In the Hidden Clouds

Chapter1: The First Time in Ten Years

"Mamime-sensei," Tamima called out. Mamime looked up from her book to see her old student, Nobunaga Tamima, running up to her. Mamime smiled a bit, it had been almost six years since she had seen her old student, and she had grown quite a bit. Tamima took a seat across from Mamime, "hey, hey, guess what Mamime-sensei," she said, with a bit of enthusiasm.

"What, what," Mamime said, "Did you finally beat your older brother in shogi or something."

"No, no," Tamima said, "I've been selected for the Chuunin exams!" Mamime wasn't surprised. Tamima was an excellent student, and a member of the noble Nobunaga family, so it wasn't a surprise her team was nominated for the first Chuunin Exam in ten years. Mamime frowned as she remembered the last Chuunin Exam, which she had been a part of. That was when the war between the Hidden Mist, Hidden Stone, and Hidden Cloud villages had broken out due to the results of the exam.

That war had lasted until only recently, when the Seventh Raikage awoke from his fifteen year coma and settled the war on the spot by summoning the Dragon of Lightning. Now, the three villages bore an uneasy cease-fire, and had adopted the Hidden Leaf and Hidden Sand's Chuunin Exam methods, which seemed effective in preventing wars (although, the Leaf/Sand Chuunin Exam two or so years ago was almost a disaster thanks to the Hidden Sound village).

"Anyway," Tamima went on, "I just wanted to let you know. I mean, you were one of the last of our shinobi to be promoted to Chuunin from your exam results, right," Mamime nodded, "I was just wondering, also, what's it like?"

"I wouldn't know," Mamime said, "after all, the exam I took was totally different than the Hidden Leaf's exam. But, their exam type is very effective at producing the best shinobi, so you shouldn't worry too much. If you pass, it's definitely because you were the very best at what you do."

"But my results depend on my teammates, aye," Tamima said, "Souma-sensei is good, but he's a Jounin, so he can't help us, the other two, Myourin and Akira, have their merits, but they're not too powerful."

"There's more to the Chuunin Exam than pure strength," Mamime said, "you need wits, and those two have plenty of those. You have the skills to back up their wit, that's why I made you three teammates."

"Yeah, that's true," Tamima said, "heh, anyway, thanks a lot, now I can take the exam without too much fear." Tamima got up and headed off, waving good-bye as she went. Mamime would have to watch this exam closely, especially considering the "neutral parties" that were going to be acting as the examiners this time around.