Let's start this from the beginning

Graduation

III

Fifteen minutes later, Itachi found himself in the middle of a small clearing with his three students panting at his feet. Although considering it was just a small patch of grass without trees less than ten metres in diameter, calling it a clearing was probably a bit of an exaggeration.

Much more important than that, however, was that the three of them had managed to get here as fast as they did. An average freshly graduated Genin would probably need about twenty to twenty-five minutes from the Academy to this training ground, maybe a minute or two less if they tried really hard, but all three had managed it in less than that.

'Better than expected' wasn't quite good enough in this case, though.

"Eleven minutes and twenty-six seconds, fourteen minutes and fifty-two seconds, and sixteen minutes and twelve seconds," he listed their times before giving all of them an approving nod. "I admit that all three of you exceeded my expectation by several minutes. Well done."

The only one who had any energy to spare was Kiba, having not only been the first one to arrive and consequently the one with the most time to rest but also being the one with the best physical condition in the first place, so while he was still breathing hard, it was only he who looked up with a smug grin.

He ignored the Inuzuka and instead looked at the other boy of the group. "Unfortunately, one of you didn't make it within the fifteen minutes limit I gave you."

Shino was by far the most exhausted from the group, but even his wheezing didn't hide the fact that he was angry with himself. He doubted the other two noticed it as the boy's self-control was rather advanced for his age and even further aided by the concealing clothes he wore, but Itachi could easily see the tension in his shoulders and how hard he tried not to frown.

"Ehm, Sensei?" Unexpectedly, it was the Hyūga who spoke up next, and while she seemed anxious, she determinedly maintain direct eye contact with him as she spoke. "I know you said that tardiness would be punished, but it was only one minute, so…"

Nervous she might be, but she doesn't let that stop her from standing up for her teammate, Itachi thought pleased. So her teacher's files were actually correct when they stated that she doesn't act in a typical Hyūga fashion, then.

"You needn't worry about him," he told her, noticing not only the relief on her face but also the little upward press of Kiba's lips that the boy was trying to hide. So he was worried for him as well, huh? Very good. Now, let's see if these two can keep that attitude up even after the next revelation. "Rather, you should prepare for dealing with the punishment yourself."

The instantaneous shift from relief to shock and then disbelief on both their faces was admittedly quite amusing to watch.

"But Sensei-"

"You can't-"

Itachi raised one hand to silence them and was surprised that it actually worked. He had thought that at least the Inuzuka wouldn't care to control himself.

Much to his surprise, however, the one person he didn't expect to speak up at all opened his mouth before he could even open his mouth.

"Sensei," Shino said, his breath still laboured. "I apologize for not being here on time, but please don't punish the entire team for my shortcomings but me only."

One of the most common problems for Jōnin instructors in the beginning was to promote cooperation and teamwork among their students. Itachi knew that the Academy had begun incorporating these traits more into its curriculum over the last few years, but he hadn't expected it to be quite this successful. It would certainly become beneficial in the future, though. If they manage to pass my test, that is.

"A commendable sentiment," he praised the boy. "Commendable, but ultimately futile. I'm afraid I maintain that all three of you will be punished equally."

Shino immediately opened his mouth to protest further, but Kiba beat him to it, his growl sounding no different to the one his canine companion to his feet let out. "But that's unfair!"

He raised a single eyebrow as he looked down on the boy. "Is it?"

"Of course it is!"

"Why?"

Kiba looked at him as if he was crazy. "What is there not to understand? How is it fair that all of us get punished when it is just Shino who wasn't here in time?"

Exerting pressure and playing people against each other was one of the easiest ways to see how much of a team player someone was, and that was exactly what Itachi was currently doing. After all, while it was nice to know that the three of them general could work in a team, he needed to know how much it would take for them to turn their back on each other.

Hinata, at least, seemed only unhappy with his statement but didn't complain about it. Kiba, on the other hand…

Itachi knew that Kiba and Shino were both part of Sasuke's group of friends and thus should at least be well-acquainted with each other even if they weren't close. Part of his reaction was probably just a result of the shock of the situation and incredulity at being punished when he hadn't done anything wrong, but Itachi needed to be sure. Well, I will find out soon enough, I guess.

Before either Kiba or Shino could complain any further, Itachi released some of his chakra to stop them in their tracks while making sure not to include any killing intent- there was no need to terrify them, after all.

"I will offer you this first lesson for free," he said. "Consider it my reward for your successful passing of the Genin Exams, if you will. Depending on how today goes, this might very well be the most important piece of advice you will ever receive in your career as a shinobi." Itachi waited a moment to make sure that he had their undivided attention before he continued. "When you're on a team with someone, you function as a unit. Your successes and failures are also the successes and failures of your teammates. If you don't help each other, you will suffer the consequences just as much as they do. Right now, that only means sharing the same punishment, but in the worst case, it can be what makes the difference between life and death."

There was a reason Konoha relied on teamwork as much as it did. The sentiment of putting one's team even before the mission didn't always work out –the case of Sakumo Hatake was a good example of that- and there were arguably cases were that made sense and sacrifices needed to be made, but on the whole, it was teamwork that made their village so strong.

Judging by the wide-eyed expressions on the teens' faces, they at least grasped the basics of that reality from his little speech.

"Well then," he asked after a few seconds of tense silence. "Are there any more complaints?"

Predictably, there were none.

"In that case, it's a hundred push-ups for each of you."

Technically, that wouldn't be too hard of a task for any of them. However, still exhausted as they were from their previous run, it would be sufficient in tiring them out even more. Not truly exhausting them, of course, but still depleting their stamina all the same.

They took a little over five minutes to finish, but ultimately, all of them successfully did the exercise without as much as a single complaint.

They do have some promise, I will give them that.

"Well done," he praised them before kneeling down and spreading out a scroll on the ground from which he summoned three bottles of water. "You may rest for now. All we do next is talk, so use the time to regain your breath."

The three had stood up after finishing their exercise, but at his words, they let themselves fall to the ground with exhausted groans- although some took care to do so in a more graceful manner than others.

All of them also gratefully grabbed for one of the water bottles with similar eagerness, but it was then that something interesting happened as Hinata hesitated when she was just about to bring the bottle to her lips.

Shino noticed as well. "Is something wrong, Hyūga-san?"

The girl twitch just so slightly at suddenly being addressed like that, but when she spoke, she only sounded thoughtful. "Ehm, I was just wondering… Sensei, you punished all three of us because you wanted to see how we react, right? As some kind of test?"

Itachi nodded, a small smile on his face. "Very observant of you," he said before once more addressing all three together. "Yes, it's exactly as she said. The entire sequence so far had been a test."

Kiba seemed somewhat miffed by that, but Shino was now just as thoughtful as Hinata. "This training ground isn't exactly close to the Academy. Definitively not something one would expect freshly graduated Genin to be able to cross in just fifteen minutes." Although his glasses hid Shino's eyes, Itachi could feel the suspicious look he sent him. "You didn't intend for us to be here on time, did you?"

Itachi's smile grew a bit wider. "As I mentioned when you first arrived, all of you exceeded my expectations by several minutes, and now you exceeded them once more by actually looking right through my ploy." Well, at least the first part of it, but that's already more than he had expected this early. "I'm truly impressed."

Hinata and Shino glowed at the praise –well, the former more so than the latter- while Kiba shot him a suspicious glare that lost most of its effect by the dog lying on his head. "So if everything so far was a test, did we finish or will there be more?"

"There will indeed be more," Itachi admitted easily, seeing no reason to lie. "However, for now, we will continue with a simple self-presentation. After all, while you might be familiar with each other already, I have only the little I heard from Sasuke and what I read in your files to go by."

While all of them looked a bit apprehensive at the idea of even more tests, they took the news rather well. Seeing that, Itachi decided to take the lead.

"As the one who proposed it in the first place, I shall go first. As you might already know, my name is Itachi Uchiha, and while I have been a Jōnin for almost six years now, you're the first team assigned to me. I like to spend my free time either reading about history and philosophy or training, and I dislike unnecessary violence. I don't have a specific dream for the future" –aside from stopping Madara and making sure Sasuke was alright, of course- "but I want to become as strong as I possibly can to protect the village and its people."

There was an awkward silence for several seconds during which everyone waited for someone else to speak up next before Kiba apparently decided that it would be much better to continue himself rather than let the uncomfortable situation continue.

"Alright then, I guess I will go next, eh? My name is Kiba Inuzuka and I'm 12 years old. I like training with Akamaru" –he raised his hand to pat his dog's head who in turn gave a loud bark in return- "and meeting my friends. What I hate is cleaning the kennels back at home! Oh, and my dream is to one day beat my mother in a fair fight and get a picture of her face when she realizes that she lost!"

Itachi actually chuckled a bit at that. "A lofty goal indeed if what Hana said is true." Then, before Kiba could ask him how exactly he knew his sister, he turned to the girl next to him with an expectant expression.

"My name is Hinata Hyūga," she said as she straighten just so slightly under his gaze. "And I'm also 12 years old. What I like is taking care of my family's garden as well as spending time with my cousin and my little sister. Like Sensei, I also dislike unnecessary violence. As for my dream for the future…"

Several emotions flashed over her face, and while it was too quick for her teammate to follow, Itachi could recognise the unease and sadness just fine. But what would-

"I want to bring change to the Hyūga Clan and abolish both the Caged Bird seal as well as the branch house system itself!"

So far, Hinata had seemed like the most reserved and subdued member of the team, her behaviour stemming more from shyness and insecurity than the calm analytic behaviour Shino demonstrated, but right now, that couldn't be any further from the truth. For just this moment, Hinata looked much more determined and motivated than even the much more expressive Kiba.

"That is an admirable dream," he told her, sincerely impressed. After all, being the heir of a similar rigid and traditional clan meant he understood very well just how difficult achieving her goal would be. "And you're aware that this won't be easy?"

"Of course."

There was no hesitation or –and that was even more impressive- doubt to be found in her voice when she replied.

"Good. If you know that, you just might actually succeed." It would definitively be a good thing for the village if she did, too.

She gave him a bright smile that shone with genuine gratitude, making him suspect that he might very well be the first person who ever told her that she actually had a chance to make her dream come true, but it quickly faltered when she noticed the looks her two teammates were giving her.

Hinata started to become red in the face, but Shino spoke up before she had the chance to say anything. "I'm really impressed, Hyūga-san. I thought my own goal was ambitious, but it pales to yours. If there's anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask."

The expression on Hinata's face was priceless as she stared at Shino with no idea of how to reply. "Ehm, that's, well-"

"He's right!" Kiba exclaimed from her other side, making her jerk around in surprise. "That's a real cool dream! Same as with Shino, if there's anything I can do, count me in!"

There was something odd in his voice as he said that, but Itachi recognized it for what it was easily enough. It wasn't much of a problem, though, so he decided not to address it for now and let things play out uninterrupted.

"Kiba-kun too…?"

He waved her off. "Well, of course! How could I hear you say something like that and not want to help? Also, stop with that –kun, yes? It's weird being so formal when we're on the same team, isn't it?"

"The same goes for me," Shino agreed before Hinata had the chance to reply. "Why? Kiba and I already know each other, so it would be strange if you were the only one to address us with honorifics."

Hinata still looked somewhat overwhelmed, but she had a smile on her face when she finally replied while giving a small bow. "Then please call me just 'Hinata' as well."

Itachi decided this was as good a time as any to get the conversation back on track, so before they could deviate any further, he addressed Shino directly. "You mentioned that her dream is even more ambitious than yours, didn't you? Why don't we continue with your introduction and you tell us more about it?"

"Of course," he immediately agreed. "My name is Shino Aburame and I am, just like Hinata and Kiba, 12 years old. I like exploring the forests around Konoha with my father, and I dislike people that make a nuisance of themselves." He then straightened up just so slightly. "My dream is to make everyone in the village acknowledge and respect the Aburame Clan for its strength rather than consider us little more than a joke."

Many people did think rather lowly of them, that was true. He could see why Shino would think of his dream as ambitious. However…

"As someone who has worked with members of your clan before, I can tell you that your goal isn't as impossible to achieve as you might think," he said while making sure to catch his eyes behind his glasses. "I'm confident that as long as you really try, you will be able to make it become reality." Itachi then pointed at the boy's teammates with an amused smile on his face. "And judging from the looks of it, you will have plenty of help as well."

Kiba and Hinata nodded enthusiastically at that.

"I appreciate that."

While Shino clearly tried to play it cool, he had the misfortune of rather pale skin, so the blush on his cheeks was impossible to miss even with the high collar of his coat hiding parts of it.

Watching them acting like this, Itachi began to think that his test was probably redundant already. After all, he had wanted to see how observant they were and how well they would work as a team, but he had technically already seen enough to confirm that they were more than suitable to become fully fletched Genin.

Well, there's no harm in another small training exercise, I suppose. He suppressed an amused chuckle. Time to put on a show, then.

"Alright," he said, catching his three students' attention once more. "With that out of the way, let's get on with your final test, shall we?"

When Itachi Uchiha entered had their classroom, Shino could hardly believe it. Yes, he had met him a handful of times in the past due to his association with Sasuke, but the most he had ever interacted with the man was exchanging polite greeting- and even that happened so rarely that he could count the times on one hand and still have fingers left!

There were a number of names that everyone in Konoha simply knew. The four Hokage, the three Sannin, Kakashi Hatake, and Shisui Uchiha, to name just a few.

The important thing was that Itachi Uchiha was one of these names as well.

Where the other names Shino could think of mostly belonged to legends, their fame came from deeds long in the past. Even Shisui Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake, those who had risen to fame in more recent times, hadn't made much of a ruckus in quite a while.

Itachi Uchiha, on the other hand, was different.

Although it was never officially confirmed, everyone knew about how he found himself in the war-torn Land of Water during his very first mission as a Genin when he was only seven years old during which he somehow created the groundwork on which Konoha's current alliance with Kiri was built.

Everyone had heard about how his breath-taking performance during his Chūnin Exams just like everyone still talked about how his fight during the finals was the most exciting one in the history of the Chūnin Exams.

And while nobody could find out anything specific, everyone had of course also heard about that collaboration mission with Kiri during which they encountered not only one or two but five S-Rank nuke-nin! Such high ranked shinobi were rare in the world and encountering them usually ended in death, so to not only survive but also bring three corpses with them had naturally been the only thing people in the village –and most likely on the continent at large as well- had been talking about for weeks!

The list could go on and on, which was exactly what made Itachi Uchiha's name so famous.

While other famed shinobi were revered for things they had done a long time ago, his deeds were not only relatively recent but also kept coming!

Shino liked to think of himself as rather intelligent, but one didn't need to be all that clever to understand why the Uchiha was here. After all, Iruka-sensei had told them mere minutes ago that their future instructors would collect them one after another.

And while Shino told himself that he shouldn't get his hopes up, he knew he was thinking the exact same thing as everyone else who had understood the implications of his presence in their classroom:

'Please let it be me!'

Still, when it actually turned out that he would indeed be his sensei, rather than being overwhelmed with joy, his brain just stopped. His feet moved on their own to follow behind his teammates to the training ground they were supposed to go to, but he couldn't think of anything but the fact that he would study under Itachi Uchiha of all people.

Shino always knew that his best bet to become stronger was to study under a strong Jōnin, but a part of him had been afraid that even that wouldn't be enough. That he would never become strong enough to make everyone respect him and his clan. But if it was this Jōnin…

'Maybe my dream can really become true.' That was the only thing on his mind for the entire run to the training ground, and it was only when he fell to his knees on the soft grass once he arrived there that he came back to the present.

The subsequent introductions gave him even more hope. He already knew Kiba, so while he was more than aware of how annoying the other boy could be, he also knew about his loyalty and determination, so he was content with him as a teammate.

Hinata, too, had been a stroke of luck. While her written tests weren't quite as good as Sakura's or Ino's and generally tended to be on the lower end of the top ten of their class, she was definitively the strongest kunoichi in terms of fighting prowess. In fact, she was always competing with Naruto and Kiba for the top spot behind Sasuke, and Shino personally thought she might have actually secured the position as second-best if she weren't so hesitant in her fights.

If she could overcome that, well, needless to say, she would be an ally to be reckoned with, and if the determination she showed when she spoke about her dream was anything to go by, he was confident she could do that.

Now add to that the fact that the abilities of the three of them complimented each other and one could see that their team had quite a lot of potential.

However, it was what came after the introduction that gave him pause.

"Alright then. With that out of the way, let's get on with your final test, shall we?"

Their sensei had told them earlier that there would be another test, so this was technically not much of a surprise, and yet something about his voice rang alarm bells in Shino's head. Judging from Kiba's frown and even Akamaru's low whimpering, they felt it as well, and as the two of them had probably the best instincts of their team, Shino's gut feeling must be justified.

Itachi's next words proved that suspicion right.

"Simply put, you three will fight me."

Shino could hear Hinata's soft gasp and Kiba's exclamation of surprise, but all he could do was stare at their sensei with barely restrained shock. There was no way they could beat him, and all of them knew it. Think, he told himself. He wouldn't give us a test we can't possibly pass, so there must be another objective…

His eyes widened behind his glasses as the realization hit him. "But the goal isn't to actually beat you, is it, Sensei?"

Itachi nodded at him, clearly satisfied. "Correct. Instead, your only objectives will be to prevent yourself from being incapacitated and to show me the full extent of your abilities. Should all three of you be unable to continue, the fight ends with your loss. You have time until the sun rises to its zenith. Should even just one of you still be on your feet by then, it's your victory."

Shino looked up at the sky. So we need to endure this for about an hour, then? Time was against them under these conditions, so it was a good thing that they wouldn't need to fight for too long, but he knew that even one hour was much more than they could likely handle. He wants to test our abilities, though, so it's likely that he won't eliminate us immediately and instead wait to see what we can do. If we use that against him, we-

"Furthermore, my decision on whether or not to accept you as my team will depend on your performance, so you better hold nothing back."

And with that, all of his plans fell apart before they could even fully form.

"What?" Kiba cried while jumping to his feet. "What do you mean? We're Genin, aren't we?"

So far, Itachi's smile had been nothing but gentle and maybe slightly amused, but when he answered Kiba now, Shino couldn't help but think that there was something almost sinister to it.

"Unfortunately for you, the exams as the Academy are only meant to weed out those that aren't fit to become a shinobi. As your prospective Jōnin instructor, the final decision on your promotion rests with me. If you lose this fight, you're going back to the Academy; if you win and impress me enough, I will accept you as my students. Similarly, if I'm not impressed, you're going back to the Academy, too. It's simple, really."

The three of them looked at each other, and Shino was sure the shock on his teammates' faces was mirrored on his own. He usually preferred to keep a calm façade in order to keep a calm head as well, but how could anyone stay calm after hearing such news?

"I should also mention that depending on your performance, I might decide to not take all three of you as my students. Depending on how you do respectively, I might just as well choose to take only two of you under my wings. Possibly even just one, too." Then, before either of them could respond, he gave them another smile that sent shivers down Shino's spine. "That should be all, I think. I wish you the best of luck."

And with that, he vanished in a puff of smoke.

The three of them silently stared –or in Kiba's case, gaped- at the spot he had vanished for several seconds before Shino managed to tentatively get a grip on himself. I should have put a female kikaichū on him, he chided himself. He wouldn't be able to hide from me if I did!

This wasn't the time for regrets, however.

"Hinata," he said. "Kiba. Can you locate him?"

Although they were still pale, his voice thankfully seemed to jerk them back into the present.

"He's standing in a tree about a hundred metres west of us," Hinata said a few moments later, quickly backed up by a nodding Kiba. Then, she shuddered, and when she continued, she sounded incredulous. "I think- no, he is definitively looking me straight in the eye."

How is that even possible?! Shino wanted to scream, but he swallowed that impulse down before it could get the better of him. No matter how ridiculous it sounded that he was somehow looking in the eye of a Byakugan user from a hundred metres away, he couldn't let that distract himself.

"We retreat," he decided while patting himself on the shoulder for keeping his voice so steady. "We won't be able to attack him head-on, and if we want to prepare an ambush, he can't know where we are."

To his silent surprise, neither disagreed with him and both followed him when he began running away.

Under different circumstances, he might have found some gratification in the fact that they followed him so readily, but right now, he didn't have the time or energy to do so. Every ounce of his attention was focused on coming up with a strategy, on coming up with a way that would allow not only him but all three of them to pass this test, but he came out blank.

They could try to lay out a trap, but that would require Itachi-sensei to actually leave his position. It was they who needed to prove themselves, however, not him, so he had no reason to do that. Also, the chances of a trap even working in the first place were about zero, so it would only be a waste of time anyway.

They could also try to just attack him head-on; it would certainly be unexpected and thus might give them a slight advantage. Unfortunately, while that gave them the chance to impress him, they would inevitably be beaten and sent back to the Academy, so this approach was out as well.

But maybe if we attack him with only two of us...

After all, they would only lose if all three of them were beaten; if one person stayed back, the team itself would technically still be able to pass even if the other two lost. The problem with this plan was that the one person who stayed back wouldn't have the opportunity to impress their sensei and thus squander their chances of being promoted.

Seriously, who would agree to that? As much as Shino wanted his teammates to succeed, he certainly wasn't ready to scarify himself for them. Then again, he thought. Maybe this act of self-scarify would impress Sensei just as much as a good performance in a fight. It might be even more impressive from a certain point of view, really. Then another thought struck him, making him frown. Well, either that or he will be disappointed because I 'sacrificed' my teammates by sending them ahead while I stayed back…

Needless to say, that idea was quickly discarded as well.

Another possible approach was-

"Man, this sucks! We can't just keep running away and do nothing! How could that possibly impress him?"

Shino shot Kiba a dark look over his glasses, but rather than backing off like he usually did, the other boy glared right back at him. "What?" he said, his tone challenging. "You disagree? I don't know about you, but I actually want to become a Genin!"

"I'm trying to come up with a plan-"

"Well, then try harder!"

He tried to stay calm, he really did, but that aggravating growling from both Kiba and Akamaru annoyed him more than he liked to admit, and if the angry buzz of insects around him was anything to go by, his colony was already responding independently to his mood.

"Why don't you try to come up with something instead if you think it's so easy?"

"Sure! I say we attack him and are done with it."

Shino scoffed. He couldn't believe he had thought being on a team with Kiba might be alright a mere few minutes ago. "To get beaten in thirty seconds flat, you mean?"

"It's better than running away and doing nothing!"

"We're not running away. We merely keep our distance while coming up with a plan to-"

"C'mon, do you really think we can come up with something he wouldn't be able to predict?"

Fortunately for everyone involved, Hinata interrupted their fight with soft but firm words.

"I think Kiba is right, Shino."

He would have long since raised his voice if he had any less self-control than he did. "A very brave statement. Some might call it foolish, even."

"What did you just say you-"

"Kiba," Hinata interrupted the boy, catching not only him but Shino as well off-guard with her stern tone. Even as she looked supremely uncomfortable with the attention of both of them focused solely on her, she held her ground. "Fighting among ourselves is useless. We are outmatched as it is, so we really shouldn't lower our chances even further, right?"

Shino and Kiba looked at each other, annoyance reeking from both of them, but ultimately, they nodded unhappily at each other. Hinata did have a point, even if they didn't like to admit it.

It was only then that she continued.

"Kiba is right in that we won't come up with anything Itachi-sensei wouldn't be able to predict, but as Shino said, we also can't just attack him and hope for the best. However, what if only two of us attack him?"

Shino almost groaned. A part of him had hoped that she might have an actual plan, so having her propose something he already dismissed was rather annoying.

Unexpectedly enough, Kiba seemed to understand the problem with that plan as well. "Hinata," he said, his voice much calmer than it had been barely a minute ago. "That would save the team, sure, but the person who stays back would-"

"-forfeit their chance to impress Itachi-sensei and consequently fail to become a Genin, yes."

He was sure his expression must be just as surprised as Kiba's. If she knew that, why would she-"

"I will do it."

"What?!"

"What?!"

It didn't happen often for him to exclaim something or to gape in shock at others, but right now, both happened at the same time. And how couldn't he? After all, what Hinata just did was synonym with giving up on becoming a Genin altogether! Who would do such a thing?

"But why?"

Shino was glad that Kiba had asked that first as he wasn't sure he would be able to get a word out.

"This is the best- no, the only way we have, right? If we don't do this, none of us will become Genin. At least you two will be able to graduate this way, and if the price for that is me going back to the Academy for another year, that's still better than all three of us doing so."

And then she gave them both an impossibly kind smile that made Shino feel like the greatest scumbag on earth for not immediately offering to be the one that was sacrificed instead. That's what he should do, he thought. Hadn't he been thinking about the others following him not too long ago? That made him something like the unofficial leader of their group, even if only a temporary one, which meant it would be his duty to sacrifice himself for them, right?

However, all Shino did was whisper a soft "Thank you" that he knew wasn't equal compensation for what she offered to do.

From Kiba's crestfallen face as he followed suit in an uncharacteristically subdued tone, he knew the other boy must feel just as bad as he did.

And yet neither of them offered to take her place.

"Even if we don't have a concrete plan, we should at least have some kind of strategy before we challenge Itachi-sensei."

Kiba looked at him with open relief on his face at having something to distract him from his thoughts. "Yeah, you're right." He gave him what probably was supposed to be a fierce grin but looked more like a pained grimace. "So, any ideas?"

Even as they began to plan their attack, Shino couldn't quite push away the guilt that was eating him on the inside.

What a terrible distraction.

Their strategy, if it could even be called that, was simple:

First, he would send big swarms of his Kikaichū at their sensei. That attack would certainly be useless in and on itself, of course, but as its main purpose was to shield them from his view for a few moments, that detail didn't matter much. Following that, he, Kiba, and Akamaru would attack him from two sides at once in hope of catching him even just a little bit off-guard.

That wasn't the end of their plan, however.

While they tried to attract all of Itachi's attention, small groups of his Kikaichū would sneak up on him and hopefully manage to steal enough of his chakra to make a difference. Finding a balance between sending enough of them to be able to actually make a dent in his reserves and sending few enough to avoid detection wasn't an easy task, but Shino thought he could do it.

They would not win this fight, both of them were aware of that, but with this strategy, they hoped to at least pull off a good show.

Unfortunately, the moment they launched their attack, everything went to hell.

The essential idea they had built their plan around was that their sensei wouldn't take them seriously. Aside from the fact that he couldn't test them if he just annihilated them in an instant, he must also be aware that he was much stronger than the three of them combined. Consequently, he wouldn't see the need of being cautious while fighting them.

That assumption was quickly proven wrong when their combined attacks were put down without mercy.

Shino had sent his insects in three swarms to attack him from several directions at once, and thanks to the dense forest they were fighting in, he had held hope that the cover of the trees would allow his Kikaichū to get close to him with ease. However, when they had crossed just about half the distance to their target, Itachi drew three kunai with attached explosive tags.

A second later, almost all of his insects were killed in the following explosion.

Now, it wasn't as if Shino had never lost insects in the past, but for so many to die at once… it wasn't a surprise that he momentarily froze on the spot which in turn meant he missed his cue to attack and left Kiba to jump onto their sensei on his own.

That might have been a blessing in disguise, though, as this way, he avoided being put down in an instant like Kiba was. Shino was in the perfect position to watch the entire debacle first-hand and didn't even need to think to realize that his presence wouldn't have made any difference at all.

Kiba and Akamaru came at Itachi in a pincer attack with a cry of "Gatsūga!" on the former's lips, but before they could even reach him, their sensei appeared in front of them and grabbed them by their collars, somehow managing to do so even though they were rotating at high speed, before throwing them against a nearby tree.

Akamaru's human transformation immediately dispelled and the two stayed lying groaning on the ground, still conscious but momentarily out of the fight.

I need to retreat, Shino realized with rising panic. I stand no chance. Even if Kiba gets up again, the two of us would still be beaten. We need to-

"Won't you attack me as well?"

He was proud to say that his first reaction wasn't to freeze once more even though he hadn't noticed anyone sneaking up on him. Instead, he fell into the stance they had been taught at the Academy and threw a textbook kick at the person behind him the moment the voice rang out.

Not that it did him any good, mind you. Itachi blocked his kick just as easily as he did with his following punches without a care in the world before he grabbed him by his collar just like he had done with Kiba a few moments earlier and threw him towards where his teammate was just getting up to his knees.

A moment later, they both tumbled across the ground in a jumble of limbs as he crashed into him.

By the time they came to a stop and managed to disentangle themselves from each other, Itachi was already there, looming over them with a bored -and much more important, disappointed- look on his face.

"Is that it, then?"

Shino clenched his hands as he desperately tried to come up with some kind of plan. He couldn't lose here, couldn't allow himself to be sent back to the Academy. How could he ever change people's perceptions about the Aburame Clan if he couldn't even become a Genin? There must be a way out, a way to-

His thoughts were interrupted by a flash from the edge of his eye, and a second later, Itachi jumped away to avoid an incoming attack.

"Hinata?" Kiba exclaimed what Shino was thinking. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to-"

"I'm going to buy you some time," she interrupted him, and if Shino wasn't imagining things, her voice was shaking just so slightly. "I don't know how long I can keep him occupied, so run!"

Shino wasn't sure if it was this declaration in particular that finally snapped something inside of him or if it was just the accumulation of everything that had been happening in the last hour. However, in the end, the details weren't really important. The point was that he was done.

Even his desperation to pass the test was suddenly not all that important anymore.

He and Kiba had accepted it when Hinata proposed to sacrifice herself the first time, neither of them wanting to be the one that lost their chance to graduate by taking her place instead, but to do so a second time? Unthinkable. They had already lost their chance anyway if the look on their sensei's face had been anything to go by, so letting her sacrifice herself again in the hopes of maybe changing his mind simply wasn't an option.

After all, while the two of them had pretty much lost every chance of impressing their sensei and becoming Genin, Hinata could still do it. In fact, her actions so far might even be enough already to make her pass. She might not have demonstrated some awe-inspiring fighting abilities, but she did show her willingness to save him and Kiba at the cost of herself not only once but twice. That was very impressive in its own right. Itachi had also said he might let one of them pass even if the other two failed, so she might very well become his apprentice after this.

"Kiba-"

"Yeah, I got it."

He has come to the same decision, then, Shino thought, his mind unexpectedly calm all of the sudden. Good. That makes things easier.

"Hey, Akamaru," Kiba said without turning his gaze away from the waiting figure of their sensei a dozen metres in front of them. "You know what to do, right?"

The dog made a whining sound as if it did know what Kiba was saying and didn't like it. However, that clearly didn't stop the dog from doing as it was told.

Without any further delay, Akamaru once more transformed into a human copy of Kiba and rushed forwards.

And rather than attacking Itachi, it grabbed a surprised Hinata, threw her over its shoulder, and started running away.

"Hey!" Hinata exclaimed as she tried to escape Akamaru's grip without actually hurting him. "What are you doing? Hey-"

Her screams quickly grew quieter and quieter before they faded into the distance altogether.

"So," Kiba said, his voice sounding oddly clam. "I guess it's only the two of us now, eh?"

"It appears like that, yes."

Kiba chuckled. "It's just like Sensei said, isn't it? We need to help each other if we don't want to fail." He shook his head in amusement. "I didn't think he meant it like this, though…"

Shino was just about to reply when he suddenly froze. 'Just like Sensei said'? What were his words again? It was almost an hour ago, but he remembered every single word of that particular lesson.

'When you're on a team with someone, you function as a unit. Your successes and failures are also the successes and failures of your teammates. If you don't help each other, you will suffer the consequences just as much as they do. Right now, that only means sharing the same punishment, but in the worst case, it can be what makes the difference between life and death.'

If one of them won, all of them would, and if one of them lost, all of them would as well…

The only objectives they had been given were to prevent themselves from being incapacitated and to show their sensei the full extent of their abilities. Furthermore, the condition for their victory was to be still on their feet by the end of the time limit, and they had also explicitly been told that they didn't need to actually beat Itachi.

And yet they had focused all their attention on demonstrating to him their abilities in a fight, focusing on the part where he told them that he would only take them as his team if their abilities were to his satisfaction.

Now that I think about it, the fact that he specifically said 'as my team' should have given us the hint that we can only pass this test together…

Even more so considering he had also told them the importance of working as a team just a few moments before that.

In hindsight, it was so obvious. All they would have needed to do to pass was to stay away from him until the time limit was over. Reading between the lines of what he had said and finding a way to successfully fulfil the objections he had set for them would certainly count as 'impressive', and doing so as a team would have proven that they understood the lesson he had tried to teach them- the lesson he had called 'the most important piece of advice they would ever receive in their career as a shinobi'.

It was almost funny that Hinata, the one who had given up on passing this test, was the only one who had thought of their team first.

Hopefully Itachi-sensei will take her as his student even when Kiba and I fail, he thought with a defeated sigh. She certainly deserves it much more than we do.

Shino was pretty convinced by now that Itachi never planned to take only one or two of them under his wings. It was either all of them or none of them. Sure, he had said he would accept even just one or two of them if they impressed them, but as they couldn't impress him without understanding his lesson about teamwork, the point was moot. The possibility existed in theory, yes, but it was impossible in praxis.

Maybe if Kiba and I beg him to take her anyway, he might make an exception…

After Hinata had tried so hard to help them, that was the least they could do.

Regardless, Shino needed to focus on keeping him busy for now. It was a miracle that he had given them so much time to prepare as it was, so he really shouldn't push their luck. After all, they needed to buy as much time as possible.

However, just when he wanted to tell Kiba that they should attack, a voice spoke up.

"The time isn't quite over yet, but I think I have seen enough."

The voice clearly belonged to their sensei, but not only had he not moved his mouth but the voice came from all around them as well.

Then, before Shino had the chance to even think about how this was even possible, the world around them began to shake and twist until everything became an unrecognizable mess of colours.

Shino found himself sitting heavily breathing on the grassy ground a moment later.

More importantly, he was not alone, for Kiba and Hinata knelt on either side of him as well while their sensei stood before them.

This is the place where we introduced ourselves, he realized with wide eyes. But how...

"Congratulations," Itachi interrupted his thoughts, his face once more showing a kind and gentle smile instead of the cold expression it had held before. "All three of you have passed."

Shino blinked, and his emotions were once again plain to see on his face as he stared at the Jōnin with undisguised shock.

"What?!"

"What?!"

"What?!"

Wow, this chapter turned out longer than I expected. Please review and let me know what you think! :)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!