"And it's good you're all here," says the suddenly there sensei.

Sayuri jumps a little bit, and then grumbles something under her breath.

"Have you been here long?"

Rian whirls, not quite jumping, but -

"For a little bit."

"Will you teach us how to sense that sort of thing? If we pass."

"Of course. It's a hard skill, to catch someone at my level, but it can be worked on."

Sora tries to to bounce. They still haven't passed and from experience showing that she's excited about something tends not to work out well for her.

"Unfortunately... I'm only interested in taking a single apprentice."

-- what.

"Um. Really? I thought genin were put into teams????"

" - There's been one genin apprenticeship in like ten years."

"It's simply something most jounin aren't interested in. You three will be competing against each other; I have three boxes. Whoever gets them open first, without damaging what's inside, will become my apprentice."

"What will happen to the two that don't win?"

"Back to the Academy, most likely, unless there's a genin team down a member."

"So best chance is one becomes your apprentice, one hopefully goes to another genin team and the last goes back to the Academy?"

Sayuri deflates a little.

"Exactly."

That's not right. They've all worked so hard for this. Sayuri wants to much to make her mom proud. Rian is so talented and lonely and a team would have been really good for her. Sora... she's never had much. Having a team really felt like - a progression. She doesn't want to upset them. Wants to help them.

"I can go back to the Academy. I don't want to fight them. Can I do that? Forfeit? I know it's not the shinobi way, but. This is really important to them both."

Before their would-be sensei can respond:

"I forfeit, too. I won't advance at others' expense."

Quietly, Mariko looks at Sayuri.

Sayuri bites her lip, but doesn't hesitate. Despite the fact that she is freaking out on the inside.

"Working together is important. My mama taught me that. I forfeit too. I'm sorry, sensei."

And she smiles.

"Good. You all pass."

Sora blinks at Mariko.

"That was the test?"

"Well, I was going to give you boxes that could only be solved using your skills combined. But refusing works just as well." Her expression goes serious. "We're put in teams for a reason. The strength of one is the strength of all. You don't leave a comrade behind, even if it means you won't advance. You don't betray your allies. You are not in a competition with Konoha shinobi; we advance together, or not at all."