So this was what it all boiled down to. Toko's facial expression didn't remain a smile, however he didn't seem too shocked either. He was expecting something like this to come up as not a single ninja test ended in an easy result. He wasn't allowed to express his own opinion on this as to influence the others, it was nothing he had the power to do. This was supposed to simulate him having been captured, right? He had no say in this, the rest would have to think out a solution on their own and think about what they thought Toko wanted them to do. Please...don't do anything stupid. I'll gladly go back if the rest of you can proceed. Don't do something you'll regret... Sensei was however very keen on telling the bunch that they had no chance in hell to beat her. That in itself made Toko think this was a trap and was all about facing danger without cowering before it. They were facing a stronger enemy but maybe Toko wasn't the main issue here, but only a facade that Sensei had put up. Perhaps choosing to sacrifice me leads to them failing because they decide to cower and run...but you can't win every fight. Sometimes you need to retreat and I would give my life for my comrades in a second but...

Leaving Toko to manage the mission was essentially the ninja way on paper, but saving him would be what most people would have done. This was a hard test to see through because it was so much deeper than it appeared. Their choices didn't simply reflect what they were going to do, but also what kind of people they were. The main purpose of this was to see exactly what they would do in a pressured situation and in Sensei's eyes, there was a probably a right answer. Damn it, just move on without me...The suspension in the air was excruciating. They were actually thinking this through? There was nothing to think through! They just needed to go on, this is what Toko would have wanted. He would never want to be a burden and this way, that was the only thing he had managed to become.

Clenching his fist, Toko closed his eyes and sighed out. Don't be idiots for my sake... His eyes would specifically turn to Seichi and Asuka. The two of them would only choose one outcome and that was to fight for Toko. In their case, he would have done the same without a single thought, but now that he was the captive, he didn't want them to risk themselves for him. They would all go home if they failed. Sensei had put it up so that this was supposed to be the outcome. One person was going home all along, after all. So this was what it settled on, wasn't it? Calling it an easy little test was laying it on rather thick.

If I say something, Sensei might punish us somehow...she said that I have no say in any of this so I can't express my thoughts but...I don't want them to sacrifice themselves for me! Clenching his teeth, Toko would visibly tense up, turning to look at their Sensei for a moment before his eyes traveled to the group again. Please...please just move on. Don't risk this...I'm not worth your future as ninja... This was what they had all been dreaming about, what they had all been looking forward to. Now, Toko was going to get in the way of everything. He had his doubts about this test but sacrificing Toko could not possibly make them fail, could it? She wasn't lying to them, was she? No, she didn't appear to be the kind of person who hid 'friendship' and 'loyalty' in a test like this. She said she was serious. They could either give up Toko or fight her. It was one or the other, plain and simple.

Toko wanted to scream out, to tell them all that he'd personally slap them across the face if they gave up on their dreams like this. He couldn't, he didn't have a voice in this but perhaps that was for the best. The thought of seeing the others fight for him...it was heartwarming in a way he could never truly describe. It was heartwarming and would bring a tear to his eyes, but it wasn't worth it. Please...just leave me. Seichi, I love you...and I am not going to stand in your way of becoming a ninja...

Seichi turned towards Toko as he appeared from the forrest. A small smile grew knowing that his friend was safe and was able to decipher part of the code.

"Humans cannot freeze time, but time can freeze us, the only way to melt away...with fire. There is a piece missing."

Seichi started to scratch the top of his thick black hair, pondering the choices his group still had. It was pointless though, an hour was almost up and the group couldn't possibly have enough time to find the last slip. He looked down, letting his hair fall and partially hide his face. He didn't want anyone to see him in such a depressed state.

"Where's the missing fifth piece then?"

Not in our reach...It was rare for Seichi to think thoughts as negative as that. He always tried to block himself from thinking like his dad use to, but it always managed to trickle in through his mind. The few times it did it always seemed like the impact would become greater. Sometimes leaving Seichi in a state of despair.

"Humans cannot freeze time, but time can freeze us… The only way to melt away ice is by lighting it up with fire."

He would then cock his head up towards the figure that dropped from the shadows. It was Fuyuko-sensei, she must have been following the group this whole time they were in the forrest searching. An uncomfortable feeling went down Seichi's back at the thought of her watching the group. As if she wasn't weird enough. How long was she watching us? Did she see me mess up? Was she judging us? She would then reveal that she had the last slip of paper the group would need to complete the test right in her hand. She had it!? Seichi would cock his head in confusion at the situation.

"I admit, you guys did well… for Genin, at least. You each have your own special and unique talent, and I'm absolutely positive that the Hokage himself was able to see that. However, now that our little test is coming to an end, I'm going to be tweaking the rules a little. Since Toko doesn't seem to have a piece of paper, he'll be stepping out of this final bit. The rest of you, however… I'm going to be leaving this decision in your own hands. Now, I'm fully aware of my own strengths and abilities… and, as of now, I'm stronger. Way stronger than all of you combined. Yes, you may have a chance of surpassing me in the future, but in the current state you little runts are in now, I highly doubt you'll be able to beat this woman right here."

Changes? Is this even a test anymore? Seichi would turn towards Toko a concerned look on his eyes. This is unfair! Toko or anyone of us would have never found one no matter what. He clenched his fist tightly, holding back the urge to yell something at his sensei which he knows would probably end him in a bad position. The whole time the Genin searched widely risking their lives, they inevitability would have came up short. As Seichi noticed his sensei's sudden throw of her Kunai he would slightly jump back on instinct, later realizing the Kunai would have never struck him.

"The change in rules are relatively simple. There are two choices you can go for: either you attempt to fight me for the last minute and a half for the last piece of paper and for the sake of Toko here, or you stay put and let Toko be sent back to the Academy. Also, if you decide to fight me and fail to retrieve the fifth piece by the time limit, all of your are sent back to the Academy. And I mean it this time. Either you stay behind that kunai or you challenge me head on."

Thoughts in Seichi's head started to race through his mind, quickly revealing possible outcomes. It almost giving him a slight headache. He would once again turn towards Toko weighing the options. Fight for Toko or Go without Toko Seichi quickly discarded the idea of ever leaving his friend behind. Toko fought his battles, now it was Seichi's turn to do the same. He would glance over his shoulder at Asuka, hoping that she would agree with Seichi. What was the point of being a ninja if I can't even stick with my friend?

Seichi would then get lost as glimpses of Toko, Asuka, and him when they were younger flashed through his mind. The three would always love to play ninja and even made a childish pact that they'd always stick together. Seichi would come back to reality remembering the agreement.

The young Genin knew up to this point he's been making lots of choices forcibly without consulting his teammates. As much as Seichi knew his dad would disapprove of his actions, he knew what he had to do to in order to in order to stay together. "I'm sorry, guys" Seichi would utter quietly stepping forward.

The boy in one sequence would then reach for and pull the planted kunai from the ground and twirl it so that the small weapons sharp end faced Fuyuko-Sensei. A mixed-grin of anger and confidence would stretch across his face. Always together, right?

"I choose to fight, Sensei!" He would scream then pause gripping the Kunai still in his hand tighter. "Fight for Toko!"

"I choose to fight, Sensei!" Seichi would scream then pause gripping the Kunai still in his hand tighter. "Fight for Toko!" Always...together. Seichi's incredible determination forced tears up Toko's throat, though the boy managed not to let them out just yet. Seichi was prepared to sacrifice himself in a moment's notice for Toko and that was a trait anyone would value in a comrade. Toko however, he didn't only value it, he adored it. Throughout his childhood, Asuka, Seichi and his long lost friend Jin had all been the three parts of life that made his heart beat. Feeling his frame shiver slightly from the tears trying to make their way down his cheeks, Toko clenched his teeth and attempted to keep them at bay. He couldn't cry here, not now, not in front of everyone. He was the burden, wasn't he? He was the one who they had to fight for if they wanted to continue with him in the group. Seichi didn't even need a moment to think it over, he didn't need a single second to consider it, Seichi had already made the choice years ago when he called Toko his friend for the first time.

"S-Seichi...why?" While his decision was heartwarming to say the least, this could all have been a mistake. Seichi might as well have signed a death warrant because there was no way he could beat their sensei on his own. If the others joined, they might have had a chance after figuring out a decent enough tactical manoeuvre but they had a single minute to fight her. One minute was all their Sensei needed to beat the squad down to their knees several times over, but there was no chance in hell for them to defeat her in that amount of time. This was a sink hole that Seichi had stepped into willingly. Either he moved on with Toko, or they would sink together.

"Please, drop the kunai...step behind it, please! Seichi don't do this for me!" 'Hard work beats talent', that was Seichi's tagline. It was something he had been telling himself and everyone else since day one and he believed in it in every single way, something he very much should have. What would all that hard work have amounted to if he was just sent back to stage one again because of Toko? "I'll never be able to live with myself if you all get sent back because of me. Seichi...Step away and move on, it's okay...I'll be fine!" Not a single word could leave the boy's lips but he hoped that his thoughts were loud enough. The expression on his face was quite clearly now that of sadness, a melancholy glare because his friend had just given up everything. 'Always together', it was what drove him. It was what drove all three of them, Toko, Jin and Seichi, maybe Asuka as well. 'Always together', they all held it up as if a shield in the face of hardships followed by always sticking together...this was no different, this was only on the peak of that scale.

Seichi wasn't going to cower in front of this. "Seichi..." Toko would find himself repeating his friend's name over and over again as a tear finally managed to force its way down his cheek. "Thank you..."

"The change in rules are relatively simple. There are two choices you can go for: either you attempt to fight me for the last minute and a half for the last piece of paper and for the sake of Toko here, or you stay put and let Toko be sent back to the Academy. Also, if you decide to fight me and fail to retrieve the fifth piece by the time limit, all of your are sent back to the Academy. And I mean it this time. Either you stay behind that kunai or you challenge me head on."

Hearing her sensei's final words, Asuka froze. Just what was this woman thinking? First she attempted to kill them with those scarily hidden explosive tags, and now she intends on sending them back to the Academy after all the mess they had just been dragged through? Of course, this was only if they decided to actually try and defeat Fuyuko with their bare hands. Even though Asuka knew her near-zero chances of taking down this woman, even if she did battle alongside the others, she still wanted to give it her best shot at landing a hit on Fuyuko.

And the fact that Toko was at stake gave her all the more reason to.

I don't want to sound at all negative, but... how can we possibly defeat Fuyuko-sensei in the state we are now? Even if we do all decide to go for her, will we really have enough strength to even just one hit?

By this time, Asuka had thrown her first impressions of Fuyuko out of the window. This wasn't the same strange and eccentric woman Asuka had thought of this woman to be. The woman that stood before her had a very serious, stone-cold expression; just like the many ninja Asuka had seen in the past. Judging by the look on Fuyuko's face, Asuka could easily tell that she was prepared for anything and everything. This was not someone she wanted to mess with.

It's not just her face that holds me back… I don't need to be sensory ninja to know how much chakra she has!

Asuka glanced at Fuyuko once again. It was when the two suddenly met eyes that Asuka felt something hit her. Not physically, but rather mentally.

Asuka could see the fire in the woman's steel-blue eyes. A blazing aura surrounded Fuyuko like some deadly barrier, one that Asuka dared not to pass through. What hid behind this woman's blinding smile was a match just waiting to be sparked. Even if the flame did start off small, it would gradually grow larger until it engulfed everything around it. One wrong move and the others, including Asuka herself, would be burnt to ashes. It was almost as if Fuyuko was the burning forest fire herself; waiting to cause havoc and destroying everything in its path. Instead of being burnt to the ground however, Asuka was stood frozen in her spot.

No... I can't back down now. I won't let Toko be sent back to the Academy… No, I won't let anyone be sent back to the Academy! Not after everything we've been through these past few years!

Even so, those words weren't enough to thaw her out of her ice cage. Of course, it wasn't just Fuyuko she was supposed to be worrying about. What about Toko? What about everyone else? It was either she fought for Toko with a risk of being sent back, or she just held back and let Toko be shipped off. Was Asuka willing to 'sacrifice the mission for the sake of her comrade', or to 'sacrifice her comrade for the sake of the mission'? It wasn't just her team's decision either. It was hers as well. What did Asuka want for the team? What did she want for Toko?

What did she want for herself?

Why can't I think straight? The answer is simple! So why am I not out there trying to take down Fuyuko-sensei? There's no way I can ever leave Toko behind… so why? Is it because I'm scared? Is it because I'm doubting my own strength? I really, really want Toko to pass as well... But, if we try to fight sensei... it's guaranteed that we're all sent away...

°°°

"Don't worry, Toko-kun, Seichi-kun. I'll always be there to protect you two, okay? Just call my name and I'll come running for you both, no matter what."

"No matter what?

"No matter what."

°°°

She was going to protect him no matter what.

The cage of ice Asuka had found herself in was no more now. She was going to protect Toko, fight for Toko. She had to. She promised.

Snapping out of her childhood flashbacks, and stealing a glance at Seichi, who had just stepped forward himself, Asuka followed after her friend, fists clenched. The boy had mumbled a small apology to the others as he stepped up, picking up Fuyuko's kunai and pointing it to her face.

"I choose to fight, sensei!" Seichi yelled, the grip around the kunai tightening. "Fight for Toko!"

If I can't even protect a person, then what sort of ninja am I?

Asuka took in a deep breath, standing side by side with Seichi.

If I can't even protect a friend, then what sort of friend am I?

"Forgive me, sensei…"

If I can't even protect someone I love…

…then what sort of person am I?

"…but there's no way I can let a comrade of mine fall for the sake of any mission!"

Even if I am wrong… Even if this means I fail to become a Genin…

At least I'll be going home knowing that I tried.

Seji was considerably relieved when he saw Toko emerge from the dense forest to meet up with the group. It had only been an hour of working with these four other genin and he already cared more about them than the average friend. Not only did Toko arrive but it seemed he realized the solution to their problem of what the papers meant.

"Humans cannot freeze time, but time can freeze us, the only way to melt away...with fire. There is a piece missing."

A piece was missing? What did that mean? They were out of time and had no chance of finding another strip of paper. Did this mean that Toko was going to be sent back to the academy? Seji grimaced to himself, had he let down his teammate? Was there something more he could have done? It was their first real test as a group and they had failed somehow...

Seji spun around when he heard someone drop from the tops of the tree-line. Fuyuko-sensei had arrived in a dramatic way to say the least.

"I admit, you guys did well… for Genin, at least. You each have your own special and unique talent, and I'm absolutely positive that the Hokage himself was able to see that. However, now that our little test is coming to an end, I'm going to be tweaking the rules a little. Since Toko doesn't seem to have a piece of paper, he'll be stepping out of this final bit. The rest of you, however… I'm going to be leaving this decision in your own hands. Now, I'm fully aware of my own strengths and abilities… and, as of now, I'm stronger. Way stronger than all of you combined. Yes, you may have a chance of surpassing me in the future, but in the current state you little runts are in now, I highly doubt you'll be able to beat this woman right here."

Seji stayed calm as Fuyuko changed the rules of the test. He had a feeling this was going to be the real test. Like everything that had happened until now was all a part of her plan.

"The change in rules are relatively simple. There are two choices you can go for: either you attempt to fight me for the last minute and a half for the last piece of paper and for the sake of Toko here, or you stay put and let Toko be sent back to the Academy. Also, if you decide to fight me and fail to retrieve the fifth piece by the time limit, all of your are sent back to the Academy. And I mean it this time. Either you stay behind that kunai or you challenge me head on."

Seji's eyes widened in shock, she couldn't be serious could she? There was no way that they could stop sensei but there was also no way he was going to just let Toko be sent back to the Academy because he didn't want to take a risk. As he predicted, Seichi immediately picked up the kunai and stepped forward.

"I'm sorry guys. I choose to fight, sensei. Fight for Toko!"

Seji felt appreciation fill his heart for Seichi, the bond of friendship was clear in his eyes. It was obvious that Seichi was willing to go back to the Academy with his friend is they failed and wasn't phased. Next thing he knew Asuka had stepped forward. Her too?

"Forgive me, sensei…"

Seji watched her take the risk with determination.

"…but there's no way I can let a comrade of mine fall for the sake of any mission!"

Seji grinned looked around at his team.

"It looks like this is the honorable thing to do sensei. I'd rather go back to the Academy than say I let one of my teammates fail to help me succeed."

The genin drew a kunai and jumped back a distance. He'd analyze the situation first before making a move. He had no knowledge of Fuyuko's fighting style and only had limited knowledge of his team's abilities. He couldn't just run in guns-a-blazin. When the time came he would make his move but not before carefully gathering information.

So that crafty she-devil wanted a fight, huh? Reiji was getting excited. Overjoyed in fact. He was waiting for the chance to test himself against a full fledged jounin. Unfortunately that joy quickly depleted as Fuyuko-sensei continued her little reveal. If we fail we all get sent back!? That wasn’t something he wanted to risk; hell, it wasn’t even a risk as much as an absolute. Reiji knew when he was outclassed and even though he would normally be unabated by that fact, being sent back to the Academy was not an option for him. It was a struggle to hold himself back. “Dammit…”

“I choose to fight, sensei! To fight for Toko!” Reiji glared at Seichi as he took up the challenge without as much as a whisper to the others. Before he knew it Asuka had joined him and even Seji was preparing himself for battle. Clenching his fist he couldn’t help but feel infuriated with them all. At this point it didn’t matter what he thought. They were gonna fight and bring him down with them. Reiji’s eyes drifted over to Toko, the subject of this confrontation. He didn’t know the boy very well, same for all of them. Reiji had yet to move muscle since their sensei announced her ultimatum. If the choice was already made for him then he’d at least clarify his own motives.

“Toko-san...they’re a rude bunch aren’t they? None of them even bothered to ask what you thought.” Reiji looked down at the shortest of the five of them. He looked at the swordsman as if trying to see his soul. “So tell me...what do you have to say about this?”

Everyone was so quick to step up and fight for him. The scene was truly touching and unfolding before him, Toko would witness the care in their actions. Seichi and Asuka didn’t even hesitate, something he expected but once it occurred, Toko had to struggle to keep the tears back. Reiji also joined the front lines soon after, prepared to sacrifice himself for someone he hadn’t even come to know as a friend yet. If Toko was in their situation, he would do the same, but it felt good to know how willing everyone was to take care of each other. With that said, they were all incredibly reckless.

This could all have been a death sentence and while it was a heartwarming and tearjerking sight, it possessed a hint of rash behaviour and frankly, stupidity. Though, when did love for your friends ever lead to logical decisions? They are following their hearts, Reiji-San.” “ Toko returned, looking to the feral ninja with a minimal smile. “I would love to state my opinion, however...” The boy’s eyes would turn towards their Sensei for a moment before they found home on Reiji once more. “...I have been prohibited from expressing my thoughts on the matter, as it was.” At this point, Toko wanted to scream his thoughts for all to hear but if he did, their Sensei would surely punish them for it. “Actions have already been taken. I wish you all luck with the path you have chosen and...” The swordsman would pause for a moment, turning to Seichi as a warm breeze blew past him. “Despite the consequences...I am truly grateful.”

Reiji peered into Toko’s eyes as he spoke. He never broke eye contact, taking in every word. “I believe you have as much say in this decision as anyone here...actually more. In this test you are the one whose life is on the line. I think you have the right to choose how your life is used and I think…you would give your life rather than let them risk theirs.” Reiji’s eyes glided to the others. Smirking, he let out a soft chuckle. “Honestly, you’re stronger than me in some ways if that’s the case. I’m not gonna act like I’m fighting for you. Right now our sensei and your friends have created a barrier in between me and my goals.” His eyes started to focus more and more on Fuyuko-sensei as his desire to strike grew. “So I’ll tear it apart. Not for you, not for them. Truthfully, I’m glad...they made it easy to risk my goals for this fight!” Reiji proceeded to crack his knuckles, disguising the dog seal he’d weaved and the aura that was growing around him as he smiled with anticipation.

Reiji’s words coloured him rather ruthless, but given everyone else’s stance on the matter, it could be beneficial to have someone cold hearted in the group. A soft heart making tough decisions would not always lead to a desired outcome. Your confidence is comforting, Reiji-San.”“ The boy would offer a soft nod accompanied by a sweet smile. It would be hard to establish if Toko was being serious or not, though he didn’t seem to harbour any ill will with the way he spoke or presented himself.

He had no interest in measuring himself with Reiji, or anyone else for that matter, but it was good to know that the feral ninja was confident in his skills. “Be well.” The swordsman finished, removing his sword from the confines in his belt and placed the sheathed blade on his thighs as he sat down and observed the upcoming fight. For someone who could very well send everyone home, he seemed incredibly calm. An experienced reader of people would however see through this facade and gaze into a terrified heart.

Seichi would look over his shoulder at Reiji, feeling the intense aura he was emitting. He would twirl the kunai around his finger, tossing and catching it in his other hand. “That’s the spirit, Lion-head” He would comment on the boy’s readiness before giving Toko and the rest of his teammates a confirming look. He would turn his back towards sensei, hoping she would respect his choice of privacy. “Well…” Seichi would say crossing his arms and looking down, “I say a few of us go at her hard, while others go for the pap-”

Reiji darted forward past the others as they readied themselves. “You’re wasting time, she’s not waiting for an RSVP! Watch her closely and look for openings in her defense!” Leaping forward the platinum haired beast aimed a fast and strong spin kick at their sensei’s head. He weaved a dragon seal in the midst of his attack creating a cloud behind her for him to rebound off of if she dodged and follow up with an elbow. This was Reiji’s way of fighting. He struck hard and fast, learning as he went.

“Right, what he said!” Seichi uttered quickly turning towards Sensei ready to attack. He quickly completed the given handsigns for his jutsu and slammed his two hands on the ground forcefully. I can’t make too many right now with my chakra levels at the moment...Ugh, here goes nothing! The ground then quickly emitted electric currents that each sprouted a clone blazing with electricity that looked like Seichi holding a single Kunai around their index finger. The boy would get up trying to replicate the twelve clone’s stance. “Clone Barrage Technique!” the clones would shout unison before leaping into the air and throwing their kunai in a quick barrage towards their sensei. The clones would then follow the kunai attack with a storm of melee attacks in an attempt to overwhelm their sensei. The clones would quickly disperse into sparks as their attacks got deflected, except for the real Seichi.

Asuka couldn't let her feelings get the better of her now. Everything was happening so fast: Reiji was already charging forwards trying to kick Fuyuko to the other side of the training ground, Seichi had just summoned up some -literally- flashy clones, and Seji was, well… analysing the situation. Not that it wasn't unusual for a guy like him, it was just that everyone else had decided to attack their sensei head on. Maybe Asuka should just linger behind for a while until Fuyuko-sensei finally made her move? Although she was indeed a sword specialist, Asuka had been taught to hold back before finally jumping in with a quick slash of the katana. Coming from a clan who's stamina was slightly better than most, exhausting the opponent before striking with full force was the most efficient strategy. However, since Reiji and Seichi had already shot up from their previous positions, it would be best for them to handle Fuyuko-sensei for the time being.

First came the fuzzy haired Reiji, attempting harm Fuyuko with a powerful kick. The woman grinned, recalling the boy's words.

“Trying to look for an opening in my defense, huh? Good luck with that, kiddo.”

In a split second, Fuyuko raised her right hand, forming a ‘Seal of Confrontation’ hand seal and focusing all of her chakra around her body. Although this ‘wall’ wasn't at all visible, the protection was strong and sturdy nevertheless. Only inches away from Fuyuko's face, Reiji’s kick was blocked, coming to a painful stop. The woman grinned once again, her steel-coloured eyes sparkling with excitement and enthusiasm.

But, that wasn't the only thing sparkling.

As Seichi slammed his palms against the rough ground, twelve clones sparkled to life, each of them leaping into the air all at once. After that came a barrage of shuriken and kunai, hurtling towards Fuyuko at blinding speed. As soon as she had leaped a few metres back to put some distance between herself and the two boys, Seichi’s clones fizzed out of view. Now that Fuyuko was actually a decent distance away, she could finally be prepared for any incoming attacks.

Seji stood back as his teammates rushed forward to attack Fuyuko-sensei. The Onoda wasn’t too fond of rushing into a situation without any knowledge of his opponent. This was especially true when he knew he was outmatched. Seji grimaced as he watched Fuyuko deflect every attack from his three other squadmates. She was stronger than she looked. The thing was, it looked like the attacks hit but they didn’t. Fuyuko must have had some sort of barrier around her. He thought back to the beginning of Reiji’s attack, she made a handseal.

So it must be some sort of jutsu then...

Normally Seji would have told his teammates to wait so they could create a plan but he had a feeling that they weren’t the “wait it out” types. Plus, he could still gather data as his teammates attacked. He would just have to focus, and think of a plan to take her down. Then Seji remembered his sensei’s words about this test. They only had a minute to get that piece of paper, what the hell was Seji doing just sitting around?

Now's my chance!

Taking the grip of her katana in hand, Asuka shot towards Fuyuko at terrifying speed. Unsheathing her blade, Asuka attempted to slice at her sensei's side.

Heh, these kids aren't so bad… All I can see in these kids is an infinite amount of potential. However, as of now…

...they're not good enough.

It took Asuka a moment to realise what had just happened. She had expected the blade to go all the way in, but it didn't. Instead, it was being blocked by something… Something Asuka couldn't really lay her eyes on. The girl didn't even have any time to react herself before she was kicked back a good few metres from Fuyuko. Asuka then fell to the ground with a loud thud.

What on earth was that? My sword should have hit her… If I can recall, Fuyuko-sensei was able to deflect Reiji's attack too… but how?

Glancing up with her hand against her stomach, Asuka examined the black haired woman, her bright amber eyes scanning her like some sort of machine. Once their eyes met, Asuka was met with a grin that would freeze her on the spot. It was that overwhelming aura again, seeping its way through Asuka's skin and making her shake a little. Was Fuyuko really this intimidating? Asuka had already thought she had seen the worst of the worst before, but the aura that surrounded Fuyuko was an entirely different story. Just what was it about this woman that made the girl's skin crawl?

“Now's not the time to be gazing up at the clouds, little girl.”

In the blink of an eye, Fuyuko was already standing about a metre away from Asuka, ready to swing. But the question was, what was she trying to swing? It was almost as if she was holding some wooden bat in her hand; only this bat was almost invisible, with blu-ish wisps of air surrounding it. Asuka was right. Everyone was right.

Fuyuko really was trying to kill them.

If Asuka had been any slower, than her head would have been chopped clean off by now. Just in the knick of time before the wisps came in contact with Asuka's clothing, the girl managed a small jump backwards, taking a few more leaps back to distance herself from this psychopath. Gripping her hand around her sword, Asuka remained stationary, examining the woman once again.

An invisible shield of some sort and a seemingly invisible sword… How are we supposed to break through that defence of hers?

Reiji’s kick landed but not on his sensei and with some pain. Some kind of barrier? He saw the look in her eyes, almost the same as his own. Before he could make his next move Fuyuko moved back to avoid Seichi’s incoming hail of kunai. He chased after her escaping the line of fire himself. Suddenly, Asuka flew past him with amazing speed to catch Fuyuko while she finished putting distance between her and them. As quick as she was, in the end her attack met the same fate as Reiji’s with an added kick to add injury to insult. “I don’t like that look sensei! A jounin should know better than to underestimate her enemy!” Rabbit, ox, bird.

Water Style: Rain Swallow!

With her eyes on Reiji, she wouldn’t see anything happen but from behind...The cloud Reiji had created behind Fuyuko-sensei earlier burst into water then reformed as six swallows that raced towards the jounin from behind. “Keep her on defense and make an opening! I’ll take care of the rest!”

Seji snapped out of his thoughts and formed the Clone Seal and two other Seji’s appeared. The three genin took off, circling behind Fuyuko while she was distracted with Asuka and Reiji. Once behind the woman he sent his two clones to attack Fuyuko in hopes of blowing them up if they could get close to her. Then, Seji dropped to one knee and started to string hand seals together. He formed 5 and ended with the Tiger Seal.

“Ash Style: Cloud!”

A thick cloud grey gas spewed forth from Seji’s lips and quickly floated towards Fuyuko-sensei. Seji had to be careful so that his own teammates didn’t end up inside his cloud or else they’d be in serious trouble.

If his clones managed to get close enough to Fuyuko he would make the Seal Of Confrontation and say, “ignite!” Instantly the clones would explode. Then if that didn’t work he would make sure she didn’t have time to recover and send his Ash Cloud towards her. If she became encased in it or even got in proximity of it he would create the same seal and say, “ignite!” This explosion would be much bigger than the explosions the clones created. In all the chaos, Seji’s final move would be to throw 6 shuriken through the explosion to try and hit Fuyuko from behind.

As Seichi watched from a distance as his teammates each attempted to get through their sensei’s defenses. “My clones couldn't even land a hit on her!” Seichi said to himself clenching his teeth. “It’s as if she is untouchable.” The boy would then reach into his pouch attached to his thigh pulling out a handful of Kunai and and Shuriken. The boy’s grip on the projectiles weakened as he took account of his chakra levels. Those clones took a big chunk of chakra outta me, Man I’m beat. His hair, jacket, and pants were dirty with debris from the battle and he stood a far stationary, his eyes somewhat low compared to his always ecstatic face.

“They haven’t even managed to touch her...” Toko’s grip around the scabbard of his sword tightened as his teeth clenched. This woman was completely insane and it was becoming glaringly obvious that she had no intention of letting the genin pass unless they actually managed to beat her. [color=39b54“Wait...”a][/color] Toko’s eyes widened for a moment, observing the fight before him. No one was managing to connect a strike, and their Sensei was retaliating with strikes of her own. They had no chance in his fight from the very beginning, but perhaps beating her was never the point.

She was strong, fast and incredibly agile. No one could stand up to her, much less by themselves, but they were doing a good job in combining their attacks. We all knew she couldn’t be beaten by us yet, but...perhaps that’s not the point. Perhaps the point is to survive her onslaught for the time we’ve been assigned to fight her. Sometimes simply surviving an enemy for an amount of time is critical. We’re not able to fight back here, perhaps the main reason is survival training...” “Then again, he could be wrong. There could be absolutely nothing to it and their Sensei could just be a psychopathic insane woman.

Reiji’s strength, Asuka’s speed, Seji’s strategy and Seichi’s barrage of strikes were completely ineffective against her. How would one break through that barrier Sensei had thrown up? Through brute force? Through pinpoint striking? Imagining himself in that fight, Toko tried to find a weak spot in her arsenal of skills and experience, but he had little luck in such an endeavour. With widened eyes, he got an idea, but could he express it? No, they needed to figure out themselves. Damn it...come on, think...!” “ It was all around them. They could use the entire forest to their advantage. With her focus on all of them, there was no way Sensei would be able to know exactly where she stepped. “Seichi...!” Toko looked to his friend, a soft grin stretching across his lips. “I know you can do this, buddy. Just...don’t step on any explosive tags...” Was he going to get it? Damn, Toko wanted to be a part of this battle with all of his being. He couldn’t just watch his allies being torn to pieces without being able to do anything about it. In fact, while being a specialist close quarters combatant with body and sword, Toko disliked battle and wished to avoid it whenever he could. However, seeing his allies, no...friends...in this much trouble, standing by and watching was unbearable. “When you're outmanned by your opponent, you need to look around and see if you can even the odds with the help of your surroundings...find explosive tags close to Sensei and throw shuriken at them. Your accuracy is astounding, Seichi, now use it...”

Reiji’s eyes were fixated on every movement, every twitch, every muscle. Focusing his chakra he weaved the last handsigns they had time for. His right hand crackled with electric current that now flowed through it. That barrier of hers is stone solid. If I focus more chakra into this I just might get through. I just need an opening… Seconds was all they had. If their barrage of attacks didn’t reveal a chink in her armor it was all over. Come on, MAKE THAT OPENING!

Indeed, this wasn't the time to be staring up at the sky. This wasn't the case for just Asuka, though. If she was to waste any more time trying to mentally (and physically) scar Asuka, then the techniques that were being thrown at her by the other Genin would scar her instead. Despite having large chakra reserves, there was no way she was going to waste it on a simple test like this. Fuyuko reverted back from her Concealment technique to her Chakra Wall technique, just so her chakra levels wouldn't deplete as fast.

One thing that actually concerned Fuyuko was how flashy these Genin's techniques were. Sure, they were handpicked by the Hokage himself to form some ‘special’ team, but she didn't really think these kids would be that… strong. I mean, you had the kid who could form lightning style clones, the kid who's speed went from zero to a hundred in seconds, and the two others with the water birds and the ash-

The water birds and the ash.

Well… shit.

Water moulded birds shot towards Fuyuko, edging closer and closer by the millisecond. Such an unexpected attack was bound to throw Fuyuko off her balance, even as an experienced Jōnin. She didn't have time to dodge, or even form any more hand seals to switch to Concealment. All the woman could do as of now was endure the attack.

Damn it, I can't possibly dodge a jutsu like that, especially when it's going at such a high speed!

Throwing her arms in front of her face, Fuyuko focused as much chakra as she could throughout her body, attempting to soften the impact of the Genin's attack. Before she knew it, the attack had hit, pushing her a few centimeters back. Clearly, her chakra hadn't been distributed properly, and she had only managed to lessen the blow just a teensy bit. It didn't hurt as much as it should have though, since the Chakra Wall was already there.

Next came the thick, grey ash, trapping Fuyuko in a suffocating smog. She covered her mouth to muffle her coughs and prevent herself from breathing in any of the ash, springing upwards to escape from this deadly, dark cloud. Although she had managed to be escape successfully, the sudden explosion sent her up about a metre higher, throwing her off balance. Fuyuko managed to land in a very awkward position in a failed attempt to regain her balance. This wasn't going as planned, not at all. Her 'happy’ facial expression had been wiped off, replaced with a completely blank slate.

Fucking kids…

The incoming kunai from Seji were easily evaded, but Fuyuko seemed a little… erratic. She had just managed to sway to the other side to avoid the metal projectiles, but there was something about her nonexistent facial expression and sloppy movements that made her look quite odd.

I guess I shouldn't have underestimated them as much as I did… Well, I guess that goes to show how talented these kids really are.

Another widespread grin crept up onto Fuyuko's face as she stood up properly, staring up at the sun. I'm guessing these runts have about thirty seconds left before I end this test… However, seeing how flashy they were all being with their techniques makes me want to bring out something too… something that will make this test end with a bang.

Weaving five hand signs in total, Fuyuko's body was engulfed in flames, shooting upwards and making small crackling noises. A faint outline of a traditional samurai armour set could be seen, glowing a light orange inside of Fuyuko's flames. The woman stood there and beckoned them with a confident hand, flames continuing to rage on.

“Well then… what are you kids waiting for?”

Seichi quickly covered his face blocking any debris as he witnessed his Sensei’s body be overtaken by a fiery suit of armour. The intense amount of chakra flowing through her made Seichi tremble and lower onto one knee. “What am I waiting for…?” He would mutter to himself almost in a give-up tone before his signature smile formed upon his face. “Ha! we’re...just warming...up...” The genin would manage to say breathing heavily. He would in a drunken tipsy motion stand up and position himself towards his sensei, tightly gripping the projectiles still in his hand. Upon standing up, Seichi would come to realization on what Toko meant before with his encouraging words.

“I know you can do this, buddy. Just...don’t step on any explosive tags...”

The tags are still around! He wasn’t sure if that's what his friend was trying to tell him, but either way he had to act fast. The boy would then without thinking dash towards his sensei, throwing a variation of purposely missed Kunai and Shurikens in order to draw her into a good position. He would then still running directly towards her leap over his Sensei, trying to endure the heat of her aura as much as possible and spinning himself into a fake kick he would also miss intentionally. In the midst of being in mid-air, the boy would focus until he was able to see the thin wire, then throw the projectile in a quick, precise motion. The shuriken cutting the wire into two would causing an explosion like before, sending Seichi flying with the explosion’s impactful blast radius.

“Did...they turn it around...?” Toko watched with a sense of pride as his teammates managed to get the better of their sensei, but was rather dumbfounded as to how they could. Using the one thing they had, numbers, they tried to topple her with pure brute force. She was fighting back but Sensei was undoubtedly going easy on the squad. If she was dead set on killing them, she would. They all worked rather well in unison and combined their strikes rather expertly. Perhaps they would get through the day after all. Even if Toko had to get sent back to the academy for his failure in the previous test, the others could have impressed Sensei enough to make her change her mind regarding them. “You’ve all been fantastic...I hope she sees that.” Ironic how she hasn’t seen Toko do anything. She never witnessed him during the academy and in this test she has seen him do absolutely nothing. How could she possibly allow him to pass when she hadn’t even seen what he was capable of. Not only that, his report wouldn’t exactly hold up in terms of scale. Getting a zero in anything but Kenjutsu and Taijutsu would surely make him less attractive.

“Seichi...!” The boy would quickly ascend to his feet as he took a few quick steps forward when he saw his friend cause an explosion which enveloped him. That’s...not what I meant...what the hell are you thinking...?”“ Could that have killed him? Toko’s fist clenched tightly as he watched with a heart beating like a jackhammer. Seichi had just blown himself up.

Fuyuko-sensei was living up to her rank. Rain Swallow wasn’t a powerful jutsu but in combination with Seji’s Ash clones she tanked the attacks with less than a scratch. The only solace that came from this is that they’d managed to throw her off balance with that and the ash plume engulfing her. Reiji narrowed his gaze waiting for her to leave the ash. Once she did her movements were getting sloppier amongst their onslaught. Things were looking in their favor. That is until dropped her smile and regained her composure. The natural presence she commanded seemed to grow. “Hmph...and I thought we had her…”

Her smile returned as her body ignited and was engulfed in flames, her previous barrier replaced with a fiery and radiant armor. She was standing a few meters away but Reiji could feel the heat as if she was directly in front of him. So this is a jounin, an elite shinobi...this was a only a taste of what she can do. Her exhibition only served to rile Reiji up to test himself against her. The aura of his King of Beasts genjutsu grew in response to his exhilaration as he poured more chakra into his jutsu. If catching her off guard was no longer an option then going through it was their last option.

“Don’t think you can intimidate us…” Seichi made his last move, scattering kunai and shuriken revealing a one of Fuyuko’s traps behind. “We were chosen for this special squad for a reason…” The spirited Hino triggered the explosive without fear, nearly incinerating himself in the process and blasting their sensei. “Each of us here is stronger than you gave us credit for. I won’t lie, we made the same mistake when we challenged you but we won’t back down now. So if you think you can intimidate then you still underestimate us!”

The aura around Reiji flared into a roaring lion. “Lightning Style: Flash Point!” The built up electrical current running through his left hand flowed along his body to his right hand and struck out from the end of his fingertips, a lightning bolt hurling towards the armor clad jounin. As soon as the jutsu left his body his vision blurred as he became lightheaded. I might’ve gotten overzealous and used up more chakra than I meant to~

So, they intend to go on the offense again? Only twenty seconds are left now… How are they gonna pull this off exactly?

Fuyuko's smile grew wider. These kids weren't going to give in, no matter how hot her blazing armour got. They spoke with courage and confidence, something that she viewed in a very positive light. Even Toko, who had been thrown to the sidelines, was still cheering on for them, encouraging his teammates to fight on despite his current position.

They're hard to beat down, that's for sure… Nevertheless, these kids are still persistent.

Seichi, who seemed to be standing a little bit too close to Fuyuko, dashed towards her, throwing multiple kunai and shuriken in her direction. Much to her surprise, the projectiles missed completely, making her take a few steps back. She had no idea what this boy was aiming for, so she decided to stay on the defensive for now. Well, for the last fifteen seconds that remained anyways.

Then, boom.

Fuyuko was then flung backwards, landing back first into the ground. Her armour still remained ‘in tact’, but now, it seemed to be flickering slightly. Before she could get back to her feet, her face was greeted with another blade, ready to dive into her flesh. Moulding chakra in her hands, Fuyuko managed to block it with her own fiery sword. Much to her surprise, the blade she had blocked wasn't dripping just yet from the high temperature.

A normal sword should have melted away by now. If that’s not a normal sword, then it must be made of that type of material… Damn, and I thought the Koizumi kid was out of it already…

Using her own brute strength, Fuyuko used her sword of fire to throw Asuka off balance. Staggering to her feet, she looked towards the sky, while the Koizumi girl, sweat drenched and panting, stayed crouched on the floor. After coming so close to Fuyuko while she was using her Ignition technique, it was no wonder Asuka was starting to feel the burn.

Shit… thirty seconds have passed already? Jeez, all those flashy attacks and dodging made it seem like an hour…

Dispelling her armour in small flames, Fuyuko sighed, wiping the sweat off her forehead. “Well, that's your thirty seconds up, then. Jeez, you kids are actually kinda-”

“Lighting Style: Flash Point!”

Fuyuko barely had any time to react. The bolt came zooming in, hitting the unaware woman in the head. Now that her Chakra Wall was also gone, she actually felt it this time, and boy did it hurt like hell.

What… just happened?

Was I just beaten by… a mere Genin?

The unconscious Fuyuko came crashing to the ground, the dust blowing into different directions from the impact. Everyone, including Asuka, looked onwards, dumbfounded by their sensei's sudden defeat.

“Fuyuko...sensei?”

~

Fuck… I feel like I just gulped down two bottles of sake. Heh, fun times…

“Fuyuko-sensei, are you awake?”

Jolting back up, Fuyuko grabbed at her head, the pain from Reiji's lightning bolt still lingering. ”Okay, seriously, guys… What the hell was that?”

Asuka shifted around a little, still knelt down beside Fuyuko. “Well, as soon as your… armour was dispelled, Reiji-san used some sort of technique and it hit you… It's been about fifteen minutes since then.”

“You've gotta be shitting me…” Fuyuko muttered, still holding her head. Creeping back up to her feet, she tried to regain her composure and consciousness. She snuck a cheeky glare towards Reiji, folding her arms over her chest. “God damn kids…”

Reiji sat on a rock and whistled directing her attention to the slip of paper in his hand. “Honestly sensei, I would think a Jounin would know not to let her guard down until her enemy stops moving. Still, we didn’t actually retrieve this before time was up so I commend you on fending off four exceptional Genin~” The lion cub smirked. “Oh, and sorry about nailing you with my jutsu. I got a little carried away.”

Sitting herself back down in front of the Genin with her arms still crossed, Fuyuko closed her eyes for a moment. “So… I’m guessing you guys have been wondering what this test is all about… right?”

Fuyuko unfolded her arms. “You see, there's always a reason why we put you through these tests…. In this case, I set all of this up to see how you kids would respond to different situations. If you haven't noticed already, I've actually been stalking you guys through the forest this entire time, and I have to say… you guys aren't that bad.”

Glancing towards Seichi for a split second, Fuyuko continued. “Although some of you… rushed into the forest rather quickly, at least you all managed to see logic and split up into pairs. If you had gone solo, the risks of being blown to smithereens were pretty high, but that way, you would have been able to cover more ground. Going as a group would have lessened those risks, but finding the rest of the paper pieces would have been a much more difficult task. This test was all about teamwork and strategy… and, to be honest, you kids handled it pretty well. Especially the final minutes when the four of you went head to head with me. Never have I thought that a bunch of kids would be talented enough to push me to the point of using that fire armour you saw earlier!”

Fuyuko chuckled at her last few words, eyeing each and every one of her Genin. “You all show great potential, but remember, don't even think for a second that you're safe just because you've passed this final test. There will be many trials and obstacles that you kids will have to face for the next few years, but once you've overcome those many obstacles, you'll only to continue to grow, both mentally and physically. Who knows, maybe some of you will be able to surpass me in a few years time. Well, I guess only time will tell.”

Lifting herself from the ground, Fuyuko walked ahead, back turned from the rest. “Even though you runts didn't get all the papers in time, you still showed me how well you lot work as a team, whether you're all acquainted with each other or not.”

Turning her head towards the teens again, Fuyuko smiled. Not a smile that would make her Genin think she was mentally unstable, but a normal, genuine smile.

“Now, I suggest you kids go get some rest now… Our first mission is going to be in two days time, so you all better be prepared!”

Even though that Toko boy didn't do all that much… I bet not even that Koizumi girl could slice through a tree that big. He's one of the only other people who wields a sword too... The Hokage sure did pick the right guys for the job~

---

@Shard @SayZun @TheFourthIV @Vongola_Hasayo

Leaning against the tile wall, Toko breathed out as a stream of warm water softly covered his skin on its way to the drenched floor beneath his feet. "They really managed..." He would be lying if he said that he never doubted them. They were after all going up against a jounin and that could have gone either way, though luckily they made enough smart decisions to eventually win the battle. "They're all so colourful, heh...almost makes me feel dull." With a soft, minimal smile, the boy's eyes traveled down, now hidden beneath his wet bangs. After a moment in silent thoughts, he slid to the floor and hugged himself softly, pulling his knees closer to his chest as his teeth clenched. "Why were they so quick to fight for me...? They could all have been destroyed but yet..." As an immediate response to the images circling the boy's head, a scene where Seichi nearly blew himself to pieces would play itself out over and over again as if a looped movie. Nearly digging his fingers into his skin, Toko's embrace tightened as his eyes shut. "A ninja needs to keep his emotions in check...If you can't do that, you need to get off the battlefield..." Speaking to himself beneath a stream of water did little to rebuild his devastated spirit. Asuka and Seichi, they were essentially his life. Throughout his childhood and the academy, throughout his training and even the everyday walks back and from school he would always see those two next to him. After seeing Seichi staring death in the face like that, the boy was unable to stop the trembling throughout his frame. No one was watching now, he didn't need to keep it all inside anymore.

Parting his lips for a brief moment merely to take a breath, he found himself crying out as the water soon mixed with his tears. "So fucking pathetic..." Always calm, always collected, always smiling and barely ever rocked off of his feet, Toko's spirit had been shattered more than once and he needed to get it out somewhere. He couldn't handle the thought of losing Seichi, nor Asuka, especially not to a fate like that. What about Reiji? He seemed like the first guy to abandon his allies if it meant the success of a mission. "If those two ever face death because of him, I'll rip him the fuck apart..." The pain aching through his skin in response to his fingertips pushing themselves against his biceps was enough to finally snap him out of the darkness as Toko slowly stood back up and washed his face. This was enough, if he was going to stay beneath the stream any longer he'd end up as a raisin.

He finished and reached for a towel before drying up and slipped into a new pair of clothes he'd consider more suitable for the life he was going to meet soon. One could call it a complete overhaul, in fact. He slid into a pair of black cargo pants reaching down to his ankles where they hugged his skin softly with stretch bands. Pockets were easily seen stretched out across their length but they didn't seem to be in use. A simple t-shirt found home on his torso along with a pair of fingerless leather gloves reaching unto his forearm where he wore a pair of thin protectors fitting his small frame. Attaching a belt to his pants, he continued with another which held his elegant sword and finally finished up by putting on his ninja slippers. Wearing all black wasn't exactly considered creative but he enjoyed black, it was simple and it simply worked. "I'm leaving, father." The boy would exit his room and looked towards the yard where Ken was practicing his sword swings.

"Be well, son. Aborting his training session, the man would approach his son and gave him a soft hug. "You've made me incredibly proud, Toko. Your mother is surely smiling on you from the beyond."

"Thank you." The young swordsman would offer his father a smile followed by a soft nod and returned the hug. It was time to go and meet up with Seichi and the others. If he was late, their incredibly unstable and insane sensei would probably have his head. She hadn't even seen him do anything yet so she probably thought him useless as it was already. He couldn't really afford to slack off.

With a quick farewell, the boy left the Ling household. He was going to meet up with Seichi, and it was nice with some rest and relaxation before their first mission eventually started in two days.

Seichi would sit on the edge of his bed, shaking off his wet hair from his shower. He'd get up and slip on his fishnet shirt. He would take a minute and glance over to his scorched jacket which had been damaged in the explosion. "Aww...man." Seichi would say in disappointment as he tossed the battle-damaged jacket into a nearby trash bucket. He would run into parent's room, specfically searching in his father's closet for a jacket. He found a dark-blue jacket similar to his, the sleeves and length although being sligthly larger than him. The boy would adjust the sleves to see his burned right hand. Luckily, upon the explosion Seichi acted quick enough to cover himself from most of the explosion's heat, he still altough had to sarafice something for it. Boy! did that hurt. The scene would run through his mind again. Seichi was confident enough to know his plan had a high success rate. Even so he knew his action were rash and dangerous, his burn being the outcome. He would later disengaing in the though, proceed to put on his pants and slippers, lastly wrapping his hand in bandages down to his wrists then finish by tying his headband to his left arm.

Fortunately for him, The boy's parents were still sleeping allowing him to grab his equipment and head out quickly.

He would later running through the village as usual catch up to Toko, greeting him with his smile. "Good afternoon!" He would say walking backwards keeping up with Toko's pace.

Turning to look at Seichi's bright smile and jolly greetings, Toko couldn't help but chuckle and gladely returned the smile. "After all that...he's still so positive...I'm glad. Giving Seichi a gentle pat to his arm, Toko continued to walk towards the meeting place alongside his friend. "You were great yesterday, Seichi. How are you feeling?" If it wasn't for Seichi's explosive decision, the rest of the group would never have been given a chance to deliver the finishing blow. They all worked so well together. Hopefully Toko would be able to add to that, somehow. He didn't possess any flashy moves, but he was good at what he did. "I am certain Sensei and the others are incredibly satesfied with you."

"Waaayyy better!" He would say jokingly lifting and revealing his bandaged arm. "Also you know you helped too. I wouldn't have thought of a plan if you didn't give that hint." The genin would add before giving Toko a wink. "I can't wait for our first mission though" Seichi would say excitedly rubbing Toko's hair. "Our team is gonna be unstoppable!"

"Heh, I'm happy you caught the hint..." If he hadn't, things could have ended very differently. They were all doing well enough but that explosion was rather effective. "According to what Sensei keeps saying..." Toko thought it over for a moment, his hands finding home in his pockets as they walked. ...we're cut from sturdier cloth the most genin but...there will always be people stronger than us." The gentle smile on his lips never wavered, and as he looked up at Seichi, it would only grow brighter. "We've got each other's backs though, right?" There was no question about it. Dicipline, professionalism, the mission, the reward...none of it mattered when it came to being there for his friends. A ninja would call it a weakness, an enemy would try to exploit it...a comrade would cherish it. "Let's go and get some ramen. I'm starving..."

@SayZun

"Ramen sounds good!" Seichi would say digging through his trechcoat-like jacket. He would pull out only a single bill as it blowed in the wind. He would stare at the bill hanging his head in shame. "Maybe Ramen doesn't sound good." He would whisper.

Reaching into the top pocket of his cargo pants, Toko produced his wallet and pulled out a few bills, looking to Seichi. "My treat."The boy would offer a soft smile as he returned his wallet. "I owe you for...saving me." Seichi had risked everything for Toko, the least he could do for Seichi was to treat him to ramen. "Have you seen Asuka?"

"Nah" Seichi would say scratching his thick hair. "She's probably off somewhere polishing her sword or something. You know how she gets." He would then cross his arms glancing over at Toko. "She actually handled Sensei pretty well the few times she attacked. But I guess that is expected from a Koizumi"

Reaching the ramen shop, Toko didn't even have to move the covers as he was too short to reach them, Seichi would have to however. "Asuka is impressive, that is true."The boy would nod softly, dropping down to a chair. "I'll have a normal bowl, please."He'd continue, speaking to the chef.

"Normal bowl too." Seichi would add, secretly wanting to get alot more but not wanting to drive Toko bankrupt. The boy would take a seat next to his friend setting one elbow on the counter slouching. "Yeah, shes pretty impressive." He would say agreeing with Toko. "So elegant and skilled. The way her hair just seems to always dance as she moves. The way she dresses and looks...its all so be-" He would cut himself off realizing how creepy he was sounding with an abrupt fake cough.

Toko looked at Seichi for a moment as the larger boy spoke and remained quiet through his dreamy description of Asuka. What...was he doing? He had never spoken of her like this before. "I don't know if Seichi finds her only...impressive..." Toko's smile remained as he turned back to watching the chef work in front of them. Was Seichi being serious? The way he spoke of her, it was almost as if he had been checking her out. You're overanalysing things again..." Always thinking too much, Toko would try to snap himself out of the negative train of thoughts circling his mind. So uhm...what do you think of the other two? Seji and Reiji...you all have rather similiar names..." Toko reached his hand up and scratched the hair on the back of his head.

"Pretty cool dudes" Seichi would reply playfully picking at his bandages. "I had a pretty nice talk with Seji in the forest. He's overall a pretty nice guy to talk to and his abilities are pretty nice aswell from what I saw" He would then clench his fist, giving off a slight grin. "I wonder what it'd be like facing him" "As for Lion-hair, he's kind of a hot-head but I guess I should be the last one calling people hot-headed." He would chuckle picking and twirling around nearby chopsticks.

Dressed in her casual grey skirt and white kimono top, Asuka strolled down the dirt paths of Konoha, hair flowing freely without a hair tie. Although it would have been more suitable to stay home and rest after her little 'test', a nice, warm shower would be enough to get the girl up and running on her feet again. Even if the streets were bustling with life, getting out for a simple walk once in a while was always a good time consumer. From the corner of Asuka's eye, two familiar people sitting at the local ramen shop came into view. She walked towards them at snail pacing, as if she was creeping up behind the two.

"Good afternoon, Seichi-kun, Toko-kun."

Turning his head around, Toko laid eyes on the person who had occupied so much of their conversation. He gave her a bright smile and raised his hand in a wave. "Asuka-Chan." He nodded. "Would you like to join us? Seichi...can't seem to stop talking about you." The boy would grin slightly at his male friend, just before their ramen was served.

Seichi would turn in his seat as he heard his female friend greet Toko and him. He would giver her a casual wave and smile before going back to fiddling with his sticks. His face would turn slightly red as Toko mentioned Seichi's past talk about the girl. "Not like that...I was just saying you did really good out there and stuff."

Displaying a gentle smile, Asuka nodded at Toko, taking a seat beside Seichi. She glanced back at Seichi after hearing his last few words, chuckling lightly. "I really didn't do all that much... Unlike you, I wasn't really able to do much. As soon as me and Fuyuko-sensei... clashed, I was knocked off my feet straight away. Her physical strength must be something very noteworthy about her..."

Asuka thought to herself for a momet, staring down at the smooth wooden table. It's not just her raw strength either... The amount of chakra she displaying was enough to make me back off for a bit...

After ordering a bowl of ramen for herself, Asuka looked towards the two boys again, attempting to start up another conversation. "So... what do you two think about Fuyuko-sensei?"

Eating silently as the two spoke about the test, Toko softly swayed his feet absentmindedly while keeping his eyes on the bowl of ramen on the counter. They had both done really well, and they had both gotten into the good graces of Fuyuko. They deserved it. "Oh...huh?" Breaking him out of his thoughts, Asuka's question put him on the spot. What did he think of that psycho? She was powerful for sure but was she a good Sensei? Was she a good leader? Was she going to put the mission before her students any day of the week or would she cherish them? So far, she hadn't exactly acted like a stable human being. No, she was nuts, completely insane. "She's okay..."

Seichi would begin to slurp at his hot ramen, unphased by its temperature. "Eh, she's pretty weird. That bomb thing was way out of line, even for my taste, and seeing her do all those jutsus makes me terrified to see what shes like mad." The boy would manage to say with his mouth full of ramen before gulping it all down. "Maybe we should give her some time. I'm sure she's nice once you get past all the crazy." Seichi would add chewing on one of his chopsicks.

"If...we were handpicked by the hokage, she probably was, too..." Someone, somewhere, had decided this. It could perhaps have been the hokage all the way but everyone knew that he had advisors. Who the hell had decided to put that insane woman in charge of a bunch of new genin? I hope they know what they're d-..." Cut off by Asuka, Toko turned to her and blinked a few times in confusion but soon spotted the source of her frustration. She was very...proper.

Before she started to eat, Asuka sighed at Seichi's mouth full of ramen, not even bothering to give him another one of her death glares. She did still look rather frustrated, however. "Please, your manners, Seichi-kun... You know it's not nice to talk with your mouth full."

Asuka leaned forward a little to see Toko at the end, voicing his own opinion on their new teacher. There was no questioning how strong this woman was, but it was her personality and the way she acted that seemed to turn off a majority of the Genin in her group. One minute she would be the 'normal' type of cheery, and the next she would be 'I'm going to have fun tearing your young soul out of your body' type of cheery. Obviously, the second type if cheery was the one that disturbed Asuka the most.

"Well, all we can do as of now is trust our Hokage. I'm sure a man who leads the village with such pride and spirit will be able to tell the difference between an insane, psychopathic killer and an insane, psychopathic teacher ."

Leaning over the table to see Seichi and Toko beside her, Asuka scanned the area, paranoia suddenly taking over her. "Please... don't tell Fuyuko-sensei I said that... It sort of just... slipped out..."

"One might have lead to the other..." They knew nothing of their Sensei's past and they were probably not going to, either. A group with five genin was probably not going to grow too close to their teacher. A group of three might, yes, but five? "I...honestly hope we're missing something..." If this was all there was to their Sensei, then she would probably get them all killed before the first mission even started. "We won't tell anyone, Asuka-chan. Our Sensei is quite...special..." Calling her an insane psycho could perhaps be taken the wrong way. "She might turn out to be uhm..." The boy looked down at his feet for a moment before sighing, as if giving up. "I think we need to be careful..."

Seichi would glance over at Asuka, her usual correction on his mannerisms was a thing Seichi was all too familiar with. "My apologies, Asuka-chan" Seichi would say jokingly instead of a usual smart remark. He would listen to the two go on about their Sensei. Hmm...Asuka smells quite nice. Wait...since when did I care how she smelled? Haha...weird He would remain looking down at his empty ramen bowl removing the chopstick from his mouth and stuffing the two into his jacket pockets. "Don't worry you guys." Seichi would say hopping up from his seat attempting to pose in a cliche anime cool-guy stance. "As long as I'm around...everything's gonna be *hiccup*

@Shard @Jay Kalton

Toko couldn't help but laugh at Seichi's comical behaviour. It was part of his charm, part of who he was...part of who Toko loved. The three of them together like this made it all seem worth it, in a way. This was what Toko was fighting for, the ability to laugh and enjoy time with those closest to him. Alas, everything would have to come to an end, but they would meet again. "I promised dad I would train with him today." Ken was no slouch. If he stated a time when Toko had to be home for training, then Toko better be home at that specific time. Ken was a disciplined swordsman and he didn't joke around. Belonging to the elite of Konoha, a man known as the Chakra Knight, he had a title and reputation to uphold and while he could be considered a stiff, Ken had his softer and more lighthearted sides. Of course, he had no mercy on his son's training, and sometimes it felt like a punishment but Toko knew that in the end, it was all going to be worth it. You do not become a kenjutsu and taijutsu specialist by sitting around. Every single day he would train with his father and every single day he would struggle to get a breath out when they were done. Ken was a hard teacher to say the least, but he didn't try to kill his students like a certain someone, granted that Toko was his only student.

"I'll see you two around. Be well, okay?" Toko paid for their meals, his wallet essentially empty now. It was always worth it, if it lead to smiles, laughter and joy with his friends, it was always worth it. The boy waved to the other two and started back towards his home. "It goes so fast...I barely have time to enjoy their company..." Speaking of their company, what was with Seichi all of a sudden? The way he spoke of Asuka made him seem almost...attracted to her. Well, that was no huge surprise, was it? A lot of males would be attracted to the beautiful Asuka. Seichi wouldn't be the first to point her beauty out. "I guess it just makes everything official...there's no chance..." With a soft sigh, Toko's eyes traveled to the ground he walked on, each step bring him closer and closer to home. "I wonder what they would say if they figured out what...I am. I think it would complicate everything. What would dad say? It's not like it's considered normal..." Softly kicking a small rock aside, Toko placed his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath. Was this going to be one of those things that never stopped? Was it going to be one of those things that just kept going and going until it eventually boiled over in a climactic disaster? How bad could it be, really? At the end of the day it was just a silly crush...right? One that had been in the air for the past few years.

Placing his hand on the door, Toko gently pushed it open to step inside and saw how his dad was mediating in the yard, two bokken in front of him. His eyes were closed, his back straight and his breathing slow. Without a word, Toko slipped out of his slippers and walked onto the yard, dropping down to a seated position and closed his eyes. "I need to empty my mind." It wasn't easy, especially not with Seichi and Asuka occupying his mind. Now that Toko had left, what were they doing? The three had been friends forever, but there was no tension between them, where there? Well, Toko liked Seichi yes but did Seichi like Asuka? Did she like him? Toko's fingers tightened as they rested on his knees, his teeth clenching before he heard his father's voice.

"You're distracted."

"N-no I'm just..."

"Do not speak untrue, Toko. What is bothering you?"

The boy waited for a few moments before responding, his mind trying to find the right way to express these thoughts. "It's foolish...I apologise father, it shouldn't be bothering me..."

You can say that about anything." Ken opened his eyes, a pair of serious orbs staring back at Toko, demanding authority. "Any problem that hurts your focus is dangerous if left unchecked, foolish or not." Ascending to his feet, Ken grabbed his bokken and held it with the tip in front of his son. "So let us see what hides within that heart of yours, shall we?" Despite his stiff and sometimes merciless attitude, Ken was incredibly caring of his son and always wanted to be there for him. According to Ken however, talking things out had its place but a battle would truly show what hid within the heart of someone. Having reached thirty two years of age, Ken still possessed quite a young frame. One could easily mistake him for a man in his twenties and while Toko and Ken looked similar, one would easily mistake them for brothers.

Toko equipped his sword and stepped back, preparing for the battle to come. Sparring with his father was always fun, hard but fun. "I am prepared, father..." The boy's words were quiet like always, but is was easy to spot the melancholy in their tone.

"Very well then. Focus." In an instant, Ken appeared mere inches from his son with a powerful swing with his bokken. Toko quickly ducked out of the way to deliver a fast cut to Ken's stomach but it was easily blocked by the experienced swordsman. "Sloppy, Toko. You are doubting yourself."

He could establish that from a single attack? Jumping back, Toko allowed for some distance before he charged forth and delivered a series of precise strikes, each connecting with Ken's bokken as they were blocked with little effort. "Careless. You're desperate." Manouvering around his father, Toko continued to strike, his attacks having little effect. Once Ken retaliated, their bokken clashed and forced Toko closer to the large tree in their yard. "Fragile. You are easily thrown to your knees, son." Clenching his teeth, Toko gracefully backflipped onto the tree trunk, launching himself forward to deliver a powerful slash towards his father with the acceleration of the jump. "Predictable. Your sight is narrow." Catching Toko's bokken on the edge of his own, the man allowed it slide off his blade and spun around, grabbing Toko by the shoulder and placed his sword against his child's throat. "You are much better than this, Toko. You keep me on my toes more often than I would like, but your distractions are destroying you."

"I'm sorry...dad..." The boy responded, looking down with his hand shaking slightly. Ken was right, if Toko was this distracted on the battlefield, he would die. His skills had essentially been cut in less than half.

"Do not apologise." Ken removed the bokken from Toko's throat and stepped back, twirling the blade in his hand before he rested to tip against the ground. "Who is it?"

"Wh-what...?"

"The person who has claimed your heart. The person who clouds your every strike, the person who will one day get you killed unless you sort this out." Toko's eyes widened at his father's words. Get him killed? What was he talking about? "Truly, love is a wonderful feeling, but a dangerous one. Unless you get this under control Toko, the love in your heart will only cloud it. Those distractions will be an open way to defeat, and in turn, death."

"I...I don't know...I..." Feeling his hands shake even more, Toko's fingers around the bokken tightened to stifle it.

"You've never admitted it to anyone, have?" No, Ken could not read minds, but he was incredibly intuitive. He could see through people like open books, and always acted upon it. This was highly frustrating most of the time.

"No..." Toko responded, clenching his teeth as his heartbeat accelerated.

"Then step out of the clouds. Speak the name." The man looked at his son with eyes that could pierce through plate.

"I...I can't..."

"Are you afraid?"

"Yes..."

"Of me, of yourself? Of the truth? Your fears are irrelevant, Toko. Your reality will not bend to them. Either surpass them or let them control you."

Falling down to his knees, Toko couldn't prevent the tears now streaming down his cheeks, his entire body tensing. "D-dad I don't...I don't know what to do..."

"Speak his name, and let the weights on your soul be lifted. Do not dwell in darkness, Toko. Speak his name." Looking up with teary, shocked eyes. Toko gazed at his father with a trembling body, nearly out of breath at what the man had said. He said his.

Spreading the herbal treatment onto some wrappings, Reiji dressed both his left shoulder and leg. Being blown back by Fuyuko-sensei's bombs and driving his leg into what was essentially shroud surrounding her left him sore so to say the least. He quickly struck the air with punches and kicks to, feeling the remedy starting to work already. Fresh out of the shower with a towel draped over his mane, the battle in the forest played over and over in his head. An invisible barrier able to stop a sword and that flame samurai armor...she was basically untouchable. Her speed and reflexes make her all the more so the way she was able to avoid our attacks. A special squad...I guess the old man picked the right person run this operation. Reiji's eyes drifted to the piece of paper on his desk. '...with fire.' That was what his slip had written on it. Walking to his bed he grabbed his headband off the pillow and returned the desk. He took the paper and slipped it underneath the metal plate. A reminder of how much stronger an adversary can be than me...and to challenge her to another match, just me and her~

There was a sudden knock at the door. Reiji pulled the towel off his head, his mane naturally fluffing, and opened the door. "Hey, kiddo~ Ready to celebrate your graduation, I know I am~" The woman on the other side of the door brandished a beer with a shameless grin. Reiji chuckled softly. "I'd wager you've already started Hotaru." The woman shook the can highlighting it's lack of contents with snicker. "I can't wait on an underage lion cub can I~?" Reiji placed the headband in his pocket. "Yeah yeah...let me get changed."

---

Hotaru Kuromizu snatched up a piece of meat from the grill and ate it with an expression of delight. "Oi, that was my piece." Reiji said annoyed with his chopsticks stuck mid-grab. "You know barbecue is my favorite. If you're gonna complain about my lack of control you shouldn't have picked this place." Reiji's eye twitched. "You picked this place...Whatever, I'll just order another batch~" He smirked and Hotaru grimaced. "Hey, don't drain my wallet over a little meat..." Reiji ignored her complaints, simply sipping his tea. "That little meat was to celebrate my accomplishments and you offered to pay. Besides, don't pull the shortchanged act." Hotaru smirked. Kid was a smartass but that might be her own fault. Reiji's father was her sensei so she was like the platinum haired genin's big sister. Since his father's death and his mother's disappearance, Hotaru has been looking after Reiji.

She rested her cheek on her palm and swished her drink around. "Really though, congrats. I'm happy for you and you deserve to be on that special squad~" Reiji nodded. "Thanks...for everything. So, you already know about the squad huh?" Hotaru knew how reserved he could be when it came to this kind of sentimental stuff. She wasn't too great at it herself but she knew that the little he said went a long way. "Of course I do. Info like that doesn't get by me~ So, what are they like? Your sensei and teammates?"

As Reiji finished chewing a piece of meat the test once again flashed through his mind. He took a sip as he gathered his thoughts. "Well, I think you and Fuyuko-sensei would get along well. She seems to have that same sadistic streak you do when it comes to training." Hotaru pouted. "Oi, I'm not sadistic..." Ignoring her protests Reiji continued. "She pretty much toyed with us the whole time. We weren't able to lay hand on her and the attacks that did hit their mark might as well have been us throwing pebbles...at least until she dropped her guard and I hit her with Flash Point." Hotaru nearly spit out her drink. "Y-You shot your new teacher with the strongest ninjutsu you know!? Well, you certainly know how to make an impression..." She glared at Reiji for a moment which he waved off. "She had some fire jutsu armor up until one second after I launched it. I doubt I could've broken through even with as much chakra as I put in..." He noticed her glare intensify. "Sh-She was fine...in fact she was up in less than twenty minutes. Much faster than me when you first taught it to me..." Hotaru's glare faded and was replaced with laughter. "Hehehe~ That's right, you were out cold for a good 4 hours~" Reiji's face was not amused. Who's not sadistic...?

It took a full minute for Hotaru to stop laughing and even after she did she continued to snicker. "O-Okay, whew~ And your teammates?" Reiji sighed knowing she'd probably continue to laugh at his expense for the rest of the night. Resting his chin on his hand he decided to keep going. "They're all exceptional in their own ways. Hino-san uses his recklessness to his advantage, nearly blowing himself up to gain an upper hand. Slow may just be a foreign concept to Koizumi-san and you have to stay aware around Onoda's kekkei genkai..." Hotaru sighed as Reiji spoke getting his attention. "Do you have to talk as if they're your next opponent in some tournament? You should get to know them Reiji. Afterall, you'll be working together for some time." As they looked at each other she could see him rejecting the notion without hesitation. "We have our first mission the day after tomorrow. Do you think you'll be able to teach me that new jutsu in the meantime?" Hotaru knew he was dodging her advice but she also knew that the more she tried to push him the more he'd fight back. "I have my own mission tomorrow but I should have the time to show you and you can work on it on your own. It's Anbu, so I can't tell you exactly when I'm leaving."

"I'd appreciate that." They sat in silence for a while. "I'll buy dessert." Hotaru looked at the lion cub a little caught off guard. "Since you're buying me dinner to celebrate I'll buy you your favorite dessert...it's thanks to you that I've made it this far." Reiji avoided eye contact as he spoke but she knew he was sincere. He managed to surprise her every now and then. "I'm happy to help...buuut you will have to get me the deluxe edition for all my help~" Reiji smiled softly. "Who's draining who's wallet now?"

Seichi would give Toko a parting wave as he departed before sitting back down in his seat. The boy, slouched onto the counter, would glance over at his female friend beside him. Seichi scratched at his neck deep in thought. Seichi knew when they were younger there wasn't as much tension between the two. Most of their friendship being filled with child-like teasing and Toko being the resolver of their group. Is this what growing up is like? I mean, yeah, I guess I've changed alot. But how much of me? The boy would break thought noticing the awkward silence between the two. *hiccup*

"Weeellllllp- I should probably be heading home too." Seichi would say getting up from his seat and grinning towards the girl. "Seeya' later, Asuka-chan"

The boy would then giver her quick wave as he walked towards his house. Mom's probably out...maybe I'll ask dad. Seichi shrugged off his concern meanwhile. He was finally in a squad after all. A special squad, to be exact. The Hino would smile widely in excitement at his achievement.

---

The young Genin would be greeted by his dad who would forcefully open the door as soon as he neared the house. "How did it g-" His father would stop talking as he saw Seichi in new clothes and in bandages around his hand. "Yikes...everything alright?"

"Oh...yeah...everything's fine. I just went out to eat with Toko and Asuka."

"So you passed?"

"Was there ever any doubt!"

His father would laugh in a deep husky tone as he pulled Seichi into the house. Even though he was advised to use crutches and be more careful, his father would act and move with full energy. He would pick up Seichi, placing him over his shoulder and hopping on his one good foot in a cheerful manner.

"I-..wanted...to...talk- about something!" The boy would manage to shout over his father's enthusiasm.

"Alright just make it fast. We're gonna train like crazy!" His father would say still carrying Seichi as he headed towards their usual spot to train in their yard.

"Well...I wanted to ask...when did you know you had a thing for mom?"

"Hmmm..." Shusuke would stop for a moment setting his son down and staring up at the sky in thought. "When, huh? It was probably when I first saw her back when I was a Chūnin"

The two would stop until they came to the steps leading to their yard then sit down. "Hehe...she didn't like me though...As of matter of fact, she hated my guts!"

"Then how are you all here now?"

"Well...things changed. I grew up. She grew up. We became more mature. Next thing you know you popped up." The father would say rubbing his son's hair before leaning into his ear creepily. "You got a girl on your mind or somethin'?"

"Nah!" Seichi would snap back to his dad laughing at his dad's horrible story. "Only thing on my mind is when you're gonna teach me some new techniques"

"Maybe later." His dad would say as a small smile grew across his face. "Plus, your hand's all fucked up, it's too early to start using jutsu. Just try hitting those targets I set up last time."

Seichi would then remove his jacket revealing his chain mail shirt and bandages up to his elbow. In a readied stance he would pull the single fingerless glove he had on his left hand up to his wrist. The boy would then jump into the air to see his last practice target. It was a small wooden target that laid on the roof of their upper balcony. As impossible as it sounds, Seichi was told to strike at the target precisely landing his projectile on the small radial center of it. You would be able see his previous attempts of shurikens on the ground nearby which were likely blown on off the roof by the wind. It's an easy target but it's hard to sync my throw with the wind always changing in such a high up area like that. The boy would then throw the three shurikens, all of them curving in different paths towards the target and striking into the roof. Not only the wind, but the small target plus my distance makes it even harder to see what I'm striking at. Seichi had been wanting to skip the task but his dad would always scold him at his attempt to give up telling him it's a crucial element to mastering another secret technique he would be willing to teach him. The promise of learning a new technique being the only thing keeping Seichi motivated.

He would land back down onto the patchy field, digging for more shurikens in his pouch with frustration. I've been working on this for over three weeks and I haven't even came close. The restless genin would glance over at his father who was laid slouched on the steps giving off a neutral, yet observing face "How did I do that time?"

"You're focusing on the wind instead of the target." His father would reply casually.

Seichi would nod at his father's advice, knowing that's all the information his father would be willing to give him. He would then continue to repeat his attempts, each time missing but gaining more understanding.

---

Seichi would stand breathing heavily as sweat dropped from his forehead down to his chin. "Twenty minute break" He would hear his father say before descending himself onto the ground.

His father would limp towards Seichi, using his usual stick he has on him when he needs to walk long distances. "So...the test. Give me the details." He would say sitting on the ground next to Seichi. "Well it started off with us having to find some slips of paper within an hour. Then one thing led to another and we ended up having to fight Sensei."

"You all worked well together I hope."

"Yeah! Reiji started it off with his Taijutsu skills, and then I used my clones"

"Thatta-boy"

"Seji used his cool ash Kekkei Genkai, and Asuka struck at her a few times. I gotta say though we looked pretty professional out there."

"What about Toko? he's in your squad, right?"

"Yeah, but...he didn't really get to fight."

"Oh, why?"

"Its complicated."

"How complicated?"

"Toko was the only without a paper so we ha-"

"L-o-l. You like that Asuka girl, don't you?"

Seichi would cough repeatedly moving up until he was in a seated position. "What are you talking about? she's just a friend."

"That's what I said when I was your age. There's no sham-"

"Dad, I've known Asuka for years. We're just friends. Besides...she's way too proper for me."

"Heh-heh-heh...alright, tough-guy. I'll make sure to finish the wedding arrangements."

"Shut up!"

He would then jump on his dad trying to overtake the man only to be restrained by his dad's muscular arm while he laid chuckling at his son's effort.

How did he know? How could Ken possibly have figured it out? Toko rarely ever expressed his feelings, not even to his father, yet the man had known for probably a while. He was just waiting for Toko to feel comfortable enough to inform him of it. Wiping his tears, the boy would move back up to his feet, gripping the bokken tightly in his hands. Ken, he was one of a kind, wasn't he? Behind that rough, steel like exterior, there was a man who deeply and compassionately care for those around him. "Seichi..." A mere whisper, Toko couldn't look his father in the eyes as he spoke but rather let them fall to the grass softly swaying in the wind.

"Yes." A single word left Ken's mouth as he turned his gaze towards the tree, seeing its thick and luscious green vegetation dance in the wind. "I assumed so."

"How...?" The man was observant but this observant? Toko had never even mentioned his preferences to his father, how could he not only have figured that out but who Toko had his eyes on as well?

"The way you look at him, the longing in your eyes every time he leaves. Seichi claimed your heart some time ago I would reckon. Tell me, Toko. Why have you chosen not to tell me?" Given what had been shown, Ken probably already knew, but there was no point in knowing without Toko being able to express it himself.

"Heh...the esteemed Ken Ling has a son like...me." The boy's eyes wouldn't move from the spot, finding a safe place in between the green straws of grass.

"Like you, hm? Yes that sounds quite reasonable. My son does indeed remind me of you." A soft chuckle left his lips as Ken approached his child and gently placed his hand on Toko's head, pulling him closer and let him rest his forehead against Ken's stomach.

"You know what I mean..."

"I know that you worry far too much of things you have decided to be important. They are all based on ideologies you assume others have and as such, you've wallowed in their darkness. You're afraid of telling Seichi because of his reaction and we both know how that would go, I assume." The man had always been quite blunt but that was good, there was no need to beat around the bush, especially not now.

"He'd probably think I'm a freak...and I don't want to kill our friendship..."

"True, he might think you're a freak. Is it you who has killed your friendship then?"

Looking up at his father, Toko tilted his head a bit trying to decipher his father's words. "You're saying that if he casts me aside, he was never a true friend to begin with, right...?"

"Yes, and I am quite certain that is not in his nature. I have known Seichi for as long as you have and he is just like his father, a good man. Though, if I am going to be completely honest with you, telling him would indeed complicate matters. Why haven't you told Asuka?"

So this was it, the talk. First Ken wanted to unlock everything in Toko's heart and then he wanted to walk through the gate. Here they were, having the talk. "She's the most proper person I know. If anything, she'd slap me for breaking tradition."

"I see..." The man rubbed his chin for a moment, sighing slightly as he closed his eyes. "He'll have to figure out her feelings by himself. The boy has gotten himself mixed up in something quite dramatic...there is more pain to come, I am sure."

"I can't tell anyone else, either." Toko shook his head, still resting against his father with the man's hand softly placed on his son's head.

"The most important thing is to find peace within yourself, Toko. Whether your teammates and friends know or not isn't important. What's important is being in serenity with your spirit, otherwise your next battle will be your last." Battle was everything in the shinobi world and Ken was right. The boy's capabilities were seriously damaged due to this distraction in real combat, it would lead to only one outcome. "Always find comfort in one thing, son."

"What's that...?"

"Your old man doesn't care that you like the D." There was the playful side of the Chakra Knight.

"Dad!" The boy jumped back, holding his bokken up. Finally, his spirit had risen a bit. "That's so not like you! The D...really!?

"Eh..." The man shrugged, twirling his wooden sword in his hand. "You've always liked fencing, so it was never a surprise..." Ken winked at his boy, a soft grin stretching across his lips.

"Stop talking, dad!" The minimal smile on Toko's lips was back, an obvious improvement which was quite clear in his next strike. Charging forth, the boy struck his father with the edge of his bokken, meeting Ken's blade in a contest of strength.

"This isn't the end...Toko will need to face the truth about Seichi, and he will have to wound his dear friend Asuka. Hopefully they all understand that none of them have any power in how this is playing out. For now, though Toko has taken a big step...I am proud of you my son. Always embrace the person you are, and never suppress yourself because of others." Ken quite easily won the contest and with a strong slash broke the lock their blades had on each other, pushing Toko back. It wouldn't remain for long however as the boy quickly evened the distance once more with another quick strike. Their bokken clashed in a dance of blades, the wind blowing past them through the waltz. "Dodge." Ken spoke, making his son immediately step back and focus on avoiding Ken's upcoming series of strikes. With a focused mind, Toko danced between the strikes, the smile of his face widening as the fight continued. The boy did not like unnecessary battles, but he did love sparring. "Block." Twirling to the side, Toko rose his blade and caught Ken's sword ramming down on him. "Strike." Maneuvering to the side, Toko executed a powerful swing to Ken's side, an attack the man blocked.

It would however not end there, Toko continued moving around his opponent, keeping Ken on his toes as his son's focused strikes would easily find an opening unless Ken kept his guard up. "You're fighting an opponent who's defence is strong. Break my guard." In an instant, Toko's bokken acquired an orange hue to its brown length just before the blade connected with Ken's and blew it out of the way.

"Got you..." The boy smiled, the tip of his blade pressed against his father's stomach.

"Well done. Now then, Dull." A single word which meant that much more than it would imply. Dropping his bokken, Toko reached for the sword sheathed by his waist and released it from its confines, the smile now growing into a grin. "The real hurt begins now." Ken dropped his bokken, slowly lowering his hand to the sword resting by his waist. "I love you, son. Never let anyone dampen the inferno I know resides within your soul."

"Jeez… just when will this damn headache subside?"

Parked on a wooden bench, Fuyuko let her book fall flat on her face, groaning at the pain her headache was bringing. Two hours later and the effects of having a lightning jutsu rammed into the side of her head still lingered. If that technique had any more chakra put into it, then Fuyuko would have been as good as dead. Oh, and most likely with a hole the size of Konoha through her skull, too.

The calm spring breeze blew past the blooming branches, swaying from side to side. Pastel pink petals fluttered past Fuyuko, some of them getting tangled up in her black, wiry strands. "Hm… The trees are in full bloom, I thought there would be tons of people crowding around here by now…"

Happening to stroll past at the right moment, Asuka, one of Fuyuko's new Genin, found herself locking eyes with her taller-than-average sensei. The girl felt her stomach flip over like a pancake, her body suddenly going all stiff and rigid.

"Hey there, Asuka! How're you doing?"

Guilt ridden and extremely paranoid, Asuka fumbled over her words, twirling the ends of her hair behind her back. Even though what she said was probably just a 'small' thing, it still made Asuka feel bad neverthelessclShe didn't exactly mean to talk bad of her sensei, but in all honesty, Fuyuko did seem a bit unstable. After everything that had happened during the final 4v1 battle a few hours ago, it was clear Asuka had had her daily dose of psychopathic face expressions.

"O-Oh… Good afternoon, Fuyuko-sensei. I… I am well, thank you."

Smiling, Fuyuko tapped the empty space beside her. "Wanna take a seat? I figured it'd be nice to get to know some of my students, you know?"

Although hesitant at first, Asuka headed over to where her teacher sat, plopping herself next to her. She kept her thighs close together, hands in lap and back straight. It wasn't really that hard for Fuyuko to realise what was going on here. The woman had had her fair share of awkward moments with supposedly awkward people, and an even larger share of 'trying to break the awkwardness' type of moments with said awkward people.

"Look, if there's something you wanna say, then just say it."

"Wha- I mean sorry, come again?"

"C'mon kid, you look like someone who's been waiting take a shit for the past twenty-four hours. It's better to let that shit out rather than just leaving it there."

Even the way she portrayed some things were exceedingly weird. Fuyuko did have a point however. Leaving large waste products in your body is never a good idea.

"It's nothing, sensei, really… It's just that…"

"What? Just spit it out."

"Well, I sort of find you a bit… weird. I mean, the way you smile and act, it's almost like you're a-"

Fuyuko's interruptive laugh was loud, almost deafening to Asuka's ears. What worried her was that it sounded more like an devilish cackle than an expression of amusement. The woman clutched her stomach, unable to contain her laughter any longer.

"Totally knew you were gonna say that. I kinda get that a lot, so it really isn't something to get frustrated about. Heck, even my brother used to say I would become a famed psychopath when I was older!"

"You have a brother?"

"I had a brother."

Asuka went silent after that. The subject of death was something she would rather skip than talk openly about to other people. Past experiences where a partial reason for this, but all in all, it was just something Asuka wasn't comfortable talking about.

"O-Oh… I see…" the young Koizumi muttered. "Sorry, I didn't know…"

"You shouldn't let that worry you, kiddo," Fuyuko responded, waving her hand in front of her face. "Uh, just one question, though… You're a Koizumi, right?"

Asuka raised her head. "Yes, I am."

"Ah, okay. You see, I have a friend who's a Koizumi, actually… Ever heard of Hiroki Koizumi?"

For a brief moment, Asuka flinched, her muscles tensing. "U-Um… No, sorry, I haven't."

"Seriously?" Fuyuko screeched, her silver eyes popping out of their sockets. Shoving her book into Asuka's face, she pointed at the cover, running her finger over the title. "You know, the writer of 'Dying Seasons'? You're saying you've never heard of this guy before?"

Fuyuko sighed as the Genin shook her head frantically, looking at her with disappointment in her eyes. "I'm not being biased or anything, but seriously, his book is amazing! Better than the piles of shit Kagura What's-her-face writes. Jeez, what do you teenagers get up to in your spare time nowadays? These novels are pretty much begging to be read."

Fuyuko's bursting enthusiasm for books was something Asuka didn't suspect of her, considering her unusual behaviour presented earlier on. In her opinion, Fuyuko just didn't seem like the sort of person who would have an obsession for books. Her wild personality almost denied the fact that she was any sort of book nerd. But, knowing how strong her opinions where on these two authors, she was obviously one hell of a book nerd.

"Well, I may not be as knowledgeable about Hiroki Koizumi, but I have read a few of Takehiro Kawaguchi's books…"

"Takehiro, huh? I've actually got some of his books stashed up in my cupboard. To be honest though, his stuff really isn't that interesting."

"Ye-Yeah…"

There it was again. Asuka's body was frozen solid, as if her limbs had been bound by heavy metal chains. Her eyes grew larger as she saw the man behind the tree, leaning against it and looking off into the distance. Getting to her feet and offering a small bow, Asuka mumbled a quick thank you before leaving.

"Please excuse me, Fuyuko-sensei, I have to go now. It was nice talking to you."

"Oh… Well, nice talking to you too, Asuka. See you in two days time!"

After that, Asuka scrambled away, speed walking past the cherry blossom trees. Fuyuko actually knows him… One of Maika-sama's four…

Taking her eyes off the Koizumi girl, Fuyuko swung her head back, placed her book over her face again and let out long sigh. "Man, she walks pretty fast…"

"That's because she was speed walking, Fuyuko."

The man spoke with a soft, yet low voice, as if he was the creepy whisper you would hear when the wind came whistling through the trees. Fuyuko shrieked as the book was lifted from her face and smacked back down onto her forehead. Looking up, she sighed at the familiar face.

"Goddammit, Hiroki… Don't scare me like that again…"

"Mm."

Folding his arms, Hiroki rested against the wooden bench, glancing back at Fuyuko. "Was that one of your new Genin?"

"You bet it was. Damn, I can't believe she didn't even know any of the people I mentioned… Well, she knew Takehiro Kawaguchi, but he's pretty popular anyway."

"Well, you did only mention two names…"

"So? I swear, if she knew more about she-who-shall-not-be-mentioned than you, I would have flipped out. Seriously, there's nothing goof about her books anyway."

Ruffling the woman's hair, the man chuckled. "You're such a nerd."

"And you're the one who got me into books in the first place."

Snatching the novel from Hiroki's grasp, Fuyuko shoved it back into her pocket, grinning. No matter how bad the insults where, they wouldn't be able to stand a chance against Fuyuko's witty comebacks. Whether she was extremely drunk or extremely angry, her tongue always held the best of witty words. Lifting herself from the bench, Fuyuko dragged Hiroki along the stone path, gazing up at the swaying tree branches.

"So... how did your little test go?" Hiroki asked, face straight and neutral.

"Well, the kids did their thing, they made it without being blown to smithereens, and I literally got K.O-ed by one of the Genin's lightning jutsu. It still really fucking hurts too, you know? Whenever I get the chance, I'll singe that big ass lion mane of his, you bet."

"Mm."

Fuyuko groaned, slapping the man's arm lightly. "Is that all you ever respond with now? See, this is why you're still single and will be forever single, Hiroki. People like it when you actually talk to them, you know?"

"Yes, they do. But, what they don't like is people ranting about other people which causes the people you're talking to run off and saying, 'this woman is actually insane'. Remember what happened last time at that one restaurant, Fuyuko?"

Fuyuko tried to open up her mouth to speak, but immediately closed it after. The woman sighed, staring up at the sky. "Screw it, I've been defeated, Hiroki."

---

"These are the details of your next mission, Fuyuko. We didn't want to cause too much of a ruckus there, so we sent a few of our ANBU shinobi to scout the area for anything unusual."

Fuyuko scanned the documents she was given, examining the vital details of the next A-rank mission. A trip to Yugakure to eliminate a supposed member of the organization Konoha had been following for the past few weeks. Where her students really ready for a task like this? Sure, they were strong and could most definitely hold their ground, but where their strength in numbers going to be enough to defeat an opponent of the organization? Was Fuyuko's strength going to be enough to repel them? The endless outcomes of the mission swarmed her head, with the most tragic ones popping up more frequently. Worst comes to worst, the entire team would be killed off in an instant.

"Hokage-sama, I know that these Genin are extremely talented, but do you think they're capable of performing an A-rank mission right off the bat? I mean, they're still-"

"You mustn't worry, Fuyuko," the Third interrupted. "Have faith in your own strength. Don't let your doubts be the reason for your downfall."

Fuyuko continued to ponder over the Hokage's words of advice. The man was right. If she doubted herself, all the negativity would eventually harm her. If that happened, it would be the incident from five years ago all over again. She couldn't let that event repeat itself.

She would never let that event repeat itself.

"Of course, Hokage-sama… Don't worry, I'll- no, we'll get the job done as fast as we can."

"Don't stress yourself and your team out too much, Fuyuko. It's best if you execute this mission discreetly without causing too much panic."

With a nod of approval, Fuyuko left the office, going over the documents she had been entrusted with.

So… it seems there have been a few murders taking place in this tourist village, and it looks like it's gotten to the point where people are starting to actually freak out. What is the organization aiming for exactly?

Many minutes later, Fuyuko arrived at the colossal gates of Konoha, bags packed and ready to set off. Hair tied into a high ponytail and dressed in the traditional military green flak jacket, Fuyuko was prepared for business. Now, all she had to do was wait. Grabbing the book 'Dying Seasons' from her pouch, she flicked through the pages, her eyebrows scrunched up together.

"Now… which page was I on…?"

As light peered through the crack of his window, Seichi would wake up in a mess of pillows and blankets sprawled across his bed. He would manage to pull himself up from his rested position and stretch while yawning at the same time. "My arms are killing me." he would grumble while rolling himself off his bed. Seichi had been still trying to perfect the difficult throw over the past few days but still, to no surprise, has been unable to. "All that throwing is really coming back" The Genin would add continuing to stretch his arm across his chest.

The boy would go through his usual morning routine, waking himself up more and more. Seichi would wear his usual fishnet shirt followed by a sleeveless hoodie he wore unzipped. After putting on his regular skinny black sweatpants, he would slide into his ninja slippers and examine himself in the mirror, shrugging off the messiness that was his hair. He would start to attach his ninja pouches and gloves until he came upon his slightly healed hand. The wound would only appear to be on the back of his hand and wrist. Cautiously he would wrap the burned hand in white bandages concealing the scar then exit his room grabbing his headband on the way out. Tying the headband respectfully around his left arm, he would grab his backpack which laid hanged on a nearby wall. He would begin to stuff numerous supplies into the bag, mainly snacks and Kunai, then head out of his door slowly letting the door close in hopes of the sound not waking up his grumpy-in-the-moring father.

Seichi would start down the path, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets. As he neared the gate, he would see his sensei staring sternly at her book. What a nerd...

"Whatsup!" He would shout unnecessarily loud to announce his presence.

Staring up at the ceiling, Toko laid completely still in his bed with thoughts constantly circling his head. Today they were going to start the first mission, and it would put his life in danger more than once. He needed to have his mind on the mission and stay focused, or a silly and foolish distraction would be the end of him. Rubbing his eyes, Toko slipped out of bed and continued to make it, straightening out the edges and flattening the sheets before he made his way into the shower. Hopefully this would all go well, he had been looking forward to this for a long time and now that it was finally here, he was overthinking it. Get in, finish the mission, get out, that's all there was to it. He wasn't supposed to lean on his emotions too much, and the only reason he did was because of Seichi. He needed to get the guy out of his head and move on. It was time to grow up and leave a petty crush that couldn't possibly lead anywhere behind. Toko was a ninja, a warrior, they both were. Entering a romantic relationship as a ninja wasn't a very good idea to begin with, facing dangers every single day and risking death with every mission.

Toko dried himself and slipped into his undergarments before he slid his black cargo pants on and his t-shirt. Sliding into his fingerless gloves and arm protectors, Toko finished by putting his belts on along with his sword. "It might get cold..." Grabbing a slightly oversized black hoodie, they all were, Toko put it on walked out of his room. This was it, the day he had been waiting for. He put his ninja slippers on, seeing how his father was reading the newspaper in the kitchen with a cup of coffee slowly producing faint traces of steam due to its warmth.

"Good luck, Toko."

"Thanks, dad..." With a soft wave, the boy would leave their home and started down the street towards the gates, his hands in his pockets as they often were when he was walking. "Have to concentrate. No more bullshit, Toko. You're fifteen, not eleven. Be professional." Nothing was ever going to happen between him and Seichi, it was time to accept that and move on. Speaking of Seichi, he was already standing by the gate with their Sensei, her face buried in a book. "If anything, I'll need to keep my focus up not to get killed by that psycho." She'd be sooner to kill him than the enemy would.

"Hello." Approaching the two, Toko spoke quietly before he leaned against the gate and breathed out. Now they needed to wait for the rest. It felt like they were always waiting for something. Twiddling with the sleeve of his shirt, it was big enough to cover up most of his hands, revealing only the tips of his small fingers as Toko absentmindedly tugged at the stretch bands. "I'm not feeling anxious at all, despite the dangers we're about to face...the only thing that scares me is if I get distracted and that jeopardises the mission.

Looking up, Toko saw the lush forest outside of the gates and remembered the test. This was going to be so much worse than that. This time not only their Sensei would be trying to kill them but also a bunch of enemies you actually expect would want to kill you. Gently tracing his fingers across the leather wrapped hilt of his sword, Toko turned his eyes back to the two, seeing how their Sensei had her nose in a book still. "I've no interest in proving myself to her...but I wonder what she knows about all of our skills. She saw everyone else in the test and will probably assign different tasks to us based on that. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Concentrating on his fingerless glove, Toko gently pulled his sleeve up to see the orange hue glimmering off of it. Such a small piece of cloth wasn't hard to enchant, but he needed to make sure that he'd be able to in the heat of battle, would he ever lose his sword. If he faced opponents much larger and much physically stronger than himself, Impact would be required to make the battle shorter. He dropped his sleeve back to place and allowed his hand to return to his side. Next, he would use Strengthen on his forearm protector. That worked as well, but being able to enchant one thing at a time, his sword was going to be his first priority. Ken always stated that Toko needed to learn to automatically be able to use Strengthen on one item at a time but that was difficult to say the least. He needed to practice a lot more before that was possible.

As the wind blew across his face, Seichi would stand fidgeting in anticipation. He would nod to Toko as he joined the two by the gate. As Seichi stood he would be at the same time deep in thought about the mission. Seichi never really knew what happen on mission, other than his dad's old stories which he didn't believe half of the time. He didn't really know what the group thought of him at the moment. So far he's had minimal interactions with the others, excluding Asuka and Toko. Maybe I should change my act.

------

"Seichi! Get off the table!"

"Okay...okay!"


"God! If you're serious about being a shinobi you need to learn how to act more mature! And go put a shirt on willya!"

------

Mature. Those words echoed throughout the boy's mind. Was he mature enough to be ninja? Did the others think he was mature? As the questions left his mind unanswered he would look over at his sensei who's face laid buried in her book. "So Sensei, this mission has to do with that organization right?" Seichi would say pacing in front of her in a relaxed state. "Whats this organization business gotta do with us and being special and all?"

Standing for a moment with his thoughts constantly poking at him, Toko gave off a colder, more reserved and distant aura. He seemed to be concentrated and focus in a way he hadn't been before, though it wasn't all just preparation for the mission to come. His large brown eyes would find home on the ground where they stared off absentmindedly as his hands almost lifelessly hung down his sides, the boy's very being appearing slightly off. Like before it was hard to read him but one thing stuck out more so than anything else, Toko had a completely neutral expression. He wasn't smiling, he just was. "Call me when everyone gets here." Straight to the point, Toko looked at the other two for just a brief moment giving them the cold shoulder and headed out of the gates, starting into the forest. Once he was deep enough in a thicket of trees, the boy released his sword with a deep breath and prepared a stance. "The mission needs to come before my distractions. I'm old enough to understand that." He swung his blade through the air in a rapid set of fluid motions before returning the blade to his sheath in the flow. Lowering himself to his knee, he released his sword again, the blue hue glowing through its edge as the four small trees around him were all cut down in a single circular motion. "I've had enough...I'm done riding my feelings like a wave while showing everyone a smile. It's exhausting...I'm tired of smiling." True to his thoughts, Toko's trademark smile had been replaced by a neutral expression neither frown nor smile.

Tossing the sword up, the blade twirled in the air before he gracefully grabbed it by the hilt and swung it once more. "No one will show me any mercy out there...I'm nothing but an enemy to those we are going to face. I might as well act like a proper one."

"Oh my...what did those trees ever do to you...?"

Turning towards the voice, Toko rose his eyebrow slightly examining the new arrival. He didn't seem like much, similar to Toko himself. A boy as well, his brown hair was of medium length and his clothes were quite laid back with a pair of green pants folded up by the ankles and a thin sweater finding home on his torso. He wore a set of glasses as well, rather fitting upon his frame. The sword on his back was quite interesting as well, and this person seemed familiar in a way that resonated with blood rather than familiarity. "Who are you?"

"It's rude not to answer a question, you know." The boy would chuckle softly, leaning against a tree with his hands in his pockets. "My name's Makoto." His small size and lithe frame indicated a specific bloodline very familiar with Toko.

"Toko." The black haired boy would return, sheathing his blade. "Sorry for ruining your trees."

"Huh?" Makoto scratched the back of his head, looking down at the small tree trunks. "A person cutting down trees out in the woods is either heartbroken or a woodchopper. Ling's are rarely woodchoppers, though."

"I'm just honing my skills." Toko responded, eyeing the new arrival with caution. If Makoto was indeed a Ling, how come Toko had never seen him before?

"Ya know, you can cut through wood like a hot knife through butter, you should move on to something else, buddy." Makoto chuckled slightly placing his hands behind his head as the boy's emerald green eyes traveled to the blue sky. "Going out on your first mission?"

"You're stalking me?" Toko didn't speak to this boy with anger or frustration in his voice, but rather leaned back against a tree himself with his arms crossed and eyes on Makoto.

"You were standing out in the open with some guy and a Jounin, waiting for others. Unless you're going out on a picnic, which would be awesome, you're going out on a mission, right?"

"You seem to enjoy asking questions you know the answer to."

"Hehe yeah...I'm weird like that." Makoto approached Toko and playfully leaned forward, that bright smile of his beaming. "Wanna' spar?"

Moving back a bit against the tree as Makoto got closer, Toko analysed him before turning to look towards the direction of the gate. "I can't right now. The others are waiting for me."

"Hm, I understand. Tell ya' what, we'll meet again and we can spar then, alright?" What was it with this guy? He had appeared out of nowhere and just acted like the two had known each other forever. What was his deal?

"We'll meet again? You seem awfully sure of that..."

"Weeeeeell..." Makoto crossed his arms closing his large green eyes for a moment before winking at Toko. "We live in a small world, dontcha' know?"

"Uh-huh..."

"I better be going before your friends think something ate you. Good luck out there, Toko!" Makoto patted the other boy's shoulder. "Oh and, you should totally visit some hot springs when you're out and about. Those places are sweet."

"Uh-huh..." Toko repeated, seeing how Makoto disappeared into the thicket of trees. Well, that was weird to say the least. Who the hell was he?

"Whatsup!" a voice shouted, throwing Fuyuko off her concentration. Glancing up, the woman smiled, waving at the blue eyed Genin.

"Oh, hey there!" she responded. "You're kinda earlier than expected, but that's a good thing, isn't it?"

Fuyuko didn't really have much to do at that point. Sure, she had her book, but even she felt a bit awkward when things weren't playing out in front of her. Maybe if she started up some random conversation her boredum would ease away?

"So Sensei, this mission has to do with that organization right? What's this organization business gotta do with us and being special and all?"

Oh well. Looks like Seichi was happy to do it for her.

Pocketing her book, Fuyuko panned over to Seichi. "Yes, it does… We've been sent to eliminate a threat over at Yugakure, someone who's been suspected to be a member of this organization the ANBU have been stalking for the past month."

Looking away, the woman gazed up at the sky, her eyes following the floating clouds. "I wanted to tell you guys this when you're all here, but seeing as you're so eager, might as well just say it now. We've decided to take a more… discreet approach towards this organization. We don't want any sort of commotion going on inside the village when there's already problems beginning to surface outside of it, so the Hokage's keeping quiet about it. For now, anyways. I mean, it's not like anyone's going to suspect a bunch of fresh-out-the-Academy Genin, right?"

Panning back to Seichi, Fuyuko smiled. "Well, I hope that's answered your question, then. Now, all we have to do is wait for the others…"

As if on queue, the young Koizumi appeared at the gate, bags packed for the long journey ahead. Dressed in the same attire from the last time they had fought, Asuka made her way to the two other ninja with quiet steps. She clutched the strap of her shoulder bag, displaying a small smile.

"Good morning, Seichi-kun, Fuyuko-sensei."

"Great! Now that makes two of us. Now we're just waiting for that guy with the head of electrocuted fluff…"

Asuka tried to stiffle her giggles, putting a hand to her mouth. "I see that you must be referring to Reiji-san, no?"

The older woman huffed, crossing her arms. It was clear that ever since the test from two days ago, a grudge against the platinum haired boy was beginning to grow at the back of Fuyuko's head. The fact that she got knocked out by a teen two ranks below her remained a secret amongst the rest of her students and her friend Hiroki. To be honest, Fuyuko actually found it quite irritating and downright embarrassing.

"Well, who else would I be referring to? That fuzzy haired bastard's gotta keep an eye out if he doesn't want to his hair smelling like that one time when I forgot to put water in my instant ramen cup."

Instead of laughing, Asuka stood there, dumbfounded. Forgetting to put water in microwave ramen? Asuka could fully understand someone burning their cooking on the stove, but forgetting the water in the cup was just absolutely ridiculous.

"What? There's this thing called being drunk and desperate… Shit, I need to rephrase that…"

Whilst Fuyuko tried to rethink her seemingly misinterpreted words, Asuka gazed at the long dirt path before her. She'd actually never been that far from the village before, and the feeling of leaving home without any guarantee that she'll come back alive was quite nerve wracking. Although she didn't want to be too reliant on Fuyuko, she knew she was safer with her. The test from two days ago was more than enough to make Asuka realise that messing with Fuyuko was no joke.

"So, it's just us three for the meantime? Have Toko-kun and Seji-san arrived yet, or are we still waiting for them?"

"They're not coming back."

Her sensei's words hit Asuka straight in the heart. They weren't coming back? How? Why?

"Fuyuko-sensei, you're not-"

"No, I'm not kidding around. I have my own reasons for dropping those two from the squad."

"But sensei, you didn't even give Toko-kun a chance to-"

"I know what he's capable of. Asuka, not even you can slice trees that big… That boy possesses a unique kekkei genkai that enhances the weapons he carries. Of course, that boy has a lot of potential, but in my eyes, he just doesn't seem fit for the team yet. Also, Seji, while an academic genius and proficient in his ninjutsu, I'm not sure if he's suitable for a group like this… There's just no way I'm taking any chances that could put this group at risk."

So that's how it was. Just like that, and her friend and an acquaintance of hers had been removed. Asuka felt the need to argue against her teacher's actions, but at the same time, she was beginning to come to her senses about the change. She didn't want to admit it, but Toko wasn't the strongest of ninjas, especially when it came to techniques and such. All he had was a sword and a body that could hopefully wind through the much larger opponents Toko would often encounter.

Sighing, Fuyuko unfolded her arms, shoving them into her pocket. "Once Reiji arrives, we'll be setting off. Understood?"

"Understood, Sensei." The boy would say in a soft voice. Seichi of all people was the most strucken by Sensei's decision. He felt a thrall of emotions at the idea of leaving Toko, but he knew it was for his protection. The boy would raise his hands and put them behind his head as his big blue eyes started into the sky. "I guess this just means we have to work extra hard then, right?" Seichi would say trying to bring light to the disappointing news. He would clench his fist in anger as memories of him and Toko flashed through his mind. I promise I'll see you again, Toko! The genin would make the mental promise to himself as the fire in his eyes lit up with intensity. He would then glance over at Asuka, understanding how she must have been feeling too. Asuka too!

"L-o-l. Don't let Toko distract you now on this mission." He would say to his female friend locking eyes with her. "Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it."

"Rrgh!" With a quick bang Reiji was sent flying and onto his back. Sitting up it was clear that this kind of backfire wasn't the first by the scrapes and scuffs that covered him. "That's getting old..." Getting back to his feet he began weaving the handsigns again. "Calm down. Frustration is only going to make this worse." Hotaru stood nearby coaching the lion cub. Reiji took a breath knowing that she was right. His headstrong approach to learning jutsu wasn't gonna work on this one. "This jutsu is dependent on your worst attribute, chakra control. The upside is that it isn't such precise control that you can't master it." Walking next to the wooden dummy Reiji had been practicing on she touched the shallow cuts covering its surface. "Not enough chakra and it's no stronger than your Rain Swallow. Too much and you end up flat on your ass. I think you're familiar~" Hotaru gave Reiji a wry smile. He glared back and then tried to concentrate on his chakra. "Didn't you have a mission? I though you could stay to coach me." Hotaru pretended to have forgotten. "Damn, I guess I lost track of time. Alright, I'm going. Don't be late for your own mission..." She started to walk off then stopped flashing Reiji a soft smile. "And don't push yourself too hard~" With a quick handsign Hotaru vanished in a puff of smoke. Reiji watched her leave. "Lost track of time, huh? Hmph...I won't waste it anymore than you have then~" Stealing a glance at the wooden dummy he turned and walked off to start his real training.

---

The sun was barely up the next day and Reiji was not far behind it. Hotaru had shown him the handsigns and gave him as much advice as he'd let her. Taking his time and practicing jutsu and techniques regularly didn't work for Reiji. So he'd take training a couple steps further. Standing in a small clearing he drew a couple shuriken from his leg holster and tossed them into the trees. A few wire snaps could be heard through the brush and a moment later several wooden posts came swinging through the trees. Reiji sidestepped the one chunks of wood, his eyes darting around keeping track of them all. With quick footwork he dodged around the swinging obstacles and began to weave handsigns. He then dashed forward towards an incoming post. "Ngh!" Reiji took the full force of the obstacle slamming into his torso and throwing him back with only nick left on it's surface. Managing to keep on his feet he gained his balance spun to avoid another post coming from the side. Dodging around a few more he found some space and weaved the handsigns again. The next moment there was a bang and Reiji was thrown back once again and into a post slamming his back. "Kuh!" Falling to his hands and knees he tried to catch his breath having had it abruptly knocked out of him. "Tch, too little and I'm just throwing myself into harms way. Too much and I'm only aiding my enemy." This was his way of training. Pushing his mind and body. He was better under pressure and learned faster in battle. Simulating both helped him master his abilities. Reiji stood, dashing back out of the range of a post. "With that in mind..." He threw another round of shuriken initiating another wave.

---

"I know what he's capable of. Asuka, not even you can slice trees that big… That boy possesses a unique kekkei genkai that enhances the weapons he carries. Of course, that boy has a lot of potential, but in my eyes, he just doesn't seem fit for the team yet. Also, Seji, while an academic genius and proficient in his ninjutsu, I'm not sure if he's suitable for a group like this… There's just no way I'm taking any chances that could put this group at risk."

"That's too bad. I was looking forward to seeing them in action in the field." Reiji arrived at the front gate where what was left of the team was waiting. Having been training up to only an hour before coming to meet the squad he was lightly bandaged underneat his clothes. Finishing off the last of the hefty lunch he'd eaten to replenish his chakra, Reiji tossed the wrapper into a bin nearby. "If we're going after a dangerous target, I'm sure our sensei has given her decision a lot of thought." It was still a shame though. After seeing Seji's skills during the test he had been looking forward to a spar. And Toko had made it through the academy on mostly his swordsmanship. Fuyuko's remark about Asuka not being able to match his cutting prowess only made Reiji more curious. "Oh right. I hope you're feeling better Fuyuko-sensei. I'm sorry again for what happened." He said referring to the incident at the end of their test.