A/N: Hey! Lytn here! Just wanted to give a quick update after the introduction. Basically, I'm publishing here after publishing on Ao3 since April, and then taking a break until last Sunday where I'll be publishing weekly. But, obviously, I'm publishing here on FFN a lot later. So, what I'll be doing is publishing daily until the FFN publication of Dai is caught up with the Ao3 Publication and then we'll be on a weekly schedule. So yeah, enjoy the rapid fire uploads here if u want them. And if ur reading in the future, well ig this isn't relevant to you LOL. Either way, enjoy chapter two :D
?￢ﾜ ? ~ Chapter Two — The Fifth Squad ~ ?￢ﾜ ?
Shinrai shifted, averting his eyes best as he could. Holy shit, she's gorgeous…
These two better not hold me back from my goal, Gosei huffed.
Kusari sighed. I hope I get along with them.
The three Genin eyed each other, analyzing their new squamates in silence amongst each other. The only sound was the rustling leaves from the windy forest that surrounded the field they sat in. Shinrai, of course, gave more attention to one member than the other. Due to this focus, he was the first to break the ice.
"Hey… so—uh." he cleared his throat. "What's your name?"
She looked at him. "Kusari."
"Cool cool… that's a pretty cool name, you know," Shinrai complimented.
Kusari allowed a small smile to curl her lips. "Thank you. What's your name?"
"Shinrai! Shinrai Uzumaki!" He answered with a beaming smile.
Gosei looked over with a raised brow. "Uzumaki?"
"Yeah! You're that Senju kid, right?" Shinrai inquired.
He nodded, narrowing his eyes at the casual mention of his clan's name. "Indeed, Gosei Senju."
"Cool cool," he said with a dismissive nod, before looking back toward Kusari. "So—"
A wave of chakra cut him off—intense and crimson—all three Genin inhaled sharply and ceased all breathing as they froze. Beads of sweat formed on their skin. Gosei willed himself to look back toward the chakra. The wave stopped abruptly, replaced by a gust of wind that carried wisps of flame which blew their hair into disarray.
Now able to move, the Genin snapped their heads toward the direction of the hot, flaming wind. The wisps of crimson orange flames danced, coalescing into the shape of a human being. Once the humanoid shape was formed, it boomed, sending a circular blazing shockwave toward the guarded Genin.
Emerging from the flames was a brown-skinned man with shaggy black hair. Flames evaporated off his grey and red flaming variant of Konoha's Jonin uniform as he let out a breath. "Hello imbeciles. I am Ryujin Hiyenzo, and unfortunately I'm going to be your sensei for the time being."
"Bro, what the fuck?" Shinrai said flatly, before frantically patting himself down. "I swear I saw my life flash before my eyes a dozen and a half times."
Kusari bit the inside of her cheek, trying to school her face into indifference. "I… applaud the theatrical entrance, Sensei."
"Mhm…" Gosei mumbled, narrowing his eyes on Ryujin.
Ryujin looked at him, gaze unfaltering. "Is there something you would like to say, Senju?"
"I believe your introduction was unprofessional and unnecessarily crude," Gosei responded, his tone even.
Ryujin nodded slowly. "You could say that… but this form of introduction was a test to measure your battle readiness. All of you failed. A Shinobi is supposed to be ready for battle at the drop of a hat. Whether you're taking an evening stroll, asleep, in the shower, or when you're waiting to meet your sensei."
"I see…" conceded Gosei.
Shinrai chuckled. "Damn, I'd expect nothing less from the man who raised my brother. A true Shinobi."
"Indeed," Ryujin said. His stone-cold expression broke ever so slightly… then it was repaired in an instant. "Anyway, if we're going to be together for the time being, then it'd be best that we… get to know each other," he said, spitting out the last sentence with distaste.
"Tell me your likes, dislikes, goals, and anything else you deem important."
Gosei cleared his throat. "Ryujin-sensei, don't you think that—as the person who suggested we do this—you should go first as an example?"
"Hmm, I suppose you're correct," Ryujin admitted. "You're not as dumb as you look, Senju."
Shinrai snickered, and Gosei rolled his eyes.
"My name is Ryujin Hiyenzo. I enjoy reading, I dislike anybody under the age of eighteen, and I'm not sure I have any goals as of this current moment," he rattled off with the enthusiasm of a stone brick.
Gosei stood. "My name is Gosei Senju. I enjoy history, politics, and nature. I dislike bugs and traitors. I have great respect and admiration for the Senju Clan, its heritage, principles, and strength. I also hold equal respect and admiration for women due to my amazing mother's influence. I love my eight siblings and I wish to love and protect them.
"However, the most important thing that you should know about me is that my goal, my dream, and my destiny is to surpass my mother, surpass the Shodai, my ancestor, and become the greatest leader that this world has ever seen!"
Shinrai laughed.
Gosei looked at him with a raised brow. "What's so funny?"
"I hate to be the one to tell you," Shinrai said, wiping a tear from his face as he stood to match Gosei. "But you're not gonna become the Hokage."
Gosei glared at him. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. My brother, Naruto Uzumaki, is going to be the one to become Hokage!" Shinrai declared.
"You're a fool if you believe that, and your brother an even greater fool for thinking he can challenge me," Gosei said, more as a statement of fact than anything else.
Shinrai scoffed. "Well, you're the greatest fool here for counting out Naruto."
Ryujin cleared his throat. "We can figure out who the next Hokage is gonna be in fifteen years. Right now, I would like to get this little introduction section over with. Shinrai, since you so boldly decided to speak up, why don't you go next?"
"Of course!" Shinrai exclaimed with a wild smirk. "My name is Shinrai Uzumaki! I love poetry, the color red, my brother Naruto, and pushing myself to the limit and beyond! I don't like… the color white… uhm well, the Uchiha, but they're dead now, so it's not a big deal. OH! I hate people who are weak, know they're weak, and decide to stay that way.
"My goal is to support Naruto on his journey to becoming Hokage, make sure you—" he pointed at Gosei. "—don't become Hokage, and to…" Shinrai's demeanor shrunk, he looked down at his feet and blushed ever so slightly. "Find love," he mumbled under his breath, sparing a lightning-quick glance at Kusari.
Ryujin smirked. "What was that? I couldn't quite hear you."
"Uh…" Shinrai stammered, his blush growing as his eyes widened.
Ryujin's smirk grew. "I'm waiting~" he sang.
"To find love," he mumbled, just a bit louder this time.
Ryujin frowned. "C'mon, where did all the enthusiasm go? I can barely hear you—"
"TO FIND LOVE!" Shinrai yelled, before pursing his lips and sitting back down to wallow in his own shame.
Ryujin snickered. "Adorable. You're afraid to admit your feelings to your little crush here?"
"NO!" Shinrai protested.
Kusari raised her brow. "...What…?"
"C'mon, even with those eyes of yours you couldn't notice the goo-goo look he's been giving you the whole time—"
Shinrai waved his hands frantically. "PLEASE! STOP!"
"Shinrai?" Kusari questioned.
Shinrai stared at the ground beneath as his face turned as red as his hair. "UH—! Uh… uhm—he i-i-isn't uh… w-wrong…"
"Uhh… I'm sorry, but I'm not interested…" Kusari mumbled, scooting away from him with her head down.
Shinrai nodded slowly. "Gotcha… Gotcha…"
"Now that the air is clear with that, how about you go next, Kusari?" Ryujin suggested, looking at her.
She composed herself and sighed. "My name is Kusari Hyuuga. I enjoy reading, drawing, having peace of mind, and birds. I dislike chaos, disorder, and unkind people who don't do their part. My goal is to honor my mother, and play my role as a Branch Member of the Hyuuga Clan… and hopefully, find happiness and make good friends along the way," she informed calmly.
Gosei hummed. "Oh? Who's your mother?"
"Not anybody you would know," she stated, before sighing. "I'm not like you. I do not wish to live up to the expectations of an exceptional Shinobi like your mother is. I wish to honor my mother due to… personal reasons."
Gosei nodded slowly. "Ah… I see."
"That was boring, no grand declarations like your teammates here," Ryujin said before pondering. "Well, that does mean you'll be the least annoying… I guess I'll see it as a good thing then."
Kusari ruffled her brow. "Thank you?"
"You're welcome," Ryujin dismissed with a wave. "Now that we've gotten the formalities done and over with, I'll be seriously testing you to make sure being your sensei will not be a waste of time."
Gosei smirked. "I expected this."
"I expected you to expect it; as a result, this test will be something you haven't prepared for," Ryujin declared, internally smirking as he saw a split second of fear cross Gosei's face.
Shinrai huffed, sweat dripping from his brow. "This better not be anything unfair."
"Nothing is fair in the Shinobi world," Ryujin spat, his face turning cold as the surrounding air thickened. "I am instructing you three to hunt each other down. Whether you kill each other or not… none of my concern; because only one of you will earn the right to train under me. You all get fifteen minutes to hide in the forest and take as long as you want to hunt each other down. The round ends when the most worthy of you is left standing. If the rest of you survive, you'll be sent to the Genin Corps."
Gosei stood and glared at Ryujin. "You can't do that!" He accused. "All Genin Squads need three Genin and one Jonin sensei. It doesn't work if there's only one Genin; it's not a squad if you do that!"
"Exactly, I don't want a squad. I want one exceptional Genin that I can invest my full time and effort into," Ryujin said, matching Gosei's glare with an unnerving stare.
Gosei narrowed his eyes. "You still can't do that. The Sandaime assigned you this team. You can't just cut members off. It's either everyone or nobody on the team—"
"I am one of the few who can match the Hokage in combat. If he doesn't like what I'm doing, then he can take it up with me personally."
Shinrai's eyes widened. "Damn—!"
"Your arrogance infuriates me!" Gosei spat. "I am a Senju, royalty amongst this village, you can't send me to the Genin Corps—"
Ryujin laughed. "Hypocrisy much? Your status as Senju means nothing to me. What have you done to prove that you're worth the name of the clan? The Shodai fought both Madara Uchiha and the Kyuubi to protect the village and won. The Nidaime died fighting a dozen S-Rank Shinobi, two of which had the ability to access the Kyuubi's chakra.
"Your own mother single-handedly battled the Yondaime Mizukage, a perfect JInchuriki of the Sanbi, and won. Dealing the final blow to Kiri allowing Konoha to win that front of the Third War. You said you like history, you should know this. What makes you think a pathetic, know-it-all little brat like you can live up to that name? Hm? Answer me," Ryujin commanded.
Gosei grit his teeth, clenching his fists as he glared at Ryujin. "Because… I'm a Senju! I have the Shodai's blood running through my veins—"
"Do you realize how many Senju there once were? Now tell me… where did they all go?"
Gosei's glare burned. "DON'T YOU DARE—!"
"They're dead. You could either be like the three names I just mentioned, or you could be dead like the rest of your clan. So far… you've proven yourself to be the latter," Ryujin concluded.
Gosei growled. "Of course, a clanless idiot like you wouldn't understand the taboo of insulting one's heritage. You have no honor!" He yelled, before turning his back and storming off into the forest. "My fifteen minutes start now."
"Hmm," Ryujin pondered with a chuckle. "Well, I guess the test begins now," he said before looking at the two remaining Genin, his eyes now a bloody, demonic crimson with his pupils slitted like a predator. "I'll be watching you."
They gulped as he blew away into the breeze as wisps of flame. "G-Good-luck!" Shinrai stammered to Kusari as he ran into the forest as well.
"Same to you…" she murmured before running off in the opposite direction.
—⊱✿⊰—
Shinrai sat by himself in a tree, deep in thought as he twiddled a shuriken in his fingers. He was not exactly too fond of his sensei at the current moment. He basically single-handedly swatted his romantic aspirations with Kusari into non-existence, and he was surely not looking forward to the incoming awkwardness that would come when they inevitably had to interact. Alas, no was a no, and he had to move on to more important things.
The most important of those things was not failing this fucking test. He admitted that fighting a girl that just rejected him didn't feel right in his heart. It was what it was. Failure was not an option. In order to delay that guilt, he would fight Gosei first.
Shinrai smirked. Beating him shouldn't be too hard. His smirk grew as he giggled to himself. With the new jutsu Naruto showed him, he'd have the numbers advantage, and if math taught him anything… thirteen was greater than one.
He looked toward the clearing, hearing a roar akin to a Lion as a plume of fire grew into a mushroom cloud of smoke and flame. Fire Style has always been the coolest nature type to me. I guess that's the signal to go though… he thought before crossing his fingers.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he yelled, and a dozen duplicates of himself appeared in a cloud of smoke.
The original stood tall above his armada. "Find Gosei," he commanded, and all thirteen Shinrais disappeared into the leafy breeze.
—⊱✿⊰—
Kusari's lavender eyes crackled with intensity, with her pupil now visible as a slightly darker shade than from her irises. The veins on her temples bludged with blood and chakra, fueling her eyes that granted her nearly three hundred and sixty-degree vision on a white and black plane.
Gosei is to the east, and Shinrai is to the west, she noted. I would prefer to fight neither of them.
She bit the inside of her cheek. Ryujin-sensei had to have been bluffing; that was what she hoped at least. She looked forward to companionship and now they were being pitted against each other, and she knew the two boys wouldn't hold back at all.
She sighed, shaking her head. However, she wouldn't give up that dream of lifelong friends that she saw in them, and she wouldn't fail her destiny and her mother by being sent to the Genin Corps. She would come to a compromise; after all, fate was on her side.
Nothing in the Shinobi world should've been taken at face value, and Ryujin-sensei had spoken about his experience in the Shinobi world. He would know that. Why would this test not reflect that aspect?
Maybe… just maybe if she were to find a way to work together with Gosei and Shinrai, then they would be able to impress Ryujin-sensei, and then they'd have a regular Genin squad! Just like Neji under Gai-sensei.
Kusari smiled and nodded to herself. It was a gamble, but she hoped it would pay off. If it came down to a fight, she was confident she could beat them. She took a deep breath of assurance before spotting a plume of flames with her Byakugan.
It's time, she said before sprinting off in the direction she saw Shinrai.
—⊱✿⊰—
Gosei was going to pass this test. He was gonna pass this test, and then he was going to give his "sensei" a piece of his mind. He doubted he could learn anything worthwhile from a clanless, ignorant bastard like him. He had no right to speak to him or about his clan in such a crude manner.
He knew he was the strongest of the Genin here. The Hyuuga and the Uzumaki were great clans, but neither held a candle to the Senju. Taking them out of the picture would be child's play… especially since Shinrai had no guidance in the ways of his clan.
After he took them out, he would do something—he didn't know what, but something to get back at him. His slight against the Senju Clan wouldn't go unpunished. He just… needed a punishment. Gosei slammed his fist against the tree he leaned on.
Maybe he could just leave and find a new sensei, his mother could certainly get pull some strings with the Sandaime. Perhaps someone who could develop his Earth Release, or his chakra control—
A massive plume of flame which towered above him interrupted his thoughts. He narrowed his eyes as he traced the fireball down to its origin, just barely seeing him with his naked eye.
Once he ceased the flame, slowly lowered his head toward Gosei, returning his look from across the clearing with an expression Gosei couldn't make out from such a distance. He grimaced and turned his back, walking deeper into the forest.
Eliminate the competition, then give him a piece of my mind.
—⊱✿⊰—
Got his ass, Shinrai remarked with a smirk, quite some time after the test started. He stared down Gosei by himself—counting his lucky stars that the original Shinrai was the one to find Gosei. Shinrai dispelled his clones, then he slowly crept around Gosei, staying silent enough to not draw suspicion, yet just loud enough to put him on edge.
Gosei paused. Shinrai smirked. The latter leapt from the trees in a cloud of smoke where a dozen clones of Shinrai all pounced on the unsuspecting Senju. Gosei drew a kunai with widened eyes and slashed two clones out of existence, only to be rewarded with a kick to the back of his head, then a knee to the gut, then a punch to the face, then another kick to his knee.
Gosei roared, flaring his chakra in a burst that blew black the remainder of the clones, knocking them into clouds of smoke. The original Shinrai was left standing, guarding against the blast with his arms crossed in front of him.
"I should've known that you would come for me first," Gosei spat, wiping the blood from his nose.
Shinrai grinned. "Gotta eliminate the competition for my brother."
"I'd suggest preparing your apology to him now," Gosei recommended with a grimace before weaving hand seals. "Earth Release: Fault Line Strike!"
Shinrai's eyes widened as the ground split in front of Gosei and struck at him like a snake. He leapt over the jutsu and grabbed at the tree above with a single hand, hurling shuriken with the other as he yelled, "Now!"
Ten clouds of smoke erupted from the ground, and an equal amount of Shinrais pounced on Gosei once again. With gritted teeth, he grabbed one of the doppelgangers. and used it as a shield to block Shinrai's shuriken while kicking away one clone into two others, taking out four out of ten clones in one fell swoop.
He ripped a kunai from his pouch and hurled it at the original Shinrai. Gosei didn't even spare a glance to see if it hit before taking out another kunai and using it to desecrate the remainder of Shinrai's clones.
Gosei blocked another barrage of shuriken and glared at Shinrai, who charged him with his kunai in hand while taking out one of his own from the pouch. Shinrai leapt into the air and slashed down on Gosei with both kunai.
The Senju used his kunai to deflect Shinrai's strike, before defending against an offensive assault from Shinrai with a growing smirk. "Your form is basic, unrefined. I can barely feel the power behind your strikes."
Shinrai narrowed his eyes. "Then try this on for size!" Shinrai roared, pumping his fist full of chakra and dropping his right kunai. "HA!" He screamed, hurling his fist like a meteor toward Gosei.
Gosei brought his kunai up to deflect again, only for it to be shattered by the force of Shinrai's fist. His eyes widened as he looked at Shinrai's bloodied and slashed hand move toward his face.
He braced for impact and shut his eyes as a crack echoed throughout the silent forest. Gosei stumbled back, clenching his fists from the pain that ached through his head. Shinrai wasted no time and kept up his assault.
Shinrai slashed at Gosei with his left hand, but the latter dodged the strike and kicked Shinrai in the liver, causing him to buckle to his knees. "My turn," Gosei spat, weaving hand seals.
"Earth Release: Bedrock Explosion!" Gosei shouted, blowing a massive volume of earth toward the fallen Shinrai and uprooting trees, grass, and soil, and launching Shinrai deep into the forest.
Shinrai growled as his skin and body were ripped apart by the sharp rocks and splinters. He grabbed onto a tree and made a single clone, using the falling tree as a shield to run out of the Jutsu's path of destruction, leaving the clone as a diversion.
Shit, shit, shit, he's too strong, Shinrai grumbled as he ran through the forest, bruised and bleeding all over. He ran behind a particularly large tree, panting as he caught his breath.
"What type of Genin knows how to use Jutsu like that?" he asked, wiping the sweat and blood off his forehead. He snickered, feeling the burning sensation spread over his face. "I guess that Senju lineage is really no joke."
He gulped, swallowing his pride. I can't beat him by myself.
Frankly, he didn't know how he would beat him, either.
—⊱✿⊰—
Kusari narrowed her Byakugan eyes. They fought already. This isn't good, she mumbled as she reverted her eyes to their unactivated state. She knew it would be harder to convince the two boys to work together now that they've battled each other, especially since Shinrai looked worse for wear.
She grimaced, wanting to use her eyes again to survey the area while also wanting to conserve chakra; that wasn't even counting the possible chakra she'd need to use trying to get her teammates to cooperate. After all, if she planned to impress Ryujin-sensei with her abilities, she needed all the chakra she could get.
Kusari bit the inside of her cheek, placing a pondering hand on her chin. She theorized that Gosei would continue to track down Shinrai; why go after the non-weakened enemy? Gosei knew that if he tracked down Shinrai, he would be able to win that fight. He didn't have that same assumption about her… that's what she thought, at least.
She wasn't entirely sure what Shinrai would do, but his best bet would be to lay low and heal. He would be the perfect person to try to work with at the moment; he was weakened, and in a disadvantageous situation. She could use that to her advantage and get him to agree with working with her.
Once they approached Gosei, she could use the fact that he was weakened—even though not as much as Shinrai—to her advantage as well, on top of the fact that he was outnumbered by both her and Shinrai. She was sure that the prospect of attacking Ryujin-sensei would be appealing to him after their previous argument.
Kusari sighed. Her plan was together, and—
Her eyes pulsed as her Byakugan awakened. She heard a noise, a rustling in the leaves. In her black and white plane, she spotted Shinrai traveling through the trees.
Perfect.
She escaped from the trunk where she hid and trailed him. It didn't take much time at all for Shinrai to notice her. "Kusari," he said, stopping in his tracks and pulling out two kunai.
"Hello, Shinrai," Kusari greeted with a guarded posture.
He sighed. "Just to preface, the intensity that I will be fighting you has nothing to do with the rejection. I just have to be there for my brother."
"I understand, but I do not wish to fight you," she informed.
He raised his brow. "What?"
"Indeed," she affirmed with a nod. "Ryujin-sensei's test is likely not what it seems at face value. Konoha, as a village, values teamwork and cohesion as a unit above almost all else besides the completion of the mission. I assume that he pit us against each other as a test to see if we could find a way to work together against all odds.
"On top of that, if we manage to impress him with our strength by teaming up and fighting him, then all three of us will be able to show our strength as Shinobi and show him that all three of us are worthy of training," Kusari explained. "You don't have to fight me, and you can still be able to support your brother. It's a win-win."
Shinrai nodded slowly. "I see…" he mumbled. "I was hoping to get Gosei out of the way so my brother would have less competition for Hokage…"
"I'm sure you and him could work something out," Kusari responded quickly. "Let's just put our differences aside for now so we can pass."
Shinrai pursed his lips, thinking before he let out a sigh. "Fine," he conceded. "Let's go find Mr. Senju, and then we can beat Ryujin's ass."
"Thank you," Kusari said breathily before activating her Byakugan. "Follow me, I see him."
Shinrai nodded and did as she said.
—⊱✿⊰—
This idiot doesn't possibly think a clone can fool me, he muttered as he hurled a kunai at the Shinrai in the trees ahead of him, popping him into dust. He really is a one-trick pony, those damn clones are all he has. A real shame that the potential of the Uzumaki is squandered on him.
Gosei huffed and continued following the trail of Shinrai's blood through the forest. I've been following this trail forever. How far did he manage to get with those wounds? It's almost superhuman—
His thoughts were interrupted by the rustle of leaves behind him. He pulled a kunai and turned toward the sound in a single fluid motion and narrowed his eyes, seeing who arrived to meet him. He smirked, then his smirk turned into a chuckle. "So, you two decided to team up against me?"
"Quite the opposite, actually," Kusari said, stepping forward, while Shinrai held his ground with kunai in hand. "I want us to work together."
Gosei raised his brow, lowering his guard in confusion. "What? Isn't that the exact opposite of the test?"
"That's the point," Kusari said, before explaining her plan once again to Gosei.
Gosei narrowed his eyes. "How do I know one of you isn't planning to backstab me?" he questioned, averting his gaze to Shinrai.
"I can not speak for him, but I have no traitorous intent," Kusari assured, dropping her guard as a show of non-aggression.
Shinrai let out a breathy chuckle as he pocketed his kunai and put his hands up. "I won't be backstabbing you for the time being."
"Hmm," Gosei groaned as he pursed his lips.
Kusari tilted her head. "I'm sure that you would love an opportunity to get back at Ryujin-sensei for the way he slighted you and your clan."
Gosei paused.
"After all, going directly against his orders and fighting him in an act of defiance would be a great way to show him up. Don't you think so, Gosei?" Kusari asked, a slight charm in her tone.
Gosei smirked. "You're right. I'll join you two."
"That's great to hear," Kusari said with a small smile.
The three Genin headed toward the clearing where Ryujin was.
—⊱✿⊰—
Ryujin sat on a log, reading over a fantasy novel with a bored expression on his face. I could write something better in my sleep. Why did Aiko recommend this to me? he mumbled before looking up to the sky. It's been an hour since the time started. Why haven't they murdered each other yet?
"Hey! Ryu!"
That's why.
Ryujin looked up from the novel and stared at the three Genin he instructed to battle each other, all sprinting toward him in a makeshift formation. He closed his novel and stood. They stopped a dozen feet in front of him with Gosei at the forefront, his green eyes glaring at him.
"Now, this doesn't look like fighting and hunting each other down, does it?" Ryujin asked sarcastically.
Gosei clenched his fist over his kunai. "Damn right it doesn't. We've decided to come together and defeat you ourselves!"
"You three?" Ryujin chuckled. "Don't make me laugh. Now… which one of you three came up with this act of insubordination?"
Kusari stepped forward. "I did," she declared, with her Byakugan blazing. "Is it true that you gave us this mission in order to test us on our teamwork and our ability to bond together as a unit against all odds?"
"No," Ryujin said flatly. "I fully expected you to fight each other, and have the strongest of you come out on top."
Kusari faltered. "What? So you wanted us to kill each other?!"
"No. I'm surprised that with that brain of yours, you weren't able to recognize sarcasm. I would've stepped in if I thought one of you was going to legitimately kill another. I'm sure you saw my clones with those eyes of yours."
Kusari bit the inside of her cheek. "I did… So, what was the underlying meaning of this test?"
"...There really wasn't one. Simply a general assessment of your Shinobi abilities. If there was anything underlying, it would be the fact I never planned to fail any of you, unless one of you vastly underperformed. I was well aware that all of you were exceptional going into this.
"But, since you three decided to pull this little stunt, I'll give you a new test. If you three fail to impress me in this battle, all of you are going back to the Academy; no, not the Genin corps. You'll have your rank as a Shinobi stripped away from you, and you'll have to redo all four years of the Academy's curriculum, understood?" Ryujin asked, entering a battle stance that had an eerie resemblance to a fox.
Shinrai stepped forward. "You bet your ass I understand!" he roared before charging into battle with his two kunai in hand, soon followed by Kusari with her Juken and Gosei who weaved hand seals.
"Earth Release: Fault Line Strike!" Gosei shouted, slamming his hands on the ground, which erupted as it split in two and snaked toward Ryujin. The Jonin leapt into the air, only to be grabbed by several of Shinrai's clones, which were knocked into clouds of smoke by a simple burst of chakra.
Shinrai was launched into the air by more clones and pounced on Ryujin with a wild grin. He slashed down on him with both of his kunai. Ryujin swatted the Genin away and landed, only for his back to go numb with pain.
Ryujin winced, kicking backward and sending Kusari skidding on the ground, uprooting the grass. Gosei weaved more hand seals mere feet in front of him. "Earth Release: Bedrock Explosion!"
The ground directly under Ryujin erupted, creating earthen shrapnel that assaulted the Jonin's face. Once the smoke cleared… Ryujin was completely unphased, cleaning the dust off his shoulder with a bored look.
"I could use change in chakra nature by the time I was seven," Ryujin informed flatly. "Also, you do realize that saying 'Release' is dated, right? Everyone says 'Style' nowadays."
Gosei smirked. "I value tradition," he said as he waved more hand seals. "Also, could you do this by the time you were seven?! Water Release: Lakeland Rush!" he roared.
Ryujin's eyes widened ever so slightly as a rush of water barreled over the broken soil and made its way toward him. He tensed his body and flickered out of sight. When he reappeared, he was directly in front of Gosei, being soaked by his jutsu while holding the Genin's head.
"No, I had a second change in chakra nature by the time I was ten," he informed before kicking Gosei in his chest, stomping him into the dirt. Gosei coughed as he held Ryujin's shin in a fruitless attempt to push him off.
Ryujin ducked, dodging another Juken strike from Kusari while grabbing a kick from Shinrai. He threw Shinrai into Kusari; the latter catching him before letting him down and leaping toward Ryujin with her Byakugan at full intensity.
She relentlessly attacked him with her Juken, palm strike after palm strike… all hitting air. She narrowed her eyes and pumped more chakra into her strikes, each wisp of excess chakra blowing against Ryujin as he smirked.
"You think that since you hit me once, you can do it again, hm?"
Kusari didn't respond, only ducking down in an instant. "Rotation!" she shouted, creating a rotating dome of chakra that blew Ryujin back.
"I don't think that counts as a hit, Kusari," Ryujin taunted.
Suddenly, a dozen pops rang in a ring around Kusari and Ryujin as clouds of smoke blew away in the wind. Ryujin sighed as he heard the roar of seven Shinrais charging toward him. He deflected a palm strike from Kusari and kicked a clone out of existence.
"Thank you, Shinrai," Kusari whispered as she intensified her assault on Ryujin.
Ryujin scoffed. "Why are you thanking him?" he asked, effortlessly dodging both Shinrai's clones and Kusari's Juken assault.
She didn't respond, only ducking down into the stance of the Eight Trigrams. "Try dodging this," she challenged. "Eight Trigrams: Thirty-two Palms!" she shouted.
Ryujin's eyes widened a little before he made a half-seal, only for it to do nothing, as Kusari sealed thirty-two of Ryujin's chakra points shut.
"You sure got him," Ryujin said, clapping slowly as the surrounding clones of Shinrai dispersed.
Kusari raised her brow as she looked back at where Ryujin last was, only to see Shinrai trembling with thirty-two of his chakra points closed. Kusari's eyes widened, and she gasped.
"I am so sorry!" she apologized as she looked at Shinrai in shock.
Shinrai glared at her. "Keep fighting—!" he shouted before being kicked to the floor by Ryujin, with Kusari meeting the same fate an instant afterward.
"Y'know, for 'teaming up against me,' you're doing a piss-poor job of actually working together," Ryujin stated. "If you keep this up, you'll have to see yourselves amongst eight-year-olds at the Academy."
Shinrai grit his teeth. "Not if I have anything to say about it," he declared, forcing himself up from the floor. Once he stood, his legs shook as he glared at the Jonin. "I'm not gonna fail here!"
"It's not looking that way—" Ryujin started, before being interrupted by a plume of smoke in front of him. Once the smoke cleared, both Kusari and Shinrai were gone.
"Hmm, I wonder what they're up to this time," he pondered, not being able to see the Genin in the distance.
—⊱✿⊰—
Gosei, Shinrai, and Kusari sat in a tree, all three battered, bruised, and out of breath. Shinrai let out a breathy chuckle. "We're getting fucked."
"I disagree with the terminology, but I agree with the sentiment," Kusari said, deactivating her Byakugan.
Gosei growled. "Our current strategy is not working. I waited for an opportunity to get you two out so we can regroup."
"Not gonna lie, I'm surprised you of all people saved us," Shinrai remarked.
Gosei huffed. "The point is, I did, and we need to find a new strategy because our current one isn't working."
"The problem is, we didn't have a strategy," Kusari admitted. "We just went in, each of us trying to attack him with our own jutsu, expecting it to work."
Shinrai nodded slowly with a hand on his chin. "So, we need to coordinate."
"Exactly," Kusari agreed.
Shinrai crossed his fingers, forcing his chakra to flare. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he roared, creating three clones.
"Perfect," he said before dispersing the clones.
Kusari stared at him, dumbfounded. "You can still use jutsu—how?"
"Why shouldn't I…?" He asked with a raised brow.
Kusari shook her head. "I hit you with my Thirty-two palms. It blocks your chakra points."
"And that means…?" he asked, his brow rising higher.
Gosei let out an exasperated sigh. "You don't know what chakra points are?!"
"I know what chakra is," he stated.
Kusari waved her hand. "It doesn't matter right now—"
"But I want to know—"
"By blocking your chakra points, it makes it harder if not impossible to use and mold chakra because it heavily disrupts the natural flow of your chakra, and if every single one is blocked, you die," Gosei explained snappily.
Shinrai's eyes widened. "Ohhhh, I see now. Thank you, now back to my idea…"
—⊱✿⊰—
A couple of minutes afterward, Ryujin let out a bored sigh as he watched the three Genin run toward him… in the same formation as last time. Looks like I have three failures on my hands.
Not that it's a bad thing… I'd hate to deal with some kids for any extended period of time, he mused, before walking up to the charging Genin. "It seems that your little tactical retreat didn't really amount to much, hm?"
The Genin remained silent and continued running toward him. Ryujin chuckled before grabbing Gosei and throwing him into Shinrai, only for them to explode in a massive plume of smoke, completely shrouding the area in smoke.
The hell?! Clones… but Shinrai should have his chakra points blocked, how did he—?
His thoughts were interrupted by a kunai slash toward his face. He chopped the clone's neck, and it exploded into another smokey plume. He must've had the clones hold smoke bombs close to their body, so when they're popped they create a smoke screen, clever.
He smirked. "Okay, I'll play your little game."
He stood in the smoke screen, extending his senses out… enhancing his hearing, his feeling, his smell. Any Shinobi worth anything didn't need their eyes to know what's around them.
His ear twitched as he heard footsteps to his left. They were faint, but there none the less. He brought his leg up, only for his knee to go numb with pain before he could kick. Before long, his other leg met the same fate. He sucked his teeth, feeling for the movement of smoke to pinpoint her location.
Gotcha, he muttered as he grabbed out, only for the ground beneath his injured legs to erupt outward. He grit his teeth as his Juken-struck knees ached under the pressure of the boom of the earth beneath his feet.
He whipped his head back and grabbed at Shinrai, who trashed and grabbed against his arm with an odd mix of pain and elation crossed over his face. "Hey, Ryujin."
"Goodbye, Shinrai," Ryujin said before sending a burst of chakra out of his hand, pushing back on Shinrai, but the Uzumaki's grip remained strong as he pulled Ryujin along with him.
Shinrai shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere."
Ryujin slammed his arm—and by proxy Shinrai—into the dirt and pried him off, only to buckle as his knee was struck by the Juken once again. He grit his teeth as his other leg fell into a ditch of parting earth.
Shinrai forced himself up and tackled Ryujin's head, putting all of his injured might into digging Ryujin's face into the dirt. The Jonin's eyes widened as he heard the sound of Eight Trigrams activating.
Ryujin smirked. His entire body tensed as a whirlwind of blue chakra blew Shinrai into the air, Kusari out of her Eight Trigrams stance, and Gosei into the dirt. The chakra dispersed the smokescreen into the surrounding air, and Ryujin stood tall as Shinrai landed into the dirt next to Kusari.
"Did any of you seriously think you could defeat me?" The aura of his chakra whipping around him like a candle's flame as he uttered the question.
Shinrai grunted and he forced himself to his knees. "It doesn't matter, because we can keep trying."
"Yeah, he's right," Gosei agreed as he stood. "I am not going back to the academy."
Kusari stood, flaring her Byakugan to life as she stared down Ryujin. "We will stand together and keep trying until we pass this test."
"You three," Ryujin mumbled, shaking his head as he looked between the three Genin—no… his three students.
He chuckled. "You pass."
"YES!" Shinrai cheered, leaping into the air with pain and joy struck across his face before collapsing to the floor. "YES!"
Kusari let out a sigh of relief, deactivating her Byakugan and sitting on the grass with a slump.
Gosei smirked, letting down his guard and taking a deep breath. "Good."
"You three have proved that it won't be a waste of my time training you. You all have shown ability far surpassing almost all other Genin I've seen in action. Not growing talent such as yours would simply be a tragedy," Ryujin stated.
Gosei shook his head. "For the record, I still don't like you."
"Oh yeah, the rhetoric against you and your clan was to simply get you… emotionally charged for the event to see how you would act under emotional stress. I did the same with your teammates as well," Ryujin explained.
Shinrai let out a hollow chuckle. "I'm gonna get you back for that. Watch you back next time you're on a date."
"Lucky for me, I don't date," Ryujin informed.
Shinrai frowned. "Unfortunate."
"Quite," Ryujin mumbled as he looked over the battered states of his new team. "Well, I think our first outing as Team 5 should be to the infirmary."
Kusari chuckled. "Good idea, sensei."
"Can we get some food afterward?" Shinrai asked.
Gosei nodded in agreement. "You owe us for the emotional and physical pain you put us all through."
"I…" Ryujin started. "I suppose you're correct. I will take you all out to dinner after the infirmary."
Shinrai pumped his fist into the air with a wince. "YEAH!"
"Wait, so the mean face you put on was just an act?" Kusari asked.
Ryujin nodded. "Mostly."
"That's a relief…" Kusari mumbled as the newly formed Team 5 walked out of the grassy field toward the infirmary.
—⊱✿⊰—
"Fooooood…" Shinrai drawled later that night, staring longingly at the passing waiters, who held delectable dishes with aromas of savory steak, garlic bread, and glistening melted cheese.
Ryujin's eyes twitched. "Shinrai, I am speaking."
"Oh—" Kusari sputtered.
Ryujin paused and mulled over the expressions of the three Genin in front of him… all of which disinterested. "Were any of you paying attention to what I just said?!"
"I was distracted thinking about food," Shinrai admitted, unashamed.
Kusari bowed her head apologetically. "I apologize, I spaced out."
"Not listening to you was a conscious decision," Gosei informed matter-of-factly.
Ryujin took a long, deep breath. "I was attempting to explain how I plan to help you three grow as Shinobi, based on my assessment of your abilities. I can't really do that properly if you're not listening."
"But I don't think I'll be able to focus without food—"
"Then I'll start with you first," Ryujin said quickly. "You're the weakest here by a decent margin."
Shinrai ruffled his brow and looked toward Ryujin. "Hey!"
"Am I wrong?" Ryujin asked, raising his brow.
Shinrai moved his mouth, attempting to form a rebuttal of sorts… but came up with nothing. "No…" he admitted under his breath.
"For the record, I'm not blaming you for it. You don't have a family or clan backing you up like your teammates. Despite that, you're still advanced for a day-one Genin, your durability and pure physical prowess surpasses both of your teammates; you can attribute that to your Uzumaki bloodline," Ryujin explained.
Shinrai nodded. "Yeah…"
"Your form is undefined and sloppy, and you just throw your strength around with no real way to use it. So, you just need overall training and refining of your basics, a definitive fighting style—you can use your dual-wielding kunai as a jumping-off point—and a change in chakra nature, that should have you on par in no time," Ryujin assured.
Shinrai chuckled. "Thanks."
"You have my permission to look at the passing food now," Ryujin informed.
With a gasp, Shinrai grinned. "YAY!"
"Gosei, you're next," Ryujin said, catching the Genin's attention. "I hate to say this, but I am the most impressed with you out of the three. Having two changes in chakra nature as a Genin is beyond impressive, and contrary to what I said before, you do the Senju Clan justice."
Gosei smirked. "Thank you,"
"However, it's too easy to get in your head, and once someone's in your head, it's all too easy for them to lead you along like a dog on a leash. I'm sure you noticed that in our battle, hm?"
Gosei huffed with his arms crossed.
"I'll take that as a yes. Your arrogance isn't unfounded, but it will be your downfall if you don't curb it," Ryujin warned.
Gosei raised his brow. "Didn't you say you'd fight Lord Hokage?!"
"I was bluffing," Ryujin stated flatly, shaking his head. "Do any of you know how to detect sarcasm?"
Shinrai raised his hand. "I do!"
"Anyway, my point is, shrink that fiery head of yours and then you'll become a decent Shinobi," Ryujin concluded.
Gosei grunted. "Alright… sen…"
"Oh?"
"Sen…"
"What's that word you're trying to say…?"
Gosei took a deep breath, swallowing his pride. "Thank you, sensei."
"Ah, there we go," Ryujin said with a small, satisfied smile.
Kusari looked at him. "So, is it my turn?"
"Indeed," Ryujin affirmed. "Obviously, as a Hyuuga, your taijutsu is far above both of your teammates and your Byakugan is a valuable tool that you make great usage of. However, that's all you do. If you put all your eggs in one basket, then the basket is gonna fall and all your eggs are gonna be broken on the pavement."
Kusari nodded. "I see, but it is not the way of my clan to use jutsu such as that. It's always been our tradition to develop our Byakugan and Juken-related abilities."
"...And putting a prison seal on the forehead of every Branch Member is also a great tradition of the Hyuuga, dontcha think?" Ryujin asked sarcastically.
Kusari paused, giving Ryujin a dangerous look as ice flooded her veins. "Excuse me?"
"Yeah, exactly. Don't let your clan hold you back, and as your Sensei, it's my duty to make sure you grow as much as you can, and tell off the things that I think will inhibit that," Ryujin explained.
Kusari dropped her glare and pursed her lips. "Alright…"
"FOOD!" exclaimed Shinrai, grabbing out at the plates being served to their table.
Once every member had their food, the newly formed Team 5 ate their food mostly in silence, warming up to each other's presence. However, the longer they sat by each other, the more the ice broke and they delved into fruitful conversation. A fruitful conversation that would bud into a garden of bonds.
—⊱✿⊰—
In a room of shadows, corpses hung crucified to the wall, only barely visible by dim candlelight. The corpses were old and rotting, the putrid smell of decomposition enveloping the air, but the man didn't seem to notice or care.
Long, silky, black hair hung down to his waist, and a ghostly white hand peeking out from a black sleeve held a vile of blood. He raised the vial up in front of his eyes, examining the liquid, pleased. He let out a small grin with his unnervingly white, elongated canines, resembling fangs. His reptilian golden eyes were narrowed and glowing in the dim light.
"Baiko," he started. "You'll be complete soon," he assured with a serpentine voice, turning around to look at a boy with crimson red hair and dark skin no older than thirteen floating in a tube of golden liquid.
The man's grin grew. "Baiko… my perfect body, you'll only need a few more additions before you can be released," he said as he walked over to the boy and placed a hand on the glass tube.
"You know…" he said with a chuckle. "It may have been a blessing in disguise that your brother escaped my grasp… it'll make it all the better when I get my hands on him," he monologued, clenching his fist.
"However, that will come in due time," he said before turning his back and walking out of the room where Baiko was held.
Outside, there was another man with silver hair and glasses. "You've been in there for a while, Lord Orochimaru."
"I like to be more thorough when it comes to Baiko's development, as opposed to my other projects," he informed. "But that's not of importance right now."
He pushed up his glasses, the lenses to shone with the candlelight. "Then what is, my lord?"
Reptilian laughter slithered out of Orochimaru's throat. "We need to make preparations. The time to crush Konoha… is coming near."
?￢ﾜ ? ~ Chapter End ~ ?￢ﾜ ?