| abstract | - It was a rather bright day in the village of Noragakure. The sun, glaring at the village, allowed the village's crops to blossom quite nicely, letting the farmers relax for but a moment longer. The farmlands were long, stretching outwards both horizontally and vertically to unimaginable lengths, with various crops planted among each successive row. Unlike traditional villages, the hilly terrain for Noragakure worked well for its agricultural needs, as they could provide terracing to shelter the crops from erosion as best as possible. And among this beautiful environment, stood a building taller than all the others. Enclosed by a black fence, and constructed out of deep red brick, it stood tall with its angular roof shooting towards the sky. A single clocktower was on the left, and the entire building was currently in silence. After all, what was inside was far more important than the silence of the outside. Inside of the building, the suspense was getting higher. The clock was ticking. Second by second, minute by minute, all that could be heard was the sounds of swallowing, chattering of teeth, and the occasionally breath. On the edge of their toes, the hundreds of teenage men and women sat in their simple seats, as a young man wearing an elegant black kimono appeared from the front door. The man was elegance personified, truthfully. As he walked through the hallways, the young men and women gazed at him relentlessly. The world gave him somewhat odd features when seen up close: a pointy nose, large eyes, and a highly angular face. Truthfully, most would be perplexed at the fact that this man was in his position. And yet, he was. Keeping a tall, proud persona, he walked through the hallway. Finally, he got onto the stage and turned to his audience. "Young men and women, Shinobi of the new era, I welcome you to today's ceremony!" He announced with grandeur, letting the students applaud with their hearts. "I, your very own Clay Daimyō, Gentōka, have come here to acknowledge your achievements within your lives. Possessing strong resolve, all of you managed to work your way to the top and achieve the status of a Shinobi. And thus, I implore all of you: become the leaders of the new generation! Never ever stop climbing this ladder! Continue, step-by-step, without stopping. But, do look back for a moment if you are frightened. It is perfectly okay to do so. None of you are Gods, and I don't expect you to be. Reflect on the past and conquer your future!" The man known as Gentōka finished announcing, gaining a cheer from the audience. "It is on this note that I call upon our very own Nōkage, the one and only, Gentsuchi!" The audience was in an uproar. Cheers were across the hundreds of students sitting down, as a man appeared from the entrance above the hall. Descending down a platform, the man appeared to be waving to his audience. He was garbed in white robes, with the kanji 農 stapled across his back. Underneath he wore a simpler, flower-lined black kosode and hakama, along with a stark white obi that kept his sword sheathed - clear in sight. The man was handsome, definitely, and many of the young women appeared to be fawning over him. Giving a goofy smile, Gentsuchi strode forward. "Hello, young Shinobi!" The man echoed, leaving the students paying him full attention. "I am proud of every single one of you for your accomplishments today. You have proved your own self-worth, and you have demonstrated the commitment to making this village a reality. It is today that the journey will start becoming difficult. But nobody shall back down! You can all move through this with as much fervor as you had till now, just keep moving forward!" And as he spoke this, a young man with dual-toned hair kept up with a red headband listened attentively. This young man was Kama Yatogami, a young Shinobi who had desired this and even more from his life ever since he was but a child. Clenching his fist, he anxiously awaited to know who would gain the award that he was waiting for: the position of Stellar Genin (星下忍, Seigenin; Literally meaning "Low Ninja of Stars"). "And now, for the moment you've been waiting for!" Gentsuchi announced, keeping Kama gripped in his seats. He eyed across the hall, looking at a red-haired young woman who calmly returned the gaze Kama gave her, with a slight grin. This girl's name was Ayashi, a kunoichi who always competed with Kama for the position of the top; she was his only obstacle. "The Stellar Genin award goes to…" Kama clenched his seat, while Ayashi's gaze intensified. "Ayashi of Class 1!" The words struck Kama to the ground. All his efforts amounted to nothing, and he felt utterly disappointed in himself. Ayashi, glittering with happiness, retained a sense of her composure and stood up and went to the stage. Receiving the unique forehead protector, Gentsuchi then offered: "Would you like to say some words of wisdom to your fellow Genin?" Ayashi nodded simply, and walked to the center of the stage, where she lay her gaze on a despairing Kama, and then talked to the audience. "Hello, everyone. As you know, I am Ayashi of Class 1. How did I reach this point? Well, it's a simple matter. Give yourself a rival. Someone who you will always compete with. In every single area, do not let them surpass you…" As Ayashi was speaking, Kama raised his head in attentiveness, "Is she talking about me?" Kama asked himself, attentive. "I have had one of these rivals for the past years at the Academy. Slightly hot-headed and very competitive, he would always take our little duels to heart. That's what prompted me to move forward. A gift can only take you so far, it is what you do with that gift and who makes you use that gift to the greatest extent. So I thank the one who has always been beside me; continue to pursue success, Kama Yatogami. You'll reach there soon." Slightly shocked from being mentioned by Ayashi, Gentsuchi stared at the young woman in awe. "She has such wisdom at such an age? Promising." Ayashi began to walk down the podium, and noticed Kama with a renewed sense of confidence. Giving off a small smile, she took her seat once again. In response, Gentsuchi took the stage once again. "Thank you for having me as your audience. I shall now give it to your headmaster, Tenarai-san, for assigning the respective teams. I'm off!" Gentsuchi walked down rather calmly as a green-haired woman with a closed, pink parasol walked past him. The man, even with all his power, felt a chill go up his spine: this woman was frightening. As he turned to face her with a forced smile, the woman responded with a smile of her own; a genuine-looking, intimidating smile. Proceeding to finish this small interaction, the woman calmly walked onto the stage and looked upon the students. "Hello, students." The students were quiet upon hearing the woman's voice; they respected her, but it wasn't without fear. Kama and Ayashi, in particular, were both in considerably tense states, considering they had known the teacher personally. "I am, as you know, Kaya Tenarai - to you, that is Tenarai-sensei. I am proud of all your accomplishments, and I trust you will never sully the name of this Academy and continue to achieve greatness within your lives. Please listen carefully for the next announcements, as they will decide both your teams and the Jōnin-sensei within these teams." The students awaited patiently for their turns. The principle, Tenarai-sensei, had begun rolling out names. The names of both Genin and Jōnin were announced, and each Jōnin took away their own team to an individual area where introductions could be properly made. "The next Jōnin that shall have students is Teizen Shuraba, with the following Genin in his team: Ayashi," Ayashi jumped at her name being mentioned. Teizen Shuraba was a famous Shinobi among their parts; his skills were on-par with the Nōkage. "Reitsura and Makōto. Please go to your Sensei immediately." Kaya had said, making the trio stand up and walk towards the middle-aged man with messy brown hair. "Let's go." He said off-handedly, walking away from the hall with his students along with him. Kama, on the other hand, breathed out. He didn't have her in his team, which could keep him focused instead of constantly arguing with Ayashi. But now he was anxious: who were his teammates? "The final Jōnin with students shall be Sōka Naoki. Could the following students please report to him immediately: Susuki, Shizuka Minori, Kigara and Kama Yatogami." Kama was pleasantly surprised. Each of the students called out were rather unique in their own way, and were all members of Class 1 as well, though in the lower sect. Furthermore, Sōka was a name the entire village knew: a man whose love for monkeys and children was unsurpassed. Kama stood up, along with everyone else in his team, and walked over to Sōka, who had a pleasant smile on his face. "My my, seems like I have the big team this year. Hello, everyone. Follow me." The students obediently followed, as did Kama. It took them only a few moments, but they were on the outskirts of the school gate. Momentarily pausing, Kama looked back at the building that he spent three years of his life in: "Thank you…" Next Chapter →
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