"The Copy Nin?" asked Terra.
"Yes," said Iruka, looking up and blinking. "You know of him?"
"I found out the genin teams were composed of three genin and a jonin-sensei, so I've been checking into the background of available jonin," said Terra. "I had to get some help though."
"N-no problem," mumbled Hinata.
"Right. Okay, Team Seven has the Rookie Of The Year determined by scores - that's... Terra Branford. Oh, I see. Your continuing medic work at the hospital was listed as extra credit. Uhm. Top kunoichi - Hinata Hyuga. And the dead last of the class, Naruto... Naruto? How did you end up dead last, you were about halfway in scoring."
Naruto nodded at Iruka. "Hard work, sensei."
"Right," said Iruka, now pretty darn sure that someone (or - more likely - THREE someones) had snuck into the admin offices and made a few alterations. Otherwise the three would most likely have ended up scattered to different teams.
"Troublesome," pronounced Shikamaru.
Well, you had to give some points for figuring out what was going to happen, what could be done about it, and then sneaking in and doing it. As to being obvious, they were three twelve year olds.
"Team Eight. Your jonin-sensei will be Kurenai Yuhi. Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Sakura Haruno."
"Oh man, I was hoping we'd get someone hot on my team," said Kiba.
"My apologies that I don't fulfill those qualifications," said Shino.
"Team Nine, whose jonin-sensei is Verossa Acous."
"The guy with the spectral hunting dogs?" asked Kiba, perking up.
"Yes, he's recently gone from ANBU to teach genin as I understand it," said Iruka.
"You know him?" asked Kiba.
"I introduced him to his girlfriend," said Iruka. "Ahem. Team Nine will be composed of Tobio, Sasuke Uchiha, and Midori."
"Right," said Tobio.
Iruka went through the rest of the matches quickly and efficiently. No evidence of anything being shifted there.
This was going to be interesting.
Kakashi Hatake looked in the classroom and determined it was empty. Also determining that there was a note on the blackboard.
Kakashi twitched. He wasn't worthy? Team Awesome?
Oh, he was going to enjoy taking these genin down a few pegs.
"I really need to thank Ojiisan for this technique," said Naruto. "Shadow clone jutsu!"
"eep!" said Hinata, finding herself surrounded by two dozen Naruto. Who had stripped off his jacket and was wearing a tank-top. Hinata, predictably, swayed.
"Not getting ME that easy," warned Terra, bringing her hands down and launching fire-bolts at various clones.
"Ah ah ah," said Naruto, swapping out with clones and trying to keep ahead of the projectiles.
"Hnn!" said Hinata, visibly shaking it off and charging forward, she leapt to tackle a Naruto, who poofed out on contact.
"Have to do better than that," said one of the remaining Naruto.
"Summoning!" said Hinata from where she was kneeling on the ground.
"Oh crap!" exclaimed all the remaining Naruto.
The peak-capped shape of a black mage appeared and blinked comically.
"We just need to tag the real one," Hinata said.
The black mage made a couple of gestures and started throwing lightning bolts.
Kakashi Hatake watched the way the three were sparring and had to admit that for green genin fresh out of the Academy - they weren't completely hopeless.
One of them had a summoning contract, though what that was - he wasn't too sure. Other than a jutsu-user of some kind.
The other girl had good chakra control and was able to rapidly fire off flame bullets.
Naruto, sensei's kid, was as wild and unpredictable as one would expect - and had shadow clones that he could spam and substitute with. That could help him survive in the field actually, since his substitutions were pretty smooth and as all his clones made the hand-signs - it made it difficult to tell where the real one was.
Well, time to make his entry. Now to go for dramatic or...
"You can't test me, this is a test of you," insisted Kakashi Hatake.
The three looked at each other, making little gestures and apparently communicating that way.
Kakashi Hatake was an established ninja with a lot of experience. Based on this, a hunch, and having gone over school records - he was thinking that a test of their ability to operate as a team would waste his time.
Well, had to do it anyway.
"Anyway, tomorrow, you'll need to skip breakfast - rather than throw it up, because this test will determine if you get sent back to the Academy or not."
The next morning, the sun was shining, the birds were singing. And Kakashi Hatake was having a headache. "What do you mean, she's out cold?"
"You were late. AGAIN," pointed out Terra. "We were working on our chakra and stamina. She passed out."
Kakashi looked at where Hinata Hyuga was asleep, her head resting on Naruto's rolled-up jacket, and wondered if he was really supposed to be fooled by this.
"So what's this test?" asked Naruto.
"You two have to come after me and take these two bells," said Kakashi, holding them up.
"Those bells?" asked Naruto, holding up a pair of bells.
"Right, those bells," said Terra, holding up a pair of bells.
Kakashi blinked, shook his head, and let out a deep breath. "Those aren't real bells. You just used henge on leaves... very smoothly and without much to give it away I'll admit."
"Eh, worth a shot," said Naruto, discarding the bells which promptly poofed back into leaves.
"So, anyway," said Kakashi. "You two are going to have to come after me with the intent to kill..."
Experienced ninja who have been in many battles can tell when they've just stepped into a trap, when they've zigged when they should have zagged, when the mission has "gone South" and everything is about to hit the fan.
Kakashi experienced that feeling. In spades.
"Let me append that," said Kakashi. "The object of the exercise is not to kill your potential lovable teacher. It is to get the bells. Anything that would destroy the bells would not be a good idea."
"Well crap," said Naruto. "There goes Plan B."
Kakashi nodded. This group he obviously had to watch his words around. "In any case, when I say to start - you'll have roughly an hour to get the bells. If Hinata isn't awake by then, she'll be tied to a post and watch you two eat before she goes back to the Academy."
Terra and Naruto glanced at each other and started doing that word/gesture shorthand thing, most of the time just expressions conveying entire statements.
Hinata mumbled something, curled up a bit, and... giggled?
Maybe she really WAS asleep?
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(Posted Sat, 10 Sep 2011 20:55)
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