Kotari Park (Open)

Shimiko was spending another pleasant day in the park. Kotari Park was a peaceful place situated near the center of the village with many trees and gardens. Pigeons often flew onto the sidewalk to eat seeds that had been tossed by the park's patrons. Shimiko was wearing a pure white school girl uniform with blue skirt and a pink ascot similar to her signature. It was not her most formal attire but it was aesthetically pleasing and she had received a few compliments on it that contributed to her overall positive demeanor. The girl had a pair of pigtails which enhanced her image of innocence as she practically skipped through the park. Shimiko wandered through the area wondering when she would be able to see her older brother. Seigi had been there for her Academy graduation but he had hardly spent any one on one time with her. She knew that he was busy but some small part of her hoped that he could make an exception to be her sensei. The crones would cry favoritism but what of it? It wasn't the first time the Chinoike looked out for their own and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Shimiko picked up a stick and twirled it thoughtfully as she made her way through the park. If she couldn't convince Seigi to be her sensei then she would need to find another. This wasn't a problem in of itself but she wanted the Raikage to be her sensei so she could share with him, her wonderful secret. The secret of her dedication and beleif in the Janshin faith.

If Seigi knew he would understand...I'm sure he would...

Shimiko could not place that level of trust in anyone else yet. Almost all sects of the religion were outlawed and her branch of the cult had only survived through secrecy. It keep them alive and well so that they could continue to worship according to their conscience but it prevented her from openly proselytizing to others. Shimiko regarded it as a her greatest source of strength and hiding it from others made her upset. The idea that she would have to keep it secret from her sensei bothered her but she dismissed the thought. She knew what it was going to be like when she joined the organization. Underground or no, she was confident that her actions would lead others to the truth. The Lord worked in mysterious ways and so she resolved not to let the matter trouble her. She would be happy with anyone as a teacher as long as they were strong, respectful, and loyal to her brother.

The park was a space Akashi often found himself, their benches provided plenty of sunlight when it wasn't raining that made for a terrific reading spot. This particular day he found himself here shortly after lunch, wearing his normal attire of red pants, a black undershirt and a white overcoat on top that was finished off with a black sash. His Uzumaki heritage was lightly embroidered on the coat near his neck, not being a terribly recognizable clan he didn't put much effort beyond the little symbol he kept for himself. Pulling out a cigarette he lit up the relaxing herb and took a sharp inhale. Releasing the smoke he felt the relaxing effects and took in the pleasantness of the park, a couple sitting down at a bench, an elderly lady enjoying a picnic and a young girl with a certain jump to her step and bouncing pigtails. That's.. Shimiko Chinoike. Naturally the Jounin knew of the Raikage's sister, and not just for the fact that she was a Genin. There were certain rumors of her ruthlessness, having taken her first life at such a young age. These facts didn't disturb Akashi as much though, as a boy growing up during the last war he himself was forced to commit certain duties that put blood on his hands from a young age. It hearkened back to a more primal shinobi spirit, one that was increasingly uncommon in these times of peace. Walking over he directly addressed her, interested to see what sort of person she was from having never met her. "Shimiko Chinoike. Why are you not with your sensei? Surely a graduate such as yourself has been assigned a team by now?" Knowing her to in fact not have a sensei, he was more interested to see if that was a point of frustration to one so hungry for battle.

Shimiko stopped in her tracks and perked up at the sound of her name. The girl turned and saw the red haired Uzumaki that had called her. He asked why she wasn't with her sensei to which she blushed in a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance. It wasn't a pleasant thing to do but she couldn't hide the fact that not having a sensei bothered her. Even if Seigi was too busy to train her then surely he would have arranged to get her an excellent teacher. Shimiko didn't make eye contact with the man that she could only assume was a Jounin. It took some getting used to being called out by name in the park like that. Ever since her graduation people seemed to be interested in the Raikage's little sister who had been known to take spars one step too far.

"I don't have one" she mumbled.

The girl put her hands behind the back and slowly glanced around. She could roughly tell that the man standing in front of her was probably a higher ranked shinobi and that he had a tinge of red hair. He was smoking which partially offended Shimiko. People had no right to go polluting their bodies with bad stuff. A life was to be taken, preferably by force and certainly  not smoldered by minute acts of long term suicide. Still unwilling to meet Akashi's eyes she spoke up a bit more.

"No one assigned me to a squad. Is that normal?"

It seemed his assumption was right on the mark, while still very much being a child Shimiko yearned for more. Avoiding his eyes she let out a soft answer to his question, placing her hands behind her and glancing anywhere that Akashi wasn’t. While it was the shimmer of an older shinobi spirit that intrigued him he was still glad to see there was still a more or less normal younger girl under it all. Those that went full tilt into the murderous rush at a young age usually churned out of the shinobi forces and into more nefarious groups. The annoyance and worry were clear when she asked if this was normal that no one had signed her up yet.

“Yes, unfortunately. There are many who have grown soft in this time of peace, as a result less attention has been put on us shinobi.” He hoped this news didn’t upset her too much, but Akashi was very much a cold-truths kinda guy and wanted her to know. What he really hoped was for it to light a productive fire under her, one that could very well push the shinobi spirit inside out and mold a standup shinobi.

“Now I’m no instructor, but if you want to train with a proper Jounin I’d be willing to train with you.”

Akashi mentioned that because of the relative peace in their time many had neglected the development of the next generation of shinobi. The fact did make her a bit sad but she was careful not to show it. It wasn't Seigi's fault that there were weak and spineless cowards on the council. She was certain that now that he was in charge there would be a greater focus on helping the next generation. Shimiko was somewhat grateful that the lack of sensei was not a deliberate move on the part of the Academy or worse yet her older brother but all the same it wasn't an ideal state of affairs. What he said next however surprised her.

"Wait really?" Shimiko interjected when the Jounin said he'd be willing to train with her. Shimiko was so startled she looked directly at him to see if he was joking or trying to get a reaction. Akashi didn't seem like he was telling a jape and his overall countenance was that of a man who said exactly what he meant without an undertone of mockery. Shimiko wondered if she should take this invitation as a one off session or to be his student permanently. She did not want to get ahead of herself and he did mention that he wasn't an instructor. Shimiko managed her expectations and replied with a bow and an expression of thanks.

"Thank you sir! I'd be honored to train with you"

The unexpected invitation caught the young girl by surprise, looking him straight in the eye and asking if he was serious. A simple nod was all he gave in response, clearly excited for the sudden opportunity her expression changed to one full of gratitude as she bowed in response. He was glad to see that she was eager to train, though there was the question if that was due to a greater sense of duty to the village or a more personal crave for power. This was a light shown on all shinobi, with the age of warring clans at an end one’s duty was no longer to themselves or simply their clan but for the village as a whole. Being a concept of larger scope and scale than there previously was there were plenty who struggle to fit into this defined shape, Akashi had been fortunate enough to escape the lustful desire that plagued so many.

Putting his mind back to the immediate task at hand he proclaimed their next move. “Excellent, let’s head to one of the training fields to get started than.” Once it was decided Akashi started to walk towards the nearest training field, curious as to what sort of fighting styles she would employ. Having skipped the genin stage of shinobi life due to his battle experience in the last war he was perhaps the least knowledgeable Jounin in the village in this regard. “Tell me Shimiko, which of the shinobi arts have you taken to at the academy?”

"Yes sir" she replied eagerly when he motioned to have them move to the training fields. The young girl would follow next to him stealing furtive glances to see if he was examining her fitness for battle. He asked what sort of shinobi arts she excelled at. Shimiko had always been relatively good at ninjutsu although she was by now means a master at it. She had awakened her Ketsuryugan a few times but not on purpose. It was a natural reaction to some of the rituals she had performed in the practice of her faith and not a function of conscious control. It was an issue she sought to remedy with more training and meditation. Shimiko was also skilled in the art of crafting weaponry. It was a trade she had picked up in the few years that she wasn't in the Academy due to her parents wishing to keep her out of the shinobi life. It started with fashioning simple things like pocket knives and shuriken and eventually progressed to creating whole swords and axes. It was written than Jashin and his only begotten son blessed those who learned the art of making artifacts of murder and ruination*. It was a precious and sacred thing to craft an effective weapon and so Shimiko practiced it whenever she got the chance. Unfortunately this came at the cost of spending less time learning martial arts and weapons proficiency, two areas that she sought to improve through training.

"I'm pretty good at ninjutsu. I also know how to make my own weapons and I'm getting better at crafting every day but other than that...." Shimiko shrugged indicating that that was the extent of her skill. Maybe the Jounin would be let down by the fact that she wasn't very good at Taijutsu or Kenjutsu. Kumogakure excelled at swordplay and it was an odd thing for the Raikage's sister to be as underdeveloped as she was with weapons. "I had a late start" she offered as an excuse. She didn't want to badmouth her parents in front of this stranger but she felt the need to explain why she hadn't taken up the physical styles of combat that Kumo had become known for.

*(Libations 2:11 Verses 1-3)

Her first response was on part with what he expected; ninjutsu, taijutsu or genjutsu being the base shinobi arts taught at the academy. The second skillset surprised him quite a bit for a girl her age, he certainly hadn’t seen a twelve-year-old smith before. It seemed Ninjutsu wasn’t enough for her, or perhaps she worried he would find this lacking as a senior officer. Either way her apparent lack of progress was clearly indicated by the shrug of an explanation and excuse to her late start. “Skills can be learned.” He interjected upon her excuse, this known fact of needing improvement was the sole reason he’d proposed this offer. This was not spoken with the sort of kindness to refute her alluded incompetence, but it held a certain matter-of-factness to convey that it wasn't an issue. “While I’m quite interested in this weapon making talent of yours we are here to train as shinobi, so let us do that.”

He walked several paces forward and turned around to face her. “Taijutsu is the most basic and primal shinobi art. Show me what you know.” Pivoting his body to the right he looked towards Shimoko over his left shoulder and held his right hand over his chest, assuming a defensive position as he waited for her to move.

The nameless Jounin apparently wanted her to attack him. He said that Taijutsu was the most basic shinobi art and that skills could be learned. Shimiko nodded in understanding but that didn't help her anxiety at revealing just how underdeveloped her hand to hand combat skills were. The young girl put her hands up in preparation to fight and looked as Akashi awaited her assault. Shimiko nodded and then darted forward to strike. The girl threw a punch towards his chest and then followed up with a sharp elbow to the ribs hoping to cause enough pain to throw him off her feet. The attack was a bit half-hearted though as she knew she was likely to fail and that if she put all of her force into the blows then the momentum could just as easily be used against her.

He was glad to see the girl raise her fists and nod in preparation for the quick spar, in truth this was more than just an evaluation of her physical condition but also mental. There was a clear lack of confidence in her abilities, one that he intended to prop up through rigorous training. Running straight at him she threw a punch at his chest, quickly following that strike with an elbow jab to his ribs. Too straightforward. An incredibly rudimentary tactic that didn’t account for the vast difference in not only skill but height and weight, it seemed the girl was truly trying her best and had little experience in the close-quarter realm of fighting. With the left side of his body facing Shimiko as she charged he waited for the last moment before impact of the first punch, thrusting his left hand to the right of her fist he pushed it to the left so it would only graze his side. The follow up strike was a bit telling, he continued his motion of moving to the left and ducked below her elbow strike with a sweeping low-kick using his right leg with the intention to knock her feet out from under her.

“Your physical condition certainly needs some attention. Now let’s see how your chakra handling is with some Ninjutsu.” His hands came together and formed the clone seal, a poof a magical ninja smoke appeared next to him and revealed a perfect doppelganger. “Your object will be to break its form. Succeed and I will give you my name. Impress me and perhaps this won’t be a one-off training session.” Stepping to the side he would watch closely to see what sort of Ninjutsu she would pull out. While he didn’t really intend for this to be a one-off training session he hoped the pressure would motivate her to really pull out all the stops.

One moment Shimiko was charging the Jounin head on the next she was flat on her ass. The move was so fluid she could hardly believe what was happening. Shimiko was powerless to stop him as she had neither the requisite coordination nor speed to check his movement. Shimiko jumped up after the shock of being sweep kick wore. She may not be skilled but that was no excuse to sit on the floor and nurse non-existent wounds. Akashi mentioned that though her physical condition was lacking he was curious to see what she learned in ninjutsu. He offered as a reward his name and the chance to be his student. Shimiko looked at the clone, unsure of how precisely to proceed. The construct looked just like him and was potentially just as strong. She took a few steps back and contemplated what ninjutsu she could use to impress him. Shimiko's arsenal was fairly small but she did have one technique that she thought might impress him.

The girl put some more distance between herself and the clone before making a handseals. The attack was a minor ninjutsu trick she had picked up while fighting in the streets. The move was simple but hopefully it would mildly impress Akashi. Once the handseals, she'd release the chakra and zip forward increasing her speed via the Body Flicker Technique. The jutsu was executed with a blast of smoke rocketing her forwards and increasing her momentum. Shimiko would then use the extra force to punch the clone with far greater strength than would be able to muster normally. Assuming the attack went as planned, she would look at the wafting smoke from the dispelled clone and then at Akashi hoping for his approval. She was too shy to say anything directly and hoped that her attempt would speak for itself. The attack was basic and he probably expected more from her given that she was the Raikage's sister but that was the best she could come up with for the time being it seems.

Learned Body Flicker (100/341)

Stats

Strength: D
Constitution: D
Stamina: D
Speed: C
Coordination: D
Intelligence: D
Perception: D

It was hard to find peace in a village such as Kumogakure. The size of the village being relatively small compared to the other greater nations people were forced to live closely, some Shinobi even taking it upon themselves to live in the rural parts surrounding the village. Natsuru found herself upon a rocky outcrop with a flat top not quite making itself out to be a butte, but taking on an odd form as many of the mountains do in the Land of Lightning. She stood before a painting easel with a paintbrush and palette in either hand. A lone olive tree was accompanying her on her position casting a light shade over her. Her bow and quiver rested against the trunk of the tree as she dedicated her time and effort in her painting. She admired the park from her vantage point drafting a stunningly breathtaking layout of the park and surrounding buildings. One that would certainly say something about her artistic abilities. It was incomplete, however, lacking advanced details and shadowing. No, she saved those for last. Natsuru had to get the foundation of her painting done, so when it was time to add the shading and details they would match what is currently present.

Nearly a half house of painting and she was finally watching her art come together as she worked peacefully, and rarely, with a light grin on her face. Though, what snapped her out of this trance was the lingering presence of what sounded like an adult and child. Noises would come and go in the area. which was understanding and easily flushed. These voices were almost consistent like a conversation and coupled with what could be identified as aggressive movements. Dedicated charges and quick steps kicked up dirt and ground gravel under the soles of their footwear. The sounds were happening for nearly five minutes, Natsuru unable to focus with these present distractions. She stared spitefully at her unfinished art with the presence of a minor headache developing in the back on her head. Her wholesome mood was tarnished as her brows furrowed and facial expression shifted to one showing anger and annoyance. "Unbelievable..." She muttered to herself dropping the paint palette and brush simultaneously. The palette fell flat on its face splattering paint across the dirt. Pacing quickly towards the tree she grabbed her quiver and bow.

Approaching the edge of the rocky outcrop she spotted nearly forty feet below the slope were two people as she predicted utilizing the lot neighboring her vantage point. The noise grew to the point where it ruined her painting, and thus, ruined her evening. Stepping over the edge she put the soles of her sandals against the side of the mountain allowing her to grind down the head with minimal effort. The sound produced and the trail of dust left in the air would be more than enough to turn the heads of those wary of their surroundings. After hitting the bottom she would exclaim. "Hey! Don't you two have anything better to do on your day off than fight?
There's an academy built for these kind of things. You know, with equipment and rooms build to spar in." The bitter voice came from the only other person in the area several meters behind Akashi's location.

Natsuru dresses similar to most Kumogakure shinobi as she prefers the simplicity and darkness their uniform provides. Black sandals cover both feet secured tightly providing comfort and protection. This is paired by a set of steel shin guards which start at base of her shin and up just below her knees. The steel is dyed white with three red lines running down the front face, a common feature done by Kumogakure-forged armor. She wears black pants with a black lapel on the left side. Strapped to her right thigh is a tanto crafted with red and black scabbard. Along with a mesh, sleeveless undershirt she wears a sleeveless black top with a zipper running down the middle. On both arms she wears leather forearm guards made with blackened leather with reinforced padding. Her outfit is completed by wearing her forehead protector around her forehead. Being made with black cloth she has the steel plated emblem facing the front in clear view. Her quiver is secured on her belt on her backside, her recurve bow worn across her body with the bow running down her cleavage while the string ran across her back. Natsuru has very fair skin with an almost ink-like navy blue hair, which matches her eyes in the same regards. Standing at 5'10 she has a very slender frame which maximizes her role as an archer.

Although coming off as aggressive and may seem intimidating a seasoned Shinobi would only identify her as that. She was a Genin, at most. Her lack of development in technique training and flunking her first year barely qualified her as a Shinobi. Still, she was no sucker compared to the average man.

Not a word was spoken after his offer, the girl backed off from the clone and assessed the situation. He was surprised by her persistence and immediate assessment of the situation, clearly she was putting her all into the task at hand. A single hand seal was formed, using a basic but versatile method of chakra control to propel her speed at him for an enhanced punch. While the clone was only a portion of his power, it still possessed enough dexterity to fend off the attack with a simple defensive position after bringing his hands up to mitigate the damage. A small cloud of dust was kicked up from the clone being pushed back behind the power of her punch, a certain sign of her tenacity if nothing else.

“Good.” This was all that he got out before being interrupted by someone else he verbally stormed into their training. Turning his head he saw what was clearly a kunoichi, lecturing them on how to spend their free time. While this mystery lady was certainly commanding in her tone, he did not recognize her as a fellow Jounin and certainly wasn’t a superior officer. Clearly older than Shimiko the girl didn't look to be older than nineteen, maybe even younger.  “If you want to survive as a genin and beyond free time is seldom a luxury one can afford. This young one seems to have a grasp on that, as do I.” Holding his right hand out he dispelled the clone with a half-tiger seal, stepping in between the two girls. “I will give you that this shit location for a small sparring circle is real close to the park. Though if you call yourself a shinobi you will take every experience as an opportunity to learn. Especially from your superiors.”


Reaching for his holster tied to his right leg he plucked three kunai from their home and closed the flap to the remaining two. Flicking his hand he released two of the kunai at separate intervals, aimed at the feet of both of them. Interested to see if they would leap back or predict the trajectory and know their safety he held his own gripped weapon forward and laid is sideways. “A frontal Taijutsu assault can always be countered. This technique can give you an extra edge when you need one most.” Flowing his chakra through the tiny ninja tool he quickly reached his arm back and slashed while releasing the prepared chakra out through the tool. A light blue aura extended out and slashed the ground one meter out from his location, creating a line that divided the two girls from himself.

Forming the one-handed clone seal with his left hand another poof of ninja smoke occurred right over the line he’d just slashed. “Your goal is to destroy my clone using the Chakra Flow technique, as just demonstrated.” The clone would then reach down and retrieve his own kunai from the same holster. “As their can only be one I will just take the victor as my student. If advancing as a shinobi is what you see in your future that is.” Fueling the fire of motivation once more he prodded Shimiko and this stranger to defeat his clone and learn a new technique in the process. He knew not if this newcomer was as motivated as Shimiko, but if chance had brought two fresh graduates then it was possible he’d have his hands filled were the village to continue its lack of real teachers.

Learned: Charka Flow (C-Rank at no WC w/ exp)

The clone did not poof as she had dared hope but instead blocked the blow only being pushed back in the process. The attack was even more ineffective than she feared and at that moment she was concerned she had embarrassed herself. Luckily, the Jounin didn't see it that way. He did not volunteer his name as promised but she wasn't about to question him on that instead Shimiko breathed a sigh of relief as he responded with a single word: "Good". The victory was short lived however as another genin soon appeared. Shimiko looked to see that it was none other than Natsuru Senou, a girl from her Academy class. The two had minor history but nothing significant to speak of and certainly nothing worth bringing up at the present moment out loud. Shimiko stayed silent as she berated them for disturbing the peace and quiet of the park. She insisted that they instead go to the training grounds which was admittedly a more apropriate venue for what they planned to do.

Even if Natsuru had a point, Shimiko was a bit annoyed at her insolence. That was no way to speak to a superior shinobi and given that Shimiko was not remotely impressed by what the girl showed in the Academy, she had no right to criticize their decision to train. Perhaps if Natsuru spent more time training instead of star gazing or drawing or doing whatever non-shinobi did then maybe she could appreciate sparring in an unorthodox location. The Chinoike's displeasure however was well concealed by a simple smile. She kept her hands behind her back and listened as Akashi rebuked her. Shimiko was glad that the Jounin stood up for her but as she clasped her hands behind her back tightly she couldn't help but wonder why he had placed himself between them. Had he not done that then maybe she would have taken it upon herself to give Natsuru a far more personal and lasting rebuke.

Akashi continued with his lesson largely unfazed by Natsuru. He tossed a kunai at their feet, Shimiko could tell it wasn't meant to injure them but she took a tentative step back just in case. Shimiko then picked up the weapon and gripped it tightly. He instructed them to perform the Chakra Flow technique and to destroy his shadow clone using it. He pit them against each other with the prize being a chance to become his student. Shimiko's smile withered and she furrowed her brow. This was no game. There was no way Shimiko could bear to lose to a flunky like Natsuru assuming the kunoichi would participate. Shimiko immediately began to channel chakra through the blade to increase its edge. The task was tricky and having only seen Akashi do it once, it would be awhile before the technique was fully mastered. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and envisioned her chakra wrapping around the ninja tool. When her eyes snapped open she was lazer focused on the shadow clone which was her target. It wasn't a real person but she pretended for the sake of the exercise that it was. To grant the sweet release of death to someone was a pretty noble act and when she worked with this concept in mind she found that she was far more competent than usual. A blue aura manifested around the kunai as she began to implement the basics of Chakra Flow. The weapon's edge was extended an inch or two before she decided that was mildly sufficient to begin her assault.

Shimiko would then strafe left and right before slashing at the clone. It was a rhythmic and fairly basic attack pattern. Slash left, right, up, down, and then thrust! Shimiko was getting a handle on the technique first but with every swing of the kunai her skill with it grew. The flow grew stronger and longer as she practiced hacking at the clone hoping to destroy it.

It wasn’t long after leaving the Market place that Ryuko found her way to the park, or perhaps it was more appropriate to say that she couldn’t help but find it given its handy centralized location making it easy to stumble upon which is exactly what she had done.  She had come in by one of the main entrances which was marked by a large and lavishly detailed ornamental gate.

Slowly making her way down a sidewalk that ran parallel to the training grounds she glanced around as she went.  She was hoping to find a good location to sit down out of the sun so that she could partake in a spot of tea, but those thought soon flew out of her head and where replaced by a surge of childlike excitement when she spotted a group of three people that where unmistakable shinobi.

An onlooker might have found it strange that someone who was clearly a ninja herself was getting worked up from seeing others of her kind. But they had no way to know that because Ryuko had been trained outside the village and not at the academy , this was practically the first time she’d ever seen another ninja that was actually on active duty and not just a reservist that never went on missions.

From where she had come in It looked to her like the oldest of the lot and the only male in the group was giving the other two a lecture of some kind. Given the obvious age difference between him and the girls and the context of the situation he was probably higher ranked.

From the sidelines she watched with avid interest as the red headed man took out some kunai then tossed two of them towards the feet of his apparent students.  It was a bit rude to continue watching them like this, but Ryuko couldn't bring herself to walk away, listening with avid interest as the man continued with his lecture demonstrating a jutsu she’d never seen before.

Coating the remaining kunai in his hand with a fine sheen of chakra potent enough to be visible to the naked eye he used it to increase his effective range, slashing the ground without actually physically touching it.

Ryuko had never though to use her own chakra this way but it seemed so obvious in retrospect that she felt silly for not coming up with the idea to try sooner.  Drawing her right Baton from its holster on the back of her belt she held it steady as she began to envision her energy flow from from her body into the weapon she was holding.

Within seconds a faint blue aura sparked to life crawling along the steel frame before enveloping it completely. The light flickered with instability like a candle about to be blow out in the wind but quickly stabilized. She had a feeling that even if she where to let go now, the energy she had infused inside the weapon would remain even if only for a short while.

While she’d been practicing her new Jutsu she’d heard everything the man had said about taking down his clone, and that only the victor would be chosen as his student.  She’d already learned so much just from a brief observation that for a split second she’d almost been overcome by the temptation to jump into the frey and to try and claim victory for her own.

The only thing holding her back from her initial impulse was one of her gods commandments “thou shalt not steal from an ally.” She didn’t really know these girls who where apparently competing to be the mans apprentice. But the fact they where fellow Kumo which meant she couldn’t just swoop in and take it from them, at least not without permission to be part of the contest.

One of his students, a girl with dirty blond pigtails had already initiated an assault which gave Ryuko the split second she needed to cool her head and realize that something about this contest seemed off.  It was a fundamental fact that most gennin cells consisted of three students and one sensai.  There where sometimes exceptions to this rule in special cases, but they where few in far between.  

She had theory that it was he was simply testing them to see if they could they could work together to achieve a common goal even if doing so wasn’t necessarily to their own benefit. Even if that wasn’t the case she wouldn’t mind lending a hand anyhow.

So what if she couldn’t become the man’s students herself, she could at least ensure he would take one of the other girls under his wing. In the end making an ally stronger would make the village stronger which was good enough to be worth the effort.

“Tally ho!”Ryuko wispered to herself in determination as she quickly formed a half tiger seal, activating the body flicker technique to boost her speed as she dashed onto the battlefield.  

She was coming at the clone from the left side while Shimiko was still in the middle of preforming her combo slashes from the right. Using chakra flow to extend the range of her baton from 25’’ to 30” she swing it towards the clone’s back hoping to catch him off guard at her unexpected interference and drive him straight into the other girls blades.

Learned: Charka Flow (150/944)

Spoiler:

Natsuru was left speechless by the man's rebuttal. He did not bow, hell, he didn't even budge to what she had to say. She was shocked, but hid it very well with a continued glare of disapproval at the Jounin. To top it off he continued with his lesson as usual stepping between her and the other girl's presence. Though she was irrelevant at first the man stepping between them spark her curiosity. His words fell on deaf ears as Natsuru tried to catch a casual glimpse of who the other person was. From her distracted gaze a small black projectile flew her way which momentarily caught her attention, though the trajectory was reassuring it would cause no damage as it was never intended to. Instead the kunai landed at an angle several inches from her toes into the dirt. Her eyes dropped to gaze at the given kunai, her eyes almost not approving its presence. A cheap iron blade fashioned off of a masonry trowel with a handle wrapped in dingy white bandage...that's not aesthetic in the slightest.. Although clearly disapproving of the of the given tool she leaned over anyways, picking it up from the handle holding it in a standard grip with the blade facing upwards.

Natsuru zoned in at the last part of what he had to say mentioning something about destroying his clone using the Chakra Flow technique. It was at that moment she realized there were two of him, the clone being summoned sometime when she was focused elsewhere. That also reminded her. Taking her eyes off the knife she saw the other presence in the pathetic excuse for a training ground. "Ah...Shimiko. Not a total surprise seeing you in a place like this." Natsuru muttered lowly speaking indirectly to the girl on the other side. The spoiled sister of the Raikage was present with her receiving a lesson from one of the few active Jounin in the village. With her free hand she pulled her bow out of her cleavage and set it down gently against its side. Still in a squat she removed her quiver as well setting it next to the bow.

"You have to kidding if you think this exercise will actually teach me something." Passively, her chakra system became active. She was not activating the Chakra Flow technique. Instead, her body became more aware. She could practically feel her surroundings. Unleashing a constant veil of energy she was able to pick up the signatures of the people present. Their chakra natures, signature, quantity, and intentions were exposed under Natsuru's technique. She used this as an opportunity to start producing the chakra flow. Separately flowing her chakra down her arm she covered the kunai in a visible coating of chakra. Raw energy like this was useful for increasing cutting and piercing potential while causing burns from simple exposure to foreign energy. When activating the technique it triggered a thoughtful experiment. This will certainly maximize the potential my arrows serve. The snob already began charging head first into battle desperately trying to prove herself to the Jounin. Natsuru on the other hand was more calculating.

Talking about calculations, there was something coming in hot! In fact, whatever it was, it was approaching her rear at animalistic speeds. Natsuru glanced to her flank seeing another girl speed just past her, her eyes catching a glimpse of a chakra-coated club. How long has she been watching? Natsuru watched as the stub rushed the Jounin with her chakra-coated blade while the other girl charged with a chakra-coated baton. She didn't see the added benefit in enhancing the baton with chakra aside from making it unlikely to be grabbed. As little as she could judge she trotted in closer to the clone before spacing away from the newcomer's sprint. If the newcomer was attack the clone's left and Shimiko the clone's right there was only one possible escape route on ground that the clone could take without running too close to his original body. Natsuru covered that avenue of escape using the benefit of her chakra sensing to predict his motives and always have tabs on his location. Just like that she was drawn into a training session she had no intentions of participating in.

[Chakra Flow Technique | C-rank: 300/722 WC]

Info:

As if on cue another kunoichi appeared out of the woodwork, brandishing a baton and charged right alongside Shimiko. It was clear this newcomer has been eavesdropping on the conversation as she was utilizing the same Chakra Flow technique he’d briefly demonstrated, the original Akashi smiling at the initiative taken by what was clearly another genin. Watching the two of them engage was encouraging to the Jounin, curious if the one remaining in the back was in that position strategically or from lack of interest in the fake contest. Regardless he had the first two to deal with; Shimiko coming in with another simple attack pattern from one side while the new girl went to pincer the clone by attacking at the opposite side with a rather straightforward strike to his back. Before either attack landed the clone would move with a speed that could very easily be mistaken for a quick use of the Body Flicker technique, positioning itself behind the newcomer to give a slight push on her back so the two genin would hopefully collide into one another.

As soon as he pushed the new girl his clone’s free hand would form the half-tiger seal and focus his chakra on the soles of his feet, his image flickering away and appearing right behind the odd one out. He had his suspicion that she was using a chakra sensing technique, the focused eyes indicated to him that she indeed was partaking in the exercise. Even if she was able to sense and predict his movements, he assumed her physical condition to be on par with the others meaning he’d aim to beat her with pure speed. With a single palm strike he meant to thrust her into the other two genin, his true speed now on full display to those who wanted to continue.

“Don’t think I’ll go easy on you lot.”

Spoiler:

(Just so yall know, I made a quick edit to Chakra Flow technique's range, I think a meter is waaaaay too much after reviewing how the tech works in canon lol. I limited it to 5 inches, if you have your character increasing the range to a meter that's fine we can keep it like that for now its nbd but I just wanted to make yall aware for future reference).


All it took was a single flicker like movement. The clone was there and then it wasn't. A host of other stimuli took place in the moments leading up to this disappearing act. Another kunoichi came onto the battlefield brandishing a baton. It was the girl's obvious intention to drive the clone directly into the path of her Chakra Flow enhanced kunai. Unfortunately, just when Shimiko was about to slash the clone it increased its speed far outside the range of her reaction time allowing it to escape. Rather than collide into Ryuko though she was able to stop her momentum and pedal back a bit as her eyes settled once more upon Akashi and his clone. The Chinoike twirled her kunai around and continued to pulsate chakra around it to keep its edge sharp. The Jounin said that he wasn't about to go easy on them. Shimiko turned to look at the new girl who had arrived. She had never seen her before but it was clear by the aura around her baton that she had been listening for some time or at the very least already had a working knowledge on how to perform the technique. The girl had black hair with a set of blue bangs and some red face paint. When Shimiko glanced at her she would give a simple nod, smile, and expression of gratitude indicating that the help was appreciated. "Thanks" Natsuru on the other hand seemed wholly uninterested in the exercise which bothered Shimiko but she held her tongue for the time being. Natsuru didn't seem like she was going to quit and she honestly didn't want her to. This victory would need to feel earned.

Three. The number didn't take on any significance until she realized it was three genin (assuming of course the newcomer was in fact a genin, a proposition made likely by the fact that she was jumping in a training session without warning) against one Jounin. Most shinobi squads were formed by three genin operating under the command and instruction of a Jounin. A fool would say that fate had brought them here together but Shimiko was no fool. She was a devout follower of Jashin and a faithful daughter to his gospel. They were here for a purpose. A divine purpose. Earlier she had lamented that she had no team and no sensei, and now before her very eyes the void was being filled. Superstitious or no, the young girl took this as a sign that cooperation rather than competition should be the driving theme here regardless of Akashi's explicit instructions. It was a bit of a gamble but it was a gamble worth taking. Shimiko re-positioned herself for another assault on the clone, running to the side of Natsuru to back her up in case she needed protection from the clone that had re-appeared behind her. The goal was to surround it on all three sides. The Chinoike kept her eyes on the prize and hoped that Ryuko would catch on to encircle the clone before it could slip from their grasp again.

(Chakra Flow LEARNED in previous post lol - 663/150)

For one brief moment in time the red headed clone she’d been targeting had been before her. The next he was gone, moving so fast it seemed to Ryuko almost as if he had teleported. Before she even had time to process this turn of events or wonder if she’d fallen for an illusion she felt a gentle push from behind and found herself inexplicably tumbling forward.

If she’d been standing still she’d probably had been able to dig in her feet and resit the shove, but she’d been in the middle of an attack run launched directly after coming out of a body flicker so her footing hadn’t been great.  The only thing that saved her from crashing into Shimiko was that fact the other girl had backpedaled at the last second but that wasn’t enough to stop Ryuko from face-planting humiliatingly onto the hard ground.

“D’ast.” she exclaimed in frustration both at herself and her target. In hindsight jumping straight into the middle of a training exercise without warning like she’d just done had been one the stupidest things she’d ever done.  She hadn’t wanted to lose the element of surprise by announcing herself but the second her attack had failed it was gone anyhow leaving her pretty much up a creak without a paddle.

She didn’t know the other two kunoichi and they didn’t’ know her which would make coordinating with them extremely difficult, especially since she had no more then a guess of what they where capable of. A guess based off little more then watching Shimiko fight for a few seconds before jumping in and gatching a glance at the equipment Natsuru was carrying which meant it wasn’t worth much.

The worst part was, Akashi had been much much faster then she’d expected which went to show he wasn’t higher ranked for nothing.  The sheer gulf between them made the notion of her actually being able to hit him seem ridiculous. She should have bought more supplies when she’d been at the market place. But even if she had shuriken what use would they be?  By the time she’d be able to take aim, her target would have already moved.

Unless… Unless she could convince him that he didn’t need to move, a tricky proposition as long as he was taking this fight seriously which evidently he wasn’t if his next words where anything to go by.  “Don’t think I’ll go easy on you lot."  Ha what a joke, if he wasn’t going easy on them then this would have been over already.

“FLARK YOU!!!” swore Ryuko in reply as she lifted her face which was now covered with dirt and glared at the Jounin’s clone, her eyes full of wraith.  The fact she was pissed was made all the more clear from the use of such colorful language, ill fitting for someone dressed like a priestess to utter.  Hot blooded by nature, these where more or less her true feelings. Only she was playing them up for effect to make it look like her anger had gotten the better of her so that her and was effecting her judgment so that he wouldn’t question her next move too deeply.

Immediately after swearing Ryuko pulled out her second Baton from her left holster and then threw it towards the clone’s right leg with as much force as she could possibly muster, angled sideways instead of point first to maximize the chances of making contact. But there was a huge flaw with her throw, it was clear as day to anyone looking that it would miss the man by a couple of inches which meant it was harmless, or so it seemed on the surface.  

Just like his students early had been able to tell that the kunai he had throw at them wouldn’t hit surely this man, with more battle experience then them would pick up on the fact he was in no danger instantly.  No warrior worth their salt would waste energy dodging an attack that they knew would never land.  Plus such a feeble attempt would hardly seem worth a second glance which meant he would likely dismiss the baton he then focus on what she or the other girls would try to do next instead of watching it carefully enough to notice the fact she’d slipped in an extra surprise.  

She’d used swearing not just to seem like she’d gotten sloppy but also to draw his attention towards her first baton so he wouldn’t notice that she had also thrown the original baton from her right hand at the same time and it was now hidden in the shadow of the first.  Still coated in the faint chakra flow from earlier to extend Its range by an extra 5” which meant that it would hit him if he didn’t move. Sure it wasn’t the same type of weapon that the Shadow Shuriken technique she was using was named for, but a projectile was a projectile so the same principles behind how it worked still applied.  

Of course this second Baton couldn’t directly hit him itself, but the chakra that was coating it mimicking the properties of the weapon itself certainty could. In this case it was a blunt instrument so Akashi knee would be stuck with the same concussive force as if the baton itself had struck him.

Considering she wasn’t particularly that strong it probably wouldn’t be enough to actually shatter his knee unless she got really lucky, but it would hurt like a bitch which would hopefully be enough to slow him down a little and even the odds a bit.  The clubs had scarcely left her delicate looking hands when a single word from above came down like a chorus from the heavens.

“Thanks!”

Ryuko glanced over the the source of that word and saw a smile that could put the sun to shame. The sheer warmth of it washing over her was enough to sweep away the pent up negative feelings from failing to succeed at her initial interception.

“Tis was my pleasure miss.” Ryuko replied speaking formally. She’d have liked to have used names, but introductions could wait until the battle was over.  She could practically feel the gratitude radiating from the pig-tailed girl even as the girl ran off positioning herself to where she was just close enough to the clone to launch another attack, or to help Natsuru should the clone go after the navy haired archer again.

“What a good person” thought Ryuko to herself as she quickly picked herself up off of the ground. It didn’t really matter if her second baton hit or not since either way wouldn’t be enough to finish this which meant she had a job to get done.  Following Shimiko’s lead she held out her left arm using it to gestured to the other girls to form a triangle formation.  

She did this using one of the basic militarily hand signals that all shinobi where taught at the academy level and then moved herself into position.  This way they would be surrounding Akashi’s clone in such a way that all three of them could either attack or quickly move to the aid a teammate in trouble.

Spoiler:

Natsuru parted away from the new girl at what would seem like an opportune time. She mistaken herself for blinking as it would seem the red head would appear almost instantaneously behind the new girl. It was moments like these where her gift truly shined. Although her eyes failed to perceive what happened her sensory did not. In a way she could feel the space around her, and all activities of the things that had chakra. His path was imprinted in her mind as he moved. The Jounin certainly moved at astonishing speeds, speed she could only hope to reach herself one day. Natsuru witnessed the new girl get flanked before she can move her lips to call out to her. A simple, powerful shove encouraged the two to collide. In another blink the man was gone again, Natsuru however was aware of his path despite the speed he moved at. It was enough to not make her hesitate on his whereabouts. Instead she could feel his chakra move like a hook in the environment only to appear directly behind her.

Natsuru dropped her hips as a direct reaction, falling as low as she could to make herself a smaller target. There was enough time between the man moving and the slight pause to analyze his own movements to execute her action. The others began closing in though she kept her eyes fixed on the Jounin before her. Turning to her flank she swung her right arm out broadly using the extended range of the chakra kunai to draw a cut along the clone's abdomen. The other attacks would close in together as the chakra-enhanced baton would pass along Natsuru's side like a blue laser to strike the man's leg. Speed was certainly tough to deal with due to their own lack of physical abilities, but the weakness the Jounin had was beginning to unfold.

Spoiler:

The Jounin was impressed with the situational awareness of Shimiko and the blue-haired girl, both avoiding the simple but blindingly quick movements he pulled on them both. Even the newcomer showed her gumption with a quick toss of her second baton to help in the obvious teamwork that slowly started to take form after their initial failure to strike him. Now having further proof of their similar physical conditions his eyes watched the baton swing towards him, deftly stomping his foot down to stop its flight and quite visible chakra extension from hitting his leg. He knew that this would give time to the three of them to all approach him, he was curious to see what sort of combination they would pull off together. Surprisingly Shimiko and the newcomer purely advanced his position to aid in surrounding him, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Meanwhile the angry painter slashed using the chakra flow technique towards his stomach, a move that he watched carefully until the very last chance he had to escape its cut. His body slightly lowered, kicking off with his left leg his other leg was thrown into a spinning kick to help bring him airborne just enough to bring him over her arm at the apex of the swing. The kick was designed as a feint that he expected her to dodge, knowing full well the others would be moving into attack him in his exposed arial position he grabbed hold of Natsuru’s wrist as gravity took him rushing back to the ground. Just before the clone hit the ground, he expected the other two to have an attack incoming and the real Akashi formed the clone seal to release the clone before either landed their potential strikes. The last and final test was to see if any could anticipate the move, there had to be some who realized the false nature of this little test.

“Uzumaki Akashi.” As promised he gave them his name, even if it only meant something to Shimiko he figured they’d all earned that at least. “As Jounin of Kumogakure I accept you as competent genin worthy of taking up my time. If you agree then state your name and purpose for being here so we can get on with the real work.”

Shimiko's partners sprang into action. While she moved into position to back up Natsuru, Ryuko threw her baton where Akashi's clone had reappeared. The girl was fierce and the attack was peppered with a curse of sorts. Not to be out done, Natsuru attempted a slash of her own to which the clone performed a counter leaving it vulnerable. Now's our chance! Shimiko moved in at a slower tempo than Ryuko's attack so as to finish off what would likely be the beginning of the end but before she had the chance to deal the final blow the clone was dispelled. Shimiko stopped in her tracks and looked at the Jounin. It was as if the exercise was over before it truly began. The man finally gave his name and accepted them as his students. Shimiko's heart beat excitedly and she restrained herself from jumping for joy but her elation was plastered all over her face. The teenage girl looked at her comrades and beamed. Shimiko was proud of them, even Natsuru proved to be far more useful than she had anticipated. Lord Jashin truly did have a plan for this trio and Shimiko silently thanked him for allowing her to have a team of her own. Whenever she trusted him good things happened and she resolved to never let her doubts cloud her faith. Shimiko stood up straight next to her teammates. She still clutched the kunai that he had given her and she would hold it just in case another impromptu test was sprung on them. For now though, he seemed more interested in hearing their names and purpose for being here. The being here was assumed to refer to one's general purpose for being a shinobi rather than the reason for their arrival at the park.

Shimiko took this to be a general request as he already knew her name and could guess her motivations since she was after all the Raikage's younger sister. Shimiko decided that she would go first if not for his benefit than for Natsuru's and the mystery girl's.

"My name is Shimiko Chinoike and I want to follow in my brother's footsteps as a loyal and fierce shinobi!"

It was a truth. A half-truth but a truth nonetheless. Shimiko also really wanted to be a ninja so she could kill mercilessly as her God had commanded. It was permissible to lie under the sacred scriptures when one was doing so to preserve their faith and the opportunities for future murders in the name of Jashin*. Shimiko did want to follow in her brother's footsteps and she did care about the village but she only cared about Kumo in so far as protecting its reputation as a factory of death. It was also the birthplace of her religious sect and a place where under the right circumstances the faith could flourish. Shimiko felt a bit guilty about lying to her sensei from the get go but she was not prepared to reveal her affiliation with a banned and controversial religion. Maybe in time Akashi would understand and perhaps even convert but until then she was content being known only as the sweet but pugnacious sister of the Raikage.

*(Horrors 10:1 Verses 4-11)

Ryuko watched in amazement as the clone deftly took out her second baton with a casual seeming stomp, using the same leg she’d been aiming to handicap to neutralize what little threat she had presented him with. It couldn’t have been much given how easily he had seen through her ruse.

She’d been expecting him to try and dodge it if he noticed, but instead he’d defied her expectations by countering instead, something she herself couldn’t have done if she’d been placed in his shoes.  Before he’d shown her how to use Chakra flow the Shadow Shuriken jutsu had been the best trick in her arsenal. The fact it’d been defeated so offhandedly made all to clear the sheer gulf in their abilities which might as well be the distance between the ground and the stars.

The man had said to destroy his clone, but the stark reality of the situation was that baring a miracle it was simply beyond her ability. If she’d been alone then mo matter how hard she struggled she couldn’t win.  But she wasn’t alone which meant she that perhaps she still had a chance, albeit a very slim one.

She watched intently as Natsuru slashed at the clone which was so confident in it’s speed that it only moved to dodge at the last possible second, launching its own counteroffensive in the form of a mid air spin kick. He was moving oddly slower then before, still faster then any of the girls of course but not so fast they couldn’t make him out anymore.

It made Ryuko leery that this might be a trap to lure them in, but at the same time the fact he was exposed was too good to simply pass up. It all likelihood he was simply giving them a small opening to exploit on purpose because if he didn’t they wouldn’t be able to pass his test otherwise.  Besides half the point of their formation had been so they could defend each other so she could hardly leave Natsuru hanging.

Knowing that keeping it simple was best in this situation Ryuko rushed forward, throwing her body into a Shoulder Charge with the aim of tackling the clone so that she could prevent his kick from landing on her makeshift teammate.

“Away from her.” Ryuko commanded just as she was about to collide with the clone only for him to vanish in a poof of smoke which she harmlessly slid though before coming to a stop. Thinking for a second that he must have used the replacement jutsu to escape, her eyes darted around the battlefield as she attempted to find him again only to realize that couldn’t be the case since then she would have struck something else in his place.

She was unsure what had just happened. Why her opponent had just up and vanished? She was about to demand an explanation when one glance at the original told her everything she needed to know.  Clearly this little exercise of theirs was over.  It seemed things had been as she’d suspected all along. The test wasn’t to see if they could actually hit the clone but if they could actually work together

“-TT-” she tisked lightly feeling more then a little vexed at how things had been resolved in such an uninclusive manner.  Now that she’d gotten worked up she would have liked to know if somehow someway they could have gotten a hit in, even if knowing that now was irrelevant. In a way they had lost the fight, but won the war sort to speak since Akashi introduced himself in a way that only a teacher taking on new students would.

Ryuko listened quitely as Shimiko introduced herself while she went to pick up her fallen batons.  To her the surname Chinoike simply meant that Shimiko was likely a fellow memeber of the peerage and not that this was the Raikage’s sister.  Sure she’d reconize a picture of Seigi on sight but that didn’t mean she knew the rest of his family.

She felt a little jealous that Shimiko had a brother she could look up to.  While Ryuko had brothers of her own they weren’t good for much, too busy coveting more power and status for it’s there own ends to actually do anything constructive with what they already had.

Now it was her turn to speak and for a brief second Ryuko was tempted to not give her full name in fear that they would treat her differently because of it, seeking to take advantage of her in someway just like most people she had meet so far in her short life had. But if they where to be her teammates they deserved to know the truth instead of being lied to by omission. A lie that would inevitably be uncovered would only serve to hurt there cohesion as a unit in the long run.

“Please excuse the late introduction. I am the lady Ryuko Shizu Von Rose, Priestess of the dragon king Hakkin at thy service.” She said smoothly as she took the helm of her skirt in her hands and gave them a curtsy as if she had been presenting herself at a royal ball.  

Normally by standard protocol this is where she should be apologizing for barging in. However given the nature of the trial they had undergone, she felt this unwarranted because  intruding had been the correct response in this situation.

“Lacking as though I may be, It is my sacred duty to aid this country and more importantly the people that inhabit it. As such I aspire to attain strength and wisdom, so that I may better fulfill this roll and to demonstrate myself as a suitable Vestal candidate in the process. Any aid thou could offer in this matter would be greatly appreciated.” she explained speaking as properly as she could manage despite the difficulty she had in doing so.

Natsuru's quick retort to the Uzumaki's presence was met by none other than fierce speed which made him a threat on his own. The man moved as if he was teleporting. The only way she could keep up with him was due to her sensory. Having the edge did not matter much in the end. Her attacks could be matched with incredible speed that she could not physically keep up with alone. The feint kick was met with a brace of impact, which although did not connect, it was enough to catch her off guard driving her wrist and body into the ground. Natsuru tried to snatch his wrist as fast as she could, but the clone poof'd before she could. Did they destroy the clone? Her only thought before easing herself, deactivating her chakra flow though still keeping her sensory active. She sensed the clone was gone, only have the Uzumaki present along with the two girls. She stood up, batting the dirt off her clothing. The man continued to introduce himself fully as Akashi Uzumaki. It was nice knowing at least one name in the group aside from that one girl.

Speaking of her, Natsuru could not help but chuckle to herself hearing her "purpose" as a Shinobi. How original, though not all tools are unique. She thought sarcastically to herself adding a bit more volume to her self-laughter. Natsuru quickly regained composure when the newcomer spoke. Ryuko Shizu Von Rose. What a mouthful, but a pleasant name, nonetheless. Finally, it was her turn to do her introduction. A small sigh follow a downward toss of her kunai sticking point-first into the earth inches from her toes. "I am Natsuru Senou, my purpose..." She paused slightly, hiding her honest intentions. Easy money to do whatever you want... The dramatic pause was met with a cheesy smile and shrugged pose. "I'd like to see the world and get inspiration for my inventions!" Although her smile was forced, this particular "goal" was no exactly fake. She did want to explore, and didn't want to put her life in another person's hands.

Natsuru parted from the group a few meters to retrieve her bow and quiver of arrows, putting them back on her body before returning back to the two Genin standing besides Ryuko who was conveniently further away from Shimiko. She waited for Akashi to say something to the group.

Naturally Shimiko went first, though her answer to this question was less of a mystery than that of the other two. The second girl caught him by surprise, sporting a peculiar accent that he couldn’t quite place. Clearly she was from a higher society than rest, including Akashi having come from quite humble beginnings. Tsk, so unnecessary. He very much did not enjoy the way such people talked and held themselves above the rest of the flock, though if Ryuko’s participation in the test spoke at all it certainly meant she was cut from a different cloth than most higher society types. A simple nod was all he gave, turning his attention to the last one who seemed to lighting up to the idea of being on a team with the other two. Natsuru was about as expected, although the mention of inventions was not something he expected. It seemed her and Shimiko perhaps had something in common, though it appeared they didn’t have the best relationship as Natsuru grabbed her bow and arrows and very clearly stood as away from her as possible.

Now that the pesky introductions were out of the way Akashi decided it was time to really take the reigns and see just what they could do. “Right then. Seeing as the academy slacked on assigning any genin teams at all I’m going to just claim the name of Squad 1 for us. You all look like you’ve never stepped outside the village as a proper shinobi before. Tomorrow at dawn we’ll be heading out as a team, there were reports of bandits in the Takagamahara region harassing farmers that came in today. We’re going to help guard the farmers as they harvest the last of their crops. See you then.” As always Akashi’s ability to hold a conversation was laughable, turning around he headed back to his home to get some reading in before a good night's sleep for the team's first mission.

Mission deets:

Spoiler: