Chapter 2 - Alone: The Teamless Genin!

ALONE: THE TEAM-LESS GENIN!


The next morning, Ryouko met the Third Hokage. He immediately warmed up to the old man. Ryouko didn’t trust people easily, but had found that Konoha had been different. The fact that someone of such importance had time for him so quickly…Ryouko could tell that this village meant a lot to the old man, and he found that feeling to be infectious.

“Well, Kaguya Ryouko, is it? Congratulations on graduating from our academy so quickly,” the strangely calming voice of the Third Hokage supplied. Dressed in his red and white robes, it was hard to believe that this man was a warrior. Even warriors could preach peace, Ryouko knew, but he was inclined to think of this man as a kindly grandfather more than an authority figure. All the same, he had no trouble respecting the Third Hokage whatsoever.

“Thank you, Lord Hokage,” Ryouko said, bowing. He was standing ramrod straight, hands clasped behind his back, ignoring the chair that was next to him. He didn’t want to do anything outside the rules in his new home. He wasn’t yet familiar with all the intricacies of Shinobi life.

“Please, you can sit down, no need for such formality here. (Ryouko sat down very gingerly, as though the chair was made of needles.) Now, from this scroll, Iruka tells me you study a great deal, and have a lot of potential. He also mentions a particular scroll that you’ve worked on. May I see it?” It wasn’t an order, though Lord Third could easily have made it one. But that wasn’t his nature.

Ryouko immediately dug in one of his makimono pouches. Three scrolls spilled out, then a fourth. Finally, he found the one he wanted. He handed it to the 3rd Hokage with a bow. The Third opened it, and read through it. Then saw there was more. And more. And more.

This isn’t academy level work…and this last one…he’s originated a jutsu. At his age and experience level, that is indeed impressive. I have no team for him, and no jonin or chunin leader…but you can’t ignore such hard work and talent. The best solution is to have him work with each sensei and their respective students. From Kakashi’s visit this morning, he agrees. For now, that will be my decision, until I think of something more suitable.

“This is very impressive. Now, that being said, I can’t assign you missions just yet. First, I have to evaluate you to allow you to work alone. You’ll be tested by three senseis. Two out of three must say you’re ready to handle D and C rank missions on your own before I’ll allow you to take them alone. If there’s an injury, you can fill in on a team, until such a time as I have a sensei for you.” Lord Hokage had walked away from his paintings, to the window behind his desk, which was allowing a pleasant breeze into the room.

“I understand, Lord Hokage,” Ryouko replied, bowing again. The Third gave him a warm smile.

“It seems you’ve fit in nicely, despite your past. And from what I hear, you haven’t kept it a secret. I must admit, I AM a little curious as to why you’d so readily admit that- it’s not anything to be ashamed of, but it’s rather…taboo.”

“No, Lord Hokage. I want them to know now that I trained as a samurai. It would be worse if it came out when I didn’t want it too. Hiding something like that, keeping a skeleton like that in a closet on a blank slate such as this would be a mistake. It sickens me to see what samurai have become. Thugs and bandits, no loyalty or honor…I promise you, that will NEVER be a problem with me.” Ryouko’s last words were spoken harshly, disdainfully, as he clenched a fist, showing something other than reverence for the first time since the meeting. He only knew of two honorable samurai left, and that was himself, and his student at his old dojo, Tamaki Midasu. Not counting the senseis, they weren’t warrior types. They were intelligent enough, some downright brilliant, and Ryouko counted himself lucky to be able to absorb their knowledge. He had considered asking one or two of them to accompany him here, but decided against he. He wanted a completely blank slate, as clean as he could get it.

“Good for you! And now you’ve earned that headband! Before the ceremony today, You’ll be with Team 7. I believe you met them yesterday. Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and their jonin sensei, Hatake Kakashi.”

“I did. I’m going to be training with them? Is there anything I should bring, or anything I should know?” Ryouko wasn’t one to walk into something unprepared.

The 3rd smiled again and patted the genin’s head. “Follow your instincts. You’ve been successful following them so far.” He’s met Kakashi…I’m looking forward to this particular report…Kakashi mentioned him, and that’s not like Kakashi. Already an interesting case.





Naruto was still tied to the post, angry that he had been bested.

Kakashi looked at his three genin, smiling. “Do you know what the point of that exercise was? No? Well, when he gets here, someone else is going to play, too. Sasuke, you need this lesson the most, so you’re going to watch and tell me what went wrong.”

“Hmph.” Sasuke wasn’t happy with that, and it showed.

“Who’s coming, sensei?” Sakura wanted to know.

“Yeah! Who? Who?” Naruto couldn’t wait. Maybe Iruka-sensei is gonna help!

Seconds later, in a puff of smoke, Ryouko arrived, scroll still open.

“I hope I’m not late, sensei,” he said, hastily shutting the scroll.

“The Body Flicker Jutsu? You’re an interesting one. Let’s see if you can figure this out. The object of this exercise is to take these bells from me. You’ll notice there are only two. That means only two of you can pass. If you don’t get a bell, you get sent back to the academy.” Kakashi delivered his line, but was almost disappointed to see the lack of reaction Ryouko had.

“Alright. Any rules?” Ryouko replied instantly. His thought-process had already begun to kick in, giving him ideas as to how to handle this.

“Come at me as though you would kill me, or you’ll never get these bells from me. That’s it. Kunai, shuriken, whatever you want.”

Ryouko nodded.

“Good. You’ll be with Sakura and Naruto, while Sasuke watches. Ready? GO!” Kakashi shouted the last word. Sasuke looked a mix of embarrassed and angry, but he still watched, curious to see what would happen now.


Ryouko, Naruto, and Sakura dove into the bushes. Hunkering down low, they talked in low voices.

“We can’t do this! Kakashi-sensei is too strong!” Sakura cried in despair.

“I’ll beat the hell out of him this time!” Naruto whispered loudly, clenching his fists, although his aching butt reminded him that he had been on the losing end. That wasn’t enough to dampen his spirits, although Naruto guessed going to the bathroom would be a painful affair for a few days after that “Thousand Years of Death” technique.

“Hold on. No matter what, you two get those bells, alright?” Ryouko told them quickly, his plan coming together.

“Huh? But that means you’ll go back to the academy!” Sakura exclaimed. She didn’t yet understand the concept of ‘sacrifice for the greater good’.

“Yeah, are you stupid or something?!” Naruto asked. The thought of going back to the academy was unthinkable to him. I spent long enough there! This guy WANTS to go back?! He’s gotta be nuts!

“You’ve got a team and a sensei, I don’t have either. I wouldn’t be losing anything but this headband, and I’ll get it back. Now, what happened last time you fought Kakashi-sensei?” Ryouko wanted to know.

Sakura and Naruto told him. Little by little, Ryouko formulated a plan. At the end, he told them his idea, and they smiled, thinking it could work. Ryouko pushed aside their thanks and said “Just make sure you get the bells, don’t worry about me. If he stabs me or something, use that as a distraction.”




Kakashi pulled out his book and waited. No better way to pass the time than to read a novel of questionable content. Kakashi hadn’t used much chakra in the last fight, and he was sure he wouldn’t need to in this fight either. These were just genin, after all Kakashi looked up suddenly, sensing someone coming. He sighed inwardly. Ryouko had walked out to face him, alone. For a moment, the two stared at each other, in silence.

“So, you’re going for the ‘Sasuke’ method, are you?” Kakashi asked in disappointment.

Ryouko smiled. “He took you on alone? Then I guess so. You tested me earlier with your genjutsu…maybe I just want to see how strong YOU are…” Ryouko took up a guard, hoping he looked as cocky as he sounded. It was crucial that he did, if his plan was to work. Not that he didn’t have reservations about talking so disrespectfully to a jonin, but it WAS in the context of the drill.

Kakashi looked taken aback. “And here I was thinking you had a good attitude. (Sigh) Oh well. Let’s get this over with.” Kakashi snapped his book shut and put it away. He had to stop reading for Sasuke, and he was betting that he would have to in this case as well.

Ryouko rushed at Kakashi, aiming a punch at him. Kakashi went to block it, only to find Ryouko had stopped the punch and aimed another one. Kakashi blocked that one. It was then Ryouko’s other fist nearly tagged him in the head, forcing him to let go and move backward. Ryouko apparently expected this, so he aimed for a leg sweep, ducking low and trying to take out Kakashi’s legs with a kick. Kakashi leapt up and away. He saw Ryouko throw a kunai into the tree near him. Kakashi’s eye followed the kunai as it stuck in the bark. It was as if Ryouko was herding him…

Is he leading me into a trap? Kakashi wondered.

Sure enough, a Sakura-made trap sprung, a rope nearly snaring Kakashi’s foot. Ryouko threw another knife, this one landing at Kakashi’s feet as the jonin leapt backwards. It was then Kakashi heard a familiar cry:

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” Naruto’s voice said.

There were now ten Naruto’s surrounding Kakashi, and one Ryouko. Sakura was still hidden.

Kakashi was surprised by the move. Well, if he wants to ‘test’ me…Sharingan!

Kakashi’s Sharingan helped him pick out the real Naruto and Ryouko. That was all fine and good. But the clones were still ‘real’, and their attacks still hurt. Kakashi had to get rid of them.


The real Naruto and Ryouko nodded at each other, then at Sakura.

“Transform!”

“Transform!”

Naruto was now Ryouko, and Sakura was now Naruto.

NOTE: Confused? Here’s a chart to help:

Real---------Transformed
Naruto became Ryouko
Sakura became Naruto

END NOTE


The clones, with the exception of one, were soon gone. That left two Naruto’s and Ryouko. Kakashi decided to take out Ryouko first. Smart-alecky kid, I’ll show him why you always respect your sensei!

But when Kakashi kicked Ryouko, he heard Naruto’s voice.

Transformation…interesting…where are they going with this?

Kakashi whipped around and attacked the next Naruto. This one disappeared with a poof! One left…

As Kakashi tried to attack the last Naruto, he felt a genjutsu being used on him.

Ryouko! I forgot about him! I’d better get rid of this genjutsu!

Sakura (who looks like Naruto) sighed in relief. Now, only the last part of their plan.

“Dynamic Entry!”

As Kakashi threw off the genjutsu, Ryouko sailed in with a kick. Kakashi blocked it with his forearm. Ryouko rebounded off the forearm and spun around, a roundhouse kick aiming for Kakashi’s head.

Naruto and Sakura watched, amazed at the taijutsu. Then they saw the opening. Quickly, they made their move.

Ryouko made one last swing for the head. This time, Kakashi caught his foot. Ryouko grabbed onto his head and tugged his headband back down over his Sharingan eye. Kakashi mentally noted that was a good, effective, but annoying move. Then he sensed the other two, aiming for the bells.

The bell that kept the time limit went off. Everyone froze.

Ryouko let go of Kakashi and landed behind him. He looked to see what had happened, and he sighed in disappointment with himself.

Naruto and Sakura’ hands were inches away from the bells. They hadn’t met Kakashi-sensei’s challenge for the second time in a row. Kakashi was all smiles.

“I’m sorry Naruto, Sakura…I took to long to make that opening,” Ryouko was mad that he had taken too long.

“Hey…You were close.” That had come from Sasuke.

“Yeah, we were sooo close! So we all go back to the academy, graduate again, and then beat this damn test! Hey, maybe you’ll be in our team, instead of Sasuke!” Naruto exclaimed.

Ryouko chuckled as Sakura gave Naruto a smart crack on the head for insulting her precious Sasuke.

“You did great, we were really close!” Sakura added.

“Well, you know what this means, don’t you?” Kakashi asked menacingly. Even the sky turned nasty! What kind of powers did this guy have?!

“Yes, sensei,” Sakura and Naruto said glumly. Sasuke just grunted, while Ryouko nodded solemnly.

“You all pass!” Kakashi added gleefully. “Yes, Sasuke, you, too. I can tell that you’ve figured out the point of this test. But, for the heck of it, Sasuke, what was it?”

“Teamwork, right? You wanted to see if we’d kill each other to get those bells, or help each other.” It seemed so obvious now. Hindsight is 20/20

“That’s right! And Ryouko, you proved yourself to be a team player- and a leader- when you told the other two to get the bells. In a mission, people who drop their missions and leave are scum. But people who leave their teammates to die…they’re lower than scum.” Kakashi said, brightly at first, but seriously at the end.. But Ryouko still had a glum look on his face. He soon voiced why.

“I’m sorry about insulting you, sensei. It was a distraction, and I really didn’t mean it. If I should be punished for it, I’ll accept it.”

Kakashi smiled, thinking of his own team, back in the day. He put a hand on Ryouko’s shoulder.

“You elicited a reaction from me in the context of a drill. There’s no punishment for thinking…Naruto, did you hear that? Even YOU can think.”

“HEY!” Naruto shouted. Kakashi ignored him and turned back to Ryouko.

“I’ll tell Lord Hokage that you pass from me. Good luck with the other sensei’s tests. Oh, and since you’re somewhat new, I’ll let you in on a little secret. You’re mature enough to know.”

Kakashi opened up Makeout Paradise. Immediately, a glow opened from the book. Ryouko wondered if it was haunted. Kakashi certainly seemed possessed.

“This…is the greatest book ever written! (Kakashi is really animated here) The forbidden love of a man and a woman! The romance, the passion, the anger, the love, the hate! It’s excellent!”

Naruto scoffed. “Screw that! Hey, kid (Even though Ryouko’s older), ignore those pervy pages! Why have that, when you could have…Transform!”

Before the stunned Ryouko was a naked girl, who was incredibly beautiful.

“…this! I can see, you appreciate the finer things. You don’t want some pervy old book…” The girl wriggled closer to Ryouko, whose jaw was hanging open. She hung on to his neck and whispered

“…You want the real thing…well, I’m real…and I belong to you, Ryouko-sempai…Just…do whatever you want…” Now the girl was fingering Ryouko’s lapels. For his part, Ryouko was ramrod straight, an unmoving.

The girl got closer, her mouth right near his ear. Ryouko was nearly panicking. He KNEW this was just a transformation, but still, having a naked girl come on to you…especially at his age…

“I’m yours…” she cooed. And that was all she wrote.

Ryouko’s eyes widened. His jaw dropped. Then, a nosebleed sent him rocketing backward. BOOM! He hit a tree, then slid down it, eyes rolled back into his head. A hysterical Naruto burst out of his disguise and started laughing. Doubled over, he was pointed at Ryouko and shaking with mirth.

“Hey, perv! How do you like my ‘Sexy Jutsu?’” Naruto yelled to Ryouko.

Sakura wasn’t amused. “You damn pig! Don’t do that, he’s not a perverted @$$ like you!”

Sasuke shook his head. Glad I didn’t see that jutsu from the front like he did…I might have been the one with the nosebleed.

Kakashi smiled good-naturedly. Ryouko had written down a certain jutsu, and the way Naruto was doubled-over, laughing, gave Ryouko the opening. Kakashi made a motion, and Ryouko smirked, knowing what he meant.

“Konoha’s Secret Finger Technique: One Thousand Years of Death!” Ryouko shouted. Crouching behind Naruto, he jammed two fingers into Naruto’s tailbone, and sent him sailing.

“Textbook form,” Kakashi commented.

“I try, sensei,” Ryouko chimed in. “He asked for that one.”

“No argument here,” said Kakashi and his team in unison.

“NOT AGAAAAAAIIIIINNNNNN!!!” Naruto wailed as he sailed across the landscape, high in the air. A bird swerved to avoid a collision with the large orange projectile that was Naruto.

“Whoa, Sasuke, did you see that? That was a really powerful @$$ poke! He did it like Kakashi-sensei!” she exclaimed, a hand to her eyes to shield the sun as she watched Naruto turn into a speck in the distance.

“Sensei got more distance,” Sasuke pointed out, in a rare moment of humor.

Kakashi smiled again. They’ve already grown as a team. I hope that boy (Ryouko) finds his place. If we had kept going, and he hadn’t just been using taijutsu only as a distraction, I wonder what would have happened? Oh well, I’ll hear about it from Gai, when he fights Lee tomorrow…

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