A Path to a Shinobi's Ambition

Chapter 02: The Genin Exam

Written by: Koizumi Tsukiyo

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                "Another year for new Genins," Iruka whispered to himself alone in the large empty room, looking at all the Leaf head protectors, all neatly stack in rows onto the table, "Hopefully, they'll do their best in this exam."

                "Don't they always?" A cheerful voice was heard behind him as Iruka turned around, facing the waving Kakashi, "They're all practicing very hard out there, in fact."

                Iruka gave a small frown, "At least you're not late today, Kakashi, as you usually are."

                "So what's your idea for passing this exam?" Kakashi enquired, sitting himself down onto one of the many seats in front room, leaning back against it lazily, "I can tell from this kind of room that the students would be presenting themselves in front of others."

                "All of the basic Jutsu is what they must do," Iruka replied, clipboard in hand as he sat down beside him, "And presenting at least one of their Jutsu from their lineage or their skills."

                "So you're making them show their best skill in front of others, ne?" Kakashi said thoughtfully, "That will be their disadvantage though."

                "That's the point; surviving on their own if they're in a tight situation."

                "Ah! I see you've been doing a lot of thinking, Iruka!"

                "I'm not even laughing, Kakashi…"

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                "Henge no Jutsu!" A chestnut-haired young boy shouted, tightly closing his emerald eyes in concentration before engulfed in a cloud of smoke.

                PUTFF!!

                "Ohito…that looks nothing like me," His friend, Hoshi, declared with a large sweat-drop, running a hand through his black hair once Ohito transformed back to his original self. "Though I haven't looked at myself in the mirror lately but from what I can tell, I do not look over fifty years old."

                Ohito glared at him, "It's not like I meant to do that, ya know! I totally SUCK at this stupid Jutsu!"

                "That's true, if you want to become a Genin, you have to know it," Hoshi nodded in agreement, giving an encouraging smile, "Try it once more, Ohito. Maybe you'll get it this time."

                "Forget it!" He cried, slumping onto the ground and crossed his arms with a pout, shifted a bit to sit in a comfortable position from the sword that was tied against him behind his back. "I give up!"

                "But…that was only your first try…"

                "So?"

                "And you need to know it by today," Hoshi reminded him with a heavy sigh, seeing his blank look, "Don't tell me you forgot the Genin Exam is today, Ohito."

                Ohito looked up into his knowing light-brown eyes with a wide crooked grin.

                "How can you forget such an important day?"

                "I do remember!" Ohito exclaimed, standing up from his spot, "It just never occur to me until now!"

                "Until Hoshi reminded you, you mean," Another deep voice joins in as both boys looked up towards the tree, or glared in Ohito's case, where another student is sitting. "I wouldn't be surprise if you're the only one that fails, Ohito."

                "Shut up, Kometto!" Ohito shouted, waving an angry fist at the quiet boy, "Who the hell ask for your opinion?"

                Kometto gazed down at him boringly with dull black eyes, "Either way, you don't have much time. I'm only here to tell you that the Genin Exam is starting now."

                "SHIT!"

                "Don't worry," Hoshi said in a patronizing tone, looking up to see Kometto already gone as he patted against the poor boy's back while leading him through the crowd of other students in front of the Academy School, "Don't think of it so much and you'll get that Jutsu."

                "Get that Jutsu, my ass," Ohito said wryly when the door opens while they both walked into the large empty room.

                "You'll make it."

                "I'm going to shove a kunai down your throat if I don't," He grumbles, taking an empty seat in the second row while looking curiously at Kakashi, who's sitting in front of him.

                "I wouldn't threaten him like that, Ohito…cause you might do fail," Kometto replied coolly from beside him out of nowhere, startling Ohito who jumped from his seat with a small yelp.

                "Do you love to appear out of nowhere or what?!" Ohito yelled at him, ready to knock him senseless from his shaky fist, "And who said I will fail?!"

                "Depends on your skills in front of Iruka-sensei," Kometto muttered, pointing to Iruka, who had stood in front of them with a large smile. Ohito can only look at his teacher in dread, giving a low moan while slumping lower onto his seat.

                "Konnichiwa," Iruka greeted to the class, "As you all know, your final exam to become Genin will start today. Had you all learn the three basic skills you were suppose to know for passing?"

                Many chores of 'yes' echoes through the classroom as Ohito groans louder in despair. Hoshi smiled at his troubled friend before facing to the front of the room for further instructions. Kakashi slightly shifts from his seat to look at Ohito behind him.

                "You all will go up in front of others in alphabetical order where Kakashi and I will be judging you. Please do your best," Iruka said before taking his seat.

                "No one had told us we'll be presenting ourselves in front of the whole class!" Ohito commended in slight panic, looking over at Hoshi, "Why didn't you tell me?!"

                Hoshi frowned, "I didn't know about this myself, Ohito…"

                "Shouldn't Kurenai-sensei mention this to you? She's your aunt!"

                "Andou Ohito," Iruka interrupted, calling the first name on the list as the class suddenly grew quiet.

                Why can't I be born from a clan that starts with the LAST letter of the alphabet?! Ohito complains in his thoughts, ready to cry while standing nervously in front of the two teachers. He looked up with a small smile at Hoshi, who gave him a thumbs-up for luck.

                "Let's see how well you can do," Kakashi said, tapping against the head protectors on the table in front of him, "If you want to earn these, that is."

                "First Jutsu, Bunshin no Jutsu," Iruka instructed with a comforting grin, "I want you to create four clones of yourself."

                "Easy enough," Ohito said with a smirk, before frowning as he concentrates, "Bunshin no Jutsu!"

                After his cry, exactly four clones began to appear as they all line up straight beside Ohito, who gave a proud smile with a peace sign.

                Iruka nodded in approve, "Kawarimi no Jutsu."

                The clones all disappeared in a puff of smoke as Ohito stood there, eyes widen in shock while dropping to the ground when a shuriken suddenly came flying, barely missing him in a mere inch, "WHAT IN THE HELL?!"

                "Oh? I thought you have performed the Jutsu already," Kakashi said, giving a crescent eyes smile, "My apology...but that would be a fail, you weren't fast enough."

                Ohito gritted his teeth in anger, glaring at Kakashi while looking nervously at Iruka, who's writing notes onto the clipboard. Iruka sighed, "Last one…Henge no Jutsu."

                NO!! NOT THAT!! Ohito began to sweat, giving a slow nod and takes deep breaths, mentally having a nervous break down, What do I do? What do I DO?!

                 "Transformed into Iruka here, Ohito," Kakashi said, ignoring his curious look, "Hopefully, it won't be so hard for you."

                I am beginning to HATE him! Despised him! He can go to HELL for all I care! Ohito thought furiously, his hands in its right position for the Jutsu and shouted acidly, "Henge no Jutsu!"

                PUTFF!

                Both Iruka and Kakashi's faces where blank with wide eyes as soon as Ohito transformed back in a puff of smoke. He stared at their identical faces while hearing snickers from the students and immediately knew what would happen next while looking up at Iruka with a sweaty face. Shit…

                "Ohito…" Iruka began kindly, before it changes immediately as his head grows ten times bigger with fire in his eyes, "DO I LOOK LIKE I WEIGHT MORE THAN A TON TO YOU?!"

                "I'M SORRY!" Ohito cried, couching down onto the ground and held his head, "It's not like I MEANT to do that, ya know! I'm just never good at that kind of Jutsu! Ask Hoshi if you don't believe me!"

                Hoshi shook his head, You shouldn't said that, Ohito…

                Kakashi gave him a boringly look as he stood from his seat and went to stand beside him, "That was expected."

                Ohito glared murderously at him.

                "Now perform one of your special Jutsu on me."

                He blinked, "Eh…?"

                "The last part of the exam," Kakashi replied, hands in his pocket and stood there sluggishly, "I believe you do this Jutsu with that sword behind you that belongs to your uncle, ne?"

                Ohito narrowed his emerald eyes, reaching behind and draw his sword from its scabbard as it glints from the light. Everyone, including Iruka, sat silently to themselves, watching them fully with interest.

                "You know what you're lacking of?" Kakashi asked him, closing his eyes, "Speed…you're just so slow."

                "Mikazuki no Mai!" Was an angry cry as Kakashi looked up, seeing two clones charging at him with great speed before the third appear as they attack altogether. It had happened so quickly that Ohito had to stop in confusion while his clones disappeared, his breath quickens. He then tried to struggle against Kakashi's arm, which was around his neck in a tight grip and was unable to move, DAMNIT!

                Kakashi then releases him, looking at the sword that he had managed to grab before giving it back to the boy with a wide smile, "It's a really good sword…do not lose it, Ohito."

                Ohito grabbed for the sword and sheathed it back with its scabbard before turning on his heels and walked back onto his seat. As he sat and watched his other classmates presenting themselves perfectly one by one, his fist clenched onto his shorts and gritted his teeth in anger, his eyes hidden underneath his bangs. Many times did he literally fell off his seat in disbelief, watching even the weakest girl in his class doing many perfect Jutsu.

                It wasn't until long did the Exam have finally ended…

                "Your result for passing is when the Leaf Head Protectors will be given out to you as I called your name," Iruka announced when finish comparing notes with Kakashi, "Congratulations…Yagami Tenko."

                Kakashi gave a wide proud smile, handling a brand new protector to his own young niece as she thanked him silently, petting her small snow leopard that was on her shoulders. Ohito cursed, watching Kakashi continuing handling out protectors to excited new Genins before he stop in front of him with lazy eyes. Ohito lowered his head quietly from the uncomfortable silences onto his hands, wishing he were to disappear.

                "And Andou Ohito…"

                Ohito immediately perked and lifts his head up in surprise; staring at the grinning Iruka before looking up into Kakashi's smiling face. He could only stared dazedly at his own head protector in Kakashi's hand, too shock to even move. It was Hoshi's small laugh and Kometto's chuckle that snap him out from his trance before reaching out to take it.

                "Your uncle would be very proud of you, Ohito…" Kakashi whispered to him, backing away as Hoshi gave him a forceful slap in the back that almost sent his head collided against the seat in front of him.

                "What did I tell you?" Hoshi said, ruffling the short boy's hair. "You pass, didn't you?"

                "Y-Yeah…" Ohito managed to mutter, a smile crawling on his lips.

                Kometto looked at him monotonously, "For a second, I thought you'll be sprinting out of class…you weren't planning on doing that, are you?"

                "WHO THE HELL ASKED YOU?!"

                Hoshi could only sweat-drop.

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Henge no Jutsu: Transformation Skill

Bunshin no Jutsu: Clone/Split Body Skill

Kawarimi no Jutsu: Body Substitute Skill

Mikazuki no Mai: Dance of the Crescent Moon [From Gekkou Hayate]

That's all I have! Though I hope the story is turning out okay…Please R/R! Arigatou!

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