Well, that was certainly the blankest blank stare to have ever been blankly stared.

Do you think the Flying Ramen Monster was too much?

"Alright then," Shikaku-sensei muttered dryly. "Since Minazuki-kun can personally attest, graduating the Academy doesn't actually make you a full genin. The prospective jounin sensei each administer their own tests. Since I haven't decided on a test to administer yet, please meet me at Training Ground 17 tomorrow morning at ten, dismissed."

With that ominous warning, Shikaku-sensei left us alone. Turning to the oldest member of the team, I saw he had already turned to walk away, which...NOPE.

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked Yuuki while hurriedly grabbing Kakashi's arm, who was also trying to walk away. Sweet Sage, grant me patience to deal with the ignorant (please let them just be ignorant.)

"Well, it's not like I'm passing with either of you," Minazuki Yuuki told me, which...what?

"What exactly do you mean by that?" I asked, hoping for clarification. Kakashi quietly resigning himself to waiting us out. Or he was curious about whether or not he should feel insulted by Yuuki. I'd put money on the latter.

"You're both babies and I'm on my last attempt for an actual genin team before I'm stuck in the Genin Corps. There's no way they're passing this team, not if they gave it to Shikaku," he sneered at me.

"What's wrong with Shikaku-san? And how does all this add up to us automatically failing whatever test Shikaku-san is going to give us?"

"They're not going to want little kids as genin, so they're probably already slated to return you both to the Academy, and they really wouldn't want Shikaku to be a jounin-sensei. He was kicked out of the Nara clan and denounced as heir because he broke his engagement for some two-bit chuunin whore," Yuuki near snarled.

"Okay," I said, "first, it's just as likely a point of pride that Konoha produces such naturally skilled shinobi that some of them can graduate the Academy at 5. Second, Shikaku=san sounds like a person who already has experience telling the people above him to take a hike, and finally, I'm almost certain Shikaku-san would like to hear about where you heard his lady-friend being described like that, especially if he cares enough about her that he gave up being Clan Heir of a prestigious clan like the Nara to be with her," I explained. "It really sounds like all we've really got to do is impress Shikaku-san tomorrow morning and it won't matter if they had us slated for returning to the Academy."

Kakashi seemed thoughtful, even if Yuuki had stayed distinctly sulky. Eh, I could work with that.

"If all we have to do is impress Shikaku-san," Kakashi said slowly, "then maybe we should work out what type of test he would give."

"To do that, we should probably find out what types of tests have been given," I said, quite happy to follow that train of logic. "So let's start with the nearest source of information! Yuuki-kun, what was the objective of the tests you failed!"

"How is that going to help?" Minazuki asked. "I've told you we've already failed, Shikaku hasn't even bothered to think of a test."

"Pshaw! It's not over until the report's been filed!" I yelled, poking Minazuki in the chest with one of my hand fans. "Now speak! Or Kakashi-kun and I will be forced to resort to aggressive information gathering techniques!"

Was it too much to start threatening torture?"

"Are you threatening to torture our teammate?" Kakashi asked.

"He is withholding valuable information necessary to the completion of our objective! Unless he discloses it voluntarily, we must consider his reticence as enemy action!" Okay, maybe threatening torture was a bit much, but damnit, he was the first lead we had and he was being a poo-headed twit about it.

"Fine!" Minazuki exploded, "Hamamoto-san told us to try and trap him, we failed and he sent us back to the Academy."

"Okay," I said while pulling out a notepad and a pencil. "Who were your teammates and what did you try?"

"I don't remember who they were, and I tried a bunch of things," Minazuki grumbled.

"So you didn't try working together?" I asked while writing 'individual action' and circling it.

"How would that have helped?" Minazuki asked...which, seriously?

"He's a jounin and you were all fresh out of the Academy, how would you have possibly succeeded on your own?" I explained patiently. He scowled at me, but at least he now looked like he was thinking.

"You think all we had to do was work together to pass?" Minazuki snorted, clearly still disbelieving.

"Why would the Academy teachers be so adamant about teamwork if it wasn't going to matter after graduating?" ahh...Kakashi-kun, you're so adorable when you're logical!

"Right! Now, since we have a theory, we need to test it!" Little steps! "We'll go and interview other ninja and ask them about what their jounin-sensei tests were and how they did!"

As I pointed my fan randomly in truly dramatic fashion, it happened to align in sight of, wonder of wonders, Maito Dai. Perfect! Honest and willing information source! An early success will help convince my teammates of the proposed strategy! Especially with Minazuki grumbling about how we can't go around asking.

Of course, we can go around asking! The worst that can happen is we'll be detained for spying...which, since it would be patently ridiculous on more than one level, wouldn't be a problem.

"Dai-san!" I yelled while running towards the green-clad ninja, my teammates trailing after me. "Dai-san! We have a few questions if you have the time!"

As I expected, Dai-san turned, beamed and made a show of being very happy to answer all of our questions. After a few minutes gaining some useful information for which I paid a small green origami turtle that Dai-san took with his usual small sappy smile followed by loud declarations of thanks and good luck wishes.