Surprise Exam
It was early morning, still ten minutes to 7 a.m. but Uchiha Sakuya was already walking down the bridge, going to the rendez vous point. The day before, their newly assigned jounin instructor, Konohamaru, had told them, right before going away, to meet him at the bridge at 7 a.m.
Sakuya was eagerly waiting to get to know what her team was going to do. Their sensei had told them not to bring the ninja tools, because they weren't going to need them, so the pink-haired girl deduced that they were not going to a mission. She still brought two kunais, hidden each one in each sandal-boot of hers, just for precaution.
Now that she thought, it had been very weird yesterday night. The moment she got home, their parents had been acting very weirdly. Well, not exactly, since she got home very much earlier then her parents, but still.
The first thing she told them, and by that time things were still what one would call normal, was their assigned team. Sasuke, but especially Sakura, had been very much pleased that she had been teamed up with Naru. They didn't know nothing about that Yuusou kid, but, and even though Sasuke wasn't too please with someone 'non-ninja' in her daughter's team, Sakura had told Sakuya to help him in everything she could.
Sakuya then told her parents about her jounin instructor. At first they were a bit surprised to hear such name, though Sakuya hadn't understood why. Sasuke, but especially Sakura, seem to know him. Apparently, he was the Sandaime's grandson and one of the greatest friends of Naruto. Even though they didn't know him that well personally, they had heard that he was one of the most famous ninjas of Konoha, but more than that they didn't know.
But things got really weird when Sakuya asked them how was it going to be from then on. They got all misterious, talking in riddles, most of which Sakuya hadn't really understood. She decided to wave it off, though.
She had been walking down the bridge for almost five minutes when she finally saw someone ahead. It was that kid, Yuusou. He was leaning at the rail, in what Sakuya thought was a nervous pose.
The boy heard steps and noticed her arriving. He stood up, his pose tense, and gave a slight bow. "Good morning, Sakuya-san."
The girl looked at him and returned the bow. "Good morning, Yuusou."
Sakuya leaned at the rails, in a cool comfortable pose. "You know..." she started. "You don't have to be so polite or formal. Sakuya is enough. If we're gonna be team mates, I think it's better if we leave such formalities aside, don't you think? Oh, and don't bow. A simple wave is enough." She told him, a slight smirk on her face.
"Oh..." Yuusou answered, laughint a bit, hint of embarassment, putting his hand on the back of his head. "Well, you know, I'm just used to being like that, but I guess you're right, Sakuya-s...Sakuya."
"See? That's much better." spoke a male voice, coming from their left side. Both the teens looked to their left and there was a short male with flame-shaped brown hair sat on the bridge ground, leaning at the rails. Konohamaru grined. "Yoh!"
"Good morning, sensei!" saluted, bowing again Yuusou. Sakuya only muttered a "Good morning."
"Good morning." answered a cheerful Konohamaru, getting up. "So, where's Naru?" he asked, looking around.
"She hasn't come yet." said Yuusou. He had been the first one to get there.
"That's weird, she usually arrives on time." said Sakuya, knowing Naru better.
They suddenly heard someone calling. It was Naru. She was running towards them with a cheerful expression, while waving her hand.
"I'm sorry!" she said when she arrived, squating to catch her breath. "Hideki was kind of nervous, because today was his first day at the Hyuuga household, so he asked me to go with him. Being the great big sister I am, I had to go." She grined widely.
"It's Ok." said Konohamaru. "Well, now that we're here, I can finally tell you the purpose of having called you here. Listen atentively." he said, almost like a warning, with a serious face.
The three genin tensed up and payed atention to their sensei.
"It's like this. The twenty one students that were chosen from the initial forty two of the academy, were divided into teams of three men, because that's how a ninja team works. Each ninja team usually has a leader and three subbordinates. Seeing as you are still young and freshly out of the academy, the board assignes each three men team a jounin that will instruct the youngters. Although, and this might surprise you all, you are not genin yet."
The three pre-teens wide-eyed at this.
"What do you mean we're not genin yet? You mean we're still academy students?" Naru asked loudly.
"Wait, wait, let me explain you." said Konohamaru. "Let me also restate. You are neither genin nor academy students. The twenty one of you who were chosen out of the forty two are those who show potential enough to be a genin. But to really be a genin, you must first pass an exam."
The pre-teens made a confused and interested face.
"What kind of exam is this?" asked Sakuya.
"The kind that will decide if you pass and become genins... or if you fail and go back to the academy." answered a serious Konohamaru.
At this, Naru snapped. "What? What do you mean if we fail we go back to the academy? Are you trying to say that everything until now meant nothing?"
Yuusou was also surprised and a hint of fear could be seen in the boy's eyes.
Sakuya was still seriously taking in the situation, but one could notice a hint of nervousness in her.
"No. I already answered that. You were chosen out of the academy because you were the ones who showed potential enough to be genin. Now, will you follow me, please? I'm done with talking, let's get to action."
So this was why Sakuya's parents wouldn't say anything and sound so mysterious. Sakuya understood now and she hadn't expected something like this. She wasn't liking it either.
The three followed Konohamaru, Naru still fuming, until they arrived the public bath houses. They hadn't open yet, but they expected to open at 7:30 a.m. if the timetables were correct.
"Er... sensei, what are we doing here?" asked Yuusou.
Konohamaru turned to the three of them with a cheerful face. "Great of you to ask that, Yuusou. This is actually where our 'little' exam will decurr."
The three once again made confused expressions.
"But sensei, what are we supposed to do in a public bath house that can be looked at like an exam?" asked Yuusou again.
Konohamaru chuckled at this and crouched to get to his pupil's level. "One of the most important things for a ninja will be tested. Your infiltration skills." He winked to them, before standing up again.
"What do you mean infiltration?" asked Naru. "What are you getting at?"
Konohamaru made a confused face. "Ora... It means that we have to get in there... without people noticing who we are and..."
"Ha! That's easy!" bragged Naru.
"You didn't let me finish." said Konohamaru. "You have to get in there, without people noticing who you are and you'll have to socialize, mantaining your infiltration status."
They got surprised.
"And how are we supposed to do that?" asked Sakuya, with a suspicious look.
"Don't worry, I'll teach you a move that will enable you to do so." Konohamaru winked. "The bath house opens at 7:30 a.m. and closes only at 11:00 p.m., so I'd say we still have much time ahead of us. But it's better to start right now, follow me to those woods over there." Konohamaru informed. He pointed to a place at their right and jumped up.
"I'm not liking this." muttered Naru as she lept, followed by Yuusou.
"Me neither." added Sakuya.
They went through the wood until they stopped in a small glade. Konohamaru looked around, making sure that it was a good place and when he acknowledge it to be, he spoke again to his students.
"Okay, I think place is pretty good for you to start learning the jutsu." he said.
"What kind of jutsu is this one, exactly?" asked Naru, throwing a suspicious look at Konohamaru.
The man grined and chuckled a bit. "Well, one that will let you enter the bath house and fulfil this exam's requirements. It's a jutsu that your own father invented, Naru."
"Really? Alright, show us!" Naru was now eager to see what kind of move were they going to learn.
"Very well. Pay atention to the hand seals and their order. I will instruct you on the chakra usage after that."
The three pre-teens watched atentively their sensei performing a set of few hand seals and puff, Konohamaru was surrouned by smoke. When the smoke faded the pre-teens stared in shock at the scene, Yuusou's nose letting a few drops of blood fall down.
Right in front of them, where their jounin instructor should be, stood an voluptuous NAKED female with silky brown hair and taned skin, a band-aid on her left cheek.
"So..." spoke the girl. "What do you guys think? It's called Oiroke no Jutsu! Ingenious, huh?"
The students were still shocked at the scene.
"Wh-What the hell is that?" asked a shocked Naru. "Eww! Get away, you pervert!"
"What the hell are you thinking?" shouted an angry and blushy Sakuya.
"Sensei, I..." tried Yuusou, but he had to cover his nose to prevent it from overbleeding.
The girl, or rather, Konohamaru sighed deeply and disspelled the jutsu. I knew this was going to happen.
"Come on, guys." pleaded Konohamaru. "It's not that bad."
"It's not that bad! Are you insane? I ain't changing to that!" Naru said, feeling insulted.
"I think you owe us an explanation, Konohamaru-sensei." said a serious Sakuya, the blush on her face fading.
"Okay, okay." sighed Konohamaru, again. "The objective of this exam is for you to enter the bath house under that jutsu and socialize with the people in there, in order to see if your infiltration and stealthiness skills are good enough. Supposedly, me and Yuusou were gonna go to the women bathes and you and Naru to the men bathes."
Naru grit her teeth and glared to Konohamaru. "First you show us your pervertness then you expect us to be as perverted as you? There is no way in hell that I'm going to do such a thing!"
"I won't do it either." helped Sakuya with a dismissive tone. "I don't see the point in doing such a stupid thing and how can it be important to a ninja. I won't risk my honor nor my reputation doing something so meaningless."
Konohamaru was getting angrier and angrier. "Then I suggest you two to go back to the academy! Or rather, I suggest you two to quit as ninjas, because it seems to me that you're not up to such a job!"
Naru wide-eyed and shut, but her teeth were now more grit.
"What do you mean with that?" asked Sakuya, in a serious and frightening tone.
Konohamaru looked her in the eyes. "I mean that if you do not do as I say and take this test, it's back to the academy for you... All three of you."
In a flash, surprising everyone, Sakuya disappeared from where she was and appeared at Konohamaru's side, sending a kick to his head, which he blocked easily. Sakuya jumped backwards, landing on her knees.
Konohamaru stared at her, with a serious look, but with no killing intent emanating from him. Though is pose looked casual and his arms not tense, his eyes were focused.
Naru was still in shock for what her friend had just done and Yuusou was looking nervously from Sakuya to Konohamaru.
Sakuya then put her hands in her sandal-boots, took out two kunai, one in each hand, and dashed towards Konohamaru. The jounin suddenly disappeared and appeared behind the pink-haired girl, a kunai pointing to her back. Sakuya's left hand was now bare.
"Don't be foolish. I'm a special jounin, do you think your child's play impresses me? You underestimate me, kid." As he said this, he felt a slight sting on his belly. Looking down, he saw Sakuya's right hand supporting the kunai against him.
"You're the on who underestimate, Konohamaru." said Sakuya, turning her head back and looking straight to Konohamaru. Her emerald green eyes were gone, replace by two ruby red eyes, with two swirl-like dots spinning around the pupil's core.
What the... Sharingan? At such a young age? thought Konohamaru, incredulous.
Sakuya jumped onwards, turning again to Konohamaru, her red eyes flashing. "Naru-chan, help me. I'm sick of this guy!" she said, turning to Naru.
Naru snapped out of her daze, smirked and looked from Sakuya to Konohamaru. "Yeah... Yuusou, wait her, we'll be right back."
Konohamaru looked at them and sighed. "You're really serious about this, aren't you? Very well..." He put the kunai in his empty holster and, still with his relaxed pose, faced the two girls with a serious expression.
The two girls dashed forward, against Konohamaru, releasing a battle cry. Sakuya threw her kunai to Konohamaru while Naru made some hand seals.
Konohamaru jumped to his right, dodging the kunai, but Sakuya was already there. Predicting his move with the Sharingan, she made a roundhouse kick to his abdomen. The jounin dodge by mere centimeters and jumped backwards. He felt someone's presence and turned right on time to block a punch from Naru. He then grabbed her arm and projected her to the ground. As soon as the girl hit the ground she vanished in a puff of smoke. Oh no! Konohamaru was turning again when he felt several arms and legs binding his own. He was trapped. Four clones were binding him, two his arms and other two his legs.
"Now, Sakuya-chan!" yelled one of the Narus.
Sakuya landed 2 meters away from them and made some hand seals. "Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!" she yelled before releasing a big fireball in Konohamaru's and the Narus' direction. The jounin tried to set himself free, but he couldn't. Hot flames were blazing the jounin as the shadow clones vanished, when hit by the fire, and the true Naru appeared at Sakuya's side. Both girls were panting.
As the fire vanished, they saw the jounin's burnt body fall down... and disappear in a puff of smoke, being replaced by a piece of wood.
At the sight, the girls' eyes widen as they turned back.
"Naru-san! Sakuya-san! Watch out!" yelled Yuusou, but too late.
"Kanashibari no Jutsu!" said an adult male voice.
Yuusou watched wide-eyed. The girls suddenly stopped moving. It's as if they were paralized, petrified. Sakuya's eyes went to their normal green color. Konohamaru walked in a casual way to both of them, keeping eye contact.
"Nice try. Very nice really. But as I said before, your children's play don't impress me. Now listen to me. You too, Yuusou." he said in an authoritary tone, but not directly looking to the boy just so he didn't break the eye contact vital for the kanashibari no jutsu. "Your solo ninjutsu abilities aswell as your taijutsu abilities are indeed impressive for someone of your age. That fact that you, Naru, can perform a jutsu such a kage bunshin and the fact that you, Sakuya, have already awakened the Sharingan, to some instructors, could already be a sign that you are indeed ready to be genin, if not even chuunin. Your teamwork is also great. Pulling something like that out of the blue is really something. But let me tell you one thing." He then aproached the two girls and crouched to be at their level again. "That doesn't prove that you're fit to be a ninja. And that certainly doesn't make you pass the exame." He then stood up again. "There are times when the mission and especially your companions are much more importante than your personal honor and pride. It is imperative for a ninja to mantain pride and selftrust, but it's much more imperative to fulfil a mission and, once again especially, to mantain your companions pride and life. That is why you should take this test. Sometimes a ninja has to do not what he feels is right for him, but what he knows will be best for the mission and his mates."
Flashback
"Moegi! Moegi!" cried a nineteen year old man, clinging to his friend and mate's body.
It was almost dark and still Udon hadn't come.
The bleeding wouldn't stop.
"Konohamaru-chan..." whispered a brown haired girl. "Are you still there?"
The large wound from which the blood was coming out had been aching for almost an hour. The liver was completely shatered to pieces and you could smell a faint odor to bilis along with the smell from blood.
"Yes, I'm here Moegi. I won't leave you. Udon has going to get some help, we're not very far from Konoha." answered the boy, while trying to stagnate the blood that was leaking out of the wound.
He shouldn't have done. They were almost in Konoha, two miles more and they would have done and then they would have the leaf ninjas' help. But he had to do it, he had to go and fight those sound ninjas... While leaving a tired Moegi and a lightly injured Udon alone.
"Kono...Kono-chan... I... Hanabi..." muttered Moegi.
"Sch, don't talk. I'm sure Udon is coming in a few moments."
She gasped and coffed some blood. "I'm sorry I couldn't... couldn't be like Hanabi... I..."
"What are you saying? Please, don't talk, it only will make things worse." pleaded a crying Konohamaru. "Udon is..."
"You n-never... s-saw me with o-other eyes... o-onl-ly Ha-Hanabi... Kono-chan, I love y..." she breath deeply.
And then she stopped.
"Moe... Moegi! Moegi... MOEGI!"
End of flashback
"That's how it should be... Always." Konohamaru whispered. "Do you understand now, kids?"
He released the jutsu, freeing both Naru and Sakuya from the mental binding.
The girls gasped and fell on their hands. They panted a while but then, they did not hastily got up. They stood there, with thoughtful looks and they kept them as they slowly got up.
Yuusou was also looking from the ground to Konohamaru, with a reflective expression.
"I... I'm sorry." muttered Sakuya.
Konohamaru heard and, even though slightly surprised, smiled.
"I guess you were right, huh?" said Naru sheepishly, chuckling a little. "Maybe we should have thought through it better."
"Yes." answered Konohamaru. "You should have. Another thing that shows how you're still barely at genin level."
"Does this mean that we get a second chance?" Yuusou asked hopeful.
Konohamaru's smiled widen a bit. "Well, it's still pretty early. I guess I could give you another try. What do you say?"
The three genin looked at each other, smiled and, turning to Konohamaru-sensei, nodded confidently.