Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and I wish I did...
A/N: So, did anyone miss me? I've been on hiatus, as my PC, Tohru Ohki, has been infected quite harshly these past few weeks. Everything is groovy again, and it's back to the writing board.
Chapter 11: Almost Time for Chuunin! Training Begins!
The week's journey to Sunagakure went fairly uneventfully; considering the number of shinobi in the group, it wasn't surprising.
During the day, they walked, stopping for short lunches on occasion. Mostly they ate on the go to save some time. At night, the jonin oversaw the training of their charges in base techniques.
The more tactically minded genin used this time to observe their comrades', and possibly future opponents, general abilities.
Team 12, namely Hikaru and Amaya, used that time to watch the 'psycho-sensei'.
They were still having a hard time believing that Ky was jonin.
What kind of jonin giggled without the slightest provocation... Scratch that. What kind of jonin giggled at all?!
While Amaya desisted with the scrutiny after a few warnings from Neji to get back to her practice, it took a slap to the back of Hikaru's head to get him to lay off the gawking, though even Neji had to admit, flinging a sandal into the air to determine where to lay your bedroll was a little weird...
With the minimal breaks, they reached Sunagakure a full day ahead of schedule.
They were greeted just inside the gates by the Kazekage himself, Sabaku no Gaara, and his siblings Temari and Kankuro.
"Welcome to Sunagakure, friends from Konoha. The other candidates for the Chuunin Selection Exam have already arrived as well. Temari, if you will show them to their hotel, I have some business to attend to that really can't be put off any longer. I'll see you all in a week for the beginning of the exam."
With that, Gaara turned and briskly made his way back to his office, Kankuro in tow.
Making sure she had everyone's attention, Temari stepped up.
"Alright guys. Your lodgings are this way," she said as she assumed a leisurely pace.
-ooo-
"You're reservations are already in place, so go ahead and get settled in," the blond kunoichi said as she stopped in front of a modest hotel.
"All of our training fields are open to you, so take advantage. We do things a bit differently than Konoha, so don't take stories of past exams to heart. What your about to go through may not be the same tasks your parents had. You have one week to prepare yourselves, so use it wisely."
As the group made their way inside, she snagged Hikaru out of the crowd.
"You didn't think you were getting away without saying 'hi', did you?" she said with a mock scowl.
Hikaru laughed as he threw his arms around her.
"Hi Temari-neechan. Happy now?" he said sarcastically.
"Quite. So how's your dad doin' lately? I'm sorry we weren't able to make it for your birthday, but duty calls, ne? Don't worry though, the three of us got a surprise for ya."
"It's not a dirty book is it? Mom chewed Kakashi-ojisan out for three hours when he tried to give me one of the Icha Icha Requiem books. How is ero-sennin still coming up with ideas for those stupid books anyway?"
Temari stifled a laugh as she thought about the once timid Hinata giving Kakashi a piece of her mind.
"Don't worry kiddo, it's much better than a dirty book. We'll give it to ya later. Gaara and Kankuro have been wanting to see you again too ya know. Anyway, you should get inside and find out where your room is. Get some rest. I suspect Neji is gonna work your ass off," she said with a wry grin.
Giving her a quick hug and good bye, Hikaru ran inside to find his team.
-ooo-
Hikaru woke sputtering as he wiped the ice cold water from his face.
"What'd ya do that for?!" the blond griped at his grim faced instructor.
"Because it's time for training, and I had no desire to spend twenty minutes waking you up in a more polite fashion."
"Whatever. So what's for breakfast?"
"Rice and miso, and very quickly," Neji said flatly.
"Stop moping and get dressed Uzumaki," his female partner said drowsily from behind the partition separating the room.
"Yeah, yeah."
Hikaru wasn't surprised to hear Takeo counting his insane number of repetitions for... whatever form of work out he had set himself... Sometimes he took too much after his father.
After their relatively mediocre meal, Neji led them to one of the specialized training fields of Suna. The specific focus of which was chakra control.
It was contained indoors, so the water present wouldn't be evaporated by the unforgiving desert sun.
The large pool of water dominated the center of the room, and included a curious fountain-like column the constantly cascaded the liquid down it's smooth surface.
The walls had the wear of countless footsteps reaching for the domed ceiling, and suspended above the pool was a large set of rings arranged in a geometric nightmare, each looping around and connecting to each other. Jets of water shot from the pool in random fashion to assault the contraption.
"While most of you abilities in ninjutsu and taijutsu are sufficient, it is never in poor taste to improve your chakra control. The better control you have, the more efficient your jutsu will become. First, it's back to basics. Up the walls," the jonin commanded.
Hikaru grouched to himself, having already dealt with this training before, but kepts such comments to a dull mutter.
Amaya rolled her eyes, and Takeo started doing laps around the room, clinging a good fifteen feet up the wall.
Hikaru easily strolled along, trying to guess the relative age of those that walked before him by the size of the gait in the more obvious tracks.
'Must've been about my age,' he thought, easily matching the stride.
He was snapped from his contemplations when Neji called them to attention once again.
"Alright. It seems you've remembered your previous training, but now for the next step. Onto the water."
Hikaru didn't have too much trouble, as this was part of his training during his tutelage under his grandfather, but Takeo and Amaya floundered a bit before stabilizing themselves.
Following Neji's continued instructions, the trio started to to execute some of the beginner jutsu that was first taught at the academy, forcing them to divide their concentration.
Hikaru rolled his eyes and muttered again, though not quietly enough as Neji glowered at him.
"Hikaru!" he said, not yelling, but conveying the force of his irritation. "I think you are missing the point of this exercise. For now, you will stay atop the water while performing the third kata of the jyuuken in addition to singing 'I'm a Little teapot'."
Needless to say, the young Uzumaki boggled at the ridiculous demand.
"Begin!"
Hikaru growled as he took the initial stance for one of the more energetic warm-up forms of the Hyuga taijutsu. His concentration wavered as he tried to keep the flow of chakra to his feet as well as concentrate on the proper forms of his kata.
"I can't hear you Uzumaki," Neji prodded.
"I'm a little teapot..." the blond growled as he was forced to continue the humiliating routine.
His embarrassment was too much as Takeo giggled when his stance mirrored the song. Having one arm cocked at your side with the other raised before you did tend to make one look like the teapot from the children's song.
A splash of water signaled Hikaru's snapped concentration.
"What have we learned today?" Neji inquired coldly as Hikaru once again sputtered with a face full of water.
Hikaru grinned as he answered. "To not let you hear me complain."
Neji sighed as the blond rejoined his team mates in their training.
End Chapter 11
A/N: Well, the group has finally arrived in Suna. With the exams just around the corner, its time for the genin to strengthen their foundations. Don't worry about the other contraptions in the room. They'll come into play sooner, and it might be pretty obvious as to how.
Well, my mind is getting fried, and watching Higurashi no Naku Koro ni doesn't help matters... While not the Silent Hill type of psychological mind-screw, it does have it's moments...
Anyhoo, sorry about the huge gap in updates, but again, a thoroughly infected PC doesn't quite make for a good upload source...