There was an uneasy climate in Uzushiogakure. On this day, few were seen out and about, even fewer than normal. The winds were restless and indecisive, the trees surrounding the village blustered about in chaos, leaves dancing in the wind. The air surrounding the village was brisk and refreshing, yet something bleak stirred within.

The outskirts of the village were mostly boarded up, broken down, scorched or toppled buildings abandoned by their former owners. Most of the citizens flocked toward the center of the village after the First Shinobi World War, it had been the location of much combat. The areas outside of the village, including every single one of the surrounding villages suffered a similar or worse fate. The stragglers all flocked to the inner domain of Uzushio, as the younger son of the Sage, Tajirama Senju, offered protection to all who asked for it. He was a powerful and respected man of peace and order. He was kind and compassionate, and ultimately it was that which led to his death.

After falling in battle to his elder brother in Konoha toward the end of the First Shinobi World War, the unlikely savior of Uzushiogakure was Suzaku Yatagarasu, who provided sanctuary for the innermost portions of Uzushiogakure. He did this among some of the heaviest conflict of the First Shinobi World War, and no matter how long or how tumultuous the conflict was, Suzaku and the Shinobi rallied behind him protected the remaining people of Uzushio and the survivors of the Land of Ash.

It was this man, twenty years later, who now sat facing North at the edge of a large oval-shaped room, with a round table in front of him. Placed around the table were five vacant chairs, directly across the table from this man was the only entrance to the room, aside two windows, one on the East and West corners of the room. The room was on the second story of a large central building in Uzushio, the Kage's Manor. Outside of the window to the east, connected to the main manor was a beautiful garden with many rare species of plants and flowers. The eastern window was left open for this reason, as a very pleasant, uplifting aroma wafted through the room due to it.

Suzaku Yatagarasu leaned back in his chair, endowed with a burgundy-colored kimono with a white trim, his Kage hat placed upon the table in front of him. His hair, white with streaks of blonde, hung down past his shoulders and rested upon his back, with a few strands hanging from his face and the sides of his head. Wrinkles layered his forehead, cheeks sunken, mouth closed and an appearance littered with age. And with his age, came the appearance of wisdom. He seemed almost like a statue, however his eyes were lit with a burning fire that seemed to pierce through silence. He was staring at the door, who will be the first of them to arrive?

The Kage of the six great nations were set to meet in Uzushiogakure on this day, it was all to simply finalize the agreements already made between the 6 nations. The Chuunin exams were to be held in Uzushiogakure this year, and all Kage were invited to attend. Suzaku was not the one to choose his village as the location, however he did not oppose the event. He found it ironic that the villages who brought destruction only two decades ago were now willingly invited in to join them for a friendly form of competition.. which was truly just training for another war.

"Uzukage-sama. You requested my presence?" Kaido Kaguya entered through the door, immediately meeting Suzaku's gaze and bowing to him upon entry as he elegantly made his way over to his Kage's side. He was young, tall and slender, his muscle concealed by his loose clothing. His hair was long and silvery white, tied in a ponytail. His face was nonchalant and relaxed with a slight frown, eyes fixated on his village's leader.

"Kaido.. as you know the Kage are on their way to finalize the details of the Chuunin exam. I want you to prepare all three of your Genin. They will represent Uzushiogakure on our behalf. I have the utmost confidence in you and your squad." The Uzukage was straight to the point, and didn't bother dancing around the details. He respected Kaido's skill and patience, he had the makings of a good role model for younger Shinobi. "These exams mean more than the young ones know... this spectacle means a lot for us as a country, whether I formally acknowledge so or not. I expect greatness." He explained with a firm tone, his eyes locked on one of his most talented Jounin.

Kaido met Suzaku's strong gaze with a serious, yet calm look of understanding and confidence. "Yes, Suzaku-sama. I will not fail you, may you put the weight of Uzushiogakure's name on my shoulders, and my squad shall support its image." Kaido closed his eyes and bowed. Suzaku waved his hand, dismissing Kaido. He turned to leave the large oval room, before being stopped at the exit.

"Oh, by the way.. Kaido... give my best wishes to Jin." Suzaku said with a smile before waving him off. Kaido closed the door, continuing down the hallways towards the stairs.

"Old bastard..." muttered the small boy, standing on the opposite side of the door as the Uzukage's meeting room. Jin leaned against the wall, arms crossed and eyes closed. He kicked off the wall and quickly paced up to Kaido's side. "..he knew I was there. Can't put anything past Old Man Suzaku..." he hissed, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he and his sensei descended to the ground floor. His face was scrunched up, eyes narrowed in defiance, complimented by his wild, unkempt black hair. He wore a red and black robe and walked with his chin up and eyes forward.

"Did you expect less of our Uzukage?" retorted the Kaguya, looking down toward his Uchiha cohort as they exited the building and headed through Suzaku's garden. Jin growled in response before allowing the muscles in his face to relax, which Kaido dismissed. They walked in silence together for a short while, each contemplating the circumstances ahead of them.

Eventually they came to a broken down stone temple, the common meeting spot for Kaido's squad. There were many carvings on the remains of the temple, though most of it destroyed by the war, some images included the sun, several arcs which seemed to be part of large circular shapes inscribed on the temple's walls, symbols of the elements and vague images of certain animals. It was here that Jin and Kaido awaited their two teammates, Muyo and Mayu.

"I just don't think I like it!" Mayu said, twirling in a mirror. Today was a particularly windy day and there was a peculiar chill in the air. Despite that, Mayu had intended to wear a warm, light yellow sun dress. It was one of her many favorites. This dress had daisies decorating the bottom, with curled vibrant earth green vines that ran across the hem, and there was a white lace running down the back, coming from her shoulders and braiding down her back. She'd been looking forward to wearing this dress all week and, seeing as she preplanned her entire attire two weeks in advance...It would be at least another month before she got to wear it again!

"Oh well~" Sweetly, Mayu slipped off the dress, one shoulder at a time, before tossing it into her clothes hamper.
"I'll stick with something simple," She decided, clenching a fist as if this were to be a mission all on its own for her. "I wonder what kind of clothes Kaido-sensei would like~?" She giggled as she pondered the idea of wearing something that would make her senior blush in embarrassment. She would try her best to find something super cute to flaunt off to her team! She was super, duper excited about it now!

"I bet!" She beamed, a confidant smile appearing, "Even Jin-kun will compliment me!"

~~~

45 minutes later, Mayu was rushing out of her front door, "See ya later~" She waved to her mother as the door shut. Instead of that beautiful sundress she stuck with a black on red miniskirt with black, skin tight leggings that stopped mid-shin. Up top she wore a short sleeve blouse with a long sleeve black and red jacket with shiny sterling silver buttons. The jacket was short, ending a few inches passed her ribs. There was an insignia of a dove on the inside of the color as a small, white pin. The jacket was a thin material, but would shield her from the wind and even allowed her the ability to conceal a few paper slips in her sleeves. It was one of her favorite jackets.

Mayu didn't rush out with just clothes. Oh no! She had a small container of cookies too! She was going to give them to her super amazing team! She'd make sure that Muyo ate twice as much as the others! He always looked like he was starving to Mayu, so she made an effort to try and always bring the team a home cooked snack. She made the cookies last night. She tossed out three whole batches trying to get these cookies right. She worked really hard on them for her team and she couldn't wait to see their wonderful, delighted expressions when she handed them to them!

Mayu was already imagining it! They'd all compliment her! She couldn't wait!
As her excitement started to get the better of her, Mayu quickly took off into a full sprint.

Likely, those waiting would have seen her coming long before she arrived, cookie plate clutched tightly to her chest as she hurried on. When she was about 8 yards out she'd jump, leaping through the air, and perform a graceful double twist into the air before landing with her back to Kaido and Jin. With a dramatic spin, she'd present the cookies to her teammate and her instructor with a starry brilliance in her eyes.

They'd be ecstatic! They'd be so darn happy!
She was so sure that they'd love it she was practically close to tears, which was painfully obvious.

But wait!
Taking a half step back, Mayu looked around, "Where is Muyo-kun?"

Muyo woke to the pleasant sound of a bird calling from just outside his window. He lay there for a few minutes, until the bird decided to move somewhere else and flew off. It wasn't everyday that one was allowed to wake to such agreeable conditions. Eventually, and with much delay, Muyo opened his eyes. He saw nothing at first, the thick strip of black cloth that covered his eyes assured that, but then his eyes began to adjust and see the tiny holes of light through the cloth. Excited, yet also scared, for what this day may bring, Muyo couldn't stop from feeling more than a little overwhelmed. The boy held up a hand and inspected it through his blindfold. He'd just woken, but his hand wasn't stiff. His nerves threatened to overwhelm him, but his hand remained perfectly still. All was as it should be.

The dark-haired Uzumaki walked downstairs, and he was met by a far-too-awake redheaded woman holding a plate of food. Ikari Uzumaki was her name. She was currently allowing Muyo to stay with her, renting a room of her house to live in. Her own two children would still be asleep at this hour. Or at least, that's what Muyo assumed. Taking the plate with one hand, looking slightly confused because Ikari never cooked for him, Muyo asked, "What's this?"

"Breakfast. What else would food on a plate before noon be?"

It was really too early to have to take her sarcasm. Muyo wasn't sure where she appeared the apple from, but next thing he knew it was flying towards his head. His hands already occupied with holding his breakfast, and Ikari would seriously kill him if he even considered letting go of one of her plates, Muyo did just that, catching the apple with both hands. Well the look on her face was priceless. He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

"You little brat! If you'd dropped that, I would have beat you silly!"

Cutting of his laugh, Muyo reached down and picked his plate off from his foot. Hm, the eggs looked good. He stuffed most of the plate into his mouth and walked the rest of the way into the kitchen on the first floor. "Yan burt I dudnt sho itsh okay."

Ikari leveled a deadly knife at Muyo's head. "Swallow."

Filling a jug of water to bring back up to his room, he obeyed and repeated," Yeah, but I didn't, so it's okay." The knife was left quivering in the wall, killing the boy's shadow as he darted back up the stairs. Huh, she was in an unusually good mood today. Usually she hit a good three inches closer. Or maybe she was just getting old and her aim was going. A cold chill ran down Muyo's spine. How did she know!?

Muyo secured the door to his room before pouring the water into a basin and removing his blindfold. He kept his eyes closed as he washed his face, but eventually he had to look at himself. Thin, pale, dark. He didn't like those qualities. He liked his hair though, black with natural streaks of violet. He'd always thought it was a beautiful combination, wasted on him, but beautiful in its own right. Even when he took the cloth off, his hair still fell down to cover his eyes, as if trying to hide them. Muyo pushed them away, and stared into his curse. Two white orbs, colored only by a center of red, stared back at him. "Are you ready for this? No, but I'm doing at anyway."

Muyo slipped into his usual black attire, giving a cursory check around his room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything he really needed. He hadn't. Then he tied lengths of black cloth, the same that made up his blindfold, around his wrists and ankles, and around his neck as well, before finally placing a new blindfold over his eyes. "And the world fades to black again, and again and a-gain," he sung softly to himself. His solo was interrupted by the sound of a small body slamming into the door to his room.

"Dammit hellspawn, I didn't summon you!" Muyo ripped the door open suddenly and grabbed the intruder. A small boy of just four, his red hair perfectly matching him to his mother, was tossed into the air only be caught again a second later and deposited back on the floor. Muyo bent down and smiled at the little boy. "Hey-ya Chirp, how's it hanging?" The black haired boy held out a fist, gently pushing the child off his feet.

The kid was back on his feet before Muyo had the chance to open up a new door to hell to throw him back into. He huffed, "It's Chiro! Chi-ro! C-H-I-R-O!"

Muyo, looking for any and all excuse to ignore the boy, eyed another interloper standing in his doorway. "Oh come, now, I thought you got over this last week. Stop standing in the shadows and come over here princess!"

The small bundle of shadow jumped at being called out. Chiro's older sister, though only by a year, sneaked her way into the room like a scared cat, ready to bolt at the slightest provocation. "Oh, um, okay. Uh, Muyo, I, eh, I kind of made you... a present. It's for, um, you being a ninja now and um, good luck, uh, yeah." She was gone before she was even finished talking, leaving a scroll where she had been standing.

Muyo detached a child-sized parasite from his leg and picked up the scroll. It was a crude drawing of a... person? A person... doing something? Maybe? Okay, he had no clue what it was supposed to be. He continued unrolling the scroll past the drawings and came to a large assortment of Uzumaki Seals. Each seal was labeled as to what it contained, written in the nearly-illegible hand of a child just learning, and the bottom was signed 'Hime Uzumaki'. Oh, so that was what she had been busy with, gathering supplies she thought he would need and putting them into the same scroll for him. Muyo had already done that many times over, but it was the thought that counted. Plus, having a scroll filled with extra stuff would always come in handy. He really needed to get Ikari to teach him how to make an Uzumaki Seal.

"Hey Chirp, don't you have somewhere you need to be?"

The boy now stuck on his arm upside-down answered with a simple, "Nope."

"Well I do, so get off," Muyo shot back.

Muyo walked back downstairs, pest still firmly glued to his arm and showing no sign of moving anytime soon. "Hey Ikari, Chiro snuck into my place again!" And just like that, the pest vanished. Muyo made sure to be out the door and gone before the demon's mother showed up. A cold chill ran down Muyo's spine. How did she know!?

...

The kids' surprise visit had made him stay longer than he had planned, meaning he was going to be late. Oh well, it couldn't be helped. Fishing a small scrap of paper from inside the cloth around his left wrist, Muyo pressed the scrap against his arm and bit his finger to draw a drop of blood, drawing out the small amount of physical speed he had stored in that seal. He still managed to be a late.

"Aye, aye, I'm here," Muyo called, walking towards the group following Mayu's trail of dust. Way too much pep. His speed was worn out, and the scrap of paper fell from his arm before he reached his group, the seal faded away. No big deal, that had only been a day's worth of speed. Better that he'd used it all instead of walking around with excess. Upon reaching the others, Muyo nodded to Jin. He was still coming to terms with having an Uchiha as a teammate. He just had to keep focused on the teammate aspect. The black-haired genin yawned and stretched, the bones in his back cracking as he did so. Another day, another attempt not to appear totally useless in front of his teammates.

-null-

Makoto Kirisame

The mist was heavy. The watery smell of wet, slush grass stood out above everything else. Especially with the mist turning everything to white.
It chilled the air and strangely alluded to a haunting silence. The three of them couldn't see a thing. The three of them were in a forest, on an isolated island, without a single civilian around for aid. The thick mist wasn't their only weakness. Each and everyone of the three Genin hadn't slept exactly 24 hours before this experiment began and hadn't eaten for a full two days before it started. They were each tired and starving. Each of the three of them swore that they wouldn't utilize their ninjutsu, for any purposes, else they would all fail. If they were killed during this test they failed, naturally. If they failed they'd end up doing the worst sorts of physical training that their Sensei could invent. Likely they would all be more than familiar with the sort of horrific training that their Sensei could force them to undergo. Their Sensei was the sort to demand they climb up a mountain, without the use of their hands, after they'd spent an entire hour of non-stop running and all the while wearing an additional 10 lb weight. That wasn't the worst either. The days in which they were to practice physical training were the days the trio would be sore for days. No matter how well they tried to train and condition themselves they'd never be prepared for the excruciating exercises their Sensei invented for them.

They'd each be familiar with this sort of situation. This was a different sort of exercise that they'd each underwent individually before under the guidance of their Sensei. He wasn't sending them into this task blind, ironically, as they'd each have a good grasp on the task. They each needed to navigate through the fog and make it five hours without injury or trouble. The catch was that there were dozens of different traps and contraptions all over the island and, unfortunately for the three, their Sensei was allowed to use his ninjutsu freely.

They couldn't stay in one place, else risk an attack from him, and they couldn't run through the island frantically, else accidentally step in a bear-trap or have a spear launched through their chests. They had to quickly, yet carefully, navigate around the island. They had to pick up on traps and be able to avoid them or disarm them. They also had to be keen on differences in the air, as even the most subtle difference could mean they'd fail. Their instructor could fill the air with toxic gases that they wouldn't smell or taste or he could tear them apart with his powerful ninjutsu in a blink. They had to carry themselves with constant suspicion and, as any ninja would, mentally prepare for dozen of outcomes.

Even with their various precautions, they would have suffered the ire of many traps. Not a single one would have managed to come out unscathed. Over the long 5 hours they would have had to continuously keep moving and, by doing so, they slipped trap after trap. Sometimes they were to ignore something, as it was clearly a trap, other times things were legitimate, like a free offer of water or medical supplies. It was up to them to decide when to take something and when to leave it based on their ability to comprehend a situation and make proper deductions based on presented information. Needless to say, it was hard. Traps that were plates of food were likely difficult to resist and sometimes the strong desire to lay down and rest tugged at them more strongly than what was normal. In the end, a great deal of this exercise was perseverance and analyzing the surroundings. A mistake could lead to severe repercussions. Lightly touching a tree could cause it to explode or simply standing in one place too long could cause a flurry of kunai to be launched at them and, all the worse, was their Sensei's ability to carry himself with stealth in the Mist. They'd have difficulty knowing he was coming, especially without their ninjutsu, until he was already attacking them. This thick mist served as a double aid to him in obscuring their vision and overpowering his scent.

Ren Shiroyuki
Maki Kirisame
Aki Moruma

These were the names of the three unfortunate Genin to be faced with such a difficult training exercise.
The fortunate thing was that the three of them only had 10 minutes left. Keeping track of time in situations like this was required, so at least one of them would realize that there was only 10 minutes left. However, the three would also know that their Sensei, Makoto Kirisame, would pull out all stops towards the end of the test. This training exercise was specifically tailored to remind the three the importance of vigilance, precaution, wisdom and insight was for a ninja. Those three things were more important than even strength. They needed to realize to depend on each other, for courage and information, else they'd surely be punished or their allies would fall into a trap left by their Sensei. This was a team effort. Anyone that tried to play hero or tried to take on everything on their own would have been challenged and defeated by their Sensei personally and they all would have failed.

The three of them were finally at the the home stretch however.
Just 10 more minutes and they'd be able to eat and sleep all they wanted.

Aki may have been a member of the prestigious Moruma clan of Kirigakure, but this test that he and his teammates had been given by their sensei was most difficult and tiring. they had been trying to keep from getting killed or having to use ninjutsu which was very difficult since their sensei had set up booby-traps to keep them on guard, and it seemed as if no where was safe. the test was taking place on an unpopulated island that Aki had never been to before, and they had been trying to keep alive for five hours. there several reasons why this test was the hardest Aki had done yet with his teammates, first they hadn't slept for a full day before the test, secondly they haven't eaten anything for at least two days, thirdly the traps seemed to be all over the island and they seemed poised to kill. fourthly the mist made it almost impossible to detect their sensei's presence and overpowered any scent of him that they could pick up on. and finally they were not allowed to use ninjutsu to help in the test, while their sensei was allowed to his ninjutsu. it was tests like these that had given the Village Hidden in The Mist a reputation for driving their genin to their limits, and their sensei was a very strict and demanding jonin. even though he was extremely tired, hungry, and had suffered an injury from a booby trap, Aki was glad to be given such a challenge, it would make him stronger and prepare him for the international chuunin exams.

thoughts like those helped keep him going despite the fact that he felt liked he was about collapse at any moment, and he had learned that stopping to rest was not a very smart move. a while ago the three of them had stopped to get a moment of rest before continuing on, when a spear came flying out of the mist and had pierced him on the shoulder. luckily it had it hit the side of shoulder and didn't hit anything too serious, but the wound was still very painful and bled a good amount. he had to use a cloth to stop the blood flow from the wound, and from then on he was suspicious of everything around him, anything could be a trap, and then there was the possibility of their sensei attacking them. if he did then the three of them would stand little chance since they were just genin who weren't allowed to use their ninjutsu while Makoto sensei was allowed to use all of his techniques if he wanted to. and now that they only had ten minutes left before the test was over, Aki was sure that their master would make them the hardest ten minutes in their entire life so far. what they needed to do was work a plan encase of an attack from their sensei, and Aki looked at Ren and Maki.

"We only have ten more minutes until we are finished with this test, so we should expect Makoto sensei to make these last minutes as difficult as possible. we need to form a plan encase he attacks, so what do you think we should do?" he asked his two teammates.

If the genin of Squad Alpha have been pushed to the very limits in this test, then there was one among them who had passed those limits long ago. Yet still, Maki Kirisame looks up at her comrades with burning, determined eyes. Her body should be shaking at the very least, any ordinary girl would have passed out from the pain at this point, but she cannot allow herself to succumb to weakness. Not now, not when she has come this far. Anemia. Hunger. Exhaustion. Sleep deprivation. Pain. As if in an act of defiance against the hopeless circumstances weighing her down, she unsteadily pulls herself to her feet just in time to catch a boy's voice-

"..what do you think we should do?"

"We must move."

Her voice comes out clearly and strongly, surprising even herself in the process. Dizziness assaults her as she attempts to step further into the dense mist, but she barely manages to keep her balance and almost tumbles to the ground in the process.

<Am I this weak?>

The same question, the question she asked herself every day, and the question that had gotten her into this despair in the first place. Gritting her teeth, she steadies herself and steps forth again, offering a path for her team to follow. All of her willpower is consumed keeping herself conscious, so she could hardly keep herself aware of her surroundings, but that didn't matter. They couldn't stand still for too long, Makoto wouldn't give them a chance to gather their wits, not in the most difficult stretch of their ordeal. What they needed now was to keep moving, even if it meant risking another dangerous trap. She would push her body as far as it needed to go, it was this determination that allowed her to move even after her body became numb with pain and too weak to support its own weight. Still, all of the willpower in the world couldn't overcome the faint sense of disconnection overcoming Maki's senses at that moment. It felt like she was a bystander, watching herself on the brink of collapse, covered in bandaged injuries from protecting her team. She vaguely realized that things were easier this way, but she couldn't quite allow herself to let go entirely, she turns her head back to her squad with the same eyes as before-

"Form up around Aki... he's the least injured, and the most ready to deal with an attack. With my ankle like this, I won't be able to dodge an explosive trap when we stumble into one. I don't want to die, so Ren will have to take point. I'll try my best to keep up with you two, but if I start to fall behind, don't come back for me. Nii-sama is a real ninja, if you try something like that, he won't let you get away."

Airianna, Tsukiko - Nokemono
Kumogakure - Raikage's Manor ---> Lands outside


Clouds drifted through the air, passing over white capped peaks where snow rested peacefully upon the mountains. A whole range of them, all unique to their siblings as they pushed up, almost as if trying to pierce the sky. This same almost ghostly wind, such was its chill, would pass over a figure who had been observing for quite some time. Her dainty form, which was draped by the softest of silken cloth and covered further by the robe of a kage. Her skin was pale and her hair white, as if she had been sired by the snowy mountains themselves, for she had indeed the rough stolid and immovable stature of the earthly monuments that surrounded her domain.

Tugging at the hem of her dress and the edges of her white ceremonial robes, the wind sent the garments into motion, while the form they draped made none. For the eyes that gazed down on the village hidden in the clouds were unmoving, but forever observant of that which was theirs. These eyes, while not roving, took in all the details of the village, the small bustling market areas, the busy training grounds, and even the outer reaches that defended from hostility.

With all of this she was pleased, one might say, but that did not mean that the Raikage was satisfied. Turning, her clothes matching suit despite the harsh winds, Tsukiko stepped from the balcony and back into the office of her manor, where she was typically found. As if on cue, and as per her own specific orders, one of her many aides and informants would seem to appear from the shadows of the room to serve her should the need arise. At first, the ethereal woman took little note, merely busying herself before a mirror where she made sure she appeared as she wished to. It was a ritual that she often took part in, for it confirmed to her that she indeed still possessed a body...still possessed life, even if it was stolen.

"Raikage-sama," the aide said to garner her attention, "the reports have come in. Uzushiogakure will be hosting the exams..." Tsukiko made little effort to recognize the messengers words, not that she often made efforts for such things. They were minor details, nonetheless, her lilting, soft voice would pass through the air as she turned from the mirror and to her desk where she briefly organized the papers and confirmed several other documents, placing those that were denied, or needed revision, in a separate pile. "And?" her tone was barely inquisitive, but the aide knew to respond despite this, "...you've been summoned, personally, along with the other kage, to attend a meeting and stay for the exams...milady." In the motion of righting several other papers, Tsukiko stopped and exhaled deeply before beginning to breath once more.

It made the aide nervous. "Very well, notify Ketsuro...tell him to meet me at the village's edge. You and the elders are in charge in my stead." The aide raised an eyebrow, but before the man could utter a single word, Tsukiko responded, "I do not trust him enough." The aide's jaw clenched tightly to prevent further comment before the individual took a step back, and entered the shadows to once more disappear.

Tsukiko was one of the few to know how her aides, and most of the ANBU blackops, were capable of such a feat. However, she had more important matters to attend, and so she finished her paperwork, leaving several sets of contingency-like instructions with various aides before she again stepped out onto the balcony, then onto the stone formed structure that kept one from easily tumbling to their doom. She stood like this for a long moment, her crimson eyes closed as she breathed in the air of the place she had made her home, the place this body had matured in, and then let the wind gently push her from the balcony's edge.

Her clothes streamed behind her, as her body plummeted towards the stony earth before something caught the wind, its form shimmering as it did so before it carried her gently across the currents of wind and to the edge of the village. Here she drifted down and lit upon the massive wall that was the first layer of their village's defense. There she would wait for Ketsuro.

---

Once he arrived and was briefly informed of the situation, the two would depart the village, Ketsuro with two of his three bodies along, and head for the village of ash. Tsukiko, uncaring of time and having received notification before the others of her status, would simply walk, never run, in the direction of the village. She would surely arrive after the other kage, but this way she would enjoy the trip far more, and make others waste their own time to suit her ends.

After all, she had all the time in the world.

Nazomeku, Eiji - Wireless
Kumogakure - Training Grounds

Eyes closed as he sat on the top of a 30 foot high pillar in the center of one of the many training grounds, Eiji was in lotus position, hands clasped to utilize his Sentō no jutsu(Spire technique), the jounin watched as three of his four students, one which was absent at the moment, attempted to continuously evade the assault of spikes. The genin had been placed within a large dome, its radius being roughly 45 feet, which had Eiji's pillar in its center. The walls and floor of the area were covered in sharp spikes, which were continuously being lengthened and shortened by Eiji's will. He was stretching the bounds of his abilities to test the abilities of his genin to evade and reach a target all at once.

If any of them managed to touch him on the back the would be expelled from the dome, or sat on a pillar to observe their teammates struggle...or they could join them in an attempt to assist. The trick of it was if they decided to leave the area, they failed the test and would have to suffer something worse, and more personal, later on to make up for it. So the right answer was to come back and help one's teammates.

Teamwork was important, for an effective team would be capable of taking out even stronger shinobi, or just having a better time. However, there was more to the task then it would appear, for Eiji had designed it so that some spikes were blunted and others were not. Some of them only extended a certain amount, and others only appeared to move through optical illusions. The trick was that all of them were coated in a thin layer of Eiji's chakra. This allowed even the sharp ones to not impale his students, but to still cause them great terror when one hit. Plus, with the way Eiji was manipulating the spires the genin would often find their pathes redirected towards one another, rather than at Eiji or one of the rock obstructions.

When they had begun...Eiji had called the test by the name of "Spire 'o rama." It was a name just like all the others he had made in previous tests of their skill...it was a name of a game. Sort of.

Eiji called all team exercises, even ones that pitted them against one another, 'games'. Sometimes missions were games too, and it was those missions that terrified the poor genin even more, because they were very often much more dangerous than they should have been able to handle.

Yet they always pulled through, Eiji's help always valuable, but never enough so that their own skills were completely overshadowed. One could say he was a tough, but loving, sensei, but if they had watched his methods...they'd probably use a word more like, well, insane.

"Koizumi-chan, you seem to be tiring. Are your eyes hurting yet?" Eiji would say as spires again assaulted each genin, driving them from one another even though they needed to team up in order to win. oddly, Eiji's eyes were closed as he said it.

"Oh, sage-sama," Eiji mocked, as his head turned slightly as if to observe Iyana Tetsujin, whose last name meant sage, "...has your blade dulled yet!?" The jounin then cackled as if it was the best joke he'd made yet, before his head turned once more to his third student, Masahiro. "I have to wonder if you've made one of your illusory suggestions yet," Eiji's smirk was undying and his sense of humor more than a little bit skewed. Still, the jounin was only doing what was best for his students...right?

Tetsujin, Iyana
Kumogakure Training Grounds

Dodging another barrage of pillars that seemed to close in at different times from multiple directions, Iyana just barely managed not to get crushed...or stabbed again. This was ridiculous, even worse than what their sensei had put them through last week. It was obscene, but damn was it challenging and fun. She had to admit that while the guy was most definitely fucked in the head, that he was certainly better than most men. In fact, Iyana, over the two years that she'd been under his wing, had come to actually look up to the guy a little. Still, she had a retort for his teasing just as always, "Shut up old man, maybe you should pick on-..." a pillar came at her from the left wall and she was forced to quickly push her hand out, covered with a portion of her shade cloak formed through Zōkyō, and grasping it only to swing herself up, weaving between several more pillars and then bounding towards Ayano in an attempt to reach one of her teammates, "...someone your own age!"

This shit was getting ridiculous as they'd been enduring this for at least 5 minutes already and it didn't look like Eiji was going to let up any time soon.'Shit...at this rate I'll have to use Chisoku....' Iyana didn't like using the blade, mostly because she didn't feel that she was worthy of it, nor that her opponents were either. It might have seemed arrogant, but she didn't much care. Most people sucked anyways.

Kazuhiro, Ketsuro - Kumo no Kokushibyō
Kumogakure - Somewhere in the mountains



Ketsuro was leaning against a tall rock watching Ren and Megumi spar. Flame versus water. They had made a crater into the mountain much like a pool and filled it with water. This was one of many secret locations hidden among the mountains that Ketsuro and his cohorts used. Ren's water dragon was going in for the kill, but Megumi quickly countered with her fire breath technique. The steam created would make it difficult for either to see. Ketsuro continued to sit by and watch, a slight smile touching his lips. Megumi was an accident. His first experience with his kekkei genkai, but she had turned out marvelously. They would have to start working on her second element soon in the next few weeks or so. Ketsuro heard the clash of weapons as the two began fighting up close inside the steam. He wondered how hot it was in there.

His smile soon turned to a smirk as the two exited the steam on either side slightly red from the heat. He was definitely glad he wasn't in there either way. He looked over at Ren in thought. Ren had been purposefully taken. It had definitely been a wise decision too. The boy had marvelous talent when he found him, and now Ketsuro had improved him to a whole new level. His water techniques were still expanding, and he might not even get to figuring out his second nature, if the kid had one at all. At least not any time soon. Ren and Megumi were about to go head to head again as the steam dissipated, but lowered their weapons as Ketsuro stopped leaning on the rock and turned around.

How the Raikage's aides always found them when they went to train away from the village where no one would find them was always going to be a mystery. He looked at the aide with his cold eyes. "What is it that she needs?" No one else would dare bother trying to get him away from what he was doing...Except for that Eiji guy. Once the aide mentioned he was requested at the edge of the village Ketsuro was gone instantly. Ren and Megumi right behind him. The Chuunin exams huh? He wondered if there would be any promising genin at this event. If so if he could get the Raikage to okay it, he could have another body. It was unlikely that any of the genin would be any good though.

When he arrived it looked like she had been waiting for a little bit, but not too long. That was a good thing. He hated when she was in a irritated state. That meant he would have to deal with more annoyances, but that was not the case today. He turned his head to Megumi and nodded to her. Megumi being him more or less understood and walked back into the village, while Ren and Ketsuro walked on either side of the Raikage as they departed for the Land of Ash.

---

Koizumi, Ayano
Kumogakure Training Grounds



Ayano hated to admit it but Eiji had a point. Her eyes caught every single little detail. Trying to keep up with everything was beginning to hurt her eyes. She couldn't let it deter her though, this had only just begun. She was jumping from pillar to pillar with her speed, but Eiji just seemed to be toying with her forcing back to where she started. There was no direct path to him of course, but she couldn't even make progress. She didn't want to have to use any jutsu, especially not for this. She then noticed Iyana out of the corner of her eye and started making her way towards her, though Eiji made sure not to make it easy for her. Hopefully the two would finally meet.

She didn't have too much chemistry with her team as of right now. She was the newest member only transferred a short time ago due to her own squads annihilation on the last mission they had. She felt a little unwanted, especially concerning Iyana. The girl didn't seem to like anyone, but of course she was the one that Ayano actually wanted to get to know. From what she'd seen and heard about Iyana she found her almost inspirational, and hoped that she could learn a thing or two from her, and become good friends if Iyana would allow it. In the end though they would have to pass this stupid little game as their sensei liked to call it.

His feet were sore, his body exhausted, and his stomach was speaking more than a politician, but Ren continued to smile and looked for the bright side of things. "I bet Our Sensei trains us harder than the other villages get trained," Stepping over what appeared to be a bear-trap as if it had become second nature to the boy, "It must be because he wants us to be the best, it's so nice to have a Sensei who cares soo much about us!" With a cheerful tone in his voice, he continued on with his squad. Ren could barely see what was around him with all the mist, By this point most of his senses were pretty numb, and everything seemed to just come naturally as he forced his body to move to his will.

"Take point?" Ren let out a small sigh, "But that position has the highest odds of stumbling onto something, or someone, You guys know I don't want to fight." He pouted and then chuckled, "But if it is to keep our little man going, I will do it!" He joyfully took his position, making sure not to set off anything whilst moving. He had already made that mistake, and it cost him his scarf, and nearly his life as well. Two lessons learned there, don't wear a scarf into a battlefield, it will be used against you, and being strangled, and dragged by said scarf did not make for a fun time. His body was certainly not ready for another ride like that. "Watch out for the explosive half a pace to the left, it might be a dud, but rather safe than sorry." He ran his hand across is sore and bruised neck, 10 minutes left, best not let my mind wander yet, Knowing Sensei, he was going to strike soon, as Ren would rather just surrender, he knew this training was good for them. "Not letting you get left behind, Sorry Maki, too many of your injuries came from you taking shots for me, I'd feel bad if I never got to return the favour." With his typical smile, he continued ot press on cautiously through the thick mist.

Just as they settled into the position advised by Maki there was a chilling, quiet silence.

9 Minutes left.

There was a hardly audible poof above the crew.
Raining down unrelenting was a flurry of 50 kunai coming down from above. The kunai came down quickly, shooting down like hungry metal meteors. The swift moving steel that was spread over a wide effective radius was but a distraction, albeit a completely serious one. Rushing from a treeline was a single man, quick and with a shadowed instrument in his hand. As the kunai rain welcomed the three, tired and worn Genin he took his chance to take advantage of their movements. Reguardless of how they maintained their formation, he brought up that object in his hand, a bright deep red, and swung it in the direction of Maki first.

The weapon spawned out, becoming an arc of liquid.
It maintained it's form to display itself as an ample whip. The whip was swung in the intent to bat at Maki in the middle of her evasion of the kunai. It was precisely executed, meaning to take advantage of the very distraction that had been sent the Genin's way. If Maki was unluckly enough to be hit by the whip she'd be tossed into a nearby tree gruffly. The tree would sizzle the moment she'd come into contact with it, indicating that she had split seconds before it exploded and she was dead. No matter how beat her body was and how tired her mind was she'd have to push forward and build the necessary motivation to keep fighting. If she couldn't then it would all be over.

Despite having swung at Maki, under the cover of the mist, Makoto continued on towards Aki. Aki was a little gifted in the realm of close quarters combat, especially compared to the others. That meant that he was deserving of a good up close and counter spar with his Sensei. It was fortunate that Makoto was swift and, considering the thickness of the mist, Aki may be slightly surprised to find that a quick slash of his Sensei's sword was being swung diagonally across Aki's chest. After Makoto's first swing he'd, spinning on his right foot, would swing another slash for Aki, turning completely at a 360, aiming to cut off Aki's head. Makoto was swift and left hardly any time inbetween his attacks. It'd put a great deal of pressure on Aki. Hopefully Aki had the reflexes to dodge and duck the twin attacks. Likely, due to the fog, however, Aki wouldn't have realized that, the entire time, Makoto's cheeks were puffed out, full of air, and full of a potent chakra. With a heavy forward blow, Makoto would release a heavy torrent of air. Naturally, as the gas slightly stung and smelled of bleach, the two boys would realize that it wasn't simply air that Makoto was blowing at them. It was Chlorine and it'd burn at their eyes, sting their throat, and stab at their sinuses. Makoto blew it out of his mouth with enough force to throw back both Aki and Ren, whom were the closest thanks to Maki's wonderful advice.

Makoto, having fully revealed himself, would be on them soon. He'd take his sword, compromised of his blood entirely, and he'd attack them with attacks that could, and would, chop off their limbs. They'd have to focus and be on their toes more than ever now. This wasn't a game. This was going to be the finality of this training exercise. Hopefully, Maki could pick herself up in time to provide needed support to her twin teammates.

Chigetsu Hōzuki

"I'm going to be late."

This was the thought that was ever present in Kirigakure's Mizukage as he moved frantically throughout his office. The Village Hidden in the Mist had come so far since his former comrades had sacrificed their lives to stabilize what was once the world's never ending power vacuum, now he was going to be late to the very first Kage Summit. Why'd he have to go and misplace the damn hat again? Everything was in order. He had the blue and white robes that represented his country, he'd even worn that silly pearl necklace Hotaka's "wife" had made him bearing the symbol of Kirigakure on it's foremost jewel. Samehada was delicately wrapped and placed right beside the office's entrance. Everything but that goddamned hat. "Where is that damned piece of ceremonial crap?" Chigetsu looked around his desk for almost the thousandth time before sighing louder than he would've liked.

"HOTAKA! Have you seen my hat anywhere?" Chigetsu called out in no particular direction while he collapsed into the large wooden chair behind his equally gargantuan desk which was oddly sparse of paperwork.

Hotaka had actually been on his way to speak with Chigetsu when he heard his nme being called. No sooner had he stepped into the Mizukage's office, than he responded to the question "You left it in my office, down the hall. I'll bring it to you in a moment. Right now there are more pressing matters that require your notice." Hotaka slapped a small stack of papers on Chigetsu's desk and rubbed his forehead. "These are the info papers on those you chose to take to the upcoming International Chunin Exams. And instead of preparing, they are off on Swordfish Island, training like idiots. I was going to send someone, but figured a matter of such import might warrant a more... personal touch."

"Damn that Makoto." Chigetsu dragged his hand down his face to cover his eyes and mouth. He'd told the Kirisame to prepare for the Chunin Exams almost a week ago, only hours after Chigetsu himself had gotten the Uzukage's message. He couldn't help but think that Makoto held some resentment and possibly ill-will towards Chigetsu, afterall, the Kirisame, and even the Moruma had been some of the Swordsmen's harshest adversaries in the Unification. Slowly getting up form his seat, Chigetsu maneuvered towards the office door, taking his sword in his right hand and resting it's wrapped "blade" if one could call it that, on his shoulder. "I guess I'll have to make a stop before I get going to Uzushio."

Hotaka nodded in response to Chigetsu's comment, and responded in turn with: "If anyone asks, blame the fact you're late on an incompetent Jounin-Sensei." A chuckle escaped the middle-aged man as he turned and walked down the hall. "Don't forget your hat, sir." chimed Hotaka as he stepped back in and handed the Hozuki his silly head-covering. "Should I stay here while you're gone, or head to the Exams as well?" a slight pause, accompanied by a very serious expression. "After all, we don't know who might use these exams to further their own goals. I advise caution."

"That's up to you, my friend. My former sensei will be one of those I'm meeting with, and I doubt the Old Man or any of the other Kage are foolish enough to think they could take Five equally strong shinobi at once." Chigetsu allowed himself to chuckle a bit while he adjusted the Mizukage's headpiece atop himself. "Regardless, I better be off. We wouldn't want Makoto to kill our Genin before they even get to the Exams."

"Regardless, it is always a possibility. But I will consider your advice as well. Perhaps I will remain, perhaps I will see you at the meet. In any case, do have fun informing the children of their mistakes. Don't be TOO hard on them." Hotaka chuckled again and returned to his office. After all, he had mission reports to read, new missions to assign, and injury reports to browse through. Being the Kage's aid wasn't what many would call rewarding work... but Hotaka had come to enjoy it.

Some time later

The air was even damper and heavier than that on the main island which held the village itself. Heck, even the mist was thicker and more blinding than that you'd find within the Village which was named after it. If Chigetsu knew anything about Makoto, he'd no doubt have traps laid out throughout the island. Lucky for him the place was uninhabited, otherwise that would've no doubt caused a ruckus with the population. Whistling a tune to himself as he ascended from the small beach he had solidified himself onto, Chigetsu dropped his sword into the damp grass of the island before cutting off the song and closing his eyes, although it didn't make much of a difference considering the mist, he'd need as much focus as possible to hone in on even the slightest abnormality.

Even wildlife had all but abandoned Swordfish Island, so no chirps or howls would interfer with his ritual. He stood in place for nearly a full minute before he heard it. Several dozen kunai hitting the ground at an irregular pace a fair distance away. Almost instantaneously, Chigetsu's eyes darted open and he tightened his grip on Samehada's handle before bringing it to rest on his shoulder. Making a one handed variant of the tiger seal, the Hozuki's body seemingly faded from existence as its molecules were converted into the very same mist that covered the island. Little did one of Kirigakure's few Genin Squads know, they were about to have a rather unexpected visitor.

A rather unusual, liquid-esque sound rang through the silent island as Makoto's blood sword made contact with Chigetsu's own blade, it's wielder appearing almost out of nowhere after the blade had been stopped, those with keen visual skills would've most likely seen the sword solidify before the user, but that was mere happenstance.

Chigetsu gave those in front of him time to react to the situation before covering his face with an ominously cheerful smile. Motioning his head towards Makoto with closed eyes, The Mizukage's voice was a little too jubilant for the situation, signifying that someone had done SOMETHING wrong.

"Makoto...do you have any idea where you're supposed to be right now?"

Aki too was not willing to leave behind Maki even if she did slow them down, they were a team and being a team was the only way to complete this test. even though they weren't allowed to use jutsu, Aki still had his heavily trained senses to aid him in keeping a look for any more surprises. the mist made hard to see and the air made the scents hard to pick up, but there was still the sense of hearing that could still be useful but their master was very stealthy and the chances of hearing his movement was low but still he had to try. he took the lead like Maki had ordered and had his halberd gripped tightly in his hands. he would be sure to keep his weapon at the ready in case of an attack. he was about to give a suggestion to his teammates when he heard a whistling sound of metal coming down from above him and he didn't have to look up to guess what it was.

" watch out for the kunai above you!!!" he shouted to his teammates as he took evasive actions to dodge the sharp projectiles. just then their sensei came out of the line of trees and moved towards them at incredible speeds. he had a weapon in his hand that looked like a type of whip and swung it in Maki's direction. Aki was going to try and intercept the blow but then their sensei went straight for him with a sword made of his own blood, a sign of his skill in Blood Release. the mist made it hard for Aki to see what was happening and this made it so his sensei came upon with great speed and slashed out at with his blood sword. do his hunger and lack of sleep, Aki's reflexes were not as quick as they normally were and he hoped back in time to just avoid getting a deep wound from the sword, but the weapon still managed to cut him. his master wasn't done yet, he did a very fast full spin and slashed out with his blade, aiming it directly at Aki's head. Aki luckily was ready this time and he intercepted the attack with his halberd, he may have been weak but he had enough strength to still hold his own against enemy weapons, he then took a step back once his weapon axe head met his sensei's sword. he hoped that Ren would take this chance to attack his sensei while his back was exposed, but Aki couldn't see enough through the mist to see that their sensei was about shoot a huge current of chlorine gas in their direction. he was too close for Aki to evade and the gas hit with a great amount of force that sent fly back. then he felt the painful sting of the gas against his face exposed skin. he gritted his teeth as he tried to ignore the painful sensation. His sensei would have most definitely followed up with a deadly attack if it wasn't for the Mizukage interrupting their test and stopping Makoto. Even though Aki was annoyed at their training being interrupted, a part of him was glad to possibly be done with the test.

Kaido Kaguya and Jin Uchiha

Kaido had perched himself atop a piece of the ruined temple, lackadaisically resting his head upon the side of the ruins. The section of stone the Kaguya had chosen had the symbol for the body, or physical energy, partially carved into it, as some areas of the section were faded or otherwise cut off by the destruction of the temple. Their sensei was often aloof in his own world, but when it came time to come together as a unit he was cool and focused. He often taught lessons in metaphors and talked much of symbolism, trying to show his students the various ways in which to approach life. He felt himself being pulled out of thought momentarily. He cocked his head to the side as Mayu arrived and blinked at her as he awaited Muyo's usual late arrival.

Jin was leaning against another piece of the ruins, this particular section of the ruins contained the Uchiha's clan symbol of a fan spreading a sea of flames, though toward the end the flames faded away, that portion wrecked beyond comprehension. His arms were crossed and folded into the sleeves of his gray kimono, eyes fixated on Mayu as she appeared. His face was very serious and somewhat sunken in a very judgmental manner. As Mayu twirled around and questioned their other member's location, Jin looked away, ignoring his absence.

He quickly darted his head back at Mayu, staring into her eyes with his crimson Sharingan as he sneered at her appearance. "Have I ever told you that you look like my sister?" Jin asked with a slight hint of sarcasm, it had probably been the sixth or seventh time, he only said it rarely to Mayu, but it was the closest thing to a compliment you could squeeze out of Jin. If she got anything other than a teasing joke it was uncommon. He tapped his knuckles against the carving of the Uchiha fan on the section of ruin behind him where he leaned upon. "Slap one of these on your back and you'd look just like her, y'know?" He chuckled and flashed a proud grin.

He stopped laughing as Muyo showed up. The Uchiha tilted his head upward as Muyo nodded to him. "Yo, Uzumaki." He breathed in a low tone, greeting the casually late member of their team. Kaido finally left his perch and dropped to the ground level of the temple, meeting his squad on equal ground. He was silent and stoic as he looked from Muyo, to Mayu, and finally over to Jin, before looking upon them all as a unit. His eyes drifted away, scanning the ruins that they met at.

"Has everyone rested well this week? You know you're representing the country in a few days." Kaido asked. "Have you eaten healthy? Mayu.. good thinking! You know you should eat more like your teammate is always telling you to, Muyo!" Kaido continued. He looked down, placing his hands on his hips and shaking his head. He tilted it back up, cocking an eye at his three Genin. "Do any of you know why you're here this time?" Kaido inquired.

Mayu Namikaze

Mayu beamed when Jin spoke to her. Was he calling her pretty? She was sure he was! Mayu took a short leap over towards her teammate and, if he didn't scurry away, she'd snatch him up in her closest, tightest hug, "Oh Jin-kun is just sooo nice to me!" She'd gush, happily giggling as she was subconsciously squeezing the small boy to the point of near suffocation, "Calling me pretty and nice and amazing and wonderful~" She sweetly went on as she shook her nose in Jin's hair. He was the sweetest thing to tell her all those wonderful things, she was sure!

Mayu would, most likely to Jin's approval, release the boy. Hopefully he wasn't in the mood to put poor Mayu in a horrific illusion and would just let the hug from his loving teammate slide. Mayu would hold the cookies in front of her with both hands stretched out. She held them as an offer for Jin to take one, "You get the first pick!" Teeth blarring and deep blue eyes elated as she waited for Jin's first bite of her cookies full of love and adoration.

Even their sensei approved.
"I know!" She agreed with Kaido. They had been a great idea and she was happy to have done something to help. "I got 8 hours of sleep, just like Sensei said I should!" Mayu said, though she wasn't exactly talking about Kaido. She was talking about the instructors way back at the academy. "Does Sensei think we are ready for the Chuunin Exams? I bet the other Genin have been training really hard for the exams." Mayu inquired, her usual air of innocence dripping from her words. She slipped her hands behind her back. leaned on the balls of her feet, and looked up to her Sensei, "I don't want anyone to get hurt. That wouldn't great at all," Her brilliant blue eyes were deepened by a worried expression. She really didn't want her teammates to get hurt. They meant so much to her. She'd honestly rather stay a Genin another year than rush into this exam. She felt so unprepared for it too. She wondered if the other two were wondering about it as well. It was a test where some ninja did die and that was not strange. That was horrible and Mayu felt there should be a better way of going about advancing in rank, but everyone else was so used to it that she felt her words would fall on deaf ears if she expressed how she didn't like or believe in the sort of exams that they were to partake in only a few days. It probably wasn't a good thing to say when they were so close to being inserted into it anyway. No reason to shake the wills of her teammates.

Ren did his best to dodge the kunai which fell from above, but it wasn't good enough this time, to avoid from bumping into his teammates, an potentially causing one of them to be hit, he had to take a shot. The cold metal slicing part of his back as it narrowly missed his left shoulder blade, Getting himself ready only in time to watch as his teammate Maki got slapped around by their Sensei, but before He could do anything to help her, he found himself being blasted by chlorine, it stung at his fresh wound, his eyes forces closed as tears inevitably came coursing out, his lungs burned, his nose burned. Would Ren let this get him down though? Nope! "The pain lets me know I am alive!" He laughed as he turned his awkward flight into a summersault landed on his feet, miraculously avoiding the rest of the traps around him.

Then a voice, a familiar voice spoke, The Mizukage! "Chigetsu! Is training done now?" The boy smiled and forced his now blood shot eyes open as much as he could, fresh blood trickling down his backside, he plopped himself on the ground, sitting cross legged, and cheerfully swaying from side to side. If not for the appearance of his body, you would never have known what he had just gone through.

Muyo Uzumaki

Muyo's eyes swept over his two teammates. And this is the best Uzushiogakure has to offer? Jin might do fine, but Muyo couldn't see himself lasting past the first round, and Mayu... Well, Mayu. We're totally screwed. Muyo wondered what would happen if he just didn't show up. Letting that fanciful idea go, Muyo stretched his arms and ran a finger down the inside of each, revealing a multitude dark seals that stood out against his pale skin. The seals faded as he lifted his fingers away and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Of course, enough to create a dozen new seals." Well, two dozen really, but most would prove useless for combat purposes. Heck, he had a few sense seals that he'd made months ago and hadn't found a use for. "And I do eat." Muyo's voice slipped down to a low mumble,"... I just store all the energy. You don't have to worry about me"

Muyo leaned back onto his heals and spun around in a circle, looking at the ruins, and more specifically, looking at the carvings. Unseen by the others, he couldn't help but roll his eyes. I'll bet a hundred that he let Jin pick the spot. Muyo thought about the question for a second, and then he tossed out an answer. "So you can teach us some super-powerful jutsu that will make the Chuunin Exams a piece of cake?" Yeah, and I'm the Sage's illegitimate daughter. Muyo covered a yawn with the back of his hand.

Beru Nagimari

unlike many of the other genins of Konoha, the ones on Beru's squad were being trained in the woodland surrounding the village. in Beru's mind, training outside of the Leaf Village would offer more of a challenge since one would not have to be wary of using their full potential and causing a good amount of damage to the village. he was glad to be away from the judging eyes of jonin who disapproved of his very strict training methods, and today was his students last chance at getting in some hard sparring before the start of the chuunin exams. his students were Kokai Hyuuga, Kato Mikuro and Matsuo Bushou. even though he found mentoring genin to be an annoying burden, he did find teaching members of the prestigious Hyuuga clan and the very old Bushou clan to be interesting, he gave a happy thank you to his ancestors when he found out that he would not have an Uchiha among his squad. Teaching genin was enough burden and having an Uchiha be one of the genin would make it even worse. his clan was not fond of the arrogant Uchiha clan, and they were especially displeased when one was chosen to be leader of Konoha, but they had to swallow their indignation and recognize Minemoto Uchiha as the Hokage. but having an Uchiha as leader would not change anything between the their two clans and Beru hoped that one day the Nagimari clan would become the next great line of Hokages.

the forest where Beru was training his squad in was thick and the tree tops grew close together, making the area shaded. he had given his students ten minutes to move away from him and prepare themselves for his attack. once the ten minutes were up, he would attack a good amount of speed and power. he would try to hold back only enough so that they weren't easily killed, but he would give them one hell of a training exercise. this training exercise was to see how long his studnets could last before he had them at his mercy, it was about survival because when on a dangerous mission, a shinobi's survival skills are what determined if they would live or die. this one of the many very rough types of training that he put his students through and it didn't make him very popular among some of the other jonin in Konohagakure but he didn't care, he knew that his methods would make his squad strong and powerful. now that the chuunin exams were very close, he wanted to push them as hard he could in this survival exercise. one of the reasons for him pushing them so hard was because if they proved themselves as worthy shinobi then they would be made chuunin and he would no longer have to mentor like he did with now. now that the ten minutes were almost up, he hoped that his squad knew that lower level ninja such as themselves would be complete fools to attack him without any sort of plan or forethought.

"Uzushiogakure."

Minemoto stood tall at the entrance of the most pathetic village of the five nations. There wasn't one thought in his mind that this village needed to be burned to ground and became the very namesake of it's land. The very birthplace of his lineage, of his father was being sullied by the hands of the current Kage and the village his brother helped build. No other village could incite such anger in him. No thought could bring such frustration unlike the thought of Senju. Despite how much he hated the Senju, and this village, Mine did in actuality love his brother still. If anything he wished that Tajirama would have worked with him. Unfortunately for he and his family, the Uchiha and Senju would always bear hatred for each other.

"Father, we must hurry to the Uzukage's Manor." Sangan reminded his father of their objective.

"You are right." Mine cleared his throat before he began his stroll through the village. Three jounin including Sangan walked closely beside the Hokage. Uzushiogakure was quite a sight to behold. It was close in appearance to Konoha once you reached the inner area. All eyes were on the Konoha-nin as they made their way to the Uzukage's Manor. Eyes full of hatred and fear. Some probably even harbored thoughts of revenge and Mine didn't blame any of them. Family and friends died during the war at the hands of Konoha. If anything he'd welcome anyone that wanted their chance at revenge but, he hoped they strong enough to back up any such thoughts. His eyes mowed over the various villages causing some to glare and others to turn away.

Several minutes later Mine and his guards came upon the Manor of the Uzukage. Oh how the memories flooded back to him. The battle that he and his brother first had right in this very area. The pain and blood spilled here would last a lifetime. Vivid images left his mind as he walked right in the manor and made his way to the meeting room of the kages. Mine's eyes peered directly to the other side of the oval-shaped room; Suzaku was the target of his stare. He took a seat at the table and motioned for his guards to take a stand a few feet behind him.

"My my Suzaku. I see you have kept this place together. You always were my father's greatest friend."