Konoha Ninja Academy
Iruka's class was abuzz with the talking and joking of the genin-to-be, everyone in the room sported a hitai-ate, and sat together with their friends. Chizuru was sitting next to Hinata focusing on the front of the room. They were both wearing their 'new official ninja outfits', as Chizuru called them, and had drawn a little bit of attention from around the room.
Chizuru was wearing a plain black cloak over her new clothes, which were made up of a mesh under armor covered by a black jacket with dark orange lining the edge, as well as black cargo pants. On the inside of her cloak her special, new and improved, Fuuinton: Tetsu no Dai Uzu seals were painted. While storage seals were painted into her pant's pockets.
Hinata was wearing a similar outfit, minus the cloak, as well as the edges on her jacket were lined with blue. Her pant's pockets also had storage seals drawn inside of them, courtesy of Chizuru.
The class' reaction to the news about Itachi the clan killer, and the Uchiha's true fate was mixed. On the one side, the fangirls of Sasuke reacted in a way that showed they still supported the Uchiha, while some of the boys in the class begun to spin tales of mistrust in relation to Sasuke. The clan heirs were more neutral on the matter, seeing it as it was, a clan of two, trying to make up for their clan's prior misdeeds. Everyone still felt sorry for the two Uchiha for what had to be done, and some, especially the fangirls of Sasuke, even saw Itachi as a hero like Hiruzen wanted them to. Chizuru was unsure where she stood, as she had no real family of her own, but she knew she could never hurt those she loved, even if they were plotting against the village. She knew her Jiji really wanted Itachi to be seen as a hero though, and decided to trust his word that Itachi really was good.
Chizuru was broken from her thoughts, and her and Hinata looked to the door at the front of the class as they watched as Iruka stepped in with a clipboard with a list of names on it. The class began to quiet down as he stood behind his desk.
"Alright everyone, before I tell you what teams you'll be on, I have something I wish to say." Iruka began, "I just hope you know I cannot be any prouder of each and every one of you. I hope you all go on to become the greatest generation of ninjas this world has ever seen!" Iruka finished, with tears in his eyes.
The class broke out into a murmur, and Iruka smiled at them broadly.
"I guess I should get to the team assignments." Iruka began, "Alright, team one will consist of..."
Iruka began listing off the names on his sheet in groups of three, starting with the group of kids in the class without clan heritage, before reaching team seven.
"Team seven, Haruno Sakura, Hyuga Hinata, and Ikeda Chizuru. Your sensei will be Hatake Kakashi." Iruka said, and Hinata passed a few ryo to Chizuru.
"Team eight, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Sai." Iruka started, "Your sensei will be Yuhi Kurenai."
"Team nine is still in circulation, so team ten will consist of Akimichi Choji, Nara Shikamaru, and Yamanaka Ino, under Sarutobi Asuma. They should be arriving soon." Iruka finished, then sat down.
Chizuru leaned back in her chair and watched as Sakura broke away from Ino to join them, before she made it over, the door to the classroom opened. Two jonin walked in then froze when they looked at the back corner.
"Kakashi!? What the hell!? You're early!?" The two shouted in unison.
"Hm? Why wouldn't I be?" Kakashi asked.
"You're always late that's why!" Asuma shouted, "What did my father threaten you with?"
"I'm hurt that you'd assume I had to be threatened to meet up with my cute little genin early." Kakashi feigned sadness.
"What? Nevermind... Just, what did he do to get you to come this early?" Kurenai asked.
"He just asked kindly." Kakashi stated, then walked toward the door, "Anyways team seven with me."
The class finally shook off the confusion at the jonin who was seemingly there the entire time, while Chizuru, Hinata, and Sakura made to join him.
Three Days Earlier, Hokage's Office
Kakashi shunshined in front of the Hokage's desk, a slightly worried look spread across his face as he recalled the date.
"You have a mission for me?" He asked.
"No need to worry about that, the mission request was just a lie to get you to show up on time." Hiruzen replied jokingly.
"I see..." Kakashi said.
"But in all seriousness." Hiruzen began after clearing his throat, "I have a request for you, one that will become an order with reprimands if you don't fulfill it." Hiruzen said while looking pointedly at the pouch Kakashi kept his most prized possession.
"I... Understood hokage-sama..." Kakashi replied solemnly.
"Good, now that I have your full attention, I have a request in regards to a certain mutual friend's daughter." Hiruzen began.
"Daughter?" Kakashi asked.
"Oh that's right, you were off on that S rank when word was passed to the clan heads and elite jonin weren't you?" Hiruzen deduced.
"What happened?" Kakashi asked.
"Nothing much, just that a recently retired prankster took on a mission similar to an important one of yours." Hiruzen said.
Prankster... Important mission... Present tense... Naruto. Kakashi silently ran through the conversation, before realization flashed across his face.
"I see you've still got that detective side in you." Hiruzen joked.
"Can I ask what her name is?" Kakashi said.
"Her name is Ikeda Chizuru, white hair, green eyes, short for her age, but prone to grow if Minato's anything to go off of." Hiruzen explained.
"I see... Hokage-sama?" Kakashi began, to which Hiruzen gestured for him to continue. "Is this a request to take her and her team's training serious?"
"Yes." Hiruzen confirmed.
"Understood sir." Kakashi replied, then made for the door.
"I take it that's a yes?" Hiruzen asked.
"Yes sir." Kakashi replied, then shunshined away.
Same time, Konoha Hospital
"Alright Chizuru, you are to return every other month until further notice for checkups." Shizune said.
"As for now we've completed the final step of chakra infusion based DNA realignment. Your hair and eyes should remain permanent, but I'd recommend signing off on this paper that you'd be willing to continue the chakra infusions longer as a just-in-case." Tsunade reported, while passing over a sheet of paper.
"Now C.I.F.T. will be our next goal, as a part of it requires medication, which requires refills every other month, you will also need to sign off on these sheets." Shizune explained while passing a few more to the girl.
Chizuru looked down at one of the CIFT pages and read the phrase Chakra Infusion Feminization Therapy, as well as trying and failing to read the medicine names. Before sighing, and signing the pages.
"Thank you." She said, "You've been a big help."
"Just doing my job gaki." Tsunade replied.
"No really, thanks a lot baachan!" Chizuru called while rushing out the door.
"Baachan!? I'll kill you gaki! Get back here!" Tsunade called.
"She left in such a rush..." Shizune mumbled, "She forgot her prescriptions..."
Sighing deeply, Shizune got up wrote a note that she had to run an errand real quick for Tsunade to see, and headed for Chizuru's house with the prescriptions.
Present Day, roof of Konoha Ninja Academy
Kakashi sat in front of his new students for a moment, before clearing his throat.
"Now, how about we introduce ourselves?" He suggested, "I'll go first. My name is Hatake Kakashi, I am twenty-six years old, my hobbies include reading, and training, I like dogs and dislike anyone who spoils parts of something I will read. I don't necessarily have a dream, but I suppose now it will be training you to be the best ninja I can. Now Pinky, you're up. Remember, name, age, hobbies, likes, dislikes, dreams."
"Pinky? Oh me..." Sakura said, "My name is Haruno Sakura, I am twelve years old, I used to watch birds, but now I guess I hang out with Ino instead... I like... Uh... My friends, and I dislike people who are mean to them. And I guess my dream is... Well... I don't know..."
"Interesting, alright, tweedle-blue you're up."
"Um... I... My name is Hyuga Hinata, I am twelve too... And... I enjoy flower pressing, and uh... I like Chizuru-chan... Er, I like my friends like Chizuru-chan that is... and... I dislike the way my clan is run, and dream to change it..." Hinata stumbled over her words, while Chizuru smiled at her encouragingly.
"Gonna have to work on that..." Kakashi muttered, "Alright, now how about you tweedle-dumb?"
"Why am I tweedle-dumb!?" Chizuru shouted questioningly to which Sakura and Hinata laughed.
Kakashi shrugged, getting a pout out of Chizuru, before she sighed and continued.
"Fine. My name is Ikeda Chizuru, I am also twelve, and my hobbies include training, reading, and hanging out with my friends! I like ramen, fired rice, and fuuinjutsu, and I dislike perverts, idiots, and mean people in general! My dream is to become the greatest kunoichi of all time, and I will so you'd better believe it!" She exclaimed loudly.
"I like the energy, and hope your liking of training and reading isn't just to get on my good side." Kakashi said.
"Why would it get me on your good side?" Chizuru asked while tilting her head.
"You weren't listening to me were you..." Kakashi said dejectedly.
"I listened, you said to talk about our name, age, hobbies, dreams, likes, and dislikes, right?" Chizuru asked.
"But I also said mine..." Kakashi said.
"Oh!" Chizuru said in realization, "I didn't listen to that!" She said bluntly.
"Figures..." Kakashi muttered.
"Oi! I was lost on the road of life or something!" Chizuru defended.
"Where did you here that?" Kakashi asked, a proud smile hidden behind his mask.
"I think Jiji said it once." Chizuru replied.
"What had you lost then?" Kakashi asked, wanting to finish up before his other students grew bored.
"Huh? Oh, I was just thinking about what kinda ninja I'll be in a few years was all..." Chizuru said while scratching the back of her head in embarrassment.
"Oh." Kakashi said bluntly, "Well then, let's get onto the next order of business. Tomorrow we will be having a mission of sorts."
"A mission?" Sakura questioned.
"Yes, well, more of a survival exercise." Kakashi explained, "Meet me at training ground three at eight in the morning, I recommend not eating breakfast if you don't want to throw up."
"Yes sensei!" The three said in unison.
"Alright, see you tomorrow then." He said before leaving in a shunshin.
"I kinda thought we'd do more..." Chizuru said dejectedly.
"It kinda makes sense that a jonin like him would have something else to do." Sakura said.
"I guess." Chizuru conceded, "But hey! Anyone wanna grab some Ichiraku to celebrate our team?" Chizuru announced.
"I'd like that..." Hinata muttered.
"Yeah sure, I bet Ino's off with her team getting Yakiniku anyways, so no reason not to hang out with you guys." Sakura said.
"Oi!" Chizuru shouted, and the three burst out laughing.
Kakashi watched from an adjacent rooftop as the three headed off, and smiled.
"Looks like I have a really great team in the works now don't I?" He thought aloud, "Let's hope this attitude continues tomorrow when I test them."
Training Ground 3, Eight in the Morning the next day
Chizuru, Sakura, and Hinata stood together by the posts in the middle of the training ground and watched as Kakashi walked across the field to them.
"Good morning everyone!" He called with a wave.
"Good morning sensei!" The three called back, each with a different level of exuberance.
"When's the survival exercise gonna start, sensei?" Sakura asked.
"Yeah, that way we can ace it and get some breakfast, or lunch, brunch? I don't know, food." Chizuru rambled.
"Ah, about that you see, I packed some lunches for all of you for after the exercise, but I seem to have only packed two..." Kakashi said while scratching the back of his neck.
"We could all four share it." Chizuru replied, before turning to Sakura and Hinata. "Right?"
"Of course!" Sakura said.
"Mhmm." Hinata replied softly.
"What about you sensei?" Chizuru asked.
"Oh I'll be fine without sharing, if I wanted to I could pick something up on my way home, I had a large breakfast." Kakashi explained.
"So the three of us can share the lunches after the exercise?" Chizuru asked hopefully.
"Of course you can." Kakashi said while eye smiling at the group, "I guess we should get to the exercise then."
The group of three stood a little straighter as they waited for instructions, while Kakashi pulled out a timer and a pair of bells.
"The task is simple, you will have until noon to get these bells from me," He said.
"What if we don't get the bells?" Sakura asked.
"Well, then something really bad will happen." He explained while releasing a minimal amount of killing intent.
The three girls seemed to clam up a little at the killing intent, but stood straight again soon afterwards.
"U-understood..." The three mumbled.
"Good, then we'll start. Oh, and I recommend you come at me with intent to kill, or these bells will remain mine." Kakashi said, then shunshined away after starting the alarm.
The three girls immediately huddled together and began signing to eachother using the academy-taught sign language.
'Plan?' Chizuru signed.
'Forest' Sakura signed back.
'Plan in forest?' Hinata signed.
'Target no hear in forest, talk plan there.' Sakura signed back.
'Good plan.' Chizuru signed.
With that the group rushed into the forest, before finding themselves in a small hollow.
"Alright, I think we're far enough now." Sakura said.
"Yeah me too." Chizuru agreed, "I think we should lay some of our skills on the table so we can get a real plan going."
"Like what?" Hinata asked.
"Well... Like three skills that could help in detaining our sensei, or just getting close enough to get the bells. I'll go first, kage bunshin, barrier seals, and my aim with multiple shuriken and kunai. Now Hinata you go."
"Um... I have my byakugan, aim near to your level, and I have... I have my juken..." Hinata trailed off.
"Great! Now Sakura." Chizuru said.
"I have the power of math, strategy, and... Chakra control I guess." Sakura said.
"Cool! Okay, let's see... Maybe if we... Hmm... I've got it!" Chizuru exclaimed after a moment of silent deliberation, "Get this, I have four clones make, and deploy one of my highest level barrier seals, while fifty more of my clones run in and try to get the bells, a third henged as Hinata, and another third henged as you Sakura. Now, this is where it gets stupid, Hinata and I will attack with my clones, while you Sakura are going to cast some low level genjutsu on some of our strikes to make it look like they are slightly off from where they are actually meant to be." Chizuru explained.
"Understood." Sakura said.
"Right..." Hinata mumbled.
"Good! Now let operation, 'where the fuck is sensei' commence!" Chizuru shouted while summoning her fifty four, mostly henged, clones. She then summoned fifteen more, which leapt away as quick as they could.
"What were those ones for?" Sakura asked.
"Scouting." Chizuru answered plainly.
The group of clones and the three soon headed back to the posts after one of Chizuru's clones leapt into combat against Kakashi and got destroyed.
Once the giant group arrived, they were met with the sight of Kakashi standing in the middle of the field, holding a little orange book. He didn't bother to look up, when suddenly the army surged at him. Following their plan to a tee, the three kunoichi joined the clones in fighting their sensei, Sakura focusing more so on spinning the genjutsu than fighting, the army leapt nearly one by one into the clutches of Kakashi, who picked them off as quickly as they came. He tried to read through the whole experience, but was forced to put his book away when a large number of clones leaped on him all at once, they went for the bells, while a few struck him, one of which did so in a very Hyuuga-like manner, which tipped Kakashi off.
So they're all here, and not just using clones to get the bells, well, I believe that means they pass, but let's just see how far they can go. Kakashi silently worked out. The army had dwindled significantly by this point, and Kakashi counted only about a dozen more when suddenly something unexpected happened, and a group of four clones rushed his position from all sides. He made to attack, when they instead placed what looked to be seals on the ground, before activating them. Kakashi watched as the seals lit up, cast a beam of purple light from themselves, and the purple light surrounded him, molding itself into a translucent swirling purple egg-like shell around him, when he finally put two and two together, he was too late to react.
"Smart." Was all he said.
"Now sensei, you can pass us the bells, or you can experience what it feels like to be crushed to death from all sides at once." Chizuru explained, hoping the ultimatum was enough for their sensei to pass over the bells, as she didn't want to see what would happen when the barrier fully closed in.
"Good ploy, it's too bad I was in the anbu and already accepted the fact that I would one day die for the village. If it weren't for that, and I was any other man, you would have got the bells." The white haired jonin explained.
"What!? Dammit!" Chizuru yelled.
"Hey don't get upset, I already passed you guys, so I think it would be wise to say, get mad enough to crush me in here..." Kakashi explained.
"Oh." Chizuru said plainly. "Wait... We passed?"
"Yes." Kakashi answered.
"Hell yeah!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Yes!" Sakura exclaimed, while Hinata smiled as wide as she could.
They may not have known failure would've meant they wouldn't be ninja, but they did showcase their willingness to work together from the get go, and made it unnecessary for Kakashi to even trick them with any of his normal guises, as he saw they had already worked their way around most without his intervention.
"Now, please release me so we can go over our training schedule." Kakashi ordered.
"Yes sensei." Chizuru replied.
The barrier dissipated, and the girl dispelled her remaining clones, while Kakashi approached the group.
"Now then, firstly I would like to congratulate you on passing, that test has a sixty-six percent fail rate for a reason. Secondly I want to go into our training regimen, and mission schedule for the next two months." Kakashi began, "We will start off by arriving at eight in the morning each day, five days a week that is, barring Saturday and Sunday, those days will be independent training days, or breaks depending on what you wish to do. We will stretch for an hour, then exercise. After a two to four hour exercise, increasing by an hour each month, we will go out for lunch, also make certain to eat a big breakfast every morning, then take missions. At first we'll start with two D-rank missions a day, but will work our way up to five, until I deem us ready to take on a C-rank mission. After our missions, you are dismissed, or you can join me for dinner at a random restaurant each night, mind you, I will be choosing what you will eat for dietary purposes, but I will allow you to have an input based on what you like and dislike." Kakashi explained lengthily.
"Any questions?" He asked.
When his students shook their heads, he pulled out a sealing scroll and unsealed the lunches he packed, revealing he had packed enough for everyone.
"Good, now lets eat!" He called out, while grabbing a bento box for himself.
The alarm he had set went off after a while of them eating, and getting to know eachother, when it went off, Kakashi got up and excused himself to go report back to the hokage, he stated that he would be back in a bit, and would take them on their first D-rank today. After which, he shunshined away.
Hokage's office
Jonin began filing into the hokage's office at twelve on the dot, as Hiruzen sat at his desk, and finished up the paperwork he had set in a separate pile he mentally labeled need-to-do-before-jonin-sensei-hearing. When he finished, he looked up from his desk, and cleared his throat. He gazed around the room before starting and smiled when he saw a familiar face much earlier than he expected.
"Now, as you all know, I must here your reports on all of your teams. Starting with team one, let's get this over with." Hiruzen stated.
"Of course hokage-sama." The jonin in charge of team one began. "Team one, fail, recommendation: throw them back into the academy, they'll probably pass next time."
"Team two, fail, recommendation: cut them from the program entirely, they are not cut out for being ninja." Another jonin said.
The jonin all listed off their teams in order, Hiruzen felt himself grow more tired as all six jonin that went listed their teams as failures, when he got to Kakashi's team, he perked up upon hearing the jonin.
"Team seven, pass, they exceeded all my expectations and showcased incredible teamwork. A testament to what I can only assume is a childhood friendship. I feel as though this team will go far." Kakashi reported.
"Team eight, pass, although barely. I'd say they all showcased an ability to work together, Sai out of deducing he can't go up against a jonin on his own, Shino out a weird form of hive respect, and Kiba out of his pack-mentality, when it came to it however, they were a lot less like a machine, and more like an awkward group of like minded individuals. Still, they succeeded in working together." Kurenai explained.
"Team ten, pass, the InoShikaCho formula continues to surpass expectations, and I'd say this years could use a little work for sure, but that's what I'm here for isn't it?" Asuma reported.
Hiruzen marked down the final team reports, and dismissed his jonin, which, as they left, placed their full reports on the hokage's desk. Kakashi left the office, and shunshined back to his team to collect them for missions.