MOST of the genin looked well-rested and ready to continue. Unusual, but then he'd heard that one of the Leaf shinobi had figured out the bypass for the test while it was being explained. Which meant that this 'Naruto Uzumaki' would have to be watched carefully if relations between Sand and Leaf ever fell apart, as he was capable of thinking outside the box. Which itself meant that no matter how many death traps and pointy little poisoned stakes you put IN the box, if you couldn't get the genin in that box it was all pretty much wasted effort.
The second largest group was more in keeping with what was expected. Sunburned, even the Suna natives, lacking in sleep and food and water. If there had been too many genin surviving the second test, then these would have faced some fights and quickly been weeded out by their better rested competitors. Fortunately, the numbers were sufficiently low that it really wasn't needed.
There had been fourteen (14) groups of three genin passing the first test. Six groups of three surviving the second. Of that, four genin teams looked ready to fight.
Hmmm. Maybe some quick elimination rounds might help anyway.
"One month from today you will all gather here and before an audience demonstrate your skill in the traditional one-on-one matches," said the jonin."When the battles begin they will be until one of three conditions are met. One of you dies, one of you forfeits, or one of you is clearly unable to continue and the match is stopped by a proctor. Dismissed."
"One of those guys from that Suna team that helped us beat down the other team," said Naruto. "That guy with the big honkin' sword."
"Oh, him," said Kotetsu. "I got someone from Wave. The one with the weird fish-eyes."
"I got one of the other guys from Suna," said Izumo. "The earth ninjutsu specialist."
"So what about these ruins?" asked Naruto, opening a scroll on ninja-wire work and preparing to study.
"They're off the beaten track, about three days away, hostile desert terrain, the local bandits stay away because of the legends of 'hungry ghosts'," said Kotetsu.
"I'd stay away from it normally, just in case," said Izumo. "But things have been going pretty good lately. Let's give it a shot."
"Hinata's grades have been excellent," said Iruka. "I have no doubt she could take the test now and graduate."
"She's that good?" asked Kurenai Yuhi. "I thought she had some issues regarding self-confidence."
"She does," said Iruka. "As I said, her 'grades' are excellent. She's one of the best in the class when it comes to taijutsu, apparently using her family style is against the policy of the Hyuga clan inside the Academy. She uses another style altogether, but it is a fairly effective one. I'd rate her a two and a half of five in taijutsu right now. The only ones in the class who score better are Sasuke Uchiha and maybe Choji. Choji has shown a lot of improvement after the first time she beat him, so he might simply be better as a result of the teasing that followed that. Not from Hinata who actually apologized for beating him, but from some of the other girls."
"Considering the differences in their size, I'd imagine he DID take that a little harshly," said Kurenai as she pictured the match-up.
"She has a good grounding on basic ninjutsu as well," said Iruka. "You remember Naruto Uzumaki?"
"The Kyubi's container who graduated two years early and is off in Suna taking the chunin exam?" asked Kurenai. "Yes, I'm friends with Anko - who is his jonin sensei for now."
"For now?" asked Iruka.
"She's not really happy with 'babysitting' anyone," said Kurenai in a tone that indicated a massive understatement was being made.
"Naruto's taken a particular interest in her," said Iruka. "He apparently determined her elemental affinity and has been getting her low grade Wind and Water technique scrolls as a result."
"Are they..." Kurenai let her voice trail off as she held up one hand with the pinky extended.
Iruka Umino hesitated but nodded. "I think so. She's certainly interested in him in that way, I don't know about the reverse but all things considered - probably it goes both ways to some extent."
"They're all of ten?" asked Kurenai, shaking her head.
"Naruto was such a 'knucklehead' but apparently he does a lot better when it's not a WRITTEN test," said Iruka.
Kurenai nodded. "My mission calendar looks pretty full right now. If it clears up, I'd be interested in seeing what kind of kunoichi she makes."
"THAT is the craziest genin I've ever met," said Izumo, glancing back at the gates of Suna.
"No argument," said Naruto, amazed at someone accomplishing that feat.
"I couldn't understand half what he said," admitted Kotetsu. "What's a 'roxxors' anyway?"
"Who is Lowell? What's a fatahwa?" asked Naruto, shrugging. "I don't know. Don't care. Heck, he's crazier than most of the JONIN I've met."
"That IS bad," agreed Izumo. "Ninja Inverse Sanity Rule. The higher the rank of the ninja, the more bat-crazy they're likely to be."
"If that guy ever hits jonin, it'll be pretty darn worrisome," added Kotetsu.
Toltiir was a god of mischief, though only a fragment of him was paying attention to the progress of Naruto.
Nonetheless he HAD dabbled a bit, nudged things a few times. The temple that they were heading for was a prime example.
Which was why the "temple" the trio were following an ancient-seeming map to was actually:
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(Posted Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:02)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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