Chapter 21: Making the Cut
"Patience and time do more than strength or passion." - Jean de La Fontaine
The room was warm. The couch was comfortable, but the air was thick and stifling. Nothing much could be done about it tough. Hayate could only wait. The chūnin assistant to the proctor of the first exam said that he would come and get the jōnin instructor of a team that failed, so anytime that door opened his heart would probably skip a beat. He really wanted his team to do well. They had grown so much over the past year and a half. They probably had the best chance of making it to the finals out of any team from Konoha.
Looking around the room he was amazed by the predominantly calm atmosphere that presided over it. It was quite the abnormality. Frankly, he had never seen anything like it before. Dozens of jōnin from various countries were gathered together, in the same room, and were not trying to kill each other. There wasn't even a hint of tension in the room. That is of course, with the exception of the nervous tension all of the teachers held to themselves while waiting to hear about their student's fates.
His ears were overloaded with all sorts of noises. There were low murmurs of idle conversation between comrades, inquisitive jabber between some perfect strangers wanting to learn more about other cultures, and the occasional outburst of laughter as busy friends reconnect. All of these sounds filled the room and Hayate soaked it all in. It really was quite the scene, and had he not been there to witness it the exhausted shinobi probably wouldn't believe it ever happened. Well, he would have believed it happened if the waiting room suddenly turned into a small warzone.
From his spot on a small couch in the corner of the room he could see a few other jōnin from Konoha. His contemporaries were just lounging, passing the time. Hatake Kakashi was reading his favorite little orange book. Yūhi Kurenai and Sarutobi Asuma were engaged in some quiet banter. Their genin teams were something of the who's who for the next generation. Their students included heirs to several key clans, the jinchūriki of the Kyūbi, and the last loyal member of the fabled Uchiha clan. If there was an A-list to the social life of the Konoha shinobi, these kids would make it.
Boisterous laughter filled the room, and Hayate followed it to the source. The jovial man in a green, spandex looking, body suit was walking his way. It was times like this he wished he looked incredibly busy. Hokage-sama managed to do it despite his somewhat notorious reputation for slipping out of his office to avoid his administrative duties. The reason for Hayate's desire had just made eye contact and was on a direct path to him. Maito Gai was undoubtedly one of the most dangerous ninja in the village. If he didn't beat you to death, he could certainly annoy you to death if you let him.
"Hayate-san!" The man addressed him as casually as the perplexing taijutsu master could. "I'm so glad I could speak with you here."
"Nice to see you again Gai-san," Hayate replied calmly with a cough.
"I'm going over to challenge my eternal rival, and I would think that you should join me in what will be a most youthful moment. After all, I can guarantee that we Sensei will be bragging about our students," the man offered with a smile and thumbs up.
"Sure, give me a minute," Hayate nodded as Gai took off.
Hayate sighed. He didn't do crowds very well. It wasn't that he was antisocial, but he just preferred the company of his own thoughts. If he engaged, he rather enjoyed the deep conversations between a few close friends. Ideally, Yūgao would be here. Her presence alone simply made everything better. Coughing again, he was grimly reminded that not everything would be better.
A persistent cough was all that remained as evidence of his injury. The medical staff of Konohagakure, while one of the best in the world, wasn't able to undo all of the damage that he had suffered during his time Yokkaichi. One of the biggest problems he had, according to his doctor, was fluid buildup. This inability for his lungs to properly vacate fluid led to an acute form of bronchitis. He could use his own chakra to help open the passage ways and the medical staff even showed him a technique to muffle the sound of his own coughing. Unfortunately, none at the hospital had the skill to permanently fix the problem, and so he would just have to learn to live with it and hope it cured in time.
Hokage-sama had informed him that as long as the condition existed it would eliminate him from any future position in ANBU, but Hayate had already accepted that as reality. Being a regular jōnin wasn't too bad. It wasn't what he wanted, but he had discovered that teaching had its own rewards. If he succeeded in leading this team to the upper ranks, then perhaps he could take on another. His team of genin had really grown on him. Watching them progress and being a part of their development as outstanding shinobi gave birth to a wellspring of pride in his heart.
Alternatively, if he still felt dead set on ANBU there was a small chance that the Sannin Tsunade could cure him of his chronic ailments. The problem was that the woman wanted nothing to do with the village anymore. She left decades ago, sometime after her lover had died. Hokage-sama was the only reason she wasn't labeled as a nukenin. Rumor had it that there had been an agreement between the two in which she agreed to never leave the country unless she informed the Hokage of her exact movements.
The woman, as far as anyone knew, had never left the country. Hi no Kuni was vast. Geographically it was one of the largest nations in the world. The woman could easily vanish from the face of the earth just by lying low in her proverbial backyard. The nation was such an undiscovered wilderness that reports would leak out of an occasional ANBU squad stumbling upon one of Orochimaru's abandoned laboratories. It was honestly a wonder that enemies of Konohagakure hadn't already set up shop inside the expansive borders. If they had, it wouldn't surprise him.
Standing up before thoughts of the potential threat could consume his brain, Hayate began walking toward his fellow Sensei. The door slid open and Hayate, along with everyone in the room, turned to see who had entered. The chūnin messenger became visibly nervous with all the pairs of eyes focused on him so intently. The chūnin turned to the left and walked in opposite direction that the tired jōnin stood. 'They're still in it. They haven't gotten eliminated yet,' Hayate assured himself.
When he turned back he proceeded to walk toward the other jōnin of Konoha. He didn't know any of them on a personal level, but he was very familiar with them and their growing legends. All of them had fearsome reputations on the battlefield, and it was likely to become true for each of their students as well. As the swordsman drew near Kakashi casually waved to him without looking up from his book. "Yo," the man greeted.
"Hayate-san," Asuma nodded in greeting after lighting a cigarette.
"Hey," Hayate returned with a cough. "What's going on?"
"Not much," Kakashi answered with the flip of a page.
"They were just explaining to Kurenai-san the methods that Ibiki might use to test our genin and the flames of their youth!" Gai yelled.
"Right," Kakashi droned. "Anyways, are you still going to be the proctor of the final round of the exam Hayate?"
"How did you know?" That information wasn't exactly public knowledge. Not that it hurt anything for the masked ninja to know, but the identities of the proctors were supposed to remain secret. Shrugging it off as Kakashi being snoopy, like he always is, Hayate didn't follow up his question. "I'll only be the proctor if my team doesn't advance. If my genin make that far, then it'll be someone else."
"So," Kurenai eased herself into conversation, "do you know what the other proctors have planned?"
Hayate shook his head. "Hokage-sama didn't include me in the overall planning and prep work because I have genin participating. I am just as in the dark as you. Hokage-sama didn't want to project the image of my team being given an unfair advantage."
"Well that makes sense," Kurenai chimed in, "it's only fair after all."
The door to the room opened and the collective breath of the occupants was held for a brief minute as the chūnin identified the Sensei of the eliminated team. Once the jōnin was found, a middle aged woman from Amegakure, Hayate turned back around to rejoin the conversation at hand. Gai took a seat on the couch next to Kakashi and began to stare at his eternal rival. Kakashi on the other hand, was trying not to look at the man wearing a form fitting body suit. 'This is awkward,' Hayate looked at the scene uncertain of what to do.
"Kakashi," Gai suddenly called out to his rival with a sly look on his face. "I challenge you to a contest of skill. This one will be different than before though. This time our challenge will be a contest between our genin teams."
"Yeah," Kakashi continued reading his book undaunted, "Asuma already said he was starting a betting pool, so let's just go with that."
"Excellent!" Gai mirthfully exclaimed. "All of our comrades will be joining us in this youthful competition to see who the better Sensei is."
"Um, sure," the cycloptic ninja answered, likely hoping that Gai's exuberance would drop down a level or two. Ideally it would be toned down five times over, but that wasn't exactly realistic.
"Speaking of which," Asuma cut in after taking a drag from his favored tobacco product, "Hayate, you and Gai are more than welcome to go in on the pool if you want."
"Sure," Hayate answered. The entire room fell silent again when a proctor entered and left with group of jōnin whose teams had just failed. A few teams from Konoha were eliminated, one from Sunagakure, and a team from Takigakure as well. The crowd was being thinned out. Whatever Ibiki had planned was starting to weed out the group of genin in droves.
"Alright," Asuma got his attention once the proctor left. "This is how it works. The buy in is one thousand ryō."
"That's kind of steep isn't it?" Kurenai asked concerning while cutting a few worried glances his way. Hayate wanted to roll his eyes in protest. Her concern was well founded, and probably sincere, but not necessary. He had only told two people about his plans, and only because they were close to Yūgao. Obviously, given the worried leering of the genjutsu mistress, secrets weren't well kept. 'Trust a Yamanaka to keep their mouth shut,' Hayate put up a hand to object.
"It's no problem Kurenai," Hayate pulled out the appropriate legal tender and handed it to the smoking jōnin. Gai did the same. "How do we win?"
He had saved his money for the upcoming special occasion, so losing some money on this little bet wouldn't be that big of a deal. The ring that he had purchased was exactly what Yūgao would love. It was nothing too flashy, entirely sentimental, and easily concealed under her ANBU standard gloves. Hayate had no doubt that she would love the ring, but he was still a little nervous about her saying yes. He sighed a bit, 'I guess I shouldn't be too worried about it. She loves me, and I love her. She'll say yes. I just need the right time to ask.'
"Alright, here are the rules," Asuma leaned forward from his relaxed position. "We all go around and name off the genin in our squads that we think will make it to the final round. The one who gets it right is the winner. Tie breakers will be determined by whether or not the advancing students get a promotion, and if we need a tie breaker after that then the winner goes to the Sensei whose student went the furthest in the tournament."
"How does that work," Kurenai inquired. "They will be advancing to the final round in teams won't they? If they go in as a team, then why would we guess how many would make it to the finals?"
"We don't know the exact details about how the second round works yet," Hayate choked out. "We know that it's the mission themed exam, but for all we know the proctor could split the genin up and have teams formed at random."
"Anko never really seemed the type to put that much work into something. Her exam should be pretty straight forward," Kakashi mused from behind his book.
"Alright," Hayate looked incredulously at the man. It was ridiculous how many secrets that man was able to attain with such little effort. It wasn't like he suspected Kakashi of foul play or giving his kids an unfair advantage, but the information about the Exams was kept classified to prevent the Sensei of the home town participants from gaining insight and making other villages angry at the host. "Even I didn't know who the proctor for the second round, and I was supposed to be working in conjunction with them in case we needed to have a preliminary to the final round."
"Really?" Kakashi turned from his book and seemed a little surprised. "Are you expecting a preliminary this year? That would be another reason a whole team wouldn't make it to the finals Kurenai."
"It's a possibility," he answered trying to clear his throat, "and to be honest I'm expecting one. This is one of the largest Chūnin Exams we've had in years, and to top it off there are all kinds of top tier genin at this thing."
"This is great news!" Gai excitedly declared. "With so many youthful contestants this will be just the kind of challenge that my students need to drive their spirits further in the power of youth."
"Who do you have info on?" Asuma asked eager to get some extra intel on who his team needed to watch out for.
"Well," Hayate scanned the room as the door slid open again. The proctor didn't walk in their direction, but pulled out several teams from Konoha and one more from Taki. Ibiki didn't play favorites. His brand of torture was always equal opportunity. Seeing his first example he continued to explain. "See that guy over there, Suna hitai-ate, tall, dark skin, red markings around the right eye, with the turban like wrap over his face? That is Nakata Baki, and I've heard that his genin are the children of the current Kazekage."
"Anyone else?" Kurenai looked intrigued. They wanted to know, just in case their students did make it to the final round and they had to square off against someone of note. At least they could give their charges some sort of game plan or strategy. It was sort of amusing at how the instincts of a Jōnin Sensei were so closely mirrored to the actions of a parent. Their charges were the closest thing to having children that any of them had experienced, and it was their duty to prepare their children to overcome any challenge.
"I don't know what they look like off hand, but there is a kunoichi from Kusa and she has a genin on her team that could potentially be the most powerful sensory type ninja in the world. Rumor has it that the kid can detect chakra so precisely that they know when someone is lying just by detecting the minute shifts in a person's chakra. Then, there is this team from Otogakure."
"What makes them so special?" Gai asked growing slightly concerned.
"Well," Hayate coughed, "they are the only team that is representing their village this year. Oto is a new village, pretty much unheard of until recently, but this team is comprised of the three best genin they have to offer."
"How can you tell?" Asuma asked exhaling a nice trail of smoke.
"It's pretty easy," Kakashi interjected, "Oto is new, and probably small, so they are sending the best genin they have to show off how strong they are. Even if just one of them gets into the finals, Otogakure gains an immediate group of clientele simply because they could hold their own against more well established villages after only one year of existence. It's a matter of quality over quantity. The payoff is huge if it works."
The room was quickly engulfed in silence as the chūnin reentered grabbing a few more jōnin before exiting. Hayate wasn't too worried anymore. His team was well prepared. If they didn't get kicked out early, then they weren't going out easy. Still, there was always the chance that something could go wrong. With Ibiki at the helm, this test would be taxing on all of the genin. He would get inside their heads and twist their mind until he has each and every one wrapped around is finger. There was no one that Ibiki could not break. Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, it didn't matter how much of a resistance you had in any of those categories. Ibiki cold find the weakness and exploit it until his victim completely broke down. In the realm of torture and interrogation, there was no one better. For him, genin would be a walk in the park. Hayate hoped that he didn't go too rough on the students, but decided not to hold his breath.
"I'll go first," Asuma said once the door to the room closed. "I honestly don't think any of my team will make it to the final round."
"Asuma!" Kurenai chided gently. "You should have some faith in your students."
"Meh," the man shrugged in reply. "It's not that I don't want them to do well, or think that they're incapable. I just think they won't make it. Yamanaka Ino is a capable kunoichi, but her skills are more subtle and not entirely combat oriented. If she gets into a fight during the second round, then it could cost her. Akimichi Chōji has the makings of a real powerhouse, but he doesn't have the heart to actually fight. He takes his cues from Nara Shikamaru, and that kid is a lazy little bastard. I swear I haven't ever seen anyone work so hard at doing as little as possible."
"So, um, how does this work if you wind up being right?" Kakashi peeked out from behind his book to look Asuma in the eye. "Because if that happens, and you win, then I want my money back."
"How about this," he started scratching at his beard trying to come up with a solution. "I win if nobody else gets their predictions right or if none of the genin that were predicted to go to the finals get promoted."
"I can live with that," Kakashi accepted as he returned his attentions to reading.
"I wouldn't put it against my kids to go all the way just to spite me," Asuma continued. "Shikamaru can be pretty capable when he needs to be, and is kind of the team leader when the chips are down. The question really is how far he thinks he needs to advance without getting an earful from his mom. Knowing him, I say the second round. Ever since catching hell from his mom about being dead last in the Academy Shikamaru likes to live in the middle of the pack."
"Well," Kurenai spoke up. "I believe that one of my students will make it to the finals. Aburame Shino is perhaps one of the most talented genin of his generation. It's a shame really, because he is entirely overlooked."
"Don't you have a Hyūga and an Inuzaka on your team?" Gai seemed puzzled. "I have seen their fighting styles and they produce most youthful shinobi."
"I do," the red eyed woman confirmed. "Inuzaka Kiba, while skilled, is brash and hot headed. If he doesn't remain in control of a situation then he tends to stop thinking and start relying on instinct, and he doesn't often stay in control. Hyūga Hinata is an incredibly talented kunoichi. I have watched over her for years now, and she has the potential to become an elite jōnin, but she lacks confidence. She's far too timid, and even though I have tried my best to help her overcome that, I don't think I succeeded. For her sake, I hope I lose this bet because of her. Getting to the finals will really help her self-confidence."
"Alright Kakashi listen up!" Gai turned to his rival with a smile. "I hereby declare that all three of my genin students will make it to the finals. If I am wrong then I will climb to the top of the stone faces in under two hours without using chakra."
Hayate coughed back a laugh. "That isn't all that hard. Civilians can get to the top in less than an hour. That stair case makes that really easy Gai."
"Oh, he wasn't taking the stairs," Kakashi mused. "He was going to scale the cliff."
"That's correct, and if I cannot do that then I will do five thousand pushups on one finger," Gai held his index finger aloft.
"Is that even possible?" Hayate made a mental not that he really needed to find a more sane social circle if Gai was going to always be around.
"Well, five thousand is a little excessive for him, but that's the point," Kakashi had to have been subject to this man for countless years. He was far too casual about the rantings and ravings of his fellow jōnin.
"And if I cannot do that," Gai had apparently not stopped listing off his personal challenges during the sidebar conversation, "I will stand upside down on my nose for thirty minutes!"
"Okay," Asuma cut in as he put out his cigarette, "I have to stop you there Gai. That doesn't seem physically possible."
"You're right it doesn't," Gai smiled brightly. "My personal record is only nine minutes and twenty seven seconds. Still, I must push myself to the limits or the flames of my youth will be extinguished."
"Wait, you can actually stand upside down on your nose?" The bearded jōnin looked beside himself. Frankly, they all were. How was he able to do that? Everyone knew that Gai had the physical prowess of twenty men, but standing upside down on his nose was simply ludicrous.
"It's theoretically possible. Channel chakra into the nose so it can support the weight and from there it's just a matter of balance," Kurenai explained slowly. She was obviously stretching herself just to make Gai seem less crazy than he really was.
"You are correct," Gai confirmed. "Even my genin were able to accomplish the feat at least for the briefest of moments. Neji was even able to maintain it for a full minute and eighteen seconds."
"Hyūga Neji is on your team?" Kurenai asked.
"Indeed he is," Gai beamed with pride. "He is the prodigy of the Hyūga clan and I would say that he has the greatest chance of winning the tournament. His mastery of the Jūken and the Byakugan goes far beyond his meager age. The flames of his youth burn brightly as he is already considered one of the best practitioners of the clan's unique style of taijutsu. It has been a great deal of fun training him."
"What makes you so confident," Hayate coughed some more and was forced to collect his breath. "Sorry, what makes you so confident in your other two students? From what I saw Lee is incredibly skilled, but I don't know about the girl on your team."
"Tenten is the best marksman out of any genin in this village," Gai bragged. "I have never once seen her miss her mark, and the only times she doesn't hit her target are because her opponent blocks the weapon. She is also well versed in a variety of weapons, and has a particular gift with all sorts of storage seals. I have no doubt that she will be able to rise to any challenge that the exams can produce."
"I see," Hayate thought. It has been a while since the village could claim to have a true weapons master. Most shinobi focus only on one or two types of weapons, a handful were able to become dangerous with five or more, but mastery would far from describe their ability with any of their preferred instruments of death. Hayate felt as though he had mastered his katana, and could probably be effective with just about any comparable blade, and had taught his students that the claim of mastery came when you could overcome any natural disadvantages that come with their style. Being able to cover your own weaknesses was the mark of a master.
"Lee is my prize student," Gai declared. "He has applied himself to each of my lessons with diligence and hard work. He has no talent with ninjutsu or genjutsu, but his desire to prove his worth as a shinobi that can only use taijutsu will drive him to greatness. Lee never gives up. If he fails a thousand times he tries a thousand and one. He is a true genius of hard work, and that is why I know that he will make it to the finals."
"A ninja with no ninjutsu or genjutsu," Asuma was lost in the thought. "I think I've heard it all now. I hope you're right about that kid Gai, because if you aren't he could get hurt out there."
"I have prepared Lee to fight against all of the setbacks he will face," Gai explained.
"I guess it's my turn," Kakashi snapped his book closed. "I will say that two of my genin will make it to the finals."
"Which ones?" Asuma asked.
"I bet I know," Kurenai grinned, "Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke right?"
"Close," Kurenai corrected, "but not quite. Uchiha Sasuke will make it to the finals. As far as skill goes, he's the real deal. It's been a long time since I've seen anyone that young with that much skill. He almost reminds me of his brother to be honest, and that is part of the problem. The kid has only used his brother to compare himself to. Itachi's rise in the ranks wasn't just because he was a genius. A lot of it was due to our lack of military personnel after the war ended. We needed gifted ninja in positions of leadership and Itachi helped. None of that matters to Sasuke though. His skill isn't at the same level as his brother, and he takes it a little personally."
"Are you worried he'll go off the deep end like Itachi?" Asuma asked as he relaxed back into the couch he was sitting on.
"Not really," Kakashi waved off the idea. "He has an axe to grind, but he doesn't want to follow in his brother's footsteps in any shape or form."
"Why not Sakura?" Kurenai asked. "She was the top kunoichi in the graduating class. Why do you think she won't make it?"
"She has a lot of book smarts and more subtle skills, but combat is beyond her right now," Kakashi answered. "I taught her taijutsu and she took to it well enough. She could handle her own if she wanted to, but she doesn't have the size, strength, or fortitude for prolonged fights. She would need supplemental skills, but she doesn't have the chakra reserves for heavy hitting ninjutsu. She needs a few years before she would be able to start any sort of elemental transformations."
"Why not teach her genjutsu?" The woman asked. To Hayate it almost seemed as though Kakashi had neglected to teach the girl much of anything, but it would have been stupid to insist so emphatically that his team was ready.
"I taught her everything I could about the art," Kakashi lamented, "which isn't much. She knows how to spot and dispel genjutsu, and how she can create her own, but she didn't seem too interested. Not much of an imagination on that one. Besides, I really don't know much about genjutsu that doesn't involve the Sharingan so I'm a little out of my element teaching it. After she becomes a chūnin I plan on recommending her for the Iryō Butai. She has the skills for it, but just in case, I'd like your help teaching her some more genjutsu if you don't mind Kurenai."
"Sure," the dark haired woman smiled gently. "After the exams I'll try to work out some time where I can join you for a training session."
"So, you think that Uzumaki Naruto will advance and Sakura won't?" Hayate asked after coughing lightly. He was curious. Yurushi thought very highly of his cousin, but the blond didn't have the best of reputations.
"Yep," Kakashi's right eye closed in a facial gesture that could only be described as a smile. Or that's what Hayate assumed since the rest of the man's face was covered. "Naruto is one big bundle of unpredictable energy. The only thing that I don't think he can do is quit. In fact I don't think Naruto would give up if it meant he would become Hokage for doing so. He loves to do stuff the hard way, but that could be something that keeps him from making it. Still, with that boy you never really know."
The door slid open again, and every head turned to look at the chūnin as he walked in. The guy grew a little more confident with repetition. There wasn't any hint of nervousness in his stride, but he was walking toward their group. Hayate prayed to Kami that he would turn or detract or weave away to talk to someone else, but he kept moving forward. The man looked like he was making eye contact with him. Hayate was about to stand in dreaded recognition that this visit was for him, but the chūnin stopped and spoke with another jōnin from Konoha who had been waiting nearby. Hayate found himself breathing deeply.
"So how about you Hayate?" Gai asked eagerly awaiting the answer. "Which of your students lets the fires of youth burn bright enough to lead them to the final round?"
"I think that one of my students will advance to the final round and is a true contender to win the tournament," he replied.
"Why not the other two?" Kakashi questioned. "They all seemed to be pretty capable from their mission profiles."
"You read their mission profiles?" Kakashi's snooping was a little off putting. The mission profile of a genin was nothing too sensitive, but sometimes there could be information that was only meant for top brass. Kakashi had technically relinquished his status of being privy to all things classified when he left ANBU, but that obviously hadn't stopped him yet. Clearly, the Hokage hadn't stopped him either.
"Sure," Kakashi shrugged. "I read everyone's mission profiles. That little scandal about Chōji eating some of the fruit growing in a client's orchard was pretty hilarious."
"I told that kid they were off limits," Asuma groaned with a healthy dose of embarrassment. "He'll never live that down of any of his former classmates found that out."
"Oh his secret is safe with me," Kakashi smiled. "So, what about the Muramasa boy?"
"Kenshi is a good kid, disciplined, ambitious, and pretty skilled," Hayate elaborated through a serious of coughs. "He just doesn't have enough in his arsenal to stand above the rest. His kenjutsu is excellent for his age, and I'll pass on my techniques to him as soon as he can learn the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, but he isn't ready for that yet. His style of kenjutsu is defensive and reactionary, and that can make him predictable. He thrives in the team, and if Anko leaves the teams intact for her exam, then I have no doubt he will at least get to a preliminary round. After that, then I'm not sure how he'll do."
"And what of Tenten's friend, um," Gai struggled to recall her name.
"Hanami, Yukimura Hanami," Hayate filled in the blank. "She is an incredible kunoichi, and takes after her father without a doubt."
"Hmm," Asuma nodded in agreement. "I remember him. Good ninja. I remember the Uchiha getting nervous about him becoming the ninja for Katon ninjutsu. Some worried his techniques would make theirs look like fire crackers."
"She has the same potential, and perhaps, could be even greater than her father," Hayate expounded. "The only thing that is holding her back is herself. Anxiety seems to plague her and in pressure situations she doesn't always react well. She had been making solid progress until recently. There was a mission that went south and she was a victim of a hostage type situation."
"Mhmm," Kakashi hummed in understanding. "Getting captured by a crazy cultist as he tries to kill people in some sort of ritual does have a negative effect on the psyche. Maybe you should have her see a therapist about that."
"I had Yūgao speak with her about the situation. She gave the whole team a basic ANBU psych eval, and Hokage-sama had her speak with a trauma councilor. All of the results seemed to show that Hanami was okay but I don't really know how much any of it helped," Hayate sighed. That mission was nothing but frustration. A rogue ninja from a small village had an axe to grind against him, and after a decade since their last interaction with each other the guy finally made a move. Hayate hated that he had gotten his genin students wrapped up in a grudge match that he had no idea he was a part of.
Still, his team had pulled together and made it through an incredibly difficult situation. Hanami was able to learn a valuable lesson in that her comrades would never abandon her. At least, Hayate hoped that she learned that. Kenshi was able to find a new level of teamwork and became the heart and soul of the squad. The boy managed to thrust the group past whatever held them back, and for the most part, was able to help his friends cope with the blood that covered their hands. Yurushi evolved further as a leader. He became much more confident in his ability to take charge of a situation for the simple fact that he didn't want his friends to be hurt because of his own mistakes. All in all, it was a growing experience for the team.
Trial by fire is typically the status quo for all genin, and the trials are always pass or burn.
"So," Asuma kicked up his legs and started to settle in, "what makes this Uzumaki Yurushi that I keep hearing about so special?"
"Well," Hayate grinned. "I have yet to find something that he can't excel in. His kenjutsu is something that he learned from a young age. It is largely based in Iaidō, the same style of the samurai, and he is getting to the point where I have to get a little serious when I spar with him. Though he doesn't have much in the way of ninjutsu, it will be developing rapidly. I began teaching my team the basics of nature transformations, and he seems to be catching on. The most interesting thing about him is the level of fūinjutsu that he is capable of."
"Wow," Asuma whistled. "Fūinjutsu as a genin is pretty impressive. I'm a bit surprised that you don't think your team will make a clean sweep if you already have them starting nature transformation exercises. That's pretty chakra intensive stuff."
"Well, they are only on the earliest stages right now," Hayate clarified. "It'll take a couple years before they really start to master it, but since Hanami already knows some Katon techniques I figured I'd get the whole team started. If only so the other two can catch up with her."
"And how are they handling the training?" Kurenai asked, possibly trying to gauge whether or not her team would be capable of the feat.
"Um, it's a learning process," Hayate admitted bashfully. "Hanami is progressing nicely, but I suspect her father is helping her. It has been slow goings for the other two."
"Alright," Asuma sat up straight again taking out a note pad and a pencil, "let me see if I have this down right. I have no one from my squad because I think they are lazy bums, Kurenai thinks Shino will get to the finals, Gai believes his whole squad will make it,"
"Yes!" Gai boisterously interrupted. "My students burn with the power of youth!"
"Yeah, um, okay," Asuma gawked for a moment at the display, "Kakashi thinks that Sasuke and Naruto will go to the finals, and Hayate is betting on Yurushi. Do I have that all down right?"
Nods of affirmation went around the group of jōnin. It should be a pretty interesting Chūnin Exams simply from the types of participants that were present. It had already shaped up to be the biggest collection of leaders and powerhouses of the next generation, but how much of that was hype? Separating the names and legacy from those with true skill was what these tests were all about. It was a chance to show off the pride of a village, and discover who amongst the younger ninja had great potential. Sometimes, a village was able to discover a talent that had been overlooked in the academy system. It was a chance for students to rewrite the book on their earliest professional evaluations. Hopefully, the genin of Konoha would not disappoint.
"Okay," Asuma pocketed his note pad. "So if you guess right and your genin make it to the finals, then the deciding factors will be promotions and then wins in the tournament. If one of our students wins the final tournament and doesn't get promoted, but someone else's student makes chūnin the winner goes to the one who gets promoted. If there are multiple promotions, then we'll go back to how the kids placed in the tournament. If we still have a tie, then you split the winnings. Are we good with that?"
No objections on Hayate's part. It was all in good fun anyway. A little extra cash would be nice though. The brain underneath the bandana tried to imagine ways he could make that money go for a really nice date with Yūgao.
"I assume that sabotaging our genin during a prelim would be frowned upon," Kakashi wondered aloud.
"Of course it would be Kakashi," Kurenai reprimanded with a little vitriol in her voice. "Why would you even think about doing something like that? If your genin has a chance to advance you should give them all the advice that you can to help them do so, even if you lose the bet."
"Just wanting to be sure," Kakashi smiled beneath his mask. Well, it was assumed to be a smile indicating that the guy was joking around. There wasn't really any other facial description that Hayate had to go by from the silver haired jōnin. Honestly, if you didn't have any history with Hatake Kakashi then he would simply be impossible to read.
Scanning the crowd, Hayate took in the calm of the room. The assistant proctor hadn't recalled anyone for a while, which could only mean that the exam was nearing the end. This was good. His team could very well pull it off. Hayate wondered how they were fairing. Was the test difficult for them? Did it catch them unprepared? Was it beyond their skill? All of these questions could only be answered by the proctor collecting him after their failure or announcing that the exam was over. Though he tried to relax, Hayate was on the edge of his seat.
One jōnin caught his glance. He was a decently tall man, with long black hair set in a ponytail. His face was one of dismissive indifference, but he kept cutting glances back in his direction. The dark colored clothing, and the black jōnin vest made him seem to be no different than the rest of the ninja in the room. It was the hitai-ate that rested on his brow that made the man stand out. The symbol was that of a single music note. This was the jōnin from the mysterious Otogakure.
He seemed innocent enough, but he was from a new village. He had an agenda. He had something to prove. The man wouldn't try anything brazen, but would have no qualms making a display if the opportunity arose. He was the only representative of his village. He along with his genin squad were the only proof of the existence of the village, and the only show of its strength. Somehow, someway, they planned on making a name for their village. Hayate hoped that it was through legitimate means such as performance in the exams and rubbing elbows with nobles. Hayate would not let his hopes rule out his rising suspicion.
Their eyes met briefly. Hayate narrowed his gaze, and the jōnin mirrored the action. The opposing ninja smirked wickedly before diverting his attention elsewhere. The message they sent to one another was unspoken, but well received. Hayate had wordlessly warned the Oto shinobi that he was being watched, and closely. The mysterious jōnin had responded that he was ready for action, and could finish whatever was started. 'I won't start anything if you don't force my hand,' Hayate thought as he left the man alone for the moment. 'But if I have to act, then I guarantee that you won't be walking away.'
The door to the room slid open and the chūnin proctor stepped in. The man cleared his throat before addressing the room. "If I can have your attention," he said with authority. "I am pleased to inform you that all of your teams have passed the first round of exams. If you will please follow me I will lead you to the waiting area for the second round of exams."
"Well," Kakashi rose, "I guess we all made it."
"Of course we did Kakashi," Gai elated. "Our students have the power of youth burning within them. They will overcome any obstacle!"
"Nevertheless," Hayate coughed as he rose to follow his fellow ninja, "It only gets more interesting from here on out."
"Yeah," Asuma said as he stuck an unlit cigarette in his mouth. "I just hope we get to watch this time."
Going through the door to the room Hayate couldn't help but agree. He wanted to watch, but even if that option was available he wouldn't get to do so. He had to prepare for the third round of exams. He turned to the left, away from the group. The Hokage was waiting for him with instructions. Work came first. Even though his genin were his most important duty, there were other tasks that he needed to accomplish. All he could do for his students now was wait patiently and wish them luck.
Hopefully, they wouldn't need too much of that.