Chapter Three (Patreon)

“Uchiha Fugaku, Hyuga Haruko, Hua Jing. You are assigned to Team One. Meet your Jonin-sensei at Training Ground fifteen.”

Jing nodded, as did her new teammates. She looked over at them. Uchiha Fugaku jutted his head forward, gesturing towards a small copse of trees. Jing traded a glance with Haruko, then nodded. In seconds they were gone. The three new Genin might not have the Shushin, but they did not lack for physical speed.

“So much for balanced teams,” Haruko said as they came to a halt under the oak’s shade.

“Quite,” Uchiha Fugaku agreed. “It is clear that the Hokage has high expectations for this team. I plan to exceed them.”

“Agreed,” Jing said. “I take it you wish for us to introduce ourselves?”

“Yes. The two of you are clearly close, but we have only known each other for part of a year, and I am certain we were all holding back in class.” Fugaku smiled half-heartedly. “I’ll start. My name is Uchiha Fugaku. I am the heir of the Uchiha Clan. I specialize in far and mid-range combat and Fire Release. I have mastered the Sharingan, but have not unlocked the Mangekyō.”

“I am Hyuga Haruko. I am the niece of the Hyuga Clan head. I specialize in close-range combat and Taijutsu. I have mastered most of the Gentle Fist and have a range of six hundred meters with my Byakugan.”

“It is good to meet you, Haruko-san.”

“Just Haruko,” Haruko corrected. “Or at least Haruko-kun.”

“Then you must call me Fugaku.”

Haruko bowed slightly and smiled. She poked Jing in the side. “Your turn.”

Jing rolled her eyes, but spoke nonetheless. “I am Hua Jing. I am a clanless orphan. I do not have a preferred combat distance and specialize in Lightning Release. I have decent skill with the Searing Lightning style of Taijutsu and have a range of two hundred meters with my Sensing. I can Sense through most Chunin-level illusions and deceptions.”

“It is good to meet you, Jing-san.”

“Call me Jing, Fugaku-san.”

“Call me Fugaku.”

The three Genin stood in silence for a moment.

“We should probably find our Jonin,” Haruko mentioned. “Do either of you know where Training Ground fifteen is?”

“Yes,” Fugaku answered. “It’s past the park in the eastern district, near the walls. Let’s go.”

With those prophetic words, the three Genin began to sprint again. The leapt up the trees, hopping across them before landing on the rooftops a few blocks from the school. With her new Exact ability, Jing found the tree-walking and chakra jumping easier than ever. She kept stride with Fugaku, a half-pace behind him and to the left. Haruko took the right, while Fugaku lead them forward across the village’s skyline.

Within minutes they came to a stop, leaping off the buildings and onto tree-branches once more. The three Genin hopped from limb to limb, breezing through the canopy.

“Stop!”

Jing obeyed swiftly, latching herself onto the nearest branch. “Haruko?”

“I can see him,” Haruko said. “He’s three hundred eighty-two meters away. That way,” she gestured to the side. “Follow me.”

A few seconds later, they arrived in a small clearing. A creek trickled nearby. Two stumps sat in the clearing. A young man with silver hair stood atop one.

“Come down.”

The three Genin obeyed, smoothly transitioning from the tree branches to the grassy floor.

“You came together,” their Jonin said. “That is a good sign. But sometimes good signs are not enough. To be a shinobi is to endure. To be a shinobi of Konohagakure is to endure together. Your task is to survive. Succeed, and I will be your Jonin-senei. Fail . . . and we need not see each other again.”

Haruko looked stunned. Fugaku blanched. Jing looked at the letters that appeared in her mind’s eye and began to fear.

New Quest: Pass your Jonin’s test as a team

Reward: 1x Medium Companion Blessing

Failure: You are barred from having a Jonin-sensei

You didn’t think it was as easy as the Academy, did you?

“Begin!” the Jonin gleefully declared, and leapt at Fugaku. Haruko wasted no time, and launched herself as well. Though slower than Hatake-sama Haruko was closer to Fugaku. She arrived in front of him with only a breath to spare, her arms reaching out towards Hatake-sama’s chakra-covered fists and deflecting them at the wrist. Jing took the moment to split into clones before calling down a lightning strike at Hatake-sama.

Despite being on his back foot from the deflection, Hatake-sama easily pivoted, avoiding the sharp bolt of lightning that flew down from the clear skies and hopping aside. Without so much as using a hand seal he moved, flying through two of Jing’s clones. As he moved towards a third, Fugaku launched his jutsu. A fireball the size of a small pond was condensed into a single bolt and flung at the Jonin. Hatake-sama leapt back, narrowly avoiding the lightning bolt that came after him. He sprung back into position, only for Hakuro’s pointed fingers to jab at his neck. Rather than retreating again, Hatake-sama moved forward, around the fingers and into closer range. His chakra-covered fist slammed into Hakuro’s stomach, creating a small gust with his speed. Hakuro doubled over, grimacing, but continued to fight. She knocked aside his next attack, then the one after. She retreated, her movements guided by Hatake-sama. She was too close for Fugaku to help with his ninjutsu, and Hatake-sama was too skilled for Jing to assist in close combat.

At least, with her traditional moves.

“On my count, jump,” Jing said. She braced herself against the ground. Her fingers moved in swift seals. Lightning-Boar-Horse-Snake. A ball of lightning grew between her fists. “One,” Jing began, sprinting towards Hatake-sama. “Two.” Haruko braced against a nearby tree. “Three!”

Haruko kicked off the tree, pushing excessive chakra into her tree-walking to send herself fling up and over Hatake-sama’s head. Fugaku leapt up as well, jumping into a tree bough. Hatake-sama merely grinned as he pivoted. His hands came up, ready to block Jing’s attack.

“Boom.”

The ball of lightning between her hands exploded. Lightning flared off it, zapping both Jing and Hatake-sama. But Jing could handle it. Her Superconductive body simply took the charge and threw it to the ground, a hint of the power refilling her chakra as it went. Hatake-sama’s eyes widened as the ball exploded. His chakra swelled into being, his might unleashed upon the small clearing. A shield of lightning appeared before him, absorbing each of the ball’s attacks.

Jing concentrated, and called another lightning bolt from the heavens. Hatake-sama jumped back to avoid it, landing in the trees opposite Fugaku and Haruko.

“What now?” Fugaku asked, a fireball already forming in his hands.

“Now?” the Jonin asked. He smiled, his chakra suddenly pooling back into his body. “You pass.”

Fugaku stumbled, his fireball shutting off. An embarrassing reaction, but better than Jing or Haruko managed. Both of them fell to the ground, something that was rather a longer trip from Haruko’s position in the trees.

“I can see you’re tired,” Hatake-sama (Hatake-sensei, Jing corrected) said. “Come here tomorrow at six, and your training will begin.” In a flash, he disappeared.

There was a long moment of silence. Fugaku landed in the clearing. He hesitated, then took a seat as well.

“We did it,” Haruko said suddenly. “We really–we did it! We got a Jonin-sensei!”

“Not just a Jonin-sensei,” Jing corrected, matching her friend’s grin. “We got Hatake Sakumo! Only the Hokage himself has more experience fighting on the front lines.”

“Do you think we’ll start fighting there as well?” Fugaku asked. Haruko looked to Jing as well.

“Probably. But I’m sure he’ll make sure we’re ready for it.” Jing grinned. “We got a Jonin-sensei. That was the easy bit. Now we need to make sure we keep up with him.”

“Ugh,” Haruko groaned.

*

Quest Completed: Pass your Jonin’s Test

Reward: 1x Medium Companion Roll

Medium Companion Blessing

Thunderbird

A thunderbird of legend, existing as the counterpart to the mythical Phoenix. It is capable of moving extremely quickly and controlling the weather, summoning rain and thunder down at will as well as being able to release it itself. She is a female and is capable of laying eggs, do not ask who the father is.

Note: To fit in with your world, this functions as a Summoning Contract with the Cranes, an ancient summoning clan of great wisdom. You will need to prove your worthiness to them

Adept Charisma

You have an aura of charisma around you, it is less of a skill and more of something that is just around you. People of note feel themselves more attracted to your presence, you are more intimidating when you want to be, you are more persuasive when you try to be.

Jing didn’t hesitate for a moment. She knew of cranes. She had seen immortal cranes in her last life, ones that possessed great knowledge and worked for the gods. She had seen a crane that mastered kung-fu, a crane that could shoot fire from its beak, even a crane that ascended to the heavens on a lightning chariot. A summoning contract with a clan of cranes was too good to pass up, even on the off-chance that she could prove herself worthy.

Jing chose. The words disappeared from her mind. Then there was a pull. Jing followed along, letting the world fade into black. Then she blinked, watching as a sun rose across a field of dew-covered grass.

Grass that soon crunched beneath black talons. Jing stood quickly, falling into a stance. Before her stood a bird. Long black legs led to a white feathered body, wings folded neatly to its side. Lines of black feathers were drawn across the back of the wings and around the neck and head. At three meters tall, Jing could not see the spot of red that marked the bird’s head.

“Well,” the crane said. “What have we here?”