Disclaimer: PandoraBoxx777 Does NOT in anyway own the series Naruto or any of its other name rights. Happy Reading!
It was a bright and early morning for all genin who would take one of the most important tests to determine their ability as a ninja. Would they be able to pass and move on? Or were they going to fail and be sent back to the academy for another year? Some may not even be able to go back at all, depending on how badly they fail.
Some of the Jonin have been planning for months on how to execute their tests while others, not so much.
Kakashi sighed as he opened a box on his nightstand containing two bells.
Asuma was on his way to the site, smoking a cigarette before it all started.
Kurenai, on the other hand, was already on the site and prepared. She had talked to the Hokage beforehand about her plan. She was going to drive them to depend on the other's strength by hitting key weaknesses they all seemed to have.
Shino's weakness was close combat. Kiba's weakness was planning and Hinata's weakness was confidence and stamina.
If Shino could create a plan using Kiba's speed, his bugs, and Hinata's eyes then he would fulfill his role for both. Kiba would probably need to come in to save Shino and Hinata from Kurenai's attacks. Hinata would have to use her eyes to see through the genjutsu. Ultimately, they needed to find the value of each other and work together as a team. If all else failed, she would have to resort to Plan B.
She sighed and stretched her arms. She was really hoping that they would find each other on their own. The potential they all head in working together was a great one, full of amazing possibilities. She would not let this go to waste.
A figure in the distance caught her attention. Kurenai was surprised to see it was Kiba with Akamaru right beside him. Both seemed to be chewing something as they walked over.
"Good morning Sensei," He managed with his mouth full. Bits of jerky fell out between words, but he didn't seem to notice. Akamaru yipped in greeting, wagging his tail.
Kurenai nodded at them, taking in their appearance. Kiba looked as if he dressed in a hurry, seeing as how his sweater wasn't zipped up and his forehead protector was on crooked.
She briefly wondered if he was in such a hurry to get out of the house, that he just threw everything on and ran out.
A lone figure caught her eyes once more as the female of the team approached. Her head was cast down and her fingers poked together in an effort to calm her anxiety. Kurenai noticed that as she approached, Kiba stiffened up and his nose twitched. He refused to look back at her, a knowing look painting over his features.
Shino appeared after her, not too far behind, but not close enough to be considered walking with her either. It seems that Hinata's attempt at the first step was not as appreciated by her teammates as Kurenai had hoped.
Kurenai decided to put an end to the awkward atmosphere and straightened up, "Now that you're all here," She began, "We shall begin the test; but before any of that, we need to go over the rules." Kurenai pointed to the sky, "You will have until sunset to complete your test. The area will be limited to the training grounds only and you must attack to kill. Seeing as how you're only genin, the chances of you actually killing me are very small, but we are shinobi; we were made to be killers."
Her genin shared a look of hesitance but seemed to accept it nonetheless, "I will not go easy on you, and if you cannot pass my test you will fail and be sent back home or to the academy. I expect all of you to do your best. Now then," She started to go through hand signs, "Find and catch me before sunset." And she disappeared.
Team Eight was dumbstruck for a moment until Kiba shook off his surprise first. "We can do that no problem!" He exclaimed, "Akamaru and I have the best noses around. If we can track her scent, we can find her and catch her! Come on Akamaru!" Akamaru yipped and followed Kiba as he took off to the north.
Shino sighed, "What if that doesn't work?" He asked, fully aware that Kiba could hear him.
The Inuzuka heard him and stopped in his tracks. Whirling around, Kiba glared at the Aburame who decided to finally speak to him, "What do you mean?" He asked suspiciously, "Are you saying that I can't do it?"
Shino adjusted his glasses, "Yes. Why? Because she is a fully capable jonin while you are a genin fresh out of the academy. You have no plan other than to just find her, which is ignorant, even for you. We need to capture her, not blindly chase after her."
Kiba could hear the contempt in his voice, the haughty tone that really showed what little faith he had in Kiba's ninja abilities, much less his intelligence.
He growled lowly, Akamaru following his master's lead as Kiba marched up to Shino and sized him up, "Then why don't you come up with a plan since you're just so much smarter than the rest of us?" He challenged, "If you could get your head out of your high horse's ass, we might be able to get somewhere, but you won't because you think you're so much better than the rest of us. You wouldn't know the first thing about working with others since you just leave people alone to fend for themselves."
Hinata flinched, knowing Kiba was talking about her. Her cheeks began to burn in embarrassment and her breath came out in short gasps as she tried to calm herself.
Suddenly, she felt her eyes twitch.
Shino bristled at the underhanded insult and glared right back, "You talk as if you made any difference yourself. If I remember clearly, and I do, you don't exactly do your best to be reassuring company either. Maybe if you used your head more, you would see how pointless your persistence for fighting is and would make more effort to think before opening your big mouth."
He couldn't take it anymore; Kiba had had enough. Within a flash, Kiba had grabbed Shino's collar and pulled back his fist to drive his sharp claws into his face. Shino braced himself, too surprised to do anything except allow the hit; not even his bugs were fast enough to help him.
It never came, however, as Hinata had her palm opened in front of Shino, Kiba's claws scarcely cutting her heavily calloused hand. Both males were shocked as Hinata would not only be fast enough to stop Kiba, but willing to put herself between them and their fight, which somehow ended up about her.
"Please," She whimpered, but not out of pain, out of sadness, "We shouldn't be fighting like this. We should focus on the mission right now." She wanted to say more, but her fear stopped her as she had realized what she had done.
She wasn't sure why, but her body moved on its own at that moment. She thought about Neji, if only for a split second, and how he had dug his nails into her own skin. Shino almost shared the same, albeit worse fate.
Kiba scoffed and pulled back, shoving Shino away who adjusted his glasses once more, "Fine," He snarled, "He's not worth my time anyway. I'm doing this mission with or without you guys. I can't afford to fail." He turned and walked away. Akamaru growled and barked once at Shino before trotting behind.
The young Aburame scoffed and walked away, using his bugs to track. He didn't need the help of that deranged mutt anyways. He almost glanced back to Hinata, thinking maybe he should take her along as a sort of thank you, but shook his head and continued on his way. She was an emotional burden he did not need weighing on him.
Hinata stood at a loss, not knowing where to go or who to follow. She bit her lip in an effort not to cry. She was alone again because she was somehow a big burden on both of her teammates. Neither wanted her around, Shino especially. Kiba just went on his own way, not really caring who was with him or not.
She sighed and activated her Byakugan. She might as well do something instead of cry the entire time.
Kurenai was not pleased. No. Not at all.
She was disgruntled when Kiba and Shino started to call each other out and argue, and she nearly blew it when she saw Kiba about to strike his teammate.
She almost went down to confront them, but she didn't. She stopped herself because she knew they needed to learn on their own, they needed to grow themselves.
She almost didn't see the Hyuga move to protect Shino from Kiba's wrath and without hesitation. She did so quickly, obviously surprising the two males and even herself.
Kurenai leaned forward, hoping that her defense would mean something, that her words would somehow motivate them to work as one. She wasn't surprised, however, as both males turned their backs and decided to work alone, leaving Hinata to herself.
She really didn't have the patience to fight them each one on one, kick their ass into the next war and then drop a huge hint along the lines of, "Maybe if you fucking worked with your fucking team like you're fucking supposed to do, you wouldn't be eating shit right now."
No, no. Kurenai was always the direct, straight to the point, kind of person. She didn't like hints and although she was their sensei, she didn't believe she had to teach them something so basic about being a TEAM of shinobi.
Kurenai also happened to be so impatient, that she expected everything to get done and for lessons to be learned almost immediately. Yes, a flaw in her own right, as most people were not as smart or brutally efficient; but it proved to be effective when applied correctly.
It was now time for Plan B.
Kiba wasn't sure where he was going, but he trusted his nose, along with his partner's, and continued walking through the training grounds. He felt a little bad for leaving Hinata behind with that asshole but focused on his need to graduate instead.
A shuffle in the bushes startled him for a moment, putting him on guard. He drew a kunai and stood strong, "Come out and show yourself!" He smirked confidently, almost sure it was his sensei until he noticed Akamaru shaking beside him.
"Akamaru?" He asked, bending down to touch his pup, "What's wrong boy?" He felt it then, a strong killing intent surrounding the area. It was almost too strong for him to resist moving to, but he shakily gripped his knife tighter in his hands and scooped Akamaru up in his arms, putting him in his jacket instead.
In the distance he found a woman slowly walking, her hands bloody and her face covered by a mask; she carried something on her shoulder. At first, he thought the woman was Kurenai but as he looked closer, he came to realize that she wasn't the woman.
He could smell the same red apple, cinnamon scent of Kurenai in the air tinged with a strong copper scent and the realization left him frozen.
No, that walking figure wasn't Kurenai, but rather, the object the woman was carrying was.
He started to panic, hyperventilating and shaking violently. He had to get out of here.
But wait. His team. Hinata, even that asshole Shino. They were still pleasantly unaware of this psycho walking around. He pushed the majority of his fear aside and ran back the way he came. He would get his team, get out, and get help. Even though he and Shino didn't get along, there was no way he was going to let them die.
Hinata noticed the menacing chakra signature just as Kiba started running her way. She was confused as to why it was here, and felt a fear grow in the pit of her stomach as she stared at its network longer.
The threat was moving in a slow, methodical way, wanting to be noticed and it sure was noticeable to her. It was maybe five-hundred to six-hundred yards away, she would be able to see it clearly without her Byakugan once they got closer.
She carefully hid under a bush and watched closely. She saw a strange lump that the mysterious ninja carried on its shoulder. Deciding against her better instincts, she focused her vision on it, seeing that it was a body. She couldn't identify it, as she would only be able to see it's chakra network, but her blood ran cold when she realized that it had none; that body was a dead one.
She expanded her vision as much as she could and looked around for her sensei, panicking. She saw two signatures instead and followed them. It was Kiba and Akamaru heading her way. She noticed the slight color of a pale, sickly yellow in their auras; the color of fear. That would mean they knew what was going on.
She glanced once more at the figure and headed their way, hoping to get answers.
Kiba nearly ran into her, drawing his kunai before he realized it was the shy Hyuga female.
"Kiba," She whimpered, "Who is that strange shinobi?" Kiba's eyes were darting around, searching behind her. "Where's Shino?" He asked.
Hinata shook her head, "He left me behind. That person is carrying around a dead body. What's happening?" She could feel the same fear creeping up her spine, spreading chills down her arms and sending her mind into overdrive.
Kiba reeled back, glancing in the killer's direction. "Are you absolutely sure?" His voice was cracking in fear. Akamaru whined loudly.
Hinata nodded grimly, "If it was a genjutsu I would have been able to see through it. But the body had no chakra running through it, which means…" She didn't want to say it again. She was already shaking.
Kiba grabbed her arm and began running."We have to find Shino and get out of here; that body was Kurenai! We have to get help!"
Hinata didn't need to be told twice. "Byakugan." Her eyes searched as far as they could go, searching, searching until they found Shino following his kikaichu. "He's just southwest of us, near a giant oak tree."
They both ran as fast as they could. Kiba almost didn't wait for the heiress, since she was slower than he was, but he didn't want to risk her being by herself so he continued to drag her behind him. He just hoped they were going to make it.
Shino frowned when he suddenly felt a pulse of foreign chakra ripple through the training grounds. He knew it was not Kurenai, and neither Kiba nor Hinata were skilled enough to have created it. He began to walk to the source, intending to investigate.
He figured he had a little time since he had already planned Kurenai's capture, he was just waiting for his swarm to find her.
He was surprised to see a ninja in the far distance, carrying something on its shoulder. The ninja wore a black mask with white accents, almost resembling a sinister-looking geisha, a full, black bodysuit, with blood on her hand, but no headband. Shino wasn't sure if it was an illusion cast by Kurenai, but he was fairly certain that this shinobi couldn't have gotten in the village if it was not one of them. That would have been impossible… right?
A movement caught his eyes, quick enough to draw attention, before hiding once more. He turned and was surprised it was Kiba and Hinata, both with tears in their eyes and dread on their faces. "What has you two so worked up?" He asked though he had a feeling he already knew.
"We need to get out of here and get help!" Kiba whimpered, "That thing killed Kurenai!"
Shino rolled his eyes, "That's impossible." He objected, "It's an illusion set by Kurenai to delay us.
Hinata shook her head, "My eyes are trained from the moment we achieve the Byakugan; we can see through genjutsu. It's real!"
The bug-user hesitated then, eyes narrowing. "How do I know you're not a genjutsu either?" He demanded.
A groan emitted from Akamaru, mirroring Kiba's dread and frustration, "We don't have time for this!" The wild boy screamed, "That thing is coming to kill us!"
Shino still wasn't convinced.
Kiba growled irritably, "Fine!" he seethed, "You were there when I asked Hinata for training."
Shino turned to Hinata expectantly who blushed under his gaze and lowered her crying eyes, "You turned away from me when Kiba gave me the cinnamon roll."
Shino felt a jab of remorse at the memory but nodded in satisfaction.
Regardless, he still refused to believe in the threat. "If this person really was a threat," He began, "The other jonin in the village would have taken notice by now. They couldn't have gotten in undetected and it would be too convenient, given the situation, to suddenly have a killer among genins. I will show you."
Shino stepped out of their cover to approach the murderer despite Kiba and Hinata's hushed yelling for him to return to them.
The actual meeting itself was slow since the ninja was still taking her time getting to them. She was perfectly at ease, it would seem; not troubled in the slightest.
Shino bravely stood before her, flinching when she threw Kurenai to the floor. Neither made a move, and after a second Shino decided to speak up, "I don't know who you are, but you will not fool me." He challenged, "Your hoax is not appreciated nor convincing. I suggest you leave before things become detrimental for you."
He was only met with silence.
He noticed the lady reach behind her and pull out long, sharp senbon, slowly, as if to mock him. He remained undeterred, unmoving from pride and conviction. However, he heard Kiba jump out of his hiding place and start his run towards him screaming his name.
She pulled back, and with a movement too quick for him to begin to follow, she flicked her wrist and sent the senbon flying towards him.
Shino figured that the senbon would fly past his ear; it was merely a ploy to scare him. But the closer the senbon got, the more he realized that it was not in fact, aimed around him, but aimed right for his throat!
Kiba tackled him from his right, taking the hit instead. The senbon went deep into his shoulder and he immediately felt a burning sensation spread. "Fuck!" He howled.
Hinata shrieked behind them, holding Akamaru who yipped and cried as he struggled in Hinata's grasp.
Oh. That's real. This is definitely real
Shino looked up to the ninja in shock, who merely tilted her head as she grabbed another set of needles from behind her.
"Run!" Hinata cried, "Get out of there!"
Kiba struggled to his feet. Shino yanked on his jacket as they ran, Hinata close behind.
They raced towards the village, shouting as they went. Shino never felt a fear this intense before. He found himself breathing hard and even crying. Hinata stopped suddenly, her eyes practically a waterfall, "Barrier," muttered.
"What?" The Aburame demanded.
Hinata fell to her knees and loosened her hold on Akamaru, who sped into Kiba's arms, "It's a chakra barrier," She sobbed, "No one can see or hear us. Even if they could, they couldn't come in. We're trapped."
Shino's head was whirling, "Can you use your gentle fist on it?" There had to be something they could do, right?
"I'm too weak. Not even my cousin could break it down." Her voice was almost too thick with emotion to understand. Her nose was stuffed and beginning to drip, her tears wouldn't stop pouring.
Kiba whimpered in pain as the burning began to spread further with every movement that he made. "Can we please get these stupid things out of my arms in the meantime?" He grunted, "This hurts like a bitch."
His female teammate staggered over. Unwrapping the bandages around her leg, she measured out the length and cut it.
Shino acted as a shield for them, keeping a lookout. His bugs buzzed anxiously under his skin, loud enough for everyone to hear. He wasn't sure what to do at this point. Never had he had to face something as dangerous as this. He figured they were way out of their league, as this ninja had skills above a simple jonin. Although the ninja was outnumbered, they were outskilled.
Think Shino, think.
"Where is that bitch?" Kiba asked, crying out when Hinata pulled a little too roughly on one of the senbon. She muttered a sorry and pulled slower. "We need to find her location and track her movements, maintaining a safe distance until we could come up with a plan of attack."
Shino looked at Kiba, surprised. He didn't think the boy was smart enough to come up with that on his own.
Said Inuzuka grinned mockingly, "Thought I was some dumb mutt, huh?" He almost teased. Shino didn't have to say anything, Kiba already knew. "That's what a lot of people think, but I don't care. I know I'm smart and I don't have to prove myself to you or anyone."
It was quiet after that, as Kiba was lost in thought, Shino was keeping a lookout and Hinata was finishing up Kiba's arm.
As she tied it off, Kiba shrugged her off and stood, "Thanks." He muttered lamely. Hinata said nothing as she stood with him, hugging herself unsurely as both males began to think.
"We need to find a way to take down the enemy and dispel the chakra wall so we may escape." Shino was open to ideas at this point. He had never worked with a team before, and he sure wasn't the most talkative student, but now that it seemed his survival was dependent on his cooperation with Hinata and Kiba, he decided that teamwork was essential.
Kiba frowned as he thought, "First, we need to know where she is. Hinata, can you track her movements?"
Hinata jumped at being called on so casually. She wasn't used to having people actually needing her for anything remotely important. She couldn't let them down now, not while they were ignorant to her weakness. "I can try," She whispered. Her bloodline activated and she searched.
Her Byakugan was not as strong as the rest of her family's, given that she discovered it at the age of eight. She was considered to be a late bloomer compared to her sister, who discovered her ability at the age of five. Her cousin, the ever angsty teen genius, discovered his bloodline at the age of three, almost four.
Hinata was constantly compared to both, never being good enough as an heiress, as the eldest daughter of the clan head or as a Hyuga in general. Seeing as how she was constantly berated for her lack of ability and her sweet, generous nature, she was never encouraged to keep trying, only bullied or forced to do so.
Her skills were weak because her confidence was weak and her confidence was weak because it was destroyed by a narrow minded clan. Hinata knew this but she did nothing to stop it. She figured that Neji was right in that she should allow life to render her weak and control her fate; and her fate was to be weak. An image of her being sealed flashed through her head again. Her fate was to be a slave.
"I found her." The menacing chakra was hard to miss, "She's about seven hundred feet away and closing. She knows where we are."
Kiba frowned, "We have to at least try to trick her or something." He muttered, "What if we somehow trap her? Would she be distracted long enough for us to land some kind of hit or send some kind of signal?"
Shino shook his head, "It would have to be a very complicated and skilled trap. She's a skilled jonin, maybe even farther above that."
He turned to Hinata who was still watching the woman. "Hinata," He called out. The girl in question jumped once again and looked at him. "Do you think you would be able to hit the woman if Kiba and I hold her long enough to give you an opening?"
Hinata looked to the ground in shame, "I'm too weak." She muttered, "I'm not skilled in my family's taijutsu. What if I mess up and make it worse? I'm a failure." She whispered the last sentence, making Kiba and Shino glance at each other in disbelief and slight concern.
"You're only weak if you make yourself weak." Kiba stated, backed up by a small yip from Akamaru, "If you want to stay weak then keep doing what you're doing. Only weak people give up even if they have the chance to fight back and do something great."
He looked to Shino meaningfully. 'Say something that will inspire her.' His face screamed.
"He's right," Shino nearly hesitated, "Why would you allow yourself to be weak instead of working towards the goal of becoming stronger. If not for the people you love and cherish, then do so for yourself."
Hinata stared at her teammates for a heartbeat, and then two.
She obviously wasn't used to having been given a pep talk from anyone other than Ko, and even then it was just him reassuring her that there was nothing wrong with her. She was told to just be strong, but before now, there was nothing to be strong for.
For the first time in her entire life, she had a reason, she had motivation and a goal to work towards. It stirred a feeling in her chest. It wasn't anything close to a fire, nothing that she could burn on with, but something warm, like a dull ember of hope. It felt… nice.
In a rare moment of confidence, Hinata bravely nodded and held her head higher, "I'll do it," She vowed, "I'll try to hit her as hard as I can."
Kiba smirked at her, "Thatta girl," He jeered, "Now, that's what I'm talking about!"
Shino felt something akin to pride for her, pride that he helped her become a little braver, a little more confident, and without his knowledge, a little more happy; happy to finally have someone who believed in her.
"Team Eight is not over yet." Kiba said positively, "We're going to work together and get out of here or die trying like true ninjas. Who's with me?" He thrust his fist out in front of him, eyeing his teammates mischievously.
"I would prefer to avoid death but I suppose that is one way to view it." Shino repeated the action stiffly, almost scared of the first positive human contact he had in years.
Hinata nodded and did the same, "I'll do my best!" She was content.
Kiba grinned wider, "Alright, Bug Boy," He joked, "What's the plan?"
It was quiet in the training grounds. There was no sight of anyone, not even the mysterious woman who had been roaming a few short minutes before. Kiba laid low to the ground and waited for any sign of the enemy.
Hinata was definitely shaking, most of her earlier bravado having worn off. She hid in the tree as she was told, waiting anxiously for something to happen.
Another chakra pulse rippled through the air, strong and almost overwhelming. She was there suddenly with knives ready in her hands. She looked around carefully, eyeing the treeline and underbrush for the genin.
Shino pressed himself further into the tree, counting the seconds that passed in order to calm himself. Timing was absolutely vital in the plan and if one thing were to go wrong, they would all die. He couldn't let that happen.
Even if Kiba was a hardhead and HInata was a bit of a crybaby, it was his duty as their teammate to make sure they are safe, even at the cost of his own life. Never let it be said that he didn't have a heart.
He peeked around the tree again and saw that the woman was still walking forward, albeit slower that he was hoping for.
He armed himself with a kunai bomb he got as a gift, and aimed carefully, so as not to be seen. If he was able to place it just before her, Kiba was able to attack when it exploded, giving Hinata an opening from behind to strike. Shino and his bugs were going to be used as backup, sucking the chakra from his enemy's body.
He counted the pace from ten, shaking more as the numbers lowered. As quickly as he could, he threw the explosive at her feet, jumping away from her as it went off.
Kiba rushed from under the brush, Akamaru at his side. "Let's go Akamaru!" He yelled, receiving a bark in reply.
He thrust his own kunai as hard as he could at the body skidding back from the blast, not charred or the least bit injured as far as he could tell. His kunai was met with her own, as she turned to face him with a rising killing intent.
It was sickening, churning the contents of his breakfast in his stomach. His breathing picked up and his hairs were standing completely on end, while his instincts were screaming for him to run away.
He nearly did, but he remembered Hinata and Shino counting on him to stick with the plan, their lives depended on him and he wasn't going to turn his back on them.
With his resolve strengthened, Kiba pushed against the opposing kunai as hard as he could, grunting with effort. He managed to push her back a few inches, but was quickly overpowered and kicked in the stomach. He nearly threw up.
Hinata was cursing herself for hesitating, watching as her teammates were putting their lives on the line to escape, for her to land one hit that could mean the difference between life and death. And she was hesitating.
She had never taken a life before, and she knew that she would have to soon, but couldn't bring herself to even think about it. It was hard to continue, and she was seriously considering giving up and allowing this woman to kill her.
A cry of pain brought her attention back to the fight. Kiba was just thrown back, almost landing on Akamaru, while Shino was running out of his hiding place, bug swarming behind him.
They were fighting for their lives, and some part of Hinata knew that they would be fighting until their very last breaths. They were waiting for her, for her to do as she promised.
She realized then that if she gave up, they would all die, and she would have died a coward, just like Neji said she would, Like her father predicted and prepared for. Her sister would have the title, and the Hyuga would move on without her. Shino and Kiba's families would mourn over their loss and Naruto would never know how she felt. She would die as a weakling.
She couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let her team down, not when they were just beginning. They told her to be strong, and if she couldn't be strong for herself, then she was going to be strong for her team. That was a promise!
Hinata flew out of the trees, hands covered in a light sheen of chakra. She had to land this hit, she had to kill this woman or everyone would suffer. Hizashi's face flashed through her mind, strengthening her will of fire.
She winced as Shino was thrown to the ground, but she was still unnoticed. She lifted her hands and with a powerful battle cry, she threw them forward, aiming for a lung and kidney.
She was surprised to have been flipped over and pinned to the ground by her neck. She did her best to lift her face out of the dirt and began to flail wildly, hoping to land some sort of hit.
"Hinata!" Kiba felt a rage go through him as Hinata was shoved into the dirt. Shino attempted to get up, shaking with effort, feeling anger as well.
Kiba started to scream, running blindly at the woman who was now stepping on the Hyuga's head, adding pressure to keep her there. He wasn't going to let her kill Hinata while he was still breathing.
Shino did his best to attack, feeling his legs tremble under him, "Release her!" He raised his voice for the first time in years and sent his bugs to attack.
A sudden wave of lightning emitted from the mystery woman, killing the bugs and electrocuting Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino with overwhelming foreign power.
Killing intent flooded the air, choking the young team. Hinata cried out as the pressure increased and began to sob out of fear and pain. "Kiba, Shino, get out of here!" She yelled, "She's too strong, just run, please!"
Kiba tried to sit up, completely in pain, "No way Hinata," He whimpered, "You're our teammate! We're not giving up on you!"
"Kiba is right," Shino grunted with effort as he tried to stand, "We are a team and we're not going to abandon you, not again."
The woman, uninterested in the sentiment, drew her kunai and senbon once more, aiming for vilat points on their bodies. She slowly pulled back, when a hand on her shoulder stopped her, "That's enough."
Kiba gaped as Kurenai stepped from behind the enemy, completely fine and clean of blood and injuries. What the fuck was going on?
Kurenai couldn't help but give herself a pat on the back for having come up with Plan B. The Hokage was insistent that it wasn't going to work, saying that adding the unnecessary threat was going 'too far', but seeing as how her team finally admitted that they were a team and then worked like one, she couldn't wait to rub it in his face.
Kiba was gaping at her, obviously angry and surprised. Shino was probably in the same state, and even though Hinata was face down in the dirt, she knew that she was in shock.
"Anko, get off of her already." She gently pushed the woman back.
The mysterious woman finally took off her mask, "Man this one almost got me with that jutsu of hers, whatever it was." She had violet hair and dark golden eyes. She was young and beautiful, even as she grinned maliciously at the students before turning to Kurenai once more, "They're tougher than they look, Kurenai."
Kiba was glaring now as the woman spoke so casually to his sensei, who, by the way, was supposed to be dead, "What the fuck is going on?" He screamed, "You're supposed to be dead! We saw you! And who the fuck is she?"
Kurenai sighed and smiled tiredly, "Yes I suppose you deserve an explanation." She muttered, "But first, I should heal you all up. We can't have you limping as we go out to eat for lunch, right?"
"I think we could all agree that eating is the furthest thing from our minds right now," Shino answered, "Though I do appreciate the healing, I would rather prefer the explanation for your actions."
Anko rolled her eyes and laughed, "Where the hell did the Hokage find them?" She snickered, "They're so serious, even after all of that scaring. Lighten up kid, you were never in any danger. We just had to make sure you passed was all. Now wait until you're healed so your sensei can explain at the food joint."
Shino's lips pressed together in anger but he said nothing; Kiba, on the other hand, was not having any of it, "No!" He growled, "I want to know what the fuck just happened and why you scared the ever living shit out of us!"
Kurenai sighed and relented. As she was still healing Hinata, who was too frightened and confused to demand answers, she explained, "In order to pass to become shinobi, you are to meet a certain requirement in the test. At the beginning, you were doomed to fail, seeing as how Kiba lost his temper at Shino's rebuke; you both then intentionally left Hinata behind. Hinata, although stopping the fight and urging you to get along, gave up on trying to establish teamwork and went off on her own.
"That's what evoked Plan B. By creating a powerful common enemy between you three, I forced you all to work together and establish a sort of truce with each other to ensure teamwork and eventually a bond of friendship.
"The requirement to pass this test was teamwork. By Hinata willing to sacrifice herself to give you both time to escape, as well as you both refusing to leave her to die, proved to me, as well as yourselves, that you recognized each other as a team, as very important persons who will make an impact on your ninja career and your life as well.
"Your team is made up of the most important people in your life who you will now depend on and look to when a mission gets tough, when you lack a skill in training, or even when you need a shoulder to cry on. They will be your ally, your comrade, your friend, and eventually your family. You will all grow together as shinobi and as a person. You are to never abandon, betray or intentionally hurt your teammates, for those who do, are worse than the scum of the earth and deserve to die."
Kurenai stared at them all very hard, pinning each one to place, "You all have more in common than you think. Build each other up, support each other, and love one another, when you feel ready. You have your whole lives to be better, why not be better together?"
It was silent as Kurenai gave them all a moment to reflect. She knew the necessity of instilling the importance of teamwork early in their lives, as they would learn more quickly to build relationships with other people who they would eventually work with, but it was more important in this case, as these three genin were without support and love from their own families; maybe then, they could find that in each other.
After everyone was healed, Kurenai led them all into town, wandering around until a small sushi joint caught their eyes.
She ordered a round of tea for her team, a bottle of sake for her and Anko, and one of the biggest plates of their best sushi. "My treat." She said, once Hinata stuttered out that she could cover the bill.
"Now that we've ordered," Kurenai said, leaning onto the table with a smile at her new team, "Tell me about yourselves."
There was a tense silence as Hinata picked at her food and Kiba silently chewed whatever his chopsticks touched first. Akamaru would nibble on whatever Kiba would put in his face, but he clearly wasn't very hungry.
Shino surprised everyone, being the first to say that he was interested in a new species of larva at one of the shops they had passed by. Going on to explain what exactly made them so interesting.
After thirty minutes of awkward silences, gentle prodding from Kurenai and abrasive questions from Anko, the table soon began speaking about everything they could think of, smiling and occasionally laughing quietly.
Shino seemed to relax as he listened to Kiba explaining a wild story concerning a giant wasp nest, while Hinata leaned forward in anticipation, completely enthralled. Anko smirked at her best friend, who smiled back in victory and the two shared a toast at a job well done. .
Although they weren't friends, they were still Team Eight; and as we delve further into the story, we'll watch as they grow into fine shinobi and a close-knit family…
…and killers…