The morning sun rose over a tall cliff-face and shone, seemingly directly, through the window of a small ten-year old girl. Her hair as white as sea-foam, her skin only a few shades darker. Her bright, sky blue eyes opened as she awoke. Just as she got out of bed a woman, around her late twenties, poked her head around the door.
"Namika, I'm glad you're awake - your father and I have a meeting to attend - So we can't take you to your team assignment today. Are you alright to go with your cousin, Aiko?" Yuri Seina, Namika's mother, informed and inquired.
"Of course, mother. When are we leaving?" Namika knew to keep all answers blunt and questions to the point as not to waste her parent's time.
"You have an hour until she arrives. I'll be home when you finish school so we can continue our training then. Don't disappoint us today." and with that, Seina left.
"I suppose I should get ready" Namika calmly said to herself. She started by putting her hair in the signature waterfall braid that she's known for doing every day. and dressed in her usual attire since she became a genin. She wore a thick, black happi with white flowers adorning the hem, her trousers went to chins and were black also, along with her sandals. Finally she put her head protector around her waist, wearing it much like an obi and secured her tool pouch to her right leg and her medicinal pouch to her left.
Once dressed, Namika decided that she would go into the garden and practise some of the techniques her mother had taught her last week.
Walking into the garden meant going past her parent's room, the bathroom and her father's study. Until the Shodai died, her father had been his most valued advisor, confidante and assistant which led to him doing a lot of paperwork. Now that the Shodai had passed, his daughters, son and wife were in mourning for the past few weeks since his death. They were on the rise though.
The garden looked lovely in the early morning light, the training dummies and target logs were tinted a slight orange due to the sun's early glow. I started forming the signs, Uma - Mi - Tori - Ushi - Hitsuji and then clap my palms above my head. "Hanaton: Great Flower Summoning". Lily petals of pure white then start to swirl around her and cause her to disappear. Then she steps out from behind one of the target logs.
"I guess that will have to do, Aiko is here" Namika said to herself. It was a poor habit but she felt no need to change it. "Speaking to one's self raises self-awareness and helps with loneliness" she can remember reading from one of her mother's self-help books.
"Namika - I know you know I'm here, let's go!" Aiko shouted from outside. Just as she'd finished speaking, Namika was standing next to her. "C'mon then, let's go!" Aiko didn't particularly like Namika, she found her unsociable, rude and indifferent. When she was in class, Namika excelled at genjutsu, ninjutsu and was far more advanced than anyone in her class. All of them were at least two years older than Namika and she excelled them all in everything. Except one subject; Taijutsu. Namika had the physicality for it, she just didn't like hand-to-hand combat. Before long they both arrived at Konoha Academy.
"Before we go in, Aunt Seina wanted me to inform you that Uncle Tobirama has just been appointed Nidaime Hokage" Aiko informed, seemingly disinterested.
"Father is Hokage then" Namika stated, more to herself than Aiko.
"I best start class, come on in or I'll have to mark you as late" Aiko beckoned towards the door.
As they entered, Namika quickly noticed that someone had put a board eraser on the door. She hurried to her regular seat before it could hit her. Not so much luck for Aiko however.
"Hideyo Fumiko, front and center! Everyone else, sit!" Aiko knew exactly who had done it, she glared at the student. The girl brushed of the glare with the same hand she used to brush back her long, blonde hair which was tied back with her headband.
"Miss Senju, I didn't mean for it to hit you. It was meant for Dojin-chan." Fumiko retorted, aiming her condescending glare at Namika. "How did she even pass? She's way too young!" Fumiko continued.
"At least she didn't get stuck in her own genjutsu, Hideyo Fumiko" Aiko said in a very matter-of-fact tone. Fumiko clamped up immediately.
"You will clean all of these boards and will be the last to be collected for your training today. As will your entire group. Understood" Miss Senju stated.
"I understand Miss Senju, it won't happen again." Fumiko replied.
"Fine, you may be seated" Miss Senju waited to Fumiko to sit and carried on.
"As all of you know, today is the day that you'll be assigned to your Jonin's and your teams. Look after your teammates as your going to be with them a long time. There are ten teams and no clan members from the same clan have been put together. You will all learn to get along. Now, the teams are Shiro, Pinku, Aka, Orenji, Kiiro, Midori, Haiiro, Murasaki, Kuro and Ao. I will call your names and you will sit with your team members. In team Shiro we have; Kuno Giichi, Uchiha Nori and Akimichi Bakin. Pinku; Hideyo Fumiko, Yamanaka Inoko and Hatake Akina. Aka; Inazuka Tenshin, Obinaka Saku and Yamabe Kojiro. Orenji: Shimura Kai, Uchiha Tatsui and Uzumaki Sachi. Kiiro; Lee Nanako, Kohaku Kaiyo and Aburame Jiro. Midori: Miki Shunko, Hyuuga Hikari and Senju Harumi. Haiiro; Kurama Hideyoshi, Hyuuga Takakage and Shimura Katsue. Murasaki; Yamanaka Mina, Uchiha Rei and Senju Koto. Kuro; Nara Yataro, Sarutobi Haruko and Yoshitsune Minamoto. The final team, team Ao is; Takao Kano, Tsuyoshi Isamu and Senju Namika. All teams wait here for your Jonin, they will be through to start your training soon. Team Pinku; you'll be here until you finish cleaning the blackboard and the erasers. That is all." With her final sentence, everyone maneuvered themselves into their groups, aside from Namika. She was petrified. She had absolutely no idea who her Jonin was going to be, she barely knew the two people in her group and she didn't want to look like an embarrassment.
"Hi, you must be Senju Namika. I'm Takao Kano, It's nice to meet you!" The girl walked up to Namiko as she said this. She looked about a year older than Namika. She was quite tall and about as thin as Namika was. Her maroon hair managed to reach just past her shoulders in her high ponytail. She wore a dark coloured crop top with ankle length trousers and dark sandals. Her headband was placed like a turtleneck connecting to her top.
"It's nice to meet you too, Takao Kano." Namika shyly replied.
"Seriously? I get stuck with two girls on my team? This sucks" A boy, looking a year or two older than the girls, complained as he strode up to them.
"You must be-" Kano started.
"Tsuyoshi Isamu. That's me" Isamu interrupted. "I'm guessing that Little Miss Timid over there is Senju Namika and you are-" He started.
"Takao Kano" She finished for him.
"Touche" Isamu commented.
"Team Ao" A woman's voice called.
Quickly Namika, Kano and Isamu ran to the voice, Isamu getting there last.
"Don't underestimate the girls" Kano taunted.
"I am Namiashi Yakumo and I look forward to training you three. I've read your files and devised a training excercise for this afternoon. Namika, you may have already done this exercise with your father. If you have I apologise but you'll have to bear through, okay?" Yakumo quickly said. "Follow me, if you can't keep up - that's part of the test" she added.
They ran all the way through the village. From the north of the village all the way to the outskirts and carried on. Yakumo's pace was fairly fast, enough for Kano to keep up with little difficulty. Namika came in a close second but Isamu was finding it difficult to keep the pace. After half an hour of running, they came to their destination. The Forest of Death.
Just outside of the entrance, Yakumo stopped. She waited for all three of her pupils to arrive and started to speak.
"Here is where your test begins. You know nothing of each other and in this task you shall learn. You may use any techniques you know, you simply have one goal-".