Ten. To each his own. Jutsu & kunai.

As they raised their heads, their new sensei raised his hand and threw two kunai into a tree, then disappeared and reappeared on top of the kunai.
- You will turn into Genin if you're able to take a kunai from the tree. – He took another gold-like kunai and held it in his hand. – And I will recommend you for Chûnin level if you take this kunai.

Silence. Pondering. Querying.

-Come on, what are you waiting for?

All three kids jumped in different directions. Gai could see Ikinari's eyes glint with malice. He was a real strange tensai, one who didn't enjoy the company, just the worship. He only helped out the others if he got something in return, usually twice the amount he gave. Sly as a cobra, cold-blooded and undecipherable, yet cocky, irritable and selfish, that was Ikinari of the Raise kin.

Gai had loathed his company in the team as much as he was intrigued by his fellow kunoichi. The Kujaku girl was laughing some trees back, and gave him the sort of despiseful looks everybody gave at him. He didn't quite care. That girl had average grades and never raised her hand to answer a question. Her looks said it all: plainly bored of the world itself.

And himself? He, Maito Gai, had to take one of the kunai as soon as possible, and if he had to take the sensei one on one, so be it. Confiding in taijutsu was a good strategy, after all.

Ikinari's shout was the first heard.
- TENKYO JOUKAKU!

Something began to roll at high speed, breaking apart trees, the soil moved and Akina was seen dashing upwards to avoid the rumble.

His trademark style. Tenkyo Joukaku, Jishin no Jutsu. (Moving Castles, Earthquake Technique) A destroying technique inherited by the Raise family that could guarantee a devastating victory in seconds. It mixed chakra with the subtle waves of movement under the soil, with the might of an earthquake, everything and everyone standing on earth and moving were tossed up and down endlessly, like prawns on a frying pan, and easy to stab at one's whim. No hostages taken, pure and sole death.

As he heard Akina shifting, Gai moved in the opposite direction, sprinting and jumping up and down from his teammate's jutsu.. The deafening sound was approaching Sumiko Sensei and his tree. He stood, smiling, watching the terrible destruction get nearer and nearer...

- Ninpou: Kakougan seiryoku no jutsu! (Granite Strength Technique)

The rumble ceased. A very put-off Ikinari lifted his gaze up the tree, a kunai between his teeth.
- It's to no use, Ikinari no Bâka. – Akina spoke lazily, chomping on a wild weed. – You already ran out of chakra, and you can't reverse Kakougan.

She smiled maliciously at Gai. He could feel the contempt, again.

- Gai-kun? If you have something in mind, show it now. Let's check out how shall I call you from now on. Choices are – she spoke in a sarcastic whisper – Tensai or Bâka.

Gai's face tensed. None of both were good choices. Looking up the tree, he thought he only needed a rush-up, focusing his chakra on his feet, then it would only end up as a fight. Pure taijutsu.

- Be my backup, then.
- Yeah, right. Say after me, please – the girl drawled. She joined her thumbs and started forming hand seals.
- Giman Metsuki no jutsu: Aoi Kiji Katon! (Deceitful Eyes Technique: Green Pheasant of Fire!)

An enormous green bird rose from the girl's thumbs, spiralling around the tree. Sumiko sensei was smiling, again. Fantastic chakra control, good use of jutsu... the Kujaku girl, that slackerish, below average student, had a trump card when it came to pure fighting.

Sumiko kept moving around. He knew how it worked. The light jutsu was thought to force sleep on the victim, alterating the sunlight and bringing numbness to the senses. And that swoosh meant the third one was coming, in the trail of his teammate's jutsu.

Sure enough. As he moved to avoid the light fluctuation, a frontal kick at both kunai was the start of the attack, followed by a spiralling Senpuu at the tree, was Gai's entry ticket to the show.

The jounin raised a hand and catched the boy by his wrist.

- Kyaaaa!

Gai lifted both legs to waist-height, then kicked down, with all his remaining strength, both kunai with his tallons. One of them fell down, and Akina reached for it. Sumiko-sensei kept standing on one leg and kunai, as cool as you please, holding Gai with one hand. He pulled a string from his waist and Akina watched the kunai go back up. Into Sumiko's hand. And from there, down into the tree, again.

He was waiting for it!

Gai's frame started to shake uncontrollably, and a strong upward kick aimed at his sensei's chin. Let loose at last, he fell with both hands raised, grabbed in the air then hung with dear life from the kunais. A swoosh under him made him look down, and he saw Akina had jumped up, grabbing his ankles and pulling down fiercely.

Gai remained still for a moment, astonished. And even more when the Kujaku girl shouted down:
- Hey, you idiot, come here and lend a hand!

Ikinari's reply was not worded: he jumped up in a rage, branch to branch, almost falling from the effort, and hopped to a branch over his sensei's position. His eyes were fixed in the kunai he held in his hands, as he jumped down to grab it Sumiko grabbed his wrist, pulled him upside down and let him fall.

Akina and Gai gasped, as Sumiko dissappeared in a smoke cloud and reappeared under the tree, holding Ikinari, seemingly passed-out, and leaving him on the ground. The kunai puffed, causing the Maito boy and the Kujaku girl to fall down. But Sumiko was attentive enough to catch them both.

- GUARD DOWN!

Ikinari shouted back, using as little chakra as he had left to blow his jutsu on the ground. Gai and Akina jumped out of Sumiko's arms. Three little hands lurched towards the belt, where two silver and one golden kunai shone under the sun. Ropes flew out of nowhere and shot towards the three kids' feet. Ikinari jumped and the rope, following his movement, hit him squarely on the forehead, knocking him out.

- Test over.

Gai and Akina gaped at their sensei, their feet bound on earth, looking mutinous.

- Who passed?

Sumiko sensei looked down at the unconscious Ikinari.
– Uhm... actually, I'm not sure.
----------------------

- As we Jounin know, Genin should work together as a team to survive successfully as shinobi. He only wanted this kunai to become Chûnin, as I told him.
Akina laughed loudly – That bâka never realized what it was.

Gai was about to ask, when the kunai puffed in Sumiko's hand, producing a key.

- Nothing more, nothing less than my house key – he smiled gently at his two remaining students. – To become a shinobi, you have to follow steps, deserve your ranks, get stronger every time. Both inside and out: a shinobi who's just a killing weapon is to no use.

At that moment, Ikinari opened his eyes.

- What the fing hell...? – he asked arrogantly, before Sumiko raised a hand to contine explaining.

- Technically, only two were supposed to pass, but none failed... Two of you touched the kunai. None pulled it out from the tree, though. Two acted as a team, but without meaning to. The other one, on his own, but his jutsu aimed to force the tree with the kunai down... any of you would've had the chance to grab it. Two went for the real kunai, one's jutsu allowed them another chance, none grabbed any...

He rubbed his eyes with one hand.
- I should fail you all.

Three mouths opened wide.

- However, I guess there's a chance to fix everything. In order to save this team from failing, I need a voluntary.

Cluelessly, Gai raised a hand.

Two seconds later Sumiko opened his palms, which sent outstretched ropes towards the Maito boy, securing his hands against a tree.
- Wha...?
- You volunteered... to fail. –

He took out two large dango sticks, and gave the candy to each of the other two kids.

- Now, you two eat this dango while I clean up this mess. And listen carefully... don't give him any. – He pointed to the bewildered Gai.

---------------------------------------------

When Sumiko went out of both sight and earshot, Ikinari gave a small laugh, chomping on his dango. Akina looked at Gai, who looked like he was going to cry of frustration any minute. Her eyes swept around and she extended the stick towards the tied-up boy.

- Here, have this one. Sensei will never know... I still have plenty...
- A-Akina-chan... don't... If sensei returns... you'll be in trouble---
The Kujaku girl stuffed two balls of dango into Gai's mouth with one swift move of her fingers, almost gagging him.

As the Raise kid began chomping louder and faster, she stood up in front of him.

- NOT GIVING ANYTHING! THE DOBE VOLUNTEERED, IS IT MY FAULT?
- And in doing so, he saved our asses... we'd be at the academy, was it not for him!
- Not my problem!

Gai saw Akina's face starting to deform into a growl. She looked like holding herself from smiling. Ikinari, on the contrary grew paler and paler, and seemed terrorized.

- Ikinari no Bâka.. do you want me to smile at you?
- U-uh, nnnnnnno...
- Then, GIVE.

Smile? What is she talking about?

His eyes widened when he saw the cocky, stuck up Raise boy cower and motion two more Dango balls towards his mouth.

-Muuuuuch better - Akina drawled softly. - If he's going back to the Academy, let him have a treat, at least...