[center][color=0072bc][h3]Shingetsu Hozuki[/h3][/color][/center]

	As dawn's first light broke through the window, Shingetsu awoke with a start. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up to look out the window at the rising sun.

	[color=0072bc][i]Mm... Looks like today's the day. I should start getting ready.[/i][/color]

	She stood up from the bathtub she used as a bed, her body solidifying into its usual shape as she did. She stepped out and stretched, testing her muscles and scanning her room to make sure everything was in order. The room was small and lit only by the morning sun, just the way she liked it. The only furnishings she had were her bed/tub, a chest with all of her clothes and gear, a small hotplate with a tea set on it, and the plaque with the Hozuki family crest where she hung Kiba and her jacket.

	She pulled her Konoha genin uniform from the chest and looked it over dispassionately. [i][color=0072bc]No style at all,[/color][/i] she thought before liquefying herself and slipping into it anyway. She strapped the pouches containing her gear on, then grabbed her kettle and stepped down out into the house of the family she was staying with.

	"Ah, awake bright and early! I thought you would be. Here, no need for that. I already made tea and a bit of breakfast for you."

	Shingetsu smiled at her landlady, a kindly woman who ran a bakery from the lower floor of the house. Momoe Shiemi was the one who had taken the young Shingetsu in when she arrived in Konoha, and she had practically adopted the runaway. Kind and diligent, she represented all that was good about Konoha villagers in the eyes of Shingetsu. She had never married, but her bakery was more than successful enough to allow her to support a child. In a short time, the two had grown nearly as close as blood relatives.

	[color=0072bc]"Many thanks, Shiemi-san, but that was not necessary. A ninja of Konoha has to take care of herself, after all."[/color]

	"Oh, nonsense. You need to have the energy to face whatever your teacher might throw at you. And it's not as if I mind cooking, you know."

	[color=0072bc]"Well, I can hardly argue with that. Especially when that omelette smells as good as it does."[/color]

	"Darn right it does! And don't forget to take some rolls with you when you're done. They're filled with sweet bean paste so you can keep your energy up. It's good for building chakra, you know. I've got to start the bread for the shop now, so I'll see you when you come downstairs."

	[color=0072bc]"Thank you again." [i]She seems even more energetic than usual today... I wonder if it's just because of me finally becoming a genin?[/i][/color]

	Shingetsu sat down and ate quickly, but not too quickly to savor the meal and the strong tea that came with it. After washing her dishes, she went back into her room and put on her jacket, slipping several rolls into an inside pocket. She then turned to the sword rack and took down the twin blades that comprised Kiba, looking over the blades.

	[color=0072bc][i]Good morning, you two... I hope you're looking forward to genin training as much as I am. After all, you're going to be the partners I keep closest to me.[/i][/color]

	She tucked the blades into her waist sash behind her back, then took a deep breath before heading out the door, nodding to Shiemi as she left.

	"Good luck, Tsuki-chan! Get out there and make me proud!"
_________________________________________________________________________________________

	Rather than deal with the morning traffic, Shingetsu headed out behind her home and stepped into a small canal, melting into the water and following its path toward the academy, far more quickly than she could have walked. She hopped out of it and reformed on the edge just outside the main building, then headed inside without hesitation.

	She found Classroom 14 without a hitch, and only paused for a moment at the door.

	[i][color=0072bc]Here it is. This is where I meet the team I'll be dealing with for... well, who knows how long it could be? Nobody can tell what the future holds.[/color][/i]

	She took a breath and opened the door, striding confidently into the room where her new mentor and another teammate waited.

	[color=0072bc]"Good morning, everyone. I am Shingetsu Hozuki, and I look forward to training with you."[/color]