

"Hm?" she asked.

"How come you never told me that you're from Konoha?"

She swallowed her morsel before replying, "Never came up. Didn't think it was important." It wasn't just that. She didn't want to bring up the subject as she didn't want to remember those days. Only few people knew of it, most of them were dead. Orochimaru knew some of it, but not everything.

"Well I'm bringing it up. Could please tell me?"

Jinko sighed. "I'm from Tao clan, which is a small but a proud clan of the Konoha. I grew up here, went to the academy and became a genin."

"What happened after that?" Mitsuki asked. He was curious about her past life. She was from Konoha meaning she might know some of the people here. What if she knew Naruto Uzumaki? The thought wasn't very far from his mind.

"Something came up and I had to dropout from the programme," she answered looking down. Mitsuki couldn't believe his ears. Dropping out of the programme? How can she quit? What was so important to give up being a shinobi?

"Why!" he exclaimed.

"It's a story for some other time. Nothing special. I don't want you to dwell on these trivial details," Jinko shook him off. "Now if you are done, we should leave and find ourselves a hotel to rest. I don't know about you but I'm pretty beat."

Jinko paid the bill before standing up and leaving the hotel with Mitsuki on toll.

After an hour of searching, Jinko and Mitsuki finally settled in a two room suite, which wasn't too hard on their budget. After making sure that Mitsuki was asleep, Jinko slid into her own bed. The streets seemed silent. It must be around midnight, she thought. Although she was tired Jinko couldn't make herself to go to sleep. Her mind kept going back to her past.

It had been months since formation of the Team 7. The missions assigned to them where only D-ranked. Naruto was becoming a nag, always complaining how bored he was with these mission and how he was ready for some serious ones. Tch, baka.

Ever since the bell test Jinko knew she was the weakest amongst them and she had to train extra hard for her to be of any use. She got up every morning and practiced her punches and shuriken throwing skills. She meditated before going to bed to increase her chakra control. She even asked Isao, her older brother to spar with her but he was too busy. Teme, if he ever comes to me asking for help, she thought grudgingly. These D-rank missions were easy as it didn't require any Ninjutsu or any other skills for that matter but she knew the day wasn't far away that she might have to go on a C-rank or B-rank missions.

Team 7 was in the Hokage's office for their new mission. "I don't want any of these baby missions. I want some real mission," Naruto yelled.

"How dare you! You're only freshly graduated genin and you are going to do missions D-ranked only, just like everybody else!" Iruka sensei yelled back.

"Naruto, listen to me," the Third said calmly. "Different people come to our village for missions and then we analyse them and categorize them into A, B..."  Lord Hokage was explaining how the village works but Naruto, Kakashi, Sasuke, Jinko and Sakura all zoned out and started listening to Naruto who was talking about ramen. "So I had this Tatsu ramen yesterday and I think I need Miso ramen today—"

"Silence!" Hokage silenced him. They directed their attention to him now.

"Ah! You always lecture me as if you're my grandfather or something! But I'm not the brat who pulled pranks all the time. I'm a ninja now and I want some ninja mission!" Naruto puffed his cheeks out and turned his back to lord Hokage.

Both Iruka and the Third laughed at his antics. "Alright. Since Naruto wants us to know that he is a former brat and want some ninja mission. So be it. I will assign you all one since you are so determined." This piqued Naruto's interest and he turned to the Hokage again.

"I'm giving you a C- rank mission. You are going to be the body guards of our client."

"Really? Who? Is it some feudal lord? Or a princess?" Naruto began rambling. Everyone was excited for the higher level mission but Jinko was sweating bullets. She knew this day was coming but never thought this early. Damn you, Naruto! she thought. She wasn't ready yet. D- rank missions were easy and nobody really understood each other's capabilities. But C- rank mission will be different. They would need to use their skills and talent. What if they laugh at Jinko for being so weak?

The door of the office was opened and in stepped a drunk old man. "What? A bunch of snot nosed kids," he slurred. "And you, the little one with an idiotic look on your face."

"Who's with the idiotic look on the face?" Naruto laughed. Everyone stepped closer to Naruto and he understood that it was him. "I'll demolish you!" He started flailing his punches around in the air.

Kakashi hold him back, "You can't demolish the client Naruto!"

"Now if you leave the room, I have some important matter to discuss with Jinko," the Third voiced over all the ruckus. Jinko looked at the Hokage, "Huh, me?"

"Yes." Everyone left the room and Jinko was now facing Iruka sensei and the Hokage. He put his elbows on the table and intertwined his fingers. He looked gravely at Jinko, almost like he knew whatever he wanted say wouldn't settle with her. He pitied her. Jinko was scared. Her mind overworking her imagination. Was someone dead? Is it Isao? No that can't be I saw him leave today. Who then? I'm I in trouble? Is it because of my performance? Jinko kept searching the ground as if it had answers.

"Jinko, your parents and I had a meeting this morning about your future. They had a peculiar request," he said, finally breaking the silence.

"A request?" Jinko's eyebrows creased.

"They came here for your unenrolment from the programme."

Unenrolment? "What do you mean?" Jinko asked incredulously.

The Hokage sighed. "They don't want you to continue being a shinobi. They want you to drop out," he said grievously.

"But why?" Jinko exclaimed. Outside the door, her team and Tazuna was interrupted in their argument by her loud, distressed voice.

"That you are going to have to discuss it with your family, my dear," the old man replied. His voice laced with sorrow for the girl. Jinko's eyes filled with tears, looking pleadingly at him to help her out. Her face flushed and a knot was forming in her stomach. Why would they do this? She thought many reasons as to what made her parents to take this step. Never in her wildest imagination she would have guessed the actual reason which would be released to her later that day.

"That's all, my child. There's nothing I can do here. If your parents change their mind then you can rejoin your team but till then I must strictly ask you to not participate in any kind of missions with your comrades."

Jinko couldn't hold it any longer. As soon as the Hokage was finished, she slammed opened the door and darted past her fellow comrades. She had her arm around her eyes to hide her tears but she couldn't help the sob that left her lips. Everyone outside were surprised by the sudden loud sound of the door slamming against the wall. Their faces were of confusion and concern for their teammate who passed by them sobbing. Even Sasuke was taken aback. "Hey Jinko! What's the matter? Where you going?" Naruto tried to stop her but his voice didn't reach her ears. He was about to run after her but Kakashi stopped him. "We have a mission to worry about," he told him, knowing full well of the conversation that was held inside. The Hokage broke the news to him just after Jinko's parents left. Naruto couldn't argue with him. Kakashi was right. I would ask her on our way to the Land of Waves, he thought.

"Mother!" Jinko yelled as she barged inside her house. "Mother! Father!"

"What is it Jinko? Should a lady be yelling this loud?" her mother chastised her as she came out into the living room.

"Mother what is this nonsense about you asking me to drop out?" Jinko asked wiping away her tears and fixing her attire.

"Yes. Your father and I need to talk with you," her mother replied calmly. "But before that, go and clean yourself. I will not have you in my house looking this filthy!"

Jinko went to her room and changed into her yukata. After tidying herself, she went downstairs in the living room. Jinko sat in front of her parent in a seiza, with her head bowed down. Her father, the head of the Tao clan, cleared his throat. "Jinko, my dear, you know how the Tao clan works, correct? We may be small but we are a proud clan. We are not powerful like the Uchihas, or have renowned kekkei genkai like the Hyugas, but we have connections. Connections which make us stronger, perhaps even more than the Uchihas. We maintain these connections by having good relations.

"And these good relations are because of mutual respect and a little give and take. Some times they make requests and we have to abide them, if we don't there will be consequences. Consequences which harm our clan's reputation. The same goes for them, dear—"

"But what does that have to do with me dropping out?" Jinko cut him off. "Quiet! Shouldn't you know better than to interrupt your father!" Jinko's mother shushed her. Jinko looked down at her hands clutching her yukata.

"As I was saying, a request has been made by the Eguchi clan from the Land of Silk. A request which involves you. The son of the feudal lord, heir of the Eguchi clan and you are arranged to be married." Jinko's father finished. There was silence in the room. Jinko sat transfixed, clutching her yukata. Her eyes flickered with shock. Married? He is not serious. He can't be!

"But why?" Jinko wailed. "Why me? I don't want to marry!"

"The Eguchi clan and Tao clan are bounded together by our common perspectives and our respect to our ancient principles and our traditions. They wanted a daughter in-law from a family with such beliefs. No better than the daughter of the Tao clan, don't you think?" her father explained. His face showed no emotion. He was unfazed by his daughters tears, which were now running down her cheeks.

"Now," her mother started this time. She looked almost bursting with joy to tell her further news. "They wanted a lady, one who could bear them their heirs and not a shinobi. That is why you will be dropping out of the programme and stay at home. I will teach you all the things that an ideal and perfect housewife needs to know. You'll be a real lady in no time." She smiled at her proud. Her mother got up and walked around the table. She bent down and hugged Jinko with her thin arms. She then proceeded to kiss Jinko's wet cheeks, all the while Jinko was motionless. Her mother then got up from her position and left with her father, both talking about being fortunate to receive such a proposal. Neither of them paying heed to Jinko.

A tear slipped from Jinko's eye as she remembered the day which turned her world upside down. She quickly wiped it away and shut her eyes to get some sleep, but orange light shimmered through her windows and fell upon her bed. The birds started chirping and the swishing of the brooms sweeping the road was heard. Well, might as well arrange breakfast before Mitsuki wakes up, she thought. Jinko stretched as she stepped out of her bed and started her day.