Violetta POV; Ten A.M. Final Day of Trials, Three Days until Exam

Lady Lan had started off the day easily enough, and I was glad to see that the same group of people had come as before, minus Naruto. I was pretty sure they were also the only ones who would even think to attend the party. Which is a pity because some of them should really meet each other.

The first thing was a ceremonial presentation of the most recent graduates to the first level of swordsmanship. Anko-shishou was standing beside me and swearing under her breath about 'how many deadly toddlers do you really need'. All of the sensei's seemed surprised that children as young as three were standing before them wielding tiny swords with real blades, but I think they all did beautifully. Although one girl may have lost a pigtail courtesy of her brother. I can't say for sure if that was actually an accident or if it was on purpose.

The next thing was my presentation of skill, it had taken me days to think of what I might want to do. I had finally settled on the easiest but least common cop-out. Traveling dancer, even a lot of serious injuries could be worked around if you practiced hard enough. I tried to ignore stares as I moved in the patterns I had long ago memorized, some of them twice over for use in my taijutsu. My extra special flexibility was enough to make my routine more impressive than a lot of other girls. When I finished my mother had to initiate the applause as everyone else seemed a bit shell-shocked. They followed suit and I blushed a little. Lady Lan clapped her own hands sharply after a moment to gather their attention once again.

"Beautiful! Truly a talent to behold my dear. Now, for this next part I have asked your shishou and her choice of partner to duel against you and your chosen second as you are not just a clansmen, you are a shinobi of the Leaf and should be challenged as such. Tell us, whom have you chosen as your second." I shoot Kiba, Akamaru, and Tsume a look, and all nod at me. It tells me that Kiba talked to his mother about this already.

"I have chosen Kiba Inuzuka, and by extension his ninken Akamaru, as my second." Lady Lan blinked slowly and turned to Tsume.

"As clan head and his mother, do you understand the endeavor he is about to undertake and the responsibilities entailed?"

"Yes, and I extend the ally ship of your clan from myself and my clan members back to your own clan as well. The Inuzuka will recognize the Watanabe clan members of the Leaf Village as pack and protect them as their own. It is our way." Lady Lan nods and smiles, turning to Anko-shishou.

"Pray tell, who have you chosen to stand by your side to test your protege and her second?"

"Truthfully I forgot about that, any volunteers?" Everyone blanches at Anko, but Kurenai steps forward confidently.

"Kiba is my student, so I think it's fitting that I join you in this." Everyone nods to one another and takes their places on the battlefield. Kiba instinctually turns to face off against Anko, so that I can face Kurenai. His nose helps against most genjutsu user's but Kurenai is too strong for that. I'm a better match there. When it comes to sheer hard-hitting knuckleheaded force, he and Anko are definitely a good match.

Shortly, Lady Lan begins the battle. It seems like hours and no one moves, of course, that's what Kurenai wants me to think anyway. Unfortunately for her, I had learned a trick when I was reading up on chakra theory, the deeper I let myself drift before I snap myself out of it, the more disoriented it will leave her. I haven't tried it yet, but I think it will work. Even snapping out of a genjutsu freshly placed leaves a split second of disorientation.

I dive headfirst into the illusion and months seem to pass as the world spins around me. When it reaches maximum speed but also maximum slowness I snap my chakra out as hard as I can at the source of the illusion. It literally shatters, and I immediately move to strike at Kurenai. She's so disoriented that she barely puts up a half decent block. I glance over to see Kiba and Akamaru hitting Anko with Fang over Fang, and I jerk a string of shuriken at her legs to distract her for a moment. Kurenai is fighting back now, and it forces me to pull out my fans. This is getting interesting.

Kiba and I continue to fight separately but together, at some point we even switch opponents for a moment. I land a solid burn on Anko while he lands a solid hit on Kurenai. I think an hour passes before Lady Lan ends the match and calls it an excellent display of our potential.

"In light of this impressive display, now it is time to present Violetta with the marking that will show that she is a full-fledged member of our clan, and Kiba with his marking which will mark him as her second, and tie him and his clan to the Leaf Village Watanabe Clan until such a time that one of them no longer stands. Are there any objections to these proceedings?" When no hands raise to protest this, Kiba and I take our places in front of the fireplace next to Lady Lan's podium. Kneeling where she tells us to, Kiba removes his coat and his mesh. I remove my own coat and slip my left arm from the sleeve of my tank top.

Kiba and I lock eyes, and then everything goes white for a moment before fading to black.


Violetta POV; Just Before the Party; Three Days Until the Exams

Brushing out my hair slowly, I admire how long it actually is. Mother had taken her straightener to it, reminiscing on how whenever he let his hair grow a bit my fathers was just as curly. It had taken her nearly two hours to straighten it after I woke up after passing out. I had been expecting that of course, it's fairly common. My shoulder had already been treated and wrapped. The pain and stiffness dulled down thanks to the ointments used.

Mother was out back putting the finishing touches, taking gifts from clan members who would only stop by out of ceremony and propriety. The actual party is meant to be a far more personal thing. Taking my hair up into a loose bun, I head out back to help her out. Mother waves me off and tells me to just wait for the guests to arrive and to greet them when they do.

Everyone seems to file in all at once, just behind Gai-sensei's ultra-mega-dynamic-birthday special-entry. Which is probably why no one wanted to enter before he did, that sunset genjutsu is even more disconcerting with streams and balloons flying about. I do as my mother said and greet everyone as they enter. Some of them seem a bit awkward, but it's all the same people that were there this morning. Minus Kakashi, who is probably going to be very late.

Chouji made a beeline for the food set out for everyone, and I laughed when I saw Ino begin to scold him. My mother very quickly scolded Ino in return and handed Chouji a cookie from one of the plates. He grinned and stuck his tongue out at Ino.

Lee was reenacting something or another very animatedly for Neji and Tenten who did not seem enthralled at all. The adults were gathered over by the table where mother had placed the very definitively labeled sake and other alcohols, including my brother, grandfather, and Mikari.

Shikamaru was sitting in a chair dozing off, and Hinata stood nervously beside a silent Shino and a slightly awkward Kiba. Gods, these people are terrible socializers. They keep this up and Mother's going to make us play party games before the party's even really-

"Everyone gather up! We're going to play a game now! It's one of my favourites." Mother grinned as everyone gathered in the chairs surrounding the food table.

"It's called two truths and a lie. You say three things and everyone guesses which one is a lie by holding up one, two, or three fingers. The person who guesses right the most number of times gets a prize! Ino-san you begin and we'll go around the table from there." Ino nods slowly.

"Hai... One, My favorite color is yellow. Two, I can run a mile in three minutes. Three, My favourite food is rice dumplings." Around the table everyone made guesses, nearly everyone guessed that two was the lie. A few guessed one. I guessed three. After everyone guessed Ino smiled.

"Violetta is the only one to get it right, I hate rice dumplings! Since I've been training with her I'm nearly as fast as she is now. Your turn Shikamaru." Groaning Shikamaru turned his eyes to the sky and thought for a moment.

"Troublesome. One, I enjoy cloud watching. Two, no one but my father has ever beaten me at shouji. Three, I hope to be average." Everyone looked stumped, and so most guessed three. Me, I guessed two.

"Che, Violetta again. She beat me in less than a minute, I'd almost forgotten. Chouji."

"Neh, one, I love BBQ. Two, I hate vegetables. Three, I can out eat Naruto." Everyone guessed three, Chouji eats but Naruto is a bottomless pit. It goes around and around, and we learn something interesting about nearly everyone.

Hinata's favourite flowers are Lilac's, Shino enjoys flower pressing, Kiba can't tie a bow. Lee has broken far too many bones, Neji cannot braid, there's one weapon Tenten can't use. Tsume's pack had two members, Hana originally wanted to be Anbu. Asuma once lost a bet and had to give up smoking for three months. Kurenai's red eyes have been mistaken for the sharingan on missions. Anko-shishou does not like butterflies. Gai's favorite flower is not, in fact, the Lotus. Grandfather had once met a women, before my grandmother, who left him tied to a bed. Brother had once lost a bet, mother informed him he was grounded. Mikari knew how to make at least one dish from every country. Iruka hadn't always wanted to be a teacher. Shibi had proposed to Mai twice, on their first date, both time accidentally. Mai had had a crush on Shibi since the academy.

Afterwards my mother forced upon us many more games... Until finally Kaito managed to convince her that it was time for gifts. Opening them flew by in a haze.

Ino had gifted me special straightening shampoo, and a gift certificate for a significant amount of it. Shikamaru gave me a shouji board. Chouji gave me a lot of Akimichi specialty candies and treats. Hinata gave me journal hand bound in and intricately embroidered. Shino gave me a book full of everything you could possibly need to know about any insect. Kiba gave me a book on how to communicate with ninken and work with them in battle. Lee gifted me a lotus blossom to plant in the garden. Neji said that his and Tenten's gift was together, which is a lie he just didn't know what to get and had no one to help him, but she didn't protest that and presented me with an instructional guide to the use weaponry other than my swords. Tsume and Hana both gifted me heavy fur blankets like the one I had used when I stayed in their home. Asuma, who had attended nothing to do with the ceremonies until Kurenai dragged him along tonight, gave me a book of coupons to various resturaunts. Kurenai gifted me a book on the guiding principles of genjutsu and its usage in battle. Anko-shishou gifted me, not so shockingly, a set of boxes labeled 'Dango for Anko Mitarashi. Touch and Be Dismembered.' Gai sensei...gifted me a wonderful piece of attire in the form of a green jumpsuit. Although he also considerately included a purple one in the box in case 'green was not my youthfully preferred color.' Grandfather gave me his journals from his travels throughout the years to read, while Mikari gave me a letter and told me not to open it yet. Iruka gave me two books, one on fire style jutu's and one on lightning style. Shibi and Mai gifted me with books detailing the histories of all the nations and the clans that resided in all of them, up to date the beginning of the year. It was quite an extensive set.

Brother had insisted that his gift go second-to-last, before only mother's gift, and when it was all said and done he stood at the head of the table several oddly shaped packages in his hands.

"For years I have been designing and then helping make weapons for my sister as I watched her on her shinobi path. However, these weapons were not only designed by me, but crafted strictly by my own hands as well." Slowly he removed the cloths and revealed the objects.

"These are chakra ribbons, as thin, flexible and soft as any ribbon. However, they are made of spun steel and by feeding chakra into them they become immediately deadly. The second are special bracelets I created, a small pulse of chakra creates a small fan shield that both proctects the hand and can shock a foe. The last one, is the one I am most proud of. While they are not your weapon of choice, I hope these four swords aid you in battle in the years to come. Father couldn't be here today to gift you your own set instead of grandmother's, so I hope you'll accept my gift in his place." I take the beautifully crafted swords in awe, the sheathing alone looks amazing. It's a dark shimmering purple that almost looks like an illusion. The handles are woven in dozens of shades of purple, and when I remove them from the sheath the blades themselves are tinted the deadliest looking shade of purple you could ever imagine. And engraved on it is...

"Brother, thank you so much." He ruffles my hair.

"Each blade is engraved with one part of the motto. By blood we die and by blood we live. By heart we lose and by heart we love. By mind we guide and by mind we follow. By soul we fall and by soul we flourish. The final line is engraved into the opposite side of each and every blade. I am all things together, not one thing alone, whether I am strong or I am weak, my forever home will always find me." The atmosphere grows solemn for a moment as I throw my arms around my brother. Finally, my mother clears her throat and smiles at me. She hands me two jewelry boxes. In the first one is her necklace and Aunt Mara's, and in the second box is her ring and father's.

"The necklaces are to guide and keep you and Kiba-chan safe from harm as they have me and you Aunt Mara all of these years. The rings are for the day you find the love of your life and marry them if you never do I ask that you pass them on to one of your brother and Mikari's children." She hugs me as well, and appraisals begin to go around the room as the other's inspect my brother's weapon crafting skills. Shortly after I place my necklace on and gift Kiba his.

The night winds slowly to an end, and I receive many good wishes and hugs as everyone begins to depart. Anko-shishou leaves last, giving me a smile.

"From now until the end of the chuunin exams you're excused from the majority of the conditions surrounding your apprenticeship, all except making me proud. See ya." Now begins the real challenge.