Alright, I'm going to warn you guys now. The idea of the survival training for Suki's team is relatively complicated. I don't know why I made it so difficult to understand, but it came to me and I couldn't help but use it. I just feel like it's unnecessarily complicated, though it really might not be. You guys will have to tell me if it is.
Thank you guys for the awesome feedback so far! I really appreciate it very much!
The title of this chapter is I'll Make a Man Out of You, based on Disney's Mulan. I love that song, it's so amazing, and I just had to use it for Suki's survival training ;)
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!
The following morning, the sun sluggishly rose above the horizon, steadily pushing away the night's darkness. The oranges and reds of the sunlight mixed with the fading blacks and purples of the shadows, creating a colorful image that artists wish they could imitate. The cool wind blew soothingly against Konohagakure's various trees, rustling the leaves and moving the branches ever so gently.
As the sun peeked over the horizon, light streamed into the windows of the Konoha citizens, arousing a few early birds to rise. One particular person was already awake, sitting at the kitchen table with a frown on her young face.
Her stomach quietly rumbled, causing an aching sensation to fill her lower abdomen. Her frown deepened. "Can't I just have a piece of fruit or something?"
Kinmaru, who had been cleaning his feathers on the opposite side of the table, looked up at her with disapproving golden eyes. *Suki, your sensei left clear instructions to not eat anything, lest you barf all over the training grounds.*
"But I'm starving," the twelve-year-old kunoichi mumbled distraughtly. "And besides, I haven't thrown up ever in my life."
*There's a first time for everything,* the bird replied easily as he went back to picking at his ruffled feathers with his beak.
The girl glared with silver orbs at her companion before slumping back into her wooden chair. She glanced over at the clock that hung high on the wall, and a sigh escaped her lips. "Well, what am I going to do for the next fifteen minutes before I leave? The fruit bowl is going to be taunting me until then."
*Then why did you get up so early?* the hawk inquired smartly, not even bothering to look up this time as he kept his head low to finish cleaning his gold and brown feathers.
"I had trouble sleeping. I was so nervous for today," Suki admitted as she massaged her temples, hoping to ease the growing headache.
This made Kinmaru halt in his feather-cleaning, and he looked up with concerned yet piercing eyes at his partner. He gently hobbled over to stand closer to her, a frown etched into his beak. *Two nights in a row without decent sleep? Suki, you have to be careful…*
A yawn escaped her before she could stop it, and she mentally hissed at herself for showing signs of fatigue before even arriving at the training grounds for her survival test. "I know…" she mumbled.
The animal guide eyed the young protector warily, taking in her appearance. She looked much better now than she did the previous morning. Her hair was tied into a neater ponytail, and her clothes were not as wrinkled or tear-stained as the day before. Her complexion had improved as well, for she hadn't cried in the last twenty-four hours, though there were still black bags under her eyes. Other than the signs of tiredness, she seemed to be holding up rather well. But both he and the kunoichi knew that her exhaustion could very well cost her the entire test.
But just before the animal could voice his worries pertaining to her sleepiness, the female cut him off. "Kinmaru…" Suki began with a confused expression across her face, "did you know… about the survival training?"
The bird blinked in surprise before he looked away in shame. It was rather hard for him to keep secrets from her, especially since he was psychically her other half. He could never find a decent way to keep a secret from her. *Yes…*
The Kurohoshi frowned as she stared at her hawk. Her eyes attempted to meet his, but he turned away guiltily, breaking any chance of keeping eye contact with her. "How did you know? And why didn't you tell me?"
*I've picked up on a few things in my time staying here,* the feathered creature replied, his mental voice sounding quiet with his guilt of deceit. *I asked Kakashi about it a while back, and he told me how the training was used to see if the genin were good enough to remain in the ranks.* He solemnly glanced over to the twelve-year-old, his golden eyes clearly portraying his remorse. *I'm sorry for not telling you, but I wasn't allowed to until your jounin teacher told you first.*
Suki's frown had not left her face until she heard the genuine apology from her guide. Her expression turned into an appreciative smile, and her hand gently patted her bird on the head. "It's alright. You were just following the rules. I can't be mad at you for that."
Despite the blow to his ego at being petted on the head like a common animal, he treasured the girl's affection whenever she gave it. She often referred to him as the bossy older brother she never had, and even though she would always say it with an annoyed tone, the love was always there as well. Whenever she showed her care towards him, he felt content, for he always felt some sort of dread for ruining her life. Or that's how he saw it, since she had had a nice life with Kakashi before the Guardian business had reappeared.
A few moments later, the man of the household sluggishly strolled into the kitchen, hands shoved lazily into his black slacks. Even though he was fully dressed in his jounin gear, he gave off the appearance of just rolling out of bed a few minutes prior. The preteen briefly wondered if that was the case.
"Good morning, Suki and Kinmaru" Kakashi greeted as he kissed his daughter on the top of her head, being careful to avoid the bandage around the gash that she had received a couple nights ago.
"Good morning, Daddy," the girl replied.
*Morning, Kakashi,* the bird responded.
The jounin's onyx eye momentarily looked to the clock on the wall, and his silver brow perked up in expectance and confusion. "Suki, shouldn't you be leaving soon?"
The raven-haired female looked at the timekeeper as well, and she nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, I suppose I'll go now." She stood up and stretched her arms above her wounded head, ignoring the unsettling grumble emanating from her stomach. She frowned as she looked at her father, who was drinking a cup of tea. "But shouldn't you be meeting your team as well?"
Kakashi waved a dismissive hand as he replaced his mask over his scarred face. "I can't even remember the last time I was on time for meeting my genin kids."
Suki giggled at her father's words, instantly realizing that he had probably never been on time to meet any squad ever. She was about to bid her father goodbye when a sudden thought struck her. "Daddy?" The jounin looked up from the sink to stare at his daughter quizzically, so she continued. "Why didn't you warn me that I could be sent back to the Academy?"
The silver-haired ninja frowned beneath his black mask before he turned the sink water off and moved to sit beside his daughter at the table. "I couldn't tell you because it would give you an unfair advantage over the other graduates."
"But…" the girl managed to stammer out, "how come you never told me you always fail your genin teams?"
Kakashi sighed as he leaned against the back of his chair. "So you figured it out, huh?"
"It wasn't exactly that hard once my sensei told us that new genin are failed if they don't pass the survival training," the silver-eyed female remarked as she stared at her father's unreadable expression.
The Hatake let a chuckle escape his lips. "Hehe, well, I never saw any of my teams as worthy enough to pass. As for not telling you… well… you never asked."
Suki furrowed her eyebrows as she sent a mock glare at him. A frown stretched across her face as she looked at him, sudden worry seeming to appear out of nowhere. "Daddy… Do you think I'll pass?"
Kakashi, surprised at her rapid change of moods, looked at her sadly. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he chose his words carefully. "I think you have great potential to be an amazing kunoichi. As long as you do your best, then you can't ask for more. But no matter what happens today, it is meant to be. Either way, pass or fail, you'll be an excellent ninja… and a great Guardian."
Her frown did not disappear, as she wasn't sure if she could pick the assurance from his words. Yet, she didn't expect too much sugarcoating from him; her father had never been one to mince words. But she did find some security in what he said, and she vowed to do her best to give his statements justice.
"Now, you need to get going, so hurry up, and don't be late," Kakashi reminded as he pointed to the clock.
She couldn't help the smile that appeared across her lips. "Are you really one to teach me about tardiness?"
Kakashi perked an eyebrow at her before he pointed to the door. A hint of humor could be heard in his voice as he ordered, "Go."
Suki laughed melodiously as she kissed her father on his masked cheek and bolted toward the door, the brown and gold blur that was her animal partner soaring behind her. "Bye, Daddy!"
"Goodbye, Suki. Good luck," he called after her.
"Thanks!" she yelled back, and then the sound of the door closing behind her told the man that she was gone.
The jounin sighed to himself, concern filling him. Even Deno's encouraging words from the day before could not help to reassure him, and yet, he had built up a decent enough speech to support his daughter into doing well during the test. Now he had to find a way to assure himself that she would be fine. He shook his head roughly as he scratched the back of his silver head. At least for now, he would need to focus on his own task and let Suki handle her own well-being by herself.
Just as Deno-sensei's document had ordered, Suki and Kinmaru headed for Training Grounds 5. It was similar to every other area used for shinobi training: a vast clearing with well-cut grass and the forest running amuck with trees on either side of the huge field. The woods closed around the area to create a circular field with trees as the perimeter.
Suki approached the center of the field while the hawk soared gracefully above her head. As the sun peeked gently over the tree canopies, the orange light casted a slight glow over the meadow. It was then that the girl saw her teammate, Haruki, seated in the center of the grass, cross-legged and eyes closed with his hands in the chakra seal, meditating.
The female was quite taken aback to see someone else her age meditating. She knew that elder shinobi would do it once they were wiser and knew how to do it right, but children were usually never able to master meditation; they just didn't have the patience. The only reason why she would ever engage in such an action was because Kinmaru had taught her how to focus her energy to utilize her Guardian powers. To say the least, she was surprised to see that another genin had taken up the art of meditation and even seemed a master at it as well.
Quietly, the sacred protector softly approached her comrade and sat down a few feet away from, so as not to disturb his peace. She averted her eyes to stare at the horizon beyond the forest, making sure she didn't watch the boy. He could most likely sense her presence, and she didn't want to ruin his concentration any further by making him uncomfortable with her staring at him.
However, after only a few moments after she had sat down, he sighed heavily and opened his eyes, letting his hands fall out of the sign that he had been holding. His purple eyes looked over to her, and she felt herself become uncomfortable from his piercing stare.
"Your presence has disturbed my balance," he said, his voice portraying a tone of neither anger nor lightheartedness. His indifference made her shrink nervously into her shoulders.
"I'm… I'm sorry," Suki whispered as she looked away in guilt and shame.
She could feel his studying eyes on her form, and she felt herself grow even more nervous. She heard a sigh escape his lips again, and she glanced at him anxiously. "You don't need to apologize. You would have come here sooner or later anyway," he commented. Suki relaxed when she heard the calmness in his voice, and she took that as a sign that he was happy, rather than stoic and angry. "I'd rather have your tranquil energy disturb my concentration than Michiko's outlandish aura."
The kunoichi blinked her silver eyes in surprise at his words before she glared at him. "That's just the way she is. You don't need to be mean about it."
"Well, her bouncing personality needs to be as far away from me as possible," Haruki replied as he stood up.
Suki's glare did not lighten, and she stood up as well to almost match the boy's height. "You shouldn't be talking about her like that. That's not very nice."
The Senshi heir gave the girl before him an indifferent stare as he cocked his eyebrow at her behavior. He had underestimated her peaceful personality; she definitely had some fighting spirit in there, even if she didn't appear too fond of quarrels.
"Alright, whatever," he sighed as he turned away.
The Guardian was not satisfied with his curt reply, and she was about to retort to his statement, but she was interrupted by a loud greeting. "Good morning, beautiful people!" Michiko's voice rang out cheerily. The two genin turned to see their teammate walking up to them, hands on her hips, a big grin on her face. "How is everyone this fine day?"
"Oh jeez, she's a morning person…" Haruki mumbled as he shook his head in growing exasperation.
"Hmm, well it looks like Mr. Grumpy hasn't lightened up any," the new arrival said disapprovingly. "And by the way, I have never been, nor will I ever be, a morning person. But today's a big day, and the last thing I should be is miserable… like a certain boy that's standing in this very field."
Haruki turned back to the brown-haired girl, a stoic expression on his face. "I am not miserable. I just take the world seriously, which is more than what I could say for you."
Suki was about to defend her new comrade by arguing with the boy, but Michiko cut her off by laughing. "Haha, but taking the world seriously is no fun at all."
The two other rookies looked at the giggling girl in surprise at her lighthearted nature. "So…" Haruki began in mild confusion, "you think you can get away with goofing off all the time?"
"I didn't say that, but I guess I'm a bit more laid back than you obviously are," Michiko sighed as she finished with her laughing fit. Once the smile had disappeared, she looked to Haruki with seriousness in her brown orbs. "I don't, however, appreciate your harsh judgment. If you're going to critique me, base it off of what learn about me, not what you see. I don't need another overbearing condemnatory person in my life."
Haruki's purple eyes narrowed into a harsh glower. "Then take your own advice, and don't pretend that you're comfortable enough with me to analyze who you think I am. Because I don't need another disapproving person involved with my business."
Suki's jaw slightly dropped as she stood off to the side with Kinmaru on her shoulder. She could practically feel the growing anger radiating off of her two new teammates. Haruki's indifference and Michiko's lightheartedness were slowly dying out as they sent each other ferocious glares. The sacred protector glanced to her animal guide for assistance, but he proved to be no help at all when he merely looked at her and shrugged his feathery shoulders.
She sighed helplessly as she looked back to her comrades, who were now engaging in an intense staring contest. "Um… guys?" she started nervously, taking a hesitant step toward them. Her timid voice was surprisingly able to catch the two other people's attentions, and they turned to her in expectance. "Uh… well, I… don't think we should be fighting…" She had hoped that those words would be enough to settle the disputes, but apparently not, as they continued to stare at her in anticipation. "Because… well, we'll probably have to work together to complete this test. We all want to pass, so we might as well work together to complete our goals. If we want to be a good team, we have to have good teamwork."
Haruki and Michiko gazed at the other girl in shock, and after her words registered, they slowly eased out of their arguing stances to relax. The two previously quarrelling people glimpsed at each other with hints of apology written in their eyes, and they both nodded.
"You're right, Suki," the boy sighed guiltily.
"Yeah, sorry you had to see Mr. Grum- um… Haruki's… nasty side," Michiko added. The purple-haired boy looked at her sternly, and she heaved a tired groan. "Fine, mine too…"
The raven-haired genin smiled brightly at the fact that her new friends had actually listened to her and stopped arguing. They even apologized. She looked up to meet the golden eyes of her animal guide, and he nodded his head in approval. A warm feeling of triumph mixed with happiness filled her core, and she couldn't help but brighten her smile.
"Well, well, well," a voice cheerily called out from behind the group of kids. The young shinobi instantly turned to see their sensei advancing towards them, hands in his pockets and his jacket billowing with the breeze. "It seems that you guys have actually made it on time and I'm the one who's almost late."
"Yeah, wait a minute," Michiko scowled, throwing her hands on her hips. "Why are you late, Deno-sensei?"
"Whoa, I'm not even that late, according to my time," Deno instantly replied defensively. "Maybe a minute or so. But it was because I was finishing my… breakfast," he said, smirking when he stated the last word.
Three simultaneous rumbles emitted from three separate stomachs, and the Academy graduates moaned in unison as they clutched their aching tummies. "Can we just move on with this survival test so we can get something to eat?" Michiko mumbled, her anger dissipating as her belly grumbled uncontrollably.
"Now hey, with an attitude like that, there is no way you'll be passing this training," the jounin said. "Focus on the task that I'll be giving you."
"That's what I've been telling her," Haruki murmured off to the side, almost inaudibly. The girl's vicious glare alerted him that she had, in fact, heard his statement.
"Alright then!" Deno exclaimed excitedly, clapping his hands together once to grab everyone's attention. "Time for me to explain this test."
The trio of genin almost robotically straightened up into professional stances, waiting to hear their instructions. Their faces were lifted of any remaining foolhardiness, and their eyes stared at their teacher with full genuine seriousness.
The former ANBU member smiled as he sensed the earnestness emanating from his students. He wondered if it would be enough to pass his test. "I will only be explaining this once, so pay careful attention. This is a very tricky training, so if you mess up, it will most likely cost you your spot on the team."
Suki couldn't tell how her fellow teammates felt after that last bit of news, but she personally felt as if she was going to collapse and start involuntarily shaking with anxiety. She merely gulped instead, trying to calm her nerves.
Deno reached to the inside of his blue jacket, and his hand emerged with a green flag between his fingers. The Konohagakure insignia was painted in black ink in the center of the rectangular flag. He held it up for his students to see as he spoke. "This is your objective."
The serious stares that the genin had been sporting slowly faded into confusion. "We're playing Capture the Flag?" Suki asked, bewildered.
"Hehe, no, I'm not that nice," the instructor smiled. "No, this is a little different than the child's game." He held the flag in both hands in a horizontal manner, showing off the proud sign of the Fire Country's shinobi village.
"How different?" Michiko asked skeptically, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.
Deno inhaled a tiny breath to prepare himself for the explanation, and the genin subconsciously leaned closer to hear what their exercise would entail. "This training is similar to a scavenger hunt. There are six flags scattered around the village, so each of you will be locating two flags for each person." He reached into the other pocket inside his jacket on the opposite side, and he pulled out three separate documents. "On this page are six clues. Each clue will lead you to the location of one flag."
"So we have to solve the riddles in order to find the flags?" Haruki inquired, perking an eyebrow.
The teacher nodded as he said, "Correct. This is a training to test your intellect and your physical abilities as a shinobi."
Suki furrowed her eyebrows at his last words, and she looked at him with confused eyes. "I understand that this will test our intelligence, because of the riddles and all. But how will this test our ninja skills?"
Deno smirked at her question. "You didn't think I would make it so easy that you only had to solve a puzzle, did you?" The trio of children widened their eyes in slight horror, fearfully anticipating his next statement. "There is a special Hyuuga barrier guarding each flag. It's weak enough so that a genin should be able to break it, but if you cannot destroy the seal, then that will tell me that maybe you aren't cut out to be a ninja yet."
"Isn't this training kind of… uh, I don't know… INSANE?" the brown-haired brown-eyed girl said before shrieking the last word in outrage. "What kind of an exercise is this?"
"Oh, it gets better," the elite ninja smirked. "There is one flag that has another Hyuuga seal embedded in it. Don't bother trying to find this special flag or even trying to break the seal. I've specifically made sure that the seal is unbreakable, at least for genin, that is. And it's near impossible to see the seal until it is activated, so trying to figure out which flag has this seal is pointless."
"What is the significance of this sealed flag?" the purple-eyed boy asked.
Deno's smirk transformed into an evil and mischievous grin. "The sealed flag will represent a 'failure', as I like to call it. So it basically counts as a zero. Which means…"
The young sacred protector gawked at this new bit of information. "So if we get the 'failure', our flag count is dropped by one."
"What?" Michiko screamed. "So we could possibly go through all the trouble of getting two flags, only to be penalized by the 'failure'?"
"So does that mean we'll have to get three flags just to be safe?" Haruki asked in shock.
"I never said that," Deno replied curtly, giving a devious little smirk.
It wasn't hard for the three students to catch the implied meaning in his words. If they wanted to pass, they would need at least three flags as a precaution, lest they unknowingly collect the sealed flag. It was a battle to catch the flags before anyone else.
"Now we'll be working against each other…" Suki frowned as this thought suddenly occurred to her. "So much for teamwork…"
Deno clapped his hands together once in excitement, gaining the attentions of the trio of worried graduates. "Alright, you all have your clue sheets, you have your instructions, and you know your objective. You have three hours to complete this assignment. At the bottom of the page I've given you is a seventh clue, which will lead you to my location. If you aren't there in three hours, you automatically fail. Everyone understand your mission?"
After a moment's hesitation of absorbing all the information, the rookies nodded their heads.
"Good. This test will either make you a shinobi… or break you as a person. Now…" the jounin smiled encouragingly, "Begin!" The group of preteens instantly leaped away from the field, scattering themselves into different parts of the village, leaving the man to stand in the middle of the meadow for a few moments before he, too, disappeared.
I enjoy food, though as a preference, it would have to be those that come straight from the farm.
I go with the flow, never really staying in one place too long.
One day, my knowledge shall surpass all those who challenge me.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, I first need to learn a thousand words.
Those who are healthy always take it for granted.
I am respected, not for my title, but how I earned it.
Final Clue:
I overlook that which I protect.
"How on earth is anyone supposed to figure out any of these riddles?" Suki muttered to herself as she stared at the piece of paper in her hands. Each clue was basically stated in first person, and each was laced with a near impossible puzzle. Trying to figure out what the clues meant was going to be a difficult task all on its own, let alone having to break the barriers to get to the flags.
*Try thinking outside the box,* Kinmaru suggested from upon her shoulder.
"Um… alright," the girl nodded as she stared at the first clue, rereading it to herself over and over again. "Hmm… a farm? So the first flag is at a farm!"
*Um, Suki?* the hawk murmured, *there are no farms within the boundaries of Konoha.*
The raven-haired girl instantly frowned. "Oh… right…"
*So what's the closest thing to a farm?* the bird asked, raising an expectant eyebrow at the girl.
The twelve-year-old fingered her chin in wonder, trying to solve the puzzle. After a few moments of silence, she snapped her fingers in excitement. "The farmer's market!" She excitedly sprinted on the ground through the woods, dodging the trees, while Kinmaru flew over her head. As she pushed her legs forward, a grimace appeared across her features. "But wait… there are several farmer markets in the village…"
*So then what would you need to do?* Kinmaru asked keenly as he flapped his brown and golden wings.
Suki caught the implied intention in his words, and once she made it out of the forest, she gathered her chakra together. Just as she had done two nights before, she was about to use one of the first Guardian techniques she had learned. Her first sign was the Bird, which dealt with the earth's elements as a whole. Sensing through them was the first step to mastering this animal sign.
She was about to place her hand on the grass by her feet, but Kinmaru was quickly there to bite her fingers away with his beak. The girl yelped in pain as she gave her bird an accusing look. *I don't want you to focus your chakra into the earth anymore,* the bird said as he looked up at her with golden eyes. *Instead, I want you to focus your energy into your eyes.*
"What?" Suki asked in bewilderment. She had been using that method for years, and he wanted her to suddenly change it?
*Well, there is a reason it is called the Eye of the Bird technique,* the hawk said with a shrug. *Focusing your chakra into the earth is the easiest method. However, it is also the most dangerous for you.* The Guardian only looked at him in confusion as she waited for him to continue. *When you focus your chakra into your hands, it leads into the earth. This requires less concentration, which is good for a beginner, but it also drains more chakra because it is not being focused properly. If you focus your energy into your eyes, it will require more concentration, but it will use less chakra.*
"So you expect me to master this now? Of all times?" Suki asked incredulously, her eyes wide. "I don't think this is the time for a training session, Kinmaru."
The bird simply shrugged at her growing panic. *Pressure is a good motivator though. I think being in this stressful situation will help you to learn it more quickly.*
The young sacred protector huffed sadly as she nodded. She put her hands into the sign of the Bird, and instead of focusing her chakra into her hands, she pushed it to her silver eyes. A tingling feeling coursed around in her head, and she felt the sensation build up around her eyes. She gripped that strange feeling and made sure it didn't fade as she cautiously opened her eyelids.
She saw Kinmaru nod his head approvingly as he stood on the ground, looking up to her with proud eyes. Even though Suki was unable to see her own eyes, she could feel a difference to them on her face. Her perception was better, and the shape of them was different.
Her normally round eyes were slanted piercingly diagonally upwards, and the pupils of her silver orbs appeared sharper than usual, giving her a fierce look. Suki furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to comprehend just what had occurred. "What happened to my eyes?"
*As I said, there is a reason it is called the Eye of the Bird,* the hawk smirked. *Now, hold your chakra there, and blink.*
The girl obeyed and closed her eyes for second before opening them again. This time, the world appeared in black and white before her. The shapes and forms were the same, but the color seemed to be drained from everything around her. The only thing that was not of a neutral color was the golden-feathered hawk standing in front of her. He was his normal brown and gold color, which somehow made him seem more defined against the plain and bland world.
*With this advanced version of the jutsu, the world is simplified enough so that only chakra appears before you,* Kinmaru informed. *It does have a range limit, but it will extend the more you practice with it.*
"Cool…" was all Suki managed to say.
She moved her head slowly around to find her target, and finally, a faint trace of chakra appeared within her vision. It was coming from the busy merchant streets, where the farmer markets rested in the village. Smiling excitedly, she dashed off in that direction, keeping her hawk-like eyes on the prize.
The Guardian rounded a few corners and politely pushed through a few villagers, and at long last, she made it to the first flag. It was nestled in the corner by one of the food stands, hidden from any normal bystanders but close enough that someone would notice her trying to break the barrier.
*You cannot use any jutsu in this case, Suki,* Kinmaru warned as he cautiously looked around at the passing people who sent glares at the young girl. *Everyone is already shooting you dirty looks, imagine what they will do if you blow up the vegetables and fruits.*
"I know…" the raven-haired kunoichi muttered nervously, biting her lip in contemplation.
She felt her concentration on her eyes fading a bit as she tried to quickly think up an idea on how to break the blockade without anyone noticing. She urged her silver slanted eyes to focus on the barricade that blocked her from getting the green flag, and she watched the blue chakra flow continuously in a trail from the seal of the barrier.
"Maybe if I…" she murmured quietly to herself.
She reached her hand forward, and her palm and fingers made contact with the invisible force field. The sting of the foreign chakra burned her hands a bit, and she let out a hiss in pain. However, the preteen was determined to break the seal, so she pushed her chakra forward from her core up her arm and into her hand. Her eyes fell back to their normal state due to her intense focus on her new task of breaking the wall.
Her energy clashed with Deno's barrier seal, and the force became a collision between chakras. For a few moments, nothing happened except for Suki pushing her energy against the obstruction, but then suddenly, her hand fell forward without warning. She stumbled over her feet for a moment, and she stared around in confusion.
*You broke the seal,* Kinmaru said happily, looking to the girl with pride in his beady eyes.
It took a minute for Suki to register his words, but when she finally realized what he had said, she smiled brightly. She gleefully turned to the small green flag nesting in the corner of a building wall and the wooden vegetable and fruit stand. The girl quickly snatched the flag and ran out of the crowded streets, clutching her first flag in one hand and the clue sheet in the other.
Haruki eyed the barrier settled before him, for just beyond the invisible seal was the green flag. He was standing atop the roof of the library; he had just solved the fourth clue. After Deno-sensei had given them the paper with the riddles, he had instantly set to figuring out each and every clue. Using the trained intellect that his father had forced him into, he solved each riddle quickly and effortlessly. It was now just a matter of getting to each flag and breaking the seals before the girls did.
The fourth clue, which had consisted of 'One Thousand Words' had meant he needed to find a dictionary. And there was no better place to find a dictionary, or learn one thousand words, than the Konoha library.
After walking around the entire building, he had finally found the flag isolated in the center of the roof. He was currently fingering his chin in thought, trying to find a way to break the seal.
The boy cautiously reached out to touch the shield, and his hand quickly recoiled as a searing pain shot up his fingers. He growled at the red marks that were now forming from where he had touched the seal. A pout spread across his face as he stood up to loom over the barricade.
In the blink of an eye, his hands flew through various hand seals, finally resting on a unique sign that was special to the Senshi clan. His left hand was in a fist, and the index and middle fingers of his right hand rested on the back of his curled left hand. His spiritual energy moved to the palms of his hands, and he held them parallel to each other.
A black sphere began to form from the air in the center of his encircling hands, blue rings of electrical chakra fizzing around the dense dark circle. "Psychic Style: Shadow Ball Jutsu!"
The sphere shot forward from his hand and collided with the Hyuuga seal. A small explosion occurred from the crash, and thick gray smoke erupted across the rooftop. Haruki coughed as he waved the fog away with his hands. He squinted his purple eyes against the sting of the smoke as he tried to locate the flag.
He smirked when he saw that the flag was unharmed and sensed that the chakra of the seal was no longer existent. He proudly stepped forward and grabbed the green flag, pocketing it for safe keeping.
"One down," he said triumphantly as he headed off for the next location.
"This list of clues is freaking ridiculous!" Michiko groaned as she stared at the sheet of paper angrily.
The brown-haired girl had not even made it out of the forest, as she didn't know where she was supposed to go. She was wandering around the woods aimlessly, hoping that a sudden miracle would enlighten her and point her in the right direction toward a flag.
Instead, her feet led her to the running river that coursed through the massive forest. She sighed in frustration as she plopped down on the edge of the creek, glaring holes into the clue sheet. When the paper didn't spontaneously combust into flames, she fell backwards to lie in the soft green grass.
"This is hopeless. I am going to fail miserably," Michiko muttered unhappily.
Her brown eyes pointlessly watched the fluffy white clouds above her, drifting slowly and gently along the big blue sky. The Bokusouchi girl sighed as she rubbed her face with her left hand, attempting to massage the growing stress that was forming within her. Her head lolled to the side as she looked at the brook continuing on, the water never ceasing in its flow.
Her observation suddenly stopped when she saw a strange shape in the water. Furrowing her eyebrows, Michiko slowly sat up and crawled to the edge of the river to examine the foreign shape. It was definitely not a rock, since it didn't have the same coloring as the dusty brown stones in the water. It wasn't a fish because it wasn't going anywhere.
Michiko nearly jumped out of her skin in pure glee when she realized that the thing she was staring at was, indeed, a green Konoha flag. "I don't believe it…"
She looked to the piece of paper she was holding, trying to figure out which clue she had unintentionally cracked. Her brown orbs landed on the second clue.
"I go with the flow, never really staying in one place too long," Michiko quoted the page. Her nose twitched in annoyance as she reread the riddle over and over again. "The river, huh? That's so cheesy…" she mumbled.
She rested the paper down on the grass and then stepped into the crystal light blue water. The girl winced at the cold of the river, but she pushed herself forward toward the location of her objective. Once the flag was nestled in front of her feet beneath the water, she lightly tapped the shield with her sandal, knowing that the seal had to be relatively tough at least. Her foot bounced off the barrier as if she was kicking the wall, and she scratched the back of her head in thought.
Her hands began to perform the correct signs for her clan's signature jutsu. The final seal was the Bokusouchi special seal: her hands were clenched into fists, and they touched each other by the knuckles.
"Plant Style: Plant Growth Jutsu," she whispered.
At the sound of her words, small green vines began to emerge from the gravely bottom of the body of water, stretching out to strike the barricade. After moments of endless whips from the vines, a light expulsion of chakra emitted from the water, signifying that the seal was broken.
Michiko grinned happily as she pointed to the object beneath the water's surface. The vines reacted to her action, wrapping around the flag to draw it towards the plant mistress. The brown-haired brown-eyed girl snatched the cloth excitedly from her plants, and she let them wither away back into the water as she climbed out of the creek.
She took the time to shake off the excess water that was now soaking her pants and bottom of her shirt, and then she grabbed the page of riddles before heading back into the forest. After miraculously finding her first target by sheer coincidence and accident, she was eager to go on the hunt for more flags.
The purple-eyed boy ran across the roofs of the buildings quickly, heading toward his next destination. After browsing the list of clues, he had decided to go for the third clue. When he had read the bit about knowledge, he instantly knew where the riddle was referring. It was the Konoha Ninja Academy.
Once he landed on the property of the shinobi school, he cautiously walked about, violet eyes alert as they wandered about. The school was no longer in session; those who were still young enough to attend the academy had break until the upcoming year, which was in about a month or so. That left the entire place completely empty. It should have made finding a flag easy, but considering how big the property actually was, it not easy at all.
Haruki huffed in frustration as he picked up the pace, turning his head this way and that as he looked for the hunted item. He sped around the entire perimeter of the school, even going around the building multiple times.
Absolutely nothing.
The boy growled in anger as he continued to look around. He changed directions to head to the courtyard, where trainings and lunches were often held. He pushed away those memories to focus on the task at hand as he approached the picnic tables and small patch of open area. The large lone tree stood near the center of the fenced yard, the little swing moving only a bit with the near-undetectable wind.
Haruki narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he walked towards the tree, following his gut instinct as he looked at the trunk of the old oak. The Senshi slowly walked around it, examining the area around the tree. And it was there that he found what he was looking for.
Just behind the oak tree, nestled by the trunk and hidden in the shadows made by the leaves, was a green Konoha flag. The boy smiled in victory at his findings.
He took a step back and let his hands fall into the correct hand seals. Once his clan's signature sign completed the sequence, he held his right arm forward, his right palm facing the barrier, and his left arm clenched his right wrist.
"Psychic Style: Psychic Beam Jutsu!" he shouted to activate the technique.
Deep purple and black chakra-enhanced rings sprung forth from his right hand. A small melody of humming sounded with the jutsu, and the radiation from the psychic energy was easy to feel. The wave-like rings made contact with Deno's protective seal, creating an insistent pounding on the invisible block. Within a few seconds, a small yet echoing explosion went off; though this time, there was no smoke from Haruki's attack.
Without hesitation, the boy grabbed the flag and stuffed it in his pocket. He immediately leaped away in search of a third one. In the back of his mind, he knew it was probably indecent of him to get another flag, since that would mean at least one less for one of the girls. But he reasoned that he couldn't take the risk of not passing if he had the 'failure' for a flag. He would need a total of three flags to ensure his survival in this test.
Michiko hopped from building to building, inwardly chanting one word over and over again in her head. "Healthy… Healthy… Healthy…" She was referring to the fifth clue, which was speaking of people taking their health for granted. All the other clues had stumped her at first, so for now, she hoped her gut was telling her that she was right in her assumption of the location of the fifth flag.
She was headed to the Konoha Hospital, and she prayed that she was right in her guess. If she was wrong, she was seriously contemplating just giving up at that point; solving puzzles was not her forte.
Once she crossed the gateway to the hospital, Michiko quickly went into tracking mode. Even though she knew her tracking senses were nothing to brag about, it was the only way to find what she was looking for. She slowly walked around the huge building, letting her brown eyes wander in search of the item.
After wasting precious time by walking extremely slowly, the Bokusouchi girl finally found the cloth lying on the mounded brown dirt of the hospital's garden. The little rectangular-shaped fabric was placed in the center of some purple violets, which let the green color of the flag stand out just a bit more.
Excited now, Michiko punched the air in enthusiasm, a wide grin spreading across her face. "Heck yeah! I solved a riddle on my own! Beat that!" she screamed cheerfully.
Radiating with delight now, the girl let her hands fly through the seals, ending with her family's special sign. "Plant Style: Leaf Blade," she said, her smile never leaving her face.
As she said the words, a thick and sharp edge appeared from the metal guard on her right arm, creating a plant-like razor. The blade was a long knife blade that was the length of her hand up to her elbow, even though it was connected to the iron plate on her arm. Clenching her fist, she hurled her arm toward the seal-protected flag, and the leaf-made edge rammed into the blockage.
A swift tearing sound emitted from the safeguard breaking, and Michiko's grin grew twice its original size. "Nice!" she sang as she snatched the rag from the ground. She tied it to her left arm, while her first one was tied to her right arm. The girl began to finger her chin in thought, mulling over her next destination. "Should I go look for Deno-sensei now? I have two flags now…" She glanced to the green cloths tied to each of her arms, and she frowned. "But if one of these is the 'failure'… then I don't pass…" The conflicted girl distraughtly slapped her forehead. "But if I get a third one, then someone else won't be getting the chance to pass…"
Her conscious was screaming at her to do the right thing, to just find her teacher now so her teammates still had a chance. But her logic was telling her otherwise; if she wanted to pass this training, she needed to make sure she was safe from elimination. Michiko groaned at the thought of betraying her new teammates, but nevertheless, she pulled out her page of riddles, read through them quickly, picked a decent clue, and then headed off to find a third flag.
Suki bit her lip in anxiety as she glanced up to the sun. By its position in the light blue sky, she could instantly tell that it was almost nine o'clock. She didn't know exactly how much time she had until that specific hour, but she knew that if she didn't find her second flag and her sensei soon, she would automatically fail from the time limit.
She was looking at the sixth clue, which spoke of earning a title. The most esteemed title in the village was Hokage, so her instinct led her in the direction of the Hokage Tower.
In a few moments, she reached the faded red building in which the leader of the village worked. The kanji for the Hokage was plated at the top of the building, and shinobi were filing in and out of the place, most likely for mission purposes. Suki frowned as she watched the chuunin and jounin walking about the building. It was so occupied, which almost made her second guess the flag being there.
"Do you really think Deno-sensei would put a flag where there are so many shinobi around?" the black-haired girl asked, looking to the creature perched on her shoulder.
*I wouldn't put it passed him,* the bird replied somberly. *But we should check the less-occupied areas first anyway.*
Suki nodded her head in response and went to the top of the structure, deciding to start her search there. Once she was on the rooftop, she was met with a bland gray textile ground and a metal railing that ran along the perimeter of the roof. There was a staircase in the center that led back to the inside of the building, but other than that, there was nothing else that made the area special.
The young kunoichi walked around the circular area, looking for a sign of green. She frowned at the thought of it not being there when Kinmaru suddenly tugged on her hair. She yelped in pain, swatting his beak away. "Be careful. The bandage is still there," she mumbled, fingering the gauze that wrapped around her wounded head.
*Sorry. But look to your left,* the bird said.
Suki did as she was ordered and turned around, and she smiled in relief when she saw the little emerald-colored cloth hidden by the stairs. She jogged over to it and knelt down so she was closer to the guarded item.
Not wanting to waste time, she immediately went to gathering chakra into her right hand and placing it on the protective seal. The same shocking sensation as before burned her fingers, and she bit down on her lower lip in pain, almost causing blood to leak out. But she did not relent as she focused her chakra into the barrier, and after almost thirty seconds of the searing blaze in her hand, the force field broke.
The young Guardian let a relieved smile spread across her face as she picked up the rag with her burnt hand. She winced at the red scorches on her fingers and palm from being burned twice in less than three hours, but she knew it would be worth it if she passed. As she stood up with the second flag in her hand, the sacred protector briefly wondered if she should attempt to go after a third.
However, she quickly disregarded that thought. If she went for three flags as a total, it would mean at least one of her teammates would automatically suffer. As high as the stakes were, she just couldn't see herself stabbing a friend in the back like that. She would feel too guilty about it.
Suki made up her mind almost instantly and was about to put the object away with the other when a voice startled her from behind. "Well, well, that was pretty impressive how you were able to withstand putting your hand on the barrier."
The silver-eyed girl turned around rapidly to see her purple-haired teammate leaning against the metal railing just behind her. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he pushed off the rail to stalk towards her dangerously. It was in this moment that Suki realized just how calm yet threatening her teammate could be. His violet eyes watched her as he walked toward her, almost encircling her position.
"Though from the looks of your hand, the chakra burned you as well," he continued, showing the results of his own encounter with the barricade. His palm was burned as well, though not as severely compared to hers.
*Don't beat around the bush,* Kinmaru said, cawing loudly at the boy as he flapped his wings menacingly. *You want the flag.*
Haruki cocked his head to the side in wonder when he registered that it was the hawk that was talking to him. But he brushed it off as he looked between the mistress and creature. "Yes, I do."
Suki narrowed her eyes skeptically as she watched her teammate. Her silver eyes immediately landed on the jade cloths hanging from the boy's pockets. "You already have two. You don't need another. You're just trying to ruin everyone else's chances of passing."
If possible, the Senshi's expression grew even more deadly. "I can't risk having one of my own flags being the 'failure'. That's why I need a third one just to be safe."
The thud of footsteps suddenly alerted the group that another person had arrived, and the two humans and bird turned to see the brown-haired genin glaring at them. "Yeah, well, what makes you think that you're the only who needs three flags, huh Haruki?"
The Kurohoshi's eyes widened when she saw the two lime-colored fabrics tied to her fellow kunoichi's arms. "You have two as well?"
Michiko looked at her arms, almost as if she had forgotten that she had already retrieved two flags. She nodded as she met her teammates' eyes. "Yeah," she muttered guiltily. "I didn't want to have to do this, but I need a third flag."
Suki's mouth fell open as she stared between the other genin, appalled. "I can't believe you both are selfish enough to ruin someone else's chances of passing."
The purple-clad girl frowned and looked to the ground in shame. "I said I didn't want to…"
"Then don't," Suki replied immediately.
Haruki flashed dark looks toward each of the females. "This isn't a game. You two need to stop being so sensitive. This is the shinobi world, and you have to be determined in what you want." He glared at each of the girls before falling into a defensive battle crouch. "And I want a third flag, so whoever's not man enough to fight me for it should just give up now."
After a moment's hesitation, Michiko also moved into a fighting stance. "Fine then. Let it be known that I do not back down from a challenge."
Two pairs of eyes looked to Suki, waiting for her response. Their eager gazes expected her to fall into a combative position as well. However, she remained firm in standing completely still, casting unhappy stares toward her comrades.
"I will not fight either of you," Suki said resolutely.
"Then drop your flags," Haruki commanded, not even budging from his offensive stance.
The raven-haired girl glared at him. "No."
"You either quit or fight. That's how it works," the black-clad boy said firmly. "As a ninja, you must complete your mission completely, otherwise, you have failed. I do not intend on failing this survival training."
"I don't want to fail either," Michiko agreed, though her distraught tone showed just how conflicted she really felt. "None of us do. But if it comes to a fight… then so be it."
The young sacred protector let her head fall in disappointment. Her silver eyes examined the emerald cloth in her hands, and her fingers traced over the same black insignia on the flag that was also carved into her forehead protector. The small swirl design that represented her village made her eyebrows knit together in thought.
"We don't need to fight," she said simply. Her words were barely above a whisper, but everyone was still able to hear her. "Fighting is not all what being a shinobi means. It also means protecting what you believe in." The other twelve-year-olds stared at her in confusion, clear bewilderment written across their faces. "What I believe in is protecting those that I care about. You two are my teammates, and I will not betray you by fighting over a flag."
Haruki's confused stare turned back into a fiery determination. "Nice little speech. But pretty words lose their luster when there is no substance to them."
"Then look at it this way," Suki said as she removed her first flag to hold both up in front of her. "Instead of fighting, we work together."
Michiko's eyebrows furrowed in bafflement. "What are you talking about?"
"What if we combine flags?" the black-haired silver-eyed girl suggested. "If the three of us submit all of our flags together, then we all either fail or pass together."
Haruki instantly denied the idea. "Why on earth would I want to take such an idiotic risk such as that? I do not want to fail, and your plan is a clear path to failure."
The Bokusouchi girl, however, seemed to think otherwise, for she slowly slid out of her defensive stance. "I'm in."
"You two just don't want to fight because you're afraid of losing," the boy hissed. "But I am going to do whatever it takes to win."
Suki was about to counter his words, but the other kunoichi interrupted her. "You wanted a third flag, right?" Michiko asked, raising an expectant eyebrow. "Well, if we all go together, we each will technically have six flags. We won't fail. It's a loophole around the rules."
"You expect me to fall for this?" Haruki growled, glowering at his teammates.
"Yes, because you will not be getting another flag either way," Suki said. This time, she fell into a battle position, holding her fist out in front of her as she crouched down. "I believe in teamwork, and if fighting you is the only way to make you understand that concept, then so be it."
The Senshi narrowed his violet eyes suspiciously, and after a long moment of silence with nothing happening, he stood up straightly. "You truly believe this will work?" he asked the raven-haired girl.
The Guardian let loose a sigh of relief as she also stood up. "I don't preach for something I do not believe in," she responded simply.
After eyeing her skeptically, Haruki finally nodded in reluctant agreement, and Michiko grinned brightly at the idea. Out of the corner of her eye, Suki saw Kinmaru let a small smile appear on his beak as he shifted slightly from upon her shoulder.
"Now, I guess we're all headed to wherever Deno-sensei is located then," the brown-haired girl commented.
"I already know where he is," Haruki smirked. "Follow me."
Atop the grand Hokage Monument, a man sat cross-legged upon the rocky ground. His ninja headband was tied around his pale eyes, signifying his blindness. His hands rested on his knees, and he breathed in and out slowly, keeping his breath in tune with his surroundings. The massive village known as Konohagakure opened out before him. From his perch high above the town, the colorful buildings and the plethora of trees meshed together to create a beautiful sight. Even though he could not see this scenery at the moment, he could still hear the sounds and feel the life around him.
From beside him, a little clock buzzed loudly and annoyingly. The man sighed as he reached over to hit the OFF button. Then, not even a second later, a soft thud upon the rocky surface of the Hokage Mountain alerted him that a person had just appeared. Or rather, a group of people.
Deno smirked as he stood up from his sitting position, but he remained with his back towards his students. "You guys literally just made the time limit." The genin did not say anything as they stood side by side, looking at their sensei expectantly. After a moment of silence, he turned around to finally face the small group, and he slowly walked over to stand in front of them. "So, what's the verdict?"
With Michiko on the left, Suki with Kinmaru on her shoulder in the middle, and Haruki on the right, the graduates lifted a rope up at the same time. Six jade Konohagakure flags were attached to the brown thread of string.
The jounin's eyebrows initially shot up in surprise before knitting together in confusion. He reached a hand out and let his fingers trail along the length of the rope. His fingers brushed against the thick twine, momentarily coming in contact with the students' hands and the cloth of the flags.
Once his hand had reached the end of the rope, he took a step back and cocked his head to the side. "What is the meaning of this?"
The genin silently gulped at the almost-disappointed tone in his voice. The three students wanted to remain quiet, for fear of their teacher blowing up at them. However, Michiko nudged the girl in the middle to speak, seeing as how it was her plan in the first place.
"We…" Suki stammered nervously. She inhaled shakily, helping her to gain a bit more confidence. "We combined our flags. Now each of us has a count of six. We chose to pass together instead of working against one another."
Since his forehead protector was covering his eyes, his students did not see him narrow his white orbs suspiciously. But they did notice the long drawn-out sigh that escaped his lips. The young jounin rubbed his temples in what appeared to be exhaustion and disappointment. The preteens stiffened apprehensively.
"I can't believe this…" Deno mumbled, rubbing his face in what could only be displeasure. He took another step backwards, and before the genin could question if they had passed or failed, the elder ninja lifted his right hand before him. His index and middle fingers pointed upwards as he mumbled a single word. "Release."
Simultaneously, the same kanji appeared on all six Konoha flags, and in a matter of seconds, the cloths shriveled up in bursts of flames. The children shrieked as they threw the rope to the ground, watching the fire eat up the emerald rags. The orange and red flares licked at the green flags until nothing but black ashes were left.
The genin trio looked up to their sensei incredulously. "What the heck was that?" Michiko screamed in confused outrage. "Are you trying to kill us?"
Deno only stared at the group with an indifferent expression across his face. The girls were looking at him with clear perplexity while sudden realization slowly etched itself across Haruki's face. "There was no 'failure' flag… They were all sealed…" he whispered in comprehension. The females looked at him in astonishment before turning back to their teacher.
The jounin nodded in response to Haruki's words. "That's right."
Suki's eyebrows furrowed together as she looked between the burnt ashes and embers to the twenty-two-year-old. "What is the purpose in that?"
The man's impassive face was broken with a nervous smile as he scratched the back of his brown head sheepishly. An uneasy chuckle escaped his lips. "Uh… hehe… Well… Okay, I know this sounds bad… But I'm honestly used to people failing this test. By sealing all the flags, it means that each person has been unsuccessful in the training."
Michiko gawked in despair. "So… does that mean we fail too?"
"Whoa, whoa, you didn't let me finish. Just let me explain," Deno said, waving his hands in front of the genin to catch their attention. "Remember when I was giving the explanation of the flag I called the 'failure'? Haruki assumed that you guys would have to fight to gather three flags instead of just two, for fear of your count dropping by one. My response was as vague as I could make it because…"
"Because you wanted us to figure out the loophole on our own," Suki finished, understanding finally filling her.
Deno nodded with a smile. "You guys are the first to figure it out. I'm honestly quite shocked. My test is one of the hardest amongst the jounin instructors."
"What? You didn't think we could handle it?" Michiko asked, obviously insulted and offended. She placed a hand across her heart, as if his comment stung her deeply.
The man chuckled at her. "Well, I make my test extremely difficult for a reason. I do it so that I can find worthy genin who deserve to be shinobi." He turned away from his students to face the village that opened before them. He didn't need his eyes to know how beautiful the scene was. "This village has a legacy… the Will of Fire, it's called… There are those who claim to have it yet don't have the skill to prove it. There are those who don't realize they have it until it is too late. Then there are those who know just how important that spirit is… and it burns so brightly within those that they become legendary for their strength of mind alone."
A sigh escaped him, and his team looked at him worriedly. His shaky breath almost made it sound as if he was going to cry.
"I once saw a child… a genin… die, because he hadn't been properly trained in the ways of a shinobi. His Will of Fire had never been lit; he was too airheaded to see what was important to him," he continued. He turned his head to look over his shoulder towards his team, a sad smile on his face. "That's why I make my survival training difficult. It tests intellect, ability… and the idea of teamwork. If one cannot even comprehend the concept of working together, then everyone suffers."
A long silence fell upon the squad. No one moved, and no one said a word. The breeze from the high altitude was the only thing that showed that time was passing by.
After what seemed like an eternity but were really only a few minutes, the Hyuuga turned around to fully face his team. His cheerless smile was replaced with a bright grin. "You guys are the first to figure it all out. You solved each riddle, you demonstrated your skills by breaking the barriers, and you stepped up to the plate as a team. I can already tell that the Will of Fire burns greatly within all of you."
The tense atmosphere broke with those words, and smiles spread across each of the children's faces. Even Kinmaru beamed a bit with pride for his companion.
"And as your jounin instructor," Deno added, placing his hands on his hips, "I intend on making sure your spirits never damper nor wither away."
"So does that mean that we…?" Michiko asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yup," the jounin smiled. "Congratulations, Team 9. You're officially genin now!"
The three genin erupted with cheers of excitement. Michiko jumped up and down, first hugging her sensei, then Suki, patted Kinmaru on the head, and even went as far as to hug the stoic Haruki. The boy grimaced a bit, but his smile eventually returned as he congratulated his teammates. The entire group of youngsters was busily praising one another while their instructor stood off to the side.
He watched them for a few more moments before he whistled shrilly. The team turned to look at him, and he nodded his head back down toward the village. "So, who's up for some breakfast?"
If possible, the team grew even more excited as they raced after their official sensei toward the town, where a nice hearty meal was waiting for them.
Hours later, the Hokage Tower was a swarm of jounin filing in and out of the building. Each instructor was submitting their reports to the leader of the town so he could sign off on them in agreement that the genin either failed or passed. This time of year was obviously one of the busiest, for the jounin were divided into either missions or genin squad instructors. It was immense chaos in determining which jounin was eligible for rookie shinobi teaching or not.
Kakashi sighed at the growing headache as he headed toward the office of the esteemed Hokage. The paperwork involved with genin work was unbearable. And this year, he got to see just how much more difficult it was to fill out the documents for passing students, rather than his normally failing team.
He inwardly groaned at what fate had shoved on him. With the way he always performed his survival training, he had begun to think that there was a one in a million chance that he would get a team that would pass his test. And oddly enough, the obviously dysfunctional Team 7 had solved his puzzle.
The only problem now was telling Suki that he was the new jounin instructor to her ex-best friend.
The next hour passed by in a blur to him. Dropping off his documents to the Third Hokage had gone by speedily, and the walk home had been upsettingly fast. Before he knew it, he was home, and his heart began to beat furiously. Kakashi mentally cursed at the anxiety that was filling at him.
He was a renowned shinobi of the Leaf, for Pete's sake. He had gone on dangerous missions as an ANBU captain, and he had performed equally dangerous missions as a chuunin and a jounin. He had fought in a war, had helped to fight the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon, and had worked through enough dangerous missions as a youngster that most shinobi didn't experience until they were his current age.
So why was a simple sharing of news so hard for him?
"Because I can't stand seeing her so sad…" he answered himself.
He sighed in defeat as he entered his home, and almost immediately, a fast whiz of black and white barreled down the hallway toward him, tackling him around the gut. The silver-haired ninja gasped slightly as the wind was nearly knocked out of him, but the affection his daughter was showing him made the pain instantly disappear.
"Daddy! Guess what!" Suki asked excitedly, jumping up and down with glee as she kept her arms wrapped around his stomach.
The masked face of the twenty-seven-year-old crinkled up into a smile as he took in his daughter's happiness. "I'm going to take your joy as a sign that you passed."
"Yup!" the raven-haired girl confirmed happily. "I'm a real genin now! This is so awesome!"
"I'm really happy for you, Suki," Kakashi said sincerely as he kissed her forehead through the dark cloth that covered his face. "So who's on your new team?"
"Well, there's Haruki Senshi… He's kind of nice. He's really smart, but he's kind of stuck up and doesn't really like working together. But he's kind when he needs to be. Then there's Michiko Bokusouchi. She's really eccentric and very fun. Haruki and she always seem to disagree though. And then my sensei is Deno Hyuuga. He's really smart and fun, but he's pretty serious too," Suki said, explaining each person with what she had learned about them. A light smile appeared on her face as she continued. "I think I'm really going to like my team."
The onyx-eyed male nodded. "Getting along with your team is important. I hope your squad is successful in unity."
"Yeah, me too," the girl giggled. "So, did you team pass this year?"
In that moment, Kakashi was thankful that he wore a mask to cover his face. He didn't want to see how his expression had changed from a happy and proud smile to a tense frown. "Yes, actually. They did."
His adopted daughter perked up in surprise and curiosity as she followed him into the kitchen, where Kinmaru was waiting on the table. "Really? Who's on your team? Which team number are you?"
"I'm the leader of Team 7," the Hatake replied. His one exposed eye watched his child's reaction as she tried to remember who was on that specific squad. Her eyes were narrowed in attempted remembrance, and her index finger was rubbing her chin in thought. "It consists of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and… Naruto…"
Suki froze almost instantly at the last name. Her hand dropped from her face, and her bright eyes widened as they stared off into space. A deep, unsettling frown sketched itself across her face. Very slowly, her left hand absentmindedly rubbed the bandage that covered her cursed tattoo. And then it reached up to gently touch the gauze that wrapped around the gash in her head; it was the same cut she had received just two nights ago, when her friend had learned of her forbidden secret.
Kakashi watched her foreign and blank expression sadly. He gently clasped her shoulder in steady support as he whispered, "It's going to be okay, Suki…"
After another moment of staring into nothing, the female turned to look at her father and plastered a somehow fake yet genuine smile on her face. "I'm happy that he passed. He really deserves it. I want him to succeed in accomplishing his dream of becoming Hokage."
While the jounin was able to sense the sincerity in her voice when she said that she wished the best for Naruto, he could still hear the despair in her tone. It was hard not to notice the dread that laced her fragile voice. "Suki…"
"I'm going to meditate," she interrupted quickly.
She rapidly spun around and ascended the stairs to her room. The former ANBU captain contemplated going after her to comfort her, but the hawk standing on the table disrupted him. *Kakashi, you should understand something,* the bird thought out to him.
The masked man turned to look at the creature with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Kinmaru ruffled his feathers a bit in an attempt to make himself more comfortable. His golden eyes glanced over to the jounin as he spoke. *Suki is hurting, not only because she lost her best friend… but because she could not protect him from the truth that ultimately destroyed his heart.* The hawk turned around to fully face the shinobi. *You know of Suki's dream to protect her precious ones from pain. She suffered mental and physical abuse in Kagayaku. She doesn't want anyone to ever feel like she did. Because I am psychically her other half, I know that in her mind, she believes she failed to protect Naruto from the psychological trauma. Now those two are both suffering the aftereffects of Mizuki's idiotic action.*
Kakashi narrowed his eyes in consideration as he looked at the hawk. "So what do you propose we do?"
*Instead of filling her with comfort, we should allow her to submerge herself in her Guardian studies. At least for now,* Kinmaru replied. *Let her immerse herself in her attempts to become stronger. The same goes for Naruto. Mental pain is an awful thing to experience, but it can also be used to fuel the desire to work harder and become stronger.*
The silver-haired male looked down in thought, trying to sort through the animal guide's words. "I suppose so…" But he couldn't help the twisting feeling in his gut that told him otherwise. Some of his past experiences and knowledge were enough to make him worry. "But mental pain can also drive even the best of people over the edge… Right Dad?"