Here's the last chapter in the Academy arc, it was a bit shorted then I planed, but that just means there will be more the next chapter.
Thanks to my beta Laternenfisch and everyone who reviewed.
Chapter 9: First test
"Here you go."
Ayame took the piece of paper as quickly as she could without tearing it. Kakashi refused to teach her any jutsu until she knew her primary chakra type. While she figured it was just him being lazy and not wanting to take time to teach her, she agreed. Now after a month of studying trying to figure out her type, Ayame remembered a scene from the show where Naruto used Charkra-sensitive paper to determine it.
She was so going to get Naruto to help her prank Kakashi for not telling her that.
"I just put my Chakra into it?" Ayame asked even though she knew that was the case.
Kakashi didn't say anything besides a affirmative grunt.
Ayame held the paper out, slowly pushing some Chakra into it. She watched as it started to crumble, only to burst into flames in the last moment.
"Um, what does that mean?"
"Seems like you have an affinity for earth and fire."
"But I thought you couldn't find your secondary affinity using this method." Ayame question, not liking the look Kakashi was giving her.
He seemed way to interested in this. That's never a good thing.
"That's because it can only determine your primary."
"And you can have two primary elements?" Ayame asked feeling lost.
"Some Kekkei genkai can."
For a moment that lasted longer then it really should, Ayame just stared at him confused. Until she remembered that Kekkei genkai weren't just things like the Byakugan or that weird bone thing Kimimaro could do. The ice style that Haku could do was also a Kekkei, one that mixed water with wind.
"So I can use fire and earth at the same time? Like flaming rocks or... lava!" Ayame realized, getting excited at the idea of using magma in a fight.
She always found volcanoes interesting.
"Yes, though I know the Nohara didn't have any Kekkei genkai. It must be due to the four tails." Kakashi theorized.
Ayame smile fell slightly at the reminder.
"So can you still teach me some jutsu's?" Ayame asked, hoping Kakashi wouldn't take this as a reason not to teach her.
Though maybe Ayame could ask Saskue to teach her the fireball Jutsu. They have started training together after her Kunoichi class.
" I know a few earth style Jutsu." Kakashi mused and Ayame couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"I'm sure you only know a few." She commented dryly as they walked outside.
"I decided to teach you out of the goodness of my heart and you mock me."
"Only 'cause you make it so easy. What are you going to do when you have a Genin team?"
"I'm not going to have one." Kakashi said so seriously that Ayame had to do a double look.
"Didn't your friend say all Jōnin need to teach?" Ayame asked smiling smugly when Kakashi flinched at the reminder of his green wearing friend.
"Not if they fail the second test." Kakashi said and Ayame was surprised he would tell her that.
"Second test?" Ayame asked, more curious of what the other Jōnin do.
"To see how you work in a team and other characteristics of the Jōnin choosing." Kakashi said before stopping suddenly.
They were at a familiar training ground that Ayame had never been to before.
"Well, how would you like to learn the Double suicide decapitation technique?" Kakashi said with what Ayame hoped was a smile beneath his mask.
Ayame gave a smile back.
Ayame waited with a book in her lap, not reading, but looking back at the academy doors.
"What are you doing?"
Ayame looked down at Saskue who was looking at Ayame like it wasn't uncommon to find her reading in a tree.
"I'm waiting for Naruto to get done with his test." Ayame said as Saskue huffed.
"That Idiot isn't going to pass. We should just train."
Ayame sighed, but figured Saskue was right. She remembered that Naruto failed the test three times, and despite her help with some of the homework Naruto still had the worst grades. It was to the point where Ayame wondered if the teachers were also sabotaging his grades along with their inability to teach him.
"I'll find him later then." Ayame resolved as she jumped down.
That would give Naruto some time to come to terms with failing. One night of sadness wouldn't kill him. And maybe she'd have Naruto come over on the weekend to try and make Ramen again.
They went to the third training ground since no one besides Kakashi ever used it, and while he will be getting a team this year, they hadn't been assigned yet. It was a good place where the two of them didn't have to worry about being interrupted.
"Want to start off with sparring?" Ayame asked once they were done stretching.
"Hn."
Ayame took that as a yes, and dropped into a loose fighting stance that was slowly becoming a hybrid of all the different fighting styles she knew. Saskue took what she assumed was a Uchiha fighting style stance. She had seen enough of it by now to know some of the stances of it. And more importantly, the weaknesses.
A moment passed with the two ten-year-olds staring at each other. Ayame with a playful smile on her face and Saskue with a look of concentration.
Then the boy started to sign.
Ayame rushed forward, already expecting to start off with a fire Jutsu. It was much easier to start their sparring off with Chakra intensive moves since they were both young and needed a lot of practice. Not to mention they weren't allowed to use Jutsu during taijutsu class so this was the only time they could use it in a 'fight'.
She had already closed the distance between them when Saskue finished the handsigns and unleashed a decently sized fireball that went soaring past her as she rolled out of the way. Then before Saskue had time to recover, she lunged at him.
Saskue was able to block her first punch, but her follow up kick was able to set him off balance. Ayame tried to use the time to perform her own fireball Jutsu, but she was too slow in the signs and Saskue sent her flying.
Ayame rolled over just in time to avoid the Kunai he started throwing and started running. She threw a few back at Saskue, but they all missed. By a lot. Aiming was not one of her strenghts.
Changing her plan, Ayame headed into the trees in order to get out of his line of vision. Once she felt like she was far enough away, she hid behind a tree. With a few handsigns, she slipped into the ground.
She waited underground knowing that Saskue would be there soon enough. Ayame struggled to keep up the Jutsu up while also trying to enhance her hearing, but luckily Saskue wasn't trying to be quiet.
Step. Step. Step. Step.
Ayame waited, the strain of holding her breath starting to show itself.
Step. Step.
One...Two...
Ayame sprung, shooting out of the ground and pulling Saskue down at the same time. She was only able to pull a foot in, but that was all she needed.
"When did you learn that?" Saskue demanded as he tried pulling his foot out, their spar interrupted for the moment.
"A while ago, remember when I told you Kakashi showed me a move called Double suicide decapitation?" Ayame said, grin widening at his look of annoyance.
"You're joking. You didn't say that was an actual Jutsu." The boy said with what could only be a pout as he almost lost his balance trying to pull his foot out.
Ayame just smiled as she walked away, the sound of Saskue trying to get his foot out echoing the woods. She was going to go find Naruto and have dinner with him, figuring Ramen would make the blonde feel better about failing.
It started out with Ayame offering to help Naruto prepare for the next graduation exam. He was freaking out and while Ayame brought up the point he didn't need to take the test, Naruto refused. So in order to help her best friend, she offered to practice with him.
"But if you're going to study with me why don't you take it as well? Then we can both be ninjas!"
Ayame opened her mouth to protest, but couldn't come up with a good reason. Sure they are recommended to wait until they were 12, but as Naruto had showed there was nothing stopping them from graduating early. Also at this point it would only be one year early. It might be a good thing since she was getting bored at the academy and could probably pass the exam if she really tried.
Then there was the fact that she was wondering what team she would be placed on. The canon-teams worked so well, and Ayame had no idea what her presence would change. But if she were to graduate a year early... well the only team she remembered was Guy's team. There was more of an unknown, but she would prefer that.
"You know what? I think I will." Ayame said as Naruto jumped up in the air.
Ayame still trained with Saskue on the weekends, all of her remaining free time was spent with Naruto studying. It was not going well, and she had no idea why Naruto had such a hard time with Chakra control. She even had him come to her study group with the girls who were now all trying to learn the Mystical Palm Technique. So far Sakura was the only one who could manage to produce at least the green glow.
"You need to focus on where it goes Naruto!" Sakura yelled as Naruto looked like he was going to poop his pants.
"I'm trying."
Ayame looked to Ino who gave her a look back, then to Hinata who was staring at her hand. Out of all of them Sakura had the best control, but it was starting to seem like this was a hopeless situation.
"Naruto, maybe you should just wait a year like the rest of us." Ino said sounding fed up with the situation.
"No way! I not going to give up, believe it!" Naruto said as both Ino and Sakura sighed.
"I-I'm sure you can do it Naruto-san." Hinata said in her quiet voice, but Naruto still heard her.
"Of course I will Hinata-chan! I'm going to be Hokage someday."
Ayame had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at Hinata's red face. While she did agree to help Naruto 'get with' Sakura, she thought Hinata's crush was cute. All she needed was Sakura geting a crush on Hinata and it would be a full love triangle where she had no idea who to support.
And we are only 11. Ayame thought to herself as she readied her things.
"Hey Naruto, want to meet up for breakfast tomorrow before the test?" Ayame said, interrupting the argument Naruto and Sakura had gotten back into.
"Oh ya, can we go to Ramen Ichiraku?"
Ayame gave Naruto a resting bitch face because as much as she loved ramen and other noodle dishes, it wasn't what she considered breakfast food. Still, it wasn't like there was a lot of places they could go that wouldn't charge Naruto triple just for being there.
"Fine, but I get to pick what we're having." Ayame left with the sound of Naruto complaining behind her.
That night was a quiet one between Kakashi and Ayame. When she told him of her decision to try graduating early, he reacted strangely. Well, strange for Kakashi since she wasn't expecting him to say much about it. Instead they had quite the conversation on why she wanted to graduate now, and why she was trying to be a ninja in general. Ayame wasn't sure what to make of it, and didn't ask.
Still, when morning came Ayame was calm. The combination of her memory of the show and Kakashi's blunt explanation of what the test would be like made Ayame completely at peace with the situation.
"Your chopsticks are upside down." Ayame pointed out.
"Oh thanks Aya-chan" Naruto said as he continued staring at this bowl.
"How late were you up last night?" Ayame asked as she leaned over to see that Naruto's eyes were half-lidded.
"I didn't."
"You didn't sleep last night? Why?" Ayame asked, noting that both Teuchi and his daughter Ayame were listening in with worried expressions.
"I wanted to look over that guide you gave me." Naruto mumbled as he started eating, though most of it missed his mouth.
By the time they finished eating, Ayame had to drag Naruto to the Academy. Not that it helped much when Naruto ended up falling asleep during the written test. Then when Ayame tried waking him up, the teacher who was overseeing them, told Naruto his time was up.
Ayame was pretty sure by that point she was giving the teacher some killer-intent.
Practicals went better, if only because the teacher had a good reason not to pass Naruto. Still, they both did well in the Transformation Jutsu and Taijutsu. But Naruto messed up both the replacement Jutsu and the clone.
"Here's your Hitai-ate Nohara-chan." The teacher said, giving Ayame the headband.
She looked over to Naruto, knowing that he didn't pass but also wishing that it hadn't the case.
"Aya-chan! We should celebrate later." Naruto said, forcing a smile.
"I suppose we should." Ayame said, closing her hand around the metal.
She'd have a few days before teams would get assigned. Then the real challenges would start.
Ayame felt woefully unprepared.
So any guesses on what her team will be like?
Also I'm have some trouble with how many missions I want to include before Ayame's year is up and we get back to the 'canon' story line. Also if you guys have any c-rank mission suggestions I am all for it.
Thanks for reading!
