8

                                    

                                          
Sora sat outside the Ninja Academy eating a peach as the sun rose over the horizon. She had woken up rather early from nightmares and couldn't get back to sleep so she decided to get there early. She sat there enjoying being alone but something caught her eye, she spotted Senshi running by. She soon passed by but within the next two hours, she spotted her another five times running by. Was she doing laps? This was an early hour to be awake and training. Sora lightly sighed, she wasn't one to talk, she was often awake at this hour also training due to frequently being awoken by nightmares. She just wasn't this morning because she wanted to save her energy for the test. 
A few more hours passed and soon Senshi arrived with Aisura by her side the two chatting away. Senshi looked up her eyes narrowing as she saw Sora was already there waiting by the academy. Aisura smiled as he waved towards her, hoping to start today off as a team better than yesterday. Sora looked at them and gave a nonchalant wave back, seemingly not caring. 
"For someone who was often late to the academy, skipped it or didn't even show up I was expecting you to be tardy," Senshi said.
Aisura sighed his hope for today being different was very quickly going down the drain. Senshi was a stubborn one and refused to look past what Sora showed on the surface. Then again he had to admit he struggled to see past it for a while. He only started noticing after Shikamaru did. 
"Can't you try and be nice," Aisura said to Senshi. 
"She hasn't earned that. Besides she's rude to us," Senshi said.
"Well if you use that logic technically you haven't earned her being nice to you either," Aisura countered.
Senshi shot him a glare not liking that he was using her logic against her. He only sighed backing off, this was going to take a lot of work to get Senshi to be nice but also to make Sora open up to them enough to see them as true teammates. He sure had his work cut out for him. 
The three waited together a heavy silence hanging over them. Another hour passed like this until the Hokage showed up with Tatsuo by his side. The Hokage smiled at the three feeling the tension once again. 
"You sure this will work out Lord Third?" Tatsuo questioned. 
"You know better than anyone what Sora has been through, it will take time but with a little help from us and her teammates, she will open up and hopefully be able to heal. What genin team isn't a bit tense when they first start anyway?" The Hokage said. 
Tatsuo sighed as he looked at Sora, she sure had grown up since that day. Aisura and Senshi bowed when the Hokage showed up while Sora rolled her eyes finding it silly. He was their sensei at this point. So they should treat him as such. 
"Good morning you three I hope you got some rest for today," The Hokage said. 
"Yes Lord Hokage," The two said in unison. 
"You two can stop that. He's our sensei right now and you should call him such," Sora said interpreting them.
Senshi turned and glared at her.
"He's the Hokage how can you show such disrespect," Senshi hissed. 
"I'm not. As of right now, he is our Sensei so I will call him that and treat him as such. When he is being the Hokage towards us I will treat him as such it's that simple," Sora said matter of factly.
Senshi went to retort back but paused as she thought about it for a second. That made sense. She turned to look at the Hokage now unsure of what to do. 
"I am more than happy for you to follow what Sora does. Feel free to call me Sarutobi Sensei. Now onto the test," He said still smiling. 
Aisura and Senshi looked at each other nervously while Sora observed the Hokage cautiously. He pulled out two bells from his pocket smiling at them.
"You have until noon to get one of these bells to pass, you can use any means necessary to get them," The Hokage explained.
"But there's two of them and three of us," Aisura said confused. 
"Yes, unfortunately, that means one of you will be guaranteed to go back to the academy. But then again none of you could get the bell and you could all go back," The Hokage explained. 
Aisura and Senshi grew more nervous while Sora's gaze stayed focused on the Hokage. That made no sense, he had guaranteed her they were going to be on three-man squads, so why was he making it so they would be a two-man squad instead?
"Will Tatsuo Sensei be getting involved?" Senshi asked hoping they weren't going to have to fight two high-level ninjas, though she knew they didn't stand a chance against the Hokage. 
"No, he is simply here to watch. Now let's make our way to where we will begin," The Hokage said.
They were taken to some training grounds, there was an open field with a forest behind them.
"Your time starts now," The Hokage said. 
The three disappeared hiding Aisura and Senshi hid together while Sora hid on her own. Tatsuo also disappeared now watching the genin from the shadows. Sora looked around and let out a sigh, she was going to have to meet up with those two to do this. She would need them if they wanted to stand a chance. 
Senshi hid in a tree with Aisura by her side. She had her eyes trained on the Hokage raking through her head trying to come up with a plan. While Aisura looked around hoping to find Sora, if he wanted them to become a proper team they had to start now.
"Hey Senshi I was thinking. If we get the bells, I want to give mine to Sora," Aisua said. 
This snapped Senshi out of her concentration as she looked at him shocked.
"Why would you do that? She has done nothing to deserve that. Why are you willing to give up your chance of becoming a ninja," Senshi snapped.
"Lower your voice unless you want to be found," Aisura scolded.
Shenshi closed her mouth peeking back at the Hokage who still stood in the centre of the field. She looked back at Aisura that same puzzled and annoyed look on her face. 
"I'm not giving up my chance of becoming a ninja, I can try again next time. Besides you may not see it but I know Sora works incredibly hard. If I want her to open up then I have to first extend the hand and show her that she can trust me, we are teammates right now, and that's what you do for your teammates," Aisura explained.
"You're stupid, but I know once you've made up your mind I can't change it. But I want you as my teammate," Senshi sighed. 
Sora stood a little bit away in a tree listening to the conversation. He was choosing to go back for her sake, why just because they were teammates? It was absurd and stupid. She let out a sigh as she jumped next to them shocking them both. 
"What are you doing here?" Senshi grumbled. 
"I'm glad you found us," Aisura said smiling. 
"So we can work together," Sora sighed.