Laying on her back staring up at the clouds, Shizuna felt happy. The sky was glowing red as embers and the clouds turned different shades of colors from yellow to orange then red and suddenly purple and fading into deeper darker blues. In the center of her vision a flock of birds flew overhead. "Hey Shizu," said Daisuke from her right, he was laying next to her watching the sky with her.
Their hands were sort of touching, Shizuna didn't mind though. She maybe liked him that way? These sort of things did confuse her. Ibouqa seemed to have it figured out so she would just let her give it a shot. "Huh?" Replied Shizuna.
"The sky looks really pretty. It looks like the color of your eyes right above us. What do you think?" That caused Shizuna to blush.
"Oh uhm… Dai… t-thanks!"
She rarely got compliments from other people than her parents, especially from boys and definitely NEVER about her eyes. But just then as she opened her mouth to speak, her world suddenly turned pitch black, no longer was she laying in a field watching the sunset with Daisuke but in her bed. Huh?
Shizuna was awoken with a start. As she jolted up she quickly realized it was still dark outside. Huh? What's going on? Suddenly from right in front of her came a quiet shushing sound. It was then that she felt herself being pulled out of her bed. Blinking several times, her eyes started to adjust to the mix of sleep and darkness, she looked around the room and noticed Daisuke and Ibouqa were gone. "Where are my friends?" Shizuna asked, still groggy from being woken up in the middle of a real good sleep.
The person pulled her out to the courtyard, where Ibouqa and Daisuke were waiting, holding each other up to try and not fall asleep. "W-what's going on?" Shizuna asked, now feeling less sleepy and more alert than she was presenting as.
"Shut it runt." said a female voice.
That voice sounds somewhat familiar. Where have I heard it before? Shizuna turned around and looked at the person that pulled her out of the room. They were dressed in a blue t-shirt, a blue skirt, their dark hair was tied up in a ponytail. They seemed really annoyed. As Shizuna recognized she was looking at a person, that person smiled and their eyes glowed red. "S-sensei?"
Suddenly the person poofed into a cloud of smoke, standing there in front of them laughing, was Botan. Shizuna blinked at him. "You butt! Thanks dad! We have our first training with our sensei tomorrow and you do this?! What time is it anyway?!" She yelled.
"It is five thirty sweetie. Wouldn't want you or your friends to be late and under fed for your first training. Just wanted to have some fun about waking you up. Your mother has breakfast waiting for you three. Come on, let's go eat." Botan turned and started for the dining area of the house.
Ibouqa and Daisuke were now more awake, thanks to Shizuna's screeching and began to follow Botan under their own power. Shizuna was the only one standing there looking at him. Then her eyes opened wide and she remembered that scroll. I'm gonna look at it while I eat. Maybe I could learn something flashy to impress Kamuichi sensei today? She took off running for her room to grab the scroll and then to the dining room.
She arrived in a huff and sat down next to her two friends. Her plate was ready in front of her. She put her hands together in a praying motion, "thanks for the food," unraveled the scroll, and started to read it while eating.
Hey Shizuna, your father asked me to write this for you when you were born. So that you could have something from me, Uncle Minato, one of your father's teammates on team Jiraiya when we were your age. Congratulations on graduating, but now I have a sort of test for you. In order to complete it you're going to need to increase your speed, gain knowledge in sealing jutsu, and refine your chakra control.
When I handed this scroll back to your father I told him to train your speed from the beginning so you shouldn't have to worry about that if he's done a good job. The only way to tell is if you're faster than most of your classmates at least. So, most of the preceding requirements being speed based, which you surely know how to work on yourself, I have written down lessons on sealing jutsu. This will be especially important for the final result of this scroll. So read over those several times, and then follow the instructions after you feel comfortable that you know the lessons. I'll have more to say once you're ready for the next step.
Shizuna was halfway done eating when she rolled the scroll and put it in her lap. "So, what does it say?" Asked Ibouqa.
"It's a message from my uncle Minato, he was one of dad's teammates when he was a genin." Shizuna replied.
After that no one said anything. They were too busy eating and Botan and Sora were too busy enjoying their last meal with their little girl before she was considered a full shinobi. Once Shizuna was done she excused herself and ran to her room, tearing off her pajamas as she closed the door. After a few minutes she stepped back out, wearing her new outfit. The only thing from her old outfit were the sandals. She would never change from that style.
She donned her sword, slipped her scroll into the bottom of her kunai pouch, and walked down the stairs. Sticking her head back into the dining room only to realize the other two were long gone she took off for their homes. However they both were gone by the time she got there so she headed straight for training ground four.
Shizuna arrived at the training ground by 0730. "You're late," said an older, deeper but still feminine voice from a few yards ahead.
Shizuna looked towards the sound and saw both Daisuke and Ibouqa along with Kamuichi waiting for her. "But sensei… I'm still thirty minutes early. What do you mean I'm late?"
"We all had to wait on you. That's why you're late. Anyway it doesn't matter, are you ready for your first exercise?" Kamuichi said.
All three nodded in unison. "Good," Kamuichi said, holding up a scroll.
"If you three can steal this scroll off my belt you pass and can then become ninja." She said as she fastened the scroll to her belt.
"Wait, what do you mean to become ninja?" Asked Daisuke.
"It's simple, if you fail this test I can send you back to the academy or if you're really bad I can throw away your shinobi licenses." Kamuichi said, holding up three ID cards.
"BUT THAT'S NO FAIR! WHAT WAS THE PAST FEW YEARS FOR AT THE ACADEMY THEN?!" Cried Shizuna.
"Ah I see. One crybaby in the team just won't do. Guess I can get rid of the Chisuke Princess' ID card." Kamuichi said as she sifted through the three cards and grabbed Shizuna's and started to drop it to the ground.
Shizuna was fast, in just a few heart beats she had snagged her ID card and was now holding it in her hand for Kamuichi to take back. The look on her face suggested Kamuichi struck a nerve. "Does the Chisuke Princess not like being called a crybaby?" she asked.
"I'm not a crybaby sensei." Shizuna said through gritted teeth.
"Then prove it brat. What did Botan sensei do wrong in raising you that makes you cry like a child at the smallest inconvenience?" Kamuichi jeered, obviously towards Shizuna.
"Say start sensei… we understand your test." Shizuna growled out.
"Not yet you don't. You can use any trick up your sleeve. Your goal, more than to take this scroll, is to try and kill me until ten o' clock. Oh and if you take the scroll and don't kill me, while there is still time left, I WILL take that scroll back. You two genin and the crybaby have no chance unless you actually intend to kill me. Start." Kamuichi said.
As she said start, Shizuna whipped around going for a fast roundhouse kick. However Kamuichi simply grabbed her ankle and pushed her backwards, landing her flat on her butt and hurting more than just her pride. Daisuke and Ibouqa moved to Shiz's side to assist her, with Daisuke drawing his sword and taking a defensive stance to allow Ibouqa time to assess Shizuna's tailbone and ankle. "You need to calm down Shizu. She is trying to make you mad. Throw off our teamwork and make us think irrationally. Remember what your dad said." Daisuke said low, trying to make it so only Shizuna and Ibouqa could hear.
"Huh, so this is what it's like to find a competent genin team. I'm impressed. You three are the first to realize this is about teamwork instead of being selfish." Kamuichi praised.
Shizuna got to her feet and Ibouqa took her place behind the other two, Shizuna took a taijutsu stance. Kamuichi looked at her quizzically. Shizuna's mouth moved and Daisuke nodded, Kamuichi narrowed her eyes, and just then Shizuna ran through a series of hand signs: hare, monkey, snake, tiger. In the instant that she separated her hands they were charged with lightning chakra. Lightning enhanced taijutsu huh? I should have figured she would come here with some form of lightning jutsu. Just then she sprang forward, moving twice as fast as Daisuke who sprang with her.
Her feet were surrounded by the lightning style chakra as well. "Interesting, that's a neat party trick," Kamuichi chided.
Shizuna led with a jab, which Kamuichi smartly redirected down and to the right, however Shizuna planned for this and used the assist to try for a side whip kick which grazed Kamuichi's head and gave her a decent shock due to the lightning jutsu. Kamuichi created a little distance but then realized why Shizu pressed her so hard. Daisuke was behind her in mid slash as she moved back, causing her to draw a kunai to block his sword strike. "Huh. You two work together well. I guess you two trained together a while under Lord Chisuke?" Kamuichi asked Daisuke as she blocked another swing of his sword and then side stepped a kick from Shizuna that caused Shizu to stumble forward.
Kamuichi capitalized on the chance created by Shizuna's stumble and delivered a kick to her back that sent her flying into Daisuke. As she was flung into Daisuke her jutsu faded as she dropped it to keep from hurting him with it. "Yes sensei, we all did." Ibouqa said from behind Kamuichi.
She was standing close behind Kamuichi, kunai pressing into her back but not piercing. Kamuichi raised an eyebrow. "I like your style. But this won't fly with me."
Just then a pair of hands reached out from the ground and grabbed Ibouqa's ankles and dragged her into the ground, leaving only her head exposed. The Kamuichi that Ibouqa ambushed turned into a puff of smoke. "Clone sensei?" Ibouqa scoffed.
"All tricks are fair, remember what you three are fighting for here."
"Trust me, I know what I'm fighting for sensei." Ibouqa said as she puffed into a log that was sitting in the hole.
Impressive. All three are impressing me so far. Maybe I'll pass this team. Just then a small glint caught Kamuichi's eye, shuriken flying through the air. Kamuichi turned and started with the hand seals: horse, snake, ram, monkey, boar, horse, tiger. She breathed in and then forcefully exhaled her breath coated in chakra. It took the form of a fireball jutsu which incinerated the shuriken. Just then Shizuna popped up behind her with a quick kick that knocked her off balance, giving Daisuke an opening to slide in with a leg sweep. Kamuichi fell hard on the dirt, but it wouldn't be enough to keep her down, she rolled to one side but managed to roll right towards Ibouqa who managed to get a pretty hard kick in on her forehead.
Kamuichi writhed in pain for a second as her senses came back. Okay, I'm underestimating these kids. That kick hurt and that tactic was something I would have used in a similar situation. She got up and created distance from the three before they had a chance to snag the scroll. There was blood trickling down her face from a spot on her forehead. A few minutes went by, with no one moving or saying anything.
Daisuke took a step forward, sword leveled, and that was all the signal they needed. Shizuna took off towards Kamuichi, going for the taijutsu fight and Ibouqa didn't do anything, she stood there looking at the scene before her. Daisuke put himself between Kamuichi and Ibouqa. Kamuichi was preparing for a taijutsu fight with Shizuna when she suddenly stopped and started running through hand signs: tiger, ox, tiger, rat. "Water style! Water Bullet Jutsu!" Shizuna exclaimed as she breathed in and started to spit water bullets toward Kamuichi.
With her attention fixed on Shizuna, both Daisuke and Ibouqa started creeping up on Kamuichi, surrounding her. The two began throwing shuriken at Kamuichi, who was starting to get overwhelmed. Kamuichi, using a body flicker, slipped away into the woods to get out of the dangerous situation. The three stopped their attacks and assessed the situation. "Ibouqa, where did she go?" Shizuna asked.
As Kamuichi disappeared into the woods she caught Ibouqa, hiding in a bush, not moving. Ibouqa knew she was there and she was doing her best to not be noticed. Kamuichi smiled, walked over to Ibouqa and knelt down next to her. "You three are a team alright. I have never seen those tactics before and I gotta admit that I didnt expect someone to be a clone. You must have been the smartest in your class huh? Regardless of the test scores."
Ibouqa let out a sigh, "Sensei, I just don't test well. And I am the medic of this team. My job is to stay alive and help my teammates accomplish the objective."
"Well then, help your teammates stay alive while I do this." Kamuichi said and then touched Ibouqa.
Ibouqa flinched, closing her eyes tight and then she felt her sensei's hand leave her body. She opened her eyes and looked towards where her teammates were. She screamed, they were laying face down in small puddles of blood in the open. Two Kamuichi Senseis were standing over them. One had her sword drawn and the other was empty handed. "Well they're dead, next is the one hiding in the bushes." said one of the Senseis.
Ibouqa, choking back tears with an angered look on her face, jumped out of the trees and rushed to get in between her dead comrades and the two Kamuichis. "How… could you do… SOMETHING LIKE THIS?!" Cried Ibouqa.
Just then she threw her hands into a series of seals: ram, monkey, horse, ram. "Earth Style, Rock Clone Jutsu!"
Two identical clones of Ibouqa sprouted from the ground a few feet in front of either sensei. "You killed my best friends! I WILL KILL YOU!"
The clones of Ibouqa rushed their target, pulling out a kunai as they got closer, forcing either sensei into the defensive. Ibouqa knelt down next to her dead comrades and realized they weren't dead, but nearly dead. She just barely caught the slight rise and fall of Shizuna's chest. When she leaned in to check heart beats they were there, but faint.
"You killed my best friends! I WILL KILL YOU!" Screamed Ibouqa, switching her eyes from Daisuke to Shizuna and then back.
The clones rushed either of them, forcing them onto the defensive. "But Ibouqa! WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS!" Cried Shizuna.
"Shizu she's under a genjutsu." Daisuke said as he dodged the kunai his Ibouqa clone was fighting him with.
"I know… How are we going to be able to touch her? I didn't know she could do rock clones… What can we even do to neutralize them easily to reach her while she's checking what she thinks is us?" Shizuna asked as she blocked a punch from her enemy.
Daisuke shrugged and dipped under a jab with a kunai from his enemy. Shizuna kicked her clone back and started doing backflips to create space. Once she was satisfied with the separation she ran through the hand seals for her lightning enhanced taijutsu. Just as she finished the seals the rock clone was mid strike. Shizuna barely had time to dodge the attack. "Daisuke," Shizuna called between dodges, "go for Ibouqa and break her from the genjutsu. I'll distract the two rock clones."
Daisuke nodded as Shizuna dashed between him and the rock clone he was fighting, letting out a sideways kick that sent it tumbling over to give him a break to make it to Ibouqa. From their perspective, Ibouqa was kneeling in the open performing the mystic palm jutsu on air. Shizuna watched Daisuke run as fast as he could to Ibouqa even still while dodging strikes from two rock clones. Suddenly she got punched hard in the stomach and doubled over. Both clones started to kick her while she was down.
Daisuke just managed to reach Ibouqa when he turned around and saw Shizuna getting pummeled into the dirt. He turned back to Ibouqa, slapped a hand on her shoulder quickly, and formed the half tiger sign with his other hand, "Release!" He shouted, anger visible on his face.
Kamuichi was leaning against a tree with her arms crossed at a distance where she wouldn't be noticed at a glance. Watching the two rock clones fight Shizuna and Daisuke. Suddenly Shizuna dove in the middle of Daisuke and his rock clone, giving him a chance to make a run for Ibouqa to break the genjutsu. Kamuichi took her eyes off of Shizuna for a split second to watch Daisuke break the jutsu when suddenly Shizuna cried out in pain.
Kamuichi quickly looked back to Shizuna, who was laying on her left side, clutching her right side with both hands, being kicked around by both rock clones. Kamuichi, drawing her Kusanagi sword, dashed forward. Within a second she was standing over Shizuna and two piles of rocks on either side of her, sliding her sword back into its sheath. Her sword wasn't even all the way inside of the sheath when she took her hand off of it and knelt down next to Shizuna and started to check her over.
As she examined Shizuna, blood began to stain her yellow skirt and vest, leaking onto the ground around her. "This test is over…" Kamuichi said flatly, applying pressure to Shizuna's wound to stem the bleeding.
Daisuke and Ibouqa were by her side quickly. "You need to be more careful sensei…" Daisuke said, looking at Kamuichi with anger still in his eyes.
"Ibouqa, apply your majestic palm to her side. I will keep the flow down." Kamuichi said as she gave Daisuke a worried look.
Daisuke knelt down and put a hand on Shizuna's shoulder and the other one on Ibouqa's shoulder. "This test is over, Daisuke go quickly and get a more experienced medical ninja. Preferably NOT Lady Chisuke." Said Kamuichi.
Shizuna let out a groan, and through gritted teeth said, "Sensei, did we pass?"
Kamuichi pressed harder into the wound and Shizuna yelped again. The bleeding was slowing down. "We aren't worried about that right now Shizuna, we're worried about you." Kamuichi replied.
"But I got the scroll sensei… and the time hasn't stopped yet." Shizuna said as she held up the scroll.
"Fine, you all pass… welcome to team five. Now shut up and save your energy so we don't have to get a replacement gennin on day one." Kamuichi said.
Everyone was sitting around the clock, Shizuna was laying on her side with a bandage roll wrapped around her midsection covering the stab wound. Ibouqa was sitting behind her, mystic palming her side, she was panting mildly from chakra usage. Daisuke was still angry and glaring at Ibouqa, he knew it was her rock clone that caused Shizuna to be injured. Kamuichi was just walking back from talking to the medic ninja, as she got back to the three gennin she pulled out the Shinobi Licenses and handed them out. "Shizu, you'll be alright after a few days of rest. So what I'm going to have you doing during training and mission days for the time it takes you to heal will be studying that scroll you pulled out of your butt pouch."
"Yes, Sensei." Shizuna replied, sounding slightly tired.
"Ibouqa, Daisuke, what you two will do will depend on the mission. Ibouqa, since you are skilled even the slightest bit more than me in medical ninjutsu you are the team medic and your overall priority is to ensure that Shizuna is healing. That means I want you to check her wound twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening."
"Yes, Sensei. Next time be more careful please." Ibouqa said, giving Kamuichi a forced smile.
"Daisuke, you just worry about the mission. I will protect Shizuna if needed. Alright?" Kamuichi asked.
"Yes, Kamuichi sensei," Daisuke replied, sounding abnormally angry.
"Good. So at the turn of the hour we're all going down to the ramen shop, my treat, to celebrate you guys passing and becoming my squad." Kamuichi said, sounding on the up and up.
"I'm ready now… I might need help walking and standing up but I feel like I have the strength to eat." Shizuna exclaimed.
Kamuichi looked at her for a split second, trying to discern the integrity of that statement. Not being able to see many holes in it, she stood up, reached down and started to lift Shizuna up, who let out a yipping sound as her side was agitated. Ibouqa and Daisuke stood up and Daisuke quickly walked over and picked Shizuna up bridal style. "Whoa! Dai, what are you doing?" Shizuna exclaimed in surprise.
"Helping my best friend because she's hurt." He said, throwing a curt, side eyed, angry glance at Ibouqa.
Shizuna nodded. "Alright let's go guys. Daisuke, if you need to, I can carry her for a while," Kamuichi insisted.
Please no. I'm being carried by Daisuke. I feel safe right now. He wont let me get hurt. Daisuke just shook his head, "I've got her Sensei, thanks."
Kamuichi shook her head, "alright, suit yourself, you don't have to show off in front of us though."
Daisuke fumbled with Shizuna for a second. "Dont drop her! I don't want to have to fix her again, for Sensei's mistake after all." Ibouqa said.
Kamuichi shot Daisuke a glance trying to communicate to keep his mouth shut. "Ibouqa that is quite enough. I'm worried for her too. I understand she is your best friend and everything and you're a basically qualified medical ninja, but this is not the time for you to be saying things like that." Kamuichi said.
Ibouqa looked a little rattled by that and didn't open her mouth for the rest of the walk to the ramen shop. Team five entered the ramen shop. Daisuke sat Shizuna down at a booth and slid in right next to her, Ibouqa and Kamuichi sat across from them. And shortly the waiter showed up to take their order.