Dragonfly

Chapter Three: Keeping Up With The Uchihas

It was a normal day in the household of Uchiha Emiko and Satoshi.

And by normal, it was meant that everyone in the immediate proximity could hear me starting up a racket and pissing off my mom first thing in the morning.

"I don't wanna go the ninja Academy! Can't make me!"

"Why? Rika, it's what every child does, and it's what your father wants," Emiko stated matter-of-factly, hands on her hips. Yeah, and I'm pretty sure dear old Dad wanted me to be born a son like Shisui, too. "I just can't understand why you won't do what we ask-are you embarrassed of your language skills? They're getting better every day!"

"No?! Hah, I talk good!" I threw out my hands in a shrug before crossing my arms defiantly, refusing to change out of my little frilly pink nightgown (had to admit, Emiko dressed me up pretty cute) and into proper outerwear for the trip to the Academy.

The entrance ceremony was scheduled for today and Satoshi and Emiko had been planning for me to enroll since three months ago when I turned six. They just couldn't understand why I was so against it. I mean, I was pretty sure Emiko was capable of homeschooling me either way-and I didn't care for becoming a shinobi at all. I couldn't understand why they couldn't understand.

"Don't wanna go is all."

At first, Emiko always tried the gentle approach, even if her expression was strained. "I promise the evaluation won't be something difficult, Rika. If there's a written test, it'll be easy! No kanji at all-you know most of your hiragana and some katakana. And you can speak well enough to get by for your age!" She held out a plum-colored dress with the Uchiha crest printed on the front and smiled kindly, as if she wasn't cornering me at the end of the hallway and trying to force my hand. "Shisui goes there, too, you know. You won't even be alone. You two can even walk to school together when you get accepted."

Yeah, and he wouldn't be there for much longer, probably. Even if he acted like a totally normal-well, over-responsible-kid around me, he was talented and intelligent. He'd graduate and become a genin just as soon as I started classes, probably, and leave me in the dust. Then, Itachi would enroll when he was five or six and I'd become known as the unskilled loser of an Uchiha who was no good at ninja stuff.

Nah, I wasn't afraid of being teased by the other students for my Japanese skills that left much to be desired-I was just totally unwilling to live in those two's shadows since I wouldn't put any effort into learning anyway.

I knew I was being a brat but the hell with it!

"Bribery." To my credit, I could at least pick up a few useful words from Satoshi's heated summaries and criticisms concerning the clan meetings. Even if I couldn't use them in a proper sentence most of the time.

"Rika..."

"Look, you can't make me, okay?"

"Oh you wanna bet?"

"I'm not goin' anywhere, Emiko! You're not my mom!"

Even if it was half true, that was the wrong thing to say-especially calling her by her first name. Emiko flipped her switch and engaged in full-out demon mom mode, and if I knew what a threatening chakra flare felt like I was certain it would be the thing that caused me to break out in a nervous sweat and try to disappear into the wall while questioning my entire life's choices because her glare was terrifying.

I was gonna die!

Again!

...But in reality, two minutes later, I found myself fully-dressed, dark hair combed neatly (aside from the way the layers habitually fanned out awkwardly to the sides), with my hand gripped in an iron hold as Emiko ruthlessly dragged me out of the district and down the street towards the Academy.