28 Genin Test(1)

The misty morning air hung low over Training Ground 51 as Team 25 assembled at the appointed hour of 5 am. Renjiro arrived promptly, his eyes sharpened with focus.

Aiko, with her silver hair glinting in the dim light, soon arrived and took a place next to him, ready for whatever challenge awaited. Hiro arrived last, grumbling to himself about waking up even before Dawn.

'Guess it is safe to say that Hiro is not a morning person,' Renjiro remarked.

They stood there patiently waiting for their Sensei, Senju Riku, to arrive. But soon enough, the mood turned to one of annoyance as it had been more than an hour after the agreed time and Riku had yet to arrive.

"He's probably caught up with some last-minute preparations," Aiko suggested optimistically, though her eyes betrayed the hint of annoyance in them.

Hiro muttered, "Preparations or not, we're here on time. We could be doing something productive."

Finally, three hours later, Riku Senju arrived with an easygoing smile, seemingly unfazed by his lack of punctuality.

"Ah, good morning, my young Shinobi! Sorry for the delay. I hope you guys had a good morning and just arrived," he declared.

"Good morning Sensei, we arrived here at 5 in the morning as you instructed," Hiro stated.

"Oh, you did? I only arrived now since you guys complained yesterday," Riku said. Hiro's eyes twitched.

"Now, to the order of the day, I want everyone to introduce themselves and their dreams."

'I call bullshit, He clearly knew we'd be there by 5 in the morning.'Renjiro surmised after seeing Riku disregard his lack of punctuality.

Seeing none of the boys speaking up, Aiko decided to take the initiative,

"My name is Nakamura Aiko. My dream is to become strong enough to protect those dear to me and to ensure that the mistakes of the past."

Like Renjiro, Aiko was also a victim of war. She became an orphan due to the previous shinobi war (second). Her parents were merchants who became collateral damage during the war.

Although she lost her parents at a tender age, barely even having a recollection of them, the tough life in the orphanage pushed her to become a shinobi. She wanted to be strong enough to make the world a better place for others like her.

"My name is Hatake Hiro and I want to become strong enough to be the head of my clan." Hiro closely followed.

Hiro hailed from a single-parent home. His father, a fellow shinobi, died while his mother was still pregnant with him. Hence kids at the academy and in the clan kept making fun of him because of this. This led to an inherent need to prove them wrong and being the clan head was the only way he saw to achieve this.

'Clan head? Yeah right. Maybe if Kakashi dies before he signs up for the academy.' Renjiro remarked. He only saw Hiro's aspiration as a pipe dream after all.

"My name is Uzumaki Renjiro and I just want to survive." Renjiro boldly declared.

His statement caught the rest of the group unaware since it was unconventional.

'Aah, This must be the Kid that the Hokage talked about. I guess witnessing his whole life falling apart with the fall of Uzushio traumatized him.' Riku concluded upon hearing Renjiro's statement.

Renjiro was telling the truth. Knowing what was to come in this world he had to try his best to survive. The threat of the third shinobi war, nine-tails rampage and even the Uchiha clan massacre always gloomly hanged on him.

He might not be a part of the clan, but the fact that he has a Sharingan puts him in danger by association.

Renjiro just wanted to be strong enough to retire, maybe open up a shop, and live peacefully. Was that too much to ask?

"Great! Good to see young Shinobi having great Aspirations," Riku said with his gaze briefly falling on Renjiro.

"But," Riku said ominously, "You first have to prove that you are worthy enough to work under me. So I am going to give you guys a test."

'I thought I was done with tests after I graduated from the academy.' Hiro thought.

Aiko was visibly surprised as she kept exchanging glances with Renjiro and Hiro. Renjiro had expected this even though it was widely speculated that the test Kakashi gave his team was only because it was some sort of tradition to a group of Shinobi.

'Please be the Bell test, please be the Bell test, Please be the Bell test.' Renjiro hoped it would be the bell test as that would make his work easier as he would only have to convince the other two to work as a team.

Riku took a scroll from his pocket and unfurled it. He then went on to retrieve three similar rocks from it. Upon closer examination, Renjiro found out that they were made from the same material as the small object Sato had given him during his Senser Training.

'A storage scroll. I wonder how they work. And also do those stones work the same as the one Sato gave me?'

Holding up the three stones, Riku declared,

"Your mission is simple: survive for twenty-four hours in this training ground while protecting these stones. If you fail, it's back to the academy for you."

Renjiro, Aiko, and Hiro exchanged glances, uncertainty flickering in their eyes. The challenge seemed straightforward, but the devil was in the details.

"Now, here's the twist," Riku continued a glint of mischief in his eyes. "I'll be coming after your stones periodically, but to make it interesting, I'll limit myself to using only academy jutsus. Consider it a handicap for me, and an opportunity for you to showcase your skills."

'I knew it! It could not be that easy. And that's a stupid handicap, he's a jounin so we would never be able to win against him. This is Child Abuse!!' Renjiro ranted after hearing the premise of the test.

The team processed the information, realizing that they not only had to survive in the wilderness but also defend their stones against their Jounin sensei's attacks.

With that, Riku gave the stones to the three, each member of Team 15 assigned to protect one. With that, Riku vanished in a blur, leaving Team 15 exchanging glances once more. The trio found themselves debating the most effective strategy to protect their stones.

Renjiro spoke first. "We should stick together as a team. Our strength lies in numbers, and facing Riku individually might not be as effective as combining our skills."

Hiro, considering the possibilities, shook her head. "I disagree. If we split up, we can cover more ground and anticipate Riku's attacks from different angles. It's about maximizing our chances of success."

Aiko chimed in, "Agreed. Renjiro, facing Riku head-on might play into his strengths. We need to survive, teaming up together will only make it easier for Riku-sensei to get all the stones in one swoop."

Renjiro frowned, he recognized the importance of adaptability but was still hesitant to abandon the concept of teamwork. "We can cover more ground as a team, and my Sharingan can detect Riku's movements. Defending as one unit would be easier."

Aiko placed a hand on Renjiro's shoulder, "Renjiro, we're not dismissing the importance of teamwork. But in this situation, splitting up gives us a tactical advantage."

Hiro added, "Our goal is to protect the stones and pass the test. Let's use our strengths strategically. We still haven't had a lot of experience fighting as a team, so it may be counter-productive."

'Have they forgotten the fact that he can use clones? Splitting up would just make it easier for him to pick us apart one by one.'

Renjiro sighed, realizing trying to change their minds would be a lost cause.

"Fine, let's give it a try."

Satisfied with the plan, they both dispersed in three different directions hoping that they would pass Riku's test.

'I'm the best sensor out of all of us. I want to see how they think they'll survive this. I just hope I was right with teamwork being the objective.'

As Team 25 engaged in their heated debate over the optimal strategy, Riku Senju, at a considerable distance away, found a secluded spot on the training ground to enact his next move.

Riku's chakra surged, and with precise hand signs, he channelled his chakra. With a final, powerful slam of his hands into the ground, a shockwave reverberated through the ground, and a colossal cloud of smoke erupted.

The smoke billowed and swirled, taking on a myriad of shapes before settling into a form. As the mist began to clear, a silhouette appeared.

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