Chapter 124: Odd Night

Ami PoV

Staring at the weighted sleeves and anklets before me, I took a deep breath before slipping an extra five pounds into each of them, bringing the total up to thirty-five pounds each.

One forty total, which was more then I weighed...

Chuckling wryly, I strapped them onto each limb and grimaced at the very noticeable increase, before gritting my teeth and beginning my late night run.

Ever since being introduced to these weights, as well as meeting and talking to a certain girl, I had thrown myself into training more so then ever before.

I had goals that I wanted to reach, goals more defined than just 'become Anbu'.

I wished to become much, much stronger; as strong as Kokoro-Sensei, if not stronger.

I wished to become as strong as her both physically and mentally, so that I could, maybe, just maybe...

One day be like her; have the life that she is currently living.

Maybe not with that many people, but...

I wanted to have someone standing by my side as I grew older, and I wished to protect and provide them with everything they could ever wish.

And...

And I think I know who that someone is...

Thinking of her, I blushed slightly as I started running through the empty streets of Konoha, her vanilla scent tickling my nose as I thought of her.

My strenght was mostly for myself, but I have to admit that I really enjoyed when she admired my prowess...

It made me feel whole and complete, and the way my heart raced was addicting.

Shaking my head, I let those sweet, yet distracting thoughts drift away, instead turning my focus on the road before me.

My training and grown harsher, but it was to forge myself to become better than everyone else.

I was already seeing returns on this agonizing training of mine, as I had just barely lost to Naruto during the tournament, and I had crushed Sasuke.

Of course, as much as I wished to say I was close to being the best, I knew that those two had wills forged from steel, and they both had the same ideals as me; to be the pinnacle of our class.

Naruto spouted his desire to be Hokage, whilst Sasuke swore he would revive the Uchiha Clan; both had endured a lot, and they were tougher than most of our class.

Not me though...

Gritting my teeth again, I increased my speed slightly as I rounded a corner, ignoring the screaming of my muscles as I passed the familiar Bakery that my family visited daily.

My circuit was well over two miles long, which sounded short, but again, thirty-five pounds on each limb...

Due to this intense weight, my body was slowly losing the baby fat that clung to me, instead being replaced by muscle.

If a civilian child had done this, they would have suffered terrible wounds and defects, but because I not only had chakra inside me, but also was being healed by chakra, I was able to push my body like this.

Many hundreds of years of medical knowledge was compiled in the Hospital that Mother worked in, which is what she constantly drilled into my skull, constantly reminding me that if she wasn't a Medic she would have chained me to my bed to prevent me from killing myself.

While irritating to hear daily, I did thank her each and every time she healed my battered body, even though she usually wished to be asleep with Dad at this point.

Thinking of my slowly boiling Mother back home, I wryly chuckled as I sped up again, not wanting to keep her up too late again.

She loved me dearly, but it was that love that made her angry at me for hurting myself; she understood the logic behind it, as well as the desire, but she hated seeing me hurt.

I apologized each time, and that worry that she had for me was always so warming...

It was that warmth that I wanted from someone else as well, and I think-

Shaking my head again, I cast the thought from my mind, not wanting to jinx myself.

Taking a deep breath, I attempted to steady my breathing before rounding another corner, stepping onto the road that led to home.

These runs of mine took around ten minutes, so Mother should be out of the bath by now and sitting at the kitchen table, her fingers tapping on the wooden surface as she waited for me to return.

However, as I was around a minute away, a group of three girls a few years older then myself stepped onto the street, glaring at me.

Stopping, I sighed in annoyance as I saw them.

Yuki, Masaka, and Ayane, part of the self proclaimed 'Silver Tiger Gang'.

Little more than some delinquent girls trying to create meaning for themself, but a nuisance to the rest of us.

It was below Shinobi to deal with, and so far they did little more then vandalize some buildings and litter; not dangerous at all, seen as little more then a gathering of annoying girls.

Sighing yet again, I stared at the girl in the lead, a blue haired lanky girl.

"Yuki, what do you want?"

Hearing my exasperated sigh, she sneered as she spat "To beat that smugness off of your face, Ami! It pisses me off!"

Raising a brow, I glanced at the rounder, black haired Masaka and the tall blonde Ayane.

"So... three versus one. Got it."

Yuki frowned at that, before she spoke again.

"You think you're so cool since you got into the Academy don't you?! So cool that you forget your old friends and run around playing ninja huh?!"

"I didn't 'forget' you Yuki, I just stopped socializing with bitter, annoying girls."

Anger flushed her face, and the blue haired girl snatched her hands towards myself shoulders, shouting "That's it!"

Sighing, I stepped back and avoided her clumsy attack, before ducking under Ayane's sucker punch.

"Really Ayane? Be it board games or a fight, you are always cheating and playing dirty..."

The blonde glared at me for that, swinging her fist towards me again.

Slipping under it, I glanced at Masaka, the round girl biting her lip as she glanced around, her worry obvious.

So it's two...

Nodding, I grabbed Ayane's arm and tossed her over my shoulder, making her gasp as her back slammed into the ground, before catching Yuki's fist and clenching it in my hand, staring at her fish face with a raised brow.

"Yuki, I'm not simply learning about literature and history; I'm being trained to become a killer. There is a gap between us as tall as Hokage Mountain."

The blue haired girl grit her teeth before letting out a cry of pain when I clenched my hand a little more, forcing her bones to brush against one another.

"A-Ami, p-please!"

Hearing her gasp, I sighed as I released her hand and pushed her away, glancing back at the frozen Masaka.

"Is that it? If so, then I'll be-"

Something slammed into the back of my head, and I stumbled forwards, my ears ringing.

"Fuck you bitch! Damn superiority complex because you go to some fancy school! Sage above do I fucking hate you!"

The words entered my mind but didn't register; they were like scratches on a chalkboard.

Staggering, I reached up and touched the back of my skull, feeling something sticky and wet.

Looking down at my hand, I saw red liquid coating my fingers.

What was that?

Not Granny Chi's strawberry ice; it was too warm for that...

No, I got hit, so...

Blood?

I was bleeding?

Why?

Turning around, I saw Ayane holding a stone in her hands, her pale yellow eyes glowing with hate as she glared at me.

Masaka had collapsed behind me.

Yuki was staring in fear at Ayane, her blue eyes wide as she looked between us.

Alright, that's them accounted for...

The fog covering my mind drifted away, and what remained was a cold, logical thinking.

I don't know why, but I wasn't angry.

I wasn't scared.

Just...

Calm.

Stepping forwards, I stared directly into Ayane's eyes, the blonde girl hefting her stone as she swung it back towards my head.

Slow.

Slipping under her clumsy blow, I shot my palm out towards her arm, hearing something crack as my hand collided with her forearm.

Ignoring the sounds of her scream, I grabbed a fistful of her hair and made her stare at me.

Taking in the sight of her pale face and fearful, wet eyes, I narrowed my own, my thoughts spinning.

Was she afraid?

Why?

She had attacked me first; of course I would retaliate.

Tilting my head, I raised my fist and slammed it against her jaw, sending her flying.

Now we were even; one hit each to the head.

Staring at her sprawled out figure, I took a deep breath as I began to approach her.

Well, now that we were even, I should probably-

"Ami, enough."

A sharp voice cut through the calm sea that had flooded my mind, and the pain from my head began to throb.

Blinking, I stumbled again before falling into someone's arms.

Looking around, I ignored the pain and stared into a woman's warm amber eyes and soft features, her familiarity escaping me for a moment.

However, when she spoke again I knew who it was.

"Hah, I already heal you so much at the Academy too..."

It was a low mutter, but it was filled with a gentle warmth.

"K-Kokoro-Sensei..?"

Blinking again, I felt my pain subside, watching my Sensei nod.

"Yeah, it's me. Alright, let me..."

Turning, she swiftly healed both Yuki and Ayane, before she sighed.

"What an odd night..."

I nodded, glancing around at the three girls.

It really was an odd, eventful night...