Shadows of Revenge Ch. 1
By Eliad Sholomovich

** Two weeks after the Prologue **

Ibuki was walking towards school accompained by her best friend Sarai. Both were chatting about the upcoming year when they heard running footsteps behind them and a voice shout.

Hey! Ibuki! Sarai! Wait up!" the voice spoke from behind them. The two teenagers stopped and the youth known as Sakura dashed and reached them from behind. She panted a bit and then wiped her forehead.

"H...H...iya! Ex...Excited about t...the new year?" Sakura asked in an sweet tone between pants.

Ibuki and Sarai nodded and then the three heard another voice from their left. "Well isn't this a surprise...Hi Ibuki...Sarai...Tomboy" a voice belonging to the infamous rich Karin Kanzuki spoke.

Ibuki and Sarai nodded polietly while Sakura hmphed. "What's wrong Karin, Daddy forgot to fix your Toyota or did you actually have the urge to move your lazy rear in gear for a change?" Sakura asked in a disgusted tone.

Karin smirked "Well...I just felt like doin some excersize...Which reminds me...Sakura have you been slacking off...Seems like you've gained a few on those thighs..." Karin said with a wicked grin.

Sakura raised her fist "I'd watch it You spoiled brat...How bout I help your diet with this here knuckle sandwich, I guarentee its low on the fat" Sakura in a menacing tone.

Karin rolled her eyes "How vulgar of you Kusanago...You haven't changed a bit, still the silly little tomboy girl with an attitude problem." Karin said arrogantly.

Sakura turned red and was about to attack Karin when Ibuki stepped between the two and raised her arms to push them both away from eachother.

Ibuki sighed in exasperation "Could you two knock it off for once...Its the first day of the new school year... You've got plenty of time to squabble...Now unless you two want to be late lets get moving" Ibuki said sternly.

Karin and Sakura exchanged a cold glare but nodded. Then the four continued walking.

"The first day of my senior year...So much has happened since I've walked this path last year...I'm a official Shinobi now...I've already got sufficient savings for College and Mom's got a new "friend"" Ibuki thought and frowned at the last thought.

She heard Sakura's voice vaguly speak on Ryu but ignored her friend's chattering as her mind was occupied with others more important issues.

That is until she felt a hand pull her uniform's sleeve and Sarai's voice boom in her ear. She winced and shook her head.

"Hey! Earth to Ibuki! Hello! Ibuki! What's the matter with you today? Sakura's been asking you the same question for 2 minutes" Sarai asked curiously with a smile.

Ibuki smiled sheepishly. "Hehe...Sorry...I've just got alot on my mind lately, Gomen Sakura-Chan, You were saying?" Ibuki said and bowed her head in an apologetic gesture.

Sakura smiled too "Its ok Ibuki, I know I'm a bit of blabber mouth sometimes..." She said with a wink.

Karin smiled to herself "Only sometimes?" She asked in a low tone.She earned herself another death glare from Sakura due to her remark.

Karin threw her the same gaze but then both snarled at eachother and continued walking after Ibuki coughed to gain their attention.

Sakura then decided to Ignore Karin's notions and asked her question again "So...I 've heard you actually found Ryu...How was it? To fight the living legend?" Sakura asked in an awed tone.

Karin smirked and shook her head. "Typical Teen crush...Honestly Sakura...Why do you care, Its obvious doesn't give a shiny nickel about you...Just give it up girl...Its embarrasing already..." Karin said while rolling her eyes.

"Its better than being the school tramp, and having a teen crush on half the guys in High school" Sakura said and continued walking a satisfied smile plastered on her face. Karin clenched her teeth in reply.

"Why you lil..." Karin muttered angrily. Sakura grinned at Karin's reaction and chuckled to herself.

Ibuki kept on walking while shaking her head "I wonder if these two will ever quit it..." Ibuki thought.

She then looked at Sarai who seemed to share her notion by the look in her eyes and the expression on her face.

Ibuki and Sarai both looked at eachother and sighed at Karin and Sakura who continued arguing and then shook their heads and kept on walking.

The four teenagers reached the school building a few minutes later.

They entered through the double doors of the complex. They all walked through the corridors Waving and greeting familiar people as they passed by them on their way towards their new homeroom.

The four would all be in the same class, which would be quite an interesting spectacle when it came to the Sakura/Karin relationship.

They entered the classroom and found some seats.

Ibuki sat next to Sarai and Karin and Sakura sat at separte tables and shot eachother one last death glare before talking to their respective friends.

The bell rang a few minutes later,then the students sat down at their desks and awaited their new homeroom teacher.

A tall oriental woman entered the classroom a few minutes later. She smiled widely "Good morning class I'm Mrs. Noriyama...Its nice to meet you all, I'll be teaching you History, Homeroom and Literature this year..." She said.

Ibuki looked at her "That smile and tone are soooo fake...Its written all over her face and by the the way her body is tense...This isn't good...Why do I have the feeling this is going to be yet another long year..." Ibuki thought and sighed under her breath.

The lesson passed on quietly and Ibuki was quite glad it did because It gave her an opportunity to think.

She wasn't exactly engrossed with the teacher's chattering on how important the senior year is...She already knew that. Her mom and Sensai would let her forget it.

Ibuki let her mind wander as Mrs Noriyama continued talking about the school year's importance

"Today I begin my real training...Geki-Sensai said That I'm due to learn the advanced parts of Ninjitsu...I can't wait...I wonder what He'll..." Ibuki thought and then her line of thought was cut by the bell ringing audibly.

"Now class I know this is the first day but I have an assignment for you..." Mrs. Noriyama said.

The class groaned and the students shot forth complaints. The teacher tapped her foot impatiently and crossed her arms.

"It's your recess time, I can wait..." She said and sat down on her desk. The class went silent a minute later.

"Excellent now I want you each to find an interesting subject on the internet and write an essay...Its should be no longer than 6000 words and no less than 3000. That is all...dismissed." She said and left the classroom.

The students all rose from their seats. Angry whispers being spoken on the new teachers choice of action.

"Can you believe than B*tch...She gave us homework on the first day?!" Sakura said angrily and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah...As if we won't have enough of that later on" Sarai added angrily a frown reaching her features.

Ibuki shrugged "No use complainin gals, We're gonna do it anyway, So lets make the most of it, Besides...Working now will payoff when we go to college next year,right?" Ibuki said.

Sakura nodded and sighed.

"Hey she can't help it if she can't write Ibuki, give lil tomboy a break will ya? You know She can't afford an education anyway with her backround" Karin said arrogantly.

Sakura shook and her face flushed red "That's it I don't care anymore...She'll pay for that remark..." Sakura thought and channeled her Chi "Sho..." She whispered.

But then Ibuki's hand touched her shoulder and held her back. Ibuki whispered something in her ear and Sakura beamed and nodded.

"Ya know You're right...She isn't worth it" Sakura said and ignored Karin. Ibuki,Sarai and Sakura left a shocked Karin and left towards the cafeteria.

** A few hours later, Ibuki's house **

Ibuki was sitting on a chair near an oaked desk in her room, She was typing on the keyboard of her Pc and enjoying the speed of a DSL satellite connection.

She was wearing her uniform and all her gear lay on her bed. She glanced at the screen and smiled.

She had already finished the HW her new teacher had assigned her to do. And had finished preparing for her evening training session with Geki.

She was now mearly surfing for fun before she would head towards her training session.

after finally finishing a good 2 hours of work on her HW she was surfing on a website she liked when Suddenly the screen went fuzzy.

Ibuki tried ticking on the mouse and keyboard. But with no avail, all she got where the infamous blue window's screens and a stuck PC.

"What the? A new bug in this already horrid windows98?" Ibuki asked herself and tried changing display settings when the PC finally responded but it didn't help either and the screen remained fuzzy.

Then her connection fell as well and she sighed through clenched teeth. She tried reconnecting but her modem didn't respond at all.

Ibuki snarled angrily and turned the PC off. "Stupid Hunk of Junk..." Ibuki muttered angrily.

She then sighed and reached for her phone."Maybe I'll hang out with Sarai a bit..." Ibuki thought.

She picked the reciever and placed it to her ear. She then took it back and looked at it while raising a brow.

"That's odd Its never had static like this...What is this a consperacy to ruin my day?" Ibuki thought to herself.

She then put down the reciever.Then she decided to go grab a snack.She exited and while moving to close her room's door she heard two faint voices.

She stopped herself from shutting the door and listened carefully to the conversation.

"Ahh C'mon Kumiko...Everyone will be there...They've been wondering where you've been all this time,ya know." Jason's voice spoke.

"I dunno Jason...I mean Ibuki...and..." Her mom said her voice wavering.

"Oh Kumiko! trust your daughter for a change. she'll be 18 in a few months, she traveled around the world all summer...I'm sure she can stay at home for one measly night..." Jason argued.

Kumiko smiled "Well...I guess you're right...And I really haven't been at a party for so long..." Kumiko said more convincing herself than Jason. "Ok...I'll go..." Kumiko said and smiled warmly at Jason.

Ibuki shook her fist "He's good...He totally manipulated mom...Or perhaps I'm just being paranoid...When was the last time mom went out to enjoy herself?" Ibuki thought and guilt filled her as she knew the answer.

She shook her head and understood the truth in his words,then she closed the door to pretend she just left her room. It closed making an audible slam which caught her mom's attention for sure.

"Hi Mom, Hi Jason..." Ibuki says he voice colder as she spoke his name. Jason returned the greeting in an equally cold tone and both exchange a quick cold stare.

Ibuki then inhaled through clenched teeth and rolled her eyes as she saw her mom tapping her foot in the corner of her eye with an expecting look on her face.

"I'm sorry I hurt you two weeks ago...I was just tired, Accept my apologies please." Ibuki said, her voice calm and warm yet her eyes cold and piercing.

Jason smiled "Its ok Ibuki...Apology accepted" Jason says his voice equally calm yet his eyes shining with the same dislike as Ibuki's.

Both then nodded and Kumiko smiled. Ibuki then passed by them and headed for the kitchen.

She reached the fridge and opened it, She then took out a chocolate bar and closed the frigde door, She then passed by the two adults again and reentered her room. She heard Jason say goodbye and leave.

"I swear...I'm liking that man less and less by the minute..." Ibuki thought to herself.

Then she tried to operate her PC again. And to her amazement it worked perfectly. She rubbed her chin. "Very interesting...Could it be that...Nah, thats impossible, I'm just being paranoid again..." Ibuki thought to herself.

Then she logged on the net and continued surfing the web. She pushed the thought away and concentrated on just relaxing before her evening training.