Chapter 21
The next few weeks were all about systematic training. We stayed on the Kishi compound because Hiroshi begged his father on the grounds that if any more of us got hurt, it hurt his chances of passing onto the advanced training. While that was true I wasn't entirely sure that's why he was doing it.
We went to the academy to use the training grounds more than anything. The Kishi had training grounds but us using those was pushing it. While we were there we often saw the other platoons doing the same.
Most the other students in my platoon were tense in their presence either sending worried or accusatory glances in their direction and whispering with each other. I attended training as well and made an effort to be as visible as possible trying to gauge the reactions of every other platoon. At first wrapped in my bandages, but when I was cleared too, I removed them to show the visible scarring and discoloration of my skin much to the discomfort of the rest of my platoon.
But it wasn't their reactions I was looking for.
With few exceptions most of the other students in the platoons were horrified when they saw me. I had explained very early on to the rest of my platoon that they had to watch and gauge the other students reactions very carefully. While we were all training to be ninja most of us were eleven, most eleven year olds are really bad at hiding their emotions.
It took some time and some scattered reports, but three years of classes distributed over eighteen students allowed us to make our own dossiers on most of the members of the other platoons. This combined with my own observations as well as support from the other students from my platoon we able to mostly sort through the horror to try and pinpoint a guilty party as well as for us to compare it to what we knew about the other platoons.
When we weren't training we were trying to strategize. From what was implied, it would be some sort of trial that would require direct confrontation with the other platoons. But that was very very little to go on so there was a lot, and I mean a lot of speculation. Most the children weren't exactly trained to use their imagination, in fact of them the last three years would have beaten it out of them if we weren't especially creative with stolen bowls. However there was none of that here. I missed my gottan, but it was gone, as was all the sheet music I'd transcribed, all the little drums we made out of stolen bowls, the stamps I'd tried to make out of seals, and the seals. That was painful, seals were rare and expensive because sealmasters were even rarer. Though that did beg the question as to where Hiroshi had got them in the first place.
Huh, that was a good question.
The day of the assessment we got up very early. So early Gonbee was surprised when we were all lined up at the gate ready and awake. We were in standard academy fair, and by request every single one of us had a training sword. Myself included though I had the short sword version. He nodded and led us to where the assessment would take place.
It took about forty minutes, though we had to stop before we got there. Before we were lined up with all the other platoons in front of a rocky shore. A lot of them were armed to the teeth, all of them had requested radios that were tied to their necks just like ours, with the exception of Suigetsu. We could see out onto the ocean, but far the morning mist clinging to the top of the water. I stood at attention next to Kiriko, leaning into her to keep her steady. Hopefully this wouldn't take too long.
The academy leader walked in front of us his hook nose up as he took his position.
"Good morning students, welcome to your assessment. You have a mission today, out there."
He pointed out into the mist.
"Is an island about a kilometer from shore. There scrolls that were dropped at three shrines on the island. Your mission is for your platoon to retrieve it and return it here by noon. There is of course fierce competition for this intel and you will face others competing for the same. Understand though that it is vital that the scrolls are not open. Also know that there should be no lethal amount of force used on your attackers since they could have vital information that can be extracted later."
The framing was probably to separate us from the fact that we were basically attacking each other for those three spots and that we shouldn't kill each other.
After he finished he glanced around and raised his hand.
"Begin."
He said before he body flickered away. There was an odd silence before the storm, like someone was waiting for someone to make a move. Then there was a quick movement as all at once one of the platoons used the hidden mist jutsu.
The sudden burst of the fog compounded on itself but there was only so much water they could put in the air as everything faded out of view and fighting broke out in the fog, good.
I tackled Kiriko to the ground who was bordering on the edge of consciousness as several kunai and jutsu flew overhead. As I did I squinted my eyes as the Genjutsu she had held for a solid twenty minutes faded leaving the five of us in the fray of the remaining squads.
We hadn't arrived as our whole unit, we stopped just before we got there and Kiriko cast a jutsu of our entire platoon with the exception of us six which she held while we were both waiting for everyone to line up and for the speech to be held. It wasn't hard to face because of the rigid formations we had drilled into us to stand in when we were waiting for instructions and the space between us and the other platoons as well as the silence and tension between us that didn't allow for mingling.
From the way she sagged it was still very taxing to hold a genjutsu that required so many details for so long over an area, sure we had practiced it but it was amazing that Kiriko managed without slipping up.
I closed my eyes and did the focusing seal to enhance my hearing. It was still a little more dull on my right side but I could hear the combat easily even if I didn't focus. Picking up Kiriko I put her over my shoulder and with a sign force jumped out of the thick artificial mist into the much lighter natural mist. I managed to get up to higher ground to a treeline but undershot the landing and was sent towards the rocks.. It wasn't the most graceful landing but I managed to direct the impact to my knees and stuck to it with Kiriko away from the impact. I finished the climb to a higher rock and set her down before looking over the water enhancing my sight as I saw several students break away from the mist as well.
"Chojuro, we need interception on the water. Inform Suigetsu."
Suigetsu unfortunately couldn't wear comms, it just wasn't a good idea with his hydration technique. However it was lucky we were on a beach for this. I saw him burst out of the mist and dive straight into the sea. The water toiled and wavered around him and in the distance I could see it start to buck and move under the feet of several unlucky students trying to run to the island.
I pressed my hand to the comm on my neck and spoke again.
"Suigetsu is starting, how far out are you guys?"
Hiroshi though a little strained responded.
"Maybe a third of the way there, we all converged then started moving as soon as he said we had to go to the island."
I nodded.
"How is Mitsuki holding up?"
"Good, we've been taking turns but.."
"Hold that thought."
I looked out onto the water and saw the telltale signs of lightning release streaking across it.
"I need to go back into the fray. Tell me when you get to the island."
We couldn't account for everything, but as it turns out we made a good effort at it. Before we got there most of our platoon dispersed scouting out the surrounding area and keeping pace a good distance away from the rest of the students as we approached the meeting place because if it wasn't a structure event it was very likely that the beginnings of the assessment would result in a brawl. If it was more structured and we all had to line up for fights, or if there was some other test we could have called each other back easily but it wasn't so we were fine. Either way we had nothing to lose by not being there. Technically all almost all the squad leaders were present for the presentation with the only missing one being on an open comm to receive information. He was busy preparing other things because Hiroshi had an asset which was both unfair and awesome because he and his family had access to storage scrolls.
He had a whole pile of them in his backpack filled with camping supplies, climbing equipment, binoculars, ninja wire and stuff for traps, or for this exercise which was most important two boats. They were longish wooden boats that we'd strap together to hold everyone, currently he and Mitsuki were taking turns using water jutsu to push the boat like a motor through the water with the rest of the platoon on it at the same time Minami and Fuji were using genjutsu to hide the boat and the ripples it made on the water from sight. While they could do combat we could have used them in combat and would have in a different scenario we relegated to transportation so as not to have all the other platoon members wouldn't exhaust themselves with a lengthy run using chakra. We had a similar plan using Suigetsu, Chojuro and Kaito running most of use with tied rope over walls if we had to overcome that as well. Since they specifically trained us to move and travel over unusual terrain it wasn't too much a leap to suspect that they were going to have us try to travel and fight over such.
Right now though, what they were doing didn't have anything to do with me. Myself, Chojuro, Suigetsu, and Kazumi as the swordsman standard course students were to delay all the other students for as long as possible. Kiriko was already out, having done her job, so now it was time for me to do mine. I hid her quietly in some bushes and nodded to her as she was sort of in a daze before I jumped into the fray and I do so rather far.
I pounced off the rocks and onto the ocean using another wind release to slow me down before I carefully landed on the water's surface. It's really hard to push yourself back up once you've broken the surface as I ran to get onto the scene.
Suigetsu really was a beast in any large body of water, he was in the center of a mass of rising thick tendrils of water that moved about acting as both an offense and a defense as well as shooting out water bullets from multiple directions. However he had a limited range he could extend himself so to speak so most the attackers were circling him trying to break through. There were three squads from what I can count, each with a ninjutsu standard student trying to knock him off guard. They were very well coordinated, I got close enough to see them go through a drill where one used wind, followed by an immediate fire release with the boost from wind broke the wall surrounding Suigetsu long enough to let a lightning release get through. He staggered at the attack and the other squad members started to make a break past him while he was stunned.
One of them didn't get far.
I pushed off the water in a force leap and drew my sword, intercepting the nearest one to me and knocking him off balance. He went down at the sudden attack but I had to retreat a jump back as he squadmates tried to pepper me with blunted kunai.
When I landed I did so in a low crouch enhancing my vision to watch as the other team moved ahead with the delay. I immediately pushed forward to try and catch up. As I did the other team tried to pursue but Suigetsu recovered enough to send a tendril to knock them down.
"Hiroshi, you may have incoming. I will try to delay, Chojuro status on shore?"
"Not good, Kazumi got taken out, I'm pulling her out now."
"Get out of the fog, Suigetsu needs more cover."
I said as I got close enough for a jump. Pushing my sword under my arm I made the seal.
"Force Jump."
And pushed off the water into the fray.