“Relax, Yakumo.”
Blinking, the pale girl stopped on her super-emergency-right-before-the-test attempts to improve her chakra-molding skills, to turn towards her ‘sensei’.
“Nothing you can do now will give you a sudden understanding,” Ranma commented, leaning back in his chair as they waited to be called for their practical. “In fact, it’ll just wear you out, make you nervous.
“In the end, you just gotta trust you know what you’re doing; trust that all the hard work you did will pay off.” Turning towards her, he gave her the infamous Saotome Smile. “And trust me; you got this thing in the bag.”
“But-but what if I’m not good enough,” she muttered. “What if they try and convince the Hokage that my pass—”
Her eyes went wide as she felt Ranma’s arm go around her arms, pulling her into an odd hug. She hadn’t even seen him sit the chair back on the floor, let alone move it so close to her to be able to grab her as he had done.
“Hey! It ain’t gonna be like that! I know you’ll pass, cause I had a hand in your training!
“And it ain’t like you’re gonna walk into that room and suddenly forget everything we’ve done. And it ain’t like we’re gonna stop being friends after this either! Just cause you become a Genin, don’t mean I ain’t gonna train you anymore.”
She was blushing now, the red on her cheeks even more prominent due to her pale skin. “Ranma-sama…”
“I got faith in ya, Yakumo!” Ranma finished, trying to keep her spirits high. “Nabs—”
“Don’t call me, ‘Nabs’, Saotome,” came a growl from his other side.
“She’s got faith in you,” he continued without responding to Nabiki’s comment. “All of your friends do!”
Nodding slightly, Yakumo almost sighed as he released the hold on her. “You’re right, Ranma-sama,” she replied, wondering why that name seemed to make him twitch or wince on occasion. She knew it wasn’t her, though, and if it was from a bad experience, well… She would just have to work with him to ensure the name was no longer viewed like that.
She shook her head quickly, banishing the ecchi thoughts that threatened to consume her focus, on how such a thing could be done.
“Saotome?”
“Hmm?” he muttered, turning to look at Nabiki.
“Shouldn’t you give that speech to Naruto as well?” she asked, pointing down at the nervous blonde.
Looking down, the group spied the nervous Naruto, acting even more frazzled than Yakumo had been. “I should charge for this,” Ranma muttered. “Hey! Ruto!” he yelled out.
“Huh?” blinked the fox-faced boy, as he turned.
“Your Bunshin will pass, and you mastered the other crap with your pranks. Chill!”
Naruto’s eyes just blinked for a few moments, taking in the information Ranma had given him. “Really?”
Ranma’s eyebrow just twitched. “Would my mother have ever let you leave if she felt you weren’t?” Ranma asked.
Naruto paused again, before shivering, looking around nervously, before nodding.
“Why did Naruto shiver like that?” asked Yakumo.
“Let’s just say Mom trains guys and girls a bit differently,” Ranma muttered, taking his seat, hoping there wasn’t a mental stability test for becoming a Genin. Well, Naruto couldn’t say that he hadn’t been warned about ‘Auntie’s’ training style.
He just wished that when word of the mother/daughter duo reported at the hot springs had made it to the students, that Ino hadn’t immediately started glaring at him. Really; why would he be perverted towards the other girls when his girl-form was much better developed? If not for Nabiki providing him with an alibi, he had no idea what kind of glares he’d be on the receiving end of now with Ino running a rumor mill. Hell, it was only recently that he could even hug Yakumo or be hugged by her, without sending the Branch guardians into a fit to try and strike him in some manner.
Actually, if there was a mental stability test, he should be made a Jōnin, just for surviving his mother.
“Kurama, Yakumo!”
Steeling herself, the pale brunette smiled towards her teacher, towards the teen who had given her a chance at her dream that a few months ago, she had thought nearly impossible. And while she didn’t really need to take the test—as she did get a pass from the Hokage—she still wanted to take it, to prove that she did have the skills to be a excellent ninja.
“You can do it!” Ranma called out as she headed into the room.
She stood a bit taller, a stronger smile and expression of determination on her face, as she faced her challenge!
She was sweating, and not just from what the tests had called for.
The three Chūnin were conversing, had been for only a few minutes—which felt like hours to Yakumo. It made her question if her Bunshin no Jutsu had been perfect, if her Kawarimi no Jutsu had been noticeable, if her Henge no Jutsu had had flaws…?
“Ms. Kurama,” Iruka began, as they finally finished their discussion.
“Yes, sir?” she squeaked, before shaking her head and forcing herself to stand taller.
“While we understand that the results of this exam will not preclude you from being a ninja, considering the pass, we appreciate you still taking it.”
She nodded.
“Given that, we know you want our honest opinion. And here it is.”
She gulped, her stomach turning, and it took a great deal of effort to keep from projecting her morning meal onto the floor.
“At this time, had you not had your pass, we would not be willing to pass you, in all good conscious,” Iruka replied.
“However,” he continued, before the first tear had gone down Yakumo’s face, “the fact that you made this much progress in these lessons, having only had two months to practice and execute them, is nothing short of remarkable.”
Sniffling a bit, she nodded, unsure what they were getting at.
“So, while we are passing you, we want you to come back in a month’s time, if allowable, and redo this test, to show us that you have mastered these techniques by that time,” Iruka continued. “We all agree that you most certainly would have passed with no problem, had your treatment began earlier.”
Yakumo blinked. They … they had faith that in a month’s time, she would be able to pass on her own merits, without the pass.
“So, with those final words,” Iruka said, standing up and grabbing a Hitai-ate from the table, and walked over to her, holding it out, “let me be the first to say this.
“Congratulations, Yakumo! You are now a ninja of the Hidden Leaf!”
Eyes wide as she took the precious offering, it took her several seconds for the news to finally sink in.
She had done it…
Her dream was now a reality. All of her hard work those few months; all that sweat, pain, the sometimes embarrassing procedures with Ranma-sama to redirect her chakra pathways to allow her ninjutsu…
Iruka tried to not wince as the young heir hugged him tight enough to make him feel a few ribs wince. After all, he’d seen that look on her face a hundred times before.
It always filled him with joy that the next generation … truly understood what it meant to be a ninja of the Leaf.
“Thank you,” Yakumo whispered, as she released him and took off running towards the door to exit the exam area.
She had people to thank and tell.
Popping his back—Yakumo’s hugs were starting to feel a bit like the old Tomboy’s—Ranma entered the exam room … and sighed.
“Isn’t it a bit early to begin drinking?” he asked, seeing each of the examiners had a half-empty bottle of sake in front of each of them.
“Just preparing,” Iruka stated with a very slight slur. Of course, he didn’t mention that it was also considered an impromptu celebration that the Legacy of Nodoka was about to end. Sure, she had one other girl, but no more males. And even then, that girl would only be under her tutelage for less than a year.
No longer, after they passed him—and Kami help the jōnin that tried to send him back to the Academy for any reason—no longer would they have to worry about the ‘Icha-Icha Ninja’.
Well, at least until Ranma spawned. But by that point, they’d either be dead or Tokubetsu Jōnin, and if not, they could always pay for a mission outside of Konoha for a certain amount of time.
That or a suicide mission, depending on who had spent the majority of the time raising the grandchildren of Nodoka Saotome; both worked.
“Alright,” Iruka began. “For starters, avoid showing any versions of the techniques we require of you for this practical that your mother would approve of.”
“No shit,” Ranma muttered. He still had to wake up an extra half hour early these days to try and remove any stitching in his clothing his mother had added, advertising the nickname he was now saddled with.
“How about I just show some major proof I am ready to graduate, and you guys can finish up your bottles?” Ranma asked with a smirk.
“Depends,” Mizuki replied with a slightly more pronounced slur—having slipped a little extra into his own sake bottle.
Smirking, the Ranma before them disappeared in a puff of smoke, as the third examiner stood up. Both him and his chair were consumed in a similar puff of smoke, revealing … two Ranma Saotomes. Both waving, the one that had been the chair vanished as the first one had, with the final Ranma grabbing a Hitai-ate off the table and walking towards the door.
“Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, with two Henge no Jutsu, after substituting some paperwork to make it appear like there would be a third examiner here today,” he finished, opening the door and looking back.
“See; I can impress without mental scarring.”
And with that, the male Saotome exited the room.
“… Mizuki?”
“Yes, Iruka.”
“We really need to talk to someone about security here if Saotome can pull this off.”
“Whatever,” the white-haired Chūnin replied, grabbing the now free bottle. Like he would be here long enough to care.
Ranma knew it was risky to reveal one of his plans to ensure Naruto got a fair shake during the Exam, but he felt getting it over with quickly justified the loss of one avenue.
Besides, Iruka and Mizuki had yet to check their own chairs to ensure they were actually chairs, and Ranma still had a Kage Bunshin in the room, hidden by the Umisenken. No matter what, Naruto was going to get a fair shake.
Even then, there was one more waiting around outside to assist the others in following Mizuki to find out his plans for Naruto, or whoever he planned to use as the scapegoat to steal the Scroll of Seals.
To his left was the now overly cheerful Yakumo—her ‘guard’ maintaining a safe distance from the group to allow her privacy. His right, Nabiki with her one Hitai-ate in her hands, staring at it.
Nabiki’s thoughts however—contrary to what Ranma was thinking—was not on how to wear it. It was on what it meant.
She was a ninja now, in a world where she had a mother, but no father. They were in a world with no way out, the genie that sent them there banished with them. In around three years’ time, the village would be invaded by Pain and nearly destroyed.
At least, she hoped it wasn’t destroyed, being transported over before the manga would show if the ninjas of Konoha won and at what cost.
Even without that, she still had the Invasion of Sand/Sound to worry about, along with random missions, training, and other enemies that might not exist in the manga but television filler arcs… After all, who knew if Mihoshi had really put them into the manga … or a world similar enough to cover for both. Aside from the Filler Arcs, the anime and manga were mirrors.
She couldn’t run away.
Even if she tried to put it off as not her world, she still had the memories of the Nabiki of this world. She had put too much into her plans for survival to give up on them now.
Gripping the headband tight enough where she could feel it digging into her hands, she looked up, before slowly turning towards what would likely be her teammates.
Small to no changes…
Nabiki Tendo would not go down without a fight.
She was shaken from her thoughts—thus saving her from suffering cuts from the Hitai-ate—as the door opened one more time … to reveal a smiling Naruto Uzumaki.
“As if there was any doubt!” he shouted in joy, thrusting out his hand, holding his own Hitai-ate.
Smirking—and glad his mother’s trauma that she called education had helped the teen—Ranma went up and slapped him on the back. “Congrats, Ruto,” he spoke.
“Now, let’s go show my Mom that you did it.”
Left alone, Mizuki dropped the act of being somewhat intoxicated, a trick most ninja could use.
He had to use it, especially if he wanted to fool his fellow Chūnin instructors, as they were all busy celebrating the end of another year, but especially the end of fearing from the Saotomes. Many would think it odd that he was staying sober.
So he continued the act, at least until he could find the moment to sneak away, and set his plan into action. A small change due to the fact that the demon brat had been able to pass and it would still work.
After all, what would Naruto be willing to do … for some extra credit and a chance for the title of Rookie of the Year.
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(Posted Sat, 30 Jul 2011 04:06)
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