Chapter 22: The True Genin Test

Hyūga Compound

A month went by in a flash for Naruto. He had been eagerly waiting for this day. A part of him had worried that it would go by in an agonizingly slow crawl. But instead, it had gone by quicker than he had noticed. Before he knew it, the day had come. Today he would be receiving his genin team and Jōnin-Sensei.

Naruto was smiling from ear to ear. Who was going to be on his team? Who was his Jōnin sensei? Are they a good person? Someone strong and fast? What did they have to teach him? What sorts of missions would his team have? So many questions were pouring into his mind that Naruto felt like he could burst.

"Naruto," Sara said. "Your bouncing on your feet again. Try to remain calm," she had a smile on. They were walking through a hallway.

Naruto looked up at his caretaker. "Oh, come on Sara-Nee-San," he said. "This is the day I get my genin team. The day I finally take my first steps as a Shinobi of Konoha. Weren't you excited when you got your team?"

Naruto saw Sara's smile falter for a moment. Naruto frowned at that. Had he said something wrong? "Not to the same degree as you," she said. "Like most Hyūga, I was composed. I did not care who my teammates were, only that didn't get in my way."

Naruto looked at his caretaker critically. The way the tone of her voice shifted, it suggested to him that there was more going on. "Do you want to me tell about them?" he asked carefully. He wanted to know who Sara's teammates were, but at the same time, he could tell this was an uncomfortable subject for her.

Sara remained silent for a moment. "They were good people," she said wistfully. "A girl and a boy. The girl didn't come from a clan or even a shinobi family. She was from a family of merchants. She was a lively thing and loved to pull pranks. In a way, you remind me a lot of her."

Naruto smiled. "I wouldn't mind meeting her," he said.

"You would have liked her," Sara said. "The boy, on the other hand, did come from a Shinobi family, albeit a small one. He was quiet and calm. I don't think he liked to talk much. But he was a good guy." Sara sighed, a small smile creeping onto her features. "They were good people, and at first, I didn't think much of them. To me, they were just nobodies that were lucky enough to get on my team. At the very least, they didn't hold me back. It wasn't until much later that I started to view them in a different light. I started to view them as friends."

While Sara was smiling, Naruto could see the note of sadness. "What happened to them?" he asked.

Sara stopped and remained silent for a moment longer. "About two years later, we all made Chunin. Not long after that, we went on our first mission as Chunin, a B-Rank," her expression tightened. "I was the only one that made it back alive."

Naruto was not sure how to respond to that. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't-."

Sara stopped him by placing a finger on his mouth. She was smiling, but it wasn't happy. "Don't," she said. "There's nothing you could have done," she straightened back up and resumed walking down the hall.

Naruto followed her. "Still, that must have been hard for you," he said. He thought about what it would be like to lose his teammates. What would it be like to lose his friends like that? In his mind, he saw flashes of his friend's faces. Sasuke, Kiba, Yakumo, Ino, and the others. He almost stopped his footsteps when Hinata's face flashed into his mind. The thought of losing Hinata tugged his heart tightly.

Through one pair of eyes, he saw Hinata waiting at the doors of the main compound. She was smiling and talking to her mother, with little Hanabi bouncing around her legs. He didn't want to imagine what it would be like to lose her.

So, Naruto shook his head and pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He focused on what Sara was saying. "It was," she said in a soft, shaking voice. "I didn't realize what they meant to me. Not until," she paused for a second. "Not until they were gone, and I was met with silence."

A brief silence fell over the two as they walked through the Hyūga compound. Naruto never knew this about Sara and wondered why she never told him about this. "Probably because it was too hard for her," Naruto answered his own question. How long had she held she been grieving for her teammates? Did others know? Or had she kept to herself all this time? Did she blame herself somehow?

"I would have liked to have met them," Naruto said, hoping it offered his caretaker some small console.

"You would have liked them," she said with a smile. This one wasn't as sad as the others. "And they would have loved you to pieces," they were about to round a corner that would take them to where Hinata was waiting. Naruto could hear the barely audible sounds of a conversation.

That was when Sara turned around and knelt in front of Naruto. She places a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto, if there is anything you take away from this," she started. "It should be this. Cherish those around you, and don't take them for granted as I did. Because one day, you may turn around to face them and find that they are gone."

Naruto thought about what Sara had said. He already cherished the people around him. The first years of his life already taught him that lesson. But now he had another reason to hold onto them. He gave Sara a smile. "I will," he said to Sara.

Sara nodded and stood up. She sighed. "Look at me," she said. "This is supposed to be your special day, and here I am, burdening you like this."

Naruto shook his head. "You're not Sara-Nee-San," he said. "I know you're looking out for me."

Sara nodded and smiled. "Then let us go. It would not reflect well on the clan if you were to be late."

The two rounded the corner coming into sight of Hinata, Hitomi, and Hanabi. Hinata's mother was the first to notice their presence. "Here, I thought we would have to leave without you," she said with a soft smile. "Sara-San, it's not like you to be late."

Sara bowed to the Hyūga matriarch. "My apologizes, Hitomi-Sama," she said. "My charge and I were held up."

"Yes," Hitomi said. "I believe I heard a little bit of that. Care to explain?"

Sara broke her bow and looked at Hitomi. "I'm afraid that is a private matter between Naruto and me," she explained.

Satisfied by the answer, Hitomi nodded. "Very well," she said with a knowing smile. Then she looked over at Naruto. "So, Naruto, you feel excited for today?"

Naruto nodded. "Of course, I am," he said. "Today, I get my team and become a real shinobi."

Hitomi smiled at the boy's enthusiasm. "Who do you think you'll be paired with? You think you'll like them?"

Naruto grinned. "It doesn't matter," he said. "With just me on the team, we'll be the best team in all of Konoha. Pretty soon, you'll be calling me Hokage-Sama."

Hinata's mom giggled, and he noticed that Hinata was giving him a soft smile. It felt nice. "I'm sure we will," Hitomi said. "Come to think of it, wouldn't it be nice if the two of you were to be placed on the same team?" She looked between the two genin hopefuls.

Hinata had a slight blush around her face when she spoke. "I-it would be nice," she said.

Naruto imagined what it would be like to have Hinata with him on the same mission. Going on missions together, defeating great villains together, and sleeping out under the night sky, maybe even sleeping in the same tent. That would be nice. Naruto shook his head a little, wondering where the last thought came from.

Naruto smiled. "That would totally be awesome," he said. "You and me, together. We would make a great team."

Hinata was still blushing when she nodded. "It would be nice," she said. "If we were on the same team and had one of the others with us. Like Kiba or Shino."

Naruto nodded. He wouldn't mind being on the same team as them. "Or maybe Choji, or Sasuke. Heck, even Shikamaru wouldn't be bad. We'll make sure he doesn't act like a lazy bum."

Somewhere, said lazy bum sneezed. "Troublesome."

Naruto didn't know why. But he had the feeling that he and his friends would be placed on the same teams. It was a gut instinct and one he rarely had reason to question.

Hanabi was looking between the two of them. "Nee-San," she said to Hinata. "Can I go with you and Naruto-Kun?"

Hinata smiled at her little sister. "I would like that," she said, getting a smile from the smallest Hyūga. "But I'm afraid you can't. You're still a little too young to attend the academy. Next year."

Hanabi's smile morphed into a frown, and she stomped her foot on the ground. "But Nee-San, I want to go with you," she said. "It's boring here."

Naruto grinned as he watched the small argument unfold between the two sisters. Hanabi wanted to go with them, and Hinata was adamant that she was still too young. She would have to wait until next year.

After a little bit, their mother stepped in before things could get too heated. "Hanabi," she said, getting the little girl's attention. "My little firecracker, don't be this way. This is Hinata's and Naruto's special day. It would be rude to intrude on it."

"But, mom," Hanabi started.

Only to be picked up by her mother and held close to her chest. "Shush now, Hanabi," her mother said firmly. "You'll get your day. And then you will be free to go anywhere with your sister."

"Really?" Hanabi asked, excitement slipping into her voice. "Even outside the village walls?"

Hitomi nodded. "I'm sure Hinata would be more than happy to take you outside the village," she said. "Once you become a kunoichi. Wouldn't you, Hinata?"

Hinata nodded. "I promise, Hanabi," she said to her little sister. "When you become a kunoichi of Konoha. I'll take you anywhere you want."

"And I'll be there too." Naruto jumped in. "Just the three of us. It'll be awesome."

Hanabi smiled. "But I want to go with you now," she pouted.

Hitomi smiled and shook her head. "You can leave her to me," she said to the genin hopefuls. "I hope the two of you will have a great day, and I look forward to hearing about your teams," she then turned away from the group with Hanabi in hand. "Come on, Hanabi, if you behave, I can see about setting up a playdate with your friend Konohamaru," they went around a corner and were gone.

Hinata shook her head. "Hanabi's getting to be a lively little one. I feel like she's growing up so fast," Hinata said.

Naruto nodded. "I know what you mean," he said. "Next thing we know, she will be a Kunoichi and have a team of her own." Naruto chuckled at that thought. Then he held his hand out to Hinata. "Come, Hinata-Chan, let's go and get our team."

The Academy

The class was brimming with energy when Iruka entered. Naruto was talking excitedly with his friends when the class shushed up.

Naruto turned his attention to the scarred Chunin. At the same time, he had a set of eyes on the group of Jōnin waiting outside the classroom. Some of them he recognized, Like Kurenai and her friend Asuma.

Then there were others he didn't recognize, like the silver-haired Jōnin wearing a mask hanging outside the classroom window. Strangely the man seems familiar to Naruto. The man took notice of the eyes watching him and waved up at them.

Then there was… Naruto's mouth formed an o. He didn't know he was going to be here. Naruto smiled. Things were going to be interesting.

Back in the classroom, Iruka gave a speech on how proud he was of the class. About how he believed they would all go on to do great things for the village. But at the same time, they were all just starting out as Shinobi, and they were now small fish in a big pond.

"But no matter what happens," Iruka said, reaching the end of his speech. "You will always be my students. Now then, for the team assignments," then he started to recite off the teams.

"So, what teams do you think we'll be on?" Naruto asked Sasuke next to him.

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "I just hope it's people we can tolerate."

"I hope they'll be nice people," Hinata said next to Naruto.

Naruto nodded. He agreed with his friend's sentiments. He didn't like the thought he could be stuck on a team with someone he couldn't stand. "Here's hoping we'll have at least one friend on the team," he said.

"Team eight," Iruka said. Most of the class had already been called out at this time, and their Jōnin Senseis collected them. "Aburame Shino, Haruno Sakura, and Inuzuka Kiba. Your Jōnin-Sensei will be Yuhi Kurenai."

Kiba and Shino nodded at each other. While Sakura did look a little disappointed, she did seem mostly satisfied with her teammates. Kurenai walked into the room, smiling up at the classroom. "Team Eight with me," she said, exiting the classroom.

Shino, Sakura, and Kiba stood up from their seats and followed their Jōnin-Sensei.

"As team nine is still in circulation, I will be moving on to the next," Iruka said. "Team ten will be Akimichi Choji, Nara Shikamaru, and Yamanaka Ino, your Jōnin-sensei will be Sarutobi Asuma."

Shikamaru didn't bother to show any reaction as he had his head on the desk. Ino seemed to be happy with her team arrangement, even if she shot Shikamaru a heated glare. "I got stuck with Mr. Lazy Bones," she mutters, then sighs. "Well, at least Choji should be reliable."

Choji smiled and nodded at his teammates. A bearded man walked into the room. "Team Ten, come with me," he said and walked out. His students followed closely.

There were now only a small handful of students left in the room. Naruto started to become nervous, and only he, Hinata, Sasuke, Yakumo, and three others remained in the room. There were also only two Jōnin Sensei left. Going by the math, he knew one of them would be left without a team.

That was what he was worried about. He knew Yakumo would likely be left without a team since she came to the Academy late. It was how the remaining teams would be arranged that worried him. Of his friends, only Hinata and Sasuke remained. He knew there was a good chance he could be separated from them, and just as likely, he would end up with one of the two while the other was left alone.

"Team Eleven will consist of Hyūga Hinata," Naruto's ears perked up. That was one down. "Uchiha Sasuke," two down. Naruto felt his heart racing. One more name and the team would be set. Would it be him or one of the others in the room? For a split second, Naruto was tempted to have a pair of eyes look at the sheet Iruka was reading off to find out. Naruto restrained himself. He had promised himself that he would make the team arrangements a surprise.

Iruka read off the last name. "Uzumaki Naruto. Your Jōnin Sensei will be Uchiha Shisui.

Naruto jumped out of his seat and let out a loud holler. "YEAH! WE'RE ON THE SAME TEAM. WE'RE ON THE SAME TEAM." Naruto danced around on his seat, so happy he was on the same team as his friends.

Then he felt a hand grab the back of his clothes. "Dope, you're embarrassing us," Sasuke growled as he pulled Naruto back into his seat.

Seated again, Naruto looked around, seeing the rest of the class (what remained of it anyway) were giving him blank stares. Hinata was red-faced, and Iruka was giving him an annoyed look. Naruto scratched the back of his head and chuckled. He turned his head to face Sasuke. "Sorry, I was just so happy. We're all on the same team. Can you believe it?"

Sasuke snorted and rolled his eyes. Naruto, though saw the smile gracing his lips. "Dope," he said.

Next to him, Hinata was smiling as well. She looked so happy. "We're together," she whispers. "I'm on the same team as Naruto-Kun."

Naruto was grinning from ear to ear. "Isn't it great?" he said. "The three of us together on the same team. We'll be the most incredible team that Konoha has ever seen." Then something clicked in his mind. "Wait, who did Iruka say would be our Jōnin Sensei?"

"That would be me," a smiling Shisui said. He was standing in front of the classroom. One moment he wasn't there, and next, he was smiling at his team. "And for the record. Naruto is right Team Shisui will be the most awesome team in Konoha."

Shisui was met with stunned silence from his students. "Shisui?" Sasuke said. "What are you?"

"Hold onto your questions, my precious little students," Shisui said. "I'll answer them all soon enough. Now, team eleven, meet me at Naruto's favorite place." Then without another word, Shisui vanished in a swirl of leaves."

"Sasuke, was that your?" Naruto asked, looking over at Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded. "Yea, it was," he answered. "My Cousin Shisui is our Jōnin sensei."

"Didn't you know?" Naruto asked. "He is your cousin."

Sasuke shook his head. "He didn't say anything to me. Neither did Itachi."

"D-did he say meet at Naruto's favorite place?" Hinata said.

"He did," Sasuke said with a nod. "But where could…." Then Sasuke slammed his head on the desk.

Naruto was grinning like a fox. "Ichiraku."

Konoha, Ichiraku

Sasuke didn't know what to think. Early this morning, he had woke up excited that he would get his team today. He was definitely happy with the team he got. Naruto and Hinata, his two best friends, that was the best possible outcome for the young Uchiha.

It was his Jōnin Sensei that made him nervous. "Shisui, why didn't you say anything? Was this spur-of-the-moment thing, or did his cousin know he would be getting a genin team? If he did know, did he know who his genin would be, or did this come as much of a surprise to him as it did to them?

He had a lot of questions to ask his cousin. The trip to Ichiraku Ramen was spent in silence. Well, sort of. Naruto was his usual loud, boisterous self while Hinata listened. Sasuke mostly ignored him in favor of his own thoughts.

Shisui was already waiting for them when they arrived at the ramen stand. "Ah, I see you guys finally arrived," he said with a smile. "Come in, take a seat, and order something. We have a lot to discuss. Don't worry, I'll pay."

The three genin did as their sensei said and sat at the stand. They made their orders when the cook came. With that done, the three turned their attention to Shisui.

"So, guys," the older Uchiha said. "What do you think? Pretty awesome that you got me as a Jōnin sensei."

Sasuke nodded. There was no denying that having his cousin as their Jōnin sensei was great. Shisui was one of the strongest Shinobi in Konoha, maybe even considered the equal of Itachi.

"It's nice," Hinata said.

"Nice?" Naruto repeat. "I say more like totally awesome. Shisui is one of the best shinobi in the village, and he's our Jōnin sensei. Not only are the three of us together on the same team, but we got one of the best senseis we could get. Our team is going to be the best that Konoha has ever seen. We'll even be better than the Sanin."

Shisui chuckled. "I wouldn't go that far," he said. "But I do like your enthusiasm. Though I am a little surprised by your reaction Sasuke-Kun," he turned his head to face Sasuke. "I thought you would be a little more excited that I'm Jōnin sensei."

"I am," Sasuke said. "But I'm just a little bit surprised. Why didn't you say anything? You never told anyone you had an interest in being a Jōnin sensei."

"I told your brother," Shisui said. "He was very supportive of my decision."

"But he never told me anything," Sasuke points out. "I don't think he told anyone. So why keep this from us?"

Shisui shrugged his shoulders. "I wanted it to be a surprise," their food had been placed on the counter, ready to be eaten. Or, in Naruto's case, devoured.

"So, did you know we would be your Genin?" Sasuke asked. "Or was this a surprise to you as well?"

"A bit of both," Shisui answered. "I actually requested you guys." that got surprised looks from the genin. "When you request to be a Jōnin sensei, you can make a case for what team you want."

"Make a case?" Hinata questioned.

Shisui nodded. "It means that I got to ask for what people I want on the team. Then I had to tell the Hokage why I wanted you guys, mainly by telling him what sort of team you would be."

"What sort of team we would be?" Naruto asked, starting on his second bowl. "Is that like what we'll be doing?"

Shisui nodded with a smile. "That's right, Naruto. Let's use a couple of examples, like your friends' teams. First, you got Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji. Their this generation's Ino-Shika-Cho trio a classic team formation that has been tried and tested for generations, even before Konoha. They're a solid team that can work in a variety of situations. But their specialty lies in capture and interrogation missions. You got Choji and Shikamaru, who can use their abilities to restrain an opponent. Then Ino can use her clan's mind-walking techniques to dig into their minds and extract the information."

The three nodded, understanding what their sensei was getting at. "So, what about Shino, Sakura, and Kiba?" Naruto asked.

"A tracker team," Hinata asked. "Both Kiba and Shino have ways of tracking others."

"Sakura doesn't, though." Sasuke pointed out.

"But she's really smart." Naruto defended. "I bet she can get into people's heads with the right training and figure out where they'll run or hide."

"Naruto makes a good point," Shisui said. "Plus, she has an incredible amount of chakra control. With that, she has an aptitude for Genjutsu, something their Jōnin sensei specializes in."

"So then, what about us?" Sasuke asked. "What are we going to specialize in. What is the purpose of our team?" Sasuke already had a couple of ideas about what they'll be doing.

Shisui smiled. "We'll come to that," he said. "But first, let's do a team-building exercise."

"A team-building excise?" Naruto asked.

"That's right," Shisui said. "It's a fun little thing you can do to help foster closer relations with your teammates. So here is what I want you to do. I want the three of you to tell me two things you know about your teammates."

"Two things we know about our teammates?" Naruto asked. "Can you explain?"

"Sure," Shisui said. "You just have to think of something you know about your teammate and tell it to me. It can be anything like their favorite color or food. Maybe they have a hobby others don't know about. Hell, you can even share a secret of theirs if you like," the genin shifted uncertainly and looked at each other, then back at their Jōnin Sensei. "Don't worry," Shisui added. "You don't have to do that last thing. But if you do, I won't tell anyone.

The three genin still looked uncertain about that but nodded their heads. "Okay," Naruto said. "So, who goes first?"

"Since my precious little cousin here had so many questions," Shisui said, looking at Sasuke. "How about he goes first? First, I want you to introduce their name, then tell me the two things you know about them. Got that?"

Sasuke nodded. "Hai Shisui-Sensei," he said.

Shisui smiled. "Shisui-Sensei, I like the ring of that."

Sasuke ignored the older Uchiha's musing. He gestures over to Naruto. "This is Uzumaki Naruto. He is a ward under the Hyūga clan, and one of his hobbies includes gardening."

"Gardening?" Shisui queried. "I didn't expect something like that from you." Naruto scratched the back of his head and chuckled.

Sasuke then pointed to Hinata. "This is Hyūga Hinata, her favorite color is blue, and one of her hobbies includes flower pressing," the girl nodded and pressed her fingers together.

"Good job Sasuke," Shisui said. "Hinata your turn."

"Hai Shisui-Sensei," Hinata said. She waved over to Sasuke. "Uchiha Sasuke, tomatoes are his favorite food, and he likes to watch birds." Then she points over Naruto. "Uzumaki Naruto, he likes to pull pranks, and his dream is to become Hokage."

"Hokage?" Shisui said, looking at the blindfolded boy. "That's rather ambitious of you."

Again, Naruto smiled. "And I'll be the greatest Hokage in history."

"Okay, Naruto future Hokage, it's your turn now," Shisui said.

Naruto nodded. "Hai Sensei," he said, first pointing to Hinata. "This is Hyūga Hinata. She is the first daughter of Hiashi and Hitomi Hyūga. Her favorite food is cinnamon buns." then he gestured over to Sasuke. "And this is Uchiha Sasuke. His favorite color is black, and he wants to become ANBU Commander."

Shisui smiled at Sasuke. "An ANBU Commander, uhh? Just like your brother," Shisui said. "I got a future Hokage and a future ANBU Commander. I got quite a team here," he looked over at Hinata. "Makes me wonder what you want to be."

Hinata blushed and lowered her head. She muttered something. "I'm sorry I didn't hear that," Shisui said.

Hinata raised her head and repeated what she had said. "I- I want to be great clan head one day," she said quietly. "And m-maybe become the academy's h-headmaster."

"Headmaster of the academy?" Shisui said, crossing his arms. "Now, that would be interesting," then he smiled. "Great job, everybody. Now, wasn't that fun?"

The genin looked at each other and shrugged. "I guess," Sasuke said. He was wondering what his cousin was up to. He felt something was off. "What was the point of that?"

"Like I said," Shisui began. "It's a team-building exercise meant to foster closer team relations."

"We know that already," Sasuke said impatiently. "What I'm wondering is why you had us tell facts about each other? What's the point of that?"

"To see how well you know your teammates," Shisui said. "On a mission, when it comes down to success or failure, nine times out of ten, the contributing factor boils down to one thing. Teamwork," Shisui looked over at his students. When he got quizzical expressions from them, he continued with his explanation. "I believe teamwork isn't just about how well you can work with others. But also, how well you know them. The better you know your teammates, the better you can work with them. And I'm talking more than about knowing their favorite food or color. Or even what their hobbies are. You have to understand who your teammates are as people. Know what their personalities are like, learn how they think, their tells, the more you know about them, the better you can work with them. In a fight, things can quickly get chaotic to the point where you can't effectively communicate with each other. You are left with only visual cues and gut instinct. In that situation, you have to know and trust your teammates enough to know what they'll do and what they're thinking at any one moment. It can mean the difference between life and death."

"So, by telling two facts about our teammates," Sasuke began. "We're actually showing we know each other."

Shisui nodded. "Yes, the three of you have shown me that you, at the very least, have a basic understanding of your teammates. Granted, I expect you to know more about them in the future," Sasuke doubted they would have a problem with that. They had known each other for years now. Naruto and Hinata even longer. "It makes me so glad the three of you are my teammates," he smiled. "But I'm getting ahead of myself here, aren't I?"

Sasuke and the others frowned. "What do you mean?" Sasuke said, feeling uneasy. Something told him he had been purposely avoiding the topic.

"What I mean is," Shisui leaned in closer to the genin. "That none of you are genin yet."

The wind blew outside the ramen stand as silence fell over the three. One second passed, then two. Then three. Several seconds passed before the genin got out a response.

"WHAT!" All three genin shouted.

"What do mean, we're not genin," Sasuke said. "We passed the graduation exam, didn't we?"

Naruto nodded and pointed to the hatai-ate covering his eyes. "And we got these. That's proof that the three of us are shinobi."

Hinata didn't say anything but nodded along with the boys.

Shisui's smile never left his face. "I don't dispute that," he said. "You did pass the graduation exam, but that doesn't make your shinobi. All that exam does is weed out those who have no potential. There is actually a second test you have to take after the graduation exam to become proper genin."

"But that's not fair," Naruto said. "We all worked so hard to pass the graduation exam, and now you're telling us it was all for nothing?"

Shisui smiled. "And there's my first lesson for you," he said. "In the Shinobi world, nothing is fair. If you can't handle a simple truth like that, I suggest you leave now," the three children looked at him blankly but remained in their seats. "Also, I never said that the graduation exam was for nothing. I did say it was meant to weed out the hopeless failures. The fact that the three of you are here talking to me proves you have the potential to be shinobi. All you have to do now is prove that potential to me."

Sasuke looked between his friends seeing that they were as determined as he was. He looked back at Shisui. "So, what do we have to do? What kind of test are you going to give us?"

"That depends on the Jōnin," Shisui explains. "Each Jōnin Sensei is allowed to administer their test to determine if a genin team will pass. For me, well," he trailed off with a smile. "You'll just have to find out for yourselves tomorrow."

"Why can't you tell us now?" Hinata asked. "Shouldn't we have the chance to prepare?"

"Because I want it to be a surprise," Shisui answered. "Plus, as Shinobi, sometimes you won't know the kinds of mission you'll get. So, consider this as good practice."

"Well, I don't care what kind of test you give us," Naruto said. "We'll pass it and become real genin," Sasuke nodded, agreeing with his friend.

"Then I look forward to it," Shisui said. "Don't think for a moment that I'll go easy on you just because you're kids. Or the fact that one of you is my cousin. My job is to determine if you are worthy of joining our ranks, and I intend to take that job seriously."

"Then it's a challenge," Sasuke said determinedly. "Come tomorrow, the three of us will face you and take whatever you can throw at us."

Shisui stood from his stool. "I look forward to it," he said. "Send me the bill. I'll pay for all of us," the old man nodded and turned back to his cooking. "Oh, and one last thing before I go," Sasuke and the others listened closely to the older Uchiha. "Statistically speaking, only one in three genin actually pass this test."

Sasuke's eyes widened. That didn't sound promising. "Only one in three?" He asked, getting a nod from his cousin.

"What happens to the others?" Naruto said. "The ones that don't pass the true genin test?"

"Sent back to the academy for remedial training," Shisui said. "After that, they get a second shot at the test. So even if you fail, you at least get another chance."

Sasuke clenches his teeth. There was no way he was being sent back to the academy, and neither would his friends. They all would pass. "We won't need it," he said.

Shisui looked at him and nodded. "Then I will see you three tomorrow. I recommend that you get plenty of rest. Come to training ground eleven tomorrow morning at six," then he vanished.

Left alone, the genin, or rather genin would bes, looked at each other. "Can you believe this?" Naruto asked. "A second test after the graduation exam? Why didn't they tell us?"

"To surprise us," Sasuke answered. "Like Shisui said in the life of a Shinobi, nothing is for certain. We have to be ready for anything. It probably also sets us on edge too. If we had known about it, we would have prepared for it weeks or months in advance."

"Like we did with the graduation exam," Naruto said, understating what Sasuke was saying. "But in this case, we only have a day to plan and prepare. Less than that, actually."

Sasuke nodded. "It's not something that couldn't happen out on the field. But still, it would have been nice to have some warning."

That was when Hinata spoke up. "Actually, I think we did have some warning."

Sasuke and Naruto looked at the girl. "What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.

"My mom said something that's been on my mind lately," Hinata explained. "She said that I have to look pass the graduation exam to be a successful kunoichi. At first, I thought she meant I needed to plan for the future. Like what my specialty would be and what part of the Shinobi Corp. to serve in. Now I wonder if she was subtly hinting at the true genin test."

"Maybe," Sasuke said with a hum. "Thinking about it now, I think my brother said something similar. Naruto, what do you think?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Does it really matter?" he said. "We can't do anything about it except try to make a plan."

Sasuke nodded, knowing Naruto was right. "All right then," he said. "Then let's figure out what we're going to do tomorrow. I don't know what my cousin has in store for us, but he won't make things easy."

"Should we try scouting out the train grounds?" Hinata suggested.

"Good idea Hinata," Naruto said. "We can even try to set up traps there."

Sasuke nodded, liking the idea. "It might even give us some clue of what to expect tomorrow," With the tentative plan in place, the three adolescents left the ramen stand. They made their way to training ground eleven.

Unknown to them, their sensei was shadowing them. He had a smile on his face.

Training ground eleven

The next day team eleven was in the middle of the training ground eleven. It was a few minutes before the time Shisui gave them, and they were busy going over the final details of their preparations for the true genin test.

The three scouted the area soon after their sensei left. It was as they would expect from a training ground. A series of obstacle courses had been set up for runs. A small area made for Taijutsu training. A range for ninjutsu or practice with throwing kunai and shuriken.

There was even a small lake and forest, the latter likely for survival training.

They had spent the better part of yesterday and this morning laying out traps in the training grounds. The three had no idea what Shisui would through at them. But the consensus was they had to fight him to prove they were worthy of being genin.

To this effect, Naruto had several pairs of eyes roaming the forest in case their sensei decided to hide away there. They didn't know what to do about the lake, as none of them knew how to do the water walking technique. Though they did know how to walk up trees and could jump from tree to tree. They hoped Shisui wouldn't take the fight to the lake.

"I think we should lay out more traps," Naruto suggested.

"I think that might be a bit excessive," Sasuke said. "If we put out anymore, there's a chance we'll be caught in them."

"Sasuke's right," Hinata said. "Plus, I don't think we have enough time. Shisui-Sensei should be here any moment."

Naruto nodded, "All right," he said. "Is there anything else we should go over?" Sasuke and Hinata shook their heads.

"Not that I can think of," Sasuke said.

"Me neither," Hinata added.

Hinata was nervous, and why shouldn't she be. The graduation exam had been hard enough to deal with, but now she had another test to deal with. She looked at Naruto and Sasuke. They were so capable and confident in themselves. The latter Hinata found she lacked in herself. Hinata knew she was capable and probably better than most kids her age. But when she looked at Naruto and Sasuke and saw what they could. Hinata felt like she was lacking.

For a moment, she wondered if she should even be on the same team as them. She feared she would only get in their way and hold them back. "I have to do my best," Hinata thought. "I can't be the one to hold them back."

"Naruto," Sasuke said, taking Hinata out of her thoughts. "You do still have some of your eyes with you, don't you?"

Naruto nodded; several pairs of eyes floated down around the trio. "I do," he said. "And I can pull more out if I have to." He rolled his sleeve showing his arms had a thick black line running the length. On the back of his hand, the middle of his forearm, and on the cap of the elbow were circles with the Kanji for eye in them. Hinata knew the lines ran up to Naruto's shoulders, and two more circles were on the middle of the upper arm and the back of the shoulder. This engraving was repeated on the other arm.

Sasuke looked mildly impressed. "I forget that you have other talents," he said. He crossed his arms. "While we're on the subject. I've been meaning to ask," he pointed to a set of eyes. "Where do you get all your eyes from? I know you got your first set from the Kumo-nin, who tried to kidnap Hinata. But where do the rest of them come from?"

"Oh?" Naruto said. "I never told you?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Never."

"It's not as bad as your thinking," Naruto said. "Konoha has been supplying me with the eyes."

"Supplying you? How?"

Hinata was curious about this as well. She had a couple of ideas but never asked Naruto about it thinking it might be a touchy subject for him.

"Two main ways," Naruto explained. "Firstly, volunteers. Some people sign special forms that their bodies be given over for research when they die. It's particularly common among shinobi."

"I never heard of something like that," Sasuke said. "I didn't think people would be so willing to hand their bodies over like that."

Naruto shrugged. "I didn't either. But with Shinobi, I guess it makes some sense. A lot of them have dedicated their lives to serving their villages. It should be no surprise that they would still try to serve even in death," he explained. "Anyway, whenever Konoha is done with the bodies they get, if the eyes are still intact, they let me have them."

"What about the second way?" Hinata said.

"From executed prisoners," Naruto said. The wind blew across the training ground as silence fell over the three.

"Wh-what?" Sasuke asked silently.

Hinata's thought process had been halted by those three words. Did Naruto say executed prisoners?

Naruto had a tight expression on his face. "I know that it's something you might not want to hear," Naruto said. "Believe me, I didn't want to believe it when I heard about it. But Konoha does execute people. I guess it's not something they want to advertise."

That was an understatement. Hinata felt like her whole view of Konoha had been shaken. The logical side of her mind understood what Naruto was saying. Konoha was hailed as the gentlest of the five great hidden villages, known for its moral disposition. But it was still a shinobi village, and on top of that, it was considered the strongest of the five. It was no surprise Konoha had its hands in some shady stuff.

But the more emotional half, the part of her that was more dominant, had a hard time coming to terms with the idea. Naruto looked at her, seemingly noticing her troubled thoughts.

"Don't worry, they're not executing any old prisoners," he said. "They only do it with people who deserve it. Really bad people like murderers, rapists, and traitors."

That didn't ease Hinata's thoughts by much. But it was a help. "Thank you, Naruto-Kun," she said. Later tonight, she would have a lot to think about. She decided she would go to her parents for answers.

Before Naruto could explain more, a puff of smoke appeared on the training grounds. The smoke dissipated, revealing a smiling Shisui. "Well, if it isn't my precious students," he said. "I see that all three of you are here and on time. Good, we can get started."

The three genin hopefuls step towards their sensei, ready for whatever he would throw at them. "All right, Shisui," Sasuke started, "we're ready for whatever you'll throw at us."

Shisui quirked an eyebrow. "Are you now?" he asked. "You don't even know what my test will be, and you say you're ready. What if it's something really hard, like sneaking into the Hokage tower and taking something from there. Or maybe fighting me to the death."

Naruto stared defiantly at Shisui. "It doesn't matter what we have to do," he said. "We'll pass your test and become real genin."

Sasuke and Hinata nodded, showing their support. "I can't fail here. I have to pass. For them. For Naruto." Hinata thought to herself.

Shisui smiled. "All right then," he said. "Then it is a good thing that my test for you entails none of that," he pointed to the rising sun. "See the sun over there?"

The three turned around in the direction of the sunrise. Hinata had to shield her eyes from being blinded by the sun's early rays. "You have until the sun sets to pass the test," she heard Shisui say.

The three turned back to face Shisui. "And what is our test?" Sasuke said.

Shisui smiled and leaned in on the genin. "Simple," he said. "Your test is to find me," then he vanished in a puff of smoke.

The wind blew across the training ground as the three registered what their would-be sensei said. "Did he say to find him?" Sasuke said.

Hinata nodded. "I think he did," she answered.

"Then he just left without giving us an explanation," Sasuke said.

Naruto frowned. "I don't think he was here, to begin with," he said. "Look at the way he disappeared. It looked a lot like when one of my clones dispels."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "So, we weren't even talking to the real Shisui?" he asked.

Hinata mentally slapped herself. She should have had her Byakugan on to check if their sensei was here or not. "I'm s-sorry," she said to her friends. "I should have ch-checked."

"Don't worry, Hinata," Naruto said reassuringly. "He pulled one over all of us."

Sasuke nodded. "Naruto's right," he started, "my cousin must have been prepared for us to rush him. So, he sent a clone to give us the test and got out when he could," the younger Uchiha had a frown on his face. "He did say to find him, right?" He got nods from the others. "Then he must be somewhere in the training grounds."

"Naruto," Sasuke turned to face the blindfolded boy. "Can you see him anywhere?" If Naruto was still capable of it, he might have closed his eyes to concentrate.

Moments passed as Sasuke and Hinata waited for an answer. A couple of times, Naruto would turn his head over a little like he was trying to look at something. Hinata always chalked up little gestures like that as unconscious habits. "I can't see him," Naruto said. "He's not anywhere I can see."

Sasuke had a tight frown on but nodded. "Okay, me might be hiding somewhere your eyes can't see," he suggested. "Keep looking." He looked over at Hinata. "Hinata."

The Hyūga heiress nodded. "Right," she said, already knowing what he would ask. She put her hands together in a familiar hand sign. "Byakugan!" Then the whole world opened up for her.

Out of all the people in the village, she and the rest of her clan were probably the only ones who had some understanding of what Naruto saw every day. With the Byakugan activated, she was granted a full three-sixty-degree vision (almost, that was something the Hyūga didn't want anybody knowing about), and her vision was extended by several meters. Even allowing her to see past the trees in the forest.

But it wasn't like it allowed her to see everything in her field of vision. Something like that would be too much, even for the more developed brains of the Hyūga. Instead, it was like having a greatly expanded peripheral vision. The sights were there and registered by the human mind. But the brain ignored them, only really coming into focus when something occurred in the corners of the eyes.

Hinata, like the rest of her clan, could only focus on a narrow field of vision at a time. However, they could move their image around for a better world. For example, right now, Hinata was focusing her vision in front of her. When she saw no sign of their sensei, she moved her cone of vision around to the back of her head, where again she saw nothing. She continued to do this, rotating her cone of vision around, looking for where Shisui could be hiding.

With time and training, she would learn how to detach her cone of vision from herself and project it anywhere within her field of vision. But that day was still a ways off, so she was limited to having her vision attached to her person.

"I can't see him," Hinata said. Then she noticed something strange. Looking into the forest, she noticed that her vision was not going as far as it should. She squinted her eyes at the trees, focusing her vision on them. "The trees."

"What about the trees?" Sasuke asked.

"They're coated in chakra," Hinata explained. "It's making it harder to see past them. I can see through some of them. But after a point, the trees start to block my vision."

"Then he has to be in the forest," Sasuke said. "Naruto, can you see him anywhere in the forest."

"I'm looking," Naruto said. "But there are a lot of trees, and the foliage is thick. There are lots of places Shisui-Sensei could be hiding."

Sasuke glared out at the forest. "Then we'll have to search it ourselves," he said, running into the forest.

"Right." Naruto and Hinata said, following Sasuke's lead.

Several hours of fruitless searching passed before the three stopped in the middle of the forest. The sun was high up in the sky.

"Damnit, Shisui," Sasuke shouted up at the sky.

Naruto felt just as frustrated as Sasuke. He kept looking through his eyes as they swept through the forest and other parts of the training grounds. So far, nothing. He could not find any sign that their sensei was in the forest or anywhere on the training grounds.

"Hinata," Sasuke said. "Are you sure you can't see Shisui anywhere?"

Hinata shook her head. "No, I can't," she answered. "The trees are making it hard to see."

Sasuke growled. "We got to keep looking," he said, turning around to move. "He's got to be hiding somewhere."

Naruto was thinking. He knew that Shisui was supposed to make things difficult for them. It wouldn't be much of a test if it wasn't hard. He also knew that Shisui was a Jōnin and even a former member of ANBU. If he really wanted, he would make it impossible for the three to find him.

But the thing was, this was supposed to be a test that determined if he and the others were worthy of being genin. So that meant the test had to be passable within a reasonable margin. Based on that conclusion, the three of them should have found a clue about where Shisui was. If not having an idea of where he was hiding.

Shisui had to be hiding somewhere that Naruto was certain of.

"Think about what your sensei said," Kurama said. "Think carefully on his words."

"Think on his words?" Naruto said back to the fox. What was Kurama getting at? "He said to find him. Right? Those were his words."

Inside the seal, Kurama nodded, sensing his host's mental gears working. "It's what he didn't say that you should focus on," He gave one last nudge to help his host.

What he did not say?" Naruto thought with a frown. What was the fox getting at?

"Simple. Your test is to find me." That was what Shisui said. They couldn't find him in the forest. "Your test is to find me." Those were the only words he used. They had searched the training grounds until the sun was high in the sky and had found no sign of him. "Find me." Shisui wasn't on the training grounds.

Naruto slapped himself on the head as the realization hit him. This action caught the attention of his two friends. They both looked at him, one with a questioning expression, Sasuke, and the other with a worried expression, Hinata. "Guys," Naruto said. "I think we've been searching in the wrong place."

"Explain," Sasuke said.

"Think about it," Naruto said. "Think about what Shisui said. He said to find him. But he never said anything about looking for him on the training grounds."

He saw both his friends' eyes widen. "No, he couldn't," Sasuke said in disbelief.

"But he said to meet him on training grounds eleven." Hinata pointed out.

"But did he say we would be holding the test here?" Naruto said. After a moment, he saw Hinata and Sasuke shake their heads. "Exactly. We assumed that the test would solely be on the training grounds."

"But we never thought to look anywhere else," Sasuke said. "That sneaky bastard."

"So, if he's not on the training," Hinata began, "then where is Shisui-Sensei?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. He could be anywhere in Konoha."

Sasuke had a frown on his face. "Naruto, how many of your eyes are in Konoha?" he asked.

That was the part where Naruto wanted to ram his head into the nearest tree. "Not very many," he answered. "I had most of my eyes here on the training grounds." Naruto felt ashamed. He should have kept more of his eyes floating around Konoha. Instead, he had assumed that the test would only be on the training grounds and concentrated the majority of his eyes there.

"How quickly can you get them spread across Konoha?" Hinata asked.

Naruto smiled. He made a mistake. But the good news was that it wasn't something he couldn't quickly fix. "Very quickly," he said, holding his hands out. A pair of eyes floated down into the palm of his hand. "They may not look it. But these little guys are fast. I can have full coverage of Konoha in a few minutes."

"Then do it," Sasuke said. "We'll need them if going to find Shisui."

Naruto was already at work as he had his eyes fly across the training grounds and into Konoha. He even channeled some chakra into the seals on his body to summon more pairs and had them sent away. Wary of another trick from their Sensei, Naruto kept some of his eyes on the Training grounds in case he did turn up.

"They're spreading out now," Naruto said.

Sasuke nodded. "Good," he said. "Then let's split up. We can cover more ground that way. Naruto, can you keep a pair on the two of us? That way, if we find something, you can signal the others?"

Naruto nodded. He had already thought of doing that. "Can do," he said.

"Hinata, you have any ideas?" Sasuke asked.

Hinata shook her head. "No, I don't."

Sasuke nodded. "Alright, then, let's get moving," he said. "We only have until the sun sets. Let's try meeting back at Academy every half-hour. Share what we know. Got it?"

"Hai!"

The three genin hopefuls broke and ran into Konoha. Unknown to them, a figure vanished in a puff of smoke.

Somewhere Shisui got the memories of his clone and smiled. "Well, it looks like my students are catching on, and a little quicker than I thought they would."

From across the table, his companion put her cup of tea down. "I told you they were smart. Especially Naruto. He's got a devious little mind. "

Shisui gave his companion a pointed look. "He's your charge. Shouldn't you have nicer things to say about him?"

Sara shrugged her shoulders. "Frankly, I'm surprised he didn't think of it sooner."

Shisui just nodded and took a sip from his tea. He wondered how long it would take his students to find him.

Uchiha Compound

Sasuke tried to search the Uchiha compound but found no clue. In retrospect, he should have known he wouldn't find his cousin here. It was too obvious of a place to look. But Sasuke supposed that was why he bothered to check it in the first place.

After all, what better place to hide than the one you immediately discounted. Unfortunately for him, Shisui was not at the Uchiha compound, proving to be a waste of time. Sasuke even asked his clansmen and parents if they knew where Shisui was. They had no information, or if they did, they were withholding it from him.

"Sasuke?" A familiar voice said. "What are you doing here?" Sasuke turned to face his brother.

"Itachi? When did you get back?" he asked him.

"Just a few hours ago," Itachi answered. "Just got from the reporting to the Hokage. Now then, what are you doing here? I thought you would be with your team right now."

Sasuke sighed. "I sort of am," when he got a look from his brother, he elaborated. "We're looking for Shisui. He's our Sensei. Speaking of," his eyes narrowed at Itachi. "Did you know that he wanted to be a Jōnin-Sensei, and was going to be assigned to my team?"

Itachi nodded. "I was aware he had a desire to lead a team," Itachi answered. "And that he wanted you and your friends. So yes," then he answered the following question on Sasuke's mind. "And yes, I was aware of the true genin test. I tried hinting about it to you."

Sasuke nodded, "I'll have to ask you about it later," he said. "And about your mission. But right now, I need to find Shisui before it's too late. I don't suppose you know where he is?"

Itachi shook his head. "As I said," he answered. "I only got back just a few hours ago."

Sasuke nodded, disappointed by the answer but had predicted it. "Then I'm off. See you later, Itachi." Then he runs off, not seeing his brother's smile.

Hokage Tower

"Naruto?" the Hokage said. "Shouldn't you be with your team?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "We're on a mission," he answered.

"A mission?" the old man questioned. "I don't remember giving team eleven a mission," he looked over at his aid. "Did we give them a mission?"

The chunin shook his head. "No Hokage-Sama," he said. "We did not give team eleven a mission. Must be something that their sensei gave them."

The old man nodded as understanding dawned on him. "I see," he said. "That makes sense. Let me guess, it has something to do with the true genin test?"

Naruto nodded. That was a part of the reason he was here. The other part would come in a second. He pointed an accusatory finger at the Hokage. "That was a dirty trick you pulled, Jiji. Not telling me about the true genin test."

The old man smiled and nodded at him. The Chunin next to him rolled their eyes. "Perhaps," he said. "But it was necessary. After all, the unexpected is a part of shinobi life. This will serve as a valuable lesson to always be ready."

Naruto nodded, getting the message from the old man. "Anyway," he said to shift the subject. "Our test is to look for Shisui before the sunsets."

The Hokage nodded. "I see, and you thought you could find him here?" he asked.

"It's worth a shot," Naruto said. "Hinata and Sasuke are looking across the village. I got my eyes roaming the village, and we agreed to meet up at the academy every half hour to share what we learned."

He saw the old man smile. "Good teamwork," something about that struck Naruto as odd, but he ignored it. "But that doesn't explain why you are here in person. You could have easily used your eyes to check the tower."

"Because I wanted to ask you a question," Naruto said.

"Go ahead."

"Do you know where Shisui is?" Naruto asked.

For a moment, he saw a look of surprise on the old man's face. But he quickly recovered. "What makes you think I know where he is?"

Naruto smiled. "You're the Hokage," he answered. "Shouldn't you know where your Shinobi are?"

The old man chuckled. "You have me there," he admitted. "To answer your question. Yes, I do know where he is. Or at least a very good idea of where he is. And no, I won't tell you. That would make things too easy."

Naruto frowned, he had anticipated something like this, but he had hoped to get something out of the old man. "Is there any way I can make you?"

Again, the old man smiled. "Not unless you are willing to use less than pleasant means," around the room, Naruto noticed the shadows shifting.

Message received loud and clear. "Then I'm off," he turned around to leave the room.

"Naruto," the Hokage said, grabbing the boy's attention. "Since I am in a good mood. I can tell two places he is not in. So, you won't have to waste your time. He is not in ANBU headquarters, nor is he around the Hyūga compound.

Naruto's frown deepened, but he nodded anyway. Then he left.

Yamanaka Flower shop

Hinata entered the flower shop. She knew it was unlikely that Shisui was here, but it did not hurt to check, but that wasn't the real reason she checked the shop.

"Welcome to Yamanaka's," a woman greeted her.

"Hello," Hinata said quickly.

"Is there anything I can get for you?" The woman asked. "Or would you like to browse our selection?"

Hinata shook her head. "No, thank you," she said. "I want to talk to Inoichi if he's here today. I want to ask him something. Tell him that Hyūga Hinata is here."

The woman looked surprised for a moment. "My apologizes, I didn't know we would have an estimated guest like you today," she said with a quick bow. "I'll go get Inoichi-Sama now," then the woman left.

Hinata let out a soft sigh and looked around the shop admiring the selection of flowers. The variety they had was wide-ranging, and Hinata was certain that some of them must have come from other countries. Her eyes settled on a group of white-petaled flowers. They had thin stems with few leaves growing on them.

"You got quite an eye," a voice said, startling Hinata. She turned around to see a smiling Inoichi looking down at her. "No pun intended," he added.

Hinata nodded. "I took no offense, Inoichi-San," she said. "What are they?"

"Please drop the honorific," the man said with a shake of his head. "You and my daughter are friends."

Hinata nodded. "Okay, Inoichi."

Ino's father smiled. "As for your question, they're called the Icy Pearl. They grow in one of the harshest environments in the world, namely in the frozen mountains of the Land of Winter. Not much can grow there, yet these little guys have found a home there, and they're thriving."

Hinata nodded, feeling an odd connection with the flowers. She knew what it was like to grow up in a harsh environment. "They're beautiful," she said."

"Would you like some?" Inoichi said. "For you, I can offer a discount."

Hinata thought about it for a moment but shook her head. "No," she said, turning to face the man. "I actually came here to ask you something."

"Oh?" Inoichi said, sounding intrigued. "And what would that be?"

"What can you tell me about a Jōnin named Uchiha Shisui."

The Academy

"Where the hell is he?" Sasuke said, his voice giving in frustration.

If Naruto could answer that question, he would. Unfortunately, he was just as much at a loss as Sasuke was. And Hinata, too, for that matter.

The three had been searching all over Konoha for several hours and had yet to find their sensei. They were meeting at the academy grounds for what felt like the thousandth time. Up in the sky, the sun was starting its downward descent to end the day. That meant they only had a few hours left before they failed Shisui's test.

"Are we sure he's even in the village?" Sasuke said. "He could still be hiding out on the training ground."

Naruto shook his head, "No, I've kept some of my eyes there," he said. "They've been combing the area ever since we left. I think I would have found him by now. He's somewhere in Konoha, I'm sure of it."

Sasuke let out a frustrated growl. "But we have no idea where in Konoha we should be searching. We've looked everywhere and still can't find any sign of him."

"Calm down, Sasuke," Hinata said. "Getting up sit won't help us," while she sounded calm, Naruto could hear the subtle inflections in her voice that suggested she was just as frustrated as the rest of them. "We need to keep looking."

"But we looked everywhere," Sasuke said.

He was right. They looked in every place of which they could think. Sasuke had searched his clan's compound and several other training grounds and even looked over the academy. Hinata had gone to the Yamanaka flower shop to get information on where Shisui liked to spend his time. She had searched around all his favorite restaurants, the different parks he liked to stroll around, and the one thing that turned her face as red as a tomato, the red-light district.

Naruto had his eyes scanning every inch of the village and personally searched around the Hokage tower. Even getting some information from the Hokage about where not to look. Of course, he looked there. They were Shinobi, and misdirection was all they were about.

For obvious reasons, he couldn't get a good look into ANBU headquarters other than a cursory glance. Naruto was reasonably certain that Shisui was not there. It was the second bit of info that the old man gave that felt strange to Naruto.

Naruto frowned as his mind latched onto the second place mentioned. The Hyūga compound. He sunk deep into his thoughts, even as Hinata and Sasuke went back and forth with ideas.

He had searched all over the Hyūga compound. He found nothing of Sasuke's cousin, which was no surprise to Naruto. What would an Uchiha be doing at the Hyūga Compound? While relations were improving between the two, the Hyūga and the Uchiha still considered themselves rivals.

Outside official business, it was rare for members of the two clans to visit the other's compound. Sure, there were the rare cases where a Hyūga and an Uchiha were friends, but they only ever hung out in the village.

So why would Shisui be hiding there? Why would the Hokage even hint at a connection between Shisui and the Hyūga? Naruto's frown deepens. He felt like he was missing something. Some important detail that, if he could find it, would bring the whole picture together.

Shisui and the Hyūga. What was the connection between the two? How did it relate to their test? As far as Naruto knew, Shisui had no connection to the Hyūga. He didn't have any friends in the…

Then something jumped into Naruto's find. A memory from earlier today

Hyūga Compound, earlier that day

"Good luck with your test," Sara said.

"Thanks, Sara," Naruto said. "But I won't need it. Me and my team will pass this test with our eyes closed."

Sara smiled. "I'm sure you will," she said. "I look forward to hearing how the three of you passed."

"Sure thing," Naruto said, about to step through the door to leave.

"Oh, Naruto, one more thing,"

Naruto turned to face Sara. "What is it?" he asked.

"I'm going to be spending time with my friends today. We'll be at my favorite teashop all day."

"Okay?" Naruto questioned. "Why are you telling me this?"

"To let you know that I want my time with my friends to be private. If I catch any of your eyes watching us," she pulled out a senbon, "there will be consequences," she throws the senbon at the wall, narrowly missing an eyeball. "Understood?"

Naruto gulped and nodded. He would keep his eyes clear of Sara today.

Present

A frown spread across Naruto's face. There was no way that Shisui could have instigated that. How could he know that Sara would be…. Unless he, "that sneak son of a-"

"Naruto," he heard Sasuke say. Naruto saw his friends giving him worried looks.

"Is something the matter?" Hinata asked.

"I'm not sure," Naruto said. "I need to check something. Just give me a moment," Hinata and Sasuke exchanged a glance, then nodded at him.

Naruto focuses his sight into a pair of eyes across the village. He flew them across the streets. Vision went past several buildings and made several turns. All the while passing by villagers who remained unaware of the fact that a pair of eyeballs were flying past them.

Just before the eyes arrived at their destination, Naruto had them cloak themselves. He wasn't taking any chances here. Then the eyes arrived at their destination.

Naruto let out a small growl. Sure enough, he saw Sara was at her favorite teashop. Sipping from a cup, she sat at a table with her friends. Kurenai, Anko, and a woman with long purple hair. However, there was one other person at the table.

"Guys," Naruto said. "When we're done with this test. I'm going to prank Shisui and Sara."

Hinata and Sasuke exchanged questioning glances. "Okay," Sasuke said. "Naruto, what's going on?"

"I know where Shisui is," Naruto said. "Come on, I'll explain."

"How much longer do you think it will take them?" Anko said with a yawn.

Shisui looked up at the sky, noting how dark it was getting. "They got a couple more hours," he said.

The snake mistress groaned and banged her head against the table. "I still can't believe you managed to talk me into this," she said. "I thought we would only be here for a few hours and then have the whole day to us. Just us girls."

Shisui shrugged his shoulders, "Well, you did get all day with your friends," he said. "You just had a little extra company."

Anko shot him a glare. "I was hoping we would spend some time at places more exciting than this dainty little place," she said. "Like a bar, probably would have drunk half of the patrons under the table. Or maybe clothes shopping," at this Shisui repressed a shudder.

"Anko," Kurenai said dryly. "You're banned from half the clothing stores in this village."

"Including some of the less reputable ones," Sara added, giving the snake mistress a wary eye.

Anko smirked. "What can I say?" she said. "I can't help it if I'm too sexy for those places."

"Trouble would be the better word," Shisui said, ignoring the Kunai thrown in front of him.

"All that aside," Anko said. "Your students are on the slow side, aren't they? From what I've heard about them, I expected better from them. Especially my little friend Naruto-Kun."

Sara placed her empty cup on the table. "Trust me, they'll pass Shisui's test," she said.

Shisui raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And makes you say that?" He had faith in his charges as well. But he was curious about what Sara thought about them. Especially considering she was the caretaker of one of them.

A small smile slipped onto her face. Something Shisui wished happened more often. It made her look nicer. "Because Naruto would not have it any other way. He is the most stubborn boy I have ever met," then she turned her head to face Shisui, but her eyes were not on him. They were looking up. "Besides, they are not as slow as Anko thinks they are."

Shisui followed Sara's line of sight, already knowing what he would find. On the rooftop of the building across the street, Shisui saw his three students glaring down at him. It was even impressive that Naruto could make it look like his eyes were glaring. If looks could kill (taking Naruto's Futogan into account, that was a very real possibility), then Shisui would be a pile of ashes right now.

Shisui smiled and waved up at his students. "Hey guys," he said, acting like he hadn't led them on a wild goose chase through the village. "How are you doing?"

The three genin continued to glare at him. Shisui chuckled, feeling a sudden sense of foreboding. "We found you, Shisui," Sasuke said. "Do we pass your test?"

Shisui mussed on the question for a moment. He did say all they had to do was find him before the sunset, and they had done just that. By the looks of it, they had done it through a team effort. So, he should say yes.

But at the same time he had spent the whole day at this tea shop doing nothing. While it was nice talking to Sara and her friends. He was like Anko and felt bored. So, he decided to have some fun.

Without making a handsign, Shisui vanished in a Shunshin and reappeared on the teashop's rooftop. "If you want the answer to that. You'll have to catch me first," then he speeds off across the rooftops of Konoha. Just slow enough for his students to track him.

Shisui took a second to glance back to see his students in rapid pursuit of him. Good, their speed was already good. However, he already saw areas where they could improve when chasing a target.

In the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of blue and quickly shifted his position in the air. A bolt of blue light went through the air and past him hitting a rooftop. He landed on that rooftop and inspected the burn mark left behind by the bolt. It was a light burn mark, something that a light scrubbing and wipe wouldn't solve. So, he didn't have to worry about property damage during his test. Or serious injury.

He turned around and saw his students land on the rooftop across from him. Again, they didn't look too happy to see him. "You said we would pass if we found you," Naruto said, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

Shisui shrugged. "Maybe I did," he said. "Now I want you to catch me."

His students frowned. "That's not fair," Sasuke said. "You should have passed us."

Shisui gave his cousin a coy smile. "Whoever said the life of shinobi was fair?" a true enough fact. It was a lesson that he wanted the three to learn quickly. Life wasn't fair, especially the life of a shinobi.

In response, Sasuke threw a kunai at Shisui. Aimed right at his head. Shisui grabbed the thing just as it would have entered his skull. Then quickly spun around to grab the Naruto shadow clone that thought it was sneaking up on him.

The clone yelped as it was grabbed and whirled around in the air. A second later, Shisui plunged his newly acquired Kunai into the base of the clone's skull. It vanished in a puff of smoke.

Even as the smoke disappeared, Shisui remained in motion. He dodged two bolts of chakra, while pocketing his newest Kunai. Looking around, he saw several pairs of eyes swarming around the air. More bolts of blue light were fired at the older shinobi forcing him to dodge.

His students were not idle as he danced around the bolts of charka. Hinata and Sasuke both jumped at him. They were fast that much Shisui would hand to them. An ordinary human would have seen a pair of blurs coming at them. However, Shisui was a veteran Shinobi, and even without his Sharingan, the two were as slow as snails to him.

He let the two get within centimeters of him, letting them outstretch their hands to grab him. He shifts around ever so slightly at the last moment so that from an outside perspective, it looks like they missed on purpose.

Surprised was etched on their faces as they went past him. Without stopping, the Hyūga and Uchiha pair turned around and came at him again. Again, like last time, Shisui let them get close before he moved out the way, allowing them to fly past him by centimeters.

Once more, the pair shifted their momentum back at him. But this time, they shifted their stances. Instead of trying to grab him, Sasuke threw out a palm strike at Shisui.

Hinata did the same, aiming for his arm. The tips of her fingers glowed with chakra. "So, they're engaging me in taijutsu now," Shisui thought to himself. "Alight, I'll humor them. Let's see what they got."

Shisui parried Hinata's attacked and blocked Sasuke's. The two didn't stop as they sent out more palm strikes or tried to grab him. Every time Shisui would dodge, parry, or block with ease.

Again, Shisui noted that his students were very good for their age. Sasuke was quick and precise, while Hinata's form was almost perfect. They were definitely better than most Genin coming out from the academy, and that included clan-trained students. But Shisui could see areas where the two needed to improve.

Sasuke's speed was good, but his precision needed to be worked on, and he needed to put more power into his strikes. Otherwise, they wouldn't do any good if they managed to land. Hinata likewise had good form and decent power behind her palm strikes. But Shisui felt her form was too rigid, which made her predictable. She needed to be more fluid in her movements.

Both of his students were good, but as they were now. Shisui did not feel comfortable taking them outside the village for missions. That was his assignment for Hinata and Sasuke. "Now, what about you?" He turned an eye to Naruto, seeing the boy standing on the rooftop across from them.

He hadn't seen much of the boy in action so far. Shisui knew about Naruto's Futogan and that he knew the Shadow clone Jutsu, as he demonstrated earlier. He wondered what else the boy had up his sleeve and briefly wondered what the blinded-folded genin was doing.

He got his answer when he moved his head aside to avoid a bolt of chakra from hitting him. And then another, aimed at his back. A third and fourth came at him. At the same time, Sasuke and Hinata pressed their attack on Shisui. "Support, uhh?" Shisui thought. "Didn't think Naruto had it in him. He seems more like the type to wade into the thick of things instead of hanging back."

Shisui had to admit he was impressed. While Naruto was hanging back, taking shots at him from a distance, Hinata and Sasuke closed in, giving Shisui little room to work with. They gave him no quarter, just like they would with an enemy shinobi.

Amidst the chaos, Shisui smiled. Not a day had passed, and he was already proud of his little genin. Shisui jumped back, avoiding Jūken strike to his chest. He saw Sasuke coming in at him. Shisui smirked, ready to move out of the way of his cousin's attack.

The sound of two puffs caught the older Uchiha's attention. He turned his head, surprised to see two Naruto clones coming right at him from behind. In front of him, Hinata also jumped at him.

Hinata and Sasuke from the front and a pair of Naruto clones from behind. On both sides, the real Naruto had his eyes positioned to stop him. Already in motion, Shisui knew he was trapped. If only there was a way he could escape, like vanishing into thin air.

Shisui smirked and shunshined out of his predicament. An instant later, he appeared on another rooftop and watched as Hinata and Sasuke collided with the clones causing them to dispel.

Both quickly got to their feet. "What?" Sasuke said, looking around. "Where'd he go?"

"He's over there," Naruto said, pointing over at him.

Shisui waved over at his students. "Nice try, guys," he said. "But you have to do better than that," he jumped from the rooftop, avoiding a hail of charka bolts from Naruto's eyes. He landed on another rooftop, then quickly jumped away as his students jumped after him.

He jumped from rooftop to rooftop leading his genin on a chase throughout the village. Several times one or more of the Genin tried to make a grab for him, but Shisui would always avoid them at the last second.

He would later admit to Itachi that he had fun seeing the increasingly frustrated looks on his genin's faces as they tried to capture him. He was told to put them through their paces, which he would do. But eventually, he supposed he would have to give them a chance.

Looking over at the setting sun, Shisui decided that it was time to end this. He leads the three genin away from the village, back to training ground eleven. Where their test had started and where it would end.

The sun was halfway set when they arrived at the training ground. They only had a few minutes left to finish this test Shisui gave them. Naruto noticed that Sasuke and Hinata were breathing heavily and exhausted from the chase.

Naruto was breathing a little, too but wasn't as tired as the other two. Once more, he was thankful he had inherited his stamina from his Uzumaki clansmen. Shisui was waiting for them in the middle of the training ground.

Naruto looked between his two teammates, getting a nod from them. This would be their last chance. Naruto hoped his plan would work, even if it was a long shot.

The three genin would-bes land in front of their sensei. Neither side made any move and stared at the other for a second. "So, are you going to run away again?" Sasuke asked.

Shisui shrugged. "Maybe," he said. "Will you chase me if I do?"

Naruto had his eyes surround the older Uchiha. He would watch every move he made. "We'll chase you to the ends of the earth if we have to," Naruto said. "There is no way we'll fail this test of yours," he got confident nods from his friends, even if they looked ready to collapse from exhaustion.

Shisui shifted around and crossed his arms, smiling at the three. "Good answer," Shisui said. "I like your spirit. But I don't think I will. We all know this test is ending," he looked over at the setting sun. "I'd say you have one try left before I end this," then he looked back at Naruto and the others. "So, what will you do? Come at me? Use some Ninjutsu capture. Maybe you'll even try to lead me into the forest and hope one of your traps will get me. Really, you have a lot of options. But the question is which one will work," the genin stared at their sensei with defiant looks, ready to act against him. "I'm ready for anything you can throw at him," he assumed a fighting stance, pulling a kunai out.

Naruto smirked. All the while, he was chanting in his head. "Please work. Please Work. Please work."

"Are you ready for this?" Naruto said. "Now!"

Shisui looked ready for an attack from the three. Too bad the first move wouldn't come from them. A puff of smoke enveloped Shisui as he let out a surprised gasp. "What?"

The smoke quickly vanished, showing what Naruto and the others had hoped to see. A very surprised-looking Shisui looking at the Naruto clone that had his arms wrapped around him.

The clone smiled back at him. "Got you." He said.

Shisui looked back at his students. "How did you?" He began, then realization dawned on him. "The Kunai," he muttered.

Next to him, Sasuke patted his full hoister of kunai. The three genin walked up to their sensei, who made no effort to escape. They knew he could if he wanted to. There was no way a single clone could hold Shisui like that. "So, do we pass or not?" Naruto asked.

Hinata had her palms out, with her fingertips glowing with chakra. Sasuke had a kunai out, a real one this time. Naruto had his eyes surrounding Shisui, ready to fire off bolts of chakra at him.

Shisui looked at the three for a long time. Then he smiled. "What can I say," he said with a shrug. "The three of you pass."

All three genin cheered, with Naruto being the loudest with his enthusiasm. They had passed. They had passed. The three of them were genin now, for real this time.

The clone wrapped around Shisui smiled and dispelled. Now free, Shisui smiled at his students, this one with a trace of pride. "Congratulations," he said. "The three of you are now genin of Konoha. What's more, you are now official members of team eleven and my charges.

Naruto stood at attention, as did Hinata and Sasuke. On the inside, Naruto was jumping for joy. They were genin now, real shinobi.

"Can you keep it down out there?"Kurama said. "I'm trying to sleep here."

"Oh, come on," Naruto said back to the fox. Can't you be happy for me too? I just became genin."

He heard the fox snort, but he could sense the genuine happiness coming from him.

Shisui continued. "As your sensei, I promise you that I will do everything in my power to ensure you become the best shinobi you can be. No, not just that, but the best shinobi this village has ever seen. Now I will be honest with you. I will be hard on you. I will push you to your breaking point and keep going. There will be days when you will want to give up when you think you can't go any further. And I guarantee you that there will be days when you will hate my guts and want to kill me," he looked at each of his students, who remained determined. "But I assure you what I will do will be for your benefit and will make you stronger. By the end, you will be able to face the likes of Orochimaru and come out alive. Don't think for a moment that I will go easy on you just because you're my students or that one of you is my cousin. Because I won't. Now, if you can't handle that, I suggest you drop on now. Because the life of a shinobi is one of hardship. Yes, it can have its rewards, and you will live a life of glory, having seen things and places that most cannot dream about. But it is life smeared in blood and shadow. Do you understand that? Do you accept the responsibility of being a shinobi of Konoha? Of the rewards and risks that come with it? If so, step forward now."

Naruto did not hesitate for a moment. He knew the life he wanted, where he wanted to be. He stepped forward. His footsteps echoed by two other sets. He didn't have to look to know that his teammates were with him all the way.

Shisui smiled. "Then welcome to my team," he said. "Tomorrow, I will give you a day to rest. But the day after that, your training begins. Understood?"

"Hai, Shisui-sensei," All three said in unison.

"Then I will be seeing you," he said. A swirl of leaves surrounded him. "Same time as today." Then he was gone leaving the three newly minted genin alone.

The three looked at each other, not really saying anything. But conveying the same message and celebrating the fact.

They did it.

And at last, we have the team formations, and their Senesis. Now I know no one was surprised that Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke ended up on the same team. But I don't think anyone would have guessed that Shisui, which is funny because I didn't originally plan for him to be their sensei, at least not when I first started this story. It was just a thought that occurred to me, and I ended up thinking about some more and decided why not? I haven't found many stories where Shisui was a Jonin sensei (I think I found one, but I can't remember it). So, I hope I can do this justice.

As for his test, I didn't to do some copy and paste of the bell test that Cannon did and that everyone else tries to do. I hoped you like it and enjoyed the chase that came after.

Now that Naruto and his friends are true genin their adventures begin. I got a good idea of where I want this story to go, I just need to fill in the gaps. And don't worry about Yakumo she'll get her Genin team, and I already know who she'll be teamed with. We're just missing one person right now, but they'll show up soon enough. They're a character most of us should know (same goes for her other teammates) but their fate in canon is quite a bit different then it is in this story. I hope you will like it.

As always, stay safe out there. Looking forward to the next update.