[IC] Saisei: The Crimson Dawn

[Xiro Zean]

Location: The Classroom of Hatake Toshiro, Konohagakure Academy

---

In a manner expected of the most volatile friend Kimura has, the blinding gold of Tsume's voice exploded from beside her as the fiery redhead made the disrespectful jonin know just how she felt about being insulted. While being forced to squint at the onslaught of color was something the Inuzuka girl didn't enjoy, she was happy to see that Tsume was still being Tsume, even toward a superior during what's essentially a promotion ceremony.

The one who wasn't quite as touched by the sentiment, however, was Guremaru, jolted from his drowsy state into full alertness from the sudden shouting so close to him. Scrambling to stand atop his black-haired perch, it only took the puppy a moment to realize what exactly caught him off-guard before slowly relaxing back down on his partner's head with a slightly annoyed bark.

"Aww, you shouldn't say that about a friend," Kimura chastised, stroking the grey fur atop his noggin to calm him down and help him return to his previous sleepiness. "Tsume-chan was just standing up for everyone. You know, like she usually does!"

The puppy merely replied with a low growl before closing his eyes, snuggling into his perfect napping place as the owner of said hair quietly giggled. Silly dog. Though he does have a point. At the very least, Tsume's potential imposter is doing really well with their acting today, though in retrospect this moment will probably come back to bite her should the Yakushi ever be placed under the authority of this particular sensei.

Said sensei apparently came to the same conclusion, as Kimura noticed a devious smile cross the woman's face before the final sensei showed up and drew everyone's attention with his english ivy greeting. A plain look, with no defining features aside from the rough stubble that graced his jawline. Someone she'd never seen in the village before. Suspicious, and fits with a capital T. If it wasn't for the pair of glares sparked with familiarity from the two other sensei, she might have called him out as a spy right there and then.

Sadly, the shinobi-to-be didn't get much of a chance to inscribe what she could of the man's physical appearance and other noticeable features before the Academy Instructor called everyone to attention, citing off names for the new jonin sensei as well as the students taught beneath them. A few choices catch her ear, Shunpei and Tsume being placed under the inconspicuous Kitanai, Ria under the firebrand Matsuoka, then Tensai and herself assigned to the crow-like Shinatobe.

While she was slightly concerned about her two friends being placed under the potential enemy agent, the interaction of Shunpei with Tensai worried her even more. The offered hand to help Tensai up, the focus of their overheard conversation, and the strange transition from a half-formed fist to a slightly awkward shoulder pat all painted a picture Kimura wasn't sure was supposed to be of.

The three of them were quite inseparable despite their contrasting personalities. No one would expect the local peasant boy to be friends with the noble top-dog of their academy year and the Inuzuka weird even by their standards, yet somehow they all stuck together and became close friends despite the strange mix they made. Yet, the unseen conversation happening between the two made it seem as if they were pivy to a secret she wasn't, and a sinking feeling made its way into her gut when she thought of the unimaginable amount of potential things it could be. It was almost as if...

Kimura slapped her cheeks to banish the thought that popped up in her mind. There was no way they were attempting to stage a secret coup on the sensei to instantly promote to jonin. She had absolutely no idea how her mind led her to that idea, but she quickly pushed it as far away from her inner psyche as possible. It was just dumb and stupid and impossible and oh geez how should she help them if it was true?!

Before she could let her mind wander even further, she focused her attention at the matter at hand. Her body must have auto-piloted to Tensai's side at some point, because she found herself standing by his side facing their potential sensei, Shinatobe Uchiha. When Uchiha Narumi was still alive, Kimura could remember the woman speaking at times of a sibling. Abrasive and unwilling to connect with Tensai and his mother, the few things Kimura had heard of the new sensei weren't exactly a vote of confidence.

The last teammate of the team being who they were didn't help matters in the slightest. Fukushu was one of the only classmates she considered to be dislikeable, and with two pairs of eyes staring at her friend with negative emotions behind their gazes, the Inuzuka couldn't help but feel somewhat protective. Her arms twitched as she kept herself from drawing a blade and stepping in front of Tensai to ward off their looks, but one close enough to hear could catch the faint grinding of her teeth.

As the sensei left the three students to work things out among themselves, Kimura didn't quite understand what the crow-like woman had had meant. Lead Tensai to the training ground? Was it a subtle hint that her fellow classmate was being targeted by bloodline thieves? The brunette didn't give it too much thought, and quickly grasped the boy's hand with her usual level of enthusiasm to pull him along, not giving the Namikaze more than a second glance.

"Come on, Tensai-kun! Let's give our new sensei a good impression by getting there quickly!"

In all honesty, if Fukushu didn't go along with them and just met up at the meeting point at her own pace, Kimura wouldn't be very torn up about it. She didn't much like the fact that the girl had broken off her friendship with Tensai and competed with Tensai in a non-friendly manner. The eggplant-haired girl would just have to cool down whatever feelings she had before Kimura would accept her as a teammate, no matter the team assignments.

[mickilennial]

Location: The Classroom of Hatake Toshiro, Konohagakure Academy

---

Fukushu nodded to her newfound sensei’s answer, though she could not be described as being particularly agreeable.

She had considered to push Tensai forward, annoyed by the circumstances she had been expected to put up with for the foreseeable future. However, before she could do such a reaction, Kimura of the Inuzuka Clan, an eccentric nobody decided to take Tensai’s hand and rush forward, leaving Fukushu with her arms crossed as they took to the paths leading out of the village and toward said training grounds.

“Whatever.” She scoffed under her breath as they left her sight, “You can have the blind bastard.”

Fukushu considered turning around and screaming at Toshiro-sensei, demanding why he had put her on a team composition that was designed to make her fail, to make her mother cast scorn over her even more. She would’ve preferred a team with Ria or Shunpei over this annoying, terrible situation. She cared little for Kimura and everyone in her class year, perhaps the whole academy knew of her rivalry with Tensai. Of course, she knew that yelling and crying like a child on a tantrum was no way to fix her only situation. She would just have to outlive Tensai and prove that her being next to him just was a testament to how much faith the late Hokage had in her. For if she could endure being the comrade of her most hated rival, who or what could possibly defeat her?

It brought her some degree of contentment as she walked forward, moving toward the training grounds at her own pace.

---

[Grey]

Location: The Classroom of Hatake Toshiro, Konohagakure, Morning

Interactions: @Sloth@Asura@Raijinslayer

---

Although she had said not a word in response to his greeting, Shunpei had always known Mitsuko to be quite quiet. He couldn’t say it was a trait shared by he and his usual company, but it was one he could appreciate, like coming home for dinner after a long day of play. He wasn’t concerned about her silence.

What he was concerned about, however, was how she had so suddenly become flush with color! Usually Mitsuko was all pale and light, like a Hyuga ought to be, but right now she was more like a beet.

Despite Shunpei’s social intuition, Mitsuko had always been a hard one to read. Her emotions were like a tranquil sea, and even after years of being her friend, he couldn’t be completely confident in his ability to pierce the depths of her heart.

He was also kind of dumb, which might have played a not insignificant role in what he did next.

When the farm boy saw his friend’s face flushed a deep red, he did not think about the possibility she was simply embarrassed. He did not think about the possibility this could all have been his fault. What he did think about was today: the day they graduated, the day they met their sensei, and the day that began with torrential rainfall.

“Are you sick or somethin’?” Shunpei asked innocently, “You’re lookin’ awful red there…”

The farm boy would have continued pondering on the exact nature of Mitsuko’s condition if it weren’t for Tsume’s... not-inaccurate-but-also-not-accurate introduction of the two to their sensei. He’d even caught the side comment, unfortunately.

"Erm... Tsume-san, uh... My name's not Shunichi..." the Hatake pointed out, “It’s Shunpei.”

Now, even though she hung out with Fukushu and he hung out with Tensai, Shunpei didn’t have anything against Tsume. Sure she was loud and reckless and couldn’t read a room for the life of her, but she wasn’t a bad person as far as he could tell. Heck, Shunpei could even appreciate her attempt at keeping her snide thoughts between the sensei and herself (which in and of itself was indicative of the issue she had pointed out).

But it still really hurt knowing that one of his beloved classmates couldn't even remember his name even after several years. It just went to show how much of an impact he had made in the minds of his peers. How utterly depressing.

“Haha...! But don’t worry about it,” Shunpei laughed. It was an awkward, anxious and inelegant, but it nevertheless held a touch of sincerity. “I reckon you’ll remember real well when I become Hokage. Then ya can be like sensei over here! Heh… Heh...”

He let that statement stand, partially because he couldn’t think of anything else to say, but mostly because he couldn’t possibly belt out another line like that. He really just wanted to curl into his stomach. It was too embarrassing now that he heard it out loud!

Shunpei promptly turned to watch the other teams depart, which gave him time to smile and wave. The fact it meant he was looking away from his team was a happy accident. Once the heat had left his face and his last former-classmate had left the building, Shunpei directed his attention back to the team.

According to the jonin, they were going to the hospital, which was weird. Everyone else was going off to training grounds, which made sense. What business did they have at the hospital?

At the risk of seeming like Kimura, the Hatake began speculating.

Surely their sensei wasn’t planning on having them train there; that would cause such a ruckus! Maybe he was planning on having them help out there instead, but as far as Shunpei knew, Mitsuko was the only one on the team who knew much about medicine. Tsume was always more a punchy-type, and his own talents were also not (in generous terms) medically-inclined. Were they really that strapped for people?

Oh! Maybe they were going to visit an injured shinobi contact and go off on a super cool mission! That’d be sick--not the same kind of sick that Mitsuko was, but sick sick.

But that was putting the cart before the horse. First they had to find somewhere to eat that was relatively close to the hospital. But where?

At that moment, Shunpei hammered his palm.

“Oh! Kitanai-sensei!” the genin bounced, eager to be of use. His had arm shot into the air as if he were going to wait for his sensei to call on him, which he did not. “I know a place we can go. Follow me!”

And so, Shunpei sprinted off into the rain-soaked streets of Konohagakure.

---

Location: “Food Stall”, Konohagakure, Late Morning

As excited as the Hatake had been, the destination was not very impressive. Shunpei’s path brought Team Kitanai to a hole-in-the-wall ramen stall in Konohagakure’s minor clan quarter. Most people going about day to day business in the village wouldn't stumble across this place unless they knew what they were looking for, and the design reflected this. The prices advertised were hilariously low; one could live off of the food here on an orphan’s stipend if they so wanted to. The stall only had enough seats for six people total, one of which was occupied already. Emblazoned on the dirty noren was red kanji spelling the shop’s name.

Ramen Ichiraku.

Shunpei pushed aside the noren and stopped in his tracks. He cast a look over his shoulder to see if the other two were still behind him, which they were. But if that was the case, then this was really weird!

“What in tarnation?” Shunpei scratched the side of his head, ”Kitanai-sensei, what’re-- How’re you able to get her so quick? I didn’t even say where we were goin’!”

[CaliforniaState]

Location: Somewhere between the training grounds and academy

---

The pain surged through his body like a series of lightning bolts, had their sensei really intended to use that much force on just one of these pipsqueaks. Sucking in the pain like his siblings taught him to, he chose to ignore it and put on a stalwart face for Ria. Although he did make it a point to repay his master given the chance to in their upcoming sessions. Looking down he met Ria’s gaze, her emotions slipping out more than he could keep up with. There were tears in her eyes masqueraded by a smile signaling she appreciated what he had done for her. Thanks, would have been enough for Enma, but Ria seemed greedy for more as she treaded closer to his face. Heat manifested itself in his cheeks and forehead causing sweat to draw out from his once pale, now rosy red skin.

Unsure what to do next never having been in such a precarious possession, Enma just nervously chuckled batting his eyes from left to right hoping he would be rescued instead. Ria finally emerged from her pensive though giving only a slight nod before shouting viciously in his face, getting droplets of saliva all over his face. The moody Uchiha vanished off in the distance hoping to cast her revenge on their sensei. With a flutter of relief Enma’s body collectively slouched once he let out a drawn-out sigh. Wiping the sweat from his forehead he smiled and looked at the sun, noting that there was still much time left in the day. Enma turned to his side at the use of his clan name, he had almost forgot Inokikue was watching silently in the back. “Pardon me, but we’ve actually met before. You might not remember me, but my brother is marrying your sister, so we’re step brothers.”

However, their conversation was cut short since he sprinted past him just as he was turning to face Kiku. It couldn’t be helped so it seemed, like the other two Enma took off into the direction of the training grounds. Tapping Kiku on the shoulder this time he pressed, “So what do we do now since we’re brothers?”

[Raijinslayer]

---

Konoha Academy---> Food Stall, Konohagakure
Daybreak, Present Day

---

"Of course I know what your name is," Tsume said with a roll of her eyes, a put present on her face as she was forced off of Kitanai but aside from that no further complaint was given. Instead, she faced the Hatake boy with hands on her hips, clearly not appreciating his misunderstanding of her nickname. "I just thought that Shunichi sounded a bit cuter, ya know. It's a nickname, a pet name even! Or Are only you and Mistuko-chan allowed to give each other pet names? Hmmm?" Her tone was a bit accusatory as she looked between the white-haired boy and the quiet Hyuuga girl.

"If the two of you need some time alone, don't mind me. I'll just be catching up with Kitanai-sensei since it's been forever since he last visited." Sawako-san going to be so happy to see him, I just know it. She giggled at the thought of the three of them hanging out at the house sometime, perhaps even playing some of those boring board games that Sawako always tried to teach Tsume. Clearly she'd need to make sure that Kitanai didn't vanish again after he took them to do whatever team stuff they needed to do right now, but such things could wait for now. As she followed after Kitanai sensei, she couldn't help but catch a glance to her new teammates, wondering how they would all get along. She didn't know either of them particularly well, especially Mitsuko-chan who was really, really, really quiet most of the time. She also seemed to avoid Tsume a lot, which caused her to pout as she ponder on it. Did Mitsuko-chan not like her? Did she hate her? What could Tsume have done to become a target of avoidance for the shy girl? All the thoughts and more swirled within the red head's mind as they moved over to the food stall, rendering her unusually quiet the whole way.

However, once they did arrive, the girl made quick work to secure a seat next to Kitanai, though she didn't order anything as she looked over the menu with a soft 'Hmmmmm', uncertain of which type of ramen she wanted just yet.

@Sloth@Grey@Asura

[Hero]

---

---

Kiku's jaw dropped when his teammate revealed that they had met before. Have they? His face did look a little familiar, but it didn't ring any bells right away. Well, it wasn't like they were complete strangers, but Kiku didn't think they had ever interacted outside of the classroom. Maybe they did and he didn't remember? It wouldn't be the first or last time that someone had revealed that they had met before; he supposed this was a (repetitive) heads up from life telling him that he needed to be more attentive to the people around him.

And then it turns out they were a little more than just acquaintances--they were brothers! Well, brother-in-laws? Stepbrothers? Either way, Kiku heard the word 'brother' and perked up immediately. He had been surrounded by women (and his father) his whole life, and he was getting a brother his age? It seemed too good to be true, honestly. He'd be lying if he said he didn't like the idea.

"I...probably should have known that," Kiku admitted sheepishly, lowering his gaze for a second before bringing himself back up. "Sorry! Guess I should pay better attention!" He laughed, mostly at himself.

As to what to do now that they were brothers, there really was one thing to do. "We'll have the upper hand over the other squads since our bond is going to be tighter than theirs!" He was pumped as he spoke. "You'll see, Ria's already warming up to you, so we're getting a head-start the other teams wish they had." Better that they had that than rivalries.

---

[CaliforniaState]

Location: Somewhere between the training grounds and academy

---

The look on his face was very telling, either Enma didn’t stand out to him as much as he thought he did during the academy or Kiku was just more focused on bosoms and buttocks to focus on anything that lacked those two things. Perhaps his sister was the polar opposite to him otherwise he couldn’t possibly fathom how his brother would have married into that family. Those ideations were negative, and assumptions of character based on preconceived notions. So instead, Enma pushed them out from the back of his mind to make room for a fresh first impression. It wasn’t his fault that they hadn’t crossed paths until now, but if this were the first time it was just as good as any.

Enma laughed bashfully, “Yeah well it’s okay I’m sure my brother doesn’t speak to highly of me or me at all now that I think about it.” The shift in his personality was quite uplifting if he did say so himself, he appreciated Kiku’s efforts to correct his behavior prior to this whole spectacle. “Don’t worry, we’ll have all the time in the world to pay attention from here on out.” He wanted to end his sentence with calling Kiku his brother, yet the words couldn’t find their way out of his mouth. They had just met, and he didn’t want to scare kiku off so suddenly with the utterance of such intimate words when they had only just started to mince their own.

The skin on his cheeks lifted, hoisting his lips into a wide grin in response to Kiku’s talk of bonds, “Yeah you’re right! We’ll absolutely have the better bond and synergy than the rest of these teams. We can only go up from here.” The young boy quickly followed behind hoping to catch up to Ria before it was too late, who knows, she could have already been knocked unconscious by their sensei already. After a few moments the band of brothers had finally managed to catch up to Ria before their sensei had arrived. “You know what they say, before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves” Enma said resting his hand on Ria’s exposed shoulder. “Just show her you’re better than that, kay?” he was with a warm decisive smile.

[Floch]

Uchiha Ria
Team Matsuoka | Training

---

Ria arrived earlier than the boys and there hadn't been any retaliation since neither of them fidgeted, disappointed with the lack of information about her master's abilities, she cussed her father deep in her mind for only talking about his lewd past with Matsuoka. She's aware of the fact that Matsuoka rivaled her father in genjutsu, cementing her disappointment for lacking what she's expected to excel just because her father was exceptionally skilled with it. Fear creeped behind Ria's heart as she's reminded of Matsuoka's immense display of speed earlier, had it not been for Enma's divine intervention, it would have added to her list of embarrassments, moreso if it were a life and death situation.

Fortunately, Enma once again arrived on time with moral support and flushed away Ria's fears in the heat of the moment. Her heart throbbed coupled with her delusion of Enma as a Prince who saved her life. "I made so many mistakes back when we were at the academy." Ria felt remorse of her impulsive and initial action, she realized that she really lacked the means to beat Matsuoka since she was intimidated with her speed. "It's the first time that a boy has tenderly touched me unlike our friend 'Erokami' and his booty calls. She recalled unpleasant memories of a certain Uchiha who humiliated and abused her in unsettling ways but not sexual. Once more, Ria looked closer to Enma, anymore exposure would result an accidental kiss.

"I understand." Ria smiled at Enma but her smile is comprised of mixed feelings of anxiety, fear, and doubt yet she was radiated with Enma's morale.

She didn't want Kiku to miss any of the action.

"Yo, we got a big monkey to catch. Women are your expertise right? I trust your judgement Kiku despite being a female myself, I'm sure you know better than I do." Ria's demeanor changed as she calmed and started to thinking rationally, most likely due to Enma's radiance.

She started to put her faith in her teammates than blindly claim all the glory herself, something that in the heat of the moment that she have never done at all, again due to Enma's radiance.

"Let's attack her with all our might. Enma and I will face her up close while you do your thing." If there's any indication on the way how Ria delivered her suggestion, she's hoping to use Kiku's lust for women as their asset, hoping that he understood what she said.

"This fight is ours and I'm counting on all of you."

[Xiro Zean]

Location: The Thirteenth Training Ground, Konohagakure

---

A few moments after she had disappeared from the Academy, Matsuoka reappeared at the designated meeting spot for her team in a similar gout of smoke. With a hand to her temple, she attempted to smooth out her oncoming migraine as she reviewed just who exactly was in her team of misfits.

Two kids from some of the most prominent clans in Konoha, the Senju and the Uchiha, and a lesser clan known for their mind techniques. Even more than that, the daughter of her former teammate was under her wing, and she couldn't help but think how Kazuma Uchiha will react once he figures it out.

While none of them were clan heirs, the fact that this combination of brats is the first team she'd ever become the direct sensei of is not without stress. She would curse her superior out, if the Hokage were to somehow walk up to her at that specific moment, though in all honesty she would curse out the milky eyed bitch any day of the week anyways just out of principle. The sudden saddling of a greenhorn trio didn't help though.

With a sigh, the potential sensei observed the area around her, making sure the training ground was as she left it when she scouted it earlier that morning. A large clearing, surrounded on all sides by a large thicket of trees, with large boulders and fallen tree trunks littered across the dirt as makeshift cover and potential obstacles. A collection of shaven stumps were spaced evenly across the ground, encircling the clearing around its edge and numbering just as many as the training ground's number: thirteen.

Perfect. Matsuoka glanced through the trees toward the village proper, where not far away her three students would be approaching from the Academy. They were in for a rude awakening, if they thought her test would be an easy one. She would grind them into dust, light a fire under their asses, and blow them away.

But maybe, just maybe, if they had the guts and the drive to succeed they would understand just what kind of sensei she would be, and what exactly she expected from her would-be-students.

With that thought in mind, the Sarutobi crossed her index and middle fingers in front of her, perpendicular to each other as a loud "pop" filled the clearing.

---

When the trio finally arrived with Ria in the lead, their future sensei was perched atop one of the thirteen stumps in the training ground, the farthest one away in fact. Her eyes snapped to the academy students in a hurry, as if she had been focused on something else beforehand, and clapped her hands loud enough to echo through the clearing to catch their attention.

"About damn time, fresh meat!" Matsuoka yelled, hopping up from her slouched position to stand atop the stump with an annoyed glare. "If my genin test was to see how quickly you can move your asses, I'd fail you all on the spot!"

The brunette unlatched her long bo-staff from her back, twirling it around her body to the front before slamming it into the ground beneath, the staff long enough that she could still lean on it despite being elevated a foot or two above the other end.

"Unluckily for you dumbasses, I'm not nice enough to let you just walk away without drilling into you just how unprepared you poor bastards are for the ninja world! Now get over here before I have to drag you along the fucking dirt so I can explain this shit to you!"

[Sloth]

Location: The Mean Streets, Konohagakure

---

Tensai hadn't kept track of just how long he and Kimura had been wandering the streets of Konoha, but it felt like an eternity. It was hard enough keeping himself upright when he was by himself, let alone when he had one of his best friends pulling him along without the sense to warn him when they were going to make a turn or go down a set of stairs. It was all he could do to hope she hadn't already pieced together what his aunt had made all too obvious. After almost tripping over himself for the third or fourth time in a span of minutes, Tensai's frustration finally got the better of him and he stood his ground. The sudden pull on his grip reassured him that he hadn't accidentally caused Kimura to fall over.

It took Tensai far too many precious seconds to realize he'd stopped the two of them dead in their tracks amidst a crowd of people without an explanation. Desperately trying not to think about the awkwardness of the situation, Tensai acted quickly, whispering something about how he needed to tell Kimura something, and, to the best of his very limited ability, led the Inuzuka and her ninken partner to what he hoped was a side path removed from the hustle and bustle of a main road.

He'd hoped to do what he was about to do back at the academy when the teams were first announced, but it was just his luck that Fukushu would end up being one of his teammates and that his sensei turned out to by his aunt who turned out to direct the newly formed squad to the training grounds without so much as a conversation. Was he always breathing this heavy? Sage, he could feel himself starting to sweat. Better to get it over with than settle into panic, and so, without a second thought, Tensai tensed his body and looked directly into Kimura's eyes (he hoped) and got what he needed to say off his chest.

"I'm blind."

The world around him went silent after the words left his mouth, and, to be quite honest, he was terrified of what Kimura's response was going to be, so the young Uchiha turned back towards the main road without thinking about it and made a hasty retreat.

[Xiro Zean]

Location: The Mean Streets, Konohagakure

---

The Inuzuka's mild irritation with Fukushu dissipated the farther the duo got from the Academy, as if leaving the scene where she became so frustrated in the first place was a balm to her emotions. When it abated enough that she had enough rationale to think things through, the brunette was a bit disappointed in herself with how she dealt with the situation.

"Sorry about that Tensai-kun," Kimura apologized, never letting go of the Uchiha's wrist as she half-led half-dragged him through Konoha toward the village outskirts where their new sensei said was the meeting place. "I don't really know what came over me back there. I just really wanted to leave for some reason!"

While she was mostly occupied with looking ahead, mapping out a path in her head as she absentmindedly moved through and around obstacles like stairs, alleyways and people, the Inuzuka gained a stunned expression as she felt Tensai stumble behind her. When she turned to look, however, the boy had already recovered, but the event in of itself was a shock to the brunette. Not once in her life could she think of a time that Tensai would stumble on his own, even during one of the many moments she would pull him along, similar to now. Kimura didn't usually pay attention to Tensai's actions, as he was skilled and acclimated enough to her antics that he would be able to deal with however she brought him along with ease.

Her suspicion rose, her eyes narrowing at the boy behind her as she mumbled low enough that only Guremaru would be able to hear to keep his eyes on 'Tensai', just in case the apparent Uchiha showed any other new developments that could rat him out as a fake. While she still kept up her guard the second time he tripped, only storing it in her mind as yet another strike against the would-be-spy, she could only feel bad about the subsequent ones. By the time Tensai stood his ground, the Inuzuka had almost expected it, worry wiping away the idea of any conspiracy at play in her mind.

For once, Kimura was silent, only waiting for her best friend to speak as he undoubtedly wished to do so. When the request came, she had already spotted a good alleyway where someone could lose them in the crowd before their escape could be noticed, and quickly led him over in a timely fashion. Despite the rising sun, the side path was covered in shadow as the young girl stopped to hear what Tensai had to say. The copious amount of sweat, the quick beating of his heart, the heaviness of his breath, all signs picked up by the Inuzuka's enhanced senses that pointed her to the fact that he was going to say something very important. Something that could very well be a well-kept secret.

When he snapped his head toward her general direction, though his gaze was fixated upon the space where Guremaru lay upon her hair, the glimpse of his glazed over eyes was all the proof she needed to know that his words were true. Her earlier misgivings about the validity of her friend's identity stabbed her like a cold knife to the gut, and it was that moment of dismay that allowed Tensai to break away from her and run toward the main street. But near instantly, the new information that one of her best friends, one who she'd sparred with and lost to hundreds of times before, was blind, forced her to act swiftly.

A kunai, wire already tied to the ring at the end, was thrown toward the wall, ricocheting to pull the wire in front of Tensai. As he wouldn't have been able to see the wire, he probably wouldn't have thought to stop himself from running into the iron thread, said thread causing the kunai to spin around mid-flight, wrapping him in even more wire until he was bundled up enough that it hindered his movement. Enough for Kimura to run up behind him and wrap him in a hug, pulling him away from the street and back into the alleyway just before he could run face-first into a passerby.

Though Tensai might have struggled, she continued to hold him down with all her might, the bound wire making up for their difference in strength as she pulled him as close to her chest as she could. For a few, long moments, she was at a loss for words, unable to say anything about what was just revealed to her. She had no idea how it happened, nor why, nor did she know what emotions he must be feeling and had been since whatever incident stole his sight. All she knew she could do was hug him tightly, her eyes wet as she realized that her friend might be unable to truly become a ninja despite just becoming a genin.

"I'm sorry..."

[Hero]

---

---

An older male relative that didn't approve? They really were brothers! He kept up his enthusiasm, only dropping his head slightly as Enma ran ahead to catch up to Ria. It was more of a sobering thought if he was being completely honest, but Kiku wasn't about to get all mopey in public. He'd rather get slapped by Ria a million times than have anyone accuse him of being some kind of emo-kid or whatever. Besides, he didn't need anyone's approval. All he needed was to support his new team and kick butt.

Psyching himself up, Kiku caught up with the pair as Ria laid down a plan. He nodded, invigorated by the idea of their first team fight. He liked training with his big sister, but there were one or two times he managed to get one over on her. Sarutobi-sensei couldn't be too much different, right? Even if she was, he was sure they'd do something.

Kiku peered at Matsuoka, scratching his chin. If they managed to get her still enough for him to use his jutsu, that would be a win. He grinned as she yelled at them, throwing back his head and letting out a laugh. "Bring it on!" He yelled back, laughing maniacally.

---

[Asura]

Hyūga Mitsuko

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx L O C A T I O N Ichiraku Ramen T A G S @Sloth@Raijinslayer@Grey M U S I C close after playing

For the length of the journey between the academy and the minor clan quarter, Mitsuko remained as she usually was—silent. It was for the best, as she had little to say in response to Shunpei's absentminded inquiry as to her apple like complexion's origin. She was already ashamed enough to break her composure in such an uncontrollable way in front of their sensei, and the teasing that followed from Tsume did little to abate that feeling. Devoid of meaningful contribution, she cast her gaze towards the ground and opted to follow closely behind her nascent squad, led by the intrepid Hatake into parts that, for someone of her relatively high station, were totally unknown. She had never enjoyed much freedom to explore the village, remaining within the confines of the Hyūga compound when she was not at the academy. It went without saying the new surroundings did not do much to help the anxiety of the day, but it provided a somewhat welcome distraction from her embarrassment. It was easy to surmise that this portion of the village was where the less well-to-do members of the population lived; the buildings were not so large or well-crafted, the streets were left to standards of cleanliness far below what she was accustomed to, and the people themselves fell marginally beneath the high aesthetic standards of her clansmen. It made her nervous, in truth. She felt like more of an outsider here than she normally did, and that feeling did not leave her even as they approached their apparent destination. For the first time since they passed through the gates of the academy, Mitsuko rose her head to steal more than a passing glance, and looked upon the dingy restaurant Shunpei had decided on. "It's, uhm... quaint." She murmured to no one in particular, uncertain how to politely phrase her trepidation. She didn't have the opportunity to indulge in restaurants back home, though mother occasionally allowed her to buy snacks from the push-carts that set up within their quarter during festivals and celebrations. While Shunpei expressed his shock at their sensei's presence—something Mitsuko had oddly not paid much mind to, in spite of her hyper vigilance during the journey—the young Hyūga looked worriedly at that run-down ramen stand, then back to her team mates. Would the food be safe? Surely the sanitation standards in this part of town couldn't be that high... Shunpei was familiar with it though, so surely the food couldn't have been too dangerous. How would she pay for it? She hadn't received an allowance in all her years, and they hadn't yet begun to take missions. Was Shunpei going to pay for them? How could he afford such extravagance if he lived in this part of the village? Ramen had meat in it, didn't it? Did they serve any food without meat in it? Meat was a luxury, and as such was rarely featured in her home. She didn't much like the idea of eating animals anyway, and the thought of a cute little pig having to die to sate her opulence made her almost as anxious as the food vendor in front of her did. When she noticed her team mates making to take a seat, she steeled herself against the cacophony of thoughts swirling in her mind and swallowed hard. "Gambaro, Mitsuko." She whispered to herself, and pushed past the curtains separating the street from the counter, taking a seat on one of the many stools next to Shunpei.

[mickilennial]

Location: Village Outskirts, Konohagakure

---

The way to the training grounds wasn’t far, though Fukushu thought it wise in this moment to arrive there quickly but without using too much of her chakra.

She thought little mind of Tensai and Kimura, despite them being her newly anointed comrades-in-arms. She had spent too much time lamenting about it and lamenting about Tensai to begin with. Things would work out. Things always worked out. They had to.

She had to admit, though, she was curious about the Uchiha that was chosen to be her mentor. She had not treated anyone of them with any special treatment and seemed as unamused as Fukushu felt on the inside, or at least that’s how Fukushu perceived her. Of the three sensei brought before them by Toshiro-Sensei she was the one whom struck her the most odd, but given her contemporaries were a lazy idiot and a loud drunk anyone probably would look strange before a group of genin. She wondered what kind of lessons; what kind of knowledge was lying in wait? What kind of exercise had she prepared for them? What was the first expectation to be given upon her as a genin? It was a question that guided Fukushu as she moved past the roadways and toward the training fields where her master was waiting for her and the two others.

Fukushu would be the first to arrive, of course, but that probably didn't mean too much.

“Mm.” She hummed, as she moved forward through the brush.

---

[Sloth]

Location: Ichiraku Ramen, Konohagakure

---

The newly appointed Jonin couldn't help but grin at his students' surprise when they peered their heads behind the curtains of Ichiraku Ramen. Any citizen of Konoha knew that the ramen stall was the place to go for a shinobi on the run. Particularly if they didn't have the luxury of disposable wealth. He had eaten at the stand many a time in his own youth.

"Let's just say I had a feeling this would be where you'd go."

As for how he'd managed to slip away from his newly assembled squad without them noticing, well, frankly, it'd be kind of embarrassing if he hadn't of been able to give a trio of twelve year olds the slip. Granted, he'd hoped one of them would've at least figured it out before they'd gotten to the food stall. He'd have to add situational awareness to his teaching curriculum.

He let his mind wander off while the trio filed into the stools. In truth, he'd hoped to order something to go for the lot of them and have them be on their way to the hospital right as the three had arrived. That was, of course, before he realized he had no idea what sort of food two out of the three liked. Whoops. He hadn't exactly set an exact time with Sawako now that he thought about it. He'd only told her to expect him and his team at the hospital "some time" after the graduation ceremony. That gave him some leeway, right? Yeah.

Kitanai nodded to himself assuredly before facing his students once more.

"Consider this a celebration for your graduation; and maybe a bit of a peace offering before what comes next. It's on me, so get whatever you'd like."

Kitanai gave the three a knowing smile and thanked the spirits for his newfound Jonin salary before settling in.

---

Some time later, Kitanai had led his students to the village hospital. He'd made sure to maintain his silence whenever any of them asked what they were going to be doing. As he'd hoped, the building wasn't overwhelmingly busy when they arrived. As such, he had his students take a seat in the waiting room and swiftly made his way to the front desk and informed the attendant of his team's arrival, thanking the staffer as they disappeared towards the back of the establishment. He turned back to his squad and stood up straight as he began to address them seriously for the first time.

"I don't know if Toshiro informed you, but you have one last test before becoming full members of Konoha's shinobi forces. What is that test, you ask? You will be serving as assistants in this very hospital. You will be working under a trusted acquaintance of mine. Treat her instructions like you would my own. The final decision on your success or failure lies with her and myself. Good luck."

As the Jonin finished his statement, one of the doors of the hospital slid open, and with a curt nod, Kitanai took his place standing next to his team.

[Sloth]

Tensai is now in the training ground.

[Floch]

---

_{Location: The Thirteenth Training Ground, Konohagakure}

---

Ria wasted no time to close her distance against Matsuoka and delivered precise tackles with her dual metal-plated fan, the hand-to-hand sequence of the young Uchiha liken to a theatrical war dance; the "Bon Odori".

She acted by mowing Matsuoka's defenses with tactile agility in hopes to exhaust her, contradicting cautious instructions to Enma and Kiku earlier. The dance step sequence are circular, energetic and elegant yet aggressive. Put these basic moves together, it creates a repetitive choreography of fluidly swinging the fans widespread with simultaneous parries of attack and defend/assault and counter-attack.

Ria mirrored her father, Kazuma's fighting style, the art of Kaeshi that was taught to her and hoped that Kiku and Enma follow. Ironically enough, Ria knew that the Kaeshi fighting form had too many movements and taxed stamina. Someone like Matsuoka, a Jonin and her father's former rival may easily exploit the weak-spot of the form since she faced it before. Ria's movements are emphasized through a 45° angle of swings to smooth transition from parrying an attack to a counterstrike. Without a Sharingan, Ria's moves were underwhelming compared to her father's matured version, she knew that Matsuoka would counter her staggering moves with ease. Time will tell once Ria succumbs to her exhaustion.

Ria grinned and gloated. "Does this remind you of your past? Well you should be, unless you're not a virgin anymore! My father told me to talk smack with you once you're my master! I also think that with your big rack, I can put you in a futon and lie down on those! Well, that's what Kazuma would say! I am Kazuma's child, don't you see any resemblance? MATSUOKA! How about let's read some Icha Icha!" Tch.. damned old-man said, the art of genjutsu is more than making illusion, it's all about wordplay, fuck you, dad, I don't even use genjutsu...I CAN AT LEAST TALK SMACK WITH MATSUOKA'S BIG RACK...Good idea.

[Asura]

Uchiha Shinatobe

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx L O C A T I O N Konohagakure Outskirts: Training Grounds T A G S @Sloth @Xiro Zean @Inkarnate M U S I C did i not have time to find mood music?

It had taken longer to arrive at the training grounds than Shinatobe intended when she set out from the academy, but the newly minted Jonin-sensei managed to arrive none the less. Two of her precious students had decided to trail off from their harmonious convoy, and by the time she had turned around to retrieve them, the third had already taken her opportunity to dash off. Indeed, it was something of a surprise to see the lavender-haired Genin when she pressed through the light foliage that circled the training area. For all she knew, the little brat could have decided to run home to mother, unsatisfied with her team mates as she seemed. What's more, she hadn't even disclosed which training ground they were meant to arrive at. At least someone on her team had a modicum of luck that day. The Uchiha did not break her leisurely stride as she worked her way from the perimeter of their exercise area to its very middle. Three large oak pillars had been planted there, a few paces apart, worn along the sides by years of Taijutsu training and shuriken practice. With the center most one to her back, she faced towards the assembled students and let out a soft sigh beneath her breath. How in the world was she supposed to do this? It wasn't as if they had given her guidelines on how to raise these novices into respectable shinobi. Instead she was left to devise her own regimen to build upon whatever drivel the Hatake had poured into their minds as a foundation. Perhaps that was where the answer lay; it was always wise to check the foundations of a house before you began an addition. "Today will be something of an additional examination to the ones you've passed at the academy. It is my job to instruct you from today, until the day you either promote into the rank of Chunin, or die trying. If I'm meant to instruct you to the level of excellence that is required—that I require," she paused, correcting herself. "Then I must see, first hand, how advanced or unsophisticated your skills are. To that end, your first mission as a squad is simple; try to kill me." There was little enough pageantry that followed her order. She stood just as she had since arriving, an easy, unimpressed expression hanging languid on her fine features and arms tightly crossed along her chest. It occurred to her a few seconds after she spoke that they might have had some reservations about attempting to murder their superior, so she spoke again shortly thereafter. "In case it isn't obvious, you won't succeed in doing so, no matter how much time your mothers have spent drilling you after school. But it is imperative that you give your everything, so I can critique all your skills and find which deficiencies are most prevalent." And then she waited.