[i]Chestnuts..[/i] They were never her favorite food, yet Namine awoke with a strange craving for them today with no real reason why. Her head was filled with vivid images from her dreams. One particular dream stood out, in it she was sitting in the midst of a battlefield while eating roasted chestnuts with a light honey glaze and watching two medics sew up a young female patient whose arms had been crushed by boulders. 

Before the dream could finish she woke up in a daze, running her hands through her hair as she sat upright and yawned. Her eyes drifted out the window to her right, the view from the second story of her living quarters was filled with trees whose branches supported the homes of many birds, all of whom Namine was well acquainted with. She turned to the side of the bed so her entire body faced the window. The tips of her toes gently touched the floor as she stood before collapsing her body weight against the side of the open window, her face and torso leaning out of the window. She held her hand out and on cue a tiny robin landed on her finger. She had encountered the same baby bird many times each morning, he was only a few weeks old now. She smiled genuinely and lovingly toward the little creature, who began chirping a little song for her, as if out of some kind of magical fairy-tale.

She abruptly turned her head all the way around, glaring at her door which remained closed. Not two seconds later it burst wide open, the caretaker of this particular orphanage was a very uptight woman who did not want her children sleeping in. She believed in strict discipline which Namine had grown very used to, and it seemed the by a stroke of luck Namine had woken up just in time to avoid the slew of insults and derogatory remarks aimed at any children who did not abide to each and every rule. 

"Not even dressed yet?!" Whoops. Namine may have forgotten that rule. She winced at this remark, feeling the anger and disciplinary attitude that exuded from her caretaker's presence. "Well... Hop to it or you'll be late for your appointment with your squad today." And with that, she closed the door.. [i]gently[/i]. She didn't slam it shut after flinging every hurtful comment she could muster this morning. Normally Namine was a very strong-willed girl, meaning her caretaker had to try extra hard to break her down and attack her emotions in order to get a rise out of the young girl, which in itself was no simple feat. But this morning... she said nothing. Namine knew it was only due to her accomplishment in graduating from the academy and if she had not been starting her life as a Shinobi of Konoha today, not only would she have been insulted but also deprived of at least breakfast or failing to be dressed by the time she was checked on.

Throwing on a red dress with pink petals lining the bottom, she raced out the door with her sword before she could be scolded for something else. She nonchalantly strolled through Konoha and took the long route to Amaguriama, before settling down there. Immediately the owner waltzed over to her and began making flirtatious small talk, which Namine danced around, easily reading his emotions and keeping in mind that she needed to blend in. Eventually he offered her a load of roasted chestnuts with a honey glaze on them, free of charge without even having to ask. 

Soon her sensei-to-be arrived, whom she had received a picture of. She was only three years older than Namine, something she found intriguing. Namine averted her eyes but her mental focus was solely on her sensei, reading every single emotion that she gave off. She listened to her and the owner barter over chestnuts and the future of Konoha in the same argument. Her sensei was using her as an excuse to receive free things. Namine giggled at the silliness of the situation while popping a chestnut into her mouth. 

Moments later Namine felt a very distinct presence arrive. "Sensei! Hataga, Shira, reporting for duty, Kami-san!" Namine remained calm and watchful, this was to be her teammate for what could turn into many years. Immediately upon hearing the name of her teammate, [i]Shira[/i] and the name of her sensei spoken aloud, [i]Kami[/i], Namine was overcome with a feeling of warmth. She lost herself in this feeling for a moment before it turned into a nostalgic feeling, which was dismissed as she brought herself back to reality. 

"You smell like ramen!" Namine perked up, and looked over to see what they actually looked like. She stared for quite a while, before turning away and hiding herself among the other customers to avoid detection. What she noticed just by glancing at her squad was the age difference between their Chuunin squad leader and the young woman that was a Genin.. [i]carrying quite the large sword[/i].. Namine felt an incredible presence from this weapon. Her thoughts drifted into the emotions it brought about. A sense of duty, a strict disciplinary form, honor and respect, and a complex history at the core the likes of which Namine could not comprehend. 

She was losing herself in thought again. An uplifting feeling tempted her to look again, though she only tilted her head and cocked an eye toward the pair to get a glimpse of them, looking over at the precise moment to capture the image of Kami's smile. [i]Awkward, yet genuine[/i]. The thought lingered in the air, and Namine smiled as she turned her head back, facing away from the duo. She listened as they discussed the blade and its weight, and she felt many emotions of happiness, surprise, a desire to help others, and a hint of ignorance coming from her sensei. From Shira.. there was much less to sense. A very stoic young lady, Namine sensed a few key similarities in herself and her soon-to-be teammate. 

Shira spoke in mostly blunt facts void of any personal information or feelings regarding each topic, until the topic of the war was raised. From Shira, Namine sensed self-confidence, self-awareness, pride, obedience, and a strong sense of honor that was evident from their conversation. The most important thing that Namine could sense was [i]loyalty[/i]. This, along with the talk of dead family and clans being hunted pulled Namine into her own mind once again, this time into a deep place in her mind.. Images of her mother running from the members of Sai's regime and the intense feeling to protect that which one loves.. the emotions overcame her, and she blanked out from their conversation momentarily, becoming withdrawn and quite depressed over thoughts of her mother. 

A single tear dropped from her right eye onto the chestnuts. She sniffled, trying to collect herself as she realized what a scene she was making. She wiped her eyes and remembered why she was there, to become a strong kunoichi to protect the what she loved, just as her mother had done. She was flung back into observing their covnersation as her sensei spoke. "[i]I serve the wounded[/i]." This comment echoed in Namine's mind... Her sensei treated the injured, the very same passion that she wished to pursue herself. It was a stroke of fate! She had been given the teacher that she needed! 

Overwhelmed with joy the young girl could not pull herself away from the topic. Her focus was drawn away from her mother and away from the hulking blade her teammate carried, and focused only on the medical topic of conversation. Shira's explanation of the human body was intriguing and very sound, though a temple whose purpose was war seemed a tad hypocritical in her eyes. 

''Like how well do you know the anatomy? The bones? The organs?" Kami asked. [i][b]SO WELL SENSEI, please test me on this knowledge![/b][/i] She was screaming encouraging thoughts in her head. She began to forget that she was not part of the conversation but trying to observe their emotions and behavior. "If I pointed to a spot on my body, would you know which organ is there and the bones that are under it?" It was like a pop quiz for Shira, but to Namine, Kami was speaking to her and only her, even though the two had not made eye contact once yet. The thought of having a medical-nin for a sensei overjoyed her. "If you don't know, I can teach you. You're really dedicated, right?" Kami asked, smiling slightly.

Namine hopped out of her seat, almost forgetting to grab her sword, and fell to her knees in front of Kami, bowing her head to the ground out of admiration and respect for her sensei. "Kami-senpai, I am Namine of the Akizakura clan!! I will dedicate myself to following your every order and would be most grateful if you would please teach me the ways of medical Ninjutsu!"