✩Little Brothers Are Sacred✩
Location: Tanzaku Quarters
"Jiraiya-sensei! Let's go! Stop flirting!" Hikari yelled into the bar, but stood outside the door. There was a strict no people under the age of 21 rule there and the muscular bouncer outside enforced it.
He eyed her once again, making sure that she was standing behind the entrance.
"Jiraiya-sensei!" She yelled once again.
She could almost see her sensei's bright red face as he flirted with the women around him who were more than a decade younger than him.
Jiraiya and Hikari had travelled all the way from the Lightning Village. If they stayed on the path they were traveling, they would have already been in Konohagakure, but Jiraiya insisted that they travelled around and go to Tanzaku Quarters, which is a lively town with gambling and many fine women. Of course Jiraiya would go there for his "research."
Some bars Hikari were allowed to go in, because she looked the part of 21 and other bars, the age limit was 18 which she was, but this bar was different.
"Jiraiya-sensei!" She yelled once again, this time capturing her sensei's attention, "We have to go!"
He waved her off before taking another sip of sake.
'This was going to be a long day." Hikari sighed to herself.
Location: Konohagakure- Meeting Room
"Are you sure about this?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat across from his former teammates, the two elders of the village, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.
"I agree with Homura. Letting the girl back here would just cause problems. It would disrupt the balance that we, the elders of Konohagakure, have worked so hard to keep." Koharu stated.
"She deserves to come home. This is her real home. How long are we suppose to kick her out of the village?" Hiruzen countered.
The two elders looked at him in surprise, not expecting that answer.
"The girl has no self control, the longer she is around that fox kid, the more she would want to tell him that she is his sister." Koharu stated firmly.
"She knows that she is not aloud to tell him anything. She's been training under Jiraiya for many years, she knows perfectly well how to control herself." Hiruzen calmly stated back.
"I heard she was found with Uchiha Itachi."
The three, turned to look as Shimura Danzo came out of the shadows and took a seat in the empty chair.
No one had asked why he was there, how long he was standing there, and what he was even doing there, they just continued on their argument.
"See, if the girl was found with Itachi. Who knows what Itachi would have told her? The girl could be ruining all the plans." Homura stated.
"How do you know of this Danzo?" Hiruzen asked.
"I've been having the members of Root, keep tabs on her. They reported back that the week, Jiraiya was gone on a small trip and Namikaze Hikari was left alone to train near the village of Amegakure, she was spotted with Uchiha Itachi." Danzo stated.
"What were they doing together?" Koharu asked.
"We're not sure. Perhaps its a good thing that, that girl is coming back to the village. This way we'll be able to observe and keep tabs on her better and this way we'll be cutting off her ties to Itachi." Danzo stated.
Homura and Koharu thought about it before nodding in agreement.
"Okay, that's a good idea, Danzo. We'll be leaving now Hiruzen." Koharu stated as the two elders left the room.
Hiruzen stared at Danzo, looking into his eyes, trying to figure out what he was getting at. But once again, he remained a mystery.
Without a word of goodbye, Danzo left the meeting room as well, leaving Hiruzen to himself.
After a few seconds of thinking, Hiruzen got up and left the room, to return back into his office.
~2 hours later~
Location: Konohagakure- meeting room
"Alright, it is time for us to chose the candidates for the Chunin Examinations. To begin, will does in charge of the Rookie Genin step forward." Sarutobi Hiruzen stated, beginning the meeting.
Yuuhi Kurenai, Sarutobi Asuma, and Hatake Kakashi stepped forward in front of Hiruzen.
"Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, what do you say? Are there any in your squad that you would recommend? Who are ready for the exams despite their inexperience. As you know any Genin who has carried out 8 or more missions is eligible for the examinations. Beyond that, only you can tell if they are ready. Of course most Genin require a longer training period." Hiruzen stated, "So Kakashi, you begin."
"From the 7th squad I lead, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and Haruno Sakura. I recommend those three to the Chunin selection exam under my name, Hatake Kakashi. " Kakashi stated.
"From the 8th squad I lead, Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino. I recommend those three to the Chunin selection exam under my name, Yuuhi Kurenai." Kurenai stated after Kakashi.
"From the 10th squad I lead, Yamaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Choji. I recommend those three to the Chunin selection exam under my name, Sarutobi Asuma." Asuma stated.
Gasps were heard from all corners of the room. The thought of mere Rookies being nominated for the Chunin Exams, seemed not only very unlikely, but suicidal.
"Please wait!" Iruka called from within the crowd as he stepped up.
"What is it Iruka?" Hiruzen asked.
"Please let me speak, Hokage-sama." Iruka pleaded, "Excuse me for interfering, but the nine who had their names called were students of mine at the academy. Everyone of them is talented, but it's too early! They need more experience before they enter the exam!" Iruka stated.
"I became a Chunin when I was six years younger than Naruto." Kakashi stated.
"Naruto is different from you!" Iruka protested.
"If you want other proof, look at Namikaze Hikari. At a young age she showed signs of being a prodigy. She became a Genin at only age 5, and attended the Chunin Exams that year as a rookie. She became a Chunin that same very year and if she stayed in the village, she would have probably been an Anbu at now." Kakashi added.
The name Namikaze Hikari wasn't mentioned much and it brought shock to some of the Jounin in the room, yet Iruka continued protesting.
"Namikaze Hikari was also different! Look at her parents and look at her background." Iruka stated.
"Look at Naruto's parents and their background." Kakashi argued.
"Enough! Kakashi, you know you are not to speak of that event nor are you suppose to mention any background information about Naruto." Hiruzen scolded, "And Iruka, I understand your argument."
"Hokage-sama." Iruka stated looking at him with his full attention.
"So, we will put the rookie Genins through a special preliminary exam." Hiruzen stated.
"A preliminary exam?" Iruka questioned.
Location: Konohagakure- Konoha Bridge
"Eh. Why does that person always make us wait when he's the one who called us up?." Sakura complained.
"Yeah, yeah!" Naruto agreed.
"How is he going to compensate a girl who woke up late and ad to give up blow drying her hair." Sakura yelled.
"I woke up late, so I couldn't wash my face or brush my teeth!" Naruto agreed with Sakura.
That only resulted in disgusted looks from Sakura. Sasuke looked at both of them and sneered at their stupidity.
'Why are they in such a perky mood in the morning." He thought angrily.
Kakashi suddenly appeared on the top of the bridge, greeting the three Genin.
"Hello gentlemen. I got lost in the path known as life today.." Kakashi greeted, ignoring the face that Sakura was a girl.
"A lie!" Naruto and Sakura shouted up at him in unison.
"I'll get to the point." Kakashi stated as he jumped down from the top of the bridge, "I recommended all of you to the Chunin selection exam, so.. Here, take these applications."
He held out three slips of paper at his students.
"Chunin exam?" Sakura questioned.
"However, the recommendation does not force you to take it. You can decide if you want to take it or not. " Kakashi added.
"Yes! I love you, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled as he ran at Kakashi and attacked him in a hug.
"Cut it out! Let go of me!" Kakashi stated as he pulled Naruto off of him ,"Only those who wish to take it are to sign the applications, and five days after that, get to the school by 3 pm and go to room 301. That is all." Kakashi stated as he disappeared in thin air.
Location: Outskirts of Tanzaku Quarters
"We could have been halfway there if you didn't take that stupid break." Hikari grumbled unhappily, folding her arms across her chest.
"It's all part of the lesson, for my research." Jiraiya stated happily.
"Research my ass.." Hikari grumbled.
"Just think of this Hikari! When this book is published, I will dedicate it to you." Jiraiya said.
"Great, I get a perverted book dedicated to me. What did I ever do to be so greatly rewarded?" Hikari said sarcastically.
That only resulted in a hit on her head. She mumbled something underneath her breath that Jiraiya couldn't detect. He suspected it was something insulting, but just let her be.
"And now we're going to miss probably the first part of the exam!" Hikari complained.
"Eh it's just written exams, nothing too interesting." Jiraiya stated.
"Written exams huh? I remember that." Hikari said in thought.
"Really, you were only 5 years old when you participated. I remember all the shocked looks on people's faces when you emerged victorious." Jiraiya stated.
"Heh, yeah I remember that." Hikari said after a while with a tiny laugh.
She was the youngest student ever to become a Chunin at the age, but it was only allowed because her father was the Hokage at the time. If it were any other Hokage the answer would have been immediately no. Her father however had trained her most of the time, knew that she was capable of blowing through the Chunin Exams.
The more Hikari thought back on her experience in the Chunin Exams, the more she ached to be in the village so she can see her brother in the exams. Even if she couldn't tell him that she was his sister, she would none-the-less support him.