Chapter 6: The Iron Skirt and the Domino Effect of Doom part-2
I peeked out from under the desk and climbed into my seat. My face was still burning.
(Please let me be on a safe team. Maybe a team with girls? Is that possible?)
"Team Seven," Iruka announced. "Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno..."
Naruto cheered. Sakura groaned.
"...and Sasuke Uchiha."
Sakura cheered. Naruto groaned.
I let out a breath I did not know I was holding. I was safe. I was not on the team with the two magnets of disaster.
"Team Eight," Iruka continued. "Hinata Hyuga..."
I stiffened.
"...Kiba Inuzuka..."
"Alright!" Kiba shouted from the front row, pumping his fist. A small white puppy popped out of his jacket and barked happily.
"...and Shino Aburame."
The guy with the dark glasses and the high collar nodded silently.
[System Analysis: Team Eight. Composition: One loud boy with a feral beast, one quiet boy who houses thousands of insects inside his body, and you. Assessment: High potential for texture-based horror and accidental tackles.]
(Insects? Dogs? Why? Why does the universe hate me?)
"Meet your Jonin teachers after lunch," Iruka dismissed us.
..............
I found my new team waiting outside under a large tree in the Academy courtyard. Kiba was leaning against the trunk, letting Akamaru run around in the grass. Shino was standing perfectly still, observing a ladybug on a leaf.
"Hey, Hinata!" Kiba grinned, showing his sharp canine teeth. "Looks like we are teammates, huh? We are going to be the best tracking team in the village!"
"H-Hello, Kiba-kun. Hello, Shino-kun," I said softly, clutching my hands together.
"Bark!" Akamaru yipped, running toward me. He was a very small, very cute puppy.
(Oh, he is adorable. Surely a puppy is safe. He is not a man. He is a dog.)
I knelt down, smiling. "Hello there, Akamaru."
I reached out to pet his head.
[System Alert: Target Identified. Male Canine. The Rito Effect does not discriminate based on species. Activating Incident: " The Leash Tangle."]
(What? No! He is a puppy!)
Just as my hand touched his fur, a butterfly flew past my nose. Akamaru, being a puppy, decided that this butterfly was his mortal enemy. He lunged.
He did not lunge away from me. He lunged through me.
He jumped directly into my arms, his small paws scrabbling for traction. In his excitement, he somehow managed to loop his body through the strap of my equipment pouch.
"Whoa, Akamaru, calm down!" Kiba shouted, stepping forward to grab his dog.
"Eep!" I squealed as the dog wiggled frantically against my chest.
Kiba reached out to grab Akamaru. But as he stepped forward, his foot landed on a protruding tree root.
(I know what happens next. I know it, and I cannot stop it.)
Kiba tripped. He fell forward with the momentum of a charging bull.
I was crouching. He was falling.
His shoulder hit my chest, knocking me backward onto the grass. Akamaru was sandwiched between us, yipping happily. Kiba landed directly on top of me, his face inches from mine.
But the System was not done.
Because Akamaru was wiggling, Kiba's hand slipped. He tried to brace himself against the ground. Instead, his hand landed squarely on my stomach, sliding upward slightly due to the impact.
We froze.
Kiba blinked. His nose was touching my nose. I could see the wild, feral markings on his cheeks. He smelled like dog shampoo and dirt.
"Uh..." Kiba said, his face turning a bright shade of red that matched his clan markings. "You... uh... you have really soft skin, Hinata."
(He... he is sniffing me. He is literally sniffing me!)
[Ding!]
[Achievement Unlocked: "Wild Encounters." You have been pinned by the Beast Master.]
[Reward: 400 Shy Points.]
[Current Heart Rate: 180 BPM. Warning: System Overheat.]
"Get... get off..." I wheezed, my soul leaving my body for the second time that day.
Shino, who had been watching the entire scene without moving a muscle, pushed his glasses up his nose. "Why are you two wrestling on the ground? It is illogical. Our sensei is approaching."
Kiba scrambled off me as if I were made of lava, grabbing Akamaru and holding him like a shield. "It was the root! The tree attacked me! I swear!"
I lay on the grass, staring up at the leaves. I wanted to become a leaf. Leaves did not have to deal with boys or gravity.
"My, my," a sultry voice said from above. "Getting along already? Teamwork is important, but perhaps wait until we are on a mission for the cuddling."
I covered my face with my hands.
Standing over us was Kurenai Yuhi. She was beautiful, with her distinctive red eyes and wavy black hair. She looked amused.
"I am Kurenai Yuhi," she said, smiling. "I will be your Jonin sensei. Meet me on the roof in five minutes. And Kiba? Try to stay on your feet."
Kiba groaned and hid his face in Akamaru's fur. "She saw everything..."
I slowly sat up, checking my clothes. The Iron Skirt had saved me from flashing everyone, but it could not save me from the crushing embarrassment of being tackled by my teammate within five minutes of meeting him.
"System," I thought as we walked toward the stairs. "I hate you."
[System Reply: Hate is a strong word, Host. I prefer "aggressive affection." Besides, you now have 1,250 Shy Points. You are welcome. By the way, Shino has not tripped yet. The day is still young.]
I looked at Shino's back. He was covered in a heavy coat. He seemed solid. Stable.
(Please, not Shino. If I fall on him, I might squash a rare beetle. He will never forgive me.)
We reached the roof. Team Seven was already there, tied up in their own drama, but we found a quiet corner.
"Sit," Kurenai said, leaning against the railing. "Let's introduce ourselves. Likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams."
Kiba went first, bragging about becoming Hokage and eating beef jerky.
Then it was my turn.
"I... I am Hinata Hyuga," I whispered, poking my fingers together. "I like... pressing flowers. I dislike... um... gravity. And my dream is..."
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