AN: Yes, Anko's test was completely skipped over. This is because even though I was very much looking forward to writing it, the "test" which took the form of a very nice dinner with Anko while trying not to tell her the contents of the test file or be poisoned or seduced, ended with an encounter the censors wouldn't let me include. However it is alluded to repeatedly, so it shouldn't be hard to get the general idea of what happened.

=Chapter 10-Graduation=

==Three Days Later==

Sasuke

I had just an instant of warning as Ruko yelled, "SASUKEEEEE!" and fell out of the sky with a Rasengan aimed at my head. I sprang out of the way and then had to immediately start dancing backwards to keep out of her range as she tried to shred me with her sword, too furious to even shriek insults at me even though I could tell she clearly wanted to. Thankfully everyone backed up very quickly so I had room run. There's no use in trying to fight Ruko when she's like this; she gets too mad to feel pain or listen to any sort of reason and she's much too quick and flexible to restrain. She kept chasing me for what seemed like an eternity of desperate dodging as I tried to figure out what I had done to upset her. Then I tripped.

I think that next swing would've taken my head off if there hadn't been a sudden clang as a gray clad figure appeared between us and stopped Ruko's blade with the chakra hardened flat of his hand. "Problem Ruko?" Shinrai asked as Ruko sprang back. I picked myself up as Ruko demanded to know who he was and that he get out of her way. I guess she was too furious to remember who he was, or what she had learned about me a few days earlier. In retrospect it's almost funny, I would think it something that would be pretty memorable.

Shinrai tilted his head to the side, "Really Ruko? You've forgotten me already? That's a little hurtful." He made a casual handsign and turned into me for just an instant before returning to his natural form, "I thought that would be rather memorable." Ruko blinked and then realization dawned on her as Shinrai asked, "Is this about me and Anko?" Ruko blushed furiously, "So it is true! You cheated on me!" "Nonsense," Shinrai replied calmly, "I am not Sasuke. Sasuke has nothing to do with what I do with Anko, and I have nothing to do with what he does with you. We're not the same person even if I'm stuck in his body. You have no reason to be upset." Ruko started calming down instantly and I couldn't decide if I should be irritated or grateful that he was using his Kotoamatsukami to calm her down.

Then he cast his gaze about and told everyone else, "Move along, nothing to see here. It's almost time for the ceremony, you should be getting to your seats." Immediately everyone caught in his line of sight moved along and their minds filed what they had heard as being unimportant. It's downright spooky the nonchalance he uses that power with. Most people don't use jutsu just for convenience, Shinrai uses it whenever the mood takes him for whatever he feels like doing with it. Of course, that has made him insanely skilled with his jutsu.

He's gotten so good with the Kotoamatsukami that he was able to make everyone completely calm and accepting of the truth about him and the others in my head within an instant of learning they had found out. I don't even want to think about how ugly things could've gotten if he hadn't been so nonchalant about altering their minds. I don't think he's ever truly abused his power, although I know he used it to turn Anko's seduction around on her when she was conducting our Seduction Diplomacy and Assassination Test.

I can't fault him for that, she had been on the verge of blue balling him worse than anyone in the history of blue balling. Honestly, I would've done the same thing. The shock had been when we found out that she had been using an equivalent jutsu on us the whole time and warned him that men have died of exhaustion trying to satisfy her. Given that this was the first time either of them had left her house since mid morning the day of the last exam two days earlier, I whole heartedly believe her. Shinrai hadn't bothered to manifest a shadow clone so that I could drag myself home until sundown on the second day!

Then he turned to me, "Thanks for the loan. Ready to switch back?" I nodded and Shinrai made a hand sign, "Seal of the Four Gates, switch!" Our minds suddenly switched control of the bodies we were in, putting me back in my original body and Shinrai into the shadow clone I had been inhabiting. Shinrai transformed into himself and caught me as I almost fell, He stopped Ruko's sword and used the Kotoamatsukami on the entire crowd with our body being this tired?! It took me a moment to gather myself and transform back into my usual form panting. I gulped some air and breathed deeply, he's never given my body back this tired!

I looked at him, "What were you doing?! I feel like I fought an army!" Shinrai grinned, "You know exactly what I was doing." "For how long?!" I demanded. "Forty two very energetic hours straight," he replied with a grin. I stared, Ruko stared, Mom and Dad stared, Anko sniggered as she walked past. Everyone looked at her as she laid a hand on Ruko's shoulder, "Hey Naruko, the one in the hat's mine. Just lettin ya know." Shinrai grinned from ear to ear and tipped his hat, "Of course m'lady." She walked past him and gave him a kiss on the cheek before Body Flickering away and pride oozed off every inch of Shinrai. I suddenly did a slight double take and looked at the space Anko had been in an instant before, did she have horns?!

Kabuto

Anko Body Flickered up to the stage with a grin, "I'm here!" "Your horns are showing," I told her bluntly. Anko blinked and reached up to her forehead, touching the small horns that showed her for what she really was, she had a flash of reflexive embarrassment and worry, then she started laughing, "And why shouldn't they? I've finally found a guy who doesn't care and can keep up with it!"

I looked at her in surprise then nodded, "So that's where you've been for the last two days. We were starting to worry." Anko snorted with a grin, "About what? You know I can take care of myself!" I nodded, "Yes and you're usually on time. It's very rare for you to miss a meeting." Anko scratched her head with a grin, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I'll fill you guys in on what I learned later. Long story short, he's a handful." I made a face, "There's a shock..."

Shikamaru

It would be a drag to recount Lord Fourth's speech word for word since a lot of it was just standard speech stuff, so I'm not gonna do that. I'll just skip right to the good part...

"And now," Lord Fourth declared, "I am afraid that due to a recent influx of business, that our lineup of instructors for this year's teams have been reassigned." There was a ripple of surprise through the crowd and worry through my year mates. Then Lord Fourth continued, "I am however pleased to announce that we have been able to find replacements. A few old friends have agreed to take up the post of instructor for these fine young shinobi. So let's give them a big welcome!" The crowd cheered at the good news and when the cheering died down Lord Fourth continued, "First of all, please welcome back our beloved Master Bonk. He came out of retirement special for our new shinobi!"

The stage shook as Master Bonk walked up. His muscles were easily as thick as Choji's legs, his hair was stark white and it stuck out nearly four inches from the sides of his head even though he was bald on top. He had an incredibly serious face and a huge mustache. The most phenomenal thing about him though, was how incredibly short he was. He couldn't have been more than a meter high. That didn't stop him from striking a muscleman pose that ripped his shirt to shreds and bellowing, "WHO'S READY TO LEARN ABOUT THE POWER OF YOUTH?!"

Might Guy jumped up from his seat and cheered, "WHOOOOO MASTER BONK!" The only thought on my mind was, Oh god, is that Might Guy's sensei? Please don't let me get him... I think everyone had that thought.

Then Lord Fourth continued as Bonk went and stood over to the side, continuing to pose ridiculously, "Next up, someone I'm sure we all remember quite well, please welcome back..." He looked like just the thought of the next instructor scared him a little, "Mrs. Kabi." There was suddenly a cackle from above and every guy in the crowd older than my year group looked like they wanted to duck and cover. Then something shot by overhead cackling like a loon, looked like it was gonna dive bomb the crowd and then shot on towards the stage.

The something hopped off a flying rake as the rake rocketed on past and took off some sort of helmet, before turning to look out at the crowd. I could suddenly see why Lord Fourth had been making that face, the old bat was kinda scary to look at. She had a shawl, her hair in a bun and a few more wrinkles than the average raisin. Her eyes were beady and her mouth was a thin strict line. The most noticeable thing about her though was that she had a nose as big as my fist with a wart as big as my eye on it. "Thank you for the introduction Minato," she squawked. Then she looked at Master Bonk and screeched, "Put a sock in it you old wind bag!"

Master Bonk looked at her and recoiled in horrified surprise, "But madam, I didn't say anything!" "You were thinking it," She declared crabbily. All of a sudden, Master Bonk didn't look like the worst option on the stage as Lord Fourth cleared his throat and continued, "Next is someone I'm sure you all know, please give a warm welcome to our dear Miss Amai!"

Miss Amai walked on stage and thanked Lord Fourth warmly for his introduction before going to stand by Mrs. Kabi. Lord Fourth went on introducing instructors, but I wasn't paying attention. I'll admit it, I was staring at Miss Amai and praying I'd be on her team. She was gorgeous. Like all the best bits of Ino and Naruko put together! Her smile was just absolute pure unfiltered sunshine! Dad clapped me on the shoulder with a smile, "Calm down son, she's too old for you and trust me, she's not your type." Gonna have to disagree with ya there dad, I thought, please let me be on her team please let me be on her team please let me be on her team!

Menma

The fourth instructor was I think the most disturbing of any of them. The others all had chakra signatures, the fourth one, who my dad introduced as "Karasu", he didn't. He just materialized in a tiny whirlwind of shadows and then the shadows just… stopped. All I could tell about him was the general shape of his head and that his eyes looked like they were glowing in those shadows. His voice sounded like a chorus of whispers speaking in unison as he thanked dad for the introduction. Even when I switched on my Sharingan, I couldn't even begin to see through the shadows around him. That was disturbing. I leaned over to Hinata, "Can you see through his shadows?" She already had her Byakugan active and shook her head, "Not a thing. It's almost like there's nothing there, just, darkness."

If a Sharingan being unable to see him worried me, Hinata's Byakugan being unable to see him scared me. There wasn't supposed to be anything that could hide from a Byakugan!

I switched my attention back to Dad as he introduced the next instructor though, "Please give a warm welcome to Master Faust!" The air just kind of warped around the spot where Faust was about to appear and then he was there. No fanfare, no burst of smoke or flash of lightning, the only people I've ever seen teleport that quietly are Dad and cousin Obito. That's seriously high level stuff right there.

The last instructor looked like a bum. Seriously, he was old, had a dirty beard and white hair sticking out all over the place. One of his eyes pointed blankly off in the wrong direction and he was super wrinkly. He was even drinking as he strode up onto the stage with his clothes looking to be as much dirt as fabric. I saw Hinata make a face and I know I did too, didn't this guy know this was a formal occasion?! "Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Master Shiri!" Shiri just nodded with an odd sort of grunt and waved his bottle at the crowd before going to stand next to Faust whose calm civilized composure seemed the sharpest contrast imaginable.

Then I got a sinking feeling in my gut as an all too familiar evil grin lit Dad's face, "Now for the real show. Make way for the instructors to choose their students!" Suddenly everyone who wasn't one of the graduates Body Flickered out of the arena and up into the stands as fast as they could. We all looked around as panic started to set in and then suddenly the "selection" began. Bonk jumped off the stage, did a triple somersault midair, and when he landed he stomped the ground so hard it jumped. I'm not talking a little jump either, I'm talking a great big jutsu jump that launched Hinata Ruko and cousin Izana twenty feet in the air. He Body Flickered and snatched them all out of the air before gravity could even start to take hold. He seemed to teleport back onto the stage with them and we all stared in awe of his control and speed.

Then Mrs. Kabi cackled in a way that sent chills down I know at least my spine, "MY TURN!" She stepped forward, spun her rake like a baton and slammed the butt of it into the stage. Miniature tornadoes suddenly hurled Kiba Shino and some poor shmuck from B-Class onto the stage behind her in a heap. She shouldered her rake with a self satisfied smirk, "Amai, you're turn!"

Amai smiled brightly, leapt off the stage and before she landed, a narrow ramp of earth rose out of the ground. She somehow surfed on the ground which undulated and twisted like a snake to take her where she wanted to go. She snatched up Shikamaru, Choji and Ino like they didn't weigh a thing and slid back onto the stage with them. She dropped them on the stage, actually on their feet and they followed along behind her looking slightly stunned as she waved cheerfully to Karasu, "Your turn Karasu!"

I didn't see what Karasu did, but there was a flash of darkness and then I was on the stage with Sasuke and Sakura next to me. We swapped confused glances and then Faust snapped his fingers and three more from B-Class materialized next to us, a guy and two really pretty girls who immediately leapt apart and glared daggers at each other. The guy stepped back to get out from between them, his eyes darting from one to the other to see which would move first.

The last instructor, Master Shiri was probably the funniest of the instructors, if the least impressive. He just took a drink, stepped forward and yelled at the poor trio that was last, I didn't know any of them, they were all from B-Class, "ALRIGHT, YOU THREE THAT ARE LEFT! GETCHUR ASSES UP HERE!" When they stood staring at him for a minute in shock at being addressed so rudely, Shiri grumbled something that I'm pretty sure included a lot of swearing and leapt down off the stage before proceeding to chase them around the arena, bonk one of them over the head and chase the other two up onto the stage while he dragged that one guy he'd clobbered behind him with one hand. I surely can't be the only one that thought, Thank the gods I am not on his team!

Dad laughed as the audience applauded, "There you have it!" Karasu looked over his shoulder at us, "Welcome to the real world…" That was about when I remembered how damn scary he was.

AN: That's the end of the first arc! Next up is The Road to Matsunoyama!