Prologue: The Graduation Exam.
My name is Tsuzaku Sasaki, and I'm 12 years old. I live in the Ninja Village of Konoha, and I'm currently a student at the Ninja Academy there…
"All right, now, we're going to take the graduation exam." The Chunin teacher says.
I sit in a classroom with 29 other students, all of them hopeful that they will gain a headband, and I'm one of them. I sit near the back, my short dark hair hanging down above my eyes, my eyes black. My skin is lightly tanned, and I'm average height for a child my age. I wear a dark purple short sleeve shirt and black shorts with blue sandals that so many other ninja wear. I'm not wearing any ninja weapons or tools since I'm in class, and I haven't been issued any either, seeing as how I'm not even a ninja yet.
The teacher wears the uniform of a Chunin, his headband around his forehead. His hair is short and blonde, and his eyes are dark. He's in his early twenties, and has his hands on his hips behind a desk.
"For the exam, you'll all use a jutsu that you'll use often as ninja, the Replacement Technique, or Substitution Jutsu."
Great…
"Now, to test your ability to quickly get out of danger and conceal your movements, you'll be required to not only switch places with an object, but you'll also have to create an illusion of yourself over the object, so that it appears as though it's still you, even though you've switched places." He explains.
I shake my head.
This is a low level technique that anyone can do, why test us on it?
"Okay, first, Tsuzaku, come up here." The teacher says.
I sigh as I stand up, and I walk down the steps and I stop at the bottom of the class, looking at the teacher as I stand there.
"Okay, what do I switch with?" I ask, feeling the eyes of the class on me.
The teacher grabs something behind his desk, and then puts it up on the counter, a 3.5-foot tall stone cylinder.
"This." He says.
He places the statue a foot behind me, and then walks across to the opposite side of the room, standing near the wall. He faces me and smiles.
"Since this is a test, and we don't want to kill our students, I'll be throwing hard plastic shuriken at you." He explains. "Your task is to dodge the shuriken with the replacement technique, not duck them, do you understand?"
I nod.
"Whenever you're ready..." I tell him.
He draws his right arm back, the black plastic shuriken the exact size as normal metal ones. He releases them toward me, and I move fast, using the replacement technique at the last moment, everyone's attention focused on me, the shuriken hit, and then the image of me explodes in a puff of smoke, revealing the statue that I was supposed to switch with, and I stand behind the statue, a smile on my face.
"Is that good enough?" I ask as the shuriken hit the ground.
The teacher nods.
"Very good, you pass." He says. "You can take your seat."
I walk back up to my seat and I take my seat, sitting down, and staring forward, feeling the eyes of some of the other girls in the class staring at me…
God, why the hell can't these girls find someone else to ogle over?
I watch as the other students are all called up to the teacher's desk, and one by one he tests each and every one of them on the replacement technique…
I don't bother watching the other students, and I just stare at the chalkboard at the far end of the class, and I ignore what the other students do, and how they perform, and who they are…
"Okay, looks like we're done here." He begins. "Those of you who passed, report back here tomorrow at 8 am, those who failed, you'll have to return in the next semester."
I can hear some students sigh, and others are elated, though I'm in neither category.
The test was easy, so why be excited about passing it?
The teacher dismisses us, and I watch as students get up and file out, and I see three other students from the class approach me, and I just sit there as the three of them approach. One of them is blonde, the other has blue hair, and the third has red hair…
"Well Sasaki-kun, didn't I do well on that test?" The red head asks.
"Not as well as I did!" The blonde cuts her off, in an angry tone.
"The both of you are nothing compared to Sasaki-kun and I!" The blue haired one yells.
Lord, why can't I meet people that don't act like this?
I make hand signs under my desk, and there's a puff of smoke, and the girls all step back as they realize I'm trying to get away!
"Sasaki-kun!" They all shout as the smoke clears and I'm gone, nowhere to be found in the room…
I stand outside in the hallway, and I take off at a run, moving down the hall as fast as my legs can carry me, and I stop at the end of the hall, turning right, I take off down the hall like a bat out of hell…
The next morning, I walk to the ninja academy; looking largely the same as I did when I left, save for three differences. The first is the pouch I wear on my right hip, the second is large meat cleaver like sword that rests on my back. The sword is basically just that, a large cleaver, with a white bandage like wrap on the hilt, lacking a hand guard or any other adornments. The sheath is made to fit the sword, and is made of tough leather, with a metallic interior. The strap hooks in front of my chest, nearly over my sternum. Finally, the Leaf Headband rests on my forehead, the headband and the pouch I received after I made my way from the class…
Hell, I nearly forgot about these things, in my rush to get away from those girls…
I walk with my hands in my pockets, the sword resting on my back, I walk back into the academy, students and teachers alike walk the halls, and some give me strange looks, but with the headband on my head, no one stops me, and I walk into the classroom, seeing that I'm relatively early, still 20 minutes until the 8 am deadline…
I walk up the steps, and I stop at my old seat, undoing the buckle on my chest, I place the sword, which is nearly as tall as I am, on the desk and I sit down, the slightly raised outer wall of the desk concealing the sheathed sword…
"Well, at least there aren't that many people here…" I mutter.
I sit there, and as the students file in, most of them just take their seats, not wanting to cause a problem because we all know what's happening today, and if they enrage the instructor, he can change the squad assignments on a whim, and put students together that hate each other, when before they may've been with their friends…
"Okay, that's time!" Comes the teacher's voice from in front of the class. "I'm going to read your names off the list, and when I say your name, you'll come up front and form a line." He pauses. "As you know, each squad is a three ninja team, so you'll form lines in three, in the order you're called." He pauses again. "Okay, now, 1st Squad: Chisato Shiriyuki."
I watch as a girl stands up from the class of students, and she walks down to the front of the class, and turns and faces the class, standing there with a stone expression on her face.
Never seen her before, she hasn't tried to attack me or anything…
She stands roughly the same height I am, with long platinum blonde hair that's nearly white. She has blue eyes, and a firm skin. She wears a white single piece short sleeve robe with a black sash around her waist. Fishnets line her legs, and I can only assume they go all the way up. She wears the same blue sandals we all do, and her ninja pouch is on her left hip, her headband tied around her left arm at her bicep. She's my age, and thus is flat, like most other girls.
"Second." The teacher continues. "Himeko Hyuga."
Hyuga? I've heard that name before. That family is a prominent one within the village.
I watch as the girl stands up, and she walks to the front of the class, and stands behind Chisato. Himeko has short blue hair with light lavender colored eyes. She wears a dark black blouse with long fishnets for sleeves, and a pair of black shorts with a black sash around her waist and more fishnets going down to her feet, and sandals, like mine, only black in color…
Has a thing for dark colors, I can't complain about that…
She has a black pouch at her waist, and wears her headband hanging at her belt, on the sash, the band tied around her belt, the plate vertical, instead of horizontal.
"Last, but not least, Tsuzaku Sasaki." He finishes the squad.
I stand up, taking the sword with me as I walk down the stairs, placing the sword at my back, I clasp the belt together on my sternum, and I allow the sword to rest on my back as I walk to the back of the line, and I sigh as I feel the eyes of other girls on me, some of them cursing that I'm on this squad, rather then theirs…
Well, whatever, I don't care about what they think, this is the squad I'm with, and I'll deal with it.
I stand there as the other squads are called up, one by one, and I ignore the other people and what squad they're put into. I just stand there, looking at the back of the Hyuga clan member's head…
Her name is Himeko, right?
I stare at the back of her head, and she shifts her neck, turning her head partially around.
"What are you staring at?" She asks her tone one of less then comfort.
"Sorry." I say simply. "Not much more to stare at."
"Is the back of my head really that interesting?"
I give a joking smile.
"What?" I ask sarcastically. "You never have seen it before? It's amazing."
She shakes her head.
"I don't know what you see in my head, but just don't stare like that."
I nod.
"Sorry." I apologize again.
"What's with that sword?" She asks. "It's hardly a ninja's weapon."
I shrug.
"I've been working with a blade like this since I was 5, so it's natural for me to have it going into a dangerous situation."
The Chunin teacher clears his throat, interrupting any conversations going on between the squads.
"Now then…" He begins. "Your squad instructors will all be here momentarily and you'll all be under their tutelage until such time as it's deemed necessary to reorganize your squad assignments, so I'd hope you like your respective teachers."
The Chunin walks to the door, and he opens it, and I can see several Jounin standing in the hallway. The eyes of the entire class lock on the doorway, and the Jounin come in one at a time, claiming a squad, and then leading that squad away. Finally, only my squad, the 1st Squad, is left…
"Where the hell is our Jounin?" Chisato asks. "He's late, all the other squads got their Jounin and left, so where the hell is ours?"
She sits at a desk, and I stand against the far side of the classroom, opposite the wall, my back to the wall, leaning against it near a window, looking out the window, my arms crossed.
"Complaining about his lack of a sense of time isn't going to speed him up, so just stop worrying about it." I tell the girl.
I can hear the growl under her breath.
"Who are you to tell me what to do?" She demands. "I'm twice as strong as you are, and I could beat you with one arm tied behind my back!"
My right hand goes to the hilt of the sword slung over my back…
"Care to prove that?" I demand; a tone of anger to my voice.
Himeko gets between us, looking at Chisato and I in turn.
"Come on you two, calm down!" She tells us both.
I shake my head, taking my hand away from the sword.
What are you doing, letting that girl goad you like that?
"You're right." I tell Himeko, and then I look at Chisato. "You aren't worth the effort."
She growls under her breath.
"You aren't either." She says, crossing her arms and looking away from me, like I'm some low form of life that's beneath her.
I hate people like her, they think they're better then everyone else…
Himeko looks at the two of us, and then sighs heavily.
"What am I gonna do with you two?" She asks.
I continue to look out the window.
"I don't know, but if this teacher of ours doesn't show up soon, I'm gonna go to the academy officials and ask for a new one…"
There's a cloud of smoke, and a mild explosion, like a small firecracker going off. Smoke continues to come off of a spot in the middle of the class, and I see the smoke clear, and a man stands in the middle of the smoke, his hands together in the form of a hand sign…
"Showoff…" I mutter.
The smoke clears, and a ninja dressed in a shinobi uniform from Konoha stands in the middle of the cloud. He wears a blue sweatshirt and pants, with blue sandals, and a green vest that so many other Jounin wear. He has his headband tied around his left thigh, his ninja pack around his right. His has short red hair, and matching eyes. His hair is styled back, and his eyes are calm. He's tall, probably at least 5'8" and looks to be in his mid twenties.
So, this our Jounin, huh?
He looks at the three of us with his eyes, one at a time he takes the three of us in, and then smirks.
"Hmph." He says simply, not even uttering a real word.
The three of us stand there, and I look him over.
No visible scars, doesn't show signs of a hangover, and isn't carrying anything out of the ordinary…
"You got a name?" I ask, still leaning against the wall. "Or are we to call you Sensei-kun for as long as we're with you?" I ask sarcastically.
He glares at me, and I don't falter under his gaze.
"Trying to intimidate me?" I ask sarcastically. "Well, I don't scare so easily."
He shakes his head.
"Anybody ever tell you how stupid you are, kid?" He asks me, finally speaking his first words…
This asshole shows up late, and then has the nerve to insult me?
I feel my hand reach for the sword over my shoulder, and before I know it, I feel something cold and sharp pressed against my neck…
A kunai? Impossible, he moved so fast, I couldn't follow it…
Both Chisato and Himeko both raise their eyebrows in awe, considering the fact that there was at least 10 feet between us…
And this guy covered it before I could even draw the sword, not to mention he drew the kunai and had it to my neck, all before I could even blink…
"Do you understand now?" He asks. "Before I made my entrance, I could've killed all three of you countless times over, and none of you would've been able to do a thing about it." He says simply.
He pulls his kunai away from my throat and puts it back into his pouch, walking away from me as he talks.
"From now on, you three rats will be my students until the time that you prove that you all are exactly what I think you are."
There's a long silence, and I don't dare open my mouth again, because I know that this Jounin means business…
I honestly don't think he wouldn't hesitate to kill any of us. I wonder; did we get the unlucky draw getting this guy for a teacher? Are we doomed to failure because he thinks we're nothing but garbage?
No, I won't let it end like that. I won't! I'm going to find my father, and the only way I can possibly find him in the outside world is if I'm a ninja. I can't afford to travel all over the world, so the only way is if I'm a ninja, and the village pays for me travel on missions!
"And what do you think we are?" Chisato asks.
He gives her a glare.
"You're nothing but useless garbage; you're all worthless to the Village, even as Genin, the three of you are worthless."
I can see anger in Chisato's eyes, and I look to Himeko to see disappointment in her eyes, as though she believes what he's saying.
"Oh yeah!" I shout, challenging his judgment. "What makes you so sure we're trash?" I demand, glaring at him. "What makes us so special that we're worse then every other Genin in the academy?"
He raises his pointer and middle and ring fingers up in a W shape.
"Three reasons." He says simply.
"And they are?" I demand.
"Well, you." He says, pointing to Chisato. "You're too hot headed, your temper will make you careless, and you're going to get killed the minute you're put on any sort of mission that involves combat." He explains, and then he shifts his finger toward Himeko. "And you, you're a spoiled brat who hasn't had to work for anything in her life; you've had everything handed to you, even that Kekkei Genkai you're so proud of."
Kekkei Genkai, blood inheritance limit, he has to be talking about the Byakugan I've read about, the power that only the Hyuga clan possesses…
He moves his finger toward me.
"And you." He finishes. "You're a talent-less hack that can't even use a simple genjutsu." He tells me.
I growl under my breath…
"I'll prove you WRONG!" I shout, clenching my fists, the fear from before is gone, replaced only by burning desire, the desire to show this idiot up, and the desire to succeed…
"You think so?" He asks, and then turns his eyes to Himeko, lowering his hand. "What about you?"
She nods.
"I won't lose." She says. "I'll inherit my clan, and I'll prove to them all that I'm worthy of the name Hyuga!"
Finally, he turns to toward Chisato.
"And you?" He asks sarcastically.
She clenches her fists, so tight that I swear I can see blood coming from her hands.
"I'll show you just how strong I am, and that I CAN control my emotions!" She shouts in rage.
Well, obviously she can't now…
"Well then, it looks to me like you're all ready to get going." He says.
My eyes go wide as I realize what he just did…
"So, what's our job?" I ask.
He smiles.
"It's simple really." He says. "It's a test, I'm the administrator, and you're all taking it."
I know better then to groan or moan that I have to take another test, I can already tell this guy is VERY different from every other teacher I've had…
"What kind of test is it?" She asks.
He grins.
"It's a combat exercise." He explains. "The three of you against me, if you three can't beat me, then you're all out of the program, and you'll never be allowed to even enroll in the academy again."
There's silence in the room, and I swallow the saliva in my throat…
I need to pass this test; I don't have any other choice!
"Are you up to it?" He asks. "Do any of you want to back out now?"
I look at the other two, and I shake my head no.
"I'm in; I'll pass any test you throw at me, no problem!" I tell him with enthusiasm.
The other two nod in agreement.
"I'm in." Himeko says.
"Me too." Chisato agrees.
Chapter 1: The Second Generation…
The three of us stand in a clearing near the outskirts of the village of Konoha. The three of us arrived early, as per our Jounin's instructions. The three of us are in full ninja gear, all of us wearing basically the same equipment and clothing we were all wearing yesterday. My sword is over my back, and it rests heavily against my right shoulder…
"You'd think he'd be on time, considering he said we had to take this test himself." Chisato mumbles in annoyance.
I shake my head, seeing Himeko looking around at the woods, thinking our teacher is hiding in the woods…
"It isn't like bitching is going to solve anything." I tell her again. "If you're going to complain about something, then do something to change what you're complaining about, instead."
She shrugs.
"What do you want me to do? Go looking for him?" She asks. "He's an asshole to us enough as it is!"
I look up to see something behind her in the trees, and I can't help but grin at what I see.
"And what are you grinning at?" She demands of me.
"I'm glad to think you hold such a high opinion of me, Chisato." Comes our Sensei's voice.
I look up as he stands on the tree behind her, and she turns around, an expression of fear suddenly appearing on her face as he spoke…
"Well Chisato?" He asks. "Why don't you go on about what you think of me, tell me how you really feel?" He demands, glaring down on her.
She growls under her breath, and tries not showing her anger.
"I have nothing but respect for you, Sensei." She says in a humbling tone.
He raises his eyebrows.
"Didn't sound that way a few moments ago." He says, hoping down from the tree.
"Anyway." Himeko says as I contain my laughter. "What's this test, Sensei?"
"It's a contest of skill." Our Sensei says. "The three of you against me, if you can beat me, then I'll recognize you as Genin, if not, then you'll be removed from the program." He tells us simply.
"Any rules?" I ask, completely serious.
He shakes his head.
"None, you can use lethal force, and if you intend on beating me, then you're going to have to. Although, there is one goal, and that is the kunai I have tied at my waist, only the two who can remove them will pass."
I shake my head, looking at his waist at the two knives tied by loops to his belt.
"Any time limits?" I ask.
He nods.
"You've got 3 hours." He says. "If you can't beat me in three hours, then you don't deserve to even be in the academy, so I'll have to make it so, you are never again."
I shake my head in disgust.
I'll have to do this fast then…
"Begin." He says simply.
The three of us scatter like bugs, I go into a tree, and I don't keep track of the other two. I hide in the tree, and I stare at him, taking in every little detail, trying to think of the best way to attack…
Ok, stay calm, look at him; he's not holding any weapons, though he does have kunai in his pouch. He isn't going to be taken out by any cheap tricks either. At first, I would think to use shuriken as a distraction, and then ambush him, but he's too good for that. My only chance is to hit him with something unexpected…
I make a plan in my mind, and I withdraw shuriken from my pouch, putting three of the weapons in each hand…
Now!
I let fly with 6 of the shuriken, and I throw them at him, leaping up and out of the tree, grabbing the sword as I do, and unsheathing it as I go into the air…
"That won't work…"
He pulls a kunai from his pouch, and knocks the stars away, and I come down, yelling out as loud as I can as I come down, swinging the blade down over my head and toward him.
"Hmph…"
He raises his own kunai and blocks my sword slash with the knife, the large cleaver pressing against the small knife…
"You like that sword so much, but your skills with it aren't that impressive."
I grin, hearing something from behind me, and knowing exactly what it is…
"Whoever said I was trying to beat you with this attack?"
He raises his eyebrows.
"What?"
I push the sword off of his knife, and I kick away from him, and 6 more shuriken come flying at him, these are too close for him to dodge, or at least, so I think…
The weapons fly on target, and I watch as he vanishes from sight, disappearing into thin air as I float overhead, slowly heading back to the ground, landing on my feet, I hold my sword at my side, kneeling slightly, the sword parallel to the ground…
Damn it! Where'd he go?
I feel something point into the back of my neck, and I freeze, realizing what's happening…
Holy hell, he got up behind me so fast, and he made it look like nothing…
"It's 100 years to early for you to try and take me on alone." He tells me.
I tighten my grip, and I feel the kunai press harder again my neck.
"I wouldn't do that, it isn't the smartest thing you could do."
I growl, cursing under my breath.
Damn! He's got my cornered, and I can't even move, he's watching me like a hawk, and if I try to make hand signs, he'll take my head before I can even move…
I look to see three kunai fly toward the teacher, and he leaps back, dodging the strike, and I leap forward, taking off into hiding as I sheath the sword behind my back. I take into hiding, and I look out to see our teacher standing in the middle of the clearing, looking around…
Whoever threw those kunai just saved my neck, now I have to think about my plan? The shadow shuriken technique didn't work, and somehow he can move so fast that I can't follow him like this, so now I have to think of a way to stop this monster…
"Got you!" I hear Chisato yell.
She pops up behind him and grabs him from behind. She has her arms under his and her legs wrapped around his. She manages to put her hands together, and makes a quick set of signs, and then I watch as her arms and legs extend like a snake, coiling and wrapping around his limbs…
"An expansion jutsu?" He asks, looking at his arms.
I can see a smile on her face.
"Now, Sensei, why don't you just hand me one of those kunai?" She mutters.
Now's my chance, I could grab one of those kunai off his belt and pass this test…
I jump from the tree, charging forward with all the speed I can muster as I target the kunai at his waist.
He sees me coming after him, and I extend my right hand, opening my fist to grab for the kunai, trying to pull it from his waist. He sees me coming as soon as I make the move toward him, and I see him emit a burst of chakra from his arms and legs, throwing her arms off of him, and then he leaps up, dodging my grab, and I swear for a split second, I can feel the kunai on my fingertips, and then it's gone in nearly the same moment that I touched it…
Damn it!
He lands on the other side of the clearing as the two of us, and I turn around, glaring at him…
I don't have any choice, if I'm going to beat him, I'll have to try and use THAT jutsu…
I draw the blade, and after I stab the sword into the ground, I make several hand signs in rapid succession, finishing with the sign of the tiger…
Now, I can do this.
I separate my hands, keeping my chakra focused on my hands. I grab the hilt of the sword with my right hand, holding the sword up in front of me, and I slide my left hand up the sides of the blade, stopping at the tip of the sword, and I grin…
"Fire Release…" I mutter.
I charge forward, emitting chakra through my feet, running forward as fast I can, I charge, and I swing the sword, and he dodges the slash with only a few millimeters between my sword and his skin, and I continue, trying to cut him, and he leaps back, and I growl…
"Flame Sword Jutsu!" I yell, flicking my right thumb up, sending a burst of chakra out of my thumb and onto the sword, the energy mixing and causing a spark, igniting the chakra lying on the blade, the sword becoming engulfed in fire…
"What?" He asks, puzzled at the technique.
I charge, swinging the blade down, and he's forced to jump away, unable to dodge on a slim margin, because the heat of the sword will still burn your body, if you're too close…
Damn it!
I keep after him, swinging the blade again and again, and finally, I hold the hilt near my right side, and I thrust it forward, extending my thumb and emitting chakra from my finger, shooting the flame off the sword like a flamethrower.
"Fire Release: Flame Throwing Sword Jutsu!"
He leaps to the side, dodging the flamethrower technique, and then he springs forward, driving his fist into my right cheek, sending my flying back, and I feel the pain in my face, landing on my back I groan in pain. I get up, the sword still in my hand, and he looks at me, and I glare back at him…
He's fighting us for real, he isn't holding back enough to give us a chance to beat him one on one, so how the hell am I supposed to beat him if I can't touch him…
I watch as Himeko jumps from the bushes, and tries to drive her palm into the Jounin. He smirks, knowing it's coming, he simply spins around, grabbing her arm and pushing her forward, using her own momentum against her, she lands flat on her chest on the ground, relatively uninjured, though her sneak attack did little more then show the Jounin's ability, and the gap between him and the three of us…
Jesus, how are we supposed to pass the test if we can't even touch him?
"Well…" He mutters, looking down at his watch, never once dropping his guard as the three of us stand near each other. "I'd say that makes time for a 15 minute break." He says. "Since the three of you are so worthless, after this break, there's a new rule." He tells us. "If you can't get the kunai on your next try, then all of you fail, get it?"
He disappears in a cloud of smoke, and I get to my feet, leaning on my sword as I do.
"That isn't fair!" Chisato complains rather loudly. "How can he suddenly say that we only get one shot to do this?"
I shake my head, looking down at the sword, and then to Himeko.
"This isn't getting us anywhere." I say simply. "If we're going to even stand a chance of beating him and passing, then we all have to work together."
"Teamwork?" Chisato asks. "That's ridiculous, even if we succeed, who gets the knives, and who doesn't?"
"I'll fail." I say simply, looking at Himeko, seeing her mouth preparing to open. "You two have more at stake in this then I do."
I can FEEL Chisato's smile.
"That works for me." She yips happily.
Himeko stays silent.
"Either way, we need a plan." I say simply. "And I think I know what we could do, but it's going to be tough, and all three of us are going to have to step up."
"What's your plan?"
I give an explanation of what I want to do, and when I finish, Himeko gives a surprised look.
"How do you know that I can do that?" She asks.
I give a smirk.
"The Hyuga clan is famous within Konoha, and I've heard all about what your fighting style is capable of, can you do it?"
She nods.
"I can, but he'll have to be still, if he's moving, there isn't any way that I can even touch him."
I nod, looking at Chisato.
"That's your job, I'll get his attention and hold it while you sneak up and grab him, and when you do, Himeko will come in at almost the exact same time, and strike his chakra points, cutting off the flow of his chakra, preventing him from using it to blow you off his body." I explain.
"Well, one question, just what do think is going to be different about this time, seeing as how he beat you into the ground the last time you exchanged blows with him?"
"Don't worry." I tell her. "This time will be different, trust me on that."
The last time, his speed blew me away because I couldn't follow it, but when I fight him this time, I'm positive I'll be able to track it…
"Well then, we don't have much time before he gets back, any questions?" I ask.
They both shake their head no.
"Good then, remember the plan, and this should work."
They all nod, and we all just sit there on the ground, waiting quietly for our Jounin to return, and he does make a flashy entrance…
"What's going on, Maggots?" He asks, appearing in a puff of smoke. "You all decided to give up on ever being ninja?"
We all face him, and we all glare at him.
"Not on your life, not one of us." I say simply, pulling the sword up as I stand, the other two getting to their feet as well.
"Well then." He says, crossing his arms. "You've got one more try to take the kunai, if you can't, then you're all expelled."
I nod.
The two of them disappear, and I charge forward, bringing my sword down, I see him move, and I close my eyes, calling something up from within my own body…
Now!
Suddenly, I can see and follow his movements, and I hold the blade over my left shoulder, the flat side of the sword against my back, his fist connecting with it…
"What?" I hear him ask.
"I can see you…" I mutter as I look over my shoulder, glaring at him.
"Your eyes!" He stammers.
I push his fist off of my sword and I spin around completely, bringing the blade to bear as he leaps back, flipping back three times and landing on his feet. Kneeling down after the third flip, he looks at me, and I can see the uncertainty in his eyes, and I just stand there, resting the sword on my shoulders, glaring at him.
His body moves, and I can read it like a book. I follow his movements as he goes up, and starts making hand signs in the sky…
His chakra, he's going to use some sort of fire technique!
"Fire Release: Great Fire Ball Jutsu!" He shouts, using the flamethrower technique.
I make one handed hand signs with my free hand, focusing my chakra into my left hand. I bring the blade over my head, and slide my hand along the back of the sword, glaring at the fire as it comes for me.
Not a chance…
I hit the fire with my sword, and the chakra I laid out on the blade ignites, the entire sword blade burning, and I watch as he comes up from behind me, and I spin, emitting chakra from my right thumb, I cause the flame to jump from the blade, like burning gasoline being shot out of a gun…
"Crap!" He mutters, seeing me become surrounded in flame.
He jumps back, putting distance between us, and I stop spinning, standing there amidst the fire, feeling the heat as I glare at him, a sweat on my body, the fire on my sword extinguished…
"Who are you, really?" He asks. "How can you have eyes like that?"
I grin.
"I'm Tsuzaku Sasaki, just another boy trying to become a Shinobi."
"You liar…" He mutters.
I see Chisato leap from the bushes as he glares at me, his entire attention focused on me; that he forgot about the other two genin…
"Shit!" He growls as she grabs him.
"Gotcha." She mutters, wrapping her arms around him, and I feel Himeko run by, chakra shooting out of her feet as she dashes in, and I watch her strike his chest.
"Eight Trigrams 2 Palms." She begins, hitting with two, two finger strikes. "4 palms, 8 palms, 16 palms, 32 palms, 64 palms!" She yells, hitting him with more and more each time, until finally the 64th blow lands on his chest…
"What?" He demands, standing there as her attack moves him backward, and I watch as he tries to use his chakra…
Even I can see that her technique has locked all his chakra within his chest, he can't use it, since she hit every point on his chest…
I walk forward with a smile on my face, and she glares at him, her Byakugan still in her eyes.
"It's OVER, Sensei." I tell him, resting the sword on my shoulders, returning my eyes to normal. "You've lost."
Through the seriousness of the situation, I hear a laugh come from the Jounin's lips.
"This is great…" He mutters, and I can see a confused expression on Chisato's face.
"What are you laughing about; we beat you, now hand over those Kunai!"
He grins a strangely happy grin.
"I've only got one thing to tell you." He says. "You've all passed!"
The three of us give a stupefied expression.
"What do you mean?" I demand. "You said that only two of us could pass, only the two who got the marked Kunai."
He grins.
"That was to test you." He says simply. "I wanted to see if you could put aside your differences and focus on teamwork, on the mission." He says. "When you're a ninja, sometimes you have to put your future aside in order to succeed in the mission. You may have to die so that your comrades can live, and it's a sacrifice that each of you is going to have to learn that you might face."
Himeko and Chisato shake their heads, and Chisato releases her grip on him, undoing the jutsu that bound our teacher.
"That's crazy, I'm not going to just lie down and die for a mission!" Chisato shouts. "I won't lose my life for the village's payoff!"
He glares at her.
"You honestly think you'll make it as shinobi if you aren't prepared to die?" He asks.
She nods.
"I won't just lie down and die, I'd sooner run then give up my life for something I don't believe in." She explains.
He shakes his head.
"Then you'll never become anything more then a Genin." He says simply. "One of the village's greatest heroes, the Fourth Hokage, gave up his life to save the village." He explains. "Are you going to tell me that he shouldn't have done that? If he hadn't, none of us would be standing here today."
She shakes her head.
"I'll deal with that when the time comes." She mutters, ending the conversation.
He looks at Himeko, and then to me, his eyes resting on me in a grim glare…
"What about you two, can you live with that?" He asks. "Would you do what the Fourth Hokage did, without another thought?"
I nod.
"To save the lives of others, I'd gladly give mine."
"What about you Himeko, would you give your life to save the lives of your comrades?"
Her only respond is a simple nod.
"Good then." He says, grinning. "My name is Ishikawa Masakazu, and I'm your Sensei and squad leader for as long as this team is together." He tells us.
Ishikawa Masakazu huh, I never imagined that I'd get his name, he's never acted like he likes us, and now he's treating us like we're friends, like the three of us have to work together with him…
"So, this whole thing, was just a fake?" Chisato asks.
He nods.
"What you three just did was a test." He says simply. "As Genin, the three of you need to work together, that's why we have you in three man teams." He explains.
"What about individual skill levels?" I ask. "If some of us are better then the others, won't that simply slow down those who are better at this?"
He shakes his head.
"I don't care how good you think you are, you're all nowhere near Chunin level, so I suggest that you throw out any ideas of you being better then anyone else, because you aren't."
I nod, and I can see the grim reality setting in for the other two as well…
I don't know just how strong I am, but I have to get better, I know I need to get stronger!
"Our first mission will be tomorrow, so report to our HQ tomorrow morning at 9 am; we'll receive our first orders then."
The three of us nod, and then Ishikawa disappears in a puff of smoke, leaving the three of us standing there, a silence between us…
"Well…" I begin, sheathing the sword. "It looks like we're all still Shinobi, and still Genin." I point out.
Himeko smiles.
"I know, and I'm glad that we all are still together."
Chisato scoffs.
"It doesn't matter that much to me, so long as I am still a shinobi, I couldn't care less about anything else."
I shake my head.
"What's your motivation?" I ask. "Why do you care about being a Shinobi so much?"
"My reasons?" She asks. "Why should I tell you anything like that?"
"You make out being a Shinobi is so important to you, I'd like to know what I was going to sacrifice myself for."
"What's it matter?" She asks, avoiding the question. "All three of us are still Shinobi, and none of us had to get kicked out of the program, so what's it matter?" She asks again.
I glare at her.
"I want to know why you think being a Shinobi is so important, and if I have to beat it out of you, then I will."
"If you want to know my reasons, then why not tell me yours?"
I nod.
"My reason?" I ask, pausing. "That's simple; I'm looking for my father."
I see her raise her eyebrows.
"Your father?" She asks.
I nod.
"The people who raised me, they aren't my parents, at least, not my biological ones." I explain. "I was found when I was young, at the village gates, a Jounin returning from a mission brought me in, and a ninja from this village raised me." I continue. "He's the one who taught me how to fight."
"Do you have any ideas?" She asks me.
I shake my head.
"The only connection I have to the man who bore me is the power in my eyes, the thing that surprised our Sensei, that's my only connection to him…"
"You mean, the Sharingan?" Himeko asks, speaking up.
Sharingan, HE said that once before, when I first discovered it…
"What is that?" I ask Himeko. "What do you know about it?"
"Only a little." She says. "It's a forgotten power, and it's forbidden for anyone to speak of the clan that bore it." She explains.
So what, I'm from this forbidden clan or something?
"And why is it forbidden, did they do something?"
She shrugs.
"I don't really know exactly, it only has something to do with what the last heir to that clan did, other then that, I have no idea."
I nod.
"I knew it…" I mutter.
My father, he's in the outside world, and he's some sort of criminal!
"So…" Chisato begins, changing the subject. "If you're looking for your father, why not just travel around the world on your own, why become a ninja?"
"That's simple." I tell her. "I have no money, and to travel around the world takes lots of it, and ninja often have to leave the village to do missions, and since the village pays for it all, I don't have to worry about paying for the trip."
She shrugs.
"I guess that makes sense, though it isn't the easiest way for you to go about this." She tells me. "You could just as easily live off the land."
I shake my head.
"I walk the path I've chosen, it's the only road I can walk on now, and I'm not turning back."
She sighs.
"Whatever, I'm going home, we've got a mission tomorrow, and I need the rest."
Chisato walks off, leaving Himeko and I together. I watch as she walks, and then I shake my head in futility…
"What's wrong?" Himeko asks. "Aren't you going to go home too?"
"Maybe, but I just don't feel like going home right now, I guess the adrenaline is still running through my body, or something."
"You wanna go do something?" She asks; the Byakugan fading from her eyes. "I mean; we could work on our teamwork…" She mumbles.
"If you wanna hang out with me, that's fine." I tell her. "I really don't feel like training anymore today, I'd like to just relax a little." I explain.
She nods.
"All right, then let's head back!" She says with enthusiasm.
I start back toward the main area of the village, and Himeko walks next to me. I walk with my hands in my pockets, and she walks with her hands in front of her, together, and I can swear that I feel her eyes on me every now and then, as if glancing over at me, her thoughts running through her head…
I wonder why she's always looking at me, glancing at me? I mean, if she wants to look, it's her choice, but I can't see why she'd want to stare at me. I'm not exactly cute or charming or anything…
"Where should we go?" I ask as the two of us walk, changing my train of thought. "There are several places we could go, are you hungry?"
She nods.
"I did eat this morning, but the test took a lot out of me, and I could stand to eat something…"
"So could I, fighting Ishikawa-sensei took a lot out me, a good amount of my chakra was used when I used all those jutsu."
She shakes her head.
"You know, you know all those ninjutsu, how did you ever learn them all?"
I shake my head.
"It's easy, when you don't have any friends when you're growing up, and the other kids all think you're an outsider, I didn't have much choice other then to hit the scrolls, so to say."
"So, the man who raised you, he taught you those ninjutsu?"
I shake my head again.
"He didn't, he lacks any talent for ninjutsu, or genjutsu, but the woman he lived with, she knew a lot, and let me read the scrolls of ninjutsu on lots of techniques, and after the Sharingan thing came into my eyes, she encouraged me to continue to learn how to become a ninja, though I saw a light in her eyes after that, like she knew something, but she never said anything to me about it." I explain. "For some reason, she showed me a lot of fire based ninjutsu, and encouraged me to keep at it, even when it was hard at first…"
"You mean…" She begins. "People didn't talk to you?"
I nod.
"In hindsight, it was probably because I was left on the outskirts of the village, and brought inside, the also someone probably knew that I had this power in my eyes, I don't know…"
Himeko and I end up going to a local ramen shop, we pay for our own food, and then words come out of her mouth that I never expected to her anyone say…
"Do you have anything else to do today?" She asks, sitting at counter, the bowl in her right hand, and the chopsticks in her left.
"Anything to do?" I ask. "I don't have anything to do, why?"
"Well, um, if you wanted, you could come back with me to my house, and you could eat dinner with my family, we've got the room, and I'm sure mom wouldn't mind having a guest for dinner."
"You're inviting me to dinner?" I ask in a surreal tone, like I don't believe it's happening.
You belong to a noble clan from the village, and you're inviting me to dinner?
"Thanks." I begin. "But no thanks." I tell her.
"Why?" She asks, questioning my response.
"You're part of a noble family, and you've said yourself that you want to inherit the clan." I explain. "I don't think your father and the other members of your family would be too happy if you brought someone like me home, someone who's not only an orphan, but also I've got this Sharingan, which will tell them I'm some sort of dishonored shinobi, and as much as I'd like to accept, I don't want to get you into trouble with your family, so I can't accept."
She shakes her head.
"Mom won't care, only my grandfather would care about something like that."
I shake my head.
"Still, I don't want to take the chance, and I should just go home and relax, so I'll say good day." I tell her.
I place the money for the bill on the table, and I get up and walk away, leaving half a bowl of pork ramen on the table, and an empty glass of water…
"Tsuzaku…" She mutters as I walk away.
I don't respond to her calling out to me, I just ignore it, walking back toward the small one room apartment that I call home…
I'm sorry Himeko, but I can't do that to you, not just because you're a teammate, but because you care, I won't hurt someone that cares about me, I refuse to be like my father and hurt the people around me just because I'm too weak!
"That's it." Comes a voice in my head, a deep, male voice. "You're always going to be alone; no one will ever understand us." It says in my ear.
I shake my head, grabbing the right side of my head.
Not this again! You aren't real! You've nothing but a figment of my imagination, so just DISAPPEAR!
I shake my head, clearing the voice from my mind.
"How long has it been?" I mutter. "How long since the last time I heard that voice?"
I make my way back to my apartment, and I go inside, taking the sword from my back and throwing it on the floor, and then I fall straight into bed.
Didn't think that test would take so much out of me, and for some reason, since I heard that voice, I feel exhausted…
I fall asleep, and I sleep like a rock, sleeping for almost 13 hours before I wake up at 5:40 am, groaning as I stare up at the black ceiling, the curtain on the small window drawn, and even if they weren't, it's still too early for the sun to come up…
"Jeez." I mutter, lying in bed, the covers kicked off the bed in my sleep.
I've been living here for almost two years now, and every time I look up at this ceiling, I feel emptiness inside, like something's missing, and now's no different…
I sit up, seeing the cleaver lying on the floor near the bed, and I remember what I did yesterday, and how I came home…
I probably looked like I was drunk…
I shift and bring my legs over the bed, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I guess I should get up, no point in sitting here till its time."
I get up and I go through my morning routine, getting a shower and changing clothes, although I wear another set of clothes, identical to the ones I was wearing before…
I buy in bulk, what can I say?
I place the sword on my back and the pouch at my waist. I make sure it's stocked with what I need, and then I leave my apartment, locking the door behind me.
It's still dark out, huh?
I start walking around, and I walk with no particular destination in mind, and as I walk, I see someone standing along the walkway, looking up at the sky, his long black hair hanging down to near his feet…
What a weird looking guy. He's dressed in those traditional white robes, and with that dark hair, he really stands out, but what really sends a chill down my spine is this chakra that his body is giving off, I've never felt anything this strong…
"And I thought I was the only one up this early." He says as I walk by.
I avoid his gaze, as if looking at him will bring his wrath on me.
"I couldn't sleep." I mutter, lying through my teeth.
He looks at me, turning around.
"Have I seen you somewhere before?" He asks.
I glance the older man over, and seeing as how he's in his 30s, I know that I've never met him before, and I don't look him in the eyes.
"I can't ever remember meeting anyone like you."
He turns away.
"Whatever, just be careful out here at night, you never know who could show up out of nowhere and try to mug you."
I shrug.
"I know." I respond simply, and I walk away.
Who the hell was that guy? He's dressed in those weirdo robes that you hardly ever see anymore. And what's with that chakra? He gives off an aura like he's an elite Jounin, yet I didn't see a headband anywhere on him, so who the hell is he if he isn't a ninja?
As I walk, I find myself thinking about what's to come in the day, and I end up finding a small bridge with a river under it, and I lean over it, looking at the river flow, and I sort of lose myself in the river's flow, not knowing what else to do…
I stand there until the sun rises, and the appointed time draws near. I leave the bridge and head toward the Konoha Shinobi Headquarters, and when I arrive, I see Himeko and Chisato waiting there…
"You're all up early." I say simply. "I thought I was the only one who couldn't sleep." I explain.
"You didn't sleep?" Himeko asks.
I shrug.
"Well, I did, I just fell asleep as soon as I got back from the test." I mutter.
Chisato raises an eyebrow, and Himeko gives me a questioning look.
"Were you really that exhausted?" She asks. "You should've told me, I wouldn't…"
"It wasn't your fault." I tell the Hyuga girl. "It had nothing to do with you."
"Ach-hem!" Chisato clears her throat. "We've got a mission, and our Sensei is waiting for us, so we shouldn't be late, it is our first mission after all."
I nod.
"Let's get going." I say simply.
The three of us walk inside, and as I walk, I can see some of the ninja inside the HQ giving the three of us strange looks, and when we see Ishikawa-sensei, the three of us approach him.
"Well, at least the three of you aren't tardy for your mission." He tells me. "Though the three of you don't look quite the same as you did yesterday."
I shrug.
"Can we get on with this; none of us are getting any younger."
He grins.
"As to be expected of young brats, always impatient." He mutters.
Well, Chisato, you and I agree on one thing, and that is our Sensei truly is an asshole...
"Well, follow me then." He says.
He leads us down a hall, and we all follow him, and he leads us to a room with a table on the far end, the large room empty save for the table with Shinobi behind it, the Hokage sitting at the middle of it all, other Jounin and Chunin sitting beside him. We stand behind Ishikawa-sensei, as he approaches the table.
"Ishikawa Masakazu, and squad 1 reporting for mission assignment." He says simply.
The Sixth Hokage sits at the table; the man sits at the chair with a grin on his face. His hair is short and blonde, and his eyes are blue. He has strange whisker like marks on his cheeks, and wears the hat of the Hokage, the symbol for Fire on the tip of the hat.
"Well, if it isn't Ishikawa-sensei." The Hokage says happily.
"Yes, Lord Hokage." He says. "I'm here for our first assignment."
The Hokage grabs a stack of small bundles of papers, and then picks one.
"Here you go." He says, handing the papers to Ishikawa.
Our sensei looks at the assignment and I see a look of annoyance appear on his face.
"Thank you, sir." He says simply.
The next thing I know, I find the three of us combing the forest outside our village, a radio headset in my right ear…
"What are we looking for again?" I mutter into the earpiece.
"A noblewoman's lost cat, remember Tsuzaku?" Ishikawa yells back into the earpiece. "That's the mission, remember!"
I cringe from the earpiece.
"How are we supposed to find a cat in the middle of a forest like this?" I ask. "It's impossible."
"Listen, if you want to get the mission over with, use your Sharingan to help you locate the cat, Himeko is already using her Byakugan, so just use that power of yours, and this will be over much quicker…"
I close my eyes, and I feel the power emerge behind my eyelids, and I open my eyes to see everything moving through the forest, and my eyes focus on something, something that doesn't belong there…
"I've found it!" I whisper into the headset.
I leap from the tree, and I open my arms to grab the cat as it leaps from the tree, and I swear…
"Son of a…"
I see the cat falling toward the ground, and I pull the kunai from my pouch, holding it in my right hand…
If I can throw this just right, the cat will instinctively grab hold of the kunai as it passes under it's feet, and then it'll be stuck to the tree, and I'll be able to end this mission!
I land on the branch the cat was on, and I look closely, taking aim, I let fly with the kunai, and throwing it with all the force I can muster, hearing the knife cut through the air, and I watch as my aim stays true, the cat grabbing the kunai as it passes underneath it, and I lunge for the cat, scooping it up inside my arms I back flip and land on my feet, on a branch, less then 10 feet from the ground.
"I've got the target." I say into the headset.
"Can you confirm the collar?" Ishikawa asks.
"Of course." I tell him, holding the cat so it can't claw me, and turning off the Sharingan. "Everything's good."
"All right then." Ishikawa says.
There's a cloud of smoke, and he appears near me, on a branch above me, holding a pet carrier cage in his left hand.
"Let's get our target in this, and then we'll head back."
He moves down branches, and I nearly throw the cat into the cage.
"There, you damn fur-ball…" I mutter.
The cat growls; and I feel a smirk of superiority over the cat, and as the cat howls and claws at the bars.
You get what you deserve, you damn cat…
With that, the mission is over, and we've done what we were paid to do. The three of us return to the village, and when we go through the main gate, Ishikawa opens his mouth.
"We have to report back to HQ, both to hand over this cargo and to report our success to the Hokage."
"I'm sure we're all aware of that." I say simply. "We were all taught SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) at the academy, so you can just skip all that crap." I tell him.
God, I HATE this man!
But, even with this Sharingan, I don't stand a snowball's chance of beating him like I am now, that's why I have to improve, I have to learn to become stronger…
"What're you thinking about, Tsuzaku?" Chisato asks sarcastically. "You look like your brain is gonna seize up."
I sigh.
"Why don't you go to hell, Chisato?" I ask of her.
She stops and glares at me.
"You first!" She growls, glaring at me.
I stop as well, and I glare back at her.
"How about I send you there!" I grab for my sword.
"Listen up pond scum!" I hear Ishikawa scream at us. "If you two keep this up, I'll beat the both of you into the ground, so much that you'll be counting ceiling tiles in a hospital room!"
The two of us stop in our tracks, and I can feel the bloodlust coming from our Sensei, and the seriousness of the situation…
I look away from her, keeping my mouth shut.
"Now, you two apologize to each other." He tells the two of us.
I don't look at her, ignoring her glare.
"I'm sorry." I say with no meaning.
"Yeah, yeah." She replies.
I can see Himeko has a concerned look on her face, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that she's concerned about the two of us…
"Now, if the two of you are done bickering, perhaps we can finish this mission?"
Chisato and I nod, and Himeko does so as well, the three of us following Ishikawa-sensei back to stand before the Hokage…
We manage to make it there without any problem, and when we arrive, the three of us stand silent, as Ishikawa speaks.
"Lord Hokage, we have returned from our mission with the target, and are here to give our report." He tells the Hokage.
"I take it you've succeeded in capturing the target?" The Village Leader responds.
Ishikawa nods.
"Yes, and I'll be leaving it here."
The cat's constant meowing and howling are like an overture to their conversation…
"And, I'd like to request another assignment for my group, an assignment of C rank or higher." He tells the Hokage.
My eyes go wide.
A C-Rank mission, what's he doing? Those are supposed to be reserved for Chunin, we're just out of the academy Genin, and we're having problems working together, so why is he requesting a HARDER mission?
"A C-Rank mission?" The Hokage asks; a happy grin on his face. "Or higher?" He continues. "Surely you must be joking, you want me to give a C rank mission to Genin who only 2 days ago graduated from the academy, and are having problems acting as a group?"
"I know, Lord Hokage." Our Sensei begins. "I know how stupid this looks, but I have my reasons for doing this." He explains. "I feel as though this group has talent, and real potential, and to force them to try to work together on tasks that one of them alone can complete without the aid of the others, is causing friction between them." He continues. "I feel as though the challenge of a C Rank mission will cause this team to stop bickering between themselves, and focus on their teamwork, rather then fighting each other."
The Hokage gives a smile.
"So, you want a mission that will force your squad to work together, or die trying, am I right?"
My eyes go wide as I see our Sensei smile, and then nod appreciatively.
"Yes, that's EXACTLY what I want." He says simply.
He's got to be kidding! He wants us to go on a mission where we're over our heads, to force us to work together to survive!
"Then I'll do you one better, Ishikawa-sensei." He says. "Come back tomorrow with your squad, and I'll give you the details, assuming your squad can survive that long."
He grins.
"I think they can manage one night, especially since they won't be seeing each other after they leave here, most likely."
There's a long silence, and then I hear Chisato smile.
"Whatever, I'll pass whatever you send at me, no question." She says simply.
I keep quiet.
The last thing I need is for the Hokage to give us an A rank mission, there isn't any way that the three of us will survive anything higher then a C rank, so hopefully, maybe, that's all he'll give us…
"Is there anything else?" The Hokage asks.
Ishikawa-sensei shakes his head.
"No, there isn't anything else, if you'll excuse us."
The three of us leave, and I' happy to be out of that room, but I know that I'll be back in that room tomorrow morning…
Yeah, and I'll probably be handed my death sentence…
As the three of us leave, we leave the HQ in silence, and once we're outside, I turn around.
"Sensei, what the hell are you thinking?" I demand from him. "How can you do that to us?" I ask. "There's no way we can survive a C Rank mission as we are!"
He grins.
"That's the point, knucklehead." He shoots back. "During this mission, you three will LEARN to work together, or you'll die, either one makes no difference to me."
This-this-this son of a…
"So, I'd suggest the three of you make sure that your affairs are in order, because you might not come back!"
With that, he disappears into a puff of smoke, and leaves the three of us standing there, like deer in headlights…
"I don't believe this…" Chisato mutters. "What he's doing isn't fair!" She complains.
I know, I know, I know, and he's doing it to teach us something, something he thought we learned, but we really didn't learn a damn thing, we only worked together because we didn't want to be taken out of the academy, and now he's asking for this mission because he knows that unless it's life or death, we won't work as a unit, our differences, particularly, the ones between Chisato and I, constantly drive a rift between us…
"I know it isn't fair…" I mutter. "And it's because it isn't fair, that it isn't right, that we have to pass." I tell her.
"You honestly think we have a chance?" She demands. "It might be easy for you to just risk your life without a second thought, but I've GOT a family, that LOVES me, and they'll miss me if I die!" She screams at us, and then runs off in a huff, angry at the world…
I don't cry, I don't complain, I stand there, my fists clenched, and I look to Himeko, and I can see sadness in those lavender eyes of hers…
"Himeko…" I begin. "You want me to walk you home?" I ask. "I know it isn't a lot, but…"
She nods.
"I'd appreciate it, and I'd like it." She tells me.
"All right, then." I tell her. "Let's go."
She nods, and she starts walking toward her home in the village, and I walk next to her, my hands in my hip pockets, and I can see concern in her eyes.
"Hey, don't worry about it." I assuage her. "I won't let you die; I'll protect you with my life." I tell her.
She stops in her tracks, and I take two more steps before I do as well, and I look back at her.
"What's wrong?" I ask. "Is something wrong?"
I can see mixed emotions on her face.
"You, mean that?" She asks.
I nod.
"I will protect you with my life." I tell her again. "I swear it."
I can see happiness on her face.
"Thank you; and I'll do the same." She says. "I promise; that you'll come back, on my life."
Himeko, when will you learn that you're more important then I am? You're part of a noble shinobi clan, and I'm nothing more then an orphan…
We continue walking, and before long, Himeko speaks up.
"Well, we're here." She says.
She stops outside of a mansion of a house…
"Holy…" I begin.
The entire estate is walled off, with two large and heavy looking black doors are the only entrance from the road.
"This is your house?" I ask, and she nods.
"It is." She says. "It's been in the family for generations, and we've always seemed to have a good position within the village, at least, that's what I've taken in from everything, and the way people treat me."
That's because you're nobility, and I'm not…
"You want to come in?" She asks. "I'm sure mom would love to meet you."
I raise an eyebrow.
"Sorry." I tell her, shaking my head. "I'll have to decline, we've got a full day ahead of us tomorrow, and I want you to be rested for it, and I need to do so as well."
She nods.
"All right, I won't make you meet my family if you don't want to." She explains. "Though, I do wish you would meet them sometime."
I shrug.
"I will eventually." I tell her.
She smiles.
"I'm going to hold you to it." She tells me.
I turn and walk away, leaving the girl to return to her family, while I'm only to return to an empty apartment…
Well, that's how things are, she's rich, her family is loaded and has a nice home, while you're an orphan, living in an apartment, thanks to the village council giving it to you, though the money you make through being a ninja is going to be docked, in order to repay what you owe…
I get to the apartment without incident, and when I do arrive, I end up closing the door behind me, and I lock the door, taking the sword off my back, laying the blade on the floor. I lay down on the bed, and I close my eyes…
I've had enough stress; I need to relax, and a nap would do me some good…
The next morning, my eyes open, and I find myself laying on the bed, looking up at the ceiling, and I shake my head as I get up, feeling the grogginess from the sleep leaving my body…
I pick the sword up, and I put it on my back, securing the sheath to my back. I shake myself off, and I run my hands through my hair, making sure it isn't messed up, and I put my shoes on and leave my apartment, walking back toward the Ninja HQ…
It's still early, we're supposed to report to the HQ at 9 am, but I guess if I'm a half an hour early, they aren't going to kill me or anything…
I walk with my hands in my pockets, and I keep my eyes on the ground, not wanting to draw any attention to myself…
I make my way to the Ninja Headquarters within the village of Konoha, and when I arrive, I can already see others are out and about, moving around like busy bugs, and I shake my head, walking inside, I head for the main assignment chamber. When I arrive at the door, I can hear Ishikawa's voice come from inside.
What?
I hear the Hokage's voice, and Ishikawa's voice, talking back and forth.
"Are you sure about this, Ishikawa-Sensei?" The Hokage asks. "Are you sure that your students can handle this?"
"I've never been surer of anything else in my life, Lord Hokage." Our teacher replies.
"This mission is a B Rank mission, usually only Chunin level squads are sent on them, can these Genin we assigned to you really have that much potential?"
"They do, Lord Hokage." He responds. "Himeko possesses the power of the Hyuga clan, and Chisato is the most stubborn shinobi I've ever met, and then there's Tsuzaku…"
"What about that Genin?" Lord Hokage asks.
"He's one of the strangest Genin I've ever met, and he seems to have a great amount of potential." Sensei finishes.
"If you say so, Ishikawa." The Hokage finishes. "When are the Genin slated to arrive?"
"I'd say one of them is already outside…" Ishikawa explains.
Oh shit!
I move as fast as I can, trying to make it around the corner of the hall before he can emerge from the hall, when a puff of smoke appears in front of me, and I stop in my tracks, seeing Ishikawa-sensei standing there in the cloud as it disappears…
"And just what are you doing here, Tsuzaku?" He asks me in a scolding tone.
"Well, I was just coming here to learn what our new mission was, when I heard you and Lord Hokage talking to each other about something…" I tell him.
"And just how much of the conversation did you hear?" He asks.
I shrug.
"I swear, I just got here, I only heard you talking about me, and that's it!"
He shakes his head.
"And why didn't you think to speak up when you arrived, rather then standing there in wait and listen like you did?"
I shrug.
"I didn't know what to really do; I just didn't want to interrupt your conversation between you and Lord Hokage." I explain.
He sighs.
"Either way, we've been given our new mission, and I've got the details of it." He explains. "When Chisato and Himeko arrive, I'll give you all the details, until then, wait here." He tells me.
I nod, and he goes back inside. I move against the wall and I lean against it, standing there and crossing my arms, closing my eyes, and breathing shallowly as I stand there, thinking to myself…
Great, now I've pissed off Ishikawa Sensei, damn it all to hell…
I hear footsteps coming down the hall a few moments later, and I open my eyes to see Himeko and Chisato coming down the hall, walking slowly as they notice me, and I look at the two of them.
"Well, you two are on time." I tell them, and I can see annoyance on Chisato's face.
"Well, what do you expect?" She shoots back. "Where's Ishikawa Sensei?"
I motion with my left hand toward the door, pointing with my thumb.
"He's inside, talking to Lord Hokage." I explain. "I don't know what he's talking about, but he's in serious conversation, cause when I tried to listen in, he yelled at me for it."
"Does he know about our latest mission?" Himeko asks.
I nod.
"He said he had the details about it, but didn't want to have to explain it twice, so he wanted me to wait for you two to show up."
"How long have you been here?" Chisato asks.
"About half an hour now I'd say, though it went fast cause for most of it, I was being scolded…"
There's a puff of smoke, and Ishikawa Sensei stands in the middle of the smoke, making hand sign…
"I see the three of you are here." He says simply.
"Yes." I nod. "So, can you please explain our next mission?"
He nods.
"Let's go inside, you'll get the details from Lord Hokage."
The four of us go inside, and I can see the Hokage sitting behind his desk, looking at the four of us.
"I can see you all made it." He says.
The three of us nod.
"May I ask what our next mission is?" I ask politely, the sword resting on my shoulder.
"Yes, in fact, it's a B Ranked mission, and Ishikawa, would you please show our guest in?"
Our sensei nods, and he turns around and opens the door, and inside comes someone dressed in dark blue noble looking robes. He has some facial hair, and he has an air about him, an air of arrogance…
"This is Fumiyama Hirosaki, he's an ambassador from the Village Hidden in the Waterfall, and he was here on business." The Hokage explains. "However, due to some problems in his homeland, his escort had to return, and now, due to our treaty with the village, requires that we provide an escort for him back to his village."
"And that's us." Ishikawa-sensei confirms.
The nobleman, Fumiyama, looks the three of us over.
"You mean to tell me you're dishonoring me by sending me back to my village with 3 Genin, and only a SINGLE Jounin?" He demands from the Hokage.
The Hokage smiles, giving a assuaging smile.
"Trust me, Mr. Hirosaki." He says. "These Genin are all top notch Shinobi, the blue haired girl is a member of our Hyuga clan, one of the most powerful in Konoha, and the other girl is Chisato Shiriyuki, her clan is quickly becoming well known within our Village, and finally, the last is Tsuzaku Sasaki, he's a young Genin with great talent already, and his sensei assures me that this mission will only sharpen his skills even more, and that you're just as safe with them as a squad of Chunin." He explains.
"Though, because this mission is deemed necessary by our treaty, you won't be charging for this mission?"
The Hokage nods.
"We won't be charging you, however I'd hope that our willingness to assist with you will be remembered in the future?"
I grimace.
Jesus, this is nothing but one long contrived politically motivated game of cat and mouse, one of the most boring things I've ever heard of doing…
I stand there as the two of them continue to talk and play their game…
God, how long am I going to have to stand around listening to this crap?
"Well, if you've got no other questions, then shouldn't the five of you be off?" The Hokage asks.
The ambassador nods.
"Well, then I guess we should be going." He says.
I can see sensei sigh.
"Well, then, we should leave." He agrees with the client.
The five of us leave the room, and as we walk, Ishikawa speaks up.
"The four of us need to pack our things to prepare for the trip, I need to do as well, and you can remain here Mr. Fumiyama, until the four of us are ready."
He growls under his breath.
"This isn't the best way to start off your mission to protect me." He explains.
Ishikawa nods.
"I know." He says simply. "However, we can't leave without provisions, and I can assure you that our preparations will only take an hour at the most." He pauses. "Now, you three, get going, and report back here as soon as you're finished."
The three of us nod, and we're off and out of the building like bats out of hell. I make my way back to my apartment as quickly as possible, and I get inside, grabbing a large hiking backpack from my closet, and I throw clothes and provisions into the bag, filling the canteen at my sink, and tossing in several MREs…
"Looks like I'm done." I say simply.
I throw the backpack onto my back, and I sling the backpack onto my shoulders. I make my way back to the HQ, and when I arrive, I walk inside, and I see Fumiyama standing inside in the main lobby, with Ishikawa-sensei standing near him…
"Sensei?" I ask as I approach. "Didn't you have to go pack?"
He nods.
"I used the Shadow Clone Jutsu to make a copy of myself, and I sent the clone to pack my things, while I stayed here to guard our client."
He used a clone jutsu to be in two places at once? That's an advanced technique, not to mention he was thinking outside the box when he decided to do that…
I stand there, and I face the door as Himeko enters the lobby…
Well, at least she packed up all right, and she always seems to have this strange look when she looks at me, but I can't help but feel this strange feeling in my stomach when I see her like that…
"Is something wrong, Tsuzaku?" I hear her ask me as she approaches.
I shake my head.
"No, I'm fine." I respond quickly.
I see a smile on her face.
"Well, where's Chisato?" She asks.
Ishikawa shrugs.
"She was off packing, and the last I checked, she doesn't have that much left to do."
"I don't know, but if she isn't back within the hour, then we're leaving her here." Ishikawa sensei adamantly declares.
"Mr. Ishikawa…" Our client speaks up. "I really don't think it's a good idea to be leaving your own students behind, after all, every person is another person…"
I give the man a puzzled look.
This asshole is nothing but a big chicken, he's afraid of something; like he knows something is going to happen…
"Something the matter, Tsuzaku?" I hear our sensei ask.
I look up, having been broken from my thoughts.
"No, I'm fine." I tell him. "It's nothing."
He continues to look at me strangely.
"All right then, it looks like our last straggler has arrived." I hear our sensei's voice from behind me, and I turn to see his shadow clone, standing next to Chisato, as they both enter the hall…
"Looks like the gang's all here…" I mutter in sarcasm.
The clone approaches the real Ishikawa, and hands off his bag, and then the clone vanishes in a puff of smoke…
"Well, if we're all ready, then we should leave." Our sensei speaks up, trying to take charge in the situation.
"What about our client?" I ask. "He lacks any provisions or any backpack, so how can he plan on surviving the few days we'll spend out in the wild?"
Fumiyama grins.
"I'm all right; you need not worry about me."
I nod, shrugging.
"Whatever." I say simply.
The three of us all turn toward the door.
"Shall we go?" Ishikawa asks, and the three of us Genin nod.
This is probably the last time that I'll see this place, but I swear, on my life, that it won't be the same for Himeko!