The class room had emptied out as more and more Jounin came by to gather up their students, soon the only people around were Team Seven and Team Nine. Sasuke isolated himself sitting at his table, Sakura was busy yelling at Naruto for complaining about how bored he was, Toshiro was offering Sakura a flower to no affect, Riku was looking out the window, and Koji was staring at the door to the room. "Naruto! No matter how many times you whine about us being here it won't make our Sensai come any faster!"
Toshiro was in total agreement, "All it serves to do it annoy us even more!" He was staring down at the orange coat wearing ninja and smirked. "But what can we expect from the person who came in last in the class."
"What did you say!" Naruto growled his fist tightened as he stared at the Yamanaka.
Riku turned back she had been silent this whole time, "Toshiro you will stop this and say you are sorry now!" The argument stopped as everyone looked at the girl who raised her voice. "We are ninjas and one day we may have to relay on everyone in this room, so pointlessly mocking one member isn't going to help!" she finished as she stared daggers at Sakura, Toshiro, and Naruto. Then focusing her attention on the two Uchihas, "And you two shouldn't just be sitting there quietly, you should be stopping this and working it out!"
Sasuke hardly moved, "I don't care about anyone else...I have one goal and anyone who gets in my way is just a waste of space." he spoke heartlessly as he glared at the young Sarutobi.
Koji stood up from the table he was sitting on, "Sasuke we all have teammates now and it is time to relay on them."
"Whatever Koji."
The door slide open as a women poked her head through the door, a soft smile on her face. Her hair a silky brown and her eyes were a piercing green, her flak jacket was unzipped and her undershirt was a bit low cut. "Hello everyone I'm the leader of Team Nine so could the three members please follow me." She walked back and waited as Koji, Riku, and Toshiro left the class room and stood before the women. "Alright lets head out to training field two, lets not waste the day."
"But Sensai aren't we heading on a mission?" Toshiro asked.
"Not yet we need to see our strengths and weaknesses." She smiled as she walked.
The four gathered around training dummies, the Jounin stepped forward. "Alright lets get the basics out of the way, I'm Hitomi Nii your teacher. You are Toshiro Yamanaka, Koji Uchiha, and Riku Sarutobi." She spoke for them not giving them much of a chance to talk. "Now I don't want to hold you up much for today but I need to test your abilities. So come at me."
The three Genin looked confused for a second, "You want us to attack you?" Koji spoke up.
"Yes best way to test your abilities now go!" She ordered.
The three Genin jumped back and lined up, "Any plans?" Toshiro asked.
"No but we need to hold her back so we can plan." Riku states as she throws down a smoke bomb giving the three the chance to hide close by. The trio were on the edge of the clearing each one behind a different tree as they watched their teacher just kinda sit there not making much of an effort.
"Alright...I have fire ninjutsu and decent taijutsu on my side." Koji was the first to open up to the team as he looked over to them.
"I have my clans Hiden but I don't think I can land it on Sensai...but I could try a genjutsu." Toshiro replied as he looked around the tree at Hitmoi.
"I do have one wind jutsu that Asuma taught me...do you think that could work if we combined all three?" Riku asked looking back at the two boys.
"It's the best shot we have."
The three genin rushed out of the trees straight for their Sensai, Toshiro was leading as he began his basic hand seals. "Ninja Arts Rose Fallings!" He smirked as he stopped now sure Hitomi was in the genjutsu since she wasn't attacking. Koji circled to her left as Riku attacked from the right both of them stopped in synch with each other, "Fire Style Fireball Jutsu!" Koji was first as fire erupted from his mouth covering the area and their Sensai. Riku was not about to stop, "Wind Style: Dust Storm Jutsu!" As her hands come together a power gust of wind and dust fly forward connecting with the fire from Koji increasing the heat of the area by a great deal.
A large dome of earth formed from the ground engulfing the fire, the three Genin looked up to see Hitomi sitting on top like nothing had happened, "Now that was something...to think you would know to use your fire and wind natures together and to have Toshiro here try to force me to stand in place." Hitomi gave them a thumbs up as the dome lowered.
"What?" Riku asked.
"Wait...you didn't know that?" Hitomi asked.
Koji shook his head as Hitomi curled back and laughed, "Wow my kids figured something out on a fluke! This was quite the learning experience then now follow me I have one last thing to show you before you are dismissed for the day."
They were around a shrine near another training field inscribed on it were various names, Toshiro scratched his head as he looked at it. "So...whats with the list of names?"
"This...this is what I fight for." Hitmoi answered in a serious tone. "The lost, the fallen, and sometimes the forgotten. The ninjas who give the ultimate act for the village, they die for it. Something that can happen to anyone and everyone, from the lowest Academy student all the way up to the Hokage. I seek to fight so that those who died before didn't die for no reason." she turned back and looked towards her students. "We all have reasons for this life. Now go home and rest, we will have our first mission tomorrow." She smiled again and raised her hand, using the body flicker she vanished leaving a small poof of smoke where she was.
The three Genin all walked up and each inspected the shrine, various names of those who had given their life for the village. It had caused a rush of emotions in the three of them as they looked towards each other. "Let's make a promise right here, that we will do everything in our power to not end up on this list but to still give everything we can for the village and our loved ones." Riku said placing her hand out. Not wasting a second Koji placed his hand over Riku's and gave a reassuring nod.
Toshiro rolled his eyes, "I guess I have to do this." he mumbled and placed his hand in as well.
"Good, now how about we get some food, my treat." Koji offered.
"Yeah no, I got better things to do then hang out with you Uchiha." Toshiro answered as he placed his hands behind his head and walked away.
Koji looked at Riku who had stars in her eyes, "Can we please go to Yakinku Q!" She practically shouted gripping Koji's arm and pulling him now.
Koji laughed softly as he walked along with her leaving the fields.
The restaurant was quiet and surprisingly empty today aside from the few people popping in, near the far corner sat Riku Sarutobi and Koji Uchiha some people who had came in stopped and thought that was a bit strange since rumors from before the massacre had gone that the Uchiha and the Sarutobi had been at each others throats. Riku looked down at the meat on the grill and was flipping it, she felt upset for some reason. "Riku? Everything okay?" Koji asked looking across from her teammate.
"What? Oh yeah I'm okay...I'm just a little upset that Toshiro didn't come." she answered.
"Toshiro and I have never really gotten along so I'm not surprise he choose not to come. Sorry if I wrecked this Riku." Koji said with a hint of sadness for thinking her hurt Riku, she had been one of his closest friends. He knew that others in his clan had mocked him for being 'friends' with one of those Sarutobi but he didn't care Riku was always there for him so he made an oath to always be here for her.
"Oh no no no!" she cried out shaking her head and arms, "It's not your fault Koji, Toshrio just needs to accept that we are a team now and we will be working together for along time." She smiled as she looked up at her friend. There may have been a slight blush on her face, she would never admit it but she always enjoyed having Koji around. "Oh shot!" she broke her thought as she noticed her beef she had been baking to perfection had been burn. "No." She mumbled softly.
Koji held up a plate from his side and set it before her, "Don't worry Riku I remember how you like your beef." he smiled and patted her shoulder.
"Koji!" she smiled as well as she began to eat from the plate.
Toshiro sat alone in his room looking at his wall. "I'm not going to lose to that fool Uchiha...I can work with him if I must but I will not let the worthless Uchiha pass me." he declared.
Koji's walk home was quiet, after he dropped off Riku. He soon entered the home of his guardians and went straight to bed ready to get some rest for the first mission of his ninja career.
Riku smiled as she under her headband setting it down she was happy, today she was placed on a team and now it was her, Koji, and Toshiro against the world. A knock on her door called her attention to the entrance to her room. Standing there was her Grandfather Hiruzen Sarutobi the Third Hokage. "Grandpa? What are you doing here?"
The old man laughed as he took a seat in a chair in her room, "What the Hokage isn't welcomed in the realm you control?" he joked.
Riku giggled at her Grandpa before sitting down on the end of her bed. "Of course you are always welcomed, but why are you here Grandpa? Don't you have Hokage things to do?"
"I came to see how you were doing."
"I'm doing great, the day was almost perfect." she answered.
Hiruzen rubbed his chin, "Almost?"
"Well...Koji and Toshiro have never really gotten along, Koji offered to get us all dinner but Toshiro refused. I don't understand why they don't like each other." she answered as she laid back.
"Hmmm well sometimes rivals start from a young age, but I know if you give them time and once they start to work together they will see past whatever is causing them friction." Hiruzen answered as he stood up and covered up his Granddaughter, "Now you get some sleep, I do have to assign you a mission tomorrow. Don't need the future of the Sarutobi clan failing a mission because she couldn't sleep." he teased as he walked to the door and shut off the lights. "Good night Riku."
"Good night Lord Hokage."