Keitaro stopped at Sakura's house which was right down the street.
Sakura. Sakura was Keitaro’s entire life. Her shimmering eyes reminded him of emerald orbs. Every time he looked into them he forgot all about the life he had always known.
"Hey Keitaro!” she said from her doorway, waking him from his trance
"Hey are you ready?" he asked
"Ya, I'm coming" she laughed knowing he was impatient.
They walked about a 1/2 mile until they reached the academy.
About the academy, this was not an ordinary high school. sure they learned algebra, english, and biology, but here at this school everyone was a trained fighter. At this school teachers didn't break up fights, they graded them.
When they got inside they heard lieutenant Wyningham over the intercom:
"Three-Man-Squads will be chosen this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. that is all"
Keitaro turned around to see Mac Callihon and Jake Rath walking down the hallway
"Hey Keitaro. Hey Sakura", Jake said as he saw them
"This is a lucky day, I've seen everyone who actually likes me, before I've actually been insulted"
“Hey Jake,” they both replied.
"You ready?" Mac asked
"Sure" Keitaro answered as he looked at his schedule. It was a new semester so they had different classes.
“Hey Namikaze!” Keitaro heard a voice shout “What are you doing here?” It was Blake the “bratty annoying” kid, but for some odd reason he was the star in everyone else's eyes . Blake was the only person Keitaro couldn’t beat on a regular basis.
"And now that luck is gone"
“I’m here to go to class, Just like everyone else” Keitaro shrugged
“How do you even pay the tuition here?” Blake sneered
“None of your business”
“Same old answer as usual, stupid rat” Blake mumbled
“What was that!?” Keitaro shouted lifting Blake in the air “I didn’t quite catch that!”
“You’re a rat! A stupid little orphan boy who lives off everyone else. Everyone here knows that, it’s about time you start to realize it yourself!” Blake yelled backed
Keitaro was just about to slug him when Master Wyningham appeared allowing Blake to slip away and hide behind another kid.
“Keitaro, why did you stop, I was going to grade you. I'm docking points for that" Then he walked down the hallway back to his office
“I’ll get you Namikaze and I’m not going to wait a second longer!” With that Blake charged, but not at him… at Sakura!
Keitaro was there before him and tackled him to the ground and started punching him in the face
“You won’t touch her you bastard!” Keitaro threatened
“Oh I will” Blake laughed evilly as he kicked Keitaro up into the ceiling “I will and you’ll end up dead on the streets eventually” he got up and was about to kick Keitaro again when Sakura shrieked:
“Stop this right now!”
“Oh? Look at that! So Keitaro needs a girl to protect him?”
“Shut up Blake or everyone in this hallways is gonna see you get the crap kicked out of you by a girl” Sakura threatened.
“Whatever I’ll get my revenge on you eventually. You’ll end up dead on the streets mark my words” and he vanished
“Damn richass” Keitaro muttered
“Got that right. Why do you think I dumped him?” Keitaro winced thinking of her with another guy.
“Yeah I guess you’re right.” Keitaro said thanking her
“Of course I’m right” she answered
"Yeah yeah same old story; see you at lunch" he said as he hugged her
"Bye"
She began walking in the opposite direction from him. She couldn’t help thinking:
“He’s so cheery and lively, until it comes to a fight then he goes all out. In a way he kind of reminds me of a wolf. Always has. Probably always will.
Keitaro walked out to the archery range and picked up a bow. Without even pausing to aim he let go of the string
Thud! The arrow landed dead center of the target.
"Did I say that you could fire yet?!" General Masashi yelled
"I guess not", Keitaro shrugged blankly
"You get to fail, again"
He finished archery after moving on to the moving targets.
After he finished he went on to fire-style 101, after that earth style (which he was no good at).
Finally it was the last class before lunch: wind style 101
Walking into the classroom he saw that Jake and Sakura were both in it with him.
The teacher Giaria-sensei pompously strode to the front of the class and began his attendance list,
"Is there anyone that i forgot?" Keitaro raised his hand "No? Ok then.." and he moved on with class.
"Class today we wi-" he began
"Giaria sensei?" Keitaro interrupted "what is your issue, what did I do to make you hate me? What did i do to anyone?" he in turn looked at everyone in the room
Giaria-sensei, slowly made his way toward him
"You know exactly what you did to this town, and everyone in it. You monster! And for talking back to a teacher, here's what you get!" Giaria-sensei began to form a sword made of wind in his palm.
"Stop it!!" Sakura stood up "You can't do that it's against the law."
"Too late!" Giaria-sensei jabbed at Keitaro with the blade.
"Too slow!" Keitaro averted it and screamed at the top of his lungs:
"Wolf Stlye: Ripping Fury!" A ball of green energy formed in the palm of his hand and he jammed it into the stomach of Giaria-sensei.
Keitaro took a step back, the shock on Giaria's face told him that this was bad. He'd never even used that technique it had just come to him.
Surprisingly he got off quite easily, Giaria wasn't supposed to be attacking him like that, he knew he was lucky that Lieutenant Wyningham was fair and pretty nice to him.
At lunch Keitaro sat with Seta and Sakura.
“You know what I don’t understand? Is why I have to take earth and water styles if I don’t have either of those types of energy?” Keitaro asked them
“I really don’t know” Seta answered “what I don’t understand is why they don’t serve good food here?”
"Keitaro, is everything ok?" Sakura seemed really worried
"Ok, as it's ever been, I just don't understand. Why does everyone hate me?"
"Not everyone hates you, there are a few people in the village that don't."
"Only a few,maybe I should move?" Keitaro shrugged
"No, i don' think that would be wise" Seta said
“Keitaro when did you learn wolf style?” Sakura asked out of the blue
“There’s a wolf style?” Seta asked completely clueless
“Yes Seta just like there’s a fire style, and a water style and a-“
“Ok I get the point” Seta interrupted
“I don’t know It just kind of came to me” Keitaro said turning back to Sakura
After that the day went fairly smoothly. At last it was 2:30 time for three-man-squads!
In the auditorium Master Wyningham stood in front of thirteen squad leaders, and after a lengthy speech he began to list off names.
"Sakura, Sino, Silena go with master Saturo"
"Jake, Mac, Peter go with master Ebosi"
Eventually he called out:
"Keitaro, Red, Seta go with Likashi"
"Come with me to the fighting arena I need to speak with you" said Likashi
As they filed into the arena Likashi asked:
"First and foremost who can tell me what energy is?"
Seta's hand reached the air first.
"Energy is the subtle force within us that we use in our techniques"
"Very good answer Seta" complimented Leekashi “does everybody know their energy types?”
“Mine are wind and grass styles” Keitaro said not even bothering to try and mention wolf style
“Water, Ice, and lightning” Red said proud that he had three energy types
“Earth and sand” Seta stated
"Tomorrow after school we have to train and I want to see all the techniques you can procure, but first… I want you to go home and make your own weapons to your liking and fit. Dismissed.”
"Yes sir" all three said at once as they departed
As they reached home they each headed to the forge to work.
Keitaro locked the door and worked.
Six hours later he emerged wearing full leather armor and adorned in weapons.
He met with Red and Seta and they looked in wonder upon their craftsmanship: Keitaro had forged himself a katana named "White Fang" which was made out of a type of metal called greenstone, a bow that was really beautifully carved out of yew with a string made of wolf hair.
Seta had made a sword named "Sandstorm" and a short sword named "PiriPiri"
Red made two swords one was called "Blizzard" which was made out of non-melting ice and "Hankira"
Tired from all their hard work they rested so that they were ready to train with Master Likashi
