"Alright brats, be back here to tomorrow for team assignments." Maki-Sensei dismisses us.

"I wonder if we'll be on the same team," Hana says as she puts her hands behind her head.

I yawn, "Probably, the usually put people who work together well on a team," I say poking the Hitai-ite tied around my arm in bemusement.

"Besides," Itachi deadpans, "we're the only two people in our class that can make Yoru do any work whatsoever, Hana."

I snicker as Hana confirms what Itachi said with a nod.

I walk into my house to see Uncle Shikaku doing paperwork at the dining room table. "Yo, Uncle, I graduated," I say as I pass him on my way to the kitchen to grab a snack.

"That's wonderful, Yoruka. Now I can start teaching you higher ranked clan jutsus. Such as the Shadow Blade jutsu which you expressed interest in learning, as well as the Nara kenjutsu style to adequately use the shadow blade. Eat your snack and meet me in the clan training grounds," he said as he put his papers away and walked out of the house. I groaned.

I collapse into my seat with a groan. Hana and Itachi look concerned. "You uh, alright there, Yoru?" Hana asks.

"Fine,"I rant, "everything is fine. Other than the fact my uncle decided I needed to learn a B-rank jutsu that requires a base kenjutsu style to utilize properly!"

Hana winces, "Sounds rough."

"Alright brats," Maki-Sensei yells as he enters the classroom, "time for team assignments!" Maki-Sensei goes through some names, "Team 12 will be Uchiha Itachi, Inuzuka Hana, and Nara Yoruka. Your Jonin-Sensei will be Hyuga Ryu," he proceeds to mutter something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like "that poor bastard."

I exchange grins with Itachi and Hana. Well grins with Hana, Itachi just kind of smirks.

Hyuga Ryu is a very punctual shinobi and shows up right after lunch. A brief call of "Team 12" summons us into the hall. He looks us over with an assessing gaze. "Meet on training ground six," he says before he disappears into a shunshin.

I stare at the spot he was a second ago, "I don't believe he'll be someone who takes kindly to us being late," I muse quietly.

"I imagine you're right," Itachi agrees.

"Well, then let's stop dawdling and get to training ground six! Wait, where is training ground six?" Hana exclaims.

I sigh, "I have no idea."

We decide to send Hana's ninkin and my summons out to look for the training ground as we ask around the village. However, every single shinobi we ask doesn't tell us anything. Until finally Hana loses her temper, walks up to a random chunin in the market, waves a wad of cash in his face and offers to pay him to lead us to training ground six.

The chunin takes her up on it to my amazement. He leads us to a fairly well hidden training ground next to the walls where Ryu-Sensei is waiting for us. The Haimaru brothers and my summons are there as well. The chunin shunshins away with a quiet good luck.

"Well, since you all found us without using your ninkin or summons, you pass," he states blandly.

"Wait, what!" Hana sputters, "So all of those chunin and Jonin that didn't answer when we asked where Training Ground Six was, that was your doing?"

Ryu-Sensei smirked and nodded. "If I may ask, what was the purpose of this test?" Itachi asks.

"Information gathering and dedication. I payed off all of the shinobi in village to not tell any Genin where this training ground was. Normally, there would be a teamwork aspect of this test, but you three didn't need that," Ryu-Sensei explains.

"Actually, I was going to pass you when the Nara girl manipulated a Jonin into a conversation about his favorite training grounds, and the Jonin told me he almost gave it away. But, the Inuzuka actually paid someone and got the answer," he continues.

"So, should we introduce ourselves?" I drawl.

Ryu-Sensei nods, "Why don't you start since you brought it up?"

I sigh dramatically, "Nara Yoruka, I like cats, sweets, spicy foods, and sleep. I dislike large crowds. My hobbies are reading, sleeping, and drawing, and my goal for the future is to not get roped into taking my uncle's job."

Arashi chokes back a laugh, "He's really trying to give you Jonin commander? That's hilarious!"

I give him a look, "I don't know whether that's insulting or relieving that you think that."

"Inuzuka next," Ryu-Sensei sighs.

Hana grins, "I'm Inuzuka Hana! I like dogs, running, spicy foods, and green tea. I dislike sweets and betrayal. My hobbies are helping in the Inuzuka clinic and practicing medical ninjutsu. My goals for the future is to make Jonin!"

"I guess I'm next," Itachi says. "Uchiha Itachi. My likes are sweets and cats. Dislikes are being forced to do something I don't want to do and spicy food. Hobbies are reading and training," he ignores my cough of "training isn't a hobby." "My goal for the future is to protect the village to the best of my ability."

"Great, I'm Hyuga Ryu." Ryu-Sensei flips his long black hair behind his shoulder. "That's all I'm telling you."

Training with Ryu-Sensei is hell. On the bright side Hana is getting more more practice in medical ninjutsu. "Alright, students, get over here." Ryu-Sensei called.

I groaned as I got to my feet. Ryu-Sensei hands us all a paper. "This is a chakra nature paper. Infuse it with chakra. Fire, it burns. Wind, it's shredded. Water, it gets soaked. Earth, it turns to dirt. And finally, lightning crumples up." He explains.

My chakra paper crumpled up. "Huh, lighting. That's interesting." I say.

Itachi's holding a handful of ash. "Mine is fire, but that's not surprising."

Hana hums, "Earth."

"Alright, now we have a D-rank. Babysitting." Ryu-Sensei says. Damn. I'm so bad with children.

I continue learning the Shadow Blade Jutsu and Nara kenjutsu style. I have the basic forms mastered and can hold the blade for about 30 minutes, much longer than I can hold my Shadow Imitation Jutsu.

Ryu-Sensei gives us all elemental jutsus to learn, he told us we have to master them before he even considers giving us a C-rank. I master the electrocution technique last.

"Alright, brats, since Yoruka finally mastered her elemental jutsu, we have a C-rank. We're going to be delivering this scroll to an outpost on the Lightning border," Ryu-Sensei says. I can't help but to feel something is going to go wrong.