Training for the next few months was hard for team three, with Hoshiko pushing her students hard and fast, but it was effective. Team work was astounding between the three genin, and they were even able to spar their teacher when they worked together. They still never won.
Just as Jessica predicted the team was composed of a stealth specialist, Leo, Front-liner, Kiko, and an illusionist, Meigestu. Their teacher was a medic specialist, so when the three sparred with each other they could go all out, as red haired woman could heal them quite efficiently.
There were no D-rank mission in Nadeshiko village; actually there were no ranking in missions. A mission was simply that, a mission, and would be taken at a superior's discretion. Often times Team Three would be put on hunting missions, where they would be sent out with other genin teams to bring back food to the village. Fishing and hunting big game were Kiko and Leo's favorite parts of these missions, while Meigestu favored picking herbs and plants. When Meigestu picked plants Hoshiko-sensei would often point out the poisonous ones to the young girl, and made sure she remembered it for later.
Some missions were going to the out of border farms to help. Kiko would wrestle the farm animals into their pens and help plow the fields. Leo would often tend to the plants; he seemed to have a green thumb as the farmers put it. Meigestu had what the three agreed as the worst job. Because of her illusion abilities she would put the slaughter animals under a painless sleeping genjustu, and then either Leo or Kiko would end the animal's life quickly and swiftly. It was hard on all three children, but they were ninjas and knew they would have to face death every day, so they pushed through and bonded over healing.
Because the jounin-sensei was a medic team three studied basic medical skills from the woman, along with anything else she would teach them. Leo had the hardest time with healing, as his control, while good, was average at best. He was able to study pressure and chakra points though, and had them memorized by the third week of study. Kiko's chakra control was astounding as well as her reserves, but because of her lack of focus she could only heal large dangerous wounds. Anything smaller than life threatening and her chakra would cause more damage than good when she tried to heal. Kiko was also a terrible study, so she only bothered to learn the basics and focused more on her strengths. Meigestu had the best luck when it came to healing. Her control and reserves were good, and her studies progressed quickly, so she became best suited to study healing. Her bloodline even made an effective sedative and pain-killer when she needed to heal and calm an animal. But the young girl still wished to specialize in seduction and infiltration.
As a team, the three meshed at an amazing rate. Leo's traps, with Meigestu's illusions and Kiko's muscles, created a perfect retrieval and assassination team. The three also rose through the ranks quickly as the months passed, and soon earned the name 'Star Three' as they had passed all their classmates as a team and as individuals.
Hoshiko was a harsh taskmaster though, and even after the three thought they were good enough for genin, she wanted them better. With the Chunin exam around the corner, the Hanakage wish to send two teams out to Konaha to take it for the first time in years.
In Nadeshiko a ninja did not have to take an exam to rise in rank, and instead a battle was held once a year. The battle was free for any genin to enter and was held in the city center. Two combatants would enter the ring and the last one standing moved onto the next match-up; the only rules being no lethal force. The last six standing would be promoted and become recognized as Chunin and earn the chunin braid. The braid was a thin five strand braid behind the left ear, and would be cut off after reaching jounin level.
The village had not actually taken part of any chunin exams within the last ten years, as the unstable environment after the war and Kyuubi created tension the Hanakage did not want to deal with. This year though, there was a change in the wind, a shift was coming soon and the Hanakage did not want others forgetting the power her village held. As a political and tactical maneuver she would send her two best teams to Konaha, a strong and safe ally, to show the power of her village. The teams may even find husbands while they are gone, and bring new blood into the village. Truly a clever move for the powerful woman, for she knew the good blood that flowed through Konaha's ninjas, her husband had been from there and had helped her produce three strong daughters and two clever sons. His death had truly been a tragedy for the village.
Team Three had already been chosen as the rookie team to send, along with Team Twelve who had two years seniority on the rookies. Team Twelve was a tactical team who were focused on intelligence gathering and long-term infiltration. They did not have a heavy-hitter on their team and were instead made of an illusionist from the Hanami clan, an Ashihea, and a Dokuchi.
The Ashihea Clan was made of physically frail people, but their chakra control was highly refined. Their special clan justu allowed users to focus their chakra into each strand of hair on their hair and turn them into 'tentacles'. The hair became stronger than ninja wire and could be manipulated even after being cut, creating deadly weapons out of the locks. The hair also could be used as a way to shield and protect the body, as any hair on the users body could be used, even the eyebrows. The way to distinguish the clan members was simple, as they never cut their hair after birth and all were born with a metallic silver color.
The Dokuchi Clan was a smaller clan, but were some of the deadliest. Their chakra reserves and control are average, along with their physical strength, but the clan's blood-line is what made them feared. Simply put, a corrosive poison ran through the clans veins instead of blood. It does not affect them negatively, but if the 'blood' leaves their bodies it activates and eats away at anything it touches. This makes stealing the blood-line difficult, and killing them more so, as the weapon will often be destroyed after it breaks skin. The easiest way to tell if someone is from that clan, as they are fairly average looking women, is to look at their eyes, and if the blood vessels are a bright purple instead of red.
With these two strong teams that held the strongest blood-lines in the village, the Hanakage knew that the other shinobi nations would not be forgetting Nadeshiko anytime soon.
Bah, updates.