12 Chapter 12 Request denied!

Chapter 12

SHINSO KEN

"Hahh . . . . . Huuh . . Hah," I panted while looking at the trees in front of me. There were cuts on many of the some of them deep others barely visible. Months had passed since the Wave mission, and Kurenai sensei had started training us quite rigorously after that. We had done several C-rank missions after that but none turned out to be quite as exciting as the first one.

Our strategy with regards to Hinata was working quite well, she had progressed a lot. She still held a little inferiority complex with regards to her cousin but she was making strides towards mastering perfect chakra control and lightning nature. These two aspects of ninja art were going to be her bread and butter.

Shino was also progressing quite well, he was trying to incorporate genjutsu, which was our sensei's specialty, into his repertoire. Though his progress in this endeavor was slow, his mastery over his kikaichu and his clan's techniques was something to admire.

During all that time, I had stagnated the most. I had improved, sensei had acquired the help of a certain purple-haired ANBU to improve my swordsmanship and it had helped me a lot. Uzuki Yugao was touted as a prodigy with a sword, and it showed in her skill. She wielded the blade if she was performing, her sword became an extension of her very being.

My moves seemed stiff and forced in comparison. I had to use every trick and advantage I could just to survive her training. And today was the first day I had succeeded in winning a single spar. Forty-three losses and one win. Against anyone else, it would have been an abysmal record. But against an ANBU, I would take it any day of the week.

I sat cross-legged, taking a journal out of my back pocket and opening it. This contained all my notes. This move was something of my design, based upon a scene I have long forgotten. Yet this was going to be my signature move. And I had to get it done before the chunin exams. This was going to be my trump card and if the invasion was to happen. I was going to need this.

I went over the notes, sighing once again as I reached the inevitable conclusion. I was going to have to request Lord Hokage, to view a certain technique. There was a high chance that Lord Third would reject it, but I would have to make a gamble. I had wanted to avoid getting roped into certain one-eyed war hawks' plans, but I could not wait.

I closed the journal and left the training ground. Well, I could do it tomorrow.

As he was jumping across the village. He did not notice the two shinobi that appeared from the forest at the place he had just left.

0000

UZUKI YUGAO

"So, what are your thoughts." She asked the person beside her, he was busy appraising the various cuts and scratches on the trees.

"Kukh . . .Kukh. Well, the kid's dedicated. I couldn't quite believe you when you said you found someone more talented than yourself." She scoffed at his flattery. He would never let that go, would he?

"But, it seems that he is your wake-up call," he finished. Now he was observing the huge char mark on the tree. "Wake up call?" she questioned.

"Yeah, kind of like how you were mine. That the world is quite vast and you can always find someone more talented than you," he finished as he turned back coughing while finishing the sentence. She shook her head at his words, but she could not deny them. The boy was a gem, she had observed his orientation with Kurenai. By the reports the boy was good and the reports were underwhelming if anything.

Kurenai had asked her to train the boy's kenjutsu. The boy had mastered the basics to the bone but had little technique beyond that. His movements were stiff and easy to read. Yet, the scariest thing about him was the vision. The vision which few shinobi have. The vision of what they wished to become, boy was quite clear in that. Not only in himself but he had somehow inspired his team in gaining the same vision.

Both the Hyuga and Aburame kids looked up to the boy and listened to him. And the results were showing.

"They could be our ringer at this year's exams," Hayate said from the side. "Along with Gai's team, they could blow out the exam."

"Yeah, according to the ANBU commander. Lord Third decided on the team placement himself, the boy had an ANBU recruitment coming his way but was blocked by Lord Third. He had high expectations of the boy." She explained to her fellow shinobi.

Hayate just nodded at that.

"Well, Kukh . . . .kukh. Don't we have a date to get to? You don't get free time easily, so why don't we go and have a nice time? It's not like it's us taking the exams." He finished and she just shook her head at his antics. The fact that there was a smile on her face did not matter, did it?

0000

HIRUZEN SARUTOBI

Hirzuen thought about the words he had just heard. Thought about them. Two people stood inside his office at the moment. Jounin Kurenai along with one of her students, whom was making quite the rounds If rumors from his guard platoon were to be believed.

"So, you are requesting an opportunity to study Lord Fourth's technique." He confirmed from the genin in front. He was quite nervous, perhaps he understood the severity of his request. Request to study a kinjutsu were highly irregular. They required a repute, history or connection that few had. The boy was promising, but his lack of repute and history was a problem.

"Yes, Lord Hokage." The boy replied. He exhaled and considered everything regarding the issue.

"Have you written up a formal request?" He questioned.

Kurenai nodded at that and handed him a scroll. He opened it and began reading it, his focus on an extremely specific portion of the request. Purpose. He read it and placed the scroll on the table in front of him. His gaze traveled back to the genin in front of him.

"You wish to study a certain aspect of it to complete your original technique?" he questioned once more. Surprised by this information.

"Yes, Lord Hokage." The boy replied once more. His voice was still nervous.

Inventing a new technique at the age of thirteen. Much like a certain silver-haired. A similar gamble had been taken in his case, allowing him to keep his last friend's memento against the wishes of the Uchiha clan. That gamble had given them Kakashi the Copy Ninja. The Man who knows a thousand techniques. Yet it had also further alienated the very clan.

He puffed out the smoke as he weighed in on the choice. After contemplating for a time. He reached a conclusion.

"Genin Shinso, Your request to study a kinjutsu is denied." He could see the disappointment in the boy's eyes. Kurenai wished to contest but he continued.

"But, after observing your request. I will assign a Tokubetsu jounin who would be able to assist you in the completion of your technique."

There was a spark of recognition in the boy's eyes. He made a signal and an ANBU appeared behind him.

"Tokubetsu Jounin Genma will be assigned to you for this purpose." He finished as Genma took off his mask.

He looked at the genin again, this time he spoke in a much lighter tone.

"Genin Shinso, I have great expectations of you." He said to motivate the boy. This also made him aware of his expectations. Expectations to cause a spectacle.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage." Both Kurenai and her student said. All three of them left his office. He got back to his work, opening the next report.

It seems Kiriagakure has a new Mizukage, Terumi Mei. Perhaps she would be more amicable to an alliance. Their deteriorating alliance with Suna was a concern if another village was tied into the alliance it could discourage Iwa and Kumo from any foolish misadventure.

Perhaps, an invite for the upcoming exams could be sent.

0000

SHIRANUI GENMA

Genma looked at the scroll and kept reading it again and again.

"So, are you sure you designed this? Like one hundred percent sure?" He asked the kid once more, who just rolled his eyes at him before confirming his earlier answer.

"Yes, I designed it. Now can we please move on from this question?" The kid had spunk.

"And how old were you when you started on it." He asked annoying the genin in front of him. This was probably one of the reasons he would never make a good sensei. He loved annoying people too much.

"About a couple of years ago, so I would be eleven or twelve at the time."

He just shook his head at that, "Damn! You are one scary kid." He said looking over the notes once more before closing them. The boy raised an eye at that.

"So, How do I make the technique continuous? I can already do a single strike. Even pull off two strikes but to make it a continuous loop seems impossible. I had thought of making sealing markers and here we are. So, thoughts."

Genma nodded at those words and the boy's approach was right. He had the perfect solution for the boy.

"Well, I have a solution instead of having an unlimited range. Why don't you limit the area using a Barr. . ."

"Barrier seal and using it as a ricochet." The boy completed his sentence. Well, it seems the major issue was solved.

"Now we just have to develop that barrier and optimize the range." He said and he could see the gears turning in the boy's head.

"Thank you for helping me." The boy bowed and said embarrassing him. He just waived him off.

"Don't sweat it, kid," And both of them got into the grunt work. Half the work was still left.

At the end of it, Genma learned that being a sensei was not so bad after all.

0000

KURENAI YUHI

Kurenai sat with her fellow senseis as all of them sat together, at their usual meet-up.

"So, do you think your team is ready for the exams?" she asked Asuma who sat beside her.

"Well, they could use some polish, but I believe in them, they are all quite talented," Asuma replied diplomatically. Well, she was much more confident in her team. All of them had grown quite a lot in the year.

"How about your team? Do you think that they are ready?" Kakashi asked her.

Both Asuma and Kakashi were now looking at her. "I believe so. They have been training rigorously. They will be ready." She replied honestly. Her voice filled with pride.

"Well, good for them. But I wanted to ask if you wanted to arrange a joint training session for all three teams. They were all class fellows and they could get to hang out with each other before the exams." Asuma added from the side.

She considered his words. The request had both upsides and downsides. Though all of them were comrades, during the exams they would be competing against each other. Being familiar with each other could take out the element of surprise but could also remind them of their comradeship with their fellow Konoha shinobi.

"Sure, we can also tell them about the chunin exam and tell them about the nomination." She said. Now Asuma looked towards their silver-haired compatriot who spoke, his face still behind that cursed book.

"Why not? The last meeting with your team fired them up quite a bit. It would make for some good motivation?" Kakashi said in quite a perverse tone.

They continued to talk for some time. Exchanging various stories and information about the village before going their separate ways. If hers and Asuma's ways intersected, well it was a complete coincidence. COMPLETE COINCIDENCE.

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I am going to begin the chunin arc next chapter. The training monologue got a bit out of hand. But it is what it is. Love interest appears next. So, stay tuned.

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