I gripped the desk. The test this year was transformation jutsu. I was going to pass and get to become a genin. There was so much to look forward to. Sure I wasn't a prodigy like kakashi who had graduated early several years before her, but I wasn't useless either. At least I wasn't going to be. I was gonna go farther than anyone else in my clan. That was my goal and genin was the first step.

"Tsume Histunobi." The proctor called.

Taka chirped and hopped off my head onto my shoulder as I was called for my test. Squaring my shoulders I stood and moved from the desk and into to the other classroom. Greeting the teachers I quickly formed the hand sign and transformed into the proctor. With a smug smile I released the jutsu as the proctor nodded their approval. I had done it. First step accomplished.

"I'm home"

"Welcome home"

"I passed"

"Congratulations!"

I slipped off my shoes leaving them scattered in the entry way as I stepped inside. Taka taking off from my shoulder and flying onto a perch further into the house. As I followed I came into sight mom and dad. Dad was a chunin, while mom had never gone past genin. They were loving parents but I still wanted to do more. To bring real recognition to my clan name. Hitsunobi were a clan who raised and worked with ninja hawks. Generally we worked as messengers and surveillance ninja but we were never thought of as very strong. I was going to change that.

"What's for dinner?" I asked.

"Was thinking a hot pot night. In celebration" Mom answered.

"That sounds nice."

I walked over to Taka. Taking the opportunity to scratch his head.

"Hey Dad, you going to be home for a while?"

"A little while, yes."

"That's good to hear. Maybe you can help me train." Dad chuckled a little and nodded. "Not today though. Today we'll rest and celebrate your accomplishment."

I nodded and smiled a little let down but still happy. I really was blessed to have both of my parents still, but I worried that it wouldn't remain the case with the war raging on. But today wasn't the day to worry about that. Today was a day to celebrate the passing of my test and the blessings I had been granted so far in life.

After relaxing for a while as mom cooked, we moved to the table and sat to enjoy the meal. It was delicious and when we finished I helped clean up before heading to bed for the night. One day off and then I would get to find out who my teammates would be to start my life as a genin.

The day off passed quickly, filled with normal chores, caring for the birds, cleaning the house, and preparations for my promotion to a genin. Then it was the big day. Taka and I headed back to the academy building to learn find out our assignments. Thinking about my grades and specialties I figured we would probably be placed on a team that excelled at surveillance type jutsu. Gritting my teeth I absent-mindedly scratched Taka's head. Sure it made sense to create that type of team but I wanted to do more than just surveillance.

I would just have to work extra hard to prove myself and our abilities. I stopped petting Taka and tightened my headband around my head where it held back my chestnut brown hair and entered the familiar building and into my, now former, classroom.

A good number of the other graduates from my class were already seated. Just one or two missing. Hopefully that meant we wouldn't have to wait too long to find out our teammates. Sure enough the last few trickled in in short order and the instructor showed up to announce the new teams.

"Good morning everyone. Congratulations on passing your test. We will now call the names for the new three man squads"

I stopped playing with Taka my attention now focused on our instructor.

"Let's begin. Team 3-"

I listened to the names of my classmates called off slowly eliminating possible other choices. I was starting to figure out who I would probably get stuck with and that meant my guess about a surveillance heavy team was right.

"Team 13, Tsume Hitsunobi, -" I sat up.

"Kokuei Hosaki, and Haiku Guncho."

That was a little bit of a surprise. Kokuei's family had a camouflage technique, he made sense with her, but Haiku was a bit of a surprise. Though he had always been pretty good at the ninjutsu they learned at the academy and was pretty smart. He wasn't a particularly good at an specific type of jutsu. He was a bit of an all arounder. The teachers must have had something in mind adding him. Though he was a bit rambunctious compared to Kokuei and I.

I sighed and chuckled. That's a lie. Sure he was more rambunctious than me but I had a stubborn side too.

They were released to eat lunch and rest briefly after that upon their return the three new teammates were greeted by their jounin instructor. A Blue eyed, bright red haired woman, who took them to an empty classroom away from the others.

"Hello, I am Noriko Suzuki, good to meet you. I'll be your jounin instructor starting today." Noriko started uncrossing her arms.

"Please, introduce yourselves." She finished leaning against the desk at the front of the classroom.

"I'm Tsume hitsunobi and this is Taka." I started scratching Taka's wing who chirped at the sound of his name.

"Kokuei Hosaki"

"And I'm Haiku Guncho."

"Good. Pleasure to meet you. Tomorrow we will have a team exercise. I want to test your abilities and ability to work as a team." Noriko-sensei's friendly demeaner shifted quickly and became very serious as she sighed and crossed her arms. "Fail, and you'll be right back here at the academy until next year."

I stopped scratching Takas wing and looked up surprised. I was about to object but Haiku beat me to it.

"No way! But we passed our tests. How could we end up right back here?"

"Because I get the final say on if your truly ready" Noriko-sensei growled her eyes narrowing from the pleasantly neutral expression she had been wearing earlier. Shutting up Haiku with her tone. Taka fluffed up on my shoulder surprised and outraged like I was. "I am your instructor. If we work together I will be responsible for keeping you alive. I refuse to be shouldered with irresponsible children. So you will have to prove yourself to me."

I swallowed and looked at the other two to gauge their reactions as well. Luckily none of them look too worried. Heck Haiku looked downright excited. We were definitely going to prove ourselves.

"What are we going to do?" I asked.

"It's a surveillance exercise. I am going to provide you with a subject and you three will gather Intel on it."

"You're not going to tell us anything now?" Kokuei asked finally speaking up himself.

"I will tell you tomorrow before the exercise. Don't want you to start ahead of time"

I frowned. It made sense but it was still a bummer. "Fine."

"Dismissed" She said before quickly disappearing.

Upon our release I made my way back home. Taking off my shoes as I entered. Taka taking off further into their home. "Dad, can we practice today?" I called into our home.

"Sure, you have something in mind?" He called back from what sounded like the main room.

"Our family jutsu would be good. Gotta gather info tomorrow." I responded.

Dad came into view as I walked inside. He smiled and nodded. "Ok. But just a short one. Don't want to tire you out too much before your test."

Slowly he stood. Looking to his bird. "We'll train outside." He made his way towards their small courtyard. I followed, Taka hoping onto my shoulder from his perch as I passed it near the door.

Dad turned to me as we reached the center of the courtyard. He pulled out a handful of shuriken and tossed them into the trees in the yard. "OK, turn around and send Taka into the air. I want you to count the shuriken."

I nodded lifting Taka off my shoulder as I turned tossing him into the air as he spread his wings. Once Taka had taken off I quickly formed the hand signs closing my eyes. Secret technique: eagle eye jutsu

I focused my birds vision coming into focus. I had to look quickly. I wasn't yet able to use this jutsu for a long time yet. Dad was much more proficient than me at this, but that's why we were practicing. So I could catch up and pass him.

One, two, three in the tree on the right. Taka dove down into the courtyard from where he had been circling landing on the tree she had just counted the shuriken on. He lifted his head looking into the leaves. Four, five. He looked over to the next tree. Six, seven. Taka took off again to get a different angle on the second tree. Eight, nine up in the leaves. Taka turned in the air to land in the second tree. He glanced over the courtyard. There, ten.

"Ten"

"Wrong"

I growled, still had a little bit longer. Taka took off again searching the courtyard. They had to recount, make sure to double check the locations. That old fox, there in the post holding up the roof. Not technically in the courtyard but almost. I released the jutsu, not that I had had much choice. My time limit on the jutsu had run out. Opening my eyes Taka landed back on my shoulder. "Eleven. That was a lame trick" I grumbled.

He merely chuckled in response. "You're a genin now. Things aren't always going to be straight forward. You have to look beyond." He smiled sticking his hands in his pockets. I rolled my eyes in response.

"Yeah I know."

"Dinner guys." Mom called. We came back inside our birds finding free perches inside to rest at. The smell was wonderful and the food as good as always. The rest of the night went by without incident just like usual. And with another test to face tomorrow I called it a night a bit early.

The next day I got up early and double checked all my gear. Had to make sure I could cover any situation. I knew it was just a surveillance exercise but I wanted to be prepared for anything. No way I was gonna get sent back today. All packed and with Taka on my shoulder we took off. "Good bye!" I called out as I closed the door not bothering to wait for a response and headed to the rendezvous location.

I headed to a small training field just on the outskirts of the village. When we arrived Kokuei and Noriko-sensei were already there the former crouched playing with grass, while the latter was leaned against a tree arms crossed and eyes closed. Only Haiku left. Luckily they didn't have to wait too long. He arrived right at the appointed time.

"Alright. Good you all made it on time. Would have been a shame to fail you before you even started." Noriko-sensei started unfolding her arms and standing up straight. She reached into her pouch pulling out a scroll.

"Here we go. This will be your target." Noriko opened the scroll to reveal a picture. It looked like one of the official photo ID type pictures used in every shinobi's file. So this must be a hidden leaf ninja.

"I want you to find and gather information on this ninja. I've made it a bit easier for you three. This person is within this training ground." She rerolled the scroll and stuck it back in her pouch.

"You have till noon." Noriko turned and walked to a stump a ways away before taking a seat.

We all shared a look as she sat. To do this task they needed to understand what each person was capable of.

"Taka and I can narrow the search location quickly. How about you guys?" I started stepping closer and Quickly tightening the padded leather protection on her right arm. Might as well start this discussion myself.

"I have a transparency technique." Kokuei stated.

Haiku looked at the other two. His brows furrowing some. "I don't have any special techniques. But I can think on my feet." I raised an eyebrow. That confirmed it. I had thought he was a weird pick, but I had to trust the 4th's decision. He was the one who had final say on teams and he was smart. He wouldn't have put this team together without something in mind. I just hadn't seen it yet.

"We'll figure out how to incorporate you. For now I think I should start with a wide scan. Once we locate our target Kokuei can get closer." I drew a rough sketch on the ground with a kunai.

Kokuei stood looking to Haiku who nodded with a half shrug. "Seems as good a start as any."

I nodded and Taka took off from my shoulder. I started forming the hand signs for my jutsu but suddenly felt an unexpected gust of wind. The other two didn't have time to react either.

"Who said I would just let you spy on my friend so openly." I heard Noriko-sensei growl right behind me the feel of cold metal my neck. I was frozen in place, I didn't know what to do. I never thought our Sensei would attack them. And their was no where I could go. Nothing the other two could do.

Just as suddenly as the cold sensation had appeared it disappeared with an amused chuckle. "That's you first and final warning. I am your targets 'teammate' so you need to be stealthy too."

I let out my held breath in a big sigh. Trembling a little from the stress. They needed to hide before they could start. And they needed to stay hidden. That was a lame trick. Recovering from our surprise we all took off into the trees.

We traveled quickly until they couldn't see the clearing or our Sensei, who we saw standing there for a good long while after we left her hair blowing in the wind a nasty smirk on her face, before dropping down into the bushes.

"Ok. I'll try again to do my jutsu but if we are being hunted down by sensei I'll need some kind of guard or distraction." I said glancing around us.

Haiku nodded "I can do that. I'll guard your back and Kokuei can play lookout for now till we get a better idea on our target."

I nodded. He really did think well on his feet it seemed. I ducked down into the bushes placing my back against a tree trunk and closing my eyes. Quickly I formed the hand signs and my vision shifted into Taka's up above. He scanned through the trees until he spotted the target. A brown haired guy with his headband on backwards.

"Found him. He's 600 meters north." I reported quietly from my spot.

"Can you get closer to him with your bird? We're supposed to get her Intel, right? Maybe we can gather some without getting closer." Haiku stated.

I grunted in the affirmative and Taka dropped down into the treetops landing within the branches turning his head to the side to see more closely with one eye.

"He's looking at a map." I reported pausing as I tried to figure out what the map was of. "It's of the village. Something is circled. Looks like...something near the center. The lines are too thin to make out from this distance." My vision started to blur. It was getting hard to hold the jutsu. More I needed more. Finally with an annoyed tsk I had to release the jutsu. "That's it. I can't hold the jutsu very long yet."

Haiku nodded. "That's fine."

"That's where I come in anyway. I can get closer." Kokuei responded. I stood up and we took off as a group for about 300 meters. Before we stopped on the tree branches again. "I'll go on ahead alone from here. Your bird can watch me right?"

I nodded. "Yes, Taka can." Ever so slightly annoyed that this was the second time my team hadn't used his name. But he had stayed in place in part for this reason and in part so hopefully not to draw attention.

"Right. You two stay here and watch for sensei."

We nodded and Kokuei moved off disappearing into his surroundings.

We crouched down into the bushes. I pulled out a kunai keeping it close. Sensei had said she wouldn't let us spy on her friend but we hadn't seen her since then. I was starting to get worried. Especially cause of how sure of herself she had looked when they left.

"We should set some traps." Haiku stated pulling out some tools and wire. I agreed "I was just thinking the same thing."

Quickly they moved to set up a few rudimentary traps. Before settling back down. I had my back to Haiku's. Taka had chirped once while they were setting the traps when he had sensed Kokuei approaching their target, but they hadn't heard anything since. Hopefully that meant that nothing had gone wrong. It hadn't been that long. Kokuei could still have been gathering information but I couldn't shake the creeping feeling of unease that crawled up my back

Taka chirped twice and I tensed. "Taka saw Senei close by."

Haiku quickly formed the hand signs for a simple clone jutsu. Creating a single clone of himself that was sitting in some bushes looking into the trees then pulled out a kunai "we should move up" he motioned to the trees. I nodded and followed him leaping into the leaves above as quietly as possible. Only Haiku's clone remained below. Tucked into a tree trunk where a trip wire was. Hopefully the shadow cover on the ground obscured the lack of shadow the clone would cast.

Shortly after they had hidden Noriko-sensei made her appearance. She groomed the area with her eyes.

"It's a nice clone." She stated. Causing Haiku and I to grip our kunai tighter. Suddenly she looked up and looked in the eye. Crap. Sensei threw a shuriken and grunting I dropped behind the branch I had been standing on using it to block the shuriken.

Dropping onto the ground. I took off towards another of the traps we had set. I needed to shake her. I hoped Haiku was following but still hidden and away from the traps. I passed near one of the traps, sticking my kunai out just enough to slice the wire tied around a tree, setting off a paper bomb behind me. I glanced back at the smoke from the explosion. I hadn't hit her, which was to be expected. But I had caused her to slow down. Suddenly I saw kunai fly at our sensei from above. Good Haiku had indeed followed, and their sensei would have to block the knives slowing her down further and they could finally shake her. There was no way they would win in a straight out fight. Not against a jounin. Using the distractions and a smoke bomb they broke quickly to the side and hid themselves once more. Waiting till she ran past to break back to where they had left Kokuei.

I checked behind us for our sensei. It looked like we had lost her for now. At least I hoped we had. Taka appeared from the trees flying right over my back with a few informative caws.

"Kokuei returned to our rendezvous point. He's got more info for us." I translated.

They made it back and set off from their rendezvous spot and to a dark patch of forest Hopefully away from prying eyes to share their info.

The rest of the mission went by tensely but quietly until about 1130. We had closed back in on the target who had moved from his spot a few more times but only collected a few more details.

"I think this is all we're gonna get. We need to head back to where we started and report in to sensei." I sighed finally looking at position of the sun in the sky. The other two nodded and we made our way back.

Noriko-Sensei was already waiting for them when they arrived. "We'll Let's see what you gathered."

I pulled out a scroll where we had compiled what we had found. "He's name is Taki Nara, he plans on going to the central district of the village soon. He is right handed" She read off.

"He is Nara clan which means he specializes in shadow possession type jutsu." Kokuei added.

"Anything else?"

"No."

Noriko-Sensei stood quietly for a few minutes almost expectantly making the three of them shuffle anxiously. "Well, you also handled yourself with some competence in my attacks. Though you wouldn't have lasted if I had actually been trying." She glanced over the three of us with narrowed eyes appraising something though I wasn't sure what. "Ok. You all pass." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, letting myself smile. "But don't relax too much."

Taki Nara walked out from the trees holding a scroll. "I gathered Intel on you three as well." He stated. "Tsume, and Taka. Taka has brown and black feathers three stripes on the wing tips. Two on the tail feathers. Tsume the handler, is right handed and uses a visual observation jutsu for surveillance. Kokuei, transparency style, right handed. Haiku never got very close to me personally but he's right handed and seems to favor close combat." He read off.

The three of us shared a concerned glance before returning to look at our teacher. "If this had been a real mission it is possible you could have failed. But I also don't expect you to do such high level missions so quickly. First comes teamwork, then strategy. I'm here to be your instructor so you will improve. We have a good starting place. Thank you Taki" She smiled. And brought out several boxed lunches. "Here, congratulations."

We took the lunches thanking our sensei. They were really truly genin now. I had accomplished the first step. Taka and I would be skilled shinobi. We would surpass the predecessors of our clan together. Be the greatest shinobi our clan had ever seen. That was my goal and I was going to achieve it. I hoped.