The Joint Shinobi Selection

The mask-wearing, silver-haired jounin stared at his potential students outside the classroom from a tree. He has been there for hours hiding while watching them while reading at the same time. Hatake Kakashi was not happy right now. He was forced by the Hokage to resign as Anbu captain and become a regular jounin-sensei who has failed almost every single genin team that came through him. After all that, he found out that his expected student, Uzumaki Naruto would not be his student this year. The Hokage placed him in the first-ever Joint Shinobi Selection Program with a different set of teammates and a sensei from Iwa! FROM IWA! What was the Hokage thinking about assigning Naruto to an Iwa sensei!? The Iwa shinobi will find out about Naruto’s relationship with Minato-sensei and that wouldn’t be good. That village hates his former sensei with a passion. If that happens, they will do everything in their power to get to the boy. Even more so if they find out that the boy is also a Jinchuuriki.

The Hokage has ensured him that everything would be fine and not to worry about Naruto. For once, Hatake Kakashi thinks the man has gone senile. He even assigned him a student from Root! This dark-haired pale boy called Sai who at the moment is being beaten up by the last remaining loyal Uchiha and Pinky by calling them “Duck-butt” and “Ugly”. He could hear Pinky yelling, “YOU’RE WORST THAN NARUTO!”

Kakashi knows that Danzo assigned the boy as their teammate because he wanted the Sharingan under protection or control whichever it was. But he worries about the hidden agenda part. It’s the other part of his mission to find out the boy’s purpose in the team. Danzo is known to be manipulative after all. Also, he was surprised the man didn’t comment about Naruto being assigned to the program. The boy has the Kyuubi sealed in him, something he kept voicing as to be trained as a proper weapon and put under control except the Sandaime believed to give the boy the option to choose whether he wants to be a shinobi or not.

Kakashi sighed and looked at the time. They can wait two more hours. He thought and proceeded to open his favorite orange-covered book and started giggling. Yuki is a naughty girl…

*****

“…you little brats will have to participate in this exercise and pass…” Zabuza growled towards his team. He’s still not over the fact that Suigetsu is his student. Again. It’s not like he asks to have him as a student. It was because the Mizukage requested it. The boy drives him nuts. Well, he drives everyone in the Swordsmen nuts! He has the habit of stealing their swords one too many times. Why can’t he be like Haku and Kimimaro? They are both his prized students and adopted sons. They are both Chuunin now and training to be Hunter-nin and Medic-nin.

His other student Atsui from Kumogakure has the same arrogance and annoying personality that Suigetsu has; unfortunately, they don’t like each other and are always at each other’s throats. His only female student, Umaki Karin, has a mean punch and sharp tone of voice when she bumps their heads to be quiet.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Atsui said, annoyed. “Are you serious right now?”

“That’s right, gaki. If you want to continue to be a team, you have to beat me in a fight.” Zabuza proclaimed. He and his team are currently in a small random training ground he found near the academy.

“Are you kidding me?! What was the point in all of this?!” Suigetsu responded. “You are just annoyed that I’m on your team and want to get rid of me.”

“I don’t like you,” Zabuza replied.

“The feelings mutual!” Suigetsu yelled and hissed at Zabuza.

“I don’t want to go back,” Karin muttered. I’d rather not go back at all if I can help it. She thought. Karin is a Kusa shinobi but she hates her village and the people, especially how they treat her and her mother. It was fine when her mother was around but her mother was gone. She didn’t even see Karin become a shinobi. She thought volunteering on this program was one of the ways for her to at least get away.

“I’m not the one making the rules, brat. I’m doing what we were told to do. Do you think I want to do this? So, shut your mouth and listen!” Zabuza growled. “Meet me at Training Ground 66 at 6 am and not a minute late or you fail.” He didn’t wait for the replies of his students and vanished with a cloud of smoke.

 “Our sensei’s cranky,” Atsui mumbled.

“I think it has something to do with your attitude,” Karin commented.

“What does that supposed to mean, tomato bus…” Atsui never finishes his sentence when Karin whacks him on his head. “OW, man! Hitting people on the head is not nice!”

“I’m not hitting people; I’m hitting a monkey!” Karin growled furiously. “I wouldn’t have to hit people if you two stopped calling me tomato!” Ever since they first met that was the first thing that came to the two’s mouths. They still didn’t learn after so many whacks from Karin.

“What did you say?!”

“You guys are annoying,” Suigetsu mumbled.

“Shut up, Fish face!” The redhead yelled.

“FISH FACE?!”

“If it isn’t for your water-shifting abilities, I would kick your ass!” she whacks Atsui’s head again and Karin marched off angrily towards the main streets of Konoha. She didn’t hear Atsui’s comment, “You said it. Why did she hit me?!”

*****

Pakura glanced at her team. Her first impression? They look so ordinary. She already knows Maki since she apprenticed under her. This wasn’t unusual in Suna where there wasn’t even enough money and there was a lack of missions too. So, to pass the time, higher-level shinobis teach the younger ones. Maki is one of those students.

Maki’s abilities and skills are not a match to Pakura but she still taught her based on her talents and abilities and did not force her skillset on her. Pakura is an S-class kekkei genkai shinobi and Maki has no kekkei genkai but has shown talent in sealing and trapping but has no talent in puppetry where most of the seal and trapper shinobis are.

She is worried about her team. Her team is older than the rest of the other genin in the program with Maki at thirteen, Ittan at fifteen, and Saji at fourteen and they don’t seem to stand out in terms of skills and abilities.

“I’m Ittan from Iwa. My specialty is mostly earth jutsus and well, I was part of the Ambush unit in Iwagakure.” He introduced himself.

“I’m Saji, obviously from Konoha!” the Konoha genin said excitedly. “I’m honing my skills to become a great sensor for my village but have also gained interest in taijutsu and bombs.”

Sensor? Pakura thought. Natural sensors are rare. But most shinobi have their sensing abilities improved over time. Still, natural sensors have a stronger range and are said to be able to sense more than just chakra. However, she was sure that the most talented sensors were in Kiri.

“My name is Maki. I specialized in trapping and the cloth binding technique. I’m from Suna.” She said.

From what Pakura analyzed. This team all have the specialty to become a capture and trapping unit or an ambush unit. However, Maki’s sweet nature can be her downfall, despite her being a serious student. The boy Saji from Konoha seems to be a little show off but lacks the skill to back it up and the boy Ittan seems too nervous and lacks some confidence in himself. This is going to take a lot of work for her. Being one of the strongest shinobi from Suna, she has high expectations.

Pakura sighed. Well, she’ll find out soon enough. “This is just the beginning of your journey for this program. Tomorrow, our team is going to undergo a survival exercise…”

****

Darui yawned and glanced back at his new students. This is so dull. He thought as the genin sat together under the shades of a tree in one of Konoha’s training grounds that he randomly chose. He already knew Tenga. He wasn’t exactly a very well-known genin compared to Atsui. He specialized in intelligence which is a contrast from his team members. Chojuro a potential swordsman of the mist and the Tsuchikage’s granddaughter is said to be a genius, especially in Lava style.

“My name is Tenga.” The boy introduced himself. “I like to read, analyze, and gather information. I like a lot of gadgets. I wanted to be a great intelligence gatherer in the future!”

“Oh, that’s not easy,” Kurotsuchi said. Shinobis specializing in intelligence gathering often specialized in espionage but they are limited to espionage alone. They can also be great sources of information and specialize in passing on information. They are often not the strongest but they are always the most slicked.

“I’m Kurotsuchi.” Said the Iwa girl. “My grandfather is the Tsuchikage. I like to train and improve my jutsus. I hate late people and people who don’t have a sense of humor. My ambition is to replace my grandfather as Tsuchikage.”

“I’m, uh, Cho-Chojuro. I’m-I’m from Kiri.” The spiky-haired boy was blushing furiously while rubbing his fingers nervously. “I, um, like my village. I’m not sure, um, what I hate yet. My ambition is to, uh, become one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.” Then the boy bowed his head.

“The Seven Swordsman of the Mist?” Kurotsuchi asked. “I thought they were scary.” Then the girl leaned at the nervous Kiri genin’s face. “You don’t look scary.”

Darui wanted to say that Chojuro was already considered a Swordsman because he inherited the Himarekarei. People say they have to kill the former Swordsman to get a blade. But the boy doesn’t seem like that kind of person. However, with the new Mizukage, there could be new policies in place. Darui just rubbed the back of his head and sighed. From what he sees, Chojuro will be a Kenjutsu specialist as well as a water natured while the girl Kurotsuchi will be a heavy assault ninjutsu expert. Tenga will be the intelligence specialist.

Darui sighed. It’s time for the next stage. “So…usually according to the rules, senseis have to make some elaborate test to see whether or not you should be fully genin. To be honest, that seems like a hassle and there is no need because it removes the purpose of the program in the first place. So, we are not going to do that.”

“Wait. So, some people fall for such a ruse?” Kurotsuchi commented.

“Kids your age tend to be stupid so yeah,” Darui replied earning a huff from the Iwa genin. Then he walked towards the tree stump in the middle of the training ground. “But I still need to know your capability as shinobi. So lay it on me.”

“Huh?” Tenga looked confused.

“It means. Go ahead and defeat me. And if you want to defeat me, you better do so like your life depends on it.”

“But you would get hurt, sensei,” Chojuro said.

“Darui-sensei is an S-class Kumo shinobi specializing in Gale style. I don’t think three genin can easily hurt him.” Tenga commented.

“Okay,” Darui said. It seems his new cute genins need motivation. “If you managed to land one hit on me, I’ll treat you all to dinner. If not, you’ll treat me to dinner.”

“Huh? That doesn’t seem fair.” Kurotsuchi yelled.

“Then you better land a hit on me then.” The man grinned.

The three genin glanced at each other and nodded.

Newsflash. They didn’t land a hit on him.