Found: What's a Dream

~{Chapter 5: Spar Match}~

I let out a winded breath as by body hit the ground with a thud. All I saw was a blur of orange fleeing and just kind of sighed briefly when I realized what had just happened. My head flopped to the left and then to the right and then I just stared up at the blue sky, not really in the mood to get up.

The minute I hit the ground a bunch of my classmates within view of what had happened, started laughing simultaneously, as though me falling were the funniest thing there was. But would anyone attempt to help me up? Nope. Not a one. Eventually I got up, not because I wanted to, but because I was lifted up to my feet when I sat up. "Are you alright?" I turned around to see an older woman, a lady I had actually seen before in passing. She had black hair and red eyes, I think her name was Kurenai.

I brushed off my clothes and nodded. After a brief bow I trotted off in the direction of Iruka sensei who'd finally called for us to gather. Once all of my peers were re-clustered, we all went back to the school we almost immediately started classes. I had to go to a tiresome flower picking class with all the other girls in my class.

It was during this time that I started to realize just how much all of the other girls tried to keep their distance from me. In a way, while I was incredibly sad, I really... didn't care, if that makes any sense.

As I walked along the grass, searching for the best ones to fit in my bouquet something in the distance caught my attention. I kept on with what I was doing. I found a few dandelions and lilies scattered about. I sat down in the midst of them and gathered them, placing them neatly, and orderly in my basket. I placed it beside me as I continued to pick.

Whilst I was picking and placing the flowers, through my peripheral vision I could see something coming closer. I shot my gaze towards it and saw, Mylo. It was just Mylo returning after another mysterious trip. This time though, he had something with him. When he got close enough, he dropped some flowers in my basket before lying down and taking a nap.

I glanced over at the many piled at the top of the basket and picked up the two different types that went well with each other. After admiring them for a bit, I got up and left my basket with Mylo as I searched for others. In the end, I wound up losing track of the time, and before I knew it, the teacher was calling for us to gather.

"Alright, ladies, let's see your baskets!" She chipperly spoke and all of the girls who're surrounding her in a large circle like way, everyone was still in their own little groups though. When she went up to them, they'd hold up their basket to be looked at and they all got the same generic praises. She got to all of the girls and was finally up to me, who was standing off further in the back, just wanting to have been forgotten so I could just go inside.

I hesitantly held up my basket to her and she briefly swept some aside to get a better look at what I'd gathered when she came across something odd to her. "Oh my." She seemed taken aback as she took two flowers from the basket. "Do you know what these are?" She asked me after admiring and briefly smelling the blue and purple flowers. I merely shook my head in response and, already I could feel gazes shift towards this situation, but, she still continued to talk.

"This one here is a blue moonflower, and this one is a purple iris. The purple iris here represents many things, such as wisdom and faith, even bravery. The moonflower could mean things like night, or instability, but more commonly it represents mystery." She explained and then kept on talking about how beautiful these kinds of flowers were. Just rambling really.

Once she was finished admiring them, a look of confusion spread across her face. "I don't think I've ever seen these flowers anywhere around here." She mentioned while still looking them over "Where did you get these?" She asked, finally turning to look at me, and I held up Mylo to her. "...I see." She stated while patting his head for a moment. "These flowers are very beautiful, I think your collection might just be my very favorite." She ended with that and walked off. Naturally all of my peers were anything but happy about that statement and immediately started back up with their nonsense gossip and under their breath muttering.

So, that's how that ended. When the teacher told us that it was time to go back inside, I woke up Mylo and hot stepped it ahead of everyone, even the teacher.

After that was a few basic classes. The last activity of the day was sparring. Iruka sensei gathered us all in the yard. We all gathered together awaiting instruction. Iruka sensei was reading off the pairs who were to go off of his clipboard. He explained a while back the 'basic Shinobi etiquette' of the beginning and ending hand seals when sparring. Sensei also mentioned that, in order to properly prepare, he had to/preferred to mix things up, often the names were chosen at random, other times, not really.

Once all of the formalities were out of the way, things kicked off with the first pairing. Their match took no real time. The next pair was soon to follow, but theirs lasted a little longer. Everyone was watching with excitement, waiting anxiously, and cheering for their favorite person to 'take down their opponent'. It wasn't too long into the class that things actually started to get really heated.

"Alright. Next up, Sasuke Uchiha." The all too familiar onyx eyed boy stepped into the 'ring'. It was a good minute before he called up the opponent; I'm sure you've already guessed who it was. I'm also sure that it only took him that long because he wasn't sure how to address me. So, naturally, rather than embarrassing himself, or whatever, by making up a nickname or something on the spot he double tapped my shoulder. I was standing right beside him since we'd had this same dilemma before since the only other place I'd be was all the way off at the end, away from all of my classmates.

I looked up at Iruka sense through the corner of my eye before blandly turning my gaze to he who I must now face. I let out a nasal sigh and kicked off as I made my way to the side adjacent from him. Immediately, when he was called up, the volume of the girls tripled which was really bad for any innocent standing directly next to one cause they wouldn't be able to hear right for at least another few hours.

My feet planted themselves firmly to the ground when I reached my spot. While I was scarily confident in my knowledge and performance on in class newbie jutsus, I was more or less, leaning more towards the more, extremely anxious about sparring against someone I've watched take down his opponents in one foul swoop effortlessly. I was scared. I could feel my body slightly tense up and my hands sweat, not just because of the blaring sun rays wishing death upon me either. Plus, of course, the jeers and put downs and scare tactics being thrown at me by my peers weren't helping any. They were actually working.

I managed to maintain a calm composure and through my peripheral I could see Iruka sensei's slightly worried face as he told us to make the first sign and Sasuke was the first to put up the Seal of Confrontation, all the while staring me in the eye. I let out a brief sigh told myself I'd regret this and put up the sign. Our locked eyed didn't avert until... "Begin!" Iruka sensei set it off and we charged for one another.

Much like with everything else, Sasuke was the first to throw the punch... but it didn't land. I DODGED IT! I watched his eyes grow slightly with shock, just as mine did. I was just as surprised as he was that I managed that. I attempted a sweep but he just jumped right over it. We went on for a while of attacking and missing; none of either of our blows were landing. They were either being blocked and countered or dodged completely. The match more or less kept on until we were both out of breath. The area was practically silent as we continued on.

It got to a point where we were both knelt over and he took the opportunity to strike. He charged me again, but I managed to slide just in time and attempted a roundhouse kick, which he managed to catch and flip me over, causing me to land on my butt.

I didn't even try to get up at that point. I was too tired and I could tell he was too. My very being hurt and I just wanted to go and take a nap. Whilst I'm thinking that, he's looking down at me with narrowed eyes, but an otherwise blank expression.

"Very well done." Iruka sensei praised before telling us to complete the final seal. I staggered to my feet and scooted over to him who did the same. This time, we both held out our hands at the same time, but I couldn't look him in the eye. I was too focused on the ground and staying conscious. That was the end of my round. We passed one another when we left the center and as I walked, I saw Mylo step forward and watch me leave; he had a front row view.

'Where are you going?' He asked me and I don't think I could've come up with a better response, even now. 

'I'm... gonna go... fall in a bush.' And that's exactly what I did.