Took me a bit, but finally I've managed to complete this chappie :) This whole "Chuunin Exam Intro" arc sure took more outta me then I've anticipated, so I'm kinda glad I can finally put it behind me and get to the "good stuff" :D
There will be a special announcement next time around, so do look forward to that and... well, enjoy the newest installment of "Those Who Inherit the Will of Fire" (seriously, that's one heck of a mouth-full ^^'):
Chapter #19: Cold Greetings
Title Page: Buryaku is sleeping under the tree, while in the background, just above her, Shikamaru is sawing a log
A loud splash echoed through the area as Toramaru's body sunk into the pond. The blond quickly swam back up, gasping for air, while the water cascaded down his face. With an annoyed look he shifted to the left, were Naraku was barely holding himself above the waterline, knee deep in the liquid. The white eyes of the boy were more interested in their teacher though; a man observing them from under the tree, his arms crossed.
"What the heck, Teigo-sensei?" Toramaru snapped, already discouraged. "How the heck is this supposed to make us stronger for the exams? We should be learning some, cool techniques! And why isn't Buryaku included in this?"
"That's because her chakra control exceeds yours and by quite much" the masked jounin replied simply, gazing at the boy. "I already explained this to you guys; with your skills, learning new jutsu would be pointless, coz it'd only result in you wasting your energy. First you should master this exercise. With it, you'll have much greater reserves in a fight and will be able to last longer. This is especially essential to Naraku, ever since he started using the Kage Bunshin, but it'll be helpful to you as well, Toramaru – with your Hyuuga style, you base most of your attacks on chakra. I'd imagine you, of all people, should be able to realize how important it is to have total control over its emission."
"Fine" the blond snarled as he lifted himself up, once more staying above water on all fours, A moment later he stood up straight, immediately sinking beneath the surface a bit: "This is exhausting though..."
"If it was easy, you wouldn't need to learn it" the former sound-nin noted calmly and then looked over his shoulder, where Buryaku has just appeared, panting heavily as sweat dripped down her face; "Well, I could expect as much from those two, but for her to actually put so much effort into training... what happened during those few days I haven't seen them?"
"I'm... done... with... the technique... Teigo-sensei" the kunoichi announced between inhales, handing the man a scroll. "Could you... give me... another?" she asked, giving him a weak glance.
"What the...?" Toramaru quickly put two and two together. "So you're teaching her new skills?" he accused, pointing a finger, which instantly resulted in another bath. The jounin paid little attention to the rant though as he shrugged, picking out another scroll: "That's kinda an overstatement, considering I'm watching the two of you; Buryaku learns the techniques on her own, I just provide her with means to do so" he proclaimed, giving the girl the scroll. "Besides, unlike you two, she doesn't have a bloodline limit to back her up. She's also more of a defensive type, having little to no offensive moves. Plus my nature affinity is wind, just like her's, so logically from you three she can gain the most from technique training with me. For you guys it'd be more beneficial to find someone closer to your element as an instructor..."
"So, how is your training proceeding then, Buryaku?" Naraku asked curiously as he flipped his arms, trying to keep the balance.
"So-so" the blonde replied calmly, although her voice seemed to possess more emotion then usual. "I did only master two skills" she added like it was nothing, which did annoy Toramaru to some extend, he decided to keep that to himself though. Again he concentrated chakra in his feet, took a step towards the water... and splashed right in as a sudden voice made him loose his balance:
"Intensive training, I see... I thought they taught water-walking in the Academy these days..."
The group to the fence surrounding the pond, noticing a duo of teen observing them curiously. Teigo's eyes narrowed at the very sight of the two, shown little, other indication he took note of the new arrivals. Naraku on the other hand, taught be the experience of previous days, scanned them carefully.
The one to speak was a boy, roughly fifteen years of age, with spiky, black hair and golden, almost snake-like eyes. His skin was a bit pale, while his left ear was decorated with three, triangular earrings. His outfit consisted of a black, training robe with thorn off sleeves and golden lining at the front. Pants in the same color wrapped around his legs, while an arm protector made of scales hid his right hand. His hitae-ate with the symbol of Konoha rested on his forehead.
The boy's companion was a girl of the same age with medium-length, blue hair, clipped in spiky ponytail, which allowed to strands to frame her pretty face. Her eyes were hazel, while her attire was made of a gray, sleeveless kimono, a short wristbands in the same color, with a line pattern on the right arm, tight, black pants barely covered the upper half of her legs and the Leaf's headband was tied around her neck. The most surprising feature however, aside from a strangely well-developed chest for a girl her age, was the fact that her left arm donned a metal protector, decorated with colorful gems – sapphire, emerald, ruby, topaz and amber.
"Who the heck are you guys?" Toramaru asked, crawling out of the water as a tiny blush appeared on his face at the sight of the girl. The pale-skinned teen seemed to notice that immediately and laughed wholeheartedly, placing his arm on the female's shoulder: "Oh, don't worry; Madoka-chan has that effect on guys all the time..."
"I have no idea wha..." the blond began, but at this time Teigo decided to join in: "What are you two doing here?" he demanded, crossing his arms, immediately making the boy's smile disappear as he gazed at the masked jounin.
"Just a little walk" he finally replied with uncaring voice. "It's not like it's forbidden, is it? We really ran into you guys by chance, but I was kinda anxious about meeting up with the famous Teigo group! I heard you fought some sound-nins. For various reasons, Madoka-chan and I would be quite interested in learning more about that..."
"Well, you will not" the man responded sternly.
"That's kinda rude, Teigo-san" the teen noted, keeping his calm. "We bare no ill-will towards you or your students, even though we'll soon become enemies" he added, making Buryaku instantly put tow and two together:
"So you'll be participating in the Chuunin Exam as well?" she rather stated then asked, yet still Madoka gave her a nod while a cheerful voice escaped her lips: "Yep... Monuke-kun and I will finally get a chance to show off our skills! We didn't get a chance to do so last time, so it'll be our first entry!" she proclaimed, clapping her hands together as she jumped up, also making her chest bounce, to which Toramaru reacted instantly.
Naraku's face also turned a bit red, yet he managed to recompose himself quite quickly, barely keeping his knees above the water: "So why socialize with us, since we'll just end up on the opposite sides anyway?"
"Oh come on" the pale boy replied instantly in an almost teasing manner: "Even rivals can respect each other and we are from the same village, so once the exams finish, we'll be allies again... provided we'll all survive, that is" he added jokingly with an evil smirk, which gave the young Uchiha his first bath today.
"Survive?" Naraku panicked a bit, floating above water.
"Well, yeah" Monuke shrugged at the question. "I heard of cases where gennin couldn't continue on as shinobi or even died during these exams. It's quite competitive and you'll be going against the best ninja from all the allied villages... even if our Leaf comrades won't be aiming for the kill, it's highly possible other participants won't share that sentiment" he laughed a tad nervous, making Toramaru gaze at him annoyed, Naraku a bit uncomfortable, while Buryaku allowed herself to sweat drop.
"Oh, I'm sure strong guys like you won't get killed" Madoka teased, winking towards the boys, once more forcing blush on their faces. The lazy gennin rolled her eyes at her teammates' behavior and stepped forward, her face indifferent: "You're giving those dunderheads too much credit..." she announced, while Teigo gazed to the sky.
"Got that right" another voice came as a figure dropped from above, stopping preciously on the surface of the pond. Before either of the gennin could react, the arrival slammed his palm to the water, making it freeze instantly, trapping Naraku by his torso, while Toramaru gotten his ankles stuck.
"Hyouton?" the masked jounin analyzed, narrowing his eyes. "But isn't that a Kiri bloodline?" he wondered as the figure rose back to a standing position, aconfident smile plastered on its face. As it turned out, the attack was a young man, about twenty years of age, with medium-length, red hair and a beard that wrapped around his mouth. Sky-blue eyes settled on the leaf-nins gathered as two, more figures walked behind him.
His attire was made of a blue shwal, tied on his head, a black shirt with a red unbuttoned vest on top and tight, black pants. The most surprising feature however was the fact that the man had metallic gloves covering his palms and the typical, shinobi sandals were replaced with boots of a similar manner. A moment later Buryaku also noticed a hitae-ate with four, small circles tied around his left arm.
"Snow-nins" the blonde realized as she shifted her gaze to the other two. The one on her right was another man, slightly older then the previous and had a belly that even Choumaru would find too fat. He had short, spiky, blond hair, which strands fell freely on his face, covering most of his green eyes. His outfit was made of a baggy, blue blouse and pants, while his village's headband was tied around the neck. Another feature was a wide, metallic shield with a glowing gem in the middle that was covering his back.
The last of the trio and obviously the eldest was a man with long, blond hair and mustache, whose blue eyes gave an impression of being arctic cold. He carried a horned helmet on his head, while a body armor tightly covered most of his torso and blue shirt beneath. His baggy, blue pants were tied with a violet belt, to which a sheathed sword was hung. His forehead protector was in its rightful place, while his right arm was completely mechanic.
"Oh come on!" Toramaru snapped, visibly annoyed. "Can at least one team that came here to take the exam NOT attack us?" he asked, while Buryaku sweat dropped. Certainly she had the exact same feeling. Monuke however acted very differently: "What is the meaning of your assault?" he demanded, eying the trio suspiciously. "Surely we've done nothing to provoke this."
"Does there really need to be a reason to fight one another?" the swordsman responded with a smirk, throwing his hands to the side as he stepped forward, the duo now occupying the center of the frozen pond. "After such a long journey, we got worried we'll be a little rusty, so it's fully understandable Erikku wanted to test his abilities out. We do come from a much colder region, y'know..."
"Don't play that with me" the pale teen warned, narrowing his eyes.
"Or you'll what?" the snow-nin pushed with a wider smirk, slowly reaching for the sword.
"Enough!" Teigo finally decided to interrupt as he joined them on the pond. With a quick seal, he swung his arm, making a loud noise escape his melody arm, breaking the ice in a flash. The three Yuki ninja, as well as Monuke and the masked man remained above water, but Naraku instantly disappeared bellow the surface, as did Toramaru, tumbling backwards at the sudden release.
Madoka giggled at the outcome, yet Buryaku only let out a sigh: "Those two are making us look like idiots" she thought miserably. Her instructor had other concerns however: "I assume you're here for the examples, but I will not tolerate causing trouble needlessly. Thus you have a choice – you can either calm down now or I'll take you on myself."
"You're quite confident for just one guy" the mysterious snow-nin stated, shifting his gaze towards him. "What makes you think you can take all three of us at once?"
"You're obviously Yuki gennin" the lazy kunoichi cut in with her all-knowing tone. "To that end, you really can't measure up to Teigo-sensei, who's already of jounin rank. Also, judging from your looks, it's safe to assume you're already over twenty years old; being gennin for such a long amount of time shows you probably have little skills..."
"Oh?" the redhead raised his eyebrow at the accusation. "So what does it say about your friends, who have just gotten their butts handed to them by us?" he puzzled with a smirk.
"Well... they're idiot" Buryaku shrugged simply.
"Hey!" Toramaru objected as he once more crawled out of the water. "Don't spread around nonsense! I'm intelligent enough to know snow-nins are always equipped with chakra absorbing armors! I see nothing like that on those guys, so..."
"So you are an idiot" the redhead, Erikku, announced with a laugh as he lifted up his glove: "Technology moves forward, brat. Hidden Snow has already shifted its research to other areas, since those armors proven ineffective in the long-run. The three or us are armed with state-of-the-art advancements in shinobi equipment!"
"Erikku, could you not go around, telling everyone about our strengths?" the blond swordsman ordered, obviously angered.
"It's not like this will help those losers any" the redhead responded with a frown and then turned to their third teammate: "Isn't that right, Orafu?"
"True" the chubby man nodded instantly. "Those three brats... their battle level isn't even fifty" he stated, making Naraku look at him confused: "Battle level? What the hell are you talking about?"
To this the shield wielder rose his hair, revealing that his left eye was a metallic one, currently starring straight at the young Uchiha: "My pupil possesses the means to evaluate the fighting capabilities of the individual based on their chakra reserves, physical attributes and your nature type; that is called 'battle level'. Commonly, any shinobi that can be considered worthy, has that measurement set on at least 50..."
"That is ridiculous" Toramaru shoot back. "You can't tell a person's strength just from that!"
"No, you cannot" Orafu agreed, nodding. "But it does give you the general idea of how dangerous another ninja can be, as it determines their overall potential. For example, it's meaningless to know powerful techniques, if you can't execute them properly. Battle level decides preciously that chance of performing such deeds... and if you don't believe me, then let me inform you – this masked guy here, who you have such high respect for, has one on the scale of 342!"
"Bellow fifty and... three hundred forty two?" the white-eyed boy repeated in his head, his eyes blasting open. "Is the gap... really that wide?"
"This is rubbish"Teigo announced with the wave of his hand. "Such numbers mean absolutely nothing; in a fight, you can never tell who's gonna win unless you actually see it through to the end. The victor isn't always decided by physical traits..."
"Whatever" the swordsman finally took his hand of the handle as he spun around. "You guys are no fun to begin with and we still need to check into a hotel. It's a shame I didn't get to play myself, but there'll be plenty of time for that, once the exams begin. Lets go" he commanded, making the other two comply immediately.
"Dammit, those exams attract all sorts of weirdos" Naraku stated as the trio went out of earshot. "And how come all of those weirdos aim for us?" he snapped, fatigue beaming from his voice.
"Maybe you just have those sort of faces" Monuke joked, shrugging, which instantly made a vein pulse on Toramaru's head, while the blue-haired girl giggled again. "Anyway, Madoka-chan and I have squad business as well, so I guess we'll leave you to your training and see you at the event..."
"Yeah, I guess you will" the white-eyed boy replied, still eying them suspiciously. But noticing that, the kunoichi smirked and sent him a kiss, once more turning the blond's face into a beetroot.
"Out of pure curiosity – is there a village you two DON'T intend to make your enemy?" Buryaku asked with a bored expression as she gazed at her comrades, both soaking wet.
"And how is this our fault?" Toramaru argued, spreading his arms in helplessness. "It's all those, other teams that have some serious, anger management issues! I swear, this makes me feel like a hero of some, stupid shounen manga, where every strong guy is out to get you!"
Meanwhile, the three snow-nins marched through the streets of Konoha, Erikku visibly agitated: "Balegu, what the hell? That masked jounin aside, we could've taken them. Why spoil the fun?"
"As usual, you see little beyond the tip of your nose" the swordsman responded with a stoic face. "Can't you sense anything?" he asked, shifting his gaze towards Orafu, who only nodded at the questioning glare: "Then it's just as I thought..."
"Thought what?" the redhead demanded.
"Those, other two... that pale brat and big-boob babe... they're far stronger then you'd expect of a gennin... I assume their battle level was above hundred... that's not a number a rookie should possess..."
"Don't kid around" Erikku shoot back annoyed. "Even we barely exceed hundred, there's no way those kids could be at that level! If anything, Orafu's meter must be broken!"
"Perhaps" the swordsman, Balegu, replied calmly with a nod. "Still, it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye out for those two... and there's still a matter of their teammate, whom we know nothing of... certainly, those exams could prove much more fun then we've anticipated" he announced as a smirk crept onto his face again...
-That time, Konoha alleyways-
A young boy, merely fifteen, walked into the dark alley and as he glanced around, making sure he wasn't followed, he dropped to his knee, bowing respectfully towards the darkness. The teen had short, black hair with a fringe that formed a peak over his face as he kept his red eyes down. His attire consisted of a white t-shirt with the kanji for 'leaf' on the back and black pants with three, red stripes going down each trouser leg. Konoha's hitae-ate could also be spotted around his left arm.
"Everything is proceeding as planned" he announced into darkness, remaining still.
"Good" a grim voice echoed through the alley. "It's quite fortunate you and your teammates were recommended to take the exams. This will make the plan go more smoothly. We will be counting on you to do the job on your end. I assume you remember the task, Kouhai?"
"Of course" the boy nodded slightly. "Until further notice, my mission is to support the squad, allowing it to reach the final stage of the exams, along with completing data on some of the participants. Most of them shouldn't be a problem, however I assume Monuke will be my priority?"
"Indeed" the voice replied, amused by the young ninja's perceptiveness. "You always were the smart one, Kouhai. With recent developments, Monuke's... unique heritage will certainly come in handy. He might prove essential when Hidden Sound decides to make their next move..."
"So, is he more of a thumb card... or a bargain?"
"You need not concern yourself over that" the shadows assured him. "What you have is your mission, that's all; while keeping eye on Monuke, you should not forget of your own heritage..."
"Of course" Kouhai agreed with another nod as he finally rose back to his feet. "It is my duty to support the great tree of Konoha... as the last of the Shimura!"
"Well said" the voice announced as another figure stepped out of the darkness; a man clad in black with a cat-like, white mask covering his face. "Soon we will be ready and all who dared push Konoha into this, pitiful state it is now, shall pay... for the good of the leaves... Roots will once more grow!"
And so the sun sets on the horizon, ending another day. Young shinobi gather to what shall be the greatest challenge they had to face in their lives, all carrying their hopes and dreams. Clash is unavoidable, but who among them has the strength to remain standing once the smoke clears? These sort of questions plague them all, whether they choose to show it or not and in great anticipation, they move forward... for the day of the Exams... has finally arrived...
-now the real challenge begins!-
And this concludes this chapter as well as "Chuunin Exam Introduction" Arc"! With this, MOST of the more important gennin has already been introduced (there's still few on the way), but now I can fully get to the actual tests :D Naturally, those of you who are familiar with my NNG know that you shouldn't expect a simple redo of the manga, but I ain't telling what the first exam is gonna be ;P
Konoha #1 (Teigo Kinuta): Buryaku Nara, Naraku Uchiha, Toramaru Uzumaki
Konoha #2 (Lee Rock): Hinako Nekko (the redhead girl with a black cat, Kuroki), Gaki Nayamasu (the muscular boy), Gai Rock (the boy with a bowl-like haircut)
Konoha #3 (Shikamaru Nara): Shunrai (the girl with a crush on Toramaru), Choumaru Akimichi (the chubby boy), Gitou Hisakata (the coughing boy)
Konoha #4 (Hinata Uzumaki): Gouka Uchiha (Naraku's twin sister), Kumo Aburame (the boy in green overcoat), Garou Inuzuka (the boy with the dog, Hanomaru)
Konoha #5 (Hasaki Kinzoku): Hitomi Hyuuga (white-eyed girl), Jun Hatake (the masked teen), Shimiru Abunage (the blond with piercings and a skateboard)
Konoha #6 (Hiyoko Shinku): Akemi Nekata (green-haired girl), Akai Kagami (the redhead), Akumo Megane (the boy with glasses)
Konoha (?): Madoka Garasu (the girl with gems), Kouhai Shimura (Danzou's cousin), Monuke (the pale-skinned boy)
Suna #1 (?): ? (girl with metal protectors), Kobura (the boy in black), Sabaku no Shikyo (the boy with the gourd)
Suna #2 (Kankuro):? (the girl with the gourd), ? (the boy with a headgear and scrolls), Fuugo (the masked pipsqueak)
Kumo (?): Juryoku Kakeme (the blue-haired girl), Fukaru Makaze (the blond boy), Aitou Mekakushi (the blind-fooled boy)
Ame (?): ? (the kimono wearing girl), Shunsai Irezumi (?), ? (the boy with a headgear)
Kane (?): Moroha Gengetsu (the girl with a crescent-moon blade), Toukai Kurogane (the violet-haired boy), Kousotsu (the armored boy)
Kusa (?): ? (girl in a yellow kimono), Kouba Ibara (the boy in worn-out clothes), Nekkei Utsuru (the sick boy)
Taki (?): Kitou (the girl with a praying stick), ? (the boy with a large scroll), Sayoku (the boy with bandaged mouth)
Yuki (?): Orafu Futotta (the fat guy with the shield), Erikku Hakabakashi (the redhead), Balegu Seiretsu (the swordsman)
And this truly concludes this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it, along with the new characters. Please review before leaving and see you next time!