After he walked out of the headquarters of Azumi, he wouldn't go straight towards the training fields. Instead, he decided to visit some other place first. Walking down the street, Koike looked around. He noticed that most shops and stands would soon try to sell their wares and services. Continue down the street, he would take a turn towards the Cho compound. Not that he had really anything there to do, but he wanted to buy something. He had some time before the planned meeting after all.

A hour later Koike was heading towards the training fields. He had a plastic bag with him, in which he had something for lunch. Calmly, he hummed a tune as he approached the field where he would meet up with Katsu. But he didn't notice anybody on the field at all. Deciding that he should wait, Koike walked to a tree that had been either knocked down or fallen. Putting the plastic bag down, he sat on the tree as he would wait for Katsu.

A figure swung down sideways from the branch of the standing tree near Koike. The boy's face was covered in sweat and he found himself in a rather strange position. Instead of standing upside down, he seemed to have his legs wrapped around one of the branches. A mischievous grin appeared on his face as he saw that Koike had just sat down without taking notice of his presence. He lightly dropped himself to the ground, landing on both of his feet with his heels lifted. "Morning!" he yelled.

''Weirdo.'' Koike said as his right hand had went to a handle of one of his blades. He had been surprised with Katsu's rather surprise appearance, but he hadn't lashed out as he had almost done. ''Why are you even yelling... and covered in.. sweat?'' Koike asked, raising his eyebrows as he examined the Uchiha. Really, he was one... unique example of his clan. All those tales that the Uchiha were cool and natural elite shinobi were something he couldn't believe while the one he saw as a friend was like this.

Pouting, Katsu crossed his arms. "That's not important," he said in response childishly. "Well? What kind of training did you have in mind?" he asked, his eyes sparkling. The boy was excited to be able to train with Koike once again, though he hoped it would be more like training this time. He was sure it would be. Koike had changed a lot during the last few weeks...

''If you say so.'' Lowering his hand, Koike pointed to the bag. ''If you already trained or did something, eat something first.'' Waiting until Katsu would open the bag and see the smaller bag, in which there were several pastries, he would start to explain what for training he would help Katsu with. ''I noticed that you use kenjutsu and try to infuse it with wind chakra. Which is for start good, but it doesn't have... that kind of power yet.'' Koike tried to explain. He briefly paused to think about the right words. ''What I want to help you with is something that is both chakra control training as something new. You see,'' Wrapping the fingers of his right hand around the handle of one of his blade, at his right side, Katsu would see a blue aura surrounding the tanto. ''This. That is what I want to help you with.''

While he wasn't a sensor, he could smell the delicious pastries within the bag from miles away. That's.... That's...! He quickly lunged at it and opened it up, digging his hand in as he looked at Koike before pulling out a few eclairs. Watching carefully what his friend was showing, the boy looked at him with pride. "That looks different than wind chakra," he said, putting the few surviving pastries back into the bag and closing its lid. Drawing his sword, Katsu poured his wind chakra into it, making a greyish coat. Yup.

''It is because it is pure chakra.'' Koike calmly replied. ''We can do a test. See that rock over there? Lets see which blade can be thrown deeper into the rock.'' Koike suggested as he rose up from his sit. The rock wasn't that large, around half the size of one of them. Aiming for it, Koike threw the blade. It pierced quite deeply into the rock, like it had almost nothing to hold it back when the blade went into it. ''Now your turn.''

Katsu looked down at the sword in his hand and back up at Koike. After a moment, he nodded and got ready to throw the chakra coated blade. The boy flung his arm, sending the sword flying towards the rock, planting half of the short sword into the stone, though it had still penetrated much less of the stone that Koike's. ''You see, though it is said that Wind chakra enhances the sharpness of a blade, you need to have better chakra control and experience to make it better.'' He told Katsu, walking towards the rock. Placing his hands around the handles of the weapon, he seemed to pull them out with ease. Each had a blue aura as he drew them out of the stone. ''It is called chakra flow. Ever heard of it?'' Letting the flow vanish, he would walk back and offer Katsu's sword back.

The hilt of the blade found its way into Katsu's palm from Koike's hand after the boy offered it back to him. "I think I've heard it be mentioned before," he said, thinking back to his lectures about kenjutsu. After a moment, he snapped back to reality. "Where'd you learn a technique like that?" he asked, his eyes glowing like before. ''From training and a scroll. That is what happens when you keep completing missions, then you are now and then rewarded with knowledge.'' Koike shrugged lightly. Truth be told, he wasn't that excited or proud over it. ''It is actually simple in theory. All you need to do is to figure out how to mould and move your chakra as a coat over a weapon. Like I just did.''

"A-ha," Katsu said, nodding. "So it's just like elemenal manipulation, but simpler." He looked down at his sword. Concentrating, he poured his chakra into it without transforming it, creating a weak and flimsy coat around the blade, wavy and unstable. "I don't think I got it right," he mumbled as he felt the side of the coat, seeing how it was much more blunt than his wind coating.

''What did you expect then? Instantly mastering this technique?'' Koike asked in an amused fashion. ''I have trained this over a year, but am not at the point I can extend the shape of the coating or making sharp to pierce and slash through whole boulders.'' However, he didn't say it like he was disappointed in or any kind of negative way. ''What now needs to be done is to practice it and improving your chakra control. Over some time, you will notice that the coating will be much stronger and sharper.'' Pausing, Koike nodded at the rock. ''Together with wind nature chakra, that won't be much of a problem then. So, ready to start?''

"Of course not," Katsu muttered. He looked towards Koike once more. "Eh? Start what?" he asked. ''The chakra control training. There are various ways of training it. There is the water walking, tree walking and other practices that seem normal for most, but if you combine them with a task that they can improve your chakra control.'' Koike explained. He pointed at the outskirt of the forest at the side of the field. ''We are going to use a kind of tree walking technique practice, while also training your accuracy. After all, it is always good to hone skills that don't rely on chakra.''

"I guess that makes sense," Katsu said with a sigh as he slid the blade back into its sheath. He walked towards the place Koike had pointed at, planting his foot on the bark of the tree and climbing up. As he stood upside down once more, he looked at Koike, as if waiting for instructions. Climbing up as well, Koike started to explain the training as he pulled out a kunai with his right hand. ''We will jump from bark to bark, thus forced to use swift use of the Tree climbing technique, but need to throw kunai or shuriken at the last position of the other. This means that you need to coordinate where the other has been as well aware of where you are going. Else you will be slamming yourself against a tree.''

"A sharingan's not that useful they said. Why would you ever need it they said," Katsu muttered to himself quietly. He didn't move for a moment as he remembered the one time his sight had changed. Shaking the memory away, the boy looked towards Koike, spinning to the top of the branch. "Got it," he said, pulling out two shuriken in each hand, locked between his fingers, his fists clenched. "Ready when you are."

''Cause it drains chakra and with training, you can achieve sometimes better reflexes than to rely on it.'' Koike mused. He had managed to catch on what Katsu had said, but then became serious. ''Let's do this then.'' Readying himself, Koike pushed himself away from the bark, jumping towards a bark of another tree. He would use his expertise with Silent Killing to make it easier for himself, to know where Katsu would be. Already he was trying to aim towards Katsu would jump to, which wasn't really easy.

Before pushing himself off, he waited for Koike to jump. The moment he leapt off from the branch, Katsu threw the first shuriken in his left hand towards the branch that Koike was moving towards through the air, looking at the direction he was going and at the branches in that vicinity. After that, he leapt off, jumping to a branch from behind a tree, blocking their line of sight for a moment.

For a moment Koike was smiling. The kunai had left his hand and pinned the location of where Katsu had landed. He didn't try to see if the throw of Katsu had hit mark of where he had been, but was sure his friend was capable of doing a training like this one. Landing, he noticed that a tree blocked the line of sight. That was bothersome. Quickly jumping towards another tree, Koike had to push himself harder away from the tree to try to bypass some extra length to see if he could notice where Katsu would land.

Katsu pressed his foot on the tree, not reappearing to Koike from the otherside. Instead, he ran sideways on the trunk towards the side he'd come from and leapt off, seeing Koike had jumped again. He threw the second shuriken, making its path bend, only to miss its mark. Cursing under his breath, Katsu leapt off again, grabbing onto one of the branches and swinging under it without waiting and letting go, landing on another one.

Narrowing his eyes, Koike landed as he quickly had to use the chakra to latch himself against the bark of the tree. His sight was slightly hindered by the leaves, but he swore he could hear Katsu. With the kunai he had pulled, he managed to form a coat of chakra over it as he threw it towards the location of Katsu's last location. Not waiting to hear if the kunai would land home, he jumped towards another tree.

Not looking back, Katsu moved towards the side he'd last seen Koike, glancing around frantically. Locating, Koike, he spun and threw one of the shuriken in his right hand towards his foot, making a small arc and planting it into the wood in front of it. The boy rebounded from the tree, almost crashing into it, moving towards Koike once more.

Noticing something flying towards him, Koike would perform a summersault. This forced him to move a free hand to press himself against the bark of the tree. Gritting his teeth, as he had perform a throw as well moving fast at the same time, Koike would latch chakra from his hand to the tree to not fall as his free hand threw a shuriken towards Katsu's landing. Feeling that he would hang, Koike pressed his feet against the tree to bounce himself away towards another tree.

Seeing the shuriken coming towards the branch his feet were about touch he moved his feet away from the point on the branch so that he wouldn't get hit. As the shuriken was planted between his feet, he pulled it out of the wood with his left hand and leapt, throwing the shuriken in his right hand towards the branch Koike was hanging onto. Seeing how Katsu was doing, Koike smiled again. It was going very well. Pulling out another shuriken, he twisted to land better on the bark he was soaring towards. Placing his free hand against the bark to hold better control of where he hang, he would throw the next shuriken towards Katsu's new location, while he would then jump towards another tree. However, he only jumped to one where Katsu would have a tree blocking his line of sight.

Once Katsu landed once more on a branch with a shuriken planted on it, he noticed Koike disappear behind a tree. He at least knew where Koike was going, so he decided to do a rather dirty trick himself. He quickly leapt to another tree, waiting on the side opposite of where Koike had jumped from in order to disguise himself for a few seconds when his friend would look back to see where to throw his shuriken.

''You're aware that I keep watch of you?'' Koike asked as he had been standing still. Keeping track of Katsu through his silent Killing, Koike had found it weird that he hadn't hear the sound of a projectile being thrown, like a shuriken or kunai. Standing with his hands shoved into his pockets, Koike looked from his position towards the direction of Katsu. ''At any rate, let's take a break for now, shall we?'' Koike suggested, adding something. ''I think there might be a pastrie left in the bag that we could share.'' A smile started to grow on Koike's face as he actually didn't like pastries that much.

Seeing Koike appear from his position to propose taking a break, Katsu jumped out and threw a kunai towards his feet. "No breaks yet! We just started!" he yelled, landing on the side of another tree, hanging from it by his feet and hand. To which Koike simply frowned as he looked at the shuriken that was stuck in the bark of the tree, between his feet. ''And you want to exhaust yourself with training? How will you acomplish something if you're too tired to manage to try it?'' Koike asked, looking back at Katsu, still not moving.

"Are you saying you're tired?" Katsu said with a grin. "We can take a break once we're too worn out to land the weapon correctly. Until then, we don't need it!" He had an unyielding look in his eyes, challenging Koike with its stares. "Come, now! We can still keep going!"

Removing his right hand from the pocket of his pants, Koike scratched the side of his head. ''I wouldn't mind to continue, but like I said, exhausting yourself to the point where you're barely able to continue is useless. Same as taunting me.'' Letting his arm hang at his side, Koike glanced back at the shuriken that Katsu had threw earlier. ''The way I was trained was to train, rest, train and then rest. If you exhaust yourself, you will just work yourself for one session. While if you let your body rest for a bit and then work, you can gain more in such a manner. But.'' Making a clear gesture that he was being sarcastic, Koike spoke again. ''If you think that you know better, I am all game. Then I will have that pastry all for myself.''

"You're making me sound arrogant," he said, huffing. "You'll never get tired if you take rests once every few minutes. If you don't get tired, you won't be as durable when the time comes for you to endure more tiring jobs." Katsu sighed, crossing his arms. "We can work an hour or two, take a break for half an hour then get back to work. Getting tired and exhausted is a sign of progress."

''Is it? Or is it a sign that you know when your body is reaching a limit?'' Koike asked. It seemed so far his plan was working as he had thought. Not that it was hard to lure Katsu in just talking. ''Or are you saying that limits should be pushed and stretched, is that it?'' Koike asked, tilted his head a bit to the left as he kept standing still. He made a gesture to where they had came from. ''Or are you so anxious to improve your skill that fast that you want to harm your own body in order to reach it?''

"Pushing your body to it's limit trains the body," Katsu answered, pouting, spinning another shuriken in his finger. "I'm not gonna train 'till my body gets damaged for a long time but I'm gonna push it to the limit. Y'know, I'd expected you to be more anxious to continue than to split a pastry..."

Sighing, Koike smiled. ''And I expected you to be a bit more observant. You keep talking you want to continue, but I am not holding you back am I now? Cause I stop and try to not over do it, doesn't mean you don't have to. Yet, you showed that I managed to easily distract you. Is it maybe cause of the pastry?'' Koike asked, slowly laughing as he shook his head. ''Besides, I haven't eaten unlike you. Might mind it if I eat something before we continue?''

"I guess... If you're gonna go eat, I'll work on a... I guess you could call it a technique but..." He looked down. "Don't be alarmed if you hear explosions! You'll know where to find me when you're done!" he said cheerfully jumping off the branch and moving deeper into the forest. For several moments Koike looked at the back of Katsu and then sighed out loud as a hand ran through his hair. Why? He questioned in his thoughts as he would jump up and follow Katsu.

---

An hour later

''Are you done?'' Koike asked, wipping the sweat from his brow with his left arm. He looked at Katsu, holding a kunai in his right hand while balancing on a branch. Koike wasn't sure how long they had been training for now, but his stomach made it clear that it had lasted long enough. Flipping the kunai in his hand, Koike would sheat it back in a fluid movement.

Katsu was hanging upside down from a branch with a kunai stabbed it. With his sweat following gravity, he eyed his surroundings once more, noticing that there were quite a few branches like that. Though some of the branches had burnt to crisp when the training had gotten a bit rougher. "Yeah... Let's go take a break," he said, grinning widely.

''Glad you came to some sense.'' Koike joked as he also took a look at the field. But he was actually content on how things had went. And not just the training. ''The exams are close, you know.'' Koike said, dropping himself off the branch he was standing on. Landing on the ground, he started to dust his clothes off. There was some dust and splinters on his clothes and as he shook his head, even in his hair. Luckily not some warm ash or burning splinters of wood.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," the boy muttered, sighing. He let his feet drop from the branch and caught the ground with his palms, bending his knees and lowering them towards the ground like a spring, and then pushed himself off, landing on his feet upright. "I'm sure you'll ace it without a hitch," Katsu said, smiling. "Alright... A ten minute break once we get back to the field, hm?"

''I need to get something.'' Koike said, in a rather serious tone. Though Koike was considering to offer Katsu to join him, Koike decided that it would be better next time. He hadn't informed Hayate that he would bring Katsu with him and for that reason, Koike would rather go by himself ''Has been a long time since I trained with somebody good, except Aiko-sama. But you're close to her if I have to compare you two.'' Koike grinned a bit as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

"Oh, alright... I guess I'll train a bit more here," he said, sighing. Hearing the praise Koike had given him, a childish smile appeared on his lips. "Haha! Thanks," he said enthusiastically. "Good luck with your studies!"

''Thanks. Before I go however.'' Koike stopped as he briefly thought about it. But what he wanted to suggest wasn't that bad. In the time he had been with Katsu, he hadn't feel like he was much of a stranger to the Uchiha. ''What about meeting tomorrow?'' Koike asked. His plan wasn't to train, but just to spend time together with Katsu. Just as friends instead of team members.

"Sounds good to me," Katsu answered, holding out his arm. "See you tomorrow, then!" He'd forgotten about the worries he'd had when he had first met Koike. Having a sincere friendship like this one was pretty nice. Stretching out his arm, Koike's fingers wrapped around the wrist of the arm Katsu held out. ''Till tomorrow. Don't blow yourself up. I would hate to be the one to clean up the mess. Take care.'' Koike said, nodding slightly.

Hiron sat on the big rock. Today nobody was other than him was at the trainingfield number 9. The same number as his team and for that reason Hiron liked the place to train his students. In the past he had done that differently, but recently had he thought of some changes. And some worked out better than expected. The big rock on the hilltop of the field gave him a good vantage point over the field. Anybody that tried to approach the rock would first have to climb the hill in order to reach him. The strategist in Hiron found that comforting.

Masami was looking around the entire village to find Hiron-Sensei. After the blunder she pulled on their last mission, she wanted to apologize. That, and also for a chance to train with Hiron. She was a bit afraid of him, but she knew that everything he did was for the good of the team. So when she learned where he was at the Hon Compound, she wated no time to move there. Looking at the hill she stood under, she realized she had to climb in order to get to the top. Taking a deep breath, she started to run towards the hill, and using her chakra control, she released a steady stream of chakra from her legs. That worked, untill the point that the ground became too soft and crumbled, no matter how she adjusted the amount of chakra released. So using her last solid step, she leaped and grabbed a protrusion from the wall. When she was sure her grip was solid, she stabilized her legs as well and started the climb. She slipped a few times, but a few minutes later, she was on top of the hill, seeing Hiron-Sensei to be sitting there. Dusting herself off. She took another deep breath and walked towards the rock." Hiron-Sensei ... I ... I wanted to talk with you, and I was told that you are here. First of all ... let me apologize for the blunder I pulled off on my last mission. It was irresponsible from me and ... I learned the lesson. And ... if you could ... could help me with my training for the exams, please?"

There she was. Hiron calmly waited till Masami had entered the field and then waited till she was done with her question. His face revealed none emotion or thought. Looking back in the direction of the village, Hiron answered her question. ''Apologizing to me would be wrong. I wasn't in any danger after all. Your team members were.'' Hiron stated with a calm voice. ''And it is my duty to help you. So yes, I will train you. Come.'' He still sat the big rock and there was enough space for more people to sit on it. ''How good can you use those eyes of yours?'' Hiron simply asked after several moments.

Masami dared to jump on a bit and knelt down next to Hiron-Sensei." Well ... I trained them with Kiyomi during the siege of the Hon Estate, and I spotted targets some dozen meters in a distance. Thought it exhausted me a great deal, and was unable to do anything other than that, I spotted the enemy ranks precisely. Other than that, I train them a bit every day, together with some Gentle Fist practice. My clan members help me a lot - they erect barriers and use various means that obstruct a regular eye´s vision, but so far, I managed to see through most of them."

He stayed silent after her answer. Two minutes passed before Hiron spoke back. ''That isn't what I meant. What I asked for is how good you can use those eyes of yours. The question isn't about how great your skill is with the dojutsu, but how well you are informed about them. How well you are aware what the limits are and such.'' Hiron looked sideways at his student. He seemed still calm instead of stern or harsh. ''It is knowing the limits of what you can do. Because if you know what your limits are... you can work to expand them.''

Masami took a deep breath and collected her knowledge on her own eyes." I know that I have full vision in the close vicinity of myself in a full circle - currently,I can see everything in a ten meter radius. I am aware of the weakness above my first vertebrae - I developed a technique to help me guard this area." Thinking some more, Masami continued." When I first met Zakito-Sensei, I was able to see through his earthen wall with ease - the same goes for most barriers or vision obstructions.Also, I can see when a Genjutsu is cast over me - I just see through it. However, I am unable to distinguish a real person from a Shadow Clone - the chakra circulatory system is the exact same in both of them. And I have a time limit on how long I can keep my Byakugan activated, and it is currently around eight hours. Then, I feel the need to rest my eyes a bit." Scratching her head and thinking, she looked at Hiron-Sensei. Was this the answer he looked for?

Sighing, Hiron lowered his head as he shook it. ''That wasn't really the answer I wanted to hear or know about. I am very well aware of what the eyes of your clan can do and see.'' Pondering on how he could be more clear and yet make her think about it, Hiron decided to point at the village. ''Your vision is much better than mine if we would compare it by looking at the field. But can you see the village with your eyes, with those abilities? Do they stretch that far?'' Hiron asked, hoping it would give a clear signal what he was talking about. Not the village, but the distance was important now.

Forming the Ram Seal, she immediately activated her dojutsu and looked at the vllage. She could pick up the individual buildings, even the smaller ones. She could even see the basic lines of the Hokage Monument, but the faces were blurred." No, no they don´t, Sensei. I can see the village as I would see it without my Byakugan. I can pick up slightly more details of how the village is - the added constructions and resting places on rooftops, some people being there, but not their circulatory system. If I focus more, I can see more, but I am not able to defend myself ... so I always thought that what is important is happening close to me. I mean ... just like when we had the mission against that turtle. I only focused at the turtle, even though seeing everything in the close vicinity." She felt puzzled and a bit dumb by her unability to answer questions, she even blushed a bit. But she was determined to figure out the answer, sooner or later.

''Now you said something.'' The lips of the jounin seemed to curl up a little bit. ''You said that you focused only on the turtle, what made you become reckless and not looking at what was around you. I am not talking about potential traps or ambushes, but your allies. Even with your vision, I noticed many that wield such eyes still are less capable of seeing the reality. That is why I asked the question.'' Hiron explained to Masami. He somewhere doubted if she understood it, but he wasn't sure how else he could explain it. ''You may see all, but if you don't make use of all, you will gain nothing. In terms with your eyes, you will not have all-seeing ones. But those who will keep you blinded.''

Masami stood there motionless, hit by the realization of what her teacher meant. The way she was now, much of her Byakugan´s potential was wasted." You mean, the more I see, the more information can I gather ... and the more information I can gather, the more I can work with ... to protect my allies and attack my enemies." She started to realize that beeing a Hyuuga was not only about having the Byakugan - it was about learning to use it with its strengths and weaknesses. And she was not doing a great job so far." By having more information, I can better exploit ... for example, my surroundings. Or the seconds before my opponent launches a technique at my allies. And those secodns ... can make a difference. Is - is this correct, Sensei?"

Hiron slowly raised himself up. He stretched his right arm as he let out another sigh. ''Yep.'' Was his short and first reply. ''That is pretty much it. If you would use the information to not focus on the enemy, but try to pay attention to what is also important, you see more. Though it isn't that strange or your fault.'' Hiron told her. He patted her head as he looked back at the village. ''I noticed that many a Hyuuga deem their eyes superior and then often are bested by those who have regular eyes. That is what I am going to teach you now. At least, what I have been trying to do just now.'' Removing his hand from her head, he crossed his arms. For a moment he stayed silent. Standing on the rock, gazing towards Konohagakure while there was a soft breeze. ''I suppose that you now can 'see' it?'' He asked, placing emphasis on one word to try to make a lighthearted joke about it.

Closing her eyes for a bit, she thought hard about what was being said. She never really tried it, but when she opened them again, she saw everything in ways she never did before. The village was not a dull place from top but one living a busy life. She then looked around her. She took in her surroundings better than anytime before. She could see the cracks on the rock they were standing upon, the rustling of the leaves on the trees around them, the wildlife moving and observing them. Everything was clear. She took in several times more details than before, and all it took was to change her viewpoint on the world." You ... you were absolutely right, Sensei. It is like ... my All Seeing Eye was blind untill now. I never knew that my way of thinking influences my sight that much ... but it is only logical. I ... I guess our eyes can really makes us ... arrogant. Thank you, Sensei."

Hiron nodded as she thanked him. He almost grumbled back something, but he wouldn't. ''No problem, Masami.'' Hiron told her. ''Now, time for some training to prepare you more for the exams.'' Hiron told her. He was thinking about what he could help her with. Taijutsu and water ninjutsu was both a field he was good enough to help her with. But he decided to give some other training that would benefit her more. ''Lets talk about tactics, shall we? Do know that there is no wrong answer. Maybe a slight wrong answer, but every tactic has flaws. So when I point them all out, don't feel down. Instead, try to think of ways to cover them without forgetting what the tactic was about. Okay?''

Masami smiled, enjoying her new view on the world. It was really a difference. Then, Hiron-Sensei mentioned tactics." Tactics ... euhm ... now that I think about them, my old tactics may have been limited by my sight. As you saw, I tend to rush things. My palms being cut by kunai was a lesson enough never to do that again. I remember when I was fighting in the Hon Estate - I was adjusting my stance depending on the enemies surrounding me, not by my surroundings. When there were more of them, I fought defensively, only striking when I spotted an opening. But when I was engaged in single combat, I aimed to create openings myself - and it somehow worked. Though ... I highly doubt that those men were trained shinobi."

''They were trained soldiers. In essence, they were the same as us. Trained to fight and adapt to a surrounding.'' Hiron told her. He was considering what he should start with. He could go with giving her a situation and then asking what she would do. That was always a good one. But he decided to take a different route today. It didn't seem that Masami was blinded anymore or focused on one aspect. ''But good you start to see things more clearly. But lets take one opponent in mind. Just on a plain field. Then you must try to describe how you would try to go to work. After that, explain what might go wrong.'' Hiron explained to her, but he waited to see if Masami understood what he meant.

Masami closed her eyes, imagining the situation. Just herself, one enemy, a plain field. Taking several deep breaths, she analyzed the situation in her mind." Just him and me. A plain field means that I have to create diversions and openings myself. Even though it is a plain field ... there are still some things usable there. I can use my Vacuum Palm to blow dust in the air, obstructing vision for my foe." She thought for a moment." But then again, my oppoonent could go into a rather agressive stance and push me back, meaning I would have to fight defensively. Which means, I might not be able to create a diversion. But if he attacks too recklessly, it can be easier to spot an opening to exploit. "

Paying attention to what she told him, Hiron was content with what she had said. ''Good analyse. And by that I am glad that you at least considered that you're unaware of what your opponent is capable. At times this can be rather bothersome when your opponent has tricks upon their sleeves. Cause those can turn the tide against you.'' Hiron told her. ''For that I also advise to not show everything in one match or give too much information about yourself outside a match or battle. Remember that a lot of people are watching and who knows who of them you will have to face in the future?''

Considering everything she heard, she nodded." It is like having an ace in the sleeve, but showing it to everybody before playing it. I understand, Sensei. If that is the case, I would pick a defensive strategy, avoiding any large scale moves or any wastes of chakra. I think that the more I defend myself, the more they want to break my defense." She thought, thinking back to her only real combat experience." They focus only on breaking it, not finding a way around it. And I can use that to find an opening myself and stricke quickly, where it hurts the most ... with surgical accuracy. Next then ... I would adapt a waiting pattern. If the enemy is unable to recover from the exploited opening, I would go for a finishing move. If he can recover, I would repeat the previous strategy. Also ... a plain field might be a disatvantage for them - the sun, if it shines, of course. While my eyes can filter it out at least a little bit, most people would be blinded by it."

Placing his hands on his back, Hiron kept looking at the village in the distance. So far she was doing a good job. ''That is true, but do be wary. I myself have been often tricked because of not knowing enough about my enemies. There is always that risk of being surprised by their ace.'' Hiron told her. ''But it seems that you understand well enough that you need to be careful with tactics. Now, lets head to a more practice subject.'' Hiron then turned to her and took a step towards the center of the rock. It was going to be the same training he had given Shikaroku, but a little twist to it. ''This rock is enough for us to have a very close taijutsu training. We are only allowed to use our right arm and both feet, but are needed to force the other from the rock. Any questions?''

Masami followed her teacher to the middle of the rock and stood next to him." Right arm, feet only. Try to ... force you from the rock. Understood, Sensei." She took up a modified combat stance. She placed her left arm behind her back, and shifted her weight to her left feet. She figured out that while her left arm is out of the question for attacks, she can still use it for movement, balance and other purposes." I am ready, Sensei."

Placing his left arm at his back, Hiron wouldn't give any start signal. His right arm was shooting forwards, his hand open as he was intending to grab her by a shoulder. Considering the height difference, he was hoping she would see her disadvantage and try to come up with something about it. But as he performed his move, Hiron suddenly thought it would be better if he had done this before telling how she could make better use of her eyes. Hindsight, how wonderful.

Seeing that Hiron-Sensei went for her shoulder from up above, she realized he had the advantage. Instead of trying to avoid the attack backwards, Masami bended her knees to make herself even shorter, hopefully making Hiron to miss his intended move. While she saw his hand moving, her legs were still on one place. Instead of trying to deflect the hand, she went for a strike at his relatively unprotected legs, more precisely at his right knee.

His hand was pulled back as he realized what she tried. A clever move and if he had the time to compliment her, he would likely have done so. His eyes squinted as he was forced to quickly move his leg back to get it out of her reach. Forming a fist, he was aiming for a good ol whack on top of her head if she wouldn't quickly react to the incoming fist.

Spoting the fist coming towards her head, she decided to focus on it now. By striking from under, she aimed at the wrist of her teacher in an effort to displace the attack. As she raised her hand, she used her legs - seeing that Hiron-Sensei had his left feet still at one place, she raised her right leg and intended to deliver a kick aimed at his other leg.

His fist just went over her head, but his eyes weren't focused on if he hit her or not. Hiron had already figured she was a crafty one, but he was surprised when she aimed for his wrist, while coordinating a kick for his leg. Gritting his teeth, Hiron felt the sting at his wrist. He always had found the name Gentle Fist a rather disturbing term for what was anything but gentle. But while he grunted and felt the pain at his wrist, Masami would notice that he managed to keep standing. With being able to withstand the kick, Hiron's right leg was moving forward to force Masami back or else forced to block the incoming kick.

She suceeded in deflecting the blow aimed at his head, but now she had to somehow ward off a kick from Hiron. Quickly pulling back the leg she just performed the attack with, she attempted to negate the kick with another one of her own - though her kick will be rather weak, considering how hastily it was performed. Seeing that his hand is still somewhat away from the body, she drawn back her hand at the level of her head and sent it into a pushing motion towards the exposed chest of Hiron.

Noticing the attack coming towards his chest, his first reflex and move would be naturally to swat her hand away with his own. But at the moment, it was still quite aching with pain. To avoid getting hit and suffer another of those nasty sting jabs, Hiron moved back. It would give him and her a moment to breath. Shaking his wrist, Hiron really started to wonder which smartass had named that fighting style Gentle. Did that person never got stinged by a horde of bees?

Despite her attack missing, Masami had a moment to breathe. And that is all she needed. She placed her kicking leg steadily on the ground and made sure it remained steady. Stepping forward, she used her right hand to gain momentum and went into a spinning kick, with her leg extended to its full length. Not sure if her leg will make it in time, she was already thinking one step forward about a possible way to block an incoming counter attack ... or brace from a fall from the rock.

Though trembling and shaken, Hiron's hand wrapped itself around the ankle of the leg that Masami had tried to use to kick him. Without a warning, Hiron grunted and used his strength to lift her up. ''Rule number one. Know your limits.'' Though he felt the pain not ebbing away, he hope his action made it clear she shouldn't try anything without knowing if the chance was good enough. Instead of dropping her instantly, he would slowly lower Masami a bit so that she wouldn't be dropped off the rock or fall hard on it. ''One moment.'' He mumbled, flexing the fingers of his right hand. Finally the pain was slowly fading away. ''How do you think you performed?''

Masami let out a kind of sigh from the surprise - Hiron-Sensei countered her kick in a way she never experienced before and she lost her composure a while. She was certain that this will mean that she failed the test and would be refused to train. But then, she felt being slowly lovered back to the rock, and as soon as she could, she steadied her legs." I ... I think I could have performed a lot better. I was in a good position, but I made the wrong move. That took away any chance of making you fall from the rock and ... I overextended myself. I should have go for a move that I was sure I can pull off."

''You could indeed see it like that.'' Hiron told her. He waited for another moment, letting her catch her breath. ''But then again, you're in a tight spot against an expert with taijutsu that outranks you.'' He started, smiling. ''And while you didn't manage to pass the test, you did managed to hit my wrist. And let me tell you, it isn't fun to be hit by that attack.'' The smile vanished as he glanced at his wrist. ''So, no. You did your best and though it wasn't enough for the test. It most certainly was for me.''

Masami was a bit confused by what she just heard. So - at the same time, she failed, but managed to land a hit on a Taijutsu expert in close quarters combat. The last words, however, gave her the courage to smile a bit." I ... thank you, Sensei. Being hit by the Gentle Fist is painful. It focuses on causing internal injuries, rather than external, so a single tap can cause enormous amounts of pain. I have experienced some not so gentle from the Hyuuga masters ... "

Hiron let out a laugh as he heard what she said about not so gentle Hyuuga masters. ''I am well aware on how the Gentle Fist works and able to come up with ways to weaken the effect of a jab. Though at such fast paced taijutsu situations, I can't use my own chakra to weakend the strike of an user of that style.'' Hiron told her. He thought about what she had said about the Hyuuga masters not being so gentle, but he in overal viewed the Hyuuga as a more crude clan with their manners. ''But you have shown promise, got to tell you that.''

Masami realized that as an experienced Jounin, Hiron knew pretty much everything about the Byakugan. What he said about weakening the effect of the Gentle Fist gave her an idea, but it immediately moved to the back of her head. She had time to think about it later. But what come a bit later took her by a complete surprise. Being told that sheˇs shown promise by Hiron was a great achievment for Masami. She blushed a bit, and looked a surprised at Hiron. But when she spoke up, her voice was strong and steady." I ... I thank you, Hiron-Sensei. I will do my best not to disappoint ... neither you, or myself."

Stopping to flex his fingers, Hiron looked at the village for a moment before back at Masami. ''Good. That makes two of us then.'' Hiron said. Settling down on the rock, Hiron moved his gaze towards the village. Staying silent, he moved his hands at the back of his head before he would lay on his back. ''For now that is about it. The exams are around the corner, but I think you're ready for it. Just remember what I explained you before and try to do your best. You will get there eventually.''

Masami smiled back at Hiron. She decided that she will not disappont him, or herself on the exams. Even if she lost, she would gain a lot of valuable experience. So, a bit daringly, she took a seat next to Hiron-Sensei, and she turned off her Byakugan. Even without the dojutsu, she saw the village in a totally different way. She smiled and continued to look over the village." Thank you for your faith in me, Sensei. I will do remember everything you taught me today. It may take me a bit longer, since my eyes did not see the proper path ... but I will get there.I see it now ... "

Arriving at the stairs that would lead to the top of the Hokage mountain, Koike didn't see Hayate. Deciding to sit on the stairs, Koike leaned back as he yawned. Not that he was really tired, but he decided it would be a day he would take it easy. Or easy as he could. With now waiting for Hayate, Koike thought about what he would need to do the coming days. Keep up his stamina with exercises and such, making sure that he had enough tools and his gear in top shape. And of course his poison reserve. That would be vital in his opinion.

Carrying the large bundle as he made his way towards the stairs, Hayate had a satisfied smile plastered on his face. It had taken a long time, and a lot of thought, but he had come up with a solution for Koike's tanto's, as well as his arm guards. Finally, he reached the staircase and saw the other boy sitting down. Making his way towards Koike, Hayate had his first thought of doubt... What if the other boy didn't like it? Shaking the thought from his mind, he continued. "Hello Koike-san, sorry for the wait!"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Koike turned his head to see Hayate approaching. ''That is alright. Wasn't that long.'' Koike replied. He was very curious for the results that Hayate had for him. He was very curious to see if Hayate had been able to forge something what he had requested back when he paid the armoury a visit. Still sitting on the staircase, Koike rubbed his chin before he would ask a question. ''How are you?''

Setting the bundle down in between them, Hayate grinned. "I am doing quite well thank you. How about yourself?" Reaching into the bundle, Hayate pulled out the first items he was going to show Koike: the arm guards. The guards were composed of a base of layered black leather, that was hardened near the top, just enough to provide protection, but soft enough to avoid restricting movement. On top of and entwined with the leather, was a series of dark metal pieces, arranged in such a way to provive maximum protection to the user. The metal appeared to almost be a mix of dark gray and black, adding a slight sense of style to the guards, while also making them blend in with the rest of Koike's armour and gear.

''I am doing okay.'' Koike said, sounding polite as he answered the question. Upon seeing the guards that Hayate had made, Koike became silent. He was impressed with the details he could already spot. ''I wondered. But are you a smith or a shinobi?'' Koike asked, not able to hide his curiousity. He also meant it was a compliment, but wasn't completely sure if it would be seen as one. Glancing at the armguards again, he still felt a bit bad about not paying Hayate for them.

His grin widening, Hayate almost laughed at Koike's response. "I am a shinobi first and a smith second." Clasping his hands together, he tilted his head to the side. "I suppose that it gives me a slight advantage when designing new weapons and gear, as I can use my experience to help design something more useful." Standing awkwardly for moment, Hayate shuffled his feet. Gesturing to the arm guards that Koike now held, he decided to continue briefing the other boy on the additions he had made to the pieces.

"I made a few... modifications to the design, I hope they're acceptable. First thing you might notice is that they are incredibly light, but you don't have to worry about the metal being weaker because of it. It's strong enough to protect you from the strongest of blows, or the sharpest of strikes. The metal is also chakra conductive, meaning that you can flow your wind natured chakra into it to increase it's blocking radius, or... well, whatever else you can think of really." Smiling, Hayate leaned down and pointed at the metal itself, making the gesture on his forearm of rubbing it. "If you actually feel the metal, you will notice that there are some raised portions that have been sharpened to points. The purpose of those is to give you a bit of an advantage if it comes to close quarters fighting. There... uh... well there's also one other thing that I added to them, but that can wait until after you've seen what I was able to do with the tanto's. So, what do you think of the guards so far?'

Slowly Koike placed and don on the guards. Other than the looks and details, he was quite surprised by Hayate's craftmanship. Listening to the details that was given, Koike could see the use of conductive chakra material in the guards. But not for what Hayate thought. Most would use conductive chakra material for more elemental purpose, but Koike saw the advantage of using his genjutsu techniques with the guards. One in particular. ''I can't express how impressed I am. They are very nice.'' Still inspecting the guards, he couldn't help but to smile a little. Flexing the fingers of his right hand as he lowered his arm, he looked back at Hayate. ''I will make it soon up to you.'' Though he wasn't sure how, cause who said that this person wanted to spend time with him? That and he was a shinobi, so Koike wasn't sure if he was a rival or not. ''Though are you sure you don't want to get paid?''

Bowing his head a little at the praise, Hayate didn't know what to say at first. "Thank you Koike-san. I am glad that you like them." When the other boy asked once again about payment, Hayate chuckled. "As I said before, the work I do for the Guardians is not for profit, it is to help out the organization itself. I am more than happy to help out a fellow member, and a fellow shinobi. So, I am absolutely certain that payment isn't necessary." His eyes gained a brief glint and he snapped his fingers. "Can't forget about the tanto's now, can we?" Reaching into the bundle, Hayate pulled out the two remaining items, Koike's tanto's. Handing them to Koike, he stood back and smiled.

Taking the tanto's, Koike noticed some changes right away. They weighted differently than before. Not because now of the chain that connected them, which was smaller in length than he had requested, but in overal. ''Interesting.'' Koike mumbled as he tried to figure out how the chain was connecting both weapons. ''I kind of want to ask what you had done with the tanto's, but after seeing your last piece. I suspect that you have a few tricks hidden away?'' Looking back at Hayate, Koike still tried to weigh the weapons with his hands. They were not too light nor too heavy. What was good in his opinion.

"Guilty as charged." Hayate said with a chuckle. "The chain itself needed to be very, very thin in order to retract back into the hilt, so I had to use a special metal in order to keep it strong enough while reducing the size. But, you're probably wondering more about how they attach to each other?" Grinning, Hayate pointed to the tanto in Koike's right hand. "That tanto has a special contraption built into the hilt. When you flow your chakra into the hilt, you activate the mechanism. Using a mixture of both a powerful magnet, and a custom designed clasp, the chain attaches to the underside and then withdraws into the hilt itself, securing the two weapons together. If you flow a bit of chakra into the other tanto, it allows you to retract or lengthen the chain at will."

Inspecting the tanto's again, Koike wasn't sure what to say. A thank you was just not fitting. But he didn't know Hayate long enough to offer him a proper handshake or anything that he considered appropriated. ''I am very grateful for this, Hayate.'' Koike said, sounding genuine as he would sheath the tanto's in their sheath. The right one was bit heavier, due the chain being stored into the tanto. It was truly an interesting concept and he was interested of trying it out. But that would wait for another time, Koike decided. Already he could form up some tactics, but he decided to focus his attention back to Hayate. ''Which team are you part of?'' Koike asked, actually curious about it.

Truly happy that Koike seemed genuinely pleased, Hayate beamed. "I am a member of Team 2, under Kiyomi Sato-Hon's leadership. Oh, and uh... well, there's one other thing that I added to the right arm guard. I figured... since you mentioned that you wanted to be able to use the tanto's independently, as well as chained together, I devised a method that would allow you to make use of the best of both worlds... There is another chain which retracts into a small space underneatht the front of the right arm guard. And the same connection mechanism that is in the right tanto, is in the front of the left guard." Pausing for a moment, he tried to explain exactly what it would allow Koike to do. "Uh, well, basically this means that, if you wanted to, you could connect the tanto's to your arm guards and use them independently as well, increasing your range of movement with the weapons. And, well, anything else you can think of doing with it... Sorry if it's a little useless..." Looking down, Hayate blushed slightly. He wasn't sure if Koike would even find the addition helpful, but he had thought of it on a whim, and added it in.

Grinning, Koike looked at the bracers. Truly, he wasn't sure what would be next, but they were really nice. Extraordinary, was more the word he should use for the bracers. And the tanto's. The grin was removed of his face as Koike stood up. He wasn't sure what he should give back. Money wasn't something that Hayate would accept, that was for sure. But what else did Koike had that could be useful for Hayate? Then his right hand went to his pouch to pick out what seemed to be a smokebomb. Holding it towards Hayate, Koike smiled. ''It might not be of the same value, but this is one of the few smokebombs I use. It has some poison, made by mixing various herbs together. Used correctly it will start to cause a paralyzed effect on a person.'' With his other hand Koike would pick out the antidote. A small syringe with some fluid at the ready to be injected. ''The poison in the smokebomb can be inhaled and cause the paralyzed effect, but would be best if it can enter the body of the victim if there is a wound, allowing the poison to enter the body through the blood system.''

His eyes widening briefly in surprise, Hayate didn't know what to say. He wasn't overly familiar with poisons, but he knew first hand just how effective they could be. "Th...thank you Koike-san... I... I don't know what to say... This is really... cool." A smile filled his face as he gently took the bomb and looked it over. He was already thinking of ways to employ the poison in combat. Pausing for a moment, he reached out one hand towards Koike, holding it out for a handshake. "It has been a pleasure Koike-san. Honestly."

Stretching out his hand, Koike shook Hayate's hand. ''Most certainly has been. If you would like, please notify me when you would like to spend time together. I am interested to hear more about your smithing and how you learned to craft these things.'' Koike suggested, adding something to it. ''Might would fun to tell you a bit about poison then, if that seems interesting?'' It sounded like a mere trade, but Koike wasn't sure how else he could try to make it clear he wouldn't mind to see Hayate again. He owed him a lot.

"I'd like that." Hayate said, glad that Koike hadn't minded shaking hands. He had meant what he had said, Koike seemed like a good guy, and he wouldn't mind hanging out with him again. Kiyomi was always telling him he could use more friends after all... "We should meet up, after the exams... if you wanted to..."

Considering what Hayate said, Koike didn't see a real problem with it. The fact that Hayate mentioned the exams made Koike wonder if Hayate meant that he was going to participate as well or mayeb he had already passed them? Never the less, Koike still saw no harm. ''I wouldn't see any reason why not.'' Smiling a bit, Koike felt a bit unsure what he should say. It sounded more like they said goodbye. Shoving his hands down into the pockets of his pants, Koike nodded. ''Till soon, Hayate. And thanks.''

Nodding his reply, Hayate still held his smile. "Same to you Koike-san. Take care for now!" Placing his hands in the pockets of his longcoat, Hayate made his way back towards Azumi. It had been a good day, and he had met a good person. Who knew... they may even become friends some day. Whistling a tune, Hayate continued his long walk.

Though dressed in her jounin garb, Aiko wasn't on the training field for any training. Leaning against a tree, she stood in the shadow, while waiting for her two students to come and arrive at the meeting place. First Aiko had considered a teahouse or a restaurant, but instead had chosen for the training field where the team had gathered for the first time. The time when they had head out for the first team training. Which had went horribly. Now, weeks had passed. Aiko had invested time in training all three the genin. A soft smile appeared on her face as she looked up, staring at the blue sky. Though they all three had to keep improving some aspects, skills and habits, Aiko felt proud. From an unruly team they had became more or less an united front. Thinking about it, she wasn't even sure if she had been that great of a help in it. Considering how well Koike and Katsu seemed to work together. Even giving the impression that they were friends, was something that her happy. It was much better than what they were at the start.

Heading the gathering point, Koike was walking in a normal pace. He was wondering what Aiko had called him for. Perhaps another mission or maybe a training? The exams were ever growing closer of happening, but Koike somehow was calm about it. It was the fourth time that he participated and he wasn't honestly craving of becoming a chuunin. He was content. Being a genin meant that he wouldn't be looked upon with some respect, but did he need that? He had what he needed to keep going and that was important for him. Before he would enter the field, he checked the small bag he was carrying. It was starting to become a rather odd habit of him.

Making his way to the field, Katsu saw Koike enter it ahead of him. He quickly race up to his friend and with a cheerful tone, he announced his presence. "Good morning!" Indeed it was. Katsu had slept early and woken up late for the first time in the last two weeks or so. Fully rested and raring to go, the boy could hardly contain himself. Perhaps it was the excitement of the upcoming event or perhaps because he was just well rested.

Hearing something, Aiko turned her attention to where she had heard something. Noticing that both Koike and Katsu came walking to the field only made her more certain. They were looking differently. Not in any way of being taller or such physical manner. But in her eyes they had managed to grow more as capable shinobi, but she was wondering if that had been because of their growing bond. ''Good morning.'' Aiko called to them, waiting in the shadow of the tree for them to approach her.

Turning his head, Koike glanced over his shoulder. Smiling a bit, he wished Katsu a good morning as well. ''Got this for you.'' Holding out the bag, it was evident what Koike had bought for him. Stuffing his hands back into the pockets of his pants, he would continue to walk towards their sensei. ''Morning.'' Koike said, waiting to hear what the meaning was of the gathering. He was half expecting Yukara to be present or this could be another mission.

Katsu's eyes glowed as he reached for the bag. "For me?" He peeked his head into it, smelling the wonderful food. He pulled himself out again and caught up to Koike. "Good morning, sensei!" the boy replied in kind. He looked at Aiko with a warm and wide grin. He locked his fingers behind him, the bag hanging under his knuckles.
A bit surprised, she had seen Koike giving something to Katsu. Wondering what it was, Aiko decided that it wasn't something she should concern herself with. ''Glad to see you both could came. Sorry that I hadn't been early with anouncing that I wanted to meet up with you two.'' Aiko said. Taking in a pause, she decided to skip the formalities. They were after all wondering why they were. ''I called you both here because the chuunin exams are going to be happening soon. Both of you have managed to grow and impress me during the past weeks. What I want to say and talk about isn't any theory about combat, ninjutsu or something like that.'' Aiko realized she was maybe rambling a little bit. But she wanted to be sure that she was clear with her words, how she felt about the progression of the two. ''I am very proud of how far you both have came. Considering the first team training, you two and Yukara are doing it very well. More than I had expected.

I am proud of you.''

Staying silent as Aiko spoke to them, Koike thought back to the times he had failed the Exams. Two times. He had entered it twice and failed both of them. Reasons or not, he had always a hard time to think that Aiko was being proud of being his sensei. After all, Miharu was now dead and Koike still saw himself responsible for letting that happen. Lowering his head, he thought about her words. ''I would like a pastrie.'' He mumbled, his cheeks a bit blushing.

The smile grew and grew on Katsu's face until he heard Koike's words. But... You gave them to me... They're my pastries... Though without hesitation, Katsu held out the bag of pastries for Koike to dig into unwillingly. "Could you choose something for me too?" he asked, showing his impeccable trust in Koike.

The question of Koike made Aiko look surpised and at first confused. But noticing the blush on his cheeks, she realized why he had asked for a pastrie. Her smile grew back as Katsu gave Koike the bag. Laughing, she decided that she wouldn't need to hear their response about her words. Why would she? It was evident and crystal clear. ''If you wouldn't mind me, I would love to have one too. Perhaps we should sit down?'' She said.

Just taking one pastrie out, Koike held the bag towards Aiko. He didn't want to talk. And the pastrie wasn't that half bad. Still not something he saw as a nice treat, but it was nice to have an excuse to not to talk back. He was still thinking about Aiko's words. A warm feeling was spreading over his body as he thought about it. Sitting down, it dawned on him that he was blushing a bit. Taking a small bite of the pastrie, Koike glanced away, hoping the blush would go away.

As the pastry bag was taken from his hands and nothing was put back into it, Katsu sat down with a disappointed air around him. He didn't hear me... He seemed to be mouthing "Pastry" over and over, so slowly it was somewhat creepy. His head was lowered, his eyes open wide. Huffing, his head fell in front of him, his face now no longer visible.

Taking out a pastry out of the bag, Aiko threw a worried glance towards Katsu. For a moment she was worried that he was having a sort of stroke. Or maybe a breakdown. Raising the pastry she had taken out and biting on it, she would have a hand free to take out another pastry. Which was slightly bigger than the others ones in the bag. ''Katsu.'' Managing to mumble his name with her mouth full, Aiko stretched and offered the pastry before she would sit down as well.

Koike hadn't heard or seen Katsu's reaction. He was still looking away while slowly munching on the bite he had taken from his pastry. Finally, he managed to accept Aiko's words. It felt good and he was sure now. Whether he would or wouldn't be promoted to become a chuunin, he was happy now. Asking for more wouldn't be anything he considered good.

Katsu sniffed a couple of times once the pastry was pulled out of the bag. Without looking up, the boy managed to pinpoint the exact location of the dessert in space and time, snatching it out of her hand rapidly and stuffing it into his mouth. He radiated some killing intent for the moment he pursued his prey, and a moment later, the adorable boy was smiling with half of the pastry sticking out of his mouth.

This was really nice. Leaning against the tree, Aiko glanced at the two of them. Though Katsu radiated some killing intent, it wasn't enough to spook Aiko. But she was a bit worried. Maybe she should note down that he shouldn't get that much pastries. They were having a bad effect on the boy, yet she couldn't hide her smile. There they were. Simply eating a pastry together. Now Aiko was sure. The Exams would go well, promotion or not.

Important OOC information and rules!

Please remember that the Exams don't mean that you have to try to beat your opponent to death. You will get promoted or not based on your character experience, behavior and other factors. But OOC behavior will be counted with it. Please do take care to remember that. Every fight will also have a referee. This doesn't mean you have to wait till you, your opponent and your referee have to be in the pad. But the referee has the right to say when somebody goes overboard, like powerplaying. The referee can also be called in when you are unsure of your situation or battle.

The first reasons why we have a Chuunin exam is to have fun. Not to bludgeon each other to a bloody mess, which can be fun, but not for the one that gets the beating. Stay in character and listen to the referee(s).

Referees :
Fieryfly,
Chromehound,
Gerontis
Lesli

If you're going to collab, please send a link (preferably in a RPG PM) or try to give it on skype, WHEN they are all online and present. If you have a problem with a decision of referee, also restrain yourself from blurting it out and act as a crybaby. Send it over to another referee and the four of us will take a look if a decision of the said referee was just or not. However, if it turns out that you're stalling or trying to do anything fishy, be sure that it will counted towards you. Try to not argument all the time and just try to have fun, as much as one can have in a player vs player match.

Let the fights begin!
*Tries to summon a rain of burning, flaming meteors!*

Hiron had looked at the announcer. When Shikaroku and Masami were announced, he had at first done nothing. Listening to the surnames could sometimes reveal a detail or two about the opponent. Hopefully had they also pay attention to it, cause he had been rather harsh and stern with the two genins ever since they had set foot in Amegakure. If it weren't for the matches to begin soon, they would likely expect him to give them a grim training to make sure that they would be warmed up for the next following month. Making a shadow clone, one of the Hiron beckoned to Shikaroku. ''Kid. With me.'' The tone made it clear that Hiron wouldn't accept a no from the boy. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants as he already started to walk, Hiron would throw a question towards Shikaroku. ''Feeling ready for it?''

Thinking seriously about that question, Shikaroku kept his hands tucked away in his pockets. "I suppose I am as ready as I could feel, given the circumstances." He finally said, glancing up at his sensei. "Do you think I'm ready?" Shikaroku asked back, a slight grin on his face. It wasn't that he was in a joking mood, nor was he really that happy at the moment, but it felt a little different around Hiron. It felt like he could be a little more comfortable.

''No.'' Hiron's answer was rather short and he didn't think long about it. ''Your taijutsu isn't what I would be content with. Your ninjutsu isn't that trained yet that I would call it good for your level.'' Hiron stopped with his comments. ''But you got something that most others don't have.'' Though Hiron hadn't smiled or grinned in days towards his students, he shot Shikaroku a grin. ''You got a healthy dose of guts. Some good motivation and knowing how to use that brain. All you need to do is give it your all. Even if you can't win, just know that you don't need to win. Sometimes, a wise or strong shinobi knows when to forfeit and retreat. If you have the idea that you won't win. Forfeit.'' Hiron's grin vanished as he looked more worried.

''No need to get all bruised up, kid. There is always a next exam if this one won't work. And if there is by any small chance,'' Hiron sighed briefly as he looked at the direction they were heading. ''That you're doing this to try to impress or make me proud, then lets call it a day right away. Fighting in that arena won't make me any proud or impressed by what you can do.'' Shikaroku would feel a pat on his head. ''Cause I already am.''

Chuckling as Hiron went on about his sub-par skills, Shikaroku couldn't help but feel a little relieved. He was filled with a sense of warmth when Hiron said he was proud, and for a moment, stunned into silence. Looking up, Shikaroku locked eyes with his sensei. "Thank you Hiron-sensei. That..." Looking away, he didn't need to finish what he was saying, Hiron already knew. Thinking ahead to his match, Shikaroku had indeed been wanting to make Hiron proud, to make Aiko-sama proud... But he also didn't want to act foolishly simply to appease other people.

This match was supposed to be about showing off their skills, and deciding whether or not they were ready to become Chuunin. Shikaroku harboured no doubts that it was a task he wasn't ready for, he had a lot to learn. But the fact that Hiron had allowed him to enter, to get the experience, meant that maybe one day he would be ready to take on that task. Leading others... It was a strange thought, especially for a shinobi who still had a hard enough time leading himself.

They were near the arena and Hiron slowly stopped. He looked with a frown at Shikaroku. ''I never told you why I kind of started to become not that easy with you, I realized.'' Hiron started off. ''I have met and trained a lot of genins and most of them were rubbish. Going to be honest, they were either too arrogant or too dumb to understand what was truly important. I always have seen myself like that, cause I was too arrogant at times. Around your age, I only became bolder when I was promoted to become a jounin. Only later I realized why I was promoted.'' Hiron sighed, raising his right hand to place it at his neck. He had a more relaxed appearance, the grin becoming a smile. ''Cause I showed the potential to understand the little things that are important.''

Letting a pause fall, Hiron raised his right hand for his mouth, coughing a bit. ''But back to my point. I think that you're a bit like me. Less arrogant and probably better with thinking, but still.'' Looking with a rather serious look, Hiron moved his hand up to his bandanna. ''I want to give you something small.'' Slowly his fingers would unwrap the cloth as he would stretch it towards Shikaroku. ''It isn't anything cool as a new blade or technique. Kind of worthless, but might bring some luck.''

Slowly reaching out, Shikaroku took hold of the bandanna, speechless. "Hiron... sensei... are you sure?" Holding the piece of cloth in his hand, he forgot about everything else for the moment. It didn't need to be a weapon, a technique, or anything like that... The gesture, that meant the world to Shikaroku.

''No, I just want to give you some piece of cloth.'' The sarcasm was evidently clear in the voice of the jounin, who sighed. But he did sound quite amused. ''Now, remember what I told you. And if you can, give them hell.'' Waiting, Hiron would stand still till Shikaroku would enter the arena. Until the doors would closed, he would just stand and wait for Shikaroku to enter the field.

Grinning, Shikaroku raised the bandanna and tied it around his head. Nodding to his sensei, there was nothing more he needed to say. Shikaroku turned on his heel and made his way towards the entrance of the arena. This is it... He thought to himself, taking a deep breath before he stepped inside.

Slowly walking into the very swampy looking training field, Kuni looked around. She had known the training facilities could be transformed into any kind of field, but she didn't think that would include a swamp. That was very impressive in her eyes. It really gave a damp feeling to it. Walking on the green, icky looking water, she stopped and kneeled, moving her hand in the water to see how they felt. They felt like it was possible to swim in them, but it wouldn't be the best of choices. Standing up, she went and got onto the small land, looking around the field and waving to people at random. She didn't manage to quite spot anyone she knew, but Kuni had a feeling that Eiji was watching her from somewhere, and that someone else she knew was there too.

Stepping into the arena timidly, Reyna's eyes widened as she took in her surroundings. She had expected to be fighting in a standard arena, flat land or something similar... But this... Gulping, Reyna made her way across the swampy waters and onto the dry patch in the middle of the arena. Her opponent was already there it seemed, and Reyna didn't exactly know what to do. Are we supposed to fight right away? She thought to herself, shuffling awkwardly at first. The other girl looked to be a little older than her, and Reyna briefly wondered what she was like. "Uh... hi." Reyna said quietly.

Moving to look at her opponent, who appeared to be a bit younger than her, Kuni couldn't help but smile. Even if this was a match to see their skills and qualities, it didn't mean they couldn't be friendly to each other "Hey!" She said and approached Renya, grabbing the younger girl's right hand with her hands "My name is Yoshikuni Sadako, but call me Kuni. Even if we are matched against each other, it doesn't mean we can't be friends afterwards or at least leave on friendly terms!" She said and let go of her hand.

Surprised by the immediately friendly nature of the other girl, Reyna didn't know how to properly react. "Um... it's nice to meet you Kuni. My name is Reyna Azuma." When they let go of the handshake, she clasped her hands together behind her back and shuffled for a moment. "Do... do you know when we're supposed to start?" She whispered, sounding a little nervous.

Shrugging her shoulders, Kuni went and did a little spin on the spot "I don't know if we are supposed to be waiting for someone to announce or if we just supposed to start. All I know is that I was told to come to this swampy looking training field and that here I will fight my opponent. I wasn't informed anything else." She said and then stopped to look at Renya again "Thats a nice name. Renya. Makes it easier to remember it." She said and sent a grin towards her.

Blushing, Reyna mumbled a thanks and then glanced around. She had been informed there were going to be referees present at the match, but so far she couldn't see any. I guess they stay hidden until needed... She thought, turning back to Kuni. "I guess, if you're ready, we could start...?" Preparing herself as best she could, Reyna hoped she was ready for this. At least her opponent was friendly, though Reyna wasn't foolish enough to think that would make a difference during the actual fight, it did make her feel a little better.

"Sure, we could go ahead and start if both of us are ready. Lets just begin the proper way, alright?" Kuni said and then walked a few steps away from Renya so that she stood a meter away from the edge of the small land in the middle of the swamp before turning to face her opponent again, and then formed the seal of confrontation, waiting for Renya to do the same before beginning their fight.

Stepping back as well, so that she was near the edge of the swampy water, Reyna formed the seal of confrontation as well. Bowing slightly, she never took her eyes off Kuni. Pondering for a moment as to what she should do, Reyna didn't wish to charge in against an enemy she knew nothing about, but she also didn't want to give Kuni a chance to get the drop on her. Reaching around behind her, Reyna pulled out her two swords. Getting herself into a defensive position, she waited to see what Kuni would do next.

Seeing her opponent wasn't going to make the first move other than take out a way to defend herself, Kuni kept the smile on her face as she formed a few seals. Renya would find the ground beneath her legs to suddenly start going up, bringing her up to 3 meters above the ground if she didn't get off, and then Kuni took out a couple of kunai before throwing them in Renya's direction and starting to form a few seals for the next jutsu she was going to use.

What the? She thought, surprised at the sudden shift. Glancing down she saw the earth she was standing on beginning to raise. Shifting her attention back to Kuni, she noticed the incoming projectiles and deflected them away with her blades. Contemplating her options for a moment longer, Reyna decided to remain in position, she had the high ground now after all...

Seeing Renya decided not to move from the spot was good. If she had moved it would've been more difficult. Forming the Snake seal, Kuni created an earth hand which would come out directly from the small pillar Renya now stood on, grab Renya's right leg from behind before pulling it, attempting to make the other girl let go of her swords and also make her be hanged from the earth hand above the swampy water. She started thinking on what she would do if this would fail, and decided to put her hand in her pouch and slip into her sleeve a blinding tag, just in case.

Feeling the sudden presence of something touching her, Reyna's lightning aura flared to life. As the hand grabbed her, lightning arced from her leg, breaking the earthen hand apart. Debating how to react, Reyna glanced around herself. If she stayed up on this raised platform, she did not have as much room to move around, but if she left it, who knows what else Kuni was capable of doing to disrupt the earth or trap her. Finally deciding to remain atop the pillar, Reyna began devising a plan.

Spotting the way her earth hand was destroyed by lightning which appeared to come from Renya's body, Kuni figured that any attack that will get a hold of her will have the same result. And they were surronded by water. So, she had a single objective for this fight. Keep Renya in the water for as long as she could. Forming a few handseals, The platform Renya stood on would suddenly start to tilt backwards, in the direction of the swamp, and Kuni took out a kunai with a blinding tag before throwing it towards her opponent, activating it midway and then closing her eyes, hoping this will work.

Feeling the tilt, Reyna let herself slide backwards, dropping herself off the edge. Reyna gathered chakra at her feet and used it to stay adhered to the earthen pillar. She was now out of view of Kuni, but stuck in a bad position. Thinking quickly, she sheathed her swords and quickly bit her thumb, slamming her open palm into the earth below her feet. A small puff of smoke was created before a small creature appeared. Not wanting to give away what she'd just done, Reyna simply pointed downwards, hinting for the creature to travel below the earth. Without another sound, Akutō sank into the earth pillar and began moving underground, leaving Reyna to decide what to do next. Moving to the side of the leaning pillar, she was now in full view of Kuni, and halfway back around.

Surprised that she hadn't heard any kind of splash, Kuni opened her eyes and saw her kunai struck the upper part of the small pillar she created, but her opponent was no where in sight. Deicding to see what was going on, Kuni literally stuck her head in the ground and looked in the direction fo the pillar. She managed to feel something suddenly going into the pillar and starting to move in the same manner she did while using the Hiding like a Mole technique, meaning it could use the technique, or was an incredibly good digger. Taking her head out of the ground, she smiled before putting a single leg inside the ground, allowing her to feel the vibrations from the creature, and while looking at Renya who reappeared on the side of the pillar, she formed a few handseals once more. This time the pillar did not move, but rather an earth hand would form next to the edge connected to the small island, form a fist and then go and crash into the edge, breaking the part connecting the pillar and the land, making the pillar start to fall towards the swamp. Kuni kept her eyes on Renya while still feeling the vibrations from the creature go through her leg, letting her know if it was coming closer or not.

She had managed to make it around to nearly the front of the pillar by the time the earthen hand broke it off from the rest of the land. Leaping the rest of the way down to the earth, Reyna landed, once again drawing her blades. This time, instead of staying back, she decided to run towards Kuni, hoping to catch the girl off guard.

Meahwhile, Akutō felt something a little strange. Moving a little deeper into the earth, the armadillo would travel behind Kuni, keeping his distance from the surface.

Watching as Renya started to head in her direction, and feeling the creature give vibrations from below her and then behind her, Kuni smiled as she formed four handseals, ending with the monkey seal. She would then take out a kunai and make an attempt to block the incoming swords of Renya, but upon impact the kunai would turn to rubble, and shortly afterwards, Kuni would turn to rubble as well.

The real Kuni, having used her Defensive clone technique, would appear next to the armadillo and then send a kick towards it before taking out a kunai and starting to move in its direction with increasing speed.

Charging her lightning aura into the blades, Reyna's attack came down viciously, striking straight through the rock clone. Her eyes widening with surprise, Reyna leapt backwards, expecting a trap. What was that...? She thought to herself, wondering where her opponent had gone.

Sensing the movement behind him, Akutō doubled his speed, barely managing to avoid Kuni's attack. Troublesome. He thought, still attempting to gain some distance from the advancing girl. Stopping himself, Akutō turned sharply back towards the girl. Rolling himself into a ball, he took off like a shot towards her. Their proximity would make it hard to avoid.

Senseing the sudden change of direction in the creature's movements, Kuni kept going forward until she felt her kunai clash into the metal shell of the creature. She realised that it was pushing the kunai to the side, so she used the little time she had to make a barrel roll deeper into the ground and just barely escape the incoming cannonball. Wondering what the creature is that it can move like that, she looked up as she felt the vibrations from Renya standing on the ground. Forming a few quick seals, Renya would feel as something is suddenly pushing her up and in the direction of the swamp once more. Another Earth hand, from directly beneath her legs, would appear and attempt to make Renya be slightly thrown in the direction of the swamp. Already knowing the earth hand won't last, Kuni decided to stay there for a moment, wanting to feel if the creature will try and head back in her direction and if Renya will remain on the land.

As the earth hand began lifting Reyna from the ground, her lightning aura kicked in again, and this time she had time to bring her blades around to destroy it before it could throw her anywhere. Falling back to the ground, Reyna moved further inland, she was starting to get the feeling that Kuni want to push her into the water, an idea she wasn't overly fond of.

Akutō slowed himself as he hadn't felt any solid impact. The pesky girl had moved further into the earth it appeared and, while he could follow her, it seemed to be a slightly pointless task. Instead, Akutō moved up so that he was between where he could feel Reyna standing, and where the pesky Kuni was. He wasn't about to let that girl hurt Reyna, not if he could help it.

Feeling the vibrations of the creature move between her and Renya, who was on the surface, Kuni understood the creature's aim was to prevent Kuni from reaching her. Thinking about something, she formed a few seals and created next to her an earth clone. The earth clone nodded to her before heading to the side, moving until it was below the water of the swamp and then quickly moving up, getting out of the earth while underwater. Not daring to let out a single bubble of air, the clone took out a few explosive tags and begun to slowly swim around as deep as she could, putting her head inside the earth every now and then to get a bit of air, and putting explosive tags while she was moving around the small land.

The real Kuni, in the meanwhile, started to feel that she was using plenty of chakra, so she decided that she will try and avoid using any jutsus until she could see if her plan will work or not, and in the meanwhile, she kept an eye out on the creature, ensuring that if it tried to go at her clone then she would know and be capable of stopping it.

What are you up to...? Akutō thought to himself as he felt the clone moving through the earth. So far it hadn't seemed to go near Reyna, but the armadillo was growing concerned. Raising himself through the earth so that he was now closer to his master, Akutō wanted to be close in case Kuni had anything tricky planned. Suddenly, a bolt of concern shot through him as Kuni's clone seemed to disappear, only to reappear very briefly moments later. Shooting up through the earth, Akutō raised just his head from the earth. "Reyna-sama, be careful, I don't know what this girl's plan is but she's up to something. Keep an eye out for her, she has made a clone, but... I can't track it, it's moving somewhere I can't see." Popping back into the earth completely, Akutō hoped that his master would be able to take care of herself... She would have to now.

Standing on the surface, Reyna jumped a little in surprise as the armadillo popped his head out of the ground. Nodding her response, she began to grow cautios. Kuni had the element of surprise on her side, as she could move around unimpeded, and undetected. If she was moving somewhere that even Akutō couldn't detect her, then where had she gone?

After the clone finished placing explosive tags all around the small land, it came to the surface of the icky water and after a few steps made its way to the land, knowing that even if Renya decided to attack her, then nothing serious would happen to her. Doing the snake handseal, the explosive tags all around the land would start exploding one after the other, making the water erupt into different directions. The many explosive tags all around caused the water to make the entire small land wet, along with Renya. With her opponent now being wet, the clone knew it was her chance. She formed a few seals and an earth hand would come out and grab the leg of Renya once more. If Kuni's guess was correct, then this attempt would be more painful for Renya than to the earth hand.

Whipping around to face Kuni, Reyna was about to charge, when the explosions set off. Hesitating, she glanced around as the water was forced into the air before raining down upon the little bit of land. Stepping forwards, Reyna felt a sudden grip on her ankle. Again? She thought, before turning her body and smashing the earthen hand with her blades. Her leg felt sore where the hand had grabbed her, but Reyna forced herself to focus on the opponent in front of her. Holding her weapons in a defensive position, she would wait. The water around them was a little concerning as her attacks could spread more than she intended if she wasn't careful. Eyeing her surroundings, Reyna began preparing herself to make a move.

The clone appeared to be somewhat disappointed, as it didn't get any kind of confirmation if the lightning produced from her opponent's body would harm her with water around or not. Figuring that were wasn't a lot of other things she could do, Kuni's clone decided to play it simple. She took out three kunai with explosive tags, throwing two to Renya's sides and a third one in front of herself before doing the snake seal to activate the tags and then doing a backflip into the water in order to protect herself.

Flicking her wrists, Reyna turned her blades into their whip forms, giving them expanded reach. Spinning, she managed to knock the kunai a distance away before Kuni set off the tags. Forming up her lightning shield to protect her, Reyna was forced backwards by the blast. Coughing, she stood. Despite the shield, she still suffered several scratches and bruises from being thrown back, and the shrapnel. Looking around for Kuni, Reyna could once again see no sign of the girl. Cursing inwardly, she prepared herself for another attack.

The clone swam a bit under water before going underground, senseing the armadillo still be around, and also feel the real Kuni was below the armadillo. Moving to the real Kuni, the clone would appear to be on the exact same spot as the real girl, and a moment later the amount of vibrations would decrease and Kuni would begin heading up in the direction of the Armadillo, but in a rather slow pace. Once she reached the creature, she made a hand sign to him, indicating she wasn't going to do anything for him "I'm gonna go up and ask to finish the match. I don't exactly feel like I can continue." She explained to the armadillo, not caring if it can understand her or not before continuing to move up.

After a couple more moments she came above the ground, seemingly a bit tired, and across from where Renya stood. Kuni raised her right hand "I don't feel like I can continue unless I want to collapse. This is me, retreating." She said in a loud voice, so both Renya and the people who were judging her could hear her loud and clear. After hearing someone say the match was officially over, she went and approached Renya "Sorry if I caused you a bit of trouble. I was merely trying to get you into the water, or at least wet enough so your lightning won't work properly." She said with a small smile.

Akutō rose to the surface alongside the girl, not wanting to take any chances. As they breached the surface, and the girl stayed true to her word, Akutō nodded, satisfied, and disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Reyna almost whipped one of her weapons towards Kuni as the girl rose from the earth, not ready to get hit again like last time. She hesitated though, when she saw Kuni raise her hand. Hearing the other girl out, Reyna was stunned for a long moment. Stepping over to meet her, once the match was pronounced officially over, Reyna stood awkwardly. "You don't have to apologize Kuni-san. You fought very well! Had me on the defensive the entire time that's for sure." Smiling encouragingly, Reyna was happy that the girl's friendly nature hadn't just been a facade to trick her during the fight. Reaching out a hand, Reyna spoke. "It was a good fight Kuni-san. And it was nice to meet you."

"It was a fun fight. And its great knowing you, Renya." Kuni said and grabbed Renya's hand. While she felt the earth was a bit unstable beneath her, she let her feet sink just a bit to be capable of feeling the vibrations, and the only thing she felt was Renya standing in front of her. Understanding this was all in her her, she finished shaking her new friend's hand and rubbed her eyes a bit "I'd offer to show you around Amegakure, but I need to go find a few people that I know were watching. But if you ever come to Amegakure again, be sure to look for me. Though were could I find you?" She asked the moved her hands down. She also saw people leaving the sitting areas around, so she figured Eiji was probably waiting outside or such.

"Consider it done." She said smiling still. Reyna doubted she would ever have the chance to visit Amegakure again, but if she did, she was at least happy that she knew someone she could talk to. Someone that seemed genuine, and wasn't plotting to kill her behind her back. she knew someone she could talk to. Someone that seemed genuine, and wasn't plotting to kill her behind her back. "Come find me in Kumogakure, if you are ever there of course. I'll make sure to give you a proper tour." Reyna doubted that anyone had come to watch her match, so she wasn't too sure what to do now that everything was over.

After her dizzyness appeared to go away, She made a couple of small steps on the spot to take her legs out of the ground. She then looked at Renya and thought about it for a moment "You know, I can see the person waiting for me any day of the week. How about I do show you around Amegakure instead?" Kuni said and her smile broadened up a bit at the thought of spending time with a new friend from a different village. She figured that she might not see Aiko, but at the same time, she was sure the woman would understand.

Reyna's eyes lit up as Kuni suggested they hang out for awhile. Not wishing to seem too eager, she shuffled awkwardly for a moment. "Well... if you are certain that you're not busy... I would love to." Smiling warmly, Reyna was happy about the prospect of touring another village. It would be some time until she could meet up with her teammates anyways, as Deidara also had a match of his own. She hoped he was doing well but, knowing him, she knew he would be. "Where's good to start?" Reyna asked.

Thinking about it for a moment, Kuni snapped her fingers "I know where we should head to first. Let the fun time of Renya and Kuni begin!" She said with a wide smile and begin walking out of the field, making sure Renya follows her without getting lost. This was going to be a fun day.