[center][b]Suki Hanamoto[/center][/b]
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[i]An hour after graduating ~~[/i]

[b]“Congratulations on passing your exams, Suki.”[/b] Kanajiro smiled at her and tilted his head sideways a bit, bending through his knees a bit. In front of him, in his hands, laid a packaged present for Suki. For once, Suki seemed to smile back as she grabbed the present and unwrapped it, discovering a trench-knife styled kunai in it with the mark of the Hanamoto clan in it. She pushed her fingers through the holes and gripped the kunai tight, giving it a few practice swings and stabs. [i]“Thank you, Kanajiro-sama, it's beautiful.”[/i]

Kanajiro waved her comment away as if it didn't matter before explaining how he got it. [b]“It used to be mother's kunai, so please cherish it Suki-chan.”[/b] Her eyes widened a bit as she put the kunai away safely in her pouch, suddenly realizing that this had to have been one of the few things that remained from mother. She looked around the courtyard, which was surprisingly empty. Though, it was to be expected that nobody but Kanajiro cared for her graduation, she was Haha no Hanamoto after all. [i]“Kanajiro-sama, when will I have to take the ceremony?”[/i] She looked sort of nervous, not fully realizing the traditions of the family. [b]“Last I checked you were a girl, Suki. Girls don't take the ceremony, because men need to prove their worth. A woman will always have worth to the family in bearing children -- though I expect you prefer to be a shinobi.”[/b] She seemed somewhat more at ease, relaxing her shoulders and neck a bit more once she got the news. [i]“Hai, Kanajiro-sama. I want to be a shinobi, definetely now. I was always bored with class, but not anymore. I know who my sensei will be, do you wish to know who, Kanajiro-sama?”[/i]

Kanajiro noted the difference in her voice compared to normal, when she always sounded tired and bored. But now, for once, she seemed to be looking forward to being a shinobi. Maybe mother had been the same when she was a child. He grinned at her for no obvious reason. [b]“Yes, Suki-san. Let's hear it.”[/b] he said as he walked off, Suki following him closely before catching up fully and walking next to him through the estate gates. They were headed for the library, as Kanajiro had to pick up some research books for a project of his. Meanwhile, during the walk, Suki opened up a bit towards her big brother and started talking on her own accord. [i]“I got a card from my new sensei already, congratulating me. It even had a bag of bonbons attached, so I think she will be nice to me. Her name is Kaedai Hyuga, and people say she escaped from Konoha. I wonder if dad knows her, you think?”[/i]

Kanajiro thought back to their father, who was living in a grand palace in the land of Fire. [b]“Yeah, I think so. If she escaped, that makes her his problem as well. However I didn't know Iwagakure had Hyuga refugees. Pretty cool sensei you have. I'm stuck with some lame Granite Guard. They all think that they are pretty tough. Wait until they see you in a few years.. you'll kick their ass, Suki.”[/b] He grinned as he said so but he meant every word of it -- the Granite Guard were pretty stuck up mostly. There were only two or three of them that didn't think they were all powerful. But Kanajiro had seen some of them parading around -- Xavi, Kyoko, Yuga.. they all seemed to think themselves the ultimate shinobi. But Kanajiro would ensure that the Hanamoto clan would become better than that -- powerful and humble. 

[i]“You're probably right, Kanajiro-sama. I mean, she's probably cool.. I'm not sure if I can ever take on Granite Guards like you will be. Is it true that the Hanamoto fighting style is inspired by the Hyuga?”[/i] Kanajiro saw the library coming into sight, and put an arm behind his head. He scratched the back of his head thinking of an answer. [b]“Yeah, I guess you can say that. We took their style of harming someone without hitting them. We cannot cut off someones' tenketsu. But our fire can burn someone without hitting them. And in another way, we use a mixture of simple knuckle-hard fighting and more subtle styles, using open hands, palm strikes and pivoting on ones place. In short.. we like to rush into battle and start hand-to-hand combat, but you'll often find people switching to stance fighting, preferring to stay close to the enemy. Like so.”[/b]

As a manner of a joking way of showing her what he meant, he stepped out in front of her suddenly facing her, grabbed her arm and extended it with force, sending a palmstrike towards her elbow mimicking the breaking of it, before shoving her back with his opened palm and following her, extending his foot forwards in between her feet and stopping his hand inches from her face, knuckles almost touching her. He straightened himself again and put a hand on her hand, shoving her forwards towards the library again as he walked aside her. She seemed taken aback a bit, but quickly got back to normal. [i]“Kanajiro-sama, why are we going to the library anyway?”[/i] she said as they entered, but Kanajiro didn't answer and instead just went and got the books, telling her to stay put. She leaned against the wall and almost fell asleep. Kanajiro was gone for like.. 20 minutes. [i]“Wonder what he's getting..”[/i] she mumbled, her eyes already closed. But right then, he appeared in front of her with a pile of about 10 books, all related to 'teaching effectively.' Such a strange selection of books for a student. Ah well.. Suki got up again and walked home with her brother after this long day. Finally she was a genin like Kanajiro and Daisuke.