Welcome to Gaia! ::

'I wish they'd stop staring at me... there's nothing important to see!' he said to himself, thoroughly frustrated with how he was being treated. Other kids got smiles, waves, salutations. He just got cold stares. 'Just one more day, and then I can graduate, get an place, and lock myself inside until it's time to do missions.' he thought again, quickening his pace and shutting his eyes. After a few dozen steps he ran into something hard and fell backwards. Finally opening his eyes, he looked up to see that he'd run into the stone arch of the entrance to the academy grounds and then heard the barely stifled chuckling of his classmates. He scowled and got to his feet, brushing himself off of sand and dirt. 'Starting off well already, eh Kenji?' he thought sadly and walked into the academy's open field.

“Alright class, as I'm sure you're aware, today you're going to attempt to pass the graduation exams. I will call you all one by one, and you will be tested based on your greatest weakness. If you overcome, you pass. If you fail, you'll have to try again next year.... or I might just flunk you forever. We're not some weak, sorry excuses for an academy staff like the Leaf. We will not hold your hand, and you will not be given infinite chances to become a ninja. If you have no talent, you are of no use to us.”

Kidoumaru Kenji blanched and began to sweat. 'My greatest weakness? That's defending against genjutsu! And if I fail I might not be able to try again?! Oh no! Ohnonononononononononono!' The teacher unrolled a scroll and began naming his classmates in alphabetical order. Azaki Saka. Pass. Chozaki Mimaro. Failed and expelled. Kenji sweat more profusely and one of his classmates sneered at him. “You're going to fail, Kenji-bozu. And then you'll be expelled. And then you'll never be a ninja.” Kenji looked over and glared at him. “Just you watch! I'll pass this test!”

After what seemed like an eternity, the teacher called on Kenji and the student's blood froze. He slowly walked forward and stood apprehensively in front of his instructor, who smirked. “Let's see if you've learned anything since that last time. If you don't pass, I will expel you. You have ten seconds, starting now, to focus your chakra. BEGIN!”

Kenji used all six of his arms to create 3 sets of the Horse hand sign, using the triple application to speed his focus. He counted in his head as the chakra flowed throughout his body. 'Six, seven....' Kenji thought, opening his eyes and staring at his instructor with defiance and challenge. 'Ten!'

Suddenly, the pain was gone. Light pressed on his closed eyes. Kenji opened them and saw that he was standing in front of the instructor once more. The instructor's eyes were closed but his hands were formed in the sign of the dragon. Kenji dropped his arms and looked to the students, who were talking among themselves except for one whom was watching him intently. Kenji looked away and stepped forward, placing his hand on his instructor's hand. The instructor opened his eyes and looked down at Kenji. “So, you succeeded. About time. Congratulations, you may make a respectable shinobi yet.” he said, motioning for Kenji to return to the line. More students were called forward, and only three of them passed.

“Alright students, all of you who have passed; please step forward.” the teacher instructed. Twelve students stepped forward, many of whom who were first time exam takers. They gathered around the desk in the center of the courtyard, excited expressions around, even Kenji's. He beamed so brightly that the sun overhead paled in comparison. 'I can't believe I did it... I was sure it was over for me. Sure that my life as a shinobi would be over before it even started... I did it... I DID IT!' he thought excitedly, looking down at the table. Several headbands bearing the crest of the Village Hidden in the Sand lay upon the wooden surface, some red, some blue, some black. Once again, in alphabetical order, the students were gifted their reward for passing the exam. Kenji was handed a headband with blackened cloth and he immediately put it on, tying the symbol around his forehead, a signal to all that abnormal or not he was a shinobi of the Sand.

“From this day forward, all of you are full-fledged Shinobi. You bear the sign of our flock, the symbol of our pride. Though your journey is just beginning, and great things are expected of you, do not forget this day. Do not forget the pride you feel, the happiness you now know. Keep it with you and push forward, strive for bigger things, and above all else...” the instructor turned from the table and fully faced his soon to be former students, “DO NOT MAKE ME REGRET PASSING ANY OF YOU!” Kenji and several others jumped and nodded excessively.

Shinken woke up to the smell of roast vegetables and sunlight streaming in through the crack in the shutters on his window. It was later than he would have liked, but he still had ample time to have breakfast and speak with his adoptive parents. He knew that his joining the academy made them uncomfortable. They had lost their own son to the ninja world twice. Once as a traitor, and then again when he was killed by the ninja of the village. No matter how many times he told them this was something that he had to do Shinken couldn’t convince them that joining the academy was a good idea.


With a sigh he threw the covers off of himself and walked over to his wardrobe. It was a shabby wooden construct but it was much better than what he had when he was in the orphanage. He hadn’t even had a place to keep his own clothes there. In fact he hadn’t had anything he could really call his own until the Katsuna family had taken him in. He couldn’t help but feel a little bit of pride when he thought of his adoptive parents. Even if everyone in the village had a poor opinion of them he knew better.


Today was the day of his exam, and the first real step to proving to everyone that his mom and dad were good people, that they could raise a hero. Shinken didn’t just want to be an average ninja, he needed to excel, he needed to be the best in the village or at least close to it. His enrollment had come much later in his life than most of the other students in his class. Infact as far as he knew he was the oldest member of the group of students. The class wasn’t large by any means, but being the oldest meant there was more expected of him, and that his classmates often viewed him as less competent.


Shaking himself from his thoughts he jiggled open the drawer that held his pants and slipped the sheer black fabric over his legs. It was important not to wear thick heavy clothes in the desert as it was easy to overheat, especially if you were training in taijutsu. Next he pulled open the closet that held his shirts and his vest. Though his clothes were made of thin breathable fabric Shinken wore a vest that insulated his chest as he would often end up outside at night doing extra training. On those nights he was always thankful for the extra warmth it provided. After zipping up the vest he reached into the wardrobe and grabbed his cantine. He never left home without filling it with water.


“Shinken! You’re going to be late if you don’t hurry up! As much as I disapprove of your choice I won’t have my son be tardy to his final exam!”” His mother called out from downstairs. Even when she was unhappy with him, she kept his best interest at heart. That was something he admired about his mother. No matter what the situation was she was always trying to help people, even when they shunned her or pushed her away.


“Hang on, I’m almost done!” Shinken shouted down the stairs as he strapped the canteen to his belt. He walked to the bathroom and splashed himself in the face with some cold water to help wake him, before brushing his teeth. As he rinsed out his mouth he began to wonder what exactly the academy had in store for him today, and what they would do with him if he failed. He quickly shook the thought out of his mind. That wasn’t something he wanted to think about. Instead he turned his mind to something more positive, like the breakfast that was waiting for him downstairs. Vegetables weren’t cheap in the desert, and even though his father didn’t agree with his son’s choice, it was his way of showing his support.
Shinken’s adoptive father was a tall strong man, and it really surprised the young boy that his father had never attempted to become a ninja. He always said that a good hard day’s work was more rewarding than anything on a battlefield. It wasn’t that he didn’t love the village, nor was he a coward, perhaps the life of a ninja was too unpredictable for him. Whatever the case was Shinken was just glad he had found parents, and good ones too. A lot of the other children at the orphanage weren’t so lucky.His heart sunk at that thought. Though they were often cruel and he didn’t always get along with the other children everyone deserved a family. No one should have to face life alone.


With a quick splash of water on his mouth to wash away the last of the foam Shinken turned around and headed down the stairs to meet his parents. He was surprised to see that not only were there steamed vegetables on the table, but fresh cut fruit as well. The fruit alone would cost more than a week’s worth of lunches, and Shinken couldn’t help but shake his head. This wasn’t something they could afford, and his parents knew it. Why they would show such support for something they were so against he would never understand.


“You guys really didn’t have to go out and get fruit. II know we don’t have the money for that kind of thing...but I appreciate it.” Shinken said as he sat down at the table and picked up a piece of dragonfruit. It was a strange looking fruit purple with large flaps growing out like some kind of strange scale. Inside the flesh was white and juicy, peppered with tiny black seeds. The young boy sunk his teeth into the delicacy tentatively at first. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy fruit. He actually loved it more than anything, but the idea of eating something so expensive gave him pause, if only for a moment. Soon the entire fruit was gone and he moved on to another.


His father walked in behind him and put a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder. Shinken looked up at him as he swallowed the last of the dragon fruit. His father wore a stern look on his face, but it wasn’t an unkind one.


“Son...I know you’re going to pass that test today. You’ve worked harder than any student I’ve ever seen. You stay out past curfew, which might I add I do NOT approve of, and you study until you fall asleep in your books. That’s why I’m going to say this now. Be careful out there. The world is a dangerous place my boy, and full of temptations that would entice you to stray from your path. You must be vigilant against these things. Your brother....Your brother was careless, and trusted the wrong people. Don’t make the same mistakes he did, and most of all remember that you haven’t ever failed unless you’ve given up. Your mother and I love you very much. Now finish up your breakfast and get going before I change my mind.” His father said as he tightened his grip on his son’s shoulder.


Shinken nodded affirmatively. He wasn’t going to miss this chance to right the wrongs that had been done to these wonderful people. Soon their son’s horrible deeds would be forgotten and he would stand among the heroes of the village hidden in the sand. As if on queue a large gust of wind funneled in through the door to the house and swept sand inside. Shinken’s mother sighed and got the broom. She was always cleaning, but that was to be expected in a village made of stone and sand.


Shinken dug into the vegetables in front of him, savoring the taste and smells, while also trying to finish the food as quickly as possible. When he was done he got up and gave his mother and father a hug each.


“I promise I’ll make you proud today, and every day thereafter.” Shinken said as he gave his father’s massive body a final squeeze. The boy was strong for his age, but that was to be expected of someone who had undergone ninja training. After a moment he released his grip on his father and headed out the door. The last thing he heard from his house was his mother wishing him good luck.


The streets were a vastly different environment compared to the warm and comforting home Shinken had just left. The people here stared at him unkindly and he could feel their mistrust and ill will. Just to be associated with the name Katsuna was enough to get one ostracized. Most of these townsfolk probably thought he shouldn’t even be allowed to be a ninja. The young boy was looking forward to proving them wrong. He could just imagine the look on their faces when he proved instrumental in completing some important mission. The regret and shame they would feel when they had to hail him as a hero of the sand village.


He was snapped out of his reverie when he bumped into an old man. He went to apologize but the man saw who he was and began to tear into him.


“Don’t you Katsunas have any damned respect? No of course you don’t! If your damned parents had raised a son who understood what respect was he wouldn’t have attacked the village that raised him. You’ll turn out just like him! Mark my words your whole family is a blight on this village! We should have kicked you out after that attack!” The old man shouted angrily. Shinken couldn’t blame him for being angry. Setsu and his gang of bandits had done a lot of damage and hurt or killed many members of the village. This man was old enough that he had probably lost a child, grandchild or some kind of relative in the assault. So instead he bit his tongue and bowed his head in apology. He even tried to help the man pick up the things he had been carrying but the old man was having none of it. He shooed the young academy student away with a violent shove.


“I don’t need any help from you or your damned family!” The old man growled. Shinken simply let out a sigh and continued on his way. He tried to ignore the stares and glares he got as he made his way to the academy, but he couldn’t block them out. He couldn’t wait until people were staring at him for the right reasons.


Shinken barely arrived at the academy classroom before the bell sounded. He had to thank his lucky stars that he hadn’t slept in just a few minutes longer. If he had he might not have been allowed to take the test and all of his hard work and dreams would have been for naught. The young boy didn’t have time for that thought to instill any sort of fear in him as his instructor arrived moments after the bell finished ringing. The instructor was a harsh man who had clearly seen a fair amount of battle. The instructor didn’t baby any of his students in the slightest. You either passed on your own merit or you were condemned to fail. Shinken swallowed hard as the instructor turned to face the class.


The instructor’s eyes scanned the classroom with an emotionless face. The young academy student couldn’t tell if he was happy or angry, displeased or disinterested. There was a thick and heavy silence in the classroom as the students waited anxiously for their teacher to speak. After several moments he gave a grunt of approval and walked over to his desk.


“As you all know today is the day of your final exam. Either you pass, or I kick you out of the Academy. I don’t believe in second chances. Today we are going to test your taijutsu, your ninjutsu, and your ability to withstand genjutsu. You will be given an individual grade for each exercise, and your overall performance and composure will be factored in to assign your final score. If you have any doubts about your abilities I suggest you leave now, and save yourself the embarrassment.” The instructor said harshly. Shinken looked around at his fellow classmates and saw several of them start sweating but no one left. After a few moments the instructor spoke again.


“Very well. Kaizen Utaru step forward and begin your test. The rest of you stay in your seats and watch what is in store for you.” The instructor commanded. Kaizen stepped forward hesitantly and put on a brave face. The boy was in the lower half of the class and Shinken felt terribly bad for him. Having to go first must have been absolutely nerve wracking.


“First we will test your taijutsu. I will not personally be administering the tests. The school felt it would be more suitable for a recently promoted Chuunin to be your opponent. Your performance reflects on me, so don’t disappoint me or I’ll make sure you never get your headband.” The instructor barked.


The Chuunin entered through a doorway opposite of the main entrance to the classroom. She didn’t look that intimidating to Shinken, but he was sure that was part of the test. If you underestimated your opponent then you were already as good as dead on the battlefield.


“Well I suppose we should begin. Go on, I’ll let you take the first strike kid.” The older ninja said as she brushed her hair out of her face. It was clear that she didn’t feel threatened by the academy student, but what was unclear was whether or not she was taking this seriously or not. That question was answered very quickly when Kaizen charged headlong at her. It was a foolish move that wouldn’t even have worked on an opponent of equal skill, and he was punished for it. The Chuunin stepped around the attack, gliding across the floor with a liquid grace that greatly impressed Shinken.


“Really? That’s how you’re going to open this fight? Charging in like a blind bull?” The Chuunin laughed as she slid down into a fighting stance. Clearly she was specialized in taijutsu, and that made Shinken wonder if they were supposed to even have a chance, or if this was a test in more ways than just taijutsu. One of their morale in the face of certain defeat, and their ability cool under pressure. If it was then this student was clearly failing as he stumbled to a stop fuming with frustration.


“Just you watch! I’ll knock you on your a**!” Kaizen shouted as he advanced again this time with a better planned but still reckless approach. His instinct seemed to be to try to hit harder and faster, neglecting any kind of defense. It almost hurt Shinken to watch the Chuunin take out one of the boys legs with a quick sweeping kick. The sound of Kaizen’s body hitting the floor echoed off the sandstone walls of the academy, and some of the other students started to laugh before they were silenced by a glare from the instructor.


Shinken however was more interested in observing the Chuunin than Kaizen. Since he didn’t have to go first he had a chance to analyse her technique and try to find a weakness. So far she seemed very confident, and rightfully so given they were just academy students, but he could use that to throw her off guard. Her kicks were swift and had good follow through, but she let her right hand down ever so slightly when she threw a kick with her right leg. If he timed it right Shinken was sure he could use that as an opening.


Kaizen got up off his a** with teeth bared. He was no longer frustrated he was enraged. He was being made a mockery of in front of his friends and peers, and that must have stung more than the blows he had taken. The boy advanced again but his technique was sloppy. The Chuunin dodged and weaved around his attacks like water flowing around a stone. Every now and again she would tag him with a punch or a kick sending the academy student stumbling back. Shinken had to give Kaizen credit he was nothing if not determined.


Eventually the Chuunin grew tired of toying with Kaizen and stepped through his attack, just barely avoiding the punch, before delivering a spinning kick to the back of his head, followed by a kick to the back of the knees and a brutal palm to the chest as the young boy hit the ground. It was clear the Chuunin was holding back, or Kaizen would be dead, as it was he simply groaned in pain on the ground.


Shinken thought that the girl had gone too far. They were still members of the same village after all, and he wasn’t sure Kaizen would be able to finish the rest of his exam now. To Shinken’s surprise after a few moments his classmate got to his feet, though he seemed to be quite shaky.


“That’s enough Kaizen. You’ve failed your Taijutsu test. That performance was just shameful. You had better hope you do better in your next two examinations or you’ll never be a ninja.” The instructor said coldy. Kaizen looked at him weakly with a fearful expression on his face. Shinken wished he could help his classmate with some words of encouragement, the boy desperately needed them.


“Now Kaizen we’ll be testing your seal speed first. I want you to make all twelve seals as quickly and accurately as you can, then we will be testing your chakra control. Now, begin.” The instructor said with a grimace. He clearly wasn’t expecting Kaizen to pass after his utter failure during the taijutsu portion of the exam. The academy student was sweating bullets as he began to form the first hand seal. The boy stumbled a few times but over all his time was adequate and he didn’t fail to form any of the seals. The instructor gave an affirmative grunt and nodded in acknowledgement. He seemed quite surprised.


Shinken on the other hand was quite relieved, both for his classmate and himself. He knew he would be able to ace at least the seal speed part of the exam. He had gotten the seals down to perfect muscle memory and performing them was now second nature.
“Good, now show me you can control your chakra by walking up this wall.” The instructor said as he stepped out of Kaizen’s way. The female Chuunin scoffed and shook her head.


“This runt should have already flunked outright. Besides he’s never going to be able to climb that wall.” She said mockingly. The instructor silenced her with a cold hard glare, and she gulped. Kaizen took a deep breath and placed his hands in the ram seal before focusing his chakra into his feet. He hesitated for a moment and then took his first step up onto the wall. His footing was shaky at first, and he almost fell off the wall after the third step, but eventually he reached the top. The academy student let out a sigh of relief and slowly began to make his way back down one slow step at a time. The instructor tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for his student to reach the floor again.


“Well it’s a pass, barely.” The instructor said with a frown. Shinken got the sinking feeling that Kaizen was going to flunk out. It was unfortunate for the young student, but at least Shinken was able to learn from the boy’s failures.


“Now get ready as I’m going to have this Chuunin put you under a genjutsu.” The instructor said as he nodded to the chuunin. A wicked grin crossed her face and suddenly Kaizen went pale. The female ninja began making hand seals and as she finished the last one the young academy student went stiff. He had completely stopped moving. Shinken knew there must be a war going on inside his head. That was the part he was most afraid of. He didn’t have anyone to practice with, so his experience in resisting genjutsu was relatively limited.


After a few moments Kaizen collapsed to the floor in a pile of sweat and tears. It didn’t take a genius to see that the boy had failed the exam. Shinken actually pitied him. The Chuunin seemed overly pleased with herself. It actually made the uchiha a little bit sick to his stomach. Was this really what the ninja of the sand were like? Was his brother just trying to fix a system that was broken? He didn’t have time to consider the idea any further as the instructor turned to him.


“Shinken Katsuna you’re up next. Try to do better than this pathetic excuse for a ninja will you?” He said as he pointed to Kaizen. The young Uchiha gritted his teeth in anger. How could this teacher be so careless with his students? Shinken walked down the stairs to the testing area with a newfound determination. He had to become a ninja, if he failed here he would never be able to bring honor back to his parents.


“So, you’re the next victim huh? I hope you’re more fun than the last slouch.” The Chuunin said as she slipped back down into a fighting stance. Shinken wasted no time closing the distance between them. He had noted that she didn’t react unless a strike was thrown, so he tried to fake her out. He started with a punch but at the last moment slipped down into a leg sweep. His efforts were met with a boot to the chest that sent him stumbling backward. The force of the blow was more intense than he had originally expecting. It actually knocked the breath right out of his lungs.


Gasping for air he pulled his hands back up and gave the female ninja a death glare of determination. He wasn’t going to give up so easily. Again he approached the older ninja but this time he was more cautious. He advanced as if to attack several times, only to withdraw just in time to avoid a counter attack. He watched her trying to find her tells and her weak points, but every time he thought he had found one she changed her tactics. He couldn’t seem to find a pattern, and he was barely able to hold his own. The Chuunin seemed to be equal parts impressed and amused by his attempts to weather the storm.


“You’re not half bad for a snot nosed brat. I’m going enjoy beating the fight out of you.” She said as she cracked her knuckles. Shinken swallowed hard and steeled his will to fight. He waited for her to make a move and hoped his instincts were right. He leaned to the left as her fist grazed his cheek, meanwhile his fist was traveling toward her solar plexus. He honestly thought his attack was going to find it’s mark, but the Chuunin was fast, much faster than she had previously demonstrated. She caught his fist and he let out a groan of pain as she tightened her grip. With one last burst of effort he ripped his hand away from her and stepped back out of range.


How was he supposed to beat this girl? What did they expect a bunch of academy students to do against someone this skilled? Was it just a test of will, or was it something else? Did they simply grade how long someone was able to last? Or how much damage they took? Was there a time limit? Or was it a points system? Shinken’s mind raced through all of these thoughts as he stood his ground against his approaching opponent. If he got pushed back any further he was going to hit a wall. That’s when he had his eureka moment. If he could get her to throw a punch close enough to the wall and he could trap her fist in the structure and that might buy him enough time to get in a few blows.


Without hesitating in the slightest Shinken left himself open in just the right way that he would be able to evade the Chuunin’s attack and let it pass into the wall behind him. Her cockiness was her greatest weakness and it showed when she took the bait and slammed her fist directly into the wall behind him. It sank into the sandstone structure and got lodged there. Shnken didn’t hesitate and threw several punches at the side of her ribs she had left exposed. The meaty impact of his fists against her bones was highly cathartic for him and brought a smile to his face. Suddenly the instructor raised his hand and the Chunnin wrested her fist from the wall with a scoul.


“Well done Shinken. I didn’t think you had it in you. You pass with top marks. Remember finding the enemy’s weakness is the first step on the path to victory.” The instructor said with what Shinken could have sworn was a smile if he didn’t know better.


“The next part of your exams is the ninjutusu portion. I hope you’ve been practicing your seals.” The man said as he motioned for Shinken to begin. The boy already knew what the test entailed from watching the previous student take it. He formed the twelve hand seals with incredible precision and speed causing the instructor to c**k an eyebrow. When he was done he ended on the ram seal and funneled his chakra into the soles of his feet. He had to be very careful not to use too much chakra and push himself off of the ground, and he also had to make sure the flow was steady so he wouldn’t lose his grip on the wall once he started up it.


After a few moments of making sure he had his chakra in order Shinken slowly started up the wall. His purpose for moving so slowly was two fold. I showed how much control he had over his chakra, and it better allowed him to focus. The last thing he wanted was to fall and embarrass himself in front of the whole class. The mere thought of that alone nearly gave him the shivers. After about thirty seconds he reached the roof and placed one hand on it signifying the halfway point of this part of the exam. The next part would be harder there would be extra force trying to rip him off of the wall as he walked back down. Again the instructor seemed impatient as he tapped his foot incessantly. Eventually Shinken made it back to the classroom floor without incident. He had a beaming smile on his face until he realized what was going to come next.


The Chuunin had a very wicked grin on her face. She was clearly looking forward to putting the young student through hell. He very nearly couldn’t blame her seeing as how he had embarrassed her in front of the instructor, and an entire classroom. He braced himself for the horrors that were to come as the instructor prepared to speak.


“Well done, you pass with higher than average marks. Though your time could use improving, your chakra control was immaculate. Now let’s see how you fare against a genjutsu. I’m sure our Chuunin friend here is eager to get started, and I’m eager to see how deal with illusions. You may begin.”The instructor said as he pursed his lips. The Chuunin wasted no time in starting her jutsu. She made a few hand seals before the world went dark. The only thing that Shinken could perceive was his own heart beat.


‘If this is the worst it gets than I’m in the clear’ He thought for a moment before realizing that the darkness was slowly creeping in on him. His limbs were disappearing and he was starting to hear voices. The Chuunin’s voice specifically.


“Oh I’m going to enjoy ripping you limb from limb in here. No one makes a fool out of me, especially not some upstart snot nosed punk of an academy student!” The voice said seeming to echo off of the very darkness itself. Suddenly Shinken felt a searing pain in his limbs as the darkness began to creep up his flesh. He did his best to fight it back and moved and thrashed, but he couldn’t slow it’s progress. After a few moments of utter agony he began to run, trying to distance himself from the darkness that was all around him. Suddenly he saw a flickering light in the distance and he began to make his way towards it.


Every time he drew closer to the light it seemed to suddenly flicker out only to appear farther away. He knew that he had to refocus his chakra and disrupt it but he couldn’t think straight with the searing pain in all of his limbs. He had to find a source of light, a source of relief or he was going to fail the test.


“Yes keep running like the coward you are. I’m going to enjoy watching you flunk out of this academy. You don’t even deserve to be here!” The voices said as the darkness encroached even further upon the young student.


Through all of the pain Shinken was able to fight his way to the source of light, a small burning flame that seemed to push away the darkness. For a moment he was actually able to think clearly., and he started to form the seal needed to disrupt his own charka, only to hear the laughter of the Chuunin echoing off of the darkness.


“You think you’re safe here? No I wanted you here so you could truly experience pain and agony. I’m going to make you wish you’d never even heard the word shinobi.” Her Voice boomed as the small flickering flame rushed out and engulfed Shinken. The pain that he felt couldn’t even be described as pain. It was far too intense. It penetrated every single fiber of his being and filled his consciousness. Still he somehow managed to bring his hands together into the required seal and force a burst of Chakra through his body. It was just enough to break the illusion leaving him panting in a puddle of sweat as the Chuunin gave him a look of disbelief.


“Excellent and well done. Shinken Katsuna You pass with flying colors. You are officially a shinobi of the hidden sand. Congratulations:” The instructor said as he reached out to shake the newly promoted Gennin’s hand.

INDENTA young girl with dark, ravenous hair sat up in her bed stretching wildly; at the same moment, a silent yawn escaped her lips attempting to coax the young girl back under the sheets. It was true that her feather filled pillow was very tempting. She flopped back onto her bed causing her bed to vigorously ‘thump’ in retort. It had almost seemed like the bed were winning this silent battle of wills; however, the young girl groaned rolling off the side of her bed catching herself on the floor with her arms outstretched and crouched legs as if she were about to pounce on her prey.

INDENTOnce standing, the young girl peered through a nearby window into the darkness which loomed over the village allowing her eyes a few moments to adjust. While it seemed so dark in this very moment, she knew that daylight was only around the corner. Whipping her body around, the young woman began to work quickly gathering everything she would need for the coming day. It was a very special day, and the young woman had a lot to accomplish before she would feel satisfied. She certainly would not be able to relax until she finished all the tasks that she had set before herself on this momentous occasion. After spending about five minutes looking through the entirety of what her clothing options had to offer, she chose a rather modest outfit which would not impede her ability to move. She felt like one of her biggest assets was while lacking combat abilities; she was quick and nimble which allowed her to avoid some rather undesirable situations. The young woman laid her attire on the edge of her bed in an easy to grab location. Afterwards, she began to stuff a multitude of items into an over the shoulder satchel which she always kept nearby. The young woman brushed a small piece of hair from her eyes as she took extra care placing a well kept novel into the satchel. She wouldn’t want to be charged extra when she returned the book to the local facility to exchange it for additional tomes. She gave a slight nod of approval while setting the satchel carefully towards the head of her bed. It was supported by the feather filled pillow which still urged the young girl back into its warm embrace.

INDENTShaking the sleep from her eyes wildly, the girl marched into the bathroom pulling her toothbrush from a container attached to the wall. The bright neon green was complimented by the dark blue toothpaste she slathered atop the brush bristles. She turned the faucet on full blast while she brushed her teeth vigorously inspecting her own handy work. She would leave no tooth without a deep cleaning, no cavity to nest in her mouth and worst of all, she refused to allow her tongue to collect the essence of morning mouth. She felt her body even shudder at the mere thought of the horrible breath she would sometimes smell from the mouths of others. Content with the state of her own mouth, the young girl rinsed her brush dropping it back into the container on the wall. She began to rinse her face with the now steaming water. Looking up into the mirror, she smirked feeling pretty good about herself this morning and like any other young girl her age, she drew a smiley face in the steam which clung to the mirror’s surface. The girl did not bother drying her face but rather undressed while hanging her head above the sink. She slung her current clothing to wherever was easiest in her current position and quickly headed over to the shower turning the heat on full blast. She probably would use all the hot water but lucky for her family, she was up early enough that there would be plenty of time for that to recover before anyone else was ready to partake.

INDENTAbout twenty minutes later, the water began to slightly chill which prompted the young woman to turn the water off and exit the shower. She grabbed a nearby towel flipped her hair upside down nestling the towel firmly around her gentle locks before standing back into a vertical position. She stretched further away to grab a towel which was just barely out of reach. She pushed her face into the material nuzzling the soft towel against her wet skin. After carefully drying her face being careful not to mess with the towel on top of her head, the young girl wrapped the fabric around her body. She giggled a little like a school girl realizing that the towel did not wrap around her perfectly now that she had grown out of her child like pencil figure. Make no mistake, her giggle indicated nothing more than her still very naïve child like mindset as far as more adult matters such as relationships were concerned. She had always thought the girls in her class drooling over the boys were little more than a ridiculous waste of schooling and time.

INDENTThe young woman pulled the clothes over her body with ease. She used one hand to slip on her footwear one at a time while she hopped over towards the head of her bed. Sliding the satchel across her chest, the girl hastily made her way downstairs into the kitchen. She was not really paying attention as she made her way down the steps and almost tripped while she pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail. She figured as long as her hair was out of the way while she was moving around that it was good enough. While she quickly recovered from the fall, she wondered whether or not she should go take a look in the mirror to make sure that she appeared presentable. ‘No,’ the girl thought adamantly. There was no reason to worry about her outwards appearance, no one had ever really complained before. Why would anything change today just because she was graduating from the academy? Not to say that nothing was going to change. In fact, a lot of things would soon change but as far as changing her appearance, that was entirely too much. The fact that she would even contemplate such a thought worried her. The young girl furrowed her eyebrows but quickly changed her demeanor. There was still a lot more to do! She had taken the time to prepare a few things for breakfast this morning the night before which would streamline the process. Her first task was the reheat the rice while preparing the fish. The fish was the easiest part because she had so thinly sliced the portions that they would cook almost instantaneously once met with the preheated cooking surface.

INDENTWhile it was a very simplistic morning meal, the girl had taken care to prepare extra portions to make up for the lack of diversity. Once finished, she gathered everything into serving platters bringing them to the dining area. She carefully placed the platters on the surface being careful not to wake anyone. In the quiet morning, the young girl nibbled on her food enjoying this moment as the sun began to peak up above the clouds. It only took her a few minutes to finish her meal entirely. Once she finished, the girl stood and promptly carried all of her utensils into the washing area. She rinsed everything out thoroughly trying to keep the clean up rather simple for her mother. The older woman worked so hard for the family that she deserved as much help as she could get. “Arina,” the young woman jumped turning around quickly to see her mother’s silhouette turning around the hallway corner downstairs. “I was just leaving,” she quickly rushed over to hug her mother and give the woman a small peck on her cheek. “I love you and have a good day,” she flashed a brilliant smile towards the older woman before backing away towards the door, “mom!” The older lady could not help but smile as her daughter left the corridors of the household and onto bigger and better things. “Mmm,” the woman looked down to notice that her daughter had taken the time to prepare breakfast for everyone. She was such a responsible girl but in her heart, that would always be her baby girl. Soon though, she would return as a grown woman and a full-fledged shinobi. The woman had no doubts that her very capable daughter would get everything that she ever wanted.

INDENTOnce outside the residence, Arina did not really move with a purpose. She just sort of meandered through the quiet streets trying to find a relaxing spot to spend her morning until the rest of the village began to awaken with activity. The bustling streets and street vendors were kind of relaxing to the young woman. This was her home and this is where she always found herself most comfortable. Finally finding herself around the playground for young children with no awareness to when she had arrived, the young girl sat herself on a nearby bench and pulled out the book nestled away in her sack from its resting spot. She opened the pages and began intently reading the words before her. The cover of the book harbored the words, ‘the basics of chakra affinity’. The majority of students would have probably scoffed at her choice in reading material but the education did not come as fluently to her as it had many of the other students. Admittedly, she was a star student with exemplary shows of skill but all of this extracurricular studying was a large part of her success.

INDENTLooking up from her book occasionally, the young woman noticed that the streets were finally beginning to stir with activity. At first, she would notice only one or two passerbies on their way to the unknown. A little later, a light inside of one of the nearby shops would flicker on and quickly followed by another. Street stalls began to open up and you could hear the sizzling of the food being prepped for people who could not be bothered to prepare their own meal this morning. ‘Something smells good,’ the young girl caught a nearby whiff of something that smelled delicious. “A lot of things smell really good,” she muttered under her breath unable to resist all the various smells which wafted on the gentle breeze in the air. She gently slid the book which she had been reading back into the knapsack being careful to memorize the page that she had currently been researching. She wrapped the strap across her chest and carefully stood up making sure not get dizzy from sitting for such a long period of time.

INDENTWalking down the village streets, Arina allowed her nose to be her guide. Today was a special day! Surely, it was acceptable to grab a rather indulgent snack after already having an acceptable meal that morning. It was not like she had missed a meal entirely or was doing this because of being lazy. After a few minutes of searching, she found the shop. She was not really for sure why this was the shop but regardless; she walked through the entryway and was quickly greeted by a bubbly, young girl behind the counter probably around the same age as herself. “Dango,” Arina seemed more questioning than anything else. The young girl behind the counter flashed a beautiful smile nodding approvingly, “it will be just a moment.” Arina seemed lost in thought not really paying attention to her surroundings. Surely it was unprofessional to be so nonchalant even while in her own hometown but the young girl had always felt so safe within the confines of the village limits. Not to mention, this was supposedly a time of peace, however wavering that peace might be between some confrontational misfits. She would have to be more vigilant in the future but this was the rest of her childhood. These last few hours were what was remaining before taking a much larger step into the future.

INDENT"Hi there, Arina is it? Mind if I sit here?" The young girl raised her head to look towards a young male. Not only did she not entirely hear anything that he had said, since he had caught her somewhat off guard by approaching her… She also had no idea who he was. ‘Who is this?’ Arina slightly panicked not recognizing his face. ‘This is what I get for being so focused on studying during class,’ the young girl was trying to narrow down her options while smiling brightly towards the young boy and nodding. She really hoped that was an appropriate response to why the young boy had addressed her.

INDENT It must have been because soon after he had taken the seat across from her at the table. Arina still could not believe that she was not aware of whether or not this was a boy from her very own class. It would have made sense given that he was only slightly taller than her. From his demeanor, he seemed rather quiet just like she usually was; though, he seemed to be quite thoughtful at the very same time. The majority of people that Arina had met would not have bothered asking if she minded them sitting next to her at the table because an empty seat is still very much empty. She began to tap her toes against the flooring out of anxiety. This might have explained why she did not recognize him. He might have made it a habit to not stick out from the crowd. ‘That is what I usually do myself,’ the girl slightly bit on her lower lip. The young girl wondered what she should do or say in this situation. A few additional minutes worth of awkward silence filled the air between the two of them until Arina finally came to her own decision.


INDENT “Um,” the young woman started to say rather reluctantly, “who are you?” There was nothing that could have been done about it. It was beginning to irritate her not knowing who he was and while she was about ninety-seven percent sure that he was a classmate, she would not be satisfied until she was for sure. To her pleasant surprise, an older lady much different from the initial hostess approached with a warm plate of dango not long after. No doubt, they were unknowingly saving her from this rather awkward situation which the young woman had created for herself. “Thank you,” she bowed slightly in the direction of the much older woman who had brought her this gift. After watching the older lady smile in appreciation and turn on her heels to continue her work, Arina turned her full attention to the food which had been placed in front of her person. She took a minute to admire the hard work of the chefs in this establishment. The sauce to dumpling ratio was absolutely perfect. The temperature was a comfortable warm to eat but not so hot that she would need to wait an hour before ingesting this delicious smelling treat.

INDENT“Wonderful,” the young girl stated enthusiastically picking up the bamboo skewer and eating the dango closest to her mouth without any hesitation. “Mmm,” Arina exclaimed excitedly still happily munching on the initial piece that she had placed into her mouth. It was very apparent how much she loved food and how much she loved eating, despite her small, petite figure. It was because of this amazing taste that melted in her mouth so perfectly that she continued to perfect her cooking skills, despite being so young. How anyone could live off instant noodles was appalling!

INDENT‘Oh,’ the young girl startled herself before quickly swallowing the piece of dango, “I am sorry. That was rude. You were saying?” While listening intently to what the boy had to say, the young girl thought she remembered vaguely him asking something about the entrance exams. The thought was not entirely random considering that she realized that the time was quickly approaching to be making their way to the classes. The older lady whom had brought her order returned with the order that Sora had made earlier, a piping hot cup of green tea and an order of dango just like she had made for herself. He seemed to be finished with his side of the conversation, including introducing himself which was more than somewhat embarrassing.

INDENT Arina reached into her satchel and fished around for a few minutes before slapping some money on the table. “I am covering both our tabs,” the young woman stated while the older lady picked up enough coin for both of the orders. She began to nibble on the middle dango while the lady retreated from the table with coin in hand. “You asked about the exam earlier… I have never really been nervous about anything like that,” the young girl stated matter-of-factly while swallowing the last bit of her final meal before becoming an academy graduate. “I suppose that I might be… somewhat nervous… about what it means for me after graduation though,” she asked inquisitively with her tilted slightly to the left while looking towards him. She was earnestly curious because surely she could not have been the only one wondering where this left them. They might have to face dangerous missions now. Admittedly, she knew that more often than not that they would probably be chasing a runaway animal to return the menace to its owner; however, it never really took away from the fear that what if… what if they were put into a dangerous situation that as Genin they wouldn’t be able to handle.

INDENTShaking the thought from her head, the young woman listened to her new found companion, as well as patiently for him to finish his meal. They still had a little amount of time to kill before having to make their way to the graduation exam, as well as ceremonies. She might as well take what little time that she had left and enjoy it. She breathed out a deep, relaxed sigh resting her chin in the palm of her right hand which was propped up by her elbow on the table.

INDENT"I can't say I haven't thought about that myself... however I try not to worry about the things I can't control." Arina quietly contemplated his words. He was right about the situation entirely. This was not something that she should be so worried about right now. First, she needed to concentrate on the academy exam. Soon after, they would have to start heavily training and complete missions in preparation for the Chuunin Exams which were swiftly approaching and would creep up on them if they were not prepared. “We should probably pass our exams first,” the young girl smiled sheepishly while trying to seem humbled because there was no way that she was going to decline free food! “They might have something planned for us afterward. It would be a shame to prematurely make any plans,” she nodded in agreement with herself because the more she thought about it – the more it made sense that they would not just graduate and walk off with headband in tow.

INDENT"Well then, shall we get going?" Arina nodded her head in agreement and followed the lead of Sora by taking an upright vertical position. She grabbed her nearby satchel by the main strap and gently placed the strap across her chest. She fiddled with the strap for a few minutes to find the position of maximum comfort which was on top of the crevice of her breast bone gently cradled between her breasts. “I am ready,” she allowed Sora to take the lead and quietly followed a half step behind the young man. Secretly, Arina hoped that they might be a part of the same team. The young girl was not very interested in meeting new people. Having him as a teammate would be quite comfortable, despite not knowing each other very long. His disposition resembled her own very closely.

INDENT‘Oh,’ the young girl gasped quietly stopping dead in her tracks. She grabbed Sora by the arm to make him stop moving, as well. ‘It’s ok. I'm Sora-Shou; you can just call me Sora though.’ The thought of introduction randomly appeared before her thought processes. After Sora had come to a complete stop, she let go of his arm extending her arm as if to shake his hand, “It is nice to officially meet you. I am Arina Satou.” He probably thought that she was silly for such introductions, especially considering he already seemed to know who she was. To her though, they were just making everything official. How could they move forward as friends if they could not even properly introduce. She patiently waited for the young man shake her hand while smiling warmly and afterwards, they continued forward on their journey to the academy.

INDENTThe young girl was surprised by how well this seemed to have worked out, despite having to ask him for his own name near the beginning. He seemed to have accepted the indiscretion and moved on easily compared to what she had expected. The atmosphere between them seemed far more comfortable now. “So, I know that you're quiet the study... is there something you're planning on specializing in?” Sora questioned appealing to her by answering the question himself first. “I have always wanted the same thing ever since joining the academy,” her tone had grown very serious because this was something that was very important to her. Nothing had ever been more important to her than the destination to her journey; she looked back up towards Sora ever so briefly before continuing. “I want to be able to support my team. I know that we are living in far more peaceful times, but they’ve always made an emphasis to how many people were lost in the Great War. If things ever change, I want to prevent as many injuries as possible… or anything more,” she kind of trailed off realizing how she sounded considering these were peaceful times. Even on what were considered low class missions, there was always some form of risk. “I want to help people. It is important to me…” Arina looked away avoiding eye contact while they approached the school.

INDENT“You don’t have much time left,” the young girl stated while still avoiding the gaze from Sora trying to redirect the conversation. Arina was secretly hoping that they would never really make it to the academy but there it was plain to see in front of them. “This is such a waste of time,” the young girl let out an exasperated sigh. She knew the exams would be a breeze but they would most certainly waste most of the day allowing multiple opportunities for those lacking in their skills, probably not due to actual skill but nobody had discipline. The instructors always told you to practice your skills later on during your own time but almost nobody actually did. The girls were too busy making sure they looked presentable or vying for some unlucky boy’s attention. The boys mostly just wasted their time with each other. She had seen several of the cliques in the afternoon wasting so much precious time with friends they might not really ever get to spend time with again once they were assigned into teams.

INDNET‘Their loss,’ the girl thought to herself while vaguely recognizing some of the faces from her class standing outside sort of congregated together. “We must be getting ready already,” Arina pointed in the direction of the assembly of people outside for Sora to see. “I am sure we will both do great,” the girl smiled picking up a light jog until she reached the collection of faces and quickly turning on her heels to watch as Sora approached. She waved her hands in the air wildly trying to make sure that he came to stand by her. He might have had other friends but they walked here together, so they should probably continue together right? She was not entirely sure how this sort of thing worked. “I bet your first mission will be chasing that almost feral white cat through the village and returning it to the owner,” the young girl chuckled heartily once Sora had reached the location. He must have known which animal she was referring. The cat was known to be a repeat offender always trying to escape the clutches of his almost suffocating owner. She was a wonderful older lady realistically but could be just a tad bit over bearing.

INDENTShe subconsciously heard the teacher call out a name; it was not hers however. Then, another. Another. “Satou,” the instructor had summoned her to the front of the class. From what she had seen, there appeared to be multiple instructors taking the students to separate areas to complete their trials. It was probably so that when the one or two who would inevitably need to retest next year would not be as embarrassed by their situation. It was honestly a very thoughtful move on the part of her instructor. They were lucky as she knew many instructors who were not as caring. “Moving,” Arina exclaimed loudly as she made her way through the pack facing her instructor, as well as an additional female instructor with a cheery demeanor and bright blonde hair tied back much similar to her own style. ‘Why do I keep meeting up with these bubbly people…? It is like the world is trying to tell me something…’ it was a brief thought to cross her mind as she was instructed to follow the young woman. Once coming to a stop quite a ways away from the main group, the instructor turned to address her directly. “Are you ready?” the instructor smiled brightly while lowering the upper half of her body, so that she could look Arina in the eyes. It was almost mind blowing that someone so cheerful and happy could be a shinobi. This type of woman certainly was not the type of person that came to mind when you dream about growing up to become a shinobi. Arina let a small chuckle escape her lips, “Yes, mam.”

INDENT“I was instructed to test you on your chakra control. You are going to climb this tree properly using only the soles of your feet, as well as the proper chakra it would take to climb to the top,” the instructor stated simply and honestly, this was such an easy task the young girl was surprised that anyone would be tested on something so simple. “You might see it as a basic skill,” the instructor continued noticing the relief in Arina’s gaze, “but this is a serious stepping stone in to learning many more skills in the future.” The young girl nodded in agreement because she understood that completely. In fact, the book she had been reading this morning mostly dedicated to chakra affinities did have a small portion in the front of the book which spoke about the importance of chakra in everyday shinobi life and things that seem so simplistic but can be such a drain on one’s chakra reserves when not done properly.

INDENTArina closed her eyes momentarily making the proper sign and focusing on the soles of her feet gathering the chakra. She was by no means an expert even at such simple task but she was still very confident in her ability to properly finish this task. After a few minutes of concentration, the young girl began to walk up the side of the tree. ‘Too easy,’ she thought quietly to herself but had she spoken out loud, there would probably been an air of conceit to the words. In that small moment, her concentration wavered enough that the bark began to separate from the tree leaving an imprint of her foot in the tree’s trunk. “Woops,” she exclaimed while quickly changing her concentration back to the task at hand. After that little mishap, the young girl finished her climb to the top of the tree with haste and promptly flipped down back to the surface of the earth. “Should I do it another time,” the young girl questioned sort of embarrassed that she let her cocky attitude get the best of her and breathing a little heavier because of the mishap. Just like she had read about so frequently, she had wasted her precious chakra unnecessarily. Actually, it would probably be a good idea to work on her chakra reserves before going on any serious missions if this was the result of one singular mishap. The instructor shook her head and laughed, “You did wonderfully and everyone has a hiccup now and then. Do you feel like you could have done that better?” The instructor seemed to be very aware that she was the cause of her own mistake.

INDENT“I could have,” Arina nodded respectfully, “I will not make that mistake again.” The instructor looked at her thoughtfully before walking away and shuffling through a nearby duffle bag. She pulled out a fresh headband with the symbol of the village shining brightly. There was not a single scratch on that headband, though the young girl knew that probably would not last very long. “Come here,” she instructed Arina who quietly made her way towards the instructor, “Where would you like it?” The girl had not thought much about the location of her headband. That was a good question. It was called a ‘head’ band; however, that seemed like it might look somewhat ridiculous. “My upper arm,” she held out her left arm as it was obvious the instructor wanted to bestow the honor of graduating the academy upon her.

INDENTAfter taking a moment to move around her arm and feel the change of weight on that side of her body, the young woman decided that was an appropriate area for placing her headband. With appreciation, Arina bowed gracefully before the instructor. “Thank you,” she stated while taking a moment to look back and search for Sora before returning her attention to the woman before her. “Congratulations on your graduation and good luck,” the woman ushered her back to the group. There were many faces surrounding her and watching her as she approached. There were many laughing and smiling, obviously happy with their results and sporting bright, brand new headbands just like she was. There were also already a few sullen, depressed looking faces realizing the heartache that they would be held back while their friends moved on to bigger and better things.

INDENTUpon making her way fully back and integrated into the herd of bodies, the young girl smiled sheepishly trying to join in on the festivities. Her teacher from the academy greeted her with a small wave of his hand; she could tell by the look on his face that he was very surprised by the outcome of her trial though. The young girl looked around for Sora but it would appear that he had not made it back to the group. She hoped that everything was going well for him… She shook the thoughts from her head. He seemed very capable of himself. She was sure that everything was fine but that is when she saw his silhouette making its return to the common area. The young girl stretched out waving her arm smiling because she saw that he had also been the recipient of one sturdily constructed shinobi headband. He passed! “Awesome,” that certainly raised her chances of being teamed up with him.

INDENTIt was time to wait and see the results of their labor. Arina was now very excited to see what the future had in store for the two of them.

The birds chirped gleefully overhead as a young boy raced through back streets and alley ways. On this particular day the boys mother had made an enormously luxurious breakfast, which had the potential to made anyone late. White locks of hair stuttered in the wind as he rushed down the narrow passage. His eyes widened as he came closer to the end of alley. It almost looked like a solid block of bright light as his eyes hadn't adjusted to it quite yet. One last step then a quick jump through sent him out into the burning sunlight and onto the front lawn of the academy. There he stood almost triumphantly as if the first test of his exam had already been completed. "KANA!!" A displeased voice rang out from the front entrance. His heroic pose slacked and head slumped, knowing that his Sensei was displeased. The white haired boy began towards the door hoping that he could avoid any further humiliation today. "Sooo nice of you to join us!" Sensei said sarcastically as his hand grasped Kanas' shoulder. It was as if the boy couldn't sulk any deeper. Hurriedly he placed his things in his cubbyhole and proceeded to his designated seating arrangement.

The instructor went over some simple things but Kana could barely keep his mind straight. He kept thinking of letting down his father. As a Kun' Kumo this young boy had an important destiny in the Hidden Sand village. This was enough pressure to make anyone nervous! He bit his lip, his eyes flickering across the classroom to check the time. The second hand felt as though it was barely even moving. Ticking and tocking slower than it ever had before. It was almost time and Kana had just caught his breath from darting around town earlier that morning. His fair eyes peered across the class room in which he had many good lessons. Kana would miss this place but he knew that it was only the first step on his grand adventure. He could recall many times when he and classmates had fun in this room. A warm feeling rushed over his body and calmed the trainee ever so slightly. A recent memory surged into his mind. It was Taijutsu training only a few weeks ago. He and his instructor were standing parallel with fists in fighting position. A slight nod from the instructor set off the match and Kana intensely charged. Jumping into the air and circulating his legs for a roundhouse kick. The instructor disappeared before the ferocious kick even came close. Kana's head swiveled looking for a retaliation until a stinging pain rushed up his back that sent him skidding across the tile floor into a closet where all the classes coats and clothing was kept and eventually empties its contents onto the young man. He winced and rubbed his back for a moment then popped his head out of the pile of clothes. Snickers could be heard in the classroom as the instructor looked down on him. Kana raised his hand up for the instructors and he was helped to his feet. "Always be ready for retaliation Kana. It's the way the world works. There is no action without reaction." Lectured the Shinobi. Bowing his head slightly Kana understood. He would keep his defenses sharp for counter attacks.

The sound of chalk screeching on the chalk board brought him back to reality. His Sensei had written the words 'Final Exam' for the entire class to see. Many years before Kana had shinobi taken this test, even his own Kun' Kumo ancestors sat in the same classroom. Even this couldn't ease his mind from the mistakes he had made earlier or the test that was possibly his impending doom. The boy let out a slight sigh and lowered his head a bit but was surprised by what appeared in front of him. "This is the written portion of the test! If you can't remember what you've been taught just sitting in your desk how will you remember it in combat? So this will be a pass fail grade. Do your best kids, time starts now!" Kana swiftly snatched his pencil and scribbled his name as the instructor made his announcement. He began the test checking and then rechecking his answers to make sure that he wouldn't fail! The entire night before had been spent studying with his mother for this very moment! "I won't let you down..." Kana whispered to himself. Images of his mother and father passed through his mind. He bit his lip and continued, furiously circling answers on the test. "Ding-a-ling-a-ling!" Rang out the egg timer that sat on Sensei's desk.

This wringing reminded him of his father. Many times had he practiced on his obstacle course at home with his father. Kana's father wanted him to be the best Shinobi that Sunagakure had ever seen. That was a hard thing to do though since nearly every generation of Kun' Kumo had served the Hidden village of the sand. Each and every one of the great Shinobi in their own right. Kana's clan was rather normal but great non the less. He had no flashy bloodline traits. More importantly he had talent and desire! There was no stopping his persistence. Hard work ethic would set the tone for his entire family, as they had no special powers to fall back on. Shinobi tactics and dedication were his clans special powers! He could recall countless nights spent dancing elegantly though obstacles like a perfectly trained ballerina. His father pushing him harder and harder with each run. "Son, our family has no special trait to fall back on. To compensate for that we must be the best Shinobi in the Sand and the world! Out on the battlefield... There is no mercy. So always do your best Kana!" These words repeated in Kanas' head as the test neared an end.

The white haired boy closed his as and set his pencil down just before his instructor exclaimed. "Pencils down, everyone, Pencils down!" The rather slender man collected the all children tests fairly quickly and finally piled them onto his desk. It was time for the next part of the test. The physical part. Kana brushed his hand over his head. Partially combing the white white strands of hair back just to have them quickly drape back down into his face. "Everybody up!" His slender figure popped out of his seat and stood at attention on the right side of his desk. Head straight up and back unbent. Names began to be called for the next assessment. The Jutsu to be performed was random but could be one of two. First was the Bunshin no Jutsu, the clone technique. Next was Henge no Jutsu the transformation technique. It didn't matter in Kana's opinion he felt that either technique was easily achievable. "Kun' Kumo, Kana!" Declared the instructor, his eyes shifting to the young boys form. Without hesitation he stepped up into the front of the class.

Kana had spent many days practicing these particular techniques on his own. He could remember a time when he went down to the market by himself. Finding a dark corner he would use Henge no Jutsu to transform himself into someone completely different. There he would see who could tell through his illusion, going up to different traders and speaking with them for a few moments. A lot of times Kana was to be called a thief for doing this, but that would go against his morals and disgrace his family. He would always be respectful and tell the honest truth to these upset individuals. The young boy never intended to steal anything, just test his skills against the open world. Numerous times he had been caught trying to transform into his own father, but with a small defect. His nose was two times to big. Which was quite noticeable to everyone else, but not to Kana. Then one day people were asking his father what had happened to his nose and if he had nose reduction surgery. This made for quite the laugh but Kana couldn't be doing such silly things like that bringing such humiliation on his fathers name. He shook his head. Kana's white hair settled in his face as usual and he snapped back to the moment.

Flipping through some paper work the instructor let the tension grow. A small bead of sweat rolled of Kana's brow. "Alright, I expect a lot from you young man. Show me your best clone!" It was only a split second after these words from the instructor and a plume of smoke erupted from the boys location. His hand seals were made with haste and accuracy. First ram then snake and finally the tiger seal. The light smoke effect cleared and both Kanas' stood at attention, each raising a hand in a salute. The instructor took a moment pondering the authenticity of both the young boys. "It will do, but you can do better Kana." Exclaimed the boys teacher as he reached into his pocket. The clone dissipated in a cloud of smoke and the actual boy bowed slightly. He felt it around wrapping around his forehead and finally a tight tug for the knot. Kana stood straight up once more and looked up at his Sensei. "Protect that headband with you life Kana! I know you will make Sunagakure proud!" Said his teacher, giving inspiration to the lad. Clenching his fist Kana proclaimed "Yes Sensei! I will not let you down!" With that he was dismissed from the class. Quickly the white haired boy dashed off the lawn of the school, but with a new addition. His shinobi headband tightly tied over his forehead with white strands of hair draping down over some of it but not the symbol itself.

Kana felt great pride stirring deep within his gut. His fist clenched as he bit his lip. So many days had passed in the academy with him training tirelessly within. There was actually a time in his life where he didn't sleep a week straight because he was so fascinated with his training! Of course once his parents found out they scolded him. Secretly his father was proud, he could see the love and passion that Kana had for the Shinobi art. Kana's eyes had dark black bags and he could barely make a complete sentence for sleep deprivation. His parents locked him in his room and made him rest. The boy slept for thirteen hours straight before he arose refreshed and ready for more training. All of these were just the aspirations leading to the amazing event that had happened today. Finally he had completed the Academy! Kanas' parents were going to be so proud of him. Unnervingly he knew that this could only lead to more training but that was okay with him. He had grew rather fond of training with his father. It made the bond stronger between them. Kana raced through the alley way once again, this time his hands raised into the air in victory. "Wooohooo!!" He shouted with excitement. Official Genin status was obtained on this beautiful day. The sun crept over the rooftops down on his face. It was always so hot in Sunagakure but it never bothered him. It was one of those things that you just get used to. Approaching a building he grasped a drain pipe and begin to scale the wall. White eyes surveyed the rooftop before he launched himself up. Taking a seat he could see the entire village from up here. It was where he went when he wanted to think. Kana unpacked his lunch, which was a sandwich his loving mother had packed. So many questions raced through the young boys head. Who would he be paired with? Would he even be paired with anyone or was there just an instructor that would be showing him the ropes? What would his first mission be! The future was an amazing thing to think about for Kana and the best part was it was just beginning.

[2023/2000]