Hi everyone
I'm Sorry for posting this chapter late, I was really Ill the past two days. Body felt heavy, and barely left the bed except for necessary purposes.
I still feel very week, but I can move and stomach things now.
I hope you guys like this chapter, I had to think a lot on what the genin test would be like. Not all tests are the bell test after all.
Enjoy, I don't own Naruto
Chapter 9
The next day came by quickly. Itachi woke up at 6:30, sleeping better than he had in a long time. Raising himself from his bed, he took a quick shower, made a light meal, and went to Sasuke's room before leaving. Watching Sasuke sleep, with his breathing even, put Itachi at ease. After the meeting yesterday, he and his team talked about their strengths and weaknesses. He wasn't too sure what the test would be about, but they all agreed that the three of them must do it together as a team.
Looking at Sasuke one last time, Itachi left the room, and made his way towards the training ground.
Upon arriving, he saw that he was the first one to arrive at training ground 10. It was 7:30 by now; therefore, the other two would be arriving shortly. He sat near one of the training posts, and began to get into a meditative state. He was a serious person, but had been slowly coming to grips that this early in his life were actually relaxing compared to what's to come. He had decided that apart from training, he would try to actually enjoy some of the events in the village. It wasn't that Itachi hadn't been enjoying himself before, but apart from hanging out with the group, and training, he hadn't really done anything else.
'Perhaps that train of thought should wait after the test. Once were a team, I shall seek Sora's team out for the two squads to get along with each other.'
In his meditative state, he began to sense a presence nearby, "Itachi, good morning."
Opening his eyes, he saw it was Takeru approaching him.
"Good morning Takeru. No sign of Hikari?" Itachi asked. The three had agreed that if they were going to be on a team, then first base names should use.
"Nah, she'll be here shortly though. Not one to be tardy for Hikari" Takeru laughed.
"I'm not one for what Takeru?" Hikari asked, showing up from behind.
"Oh, morning Hikari, I was just saying to Itachi that he shouldn't worry about you showing up late" Takeru said nervously, causing Itachi to smirk.
Hikari looked towards him, and gave her own greeting out, "Good morning Itachi-kun" Itachi nodded back to her.
"Well, I'm glad that all three of you are getting along so well. I have a feeling that today should be interesting at the very least" A voice came from up the trees.
All three raised their heads to see it was their sensei, Yamato Ishida.
'It looks like I need more practice in refining my senses for locating people nearby' Itachi thought.
Dropping down, Yamato looked at all three of them, before pulling out a scroll, "okay, listen up, this survival mission is going to compose of guarding this scroll from me. It's almost 8, so once it is 8, you'll have from now till noon to guard that scroll. If you still have it once it hits noon, you three pass. If I have it by the time it hits noon, you three will fail, and I'll decided whether you shall go back to the academy, or drop out altogether."
Throwing the scroll to Takeru, he made a sign with his hands, "There's a location that scroll needs to be delivered on the training grounds, but you need to figure that out on your own, the main goal will be to guard that scroll in 3, 2, 1" and with that he poofed out of the field.
Itachi walked to Takeru once he made sure, with his senses, that their sensei wasn't anywhere near by, "may I look at that scroll for a second?" He asked.
Takeru wordlessly handed him the scroll as Hikari made her way towards them.
Itachi looked at the scroll to see if something would catch his eyes.
"May I look at it Itachi-kun?" Hikari asked. Itachi gave it to her, knowing that they had until noon to find out where to deliver the scroll. 'It's best to see if they can figure it out first before I try' he wanted to do the work evenly with them, and trust that they can handle it, despite being fresh from the academy.
"I don't see anything but the kanji for 10 on their" Takeru complained.
"There's this photo on it if you look real closely though next to the 10 Takeru. It's just small so you have to pay close attention. What do you think it looks like Itachi-kun?" Hikari asked, returning the scroll back to him.
Itachi looked at where she said the picture was, and from the looks of it was a stone of some sort. A sudden idea occurred to him.
"When sensei gave us the scroll, where did he say it needed to be delivered?" He asked.
"He didn't say where, just that it had to be at the training grounds" Takreu answered.
"He said at the training grounds" Hikari's eyes widened at that, "he said training grounds. He didn't say it had to be training ground 10." This got Takeru to look surprised.
'It seems that Hikari's really good at looking under the surface at things' this would help during later missions, and perhaps the chunin exams in the future.
"Hang on, let me see that scroll again" Takeru said, taking the scroll from Itachi.
"That picture looks like a stone. I think I've seen this stone before, though I don't remember where it was located. I guess that means it's on one of the training fields yeah?" Takeru asked the two.
'Takeru isn't that bad at using his head, but I guess not as deep as Hikari' Itachi thought as he nodded to Takeru.
"So if this stone is at one of the training grounds, then there's a good chance that sensei is there to stop us from delivering the scroll and to steal it from us" Hikari concluded.
Seeing as it would be best to add his own input, Itachi spoke for tactics, "I believe so. He said our goal is to guard and deliver the scroll, so I think we should wait until the time is close to its end before we head out. He didn't say anything of stealing the scroll once we delivered it, so there's a chance he would still go for the scroll once delivered. Let's say we begin at 11 to head there, and for now we come up with plans on how to prevent him from taking the scroll from us. Prevent, not defeat, since that isn't in the mission" Itachi explained.
"Makes sense, there's no point in being hasty since that would ruin the purpose of protecting the scroll. And since he's a jonin, we really wouldn't stand a chance. Protecting and delivering the scroll is the focus, not beating the hell out of our sensei. Still, how will we prevent him from stealing it once we are close to our destination, and where is this stone located?" Takeru asked.
"I've been there before so I know where to go. Let's talk about what we should do if sensei is to confront us" Itachi said.
So the three began to talk and form some plans on how to complete the survival training.
Meanwhile, Sora's morning didn't start off as smoothly as Itachi's did. His sensei had told them to meet them at training ground 6 at 6 in the morning. That meant that Sora had to wake up at 4:30.
Sora likes waking up early since it means he can start training early, but 4:30 was defiantly not the time he would get up, thus making him groan, and trip on his feet, once he got out of bed.
'Erg, what's with our sensei making us get up so early in the morning. I hardly think most missions start at this time' and based on yesterday, sensei wouldn't take tardiness too lightly.
He took a quick shower, ate a light meal, and by 5:15, was out the door.
Upon reaching training ground 6, he spotted Inu sitting in a meditative state. Sora walked up and sat next to him, causing Inu to open his eyes, and turn his head towards him.
"Good morning" He said. Inu just nodded a greeting in return, and returned back to meditating.
Sora, who never meditated before, followed Inu's example, only to get bored five minutes later.
"Erg, how do you do that, it's so boring" he complained.
"By meditating, it helps you not react out of impulse, and making a stupid decision; like jumping on a desk to grab my front shirt for example" Inu said, still in that same spot.
If Sora wasn't awake from before, he certainly was now.
"Hey, you were the one that started that in the first place yesterday" Sora said, pointing at him.
"That isn't the point of what I was saying. I just mean that I have more control than impulse because I do this on a regular basis, which clearly you don't" Inu said in that calm form still.
Sora was going to retort, until a voice cut through the atmosphere, "Geez, don't tell me that you two are arguing already. It's not even 6 yet!"
Turning his head, he started feeling that nervous feeling upon seeing that it was Neko.
"Morning you two, I hope everything is in one piece yeah" Neko said.
Inu, no longer sitting with his eyes closed, stood up, and waved his hand.
"So, what do you think sensei has in store for us today?" Neko asked.
Inu just shrugged his shoulder. This was starting to annoy Sora, but he put it on hold to respond to Neko, "There's a good chance he'll want to test our skills, so perhaps we should discuss what we should do in order to fight him. You know, one does the distractions, while the other one takes him by surprise, for example."
"What do you mean one distracts him, while the other takes him by surprise?" Inu looked really confused.
Sora just blinked with a blank look for a second, before face palming, "Inu, you don't really think you can take our sensei on alone do you?"
"Why not, I'm the rookie of the year" was Inu's simple response.
"He's a Jonin. We're not even genin yet. No way will you be able to fight him on your own. Were a team, so let's stick together on this?" He said hopefully.
"I don't like you"
"And I don't like you"
"So why work together?"
"Because it will make things easier"
"That's not a reason"
"We won't always be working with people we like. What, are you going to demand the hokage to put you on a different team just because you don't like them?"
"Yes"
"He won't do that"
"Sure he will"
"Will both of you shut up!" Neko finally yelled out, startling the both of them.
"Inu, Sora, I don't care if neither of you like each other. We're all going to work together to pass; afterwards, you can deal with the after stuff. Unless you don't care of being genins this year, you will pretend to be best friends. I certainly don't want to wait an extra year to become a genin" Neko said, shaking her fists at them.
Both Inu and Sora glared at each other for a second, before turning away from each other.
"Well, this is certainly proof that you guys are not tardy in any way" turning their heads, all three saw that it was Daru Jyinue.
"It isn't 6 yet, but that just means there's time for me to explain the survival mission to you before we begin" their sensei said.
"So what is it sensei, what do we have to do to prove were able to be ninja?" Sora asked, eager to begin.
"Now, now, let's not jump the gun; first let me explain the rules. The mission will be going until 8. Afterwards, if you pass, I'll evaluate all three of you in order to see where you guys stand out" stating this, took a scroll from his pocket to show the group.
"The mission is to retrieve this scroll from me before time runs out. You can do this in any way you'd like, full intent on killing me if necessary. If you guys retrieve it, then you pass, and if not, you fail. Whoever I believe did not do any true work, success or fail, will be tied up for the whole day, with no lunch" they saw only two bento boxes next to the wooden posts.
"Keep your minds open, and senses focused. I may attack back, or I may not. If you don't go full out on me, you won't get the scroll."
All three tensed at this, preparing to attack.
"On my mark in 3, 2, 1, go" and with that, all three of them scattered.
'Knew it, we will have to face him, better find the other two' he could only hope they would be accepting to help each other out. There was no telling what their sensei was capable of.
And there we go, Now for next week I will need to write actual fight scenes hehe.
I'm glad people like this story, and I'll continue to work to my best ability in writing skills.
Cheers
