Chapter One: The Three Genin and the First-Day Test
Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep, bee-
Shiroki slammed her fist down to her alarm clock and let out a moan of contempt. The alarm clock let out a little crunch, breaking as her fist collided with the five-dollar piece of functioning plastic. Hearing the crunch, Shiroki sat up, and said, "Whoops." She stared at the time, slightly disoriented from last night's dream. Then it hit her like a load of bricks. It was morning, and she had a big test today! She slid out of bed and changed into her tunic and capris. Sliding on her shoes, she bolted out the door with her bag of kunai and shuriken, and her water bottle.
Once outside, she almost ran right into a tiny girl with light russet hair pulled back in a long, low ponytail and green eyes. "Oh, sorry," said the little girl. The little girl was younger than Shiroki, but she had a headband on the top of her head!
"Watch where you're going," Shiroki grumbled, then noticed who it was. It was the girl that walked up to get her headband with Shiroki. Ritoru Yamanaka.
"Oh, you're Shiroki?" said Ritoru, stepping back to see who it was.
"Yeah. What's it to ya?"
"I was just going to the training area. Would you like to walk with me?"
"Forget it."
Ritoru cringed at the tone Shiroki gave, and let Shiroki get ahead of her, then followed to the bridge to the practice field.
Standing on that bridge was a man wearing a black shirt with net sleeves and gloves, black ninja capris, a dark blue cape, and a wrapping on his left leg. His left eye was green, and his right eye was blue. His black hair fell down over his Shinobi headband like a raven waterfall, brushing his forehead. A boy with dark hair and a katana in its scabbard at his side smiled at the two girls. "It seems that we have everyone," said the adult ninja. "My name is Hachiro. I will be your sensei."
"So, let's all get to know each other." Hachiro-sensei sat on a crate across from the three Genin. "You already know me as much as you need to. I'm your sensei. You will learn more later. I want you all in turn, to tell me your name, what you like, and your dream. You first, with the katana. Then the one with your hair in your eyes."
The boy said, "I'm Seito Kurama. I like to be polite, but my dream... I dream to be a good ninja."
Hachiro returned, "Seito, you don't seem to have much on your mind right now. I'm sure you'll be a good ninja, but only if you get your priorities straight."
He didn't say he'd judge us! Shiroki thought, struggling for words to say. "I am Shiroki Nara. The only human I like is Shikamaru, my cousin, and I dream to be Hokage and to avenge my parent's death.
Hachiro didn't say anything; he just gave a nod and looked to Ritoru. Is that good or bad? Shiroki asked herself, silently wondering what Ritoru would say.
"I'm Ritoru," said the third Genin shyly. "I like..." Ritoru cast a glance at Seito, and continued, "My dream... I want to be a good partner in this team."
"Good, good," said the sensei. "I would like to test your teamwork skills today. Nothing major... but I don't do it how the legendary Kakashi does it. I have my own way. You have to work together to fight me. I am a ninja favored by Hoshimi-Hokage, so I'm very strong. I worked for an elite team of ninja before training you. This should also test your strength and resourcefulness. No weapons are allowed, be they kunai, senbon, shuriken, katana, poisons, trick wires, bos, puppets, exploding tags, or otherwise. Deposit all weapons on that stump. You are required to use your chakra and jutsus, on top of usual self defense. The mission is to get me downed, or have me surrender to you. This will be easier said than done. I wish you luck."
The sensei disappeared, and a log clattered to the ground in front of them. He had used a substitution jutsu. Everyone put their weapons on the stump, and Shiroki was about to take off, but Seito said, "Stop. We have to think of a game plan."
Shiroki glanced at him. "Why? Brute strength should do the trick."
"He's a lot stronger than us. You do that and he will flip you onto your back before you can say boo."
Ritoru said, "I will do whatever you say, Seito-kun," looking at him with sparkly eyes.
"I say we find him, then we pin him down with some jutsu. Shiroki, you're a Nara, do you know Shadow Stitching?
"Yeah, duh," she responded.
"Great. Ritoru and I will attack him and get him to surrender. This should be easy enough. Follow me." Seito led the girls into the training woods confidently, but the real question on all of their minds was: Will we pass?
"SEITO-KUN, WATCH OUT!" Ritoru shouted from the side. Team Two had found their sensei rather quickly, though, in Shiroki's eyes, the rest was easier said than done. Hachiro-sensei had made his attacks and battle tactics so difficult that Shiroki could barely make onehand seal, let alone make the rapid transition from rat to bird! Ritoru wasn't doing much of anything; she was making failed jutsu after failed jutsu her 'thing'. Seito and Shiroki were struggling at hand-to-hand combat with the adult ninja.
As young Ritoru had predicted, seconds after her shout, Seito took a hard blow to the chest from the palms of Hachiro's hands. Breath quickly escaped from his lungs, and his eyes got wide. "Seito!" called Shiroki, glancing quickly over her shoulder to where he had impacted with a tree. As soon as she had done that, she, too, joined her partner at the base of the tree, in an instant, faster than a fleeting heartbeat. Feeling sore and dazed, Shiroki watched as the sensei turned to Ritoru, ready to relentlessly turn her into a pulp, as well.
Seeing her friends hurt like that, agony and pure hate painted Ritoru's usually-pale face pink. "How could you," she growled at the ground through her teeth, her brow furrowed and her gaze intense. Shiroki saw her weave the hand signs of snake and rat, then growled, "Have my best genjutsu, sensei, Demonic Illusion: Death Mirage Jutsu!"
Shock met Hachiro's eyes as leaves swirled up around him. "We might have him," commented Seito, rising his battered body to its stumbling feet. He wove handsigns as well, this time of boar, horse, and ram. "Hidden Cloud Jutsu: Dream Stone!" The sensei bent over, mumbling incomprehensibly and gripping his head, trying with all his might to work past the powerful genjustu.
Shiroki stumbled to her feet. "Wow..." she mumbled, marveling at the strength of the two Genin. They were amazing. Not just amazing- they were her teammates. Now was her chance. "Ne, Tori..." Her shadow extended to meet Hachiro's, then lifted up, and changed, making long, writhing tendrils of shadow swirl around him. Shiroki's shadow tendrils lashed out at him, then pierced the ground. Several times did this happen, again and again, the sensei was tied to the ground. A smile crept across her face. This is what I'll do to the rogues... and so much more. I'll toy with them like a cat and a bug. Her feet planted firm, she grinned at her teammates. And they'll help me do it.
Ritoru jumped up. "Hooray! We beat him!" She released her genjutsu and held up her hands for Seito to give her a double high-five, which he did with a whoop. Shiroki released Shadow Stitching, and held up her fist for a fist-bump, which Seito also obliged to.
"We did great, didn't we?" said Shiroki, beaming. Upon looking in the Sensei's direction, the Nara realized that he was gone. They weren't done yet. "Sensei?"
Seito cursed. "Damn. I thought we were done too."
"Where is he?" asked Ritoru.
Seito just shook his head. "Not sure. Keep your guards up."
The leaves rustled. Now the sensei was simply toying with them. Where is he?Shiroki frantically thought, looking around. There was a muffled yelp from Ritoru's direction, then certain struggling. "Ritoru?" Seito wheeled around. No one was there.
WHAP! Someone was slapped. "Seito! Shiroki! I'm over here!" Ritoru waved at them. "So is Hachiro-sensei!" Seito and Shiroki came running.
Hachiro-sensei was sitting on the ground, his right cheek bright red, as if Ritoru had slapped him. "You kids are very persistent. I'm sure you'll all be a great team some day. Let's call it a day. I'm sure you're all very exhausted from using so many strong jutsus. Ritoru, I didn't know that you knew Death Mirage."
Ritoru beamed. "Is it that good, sensei?"
Hachiro smiled softly. "Yeah, but I was trained to break free of genjustsus easily. I'd suggest you not use them against me next lesson." She nodded energetically. "Overall, you three did pretty well. I believe that one day all of you will quite possibly be the strongest team of Konohagakure, but you still have to train hard." The sensei rose to his feet. "I'll meet you back here next week. You still have to train as hard as you possibly can through that time, even though I won't be training you."
"Yes, Sir!" Shiroki said brightly. She had passed her first test as a ninja.
Shiroki, as she was walking back to her apartment, met Seito as she was cutting through the park. He was sitting on a bench, leaned back, his eyes closed. "Boo!" she said, jumping onto the bench. He jumped, his dark eyes growing the size of saucers in an instant. Shiroki laughed at his comical response.
"You seriously need to get a life," grumbled Seito, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.
"What's the problem, Kurama-kun? Am I too scary? Anyway, I don't really have a life. I've got nothing to lose. That's why I'm such a good ninja."
"Nothing to loose? I mean... I heard a rumor, but I wasn't sure if it was true..."
"Yeah. The rumor's true," she snapped. "Got a problem?"
"Look, Shiroki-chan, if you ever want to talk about it..."
"No." She turned away, the subject making her angry. "I'm going home."
Seito grabbed her wrist. "Shiroki, if you ever need to talk about it, I'm always here. I will always be here for you, Shiroki."
Catching his gaze for a heartbeat with a solemn gaze, Shiroki pulled her wrist from his hand. "Okay," she said softly. "Maybe I will, Seito-kun." She lifted her violet gaze to the lengthening shadows around them. She thought she saw some motion, maybe a fleeting shadow of light russet hair. But she was absolutely sure she heard soft crying from the bushes around the park bench.