2.Itadakimasu is almost like saying grace before you eat, but there’s no religion in it, and everyone does
it. Loosely put, the general meaning is something like “thank you for this meal,” though the word is the polite
verb form of itadaku, which is along the lines of receive. Gochisousama is it’s counterpart, said at the
end of the meal. It literally means something like “it was a feast,” but it basically means “thank you”
and “I enjoyed your meal.”
3. The Japanese School Year is a bit different from the age-old system set by farmers’ schedule as in America. For
Japanese students, for one, there’s only a week to a week and a half break between school years- which start in April,
and about a month-long vacation starting in mid-July.
In Japan, there are no hired custodians to clean the school, that job is done by everyone, most notably students. Naturally,
no one wants to clean the toilet, but usually it’s not reserved for punishment; it’s normal for classes to be
divided into groups that alternate what job you have. For one week you might be sweeping the stairs, and for another you might
have to clean the classroom. Generally speaking, teachers don’t punish students; they lecture and call their parents.
But I figure that Iruka knows Naruto well enough to understand that both get home really late, therefore that choice of action
wouldn’t be very effective. Or maybe he’s just like a second parent to Naruto.
4. Er, sorry to make you suffer through math during the summer, but I need to study for tests. The Pi thing is either in
Trigonometry or PreCalculus, though I learned it in Pre. Calc, I don’t know when Japanese students would learn about
unit circles in terms of radians. If anyone catches any unintentional mistakes, please let me know, without telling my math
teacher, please. Thanks! ^_~
For the sole purpose of having Sasuke and Naruto in the same class, without putting them in the same homeroom, I’m
saying this school is weird and let six students who tested above their class be moved a year ahead. That’s highly unlikely,
but it works for the story.
5. Not sure anyone noticed the class ranking thing, but yes, Japanese students are ranked according to how well the score
on certain exams. Naruto is probably in the last 10% in everything, and Sasuke and Sakura are likely in the top, somewhere.
Usually, classes are only seated by class rank for tests, and any other time the teacher either puts things at random, or
alphabetical.
6. Naruto’s math skills. You guys don’t really have to tell me it’s out of character to make Naruto
actually good at something as presumably difficult as math. I know it’s not suggested by the author, but I felt he need
to defend Naruto’s intelligence. Masashi Kishimoto had him good at tactics- when poor Naruto didn’t think about
it, anyway, only Naruto doesn’t have that option in this AU. Also, those who’re good at tactics tend to be good
at math, just like people who do well in music tend to be good at math, too. Something to do with rythms, and counting...
