Chapter 12 – Training? What Training?
Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters do not belong to me
Previously on Secret Keeper: Now safely back in the Village, having completed both an A-rank and an Emergency Mission, Team 7 are looking forward to both a well-earned rest, and access to knowledge...
"Team 7 reporting in, Hokage-sama," Kakashi gave his usual lazy salute, little orange book in hand.
Sarutobi hummed, before puffing on his pipe.
"Yes, a job well done, I should think." he nodded happily. "You will be glad to know I have received missives from Wave and Mura Kazan commending your team. Therefore, the Wave Mission will be added to your files as an A-rank, due to the circumstances, and I'll add the completed Emergency Mission as a B-rank. So, I'd like a word with Kakashi, the rest of you are dismissed."
Nodding, the genin of Team 7 headed out to the Village. Bidding the boys farewell, Sakura headed home, eager for a shower, before she visited the Konoha Library. It was all she could do to not start cackling on her way.
The next morning, the genin met up at Training Ground 3, bright and early, as usual. Also as usual, there was no sign of their jounin-sensei.
"Well, this is just great." Sakura huffed, her eye twitching. "Now what?"
Naruto hesitated, before sitting down cross-legged, pulling out a pen and black notebook.
"Ne, Naruto? What're you doing?" Sakura asked after a while as her curiosity got the better of her.
"Huh? Nothing much, just workin' on an idea." He shrugged, before wilting slightly at the gleam in the pinket's eyes. "Eto," the blond laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "I, um, I thought I'd try modifying the explosive tag, y'know? To, um, have different, er, levels?" he finished nervously.
"That's so cool!" Sakura exclaimed, before grinning. "You could always use Kakashi-sensei as a test-dummy for the lower levels?"
"Um..." Naruto hesitated.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"Oi, Sakura."
"Yes, Sasuke-kun?" she smiled brightly.
"You went to the Library yesterday. Find anything?" he asked gruffly.
Sakura's good mood evaporated.
"You mean, other than the librarian's a stuck-up idiot?"
Sasuke and Naruto blinked at her.
Sakura huffed.
"Apparently, all the information currently available to us, are the Civilian books and a handful of data scrolls, containing mostly-useless stuff, I mean, there's one, one on tree-walking, and the leaf exercise we learned back in the Academy, and that's it for chakra exercises! You can't access any more until you've either taken part in the Genin Trials, whatever they are; the Chunin Exams, or you've been a genin for at least a year!" Sakura ranted, causing the boy's jaws to drop.
"No way, there has to be a mistake!" Sasuke exclaimed in horror. "The hell we're supposed to try the Chunin Exams without more information!"
"Precisely! I asked the librarian, you want her response? 'You're too young!'" Sakura air-quoted.
Sasuke glared angrily at a nearby tree.
"We have an A-rank under our belts!" he fumed.
"I know! And what's worse? Our old classmates have access! I saw both Ino and Hinata with their clans go past me, into the rest of the 'genin-level' area!" Sakura tossed her hands into the air, before slumping against a tree. "What're we meant to do, now?"
Sasuke scowled, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"We'll just have to pool our knowledge, and hope Sensei puts us into these so-called 'Genin Trials'. There's no point trying the Chunin Exams without the relevant information." he decided after some thought, Sakura nodding along eagerly.
"Ano, there's, um, just one slight problem, S'ke," Naruto stammered.
"What?" Sasuke demanded.
"Um, t-the, er, the Genin Trials are extremely prestigious, with all the sensei's after a spot for their team. So, since only four teams can compete, and it takes place once a year, the Hokage decides which teams compete." Naruto shrugged.
Sakura frowned.
"Do you know how he chooses?"
"Um, I think it has to be a team that hasn't attempted the Chunin Exam yet, but has stood out in some way?" Naruto glanced off to the side for a moment, before focusing back on his teammates.
"So, what you're saying is that there's a high chance of us already being chosen?" Sakura asked hopefully.
Naruto nodded.
"Yes. The next Genin Trials are set to be held in three days, with the next Chunin Exams coming in a month."
"So we need to win to gain access to the Library's information?" Sasuke asked, glancing to Sakura. "Or is simply participating enough?"
"Not sure," Sakura shrugged, tapping her chin. "The librarian didn't say. Although, it would be good to win, given the circumstances, and all."
"Right." Sasuke nodded, before pulling out a small notebook and joining Naruto on the floor. "Sakura?" he looked at her pointedly until the pinket sighed and sat down. "First things first, competitors?"
Frowning, Naruto stared off to the side, before nodding.
"There's a genin team who graduated about a year ago – Team 3. They didn't join the last Trials, and have steered clear of the Chunin Exams so far. Um, I think they mostly specialise in close-combat, there's a Hyuga, and I've seen the Tai specialist practicing. Don't really know much about the Kunoichi, other then her dad owns Higurashi's. Um, oh, yeah! The team's sensei is Might Gai, Kaka-sensei's rival, dattebayo!" Naruto nodded excitedly.
"That's amazing, Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed, causing the blond to laugh nervously and rub his neck.
"Ok, are there any other genin teams still to take the Chunin Exams?" Sasuke frowned.
"I think Team 5? All I know are their names, though. Jounin-sensei is Himura Sana, with Ito Hiroki, Shimizu Takum and Nigoshi Risa. Oh, I think Team 9 also haven't taken the exam yet! Er, Kyuzoha Hikura with Shizuma Shiba, Hayashi Mizuho and Daikya Otoiki. But, other than them, it's us, and Teams 8 and 10. Everyone else has either already taken the exams, or joined a previous Trials."
Sasuke nodded, writing everything down.
"So, we need to carry out recon. That's five possible competitors, assuming we're in the running. What do we know about the Trials themselves?"
"Oh! I know! I looked them up yesterday!" Sakura beamed. "The Trials last for three days, and consist of six sections – Morning and Afternoon – separated by a one-hour lunch break. The Hokage presides over the Trials, along with the jounin senseis of the four selected teams and the Academy chunin instructors. The prize for winning apparently changes year to year, last year's prize was a B-rank mission, if I remember correctly, and I think it was a cash prize the year before, or something? The Hokage usually announces it at the start." Sakura shrugged.
Sasuke frowned.
"These six sections, could you find anything on them?"
Sakura bit her lip.
"Not really, just basics. There's Tactics, Chakra, Weapons, Team, Knowledge and Observation. However, all the texts seemed to agree that they can mix, and interchange."
Naruto hummed.
"They don't really sound like sections?"
"Exactly! I'm not really sure if it's correct, or just a red-herring!" Sakura groaned.
Sasuke nodded.
"Right. We'll keep them in mind, and tread carefully. It's for genin, so shouldn't be as hard as Wave, surely?"
Before they could continue Planning, Kakashi arrived in a flurry of leaves.
"Ohayō, my cute little genin!" he eye-smiled happily.
"Ohayō Sensei," they chirped back, startling the grey-haired jounin.
"Oh? What's this?" he asked, eyeing them up for a moment. "Are my cute little genin planning something? Well, whatever it is, I'm afraid it's going to have to wait, we have a … six day mission, starting now." he continued.
"Huh? What's the mission, Kaka-sensei?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Hum? First off, Training. Then..." Kakashi paused for effect. "The Hokage has decided Team 7 will participate in the Genin Trials."
"YES!" Sakura cheered, jumping to her feet.
Kakashi blinked.
"Well, I'm glad to see you're excited?" he ventured.
"The Library won't allow us access to the Genin Texts until we've either been a genin for a year, had a go at the Chunin Exams, or attended the Genin Trials." Sasuke shrugged.
"Oh." Kakashi murmured, his lone eye blazing. "I see."