Episode 18: Test
Rinji's Squad and Tatsuzo's squad were standing just outside the maze.
All of them were there, aside from their Jonin.
"So why did you call us here?" Asked Yoichi.
"Well," Said Kiku said. "Our Senseis think that we're ready. But I'm not so sure. We're going to have a test."
"What does this test en-tale?" Asked Daichi.
"That's the thing. As a squad we're going to pick a competition for all of us. We'll compete as squads, not solo."
"Right."
Yoichi, Kiyomi, and Daichi were standing in a circle.
"I'm telling, ya!" Yoichi said. "If we do this, we'll definitely win!" Ryu nodded in agreement, and made some noises.
"But how do you know?" Asked Kiyomi.
Yoichi shrugged. "I don't know. But it's seems really cool."
"How about we have a rely race?" Daichi asked.
"No! Searching for a poisonous flower in the maze!"
"How do you even know there are poisonous flowers in the maze?" Asked Kiyomi.
"I came across one a few times when we were walking through the maze during Sensei's original test he had us take before we became Genin." Said Yoichi.
"How do you know they're still there?" Asked Daichi. "It's been a little over a year. The flowers could have withered away, or they could have made a bunch of them and make them extremely easy to find."
Yoichi sighed, along with Ryu. "Fine... rely race..."
Yozo, Kiku, and Hiro were sitting around in a triangle.
"Alright, any ideas?" Asked Hiro.
"I said my idea." Kiku said.
"Any other ideas?" Asked Hiro, again.
"What's wrong with my idea?"
"I'm not taking a written test. That's stupid. Ninjas don't need to take written tests they kill people."
"Ooh! Can I use that quote in my manga? Of course, I'm going to reword it." Asked Yozo.
"Whatever." Hiro rolled his eyes.
"If you think being a ninja's that simple, then you're mistaken." Kiku said. "A Chunin needs to be smart enough to make good tactical decisions for her squad. If they can't do that, then they aren't good enough to become Chunin."
"I'm not backing down from this, Kiku. I won't take a test."
"Fine. If you're so smart, figure something out yourself."
"Alright. I have something. Yozo, if you have something you should say it."
"So you don't have something?" Asked Kiku.
"No!" Hiro's face reddened slightly. "But... I just wanted to make sure Hiro didn't have a better one..."
"How about we- as a squad- write a short story. And who's ever story's better is the victor!"
"Alright, we're definitely not doing that." Hiro cracked his neck. "My idea is we have a straight up fight. Me versus one of their squad, Kiku vs one of their squad, and Yozo vs one of their squad."
"Too much of a chance of some getting hurt. We can't do that."
"I'm a medical ninja, Kiku."
"Whatever." Kiku rolled her eyes. "We'll do whatever you want."
"Kiku, please don't be mad at me."
"I'm not mad." Which meant she was mad.
"Kiku..."
"Are you guys ready?" Kiku called to the other squad.
"Damn it..." Hiro mumbled.
"Yeah." Daichi called.
The squads were standing face to face. "Our idea is to have a rely race." Said Daichi.
"We're doing a little battle royale thing." Hiro told them.
"So how do we decide on who goes first?" Asked Yoichi.
"Rock-paper-scissors?" Asked Hiro.
"Sure. Kiyomi, go up."
"Yozo, you're turn."
Yozo and Kiyomi were standing face to face. Yozo looked really serious.
Kiyomi had a calm look on her face.
Yozo and Kiyomi both shot.
Yozo threw out a rock, while Kiyomi had paper.
"Dang!" Yozo punched his hand, sending a small shock wave out.
They were to run across the village, to the end of the maze. The two people that where there were Yozo and Daichi. Once they got across the village, they passed a scroll to their teammate that was waiting, and then they'd go to their teammate, and the final person would run across the village. Behind Yozo and Daichi were Hiro and Kiyomi. That meant Kiku and Yoichi were on the other side.
"Alright, start in five." Said Hiro. "Five, four, three, two, one!"
Yozo and Daichi both took off.
Yozo took the lead, getting faster.
Daichi was at a steady speed.
Yozo ran out of steam about half way across the village, and Daichi was still running at the same speed, and he was only about a quarter of the way behind him. Daichi then passed Yozo up, who sprinted to keep up with him.
The two were running about the same speed, Yozo completely out of breath but Daichi was fine.
Yozo slowed down behind him, and Daichi got the scroll to Yoichi first. Yozo handed his scroll to Kiku, who darted forwards, jumping across a building to catch up with Yoichi.
"That's cheating!" Cried Yoichi.
"You didn't say it was against the rules!" Cried Kiku.
Yoichi continued to run, but Kiku easily to get ahead of him. She tossed the scroll to Hiro, who caught it and took off. Hiro ran by Yoichi.
Yoichi handed his scroll to Ryu, and Yoichi hurled him like a football. Ryu did a front flip, and hurled the scroll to Kiyomi, who caught the scroll. Kiyomi darted forwards.
Kiyomi quickly caught up to Hiro.
Hiro pulled ahead, but Kiyomi pulled ahead even further.
Hiro pulled ahead, and then Kiyomi pulled ahead. This is getting ridiculous. Kiyomi swept at his feet.
Hiro jumped over her leg. "Foul play!" He darted forwards, running even faster.
Kiyomi could hardly match him, but she was fast as well.
Hiro managed to make it a second and a half before Kiyomi.
Yozo and Daichi were face to face.
"You're a taijutsu fighter too?" Asked Daichi.
Yozo nodded. Then the two jumped at each other, Yozo kicking Daichi's fist.
Kiku was face to face with Yoichi.
Yoichi cracked his knuckles at the same time as Ryu.
Yoichi darted towards Kiku. Kiku made a hand sign, and metal burst up from the ground.
Kiyomi was going to brawl against Hiro.
Hiro jumped forwards, and Kiyomi made a hand sign and turned invisible.
Yozo was sent flying backwards. Daichi's blows are much more effective than mine. He thought. It appears that he's stronger than I.
Daichi smiled slightly. He punched down at Yozo, who jumped up into the air. Yozo kicked him in the jaw. Daichi took a step backwards, but grabbed Yozo's ankle before he could hit the ground. He swung Yozo into the ground.
Yoichi jumped backwards, just before the wall hit him. That was too close... He thought. Ryu jumped off his shoulder, and then took off.
The wall went back into the ground. Kiku made another hand sign and a sword came up from the earth.
Yoichi charged at her, dodged backwards before she could slash him, and then dodged to the right, and kicked her in the stomach.
Hiro hit the breaks, when Kiyomi disappeared. Dang it...
A kunai suddenly cut Hiro's back. It had been thrown, crooked, so it didn't stab him, it just cut his back.
Hiro hurled a kunai in the direction of the one thrown at him, but there was no damage.
Crap. Hiro thought. This is probably revenge for beating her in the race.
Yozo fell on his stomach.
"Do you admit?" Asked Daichi.
"Admit what?"
"Admit defeat."
"Like my main character of my manga, I will never be defeated! Not until I'm dead!"
Daichi stomped on Yozo's back.
Yozo clenched his teeth.
Daichi lifted his foot.
Yozo suddenly spun around, and his foot connected with Daichi's groin.
Daichi fell forwards, and Yozo rolled out of the way.
Daichi looked up at him angrily. Crap... He thought.
Kiku stumbled back a step, and then slashed at Yoichi. Yoichi did a flip over her. Kiku spun around, slashing at him. Yoichi ducked, and kicked up into her hand. She dropped the sword, then Yoichi fliped himself back onto his feet, and kicked her in the back.
"Come on, Hiro. Just admit defeat." Said an invisible Kiyomi.
"Never!" Hiro growled. He hurled a few shuriken in the direction of Kiyomi's voice.
Kiyomi jumped straight up into the air, and dodged it. That was close. I better stay quiet, here on out. She thought. She landed on a building, her feet making a noise.
Hiro hurled more shuriken at her. Kiyomi jumped backwards. Damn, I need to get quiet.
"Where are you?" Growled Hiro, who suddenly stopped moving. He closed his eyes, and started really, truey, listening. He heard grass rustling to his right, so he hurled a kunai.
A black cat hissed at him, and darted off.
"Stupid cat." He mumbled. He heard grass rustling behind him, so he quickly darted to the right, and spun around at the same time. He hurled shuriken at his invisible target.
Yozo kicked Daichi in the chest, and Daichi stumbled backwards a step.
Yozo pulled a fist back, and he hit Daichi in the throat.
Daichi stumbled back, but caught himself, and then grabbed Yozo by the shoulders, and quickly yanked him towards him. Daichi's head collided with Yozo's, and Yozo hit the ground.
Kiku made a hand sign, and metal hand cuffs appeared around Yoichi's wrists.
Yoichi fell to the ground.
"You're defeated."
"Not quite. You forgot about my partner."
Kiku's eyes widened, when she realized that Ryu wasn't on his shoulder. She spun around, as Ryu kicked her in the face.
Hiro landed on the ground. He felt a kunai pressing lightly against his back. Kiyomi turned visible again.
"Damn." He mumbled.
Kiku grabbed Ryu, and then set him down next to Yoichi. "Didn't hurt. If I wanted to, I could have broken your neck, Ryu. You two lost."
"Fine." Yoichi said through clenched teeth. "We lost."
And Daichi knocked Yozo out.
Overall, Tatsuzo's squad own. But Rinji's squad own the race.
Notes: I was going to have Ikkaku be in the way of the rely race, but I ran out of time. So it went uninterrupted.
