Chapter 3 is finally here enjoy!

As always Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto

Konoha Training Ground Ten

Asuma led Hinako, Shikamaru, and Kiba to the training ground in silence only promising to explain the test once they got to the training ground. Once they got to the training ground filled with rocks, trees, and a small lake Asuma turned around to face his squad before speaking, "First off let me give a short explanation behind this test. Quite a few of you graduated from the academy, but that doesn't mean all of you will become shinobi."

All three of them looked confused at that last statement from Asuma as Kiba was the first to speak up, "What do you mean by that?"

Asuma grinned a bit and continued, "Basically all of the new genin are being tested by their squad leader as we speak. Those who pass become shinobi while those who fail will be sent back to the Academy."

Everyone's eyes opened wide with that last comment staying in silence for a few seconds with Hinako finally breaking the tension, "Asuma-sensei what will our test be?"

"Well Hinako-chan your test will be simple." Asuma said as he backed a few steps away from the three before continuing, "All you have to do is knock me down, but the catch is that only the one that knocks me down stays the others are removed and forbidden from becoming shinobi for the rest of their lives."

Even Shikamaru looked worried about that last bit and the three looked back and forth between each other before getting a determined look on their faces not to lose to each other as Hinako looked at Asuma and asked, "When does the test begin Sensei?"

"You all have until noon before the three of you fail, and the test begins now!" Asuma declared as almost instantly Hinako, Kiba, and Shikamaru leaped off into different directions leaving Asuma in the open alone before making a comment, "Well they certainly move fast enough."

Shikamaru was hiding up in a nearby tree watching Asuma content with observing how Asuma fights before coming up with a strategy to win. Shikamaru was also thinking about how odd this situation was, and how something didn't exactly add up in his head.

Hinako was lying down on the ground under a bush watching as Asuma stood still more then like waiting for one of them to make the first offensive move as she began to think of how to catch him off guard to get the advantage hoping to win this as soon as she could.

Kiba wasn't too far away either on a tree branch as he picked Akamaru off the top of his head and placed him down on the branch. "Sorry Akamaru, but we haven't trained enough to use Jūjin Bunshinyet so wait here while I take care of the rest." Akamaru quietly whined a bit before barking as Kiba leaped off the branch aiming straight for Asuma's back while rotating in the air at high velocity, "Tsūga!"

Asuma heard the sound of the Kiba's Tsūga behind him and leaped forward and rolled to dodge the impact of it turning around as Kiba wasted no effort and rushed at Asuma aiming a wild punch to Asuma's head. Asuma blocked the punch with little effort noticing that Kiba's hands had become more like claws, his teeth sharpened into fangs, and the pupils of his eyes became slits. "The Inuzuka clan's Shikyaku no Jutsu." Asuma thought to himself before barely dodging a kick from Kiba.

Shikamaru and Hinako were both watching from their hiding spots waiting for a possible opening while Asuma threw a hard right backhand that hit Kiba right in the gut as he finished turning around from the kick knocking the wind out of Kiba. Wasting no time Asuma then hit Kiba in the side of the head with a roundhouse kick sending Kiba flying into one of the nearby bushes.

Hinako wasting no time in seeing a possible opening jumped out of the bush she was hiding under making a hand seal before a cloud of smoke covered her, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" From the smoke not one, not two, but three Hinako's emerged as the one in front went for a low sweep kick on Asuma who was momentarily surprised before jumping over the kick as the second Hinako leaped over the first aiming to punch Asuma in the chest midair. Asuma threw a kick that hit the second Hinako before the punch could connect turning that Hinako into a puff of smoke revealing it to have been a clone. The third Hinako however jumped off the back of the first leaping into the air aiming an axe kick to the top of Asuma's head.

Asuma lifted his arms up to block the full force of the kick sending him back down to the ground landing on his feet before the third Hinako leaped backwards standing next to the first. "I'm impressed she is able to coordinate with her clones this effectively." Asuma thought keeping an eye on both Hinako's wondering which one was real and which one was the clone.

The two Hinako's ran in unison towards Asuma crossing back and forth before jumping at Asuma each aiming a punch. At the same time Kiba, with a bruise on his cheek from the kick, jumped out from the bush he landed in and rushed at Asuma from behind aiming a claw swipe for the side of his sensei's head. Asuma hearing Kiba behind him jumped and rolled out of the way to the side causing one of the Hinakos and Kiba to hit each other with the Hinako vanishing into a puff of smoke and Kiba being knocked backwards as the real Hinako landed on her feet and glared right at Kiba.

"Kiba you idiot why did you have to jump out you ruined my plan!" Hinako yelled at him almost ready to hit Kiba herself out of anger.

"Why would I let you pass this test if it means I'll never become a shinobi?" Kiba replied rubbing his cheek.

Shikamaru only sighed watching as his teammates began to argue with each other. "If we keep bumping heads at this rate none of us will be able to knock him down. Wait that's it!" Shikamaru thought to himself as he figured out what this test is really about before saying out loud, "I have to hope Hinako and Kiba figure it out as well or else we will fail."

Asuma watched the two started to argue before adding in, "Now you two don't forget the time limit is still counting down."

Kiba still all fired up turned his attention back to Asuma as he rushed straight at him throwing wild claw swipes which Asuma dodged without much effort before blocking one and throwing Kiba overhead at a nearby tree. Kiba hit the tree back first before falling down onto the ground stunned for a bit while Akamaru was barking from the tree he was sitting in.

Hinako charged in the moment Asuma had his back to her reaching into her leg pouch and pulling out three kunai before throwing them the moment Asuma turned back to face her. Asuma ducked underneath the kunai, but as he ducked Hinako aimed a front kick right for Asuma's face. Asuma caught the kick with both hands right at the last moment standing back up holding onto Hinako's leg before Hinako jumped off her free foot aiming a kick with it for the side of Asuma's head. Asuma ducked under the second kick still holding onto Hinako's foot before throwing her over into the nearby lake.

Shikamaru watched quietly getting a bit upset before thinking to himself, "How troublesome, they must have figured out by now they have no chance by themselves."

Hinako quickly swam back up to the surface coughing a bit right after her head made it above the water. "How is this supposed to be possible?" Hinako said out loud getting rather frustrated from the seemingly impossible test put before her before continuing, "We stand no chance by ourselves." Hinako then pulled herself up out of the water onto the ground thinking of anything she could possibly use to try to win. After a few seconds suddenly Ryouta's words from the morning began to echo in her head. "Never abandon your teammates. That's it!"

Shikamaru continued to keep his eyes on Asuma as Hinako climbed up onto the branch he was sitting on slightly exhausted and still dripping wet from the lake. "Guessing you finally figured it out Hinako-chan?" Shikamaru asked her without looking away from Asuma.

"Yeah the entire test is a trick. We have to work together to win." Hinako answered looking over in the direction Kiba was last seen before continuing, "Kiba-san needs to know."

Shikamaru sighed before saying to Hinako, "Don't worry about him. I have a plan that should work with or without Kiba-san knowing the true goal of the test now listen close…"

Asuma stood in the clearing looking around back and forth with his guard up due to how quiet the three have been as suddenly Hinako landed on the ground in front of him and rushed straight at him once again. Asuma grinned at Hinako trying to same tactic as he prepared himself to block or dodge any attack that came his way. Hinako however had a different idea as she made a hand seal right before reach Asuma creating a smoke cloud around them which began to clear revealing an attractive adult woman with long red hair wearing nothing but what was left of the smoke covering her up saying, "Oiroke no Jutsu" Asuma was shocked and stunned at this unusual technique being thrown at him for a few seconds before Hinako transformed back to her usual appearance with her yelling, "Kiba now!"

Behind him Asuma heard Kiba leaping out from where he was recovering yelling, "Tsūga!" as he began to rotate at an extreme speed heading right towards Asuma's back.

"You're going to have to do better than that you two." Asuma thought as he tried to move out of the way to dodge Kiba only to find out he was unable to move at all. Surprised Asuma looked down to find a shadow coming from his own leading back to Shikamaru. "Kagemane no Jutsu! He must have hit me with it when Hinako distracted me!" Were Asuma's last thoughts before Kiba's Tsūga hit him right in the back sending him forward face down into the ground.

Shikamaru came down into the clearing after Asuma fell as Hinako smiled and laughed at how her Oiroke no Jutsu actually worked. Kiba smiling went back and picked up Akamaru, who was joyfully barking and wagging his tail, from the branch he left him at. After a few seconds Asuma got back up to his feet holding his back only looking upset that he dropped his cigarette on the ground. Asuma looked over at the three as they grouped back up and smile before saying, "Congratulations, you all passed the test."

Shikamaru and Hinako both smiled while Kiba looked confused before asking, "Wait why did they pass? I'm the one that knocked you down."

Asuma chuckled as he realized that Kiba was the only one who didn't figure it out before explaining, "It was a trick Kiba-chan, the real test was to see if you three could work as a team. Now how about I take you three out for some lunch and we can talk about the details then?"

All three of them nodded as Asuma turned around and walked towards the exit of the training ground with the three following shortly afterwards.

With Ryouta, Anko, and Itachi

Ryouta, Anko, and Itachi were leaping from branch to branch making their way towards The Land of Sound as quickly as they could for their mission. They were silent for a majority of the trip so far with Ryouta looking somewhat worried and in deep thought before finally speaking, "Anko-san, will you be okay during this mission?"

"I'll be fine Blondie don't worry about me." Anko replied as they kept moving forward knowing exactly what Ryouta was referring to, and why he was worried.

Ryouta not content with the answer Anko gave him continued, "You say that, but I'm worried. We're going to a newly established village we barely know anything about and its leader could possibly be one of the most dangerous criminals in Konoha history. Anko-san please tell us if your curse mark starts acting up."

Anko was silent for a few seconds before finally answering, "I will Blondie, now stop worrying about it."

Itachi listening in spoke up, "Ryouta does bring up a good point. We barely know anything about Oto, and are essentially going in blind. All I have heard is that the independent clans in the Land of Sound finally joined together in peace after generations of conflict."

"The main thing that's odd about it, and I'm sure it's why Jiraiya-sensei began to spy on Oto, is that this peace was sudden. The one day they were at war with each other, and the next they established a village with no problems rising up." Ryouta added on as he began to clear his head to focus on any possible issues.

Anko sighed before adding in, "Basically the entire thing stinks."

"That is one way to put it Anko-san," Itachi said before continuing, "As a result the closer we get to Oto the more aware we should become."

"Agreed." Ryouta said before they continued on their way.

Konoha Later That Night: Hokage's Office

Sarutobi Hiruzen was sitting behind his desk as all the new Jonin squad leaders had gathered to give their reports on who passed and who failed their tests and how many would be sent back to the academy or barred from becoming shinobi. Hiruzen wasn't fazed as the first six squads of civilian shinobi failed and were sent back down to the academy with a few hot heads being removed from the program in general. "Next, Hatake Kakashi how did Squad Seven handle the test you gave them?" Hiruzen asked the masked shinobi.

Kakashi stepped forward looking straight at Hiruzen before speaking, "I gave Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Aburame Shino the bell test, and to be honest I didn't have much hope for them. Sasuke is ego driven and believes himself to be above the rest of his teammates, Sakura will blindly follow whatever Sasuke says, but will freak out and ignore everything else should he even get the slightest scratch, and Shino is rather hard to read. Overall in the end they managed to barely pass even though they didn't manage to grab a single bell."

Hiruzen nodded before speaking, "At least one squad of genin passed. Now Yuhi Kurenai how was Squad Eight's performance?"

Kakashi stepped back as Kurenai stepped forward before speaking, "Hyuuga Hinata, Yamanaka Ino, and Akimichi Choji were unknowingly placed in a genjutsu by me when they arrived at the training grounds. Hinata, through use of her Byakugan, was the first one to break free and did her best to try to free her teammates while dodging my attacks allowing Ino and Choji to break free. In the end all three of them passed the test, and could possibly be quite the force later on."

Kurenai stepped back as Hiruzen was pleasantly surprised since he wasn't too sure about squad eight on paper before speaking, "Finally Sarutobi Asuma what was the result of Squad Ten's test?"

Asuma stepped forward before grinning and speaking, "Uzumaki Hinako, Nara Shikamaru, and Inuzuka Kiba were told they had to knock me down. It took them a while, but Hinako and Shikamaru figured it out and managed to make a strategy where Hinako caught distracted me with a jutsu enough to make me ignore Shikamaru snaring me in place with Kiba dealing the blow that knocked me down. They pass with flying colors and could excel far with the right guidance."

Hiruzen smiled at this news since he was curious about how Hinako would do along with the fact that three new squads of genin were official. "That makes three official squads formed today. Unless anyone else has news to bring up this meeting is over." Hiruzen watched as all the jonin left the office before closing his eyes wondering exactly what the future would bring.

With Ryouta, Itachi, and Anko

Night had fallen while the trio was close to the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Sound and had begun to set up camp for the night. Ryouta and Itachi got a fire going while Anko scouted the general area before Itachi stood up and said, "I'll scout the outer area of our camp. I'll alert you two if I notice anything strange."

Ryouta nodded while looking over at Itachi while saying, "Be careful Itachi-san." Itachi nodded back before taking off out of sight. Ryouta looked over at Anko who was already lying down on the ground looking up at the sky before saying to her, "Well didn't take long for you to relax Anko-san."

"Blondie is using sarcasm? Why are you in such a good mood all of a sudden?" Anko asked before sitting up looking over at Ryouta.

"It's just been a while since the three of us were teamed together for a mission. You rarely leave Konoha these days since you started working in T&I." Ryouta said finally able to relax a little bit.

"You're getting too gushy Blondie." Anko said to him still keeping her guard up actually focused for once.

"Anko-san, I can tell you're worried that this really is Orochimaru we're dealing with." Ryouta said to her catching Anko off guard.

Anko sat in silence for a few moments before speaking, "I should have known better then to try to hide things from you Blondie. Yeah, I admit it. I'm scared shitless if it really is that teme we're dealing with. You and Crow-boy haven't seen what he can do like I have." Anko grabbed her shoulder with the Curse Seal of Heaven on it before continuing, "This mark that teme branded onto me remains a constant reminder of what he did, and I will kill him no matter what it takes."

Ryouta closed his eyes for a couple seconds before speaking, "It's a burden you feel like you need to carry, but remember Anko-san you don't have to carry it alone; Itachi-san and I are here to help you."

Just as Anko was about to say something Itachi returned from scouting the area, "We're clear for now, but we should take turns watching the area while the others sleep." Itachi said interrupting the conversation that was going on.

Anko a bit annoyed at Itachi dropping in during their conversation before saying, "Whatever Blondie. Now both of you get to sleep I'll handle the first watch."

Ryouta sighed and looked over at Itachi before nodding as the two laid down and started to drift off to sleep.

Jutsu List

Name: Tsūga (Passing Fang)

Rank: D

Effect: The user spins at a ferocious speed and delivers many powerful beast-like attacks when contact is made with the target. The technique can inflict extreme damage on a human target, as it can readily tear through thick tree branches and chakra reinforced earth wall; all of which with a radius thicker than the user itself.

Name: Shikyaku no Jutsu (Four Legs Technique)

Rank: D

Effect: This technique grants animal-like accelerated fighting instinct and reflexes to the user. By enveloping their entire body in chakra and moving on all fours, they can obtain high speed movement and reflexes like that of a wild animal.

Name: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)

Rank: B

Effect: Similar to the basic Clone Technique, this technique creates copies of the user. However, these clones are corporeal instead of illusions. The user's chakra is evenly distributed among every clone, giving each clone an equal fraction of the user's overall power. The clones are capable of performing techniques, including the Shadow Clone Technique itself, on their own and can even bleed, but will usually disperse after hit by a strong enough force. The clones can also disperse on their own or be dispelled by the user of the technique.

Name: Oiroke no Jutsu (Sexy Technique)

Rank: E

Effect: A variant of the Transformation Technique, the Sexy Technique transforms the user into a naked woman usually surrounded by clouds of mist at private areas, or in a bikini, typically with seductive posture.

Name: Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Imitation Technique)

Rank: Supplementary

Effect: The user extends their shadow on any surface (even water) and as far as they want as long as there is a sufficient area. Once it comes into contact with a target's shadow, the two merge and the target is forced to imitate the user's movements.

Author's Notes: First time writing out a fight scene. Next chapter Ryouta, Itachi, and Anko arrive at Oto and some D Rank Missions.

Feel free to leave a review about what you liked and what could be improved.