A Series of Tests
Hansuke's eyes snapped open before he leaped off his bed. He started stretching his arms and legs as he yawned.
'Today's the day!' he thought excitedly. He glanced at the alarm clock on his desk. '10:53, huh? That means that Chi's long gone.'
After Chizue graduated early, she was put on a very rigorous schedule by her jounin sensei. When Hansuke woke up every morning, she would already be gone and she would arrive a little before sunset, worn and tired from the long day. He would ask her what she'd be doing and all she would say is, "Training." It made Hansuke a bit nervous. As much as he loved his twin, he really hoped he wasn't on her team. He wouldn't want to work long hours like that!
After cleaning himself up in the bathroom, Hansuke began getting dressed. He put on a yellow long-sleeved shirt and green trousers. On top of the shirt, he pulled on a blue vest with the Uzumaki crest on the back of it. Kushina had taken them shopping after Chizue graduated, making sure they were outfitted in acceptable ninja clothing. She also made sure that all the attire had the spiral pattern on the back to show off their heritage. He opened one of his desk drawers and pulled out his Leaf headband. He wrapped it around his forehead, keeping his short curtained red hair out of his eyes. Looking at the mirror, he flashed a brilliant smile.
'I look like a real ninja now.' he thought before exiting his room.
Kushina was in the kitchen, hovering over the stove. She had just woken up, given that her hair was still unkempt and her face still unwashed. She yawned loudly.
"Morning, Kushina-nee!" Hansuke said exuberantly.
The young adult grunted in response. Hansuke chuckled. He knew his sister wasn't a morning person. He sniffed the air in the kitchen, taking in the aroma of what she was cooking.
'Eggs!' the boy thought. He pulled two plates out of one of the cabinets.
"I'm meeting my jounin sensei today." he said as he waited for her to finish cooking, "D'ya know who it would be?"
"No clue kiddo." she said. She pulled the pan off the stove and shoveled equal amounts of the breakfast onto each of their plates.
"Well, I hope it's Min-kun," Hansuke mumbled as he chewed his food. "He's so cool!"
"That he is," Kushina replied, "But don't be too disappointed if you get someone else. All of the jounin are impressive ninjas. You'd be lucky to learn from any of them, y'know."
"Yeah, you're right. I just hope I don't get stuck with Chi's. They're a real piece of work. She's almost never home."
"If he's willing to put that much time into his students, then that probably means he's a good teacher."
"You're probably right. Chi's such a go-getter. At this rate, she'll make chunin in no time."
Kushina didn't say anything to that, instead quickly finishing her plate before going to clean the dishes. Hansuke noticed her lack of response but didn't say anything about it. He finished his eggs and placed his plate in the sink. He washed his hands and face before walking back to his room. Hansuke grabbed his scrolls and shoved them into the inner pocket of his vest. He also grabbed his father's brush. It's hilt was red with the same spiral crest near the neck. Once he entered the academy, he made sure to always bring his heirloom to wherever he went. It was like his dad was with him always.
The corners of his eyes stung with tears but they didn't fall. He wiped them quickly before shoving the brush into his pocket. He walked out of his bedroom. The bathroom was occupied, the sound of a running shower ringing through the door. Hansuke walked past the kitchen and opened the front door.
"I'm off!" he called out.
"Alright! Have a good day!" Kushina's muffled voice hollered. He walked out of the apartment and made his way out of the building.
The streets were busy, with civilians and shinobi alike roaming about. To avoid the hustle and bustle, Hansuke leaped onto the rooftops, hoping to cut his travel time in half.
He arrived at his classroom roughly fifteen minutes later. It was already mostly full, though there were some seats that were empty. Shockingly, there were some faces that he didn't recognize and some of his classmates were missing. One student that he didn't know was a boy with a bandana and a pair of black sunglasses. Obito was also missing, but that boy was perpetually late so that didn't worry him. Hansuke found Rin sitting near the front so he decided to join her. She was wearing a short sleeved black shirt and a light-colored skirt. Her hitai-ite was around her forehead.
"Hey, Rin-chan!" he exclaimed before taking a seat next to her.
"Hey." she said in response, "You graduated?"
"Uh-huh. You surprised?"
"I mean, I thought you'd fail the written exam. You said you barely studied."
"C'mon. That stuff was easy. I doubt anyone would fail that. You excited to meet your new sensei?"
"More nervous really," the girl replied with a sheepish smile, "I wonder who they'll be and what they'd be like."
"I just hope that they're not some slave driver. If I wanted to work from dusk till dawn, I would've become a farmer."
The two of them quieted down once they saw Genko-sensei enter the room. She had a sheet of paper in her hand.
"Alright, everyone,"she said, "We don't have much to do so let's get this show on the road." She then began their final lecture
Thirty minutes into the speech, Obito rushed in, wearing his blue jacket and black pants, his signature orange goggles reflecting off the light in the room. "Sorry about that! Auntie needed help with her groceries and I-"
"Shut it and sit down," the teacher hissed. Obito quickly obliged, sitting next to Hansuke.
"Man, I bet you'd be late to your own funeral," Hansuke whispered, "Probably get roped into helping the shinigami reap souls." Rin chuckled at the Uchiha's expense.
"Well, you'd-shut up!" Obito hissed back, his cheeks with embarrassment.
While they were squabbling, their instructor continued her speech, which was actually quite interesting. It was about specializations and roles on teams. Rin shushed the two boys and pointed at the annoyed teacher. The two took the hint and shut up.
"Each team will always have three members excluding your sensei. This was always the case. Even the second Hokage had Lord Third, Mitakado-san, and Utatane-san. However, one thing that is new is the roles each member is responsible for."
"Generally, a proper shinobi should be adept at all three disciplines, but if one teammate is better at ninjutsu, one should be good at taijutsu, and another should be better at genjutsu. A genin might continue training at these disciplines but that's not all. There are a bunch of other specializations to explore and learn from. For example, Tsunade Senju, one of the Sannin is a medic-nin, one of the best there is at the craft. Jiraiya, her teammate, is a sealing specialist. Both of these subjects are accessible to learn as genin, though they are both difficult to master."
"What about Orochimaru?" one of the students asked.
"I'm not really sure what he specializes in, but I've heard that his skills at genjutsu are nothing to scoff at. Fuinjutsu and medical ninjutsu aren't the only options, though. My point is that if you want to survive as a ninja, you have to continue your training. Especially now. Don't assume just because you graduated from the Academy that your work is over."
She immediately turned around and began writing on the blackboard. The students all began thinking about what Genko said. Some wondered what specialties they should look into while others wondered what roles they should play in their teams. Hansuke was already confident about one thing.
'I already got my specialization. I got fuinjutsu down spat, don'cha know?'
Pretty soon the blackboard was completely covered by a long list of names:
"Team 1: Ginji Amano, Kagome Higuarashi, Tenmei Kakyoin. Team 3: Shito Akimichi, Daen Nara, Kohinkaru Yamanaka. Team 4: Ebisu, Gemma Shiranui. Team 6: Akame Akumaken, Kazuto Kirigaya, Kintoki Sakata. Team 7: Obito Uchiha, Rin Nohara. Team 8: Kouichi Seijo, Hansuke Uzumaki. Team 10: Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuuhi."
"Sensei, why do some teams only have two members while others have three?" Kurenai asked.
"That's because some jounin sensei already have an apprentice with them. Thus, they only need two more members."
'So me and that Kouchi kid are on one of these teams. I wonder who the apprentice on our team is."
"Do you know who the sensei and apprentices are?" Genma asked.
"I do." Genko said with a smirk. She didn't elaborate.
"Are you gonna tell us?"
A pregnant pause followed by a quick Shunshin was the answer that they received. The class began immediately discussing their assignments.
"Aww, lucky!" Hansuke said to his friends,"You guys get to be together!"
"Yep. Sucks to be you!" Obito said with the biggest shit-eating grin Hansuke's ever seen.
"Sorry, Han-kun." Rin said placatingly, "We'll still see you around."
"You'd better!" he said as he rose from his seat, "I'm going to talk to my new teammate."
Kouichi was sitting alone in the back of the classroom, his head buried into what seemed to be a comic book. He was dressed in a red T-shirt and tan pants that were connected to suspenders. He wore his headband on his arm. Around the boy's neck was a silver necklace attached to a blue gem. Hansuke plopped himself down next to the blond.
"Hey, dude." Hansuke said. Kouichi didn't respond.
"Dude?" Still nothing.
'This boy's got no awareness,' Hansuke sweat dropped.
"Kouichi!" he called out again.
"Huh? What happened?" The boy said, looking at the one who called him.
"We're on the same team."
"Oh? And who are you?"
Hansuke rubbed the bridge of his nose, "I'm Hansuke Uzumaki. We've been in the same class for almost four years?"
"Oh yeah! My bad, bro."
"Since we have some time, why don't you join me and my friends-"
"My friends and I." Kouichi interrupted.
"Huh?"
"The proper term is 'my friends and I'. Just saying."
It was at that moment that Hansuke realized that he might not like Kouichi.
"Yeah. Anyway, why don't you join my friends and I for lunch?"
"I'd love to-"
'Sweet.'
"-But I can't."
'Huh?'
"See, I don't actually have lunch. Or lunch money. Or much of anything really."
Hansuke frowned, "Really? You got no lunch?"
"Nope. Didn't think we would need to bring lunch."
"Did you at least eat breakfast?" Hansuke asked.
"Yep." A stomach rumbled, "Nope."
At that point in the conversation, the boy didn't look up from his book. His violet eyes moved across the page rapidly.
"Really?" Hansuke asked, "Dang, man. Well, I had breakfast so I don't really need my lunch money. It's on me."
"Nah, I can't accept that."
"Sure you can. We're teammates now and teammates gotta look out for each other, don'cha know?"
The boy's eyes tore away from his book as he peered at Hansuke. Hansuke flinched slightly but looked back. Purple eyes pierced through brown as Kouichi sized his partner up. Sweat pooled under Hansuke's headband but then all Kouichi did was nod.
"Alright. If you're really offering, then thanks."
"No problem, dude." Hansuke stood up and walked towards his friends.
"Hey, guys. Lunch?" he asked, waving finger guns at the two of them.
"Of course!" Rin said, "Is your teammate joining?"
"Yeah." Hansuke said, "Let's go."
"So, what'd you guys think about that lecture?" Hansuke asked his peers. They were currently sitting at a table in Hinode Restaurant, a fast food place near the Academy. It sold a variety of dishes for cheap.
"I'm not really sure," Rin said as she dug into her curry, "I was thinking about looking into medical ninjutsu."
"I think that'd be perfect," Obito mumbled, his mouth full of sandwich, "If you could get that down, you could heal our injuries no problem."
"Chew and swallow, Obito-kun," Rin chided, "But yeah, becoming a medic-nin would be crucial to our team."
"It is a pretty difficult branch to master, though," Kouichi said, "I heard you oughta have excellent chakra control to be successful at it."
"Rin's got that in spades." Obito said with a smile, "Her chakra control's really good."
"What about you, Obi?" Hansuke asked, "Anything you're thinking about?"
"I'm gonna learn as many ninjutsu as I can, especially once I get my Sharingan."
"Yeah, yeah. Pinwheel eyes, got it." Hansuke replied, "Honestly, I think you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that you shouldn't rely on your fancy eye magic, dude."
"Well, who asked you?" Obito said, crossing his arms.
"Guys…." Rin said with a cautious tone. She could always sense when an argument was coming.
Hansuke held up his hands but still continued, "Don't mean to insult you, but the Sharingma'am-"
"Sharingan."
"Whatever. It's not foolproof. Yeah, it has some broken abilities, but I bet a strong enough opponent could get past it."
"Sounds like you're underestimating the best dojutsu."
"I wouldn't call it the best."
"Oh yeah? What's better then? And don't you say Byakugan. All those bozos can do is see really hard." Obito said.
"Nah, I was thinking Rinnegan."
"Bro, that's fake!"
Hansuke's eyes narrowed, "So, you're saying that the Sage-"
"Enough!" Rin shouted, immediately extinguishing the debate between the two, "We're getting off track." She sighed, "Since you asked the both of us, what field do you want to specialize in, Hansuke?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm already really good at fuinjutsu, so I'll just continue mastering that."
"Oh?" Kouichi said, "How good are you?"
Without a word, Hansuke reached into his pocket. He pulled out two scrolls and placed them on the table. He opened both scrolls, revealing one to be covered in writing while the other one was empty. He imbued his index finger with chakra, a blue tinge appearing on the tip of it, before placing the finger on the written scroll. A small puff of smoke erupted from the scroll and in its place appeared a jar full of ink. Hansuke pulled out his father's brush and dipped it in the ink. He began scribbling quickly on the empty scroll while extending an open palm to his teammate.
"Hey, Kouichi. Lemme see your necklace real quick."
"What? No."
"C'mon. I'll give it back to you after a minute."
"Ugh fine." The blond pulled the necklace and handed it to the redhead. As soon as he did that, the boy stopped scribbling and placed the necklace over the now scribbled on scroll. The scroll glowed before the necklace disappeared.
"Where'd it go?" Kouichi asked.
"It's in the scroll." Hansuke answered.
"That's pretty cool." Obito said, "But it's not really anything special."
"I've been able to put small animals into scroll too, but I have to test on bigger animals before I think it's safe on humans." The Uzumaki pushed chakra into the scroll containing the necklace and it reappeared. He handed it back to Kouichi before resealing his ink.
"So, what's with the ink? Is it made different?" Rin asked.
"Yep. It's a mixture of gum, my blood, and water."
"Blood?! Why would you need blood?" Rin asked, looking a little perturbed.
"Well, it has something to do with chakra. It needs to be bound to the paper and a good material that binds chakra is blood."
"Oh." she said in response, "Well, we have to head back. The jounin sensei should be arriving at the classroom any minute."
"Dang it. Where is he?" Hansuke asked aloud. The class was empty except for the two of them and Genko. He wasn't sure why she stayed given that she had no other classes to teach but he didn't say anything.
"Patience is a virtue," his instructor said, still facing the board. She was playing a game of Tic-Tac-Toe against Kouichi to kill time, "Your teacher isn't even that late."
"But he is late." Kouichi said. He groaned as his teacher somehow beat him again, "What type of teacher is late to his own students?"
"He's already informed me that he'll be late by a couple of minutes. He had to find a training exercise for his apprentice that he didn't need to supervise."
"Oh." Kouichi said, "He sounds like he takes training seriously."
"That I do." A foreign voice said. The trio turned towards the now open door. A young man stood in the doorway. He had slick black hair and pale skin. He wore a dark short-sleeved shirt with a very high collar, high enough that it covered some of his chin. He was also wearing the standard jonin pants and had black shinobi sandals.
"Thanks for staying with them, Genko. I owe you one."
"You bet you do!" She said, walking up to the man and raising one of her hands high. The man immediately clapped the hand with his own before she left the room.
"Have a seat." The man said sternly. Kouichi immediately did as he was told. The man picked up one of the erasers and wiped the board clean with a single move. Chalk residue filled the air for a couple of seconds. He then picked up a piece of chalk and began writing down some words on the board. Once he was finished he turned away without a word. Hansuke looked at the board and read:
"Name the five basic nature transformations."
The man handed them each some papers and pencils. The two boys immediately began answering questions by themselves. After a couple of seconds they raised their hands. The man then looked at their answers and nodded. He wiped the board and wrote another question:
"Name one nature transformation derived from a bloodline and state the releases it incorporates."
Kouichi immediately wrote down "Mokuton: mixture between Doton and Suiton." He raised his hand but this time the man didn't acknowledge it.
Hansuke scratched his head a bit. He remembered that there was a lecture detailing all these bloodline limits but all he could remember was the three dojutsu, which didn't apply here. After a couple of seconds, the man shook his head.
"Since the both of you couldn't answer a simple question, I'm making you show up an hour earlier tomorrow."
"But sir, I had the answer." Kouichi complained.
"Too bad. Your friend didn't." With that statement, he turned back to the board, wiped it and wrote another question. Hansuke looked at the blond, ready to apologize, but was surprised to find the boy to be completely calm. He was unfazed by the punishment.
"Name one famous user of a bloodline nature transformation."
'Shit, that's another hour.' Hansuke thought. He tried to search his brain for at least a decent answer but instead felt a tapping on his shoulder. He turned to find Kouichi showing him his paper. Hansuke smiled and copied the answer down. They both raised their hands.
"Stop. You pass the first test."
Hansuke craned his neck. "What test?"
"You two began answering my questions separately as if it were a written exam when I didn't give you orders dictating that was the case. You guys could've used each other to get the answer." He then walked up to the teacher's desk, opened the drawer, and pulled out a notebook. He flipped it open and showed them its contents. It had five questions and answers in it, including the first three that they were just asked.
"This first test was to test if you could use your surroundings to gather information. As you can see, you had five chances to get it right."
"We only needed three tries." Hansuke said with a smirk.
"Woo-hoo!" Kouichi exclaimed.
"Hold your horses now," the jounin said, "This is only the first test. There's more."
'Aw, dang it.'
"The next one is a scavenger hunt spanning the entirety of Konohagakure. You'll only have one hint and two hours to find the location, complete the objective, and reach the secondary location. If you fail, you'll be sent back to the Academy."
"What?!" Hansuke exclaimed, "You can't do that!"
"Yes, I can. Every jounin is required to test their new genin. The test can be anything that the jounin asks, no matter how frivolous or arduous the trials are." The man grabbed their two papers before writing something on each of them. He handed the papers back to the confused and nervous boys.
"This is the hint. Happy hunting." With a puff of smoke, the man was gone.
The two boys looked at the paper and read the hint:
"Search for the house of light between the hearths of the four noble flames. Obtain nourishment from the servant of the house. Face towards the shadows of present and past. Climb the mountain of forefathers and pay tribute."
The two boys turned to each other before simultaneously saying, "Dang it."
The two teammates were standing on top of a rooftop. Hansuke was glancing around the area, his brows furrowed in exasperation as he searched for the 'house of light'. Kouichi was doing the same, gazing periodically at a map that they procured from a nearby shop.
"So, I'm guessing that the four noble flames are the four noble clans of Konoha: the Aburame, the Akimichi, the Hyuuga, and the Uchiha." Kouichi explained to the Uzumaki, "A hearth is basically a fireplace and is synonymous with home, so I think that the hearths are their residences."
Kouichi then used a pencil to connect the four residences. The shape created from doing this was rectangular. He then made a wide cross inside the rectangle and circled around where the lines crossed.
"The 'house of light' is probably in that area."
"Good job, dude." Hansuke said with a wide smile, "You're really good at this stuff, don'cha know?"
"Yes I am!" Kouichi said proudly before quickly sobering again, "Sorry about that. I get too excited sometimes."
"Why are you apologizing? You've been on fire today! We would've failed the first test without you."
"Let's just find the 'house of light'." Kouichi said before jumping across the rooftop. Hansuke followed. After a good thirty minutes of their silent trek, they reached the center area. Hansuke immediately spotted a large spire with a lightbulb at the top. The light bulb was off as it was still light outside, but it was still noticeable due to its size.
"That must be it!" Hansuke exclaimed before dropping down to the street below. As he approached the building, a very strong tang wafted into his nose. It smelled of grilled meat and rice. His mouth watered without his consent. He entered the building, not surprised that the place was a restaurant; Kouichi was not far behind.
'So, the 'house of light' is a restaurant?' he thought before sighing, 'The nourishment is literally food. Goddammit, the dude sent us on a food run!'
Behind the counter was a robust woman with short black hair, olive skin, and orange markings around her eyes. She was wearing a short-sleeved shirt with a long-skirt under an apron. She smiled widely at the duo.
"You're here for that mystery order, right?" she asked, her voice a crescendo in the orchestra of noises in the large eatery.
"Um. I think so?" Hansuke said hesitantly. Even though he knew he was here to grab some food for his potential sensei, he wasn't sure what the order actually was.
"That Uchiha fella came in here with the weirdest instructions ever. What type of weirdo tells children to pick up his food?"
"If it's who I think it is, then it's probably some type of test." A voice said from behind the genin. When they turned they found a large red-haired man with squiggly purple lines on his cheeks sitting at a table with a trio that were very familiar to the two genin.
"Hey! If it isn't Genma, Guy, and, um, Ebisu? What's up?" Hansuke said, as he made his way to the table. Guy was smiling widely while Genma looked as if his soul was ripped out of his body. Ebisu had a creepy smirk, periodically adjusting his circular shades.
"Nothing much, Han-san. It's been a while, hasn't it?!" Guy said, his tone loud and exuberant.
"Not long enough for some of us." Genma mumbled dejectedly.
The large man chuckled at his student's expense before extending a hand towards the other genin. "The name's Choza Akimichi. I'm the jounin sensei of these young bucks."
Hansuke shook his hand-it was twice as large as his own-before saying, "Hansuke Uzumaki."
"Kouichi Seijo." the blond said with a nod.
"Say, you wouldn't be related to Kushina, would you?"
"Yep, she's my big sis." Hansuke said.
"That explains the red hair." Choza said. "There's only one person I know with red hair like that and that's the Habanero."
Kouichi then spoke up, "But sir, isn't your hair red?"
"Yeah, but mine's dyed." he said, "There aren't many natural red-heads in this Village."
"Huh. That's odd." Hansuke said. A bell rang behind them and they turned to find the lady from before carrying a to-go box in her hands.
"Alright, here's the order." She handed the box to Hansuke, "That'll be 263 ryo."
The duo looked at each nervously. Neither of them had a single ryo on them. The clerk saw this and immediately scowled. She pointed at her open hand exasperatedly.
"Cough it up. I ain't got all day."
With a single nod, the duo turned on their heels and ran like their lives depended on it. Hansuke could hear Choza's roaring laughter and the clerk's shouts as they left her in the dust.
As Choza fought to regain his composure, he said, "Did he really not pay you in advance, Emiyo?"
"Oh, he did. But they didn't know that!" Emiyo said.
As the duo noticed that they were no longer being chased, they hesitantly slowed down to a brisk jog before stopping altogether. Panting, Kouichi pulled out the paper carrying the hint.
"Okay, so we got the nourishment. Now, we gotta face the shadows of the past and present."
Hansuke looked around, thinking about what that part of the riddle meant. As he glanced at the Hokage Monument, it clicked.
'Hokage. Kage means shadow. The present Hokage and past Hokage are remembered through the monument, which is also a mountain. The first and second Hokage are one of the two founders of this village, meaning they're the forefathers!'
"Kouichi, we have to climb the Hokage monument!"
"Why would we-Ohhh!" he said in realization, "Let's go then."
As they ran towards the mountain, they didn't notice a cloaked figure watching them. The figure then disappeared in a flash of movement.
After forty minutes of non-stop running and climbing, they arrived at the top of the monument, overlooking the entire village. Hansuke was standing at the cliff's edge while Kouichi was standing a couple of paces away.
"Alright, so we're here." Hansuke said between panted breaths, "What do we do now?"
Kouichi shrugged. Out of nowhere, a kunai was flung towards the blond's head.
"Kouichi, look out!" The blond sprung into action, quickly palming a kunai from his pouch before deflecting the wayward weapon. Both boys turned towards the source of the attack and found a short figure dressed in a hooded cloak along with a demon mask. They were standing on a tree branch.
"That was a warning shot. Hand me the package or prepare to die." the demon mask said. The person's voice was a bit high-pitched.
'Probably a girl or a young boy.' Hansuke thought.
"No can do, demon man. We worked hard to get the box; we're not just gonna hand it over."
Without another word, the stranger bolted towards the pair, a kunai in one of their hands. The stranger swiped at Hansuke with the blade, but he pulled his head backwards to dodge. In doing that, Hansuke left his stomach open, something that the stranger took no time in exploiting. They sent a spinning heel kick to his abdomen, sending the Uzumaki skidding across the floor.
Hansuke was suddenly very happy that he skipped lunch. For such a petite figure, their adversary's attacks packed quite a punch. He heaved a little bit before looking back up. Kouichi was in the middle of a kunai clash with the demon-masked figure, though the Seijo kid was quickly getting overwhelmed. Whoever was attacking them proved to be stronger than the both of them.
Kouichi quickly pulled out another kunai from his weapons pouch and added it to the fray. The figure opted not to do the same. Using twin kunai in the clash, Kouichi managed to dislodge the enemy's blade, sending it soaring upward. For a split second, the blond boy watched the weapon twirl in the afternoon sky.
That split second cost him his advantage.
The demon-masked stranger immediately dropped onto the ground, swinging a leg across the unsuspecting boy's feet. Kouichi tumbled as the figure jumped, attempting to catch their wayward weapon.
Hansuke had something else to say about that. He ran towards the cloaked figure, tackling them from mid-air just before they could reach the kunai. The blade landed on the ground. The two rolled across the dirt path, but Hansuke used the figure's surprise and confusion to get them into a standing full Nelson.
"Kouichi, give this bastard the one-two!" Hansuke shouted. Kouichi ran towards their trapped opponent, a powerful haymaker aimed at their masked face….
….only to have Hansuke take the blow. Kouichi's eyes widened in surprise and if it weren't for the remnant of smoke around them, they wouldn't have known that the Kawarimi was used.
Hansuke groaned, a small trail of blood appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Dammit. That bastard's good."
"Sorry." Kouichi said.
"Don't worry about it. Now that we have a bit of a breather, we should come up with a plan."
A couple minutes later, another figure showed up in the clearing. It was the jounin that ordered them to come here.
"Ah, sorry about that. I thought you guys would've taken longer-" he frowned when he noticed that they were all roughed up, "What happened?"
"Some masked dude showed up looking for the food you sent us to get. We had to fight him off." Hansuke explained, rubbing his bruised cheek.
"Well, I hope you weren't hurt too badly." the man said, "Now hand me the package."
"Sure thing, sensei." Kouichi said. He gestured towards Hansuke and he nodded.
"Actually gimme a sec," Hansuke said, "I just want to confirm something. Can you read the riddle you gave us?"
Suddenly, the man's gaze turned steely before a smile appeared on his face. "Sorry, my student. I've forgotten it."
"Oh it's no big deal." Hansuke said, "I'll just hold onto your package until you remember."
The man's face darkened, "Just hand it over, will you? Or else you'll fail this test on the spot!"
That seemed to send the two into a panic. Hansuke immediately pulled out a scroll and began walking towards the jounin. He handed the scroll over to him before walking back.
"Thank you." the man said as he opened the scroll. It had some extra paper attached to it: a red rimmed paper with kanji going lengthwise across it.
The man's eyes widened as he realized what he was looking at but it was too late. Hansuke already pulled out another paper, a red paper with beige rims, the kanji for 'detonate' appearing on the paper as he channeled his chakra into it.
"Click, click, boom." the Uzumaki said with a maniacal grin.
The jounin was engulfed in an explosion, sending him flying backwards. As he rolled to a stop, a plume of smoke appeared around him and in his place was the stranger.
"Clever. You saw through my ruse." the figure said, it's tone strangely jovial, "I'm curious. How did you find out that I wasn't who I appeared to be?"
"Easy. Paranoia." Hansuke answered with a smirk.
"I see." the figure said with a bow, "Forgive me for not taking you seriously."
"Wait, what do you mean-"
The figure made the Tiger hand seal and disappeared. Hansuke didn't even have time to yelp in surprise before he was sent careening from a strike to his jaw. Kouichi immediately lunged at the stranger but his fist was caught with two hands and he was slung onto the ground. The cloaked demon then held his hands behind him with one of their own, kneeing him on the back to prevent him from getting out of the hold. The masked person spun a kunai in their free hand before placing it at the blond's throat.
"No more games." the figure said, their voice now deathly serious, "Give me the package or your friend dies."
Hansuke got to his feet, but hesitated to take another step. His face was contorted with anger.
"Hansuke, don't listen to them! Go look for sensei! He can help!" Kouichi exclaimed.
The stranger did not appreciate their hostage's response. They took the blade at his throat and slashed it on his cheek, a reward for his brave words. Blood seeped out of the superficial wound.
"If you step away from here, I'll make sure that when you get back that your friend will be long dead. That's my promise to you."
Hansuke clenched his fists in anger as his body shuddered with trepidation.
"I'll give you till the count of three to give me the package." the stranger said.
"1…." Hansuke thrust his hand into his vest.
"2…." Hansuke pulled out one of his scrolls and walked forwards.
"3…." Hansuke dropped the scroll in front of the stranger before backing away quickly.
The masked person grabbed the scroll and opened it. They channeled some chakra into the scroll and the to-go box appeared. Satisfied, the stranger resealed the food item before stepping off Kouichi. The blond immediately tried attacking the figure by kicking them from his grounded position, but all his foot met was air.
A faint clapping sound rang out in the area. It became louder and louder, as if it was getting closer in proximity. Hansuke turned around and saw the jounin they were supposed to meet. He was clapping his hands with a toothless grin on his face.
"Great job. Give me the to-go box."
The masked person pulled Kouichi to his feet then walked towards the jounin before handing him the scroll.
"Thank you. As for the two of you…."
Kouichi and Hansuke gulped, looking at him as his expression soured before he broke out into a wide smile.
"You guys pass with flying colors."
The two boys had the exact same expression: a mixture of confusion and barely hidden elation.
"But we lost the to-go box." Kouichi said.
"That you did, but you showed that you're already aware of the most important skills to have as a ninja: teamwork. That's a virtue that even some experienced shinobi are unskilled in. What's the point of the mission's success if your entire team is killed in the process? What's the point in defending an outpost if there's no one to man it later? I know this may sound a little corny, but teamwork makes the dream work. It's a shame that not everyone can see that."
The duo nodded. While he was lecturing, the cloaked stranger was administering first aid to the two boys and handing them bottled water. Hansuke took his bottled water and began rinsing his bloodied mouth.
"Now that you've passed, I believe introductions are in order. My name is Tatakai Uchiha. I am a jounin of the Uchiha clan and Konohagakure. I am skilled in three nature releases: fire, wind, and earth. I am also fairly good at genjutsu due to my clan's signature Sharingan. I like barbecue with rice, training myself and my students, and hanging out with my friends, though the latter will always take a back seat to training. My goal is to prepare you as best as I can for ninja life. I dislike those who don't take serious things seriously."
He nodded to Hansuke. "My name is Hansuke Uzumaki. I'm a genin of Konohagakure. I'm good at using fuinjutsu and the Academy Three. I'm not very good at genjutsu besides dispelling them. I like pork cutlets, making breakthroughs in sealing, and playing pranks on my friends. My goal is to become a seal master. I hate vegetables."
Kouichi went next, "My name is Kouichi Seijo. I am a genin fresh out of the Academy. I am adept at the Academy Three along with creating and dispelling genjutsu. I like anpan with a side of milk, comic books, and solving puzzles. I don't have any real goals though I hope that changes in the future. I dislike bullies."
Just as the blond finished his introduction, the masked person finished their first aid. They patched up any cuts that the two boys had, including the one they inflicted on Kouichi's cheek. They then pulled off their hood and mask, revealing a face very familiar to Hansuke, a face that was with him for almost all his life. Hansuke's jaw dropped as he saw his sister's face, a bit grimy from the explosion but otherwise fine.
"My name is Chizue Uzumaki. I am also a genin and good at using the Kawarimi, Henge, Bunshin, and Shunshin. I like eating almost any meal with the exception of ramen, training, and learning new things. I don't really have a goal. It's more like a creed: I want to protect my loved ones. I also dislike bullies along with sweets."
"Chi! You were the enemy the whole time?!" Hansuke exclaime.
"Yeah, I was. Tatakai-sensei wanted to test how far my training has taken me, so he basically decided to kill two birds with one stone."
"You really put us in the ringer." Hansuke said with a pout.
"I knew you could handle it, aniki," she said with a smile before turning to the other boy, "And it's nice to meet you, Kouichi. Sorry for cutting your face. I got a bit excited." She bowed slightly.
Kouichi's face flushed before he said, "You too."
"Now that we've all met," Tatakai said, "Let me go over your training schedule. I'll be available to train you everyday of the week except for Sunday. Training time starts every day at five in the morning and goes until noon."
"Seven hours straight?!" Hansuke asked, incredulous at the schedule.
"Seven hours straight. Don't interrupt." the Uchiha said, shooting a stern look at his new student, "We will break for lunch then start on our daily missions. We will go until six in the evening or until I decide we're done. Whichever comes first. That'll be all for the day."
The three genin nodded at that, each with a different emotion. Hansuke had an anguished expression, Chizue was grinning, and Kouichi was blank as if he was daydreaming.
"From now on, you're members of Team Six. Welcome aboard."
Ninja statistics (Team Six)
Hansuke
Ninjutsu: 2
Taijutsu: 2
Genjutsu: 1.5
Intelligence: 2.5
Strength: 2
Speed: 1.5
Stamina: 3
Hand seals: 1.5
Total: 16
Kouichi
Ninjutsu: 1.5
Taijutsu: 2
Genjutsu: 2.5
Intelligence: 3
Strength: 1.5
Speed: 2
Stamina: 1
Hand seals: 2.5
Total: 16
Chizue
Ninjutsu: 2
Taijutsu: 2.5
Genjutsu: 1
Intelligence: 2.5
Strength: 2.5
Speed: 3
Stamina: 3.5
Hand seals: 2.5
Total: 19.5
Tatakai
Ninjutsu: 4
Taijutsu: 4
Genjutsu: 4
Intelligence: 4
Strength: 3.5
Speed: 4
Stamina: 3
Hand seals: 3.5
Total: 30