(Thanks for coming back to read the second chapter of the series. I hope you give it a chance and read a few chapters before deciding to drop it. I do warn that the series is planned to be very long and probably won't be completed for at least 3 years. I love feedback and constructive criticism, so please leave a review so I can improve my writing and storytelling skills. Enjoy!)
Ichimaru is sitting in class the next day waiting impatiently. "Come on where are you?" he wonders in his head.
Sitting a few rows above, a young and beautiful blonde girl with short pigtails tries to hold in her excitement. "I can't wait!" says Yui exploding with energy, "I hope I get on the same team as Shun."
"I am the one who is going to be on Shun's team!" says her best friend Sakura seated in the adjacent seat. She is also teeming with anticipation and nervousness, trying to pass it off by twirling her long, lush pink hair around her fingers.
"You better not be!" replies Yui out of jealousy, for the both of them have a huge crush on the most talented boy in the class.
"Where are you?" wonders Ichimaru again, not really listening to the girls because he is so focused on his friend. They had been pals for such a long time and he had never seen Kuroda behave this way. He leans over onto his elbows and bites his thumb nervously as he awaits his friend.
Below him Naoko whispers in the ear of her best friend Rame Tsu, "Why do those two have to be so pathetic? I hope neither of them is on our team." This in reference to the hopeless girls arguing over who will be on Shun's team. Unlike them, Naoko and Rame Tsu are focused on becoming the strongest Konoichi and proving that women are superior to men.
The dark-haired girl replies, "Yeah, but I just hope we get an all girl team, and a wise female Sensei too."
"You're almost out of time, where are you?" mutters Ichimaru out of frustration.
"Where is who?" asks Kenta sitting down next to him. A rather plump boy for his age mostly due to the fact that he loves food. Any kind of food as long as it tasted superb. His true dream is to become a master chef and open up his own restaurant. However he first must get the necessary skills and money and becoming a ninja is the fastest way to do that. He could travel the world meeting new people and tasting all sorts of new foods.
"Kuroda; he is not here yet," explains Ichimaru.
"I don't know if he is even coming," says Kenta, "I heard he went missing for a few days after the new Hokage was named."
"He did, but I checked the list and he passed the test yesterday. So that means he is back," replies Ichimaru still in a state of worry.
"Who is back?" asks a voice from behind them. They look around to see a young boy with dark hair and a cool, relaxed demeanor.
"Kuroda!" exclaims Ichimaru loud enough to make the whole class turn and look at him for a second, "Where have you been?"
"I had some things to take care of," replies Kuroda rather vaguely as he scans the room looking for something unknown.
"What…?" starts Ichimaru.
"All right everybody quiet down and take a seat," says a man with long dirty blonde hair sticking straight up, "I am Tousen Nohana a Jonin here in the village. I will be dividing you up into your Genin teams and assigning you to your Jonin instructors. Is everybody here?"
The door flies open and a boy with short black hair and white eyes runs in panting, "Did I make it?"
Tousen sighs, "Yes, now take a seat." The boy stumbles over to the nearest row and sits down in the open seat at the end all the while trying to regain his breath. The appearance of the newcomer starts whispered conversations among the rest of the class.
Tousen stares at him with barely disguised impatience and once the boy is settled he gestures for the class to be silent and starts again, "On Team One will be…"
"Who is that kid?" asks Kenta just soft enough so the instructor cannot hear.
"Not sure," whispers Kuroda.
"That's Jando Hyuga," answers Ichimaru with a bit of knowledge surprising the others, "He is two years older than us. Looks like he finally passed the test though, I didn't think he ever would."
"A Hyuga?" inquires Kenta, "Don't all of them have the Byakugan? I thought all ninjas from that clan were great."
"I don't know," replies Ichimaru with a bored look as he rests his chin on his palm, "I guess he is the odd one out."
"On Team 3 will be Sakura Nagana, Kuroda Taishi, and Jando Hyuga," announces Tousen, "Your Sensei will be Raj Fujo."
"Awwe man, this stinks," groans Ichimaru, "Why didn't they put us on the same team Kuroda?"
"I suspected they wouldn't group us together," says Kuroda honestly as he shrugs his shoulders, "I guess they don't want us goofing off when we are real ninjas, but I guess it will be better this way."
"I guess," says Ichimaru disappointed, "But it still stinks."
"Yes!" says Yui doing a fist pump behind them, "Looks like you are out of the running Sakura. And you have to be with that goofball Kuroda. Have fun with that."
"I don't know," replies Sakura scrunching her face as if trying to solve a difficult math problem, "Something seems different about him."
"Like what?" asks Yui.
"I'm not sure; he kind of looks more…serious I guess. To be honest I'm sort of attracted to him now for some reason. I mean he always has been pretty cute, but I've never really thought much of it before," admits Sakura with newfound curiosity for the class clown.
Yui squints her eyes takes a closer look, "There is something different about him. He is pretty good looking, but he still doesn't compare with Shun."
"Team 10 will be Kenta Akimichi, Ichimaru Nara," says Tousen.
"Sweet we are on the same team Ichimaru!" exclaims Kenta in joy for having a friend on his squad.
"And finally, Yui Yamanaka," finishes Tousen.
"Ha ha," laughs Sakura, "Looks like you got stuck with the other goofball."
"Your instructor will be Yoshikuni Dosu," says Tousen.
In utter disappointment Yui hangs her head in defeat. After a moment she sits back up straight and sighs, "Well at least I got Kenta. He is decent, plus he always has the best tasting food with him."
"So I guess neither of us gets to be with Shun," Sakura states not nearly as depressed as she thought she would be, "I wonder who the lucky girl will be." More names are called off until there is only one team left.
"And finally Team 15 will consist of Shun Kashi, Rame Tsu, and Naoko Fei," announces Tousen.
"I wanted an all girl team, but at least we got a decent guy," says Naoko with an expression of aversion, "If you can even use that word to describe a male."
Rame Tsu chuckles and then realizes, "Hey wait a minute, who is our Jonin Sensei?"
"Well my beautiful young kunoichi, that would be me," says Tousen with a wink.
"Great, our Sensei is a pervert," comments Naoko rather loudly and bluntly.
Tousen clutches his heart in mock pain as he collapses to the floor in shock. "So young and yet already so cruel," he gasps as he lies in despair on the ground.
"Having to deal with that guy every day is going to be quite the experience," Rame Tsu sighs.
The instructor recovers and returns to the front of the room, "Your instructors will be here in a minute to meet with you. Take this time to meet with your team and get to know them better."
"I guess I will see you later," says Kuroda getting up.
"Yeah, maybe we can hang out later and catch up," replies Ichimaru.
Kuroda walks up the steps to meet Sakura. "Hey Kuroda," she says nervously.
"Hey Sakura, let's go over to the corner to meet up," he replies.
"Okay," responds Sakura and then she turns back to her friend, "Bye Yui."
"Later Sakura," says the blonde as she goes to meet with her new squad, "Come over to my house later if you're not busy."
Kuroda and Sakura walk over to the corner in silence. "Is there something wrong Kuroda?" she asks, "You seem different."
"Surprised I'm not showering people with confetti or throwing water balloons?" he inquires as the corner of his lips raise up into a crooked smile.
"Yeah kinda," she admits as her heart starts fluttering in a reaction that she has never had towards a boy before. Her palms become all sweaty and sticky and she nervously wipes them off on her dress.
He chuckles, "I guess I just decided I need grow up and get serious if I want to be a real ninja."
"Cool, I hope our team can do well, and I hope our Sensei is good," she says, "I want to become the strongest ninja I can be."
"Some kids told me you are Sakura and Kuroda," says the boy with white eyes walking up to them. His hair is cut short and although it looks respectable it seems a bit unnatural in combination with his more refined facial features. It doesn't really seem to suit a noble looking person like him at all.
"That's us," replies Kuroda, "I am guessing you are Jando." He looks at the boy suspiciously, examining his height and build trying to determine his capabilities.
"That's right," he replies with a bored expression on his face.
"Is it true?" asks Sakura examining the boy curiously.
"Is what true?" asks Jando slightly irritated.
"Do you really have the Byakugan?" she asks. Inside Kuroda is seething to know the answer, but his expression doesn't give away any hint of his emotions.
"Of course I do," he says, "I am from the Hyuga clan."
"So you are my team," says a ninja who drops down in front of them, "I am Raj Fujo, your Jonin instructor."
"It's nice to meet you," says Sakura.
"Well I don't feel like playing around so I will just tell you now," says Raj seeming distracted, like he has somewhere else to be.
"Tell us what?" asks Jando.
"You may think you are Genin now, but you're not," says Raj.
"But we passed the test!" argues Sakura vehemently knowing that she worked hard and studied for days in order to pass. Jando also has a look of shock and outrage all over his face, yet Kuroda seems completely unaffected by the news.
"That was just the preliminary test," explains Raj, "Now you have to pass my test and I will determine if you are truly worthy of being Genin."
"So what do we have to do for this test?" asks Kuroda.
"Meet me at the Stone of Lost Shinobi tomorrow morning," says Raj, "And bring your ninja gear. You are dismissed."
"Another test huh?" thinks Sakura as she walks out of the classroom, "How come no one even told me about this? Now I have to stay up all night to study. Although it is outdoors, so maybe it is a skills test."
"Another test huh?" thinks Jando, "Well that is fine with me. It will just help me get stronger."
"So I have Sakura and Jando on my team," thinks Kuroda as he walks out the door and down the hallway, "Sakura isn't anything special. Her grades on paper are good, but her physical skills are just average. Still she could be useful. Jando on the other hand could be very useful to me."
They all go home and prepare for the next day. Jando returns to the Hyuga complex where the majority of the clan resides. He spends his night in the training area working on perfecting his skills. Kuroda stops by the library and does some research to learn more about Jando's Byakugan. He dives into all the resources available, trying to get as much information he can in the short amount of time. Most of the data is vague, with all of the really useful stuff being housed with the Hyuga clan as closely guarded secrets. Sakura arrives home and immediately begins studying. She looks over anything and everything they could possibly be tested on. When she wears herself out she eats a light snack and then changes for bed. Before going to sleep she sits in front of a mirror and combs a brush through her hair in order to relax her mind.
The next morning Sakura arrives at the Stone of the Lost Shinobi to find the three males already there. "Great, why do I have to be the last one here?" she complains to herself, "I'm supposed to be the most reliable one of the group."
"Great, now that everyone is here we can get started," announces Raj as he digs two small bells out of his pocket, "This is the bell test. All you have to do is get one of the bells from me and then you will officially become a true Genin of the Leaf Village."
"But you only have two bells," Jando points out, "We need another one."
"No, I think two will be just fine," Raj replies casually.
"Wait a minute," Sakura exclaims, "Does that mean only two of us are going to be become Genin?"
"Not at all," Raj responds, "If none of you can take a bell then none of you will advance, or if only one person gets a bell then only he or she advances."
"We just became a team and you are already pitting us against each other?" Jando comments out of annoyance, "What kind of test is this?"
"I never said you had to work against each other," Raj replies.
"So that is how it is," Kuroda surmises, "Not a bad test. I don't think Jando gets the point though, and Sakura doesn't look like she does either. Oh well it doesn't really matter anyways."
"But the maximum amount of people who can pass is three, so one of us won't make it," says Sakura.
"So what are the rules of the test?" Kuroda inquires seemingly unconcerned with how many people can pass.
"You can pretty much do anything you want to in order to take a bell," Raj reveals, "Try to trick me, try to beat me up, try using Ninjutsu, or even the weapons you brought. All that matters is that you get a bell."
"Well if that is the case then this will be easier than I thought," Jando thinks as he plans his strategy.
"I guess this is a real test after all," Sakura thinks as she tries to prepare.
"Sounds good to me," says Kuroda, "When do we start?"
(Will they pass the test? Read the next chapter to find out. I forgot to mention, if you want more information on my characters you can see their bios on my profile page. Be warned, there may be some spoilers. Also I'm in the process of getting pictures drawn for the characters, but I have no idea how long that will take. If you're interested in drawing and have a DA account then send me a Message. Enjoy the next chapter, and please review.)