The bustling city of Konoha would be lively and active as children could be seeing chasing each other, and adults would be seen socializing around the village's various locations. Takeo would be the most recognizable out of the midst, sporting his signature goggles always pushed up to wrap around his forehead, as well as brown dusty clothes that leave you questioning if that was the clothing's original color. He would along the village's path leading to the training grounds.

Today was the day he would meet his squad for the first time. It was all still shocking to Takeo though. He could easily remember the older days when he was mere inexperienced Genin. He would winch at the thought of it. The Jounin would pause for a moment after hearing a recognizable voice.

"Slow down, Idiot."

Hideo Moto, an old squad member of Takeo. The two had a bitter rivalry which got less intense as the two grew up. The main conflict coming from Hideo's incredibly rude personality as well as the two looking so similar that they be mistaken for twins.

"Those slow ass Genin won't be here until at least noon."

"I just wanna take it all in."

"Whatever. My Team will probably puss out after they hear my name."

"Yeah, yeah..." Takeo would say walking faster hoping Hideo would leave him alone.

---

Takeo would finally arrive to training ground, he specified to the academy teacher to include. The training grounds Takeo chose was much in his favor. One side laid a large hill which descended on a steep slope. Another side a large abundance of thick forests which stretched for miles. Along the hill there was also a small waterfall which flowed it waters into a moderately large lake which took up a fair amount of the training grounds itself. The heavy mix of nature gave Takeo a euphoric feeling. He would breath in deeply and exhale while relaxing on a nearby tree stump.

"This place is perfect..." He would say as the cool wind blew across his face and hair. He would look glance up at the sky in a seated position before slouching down so that he laid on the tree stump in a lazy-boy type position.

"I should have some time to spare before they get here." he would shut his eyes, instantly falling into a heavy deep sleep.

The classroom of anxious Genin was loud and filled with childish chatter like any other classroom would. Each Genin had their own emotions and driving ambitions which helped them come this far so tensions were quite high. Would you be on a good squad? Would you have a sucky Sensei? Will you're closest friend be on your squad? Those questions ran through the minds of several of the students as they sat in the classroom waiting to hear their teams. Unfortunately all they could do is wait as their Instructor stood in front of the room looking through various folder and sheets. She would glance up once in a while to look at specific students then look back down.

---

This is where the RP will start. You are a newly graduated Genin who's waiting to finally be assigned to your squad for future missions. Once we have all the spots filed an everything gets sorted I will move on with e plot and you will go to your appointed Sensei who is that the training grounds specified. Take this time to write up your characters thought, or show some pre-established relationships. This optional, but however this moment will probably be a key factor in your character development in the RP.

Despite the importance of the day, when it was time for Momo to wake up and get ready for the day, she wasn't very eager to part with her blankets. It took some time and quite a bit of effort on her part to finally roll out of bed, and even then she ended up laying on the cool wooden floor and falling asleep in the middle of her room. It wasn't until her father strode into the room, hefted Momo up over one shoulder and carried her out to the kitchen for breakfast, did she realize there was no more time for her to sleep.

Kicking and yelling, Momo was carried to the kitchen table and haphazardly tossed onto a chair, her father not saying anything until she complained about his treatment of her.

"So violent! Is that any way to treat your little girl?" she mumbled, running a hand through her hair.

"How else was I supposed to get you to the table?" her father asked, shaking his head as he's started to eat the food on his plate.

"You should have let me sleep!" she whined, grabbing a piece of ham and nibbling on it.

"Do you not remember what today is?" he asked, raising brow. Momo sighed at this and rubbed her eyes.

"Of course I do. It's why I couldn't sleep last night. I'm so nervous..."

Her dad was about to speak, but paused when the voice of a woman came from behind Momo.

"Now now dear, you've nothing to worry about."

Momo turned her head to look behind her, seeing her mother slowly approaching the table in her wheelchair. Both Momo and her father stood from their seats, ready to help the sickly woman push herself forward, but the knowing woman rose a hand to stop them and continued to the table on her own. She moved her wheelchair right up to the table next to Momo's seat and pulled over the plate of food that was waiting for her.

"Mornin' mother. How're you feeling?"

"Nevermind me, Momo. What is this I hear about you being nervous?" the woman asked, giving a smile to her husband across the table. He returned it with a smirk of his own and continued on eating.

"Well, I just... I'm getting assigned my team today and really don't know who to expect. I'm worried I might get crappy teammates who are idiots and will be a total pain. I want teammates who are strong and reliable... but... what if they are and then I become the one who's a total pain? What if my sensei is crazy? What if they don't think I'm good enough? What if-"

"Now now dear, as I said before, you have no need to worry. Whatever happens was meant to happen and you'll handle it like you've always done."

"Horribly?"

"To the best of your ability." he father chimed in. "You've trained hard to get where you are. You're ready for this next step. You get a chance to see more of the world and learn from someone much younger than your mom and I. It'll be a great experience for you." he said .

"You think so?"

"We know so." he mother said, patting her back. "Now. Unless you want to be late, I suggest you finish eating and get going."

"Okay."

---

Later that day, Momo sat in the classroom amongst the handful of students graduating at the same time as her. She wasn't really listening to the instructor as he was talking, rather, she stared out the open window with her chin resting on one palm and a kunai twirling around the finger of her other hand. She wasn't lost in thought, just so focused on the scenery outside the window, that Momo had drowned out the sounds of the room. She did this sometimes to calm her nerves, and it usually worked, because as she had been sitting around waiting for her name to be called, everyone who she knew had been assigned to different squads.

Momo only had a few friends, but no enemies thankfully. She was hoping to get assigned to teams with perhaps one of them, but as they were called one by one and given teammates, her hopes were crushed as she was left with only people she didn't know. Her blue eyes flickered from the window to the instructor as she heard her name being called, and was disappointed to hear he had simply wanted her to put the kunai away before someone got hurt. As if she didn't know how to handle the weapon. With a roll of her eyes, she sheathed the blade and went back to gazing out the window, though this time she had her ears focused on the class.

The night before had been terrible for Keita. Not only because he was nervous about the next day but he was worried. Despite having flawlessly passed the practical exam to become a genin, he was worried that maybe he wasn't quite as ready to face the real world as he originally thought he would be. What if he messed up? What if he failed his team? What if he.. what if he died? The only thing he could have done was tell his wild thoughts to get a hold of itself and force himself to sleep. The next day the sound of birds were what had broken him from his troubled slumber. It had been nearly 2am when he had finally managed to force his thoughts under control long enough for him to get a modicum of rest, but he still didn't feel like he'd gotten enough.

There was a knock on his door: "Keita-sama. It is time to wake up. Your team assignment is today," the sound of one the resident maids came through the door.

"Coming," he mumbled, but he was sure the woman heard him for she knocked and said no more. The walls were paper thin in the traditional home, after all. Keita forced himself out of bed and got ready. Brushing his teeth woke him to at least a semi-normal state of awareness. Once dressed, he headed for the kitchen where the time was on the wall. It was still early so he could afford to sit down and have breakfast. However, Keita didn't like to. Morning meals meant sitting with his parents and that also meant he had to interact with them. Don't get him wrong, he loved his mother, but his relationship was somewhat strained with that of his dad. Their conversations with each other tended to be short and clipped, and despite his mother's best efforts, the routine could never change.

As was expected, his parents were already at the table. He kissed his mother's cheek in greeting, earning him a smile. "Good morning, Mother," he told her and sat beside her before nodding at his dad who sat at the head of the table, "Father."

"Good morning, sweetie."

His father's answer was a noncommittal grunt.

Nothing more was said and only the clinking of dishes filled the void of silence that had filled the dining area. His mother cleared her throat when it got to be too much for her. "So, dear, today is your team assignment. Are you excited?"

"Delighted," he mumbled, sarcastically.

"Oh, I am sure it is not so bad," she reassured, while sending meaningful glances at her husband. Ryuusei said nothing, however. She sighed.

"It might not be," Keita mumbled, ignoring his dad as he spread jam and cream cheese onto his toast. He shook his head and set the knife down. "I'm probably over-reacting."

Meta smiled and reached over to pet his head, something that generally annoyed him because it made him feel like a child, but today was different. He needed the soothing touch. "It's fine, dear. It's normal to be nervous on the first day. You're a genin now and you will be given lots of responsibilities, but nothing you have not done before. I know you will surpass even your own expectations." She paused. "I know your sister would have been proud."

Keita felt a small bubble of pride in his chest at her words. He smiled. "Thank you, Mother."

Breakfast was finished quickly and the two maids came in to clear the table as Keita stood up to go to his room and gather up his gear. He paused as he reached for his sister's scroll. Would he need it? He doubted it. They were only meeting their jounin-sensei today, but one could never be too sure. But he also didn't have space and unless they were going on a mission outside of the gates he didn't want to have to take a whole backpack with him in order to conceal its presence. In the end, he left it. Hopefully, he wouldn't regret it. He left his room, fully geared and headed for the front door. Before he could, however, his father's voice stopped him:

"Keita."

He looked back to see the man standing at the opening of the hall.

Keita raised his eyebrow, though he remembered to remain respectful. "Yes, father?"

Blue eyes watched him for a moment, then inclining his head said, "...Good luck."

The well wish was short, but in those two words, Keita felt there was so much more being said. He smiled minimally and bowed.

"Thanks."

---

Despite his aloof appearance, Keita was quite excited as much as he was impatient in his seat. He did not suffer restless leg syndrome nor did he shift around like the other kids in the classroom while waiting for his name to be called, but it was something close. The hairs on his arm pointing sky high belied his otherwise calm demeanor. Keita was a friendly person. And as such, he had lots of friends to choose from, others he spoke with as just acquaintances, and still some he only saw on occasion. Momo Sakurai who sat at the window was of those he spoke to rarely but she did seem nice if a bit eccentric. He didn't see Rima. Perhaps he was running late? Overall, he didn't think he would be put on a bad team and could only hope he did his best to not hold them back.

Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to meditate. Getting all jumpy now wouldn't make the instructor's role calling move any faster, so he preoccupied himself by talking amicably with his friends until one by one, they all were assigned and he was left with others he didn’t otherwise know. But he wasn’t bothered. Talking helped him to focus and pretty soon he was over being nervous. Whatever happens, happens, he could do nothing to change that and so he resigned himself to knowing that he would just do his best. He had worked hard for this day. There was no reason to believe he would fail. He imagined his sister sitting up front with the instructor, possibly cajoling her into letting him be on a good team. She looked up and a smile appeared on her pale features, an encouraging one that told him he could do it.

And he believed it.

In the Miyazaki household, a young boy was insistently shaking a form that was stubbornly burrowing itself further in its cocoon of blankets. Usually, it wouldn't be as hard to wake his older brother up but last night seemed particularly tense for the whole family upon Rima returning home and loudly stating at the dinner table that Academy Graduation would be the next day. Things didn’t go as well as he expected with the sudden tension of his parents and the genin to be eventually fled to his room early to escape the sudden pressure, although sleep didn’t come till much later that night.

Tired of his elder brother’s stalling, he was not going to miss breakfast for this! Daiki carefully climbed onto a nearby dresser, took aim and dove with a war cry--right on top of where he guessed Rima’s head to be. With a muffled yelp, he assumed he hit his mark as not an instant later he was toppled over as the elder abruptly sat up, hair and eyes wild--a hand tenderly cupping his nose that the younger must have incidentally stepped on upon landing.

“Daiki! What--”

“You have that graduation thingy today don’t ya? Your missing breakfast and making me miss mine by not getting up, c’mon!”

A minute look of panic crossed Rima’s face before his nerves settled. The Miyazaki family tended to eat pretty early so he didn’t over sleep like he feared as he rushed for a quick shower to release the fog of his still groggy mind and get dressed for the day. After, he continued down the hallway hesitating by the doorway to the dining room where the family gathered for meals, nerves hitting him like a mallet--both for the upcoming graduation later that day and for how his parents acted the night before. ‘Would I finally graduate and become a Ninja? Would my parents be okay if I did? They weren’t very happy last night when I mentioned it.’

The following silence from their parents as Rima joined the family for breakfast was unsettling and the remaining siblings held their breath, expecting a verbal feud, only to be startled as utensils hit their mother’s plate. Yui rose from her seat and quietly fled from the room. Rima made to follow after his mother but Hayao stalled him with a firm command. “Sit.” Hesitantly he obeyed, sitting down in his chair while the rest of his siblings were dismissed from the table, allowed this once to take their plates of food with them.

Inwardly he was distraught, his throat closed up and it seemed like it was hard to swallow. He knew his parents were against his choice to enter the Shinobi career but never have they been this openly upset before. “...This has been a long overdue conversation.” His father sighed and Rima only had the time to gaze at him questioningly before he continued. ”I can’t say we understand what this means to you, Rima, but are you sure this is what you want?”

“Ye--”

Hayao held his hand up to silence him, “Please. Take a minute to think about it before giving me an answer because your mother and I have thought about this a lot, ever since you first joined the Academy. Neither she nor I will probably ever be prepared to accept the possibility that you may not come home one day and we had hoped you would grow out of this...fantastic notion.”

“I…” He wasn’t sure to say. He realised the risks that came with the job, their teachers were sure to emphasize that in their lessons before they took to the field but it seems he didn’t take into full consideration how exactly it would impact his family and the pressure was immense but… “Yes. I realize the risks are high but I want to do something more with my life.” Oh god, his father looked like he just swallowed a lemon. “Is being a ninja the right path for me? I don’t know--but it makes me happy and I just can’t get that going into family business, y’know?” He needed something more exciting to do, to be satisfied with his life and that’s exactly what being a Genin promised him.

A moment passed and Rima nearly continued his attempts to justify his reasons if not for his father deciding to speak again, ” I see…” Hayao still had a look on his face that made Rima suspect that maybe he didn’t. Glancing at the clock the man looked back at his son, a mixture of resignation and acceptance in his eyes. ”It’s about time you head out, son. You better grab something on the go, otherwise you’ll be late.”

A little unnerved at the change of topic the genin to be smiled uncertainly as he rose from the table, grabbing a couple pieces of toast before hesitating once again at the doorway on his way out. Rima knew they would probably have this conversation again, despite how many times he tried to assure them of his dedication to his chosen career but perhaps next time it wouldn’t be so intense. Although reluctant, his father finally seemed to be accepting (to a degree) that he wasn’t changing his mind. He could hope right? Looking back to see his father still at the table he couldn’t help but blurt out his remaining insecurity, ”What about mom?”

“Just give her some time, she will come around and please, stay safe.”

”I promise I’ll try.”



Upon arriving at the Academy, Rima found he was one of the later ones to enter the classroom, most already preoccupied sitting with their friends and discussing potential teams. Having regained some of his cheer as the nerves about the graduation bubbled over into excitement, he let out a cheery greeting to his friends and the teacher if just a level below the typical norm for the towering teen. ”Hey guys, how’s it going?”

His smile was all teeth as he made his way to the desk he occupied for the majority of the year and settled down in it’s seat, happily chattering away with any of his neighbors willing to listen to preoccupy himself while waiting for their names to be called. ’This part isn’t nearly exciting as I was expecting it to be but hopefully the team assignments will be quick. I can’t wait to see what Sensei’s we get and whom my teammates will be!’

---

Sitting in the dark and ghostly corner of the Academy classroom, Isami listened in on her former sensei's words. Three man squads. Balanced teams.That was pretty much all she heard. Instead of paying closer attention to her sensei, Isami observed the other students in front of her instead. A few acquaintances sprinkled here and there and a couple of her closer friends scattered around the room. Whether it be a person she had barely spoken to or a person who had been there with her since day one, anyone from her class could end up bagging a space in the same team as her.

Looking over her fellow classmates again, her eyes fell on a certain girl sitting close by the windows. The brunette dressed in pink seemed to be focusing on the outdoors beyond the glass panes rather than the teacher, twiddling a single kunai between her fingers. Mono Sakurai, the confident wielder of a thousand weapons. Isami had spoken to her once or twice in the past, but like the others she had conversed with, even quick word exchanges made a big first impression on her.

Red. Yellow. Orange. A simple array of colours that painted a great picture in Isami's head. Like the rising sun at dawn, Isami viewed Momo as a bringer of light and energy, shining over the still, lifeless landscape. Just her chakra alone revealed many things about her personality, and the colours Isami could hear from Momo's voice would tell the young Suzuki even more.

The little girl's ears were now blocked off by the colours of Momo's voice resounding in her head. The fun bright yellows, the confident vibrant oranges, the outgoing bright reds and the spunky reddish purples; the sunrise scenery was painted with sharp, triangular streaks. However, that wasn't all there was to Momo in Isami's eyes. The girl's seemingly cold nature flew across the brighter colours in white, comet-like streaks, some much larger than others. Isami frowned a little as the fiery image in her head was bleached with blotches of white.

A few rows down was another person she had spoken with a couple of times before. Keita Ryuukaze. Isami could see a few traits in him that were similar to her own: soft-spoken, a little quiet, and quite nice around other people; Isami could sense all of that alone. Keita was actually quite an unusual one in her book though. His voice seemed to consist of cool and quiet light blues and calm light greens, merging together to make an ocean coloured mist. However, there were some colours that didn't seem to fit in with this seemingly perfect perception. Those deep red trails and noticeable black dots stuck out like a sore thumb in Isami's eyes. Preference wise, Isami didn't really think deep red went with light blues, but it sort of made sense when you took Keita's mature attitude into consideration. The black spots though... They just didn't fit. There was something unusual about those miniscule flecks hiding beneath the blue-green cloud, but Isami couldn't really lay a finger on what it actually meant. They were barely noticeable anyways, so it wouldn't bug Isami as much.

Okay, maybe a little.

And a row after that? That's where Kiyoko Mizushima sat. Although Isami had rarely interacted with her, she knew she was going to be keeping her distance from her for a while. The first time they spoke, Isami felt almost… intimidated. Pained, even. Nothing but a river of white. That's all she could see. Kiyoko's monotone voice was almost frightening in Isami's eyes. So cold and dead, the girl's voice was the literal definition of white noise. However, a few encounters later Isami could see those faint sprays of black on Kiyoko's blank canvas of a voice. Unlike Keita, Kiyoko's black streaks where clear enough to be judged by Isami. Sadness. Depression. Isami didn't even need to 'see' Kiyoko's voice. Sensing her chakra alone answered those questions perfectly.

Stretching her skinny arms over the desk, Isami swayed her silver bell from side to side, watching as white, light grey and pale yellow lines danced around it like fireflies. Isami wasn't really paying attention to anything anymore, other than the colours her bell emitted.

”Hey guys, how’s it going?”

Yellow.

A vibrant, lemon yellow, fizzing like festival sparklers. That was the voice of Rima Miyazaki, the classified giant in Isami's class. The Suzuki girl remembered meeting him for the first time; the boy literally screamed bright yellow, with his friendly and joyful nature. A few sprinkles of fun-loving orange could be seen here and there too. Rima's vivid voice was probably the one Isami envied the most. That yellowy-orange sound of his could draw anyone to him, whilst Isami's voice was so plain that no one would even notice. Although her voice was usually soft and sweet, Isami saw nothing particularly special about it, aside from the colours she saw. The dark, dominant clouds of grey and black spoke mysterious and quiet words, whilst the light pink puffs displayed a much sweeter tone, with an strong amethyst purple underlying it. Pretty colours, sure, but overall those colours just seemed a bit… lifeless.

The soon-to-be Genins' voices continued to paint pictures in Isami's strange little mind. However, merely sensing her classmates' chakra and hearing the colour of their voices wasn't going to be enough to fully understand them and their true personalities. If she wanted to know, she had to learn from them.

That is, if they would let her of course.

---

(Just a wee little thing I wanted to try out :P Can't guarantee I'll be using this style again.)

“Mrrroww?”

Kiyoko stared at the fluffy feline as it pulled itself forward, stretching. It let out another plea as it jumped from the rail enclosing her little balcony, and trotted over to her feet. The girl sighed as she dropped her guard, returning the kunai to the small pouch tied to the thigh of her right leg. The cat continued to meow, even ramping it up to full on purr status as it rubbed her legs with its head. Kiyoko found herself oddly embarrassed. To get so worked up over a cat...she was tense. Real tense. And why wouldn’t she be? She was quite anxious about this day. Enough so to wake up quite some time before her al-

Beep-beep beep-beep! Beep-beep beep-beep! Beep-beep beep-beep!

Alright enough with that. Kiyoko turned and pushed the door to her apartment open a bit more. The chubby kitty happily trotted inside and crossed the room over to the little section which served as a kitchen. It approached its water bowl and greedily lapped up...but when it turned to its food dish, all hell broke lose. The cat began a pitiful wailing, full of misery and despair. Where was its food? It was STARVING! It was DYING! Oh sweet, merciful Kitty-Gods, whatever did it do to deserve such a terrible fate? Why-

The sound of pellets hitting a plate drew the feline’s attention.

Kiyoko smiled as the cat pounced the food, attacking it as if it hadn’t eaten in days. Disregard the fact that they had just went through this same song and dance not even two hours ago. Oh well. She had a soft spot for the little guy.

Beep-beep beep-beep.

Shit.

Kiyoko turned and crossed the living space, quickly throwing open the door to her bedroom and silencing her alarm clock. For a ninja, she sure did make a helluva ruckus. Hell, most of her mornings were like this. Her neighbors had to hate her. Oh well. She wasn’t going anywhere.

This was her mother’s place, after all.

It was odd. She knew it. She probably should have been living with her aunt, Honoko. She even did for a while. But it didn’t feel right leaving the home. Not yet, at least. Honoko and Kenta understood. They even paid the rent and utilities for her. While Honoko was a shinobi like Kiyoto’s mother and soon to be herself, Kenta was just a businessman. She never really asked what kind of business he was in, but whatever it was, he was reaping the rewards. Money was not an issue for the man.

And yeah, Kiyoko loved her aunt and uncle, and could tell they loved her, but this arrangement worked out better for everyone. Honoko was gone quite often, and Kenta...well he probably a bit happier than he’d let on about being able to just quietly pay to not have to share his home with a snot-nosed brat. Oh well.

“Mrroowww?”

Kiyoko turned to see her chubby companion staring at her from the living room. It apparently wasn’t happy with the amount of food she sat out and was demanding even more tribute. The girl smiled again at the little guy, but he wasn’t getting more.

It was time for a diet.

Kiyoko did return to the living room, but not to more clone practice. She was terrible enough at it, but she had somehow managed to pull a halfway decent one out when it came to the exam. Lucky her. She’d work on it again, sure, but later. Now...now she had to get ready. That meant shower, food, new clothes, and another check to make sure she had everything she needed for the day.

The girl raised her arms and let out a mighty yawn.

And coffee. Late nights and early mornings do not mix well. Go figure.

At least it was finally time. No matter how the day went, she’d only have to deal with it once. Good or bad, this was it.



Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Was this part of the test?

Tick.

Tock.

To see how long they could endure an agonizing wait?

Tick.

Tock.

Sensei was no help, either. She just seemed wrapped up in her paperwork. Kiyoko couldn’t get a read on her either.

Tick.

Tock.

Sensei moved, causing Kiyoko to shift her gaze from the book she had been reading. Some trashy romance paperback from the checkout aisle in some dime store. It was a guilty pleasure. The cover she had covered in a black mesh coat, obscuring the title and the uh...artwork. Just when Kiyoko thought that Sensei was about to break the wait, to free them from torment, she had just called out a girl for playing with a kunai. And of course, the girl became the center of attention for a brief moments. Anything to break the monotony, eh? It was Momo Sakurai. Not somebody that Kiyoko knew very well. The girl was a bit too...silly for her tastes. But even she had to admit that the girl could be funny at times. Even to a dry fuddy-duddy like herself.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

It seemed as if some of her classmates might be actively losing their minds. A shame, that. She was having a decent enough time. After all, Haru and Sexy-Senpai were just about to step into the hot air balloon and travel off into the distance where Sexy-Senpai wou-

“Hey guys, how’s it going?”

Kiyoko’s concentration was shaken. She turned her head to see the loud giant in all his glory. Rima Miyazaki. She...really didn’t know much about him either. Or really anybody in the class. She kept to herself and really only spoke if she had to. Huh. She briefly considered if she would do it again, if she had the chance? Or would she have tried to be a bit more like this guy?

Tick.

Tock.

Nope.

Tick.

Tock.

Way too much effort to be that cheery.
And that was effort that could be better spent elsewhere.

Tick.

Like following Sexy-Senpai’s wild adventures.

Tock.

“Alright everyone. Settle down.” The genin’s class instructor would say walking closer to the class so that she stood in spot where she could easily be seen. She playfully stood grinning widely while holding the documents of their assignments behind her back.

“First off, I would like to congratulate each and every one of you for your proud achievement. I’ve known you all for quite some time and I’ve noticed how hard you’ve all worked and grown over the past few years. I wish you all the best of luck in your future journey into the world of Shinobi.” She would end her speech smiling warmly at the group before pulling out the file from behind her back and taking on a much serious, stern face.

“Momo!” The instructor would say sharply. “Put that Kunai away! You'll poke an eye out." Getting back her composure, she would clear her throat as if she was making another speech.

“I will now assign you your three-man squads and Training grounds to where you will meet your Sensei.”

The classroom would become dead quiet as the Genin class waited in anticipation.

Their instructor would go on to announce names and training grounds in continuation. The class would every once in awhile uproar in mixed emotions to which the female instructor would silence with her harsh scolding glare. The newly assigned teams would exit the classrooms accordingly.

---

“Uhhh...Team Takeo: Momo Sakurai, Keita Ryuukaze, and Isami Suzuki! You all are to meet at Training grounds 17!”

Hideo would arrive to his training ground scoffing at its barren appearance. "This place did not look this shitty when I chose it" He would say kicking at the earth beneath him. The ground was patchy with weeds and grass growing in bunches across the field. The areas was obviously surrounded by thick green forests and behind that, a larger hill that stretched across the backsides of the forest's terrain. The Jounin would reach into his pocket pulling out a Electronic Cigarette before placing it between his lips and inhaling its artificial smoke. In his chilled-out state he would then reach into his ninja pouch which was attached to his thigh and pull out a single sharp Kunai. With the Kunai in his hand he would crouch down, exhaling smoke out one side of his mouth, then proceed to stab at the ground with the sharp blade and drag it across the field leaving a path within the earth. He would manage to make a complete circle to which he would scowl at in dissatisfaction. "It looks like shit! Who in the hell knows how to draw a perfect circle?! How is a shape so simple so hard to make!" He would go on in wrathful spree of negative words before throwing the Kunai into the center of the poorly traced circle. The silent wind brushing past his face and blowing the smoke away would calm him some as he realized how stupid he looked getting mad at a cir. Hideo although couldn't deny that even though his training grounds looked like poop, it was still a nice place to beat some kids up in.

His cellphone would then vibrate in his pocket to which Hideo would answer in a naturally friendly tone. “The fuck do you want?”

“Uhh...yeah. This is the head instructor at the Academy.”

“And?”

“Well we just wanted to inform you that your team will missing one member an-”

“Sweet, so we can do this some other time then right?”

“Well...no. The Genins presently available on your squad will still report to you at training grounds 11.”

“Alright.”

“We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may be to you. We ho-”

Hideo would end the call sliding the phone back into his pocket. “Heh. Inconvenience.” The jounin would repeat smiling sadistically. “This’ll just make things interesting.” The man would finally remove the cigarette he had been inhaling from his lips, taking one final exhale of its smoke. "I might need to alter my plans a bit though..." The man would say turning back to the circle that was traced in the ground. Shrugging his shoulders, he would begin to rub out the circle's outer area then begin to trace another circle that was significantly larger.

---

The instructor would stare at the next sheet of paper that was attached behind the regular squad assignments. "Team Hideo! Rima Miyazaki and Kiyoko Mizushima. Meet at training ground 11." she would say in a confusing tone. "I guess you all's squad is a duo. Strange."

"Momo!"

Shots of black and fiery red pierced Isami's ears like speeding arrows, snapping her out of her dreamy state. As the teacher tried to regain her composure, the previously angered red had died down to a much darker colour. That was good. Although some of these colours had their positives, some negatives were still present. Isami didn't want any more of that type of bright red burning up her ears.

"Put that kunai away! You'll poke someone's eye out."

After the brunette had been scolded for her risky actions, a thick sheet of grey coated the classroom. The place had suddenly gone quiet with the exception of a few excited whispers trying to surface from the silencing grey cloud. A majority of the Genin watched on with worried looks, anticipating both the best outcomes and the worst outcomes. Isami did so as well. Having a friend or at least an acquaintance that she felt comfortable being around would be good. Isami didn't particularly hate anyone — okay, maybe there were a couple of people she would rather stay away from — but she would prefer to be in a team with someone she actually knew.

“Uhhh...Team Takeo: Momo Sakurai, Keita Ryuukaze, and Isami Suzuki! You all are to meet at Training grounds 17!”

Isami's head perked up at the mention of her name. There were others too. Momo Sakurai and Keita Ryuukaze. Sunrise streaks and oceanic mists coming together to form a team.

This was going to be interesting.

---

Well, this was it. Training Ground 17. Quite a… impressive area. There were hills, small waterfalls and forests that seemed to go on forever. Smiling, Isami took in a deep breath, letting the fresh breeze shake her coal-black hair.

Aqua. Light green. Those colours fit perfectly together. Rivers of green shades soaked Isami's mind, easing her nervous emotions. She felt calm, at peace. Opening her eyes, the young girl gazed up at the sky above.

"What a… lovely sound…"

“Uhhh...Team Takeo: Momo Sakurai, Keita Ryuukaze, and Isami Suzuki! You all are to meet at Training grounds 17!”

Hearing his name, Keita, sitting back on all four legs of his chair, looked up and across at Momo who had been called as one of his team members, along with Isami.

Isami he has spoken with before.

In fact, he almost missed the little girl sitting over in her corner where she watched everyone with her critical gaze. He would spare her a smile as he did Momo before getting up and heading toward the classroom’s exit.

As he passed by Mizushima, he would spare a glance at the page of the book she was reading, thinking in his poor innocence that she would be reviewing academy basics before being called for her team. He had been sitting in the upper levels of the classroom and had been unable to see what it was she had, so curiosity took over as he drew near.

Imagine his surprise and embarrassment that not only was it not academy basics but something much more titillating than mere genin should be reading. Curse his quick perusing skills. All he saw was XXX (not necessarily XXX but the word was too embarrassing to say) but it was enough to have his face flaming and his legs scurrying toward the classroom’s exit. Despite having been raised and told that he would someday be expected to find a wife and therefore produce an heir, it still unsettled Keita to hear of sex or even be reading of it when their life expectancy was considered little to nonexistent.

He stopped and waited at the door, however. He was courteous. As excited as he was, he wouldn’t leave the other two behind in his haste. It didn’t even cross his mind at all that he was sharing a team with two girls. Keita had long ago learned from his sister that even women can be scary at times, no matter how delicate they may seem. He was a little disappointed that he would not be sharing his team experiences with Rima, the big giant of their year and also his friend, but he suppose getting to know other people would prove to be beneficial as well. Besides, they could always meet up later and chat about their senseis as well as teammates.

He managed to force the blood out of his cheeks long before the two girls reached the door where he held it open. Once everyone walked through, he would wave once at his large friend and follow them to the training grounds where their sensei was waiting. He wondered what they would be like. He had never heard of this Takeo before but more than likely he had to be strong if he was a jounin. Hopefully, he could learn more under the tutelage of this person and persevere as a genin onwards to a promotion.

---

“This place is… big..” He would say, upon arriving at the training grounds. He’d never seen this place before. Then again, growing up, there’s only been so many places he’s been to whenever he would leave the compound. His sister would on occasion take him out to dinner upon his birthday or whenever he would pass his tests; the clan had their own training grounds that his father would take him to whenever he had a new chakra manipulation jutsu to learn; and the academy didn’t go out on many field trips.

He heard Isami murmur from beside him that the place had a wonderful sound and had to agree. Though he couldn’t hear whatever it was she was hearing, the gurgling water and the sound of rustling leaves was soothing to the ear. He looked around then, wondering if they had reached before their teacher, and spotted a man sitting on one of the stumps. He would approach the man, assuming that this was the teacher that was to be there jounin-sensei.

“Hello. Are you Takeo-sensei?”

“Alright everyone. Settle down.”

Immediately Rima quieted, although unable to refrain from sharing an occasional excited whisper with his neighbors throughout their speech. All followed the lines of who they hoped were teammates, who their potential sensei’s would be. Personally, he had no real preference to whom he was teamed up with but held some hope of possibly being with Keita, someone he had come to view in a brotherly-like fondness over the years.

”Momo! Put that kunai away! You'll poke an eye out."

The sharp voice from their teacher, however, interrupted his thoughts and had the taller teen automatically straightening in his seat suddenly quiet as his head tilted curiously towards whom she scolded. Although he tried to remain indiscreet, his added height gave him leverage to gaze over the heads of shorter students and made hiding his interest a little more difficult.

Momo Sakurai. Although he didn’t know her beyond being a fellow classmate the teen was surprised their teacher even said anything about her twirling a kunai. In their practical test, she was probably the best in their year when it came to handling weapons and he smiled empathetically as she exasperatedly put the kunai away. ‘I would think the teachers would at least trust us not to lose them or accidentally hurt someone by now...right?’

”I will now assign you your three-man squads and the training grounds to where you will meet your Sensei.”

The teacher having seemed to have regained her composure continued, calling names and their squads. Here the giant paid rapt attention, giving condolences and encouragements as some of his friend’s names started being called and felt twinge of disappointment as Keita was called into a team with Momo and Isami, another girl he didn’t know well. Unfortunately that was his own fault, he tended to gravitate to those with a more open and extroverted nature like himself. She seemed nice though and maybe he could get to know them better if Keita’s team worked out. Speaking of Keita, his attention turned towards the long-haired male as he got up to leave with his team and the white-haired teen gave an excited grin and wave of farewell, ”Good luck, Keita! You guys as well, have fun~”

As the three left the room, Rima turned his attention back towards their Academy teacher. There were only a handful of students left, none that he knew overly well but it didn’t bother him much as he was open to making friends with anyone he’d be assigned with and it didn’t seem he had to wait long as the teen heard his name called.

"Team Hideo! Rima Miyazaki and Kiyoko Mizushima. Meet at training ground 11.” There was a confused pause from both teacher and students.”I guess you all's squad is a duo. Strange."

'I’ve never heard of that happening before, maybe we’ll get a third person later?’ A bright grin stretched across his cheeks despite the abnormality because he finally made it, he was finally a Genin! His excitement was hard to contain as he hopped up from his chair, but he held himself together as he made to approach his new teammate.

Kiyoko was a bit different. Rima didn’t know her as well either but he found her focus in class admirable and wished he had the same attention span when it came to subjects outside of his interest, maybe his grades would have been better beyond his affinity for chakra control and prenatural strength. She had a prickly air that made him keep a respectful distance so far, but now that they were to be teammates it would be a good time to extend an olive branch of sorts to test the waters before meeting with their sensei.

“Hi, Kiyoko!” Oops, maybe he should have gone with her last name in respect since he didn’t know her well but it was too late now. ”Would you like to walk to the training ground together?” Another inward wince because obviously they would be heading to the same destination seeing as they were now teammates but he just wanted to make sure he wouldn’t be stabbed for trying to walk next to her on the way, she seemed the type.

“Hello. Are you Takeo-sensei?”

Takeo, half-asleep, would jump up at the sudden utter of someone mentioning his name. His eyes would be squinting trying to adjust from their closed state and stare at the three genin as he examined them carefully. There was a brunette girl with a huge scroll, Momo Sakurai. She looked confident yet snarky at the same time. A deadly mix. Takeo would remember seeing the girl in the squad files he skimmed over the day before. She was significantly skilled in Bukijutsu for her age. Much better than him atleast.

There was also a pale boy with striking grey eyes that came off almost as silver. The Jounin couldn't admit the boy was ravishingly handsome for his age. He looks just like me when I was a genin. The man would break from his vivid thoughts as he returned back to creepily scanning the boy from his seated position. Kite- no. Keita Ryuukaze. He was skilled in Ninjutsu, wind and fire, if he remembers. Promising stuff. The Jounin would try and not take an unfair favoring to the boy seeing as how he is the only other male in the squad. Bro's

He would then finally look upon a girl who would be at eye level with him from his lowered position on the stump. Isami Suzuki. She looked fairly younger then the other two, and much frailer. She almost looks like she should still be at the academy, as if she was twelve. The girl was overall very skilled and talented as a Genjutsu user, he was told. He also heard rumors about how her sensory skills were among the best. "If ten people farted at the same time she would be able to know which one ate curry last night." He would remember hearing and doubting out of pure ridiculousness.

The Jounin would finally stand after the long awkward pause he took to examine all of them. He would then smile before raising his closed fist hoping they would give him a returning fist bump.

"Yup! My names Takeo." He would finally get to saying with a warm smile. "but it'd be cool if you could call me Takeo-senseo. Rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?"

"Don't worry about introductions either. I already know who you cool cats are." The Jounin would say before pointing at the genin followed by snapping as he called their names. "Momo, Keito, and Isamo."

"Anyways, as your Senseo I have very high expectations of you all. I know each of have your own talents and I also know each of you have potential to be as strong and capable Shinobi." He would then walk past the three genin motioning them to follow him. The man then would form his hand to act like a puppet. "But senseo, why did you bring us here today?" He would utter with his puppet hand.

"Ahh...great question. The main reason you all were brought here today was so I could put you guys through a little test."

"Don't worry! It's nothing involving pen or paper now. It's just a little race around the training grounds. Let's go about thirty, maybe fourty laps. Light-work. Just stay around along the path and no cutting corners, alright gals and guy?"

The jounin would then point his finger and show the path genin are meant to take. Along the right inner area of the forest, over or through the widely stretched lake, up the steep jagged hill, down the other side, then through the outer portion of the left area forest, then finally back to the open field to which will count as one lap.

"I don't want to make this a competition between you all though. Essentially first, or second place doesn't matter betwwen you guys. The only person you should really worry about is..."

He would then cock his head towards the three genin as his usual warm smile was now giving off a more intimidating vibe. "...Senseo."

The jounin would begin to crack his knuckles as he started towards the center of the training grounds. "I'll give you all the go ahead once you dudes seem ready."

It was a shame. Just when things were looking as if they were about to get mighty saucy between Haru and Sexy-Senpai, a voice cut through the relative silence (well...silent if you ignored the various conversations by impatient Genin, something Kiyoko had gotten pretty damn good at, actually). It was Sensei. Kiyoko rose her gaze back the the woman leading the class.

“Uhhh...Team Takeo: Momo Sakurai, Keita Ryuukaze, and Isami Suzuki! You all are to meet at Training grounds 17!”

Boo.

Kiyoko glanced over to catch a peek at the newest squad. While she may not know much about the people, she was damn fine with names and faces. And while they would all be shinobi of Konohagakure, they were potential rivals. Potential competition. It couldn’t hurt to size up the competition.

…

The Ryuukaze boy seemingly flew past her to the exit. Kiyoko blinked. He seemed...eager. But she could have swore that in the short glance that she got, his face looked quite...red. Probably a fever. Or not, Really, what did she care?

Answer: she didn’t. Thus she went back to the realm of truly terrible discount smut.

Or she would have.

But Sensei spoke up again, catching her completely off guard.

“Team Hideo! Rima Miyazaki and Kiyoko Mizushima. Meet at training ground 11...I guess your squad is a duo. Strange.”

Kiyoko didn’t move for a moment. A duo…? That was...different. Not exactly what she had been expecting to be honest. Surely there had to be some reason? But it didn’t matter. Orders were orders. If they were assigned to work in a smaller team, so be it.

When the short moment of confusion past, Kiyoko directed her thoughts to Rima Miyazaki. He hadn’t made an impression on her before, but now that they’d have to work together...well, Kiyoko quickly decided to examine his actions more closely. The latest, and thus freshest, thing in her mind was his tardiness. Well, perhaps that wasn’t the right word. He wasn’t exactly late for class, but he wasn’t early either. He was one of the last to enter. That wasn’t quite a strike, but it was close.

Tardiness would not be tolerated.

“Hi, Kiyoko!”

The girl’s eyes narrowed. Speak of the devil...she turned to face her partner. ‘Kiyoko?’ A little familiar, no? It wasn’t quite worth a strike on its own, either, but coupled with his near-tardiness from earlier, it brought his tally up to one. So not exactly the best start. Before she could say anything in response, he continued. “Would you like to walk to the training ground together?”

Kiyoko regarded him for a moment, then loosened ever so slightly. “I think that would be for the best...Miyazaki.” she replied in her usual vaguely bored tone. She was worried about his punctuality and he suggested they go together. Thus, she’d be able to guarantee he got there in a timely manner. She wasn’t sure if he was aware of her concern or not, but it was noted nonetheless. His prior tally was removed, resetting the count.

First impression?
Neutral.
Subject shows signs of irresponsibility, yet potentially decent judgement.

…

But truth be told, it didn’t matter how she felt about the guy personally. She was assigned to work with him, so work with him she would. Orders were orders, after all, and who was she to question them?

Kiyoko closed her book and returned the small paperback to the small pouch on the thigh opposite her kunai. She grabbed the black cylinder lying under her seat as she rose to her feet and tied it to her waist. When it was tightly secure, Kiyoko tapped the cap of the cylinder and gave it a small twist. Not enough to uncap it, but enough just to ensure that it wasn’t stuck. Perhaps a bit unnecessary, but a few wasted moments now could be the difference between life and death later. She then grabbed the wooden bow that was also tucked away and pushed her seat in.

With everything set, the shinobi archer cast her cold, dark eyes onto the boy and nodded once more.

“After you.”

-----------------

-----------------

After a bit of a walk from the academy to the training grounds, during which Kiyoko remained rather quiet, eventually they come into a clearing which looked to be the spot. At least, according to the signs, this was the eleventh training grounds…

It wasn’t much to look at.

The ground obviously wasn’t well maintained. One need only feel the lumpy assortment of grass, weeds, and other unpleasantries to figure that one out. However, as the two newest shinobi entered the grounds, Kiyoki had taken note of the dense foliage surrounding it. Heavy woods...and even a large hill beyond them. Not exactly the place one would want to catch themselves in the case of a combat encounter. But that would be unlikely, what with their being in the heart of Konohagakure territory.

And least, and potentially least, was the rather unsavory looking man waiting by a large dirt circle. He was tall, but not exactly intimating. Just unpleasant. At least, the look on his face was. To be quite honest, he didn’t quite impress Kiyoko much. Certainly no Sexy-Senpai. He was much too lanky for that. And he seemed to have a slight slouch to him.

So...this was Hideo-sensei? It seemed a safe bet. She uh...actually knew nothing about the guy. Having mostly distanced herself from her classmates, Kiyoko hadn’t gotten caught up in all the gossip and chatter. Whether he would be a decent squad leader or not would have to be seen. One thing was certain though. It. Didn’t. Matter.

If she was ordered to work under his command, then work under his command she would.

Orders were orders.

So Kiyoko approached her possible leader, back straight, shoulders back, bow in one hand, the other resting atop the quiver’s cap. Her ever stoic face did not betray the excitement swelling in her chest. There would be time to celebrate graduating later. For now, all of her focus was directed solely upon the man likely to be Hideo-sensei.

She was ready.

Jiro, like most children, had been spared the terrors of bureaucracy growing up. The closest he'd come to real administrative struggle was redeeming his Genin-level information access, and that had been resolved with a quick trip to the Hokage's Tower, all issues cleared within an hour. Until this morning, Jiro had thought that hour to be the most execrable 60 minutes of his life.

He had been forced to radically shift his view on the world. The perdition had began at dawn, when he received an accidental summons to the Hokage's office. It finally seemed to end, near enough to eight hours later, with his team assignment being handed out twenty minutes after the academy would let out his peers. In that time, he had been mistaken for a criminal-of-war executed during the First Ninja War, assigned to an entirely fictitious team of ninja leftover from the Fourth War, and recommended to ANBU for immediate recruitment following an unfortunate misspelling on the part of a clerk within the Logistics Division. It had been eight hours of running to and fro, brandishing identification passes, testimonies from parents and ninja, and one rather unforeseen bribe to a waitress in a disreputable bar just outside the walls.

Jiro was exhausted, at least mentally. The long wait in the Registry Department had given him time to rest, but he had been thinking fast for hours, been constantly under stress for hours. He'd had to give sensitive information to extremely powerful individuals, some of whom no doubt suspected him a spy from a foreign village. The thought of strenuous training for which he was late when he left the last office was almost too much to bear. A voice in the back of Jiro's mind prated that he could not be expected to participate in ninja training after such an ordeal, and that he would be justified in taking the day off and browsing that scroll he had spotted in the library over the weekend.

The larger part of Jiro's brain told him to stop being a child and do his duty. His frenzied rush across town to "Training Ground 11" evidenced which course of action he followed. With the delay at the Records Department, he had at least managed to learn who his teammates were. He knew them both, though could not call himself friends with either. Both were significantly older than him, and likely more skilled. It was daunting in a way, but at least he would have good advice when he needed it. He hoped he would not be a hindrance at first: he would not normally have questioned the leadership of the Leaf, but with the experience of the last few hours had done wonders to disillusion Jiro with his superior officers. Idly, he wondered if this was part of the training; if all his fellow students had to wrestle the mechanisms of the most powerful military in the world before they could earn assignment.

The sight of his teammates standing at the training grounds, looking fresh and excited, disproved this notion. He had been the only one: just his luck. He wouldn't let it get in the way of things. He had only caught sight of the training grounds for a moment before re-submerging into the dense canopy of trees in which he was travelling. He slowed to walking pace a score of meters before the edge of the foliage. Skidding to a halt without precedent was a good way to make a terrible, bizarre, first impression, Jiro thought. He dropped from the trees, absentmindedly checking his bandoleer of scrolls and his various sacks of miscellaneous tools, straightening his brown-and-olive camouflage outfit, focusing on slowing his breathing and wiping the thin skin of sweat that covered his head, his only exposed extremity.

Jiro emerged from the trees at a light jog, wanting to look like he had made an effort to arrive on time without appearing a madman. He greeted his two teammates with slight bows, and offered his new commanding officer an official scroll detailing his reason for being so late. Jiro was glad he had asked for it: he doubted anyone would believe the trouble he had gone through on word alone.

He resumed a polite distance from his teacher and his teammates. No doubt they were waiting on him impatiently, as eager to start as he was. Idle conversation would only delay things further. His retreat from his teacher, accompanied by a polite bow, was more to placate the jounin: Jiro did not know which rumors to believe regarding the man, but if half of them were correct politeness and deference was likely the best opening gambit. He could always change his approach later.

Jiro ended his bow and stood patiently, excitement finally overpowering fatigue and pessimism in his mind, as he waited for his teacher to begin.

The frustrated man would stare at the hill behind him reevaluating all his life choices up until now. "..." The man would utter poetically. He would manage to hear the genin arrive at the dull training grounds. Glancing back at them he would give a casual nod. They seemed to keep their distance as they arrived. The man would look at the one female genin as she started towards him. She was judging me. She had a bow and quiver which Hideo quickly noticed. This would probably cause some troubles for the test he had planned. Either way Hideo was confident enough in his skill. The other genin was a white haired boy. He was scarcely tall for his age and if Hideo was any shorter the boy would grow to tower over him. Scary stuff.

"Hurry up!" He would shout already questioning the intellect of his new squad. He scoffed as he noticed the lack of one member in the squad. Oh yeah. One fucknugget is missing.

The jounin would clear his throat casually thinking of a way to make his introduction easily understandable. "Alright, losers. My name is Hideo. Your Sensei. He would scowl down at the female Genin, Kiyoko Mizushima. "Starting now, you all listen to me and only me! My word goes, got it? And don't even think I'll be afraid to give you all a good lesson in pain tolerance if one of you steps out of line."

The jounin would then proceed to smoke the Electronic cigarette again before another would genin appear. "Who the hell is this?" The man would ask openly to the two. A young looking genin would arrive looking as if he sprinted in a haste to arrive. The newly arrived genin was shortest of the group, Hideo would notice. The boy would greet the two others with a bow and finally hand Hideo a scroll. Hideo would grab the scroll, rolling it out to read the contents glancing at the boy then back at the scroll occasionally.

...

"Hehe...I like you, kid. Fashionably-late." The jounin would comment smirking at the boy before tossing the scroll aside. "Anyways...apparently this is your third squad member. Jiro Nakahara."

"Now...like I was saying. I want you all to know that I am a very strict leader, so I don't want any messing around in this group. I personally want you all to be the best so I can brag to other people about how good of a Sensei I am." He would say exhaling smoke from one side of his lip.

"As first order of businesses, I am going to put you all through a little prerequisite." He would motion their attention towards the dirt circle he created. "I'm really pulling this shit out of my ass but it goes like this. I stand in this circle. You all try and knock me out with any way you see fit. But..." He would pause to exhale another large smoke puff from his mouth and remove the cigarette from his lips

"You set foot in this circle, and I'll break every bone in your body...figuratively speaking though." The man would chuckle. "You'd useless if your bones were all broken now, wouldn't you? But seriously, I will attack you though. Hard."

The smoking Jounin would motion the genin to step farther away from the circle before searching through his pocket. "Whoever manages to push me out will get...21 ryō." The man would add pulling out the money from his pocket and showing it to the group.

"Just a little competition to get you all's fire going."

The man would then stand casually with both of his hands in his pocket staring at the three genin. "Welp, I guess you guys can start or whatever."

An unfortunate amount of rumors about the man before him were immediately confirmed. Jiro figured this was a bad sign. Though, Jiro never put much stock in hearsay. Jiro would not let gossiping civilians mar the good first impression his teacher had given. The man was gruff, certainly. Unorthodox as well. Jiro did not hold it against the older man: anyone who lives long enough in the service of the Village is bound to develop some mental abnormalities. Jiro did not doubt that he would have eccentricities of a similar magnitude if, when he was a Jonin. Jiro even smiled when he heard the teacher's motivation. His honesty, though almost certainly misleading, was refreshing indeed after Jiro's morning.

Jiro already liked his teacher. What he did not like, was the vagueness of the assignment. He spoke up immediately, his mind racing for hidden meaning, doublespeak, easy solutions.

"Excuse me, teacher." Jiro waited a brief moment for a rebuke, moving on before a spirited one could be given. One had to be polite, after all. "What will you be doing while this exercise? What is this exercise a prerequisite for? Is there a failure state for us? What would the consequences be if we failed?" Jiro stopped himself before he carried himself into dangerous territory. There was one question he desperately wanted to ask, but did not.

Why does the test cater to Ms. Mizushima, the only one of us you know to be a ranged specialist, so heavily?. Jiro had never liked favoritism, ever since he had been on the wrong end of it. He certainly hoped his master would not lose all the respect Jiro had begun to feel.

@Zugzwang



The Jounin would say nothing while the shorter genin went on in a spree of questions. Once the genin seemed to finish the jounin would simply shrug at the boy. "I don't wanna give you all too much info now." The man would reply. "That'll ruin the suspense." The jounin would then stare at the paranoid genin's eyes scratching the back of his head. "If you really must know, I don't really know yet. Like I said, I'm kinda going off the top of my head right now on this one."

"If you wanna get technical though, this is really just so I can see you all's ability and how well you work as a team against a tougher opponent. So far the only likely way you could fail is if you went and left right now, which I would if I were you."

The jounin would then walk to the edge of the circle leaning his face closer to the single genin boy. "You don't look like you'd be a big help, pip-squeak." He would say in a much lower and intimidating tone. Hideo hoped his words would be able to antagonize the boy. Essentially Hideo wanted the team to not hold back on any doubts and strictly follow his instructions.

“I think that would be for the best...Miyazaki.”

After witnessing the narrowed eyes, Rima knew he messed up. He would be one of the first to admit that his words sometimes had the tendency to get ahead of him but he was grateful that she didn’t seem to put it against him as she accepted his offer to walk together and took the hinted correction for what it was. ’It seems this may be more challenging than I originally thought but at least she isn’t completely hostile with me.’

Patiently he waited by her desk as she put her book away and did a routine check of her inventory before standing up. Plum colored eyes glanced at both the book and unusual choice of weapon curiously (the bow and what he assumed was a quiver of sorts), but he figured he already pushed his luck and decided to not ask any further questions.

“After you.”

His mood brightened at her courteousness, a smile returned to his face, nodding once before heading towards the exit post haste. Upon opening the door he would hold it open enough to allow her to pass as well instead of having to catch it, she didn’t seem the time to accept overly polite gestures and he didn’t want to antagonize her further, rather favoring to walk next to her in silence to their destination.



Upon reaching Training Ground 11 with Kiyoko, Rima could honestly say he was a little bemused. He assumed the grounds would have been a moderately manicured area specifically designated for training, instead he found himself looking at a patchy, overgrown field that he wasn’t even sure had any form of regulated guests for a looong while. The towering teen however couldn’t help but whistle impressively at the cover surrounding them, both the surrounding trees and the hill in the distance. If anything, this place was isolated well and it made him wonder what surprises they had in store.

Turning his attentions back to the center as he too, took notice of the man in the center of what seemed like a rough circle carved into the dirt. Smoke trailed from his lips, hooded eyes raked over them, equally assessing and Rima figured if he stood next to the man they’d nearly be the same height. ’Seeing as he’s the only adult here, he must be Hideo-sensei. He seems...rough.’

His eyes flickered temporarily as Kiyoko to the initiative to approach, straight backed and professional. The taller teen pegged that this either could go swell, or there could potentially be sparks due to their similar nature. The difference being where Kiyoko leaned towards cold and collected, Hideo-sensei seemed like more of the snarky type and as quick as a snake that would bite you at first offense.

Subtly his body shifted in response with his assessment, torso leaning away as his shoulder faced more forward in a less open posture. "Alright, losers. My name is Hideo. Your Sensei. Starting now, you all listen to me and only me! My word goes, got it? And don't even think I'll be afraid to give you all a good lesson in pain tolerance if one of you steps out of line."

Before he could vocalize his affirmation, another much smaller figure entered the clearing and vaguely recognized them as a fellow genin in training although younger than the rest of his class by a year or so. The poor kid seemed a bit harried today and Rima couldn’t recall seeing him earlier in the day while they were at the Academy. Distracted, he didn’t respond to their current teacher's question as Hideo apparently gained an answer from the contents of the scroll handed to him.

"Anyways...apparently this is your third squad member. Jiro Nakahara."

’Is he, really?’ He wasn’t one to judge but he wondered if Jiro was a little young yet, was he a prodigy of some sort? Rima knew less about him than his other teammate Kiyoko but at least it seemed that they had a complete team now. Nodding in response to Jiro’s bow though not as formal to reciprocate the gesture, he smiled in what he hoped was in assuring manner. “Hello, Nakahara!” He refrained himself from calling the boy by his first name like he had the mistake of doing with Kiyoko, at least until it was clear it was allowable. The towering teen didn’t want to make the same mistake twice and ruffle the feathers of both of his teammates on the same day.

The white haired teen was taken aback a moment later, however, as questions were shot from the youngest in quick succession. "What will you be doing while this exercise? What is this exercise a prerequisite for? Is there a failure state for us? What would the consequences be if we failed?" The look in his eye had Rima under the impression that he was possibly someone that has an absolute need for information and although their new Sensei didn’t seem like one who would tolerate too many questions thrown his way, a cautionary glance towards the man in question had him relaxing a little as he seemed not to take offense.

"If you wanna get technical though, this is really just so I can see you all's ability and how well you work as a team against a tougher opponent. So far the only likely way you could fail is if you went and left right now, which I would if I were you."

’So the goal is to work together and trying to remain outside of the circle while attempting to knock Sensei out of it? It doesn’t sound hard but he is a jounin...' Admittedly planning wasn’t his strong suit either but even he knew this would require some kind of discussion as a team, he could only hope they were favorable of the idea as well. ”So, uh...group huddle, anyone?” Rima would suggest, arms splayed out in a half shrug and looking at both of them questioningly. If they agreed he would hope they would gather further away from their Sensei well and although it probably wouldn’t help, he would rather the man not overhear any suggestions or plans the group would make or potentially agree on for this test.

“Hello. Are you Takeo-sensei?”

Keita would quickly lean back as the man came to a sudden awareness. Had he been asleep? he wondered and would offer an almost polite smile as the man seem to assess the group gathered before him in silence. He didn’t find it strange. It was the look his father would give him when trying to decide what else he could learn. Finally, seemingly satisfied with whatever conclusions had come to him in the time passed, he stood and introduced himself, answering Keita’s question from a little earlier.

"Yup! My names Takeo." He would say with a warm smile. "but it'd be cool if you could call me Takeo-senseo. Rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?"

‘Strange’ would be his immediate thought. “I suppose…” he responded instead, a bit confused as he awkwardly raised his fist to bump against the other man’s. In which he would receive a beaming response.

"Don't worry about introductions either. I already know who you cool cats are," the Jounin would say before pointing at the genin as he snapped to some sort of inner beat. "Momo, Keito, and Isamo."

Even weirder. Mouth slightly open, Keita would look back and share a look with his teammates, wondering if they were just as bewildered as he was with the man’s antics. Either way, he didn’t dissuade the jounin from calling him by that name. He had a feeling he would be ignored, and Keita thought it would simply be best to give up when he knew an argument was moot. So he simply took initiative and cautiously followed at the man’s beckoning, closer towards the field.

He would listen further as the man spoke about another test - another test! - and become more and more horrified as he described the obstacle set before them. His assurances that the assessment would not include pen and paper was like water evaporating in the sun. They would have to do 40 laps around the giant area. 40! Color drained from his face, making him even paler than he normally was. Silver eyes once more surveyed the training grounds with whole new insight, already feeling like his legs were giving out beneath him. He no longer thought of the training ground as beautiful and more a deathtrap than anything else.

“This is practically worse than my father’s training,” he would say quietly, eyes going up the craggy hill before resting on the trees in quiet disbelief. The lake more than anything would prove to be difficult. He could not walk on water and he damned well didn’t think that the others could as well, having been genin fresh out of the academy. Aside from the leaf training exercise to practice chakra control, he was unfamiliar with the more advanced versions required of older shinobi. Swimming wouldn’t be ideal, either, as running uphill waterlogged did not appeal to him one bit and that would just tire them out faster as their clothes would be too heavy to simply carry on themselves unless they stripped naked. But somehow he knew that just wouldn’t be happening with the two other girls in his team. If they had been all males, then maybe but that was neither here nor there. How was he to traverse that then? Judging by the size of it, he wouldn’t be allowed to walk around it seeing as it would be considered ‘cutting corners.’

And there was still the possibility that Takeo-sensei wouldn’t not take the chance to attack them while they were trying to complete the course. That worried him more than anything else as he knew they were not up to par to trade blows with a jounin. As much as the strange man portrayed honesty, there were lots of holes in his instructions. And what about traps? Keita began to wonder if maybe their sensei really was just testing them or if he was as sadistic as he was turning out to be.

Once more his eyes would rove over the field, a sense of determination making his gaze steel, his back to straighten, and the gears in his head began to churn as he thought up a solution to their most current predicament. He knew better than to question the man. More than likely this was just to work out their strategizing skills and their teamwork. The jounin may have read about their skills on paper but he would want to see it firsthand and come up with a teaching strategy for the three. As he thought about it, he became more convinced. There was no other way to complete this course. He just hope his teammates would be willing to lend an ear to what he had to say. He would be willing to do the same. After all, his plan might not be the most solid and other solutions would be a God-send about now.

Making up his mind, he would turn to the others, standing from the crouch he didn’t realize he had gotten into, as deep as he was into his thoughts.

“I have a plan.”