Trials of Camaraderie

Chapter 2

The girl's head snapped upwards, short blond hair swinging in her eyes as they stared us down. She addressed, however, Sutiibu-sensei.

"What did you say?"

"Eheh, well, you see, since both your Genin teammates passed the Chuunin Exam, Katana, we needed to get you some new teammates. And these are them. Don't worry, I picked them myself, you will all work quite well together." He smiled questioningly.

Katana stood. "There is no way I'm going to put up with loser rookies as teammates. I was the Number One Rookie, and that was nearly three years ago! I will absolutely not act as a babysitter and be held back by these two!"

I glanced at Garuki nervously.

"Better than having Aiko-san as your teammate, I guess," he said under his breath.

I wasn't so sure.

"Well…she's really talented, anyway," he added.

Sutiibu and Katana were still arguing.

"Katana-chan, I told you, they are really quite good for rookies," Sutiibu tried.

"Don't Katana-chan me, sensei. I know how it works. You balance out the ability levels on the teams. Since I was a Number One, then one of these two is only average, and the other must be pretty near the bottom of class." She looked at Garuki, then at me. "You look older, so I'll assume it's him."

"That's not true!" I shouted. "Garuki-kun's a great ninja! He can even do a summon already!"

Katana sneered. "Then the loser must be you."

Garuki protested on my behalf, but I was the one who charged at her. Looking back, it was probably foolish…but I did it anyway.

Then, Sutiibu-sensei was between us. The playful, uncertain friend of a teacher was gone – there was fire now in his crystal blue eyes, and his expression was hard.

"That's it," he said. I understood now why I didn't recognize the growling Jounin when we first reached the bridge; never had I seen him like that.

"That is it," he repeated. "Hotaru-chan, you have never been one to rush into a conflict, and I do not expect that to start now. Katana…" He stood tall and faced her. "If you would rather not work with these two, then we can simply send you back to the Academy. And no," he emphasized as her eyes grew wide, "I am not joking."

She backed off. I don't know for sure, but I think it was fear that I saw in her eyes and posture just then.

So, I thought. This is what a real Jounin is like. My respect for Sutiibu in that moment grew so much, I doubt there would have been any way to respect him more.

"Sensei…" Katana said quietly, "…what about the test? Like we had when…"

"Please do not speak of that, Katana. Of course it will not be necessary, since I know these two and you already."

She frowned, like there was something she did not understand, but was quiet.

"Now," said Sutiibu, childlike smile returning to his face faster than it had left, "Shall we go celebrate? Perhaps we can get something to eat while I tell you the news. We already have a mission, and it will begin tomorrow!"

The mission was simple enough in theory: enemy ninjas had been spotted nearby lately. We were to act as scouts around the village, keeping an eye out for spies or attackers. We were not to engage any enemy ninja, only report on their existence or whereabouts.

"Hold on," I said in between bites of yakitori. Sutiibu had treated us to dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in town, although he warned us not to expect it often.

"Yes?"

"That doesn't sound like a D-rank mission. Not even a C-ranked one, for that matter. Are you sure we're the team that should be doing this?"

"You know, she has a point," said Katana, who was sitting beside Sutiibu on the opposite side of the table. "An unknown amount of enemy ninjas, from an unknown territory, and at an unknown skill level? That's a ridiculous amount to leave to chance. A team of Chuunin and Jounin would make more sense, in this case."

Sensei grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, when you think about it, I'm a Jounin, and Katana, your techniques are easily Chuunin level. You've done several B-ranked missions."

"Sure, with my old team!" she said. "These two are barely out of Academy."

Sutiibu just shrugged again, and went back to eating his rice. Katana frowned slightly, examining him. Whatever was bothering her, she must have let it slide, because she too applied herself to her meal.

"So," Garuki said after several minutes of quiet. "Hotaru and I know each other, but wouldn't it be helpful if we examined our strengths and weaknesses as a team? Especially before such a dangerous-sounding mission," he added.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Sutiibu-sensei dug around in his bag, and after several minutes of searching (in which we simply looked on curiously) he pulled out some cards. "I had these made up for you."

Two cards went to Katana, one to Garuki and I. Upon examination, I found it to be an information card on Katana. I assumed that she had ours.

Garuki and I looked it over, talking quietly.

"Seven B-rank missions?" he said. "That's incredible for a Genin."

"Not bad stats for a Chuunin, for that matter," I pointed out. "Look here…it seems she's a weapons expert. 'Excellent with any type of weapon but prefers a combination of wires with kunai or shuriken. Also likes techniques which involve the use of ninjutsu to manipulate weapons.'"

Katana looked up from her cards. "The wire thing I learned. The weapons ninjutsu I developed by myself." She looked at the cards again, then back at me. "Obviously I don't need to worry about you copying them." She glanced at Garuki. "A double summon, really?"

Garuki shrugged. "It's not so great. I can call either the butterflies or the wolves, but I can't use them at the same time yet. Grandma's still working with me."

"Ah." She went back to the cards.

After awhile, she set them down and looked at Sutiibu. "You can't be serious. You're not taking kids at that level on a mission like this."

Sutiibu sighed. "Katana-san, we have no choice. You know how small the village is, and most of our best ninjas are patrolling the country borders right now. It will be dangerous, of course, but you must trust your teammates. Now," he stood up, "please get yourselves to your houses and rest well. We will meet at the bridge tomorrow an hour before sunrise."

He smiled at our stunned expressions. "Have a nice night!"

"I still haven't seen anything."

"Me either," said Garuki. "If they'd give me a minute, I could use my surveillance technique."

The four of us were moving through the trees surrounding the Snow Village walls. It seemed to me that Sutiibu was moving a bit too fast for reconnaissance work; at the same time, it wasn't my place to question a Jounin.

"Ah, surveillance technique? I'd forgotten!" Sutiibu-san said, as he came to a quick halt and leapt onto the ground below. We followed suit, and stood waiting for a command.

"Does he forget everything?" I whispered to Katana.

She rolled her eyes.

"Now, Garuki-chan, you may use that technique of yours on the ground right here. I thought I heard something nearby, however; you three won't mind if I go take a look?"

We shook our heads and he was gone before I could blink.

Garuki took a scroll out of his pack and unwound it. With a kunai tip, he split open his finger, ran the blood across the scroll, then formed some seals with his hands. He was very quick with his seals; I wished I'd be able to emulate his speed some day.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu! Titi Special Double Summon: Surveillance Technique!"

A cloud of green, white, and camouflage-colored butterflies, each with tiny kunais, radios, or bandanas, formed a swarm over Garuki's head. He smiled at them, formed one more seal, and they took off in every direction.

"Now what?" asked Katana.

"Well…um, now we wait?" Garuki grinned self-consciously.

Katana, unimpressed, leaned against a tree.

Before I even had time to comment on how manly the butterflies had been, the explosion rocked the clearing.

When the dust settled and my eyes had cleared, I was quite far away from where we had been standing. I didn't know which direction I had been thrown. And I didn't know where the others were.

"Garuki? Sutiibu-san!" I cried out…before clamping my mouth shut and darting into the nearest bush. I had forgotten; when attacked by enemy ninjas, it's best not to attract attention. For the moment, anyway, I was alone.

When we talked over the mission later, the others refused to tell me what happened while we were split up. I can understand why…but I've always wondered what it was like for them.

I had only just sent out my butterfly summons to survey the area when that huge explosion happened. My first thought was whether they were okay; but I figured they would have just ended the technique if they were hurt, so they would be fine. Then I realized just how far the explosion had blown me.

Then, I saw I was alone.

"Katana-san? Hotaru-chan? Are you guys all right?" I called into the smoke and debris, but nobody answered.

I was about to re-summon my butterflies to look for them when I heard the ninja.

Turning, I saw him only for a moment: a ninja of the Hidden Rain. I pulled out a kunai and readied to throw it, but he had disappeared into the snowy trees like some sort of winter chameleon.

All I heard was the laughter – and then I was somewhere else entirely.

I was on my knees. My feet were tied. My arms were held out to either side by some sort of rope…except the rope was invisible. Everything around me took on sick shades of yellow. It looked like a barren desert, but at the same time felt like a tightly enclosed space.

"What…what's going on? What are you doing to me? Where am I?" I demanded, but of course the Rain ninja didn't bother to answer.

I tried remembering everything I could about Rain; their specialties, what techniques they liked best, how best to counter them…but I never had been all that good at remembering things.

"Garuki-chan? Are you all right?"

I looked up. "Grandma Titi? What are you doing here? And look out, there's a Rain ninja!"

She smiled at me oddly. "Don't worry, dear, I brought reinforcements."

I hadn't noticed at first, but on either side of her stood everyone I knew…my parents and family to one side, my friends and favorite instructors on the other.

"Hotaru-chan! You're okay!"

She smiled too, and nodded. "Mmmhmm. Why wouldn't I be?"

I knew then. Something wasn't right.

Then came the first arrow, right into her head.

I gaped, then cried out, but there was nothing I could do. She died before my eyes, and disappeared.

Grandma was still smiling. It was a creepy, distorted smile, not her own. "Garuki-chan, what would you do without us?"

Then the rest of the arrows came. One by one, they pierced straight through everyone I knew, and they fell to the ground before disappearing.

Only Grandma was left now. She shrugged. "Oh, dear. That can't be good…"

Her death was the worst. She was a porcupine before she hit the ground.

Only emptiness remained – that strange, endless desert as enclosed as a coffin.

Darkness fell in the twisted yellow world, until I could see nothing.

I had watched them die before my eyes: anyone who had ever cared for me. I understood it then – there was no one left to rescue me. I was trapped, helpless and at my enemy's mercy, and I was entirely alone.

I cried out, hoping for an answer. None came.

"Tchaah. I bet the kid's butterfly summons gave us away."

That was my first thought, of course. I mean, it makes sense, doesn't it? The boy calls on this really unusual summon, and the first thing that happens is we get blown to pieces.

Well, not to pieces, but you get the point.

Anyway, by the time I had dusted off, the kids were gone.

"Aw, great," I said to the air. "I lost them. Sutiibu-sensei's going to kill me. Or send me back to the freaking Academy, at least."

"I won't send you back, Katana. It wasn't your fault."

I turned. Sure enough, he was standing right there behind me.

"For crying out loud, sensei, do you have to sneak up on me like that? There are enemy ninjas around! I could have accidentally killed you!"

He smiled. "Only if you had noticed me."

How annoying.

And yet…he was right. I should have noticed him there.

"Sensei, do you know where the kids are? Did you see anything while you were scouting?"

He shook his head. "First off, those 'kids' are your teammates, remember that." I rolled my eyes. "Next, well, I can only give you half an answer. I know they are Rain ninjas who attacked you. I don't know how many there are, or what rank. And I don't know where Hotaru and Garuki are, though judging from the explosion pattern, Hotaru shouldn't be too far from here."

I narrowed my eyes. It didn't make sense, not quite. "Sensei…you don't seem too worried."

"I told you, those two can handle themselves. And if they can't…."

"That's it, isn't it! This is the test! You said there wouldn't be one, but this is it!"

"Ah, well, sort of. You are being tested, in the context of a mission. That is, if any one of you doesn't handle yourself well on the mission, you will be sent back to Academy."

I was about to protest the very idea that I was being tested for Genin rank when I had been one for two years already. But then I thought I understood…he had placed us on a B-rank mission, expecting full well that I would pass since I had completed B-rank missions before. The kids, on the other hand, would be challenged.

"Sensei…how do you expect rookies to pass a test like this?"

"You tell me."

They'll probably both fail, I thought. Maybe he wants them to, for some reason.

"Sensei?"

"Yes, Katana?"

"What happens to me if they both get sent back? You won't really send me back with them, will you?"

"Of course not. Since there are no other Genin teams available, Yukikage would be forced to elevate you to Chuunin rank. But no need to worry about that; with your help, I'm sure those two will be just fine. Now, I'm going to go search for Garuki. You head after Hotaru, all right?" He disappeared.

Suddenly, I wasn't quite so eager to help the rookies.

I was growing panicked. Crawling in the bush, uncertain of the location of either enemy ninjas or my friends, I was scared and confused.

Why did we have to get split up? I cried inwardly. I haven't got any summons like Garuki, any special ninjutsu like Katana…as far as the examiners were concerned, my techniques weren't even good enough for field use yet. I shouldn't be here!

I was still in that state of mind when I found Garuki.

He was in a shallow ravine amongst a clearing of trees, exactly in the center, entirely exposed. I rubbed my eyes to see better through the darkness of the tree branches – and had to contain myself from screaming.

I didn't know how he had gotten there or what had happened, but my best friend lay only a hundred feet away from me, bleeding, broken, and dying.

"Garuki-chan!" I screamed.

There couldn't have been a worse situation. I knew I had to stop the bleeding, and fast; but I was the only one who knew where he was, and there was no way I could fight off whatever ninjas were certainly hiding nearby.

I can't do this alone! How can I save you by myself, when I've always needed you to rescue me?

Garuki moaned and twitched a bit, then became limp.

"Oh well, I don't care if I die!" I decided, clambering to my feet and grabbing a kunai only as an afterthought as I ran to get to my friend. I knew I couldn't fight off the enemies, but I thought I might at least be able to get Garuki out of there before we were both killed.

Before I got three feet, a hand grasped my ankle and I fell to the ground. Turning sharply, I pulled the kunai on the ninja –

- and scratched Katana across the face.

"Idiot girl," she hissed as she pulled me back under cover, wiping the blood from her cheek. Luckily it was only a shallow wound.

"Katana-san!" I said, breathless. "We have to hurry, Garuki's dying down there, I'm so glad you're here to help…"

"You have no idea," she said dryly. Katana shook her head. "And you're supposed to be the one with a talent for spotting Genjutsu?"

I froze. "Genjutsu?"

"Jeez. You're lucky I decided to look out for you. Here's the deal – that is a Genjutsu, and you almost got yourself killed by walking into a trap."

I could hardly believe the girl who sat before me in the bushes. Those information cards said that her strategy was second best in her class, and that her specialty was detecting and releasing Genjutsu…yet, had I waited a second longer, she would have run headfirst into a Genjutsu and been skewered by one of Rain's famous needle traps.

The standards at the Academy must have been rather low this year, was all I could guess at.

"You mean, that's not Garuki down there?" she asked.

"Well, you're the one who dispels Genjutsu. Why don't you dispel the technique and find out?"

She looked out over the ravine, squinted, and took a steadying breath.

"You're right."

"Of course I'm right."

"I can't believe I didn't see it before."

"Neither can I."

She was luckier than she knew. I had been wandering the forest looking for Rain Nins to take out when I found her. Becoming a Chuunin had two requirements; they had to fail, and I had to pass, meaning I still had to do my best. But when I saw her there, I decided to watch. I couldn't believe her stupidity when she dove for the Genjutsu…but what can I say? It wouldn't have been very Chuunin-like to abandon my teammates.

Anyway, it's not like I was going to let her die.

I knew the result…thanks to me, the ignorant little rookies would both get out alive – and considering this mission, getting out alive would probably count as a "Pass" all by itself. So I'd stay a Genin for awhile longer.

It was worth it, I think…I mean, I was angry about the Chuunin Exam results, and I may not have been the most pleasant ninja to work with right about then, but I was still human. I wasn't going to let her jump to her death.

I figured I should do my best to get that boy out of there in one piece too.

"Kai!" shouted Hotaru; the illusion disappeared.

Garuki remained where he was. He was in an odd crouched position with his arms outstretched, but was otherwise unharmed.

Hotaru gave a sigh of relief, then did a double-take and stared down at him. "Katana-san, it was a double Genjutsu!"

"What?" I admit it; I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Look at him…see how it's kind of fuzzy around him? He's still trapped in a Genjutsu himself. That's why he's not moving."

"Hmm. That's not good news. It means the ninja who set the technique must be nearby, and probably knows that we just dispelled one of them."

Hotaru smirked. "I don't think so."

I frowned. "What are you smiling for? This is an awful situation."

"Thanks for waking me up, Katana-san. I can see, now."

I shook my head. "For crying out loud, kid, could you just explain what you mean instead of being all cryptic and crap?"

"You said I was about to fall into a trap, right? Could you elaborate?"

"Sure. I met with Sutiibu-sensei a bit back, and he said the enemies were Rain ninjas. Rain ninjas are famous for their Genjutsu and their needle attacks. Combined they're deadly."

"I figured as much. You're good with wires, right? Well, now that I'm looking, I can see the wires around here. They're set up to spring the trap if I enter the area, aimed at all the edges to attack someone entering from any point. But I wondered, why haven't they killed Garuki yet? I mean, why just leave him here along with a trap to lure others? For that matter, if they knew we'd dispelled the Genjutsu, they should be attacking us."

"Any answers to all those questions?"

"I think we're facing a small group of Rain ninjas – maybe only one spy, or two – and they left this as a trap to catch us while they went off to deal with Sutiibu-sensei, the highest ranked of our group."

I hated to admit it, but she was right – and brilliant, for that matter.

"If that's the case, Hotaru, we should get Garuki out of there and leave right away, before they come back. Can you dispel the genjutsu from him?"

"…I've never had to dispel a Genjutsu placed on someone else before."

Great. The doubtful, scared little rookie chose to come back just when I needed her.

"Maybe if I got up close, I could do it."

"What about the trap?" I asked.

"Well, that's your job," she said. "After all, the trap is made with weapons and wires – your specialty, right?"

I grinned. "Right." I pulled out three kunais and a rather large shuriken, examining the wires around us, already understanding the best way to disarm the trap. "Let's go rescue that friend of yours, then."

I had been alone in that desert of emptiness for days. I was sure of it. My muscles were cramped but the invisible bonds still held, and I couldn't move. Nothing but the decayed yellow landscape surrounded me. I knew it then…there would be no rescue.

I admit it, I despaired for awhile. Without the use of my arms, I couldn't perform jutsus, and obviously no one was coming for me. That aside, there was the simple but vicious solitude of the place. The knowledge that everyone I knew had been killed off.

Part of me recognized Genjutsu, but it didn't matter; while I was in that space, it was real to me.

My deepest fears had been realized. I was trapped and alone. I made up my mind I would be better off dead.

"Please, don't give up."

It was a voice, nothing more, echoing through the expanse. But it was the first sign of existence in what seemed like days.

"Why?" I couldn't even think of anything else to say. That was all – why?

"Because you aren't alone. And because I need you still."

I knew the voice. It was Hotaru's.

I couldn't see her, but I could feel her presence. I remembered the attack – that she must be nearby. She was probably hurt. Likely in trouble.

"I…I have to get out of here."

It started small, and uncertain, but soon my mind was made up.

"She needs me! They all need me! I can't let a stupid Genjutsu tell me otherwise! I need to get out of here!"

The rotten desert disappeared in an instant, image crashing to the ground like a thousand pieces of broken glass. The bonds, too, disappeared as my arms fell to my side and I finally relaxed.

All that remained was the forest outside of Yuki Village, and the faces of my teammates looking down at me.

"Garuki!" Hotaru cried. She grabbed me and pulled me into a tight hug. I was never much of a fan of hugging…but that time, I didn't mind so much.

Katana was able to disarm the trap easily enough, once I pointed out its weaknesses. A kunai or two manipulated with chakra to cut wires on the other side of the circular trap, a giant shuriken thrown to block the needles from hitting either of us or Garuki when the trap was set off, and moments later I was able to safely rush to Garuki's side.

Try as I might, though, I was unable to dispel the Genjutsu from him. It was obviously an intensely powerful one; I focused all my chakra, formed the seals, and shouted "Kai!" but to no avail. I kept trying, unwilling to give up, but Katana put a hand on my shoulder.

"You should stop, Hotaru-san. You're going to use up all of your chakra. You'll need it to get away from here."

"No…Katana, we can't leave him!"

"We may have to." She shook her head sadly. "If we hurry, we may be able to find Sutiibu-sensei and help him out of whatever situation he's in. If we can bring him here quickly, I'm sure he can get Garuki out of this."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," a male voice said.

We spun, daggers in hand. But for the second time that day, I almost attacked a teammate. Sutiibu-san stood before us.

"Why? Why can't you get him out?" I asked.

"Because that is a special Genjutsu. The reason it is so powerful lies in the fact that it was designed specifically for Garuki-kun. It will continue to hold him captive until he decides otherwise."

Katana shifted uneasily. "Sensei…this isn't right."

"I see you've figured it out, Katana. Well, I apologize and all, but it had to be done…Oh, look!"

Garuki had dropped to the ground, moaning. Then he opened his eyes, looked around, and sat up.

"Garuki!" I knew he didn't appreciate hugs so much, but I couldn't resist. I had thought he was dead.

He hugged me back. "Hotaru-chan. You saved me."

"No, Garuki-kun. You were the only one who could break through that Genjutsu," Sutiibu said nonchalantly. "It was designed that way. Although from the looks if things, it seems reasonable to believe that she helped."

I looked up at him. "Designed?"

He grinned, a smile so wide his teeth shone, and gave us a huge thumbs-up. "Congratulations! You all pass."

He explained it to us later, over ramen. He took us to Ichiraku to celebrate, although until he explained, I had trouble grasping why.

"Of course, I am very sorry," he apologized while we ate. "However, it had to be done that way."

"I still don't get it, Sensei," said Garuki.

Katana was quiet. Finally, she spoke on behalf of Sutiibu. "It was a test, you guys. The whole thing was a set-up. There were no Rain ninjas." She looked at Sensei. "I'm right, aren't I?"

He laughed nervously. "Ah, well, yes, that's right. They were all shadow clones of me, transformed to look like Rain ninjas."

"Why?" I still wondered.

"The Academy Exam wasn't the real test, exactly," Katana explained. "Each of the Jounin must test their own students. If you – actually, if any one of us – failed, we'd be sent straight back to the Academy. Because I was wrong, wasn't I, Sensei? The test was meant for me too."

He nodded, approving smile gleaming in his eye. "That's right. I am sorry, like I said, that I had to hurt you. Both physically- " he looked at the scratch on Katana's cheekbone, "-and mentally." This time, his gaze rested on Garuki. "But I find it best to test each student specifically, based on their greatest weakness. It was Hotaru's older brother who taught me that, actually."

"I understand," I said. "Ryuro-ani was great ninja, and would have passed any team exams you gave, like the bell test I've heard they do in Konoha. But his weakness was his love of life, his peacefulness…"

"…and only when his courage was tested directly, in a real battle, was that weakness uncovered. That is why he failed. That is why I had to test you each in the way I did."

I nodded and drank the rest of my soup from the bowl.

I think I understand, I thought. I think I know what my test was. But what about those two?

"Sensei," I asked when I finished, "can you tell me what specifically you were testing in each of us?"

He smiled. "No, Hotaru-chan. I tested you each based on what I knew to be your greatest weakness. Normally that would be something that the entire team should know. But in this case, each of you passed the test flawlessly, given the time to think it over. That shows me that even your greatest weaknesses will not be a problem from now on. So I feel no need to point them out."

It made sense. However, I've still always wondered how the others were tested.

"Clearly, you will all work well together as a team. You will possibly be the best team I've ever had. Now, since you are all officially Genin, shall we go get our team photo taken?"

I keep a copy of that photo on my bedside stand to this day.