Terms:

The sun seeped over the mountainside, kissing the earth that the village hidden in the leaves resided on. Sousetsu could be found in the administration building reading three distinct parchments of paper. The receptionist looked up at the newly appointed Hokage and watched in awe as scanned the page with darting eyes and clenched jaw. His mind took mental images of the pages that he possessed.

'Name: Uzumaki, Toshiko
Gender: Male
Age: 14
Birthday: May 28th'

He was proficient in ninjutsu and fuuinjutsu with accompanied elements, lightning and fire. The profile picture had shown Sousetsu the appearance of the young man who wore a black jumpsuit, florescent green eyes and black hair. Usually a positive person but gave off a hint of arrogance. He wondered if the Genin would do so in front of the Hokage, he would do well not to however.

He moved this page to the back of the small pile and began scanning the next. The receptionist just gazed at his facial expressions trying to determine his thoughts but came to no avail. A concerned expression of her own could be seen.

'Name: Sarutobi, Kaneda
Gender: Male
Age: 12
Birthday: July 30th'

This Genin favoured taijutsu over his ninjutsu it seemed as he continued to read. As a Sarutobi, it was only natural that he contained the fire element and was accompanied with lightning, much like Toshiko before. The image before him showed a young man with straight white hair, pale skin, brown eyes, and a black shirt. His jaw clenched once more before flipping the page to the back of the pile to which the receptionist almost let out a small squeak.

He turned for a brief moment with a raised eyebrow and blank face to the woman behind the desk before slowly taking his gaze down to the next piece of parchment, inhaling and exhaling deeply.

'Name: Uzumaki, Hideki
Gender: Male
Age: 13
Birthday: June 28th'

Possible close relationship with Toshiko? That matter alone was dangerous to Sousetsu as he believed that any family members should be in separate squads. He was however, under his protection but who was to say he would always be there? A fuuinjutsu user with taijutsu as a secondary specialty. An unusual set of elements. Fire and lightning, all three contained these elements to his surprise. An interesting aspect of course. The picture had shown the Hokage a short sleeved gray and black shirt and a dark gray jacket over it. Blue eyes and long black hair concluded all the details he needed to know about his new squad.

He set the sheets aside on the desk before both the Hokage and the receptionist to which she hesitatantly retrieved.

"Send them letters right away. Meeting point is the 'Rolling Hills.' he spoke stoically as he made his way to the door.

She bowed formally and agreed to his wish. He turned to face her once more and grinned, "Please, try not to read me. Enjoy your day." he giggled slightly. With another small squeak she apologized and bowed once more to which he returned with his own formal bow before exiting.

Before long, he arrived at the rolling hills and saw the firm and soft land before him. It's beauty seemed unmatched as the sun glistened off the many flowing streams of water and the flowers radiated with a warm glow. The grass was a pure emerald green that completed the setting Sousetsu had grown accustom to. The calls of the many wildlife created an orchestra giving off its composition of the nature sounds. He tilted his head and closed his eyes as he overlooked the Oceanside. He could be seen wearing his black sleeveless jumpsuit with Hokage coat which held blue decal as opposed to the traditional red. His blade was worn across his lower back at a diagonal angle and bandages covered his forearms down past his wrists. The cloth head band emblazoned with the Senju symbol flailed wildly in the breeze. His arms crossed, holding them tight he completed the stoic appearance that was Sousetsu Senju. The Juushichidaime Hokage.

Word Count: 608

608/1000 For lightning Force

A series of obnoxious knocks had woken up the boy, scared that he was being evicted he quickly hopped out of bed and tossed on a shirt and answered the door. To his surprise no one at the door. "weird." Kaneda muttered. Quickly glancing over the hallway ,and seeing no one was in sight he glanced down and noticed a marked letter with the Konohagakure binding it closed. Picking the letter up it had only his name on the reverse side, Could this be about his incident at the hot springs? or maybe was this information on his squad assignment,nervous he tore open the letter it went as such:

"Dear, Sarutobi, Kaneda

I am happy to inform you that you have been placed among my ranks and that you are officially one of the students that have been placed underneath my tutelage, you are to report to the 'rolling hills' area adjacent to the village. I am expecting you soon!
- Senju, Sousetsu"

After reading the letter the boy immediately began jumping for joy he was now going to be apart of a team. He read the letter a second time but this time he noticed the name at the bottom of the page " Sousetsu Senju" the name rung in his head, he read it a third time just to make sure he didn't misread the name and in that instant his mind turned into mush, he wasn't able to comprehend, this was the hokage's name! Was he really to believe that he was going to be learning under the leader of the village, one of the most powerful people in the shinobi world?! he couldn't believe this not even for a second, now lying down on the floor his mind was buzzing and filled with questions, beyond over joyed.


Not wanting to be late Kaneda quickly ran to his dresser and pulled out a short sleeved t-shirt with a flared collar it was black as night and had a small sarutobi clan insignia on the left breast side he paired this with cargo shorts and his standard open toed boots
he quickly bandaged his arms to just above the elbow and his legs to just above the knees. All he had left to put on was his prized possession his konoha forehead protector, closing all his windows and shutters and taking a quick look around his sparsely decorated one room home to make sure there was no one there to watch him withdraw his precious Headband. Methodically turning the knob to the safe and landing on the 3 digits
he personally programmed into the machine he pulled out his onyx colored Forehead protector and fastened it to his with such ferocity that it made his head pound.Slamming the safe shut he bounded out of his apartment and headed for the rolling hills to meet his Sensei.

It was a warm day, the village was alive with a dull roar of people moseying on around town but Kaneda was in a hurry he took off from his apartment complex and nearly knocked over a few pedestrians on his way to the rolling hills. Never before had he been late for a shinobi assignment so he decided that it would be best if he stuck to roof tops so he could sprint at full speed, within minutes he had arrived at the famous rolling hills jumping down from a tree top and landing without making a sound he saw two figures infront of him the first was a boy in a black jumpsuit, with florescent green eyes and black hair. The boy was holding his hand out to a fair skinned man wearing a black sleeveless jumpsuit with Hokage coat which held blue decal as opposed to the traditional red, with piqued interest Kaneda watched the two interact from only a few feet away waiting for his turn to jump in.

WC:656

A pair of deep azure eyes opened, an unusual setting being created as Hideki sat up, knowing right away that he wasn't alone within his home anymore. In fact, now his was sitting within what appeared to be a forest of some sort. Tall, thick trees surrounding him also blocked the majority of the sunlight shining in from above with their large supply of leaves, leaving certain spots of sunlight to dot what is otherwise a shaded landscape. Hideki sat within the shade, it seems, and even though the trees were slightly twisted and distorted, and the colors of the area around him was too vibrant, the one thing that made know for sure that it was a dream, that made him realize that this was indeed a cruel illusion, was that he can feel. He felt the cool breeze flowing through the forest, relaxing him and he felt the soft grass below him. These feelings were just a few out of many things he wished to feel, rather than be told how they felt.

Smiling slightly, he knew that, even though this was a mere dream, an escape from reality really, for once it was one that he wanted to have. He would begin to stand up, the few leaves that fell onto him falling off of his white pajama shirt with the black Konoha insignia on it and his dark pajama bottoms, landing softly onto the ground. He knew that he only had so long before he had to face the cold grip of reality and that he should make the best of what can be seen for now as a temporary blessing. Walking through this land of dreams and plane of illusions, Hideki couldn't stop smiling. It felt good, feeling the bark of the trees on the palms of his hands and the ground under his feet. It even made him wonder if this is actually the way they feel, if it was truthfully how everything felt, causing him to begin to believe that those that can feel are taking such a blessing for granted.

Continuing throughout his episode of peace and tranquility Hideki would ignore an echoing sound that just didn't fit in with the environment; the sound of knocking. Though he ignored it, he knew something was beginning to be off about this. The vibrant colors were fading away, becoming darker and darker with each echoing rapping of a door. His smile would begin to fade as he started to feel the trees and grass, though he could feel less of it, less of the wind, less happiness he was receiving from these things. Each dreadful knock grew louder than the previous one, and the louder it got, the darker it would be and the less the young Genin could feel. Soon enough he was beginning to be afraid, mouthing "no" nonstop as he didn't wish for this dream to end, he didn't wish to go back out into the real world where he felt nothing physically. He didn't wish to be himself, though that dreadful knocking could care less. Sound is a cruel, unfeeling monster when it comes to waking a person, and right now that creature revealed itself to the poor boy.

Darkness engulfed his senses once again for a few short moments until he woke up, knowing right away that this old and small apartment room he was in was the real world. The lonely atmosphere it provided made know mistake in that. Getting up from his bed, Hideki would dress himself and get ready for the day, another pointless day for him. After he was fully dressed and ready to set off about his daily duties, the young Genin reached the door to his room, only to noticed a small message on the floor addressed to him. Picking it up with his right hand, the boy would open the message up and read it.

"Hideki Uzumaki, upon graduating the academy, you have been appointed to join Squad one under the supervision of Sousetsu Senju, The Juushichidaime Hokage. please report to your first squad meeting point at the Rolling Hills."

After reading the note the young Genin nodded his head silently, indicating to nothing at all that he understood. It was surprising, to be apart of the Hokage's Squad, though in the end Hidkei just simply assumed it was more due to random choice or having what's left to choose from rather than actual choice form a selection. Such a depressing thought took the fun out of the message, though then again Hideki was too tired to really comprehend the full reality of the said message anyways. Walking through the open door, Hideki would lock the entryway into his home and leave the area, heading straight to the Rolling Hills as he didn't wish to be late.

Upon arrival to the appointed destination, Hideki stood next to another Genin that he didn't know and silently watched Toshiko, his recently discovered older brother, speak to the Hokage. It was rather funny to see Toshiko stammer slightly, though it was also something that made Hideki smile a little. He would rather take an overjoyed Toshiko over a sorrowful one he saw one dark night in the middle of a nearly empty street. Perhaps, even now this would mark the beginning of what may indeed be a exciting and fun time.. Turning to face the Genin right next to him, Hideki would hold his hand out for this assumed Squad member to shake it.

"I'm Hideki Uzumaki, it's nice to meet you."

The five foot two inches boy would speak in a friendly manner.

Wc: 951

"H..Hello Mr. Hokage!" A voice had spoke behind him.

His eyes adjusted to the side in hopes of catching a quick glance before his entire body shifted to face the first of his squad. His addressed himself as Toshiko and his arm was outstretched in order to meet his. Sousetsu unfolded his arms and took this opportunity although he was more accustom to formal bows. His tight grasp met his before he looked up to find what seemed to be his other squad members, Kaneda and Hideki, as they surely matched the profile picture he scanned not too long ago. He bowed before the two in the short distance away before holding his head up high. His eyes darted to each one, reading their appearance once more to assure himself that there was no mistake in this.

"Titles aren't everything..." he began as he paced slightly. He patted Toshiko slightly on the shoulder as he made his way over to Kaneda and Hideki. Folding his arms as he had reached his destination, standing before them, he gave off a rather stern look.

"My name is Sousetsu Senju, the Juushichidaime Hokage. This does not mean that you're training would be any different from any other Sensei we have. It is what the pupil is willing to learn and take it to heart, developing their own abilities to how it best suits them. The title Hokage does not simply mean my teachings are better than others. You must learn that." he continued as he transfixed his eyes upon his newly found students.

"Even now, I can still learn things from you." he gave off a slight grin after this remark.

It was true, one could never stop learning. It always peeked his interest to see the many methods of training there was. What style? How long? How different were we all compared to the next person? It was something that intrigued the Senju even now. He looked back towards the ocean view and watched as the azure blue sky reflected upon the calm and gentle waters beneath it. The songs of wildlife continued as nothing had disturbed its presence. The sun gleamed and kissed the skin of each person under its spell. It was a remarkable day indeed.

He turned to face his students once again, which his coat flailed as he moved, and noticed the three with such potential that would soon be met. Two Uzumaki members and a Sarutobi under the supervision of a Senju, quite a close knit community after all as the three clans had close relations since the the birth of the village hidden in the leaves. He hoped they were prepared for the upcoming events. The Chuunin Exams were within arms grasp and he had not the time to assist them in their training as of yet. He simply hoped that they trained their bodies and mind to take on the tasks that were no doubt troublesome to all Genin alike.

"The Chuunin Exams are just a few days away. I hear you all are partaking in this event. If any of you have any questions, now is the time to speak your mind." he spoke stoically in order to show experience from his past. Sousetsu never partook in the Chuunin exams during his time. He never had a Sensei. He was an independent ninja with no boundaries or limits to his capabilities. His will and knowledge just grew as time went on, pressing against him on his long journey thus far. But how kind would time be to his new students?

Word Count: 836

1000/1000 Lightning force learned

444/1000 for Fire Clones

Soon after his own arrival, another boy with black hair that stood at what Kandea guessed was 5 feet and 2 inches. "I'm Hideki Uzumaki, it's nice to meet you." An Uzumaki how interesting Kaneda had never meet anyone of the historic clan before, wanting to make a good first impression on his teammate he grasp the other boys hand into his own. Donning a thin lipped smile he said"Hello I am Kaneda Sarutobi.". Now letting go of his hand he had turned to see if the kage and the other boy had finished up, in doing so he had heard the senju say "Titles aren't everything..." The Hokage patted the other boy on the shoulder and made his way over to Hideki and Kaneda. The man had crossed arms and a stern look on his face, Kaneda was petrified, he couldn't even make a facial expression. the other boy had also ran over and stood next to hideki, with this the kage had decided to make his formal introduction.

"My name is Sousetsu Senju, the Juushichidaime Hokage. This does not mean that you're training would be any different from any other Sensei we have. It is what the pupil is willing to learn and take it to heart, developing their own abilities to how it best suits them. The title Hokage does not simply mean my teachings are better than others. You must learn that."

Kaneda was blown away by how humble the man, he had already begun to like his sensei. But the man still had more to say.

"Even now, I can still learn things from you." The hokage gave off a slight grin after this remark.

'Pretty smooth guy.' Kaneda had thought to himself.

"The Chuunin Exams are just a few days away. I hear you all are partaking in this event. If any of you have any questions, now is the time to speak your mind."

Kaneda was excited for the exams, he had two brief encounters with other village shinobi the first match was a draw but in reality he was trying to save face the other would have had him beat if the fight continued and the other time his arm was nearly snapped in half, he was pelted with bugs and he nearly burned down the bath house. shuddering he had begun to realize that the exams would be a lot more taxing than those previous encounters. In that moment his teammate that he hadn't shook hands with yet made a declaration of sorts.

"The chuunin exams? I'm ready for em! 100 percent! I'm going into that arena a genin and coming out the winner and a full fledged chuunin! After that i'll keep working up and i'll become hokage before you know it! Believe it!"  

Hokage? I guess every shinobi in this village had the same idea, to him it was just another challenge along the way to the top of the shinobi hierarchy. But he liked this guys drive, He was confident and proud, Kaneda liked the mix, he hoped that it wouldn't turn into arrogance. He liked his new teammates but he was going to keep an eye on them. 'Trust is for fools, at the end of the day you only have yourself to count on.' he thought to himself a thin smile spread over his face.

"Sousetsu Sensei, do you know if any Aburame are competing in this years competion?" Kaneda was scared, he needed to confront that child about this supposed curse, he had goals and things to see before he died, he didn't want anyone, getting in his way.

WC: 617

Hideki listened as the fellow shinobi would introduce himself as Kaneda Sarutobi. 'A Sarutobi? Interesting...' Hideki would silently think to himself as the two shook hands for a short amount of time before letting go. Upon finishing the greeting he heard their new Sensei speak, stating that titles aren't everything, which drew Hideki's attention back over to him, seeing the Hokage pat Toshiko on the shoulder. Afterwards he would then make his way over to Hideki and Kaneda, crossing his arms and harboring a stern look upon his face. Hideki would calmly stare back at the Hokage as Toshiko made his way over to Hideki's right side. Soon enough their Sensei would give an introduction, naming himself as Sousetsu Senju, the Juushichidaime Hokage. It didn't mean that the three's training would be any different from any other Sensei they have, as it is what the pupil is willing to learn and take to heart, developing their own abilities to how it best suites them. They must learn that his title of Hokage does not simply mean that his teachings are better than others.

Hideki already began to rather like the man due to the fact that he had humbled himself, instead of just acting high and mighty and even boastful. It was a good thing to be humble, though perhaps not too humble. Hideki would continue to listen on as the man continued on, stating that even now he can still learn things from them with a slight grin. Sousetsu would then mention the Chuunin Exams being a mere few days away, and that he heard that they are all partaking in the event so if they have any questions, now is the time to speak their mind. The young Shinobi would cringe slightly at this last part, as their Sensei had assumed wrong in this, and for all Hideki knew, he was about the only one not partaking in this event. It was an embarrassing fact best kept a secret, as he didn't wish to disappoint their Sensei by speaking about that.

Hideki would almost laugh at what Toshiko had said, stating excitedly that he is ready for the Chuunin Exams one hundred percent, going on by saying that he's going in that arena a Genin and coming out the winner and a full fledged Chuunin and after that he'll keep working up and become Hokage before they knew it, ending this small outburst by shouting "believe it". This is probably the first out of what could possibly be many times which Toshiko will push Hideki to near laughter from this... Perkiness that he has about him. Maybe a new number one knucklehead ninja.. Then, Kaneda would speak up, asking Sousetsu if he knew if any Aburame are competing in this year's competition. Hideki would silently listen in to the conversation, having nothing really to ask or inquire about, and also having nothing to really say whatsoever nor did he wish to say it. Really, he just wanted to listen more than actually speak at the moment now that he knows all of his Squad members.

Wc 526

"The Chuunin exams? I'm ready for 'em! 100 percent! I'm going into that arena a Genin and coming out the winner and a full fledged Chuunin! After that I'll keep working up and I'll become Hokage before you know it! Believe it!"

Sousetsu stood tall with an eyebrow raised and a blank yet confused expression. The young male named Toshiko had spirit and guts of determination coursing through him but was it enough? Sousetsu closed his eyes and sighed slightly before beginning to giggle along with Hideki. Toshiko wished to surpass Sousetsu, a dream worth fulfilling as he too had that same dream. He was living proof that if you set your mind to achieve your goals, no matter how long that road was and no matter how many variables there were along the way, it was still possible. His small giggle died down as another grin was left in its stead. His attention was then cut short to Kaneda who asked him a rather intriguing question to say the least.

"Sousetsu Sensei. Do you know if any Aburame are competing in this years competition?"

His eyes widened slightly before the infamous stern look was worn once again. His arms folded once more as he searched his mind for the answer to give to the Sarutobi before him. Why would he want to know of any Aburame participating? Were they friends? Rivals? From what Sousetsu could tell the Aburame were of Konaha and was rare to find any in another village that was for sure. He scanned  Kaneda up and down. It appears the youngest of the squad had quite an interesting perspective. His eyes closed as his tilted forward slightly. He had found his answer.

"There are no Aburame participants if I recall correctly. Although, there may still be time to sign-up." he answered with a concerned smile.

He then turned to Hideki. He had not spoken and his comfort zone seemed to have left him partially. Reading his stance, his actions, and his facial expressions, he seemed somewhat disappointed in himself. He took into consideration that his feelings may have left him speechless and not much attention was needed drawn towards him at this time. Not in front of his teammates and not shown as a bad example of those who do not wish to seek a higher rank as of yet. The Senju acknowledged this and closed his eyes once more as the stoic aura surrounded him.

"I never took the Chuunin Exams..." he spoke peeking a look towards Hideki before turning his attention to the others.

"If you fail here, try again. There are other ways of reaching the rank of Chuunin. Missions, perseverance, wits, skill, these are all factors. Do not be disheartened if you fail, learn from it." he spoke clearly with confidence.

He grinned once more for the Genin to see. It would be a surprise to see that the Hokage, and their current Sensei, did not compete. Instead, like most of the problems Sousetsu came across, he overcame them in his own way. His determination and will was enough to give him the strength to carry on his life as a ninja and succeed where many had failed. He studied at most hours. He developed his techniques with many others and in his own personal time. It was his dream after all. A well recognized figure, and one of the first in some time to be offered the title of Hokage more than once. This time he was ready. He was confident in his abilities now more than ever to pass them on to the next generation of shinobi within the Land of Fire.

"Remember these words: To become a great ninja, you must guide the people, and believe in them, for it's among them that one will come who will carry on when your time is done. You must protect those who have faith in you and who love the village, and train up to those to whom you can entrust the next generation." he spoke as if those words were emblazoned within his mind. These words were passed down from generation to generation and they would continue to do so.

996/1000 Fire Clones

"There are no Aburame participants if I recall correctly. Although, there may still be time to sign-up." Kaneda zoned out for a long while,His team mates were saying something but at this moment that was just background noise to him.  He found  the small statured aburame was a ghost of sorts. Kaneda had searched the entire village for the kid but not a single trace turned up, Kane was screwed. His facial expression went from a sunny disposition to a look of having all hope being thrown out of the window.It would be  obvious to anyone that kaneda was  stressing out but he tried his best to mask it,he was pretty good at doing so.

"I never took the Chuunin Exams..." The Hokage started.

"If you fail here, try again. There are other ways of reaching the rank of Chuunin. Missions, perseverance, wits, skill, these are all factors. Do not be disheartened if you fail, learn from it." Kaneda's sensei continued with gusto and a smile to match , the boy liked the statment but he knew that failure wasn't an option time would be of the essence. The sooner he got to the rank of Chuunin the sooner he would be able to really start searching for answers about his parents murder. Once he got stronger he would be ready to twist arms and kick ass if the need would arise and he was sure it would.

'He never took the exams?' Kanede thought to himself, that's a shocker he thought that the chuunin exams were a mandatory right of passage for genin even since a young age kaneda had wanted to compete in the chuunin exams he had even attened one with his father many years back.  Guess they don't tell you the whole truth when you are growing up, you just have to go out and find it yourself. Without missing a step the Hokage continued  

"Remember these words: To become a great ninja, you must guide the people, and believe in them, for it's among them that one will come who will carry on when your time is done. You must protect those who have faith in you and who love the village, and train up to those to whom you can entrust the next generation." the Kage spoke as if those words were emblazoned within his mind. This felt like a passing of the torch almost Kaneda had hope that Sousetsu sama would be able to help him on his path to justice and retribution.  But Kaneda was wary how did he know that sousetsu hadn't had a part in this, in konoha murder ordered from the higher ups wasn't all too uncommon, this had unsettled the boy to a serious degree, in that moment his heart had started to beat out of his chest and his breathing became irregular his cheeks also became a rosey red. He was trying his best to stop it by taking slow deep breaths but soon he was hyperventilating, in this state of panic he decided that.  'He couldn't trust anyone even himself.'

WC:525

Hideki continued to giggle as Toshiko yelled at him, asking him rhetorically what he was laughing at and continuing on to say that he was being completely serious. While Hideki giggled, he noticed as well that Sousetsu had joined in, obviously finding the humor that was shown from Toshiko's ballsy and confident statement. He would stop giggling though when he saw Toshiko's cheeks turn red as he did something unexpected: he would yell at their Sensei. He would yell out about how he was serious, and how he will try his hardest to surpass him. He went on, promising right then and there that he'll be ready to fight him for real when he becomes a Jounin, and that by then he'll give him a run for his money. At this point Hidkei stopped his giggling right away and decided to speak his piece on Toshiko's outburst.

"Toshiko, I'm laughing because I know you could do it, it's just that they way you said it and how added into the humor. You don't need to make some promise like that in order to prove yourself, especially if that promise involves you yelling unnecessarily..."

He would say in a slightly concerned voice before he would stop speaking, deciding against continuing on in what he was going to say. After what may be possibly a failed attempt to help calm Toshiko down, Hideki reverted his attention back to their Sensei, whom of which actually turned to him, looking at him in a way that the young Genin couldn't really describe, though if he had to it seemed to almost be as if he was analyzing him for a few seconds before closing his eyes and letting off a stoic atmosphere about himself. He would hear Sousetsu speak, mentioning that he never took the Chuunin Exams. This in itself surprisingly helped Hideki relax. He knew about what their Sensei would mention later on about there being other ways to reach Chuunin, though it was still pretty stressful to be the only one out of the group to not have taken the exams, and now he knows he isn't, and that the other one that isn't taking the exams is his very own teacher nonetheless..

After speaking of there being other ways to reach Chuunin rank and then grinning once again, their Sensei would tell them to remember his words before going on to tell them that to become a great ninja, they must guide the people and believe in them, for it's among them that one will come who will carry on when their time is done. They must protect those who have faith in them and love the village, and train up to those whom they can entrust the next generation. Yeah.. Hideki will consume these words like a sponge and keep them within his memories. He wished to become a shinobi for both two selfish and one selfless reasons; one which he wanted to show that even though he was ill and had little hope of surviving long enough for five years to pass by, he can still be as efficient as someone that is "healthy", the next being that he wished to surpass his missing adoptive brother, and the final being that he wished to protect those around him and try to make a positive change. He knew that in order to become the idealistic ninja, he would have to focus on the final one and, thanks to his lower chances of survival, he held no interest whatsoever in becoming Hokage.

"Erm... Are you okay, Kaneda?"

Hideki would ask, genuinely concerned for his fellow Squad member as he noticed that his cheeks became a rosy red color and it almost seemed that he is hyperventilating.

Wc 637

"You too Sousetsu Sensei? Hmph! I was serious guys! I will try my very hardest to surpass you! I promise right here and now that i'll be ready to fight you for real when i become a Jounin! By then i can give you a run for your money!"

Sousetsu grinned. The young Genin, Toshiko, seemed confident in his abilities. It was admirable and the sheer will made Sousetsu question if he actually could surpass him one day. The road would be long and the journey would be tough, but this was the way of this ninja. He nodded as his giggle died down to leave a grin residing on his face. He was not laughing at him but with him. Like his fellow squad member, Hideki, he had high hopes for Toshiko's future also, and would be glad to be part of that. He then spoke of failure and how that was not an option for the strong willed Uzumaki. He would surpass any challenge it seemed, or so his confidence told him. He would train, just as Sousetsu promised himself when he was younger. It was almost like he watched his youth before him, except a lot louder than he was. Sousetsu was usually calm and tranquil in his early years. Always a tactician on the field and collected within his mind.

Yet, Toshiko's words would go with no reply as Sousetsu's attention turned towards the young Sarutobi, Kaneda. He was hyperventilating, breathing at an alarming rate. The Senju's eyes widened slightly while his mouth was beginning to drop slightly before making his way over to the genin.

"Erm... Are you okay, Kaneda?" Hideki asked with concern.

His cheeks grew red as his body shook up and down from the breaths taken. The Senju held one arm by his side with an open palm before water appeared in its grasp. Throwing his arm up as he grew near Kaneda, the water flung itself and splashed over his face. A moment of silence could be heard. Sousetsu knelt before him and placed his hand on his arm as he looked up into his eyes. His mouth still trying to drop yet his eyes seemed determined. He clenched his jaw causing the mouth to close and swallowed deeply.

"It's okay..." he spoke dearly.

He assumed this was due to stress or anxiety related problems and must be dealt with accordingly. He wasn't informed of any asthmatic nature this young man may have possessed so that was ruled out. But what made him this way? Was it because of Sousetsu? Was this stress related because of his very title that the boy thought he had to succeed for him? He used the sleeve of his long white coat to help wipe the water from his face and grazed through his hair, drying him briefly.

"I'm sorry." he referred to the water.

He stood tall once more and scanned him thoroughly. His hands lifted up the Sarutobi's head before pulling down his cheeks and looking at the edges of his eyes. It was almost as if he was reading the boys thoughts the longer he gazed. There was sadness yet, he was scared almost. He let out a small sigh before lifting his head up and gave off his stoic look that he so commonly wore before placing his hand on Kaneda's shoulder. He patted him gently, letting him know he would be fine once more.

Word Count: 500

1000/1000 for fire clones

"Erm... Are you okay, Kaneda?" He heard hideki ask, Kaneda's mind was racing faster then a pure breed war horse not able to respond his breaths were shallow and were getting harder and harder to catch. Kaneda didn't know what was going on this was an unusual fit of anxiety, he started gasping for air and he had spotted vision it was getting harder and harder to stand up.His cheeks were turning a bright scarlet and losing focus his vision had begun swirling,he was on the verge of keeling over this would be embarrassing to pass out before he had even had a chance to train with the sensei, 'I don't want to fail here!' Kane roared to himself mentally this was just before collapsing over. He felt a cold harsh splash of water hit him in the face,the shock had snapped him back to reality but now his ears had begun ringing and he fell on his ass with a barley audible thud.

  In the next moment the Hokage was kneeling in front of him and had put his hand on the boys shoulder he looked deeply into Kaneda's eyes like he was looking at his sould this was making him extremely uncomfortable and nauseous "It's okay..." The Kage said in a reassuring tone of voice. What a relief Kane thought to himself he had started calming down but he was still slightly zoned out, it took a second to register his sensei's words of reassurance 'would it be okay? would it ever get better?' he felt his mood drop severely he felt alone and utterly useless 'As much as things change they really do stay the same.' .

    "I'm sorry."  The man continued in his silky voice, Kane felt bad about his outburst he was not used to embarrassing himself in public he was usually a lot more low key and in control of his bodily reactions, his thoughts and his emotions.  But today something snapped inside of him it was serve he felt like the whole world was out to get him he hated the feeling he wanted . The Kage stood and placed his hands on the boys face and carefully pulled on his cheeks he was now staring deeply into the boys eyes almost as if to read his mind the kage sighed and let go of the boy he gazed over the boy with a stoic look that Kaneda has already gotten used to, the Kage had gently patted the boy's shoulder one last time almost as if to say it's gonna be alright kid. Kane felt better a lot better Sousetsu Sensei has show kaneda something he hasn't seen in a long time, which was compassion and caring the acts were so foreign to him he felt his heart warm and he was much more comfortable in his surroundings he decided to trust his sensei he had only become kage recently so he shouldn't have anything to fear, he shouldn't have anything to fear.

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While watching take care of Kaneda, and Toshiko's wondering if Kaneda is okay, Hideki's vision would suddenly begin to blur. 'Oh no..' He silently thought to himself as he legs felt as light as pieces of paper, and about as sturdy as such as well. Almost right away as his vision blurred he fell to his knees, unable to get up from where he fell. Looking at the ground everything began to feel heavier as his very bones seemed to no longer weigh anything. He felt no pain, sure, but he could still tell when something like this is occurring, and it seemed the heavier things came to be, the harder it was for Hideki to move. His face would have a blank stare about it as everything he saw continued to get more and more blurred, almost to the point where he couldn't even see the grass itself before him!

He tried to speak, though nothing came out as he moved his mouth in order to form words, instead the sounds of someone gagging on something came out instead. His already pale skin became even paler as his gray eyes, full of fear as he felt this was the end of himself, would slowly droop down by themselves, the eyelids coming close to connecting with each other as two tears would slowly but surely drip down his cheeks. His body shivered and shook as if it was being chilled to the core, though Hideki felt no chilling sensation, and it certainly wasn't cold out. He knew exactly what this was though, as he had this horrible experience before.

It was his accursed sickness once again acting up, though worse than usual. Naturally, he would merely cough some blood and continue on like nothing happened, feel lightheaded, or even just plain tired, though there are a few very rare moments where it would get so bad that it would reach this, and every times that it does Hideki fears for his very life, as his body seems to act close to shutting down. His mouth would force itself open suddenly afterwards as he leaned over the ground, making coughing sounds. At first, it just seemed like regular coughing and nothing more, but as it progressed on and on, the coughing became more jagged and it sounded as if his throat was tearing itself apart. Blood began to come out, staining the grass itself a crimson color with each cough he was making. After he had coughed approximately eight different times, he fell entirely to the ground, passing out.

ooc: Taking a break for a bit from the site. Sorry for the inconvenience and the short post.

Sousetsu closed his eyes as a small exhale was audible in exchange for a sigh. Kaneda seemed to have recovered but he could not rest easy as of yet. His attention was brought over to Hideki. Sickness seemed to have taken over him also as he gasped for words and choked up in its place. Falling to the ground he had shown Sousetsu signs of an illness, greater than that of a the panic attack that Kaneda displayed previously. His eyes widened slightly. The Senju took rather large steps over the young Uzumaki and knelt down before him and lifted the young mans head to have a better look. It was severe. Blood spewed from Hideki's mouth and painted the earth with red. The Hokage closed his eyes once more. He knew this was terminal. This young man had not long left. Why was he placed in his squad however? Was it a dying wish? Was it sympathy? It was foolish nevertheless yet understandable. Seeing this for himself, he wondered if he would have made the decision also. It would have been a more logical approach to send him to squad two or three however as they were led by medics. Maybe this was the end stage...

Was there any coming back from this illness? Why wasn't he informed? There were too many questions to be answered. As far as today went, Sousetsu had two sick team members. Maybe another day would have sufficed to meet his new team of students. Or maybe this was a sign. In his previous years as a sensei, his students never lasted long. Some died going off on their own, others left, leaving him only to worry about their safety. What made this team any different from the others? His stoic prowess was soon diminishing as he thought further into this process and ultimately leading to his past students that had upset him greatly. Ukiyo... She was not a student but a woman of the same blood as his. She tried to kill him. She led him out and tried to take his life. His future was determined that haunting day. He would grow stronger, he would soon realize others potentials and future endeavors by a single inspection. As he looked as his team once more, only two of them had a potential future.

He seen the looks on their faces. So full of fear and worry about the new teammate they had only just met. A sickness that would lead one to be wary of their distance between one another. Was it contagious? No. It was not. This was something else. Something out of Sousetsu's league of medical knowledge. He needed to bring this young man to medical treatment as soon as possible. He was the only one quick enough in the area, and so he nodded to himself in agreement. The sky was darkening as the clouds covered the suns rays from reaching to the earth. Hidden by dark clouds the weather soon changed as the rain began to fall with a small shower.

"Today's meeting is over. He needs medical attention." he spoke as he stood tall once more before approaching Hideki and lifting him into his arms, ready to be taken elsewhere.

"You will hear from me again..." he assured them.

Within mere seconds, Sousetsu had vanished with the Uzumaki in his care. He leaped, weaving around each branch that could carry his footsteps further with immaculate footwork and speed. This day was over for team one. A new member would take Hideki's place. Sousetsu's face looked down briefly at the young man once again. His jaw clenched and his grip on him would not falter until he was safe in a hospital bed. Whether he would live or die, was not up to Sousetsu, but Hideki. How strong would he be to fight this?

~End Thread~

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