Road to Ninja

Subject: Road to Ninja Sun May 22, 2022 11:15 am

It had been a long and arduous day, the last. Training with Hisomu Uchiha- or rather, 'training' were one to put it in a more endearing way, was rife with bedlam and chaos. Still, it was enough to help a young student named Yuki Battousen. Through the crude lesson in expecting the unexpected, and even in spite of the Yuki disliking this particular Uchiha's method, he had gained ample courage to send in a letter requesting a graduation exam to the Academy. Well past textbooks now, the young Battousen was ready to face this new day, this new challenge, with proper preparation. Thus he woke up, today, with a plan in mind. An hour before the examination at dawn, he had just woken up and left his home to train in the same haunt that he'd used the other day. The young boy retraced each of his steps, and for once, was able to critically see what he did wrong, where he panicked, why he panicked. By extension, of course, he was finally able to tell why his training succeeded.

With newfound pride cowled amply enough under a veil of confidence, something which his lazy eyes at times exuded for themselves unprompted, Battousen sashayed in the Ninja Academy in the morning determined to leave the establishment as a headband owner. More importantly, as a shinobi. There were others there, some classmates and others, who'd flunked their exams during prior years and deigned to cast their lot again this year. The thought alone crawled in a cold shiver down Battousen's spine- the thought that someone could potentially be stuck as an Academy Student forever. Don't get him wrong, no- he enjoyed books, but school textbooks were a different kind of animal. As for the many homeroom sensei of the Kumogakure Academy; most liked the young Yuki when he wasn't sleeping in class. It was with a sombre note that he left all that behind to start growing into a fully fledged ninja, no longer a fledgling.

There was a certain charm in seeing himself with a different light, but still, the boy was nervous. As he walked through the myriad corridors of the Academy, his cloudy hair smoothly accented a walk that could only ever be described as swaggering. This was his time to shine. A few steps further, and there he was; faced with the door to a room that he was told by letter to enter. Faced with the future, or perhaps failure. No- he can't be thinking like that. There are things at stake, and so, Battousen knocked on the sliding door for permission to enter.

[TWC; 439.]

Subject: Re: Road to Ninja Sun May 22, 2022 12:03 pm

In Hisomu's scenario, she had already passed the exam long ago and was simply enjoying the everyday life of being a genin and better than the goose. Following that faithful day where a second tomoe had appeared in her eye, Hisomu had stormed right home afterwards to share the news with her family. Celebrations were once more had, practice was had until it was time for dinner with the great Uchiha family. It was there that the news were shared that an exam was going to be held within their village to see if some would pass or not.

Hisomu perked an eyebrow as it was her big brother that shared the news with her, and a name was given out. Yuki Battousen. Oh. It was the goose-boy, or piss boy. Her eyebrows perked at the mentioning of the name, and it was just the sign that had to be given for her to be included. There was a bit of chatter being swung around by her family members due to the fact that she indeed knew this Yuki. It did however result in Hisomu battering her brother with a plate over the head. Uchiha business.

The day of reckoning was a change however, for many - and as the Yuki was as nervous as he was threading the corridors of the Academy. Wait, was he copying Hisomu's swagger walk? the audacity. As he stood before the door that he was told by the letter to find, he knocked on the door. He was awaiting an answer, and yet nothing came at first.

On the opposite side of the door, Hisomu was sat next to her brother and some other Chuunin. Yeah, that's right. Hisomu had been included in the bring someone to the exam-day. It was totes not made up, but here she was. Her brother signaled for her to open the door. Standing up, she'd walk towards it - sharingan activated.

She abruptly swung the door open after building the suspense. "And I didn't expect you of all people to be here, goose! Actually, I did. You ready for your exam? Head on over and take a seat. It's a written exam, goose-boy, so I hope you read up on your text books too than playing with your fingers." Hisomu jokingly said as she pointed towards one of the stools in the room. It was absolutely vacant, for this was indeed and exam just for this fellow, this Yuki.

Hisomu returned to her seat next to her much older brother, who did not share the same green eyes as Hisomu. The Chuunin was an absolutely nobody that was forced to be here on their day off and looked as if they wanted to be somewhere else. "Alright, Yuki Battousen. There's a pencil next to the paper. You've got sixty minutes to finish this part of the exams. Cheating isn't permitted." Hisomu, sat next to her brother, simply wriggled her eyebrows as her brother spoke. Maybe to distract the Yuki? Was it a Genjutsu? Who knew, but her Sharingan was still on.

The Paper itself had numerous questions on the front page and backside of it - numerous questions as to the velocity of thrown weaponry, stealth missions, hidden messages and so on.

[twc 541]

Subject: Re: Road to Ninja Sun May 22, 2022 1:23 pm

Met almost immediately by the frankly unwelcome bratty voice of Hisomu Uchiha, the Yuki groaned like a battered housewife and rolled his eyes. "It's six in the morning, can you relax?" he would say, before bettering his posture to befit a shinobi once Battousen had wholly noticed the officials behind the girl. Though Hisomi and her brother bore little resemblance indeed, it wasn't difficult for the Yuki to place them as relatives- granted, all Clansmen are relatives in a close or a more distance sense. Without opting to dally, the Academy Student slid his hand into a beaten-up pouch- the same one he spent hours trying to retrieve after losing it the other day. The same one from which, now, the boy would pull out a hairpin and casually affix his wavy length of locks in a more practical way. Then, after assuming the intentionally vacant seat, Battousen listened intently to the instructions and went on with the exam. Hisomu's active glances and general acuity toward being the most distracting person in the room aside, the boy was determined, and level headed enough to solely focus on his exam. Seeing as his only competition, seemingly, was himself, Battousen soon fell into a recollective trance for the purposes of completing the exam in time.

The questions in the beginning were timid enough- though that is where the trap lay. Little by little, inquiries on the general attributes of ninja, about the distinctions between kunoichi and shinobi, and about menial things like applications of hiding during combat traded places for more challenging questions. Sooner rather than later, the Yuki boy was met with math. Simple, yet still tiresome for an 11 year-old kid with bags under his eyes. All that truly was asked of him, after the questions of Chakra and philosophy, were thtrowing distances of shinobi tools, calculations of shuriken arcs, and the like. After about 46 minutes into the examination, the resounding slink of the pencil sliding against the desk heralded one end; that Battousen was done. All in all being cunning and studying as much as he needed to must've landed him a passing grade and a bit higher- points gained solely once he began remembering practical information that his parents often parroted to him during their own training. He did smile at that irony; that those he refused to be taught by still managed to pour a bit of themselves into him in turn. That was what parents are for, after all.

"Done, sensei." Battousen stated in apt fashion, steeling himself for the next part. For now, all was well.

[TWC; 433.]
[Scene TWC; 872.]

Subject: Re: Road to Ninja Sun May 22, 2022 2:24 pm

Whilst the boy was writing away for the sake of his future and passing grade, Hisomu was enjoying her life and spinning around in her chair as if she didn’t care about the boy’s exam. It was all a distraction to see if small petty things could irritate him, you know – minor things, like customs. This continued for the whole forty-six minutes that the boy took completing his exam. As soon as he stated loudly that he was done, Hisomu stopped spinning around in her chair like the silly Uchiha she was. The Chuunin and the elderly brother of Hisomu looked at her, and by the looks of it was decided that she was the one to stand up and take his papers.

Sensei. Yeah, that’s right. Hisomu’s expression was as smug as ever as she perked both of her eyebrows perked with increasing confidence. Reaching forward, she’d swipe the paper from his table and shift her sharingan on as she perceived the text. It was anyone’s guess as to why she did it – but it was cool in her eyes, literally. Her attention shifted onto him for a moment before walking back to the two other instructors.

"Alright - first part's over, Goose! Prepared for the next one? Get your dad's pants off the chair and stand before us. Got-it?" Hisomu said cheekily as she gestured with her hand as to where he should stand. Her Sharingan were still on, but nothing seemingly happened. Anyhow, as soon as he stood on the predetermined position, her brother would speak up. "Right. As my sister said. This'll be your next exam. I want you demonstrate your ability to use the basic jutsu that we expect you to know. . . .Clone Jutsu, transformation Jutsu and the body replacement technique. Alright, kid? Knock yourself loose." Hisomu's brother commented in a rather dull tone. As the Instructions were given, Hisomu would read through his answers. Although, it might've stung his confidence a slight bit based on the expressions she did, such as perking an eyebrow or grinning as she read through his answers.

[896 twc]

Subject: Re: Road to Ninja Sun May 22, 2022 3:13 pm

Just one more step toward graduation. One final stretch, after which the two years of training will have paid off. One confident step in a series of more, and more, and even more; a stride that would finally prove that he was worthy of consideration as a shinobi. Young as he was, Battousen was all the more ready to take that one step. It felt, however, more like a leap. The young student was poised, certain enough that he had completed the first part, the written examination, to pass with flying colors. Now came the more daunting task of displaying his Chakra control- and thankfully, he was rather decent at it as well. Just like an old engine, however, it took Battousen a while to fire up his focus to a pleasing degree.

What followed during Hisomu's intrusive and frankly humiliating - for her own brother, primarily - display of superiority was the sleek-dressed boy getting into position in front of the disinterested Chunin examiner and their Uchiha supervisor. With both feet planted on the wooden planks of the room's floor, Battousen began concentrating the flow of his Chakra from deep within, to outward. Centering oneself, at first, is a task that many fail to understand. Those that never make it past the Academy, though some may be powerful in other ways, never understand this one key aspect; control. Flow too much, too long, too little or too short, and the river will take you down with it. But having the makings of a medical-nin, control was one of Battousen's strong points. It was only a matter of time before, after the practice he'd done by himself primarily, Yuki Battousen produced a perfect illusory clone of himself with the words properly, and formally uttered; "Clone Jutsu!"

Uttering the words was thought redundant by many, but those wiser knew that speaking one's intent is of great importance. Following the alabaster smoke from which arose the perfect rendition of his clone, down to the newly tattered fishnets of his left shoulder, Battousen proceeded to substitute his own position with the pencil that lay idly, lazily on the written exam desk. From his perch then, atop the desk the young student, soon-to-be Genin were we to tell of the near future, he would perform the necessary hand signs (Dog, Boar, and Ram at last) to transform into Hisomu. And so he did, and Battousen followed his rare monthly gag by saying; "Sorry, senpai. I might have accidentally turned into a boar."

All in all, he had succeeded in performing his techniques.

[TWC; 462.]
[Scene TWC; 1334.]

Subject: Re: Road to Ninja Sun May 22, 2022 4:09 pm

It was a watchful operation from the other side of the table as they watched every little movement from the young Yuki. It was important to note if there were any slacking movements, or if his seals were wrong - but with each passing beat, it seemed to function correctly. His clone was correctly made, and there did not seem to be any faults with it, noted so far. The two examinees scribbled it down onto a note they had resting on their legs and shifted a few glances to each other as the boy continued his hard-work as an academy student striving to escape the clutches of the academy.

Then, the boy poofed into existence and the trio behind the table leaned forward to look over the edge to see the pencil on the ground. Hisomu snorted in response to it. If she recalled, she did something similar to that, or very close at least - she was a bit more of a confident trickster during that little exam of her own, but everyone to their own. Then, came the reckoning of a thousand sounds that was the transformation jutsu, and question was simply how the trio would react to it, with two being most important.

Foremost, the Chuunin present raised their eyebrows in slight surprise at the words being uttered. It was definitely a surprise to hear 'Hisomu' say such things, and the adolescent examinee looked at the Uchiha for a few seconds to estimate their reactions. It was after-all the brother that had the biggest say in this due to being a Jounin - and simply to test the waters in the room. It could very easily turn sour if one of them managed to get a genjutsu off on the other.

Hisomu herself blinked numerous times in disbelief at the choice of person he had made. It really didn't take long for him to gain a grudge against her and oh boy what did her big brother think of it? Surely he'd come to think they were friends or something like that, ah. That was a definite no, this boy was a goose. Piss-pants. Borrow your parents clothes-piss-pants tier. With her eyes on her brother, she'd take note of his.

Her big brother's lips were quivering at trying to repress the laughter of his little sister being mocked so openly, albeit it wasn't enough to silence his tomfoolery of teasing his sister more. "Didn't know the two of you were THAT good friends, Hisomu." He'd answer as he lightly elbowed his sister who promptly offered him a kidney punch that made him cough for air. "NGH-..'Air point." He offered a slight smile at Hisomu who was crossing her arms before whispering to the Chuunin.

They mumbled quietly for a few seconds, too quiet to be heard from the distance that Yuki was in - but before long, the two nodded at each other. Hisomu meanwhile was grumbling and glaring at Yuki before offering a slightly confident grin at him as if saying 'You asked for it' as her arms remained crossed.

The Chuunin reached in under the table, producing a headband of Kumogakure and placed it on the table. His expression was warm and friendly as he nodded, beckoning the Yuki over. "You passed, kid. Ain't you just a daring one to mess with an Uchiha though. Watch out though! She might turn her Sharingan on you next if you ain't careful!" He'd comment jokingly with a smile on his lips as he lightly elbowed Hisomu again who wasn't having it. "Aight, take your headband, kid. You're officially a genin now and all that."

[twc 1504]

Subject: Re: Road to Ninja Sun May 22, 2022 4:36 pm

Now a fully fledged Genin, and officially at that, the boy turned back into his usual self as his full body shivered- wasn't keen one bit of turning into Hisomu, even though they were developing a combative as well as strangely collaborative alliance. You know, the kind of flimsy friendship that only kids would manage to maintain. Deep within, Battousen knew that the Uchiha were powerful- and that a display like that was meant to prod at that very fact; that they aren't the only ones who can attain great heights. The kid took his headband and bowed deeply for the two officials, deciding to sling the headband along his waist instead of wearing it on his head. A crotch-guard considering Hisomu may very well attempt a vengeful kick in the gonads in the very near future. For now, they were of the same rank- and therefore official colleagues. He turned and said to the Uchiha girl; "I told you I'd pass, but I'm not stopping here. I will surpass you, Hisomu."

With that, and regardless of whether the girl had any last-second response to snark or bark toward the Yuki Clansman, the Genin would take his leave from the assessment room- and the first thing he sought was home. What happened back home, few will truly know.

[TWC; 218.]
[Scene TWC; 1553.]

[END.]