The sand had barely settled after Shira's fight when Elder Hana lowered her hand, signaling the end.
"Return.", she said, her tone was like a stone striking against metal, final and sharp.
Shira bowed faintly, chest still heaving, before stepping back. His body trembled with exhaustion but it was nothing that he couldn't handle.
The other three, Isan, Daiana and Temari, watched in silence, each holding their own thoughts on what they had just witnessed.
"Resume the evaluations.", Elder Hana ordered.
The sequence of trials resumed. One after another, they demonstrated their mastery over ninjutsu, genjutsu, shurikenjutsu, physical conditoning, and bukijutsu, with this last one falling solely on Temari use of her fan (Tessenjutsu), Isan new use of a sword (Kenjutsu), and Daiana, uniquely, picked up on a bow and arrow for a weapon of choice (Kyūjutsu).
Temari's control of her fan-based wind techniques carved channels through the training field, wrecking the practice dummies into shreds, earning a flicker of approval from Hana and a strange look from Isan.
Daiana and Isan's illusions drew nods of recognition, but where the two of them stood out was in other areas, with Daiana being her medical knowledge, medical jutsu and chakra control; while Isan was very good in his chakra control, ninjutsu and genjutsu, possessing a good arsenal at his disposal, while also being a very good fighter.
When at last the tests ended, the four of them stood once more before the elder and their instructor, their bodies worn from exertion but their postures unbroken.
Hana's gaze moved across them, sharp and weighty, until her eyes finally narrowed.
"Three.", she said flatly. "Genin teams are made of three. That is the law of our village, and the standard we follow. One of you will not graduate today.", her eyes lingered on them as though waiting to see which one would break first.
The words struck like iron across the yard, bringing different reactions from the four trainees before them.
Temari clenched her fists at her side.
Daiana exhaled slowly, her knuckles white around her book.
Shira's jaw tightened, though he did not speak.
Isan's eyes dropped briefly to the ground before lifting again, steady.
Baki shifted faintly at Hana's side, but he said nothing. This was her judgment to pass.
Her gaze lingered on Shira longer than the others, as if measuring him against an invisible scale. Then she looked at Daiana, her brow furrowing slightly, before passing to Isan and Temari.
"The four of you can be chosen, but only three may walk together as a unit. Lord Kazekage will decide if an exception is to be made.", she said at last.
The four students straightened at once, voices ringing together.
"Yes, Elder Hana!", their voices blended into one.
"Dismissed.", Baki ordered, his tone sharper than usual.
The students bowed before turning to leave, each carrying the weight of uncertainty in their silence.
When their steps had faded, only the instructor and the elder remained in the training yard. For a long moment, neither spoke, the desert wind stirred the sand in slow spirals at their feet.
"You saw it.", Baki said finally.
"I did.", Hana answered, her tone carried neither warmth nor disdain, only the firmness of fact. She looked past the empty training ground as if still seeing the shadows of the four children etched there.
"Elder Hana, Shira can be-"
"Stop with that already. We are alone now, there is no need for all of these formalities.", Elder Hana didn't let Baki continue as she shot a glare at him, through the corner of his eye.
"... mother, I am just trying to follow the rules.", his voice wavered between duty and guilt.
"I know Baki, but there is so little time we spend now together, at least let me enjoy it for a bit, okay?", her voice softened briefly.
"Yes mother. About Shira..."
"I know what you want to say, but I don't agree with this. I am sorry, but I don't think I will ever will.", her refusal came with the weight of finality, her jaw tightening.
"You are encouraging children, our less fortunate children to participate in this brutal life, Baki. You know as well as me how vicious and deathly being a shinobi is.", her hand curled over her cane, her knuckles pale under the strength she was exerting.
"I know mother.", his shoulders lowered, the admission drawn from weary acceptance.
"That isn't to say the boy doesn't have any talent, especially with that technique at the end... he might become something extraordinary in the future, but until then what is going to keep him alive?", her eyes flicked sharply back to him, demanding an answer from her son.
"We can' afford to be picky mother. The village is running-"
"Don't even start with that. I am still strong enough to put you over my lap and spank you.", another fierce glare shot of her at Baki, that retreated a little.
For an instant, the hardened instructor shrank back into the boy he once was, chastened beneath her unyielding authority.
"The lack of shinobi doesn't justify what he is doing. What is he even planning on graduating these little ones so early?", her tone grew darker, suspicion shading her words as though she already feared the answer.
"... mother, you know I can't talk about that.", his lips pressed tight, his silence more damning than any outright admission.
"I know you well enough to see what it is about, what all of decisions have been about. It all started with Lord Third's disappearance. No matter how much that old goat tries to hide it, I know for certain it was her grandson. How much of a coincidence is it for Lord Third and that little brat to disappear at the same time?", her words dripped with scorn, every syllable a lash against unseen betrayal.
"Mother...", his protest faltered, barely more than a whisper drowned by the desert wind.
"Save it Baki. Do you think she stepped away from the council just because she suddenly started enjoying fishing?", a bitter laugh escaped her lips, but her eyes burned with fury instead of humor.
"Since then the village has been slowly declining, from suddenly losing our loved leader and that little brat, that was at a strong shinobi. Now our current leader is a paranoid and crazy man as an answer to the betrayal the village suffered.", her voice cracked, betraying both rage and sorrow for what the village had become.
"Mother you can't call Lord Kazekage that.", his voice tightened, the reflex of loyalty clashing with the fear of truth.
"Baki, I don't fear what he may do to me but rather what he decides to do to you. That is why I told you to swear your loyalty and obey every order from him.", her hand trembled slightly as it touched his arm, fear cloaked in a mother's sternness.