Chapitre 123: Naruto Chapter 123
It was the end of the school day and all the teams were back at the academy. Konohamaru, while not fully happy with how things had gone after they had found the pendant on training ground twenty-three, was satisfied that they had managed to get all three necklaces and different pendants. It hadn't been easy at all.
They had managed to defeat team twelve for the green pendant, after battling them, as the ambush didn't work perfectly, but getting a blue one had proven tricky, as they couldn't find any other team than that of Hanabi, who they couldn't beat.
At least the other team also couldn't get their pendants, as they didn't find the hidden seals on Nintaro's and Riku's inner sleeves. They managed to make the team believe that they had lost their pendant and decided to try getting three new ones to still pass.
In the end, coincidence had helped them with the blue pendant, as they decided to see if any of the other teams that should have got blue pendants had failed to get them.
It took some running around the training grounds, but on their fourth try, Nintaro spotted an envelope lying around, which they opened and deciphered the code.
They carefully made their way to the hiding place, again using their masks to protect them from the possible gas attacks, and found a blue pendant hidden under a stone inside a trap circle, which they managed to disable easier than the first one on their training ground. They had some practice now after all.
Having all three pendants, they sneaked back to the academy, as some other teams had got the idea to set up ambushes for returning teams to get their pendants. Smart idea, but they failed to take into consideration that there were many entrances to the academy's ground, like through the obstacle course, where no team lay in wait. It was difficult to go through it without alerting the ones waiting for targets to appear, but they managed.
Right now, they sat in their classroom, the only other team there was team ten with Hanabi, and they also had all three pendants on the table in front of them.
"Damn, I really need to become better in that stupid obstacle course," Riku complained, "I didn't think it would be so hard to do things slowly instead of at a higher speed, like we normally do."
"True. I guess there are good reasons for all the physical conditioning we have to do during the week. But I have to say, this test was fun in a way," Nintaro replied.
"Yes, it was. I certainly learned much more than I ever did in class. I mean, hearing that things are useful to know is one thing, but finding out in action why and where, that's totally different," Konohamaru agreed.
"At least we finished the mission, meaning, we won't have to explain bad grades at home," Riku shuddered at the thought, Konohamaru and Nintaro agreeing with the sentiment.
When the bell rang, it didn't take long for their classmates to arrive, some with two pendants, some with one, others without one. And some of their clothes showed paint splatters, meaning they got hit by the paint bomb traps.
That would definitely be commented later on. At the end, four teams were led into the room by Naruto sensei, and they all looked disappointed and looked to the ground.
"Alright, class. This exercise has hopefully taught you several important things about being a ninja. We will discuss the results of the test tomorrow. All the other classes will have their tests over the coming days.
I have placed all of you under a seal that will prevent that you can talk about the test and what it entailed with anybody else, meaning you can't even speak about it with your parents.
Your parents have got a note from your homeroom teacher about the test that I had you do today and that, to not give the older years an unfair advantage, you couldn't talk about it for two weeks.
"Those that fell prey to the sleeping gas, it isn't harmful, Lady Tsunade has personally made it for me to show you what can happen on a mission. Think about the mistakes you made, the things that you did right, and you can collect questions you want to ask during the class tomorrow.
The second-years will be sent onto their test tomorrow morning and once that's done, I will do a debriefing with you. You will start the day normally with your physical conditioning class, like every day, after that I get the rest of the morning for the discussion of the test today.
Now, I want each team to come forward and hand in the pendants they managed to collect," Naruto instructed.
He called each team's number and they walked towards the front and handed over the pendants they had collected, if they had any. Once all groups were done, he dismissed them to go home. Of course, the children stayed to talk to their friends.
"That exercise was so unfair!" A girl complained to her best friend, "It was impossible that all teams could pass."
"I know. And that trick with the sleeping gas was mean. We didn't even get to collect our pendant, as we were knocked out once we got to the training ground that our code told us about," The friend whined.
Others also mentioned things they didn't like, but the ones that had at least got two pendants, were quiet. Most of them had realised that this type of exercise was similar to a mission to retrieve something that had been stolen by bandits.
And they wouldn't be fair about things. Otherwise they wouldn't be bandits in the first place after all. Once they left the room, they found they couldn't speak about anything in the test and realised what exactly their sensei had meant that he had prevented that they could talk about it.
It drove home that seals could do much more than most of them had so far understood.
...
Naruto had just talked to the homeroom teacher of the second-years, which had been sent onto the test about fifteen minutes ago and body flickered into the classroom of the first-years. The children there showed different kinds of looks.
Many were disappointed, angry, annoyed or worried. Others looked thoughtful, some satisfied, mainly the two teams that got all pendants, but all eager to find out more about their performance in the test.
"Good morning, class," greeted Naruto, like he always did.
"Good morning, Naruto sensei," replied the students.
"As I told you yesterday, today we will go over the test you did. First things first, this afternoon, your homeroom teacher will address several areas that were repeatedly a problem for the teams that were trying to pass yesterday.
Now that you have experienced a mock mission, you have a better base to understand what your teachers have tried to explain to you in classes so far. A ninja's life is never simply following some instructions. You always have to think, you need to investigate, you need to analyse. Otherwise, it can and will end badly.
"I think some of you have realised that this modified capture the flag scenario could also happen once you are genin, chunin or even jonin.
If a bandit group, a group of missing ninjas or perhaps even a traitor of the village has stolen something, and you are tasked with retrieving it, you can't simply assume that all that the mission includes will simply be getting to the item and bringing it back.
There will be traps, there will be obstacles and often you will have to fight the thieves to retrieve the item.
That was the basic idea behind the way I set up the test. Something that can take place on a mission early into your ninja careers," explained Naruto, and he was happy to see that several children nodded along, having understood the reasons.
"Traps are common protections against those trying to get to an item. Thieves of all kinds will seek to either delay your progress or take you out when they intend to keep the item you are after. Never underestimate their trickery.
There are many missing ninjas out there. The civil war in Kiri was a major contributor to the situation, but there are always those that feel treated wrong in the villages that decide that leaving would be better for them.
Or washouts from the academies of a village that use their limited training to gain money by preying on the weak. There are numerous ways that people with ninja training can be part of criminal groups. Never dismiss the possibility.
"Now, the first part of the mission was actually before you actually got into the action. Something that you should have known but which many groups only did quite late.
As you are beginners, it won't bring your grade down, as long as you did it before attempting the actual retrieval of your group's item, but in the future, this won't be treated as lenient anymore. I'm talking about a check of your equipment," pointed Naruto out.
He looked over the class and many frowned, some blushed and several looked at the floor in embarrassment.
...
Hey guys I really need some power stones to Elevate the ranking :)
...
if you want to read ahead of the public release you can join my p atreon :
p atreon.com/CarriePoppins
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone