Here's chapter 10: Exercise in patience.
Bit late, my apologies. I've quite badly injured several fingers on my dominant hand - and as I type my stories entirely on my cell phone that has crimped my style somewhat drastically.
Onto the chapter, minor timeskip, almost graduation time from the Academy.
As Waking Nightmare was updated this Weekend ( or Tuesday, whatever ) Divine and Conquer will update next weekend. Hopefully. Typing is a bit slower atm.
And I can't stand voice to text unfortunately.
As usual I do not own, make money off, or in any way have a right to the characters of Naruto or its world. I'm just a lowly fanfiction writer.
Hope you enjoy it!
＊＊＊
Unfortunately to my growing frustration, Kakashi became a regular around Kushina-shishou's house.
The war has begun heating up, and Minato, although not the yellow flash yet - his teleportation ability was still cumbersome and he was only able to use a few markers at a time - is still too useful of a Shinobi to keep back in the village for too long.
Jounin don't get to rest much when a war is on. Probably why so many Chuunin are happy to not go any further.
Thankfully, no one was quite so insane yet as to send a six year old Kakashi along with Minato to the frontlines.
So far.
Unfortunately, it means he's been Kushina's responsibility, since she's definitely limited to the village at the moment - until battle lines are more clearly drawn at least.
Once the trenches, so to speak, are set. That's when a Jinchuuriki will come into the picture - bowling over the opposition.
Kushina could probably bowl over a lot of positions.
And I'm not even talking about using the Kyuubi either…
All this however means Kakashi's been around. A lot.
I can't stand the little shit, he's just so… Anal… About everything.
I swear to everything that is holy and unholy! If I get another Shinobi rule quoted at me I'll invent the chidori ahead of him just so I can make him sit on it and spin!
Thankfully, Kushina-shishou did tunnel into my greenhouse and sealed it off from my clan, so I have had an escape when listening to Kakashi condescend to me and disparage my skills as handed down by the Sannin - instead of any actual inborn skill.
Which, damn it all, is why I didn't want the Sannin involved in the first place - I knew this shit would happen.
If anal Kakashi is spouting that off - any regular McChuunin surely will.
Fuck… Now I want nuggets. My brain is not my friend.
Still, with everything that's happened, my father has kept up the deliveries of flora from all over the elemental nations, which I have picked up from right outside my greenhouse, as they can't get in to deposit the deliveries. It's worrisome that there has been no movement from his side about the fact I've basically moved out and abandoned the clan. Usually that's the kind of thing that's considered a big deal.
Although the rest of the clan is probably happy to see me gone - allowing them to pretend I'm not becoming a Shinobi after all.
I know he is now working with someone - and wants to use my skills as a tool to his advantage. But if I'm not even around - or acknowledging the clan - how can he use me?
He literally could force me back - petition the Hokage and everything. With how clan centric the political spectrum is in the elemental nations, he'd win. Well… Kushina-shishou might kill him - but he'd still technically win.
My father is definitely the kind of man that would take death with a grin if it meant he could fuck someone over one last time.
I really don't think he's human enough to fear death.
I put it out of my mind for now and concentrate on what I'm working on, sunk knee deep in cold mud, gently planting the roots of several very dangerous knobbly plants. These particular ones are a Suna special, one they have developed several nasty poisons from. Luckily for Konoha they've never been able to use them to their full extent as Suna doesn't exactly have many ideal spots for a biome of cold wet mud to grow them in - so they've always had a limited supply.
They don't have the sealing skills to create artificial biomes like Konoha does thanks to the Uzumaki alliance, even after their destruction some of their knowledge lives on here.
Also Konoha has Tsunade who can apparently whip up an antidote just from hearing about a poison's existence. Which really just fucks Suna all kinds of ways.
Chiyo must really really hate her.
I sigh, even as I pay particularly careful attention that I don't sink any of the actual leaves of the plant into the mud. I hate that this knowledge came from Orochimaru - who's taken to lecturing me on whatever Shinobi knowledge he wants as I work with him. With him not having any luck replicating my abilities so far, he seems to instead focus on making me competent enough to survive - so that he can one day make use of me. His words.
And isn't that an absolutely horrifying thing to hear from a man you know will abandon the village and do absolutely disgusting and immoral experiments.
And those aren't even necessarily his worst actions. Dude fucks around with souls!
If I ever find myself in that position - his prisoner, not even suicide is enough - the bastard could just Edo Tensei me back and pick my brain anyway. A cheery thought.
Thankfully I've only had to experiment on actual humans three times over the last four months - not nearly as much as the snake Sannin had hinted at, I suspect Tsunade's involvement. Orochimaru claims that I need more theoretical knowledge to get over the plateau I've reached - not able to affect a Shinobi to any useful degree, and therefore there's no point in human trials.
Definitely an intervention from Tsunade.
I guess even her quest to heal Dan has limits.
I would have been more pleased with this decision if he hadn't decided to be the one to teach me - in his lab. Which often included actual dissections of brains and studying them down to a microscopic level as Orochimaru plied the samples with chakra.
Despite the person teaching me being reprehensible, I can't help but be fascinated by the seals and chakra techniques used in the work.
I'm gaining a lot of knowledge in these sessions but lose so much more in humanity.
It would be so much easier if I just studied brains - not meeting the people - who then get to become corpses - whose brains I then take out and dissect.
At this point I am not even reacting to corpses or exposed organs anymore - the smell of blood and excrement is nothing. If he's working on desensitization, it's working.
I'm honestly terrified over how used I've become to spending time in his lab - of walking past prisoners or corpses and not raising an eyebrow at their distress. Dan's attempts to soothe me about how this is normal for war not exactly setting me at ease.
A year ago - when I was set on becoming a cold uncaring kunoichi, perhaps this wouldn't have bothered me. But lately I have been trying to be different, reach back to the person I had been once, before all the horrible things.
With mixed success as these lab sessions are proving.
I know I can't do anything for them - but letting these prisoners fall to nothing but distractions - just another piece of furniture in the background, just can't be good for me.
I can't even seek out the relief of Kushina-shishou. Not really.
Damn you, Kakashi!
With a deep breath, I keep my hands steady as I work, even as I imagine them wrapped around the little bastard's neck. The shit isn't even trying to take all of Kushina-shishou's attention - in fact he's doing everything to avoid her. Unfortunately, him doing that has the consequence of drawing all of Shishou's attention anyway.
I feel like such a child. Whining about such a thing. But I got used to Kushina's warmth and comfort, and seeing that lessening is just adding to my frustrations.
She'd promised Minato she'd look after Kakashi while he's on the frontlines, and as she's shown with me - she can be a damn stubborn bitch when she feels like it.
Day after day, the sour brat is dragged into dinner to 'enjoy' it with us. Not even my training is safe anymore - as he's dragged into that too.
Nothing like training with someone constantly in a bad mood and with a chip on his shoulder the size of the Konoha monument.
It's been frustrating.
The only thing making it all slightly manageable being the fact he hates it all just as much as I do.
I get up from my latest planting and remove my gloves, pleased to see that I did not get any thorns stuck - that would have been an unpleasant visit to Tsunade that I would not come out of with intact eardrums.
Poisoning myself hardly even counts anymore as Orochimaru has taken to randomly poisoning me to build up a resistance to his most used venoms. I'm constantly sick nowadays because of it - muscles aching all the time. Probably one of the reasons for my crabbiness lately.
I slowly walk away from my newest set of plants, making sure to step carefully around everything - a fall here in this partition could be fatal - depending on my luck in what I land in or if I get it in my bloodstream or not.
I make it to the exit into the wider greenhouse - a decontamination area separating the two areas. I strip down, paying close attention to whether there's any rashes or nicks anywhere on my body. I grimace at the sight of my scars, and quickly shove any thoughts on them into a corner of my mind and lock them away.
I'm nowhere near ready to deal with all that.
Dressing in my regular outfit after I've dried myself off - I exit my greenhouse through the tunnel Shishou made for me. Mind still on the last four months of efforts.
The Academy still remains the same and I will graduate easily - with no friends. With less than two months left I have already gotten the three basic jutsu down. My work on making them work with barely any chakra expenditure or hand seals is ongoing - and is making only incremental improvements.
Frustrating but not unforeseen. I haven't done much work on hand seals as none of my skills have really needed them yet.
My Genjutsu is improving in leaps and bounds due to my chance to experiment on actual targets during my few times with Orochimaru to do just that - my chakra invading and twisting a civilian to my will with disturbing ease now. I do not know whether to be glad or upset that I am struggling to affect Shinobi.
The knowledge of those golden yellow eyes always watching makes me leery of having too much success.
As I exit the tunnel - into an alleyway a few streets away from my clan compound. Dan swoops down to me, still keeping to the deal to not bother me in my compound. For whatever reasons Kushina-shishou has added several exit points to the tunnel, it does make it easier for me to not only have the one choice for an exit. Soothes some of my paranoia that my father might know about the tunnel and intercept me.
"Something up?" I ask, my eyes flickering to both exits of the alleyway by habit as I look for threats or possibly hindrances to a quick exit. Although for anyone ninja trained - up is also a good option.
"You might want to wait a few minutes to go into the marketplace - I just spied your father and some clan elders of yours making the rounds at the edges before they'll return to the compound." He warns, giving me a compassionate look.
I sigh, leaning back against the wall, "Of course. Well, since you have me here by my lonesome, is there anything you wanted to discuss?"
Not that I care really if he wants to, he's going to…
"What do you mean, Inohana?" Dan tries to play dumb. I'm sure he's usually very good at it - but his stupid face has looked way too conflicted over the last few days. Considering I'm the only one that can see him, it's fairly easy to notice.
"How are you a Jounin? That's the best you can do?" I say, looking up at him with an unimpressed mien. "At least try to lie, don't just play dumb."
The ghost slumps his shoulders as he hovers in the air in front of me. "Is it that easy to tell?" He asks, looking chagrined.
I play with some of my hair, twirling it around my finger, as I keep my eyes at the exits, taking my time to reply, "Honestly… Yes." I say bluntly, eyes narrowing as I hear a commotion nearby, voices raised, a pained yell heard over the din.
What the fuck now….?
I hold up a hand, interrupting the ghost's response as I attach myself to the wall with chakra and slowly climb up enough to just peek over the marketplace, climbing up on the roof of the restaurant who's alleyway I've been hanging around in.
I frown in distaste, sliding back down a minute later, feeling tired and old. An obviously Kumo born civilian - easy enough to pick out with their dark skin - is being kicked around and spat on, the reason for the commotion. An obvious foreigner, from a country Konoha is at war with, he's either brave or monumentally stupid.
No matter the world, the same behavior would always crop up in dumb scared crowds. Predictable and saddening at the same time.
Those kinds of altercations have picked up lately as the slow, tentative, feeling each other out period of the war was transforming into actual battles. Konoha civilians finding anyone to blame for the travel restrictions, night curfew, and rationing that's been instated.
Even with there being no threat to Konoha itself or indeed most of the land of fire yet - the guys up top obviously expect it and want to save up as much food and commodities as they can for when it happens - you know, for the important people.
Hence rationing. And civilians - normal civilians - do not get much. Those working such jobs at blacksmithing or in any medical profession, or otherwise immediately useful jobs for Shinobi, get a full civilian ration. As do any civilians who enter or have their child in the Academy - for as long as the child stays - and then for up to two years after they graduate, depending on if the child lives that long.
How very depressing to think about. I liked myself alot better in a way when I tried to stay cold about all of this. Easier to ignore everything around me that didn't pertain to me.
It was not a pretty policy - intended to build up cannon fodder. A lot of civilian children were projected as being enrolled for the next class. According to Orochimaru, they'd more than quadrupled the regular intake of cannon fodder.
And yes, that's how he put it as well.
Yay for being samesies in thought patterns…
Shinobi, or those in training like myself… Receive five times the rations as one of those useful civilians. We do eat more, but it still disquietes me when I think too much about it. I know I made the right choice to become a Kunoichi - as this war is showing the worth any normal civilian would hold, even a clan one. But seeing how little worth any average person has in this world is starting to bother me a little now. Why? I am not sure, just getting out from under my father can't have suddenly transformed my priorities that much…
"The Shinobi aren't interfering…" I muse out loud to Dan, my chakra sense pinpointing several of them - overlooking the Market Square or further afield, no one intervening.
Dan sighs forlornly, "They won't, civilians will not have much of a chance with this war on to let off any steam on any perceived enemies, as long as they don't turn into a mob running amok - they won't be stopped." Not for a foreign civilian, is left unsaid but understood by myself anyway.
"Probably the right choice from a pragmatic outlook." I agree, rubbing my forehead, feeling a headache coming. "Screw the right choice…" I mutter, sighing explosively. Making Dan smile down at me approvingly. The stress on his face seemingly smoothing out slightly at my choice. How does a ghost even get stress lines - chakra is effed up…
Again I climb up the wall with chakra, and I perch on the restaurant roof - observing the poor man being beaten half to death. My eyes flicker to the roof opposite mine - where a Chuunin sits, legs dangling off the roof as he watches on with a pinched expression on his face.
I catch his attention with a wave, making him raise an eyebrow as he looks over in my direction. I point at the group of civilians beating another together, he shakes his head sternly. I point again more firmly - almost stabbing the limb forward - and he turns away from me, determinedly looking in another direction. He even starts to whistle.
Well, that isn't too bad. He won't intervene himself as a Konoha Shinobi, but he'll look away if someone else lends a hand.
Seems I'm not the only one that doesn't like what's happening - I'm just more free to move. Although I guess technically he could report me and I'd get in a decent amount of trouble. I'm really not supposed to do anything to a civilian now that I'm in training.
Concentrating, I slowly weave hand seals, letting my chakra seep down, like slowly lowering a blanket over the crowd. The Genjutsu doesn't have a name - it's a beginner practice jutsu for Genjutsu specialists - intended to simply teach students how to achieve implanting a feeling into your targets. The blanket effect only shows students how to achieve the effect - it's useless in a fight. For a bunch of civilians it's enough. I simply calm the raw emotions down, soothing the anger, hatred and fear of the crowd.
To them, it's simply as if they're spent, their emotions settling down.
It's a baby Genjutsu - literally not capable of doing more than what it's done. Useless except for training purposes.
Well at least I've found one minor use for it.
Soon enough the crowd disperse back into their stalls and shops, people returning to their shopping as if nothing's happened, allowing the victim to scramble out of there. If he has any sense he'll be on the next caravan out of here.
Hopefully Konoha will let him go and not snatch him away before he reaches a gate - the natural suspicion of foreigners working against him.
Unfortunately he'll likely at the minimum be questioned - hopefully he didn't have ulterior motives to be here.
I'd hate to have wasted time and chakra to save him, just for him to end up at the mercies of the torture and interrogation department.
I release my chakra with a sigh, somewhat pleased to do something good for once, yet morose over the reason why and the knowledge that this will be small potatoes compared to a few years into the conflict.
"You did the right thing, Inohana. And I'm proud that you made that choice." Dan says, giving me a kind smile.
I roll my eyes, "I didn't do much at all." I hop down from the roof, entering the Market Square. With all the commotion, my father would not be coming this way - so I could walk around freely and see if anything catches my eye.
"On the contrary, even a small action can mean a great thing - especially for the man you saved." Dan murmurs to me as he hovers along, "Don't underestimate how even the smallest thing can change someone's destiny."
I shake my head, scoffing quietly to myself. I murmur back, quietly enough only Dan can hear, my lips barely moving. "I'm training to murder as many as possible before I get murdered in turn, I doubt this small act of kindness changes anything."
Dan sighs and lets me be at that, he hates it whenever I bring up my impending graduation. With Orochimaru's interest in me, I am unlikely to be allowed to remain somewhat protected - as Kakashi is when he's not able to join Minato.
I'll likely be on a three man team - so while not front line material right away, I'll certainly be on out of the village missions. Although perhaps I'll be able to make friends when in a team, not that I need it, really… It could just be useful in a war to have people watching my back.
My perusal of the market doesn't lead to anything interesting - already the prices are being marked up and the available stock is limited.
Most quality stock would already be pre-ordered and saved for the clans - the only ones able to pay the sums to pre-order large amounts of supplies. Other then Konoha itself of course. As usual civilians would have to make do with whatever is left.
I can't help but feel that my clan will make a fortune in this war, being allowed to pass mostly unmolested around the elemental nations being a huge boon in a time of war and uncertainty. Good for me as long as I'm benefiting off the spoils, but still mystifying on how they get away with it.
Logically someone should do something - even if the major villages won't. They wouldn't want to shoot themselves in the foot over the only surefire way to trade with enemies in the war - even in a war everyone had something that someone else wants. Some minor village surely would dare attack a caravan or a band of missing-nin would, so how does it work?
I forcibly turn my mind away from the problem. I don't want to be thinking about my clan. I wander into a nearby alley, eyeing my ghostly companion, might as well find out what's gotten into him.
Before he finds a reason to forget.
I wander deeper into the alley to achieve some privacy, a quick set of hand seals ensures no one can just casually listen in - the ambient noise around us climbing higher and drowning out any words from me, my own form becoming indistinct to any onlookers. Even if the Genjutsu would likely draw interest from any passing Shinobi - I doubted this would take long enough for any to notice and poke their head in. And I don't really need to explain the whole ghost thing to any passerby who would see a crazy girl talking to herself.
"So, what is it? I know there's something you're holding back?" I ask him straight out.
Dan hovers in place looking conflicted. "I don't know if it's a good idea, Inohana."
I snort as I cross my arms and glare at him, "If you wanted to keep it a secret you should have done a better job hiding it, your dithering is annoying me."
"I'm a Jounin, I could hide it…" He pouts, as he hangs his head. "I just wasn't sure… It could be important for you, but dangerous." He admits quietly.
"All the more reason to tell me, you want me to wake you up, don't you?" I snap back, irritated with his explanation. As the only one that can see his ghostly ass, he should be on my side, not keeping secrets that could be important.
"This isn't an easy choice to make, Inohana." He says seriously. He rubs his face, looking even more conflicted. "This could be very dangerous information."
"Tell me and then I can choose what to do with the information." I insist strongly, my eyes intent on the reluctant ghost. "You've already let me know you know something, there's no point holding back anymore."
Dan sighs again, "I've been paying attention to your practice with Orochimaru and it has several similarities to some of the aspects of my technique - I believe I have figured out what's blocking you from progression with an active chakra system."
I growl, my hands clenched into fists, "Why would you hide this from me! Me succeeding in this is what's needed to wake you up!?"
Which would have the added benefit of getting him off my ass 24/7.
Not a fan of permanent voyeurs.
"Because if you use this, Orochimaru also will learn and overcome some of his issues in replicating your technique." Dan explains with a pained expression, "Normally I wouldn't have an issue with that, but your technique has potential to be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands - and lately Orochimaru has seemed a little … Unstable."
Perhaps he seems that way to Dan, to me he seems exactly as portrayed, maybe the Konoha Shinobi have all worn blinders this entire time. Or maybe Dan is finally seeing the Orochimaru that he doesn't show to his comrades outside the lab…
The snake Sannin certainly doesn't seem to be taking it easy - even knowing he's got a ghost looking in on him.
What he said sinks in, and I can only really say one thing.
"Well… Fuck!" I say succinctly, staring at the ghost, feeling that headache blooming into full power.
＊＊＊
Dan followed the despondent little girl home. Feeling bad about dumping even more pressure and responsibility on her, but not knowing what else to do.
She's literally the only one he can communicate with.
To have to deal with so many things so young. A broken family, a monster of a father, torture and hatred, growing up too soon and right into a war. He didn't envy her position. And he knew that he only stressed her out further with his presence.
He did his best to be unobtrusive as much as he could. But he saw the stress Inohana placed unto herself, let alone what outside forces placed on her - and he just wanted to help her.
He had a particular knack for mental techniques, and even though he didn't have proper access to his chakra - other than what was needed to simply exist in this form. He had been able to figure out what Inohana was doing, and what she was doing wrong.
He'd encountered somewhat similar barriers when he first learned how to possess someone - a process also involving invading another's chakra system.
He'd been initially overjoyed when he figured it out. But that joy for a chance of being woken up, faded quickly into apprehension.
Orochimaru acted much the same as usual, creepily - but as a loyal, intense, genius Shinobi. Yet there was something in how he viewed Inohana, how he spoke to her as a possession. How focused he was on replicating her skill above the focus on training her to use it to wake Dan up… It just struck Dan's instincts as dangerous.
Dan was not blind to the implications of what Inohana could do to the nobility with her skills. Or what a danger she'd be to the Kage and clans if she perfected it for Shinobi.
Although with her limited chakra reserves - a danger to Kage might be a bit of an exaggeration - as they'd power past her skill.
Seeing Inohana struggle and still pick the right choice, even if she suffered for it. To see her still have that spark of life in her - it gave Dan hope she wouldn't misuse her skills against Konoha.
He was no longer so sure about the same thing for Orochimaru. And he definitely had the power to fight a Kage, even if he'd likely not win at this time. Yet Orochimaru was one of the rare few who could potentially become Hokage. As Dan himself had been before he'd run into his current issue.
Inohana had in fact warned him. And even if he did eventually end up telling her today, as he failed completely in hiding from a five year old girl that he was conflicted - she did not ask for the information on how to get over her block.
She didn't trust Orochimaru with it either. It took a strong will to decide to limit herself for the safety of all - especially when it was only a possibility that Orochimaru would misuse it.
It did leave them in a somewhat difficult spot however.
Dan needed his body back - the skill to do so relied on Inohana learning how to interact and take control of a Shinobi's brain's chakra system.
Without her learning that, he'd still be stuck haunting her. Unless Tsunade could manage something - yet she had been trying for years…
Neither of them could move forward as they were right now - the risk was too great.
So what was the path forward?
Dan didn't know.
And so he'd added even more stress on the poor girl.
He swore if he ever got his body back he'd do anything to make it up to her.
He stopped following Inohana, mind made up, she didn't need the extra annoyance of his presence - already he could see her shoulders relaxing slightly as she gained more distance from him.
Dan's eyes hardened as he turned and made his way to Orochimaru's laboratory.
It might be worth it to see what he Sannin was up to when he didn't believe himself spied upon - if his behavior when he knew Dan was watching was any indication - Dan figured he wouldn't enjoy whatever he found when the Sannin thinks himself alone.
…Tsunade would be heartbroken if he'd have to wake up just to tell her that her teammate and best friend was a traitor.
Dan really hoped he was reading the situation wrong.
＊＊＊
Several weeks later.
I thought I had already passed the worst that the Academy and Gaku-sensei could throw at me, not to mention the Kunoichi lessons…
Yet here he was with the worst kind of news for someone like me. A team based exercise.
"YOSH! I will finish this survival exercise in no time!" Gai shouts to the rafters, fists held high and fire burning in his eyes. Tears of joy flowing.
"Shut the hell up, brat!" Gaku-sensei shouts back, incensed. He throws several pieces of chalk at the overexcited brawler. Gai tanks them without even changing expression, tears flowing down his face still.
Gai is pulled back down into his seat by Genma before he can get any worse, Gaku-sensei growling as he turns back to the whole class.
Whenever Gai talks, Gaku-sensei's blood pressure noticeably goes up.
Really, it's made Gai my favorite class mate - even if I can't stand the dude.
"Alright, as I was saying, you're all going on a survival exercise in the woods outside Konoha. You'll have three days to return to the village, this will test your resourcefulness, stamina and ability to work together." Gaku-sensei explains gruffly.
My heart sinks, although I've gradually become less cold to my classmates the longer I've been away from my family - the damage was done, and they wanted nothing to do with me.
A three day survival exercise with people that dislike me, how fun.
"For those of you too chickenshit - there will be Konoha Shinobi monitoring you all to ensure no big bad monsters eat you all up." Gaku-sensei says mockingly, glaring at us all. "They will not assist you unless you're dying, anyone that does not make it back to Konoha in the next three days… Fails this year." He finished ominously with a fanged grin.
I grimace and glance around at the shocked look amongst my comrades. Being held back wouldn't be too big a deal considering the war - but like myself, the rest of them were focused on graduating, and saw anything else as abject failure.
Personally I somewhat doubted Gaku-sensei on the whole premise. Konoha needed more soldiers - we were the graduation class. Anyone that lasted this long was unlikely to be held back for simply running into an issue in this survival exercise.
I suppose I will find out soon enough. I focus back in as Gaku-sensei starts talking again.
"You will be placed in teams of three, and no, the teams are not negotiable. Not even for spoiled brats with special privileges…" Gaku-sensei glares at me as he finishes.
I roll my eyes, like it matters to me what team I was placed on. I pause for a moment and shiver. On second thought, I'd give a lot to not have Gai on my team.
Nothing against him, he's competent, he's just…. So loud. He was both my favorite and most hated classmate after all.
A hand is raised in the air and Gaku-sensei grudgingly nods at Shizune. Who's pulling off a great Hermione Granger cosplay - even nailing the eager nervousness.
"How much time do we have to prepare?" She asks promptly, seemingly nervous, but I know the girl has a core of steel somewhere - to handle Tsunade she'd have to.
Shizune is normally pretty unflappable so far throughout the Academy - I suppose for a medic a three day survival exercise was not an ideal scenario - unless there's to be no combat or similar interference.
"Any other questions?" Gaku-sensei asks the rest of the class. Glaring at us all, albeit with a degree of smugness.
I raise my hand. Waiting the normal few minutes until Gaku-sensei has no choice but to acknowledge me as no one else was asking a question.
"Yes?" He finally growls out, eye twitching.
"What are the parameters of the exercise? Simply make our way back? Any obstacles or opposition?" I ask intently.
Gaku-sensei smirks, "Who knows… Dealing with the unknown is all part of being a Shinobi." He promptly ignores my scowl and looks around for any more questions, before finally answering Shizune. "Time to prepare? You are dealing with the unknown Katō, there will be none - you will go as you are, with no idea where you are, no supplies other than what you have on you. Act as a Shinobi and figure it out!" Gaku-sensei barks at us, smirking at the dismayed expressions across the class as we all realize we're vastly unprepared for a three day wilderness exercise.
"The brats are ready for you lot!" He yells, the door to the classroom opens and two medics step through.
I scowl at them, my chakra had picked them out, but I had just assumed they were part of the instructors for this exercise… Not medics.
"Do not resist as these medics put you under for the trip." Gaku-sensei warns, "You'll wake up with your team at your own locations in the woods - don't fuck this up, brats!"
I watch in dismay as one after another the students slip into unconsciousness. As the medics approach me I rear back holding my hands up, "Medical chakra and me don't get along!" I warn them.
The closest medic, a girl with short blueish hair smiles reassuringly at me, "Don't worry, we're aware, Tsubuki-chan." She holds her hand out, showing me a pinkish pill. "We have another solution for you."
I stare at it suspiciously, "I have had a lot of poison resistance training - has that been taken into account?" I really didn't need to have a bad reaction and flunk this whole survival exercise.
The medic chuckles, "Don't worry, Orochimaru-Sama himself created this sedative with you in mind." She hands me the pill, trying to set me at ease. She couldn't have told me anything more concerning, Orochimaru has already prepared a sedative to work perfectly for me. Super…
It's not like I have much choice right now. I grimace and swallow the pill.
It works surprisingly fast and I feel myself fade into darkness within a minute.
＊＊＊
Wakefulness comes abruptly and I jump to my feet, my chakra sense flowing out of me to appraise my surroundings for threats. My eyes flickering around to take in what I have to work with.
I relax slightly, my tense muscles winding down from my abrupt waking and my body's jump straight into fight mode. My chakra sense isn't picking up anything but my two comrades, both still unconscious.
If anyone is watching over us, they're likely doing so from a distance.
Hyuuga or Aburame… I ponder, not sure if my senses would be able to pinpoint one of the Aburame clans bugs. And any Hyuuga could likely stay well outside my range and yet track us all the same.
If Orochimaru was involved further than simply providing an easy way to knock me out without making me sick, it's possible he's warned them of my sensor abilities as well. It's not like I've shared all my skills with my academy teacher - he kind of dislikes me after all.
What a bother if Orochimaru has gone ahead and done it for me. It will make this exercise needlessly stacked against my team to prove in any way challenging.
I sigh as I take in the picturesque clearing we've been dumped in. As far as starts go it's hilariously ideal - certainly not making it difficult for us yet, likely not Orochimaru involved then - just my paranoia bringing the man to mind. I hope.
We are only academy students after all.
All around us are the large trees that have given Konoha its name, a small stream snaking its way through the clearing not far away - the trickling sounds of water soothing. I can already spot plentiful of bushes with berries - as well as edible moss growing around us.
Honestly, they're really making it easy for us right now, which makes me suspicious for the rest of the three days if they're so easily providing water and food to start us off with now.
I glance at my still unconscious comrades again, taking in their peaceful faces. Not the ideal team in any way - but hardly the worst either.
Katō Shizune and Shiranui Genma.
Thankfully this team up disproves one of my theories.
As soon as I heard we would be in teams of three, I couldn't help but wonder if this was simply a trial run for the prospective genin teams. Not a bad idea to be honest, give us a chance to work out the kinks without a teacher looming over us.
Yet also potentially very bad for me - if I have to badger or bully my teammate's to cross the finish line in the end, and thereby succeed in poisoning any further teamwork with my potential team.
Yet no one would put the three of us together as a genin team.
Not even mentioning the fact Shizune is destined as Tsunade's apprentice - and definitely not heading into a warzone with the rest of us…
Shizune is a medic. Genma is a poison and weapons specialist, and I'm a genjutsu and poisons orientated kunoichi, even though I am fairly well rounded all in all.
As a team it would be horribly lopsided. Both Shizune and myself have medical skills - albeit she vastly outmatches my pathetic skills in iryo-jutsu. Then Genma and myself both have much of the same skill-set as well.
And none of us could be considered either Taijutsu or Ninjutsu heavy.
So in essence there's no chance in hell this is a genin exam lithe - this truly is just a survival exercise.
I take a few minutes to check my gear and make a note of exactly what I have and how much, as I ponder whether I should wake them up or let them wake up naturally. Before I can decide - Shizune blinks her eyes blearily - and sits up, slowly looking around, eventually meeting my eyes.
I give her a small hesitant wave. We haven't exactly gotten along well after I … Slightly overreacted when she tried to heal me.
"Glad you see you up, Shizune-san. If you don't mind, could you perhaps check on Genma-san and see if you could wake him up as well?" I say politely, keeping my hands where she can see them as she's eyeing me a bit warily.
I've tried to be a little less aloof over these last few months - to limited effect.
Being a prodigy, showing everyone up and being a bit of an ass, isn't washed away in a few months, especially as I've been too exhausted and emotionally drained to really give it much effort. I don't need them as friends so I haven't put in that effort amongst dealing with Kakashi, Orochimaru and all of that.
It might bite me in the ass over the next three days, as I watch Shizune lay a glowing hand on Genma's forehead, waking the boy up, while never turning her back towards me.
Genma wakes up slowly, lazily stretching as he eyes us and the surroundings, taking it all in with a carefree attitude. "What's up?" He says simply, patting his shirt until he finds a senbon inserted in the fabric, which he immediately puts in his mouth, rolling it around as he smiles at us.
"Genma, don't be so relaxed!" Shizune scolds him, her expression pinched.
Genma rolls his eyes and stands up, giving Shizune a cheerful pat on the head that has the girl blow her cheeks up in annoyance. "Inohana can't punch us - we're on her team, so it's all good!" He says to the irate kunoichi.
"I only did that…Once…" I say irritably. Before huffing and letting it go with a shake of my head.
"Once was enough…" Shizune quips, but although she still looks wary, she has a half smile on her face.
I breathe out a sigh of relief, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry I punched you both in the face." I rub a hand through my hair, grimacing at the feeling of dirt in it already, did they really have to dump me so carelessly? "Well, outside of Taijutsu practice anyway." I clarify with a small smile on my own - that hopefully doesn't come off as too much of a grimace.
"I'm very punchable," Genma says with a easy shrug, before pinching Shizune's cheek, "This girl here though, no punching, she's delic-oof!" He's interrupted by a punch to the ribs that in no way could be called delicate.
"Take things seriously!" Shizune huffs, before turning to me, "You were awake first, have you discovered anything about the exercise?"
I shake my head, "Nothing other than our suspiciously well supplied starting location." I point out each as I speak, "Water, berries, moss. Enough to last us a day to a day and a half if we're smart."
"I don't have anything to transport water in…" Shizune says, somewhat sheepishly, I turn to Genma and my hope plummets as he rubs the back of his head, averting his eyes.
"Seriously!? Neither of you carry a water bottle - it's part of basic standard equipment!" I hiss out, rubbing my face, "With just my water bottle for all three of us, that drastically changes how far we can go without needing to find another water source." I say, starting to remember why I don't like counting on others.
"We don't usually bring all that stuff to the Academy." Genma defends himself.
"I have a standard medic kit, six kunai, and six shuriken." Shizune reports, cheeks slightly pink as she goes through her hip pouch.
Genma chews on his senbon quietly, and I notice he doesn't even have a pouch, I groan, pinching my nose, "Genma-san. Please tell me you have something other than senbon…"
"A chocolate bar." He says after a minute's silence, looking embarrassed, patting the pocket on his shinobi pants.
Even Shizune is giving him a dirty look and he raises his hands in front of himself, eyeing her warily. "Don't punch me, you guys are the weird ones, I bet the rest of the class didn't bring much stuff to the academy either!"
"They probably brought more than senbon!" I spit out, aggravated that a test I could handle myself without issue - now looked to be doomed to become a huge hassle.
We could all go without food the entire three days if we needed to - we'd be fine.
No water was more complicated. My bottle would not last long for three people - and although we are in a forest where water should, and would be found before we were at any real risk. The fact we'd have to now spend time looking for water instead of heading straight back added more time to our endeavor - and we have no clue what other obstacles we might face.
"Well… Go to the stream and fill yourselves up on water, and fill this," I threw my water bottle at Genma who caught it easily enough, "I'll start collecting food, and then we can go through what supplies I have and make up a plan for how we're doing this."
"Who made you boss?" Genma mutters, making a face, "Shizune and I outvote you…"
Shizune wisely decides this has nothing to do with her as she proceeds to the small stream as I grit my teeth and glare at the senbon chewing idiot, any thoughts of peaceful cooperation dying a quick death, "The person who's only contribution to this team so far is that he can chew really loudly doesn't get a vote, now do as I say!" I snap.
"First Kakashi and now this squirt, always bullied by tiny people…" Genma walks off muttering.
I rub my forehead, three days in the wilderness, obstacles and potential 'fake' enemies to face. Barely any supplies, and I'm stuck with an idiot.
Off to a great start already.
And after I managed to apologize and everything - and now I'm straight back to being a bitch.
I sigh.
I'll have to do better.
I can do better.
I won't be like Orochimaru and my father.
I just won't!
＊＊＊
"Is everyone in place?"
Inuzuka Gaku snorts loudly in annoyance at the question. "You already know they are, they've been in place for a while already."
"Always so grouchy, Gaku, are you not pleased to be working with me again?" Thin lips stretch in amusement.
"I'd be more pleased if it was some of the regular work, not babysitting a bunch of useless brats…" Gaku grumbles, sitting down heavily at the large table, ignoring the copious amounts of paper tags linked together - forming a circle that's laid out before them all.
Each tag corresponds to a Shinobi that's covering a quadrant where there's a student team - if the tag burns, they'd know to send assistance to that quadrant.
Not a perfect system, but the distances were too far to use short range radios - and any more useful sealing techniques were a waste on an academy survival exercise. The Shinobi monitoring the situation in the field knew to burn their tag if they required help - it would also burn on its own if that Shinobi's chakra expired. Although never an impossibility - the likelihood of anyone dying was minimal. No one could penetrate this far into the land of fire yet - not without notice.
It all annoyed the crap out of Gaku. Paper ninja shit. He wanted to be where the action was. Die a good death in battle, not this shit watching brats for a living.
"You said before… That you had other work for me. When I was done with the brats?" Gaku said quietly, watching the other Shinobi moving around the room, making sure no one was paying attention.
"Perhaps…" Came the amused reply, making Gaku growl lowly in his throat in annoyance.
"Now, now, don't be like that, allow me my fun." A hand reached out and patted him on the cheek, Gaku twitched, if it was anyone else he'd have ripped their damn hand off for that, but he bowed his head in subservience. Grinding his teeth together as he waited.
"You've made sure that it's more challenging for our dear prodigy, as I've asked?"
Gaku grinned, fangs poking out, now that had been a request he'd been damn happy to fulfill. "Brat will have a rough time, Orochimaru-Sama!" He promised devotedly.
Barely seen in the darkness of the room, Orochimaru smiled, a long pale finger touching down on quadrant 13, a small burst of chakra deadening the seal for that quadrant's Shinobi.
Gaku's grin widened, and grew wicked as he saw Orochimaru take out any chance of assistance if something was to happen.
The girl had it coming.
＊＊＊
Dan frowned as he hovered above the table, catching the conversation and Orochimaru's actions.
So far he hadn't caught him in anything illegal or particularly traitorous - although this could be construed as suspect. If something above and beyond testing were to happen to Inohana and her team.
Dan had watched as Orochimaru swept into and took over the survival exercise from the Academy headmaster, all with Hokage approval - so on that level he did have authority to alter or change the difficulty of the test - even if only for Inohana.
Prodigies did operate on another level. So usually did the circumstances surrounding them.
The inclusion of Inuzuka Gaku as a subordinate of Orochimaru of all people came as a surprise to Dan. The Inuzuka was hardly the kind of Shinobi Orochimaru usually tolerated.
It made Dan question everything he'd seen at the Academy - trying to figure out if any of Gaku's actions had been premeditated as a test from the Sannin.
But how could it be?
Orochimaru had barely known about Inohana, only finding out the day before the Academy.
Was it pure chance that one of his subordinates was placed in Inohana's class?
Something about all of this just felt off to Dan.
Even if there was no action to betray Konoha, so far. Orochimaru was acting very suspiciously.
Just the fact Inuzuka Gaku considered himself Orochimaru's subordinate while not working in the man's department or serving in his battalion in the previous war - was odd.
Although the Sannin had a great reputation that usually meant Shinobi did what they asked - they didn't classify themselves as subordinates of any particular Sannin like that, not someone so unconnected from the Sannin as the Inuzuka academy teacher.
Dan couldn't even go to Inohana and warn her - he wasn't linked in any way to her. He simply usually went to the places she'd usually be and he'd find her.
That wouldn't work in miles of woodlands.
Inohana would just have to handle whatever test Orochimaru had devised.
It couldn't be too bad.
Even after weeks of following him, Dan hadn't seen the man go too far.
Then why did he feel such disquiet just being near the man?
Be safe, Inohana! He thought concernedly.
＊＊＊
Author's note:
Not much to say, Inohana is still struggling with trying to be better than what she's been taught and been through - while still dealing with the fact most of the Shinobi world thinks it's perfectly fine to kill your emotions and all that jazz.
Making friends is hard when they're all so annoying, says well adjusted and perfectly friendly Inohana!
Besides who needs friends anyway, right?
Again sorry for the lateness!
Cheers
JollyHippopotamus