On my way.... eventually!

[Takeshi Kaguya]

The day had started out like any other day for Shikamaru. Boring, bland, it was almost a chore to wake up. He did anyways as he knew; somewhere someone needed him, probably some old man missing his trousers or something. The embarrassingly simple tasks were the ones that Shika always ended up with, maybe the higher rankings thought that he was a joke? He gave off a slight grin as he pondered the thought, whatever, it didn’t matter to him, either way he wasn’t doing much work, so most of the day he could relax. He pushed his shoulder off of the tree he was leaning on, balancing himself out to stand up straight. He gave off a sigh as he looked upon the Hokage’s office, ever since he had become a Chunnin he had to get missions directly from there. Finished were the days where his squad leader would give his team missions and all he had to worry about were the on field tactics.

Regardless he slowly paced his way towards the Hokage’s office. The day was nice and bright at this point, the rays from the sun felt as if they were almost solidifying and burning the skin of Shika, who was trying to avoid the sunlight by walking through any shade he could find. However most of his attempts were futile and he ended up breaking a sweat before he was even half way over to the office building. “Ah forget it!” He said as he stopped at one of the side road stalls. He examined the contents, all beverages, and so he quickly pointed to the lemonade in the back of the stall. His mouth watered with excitement as he was handed the cup. Of course as a chunnin he got free beverages, as long as they were helping him finish his work for the village. He hadn’t abused this much but after tasting the lemonade he thought, ‘what the heck’. He asked for another and walked away from the stall holding his cup, and watching the many people of Konoha walk by him.

It felt like just yesterday he was a young genin running through the forest of death with his team, trying to finish the designated mission. Today, however it could be a whole other story, he could be going to the Hokage’s office to get the names of his future team, and he could even be leading a team, who knew? The village had always been unpredictable and today they probably weren’t going to let up on Shika’s behalf. If that was the case then he had some time to burn before he actually decided to finish his walk towards the offices, I mean, come on, there have to be more than one ninja in the village. It’s not like they’re waiting for him anyways. He laughed as he finally broke his short silence and spoke, albeit to himself, but still; ”I guess I can relax, going all the way to the Hokage’s office seems like such a drag, no way I’m using that much energy in one walk.”

Those indeed were his words as he made his way over to a small bench on the side of the road. It was in fact a few feet away from the road, making it out of the way of the traffic and stalls, but it provided the perfect viewing place of everything happening in the town, and everyone walking by. He figured he would rest here and then go when he felt like his strength was back to full and so he sat down making himself comfortable. At first it didn’t seem like anything, but then everything started moving a little slower, and then a little more. Before you knew it Shikamaru’s head was leant forward and all that was heard coming from him was a light snore. He had dozed off indeed, for how long? No one could tell, hopefully some good Samaritan would walk by and wake him up before he got into a ton of trouble with the high ranking officials of the Hokage’s office, after all he had places to be and people to see. If he was late no doubt would he be sent on some wild goose chase in Sand country or some other task that required his full attention.

[Aiko Uchiha]

There was a gentle breeze in the air as the young Genin yawned and walked towards the Hokage's Mansion. She was actually hoping to find her dad there so he could help her with her technique. However, hesitation seemed to be growing more and more as her two feet guided her.

While the girl continued on her way something seemed to catch her eye as she moved with traffic along the busy street. There was a bench not too far away from the hustle and bustle and Aiko could see a figure who seemed to be just resting. But as she had gotten closer to the figure Aiko stopped in the middle of the crowd just staring.

There was no way Aiko could believe her eyes...that was Shikarmaru Nara! Yet..he seemed to be sleeping. Figures, dad had said he was very intelligent but kinda lazy most of the time. The least she could do was wake him up, at least.

Aiko pushed threw the crowd and stood infront of him just staring for about five minutes. It was hard to believe she was actually standing infront of someone who was so...gifted. Aiko reached her hand out cautiously before grabbing his shoulder and shaking him a bit.

When he started to move and open his eyes Aiko stood up as straight as she could before smiling sweetly clasping her hands together and resting them infront of her body.

"Shikamaru Nara sir...wake up!"

[Takeshi Kaguya]

A nice peace had eventually overcome Shikamaru. Indeed the feeling was of overwhelming joy as he dazed off and started dreaming. His body sat there at the bench, motionless, with a glass of lemonade in his hand of all things. His dreams weren’t that complex, quite simple actually, like the many times before he dreamt of himself and his teacher Asuma playing go in a room that wasn’t too bright or dark. He sat across from his teacher, using the black pieces, his teacher using the white ones. This was one thing that confused Shikamaru very much so; why was he always using the black pieces? He recalled telling a local dream interpreter of his dreams, frequently asking of the meaning behind the pieces. All the interpreter could come up with was that there must be a dark side to Shika, this left him dumbfounded. He never felt like he was a bad person, a lazy person yes, but never a bad one. It was the one thing that never left his mind, and so he weighed the outcome of all his decisions twice before he made them, after all the shadows he controlled weren’t made of light, they were indeed as dark as the supposed dark side he had inside of him.

These thoughts and more ran across Shikamaru’s mind as he dreamt for a second, questions such as would he live through an actual Shinobi war? Would he ever settle down and have children? These thoughts were especially pressing on his mind, and he thought about it often, but most of the times it seemed pointless to even ask anyone. If he did that then he would be making a completely unnecessary conversation of it, and if push came to shove he would end up regretting it. He wasn’t asleep for long when someone started shaking his shoulder, frightening him a small bit, almost enough to make him use his Kagemane or pull out a kunai. Although that was too much work, and would no doubt lead to more trouble than it was worth.

He opened one eye as the girl kept shaking. She took a step back as he opened his second eye and raised his head slowly, as she spoke he looked down at his glass of lemonade, half empty now due to it being spilt during her process of waking him up. "Shikamaru Nara sir...wake up!" He let out a small sigh, not saying anything as he looked at her with a annoyed look on his face. He slowly lifted his right arm, glass in hand, and took a sip of the remaining lemonade, placing it back down to rest in a small puddle of spilled lemonade that was adorning the spot on the bench next to him.

He was just about to speak, actually it was going to be more like a lecture not to walk up to people like that, but it wasn’t worth it. This was obviously a genin judging by her age, and she would learn all of these things in due time. He stopped himself, letting out a deep sigh and rubbing his eyes slightly before speaking; ”Yeah what it is? Did the Hokage’s Office send you? If they did you might as well go back and tell them I’ll be there eventually, a guy can’t walk any faster than this.” He gave out a small chuckle as he finished his sentence, and after examining the young ninja in front of him he could tell she was from the Uchiha clan. He stretched a bit, not wanting to say anything, Shikamaru wasn’t one to start a conversation that he knew wasn’t going to help him achieve anything, so he sat there quietly waiting for her to say something of interest. He also didn’t want to give away the fact that he knew quite a bit about her already and knew extensive information about the Uchiha, and they weren’t very keen on letting their young ones wander around by themselves, quite the rebel this one was.

"Oh, and thanks for spilling my beverage, highlight of my day, really." He said in a sarcastic tone. The heat of the sun had subsided by now and there was a slight breeze blowing. He turned his face away from the young ninja and faced it into the direction the breeze was coming from, letting it dry the small sweat droplets that were forming on his forehead. He inhaled deeply as he waited for a reply from the girl.

[Aiko Uchiha]

These few minutes of waiting seemed like an eternity to Aiko, yes she had shaken him but for some reason it hadn't seem to really bother him as much as she expected. The glass in his hand caught her eye as some of the beveraged spilled..this was not going to sit well with him that much Aiko already knew.

One eye from Shikamaru had popped open suddenly causing her to step back quickly and almost get into a defensive position. A perplexed look was on her face as he said nothing but instead look at his glass of lemonade which she had cause for it to be half empty when trying to wake him. Perhaps being a good samaritan wasn't the brighest idea so far today. he definitely looked like he was not in the mood to be bothered.

When Shikamaru started talking the Genin stood straight up but could not help but smile as she listened to his words. No one had sent her at all, being a good person was the entire reason that Aiko had walked over there to wake him up.

Then hearing a chuckle from him after his sentence was finished Aiko giggled softly while shaking her head, "Oh wait, before I say anything else my name is Aiko Uchiha, of the Uchiha clan. Also I did not come here because of the hokage I honestly thought you accidently fell asleep so I was being a good person and waking you up!" She seemed to look around cautiously seeing if her parents had realized that Aiko wasn't in the compound anymore when she hadn't detected anything her attention turned back to Shikamaru after hearing him say something about his drink in a sarcastic tone it seemed.

"Oh! I am very sorry about your lemonade..if you want I would get you another one. You aren't even close to the office and yet you are already sleeping like you are exhausted. Aiko smiled sweetly once more her eyes radiating energy and happiness, "If its not too much of a drag do you think I can come with you? I was headed that way anyway Mr.Nara" Aiko gave him a sweet look her onix eyes staring into his noncholant ones.

[Takeshi Kaguya]

He remained still as the girl spoke. She emitted a truthful jolly tone as she spoke, and this left Shikamaru at ease. The little Uchiha girl was indeed not an enemy and he shouldn’t be worried about anything regardless. ”An Uchiha you say? You wouldn’t happen to know Itachi and Sasuke would you? They are the poster boys of your clan after all.” He laughed a bit before continuing his reply; ”Being a good person?”He scoffed a bit ”Just thinking about that is giving me the chills, that seems like… such a drag.” He stood up as she continued talking, stretching a little bit and looking at her when she finished her first statement. ”So being a good person now a days constitutes frightening the life out of someone? Great, let me just jot that down in my ‘Life Lessons’ note pad.” He said sarcastically, finishing his lemonade before disposing of the container in a nearby trash bin. He turned back around to the girl, who was now speaking of his lemonade.

”Don’t worry about it, I wasn’t planning on drinking all of it anyways, and I stopped because what right minded person would walk all the way to the Hokage’s office without stopping? It’s practically a village away” He spoke as he started walking toward Aiko and eventually past her, not saying anything at first and then yelling out as he continued walking, not turning back to her; ”If you wanna come, you better get moving, I don’t have time to wait for you to make up your mind, and call me Shikamaru.” He continued walking towards the Hokage’s office. He received a letter from the office a few days ago and was told to bring it along with him, but he wasn’t sure what it was about.

When he reached the front door he was immediately greeted by the secondary council member and directed to the room next to the Hokage’s office. Before he entered one of the officials spoke out; “That genin cannot enter the office without a assigned ledger, she must wait outside.” Shikamaru laughed quite a bit at the man and kept walking. ”Keep walking Aiko, that’s Kazuno, he’s delusional.” He continued up a set of stairs before he stopped at the door next to the Hokage’s office, knocking on the door and opening it. ”So what’s this all about?” The statement was directed to the three men sitting to the left side of the room. “Have a seat Shikamaru, we’re going to introduce you to your squad members.”Shikamaru shrugged to the men and continued walking to the desk in the middle of the room, sitting in the chair directly facing the door.”Aiko, please go stand by those men over there on the side of the room.” One of the men spoke. “We have sent out the letters to each of the young Genin, they should be here shortly.” Shikamaru put his head down on the desk and spoke. ”Whatever, just get it over with..”

The wait was on, no matter how unenthusiastic Shikamaru sounded he was quite curious to see who he would be leading and teaching. He hoped Aiko didn’t mind tagging along to this however, or else they’d have on cranky genin on their hands. Then the men on the side spoke;”Just so you know Shikamaru, you will be leading Team 1. You should be honored to be selected first to lead a squad, congratulations.”

[Ryuji Hyuuga]

Ryuji had woken up that morning rather early. He did his normal routine. He had recieved a letter which was adressed from the Hokage. He opened it and read " Dear Ryuji Hyuuga, you have been selected to be part of Konoha Genin team one, report to the Hokages office once you read this or atleast by 10:00 am and await for your sensei, Have a good day"

Ryuji smirked well this ought to be fun. He quickly threw on a shirt and Jacket and ran out the door. The streets were rather empty with only a few Shinobi and people wandering it. Ryuji eventually reached the Hokage office. Once inside it appeared he was the only one there rom his squad. The whole time he kept to himself on the way there. A jounin told him to sit and wait... and he did for hours. In that time his team showed up but... no Sensei. Finally Shikamaru enters. Ryuji let ut a sigh of annoyance, a late Sensei fun... a few minutes would be fine but no hours was kinda annoying. He rose " So, your our Sensei, pleasure to meet you, I'm Ryuji Hyuuga, and yourself?

[Hikari Mi]

Hikari was under her covers sleeping when her mom had shaken her to awaken her sleeping daughter. Hikari had recieved a letter and for some reason her mother couldn't help but read it and snoop.

"Its time to wake up Hikari..you have a letter that mentions you meeting your team members and leader today.."

Hikari's eyes popped open as she tossed the blanket on the floor and jumped out the bed running to the bathroom after grabbing her pile of neatly folded clothes for the day. Within ten minutes Hikari had showered, brushed her hair and teeth and got clothed..not to mention ate as well.

She wished her mom a good day before grabbing the letter and excitedly running towards the office, this crowd was slowing her down so she decided to jump onto the nearest rooftop and run as if she had stolen something.

When arriving she was ushered in by a Jonin and looked at a kid that seemed to be the only one sitting for now. She said nothing because Hikari was the type that observed people first before saying anything to them. When it was time for them to meet their sensei Hikari blinked when seeing Shikamaru, he didn't seemed to thrilled about this at all and that made her have a slanted frown.

"Good evening Sensei, I am Hikari Mi its a pleasure to meet you as well."

Something else had caught her eye though, another girl was sitting on the side with two other men but it didnt seem like she was part of the group.

Who was their other team member?

[Zephyr Uchiha]

You feel so empty, but I've got me a friend;
And I like it

"Meeoow!" Zephyr's eyes immediately opened and in an instant, his body was ejected from his bed. His back to the wall, sitting on the floor, he stared wide-eyed at his cat. His eyelids drooped and he sighed. It was just his cat. The thing was so darn annoying... He scratched his head, as a small bump had formed on his head from his collision with the wall. His sheets were all over the floor.

"Meow!" Zeffy slowly picked himself off of the floor and petted his cat. He couldn't blame the feline for wishing for attention. He and his family barely showed it much attention, besides feeding it and giving it water. He ushered the cat out of his way as he moved to replace all of his sheets onto his bed. The young Uchiha member then made sure that his bed was perfectly made before moving to take his morning shower. Things that were not being orderly and neat were... Slightly annoying to him.

After washing himself, he put on his usual attire. This consisted of mainly very plain clothes: a tan shirt, dark gray pants, and his black sandal-shoes. He obviously couldn't forget his headband, which he had earned only a some time ago. Zephyr remembered the moment of graduation well. It was an honor to him and the village. Now, he just had to impress them by becoming the strongest Uchiha alive. He wanted to become world famous, and make his clan proud by learning every jutsu. Then, and only then, he believed, would be be truly powerful. He tied his headband around his head and continued downstairs for a small breakfast, and then he was out the door.

As he exited his home, a man walked towards him from the street, with a letter in his hand. He merely said, "From the Hokage's office," and left without another word. Zephyr cut open the top flap of the envelope with a kunai from his back pocket and read the letter contained within after removing it. The letter detailed his invitation to the Hokage's office to receive the honor of being in Squad 1. He grinned widely, and a feeling of exuberance flowed through him. The letter caught on fire - obviously, chakra got displaced somehow by his emotions. He quickly blew it out, but not before the letter was essentially ash. Zephyr shrugged and allowed the dust to fly away in the wind. Nothing could make him sad now. He quickly began the trek towards the Hokage building...

It took a while, even while running, but Zephyr eventually found his way into the Hokage building. It was pretty hard to miss. It was, by far, the most massive building in the village. He entered without a word, but his excitement slowly began to creep up in him. He didn't even have time for niceties - he just wanted to meet his squad. He bet they were some of the most strongest Genin in his class - they had to be. Of course they would fit in all of the strong people into one squad. They'd all challenge each other and grow strong together.

Right? Zeffy didn't even want to think about if he was wrong. He didn't want to be put with a bunch of people who wouldn't aspire to anything. He felt that he would get dragged down immensely. Zephyr quickly ran through the halls and stairways, eventually making his way past Kazuno, who simply nodded to him, knowing the face of one of the Genins getting their squad assignments today. Zephyr came to the designated door he was supposed to go to, right next to the Hokage's office. He knew he was probably late, but he was out of breath. He took a few moments to capture his composure and wipe the little beads of sweat that ran down his cheek. He gulped, and then knocked.

"Enter," an ominous voice spoke from within the room. Zephyr's hand gripped the handle of the door and then turned it, pushing the door open to reveal to him the room. His first impression: it was giant. It had room for a large desk, and what appeared to be a large meeting area. Sitting in it were two girls, one with dark brown hair, and one he recognized as Aiko Uchiha. He smiled, and then noticed the boy sitting next to them, who was freakishly tall for someone who's face looked like someone very young - like his age, maybe. Also with them was a man, but one that still had a lot of youth still in him - Zephyr gauged him to be in his very early 20s at the highest, but possibly being in his teens.

A man to his side that appeared to be much older than the one he was observing older ushered him to the meeting area. He sat down in a chair next to Aiko. He then looked around again. There was a total of four genin here, and this man had to be a Chunin or Jounin... If this was his squad, why were there four members? There was no way... One of them wasn't in the squad.

"Well... Greetings, squad. I'm Zephyr Uchiha.." He said shyly. He wasn't very social. His eyes flittered around, but they mainly settled upon Aiko, the only person he knew there.

[Aiko Uchiha]

Aiko grinned widely when he had mentioned Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha of her clan, her answer was yes to his question and he knew by her simple head nod. "I know them both actually, my dad is very good friends with Mr.Fugaku, and alot of people tend to say Sasuke and I look alike..well I look like him when he was my age. It gets annoying, I actually want to become better than them! Girls can do just as much as they can!" She then giggled at him saying being a good person was a drag and then even more at his sarcastic tone.

She said nothing else as they walked and obeyed every order he had given her since she was accompanying him to the office. Aiko waved to Kazuno before rushing to catch up with Shikamaru..for someone who complained about walking here he was pretty quick on his feet. Then as they entered the room Aiko had sat down right next to the men and watched as the fellow Genin came in one by one.

There was a Hyuuga boy who was freakishly tall for his age, to her there was no way the boy was even around their age but she wasn't and couldn't judge anyone, next was a girl with long brown hair and these pretty blue eyes. She seemed very polite but withdrawn...now as the waited for the last person Aiko yawned. That was until she heard the door open and looked at the person coming in. It couldn't be..it was really Zephyr! Her smiled widend as he sat next to her and giggled a bit when he started acting shy, Aiko wanted nothing more than for her friend to get over this shy part of himself so he could really enjoy being around people.

"I am not on the team guys..if thats what you are wondering. I just tagged along with Shikamaru." Aiko looked at Zephyr smiling even more, "You'll be fine okay? Just talk with them like you had with me! They seem like really good people Zeph." Aiko then looked at Shikmaru, "Are you going to leave here with your team and get to know them..or are you going to stay here?"

[Takeshi Kaguya]

Shikamaru watched the young Genin file into the room. Their footsteps sending echoes though the silent room, there was a Genin already there, but he promptly ignored him on his way in. He picked his head up to see what the Hokage assigned him. He held back a grin as he saw the Hyuuga and Uchiha emblems on the two young boy’s clothes. Then there was this other young girl, she was mostly unfamiliar to him, perhaps a new clan made Konoha its home while he wasn’t keeping track? These thoughts were automatically shut out as each of the young Genin spoke to him. He didn’t give an immediate reply, but instead he placed his arm under his chin, resting his head upon it and examining the young genin. Shikamaru’s fingers gently tapped the table in unison; he remained silent for a while as he continued to study the young ninja.

" So, your our Sensei, pleasure to meet you, I'm Ryuji Hyuuga, and yourself?” Shikamaru remembered the boy asking him as he entered the room. He thought about how to respond, but then figured that introducing himself first might be the best course of action before going any further. He let out a slight sigh, leaning back in his seat, halting his finger tapping he took his eyes off of his squad and looked up at the ceiling. His eyes remained fixed on the ceiling for a few minutes. The officials that were originally in the room with Team 1 got up from their seats and exited the room, finally Shikamaru looked back at his squad. He adjusted his seating in the chair to make sure he was sitting up and finally spoke; ”I am Shikamaru Nara, or Shikamaru Sensei to you. I will be leading and teaching you from here on.” Shikamaru leant forward in his seat, placing his arms onto the table.

” "Good evening Sensei, I am Hikari Mi it’s a pleasure to meet you as well." Shikamaru waited for her to finish what she was saying before he decided on what he was going to do next. He stopped for a while, contemplating his next move. What could he get these kids to do to prove themselves? Well first thing is first; he needed to make sure they knew who their squad members were. ”Now, when I call your name come forward; Hyuuga Ryujin, Mi Hikari, Uchiha Zephyr.” He waited for his squad members to step up before he did anything further, then Aiko spoke out to him. "Are you going to leave here with your team and get to know them..or are you going to stay here?" He looked at her, not knowing how to reply, the room fell silent again as he thought of what he had planned for the squad.

”Aiko, I need you to stay put if you don’t mind. I might need you for a squad sparring session… He scratched his chin as he spoke and stood up out of his seat to examine his new squad members. The tallest being Ryuji who was just a few inches shorter than Shikamaru, then there was Hikari, a pretty young genin, but he couldn’t figure her out. Finally there was Zephyr, a quiet looking child, obviously another Uchiha. They reminded him of his old squad, well just slightly. He walked around to the front of the desk and leaned back resting upon the top of it as he awaited a reply from everyone in the room.

[Ryuji Hyuuga]

Ryuji stepped foward as Shikamaru called his name. " Actually it is Ryuji, not Ryujin, sorry. " Ryuji had said rather calmly. He watched as each person stepped up. One was a young girl who had blue hair. She seemed nice enough but these were just first impressions. Then there was a young boy, a Uchiha. This would be fun Hyuuga and a Uchiha on a team. He sighed. That girl is a Uchiha too, she seems nice enough and seems to disprove the Uchiha stereotype that they are all stuck up. Well its good to know thats not true all the time. Ryuji smirked slightly when he heard her say she wanted to be better than Sasuke and Itachi, such poster boys heh well if she puts her mind to it anything is possible, good to know people don't just let them do everything. He heard then Shikamaru talk about a squad spar. He sat back down. He decided to atleast rest if he knew battle was coming, it is the smart thing to do, while others see it as lazy it is infact preperation as why waste even the smallest bit of energy that is uneeded. These were sure to be fun times if not atleast interesting. " So its nice to meet all of you, you too Aiko, if I heard Shikamaru Sensei correct atleast, if not well still nice to meet you " Ryuji then simply sat back and watched

[Hikari Mi]

Hikari raised an eyebrow when seeing the other girl had started whispering to Zephyr. He seemed to be shy and all but for some reason he seemed at ease when having her around.

Next Hikari had heard their sensei's instructions and it surprised her when both the boys had stepped forward. Being placed on a team with a Hyuuga and Uchiha was interesting enough, this meant she really had to prove herself against these boys. Then Hikari studied Shikamaru a bit and could tell he was thinking of what to do next, then something else had seemed to catch her attention. The other girls name was Aiko and was another Uchiha once she stepped up to Shikamaru and asked what was his next step going to be Hikari had seen that emblem on the back of her clothes.

"Should we start heading to the training grounds Shikamaru sensei?" It felt weird having to call someone sensei but for some reason Hikari was waiting for this moment long enough and was more than excited to finally have a teacher. Maybe he could see her Kekkei Genkai and know some extensive information about it.

"Its nice to meet everyone as well.."

[Zephyr Uchiha]

Zephyr stayed still in his chair, his eyes flittering about. They were studying each and every one of the people around him - their demeanor, their voice patterns, and the like. It was just a hobby of his: studying people. Of course, it never hurt to know your squad mates, and their reactions to certain things. He'd know how to get on their good side in time, he believed.

And then his sensei called roll. Each of the other two members replied in turn, and Zephyr looked at them carefully - the Hyuuga member in specific. He believed his sensei called him Ryuji. The side of his lip curled upward ever so slightly in a show of enjoyment. A Hyuuga clan member was in his squad? This would prove interesting. The two clans were always competing, and this would just be another battle in the endless mental war between the two. He didn't want to fight Ryuji - heavens, no. He wanted to be his comrade to the best of his ability. This was just an interesting event that Zeffy believed would aid him grow stronger. Watching a Hyuuga at work could also help him with Taijutsu - which he was not too good at.

Zephyr snapped out of his gaze, noticing it was his turn as his sensei had called his name, and he stood up slowly. His eyes moved over to Aiko, knowing she wouldn't come with the squad, but then snapped back into attention on his sensei, who had called himself Shikamaru Nara. He recalled learning about them in the Academy. They used shadow jutsus and worked in the background, and were known to be quite intelligent. He'd be able to learn all kinds of things from this one.

Zephyr said not a word, however his stance showed everything that was needed to be known by the sensei. He was here, and he was ready.

[Aiko Uchiha]

Aiko nodded smiling ever so sweetly again once Shikamaru added that he may need her for a sparring match with his squad.

"Can they go ahead and go Shikamaru? I kinda feel like they are waiting to show you what they are capable of exactly."

Her head turned to Zephyr in particular, the smile was still on her face but Aiko really wanted to see what he could do on the battle field. Then she looked over at Ryuji and studied him a bit. The Hyuuga were what they believed neck and neck with the Uchiha clan..to her that had to be shown rather than said. This day would prove very interesting to her and even though she was not part of the squad her eyes shown with excitement.

Then the last girl caught her attention, not believing Hikari had any real special gifts Aiko wondered what was her specialty...she certaintly had a lot to prove since she was on a team with a Uchiha and Hyuuga.

[Takeshi Kaguya]

Shikamaru gave a nod to the young ninja; "I want Ryuji and Zephyr to go first, sparring in the Hokage's training area right outside of the front door. I will be able to see everything for the window here behind me." He pointed to the small window behind him.

The he looked over at Aiko. "You and Hikari can sit here and get to know each other, or you can go down and watch them. When they are finished with five bouts you two will spar." He was interested to see what kind of jutsu Hikari had, but more so he was interested in Ryuji and Zephyr, these two boys were special, and not to be taken lightly. If he could unlock their hidden powers they would definitely be a squad to be reckoned with.

"You may go." He turned his back to them and looked out of the window waiting for them to go outside.

[Ryuji Hyuuga]

Ryuji stood up. So he is to fight the Uchiha, how predictable yet fundamental in the prospect of knowing your team. Pit people who you assume are the best against eachother to test your theory. It may be right Zephyr may be the best or maybe Ryuji but maybe it was Hikari and he was wrong. Ryuji exiteded the door and began his walk to the training area. Of course Shikamaru assumes these 2 have more potential, they both live in the shadows of poster boys, Zephyr lives under Itachi and Sasuke while Ryuji lives under that of Neji. Is it foolish to judge one by their relatives but Ryuji has done it too, they are guilty. He reached the arena and nodded as he waited on Zephyr

[Zephyr Uchiha]

Zephyr felt out of breath when his sensei immediately told him he would be sparring his now-comrade Ryuji. This wasn't how squads worked... They worked together, not against each other... Why would he pit them against each other? Was it for his own sick, twisted amusement, or was there a logical reason behind it?

Zephyr didn't have time to think. By the look on Shikamaru's face, Zephyr knew there was no arguing the point. He reluctantly walked down the steps, shadowing Ryuji until the two left the building. He took the end of the arena opposite to Ryuji. Knowing his sensei, Aiko, and the other girl - Hikari, he thought - were not out here, he'd have a chance to talk.

"Hey," Zeffy said. "I know this is a spar... But I really don't want to fight, even if our clans are rivals. I just don't see the point of us fighting." It wasn't that Zephyr was scared - he wasn't. It was that he just didn't want to start something big against the two clans, and that he didn't like fighting much, unless he had a good reason to.

[Hikari Mi]

"Shikamaru sensei..." Hikari looked at him but then shook her head as him and Aiko had turned to look over at her. "Nevermind.." Maybe this once it was best to keep her thoughts to herself on how he paired up the fights.

A look of discontent set on her face as she watched her two new squad members exit the building and stand in the training area. Sure, they were in the two powerful clans in the leaf but Hikari had an unsettling feeling that she would have to prove herself as a value to the team. It was already bad enough that once word got out about the first squad was picked most people were going to talk about those two, she was going to be stuck in the shadow unless she proved her worth.

"Hmm.." Hikari crossed her arms and just smirked a bit waiting for anything to happen.

[Aiko Uchiha]

Aiko frowned a bit sensing hesitation in Zephyr when he had left to go outside, "I wonder whats going to happen..whats next after this Shikamaru?"

But then Aiko had heared Hikari speak and looked at her to see what exactly what she was going to say. When the girl decided not to be vocal about what was on her mind Aiko seemed to understand a little bit about what was going on. Hikari had to seem like she was already standing in the boys shadow. Who could blame her honestly being paired with a Uchiha and a Hyuuga and your sensei didn't have a single clue of your ablities was a bit frustrating.

"Hikari it'll be fine..I promise." She smiled sweetly before looking outside the window along with Hikari. As the boys exited the building a small smile was on her. She was hoping the Zephyr would do well despite his hesitation.

[Ryuji Hyuuga]

" Yeah I know but there must be a method to his madness so lets get this over with, besides fighting is often a way to see a true person, their heart and mind, this is only a small spar to test, almost like a greeting, he also may be using this to see our weaknesses to improve upon them. " Ryuji smiled and bowed at Zephyr. He rose and got into stance. So the other 3 wished to watch. Very well. Ryu was ready but he would not go all out. He hoped the Uchiha would do the same.

(Short I know)

[Zephyr Uchiha]

Zephyr looked at Ryu with a reluctant look on his face. It seems Ryuji shared his thinking but still would fight. Zephyr sighed, and then turned his body to the side, his left facing his opponent. He planted his left foot and slid his right foot back, and spread apart his legs a little. This allowed him freer movement to dodge if an attack came or to attack with great haste if he must. However, he still thought that he would not go on the offensive.

He gulped, and what he thought could be regret, said, "You make the first move." This would be interesting, to say the least.

[Ryuji Hyuuga]

Ryuji was told to make the first move. He sent the chakra towards his eyes as he closed his crimson eyes. Once he opened them they were pure white. This was the Byakugan. Ryuji saw chakra flowing throughout Zephyr. He figured not to do anything to drastic. He quickly in almost flowing motion sent his right palm at Zephyrs left shoulder chakra point in the near top section. This would be a simple yet effecrtive start. He hoped he would hit yet he wished for the Uchiha to dodge this, he was infact unsure of what he wanted exactly.

[Zephyr Uchiha]

Zephyr quietly watched his opponent. His eyes focused on the eyes of his opponent. Both clans were known for their top-tier Dojutsu, the Byakugan and the Sharingan. The Byakugan was apparent at birth or a very young age for most Hyuuga; however, the Sharingan was unlocked at a later age for Uchiha, and generally only in extreme circumstances. Zeffy had not yet activated his Sharingan for the first time, and he sometimes doubted if he ever would, but deep inside, he knew he couldn't ever give up hope.

He had the disadvantage. He knew little jutsu, and even worse, his opponent was skilled in close-range, whereas he was not. Zephyr's advantage lied in range, but he couldn't possibly use the Goukakyuu no Jutsu without setting the area - or worse, his comrade - on fire. The potential for death or injury was too high to risk.

Zephyr noted Ryuji's change in eye colour. Veins bulged near his eyes, and his normally-red eyes turned a pale white. The Byakugan had been unleashed. No doubt his opponent could see his entire chakra network. If he got hit by the Gentle Fist - if his opponent knew it - he'd be pummeled. He had to keep moving, keep dodging. He wouldn't attack without motivation.

Ryuji moved forward, his right hand slicing through the air forward, with the palm extended. The hand seemed to be coming towards his left side. Zephyr quickly took evasive action, and slid to the right, allowing Ryuji to pass harmlessly by where he once stood. Zephyr dug his heels into the ground after moving several yards to the right of where Ryuji was now located.

"I told you," Zephyr commented with gritted teeth. "I won't fight." He took his original stance again, ready to move out of the way of another strike.

[Ryuji Hyuuga]

" Well then, it seems your truthful after all, I though you might be playing a ploy, well if you won't fight I won't either I don't attack those who are surrendering, I may not look it but I do however have honor a trait passed down in the Hyuugas or atleast to most, one of the few traits I accept from them so come on lets go back " Ryuji said as the vains dissappeared from around his eyes and they turned red again. He put his hands in his pockets and began his short Journey back to Shikamaru, Hikari and Aiko. So Zephyr seems good enough and as far as he can see Zephyr is honest enough, thats a good trait to have in a teammate. Now lets see how Hikari fights and handles things. Ryu has actually decent expectation of Hikari she seems to be unnoticed on the team yet may be one of the best who knows. Ryuji thinks she is abit more than people give her. He smirked as he approached the door. Lets see if Ryu was right. Ryuji opened the door. " Shikamaru Sensei I believe thats it, niether of us wish to fight eachother truly. "

[Zephyr Uchiha]

Zephyr studied his opponents next moves carefully. He seemed to be relenting, and accepting the surrender of sorts. The Byakugan was deactivated and Ryuji turned to walk the other way. Suspecting a ploy, Zephyr hung back a few meters from the Hyuuga boy, but nothing happened. The two approached their sensei, Aiko, and Hikari. Ryuji spoke for the both of them, Zephyr not saying a word. He merely smiled at Aiko and then turned his attention to Shikamaru - he might have some words of wisdom (or reprimand) for them.

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