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[INDENT][sup][COLOR=gray][b]TIME:[/b] [i]4 days ago[/i] | [b]LOCATION:[/b] [i]Orphanage[/i] | [b]INTERACTION:[/b][@Halvtand], [@Vox][/COLOR][/sup][/INDENT]

Sadako yawned, stretching her right arm up and over the top of her head while the left rested carelessly behind her head, before moving to the front to rub her eyes with her arm. Once she’d sufficiently caused her vision to go blurry and a hundred-and-one colors, she let her arms fall down onto her lap, staring blankly ahead in the girls barracks of the orphanage. Around her there were several empty beds of those unfortunate souls that had morning practice, who had to get up at 4AM and be on the field at 5.30 precisely to start their training. Other beds were still full, stuffed with tired bodies hiding under their blankets before they, too, had to get up and attend to chores. Luckily for Sadako, that time was past her now, and all she had to worry about was making it to the graduation ceremony on time. A beam of light cracked through one of the windows through the slit between the two curtains, shining directly in Sadako’s face. [color=gray]“Hngg..”[/color] she groaned, slowly getting up and turning herself to the side of the bed, slipping her feet into some slippers before getting up, shuffling her way past the other beds towards the door to enter the common room where she could have breakfast.

Breakfast was served by a moody man, late 50’s, who seemed to have no particular interest in helping poor sad orphans get a healthy meal before they were subdued to hours of rough training. “Hard labor produces hard shinobi,” was what the sensei’s told them. Probably true, in Sadako’s mind. That, too, was now over! At long last. She sat down with the plate of food, setting it down with a satisfying loud clack, and shovelled it down her throat. She was never one to mind her manners when she was in her own headspace, too preoccupied with other pressing matters such as wondering whether people liked her or not. Once she was done, she stood up and returned the plate, turned around and went to walk back to her bed to get dressed. She raised her arm again to rub her eyes some more, and while she half-assedly blinded herself, she bumped into someone. A cacophony of apologies was quick to burst forth, [color=gray]“Sorry, sorry! I didn’t see you, I apologize!”[/color], quickly lowering her arm only to see a fellow graduate in front of her – Kyosuke, a genjutsu and medical expert – which prompted her to smile as wide as she could. [color=gray]“Goodmorning, Kyosuke! Are you ready for the big day? I heard the kage herself is coming to visit us! Oh, I’m so excited to…”[/color] She trailed off momentarily, caught in her own thoughts, completely forgetting that she was still in her pyjama.

[i]Am I annoying him? Kyosuke really doesn’t like talking to people, much less me… I should probably just go…[/i]

[color=gray]“A-ah, well, I guess I’ll uhh.. see you at the academy!”[/color] She once again flashed the boy a smile, this time much less wide and much less sincere, before turning around the boy in an effort to get past him, before hurrying along to the girls barracks in a pace that only someone ashamed of themselves could match. Once she was inside, and had the door shut, she sighed at her pitiful attempt at making friends. Throughout the years at the academy, she’d often wandered from friend group to friend group, only to end up leaving them when she’d convinced herself that her new ‘friends’ didn’t really [i]really[/i] like her. Why would this time be any different? She was an idiot for even thinking of talking to him.

Once she found her bed in the row of tens of bed, she quickly got dressed again, wearing the same outfit she always wore. A black sleeveless croptop that she’d cut herself out of a shirt, some beige-ish hand-me-downs from an orphan that graduated a few years ago, and her shoes, probably the only thing that she’d actually gotten to fit her. She strapped her pouches to her leg and to her waist, and then made ready to leave. [color=gray]“One.. two.. three.. one.. two.. three..”[/color] she murmured to herself, stretching herself from left to right with her hands above her head, before getting ready in a running position. She took off towards the other side of the hall, aiming at window, and once she got close enough, she grabbed the windowsill and hopped out, turning her body so that she’d be hanging off the edge. She let go with one hand to allow herself to rotate her body a bit, peering down at the entrance of the orphanage just in time to see Kyosuke make his exit out of the building. Sheesh, how long had she taken to get dressed? Well, no time to worry about that now. She leaped off from the windowsill, and landed on a nearby roof, with just enough space to take two steps and leap up towards a nearby platform attached to one of the many metal pipes that ran through Amegakure.

[hr]

The actual ceremony went much like they’d practiced, and was about what Sadako expected. There was nobody there for her to cheer her on or celebrate with her, and when the assistant to the kage was speaking, her mind was focused on herself, wondering what this new change in her life would mean for her. Finally, she could be independent, and rent her own apartment, live alone without the rules of the orphanage. But, what else would it mean for her? She’d get to work in a team. What if they didn’t like her? What if she messed up and they started hating her for it? The sky broke open, momentarily, and the sun came through for once, the rain making way for it. But Sadako was still deep in her thought. [i]What if I become a failure?[/i]

She was taken away from this train of thought when a shinobi headband was pressed into her hand by the assistant, forcing her to look up and acknowledge the man, nodding her head up and down to acknowledge his words, too. She understood what he was saying. When the assistant moved back, Sadako’s eyes were drawn to Kaguya Yogensha – the kage of the hidden Rain – watching her lips as she spoke. To Sadako, Yogensha might have well been the most beautiful woman alive. There were very few role models like her in the orphanage, someone that dressed and moved with grace. Let alone what her powers might be. But her words, her words were what resonated with Sadako. She repeated after the kage, speaking to herself, [color=gray]“to bear the burden of sacrifice so that others do not have to…”[/color] That was a nindo worth living for. And that, too, was the will of the Rain, perhaps not officially, but it was present in the hearts of the shinobi of the Rain. At least, Sadako hoped so.

The assistant gave a few closing words while Yogensha made her way out of the courtyard, and while they were meant to put on their headbands when the assistant spoke again, Sadako paused for a moment. She stared at the stripes on the headband, signifying Amegakure no Sato. [i]So… this is it, huh? This is what we spent our time working for? A piece of cloth and some metal.[/i] With a shaking hand she raised her arm and tied the headband around her forehead, where it would temporarily rest for now. [i]I guess cloth and metal is more than I ever had,[/i] she thought to herself as the rest around her cheered. 

She was quick to droop off in a similar direction as Kyosuke would go, since the two of them would be heading back to the orphanage to prepare for their moving out – at least, presuming Kyosuke wanted to get out of there as much as Sadako wanted to. Being trapped there for even longer just to help with the orphanage’s chores was not something she was looking forward to. However, as she stood on the outskirts of the group, alone, a sudden touch from behind alerted her. Before she could react or even see who was there, she was dragged to the side towards where Kyosuke had been standing. 

Sneaking out of an orphanage? Sneaking [i]in[/i] to an orphanage? [i]Saito no Kareraisu?[/i] Oh, [b]shoot![/b] She’d completely forgotten that Hikari had hand-delivered the invite to her in the orphanage, and estimating from Kyosuke’s presence, she’d done the same for him. She’d just assumed it was a pity-invite, guessing that someone as popular as Hikari had no wish to hang out with someone like Sadako, but maybe she was serious after all? Or was she just pulling a prank on her?

[color=gray]“A-ah… the restaurant…”[/color] she said, with a hint of insecurity in her voice. She looked down for a moment, staring at a puddle on the ground. Then she looked up to Hikari, flashing her the widest smile that anyone might’ve ever seen, before throwing up her hand and sticking up her thumb. [color=gray]“Of course! Wouldn’t wanna miss it for anything!”[/color] She smiled at Kyosuke as well, before a sudden realization set in. Her sudden cheerfulness made way for something else entirely. [color=gray]“Umm… Hikari-chan.. I forgot I don’t have any money. Maybe I can join you guys next time..?”[/color]