Fandom Naruto: Seiryūden

[Pariah Stark]

A gentle breeze carried the scent of the slow-shifting, autumn leaves of the great forest that surrounded Konohagakure. The warm sun kept the air from being chilled and lit the sky vividly, creating a brilliant contrast between the light blue sky and the soft white clouds. The day itself felt still; it was one that would be enjoyed and relaxing to most. Even shinobi could have thoroughly enjoyed their breaks from training or missions on a day like this. Despite that calm atmosphere nature bestowed upon the day, it was full of festivity. Today was the day the twentieth graduating class of the new Hidden Leaf Academy was assigned their Jounin leaders and recognized as shinobi by the rest of the village. This was the day that marked a new beginning for dozens of young lives.


Hitori Uzumaki, the Sixth Hokage, overlooked a crowd of citizens and shinobi alike that had gathered around the courtyard in front of the Academy. Behind him was the great Hokage Rock and directly below him was a platform full of young genin and a handful of Jounin they would be assigned to. While the crowd murmured, the reality was that in just a few moments, the Hokage would address them all. The tension in the air was thick, and the murmur was dull for such a great crowd. In the years since the last Great War, moments like these were hard to come by, but the Hokage made sure to emphasize them. Hitori may not have been as powerful as his older brother, but he was no less a leader.

"Konoha..." Hitori said aloud, his voice booming over the crowd. They silenced immediately.

​

"Today, we welcome a new generation of shinobi into our ranks. These young Genin all show great promise and bare incredible potential. But, what we must understand is that these shinobi are more than just the summation of training and techniques. They are a symbol. Though young, they are a proud pinnacle of what we fought for: freedom. The shinobi way was almost smothered out, but now dozens of new shinobi graduate the academy. Not only that, this class marks the twentieth class to graduate since the reconstruction of the academy. Twenty entire classes of shinobi have come along and proven that we took back what was nearly stolen from us. Twenty times we have torn down a tyrant and proved him wrong. We are Konagakure. We are the beacon that shines brightest in the Land of Fire. The rest of the world looks to us and sees that we can become more than ashes and rubble. No one can take from us what is truly ours!"


Hitori spoke loudly over the balcony and his voice was carried by speakers throughout the courtyard. He walked back and forth to address different parts of the crowd and like the ocean being pulled to the moon, they cheered in waves as he addressed them. While in his mid-fifties, Hitori spoke with vigor. He had all the energy of the Genin in front of him, and no one in the village thought of him for his age. He hadn't even chosen an heir yet for no one believed he needed one. Hitori didn't need jutsu to control the crowd; his charisma did it for him.

@Hellkite @KaiaWolf @Edward Valentine
​

Hitori stretched out his hand, then lowered it calmly. As he did, the civilians below him quieted down. Few shinobi applauded for more than a moment; some not at all. "Genin of the twentieth class, step forward once I call your name: Uzumaki Hikaru. Akimichi Ichir?. Aruhane Kyouka. You will be the new Team Four under none under than Kokuro Tsengami, veteran of the Great War," Hitori said aloud. Some cheered, some didn't. The crowd was more intrigued by whom was put on which squad, and generally where the Clan members when. Once the Genin bowed to their sensei, they were seated and Hitori continued.

@Sha @DreamBeat @SwiftThunder
​

"Shiratori Kyoden. Suzume Muranami. Juro Ningya. You will be the new Team Three under Hayato Nakamura," Hitori said again. In the same motions as before, Hitori continued through the Teams and through the Genin until they were all placed. The entire ceremony was likely a little long, but it was an event for the crowd nonetheless. Moreover, it was a time each Genin, the newest of the generation, was acknowledge by none other than the Hokage. By name. Each of them were called out in front of hundreds from the village and essentially proclaimed shinobi by the most powerful of the village. It was a surreal moment for many.


But, the moment passed. Once the team were assembled and the ceremony was over, the teams traditionally went for their first formal meeting in one of the Training Grounds. Traditions changed, sure. Some Jounin preferred to take their Genin out to eat. Others preferred immediate combat and testing. Regardless of what was in store for these Genin, they were in the hands of their new sensei now. The moment was gone and the reality was about to sink in.

 

[Hellkite]

Kokuro stood beside her fellow Jounin, arms folded, the eye not obscured by the leather eyepatch closed, but her ears listening to the Hokage intently. Her mouth curled into a smile as Hitori spoke, and she nodded in agreement after each point he made. The Academy' graduating speeches were always much the same; a proclamation of defiance against the Daimyo, and a narration of Konoha's restored freedom. Kokuro knew better than most that Hitori's words were largely rhetoric, an acknowledgement of Konoha's triumph and a convenient omission of the bloody Purge that resulted.


Knowing the politics behind them doesn't make the words any less true, though. Kokuro thought, adjusting her stance slightly as the Hokage continued to talk. The twentieth class to graduate since then? Huh. I'm getting old.





The Jounin opened her eye when Hitori called for the Gennin to step forwards, and her gaze flitted from face to face as the teams were announced. They looked young, and for the most part eager. Kokuro exchanged a wistful glance with another Jounin, slightly further down the line from from her. Neither of them had ever had the opportunity to study at the academy, let alone to graduate. It was a special moment that Minato Sarutobi had denied them.


The Hokage carried on speaking. "Uzumaki Hikaru. Akimichi Ichirō. Aruhane Kyouka. You will be the new Team Four under none under than Kokuro Tsengami, veteran of the Great War,"


Kokuro's eye moved back to the gennin, to the three figures who reacted to their names being called. A blonde boy and girl, then the shortest of the three; a brown haired boy. Kokuro gave the three a slight nod of her head and a discrete smile. She recognized all three of their names. Hikaru was the son of Takeda and Sayuri Uzumaki; ninja whom Kokuro had known for the majority of their lives. Kokuro still remembered their wedding day. The lone girl, Kyouka, she had heard about by reputation. An orphan, determined to improve her skills but by all accounts a nightmare in class; constantly challenging the teacher's lessons and opinionated to boot. Kokuro felt a wave of nostalgia.


Sounds a little bit like me, when I was a girl.


The final member of Team 4, Ichiro Akimichi, Kokuro definitely knew. A Cursed Child, the son of Chiroden Akimichi; a Cursed Seal user. Kokuro's smile turned to a thin, severe line. She'd heard of the Akimichi Affair from her fellow ANBU and Seal Hunters; Kokuro knew the details, including the ones that the Leaf kept classified.


I've killed Cursed Seal Users in my time: not his father, thank god, but others. I suppose that's why he's been assigned to my team. Just in case he proves untrustworthy...





Kokuro shifted uncomfortably and looked away. Hitori wrapped up his speech, and after the Village's applause had settled the Gennin started to disperse towards beckoning Jounin. Teams were forming. Kokuro looked back at Hikaru, Kyouka and Ichiro, and with an easy stride walked towards them, standing tall above the crowd of kids as they scrambled to find their respective Sensei.


"You three!" She called to her new students, "Over there." She pointed to the platform's railing, where it overlooked the rest of the Leaf Village. Moving past the new Team Four, she stopped by the railing, turned and leaned back against it to look at them.


"Hurry up!" She chided. "Come over here and we'll get started."


@The Architect


@KaiaWolf


@Edward Valentine

 

[Ilstead]

Hikaru was messing around with his head band as the old nag yelled at him to come to her. Already he didnt like the way he could hear the dust in her throat from being alive so long. It was quite depressing for him. As he walked over to the old pirate, he was trying to decide whether he would put his headband around his head or around his waist. In the end he settled to keep it around his head like most of everyone else. Hikaru unanimously decided to his many thoughts that he would figure out what it looked like every else later. He needs a mirror to check it out and he had to look cool.


He would sit down on the nears thing he could make a seat and fiddled with his headband, not paying much attention to the new sensei or caring much for her being there. He just sat there thinking of what his next prank and where it would be. It was a toss up really. It was between the hokage's office or the hot springs. Maybe he would set up a leak in the hot springs or a few wire paper bomb in the hokage's office.


On the outside all that could be seen is a complete disinterest in his new sensei and the devious snickering of a brat who doesnt know when to stop pranking people.


@Hellkite

 

[Hoax]

Kyouka was nervous.


But also excited.


Maybe really just terrified…


This cycle continued in the back of the blonde's mind as she sat through the ceremonies, fingers idly finding their way up to touch her headband every once in a while. Just a little reminder that it was still there, that she had actually earned it. Her face was very serious, almost borderline frowning in thought as she listened for her name amongst the others being called.


Finally she caught it, in team four. Consisting of herself, Hikaru, and Akimichi. She knew their names from training, but that was about as far as her knowledge of them went. They had to be good if they graduated, right? They couldn't be awful slackers? Shaking her head to herself, the young graduate went through all the formalities and motions of the ceremony, before quickly hurrying over to her assigned team leader.


Kuroko Tsengami. An older woman known for her time in the Great War, from what Kyouka knew. Wordlessly slowing to a stop nearby, she came to the conclusion that maybe making a conscious effort to not immediately piss off a trained Jonin would be smart. Keep her mouth relatively shut for day one, not outwardly disagree with the one person that could currently pass or fail her.


And then nerves were back all over again.


@Edward Valentine @Hellkite

 

[Pariah Stark]

@Sha @DreamBeat@SwiftThunder
​

Hayato, as with almost all the other Jounin, stood like mirrored statues to each other on stage. Each beside each other at a perfect distance, arms folded. Some wore smiles, some were stone-cold. Hayato, as always, had his smirk. This would be his second squad; the first was comprised of all Wind Release users. A rather boring team, really. None of them ever managed to overpower a single of his Decapitating Airwaves before they were promoted to Chuunin and it took the three of them just to hold their own against any gust he could summon. Rumor was that this year, the shinobi were far more diverse and significantly more unique. Hayato clung to that rumor rather hopefully, and his smirk radiated that. He wanted a good team.


Called first, but on Team Three. It would seem Team One and Two were still occupied by previous generations, but that was trivial. The entire speech before the announcement followed the same routine Hitori had every year and was almost identical to the one from a decade ago. He may have been a great speaker, but his material became monotonous to those that had heard it. 'Shiratori Kyoden. Suzume Muranami. Juro Ningya.' Hayato stepped forward to receive his Genin, all whom ultimately stood to his left on stage. Kyoden? Never heard of him, or the Shiratori. The Muranami, however, were a little bit more notable. Well-known shinobi that had fine chakra control, had as many sensors as the Uzumaki and some unique support jutsu. Ningya, however, rung a quick bell. A puppeteer from the Puppet Clan of the Leaf. If anything, Hayato was excited for that. Seeing that Juro bore large scrolls only reinforced this thought, and this led to Hayato smirking wide at the idea of this squad. He might not have the ambition of his youth, but these Genin were his new play things.


The ceremony itself was short lived after the announcement of teams. While the other Jounin addressed their squads, Hayato did the same. However, he pulled out a single golden ball - a bell, really. It's light ting was a light, terrible little shriek. Gold was a terrible metal for its tone, but it was bright, shiny and easily noticeable. Hayato looked to his three gleaming Genin, taking into deep consideration their physical traits, then finally introduced himself. "As you heard, I'm Hayato Nakamura. Hayato-sensei will suffice. I'm not exactly as renown as some of the other Jounin, so I doubt anyone here knows me by my feats. I primarily focus on Ninjutsu and the use of supplementary techniques. I'm not going to give you my life story, but that should give you guys an idea of what to expect," Hayato explained. He then turned around and began to walk off the stage. "C'mon, we're going to Training Ground Six. You three should know a little about each other from the academy, but I know very little about you. On our way, explain what you think I should know about you," Hayato added before he into the streets, walking towards the deforested training zones.

 

[Pariah Stark]

@Hellkite @KaiaWolf @Edward Valentine


Ichirō was just as nervous as the others, but possibly more than his peers, he was proud. This was the first step towards his dream. At first, sitting in the seats with the other Genin, he was full of anxious energy to see which direction his dream might go from here.


Then, he heard her name. While few of his class knew of her moniker, he was well aware of who the Bloody Harpy of the Leaf was. Ichirō had a special disdain for the Cursed Seal Hunters, and most of them were regarded as great war heroes. From the moment he realized just who his new sensei was, rage began to swell inside of him. While it was a dull rage, it was enough to let his chakra begin to seep out of him. He was silent for the remainder of the ceremony and he followed the directions his new sensei gave him just as silently. He saw her; her eyepatch, her hair, her slight signs of aging, but what he really saw was a villain that to him was just as evil as the Daimyo was himself. She was the literal weapon that brought down the Cursed Seal Users. All the lies, manipulation and murder, thought not all her fault, was embodied in her - at least to the young Genin.


Even her telling them to hurry up, a mostly innocent bark, was enough to irritate Ichirō. While his teammates might not have felt it, his chakra was spiking. It didn't take any fancy technique to see it. He went from calm and full of anxious energy to irate and withholding every bit of energy he could. At this point, what he was holding it felt like pressure, but he did it. Whether he liked it or not, he rationalized that this woman was his gateway to proving his point. He hated it. He questioned why he was put on her team, of all of them. Dozens of other Jounin, but her? Asking these questions, fighting this rage, trying to remain calm and bottling himself up in silence all made this single moment for Ichirō. It defined it. This moment was bittersweet to say the least, and while he thought he had things under control, any of the trained Jounin around him and even younger sensors could have easily told his chakra was spiking unnaturally, and with a lot more intensity than most Genin had. This was the nature of the Cursed Children and Ichirō was placed into the care of a former slayer of the Cursed.

 

[SeaTea]

@The Architect


Kyoden's neutral look, which he was thankful had so far maintained throughout the whole ceremony, almost cracked as he allowed himself to gulp just slightly. He figured it prudent to step to his new sensei's directive, though he doubted his parents had gone back on their word that they would not be there, and it was looking like it was for the best anyway. His equipment felt more snug and slightly heavier than it usually did, probably even more than it did during the ceremony, but he couldn't deny a small feeling of excitement become prominent in his mind. As the group proceeded, he decided he should be the first to speak, seeing as he figured that he was probably the only real unknown here, besides their sensei of course.


"Well Hayato-sensei, I'll answer to Kyoden, Shiratori, or 'Kyo;' whatever comes to mind first. I am.. of a civilian family actually, but that was no deterrent in stopping me to graduating." He reached both hands back to re-adjust his shining metal tonfa while trying to clear his now drying throat. "I currently focus in Bukijutsu, with plans to gain greater knowledge in Genjutsu in the future." He felt his mind start to drift slightly toward his future, hesitating for one second before shaking his head and continuing on. "In that same vein, I... have no idea regarding my chakra nature just yet." He stretched out his words slightly as he scratched his nose, starting to feel embarrassed just the slightest bit before he again remembered where he was. "Otherwise, Hayato-sensei," addressing his sensei's back before turning to his two new teammates, " Suzume-san, Juro-san." Kyoden inclined his head as he was walking to his teammates, wondering exactly what it would be like interacting with these two.


Of course in the academy he knew of them. There wasn't a civilian bred academy trainee that didn't look at the clan members with some form of interest, or envy. He did know about the Muranami clan seeing as he had been into their clinic with his mother for the few times when she had come too close to her steel-work forge to avoid accidental injury. He doubted this clan member 'Her name is Suzume; come on, keep focused,' he berated himself in his mind; he doubted Suzume would know of him beyond a glance or two. What was the real odd factor out was the black robed Juro Ningya. Kyoden had heard his fair share of rumors regarding his skills while in training for good and ill, but he was hesitant to actually give much stock to them due to a past experience. He didn't want to think further of such things as he fell silent to his team. He still felt prone to fidget as he adjusted his overcoat, keeping his eyes down the street while sparing glances to his sensei and teammates and what he hoped came across as an eased smile, becoming more curious about what he in turn would hear.

 

[Hellkite]

Kokuro looked at the Gennin stood before her, waiting for the other teams to clear the platform. Soon Team 4 was almost entirely alone, barring a handful of jounin who were loitering a short distance away. Hands in pockets, the men and women talked quietly, paying the Gennin and their sensei little attention.


The first thing Kokuro noticed about her pupils was that they were quiet. Hikaru seemed indifferent and disengaged from the rest of the team. Kyouka was nervous, and Ichiro's chakra was spiking with increasing vigor with every passing moment. They did not strike her as the most promising team she'd ever led.


I suppose it's my job to turn them into something great. Now, where to start..?





Ichiro's chakra spiked again, and Kokuro caught the eye of one of the Jounin standing a short distance away. He stood stock still, eyes shifting between the Akimichi-boy and Kokuro, eyebrow raised. Kokuro gave him an imperceptible shake of the head, and shrugged slightly.


Just as I expected.





Unperturbed, she addressed the new Team 4, clasping her hands together.


"So, we should introduce ourselves." She said. "I'm Kokuro, you may call me Kokuro-sensei. There are a few things you should know about me before we get started."


She gave them a wry smile.


"I'm not going to treat you like children." She began. "I've seen kids younger than you fight and die in battle before, and those headbands you now possess," she indicated each one. "Marks you out as shinobi. That means that as your teacher, I'm going to push you hard. I'm going to have nothing but the highest of expectations for you."


Kokuro paused for a moment to let the words sink in.


"Your time in Team 4 will be hard, I will make sure of it. Only by facing and overcoming adversity can you become great shinobi. I will ask you to do things that other jounin would only ask of their chuunin subordinates. There is every likelihood that the first time you attempt these tasks, you will fail. That you will fail on your tenth, twentieth, even fiftieth attempts. But eventually, through hard training and sheer skill, you will succeed. By the time you leave Team 4, you will be three of the strongest, toughest, bravest Chuunin the Leaf has to offer; rising stars for the future. Only then will I consider my job done."


Kokuro looked between her three new pupils. She had given a similar speech to almost every team of Gennin she'd been assigned, and had followed through on it every time.


I know I've got a reputation in the village as a tough teacher. It would be a pity to let standards slip just because I'm getting old.





She gave the Gennin a small smile.


"You don't need to be so quiet though, I'm not that scary." She glanced between their faces. "Tell me about yourselves, get to know each other. Your name, what you're good at, what you want to achieve."


Kokuro pushed away from the rail, standing up straight and starting to walk towards the stairs. She turned and beckoned to the Gennin.


"Tell you what: lets walk and talk. We'll head down to the Practice areas while you introduce yourselves; that way we can get straight to training."


@The Architect


@KaiaWolf


@Edward Valentine

 

[Sha]

@The Architect


Juro’s lips instinctively curved into a soft smile when he and his peers first stood upon the stage in anticipation, ready to officially be recognized as shinobi of The Leaf –and by the Hokage himself, no less. The young puppeteer felt giddy as his stomach turned in nervousness while he and his peers awaited their assigned team. When his name was announced he felt as though his heart suddenly fell from his chest into his stomach. The Hokage moved onto assigning the next team without skipping a beat, but to Juro, it was a though time itself had stopped when his name was called – he was officially a shinobi now and he couldn’t help but wear a smile despite his inward protests and usual demeanor. Even the young man’s eyes seemed to gleam with excitement in that moment, eyes which usually seemed dull and apathetic now shone in revelry and happiness.


Before he knew it the ceremony was over and he was snapped from his trance by an annoying ting. His smile had by now faded and his eyes regained their dull composure as he looked to the man who was to be his sensei holding a small, golden bell. Hayato introduced himself briefly before opening the floor to the Genin as the four walked towards the training ground. Kyoden introduced himself first and Juro watched him as he did. His new teammate seemed to drift off a few times but Juro attributed this to nervousness, the same which overcame his own body when he was assigned a team by the Hokage.


When Kyoden finished Juro waited a moment before beginning to speak, “Hello, I’m Juro Ningya,” He began, the usual dull of his voice being tamed with a rarely exhibited air of excitement. “My clan uses puppets to fight for us and, mm,” Juro paused composing his thoughts unsure of what to say regarding himself. He never was very good at introductions and instinctively looked towards the ground. Without too great a pause he began again, raising his head and moving his eyes to his teammates, “We control them with chakra strings and store them in scrolls.” He took his hands and unbuttoned the middle of his robe without missing a step to reveal the three scrolls which sat snugly strapped to his chest. Beginning to button it again he resumed, “I can only use one at a time now, but one day I’ll be able to use all three,” He said with a rising voice as excitement crept its way into his tone, “And when I become a Jonin I’m going to join the Anbu Black-Ops to protect the village.” Juro clipped the last button and returned his eyes to his teammates, “Mm,” He paused again, “I like making puppets and training with them, and, mm,” He paused again, wondering how much he was supposed to say. “Anyways, it’s nice to meet you both, Suzume, Kyoden,” He tilted his head to them, “And you, of course, Hayato-sensei,” Juro finished, bowing his head softly once more.


As he finished speaking he could feel his cheeks becoming warm. He scratched his nose as a sense of embarrassment washed over him – he was usually more composed. “Some first impression,” He reflected.

 

[Pariah Stark]

Ichirō put every ounce of effort he could into restraining himself, but it was a viscous cycle. His entire childhood was spent as a loner, looked down upon by most of the village and deemed a bad omen. This woman in front of him, his gateway to proving the misconceptions about him and his father, was the literal embodiment of everything that ruined his life. He had no father because of Seal Hunter like her. His mother gave him up, leaving him an orphan, all to abandon the 'cursed' life. He spent what little neutral interaction he had as a patient for the Uzumaki, testing his unnatural abilities. By the time he was given any positive reinforcement with the Akimichi, he already felt like an outsider to the village - all because of people like her. People like Kokuro. She was no harpy; she was a vulture. Every word she spoke emphasized her hard-nosed attitude, and that only pushed his anger that much further.


"I know exactly who you are..." Ichirō said aloud in a dull, dry voice. "You say you're not scary, but I know what you did. I know what you all did," Ichirō explained, "My mother told me when she visited. You killed good men." Ichirō spoke up at this point and his chakra flared. It was no spike, not anymore. This was hardly even felt like the same chakra that rain through his veins; the aura around him was something else. The reality was, this was something else. On a cellular level, his biology made him more prone to this rage. He couldn't help it and the more this went on, the worse it became. Ichirō grabbed the same rail Kokuro had just pushed herself off of and he stared at her. "I will never be like you," he told his new Jounin sensei. His light brown eyes peered at hers. Despite looking down at him, his presence swelled far beyond his short stature. "I am Ichirō Akimichi, son of Chirōden Akimichi, and I will show the entire village what kind of lies you told," Ichirō told her, still specifically speaking to her. In a quick jerk, he ripped the bolted, steel rail from its mount and tossed it to the side with relative ease. "If you want to know what I want to achieve... I want to prove that people like you aren't heroes," he told her with all of the ferocity he had. While his voice was still light and meager, it held every ounce of motivation he had. At this point, even novice sensors could have felt the disturbance he was causing. His chakra, while completely unstable and untamed, rivaled far superior. His rage, equally, rivaled that of grown men.


Still, within his words existed irony. While he couldn't possibly know and he only spoke from the firm believe created by his mother, Kokuro never actually participated in the slander of the Cursed Seal Users. She was merely a hunter. An executioner. She didn't even kill his father; she never influenced his life to begin with. In fact, the Hokage himself had more impact on the young Genin than a real Seal Hunter ever did. Even if Ichirō knew any of this, it was unclear if it mattered. His rage was irrational. It gave him great strength, sure, but most Jounin could still douse him like a match in the rain. If he showed off like this in true combat, he would be condemning himself to death. Not only that, Ichirō obviously held no regard to his teammates. Neither of them introduced themselves before he spurted out, nor did he allow them to interrupt. His faults far outweighed his capabilities and his rage made him nigh-useless.

 

[Hoax]

Though still nervous, Kyouka listened intently. She knew that their new teacher had most likely said that same inspirational mush to all her previous teams, but the short speech still felt… Real. Well, real enough to make the nerves fade at least a little, replaced once again by excitement at the prospect of finally moving forwards.


However, the silent girl had only taken a single step to follow Kuroko when one of her new teammates spoke up; Ichiro Akimichi she believed. While not exactly yelling, the boy started spouting what sounded like a bunch of furious nonsense.


"I want to prove that people like you aren't heroes" Was what Kyouka's mind caught on in particular. People like Kuroko? As in... Older women? Assertive teachers? People with one eye? The blonde didn't really know, but she figured nobody got that angry at a superior without good reason. They certainly had some kind of history together, whether it was strictly between the two themselves or not.


Staying out of the conflict, Kyouka glanced between the two, waiting for Kuroko to react to the boy's outburst. At least she didn't have to worry about getting the Jounin angry anymore, since Ichiro seemed to be well on his way to doing it himself.


@The Architect

 

[Ilstead]

Hikaru watched on as the boy erupted in a rage he had no business being it. He would of gone back to his day dreaming but he soon realized that they were moving and even though the old hag was mumbling something about being great, all he could think about were the specifics of his pranks.


"I'll need LOTS of wire attached to some pulleys, attached to the door handle that activate smoke bombs to be let off. Then on outside of the room, in the hallway, Ill put explosive tags cause thats where the hokage will be least expecting it. Its perfect. Maybe that old man will get the stick from out of his butt if he gets hit with a few...."





As the rail went flying away with Hikaru's thoughts. He was now stunned by the raw strength of the kid from the akimichi clan. Hikaru just kinda stood still waiting to see what the sensei would say.

 

[DreamBeat]

Suzume Muranami

​

Suzume gazed at the Hokage with a slight curl of her lips as he gave his inspiring speech. His booming voice seemed to reverberate throughout the hushed crowd, striking the people to their very core. The people smiled brighter and some were holding on to each sentence he uttered. Maybe it was the way the light shined down on the man; he was like a hero. His grand speech made her chest flutter, and a feeling of pride surfaced within her. It was a given, seeing that she would be assigned a team very soon. There was also the fact that the part where he said, "We are the beacon that shines brightest in the Land of Fire" lit up a fire inside her soul. It was like a challenge issued to her to become a figure that people can be proud of. She would try her best to not let them down.


But like most other academy graduates, Suzume was feeling a bit like a nervous wreck inside. Admittedly, Suzume didn't have any goals to work towards after she became a kunoichi other than doing the best she can. She didn't have ambition. There was a big fat block inside her head labeled, "Only for the worthy." Yet, she couldn't give up. Her parents' words rang in her head every day, "Strong shinobi never give up." The Hokage's silhouetted figure made her want to, for some reason, follow behind him all the way. He was the beacon and she followed his light. In her short life, she had never seen a light brighter than him. The Hokage's speech was short, to the point, and enrapturing. Soon after, he assigned the genin teams.


"Genin of the twentieth class, step forward once I call your name..." It wasn't long until he called out her name. "Shiratori Kyoden. Suzume Muranami. -" Suzume stepped forward like she was instructed to do as she smiled. "Juro Ningya. You will be the new Team Three under Hayato Nakamura," the Hokage said briefly and passed on to the other teams. She turned smiled at her sensei and bowed before sitting back down. Suzume glanced to the side to look at her new sensei before turning to look at the other team placements. Now wasn't the time to talk. They would get to know each other later, she concluded.


The ceremony lasted for what felt like an eternity. Her eyes drooped somewhere near the end, and she almost fell asleep. Good thing the ceremony ended before it came to that. Straight after the ceremony ended, she rubbed her eyes in an attempt to get rid of the tiredness and chortled softly. Once the team assembled, Hayato-sensei pulled out something noticeably gold - it was a... bell? He would probably explain it later, so she didn't question anything. On her team was Hayato-sensei, the shinobi was known for his wind ninjutsu. Next up was Kyoden Shiratori: He was in Suzume's class and seemed like a nice guy, someone she would like to get along with. The last introduction before her was Juro Ningya: The noticeable, yet quiet one in the academy. He seemed nice. So now it was her turn. She walked with them as she introduced herself.


"Nice to meet you you guys, too," she chirped and smiled. "I'm Suzume Muranami. Mmm." She pondered on what to say. After a moment later, she snapped her fingers and said, "I mainly use ninjutsu, I kinda suck at genjutsu, and you can come to me if you have any injuries you can't patch up by yourself." Suzume grinned.


@The Architect @SwiftThunder

 

[Hellkite]

Kokuro could feel Ichiro's chakra rising, becoming more and more volatile. She could feel the energy in the air, it made the hair on her arms stand on end. Kokuro knew this chakra; or at least a part of it. It seemed to hang over the Gennin like a bleak, black cloud, smothering Ichiro's own chakra. It stank of the cursed energy that Kokuro had fought against so many years ago. The memory made her stomach turn. Kokuro stopped dead, turned to look the Akimichi straight in the eye as his words washed over her, and came to a snap decision with the speed only born from war. The boy was angry, unstable, driven by an intense grief that could shake a grown shinobi to his core. But was he dangerous?


No. She thought, and with an audible sigh she released the chakra that she'd been preparing. He has too much to lose, too much he hasn't proven yet to do anything rash.





Kokuro kept her voice even, struggling to keep the edge out of her words. In many ways the boy had a point. And in many others he was so, so wrong.


"You don't want to be like me?" Kokuro asked, folding her arms. She smiled, but the expression wasn't reflected in her lone eye. "Good. I wouldn't wish the things I've had to do on anyone. I've fought in a war, kid. Do you understand what that means?"


Kokuro crouched down until she was eye-level with Ichiro. A part of her meant the gesture emphatically, another to be patronizing.


"Fighting wars means that people die, Ichiro. Good people, bad people, but its all the same in the end. And do you know why they died?" Kokuro raised a finger and pressed it against the boy's chest. "It was for you. They all died so that you could stand here today, a fledgling shinobi in a once dying breed, so that you could whine at me about how hard your life is."


Kokuro stood and sniffed derisively.


"And you call yourself an Akimichi. Your father died for the good of the Leaf. Men and women like me were the ones who killed him, and like your father we held the good of the Leaf in our hearts. I fought in the War; true. I was part of the unit that fought Minato Sarutobi himself in the ruins of old Konoha; also true. I participated willingly, and entirely of my own volition in the Purge. All true."


Kokuro looked down at Ichiro.


"But I've never claimed to be a hero. I've done too many things that I'm not proud of. You want to reveal my true nature to the village? Go ahead. Let that motivate you. When we spar; fight to kill. Harness that rage of yours and put it to use against me. Every time you falter, I'll be there to remind you what happened to your father, to fuel your fury. People like me are responsible for his death."


Kokuro looked Ichiro in the eye, and her gaze was cold.


"But by using your anger like that, you'll no longer be a Leaf shinobi. You'll have failed Chozen's expectations in every way. And if you even try to drag these two," Kokuro indicated Hikaru and Kyouka, "into your little grudge with me, I'll end it and you. Just like this."


Kokuro clicked her fingers, the sound hanging in the new silence like a veil. She fixed Ichiro in her gaze for a moment longer.


"Have I made myself clear?"

 

[Pariah Stark]

Ichirō stared back at her, his own eyes just as cold. While he fought in no wars, while he killed no men, what little of his life that he had lived, to him, was just as dark was what Kokuro had. When she put herself on his level, the spikes in his chakra and his willpower to withhold them became more obvious. A Cursed Seal Hunter, almost any Cursed Seal Hunter, would have seen this before. The use of the Cursed Seals required tremendous willpower, which is why only thirty-five thousand out of the hundreds of thousands of police were chosen to use them. Ichirō was holding back every moment, but his chakra still poured out of him like a surging river. In the academy, rumors were spread of how the Cursed Seal Users weren't human; how they were abominations like the Daimyō. If his teammates could feel his chakra now, they might be inclined to agree.


"You're a killer," he told her. He kept his stare back at her. Within his first words, it became blatantly obvious that her little speech was not enough to win him over. "You killed people like my father, innocent people. That wasn't war. They didn't want to fight. You killed to kill and right now you threaten to kill me because I'm angry," he told her. Ichirō stepped forward, his nose now nearly touching hers. "I'm an orphan because of you people. You people killed my father and you people made up stories that were so bad my mother left me behind because she couldn't handle it. That's not war, but it's still your fault. I had no parents, no friends... and it's your fault," Ichirō told her. It was almost hard to take him serious. He was just a twelve year old kid spouting these words like they carried weight. Coming from him, true or not, it was just plain hard to accept it.


"Go ahead, kill me in front of the Hokage.... it's clear that's all you know how to do."


@Hellkite

 

[Pariah Stark]

@Sha @DreamBeat @SwiftThunder


Hayato listened to the brief introductions of his Genin. He was hoping for a brief flare of personality, maybe a little arrogance, but nope. They seemed like plain, polite Genin. While this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, Hayato was always looking for his next form of entertainment. At least there was a girl in this squad, though. Maybe a romantic rivalry would spur up; the one from his last squad always led them to crazy antics. But, it was just too early to tell anything about that. After the entire group had said their bit and the group had made it to a less populated stretch of road, Hayato said, "See the gold bell?" before tossing it into the air.


As soon as it went above his head, Hayato flashed away with a Body Flicker. Or, at least, a Body Flicker to the Genin. It wasn't hard for a Jounin to seem fast. In just a moment, Juro's robe flew up and before the bell even reached its peak, Hayato had returned just to the left of where he was standing hold a scroll. But, this wasn't just any scroll, on no. This was one of Juro's puppet scrolls. "I've always wondered about puppeteers," Hayato said. "You guys use chakra threads, but somehow control tons of things on these little guys with just a few strings. I've seen puppets built to fight taijutsu users and win because of chakra flow, so I know you can get creative with them," Hayato said. By this time, the bell came back down and into his hand. He then unrolled the scroll and unsealed it, summoning Juro's puppet Haya. With one hand, Hayato roughly placed five chakra threads from his hand across the puppet and at the very least made it float. He then started walking towards the training grounds again.


"So, Juro, what's this one called? What neat things does it do?" Hayato asked. All the while, and pretty much irrelevant of what anyone said, Hayato was playing with the puppet which was just in front of him. He made it swing its swords and it moved awkwardly. In all reality, Juro could have controlled the puppet with ten times the grace of Hayato, but this was literally the first time the Jounin had ever put hands on a puppet. As a matter of fact, he was likely using the Puppet Technique entirely wrong. However, he did at the very least manage to make it move alongside him. As Juro would know, even most new Puppeteers had difficulty making a puppet move with two full hands, let along a single hand with no training. Depending on how irate Juro was, he could have easily deduced that Hayato was very familiar with the threads he was using. He was just using them wrong. So very wrong...

 

[Sha]

@The Architect

Juro’s eyes followed the bell as it shimmered in the sun. From the corner of his eye he caught what seemed to be the Body Flicker technique performed by his new sensei while seemingly simultaneously his robe waved in what felt like sudden gust of wind, though it seemed to gust over himself alone. His right foot stepped back instinctively as though someone had startled him before noticing his sensei, even before his robe had fully come to rest, reappear. In his hand he noticed a scroll and immediately deduced what had just happened as he recognized the scroll which he himself had crafted as Haya’s home.


Hayato began to explain the basics of puppeteering, catching the bell as it fell into his palm without missing a beat. To Juro’s surprise his new sensei unsealed the scroll and attached his own chakra threads to it and crudely walked it beside him as the new group once again continued forward. It was well known among the Leaf Shinobi that the only puppet masters in the village were of the Ningya clan who originally hailed from the Sand generations ago and yet, much to his chagrin, his new sensei managed to move it with just a single hand, albeit without finesse, he was nonetheless doing what Juro himself could not. Juro was generally of a calm temperament, but as he saw it, his sensei had on the very first day sought to show him up by controlling the entire puppet with a single hand. If, however, Juro had had the calm and presence of mind to think it over he would have realized that he could, in fact, control a puppet with one hand given how crudely Hayato moved it.


The young Genin’s excitement and nervousness seemed to dissipate all at once. Although he knew his sensei would be more skilled than him, this knowledge did not quell his immediate embarrassment, nor his irritation. His face retained its usual composure now, his dull eyes peering at the doll now in the hands of his new sensei as Juro raised his right hand and spun the puppets head. The jaw opened to reveal several senbon colored in the sleeping poison’s purple film poking from its jaw. The temptation to fire them at Hayato-sensei was great and he nearly flicked the threads to do it but managed to talk himself out of it. He grinned, imagining his new sensei collapsing into sleep on their very first day, but in the same regard, it was their first day as a squad. If Hayato-sensei dodged the senbon Juro may have hit his teammates. He almost shuddered at the scolding his father was sure to impart unto him should he injure a teammate, especially on the first day after being inducted as a shinobi.


“That one is Haya.” Juro began as he shut the mouth and released his chakra strings, “I crafted him to be light, even with his metal swords and the senbon cartridges in his stomach he is still agile,” Juro paused and removed his grin while maintaining a purposefully dull tone. “As long as you know how to use him,” He quipped while unintentionally allowing, though slight, irritation to seep into his words.

 

[Hellkite]

Kokuro sighed, rubbing her temples and feigning indifference. She gave Hikaru and Kyouka a sidelong glance and made an apologetic shrug.


"Sorry, it seems tempers are running high."


She was stalling for time; her mind flashing through potential solutions to the rising problem. She pushed aside the hurt she felt from Ichiro's words, the guilt it stirred and the memories it provoked, and tried to focus on the problem. Kokuro had a child standing before her so tightly wrapped in his perceived grievances that he was oblivious to the Cursed Chakra that emanated from him. Ichiro was rapidly becoming a threat, both to himself and to the two Gennin that stood beside him. The matter needed to be resolved, and soon. Kokuro grimaced.


"Get a grip, Ichiro." She said quietly. "Control your chaka; it isn't hard." Kokuro glanced around the platform. They were alone except for a few Jounin, who were now watching Team 4 with a mixture of curiosity and increasing alarm. Kokuro turned back to the boy.


"You're right, I am a killer. But I don't want to kill you; you're my pupil now. I want to help you." Kokuro scarcely blinked, fixing Ichiro in a stare from her single eye, trying to make him see.


"Right now your chakra is out of control, and it reeks of curses. You and I know better than most the Village's stance towards Cursed Seal users." Kokuro surreptitiously indicated the Jonin watching them.


"You see them? If they see you as a threat, they won't hesitate. I might be able to stop two of them, but the rest would cut you down before you could even twitch. You're never going to prove that Chozen was a good man if you're dead."


Kokuro paused for a moment, choosing her words with care.


"... and for the record, I'm sorry about your father. Truly. I knew him; Chiroden Akimichi was a fine shinobi until the very end."


Kokuro watched the Gennin warily. She'd said all that she had to say, ceded all the ground in the argument that she was prepared to give. Unless the boy suppressed his anger, he would not survive. He posed too much of a threat to the young Gennin standing on either side of him.


Don't be reckless, Ichiro. She thought. Please don't force my hand... I don't want to have to kill another child for the sake of Curse Marks...





@The Architect


@KaiaWolf


@Edward Valentine

 

[Pariah Stark]

@Hellkite


"The Akimichi is a noble clan... no Jounin will touch me until I hurt someone. Chōzen-sama made sure of that. The only threat here is you," Ichirō replied to her. Time and time again, the young genin treated his new sensei like she was a villain. While others rarely spoke of her time as a Seal Hunter, and if they did it was normally praising her talents, Ichirō did nothing but beat a hammer into the nail that was her past. Ichirō spoke somewhat like a spoiled brat; Chōzen did emphasize how stable Ichirō was and that he could easily vent his chakra. The elder council voted he was no threat unless he proved it; this was the general rule with all Cursed Children, really, but they all varied due to the inconsistent nature of the curse. Kokuro likely knew this, but even if she didn't, her attempt to persuade Ichirō only made him believe she was a liar as much as she was a murderer.


"If you think I have no control over my chakra, you are wrong... I know you can feel it, but these leaks are minor. Let me show you what it can do," Ichirō told Kokuro before leaping back. A quick Ram handsign resulted in his chakra spikes becoming a consistent flow and the unnatural cursed chakra he possessed merging with his own. In just a moment, Ichirō began to swell up and his body grew in size. His regular short stature altered until he was twice his size, standing ten foot and towering over Kokuro. This was actually ordinary; the Multi-Size Technique was the trademark jutsu of the Akimichi. Most notably, however, is that Ichirō used his cursed chakra to supplement his caloric deficit. Unlike most Akimichi, he had little body fat to convert into chakra, but he most definitely had a replacement for it. His growth took, again, only a moment and once it stopped, his chakra flow was immense. Except this time, instead of being compressed and leaking out in spikes, it was pouring out in even waves. This is how Chōzen taught him to control his chakra. If he couldn't control it normally, he used the Multi-Size Technique to begin consuming chakra until he could. For a Genin, this was quite impressive. His chakra flow eventually reached a normal rate and aside from the two chakra types merging together he appeared normal.


Now standing over Kokuro, Ichirō knelt down to her eye level. With the same cold stare, he told her, "You talk like it's normal. Like it's fine the village sees Cursed Children like me as dogs. Even less than dogs, really; everyone loves the Inuzuka pups. It's not fine... the village needs to change."

 

[Hoax]

As the conflict seemed to escalate, more on Ichiro's side than his supposed object of hate who tried to calm the issue, Kyouka finally snapped. She couldn't take it anymore, it was all unnecessary waiting and talking and accusations of murder. That and she'd started to feel uneasy. Ichiro's chakra felt impossibly strong, but that wasn't possible. Was it? She shouldn't even be feeling chakra yet, at freshly graduated level. Much less exploding off another Genin.


"You know, if you could do us all a favour and shut up, that'd be great." She finally spoke up from her spot a few feet away. Eyes narrowed, she tried not to visibly relax once his chakra levels dropped below where she could feel them.


"I know very little about you, but from this entire interaction I already don't even care. Cursed child or no, all I see is some angry annoyance drawing attention to himself over parental death and things nobody can control."


@The Architect @Hellkite @Edward Valentine

 

[Pariah Stark]

@KaiaWolf @Hellkite @Edward Valentine
​

Ichir? thought his sensei would be the first to respond, but she wasn't. It was Kyouka. Despite the chakra that flowed from him, she had the will to speak to him. Even the Akimichi that trained him were often daunted by him, so the fact she even spoke up was alone a definite surprise. Surprise, however, was far from enough to calm him. No, if anything, it only gave him more ammunition. He knew who Kyouka was. A cute little blond girl that sat in the back of classes and argued with anyone she thought was wrong. An orphan, too. Ichir? didn't know much more than that, but he often envied how outspoken she was when she stood up for what she believed in. He tended to be brash and avoid others entirely. In this case, she spoke out to him, and he wasn't about to let it slide so easily.


His stood up from his kneeling position in front of Kokuro and turned towards Kyouka. Still standing ten-foot and pouring out cursed chakra, Ichir? wasn't exactly a common site. Sure, Multi-Size Jutsu was nothing new, but a literal giant turning his attention to you isn't something you encounter every day. He looked down at her, even farther down than he did for the adult Kokuro, then said, "you had it lucky, Kyouka. You were just an orphan. I would've swapped places with you any day." His nose was snarled, his phrasing was unique. He emphasized the huge gap in difference between being an orphan and being a Cursed Child. It was probably something the girl hadn't considered. "You are wrong, too. You think nobody had control, but you're wrong. Someone had to make the decision. Someone had to think that spreading lies so people would believe we are monsters was a good idea. Someone did this, and so help me if I become a shinobi, I will fix it. You all think I am an angry monster now... but what you don't get is that people just like her made people just like me. It's her fault," Ichir? explained before glancing to his new sensei.

 

[Hoax]

Glaring up at him, Kyouka held her ground calmly. She could practically see the wheels in his head turning, remembering who she was and most likely figuring out how to get angry at her for it. She didn't mind, there had been plenty of conflicts back at the Academy because of either her personality or orphan background. None nearly as nerve racking as this, but she certainly wasn't about to let any fear show now. Not in front of him, not in front of their teacher.


"No, you're not an angry monster. You're an angry idiot." Kyouka responded evenly, though her voice was clearly peeved. "Threatening people with ignorant assumptions isn't gonna get you any traction, Akimichi. Whether they're directed at me or at Kuroko-sensei won't matter. Now shut up and seethe more quietly, some of us actually want to learn today."


Breaking her eyes away from his, she stepped backwards and tried to out herself from the conflict. Despite how much she wanted to argue further, she wouldn't. Self control was a thing neither of them had, but at least Kyouka seemed to have a tad more common sense. Ichiro couldn't hurt her for her butting into the conversation, not if he didn't want backlash from the nearby antsy Jonin.


@The Architect @Edward Valentine

 

[Pariah Stark]

@Hellkite @KaiaWolf @Edward Valentine
​

"I have never threatened anyone, genius," Ichir? said before his body began to shrink down. Now, he was more angry at Kyouka than he was Kokuro, and the different variations of anger resulted in a complete change in his chakra. When he returned to his normal state, he grabbed her shoulder and flung her back around. As a giant, this might have seemed dangerous, but in his normal state, it was blatant he was just out for her attention and pissed she turned her back on him. "Think about it, if I absolutely hate how these idiots killed people to fix their problem, why would I make killing and violence my go-to solution? I trained to learn to control all of this just so I don't squash pests like you."


Once he spun her around, he glared at her again. "Now you listen here, Kyouka. You might be okay with how things are, but they can be better," he told her. The snarl in his nose was still present, and the anger in his tone was still there, but he was by far less intimidating. The difference in him now and him just a few moments ago was easily staggering, but Kyouka stood up to him then, so chances were, she's still do it now. "Your voice does not speak for the whole village, either. You think I'm no monster? Fine. But, even she said there were Jounin just waiting for me to slip up. I don't see them for you. Don't act like there isn't a real problem," he barked at her. If anything, he was returning to his normal self. Brash, abrasive even, but his rage-fueled chakra was gone and he was restored to full control.

 

[Hoax]

Hoo boy, this kid was testing her patience now. Digging her fingernails into her palms, Kyouka had to physically force herself not to deck Ichiro in the face as he yanked her back around. It was gonna be a long, long while of trying not to to kill this guy during training, she could already tell.


A forced, grimacing smile found it's way onto her face. Nails cutting into skin was the only thing keeping her calm at the moment, but no words came out in response to Ichiro's continued anger. Kyouka was done with this conversation, and she certainly wasn't going to be forced back into it by the Akimichi boy's ridiculous need for attention.


Glancing at Hikaru and Kuroko briefly as if to say "end this", she took yet another step backwards and kept her breathing even. He isn't worth it, he isn't worth it. Repeated in the back of her mind, the glaringly fake smile soon fading into a bland expression yet again.


@The Architect @Hellkite @Edward Valentine

 

[Ilstead]

"Yo! old hag! Do I have to be on your team?! The Akimichi dude only cares about himself. Why would I want to be on a TEAM with him? And the orphan chick is just trying to help but she can only do it by insulting people. Why would I want to be on a team with her? Can I just go home? I think my mom is making barbecue and I feel like I might miss out on it if I stick around."


Hikaru wasn't oblivious to the tension in the air. He could feel a sense of dread coming off one of the the other ninja in the area. He assumed it was the Akimichi boy because he was the one getting worked up over the old lady's past. Then there was the whispers from the the other jonin in the area and finally the orphan girl who was trying to be nice but just wasn't any good at it.


Hikaru knew with what he was gonna say next would make him a target. He wasn't stupid. but he was an idiot.


"Can someone just end this stupid thing or whatever this is? I'm bored."


@The Architect