Disclaimer: Naruto, Ino, Shikamaru, and anyone else in the Naruto universe don't belong to me. UZUMAKI NARUTO, GENIN OF TEAM TEN CHAPTER 2: MEETING THE TEAM
The sun peered through the window of a small bedroom. As the first gleams of morning's light broke through, the rustling of sheets could be heard. A small patch of blonde hair could be seen from under the blankets of the bed. Slowly, the sheets moved back revealing a somewhat sleepy Naruto. His eyes winced as the light hit him for a moment, a small yawn escaping his lips. Suddenly, he remembered what day it was. A feeling of excitement began to rush through his body, and the boy quickly jumped out of bed. He stretched a bit, and then began to run about his small, somewhat messy apartment as he prepared for the day ahead. A smile was on his lips as he ran to the kitchen and prepared his favorite breakfast, which was a nice, big bowl or ramen. He poured a tall glass of milk as the noodles boiled, and after what seemed like the longest three minutes in his life he devoured his breakfast in a flash. From there, it was off to take a quick shower. A small yelp escaped his lips as a blast of cold water shot through the spigot. He could've sworn he told the landlord about the hot water in his shower being out... He quickly jumped out of the shower, and dried off. Naruto decided that he'd just have to tell the woman again later, but not now.
Today was the day when he'd be finally be beginning the next step towards achieving his dream. Naruto wasn't exactly sure what that step was going to be, however. All he knew was that Iruka told him to be at the academy at exactly eight in the morning. So, whatever it was, it had to be official. The blonde boy quickly went about the remainder of his morning routine. He quickly brushed his teeth, put on his usual orange jumpsuit, and then grabbed his shinobi tools. To finish up, he was about to put his green goggles back on his head, however he then spotted the hitai-ate Iruka gave him, and a slight chuckle escaped his lips. He had been going to the academy with his goggles on for so long, that he wasn't quite used to having to wear something else in their place. He tied the hitai-ate around his forehead, and gave himself a once over in the mirror in his room.
"Perfect!" Naruto shouted in excitement. "Heh… I look so cool! An official shinobi of the village at last!"
The blonde quickly ran out the door, locking it tightly behind him. He didn't waste a single moment as he dashed down the apartment building steps, and through the streets of Konoha towards the Shinobi Academy. Normally, he could feel the glares of the villagers as he moved along, but not today. Naruto had already determined that there was absolutely nothing in the world that could ruin his day today. The smile on his face never shrunk once, and it seemed to only grow as he made his way through the academy building, and into Iruka's classroom. The room was rather noisy today, as the various students that passed the exam were all chatting away. Some of them looked up, expecting Iruka to be coming in when the door opened, only to either be surprised or disappointed when they saw it was only Naruto. Almost immediately, whispers began to float about the room. Unless they were dreaming the whole thing, and they were most certainly sure they were not, they distinctively remembered Naruto failing the exam the previous day. However, even their whisperings didn't seem to bother the said boy. He simply made his way down the steps, walking towards his usual seat. As Naruto walked, a boy resting his head upon his desk looked up and yawned. As the said boy spotted Naruto, a bit of confusion entered his mind, so he decided to find out just what was going on.
"Naruto… What are you doing here?" he asked. "Only those of us who graduated are supposed to be here."
Naruto turned to see who was speaking to him and sighed. The voice belonged to one Nara Shikamaru, quite possibly the laziest boy in all of Konoha. He was wearing a pair of brown pants and a fishnet, short-sleeved shirt. Over top of the shirt was a gray, short-sleeved jacket. He had black hair which he kept pulled back into a small ponytail of sorts, causing his head to almost look like a pine apple. A small pair of earrings was in his ears, one per lobe. His hitai-ate was tied around his left arm. Naruto leaned in close and grinned.
"I did pass." he answered Shikamaru. He paused for a moment, pointing at the hitai-ate around his forehead. "Or did you happen to miss this?"
The Nara simply yawned. His eyes skewed for a moment, before turning back to the desk. It was only a second longer before he was resting his head once more.
"Troublesome…" the boy muttered.
Naruto simply gave it a shrug and began to walk down the aisle once more. As he reached the area where he normally sat, a scowl crossed his face. Suddenly, that feeling that nothing could ruin this day shrunk a bit at what he saw in his favorite seat. A boy with black hair. It was slightly long in the front with bangs lining the sides of his face, while in the back it was rather spiky, and in Naruto's opinion looked like the backend of a chicken. The boy had blue eyes, and a slightly pale skin complexion. He was wearing a pair of white shorts and a blue t-shirt. On his arms was a pair of arm warmers. They were right, with blue trimming matching the blue in shirt. His hitai-ate rested around his forehead, and his shirt had a clan symbol on the back… The clan symbol for Uchiha to be exact. Yes, the boy was none other than Uchiha Sasuke, otherwise known as the last of the Uchiha, the Rookie of the Year, and a severe pain in Naruto's side. He glared daggers at Sasuke. The said boy was resting his chin on his hand, slowly looked at the blonde impassively. Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly interrupted as the door to the classroom bust open.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY, INO-PIG!" a pink-haired girl shouted.
"AND LET YOU GET TO SASUKE-KUN FIRST?!" a blonde girl shouted back.
The two girls were both trying to shove their way into the room. The only problem was they had gotten stuck, mainly from both trying to in at the same time. The pink-haired girl was known as Haruno Sakura, daughter of Haruno Kazuhiko. Her was quite long, going down to just past her lower back. She had emerald-green eyes, just like her father. She was wearing a red, short-sleeved dress with various white designs on it. Underneath those was a pair of tight, navy blue shorts. She kept her hitai-ate in her hair like a ribbon of sorts. The blonde girl was known as Yamanaka Ino. She was wearing a purple skirt, with a matching purple top. She had a pair of arm warmers like Sasuke's, except that the lining was purple. Ino too had long hair, only she kept hers pulled back into a long ponytail. Even then, it went down to the same length as Sakura's. Her hitai-ate was tied around her waist like a belt of sorts, and she had bandages wrapped around her thighs and stomach. She had a pair of identical earrings in her ears, just like Shikamaru's.
As the two had finally managed to squeeze in the door, Naruto forgot all about Sasuke for a moment. Rather, his attention shifted to the figure of Sakura. The said girl had managed to take the lead, and was currently running down in his direction. Naruto smiled as happily as he could, giving her a friendly wave. You see, Naruto had a thing for Sakura. He thought that she was the most beautiful girl in the class. When Naruto wasn't pulling pranks or being lectured by Iruka. He was trying to get her attention anyway he could.
"Konichiwa, Sakura-chan!" the blonde boy greeted. "How are y--"
"Shut up and move!" Sakura snapped at the boy, shoving him down to the ground in the process. He watched as Sakura ran right into the row of seats, stopping just before Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun!! It looks like we both graduated! Isn't that great?!"
Sasuke was currently looking out the window. He shuddered a bit when Sakura's sudden screaming entered his ears, and he slowly gazed in her direction. He gave her a simple nod, and then returned to looking outside. Sakura cheered in delight, and quickly took a seat beside the boy. Naruto's glare at Sasuke grew in power, and he was hoping that it would be enough to cause the Uchiha to burst into flames. It didn't happen that way though. Sasuke was still staring off into space, and Sakura appeared to have been staring at the boy so much that a trail of drool began to trickle from her mouth.
"Damn it, that… that bastard! What the hell makes him so great, anyways? I mean, Sakura-chan just sits there staring at him all the time! It's like he's a drug and she's got to get her fix!" Naruto thought.
His eyes narrowed. Naruto quickly climbed back to his feet, and suddenly leapt onto the table. He walked over to right in front of Sasuke. The Uchiha glanced up, right as Naruto bent down, glaring even harder at him. Sakura frowned and glared at Naruto.
"What are you looking at, dobe?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto didn't reply, and kept his glare focused.
"Baka! What are you bothering Sasuke-kun for?!" Sakura shouted. She quickly rose out of her seat and punched the boy in the head. "Get lost, jerk!"
The blonde boy rubbed his head in pain as he hopped off the table. Various members of the class could be heard laughing at the event. Naruto looked back at Sakura and Sasuke one time, before simply moving to an empty seat in another room. Alright… So he hit a slight rough patch… It happens. However, Naruto was still determined that this day was going to be one of the best ones ever. He put his head down on the desk, slowly gazing up at a clock on the wall, counting down the seconds until Iruka would arrive. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long. Right when the clock hit eight on the dot, the Chuunin walked into the room. Naruto was happy to see that Iruka was looking much better since the events of the previous night. Sure, he still had a cut or bruise, but they were only noticeable if you looked closely.
The Chuunin looked around for a moment as he entered the room. Normally, the class would continue on with whatever they were in the middle of. However, today they all seemed to quiet down right on the spot, and they were all sitting attentively in their seats. All except for Shikamaru, who had dozed off since talking to Naruto. Slowly, Iruka made his way into the classroom and towards the front. In his hand, was the finalized arrangement for the Genin teams. He sighed as he thought of that day's events. True, he had never thought much of some of the shinobi, Kazuhiko included, but now he was thinking even less of them. Though, he was glad and a bit surprised that Inoichi, Chouza, and Shikaku were all so willing to help out. They had never seemed to show that much concern for Naruto before… Or maybe he just managed to miss it somehow. At any rate, things were going to be a bit different now. He only hoped that the results of these changes would be truly for the better. Iruka sighed again, and slowly turned around to face the class.
"Alright everyone… Settle d--" Iruka began, only to see that everyone was already quiet and paying attention to him. He chuckled a bit, and then continued on from where he left off. "I'd like to start off by congratulating all of you here today. You are the ones who managed to pass the exam. From this day forward, you will no longer be my students. Rather, we are now comrades. We are fellow shinobi of the village of Konohagakure. However, like most things you must start at the bottom and work your way up, and being a shinobi is no different. You are all, but novice shinobi, or rather Genin. However, you will presented with plenty of opportunities to get stronger and increase your skills. And hopefully one day, you will be able to advance to the further levels of shinobi. I look forward to working along side you all, and watching you all continue to grow."
The class nodded at him, and Iruka smiled weakly. He was an academy teacher, he should be used to things like this. However, he always felt a little sad when the students moved on. He sighed and cleared his throat a bit.
"Now then… The next thing we must do from here, is divide you up into three-man teams." Iruka said.
"Teams?" Sakura asked.
"Correct." Iruka replied. "Each of these teams will consist of three of you Genin, and you will be led by a shinobi of Jounin rank. The Jounin will act as coaches so to speak. They will aid you in the further development of your skills, and assist you in various missions and assignments you will accept on behalf of the village."
Naruto smiled brightly at the thought of this. As Iruka continued his speech, the blonde boy began to think of any possible team formations that would be good for him. In the end, he decided that as long as Sakura was on his team, and Sasuke was not, then he would finally have the chance he needed to catch the attention, respect, and admiration of the girl. He began to chuckle to himself at this thought. He pictured Sakura begging him to go out, and Sasuke begging him to show him some tips and pointers. Suddenly, he was snapped out of his day dreams just in time to see Iruka start reading off the list of teams. He began by announcing the number, followed by the three Genin that would be on it, and followed by the Jounin who would lead and teach it. As Iruka announced the Jounin, one would walk into the room and collect the three Genin assigned to him or her. Naruto waited in anticipation as this continued for sometime. Eventually, there were only nine of them in the room, and Sakura and Sasuke were two of them.
"Now then…" Iruka began as the last team he announced exited the room. "The next team will be Team Seven. It will consist of Haruno Sakura, Akimichi Chouji, and Uchiha Sasuke. It will be lead by Hatake Kakashi."
Naruto suddenly felt his day dream explode into a fiery ball of death, crashing into the world, and destroying him in an instant. Not only was Sakura on the same team as Sasuke, but the third person didn't even get to be him. His chances of making it with the pink-haired girl seemed to be shrinking faster and faster. It seemed to shrink more, when Sakura declared her victory to Ino. Naruto sighed as he stared at the girl, and then slowly looked behind him at the third member of the team, Akimichi Chouji.
He was a rather plump boy, like many of the men in the Akimichi clan. He was wearing a yellow t-shirt with a green, short-sleeved jacket over top of it, and a pair of brown shorts on his legs. A white scarf was wrapped around his neck, and he had bandages wrapped around his arms. He had brown, somewhat messy hair. He wore his hitai-ate like a hat of sorts, and had two holes in it, one on each side, that allowed to patches of hair to poke out. The shirt had the clan symbol of the Akimichi on the front of it. Like Shikamaru and Ino, the boy had a pair of earrings in his ears. As Naruto looked at the boy closer, he didn't appear to hate the team up, or support it. He just sat there quietly, munching on a bag of chips. Slowly, Chouji looked around the room and back to Iruka.
"Hey, Iruka-sensei?" the boy called, still munching away. "I don't see any Jounin coming in here."
"I was afraid of that… Just wait a bit, I'm sure he'll be along soon." Iruka sighed. "Anyways, moving along… The next team will be Team Eight. It will consist of Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and Hyuuga Hinata. Your Jounin sensei will be Yuhi Kurenai."
Naruto watched as the said Jounin entered the room, and three said Genin rose. It looked like quite a strange bunch to him. First, there was the Kiba boy. Was wearing a pair of brown shorts and a gray, hooded coat. The hood was up, but one could still see the bangs of his brown, messy hair. His hitai-ate was tied around his forehead. The first thing Naruto thought when looking at Kiba was dog, and for good reason too. A small, white puppy could be seen peeking out from within his coat, and his teeth looked very much like a dog… And the smell… Naruto decided to focus on the checking out the other student instead. Another boy, he was a bit taller than Kiba. Naruto figured him to be the one named Shino. He was wearing a pair of brown pants and had a green, long coat on. The collar on the coat was high, so Naruto wasn't able to see much below the boy's nose, of even his face in general. This was thanks to the sunglasses he was also wearing. Like Kiba, he wore his hitai-ate around his forehead.
Then there was the final member of the team. Being the female, Naruto figured her out to be the one called Hyuuga Hinata. She seemed rather… quiet to him and possibly somewhat unsure, though of what Naruto didn't know. She was wearing a pair of dark blue pants, and a beige colored coat. It had a strange symbol on the sleeve, one that he determined to be a symbol for her family's clan. Her hitai-ate rested around her neck, and she had short, dark blue hair. However, what caught Naruto's attention on her the most was her lavender eyes, and how they did not have any pupils in them. The only reason he noticed this, was because she glanced in his direction. Right after Hinata did though, she quickly looked away and began to blush. Naruto shrugged, and turned his attention back to Iruka.
"Now then… Team Nine is still in circulation from last year's graduates. This leads us over to Team Ten. It will consist of Yamanaka Ino, Uzumaki Naruto, and Nara Shikamaru." Iruka stated.
"Wait a minute!" Ino suddenly shouted. "I can take not being with Sasuke-kun, but sticking me with this lazy bum and the dobe!"
"What did you call me?!" Naruto shouted back.
"You heard me! Dobe!" Ino replied. "Iruka-sensei, these two aren't gonna do anything, but drag me down!"
"Troublesome…" Shikamaru sighed, as he slowly sat up. "Do you both have to be so loud?"
"Iruka-sensei, isn't there anyway you can re-arrange the teams?" Ino pleaded.
"Gomen, Ino… The teams have all been finalized by the Hokage. It is too late to change them now." Iruka explained. "Now, like I was saying… Your Jounin-sensei will be Sarutobi Asuma."
It was at that moment, that the said Jounin walked into the room. He glanced around the room, looking over the three that would be his students. It seemed to be a bit of a loud formation, or at least that's what he gathered from the two blondes. Still, a team is a team. Besides, it was the first time he ever saw them, so surely there was more to the two than that. He paused as he took a puff of his cigarette, and then smiled.
"Alright Team Ten, what do you say we grab some lunch and get to know each other." he suggested. "My treat."
Asuma turned and began to walk out of the class. Shikamaru followed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He was followed by Ino, who received a triumphant smile from Sakura, who was followed by Naruto, who took one look back at the pink-haired girl and sighed. So far, this day hadn't been what he wanted it to be. He decided for the time being, to shift his thoughts from the day's events, over towards his new sensei for a moment. He didn't look to be a powerful shinobi. Naruto always considered the Jounin to be the best of the best, that the only one who could possibly be better was the Hokage himself. Asuma though, he seemed pretty laid back. Naruto snapped out of his thoughts for a moment as the group exited the academy. A Jounin with silver hair and only one visible eye was making his way past them, his nose buried in a small orange book. The man was talking to himself, and never moved his eye from the pages of the book.
"Let's see… I could tell them I had to save a baby from a burning building… No, that's too over the top. I know, maybe I could mention that I got a cat out of a tree for an elderly citizen. That seems good…" the Jounin mumbled.
Naruto shook his head in confusion. Asuma walked slowly, leading the three of them into town. His hands were in his pockets, and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Naruto had never seen one quite like the man. However, at the same time, there was something about him that seemed familiar. Eventually, the group stopped outside of a small restaurant that specialized in barbeque. Naruto seemed a bit disappointed at this. After the cycle of bad news that seemed to be falling into place, he could really go for some ramen right now. However, he then remembered that it was a free meal, so who was he to complain? The three went inside the restaurant, taking a booth in the back of the place. The three Genin filed in on one side of the booth, while Asuma sat on the other side. He ordered the variety platter, a meal that was made to feed four. He then ordered some sake for himself, and tea for the Genin. It was quiet for a moment, the Genin watching as Asuma pulled another cigarette from a pocket on his vest. He lit it and slowly inhaled, savoring the flavor for a moment. He sighed happily, and then looked at the three.
"Alright guys… Welcome to the first meeting of Team Ten." Asuma began. "Since this is our first meeting, I think we should take some time to get to know each other better."
"What do you want to know?" Ino asked.
"Oh… You know, the basic stuff." Asuma answered. "Say your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies… and a dream for the future. How about you go first? You know the old saying, ladies first."
"Alright. My name is Yamanaka Ino. I like helping my family out our flower shop, arranging flowers, spending time with friends. I hate that Billboard Brow, Sakura…" Ino began. She got a rather fierce glare from Naruto upon stating her hate, but she continued anyways. "My hobby is working with flowers, and as for a dream… I hope to one day become a strong kunoichi, and make my clan proud."
"Hmm… She didn't mention anything about the Uchiha… Not like the usual girl her age…" Asuma thought. "Alright then, how about we hear from our other blonde friend next?"
"Sure thing!" Naruto replied. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like Iruka-sensei, ramen, and the old man… er… I mean Hokage. I hate the three minutes it takes for ramen to cool and people who judge someone before they get to know them. My hobbies, I suppose that'd be training and pranks! As for my dream… I'm going to one day earn the respect of everyone in the village, all by becoming the Hokage!"
"That's quite a dream… He's definitely a different one." Asuma thought. "Now for you, the one with the lazy look in his eye."
"Fine…" Shikamaru sighed. "Nara Shikamaru… I like shougi, naps, friends… I dislike annoying or troublesome things… Hobbies? I guess that'd be cloud watching and playing shougi. As for a dream, nothing major. I guess get married, have a kid or two, then grow old."
"That was so boring!" Naruto exclaimed. "Don't you have anything interesting to add?"
"Troublesome…" Shikamaru sighed. "I didn't list those for your approval, you know… Just because you find those things boring, doesn't mean I do."
"Alright guys, cool it." Asuma said with a slight chuckle. "I'll finish us up here. My name is Sarutobi Asuma. I like training, those who are willing to work hard, and a good smoke. I hate those who give up without trying or don't apply themselves, as well as constant tardiness. My hobbies include playing shougi and reading a good book. As for my dream, I guess that would be you guys."
"Us?" Ino questioned. "What do you mean?"
Asuma paused a moment before continuing as the meal and drink was served. He finished the current cigarette he had in his mouth, sighing as that last puff of smoke exited his mouth and floated into the air. He motioned for the three to dig in, taking a small sip of sake as he did so.
"Well, let's just say I happen to be a guy who can tell a lot from very little. And even though the introductions weren't that in depth, I can tell that all three of you happen to have a lot of potential." he began to explain. Of course, what Asuma didn't mention was he happened to obtain extra information about the three from Iruka. He didn't really feel the need to specify that, either. He was sure they all three knew that already, considering the fact they were before him now. Also, there was the risk of them possibly having an easy to raise ego, and just make that one a pain to deal with. "Of course, most of that potential has yet to be truly brought out, and is something I hope to do once we get to some training."
"What kind of training?" Naruto asked as he swallowed a sip of tea.
"Well… I'd rather not say just yet. I mean, I'd hate to get your hopes up and then have them doused. Better to make sure that we'll actually even make it that far, first…" Asuma replied, grinning a bit.
A moment of silence passed by the three. All three of them gave each other a curious glance. They then looked back to Asuma with confusion in their eyes. The Jounin chuckled a bit, rubbing the back of his head.
"I don't understand…" Naruto said. "What do you mean we might not make it that far?"
"Well, before we can get down to the serious training, we'll have to do a bit of survival training… Though truth be told, it's more of a test." Asuma explained.
"A t-test?!" Naruto exclaimed.
"What do you mean we have to take a test?!" Ino joined in. "We just graduated from the academy and became Genin, and we're getting tested again already?!"
Shikamaru simply sighed and rested his forehead on his hand. He could tell that he was going to be getting constant headaches with these two always around. However, he was also confused about how they could be getting tested again. Although, he probably would have found a more quiet, less troublesome method of voicing his concern. Instead, he simply remained silent as Asuma chuckled again, trying to get the blondes to calm down.
"Well… The truth of the matter is, that none of the ones that graduated from the academy and were put on the teams are actual shinobi… For the time being anyways." Asuma could tell the blondes were about to go nuts again, so he put a hand up. "Let me explain. You see, the Genin exam technically has two parts. The first part, the exam Iruka gave you, was something like an elimination round. He gave you a somewhat simple task, and using that he was able to separate those of you who showed the most potential, from the ones who would honestly, just get in the way. The fact that you three are here, proved that you are in fact worth the time and effort."
"So… Why the second part then?" Shikamaru asked. "I mean, having to go through another test already? It's all just so troublesome…"
"I suppose you could call it that…" Asuma mused. He paused and reached for another cigarette. He placed it in his mouth, lighting it slowly, and sighing once more. "However, it is needed. You see, even though twenty-seven of you passed, only nine of you can actually become Genin. The rest of your class will be faced with two choices. They can either go back to the academy for a year to get some more training, then try the test again. Or, they may decide to quit being a shinobi for good. The last option being the most common."
"So… Out of all twenty-seven of us that graduated from Iruka-sensei's class, only nine of us can become full-fledged Genin… That means that this test really isn't so little. At least, not when the failing rate is over sixty percent." Shikamaru sighed.
"Bingo. You know, you're a lot smarter than you look." Asuma replied. Shikamaru sighed and rolled his eyes. "Anyways, that's correct. This test has a failing rate of sixty-six percent. After all, we want to make sure that we get the best of the best with every group."
"So… What kind of test is it then?" Naruto asked.
"Heh… Well, it wouldn't be any fun if I spoiled the surprise now." Asuma said. Slowly, raised up from the booth, putting the money down for the food in the process. "Just make sure you come to Training Ground #5 tomorrow morning. I want you there no later than seven, alright?"
The three nodded, and Asuma waved good bye. The three sat there for a moment more, before they too got up to leave. The sun was already beginning to set when they got outside. Shikamaru yawned, gazing up at a cloud he saw passing by.
"What a drag… Having to take another test already…" he sighed.
"Bah… I'm sure we can handle it just fine!" Naruto exclaimed. "Besides, Asuma-sensei doesn't look so tough to me. I mean, just what kind of test could he give us anyways?!"
"Naruto… You do know who Asuma-sensei is, right?" Ino asked, looking back at Shikamaru in the process.
"Of course…" Naruto began. "He's a Jounin, right?"
"There's more to him than that…" Shikamaru sighed. "His full name was Sarutobi Asuma, remember?"
"I do." Naruto answered. "What's that gotta do with anything though?"
"You baka…" Ino sighed. "Sarutobi is the last name of someone else in the village. One of the, if not THE most powerful shinobi in Konoha! Asuma-sensei is related to the Hokage!"
"The Hokage?!" Naruto shouted. "Are you sure?!"
"Of course!" Ino replied. "How many other people in the village do you think would share his last name?!"
"Oh man… This is awesome! I'm being trained by someone related to the Hokage!" Naruto began to celebrate. "This changes everything! This is like, the best sensei I could have ever dreamed of!"
"He hasn't even trained us yet, Naruto!" Ino snapped.
"So what?!" Naruto replied, still excited. He grabbed Ino's hands, beginning to jump up and down in the process. "He's related to the Hokage, Ino! It's gotta be like getting trained by the real thing!"
Ino felt a blush creep to her cheeks, and she tried to pull away quickly. However, Naruto's grip on her hands was too strong. Plus, he was to busy celebrating to notice her trying to escape, much less ordering him to let go. Shikamaru watched the scene and sighed. He turned the other direction, and began to make his way home. Maybe failing the test would be a good idea. He'd at least have one or two less troublesome blondes around to deal with…