Chapter #11: "The Winds of Change"
Miko lay in bed, it was a glorious morning and everyone was out doing something different. Miko however, just tossed and rolled over on her side.
Shai ran up to the Makato's doorstop and banged on the front door. "Hey Miko, get up!" she shouted as she banged. "Aw...just another minute mom!" Miko murmured, tossing the alarm clock out the open window, nearly striking Shai.
Shai grew annoyed and banged even harder, "Dammit Makato-Pig, OPEN UP RIGHT THIS INSTANT!!!" Shai yelled, and banged furiously. Just then Tanzou appeared by her side. "What's going on?" he casually asked. "What-oh hey Tanzou." Shai answered, her face reddened. Just then there was a loud crash and some stumbling, and Miko blasted through the door.
"Hey Tanzou!" She said happily. She looked over to Shai, "Geez Shai-Rat, the least you could have done was get me up a little earlier so we didn't have to make Tanzou wait!" Miko scolded. Shai's eyes widened and her mouth formed into a snarl. "Grrrr!" "Anyways, let's report in to Yoichi-Sensei!" Miko suggested, as she and Tanzou ran off. "Grrrr...MIKKO-BAKA!!!" Shai yelled, shaking her fist.
Eventually after some running, and screaming the three Chūnin made it to the usual Chūnin meeting grounds. There, some other Blue Faction Chunin was already in waiting. The team of Pai, Hiruko, and Li, and the team of Rikki, Lin-Lin, and Akira stood anxiously awaiting their instructions.
Miko looked around. "Say where is everyone, it's like it's just us." Miko observed. "That's because it IS just us." Pai said, folding her arms across her black meshed top, after flicking some of her silver bangs away from her magenta colored eyes. "We were specifically chosen for this one." Akira mentioned, his almond shaped face and squinty eyes still closed. His hair was sea-green and worn spiked and wave back. "What about the Red Faction?" Tanzou wondered. "The Red team's on important business, assassination from what I understand." Hiruko said, a tall athletic-looking young man with unkempt brown hair and wearing a gray headband with his family's insignia on it. "Oh it is not Hiruko, it's probably more like diplomatic affairs or what-not." Lin-Lin corrected. Lin-Lin was a girl who was taller than most boys when she was younger, but now she is about average height to most boys, and taller than most girls. Lin-Lin had long red-brown hair that she wore in pigtails, and wore a pink Chinese dress with a feminine metallic breastplate covering her. She wore a white Sandagakure headband on her forehead and white tapered shorts and black sandals. "It's possible that you are both correct." Rikki stated. A slim boy with straight black hair and gray eyes, and an ocean blue and black uniform.
"Humph! Where's Yoichi-Sensei, he's always so tardy!" Shai noted. "What you didn't hear?" Li snapped. "Hear what!?" Miko blurted. "We're getting a new proctor today, his name's...uh I forget but well he's not really new but he's gonna be taking us through this whole 'exchange' program thingy!" Li added. "Exchange program?" Miko wondered. "Girl where HAVE you been all of this time, under a rock?" Pai asked. "The Shinobi-Exchange Program is a country-wide program that hails 'special' shinobi from all over the five great countries." Pai added. "It's a special program because it was founded here in Sandagakure, however students from all over are welcome to participate." Rikki specified.
Miko scoffed and rolled her eyes. "That sounds just like the same one we had like five years ago!" Shai turned to her with an irritated look. "That's because it IS the same one!" She said. "Oh..." Miko muttered. "I wonder how this year's trade will turn out?" Tanzou said.
"Do we know who was chosen from Sandagakure?" Tanzou asked. Pai shook her head. "I'm not sure, probably some straight-A 'know-it-all'." she said. "That's not necessarily true Pai, in fact it is quite possible that any one of us could have been chosen for the exchange program." Rikki added. "No way would I be drafted, I didn't even volunteer!" Li snapped. "Good, one less coward for the proctors to have to deal with." Pai said.
There was a sudden blast and then the area was filled with a cloud of black smoke. "Do not be alarmed...or rather, be very alarmed!" Cried a man's voice from within. "Who-is that?" Shai wondered. "That's probably our new instructor." Rikki noted. The smoke lifted revealing young man in his mid 20's, dressed in a black trench coat and short black hair.
"Congratulations, you are all officially my new underlings!" The man announced. "Underlings? What do you mean by that!?" Miko blurted. "What I mean is that as of today you are all no longer 'Chunin' except in name only!" The man declared. Shock and outrage filled the students. "Hey just what the heck are you playing at here!?" Li demanded. "Yes, we all have had to work very hard to get the Chūnin title!" Lin-Lin added. "Yes, and that's just what it is; a 'title'." The man added.
The darkly dressed man turned and looked up at the sky, his back to the students. "Don't worry...you will still be Chūnin...even if you don't deserve it." He said. Miko stepped forward. "What do you mean by that!?" She growled. The man looked over his shoulder, sent a kunai flying and landing just at Miko's feet. "Ah Miss Makato, I have heard about you and your little 'temperament'." He said. "It would be best for you if you stepped back like the rest of your peers, I do not intend to listen to ANY of your crap." He said. Miko gulped and stepped back, beside Shai.
"S-sir, if I may...might I ask your name, only so we can properly address you?" Shai asked. "You might..." He said. He took a long hard look at all of the students. "My name is Aoki Ishida, I am one of the many heads of the Chunin Selection Committee." Aoki said. "B-but I thought when the Gorokage and the others promoted us it was final?" Li asked. "Unfortunately it IS final. I have been reviewing some of your exams, courses, and missions, and I must say that I was disgusted by what I saw." Aoki said. "Why? Were we really THAT bad?" Shai asked. "Let's just say that if it were up to me, all of you would be sent back to the academy." Aoki said. "Why such hostility, because we're new?" Li asked. "Why? While the others have been on special 'A'-ranked missions, risking their very lives for the sake of this country...you few have been laying back taking it easy." Aoki added. "Don't listen to him Li, he's just in a bad mood, probably pissed because he isn't important enough to go on a really BIG mission." Miko said. Aoki smirked. "I see...well of course you all really can't be to blame, you're still just kids. It's probably your sensei's fault, the lack of intensive training and refinement of jutsu skills." Aoki added.
Miko gritted her teeth and balled her fists. "But that's enough for the lecture...now we begin what will REALLY determine whether you few are worthy of the Chunin title or at all."
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Chapter notes: Mikko and co have just faced the toughest battle yet and survived to tell about it, after losing two important people that they had only just met. Now the team has returned to Kumogakure, only to learn news of an exciting new event that is to take place soon.
Mikko, Tanzou, Hishegami, Yoichi, Aoki, Tite, Maki, Shichidaime, Konoyaha, Jinroku, Reni, Taki, Umikira, Shoi, Mizaru, Shin, Ai, Iwashi, Nezu, Hana, Yuuho
Chapter end notes: Flashback Arc...