So... there new people for him to train. Cousins, from the looks of the paperwork. Wonderful... Naota thought he'd made it clear that he never wanted one of his cousins as a student? Perhaps the famed Inuzuka hearing wasn't all it was hyped to be. Or maybe -- and Naota wouldn't put it past Kenta -- this was the Kage's way of congratulating him on the promotion to Sannin.

He'd met the rest of the squad already; it was time to 'meet' the last two. Why he chose the cemetary... well, even he didn't know. He suppose the reason would come to him in time. Everything happened for a reason, didn't it?

Black eyes watched the gate of the cemetary; waiting for his students to enter. He stood between two open graves, arms crossed over his bare chest....

Kenji Uchiha awoke with a start he had fallen asleep late reading a book his father had given him, it was a tale of a gutsy shinobi which was about a stubborn ninja who would never give up. It was definitely an interesting read the book rested open on his chest, he held it up marked where he last was and placed it on his shelf next to his bed, he sat up yawned and stepped out of bed his parents were already up he could hear them downstairs.

He walked up to his wardrobe lazily opened it and grabbed his usual outfit, it appeared chilli outside so he wrapped a red scarf around his neck which matched the colour of his blazing red hair.

He looked at the time it was rather early he wondered why he got up so early, Oh yeah i'm supposed to meet my sensei and squad today. He tidied up his bed and quickly headed downstairs told his parents he was going out to train with a new squad, then ran at a fast amount of speed to the graveyard. Bit of an odd place to train but it wasn't his decision though personally he preferred to train in the forest, where he hoped to return to after this was over.

He made it to the graveyard in no time at all he saw a tall man with folded arms, inbetween two graves it seemed that Kenji was early as the other squad member hadn't arrived yet. He approached his new teacher.

"Hey there I'm Kenji Uchiha i'm here to train." He said with confidence not overconfidence as he was told to respect his teachers.

The path to the cemetry was quiet, with nobody around to disturb his thoughts. Ryūji had woken up especially early in order to make a good impression, but unfortunately he'd lost a little time being lectured by his father. The young Uchiha had to listen to a fifteen minute lecture on how not to embarrass the family name, and then he got blamed for leaving the house late. He now knew his new squad leader was an Uchiha - like himself, and a pretty well-known one at that.

The thought that Ryūji was going to the graveyard was a strange one, it seemed that it was quite the common place to meet up. "Maybe it is the new hot spot..." he thought back to the other night, and he found himself letting out a small chuckle.

Ryūji quickly found himself at the entrance, next to the gate. He could see his fellow Uchiha ahead of him. Both were around his age - which surprised him, and he also recognized one of them. Kenji was there with him, they'd met the other day and he had no idea that they would be in a team together.

The other Uchiha was unfamiliar. Ryūji thought it was a pretty safe assumption that he was the squad leader, since he was looking rather menacing next to two empty graves. Taking his place next to his fellow Genin Ryūji gave both the Uchiha a bow. "My name is Ryūji Uchiha, it's an honor to meet you." he spoke in a quiet but ultimately respectful manner.

"Heh..." The male stepped away from the graves, lifting a hand to remove a bit of dirt from beneath his fingernails. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad; they were respectful, or at least Ryuji was. Naota was far from arrogant; but he did enjoy the respect his position demanded. Even moreso given that most of the clan had looked down upon him for most of his life.

"My name is Uchiha Naota. I'll be your sensei. Seems Kenta enjoys doing exactly the opposite of what I ask him. " The male sighed, rolling his eyes. Looking at his 'students', he frowned.

"I won't lie to you two. I do not like many of my cousins. They all seem to be the same to me." As he spoke, the male reached into the pouch at his hip, and pulled out something that seemed to shimmer in the light of the day. He took his time, wrapping a bit of it around his left hand, and let the rest hang and pool on the ground.

"So, I have a question for the two of you. Why are you a ninja?"

Naoto was his name and it appeared that he was an Uchiha but didn't seem too happy to have two as his students Kenji was confused by this, he gave him a odd look. He was a proud Uchiha and he didn't approve of his sensei for not having pride in his Clan, but he kept this in his head he didn't want to mess things up on the first day of training.

"That's fine..i'm only here to become stronger." He spoke coldly then he heard someone speak a male voice he sounded familar, Kenji turned his head and saw Ryuji jad entered the graveyard at least it was someone he knew though not that well.

He gave him a small nod and the next question that was asked by his sensei took him a while to respond to.

"To awaken my Sharingan and become a strong Shinobi to protect those that are important to me." He wasn't sure if this was his true ninja way, he valued his friends and ever since that incident where his friend died he swore to hinself that he would never allow his comrades to die.

It was a shock to hear that Naoto did not like many of his other clan members, just like Ryūji himself. This simple fact made him feel a little more comfortable. He watched intently as the Sannin pulled out some sort of shimmering item from his pouch, he didn't know what it was but it interested him greatly.

Ryūji was initially dumbfounded by the question, what was the reason he became a ninja? Many ideas surged through his brain, each more ridiculous than the last. A ninja was what he was always taught to be, it was in his blood, he was an Uchiha! But thinking about it Ryūji realised that it wasn't a great motivation, and he wouldn't become a great ninja just because of that.

He waited until Kenji finished before he started talking. "I became a ninja because my father told me to, and as an Uchiha I was expected to be a great ninja." Ryūji started off his sentence a bit weak, but the more he talked the more confidence he gained. "But I continue to be a ninja because I wish to protect Konoha, and everyone who is not strong enough to protect themselves."

"I see." Those black eyes blinked slowly, taking in the information. One of the answers... he didn't like. This would have to be corrected; he was their sensei afterall.

"Our eyes maybe our greatest strength, but they can also become our greatest weakness." His voice lowered, as the air around him would heat up somewhat. "Too many of our kin depend so much on their eyes. There are many ninja who have developed counter measures to our eyes." Naota rolled his shoulders, audible cracking sounds filling the air.

"Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps I have to nothing to worry about with you two. Maybe you two will be fine." With a small shrug, the male stepped over a headstone, oblivious as to whose it was. He began walking among the graves, and he beckoned them to follow. "I was like you two once. Wanting to be ninja like the rest of my family. My father was well respected in his time; hell, the old man still is. But me? I wasn't so lucky. I was deemed a failure even before I was admitted to the academy." As he walked, the shimmering stubstance would lift itself from the ground as the male forced chakra into it; the faint blueish tint outlining a multitude of thin wires. These wires would lift up, wrapping themselves around his arm as he moved. "So.. let me ask you again. Why are you shinobi?"

Kenji had to give Ryuji some credit his goal sounded much bigger than his was in fact he wasn't even sure if what he said was his true goal as a Shinobi, the image of his lost friend's death kept re appearing in his mind as he looked deeper into his mind on what his true motives were. Sure he never wanted it to happen again, but was his will strong enough?.

As if that wasn't enough to think about after Naoto sensei told them about his past, how the other Uchiha looked down on him, Kenji couldn't help but sympathize with him. His father too was a respected Shinobi and even though he was greeted by the other clan pleasantly he knew that they didn't approve him, due to the fact that he hadn't awakened his Sharingan eyes yet and graduating the Academy later than his father did.

Despite that Naoto was talking about the Sharingan eyes Kenji knew that it was directly aimed at him, he listened carefully and surprisingly he was agreeing with him the Uchiha do rely on their eyes too much. He was able to get by so far without them so why should he feel pressured by the other Clan members to awaken them, it's not like he needed them really.

While this was still at the back of his mind, Kenji replied to Naoto's question "To prove to my Clan that it doesn't take the Sharingan to be strong." He started confidently and carried on as though he had graduated all over again "And to protect those who are important to me, like me friends and of course the Leaf Village." He ended with a small smile and waited calmly for Ryuji to speak.

Ryūji listened intently to Naoto's monologue, interested in what he had to say. Especially the part where Naoto talked about other shinobi learning to counteract the eyes of an Uchiha. He had listened to his father talk about the Uchiha often enough, and their Kekkai Genkai - the Sharingan - would come up often.

He followed the Sannin through the graveyard, unsure of what their goal was today. He had been at there for less than fifteen minutes and he was already baffled. As he talked it was strange how much Ryūji identified with Naoto. They both had problems with their respective fathers, and while the Genin had not been called a failure, his inability to use fire jutsu marked him as an outsider even amongst his own clan.

As they all walked Ryūji kept his eyes on the strings Naoto had conjured up. Although he was their Squad Leader he didn't entirely turst him, he knew this was to be a test and he didn't want to fail.

The question surprised him, had his answer not been sufficient last time? Or maybe it was something else. Luckily for him Kenji answered first, leaving him adequate time to think. Listening to his fellow Genin's answer, Ryūji realised it had changed from last time. While before he had said he wanted to awaken his Sharingan, now Kenji said he wanted to prove he was strong without it. Maybe he had yet to find his true purpose.

It was Ryūji's turn to answer once again, and he had quickly decided on what he wanted to say. "My answer is the same as before, to protect Konoha and the people who can't fight for themselves." he answered confidently, adamant that his way was the right one.

(I apologize for the short post.)

"Very good, gentlemen." The male smirked, continueing to move through the graves. The questions were a test, a way to judge them psychologicly. He wish to know if he were dealing with the typical Uchiha that his clan was infgamous for producing; uptight, arrogant asshats, slaves to thier own goals. He had no time for those; they would be the downfall of the clan. Again.

"I would like.. to know what you fear. Anything."

Kenji couldn't help but noticed the strings that Naoto had set up while they were walking he wasn't sure what he was planning, as he hadn't even mentioned what kind of training they would be doing. He seemed interested in understanding his students, Kenji didn't mind as he himself was learning more about about his team-mate and Sensei, by the sounds of things he would be able to rely and trust both of them. But he was eager to get going with the training, as he was getting determined to prove himself not just as an Uchiha. But a Shinobi.

Naoto seemed to approve their statements now more so than before, why did Kenji get the feeling that this was some kind of test? Oh well it seemed he had passed. His sensei's next question seemed simple enough, what did he fear the most?.

He could easily answer this question "Insects...they scare me because I lost a dear friend to a Giant spider like creature..." He said quietly trying to not think about his only friend's death, impaled by one of the spider summoning's legs, a chill went up his spine just thinking about it.

He took a deep breath and continued "Even to this day I will not forget his sacrifice, he saved my life when I was too afraid to do anything. I've burnt every insect since then." he finished trying to calm himself, it wasn't just fear but a mixture of hatred and self regret. But he made a promise today that he would never allow his comrades to die, as long as he lived.

Relief washed over him, at first he didn't know whether or not he had answered the questions well enough, but it seemed he had passed so far. He continued to follow Naoto and Kenji, lagging behind the both of them. The next question made Ryūji slightly nervous, never before had he revealed the secret about his fear to an almost complete stranger.

He listened closely to Kenji's answer, mentally preparing himself to do the same. As his fellow Uchiha finished his answer Ryūji felt a shiver go up his spine. It wasn't what happened to his friend which creep him out, but rather the fact that Kenji would kill insects in spite. "I better watch out for this guy, he might have a screw loose." he thought to himself, careful not to express his inner thoughts to his team-mate.

After a few seconds Ryūji decided he had to speak, being scared of fire was one thing, but being scared of talking about it was ridiculous. "Fire...." he spoke softly, scared of admitting an Uchiha would be scared of fire. "I never liked it in the first place, and ever since I got caught in a fire a few years ago it has terrified me." He didn't look Naoto in the eyes as he spoke, but instead into the distance, hoping they wouldn't see his weakness.

Naota stopped short; head tilting. Their fears were standard, nothing really special. He'd read the profiles on the two of them long before he'd called this meeting; Naota wanted to see if the Uchiha would admit a weakness.

"Congrats on being open. Not many people would admit to a fear in front of people they hardly know." Turning to face them, the string would be drawn back to him, the excess dragging on the ground lifting up, wrapping itself around the male's arm. "I admit, gentlemen, you have passed a simple test. However, some things must be addressed. Kenji.." Black eyes would be turned upon the male, widening some. "Your fear of insects is a small problem. If you are ever partnered with any of the Aburame, you cannot let your fear rule you. It would be bad for business if you began killing their weapons." Naota shifted his weight from foot to foot, mouth opening in a silent yawn. "I shall arrange for you to train with a few of the clansmen.. to build up a tolerance. For the moment, you are dissmissed."

Turning his gaze to Ryuji, the male paused for a moment, considering an idea. A smile spread across his face once the choice was made, and when he spoke, his voice held a hint of amusement. "And you, sir... you are going to love this. I shall send for you in a few days. Please, bring a change of underwear. Dissmissed."

(Sorry for the late reply.)

Kenji smiled slightly after Naoto spoke he felt that it was right that he tell his sensei about his fear, it was always eating at him. But he didn't like the idea of training with the clansmen, Naoto guessed right he might ruin a mission if he was teamed up with the insect users, as they would creep him out and he would either keep his distance, or set fire to them. Kenji looked down to the ground wondering if teaming up with them would help him overcome this, when you think about it childish fear.

Then something about Ryuji surprised him Kenji would never have guessed that he was afraid of fire, he began to sympathize for his squad mate it must have been rough for him in the Clan, as fire was the Clan's bread and butter jutsu. He made a mental note not to scare him by suddenly scorching an insect on his face or something.

He listened to his Sensei's final words and was surprised that this was all they had to do and he was dismissed. He looked at Naoto his eyes similar to his and gave him a nod showing that he understood what he had to do.

"I see...well thanks I will try my best to work with them, see you around Ryuji, Naoto-Sensei." He turned around and gave them a thumbs up before he walked out of the graveyard back home.

Ryūji didn't necessarily think telling somebody your intimate weakness was a good thing, but he was comfortable telling Naoto due to the fact that he was their team-leader. He watched once again as the string wound it's way around the Sannin's arm, and he couldn't help but feel compelled to discover its true nature. He hypothesized that they were some sort of instrument that Naoto used to channel his Chakra through - somehow animating them, but the technique would be far more advanced than anything Ryūji knew.

He felt a tad sorry for Kenji having to fight alongside the Aburame, but he knew it was a necessity to learn to conquer his weakness. Naoto's words to him on the other hand seemed a lot more mysterious. He couldn't help but feel a little nervous, and it showed. But he knew better than to argue, and maybe it would do him some good to try and get rid of his weakness. When he was dismissed he gave Naoto a quick bow and did the same to Kenji, but by that time the other young Uchiha was already walking away. Shortly after he walked out of the graveyard himself, feeling relieved that the day had gone so well.