-Previously-
"Is this some kind of game?"
"Yeah; you can think of it that way," Iruka scratched the back of his neck with a small grin on his face. This teaching exercise is new and the Hokage had wanted the teachers to try it with their classes now, just for safety precautions. But they didn't need to know that they were being tested. "So, let the games begin!"
Chapter 11: Never Back Down
The Sandaime Hokage and his successor, the fourth, were sitting at his desk which was suspiciously void of any paperwork that he was usually caught with. The only thing that was on his desk was his orb that was sat on a pink square cloth. And a few hours ago, it had showed the Academy student's acting progress which was recently dubbed as 'Iruka's Class Project' which was really, the Hokage's orders.
A few years ago, the Sandaime had ordered the academy teachers to enforce this game upon the training genin before they were to graduate. He had his reasons, too. Konoha was going to be losing most of their spies due to retirement in the next few years, and some Konoha spies had never made it back from their last missions without being caught, so he was short on supplying the spy sector with a few to none. Now, why would he test soon-to-be fresh genin? Well, because fresh meat usually lasted longer, unless they were too incompetent to play their rolls. That is why they are being tested now, so that the Hokage could see who all could be possible candidates.
Though their abilities that they've either acquired from their clans, or that they've studied themselves also was something to count in their test. So far he'd paid close attention to the Yamanaka, and the samurai-daimyo's daughter. Of course, he didn't expect the Higurashi to be a possible spy, but she along with Naruto, surprised him greatly.
"The Yamanaka clan's main section is spying, and interrogation for information," Minato mumbled still shocked at the scene that zoomed in on his son. "But, Naruto…"
Well, he wasn't the only one that was surprised by the boy. Naruto was sort of like another grandson to the Sandaime, and seeing that the kid was the one to initiate the acting scene made him swell with a bit of pride, everyone always was against the child because he couldn't seem to do anything right, and here he is, just a little bit above the rest.
Who would have thought that the boy could act?
Naruto had came in an hour after school was over, but he hadn't mentioned anything about Iruka's 'Class Project', so the Sandaime and Minato had decided to replay the scene for themselves as if it was a movie that they could just keep rewinding. But, now the night loomed over the fire country and they had long since stopped playing the orb's movie, as everyone else would have been expected to be asleep; minus the night working ninja, the Third Hokage, and the Fourth Hokage.
Hiruzen stopped applying his chakra to the globe as he wrapped the globe in its pink cloth before he slipped it away into one of his cabinets beneath his desk.
"Why don't you go home to get some rest, Minato, your son will notice your absence," the Hokage nodded to him. "I'll handle what's left,"
Minato noticed his gaze slid around his desk with a small smile before he replied.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama, good night." And the blonde Jounin disappeared from the Hokage's office in a puff of smoke. He was off to his son and his new apartment, which was in the Namikaze compound, though it was still deserted.
The next step in this game, Hiruzen thought as he watched the cloud of dust dissipate and the leaves left behind float to the ground. Is for them to get information. I'll hold off on that for when they graduate, though.
The next day, Kagome woke up in her bed with a mucky feeling in her gut. Her long blue-black hair was sprawled out around her in waves and tangles and her eyes had noticeable bags underneath them. Though, she may look like she's sick, the girl was simply feeling the after affects of training hard with Sesshoumaru.
Last night's training was the hardest that they've ever done. Sesshoumaru had gone to the training room before her while she was getting ready—putting on her armor and shin guards, and whenever she arrived he had told her that they weren't going to use their swords that night. So, confused, she dropped hers to the floor and waited for his instructions. The second her wooden sword hit the floor she was attacked with an overwhelming feeling of ki. It was poisonous, she was aware; but Sesshoumaru had told her that the poison wouldn't affect her too badly; it had something to do with the material of her undershirt being made of cloth of the fire rat.
As it was said, the young girl was being trained on endurance, that much she could tell, but Sesshoumaru was also trying to see if he could get a rise from her ki. He knew she shouldn't be able to use it yet , which is why she was going through vigorous training, so that it would be forced to come early. She didn't even notice that he was using all of his energy…
That is what brought her to this state right now. She couldn't use it—what Sesshoumaru was pushing for. Though, she's used it before, but that was an unconscious effort. She couldn't use it by just calling it to her… and her body was now paying the price from being over worked, which is why today Sesshoumaru gave her the day off, knowing that she would be too weak to try for training a second night in a row.
Kagome sat up in her bed, wiping her bangs across her face. She didn't have to be at the academy for another hour and a half, even though the Academy started class an hour ago. But, the classes that they were having right now aren't what she needed to learn - she isn't a shinobi. She's still only taking chakra control classes, and Iruka's training class, and the female classes, of course. Everything else was only suited for ninja, meaning Naruto would be in school, and for now she was alone, at least until she made her way to the Uchiha manor.
A few steps sounded through the house as Kagome stayed put and listened to see if there was anyone else home with her. The footsteps were too noisy to be Sesshoumaru's graceful walk, but they matched perfectly with the InuYasha's heavy - though often changing - gait. Kagome waited a few more seconds to hear him yell down the hall in the direction of her room, like he usually did.
"Kagome-chan?" his voice was rough with his animal youkai descent, and Kagome found herself actually missing his company in the weeks that he was away. "Come on, Sesshoumaru told me to escort you to the Uchiha's place."
"Hold on a minute!" Kagome shouted back at him, though she was still lying down. "I'm getting dressed."
Without much trouble, she launched herself out of bed, and went to her closet to pick out one of her training outfits with a bit of dread. Even though she get's tonight's training with Sesshoumaru off, she still has to train with the Uchiha heir on some jutsus that 'wasn't right for her to learn in the academy'.
Once she was dressed in her knee-length navy blue long sleeved dress that exposed only her belly with her black flat boots, she pulled her hair back into its usual high ponytail with the free end ending at her waist. She decided to leave everything else behind; her armor, her shin guards, her wooden sword… she never used them at the Uchiha manor anyways.
When she opened her door, she found InuYasha in his usual red fire-rat haori, and hakamas leaning against one side of her wall as he watched her step out of her room. "Took you long enough."
"I didn't even take that long," Kagome retorted. "Let's get going before Itachi-sensei gets home. I want to beat him there, today."
InuYasha just scoffed.
"You could have been there twenty minutes ago, if you hadn't taken forever to get dressed," he frowned but turned around and lowered himself, gesturing for her to get on his back, like she usually did. Kagome smiled as she climbed on and held on to his shoulders tight as he leapt out of the closest window that was in the living room.
"Onward! To the Uchiha compound, boy!" but she couldn't resist saying that bit, much to InuYasha's annoyance, though a smile still ghosted on his lips.
In the academy, Naruto sat next to Sasuke in the all boy's class of learning jutsu. The class was a large room with all of the walls being built of wood, well, minus one wall that was made of one-way glass—on the other side of that wall was the girl's jutsu class. Though, none of the students understood why they separated of boy and girl, they thought they were basically learning the same things. But, alas, no they weren't.
Naruto had asked Hinata one day what they learned in there, and he was shocked to see the girl start blushing before she told him that they had more feminine things to learn. He hadn't understood what she had meant by that, so he asked Kagome what she meant, and she carefully replied that they were beginning lessons on provacation. Of course, it wasn't anything major, just to use their feminine looks while they had it in their arsenal. That, however, didn't suprise him. Kagome was extremely well at convincing Inu-baka with her looks... though he's slightly reluctant to admit it, she's great at convincing him too.
But, even then, Naruto still couldn't understand why they had to learn about it in a different class.
"Naruto!" Iruka's voice called Naruto out of his thoughts.
"What?" he asked boredly looking up to his sensei with distant eyes. I wonder what Kagome-chan is doing... his thoughts roamed, not even seeing his teacher's exasperated face. Lately he's been thinking about Kagome... less as a friend and more as a crush interest... poor kid how it happened, but he remembered a few days ago whenever he'd look into her bright blue eyes; she was the only girl that talked to him, really. Well, besides Hinata-chan of course. But, Hinata was just like a random classmate. His train of thought left the station as he kept staring blankly ahead of him.
Iruka let out a frustrated sigh, seeing that Naruto hadn't even been listening to what he's been saying. What's gotten into the boy now? If he keeps this up he won't pass on the class project for next hour. Iruka frowned.
"As I was saying, your graduation exams are going to be tomorrow; and I know it's a few days earlier than we've all expected, but what can I say? It wasn't me that arranged this," he shook his head. "But don't forget next hour's challenge."
Iruka looked over his groaning students with a playful smirk on his face. This is the most fun he's had in the academy with teaching these brats. This examination for possible spys was actually a good idea, and he'd be glad to tell the Hokage of the students progress later on today. Hopefully he'll be told to do this again next year. He glanced at the clock seeing it was time for break.
"Class is dismissed!" he grinned, watching as the huge group of male students raised swiftly from their desks, and emptied themselves out into the hallways to go grab their lunches and eat, all except Naruto that is. "Is there something wrong, Naruto?"
Naruto blinked slowly, noticing that it was time for break period, and a foxy grin pulled at his mouth making him look like his old happy self again and not at all like the bored boy that he was merely minutes ago. "Of course not, Iruka-sensei! I was just thinking about someone is all..."
Iruka was slightly surprised at what he was saying.
"Who?"
"Um, no one," Naruto thought out loud. "I'm... thinking of... no one."
Iruka finally let it go; though, he had a small clue of who it might be - his father had been awake for two years now, and everyone had already been announced his awaking. But, Iruka's sure that that isn't who Naruto was thinking of. He let out a small encouraging grin, making sure that Naruto caught it. Of course, he always seen the blonde boy with Kagome, his best friend, but as far as Iruka knew most shinobi who had close friends like that often fell for them, usually at young ages... that was how his friends have came to be claimed.
"Hm... I'm sure you'll surprise her," he grinned at Naruto as an alarm went off alerting the two to the fact that it was time for next hour causing said blonde to gasp in shock.
Kagome was just walking back with Itachi to the Academy after he had explained some things to her. Their training session wasn't that hard. He actually didn't let her learn anything too far fetched. The only thing that she's learned so far was Genjutsu. He'd taught her most of what he knew of it, and that was a lot. He'd said, during her first year in Konoha, that since she had an eye sharp enough to recognize illusions, and see things that most others didn't see she'd be a good Genjutu artist. And, much to his surprise, she already knew how to dispel genjutsu, thanks to Iruka's class teachings.
Kagome's hands went to her waist as she eyed her second mentor. He'd taught her a lot, much like Sesshoumaru had, during her stay there.
"Ne, Itachi-sensei?" she asked him, turning her eyes back toward the pathway.
"Hn," he looked down at her.
'Hn', she thought, rolling her eyes. "Do you know why Sesshoumaru-nii was pushing my training these last few days?"
Itachi turned his gaze away thoughtfully, of course he didn't really know why, but he was wondering of it himself. It probably had something to do with why the Hokage wanted to see Sesshoumaru and Itachi while Kagome was at school. The Sandaime kept asking questions, and of course, Itachi would answer them, but he didn't know why he was being asked the questions. But, instead of answering he patted Kagome's head, now coming up a little past his shoulders, and let something akin to a smile tug at his lips.
"Aren't you supposed to be in character with your 'Class Project'?"
Kagome's eyes widened before she turned away with a light frustrated flush on her face.
"No one is even here!" Kagome knew Sasuke must have told him what was going on in the Academy, which is why he knew what was going on in Iruka's last hour class. But, honestly she'd forgotten what was going on herself. She was in for it next hour, a glum look was plastered on her face. She only just remembered that next hour she has to stay in character with her 'Secretary' part, that dreadful feeling from this morning came back to hit her gut tenfold.
They arrived to the Academy moments later before Itachi had wished her luck and begun to leave, and Kagome entered the classoom through the window parting ways with the shinobi. As she looked around the semi-empty classroom the only other kids she saw in the room were Naruto and Sasuke, and Iruka was sitting at his desk with a smile plasted on his face as he grinned at them.
"Kagome-chan," he nodded.
"Hello, sir," she nodded once in greeting. "Sempai; Janitor-san."
Naruto scowled at the 'Janitor-san' but still said hi to his 'best friend' while Sasuke just nodded back in greeting.
Iruka watched the three kids with an amused smile as the classroom started to fill up, and Kagome took her seat next to Naruto. Soon enough the class was completely filled with every student that was needed to be present, and not one student said a word, for fear of failing their class project because they weren't in character. Maybe I should have done this sooner, Iruka thought triumphantly. It would have saved me all the yelling in the past.
"So, good evening, class," Iruka said to the still silent shinobi-in-training. "Apparently none of you went out of character while you were outside the building... Except for quite a few of you," he started calling off a bunch of names that most of the known students hadn't even heard of before frowning at them. "You've lost the game."
Kagome had a small grin on her face as she reached under the shared desk to grab Naruto's hand and squeezed it, but otherwise she didn't say anything.
"Any who," a smile lit Iruka's face again as he stared overall the students. "Only the first few minutes will be used to finish up the game because I have a surprising announcement that I have to make sure you all get... And this time you all have to speak."
He looked each and every one of his students in the eye before leveling his gaze with Naruto.
"Remeber; Never Back Down!" Iruka told them sternly before checking the clock, waiting for two seconds to pass by. "And... Begin!"
