((The picture above is Umeko's preferred weapon, which are called emei piercers. I'll be mentioning them quite frequently, since it's Umeko's main weapon, so I hope it's not too confusing. If anyone wants to know exactly what they are, just comment and I'll explain it in the next chapter))

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Umeko walked towards the Academy, her face blank. She was twelve now, and since she passed the exam, it was time for her to be sorted into a genin team. She walked in, sitting in her usual seat in the back. No one sat next to her, but she was okay with that; she had gotten used to it after living in Kumo for eight years. It wasn't like the kids bullied her or anything, they just ignored her and pretended she didn't exist, which Umeko was fine with. As long as no one physically attacked her, she didn't care what people did to her.

Their teacher walked in and began naming the teams. Despite knowing that no one really liked her, she couldn't help but wish for nice people on her team. "Team 4, Umeko, Omoi, and Karui." The teacher moved on, but Umeko wasn't paying attention anymore.

She looked around the room, trying to find her teammates, but she wasn't quite sure who they were. She had never really bothered learning her classmates names. Sighing lightly, Umeko stopped looking, and waited for lunch time to come.

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When their teacher finally dismissed them, Umeko stood up slowly, stretching her arms. She pushed in her chair and was about to walk away, when she was stopped by a girl. She had vibrant red hair that was slicked back and spiky, and bright amber eyes. She had a slight smile on her face, but Umeko wasn't sure if it was real. "I'm Karui. You're Umeko right?" Umeko nodded, a faint smile growing on her face. She seems nice, Umeko thought to herself. "Well, I guess we should get to know each other, since we'll be on the same team for awhile. But we should probably find Omoi first." Karui said, and both girls began walking in search of their other teammate.

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When they finally found him, the three kids sat on the ground, in the shade. Omoi had white hair and dark eyes. He was a bit quiet, but Umeko didn't mind. "Um, Im Umeko, but you already knew that." Umeko stated, trying to start a conversation. "If we're going to be teammates I guess you should know about my kekkei genkai." She shrugged, noticing this made her teammates look at her with interest. "I'm from the Chinoike Clan. We used to live in Kumo but we were exiled to Yugakure. My mother and I moved here so that I could train to be a ninja." She explained.

Karui looked at her curiously, but don't interrupt her, waiting for her to tell them about her kekkei genkai. "My clan's kekkei genkai is called the ketsuryugan. It's a dojutsu, and basically it lets me cast a genjutsu that can make people follow my orders. We're also famous for our ability to manipulate the iron in blood, so we have many jutsus related to blood." Umeko finished, staring at her teammates expectantly, nervous about their reactions. Usually, people reacted negatively; after all, knowing that someone has the ability to control you and manipulate you with ease isn't exactly appealing.

"That's useful." Omoi spoke up. It was the first time he had spoken up, and it made Umeko smile, relief filling her. His voice was deep for his age, and something about it reminded Umeko of relaxation.

"Yeah!" Karui agreed. "That's super cool!" Karui gave off a cool vibe. Umeko wasn't exactly sure how to describe it, but something about Karui made Umeko want to get close to her and become her friend.

Flustered, Umeko scratched the back of her neck, her cheeks heating up, "I guess." She said sheepishly, unaccustomed to the praise. "I can only really use the dojutsu though, and I can't really do any advanced ninjutsu, just the transformation jutsu and the clone jutsu." She played with her hands anxiously as she rambled. She was glad she had ended up on a team with Omoi and Karui.

The three kids spent the rest of their lunch break talking, sharing their abilities and learning more about each other. None of them would admit it, but secretly they were all pleased with their team.

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After meeting their sensei, Samui, and introducing themselves, the three genin went there separate ways, back to their homes. It was a bit hard for Umeko, because she didn't want to leave her new friends, but knowing that they would be working together often made the separation easier.

When Umeko arrived at the apartment she and her mother lived at, her mother greeted her. "How was your day Umeko-chan? Is your team nice?" Her mother's voice was soothing and gentle, a representation of the perfect mother. She was kind and beautiful, and also very generous and charming. It was a shame that some people were too ignorant to befriend the young mother.

Umeko smiled brightly and her eyes lit up happily, "They're so nice Kaa-chan. We talked and got to know each other and they were both really friendly." Umeko's smile began fading for a moment, thinking about how she had told them about her kekkei genkai. Her mother had told her to never tell anyone, and only to use it in emergencies. Umeko was well aware that if it became well known that she possessed the ketsuryugan, people would likely try to kidnap her and her mother, so that they could steal their precious eyes. It wasn't an uncommon thing, but it was still cruel. "Kaa-chan... I may have told them about the ketsuryugan..." Umeko held her breath in fear as she saw her mother freeze, her gentle features becoming fiercer with anger.

"You told them!" Umeko's mother shouted, making Umeko cower in fear. Her mother had always been a calm person, and she always seemed to be smiling. It was the first time Umeko had seen her so upset. "Umeko! What if they tell people? What if someone overheard you? Someone could try to kidnap you!" Her mother yelled sternly. Umeko bit her lip and stayed quiet. She didn't want to upset her mother any more than she already had. Umeko knew her mother had good reasons to be worried, but at the time it all seemed so irrational. What were the chances that someone had just so happened to over hear the children talking? Surely the odds must have been slim?

Letting out a soft sigh, Umeko's mother quickly calmed herself, gaining her composure. "What if someone hurt you Umeko?" She asked softly, "I don't know what I'd do without you. I only want what's best for you." She sighed again, rubbing her temples with one hand as she closed her eyes. "Please, just promise me that you'll stay safe? Promise me that you won't tell anyone or show anyone the ketsuryugan unless it's an emergency? Please, just promise?" Umeko's mother looked at her daughter, a mixture of worry and fear evident in her eyes.

Umeko looked at her mother, a feeling of dread filling her. She couldn't promise that. She wanted to– she'd do anything to ease her mother's worries– but she couldn't, not while she was a ninja. Sure, things were peaceful now, but who knew what could happen in a few years.

Umeko looked at her mother once more before forcing a smile on her face.

"I promise, mother."

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Author's Note
I hope this chapter is better than the last. I know it isn't too long, but I'll try to make chapters longer as the story continues. The next chapter will be a time skip to the Chunin Exams.
Thanks for reading.