"And... Time's up!" Kurenai's call allowed Naruto to grin as he heard Kiba moan in frustration from below him.
"Kami damn it, if it weren't for this mist..." Naruto was quite happy with his new jutsu, something Kakashi had copied from Zabuza and taught him when they were prepping for the ANBU training sessions, it was fast becoming his second favourite jutsu.
"And if it weren't for the fact that there were three of you, and Hinata-chan's awesome eyes, then I would still be wiping the floor with you in sparring training." As he said this Naruto reached up and used the release hand seal, a burst of chakra rapidly clearing the mist in the nearby area, just in time to catch Kiba's shocked look up at him.
"Speaking of which, I think we are due another session, right Akamaru?" Kiba's smirk lasted until Naruto leapt down from the trees and landed in front of the boy, unsheathing Kubikiribocho from the seal he had tattooed on his left arm and bringing it up to his shoulder.
"You try and spar with me outside of Kurenai-sensei's approved sessions, and the kid gloves come off dog boy, though if you want to help me practice with the Kubikiri then give me a try." It was mostly a bluff, not that Naruto was going to tell Kiba that.
Whilst Naruto could lift and carry the Kubikiri in it's unsealed form, thanks to several weeks training with the 'beasts of Konoha', using the damn blade in combat still slowed him down too much for him to try and use it against anything more than a training dummy.
"I would prefer you not putting my team mate in hospital Naruto-san, especially as a blade of that size may well cause rather catastrophic injuries if you get too 'excited'." Contrary to popular belief, Shino was not one of those people who said as little as possible all the time, in fact he was quite talkative if he saw the need for it.
But when you are put on a team with someone as loud as Kiba, even if he wasn't quite as bad as Naruto knew he used to be, most of the conversations were one-sided at the best of times.
"Ano, shouldn't we be heading back to Kurenai-sensei? I can see Sakura-san is waiting with her, are you meant to be meeting your team Naruto-kun?" Not that Naruto knew of, Anko-sensei had been 'teaching' them today, which Kakashi-sensei did some personal training with Fuzzy Brows.
"We finished our daily D-chore an hour ago, and Anko-sensei wants to teach us low light fighting, so we aren't going to be able to do that until after dinner at least. Let's go find out." Naruto wouldn't say that Anko-sensei was a bad teacher, given how much she had taught them after only 2 weeks he would never bad mouth her like that.
Given her 'dodging practice' involved real kunai and shuriken though, and her 'stealth training' involved getting past some of her snake summons, Naruto could say that she was the most extreme of their new teachers. Inochi-sensei didn't teach them physically most of the time, the Yamanaka running them through various scenarios and mission challenges instead, as well as giving Naruto dreaded book work to make up for his poor academic record.
Kakashi-sensei retained his laid back manner, though he had each of them working on different areas of basic training, somehow managing to keep a close eye on all three of them despite often being out of direct sight of any of them.
He had Naruto learning chakra control, and how to properly use it to reinforce parts of his body, which meant there were several trees in Area 7 that had either been blown over or damaged by Naruto's efforts. It wasn't just running up and down a tree now, Kakashi had him completing increasingly complex and dangerous obstacle courses almost twenty metres above the forest floor, along with the use of bean bags and other tools to stop Naruto getting complacent.
"You have been learning a large variety of different skills lately Naruto-san, on top of your obvious improvement in combat ability, I don't suppose you would be amenable to tutoring us in some of them? Kurenai-sensei is an excellent teacher, but having three sensei's seems to be a far superior teaching method." Shino's use of big words would have lost Naruto a year ago, but having several clones read through various dictionaries had helped Naruto understand some of the bigger words, even if he still didn't see why he should use them.
"Let's talk Ramen Shino, then I will decide how much of my awesomeness I am willing to dispense to you…" In the academy Naruto wouldn't have even tried to negotiate terms, if someone had been interested in learning something from him, he would have just been happy for the attention.
But living under the cloud of his prank induced fine, and the 'community service' that came with it, had awoken something of a fire in Naruto's mind when it came to money now. Whilst he wouldn't charge people directly for his time, as that sort of thing was controlled by the Hokage's office, Naruto was more than happy to let them pay for the largest of his living expenses instead.
"I thought that girlfriend of yours was making you cut back on your ramen intake dude?" The comment from Kiba immediately burst Naruto's ramen coated dream bubble.
It wasn't just Umi, though it had been his traitorous clone's initial idea, Sakura-chan had quickly agreed! So now, despite the fact that he could afford it once again, Naruto was restricted to two ramen meals a week. If it weren't for the fact that the clone was technically him, and therefore wouldn't deprive him from ramen without good reason, Naruto would have dispelled her out of spite.
"Yeah, unless I do another awesome mission. Then Teuchi-Jiji will let me have some as part of my storytelling… Hi Sakura-chan!" His previous gloom evaporated almost instantly, his female team mate appearing in his vision in front of him, talking with Kurenai-sensei before she looked up at his call.
"Naruto-kun. Sorry Kurenai-sensei, but Kakashi-sensei wanted us back to the tower as soon as I found him. Thank you for the pointers about visualisation of my chakra, I'll keep practicing whilst we are away." It took a moment, which Naruto put down to the mild headache he had from dispelling his training clones that morning, before his mind managed to catch onto what Sakura was implying.
"Are we going on another C-rank Sakura-chan?" Every other Genin team from their graduation year had done at least 3 C-ranks now, with Team 8 actually having done 7 short ones related to Scouting or Tracking in Hi no Kuni.
Whilst the mission to Wave, and the mess with Masori that followed it, had been counted as separate B-rank missions, the fact he still only had 1 official C-rank to his name annoyed Naruto. He knew it shouldn't, as even Tenten's team had only done 2 B-ranks, and they were a year older than him.
If it hadn't been for the Hokage sending out 'learning packs', which detailed everything from their responsibilities as Genin to the punishments various infractions could justify, Naruto wouldn't have even been bothered. But on one of the many documents included in the pack, which was large enough that Naruto merely left it on his desk rather than carry it with him, was the information pertaining to the different ways that they could get promoted to Chuunin or another specialised position.
The requirements to enter the Chuunin exams wasn't constrained to a rigid list of requirements, which surprised Naruto given how clear cut the Genin exam had been on a couple of particular areas. Instead there were a list of basic requirements, which every candidate in the team had to meet in order for the team to be considered for entry, and then some guidelines about achievements/skills a Genin team could meet in order to increase their selection chances.
And, unfortunately for Team 7, completion of at least 10 external C-rank missions was one of the minimum requirements for entry into the exams. Whilst the other missions they had completed would vastly improve their chances of being selected, if they didn't qualify in the first place that would be all for nothing.
"I think we are, Kakashi-sensei didn't give any specifics other than we needed to head to the tower as fast as we can." That, that sounded like it was serious, especially from the most laid back of their three teachers.
"In which case, we better get going Sakura-chan. Do you want to use the Naruto Express?" His method of travelling through the air, utilising shadow clones as stepping stones, still elicited mixed reactions from people had tried it.
Anko-sensei loved it, and would often insist that the team travelled by such means whenever possible, whilst Inochi-sensei made it clear that he would only ever use it if there was literally no other option.
"Probably for the best, it certainly will get us there quicker." Sakura-chan didn't seem to mind, though she always insisted that he give her a piggyback rather than trying to jump herself and co-ordinate with his clones.
Bending down to one knee after forming the handseal to create his first clones, Naruto did his best not to notice how much puberty was still kicking in with his female teammate, as she climbed on his back and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Grabbing her legs, as they gripped firmly to either side of his waist, Naruto stood and turned to the others with his usual grin.
"Sorry Kiba, no sparring until after I've completed another awesome mission! Hinata-chan, try and keep the boys in line until I get back okay? We still need to go out for that catch-up!" After she had turned up to see him in the hospital, Naruto had promised himself he needed to try and hang out with the Hyuuga Heiress properly, but with all the mayhem that had been going on he hadn't really had time.
"Naruto-kun, wants to, go out with me?" He barely caught Hinata's stuttered question, but released one of Sakura's legs for a moment to give her a big thumbs up, like he often saw Fuzzy Brows do.
"Of course I do Hinata-chan, why wouldn't I want to hang out with someone as awesome as you?" Naruto didn't know why, but Hinata's face turned bright red at this, but he had to turn back and prepare for 'take off' before he could see if she would respond.
"Baka…" Sakura's comment confused Naruto slightly, even as he sprinted towards the two clones set up to boost him towards Konoha.
What had he done this time?
!"£$%^&*()_+
"My Eternal Rival, it seems that fate has assigned our teams to similar missions once again! This is a chance for us to break the stalemate that we have between us, depending on what Hokage-sama assigns us of course!" Tenten would like to say she was embarrassed, given her Jounin sensei was once again shouting at the top of his voice, despite the fact that they were in the Hokage tower at 8 am.
But as every ninja at the mission desks merely rolled their eyes or cast her a pitying look, Tenten couldn't help the slightly bored feeling that washed over her as Gai continued ranting. Though Naruto-kun and his team mates looked more than a little traumatised, especially when Lee joined in with the over the top challenges Gai was proclaiming, Tenten found it remarkably easy to zone the two Taijutsu nuts these days.
"Hello Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan, Sasuke-san." So whilst the two Jounin were distracted, doing their usual routine, Tenten decided to be the socially aware member of the team.
If Gai and Lee weren't bad enough by themselves, ever since the Hokage had produced the mandatory skill list Genin were expected to have, Neji had been even more closed off and sullen than he had been before. This was partially because of his 'vaunted Taijutsu style', which only counted as much towards his chances of avoiding the vague 'probationary status' as Lee's work under Gai did, but what had hurt more was 'the list'.
The list was a ranking of every active Genin on Konoha's roster, ranked according to the points system that the new skills system used. Whilst the way the points were assigned was a mystery for the most part, it had been clear from those that had been testing Tenten and the rest of their team that they hadn't been impressed, and that became clear with their scores.
"Tenten-chan! Thanks for the tips with my bow, I am getting much better with my shots now!" Tenten smiled at Naruto's enthusiastic greeting, the fact that they were in the mission hall probably the only thing stopping him from giving her a hug.
"I am glad to hear it Naruto-kun. How did your testing go the other day?" Team 7 had been one of the last groups tested for their skills as far as Tenten was aware, which surprised her given his team was the one who had lead to the testing's inception.
"Awesome of course Tenten-chan! I didn't quite beat Sasuke, but given I was the class dobe, 57th is great... Right?" Tenten nodded at his rather uncertain attempt to clarify his position, though she noticed Neji's glare intensify out of the corner of her eye, which wasn't surprising.
It had been bad enough Gai had shouted their rankings out for the world to hear when he picked them up from the Hokage tower two days before, but there was the fact of the rankings themselves. Tenten had been really pleased with her rank, especially as she ranked amongst the top 20 genin currently serving, even if it was 20th.
"Hmph!" Tenten wasn't sure whether it was her getting a better ranking, or the fact that Lee had only been ranked 3 places behind the Hyuuga, but the fact that Naruto had been ranked higher than Neji seemed to be the final straw.
She didn't pay Neji much attention though, his attitude had isolated him from the team more and more over the last couple of months, and acting like his clan heritage should automatically improve his ranking had frankly pissed her off.
"How about you two?" Whilst she knew Naruto had hinted Sasuke had scored higher than him, the fact that the latest 'dobe' had ranked ahead of the previous Top Rookie would make the rounds, especially if the 'Last Uchiha' had beaten Neji by an even more considerable margin.
"80th Tenten-san, though if you and Naruto-kun hadn't spent some time training me I'm sure it would have been much lower." Sakura didn't seem too bothered she had scored so lowly, but given her deprecating outlook on her own talents, perhaps she had expected far worse.
"It's obvious they are looking for different things then we were taught in the academy Sakura-chan, and now we have Anko-sensei and Ino-Jiji, we will be at the top of the rankings in no time!" Naruto's very unsubtle attempt to cheer Sakura up drew an eye roll from both girls, though Tenten noticed Sakura toss a fond look in her teammate's direction.
Tenten found herself getting angry, and for several moments she couldn't work out why, until Sasuke scoffed and the pair turned in his direction. Watching Naruto throw an arm around Sakura's shoulders, and the pinkette shift a little into the rather familiar hug,Tenten found herself experiencing proper jealousy for the first time in several years.
She wasn't claiming to be a saint, or anything so arrogant as that, but she had been focused far more on training than silly things such as boys or being popular. Given the other three 'elite genin' team Kunoichi that had graduated the same time she had, were all ranked in the low 80s at best, Tenten felt she had made the right choice in maintaining her focus.
"If it weren't for your bloodline dobe, we would have buried you months ago, you can't rely on being a pain to kill if you want to be a Chuunin. We can work on your dodging skills during any down time we get on this mission." It was a harsh assessment, but from the stories Naruto had told so far, it wasn't an inaccurate one.
Still, there wasn't any heat in the put down, and Sasuke waited until Naruto got all excited over the thought of training before continuing.
"I need a moving target for my live shuriken practice after all, and you do recover quicker than anyone else if you are too stupid to dodge…" Sasuke's smirk widened as Naruto lost his cool, but the pair of them were clearly surprised when Sakura giggled for a moment before adding her own two cents.
"He has a point Naruto, you do tend to come back from these missions looking like the Divine Wind is just waiting to blow you over. Though I think Sasuke is just a little jealous that you got all the glory in Wave after saving both of us into the bargain." Sasuke seemed shocked that his former fan girl, Tenten knew the academy gossip even if she wasn't interested herself, had so blatantly ribbed him about Naruto saving their collective asses.
Still, the smirk returned after a few seconds, and the Uchiha said something that had the girl blushing and Naruto blustering once more. Watching the three of them banter back and forth, and then casting an eye over to her own team, Tenten decided that must be what she was feeling jealous about.
Whilst her team were individually skilled, and Lee and Gai-sensei were a terrifying double act of destruction, they didn't really act as a team outside of missions. Perhaps she could talk Naruto into inviting her to some training sessions, when Gai-sensei had calmed down about his new 'super Youthful' training regime a little, it would be a nice change to her usual training at least.
Tenten ignored the fact that the swirl of jealousy in her stomach refused to go away, as she watched Naruto being held back by a giggling Sakura, deciding to try and bring Gai-sensei back on track instead.
Once she got to spend some more time training and hanging out with them, that feeling would go away.
Right?
[]{}#%^*+=
"I assume it is too late for me to decline this position, and go back to being a regular Chuunin Hokage-sama?" Nami would never have thought, in the aftermath of helping Naruto uncover a people smuggling operation 'off the books', she would have gained a reward for her services.
That wasn't how Root worked, and the only reason she had agreed to join Naruto on his mad quest, was to make sure her target came out of the other side in one piece. Not that she could explain it like that to the Hokage of course, her tale of trying to be a responsible Chuunin making sure her Genin friends didn't get in trouble seemed to work though.
"Sorry Shimura-san, but given you are one of the few Chuunin aware of the reasons behind this new system, you taking the position frees up the Jounin I would otherwise have been forced to allocate to the role. Besides, now that the results of the tests are in, things should quieten down a little more… Until they want to apply for the Chuunin exams in a couple of months time at least." The promotion to Elite Chuunin, in no small part due to the fact she held off two ANBU during the warehouse raid, had initially seemed like a reward for her work.
Her move from active duty to the newly created 'Genin Support and Testing Team', or GSATT as it was already being called, was already making her regret her earlier enthusiasm. There were six people working under her, mostly admin staff or Chuunin out with injuries, but managing the testing and collating the results for the 213 Genin currently active in Konoha's forces had meant she had barely had time to summate her findings, before coming to this Shinobi only Council meeting.
Thankfully, she had arrived about twenty minutes early, meaning she had been able to set down a copy of the results table at each of the Council seats before the Hokage had entered. After one of his personal ANBU had vetted the file she had left next to his seat, which seemed a little overly paranoid given she had already been searched when entering the tower itself and then before entering the Council Chamber, the venerable dictator had sat down for a read.
"Understood Hokage-sama, I would have assumed we would only perform this testing every six months or so, to allow for developments by the Jounin Sensei's to filter through. But, given that the next Chuunin exam is in Konoha…" Nani stopped short of saying that the extra tests would be needed, despite the extra cost and her own time she was sacrificing, as the door to the Council Chamber opened.
As the Clan Heads and Department leaders started to file into the room, Nami was surprised when 14 ANBU followed in behind ANBU Commander Tora, and judging by the looks they weren't normally part of such meetings. The 14 ANBU vanished as Tora took his seat, no doubt up into the rafters, but the appearance had left a very serious air about the room.
Danzo-sama was the last to enter the room, and he showed a small look of surprise at seeing her present. She had reported her required attendance to him, though she had been forced to beg off a physical report due to her workload, but with the Hokage and the others watching some acting was required.
She gave a warm smile in his direction, one that she found wasn't all that forced, given all the 'practice' Naruto and his clone had given her. It was a sign that her training was slipping, but judging by the nod from her master, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
"Welcome everyone, whilst I wouldn't normally summon the Shinobi Council at such short notice, as most of you are no doubt aware there is good reason for me to do so." Nami wasn't sure quite how much everyone in the room knew about the Masori incident, which is what she assumed the Hokage was talking about.
"As we discussed at the meeting two weeks ago, the Masori clan's actions have caused quite the upset inside Konoha, especially given that two dozen of our own decided profit was more valuable to them than the Will of Fire. Thankfully we were able to unearth these problems, admittedly in an unorthodox manner, and all but two of these traitors have been arrested or put down." With a gesture from the Hokage, the ANBU nearest the main door activated the seal matrix to lock down the room.
"You are all no doubt aware of 'the list', given many of your heirs and clansmen have taken part. It is very much a work in progress, with Elite Chuunin Shimura heading the new department tasked with the testing. I imagine several of you are quite surprised at the rankings some of your clans have received, according to the new criteria I have specified…" Nami didn't have to be a mind reader to work out who the Hokage meant, Hiashi Hyuuga had been staring at the documents in front of him with utter disdain since he had sat down.
"But, before we air grievances that are no doubt brewing, Chuunin Shimura will explain the basics of the scoring criteria. She will also expand a little on the requirements for teams entering the Chuunin exams, and why at the moment there isn't a single team that currently qualifies to enter in two months time." That certainly got everyone's attention, before Nami found all eyes in the room settling on her.
"Honoured Council." Standing and bowing, Nami resisted the urge to throw up, her instincts screaming at her to run.
"The testing is focused primarily on 15 different areas of ninja skills, all of which have been detailed on the example test score sheet included in the files on your desks. There are an additional 6 areas, which have been tested as 'secondary skills'. Each of these skills is tested with the Academy Testing as a basis, so the minimum passing level for an acceptable academy graduate is ranked as a 2 or a 3, with an average pass grade being a 5." That was something she had actually suggested to the Hokage, after being brought into the department.
Some would see it as harsh, but given the relatively easy exam at the Academy at the moment, it was the kick up the arse most of the Genin would need.
"The skills are then ranked at 10 if they meet the standards expected of new Chuunin, if they were to be promoted. This of course means that not all those ranked at 10 in a particular skill are equally skilled, but it does mean the focus is on having the rounded skills required by Chuunin, rather than specialising in one or more particular branches of the Ninja arts." Hence the Hyuuga clan's outrage, as many of their Genin had performed quite poorly in the testing, despite their 'vaunted taijutsu'.
"Genin are expected to have at least 120 of the 150 available points in the assigned Core Arts, and at least 150 points overall, if they are to be considered to participate in the Chuunin exams. This ensures that our ninja are balanced and knowledgeable enough to stand a good chance of surviving the exam process, which is considered more important that pushing for promotions right now." There was some angry muttering at this point, but Nami had said most of what she planned on saying, which the Hokage seemed to understand as he spoke up.
"Thank you. What Chuunin Shimura hasn't specifically pointed out, is that at this moment, only two teams qualify for the chance to join the exams! Given that one of the teams was under a Jounin in Masori's pocket, I wouldn't be comfortable with them competing. So, this leaves me with quite the problem, especially as we are hosting the exams this time. Whilst Chuunin Shimura and her team have been highlighting areas for improvement for the different Jounin to pursue, I am not quite so old yet to think I know everything. What are people's thoughts on the the new system?"
There were several seconds where no-one spoke, though judging by the small vein that was throbbing in Hiashi's forehead he was barely resisting the urge to let his 'view' be known, and Nami doubted that she was the only one that had noticed.
"It is very different that what has been previously expected of our Genin teams, and I can already tell that it has highlighted differences in what we expect from the Academy results…" That was possibly the most diplomatic way Shikaku Nara could have stated it, the breaking of silence enough to convince the other Shinobi that they could speak.
"There is a clear disparity between males and females in the rankings, ignoring a couple of outliers, Kunoichi from the last few years seemed to be far lower down the list on average. Is it an issue with what we are teaching at the academy?" The comment from Inoichi Yamanaka was somewhat surprising, given it was usually impolite to comment on the combat differences between male and female ninja.
But with his own daughter ranking just above the 40% 'probationary status' line, such concerns were probably at the forefront of his mind, and would undoubtedly lead to some extra training in the near future for his little girl. Nami quickly glanced to the Hokage, and upon receiving his approving nod, spoke up over the murmured discussions to reply.
"We are already looking at reviewing the Academy syllabus, there has been feedback from some of the Genin we talked to however. They imply the problem is more to do with the Kunoichi applicants themselves, as much as it is anything about the training." Her answer didn't seem to mollify the man much, but he probably knew what she was talking about.
Whilst Naruto and his clone had been horrified by her descriptions of some of the training she had been forced to undertake as part of ROOT, the little bits she could tell them without her tongue seal acting up at least, Nami was quite glad she had been forced through the harsh training. She had seen the performances of some of the Active Genin Kunoichi, some of which were only a couple of years younger than her, and their performances had her wincing.
"It is impressive how high up the list many of the recent graduates are, though the opposite can be said for some of the older Genin. I can't say I pay much attention to individual Genin teams, but isn't that Dr Yakushi's boy? He must have been a Genin for at least five years now, and he's only just above the middle of the list." Tsume Inuzuka's comment about one of the oldest serving full Genin Teams touched upon something of a sore point, as Nami had been the one to question whether there was another reason the team had spent so long as Genin, despite going through so many Chuunin exams.
Given the trouble with Masori, and her own 'spying' on Naruto, her admittedly probing comment had been taken rather seriously. The entire team were to be monitored going forward for suspicious activity, once the ANBU cadre had sorted itself out enough to spare the ninja to do it of course. Luckily, a haughty and disdainful remark pierced the room like a kunai before she had to come up with a reply.
"The testing has obviously got some way to go, clearly there are issues with measuring the true potential of our Genin by this formula. There is no way the Uzumaki would have scored higher than last year's Top Rookie…" And there it was, Hiashi managing to accuse the Hokage of favouring the young container, disparage the system that scored his clan so lowly and do it all without making it sound like he was being a complete ass about it.
"The tests were all performed without any input from myself or any Ninja outside the GSATT department Hiashi-san, and I know for a fact that Chuunin Shimura excluded herself from testing Genin Uzumaki, given their personal interactions. So whilst there might be some work that needs to be done on balancing the testing still, I will not permit you casting derogatory comments about one of our most promising Genin, especially as your real reason for being displeased is obvious…" But, just because Hiashi hadn't thrown an obvious tantrum, the Hokage didn't seem overly prepared to suffer the veiled barbs in silence.
"And that is what concerns me Hokage-sama, your favouritism of the Uzumaki is well known, especially given he only passed because you ignored the recommendations of the Academy results. Just because you may not have intervened directly…" Whatever Hiashi was going to say next was cut off, the stoic Hyuuga head blinking in surprise as not one but two kunai buried themselves in the desk in front of him.
"I would be very careful Hyuuga-san, you were getting very close to implying that Hokage-sama was corruptly using his position to promote his favourites… Which could not be further from the truth in fact, the only reason that Uzumaki-san is still a Genin is because the Hokage declined my request to induct him into ANBU last week." That brought more than one small noise of shock from around the room, even as the Tiger masked ANBU who had spoken walked calmly forward to reclaim his kunai, the fact the dagger was buried almost hilt deep in the wooden desk an implication of the man's annoyance.
"It seems that Chuunin Shimura also did not appreciate the implications about her department… But that is understandable." It was only when the ANBU tossed the other kunai back across the room, Nami only just managing to catch it without fumbling, that she realised that the second kunai had been thrown by her.
It had been a reactionary throw, one she didn't even realise she had done until the ANBU had brought it up, and that worried her. It was the sort of emotional response that Danzo-sama would have forced her through re-conditioning for, and as she pocketed the kunai she couldn't help but wonder what had caused her to start reacting so much.
"ANBU Commander Tora, you cannot be implying that the boy is ANBU material… Even according to these initial testing results, he wouldn't even qualify for Chuunin testing yet. Putting him into the Cadre would be a slaughter." Nami hadn't recognised the ANBU until one of the Shinobi mentioned his position, and the fact that he had not only noticed her but approved of her actions was both reassuring and worrying at the same time.
Not quite as worrying as the honest to god belly chuckle that Tora gave a moment later, the man glancing at the Hokage before holding up a scroll questioningly.
"May I Hokage-sama? I will keep it to an overview…" There was a pause, as everyone seemed to struggle with the amused tone in the man's voice, before the Hokage nodded in a resigned manner.
"The following material Tora-san is about to reveal to you is an A-rank secret, and will not be discussed outside this room. It is embarrassing enough as it is…" Nami knew, even before Tora opened up the scroll he had been carrying and tossed it over to the still fuming Hyuuga, that Naruto had done something that would upset quite a few of the gathered Shinobi.
Even as Hiashi's eyes dropped to take in the writing on the scroll, Nami could only hope that it wouldn't lead to her needing to help assault another warehouse off the books.
She wasn't sure the Hokage would be entirely so forgiving this time…
A/N: And so the ripples spread. Not only does Naruto kicking the ANBU's collective behind lead to extensive retraining for the entire group, but it has caused those within the Konoha Command structure take a closer look at what is expected of other levels of Ninja rank.
I've put the basics of 'The List' below, feel free to comment or let me know what you think. It's a hit against the over specialised Genin that dominate the Konoha 12, though I have been a lot kinder to some of them than I perhaps should.
On a more serious note, I have to offer an apology now. I have recently bought a house, which all of a sudden means I have suddenly got to worry about this whole 'being an adult and managing my budget' thing. I know I don't post regularly, but this is me letting you guys know that that rate is going to drop significantly going forward.
I did set up a .on account, but I don't think what I offer on here is going to be worth people spending money on. Though, if you want to check it out, it is the same username as I use here. Perhaps I am being overly pessimistic.
I have muscled through all of my working stories to provide you with a new chapter for each of them, I hope you all enjoy them, and apologies for the bad news.
Let me know what you think guys!
List Attributes:
To be considered eligible for Chuunin Exams:
Minimum score of 120 out of 150 for Core Skills (80%)
Minimum score of 150 out of 210 Overall Skills (70%)
To avoid being placed on probationary status:
Minimum score of 90 out of 150 for Core Skills (60%)
Minimum score of 105 out of 210 Overall Skills (50%)
Core:
Taijutsu Style 1 (Academy style):
Taijutsu Style 2 (?):
Academy Ninjutsu:
Basic Ninjutsu (At least 1 C Rank, 3+ D Rank or below):
Kunai Basics:
Shuriken Basics:
Basic Ninja Theory:
Basic Civilian Theory:
Basic Survival Skills:
Basic Evasion:
Basic Tactics:
Basic Chakra Usage:
Konoha Ciphers (Genin):
Basic Genjutsu Cancellation:
Basic Seals:
Supplementary Skills:
Taijutsu Style 3 (?):
Weapon Style 1 (?):
Weapon Style 2 (?):
Ranged Weapon (?):
Basic Genjutsu:
Advanced Jutsu (?):
Tenten (155 out of 210)
Core (120 out of 150):
Taijutsu Style 1 (Academy style): 9
Taijutsu Style 2 (Iron Fist): 7
Academy Ninjutsu: 9
Basic Ninjutsu (At least 1 C Rank, 3+ D Rank or below): 3
Kunai Basics: 10
Shuriken Basics: 10
Basic Ninja Theory: 9
Basic Civilian Theory:6
Basic Survival Skills: 8
Basic Evasion: 10
Basic Tactics: 6
Basic Chakra Usage: 5
Konoha Ciphers (Genin): 9
Basic Genjutsu Cancellation: 8
Basic Seals: 10
Supplementary Skills (35 out of 60):
Taijutsu Style 3 (None): 0
Weapon Style 1 (Katana): 9
Weapon Style 2 (Bo Staff): 8
Ranged Weapon (Senbon):10
Basic Genjutsu: 0
Advanced Jutsu (Weapons summoning): 9
Lee (115 out of 150)
Core (90 out of 150):
Taijutsu Style 1 (Academy style): 10
Taijutsu Style 2 (Iron Fist): 10
Academy Ninjutsu: 0
Basic Ninjutsu (At least 1 C Rank, 3+ D Rank or below): 0
Kunai Basics: 8
Shuriken Basics: 7
Basic Ninja Theory: 8
Basic Civilian Theory:7
Basic Survival Skills: 10
Basic Evasion: 10
Basic Tactics: 4
Basic Chakra Usage: 0
Konoha Ciphers (Genin): 9
Basic Genjutsu Cancellation: 0
Basic Seals: 7
Supplementary Skills (28 out of 60):
Taijutsu Style 3 (Strong Leg): 10
Weapon Style 1 (Bo Staff): 6
Weapon Style 2 (Nunchucks): 6
Ranged Weapon (None):0
Basic Genjutsu: 0
Advanced Jutsu (Gates): 6
Neji (122 out of 210)
Core (112 out of 150):
Taijutsu Style 1 (Academy style): 7
Taijutsu Style 2 (Gentle Fist Style): 10
Academy Ninjutsu: 7
Basic Ninjutsu (At least 1 C Rank, 3+ D Rank or below): 0
Kunai Basics: 7
Shuriken Basics: 7
Basic Ninja Theory: 8
Basic Civilian Theory:8
Basic Survival Skills: 5
Basic Evasion: 10
Basic Tactics: 8
Basic Chakra Usage: 10
Konoha Ciphers (Genin): 7
Basic Genjutsu Cancellation: 10
Basic Seals: 8
Supplementary Skills (10 out of 60):
Taijutsu Style 3 (None): 0
Weapon Style 1 (None): 0
Weapon Style 2 (None): 0
Ranged Weapon (None):0
Basic Genjutsu: 0
Advanced Jutsu (Hyuga jutsu): 10
Sasuke (139 out of 210)
Core (117 out of 150):
Taijutsu Style 1 (Academy style): 10
Taijutsu Style 2 (None): 0
Academy Ninjutsu: 10
Basic Ninjutsu (1 C Rank, 3+ D Rank or below): 10
Kunai Basics: 9
Shuriken Basics: 9
Basic Ninja Theory: 10
Basic Civilian Theory: 4
Basic Survival Skills: 6
Basic Evasion: 10
Basic Tactics: 4
Basic Chakra Usage: 9
Konoha Ciphers (Genin): 8
Basic Genjutsu Cancellation: 10
Basic Seals: 8
Supplementary Skills (22 out of 60):
Taijutsu Style 3 (None): 0
Weapon Style 1 (None): 0
Weapon Style 2 (None): 0
Ranged Weapon (Demon Shuriken):8
Basic Genjutsu: 8
Advanced Jutsu (Earthen Wall Technique): 6
Sakura (108 out of 210)
Core (102 out of 150):
Taijutsu Style 1 (Academy style): 8
Taijutsu Style 2 (Swaying Willow): 2
Academy Ninjutsu: 9
Basic Ninjutsu (At least 1 C Rank, 3+ D Rank or below): 4
Kunai Basics: 6
Shuriken Basics: 6
Basic Ninja Theory: 10
Basic Civilian Theory:10
Basic Survival Skills: 5
Basic Evasion: 3
Basic Tactics: 8
Basic Chakra Usage: 6
Konoha Ciphers (Genin): 10
Basic Genjutsu Cancellation:7
Basic Seals: 8
Supplementary Skills (6 out of 60):
Taijutsu Style 3 (None): 0
Weapon Style 1 (None): 0
Weapon Style 2 (None): 0
Ranged Weapon (None):0
Basic Genjutsu: 6
Advanced Jutsu (None): 0
Naruto 127 out of 210
Core (102 out of 150):
Taijutsu Style 1 (Academy style): 6
Taijutsu Style 2 (None): 0
Academy Ninjutsu: 7
Basic Ninjutsu (At least 1 C Rank, 3+ D Rank or below): 6
Kunai Basics: 5
Shuriken Basics: 5
Basic Ninja Theory: 8
Basic Civilian Theory: 6
Basic Survival Skills: 10
Basic Evasion: 10
Basic Tactics: 7
Basic Chakra Usage: 10
Konoha Ciphers (Genin): 5
Basic Genjutsu Cancellation: 7
Basic Seals: 10
Supplementary Skills (25 out of 60):
Taijutsu Style 3 (None): 0
Weapon Style 1 (Axe): 6
Weapon Style 2 (Kubikiribucho): 3
Ranged Weapon (Bow):6
Basic Genjutsu: 0
Advanced Jutsu (Shadow Clones): 10