Under Hayate-sensei’s tutelage and strict schedule encompassing long hours of training, you began to improve at a steady rate. Over the course of the next few months, he taught you a variety of attacks, often spending hours sparring with you. For his ceaseless patience and encouragement, you were grateful. Well into the first couple of weeks, Hayate had needed to end lessons early or excuse himself in the middle of a mock battle in order to make preparations for the upcoming Chuunin selection exams.

Nevertheless, he always made it up to you, if you were up to it, that is. Midnight training didn’t always sound like the best idea, and more often than not, you chose sleep over extracurricular sessions. But it was the thought that counted.

Hayate taught you how to wield long swords with tapered points, wide, curved ones that looked impressive but were actually quite useless in close-range combat, short, broad blades that were light and easy to manoeuvre. You much preferred the standard samurai’s katana, whose length and shape allowed you to channel chakra effortlessly through the blade. Your sensei still insisted that you practise with various swords, to improve your kenjutsu skill as a whole.

While you training with Hayate, your friends from Team 10 were developing powerful forms of their clans’ respective jutsu styles and training with Asuma-sensei. You desperately wanted to join them, but Hayate rarely gave you time off.

On one such rare occasion, you decided to stop by Yamanaka Flowers, hoping to run into Ino.

“Ah, [Nickname-chan],” Ino’s mother exclaimed when you entered the store. “I’m afraid Ino is going to be out all day. She’s training with her father.” Feeling disappointed, you thanked her and left the flower shop, heading for Chouji’s house.

There didn’t seem to be anyone home. You tried Shikamaru’s but his mother told you that he was also training.

“Just my luck,” you grumbled to yourself as you walked back to your house. “Guess I’ll have to spend my day off alone.”

Alas, it was like this almost every time. The rest of Team 10 seemed to be training tirelessly, as if proving that they were not to be outdone by you. You rarely saw each of them long enough to strike up a decent conversation, not to mention hanging out with the entire squad.

“Yeah, it’s partially because of you,” Asuma admitted, when you voiced your displeasure. Seeing your team sensei was a rare occasion too. “If you’re training every day, they feel the need to take it up a notch too. Besides, the Chuunin exams are coming up, and I’m planning to enter all of you.”

So you were stuck with Hayate.

But you made the most of it, and began to find him fun to be around. As you got to know your sensei better, you realized that he was more cheerful and friendly than you had originally written him off as. With no genin team to hang around, you found yourself spending more and more time with him, even on your resting days. You asked him about the life of a tokubetsu jounin and Chuunin exam planner, which he made fun of you for.

“Really, [Name], all these questions are beginning to make me suspect that you want to proctor the exams when you grow up,” he teased. “That is what you want to do, isn’t it?”

You slapped him playfully on the arm, then your expression turned serious. “Do you really think I’ll be ready for the exams?”

“Are you worried that you didn’t improve enough?”

“N-no! It’s just that…well, I don’t know if I’ll be able to hold my own against the other candidates,” you admitted. “Rookies have the hardest time, you said so yourself.”

“True,” Hayate mused. You waited for him to give you some sort of advice, a bit of assurance, but instead, he said, “From this day forwards, our training sessions together are over. The exams start in a little over a week.”

That didn’t make you feel any better, especially since you had just voiced your concerns about feeling unprepared. Despite this, you knew that he had your best interests in mind. This was his own way of giving you reassurance.

“Then this is goodbye?” you asked him dully. You had enjoyed his company, and you were grateful beyond words for his support. Without him, you would have never found and honed your swordsmanship skills. You would have probably entered the Chuunin exams with nothing but mediocre talent in ninjutsu, average speed, average reflexes, and poor chakra control. Hayate’s training had developed all four to varying degrees. You stood a chance, a slim one no doubt, but a chance nevertheless.

His smile was sad. At that moment, because you never thought about it before, you realized that he, too, enjoyed the training sessions almost as much as you did. It was hard not to bond with one’s student after spending so much time with them. “Good luck, [Name]. If you make it out alive, I’ll consider taking you on as an apprentice for a couple of years.”

You swallowed hard and made to stand up. “I-I’ll hold you to it, sensei.”

“Wait. Did you think I was going to let you run off without some proper equipment?”

You looked at him blankly.

“You’re a kenjutsu specialist. How are you going to fight without a sword?”

You flushed. “Oh…I never really thought about that.”

Hayate unfolded a length of scroll and drew a sheathed blade wrapped in paper from its depths. He handed it to you and nudged you in the ribs. “Make me proud.”

You had assured Ino you would go see her when you had completed your training, and you did just as you promised. After you stored Hayate’s gift safely in a cupboard back at home, you visited her family’s flower shop. She was nothing short of ecstatic.

“We have just enough time to get used to each others’ fighting tactics before the exams!” she gushed, tugging insistently on your arm. “It’s gonna be so much fun!”

You let her drag you all the way from the flower shop to Yakiniku Q to collect Chouji. To your surprise, Shikamaru wasn’t with him, but Ino told you that he still had some training left to do.

“Nara-san was very strict about it,” she explained hurriedly. “Shikamaru had to complete exactly 720 hours, no more, no less, before his father would allow him to take a proper break. He thinks it’s troublesome, but he’s gotten a lot more powerful since the last time you saw him, not like he’d admit it though.”

“And Chouji?” you asked, directing your words at him instead of Ino.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he said anxiously. "I hope I've trained enough..."

The training grounds were empty, except for Shikamaru and his father. Your friend’s face was beaded in sweat, scrunched up in concentration as he fought to keep his jutsu under control.

At a glance, you weren’t able to calculate the exact distance, but you were sure he had increased his range at least fivefold. It did look like a lot of strain though, judging by the sweat pouring down his forehead and the slight tremor in his fingers.

You, Ino, and Chouji made yourselves comfortable a little ways away from the Naras. After they finished, Shikaku left Shikamaru alone with the rest of you, not before giving his son a pat on the back.

“You’ve done well, Shikamaru,” he congratulated, patting him roughly on the back. I expect more training after you partake in the Chuunin exams. Don’t let me down.”

After he was gone, Shikamaru yawned and rubbed his eyes. “Darn it, guys. I wanted to rest on my first day off. What do you want?”

“Man, you’re cranky,” Ino complained. “The four of us haven’t seen each other in, like, forever, and this is the first thing you say to me?! How insensitive.”

“Well, what do you expect?” he retorted.

“Be more like a gentleman, you moron!”

“Hn…troublesome.”

You couldn’t help the grin spreading across your face. Stretching your legs out comfortably, you leaned back and let the wind ruffle your hair. You had really missed your friends. Among them once again, you felt as at home as you could ever be.

To no one’s surprise, Ino was very eager to show off her new repertoire of jutsu. Her clan specialized in mind-style techniques, which only made Chouji and Shikamaru even more unwilling to be her volunteers.

In the end, you volunteered to assist her, much to the other two’s relief. It was an unpleasant experience, having her in your mind and being rendered completely unable to fend her off. She claimed some shinobi had the ability to resist the Mind Transfer Jutsu, but you were sceptical. Having her in your head was like being drugged with tranquilizers and having your hands tied behind your back. You stood – or flopped was more like it – by as Ino used your body to run around for a little bit, to demonstrate her power.

You were quite relieved when she left your mind. You would never want a Yamanaka as an enemy, that was for sure.

Chouji on the other hand, had perfected his partial expansion jutsu, allowing him to multi-size only his arms and legs with ease. It enabled him to perform powerful attacks without having to expand his entire body, for defensive and offensive attacks, as well as grabbing. He was embarrassed at first, but gradually gained confidence as you and Ino expressed your admiration.

Shikamaru was even more unwilling to show off the fruits of his training, but Ino was persistent. At last, exasperated, he trapped her in his Shadow Possession Jutsu. Seemingly satisfied, she told you, “Right, now it’s your turn.”

As you had left your sword at home, you fashioned a crude stick-weapon out of a branch with your kunai. Hayate’s were carved much nicer than yours, and he would always tease you about it. You smiled at the thought, wiping the sawdust off your makeshift sword with a damp rag.

It was an art, kenjutsu. That was what Hayate said, and you believed him. Wielded properly, swords could be beautiful too.

You swung the stick through the air, keeping on your toes, the way your sensei had taught you. As it was blunt, and not particularly pointy either, you couldn’t cut down trees or gouge pretty designs into the ground. Instead, you focused on moving your sword in an arc, driving it forwards, and bringing it above your head again. Then you placed it on the floor and turned to your teammates.

“How was that?”

Ino thought you were brilliant, and Chouji even clapped for your performance. But Shikamaru, on the other hand, looked troubled.

“Yeah, it’s impressive and everything, but is this really going to help you in the Chuunin exams?” he asked matter-of-factly. “It varies from year to year, but it’s not only individual and team battles. We could be tested on our ninjutsu capabilities. We could be made to write a written test.”

His misgivings only made you feel even more hesitant than you already were. He was probably right about having to do more than just fighting. Those who were well-rounded usually did better. It was like that in every situation. Perhaps sticking to combat-type might not have been the best idea.

It was with these worries clouding your mind that Asuma-sensei called you for the first team meeting in months. As expected, he told your squad about the exams that were coming up.

“July 1st, mark that day on your calendars, team,” he said, unusually cheerful. “That’s when the exams take place. I’ve put forth all your names for recommendation…now where did I put those application forms?”

As he rummaged in his pockets, Ino could hardly contain her excitement. “Oh my gosh, the Chuunin exams at last! We’ve been training for so long, ooh, I don’t know if I’m ready!”

“You’ll be fine,” you assured her, taking one of the forms from Asuma with a mumble of thanks.

This was real. In seven days’ time, the exams would begin. You could hardly wait.

Go to Chapter 102.