Disclaimer: PandoraBoxx777 Does NOT in anyway own the series Naruto or any of its other name rights. Happy Reading!
"Hello again!" Shota was grinning ear from ear at the young genin who had just entered his shop. His eyes roamed their clothes appraisingly, impressed with their clothing choices, as he walked around the counter to greet them. "I just finished the last weapon yesterday night. I had hundreds of ideas but these were the best ones! Come to the back so I can show you my work!"
Team Eight shared a curious look with one another before following the mechanic behind his curtain to the back room, eager to see what sort of modifications he made to their weapons.
Shota pulled three packages from a large shelf and carefully carried them to a table. Unwrapping each with care, he stepped back and beamed with pride at the looks of awe on each genin's face. He had spent a lot of time taking apart and rebuilding each weapon from scratch and he couldn't be more happy with the results as well as the eager looks he received.
As if practiced, each genin bowed lowly with their hands clasped and backs straight. "Thank you very much for your hard work." They chorused.
Shota felt a blush of embarrassment from the praise and scratched his cheek nervously, "It's the least I could do," He chuckled, "Please enjoy, and don't hesitate to return for repairs or maybe even something new."
With that in mind, Hinata, Kiba and Shino grabbed their improved weapons and bowed before they left.
Once again in their own training ground, Team Eight fully unwrapped their weapons and decided to practice wielding them, trying to get a refresher on their lessons.
Hinata spun her umbrella slowly, marveling at the lightweight metal and design.
Shota had replaced the original steel for thin but strong titanium and painted each blade black, finishing the edges with silver-colored tungsten carbide. The titanium shaft was white with little black sakura blossoms. There was a hidden sword in the handle that she was able to use in case of an emergency and a sharp point on the very tip of her umbrella.
There were no flaws in any of the designs.
She noticed a button on the side, unnoticeable to anyone but the wielder. Curiosity getting the best of her, she pushed it, yelping in surprise as the canopy shot into the air, connected to a thin, but strong, ninja wire. She pressed the button again and watched in wonder as the wire dragged the canopy back and reattached and fixed itself.
Hinata laughed and pressed the button once more to begin her practice in wielding it.
Kiba marveled at his tetsubo. It was lighter than when he originally chose it, but still had perfect balance.
He carefully looked it over, marvelling the design. The base color was black and the rounded spikes were red. The handle was wrapped carefully in dark grey fabric down to the hilt, which had a thick, square pommel; there was a hole in the middle of it, which the fabric was tied off.
There were two buttons at the base of the handle, nearly invisible in sight, but he could feel them as he ran his thumb over the fabric. He pushed the first one on the left, jumping in surprise as the spike suddenly extended and sharpened themselves. A savage thrill ran down him at the thought of using it against an enemy.
He pushed the second button and watched in wonder as the spike retreated and the tetsubo began to compact itself into a thin stick before shortening itself down to the handle. It was small enough to fit into his pocket or wear as a sort of large charm around his wrist. He pushed the button again and extended his weapon.
Akamaru barked excitedly and wagged his tail. Kiba felt the same way.
Shino carefully studied his tekko kagi claws, looking for any flaw or abnormality with the material or paint. There were none, as the paint was a glossy black and grey color and the metal was smooth and straight. He noticed that there were no blades sticking out as they used to, in fact, they were nowhere to be found.
He frowned to himself for a moment before strapping them on. He carefully weaved his fingers through the fabric glove and gripped the handle, testing the weight of his new weapon. He felt ridges on what seemed to be buttons and pressed on them, startling in shock when the blades suddenly extended and then shot themselves into the ground. He stared a moment before retrieving them and clumsily putting them back in.
After a few more test runs with the weapon and Shino had it working perfectly. He smiled secretly to himself and began to swing his arms onto a tree, admiring the clean cuts in the trunk.
A shiver of excitement went down his back as he stared at his bladed hands.
With every day that passed, Team Eight was slowly getting stronger, faster, more proficient with their attacks. Their team combinations were perfectly timed and executed. There was little need to speak between them all, as they could read each other's faces, could see where slack needed to be picked up and where there was too much force.
Team Eight was now the perfect team.
Hinata was learning to use her umbrella more efficiently, adding gravity seals while tutoring under Ibiki, who was more than pleased to see her interest in sealing despite the pain it caused within her family.
While the umbrella itself was nearly weightless, it still caught and floated Hinata down if she needed, which was something she used quite often.
She was pleased to learn she had a Wind affinity alongside Lightning, which made using her float technique all the more easy. Ibiki had her learn plenty of jutsus and exercises that she could use as an early beginner.
With a fancy twist, Hinata finished her set of katas and looked to Ibiki, who nodded in approval. She was more than pleased with her progress.
Kiba had never been more thankful to Yamato for teaching him the correct technique to throw weapons. By applying the movements, taking weight and mass into account, he had found that he could effectively throw his tetsubo and pull it back or even bounce back.
Sometimes Akamaru would even fetch it, even learning how to use it himself when he was in Kiba's clone form.
He began practicing his Earth affinity, seeing as how he was already on his way of controlling his Yang nature. Yamato did the best he could in teaching him, often using his own wood style as an example.
Kiba grinned at Akamaru who went off and caught the tetsubo midair, wagging his tail as he trotted back. He was ready for a fight.
Shino would be the first Aburame, possibly ever, to use a ninja weapon outside of kunai and shurikens, so of course he was going to need extra training.
Anko was giving him pointers on what vital areas to hit with the tekko kagi, demonstrating on clones and dummies. The bug boy watched with rapt attention, making notes that he could have his bugs invade his enemies through the wounds. Anko grinned maliciously and laughed at the statement, nodding enthusiastically.
She was more than excited to teach the Aburame his fire affinity, seeing as how he was nervous for his hive. After plenty of reassurance, Anko convinced him to learn and he found it quite empowering. If he were to carefully breed his insects, he could make them a bit more fire resistant and maybe learn how to create acids or gasses in which ignite.
Shino jabbed the clone as quickly as he could, sending out bugs in secret as he impaled it. He felt alive.
Kiba jumped back, away from the sharp blades aimed at his eyes. Shino persisted. They kicked and swiped at each other relentlessly, growling and snarling in each other's faces. They weren't serious, of course, but it was a habit that Kiba unintentionally made everyone develop, seeing as how they started to mimic each other.
A sudden blast of wind shot out at them, in which they were knocked over.
Hinata was above them suddenly. She closed her umbrella and swung as hard as she could, but she missed her three targets, kicking up dust upon impact.
They were spread out and away from each other now, panting lightly and sizing each other up.
Shino dove in first, aiming for Hinata's neck.
She quickly twisted and flipped over the young boy, hand on her hip and umbrella over her shoulder.
Having seen Shino miss, Akamaru bit the back of Shino's heels, distracting him long enough for Kiba to swing his tetsubo, catching him on the chin.
Shino grunted, stumbling back and struggling to regain his footing.
Hinata moved then, fluidly and precisely. She lunged forward and opened her umbrella, pushing Kiba back. He resisted at first, but a burst of chakra sent him flying.
Shino ran towards her, ready to slice. She turned her head slightly, catching his eyes with her own and spun elegantly to avoid any damage. She clicked one of the buttons and released the canopy. It was a deadly giant blade connected to a wire, swinging around with her movements and grazing the tip of Shino's hair.
The bug boy slid under the attack, curling his fists to hide the blades, and punched her ribs, causing her to slide back. With a gasp, Hinata ended up falling over, rolling to avoid Shino's blades in her chest.
Kiba and Akamaru came behind her now, swinging downwards to catch Hinata, who continued to roll herself away. She twisted her body and flipped back, hissing in pain when a kunai grazed her arm. She pulled out her umbrella once more and pointed it, ready to attack.
The wind blew quietly, pulling leaves from their branches and sending them into the battlefield that was now training grounds 8.
They had been fighting for hours now, limiting themselves to their natural abilities instead of their powered states.
There had been very few chances of them being able to practice outside of the village walls, but seeing as how the Hokage still had threats to their safety, they were to be limited.
They didn't mind, however. They saw it as an opportunity to work hard and build their bond even more.
Kurenai watched from a distance, eyeing their techniques carefully. She did her best to monitor their training individually, but knew her place was team building and strategies as well as survival.
As in the loop as she was, they had their own language, something she was still learning herself. The secret smiles or curious glances or small gestures. They didn't have to speak to communicate. No words were needed anymore, it seemed.
"That's enough," She called, "Take a few minutes break. We deserve some late lunch, don't you think?"
Hinata and Shino glanced at each other and then Kiba, who seemed to mull over her words. He glanced at his teammates as well and grinned. "Sure!" He answered for all of them, "Sushi sounds pretty good." Akamaru barked happily.
"Sushi it is." Kurenai smiled, waiting for them to catch up.
A shift in pressure caused her to turn, seeing an ANBU standing by her side. "Yuhi Kurenai," the genderless voice greeted robotically, "The Hokage wishes to see you in his office right away." And with that he disappeared.
Kurenai sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. Her genin said nothing, but she knew they were disappointed. She smiled sadly at them and handed them her wallet, "Lunch is still on me," She winked, "Be kind to my wallet if you can. If not today, we'll have lunch again tomorrow. See you later, and great work today." She disappeared in a flurry of rose petals.
Hinata sighed sadly. Kiba and Shino were immediately at her side and offered their support. She smiled at them and with that, they began to walk into town, chatting quietly amongst themselves under the noise of the shops.
TenTen didn't know why, but Neji suddenly stopped his brooding and stared outside in some sort of twisted excitement and rage. She glanced over and saw a fresh new genin team walking by, grinning and laughing. Nothing was really wrong with the picture, in fact they looked like they had just finished training.
He stared specifically at the girl, whose head was thrown back in laughter from what her teammates were saying.
Looking closer, TenTen recognized her as another Hyuga, and her eyes confirmed it. She glanced at the girl's forehead as the wind blew back her bangs and saw that she was unmarked. She must be from the main house.
The brown-haired girl then looked to Lee, who was equally worried and confused.
Neji stood suddenly and stormed out, heading for the trio with intention.
Lee and TenTen were quick to follow, hoping to avoid any sort of conflict coming their way.
He had stopped outside the sushi bar they were in, glaring inside menacingly, but remaining outside.
Tenten hesitated. "Neji," She called out, "Let's get going. Guy isn't going to be happy if we're late to training."
He said nothing, standing still. Lee also, surprisingly, said nothing, choosing instead to watch and stare at Neji's stiff back. Finally, Neji turned, muttering under his breath as he pushed past. Lee sighed and followed, catching up and talking with him.
TenTen went to follow as well, until she sensed a dark, threatening aura behind her. She turned and saw that, while the girl was cheerfully looking at the menu, the boys were staring outside, straight at her, with heavy intentions.
She glanced at the dog on the ground and found him puffed up and growling, protecting his master and his team. She shivered and turned away, she didn't want to look back…
"You didn't have to do that," Hinata gently scolded, "He wouldn't have done anything with everyone watching."
"But he still chased after you, Opal." Kiba growled lowly.
"He still had intentions to hurt you, Opal." Shino hissed sharply.
Hinata smiled at her teammates lovingly, "What did I do to deserve great friends like you two?" She smiled wider as their tempers cooled and their tension relaxed. She went back to her menu, knowing they would order her favorite tea and dango.
Training was getting more and more intense. With each passing day, Team Eight were progressing greatly and becoming stronger. Their individual training was more or less complete, seeing as how the chunin exams were about to start the next day.
Hinata glanced up at the intrusive chakra signatures in their area, alerting her team as well. Everyone except Kurenai froze when they saw Kakashi with his team trailing him.
Kurenai suddenly stood straighter and crossed her arms.
This was unusual. None of the other Rookie Nine ever came into the other's training grounds. In fact, they hardly ever interacted with each other at all. They pretty much went out of their way to stick to their respective teams and ignore each other, choosing instead to hold their secrets close and their trust closer.
Kakashi's lazy eyes glanced over Team Eight almost dismissively, but he stopped and looked again, noticing the readiness in their stances, the discipline and stiffness in their backs. These genin were tense, almost hostile even. He noticed the way they shifted closer, hands brushing against their kunai pouches to open them. Their eyes hardened and watched closely, never breaking contact.
He glanced back at his own team. Naruto stood relaxed, hands behind his head and a petulant look on his face. He was complaining about wanting to train, sneaking jealous glares at Sasuke who couldn't look more disinterested in the situation, though, he silently agreed with Naruto, wondering why they were wasting time here with these Nobody's instead of becoming stronger.
Sakura was babbling on to Sasuke who obviously wasn't listening, occasionally yelling at Naruto to shut up and going as far as to hit him on the head.
They were disruptive, loud and obnoxious compared to the silent and composed Team Eight.
Kurenai smirked slightly, having some idea of his train of thought. "Team Seven," She called, "What can we do for you?"
Kakashi smiled in return and rubbed the back of his neck almost sheepishly. "Good morning, Kurenai," He greeted, "I was instructed to meet you here by the Hokage. Since the chunin exams are starting tomorrow, he wanted us to have a meeting; you, me and Asuma, who should be here any second now."
No sooner had he finished his sentence, did Team Ten approach. They were quieter than Team Seven, seeing as how only Ino was talking. Occasionally Asuma would respond, Choji would nod, and Shikamaru would sigh and mutter under his breath.
Team Ten were known to be slackers, seeing as how Shikamaru didn't want to do anything, Choji followed his example, and Ino was more concerned about her appearance as a female, rather her prowess as a Kunoichi.
Asuma noticed the strategic stances almost immediately.
Team Eight shifted again, Shino still facing Team Seven, Kiba and Akamaru facing Team Ten and Hinata half facing both, glancing back and forth methodically.
Kakashi and Asuma stared in return, sizing them up and studying carefully.
Kurenai's smirk grew as she uncrossed her arms, and placed a hand on her hip in an easy and relaxed stance.
Hinata, having caught sight of the action, relaxed as well, causing Kiba, Akamaru and Shino to stand down.
Asuma and Kakashi glanced back at each other and sighed. Kurenai really did get the easiest team of them all.
Kurenai was grinning now, having heard the sighs she was waiting for.
"Team Eight," She called. Immediately, four pairs of eyes were on her, waiting. "I must have a word with Sarutobi and Hatake. I won't be long."
Teams Seven and Ten received no instruction, standing uselessly to the sides as their teachers walked off with Kurenai, so as not to be heard.
Sakura waited until they were gone to pick a fight with Ino over Sasuke's attention, "I didn't know they let Pigs into training areas." She drawled.
Ino balled her fists up and turned pink with anger, "I'm surprised you even made it into the training grounds," She sassed back, "I thought you would get stuck trying to fit your big forehead past the trees."
Immediately, they started to bicker, yelling and insulting one another like they did in school.
The teammates of both girls just ignored them, not wanting to get in the way of the fight.
Naruto started to pester Sasuke, who made a snide remark, in which started more fighting in the background.
Shikamaru sighed and plopped himself in the grass to sleep, Choji following suit instead to eat and watch.
Team Eight watched the catastrophe in front of them. Team Seven were hot tempered and undisciplined, while Team Ten were lazy and unmotivated.
They glanced at each other before deciding to distance themselves, which did not go unnoticed by the Uchiha or Nara, and sat with their backs together to begin a meditation session.
Akamaru lay in Kiba's lap, taking a nap. Occasionally he would lay in Shino's, as the dull buzzing of insects lulled him to sleep, or he would lay with Hinata, who's scent of mint and vanilla soothed him.
Asuma and Kakashi watched carefully, seeing the distance between each team, in terms of friendship and skills. While their teams lazed about or fought, Team Eight were being productive, meditating and expanding their chakra reserves.
Shikamaru and Sasuke watched, but made no intention to follow their example, being too lazy or too proud.
Kurenai waited until they were done staring, to talk, seeing as how their teams were being a general embarrassment. She almost sighed at the immaturity the girls were displaying, and the lack of interest any of the boys had. She had half a mind to scold them all about being a proper ninja, but thought better of it since they were not her problem. She was proud of her team being the most dedicated and mature, and wanted to show them off a little more in front of these two men.
"Sarutobi," She frowned, "What is this meeting about?"
"My father says that something is wrong," Asuma said, lighting a cigarette. After taking a long drag, he let out a breath and continued, "He thinks there may be a plan for us to be attacked, but we don't know when; his crystal ball can only see so much. He wants us to keep an extra eye out for our teams."
Kakashi shifted a moment, mulling over the words carefully, "I wouldn't doubt it. I have the last Uchiha, a Jinchuriki and the Civilian Counselwoman's daughter. Asuma, you have the next generation Ino-Shika-Cho, And Kurenai has her own next generation of heirs. We can't afford for them to be attacked outside of the chunin exams by enemy ninja. If you spot anything suspicious, alert ANBU immediately and then each other. We can't take any chances."
Kurenai turned to the students and sighed. "I hope they're ready for this." She glanced at her own students and smiled slightly, knowing they were going to do excellent.
Hinata hesitated when they approached the academy doors. She wasn't sure she could do this. What if her father was right and she was doomed to be a failure the rest of her life? What if she had to fight Neji? She should just quit now and resign.
A hand on her shoulder startled her out of her thoughts. Kiba was looking at her in concern. "What's the matter?" He asked.
"I'm just worried." She whispered, "What if I fail?"
"If and when you fail, it is because it is your destiny."
All three genin and dog turned to the haughty voice behind them. Neji was standing, arms crossed and smirking maliciously.
He approached slowly, making sure to keep his eye on his cousin, who seemed to shrink under his glare. "I advise you to give up now, Hinata." He spat, "You're too weak and kind hearted for a shinobi lifestyle, much less the chunin exams. Cease this foolish endeavor and save the Hyuga face from your embarrassing attempts."
TenTen sighed to herself as she spotted Neji at the front. He didn't even wait for them, the jerk.
She approached, noticing the genin team from before standing in front of him. Lee glanced her way, sharing the same amount of uneasiness from the situation.
TenTen wasn't sure what his problem was, but she knew that it wasn't a healthy one. Neji was going out of his way to antagonize this team, and while she knew they weren't ever going to beat them, she didn't want word getting around that her team was bullying rookies.
She walked over slowly, watching the situation carefully. She didn't want to see these rookie genin again honestly, not after what had happened last time.
She was waiting for Neji to pause in his tirade before interrupting him, knowing that he would go on another for being interrupted.
She studied the girl he was yelling at. She was dressed appropriately as a kunoichi, though a little too girly for her taste. TenTen could tell she came from a family of wealth, even without looking at her pale eyes and unmarked forehead. The easy, care-free expression she wore that day, laughing with her teammates was gone and replaced with fear and dread.
Her eyes caught movement and she noticed the girl's hand slowly moving back behind her. Another hand was holding it.
She glanced up at the stranger and found it belonged to the Inuzuka, who was slowly becoming more enraged as Neji went on. His eyes grew wild and his hair was beginning to stand on end, making him look feral and dangerous.
The girl, Hinata, she figured, was now facing Neji calmly, a carefully blank expression on her face as he began to list her flaws in front of everyone, causing a cold chill to form between the small group.
This was getting bad and fast. TenTen didn't know what to do except stand there; she had never been in this type of situation before. She looked to Lee for help, who stood and stared across from him. Seeing the urgency and shock on his face, her eyes followed to see the Aburame slowly reaching for his kunai pouch and opening it.
TenTen started to really worry now. Surely the genin isn't stupid enough to try and fight Neji Hyuga, the Prodigy of the Hyuga Clan, right?
A glint of metal and a dark killing intent told her otherwise.
"Neji!" She nearly shouted.
He turned to look at her, annoyed.
"Let's go," She swallowed, "Please?"
Neji was about to say something when he noticed the fear in her eyes. She was on the verge of begging, he realized, but what had her so shaken?
"Fine." He relented. "Let's go." He turned back to scowl at Hinata once more before walking away, Lee close behind.
TenTen sighed in relief and turned to go, but the stare of the girl stopped her in her tracks. It was as if she was looking right through her.
She turned away suddenly, allowing herself to be led away by her Inuzuka teammate. The other one, the scary one, stood still, waiting until they were alone.
TenTen wasn't going to let him intimidate her anymore, at least, not knowingly. She took a deep breath, "Hey, I'm really sorry about Neji. He just gets really…" She didn't know what to say. What could she anyway? That he was a jerk? That he had issues?
"You apologize for the actions of your teammate, but you did nothing to stop him." His tone was dark and angry, "Although you stopped him from berating Hinata further, it was only because you feared conflict."
TenTen flinched, "This is a conflict of interest, as it were." She reasoned, "You don't want your team looking weak, and I don't want mine getting the wrong type of attention. But once Neji starts, it's all over; there's not much I can do to stop him."
Shino said nothing, staring past her instead. She was about to turn away when he began to speak again, "Neji speaks to Hinata like she is lower than the dirt he stands on, but little does he know that she is strong. She may be a main branch member, and one of the weakest in the clan for now, but she is able to do things that most cannot. She is powerful and she will have her time to prove it, especially to Neji."
He turned away suddenly, coat flying dramatically behind him in the wind. He paused, as if he forgot something. "If Neji comes by to harass my teammate one more time," He warned, "I will personally see to it that he suffers a fate worse than that seal on his head." He smoothly readjusted his glasses and finally walked away.
TenTen quickly hurried toward her team with her head down. She really hoped to avoid that creep and his team for the rest of the exams.
Hinata and Kiba waited until Shino walked up before they continued their journey toward the building once more. Kiba smirked and bumped his shoulder against Shino's. "What was that all about?" He asked slyly.
Shino shoved him off with a smirk, "I was warning TenTen to watch her teammates." His voice dropped into a harsh tone, "I don't want Neji coming around us ever again."
Kiba nodded, "Same here. That bastard deserves whatever comes his way." He turned to Hinata, who was silent the entire time, "Are you okay, Opal?" He asked gently.
Hinata glanced up, eyes glowing and wondering. Shino and Kiba shared a glance at the surprised, yet happy look that she wore. Shino felt uncomfortable, when the gaze was directed solely on him, But he knew better than to ask. Knowing the possible future usually changed it, in case the subject made a big enough choice to do so.
He smiled back instead, knowing to trust Hinata and her secrets.
All three genin walked into the building with their heads held high, ready for whatever kind of hell the Chunin Exams would bring.