Never had there been peace for such a time that the Shinobi world was experiencing at the moment. So much so that this generation scarcely knew the true nature of war, only the hand-me-down storytelling of their forefathers to remind them of the harsh realities of the world they lived in. Names of villains were but stories of boogeymen to scare children into obeying their elders. Little did they know of true evil. Some even became so complacent with this peace that they foolishly took it for granted, and believed it always to be that way. But as the old man always said, history repeats itself. You cannot kill the evil in men's hearts with tools of war. And when history repeats, it comes back with a vengeance.

The missions given out to young Chuunin and Genin were usually deprived of any real combat. Of course you had your occasional missing-nin or thief, but those missions were usually relegated to the Jonin or ANBU to take care of. Of course saving the little girl's cat from a tree or helping the old woman with her crops was morally rewarding it offered little in the nature of war. Anyone under the age of 25 knew not of the old days and how things once were.

It was an average summer day, the sun was beating down on the three young Chuunin as they left their squad leader, conversing amongst themselves how odd it was to receive a B ranked mission. The Leaf village had a boisterous population, the younger generation crowded with talented Shinobi, all clamoring for missions to prove their worth, with barely enough work to go around. Most had to get part time jobs just to make ends meet. Long past were the days of getting by as a mercenary or on mission pay alone. So such a beautiful day was welcomed with what their squad leader had called a blessing of a mission for them to uptake. How wrong he was.

"You guys know it's gonna turn out to be lame as usual, when does something exciting ever happen around here?!" The cynic of their group, Mizuki Dokugami, mused over the rarity of this occurrence. He was but sixteen, a Chuunin for just barely over a year. Certainly not the weakest of his class, but still green behind the ears in terms of combat. He had dark brown hair, with a slender frame built for stealth rather than brute force. He was of slightly shorter stature than some of the other young men his age, but he was but a boy with time to grow. He came from a tall order of elder Shinobi in the Leaf village, his clan being masters of subterfuge and assassination. They possessed a Kekkei Genkai of unique property, their very existence poison to the world. Their very blood is poison to all living beings, as is their chakra to those who it touches. First thought to be an elemental release all its own, it was soon realized to be a very fundamental difference in the chemistry of their bodies, similar in concept to the Shikotsumyako Kekkei Genkai. Upon coming of age for the Dokugami, which for them comes around 12 or 13, barely pubescent children find their bodies becoming toxic, their own blood and saliva becoming unbearable to them, and so most members of their clan die an early death, succumbing to the poison of their own existence. Thus, Mizuki was one of the few of his generation accustomed to being surrounded by death from an early age. The blessing of being alive as a member of his clan was not lost on him.

"Don't say that! Keep an open mind Mizu! You never know what life's going to bring our way today! This mission itself could be a blessing for all we know, it's the first B rank we've received together as a team!" The kindhearted and always jubilant Senna Akizakura chimed in, always trying to set straight the cynical mind of her comrade, two years her junior. She had light blonde hair and a slim, petite frame. Her eyes were a crystal blue, paired with a coy little smirk that had all the boys of her generation butting heads with each other over her beauty. Senna had a very bright mind to go with her appearance, something overlooked due to her natural looks. She hadn't seen the kind of death that Mizuki had, even with her two years experience over him. Her loving nature covered the reality of herself, that she had felt more emotion in her first few years of life than Mizuki ever would in his entire Shinobi career. This was due to her own bloodline, coming from a clan of empaths that felt the emotion of everyone around them. And so she was the sensor of their group, always guiding them to the point before the other two even knew what was going on. She was a bit of a know-it-all in that sense, but her cocky attitude had its own kind of charm to it that attracted the two other boys. She knew that they both had a crush on her, she could feel their emotions even if it wasn't written all over Mizuki's face, even though it mostly was. Though greater than that feeling of lust for her was his jealousy and envy toward their third comrade.

"It's our duty to complete whatever mission sensei gives us. And today is that's a B ranked mission. Whether that ranking is worth it or not is still to be determined." These were the impartial words of Kyotoumaru Uchiha, or just 'Kyo' to those close to him. He was never one to judge a situation at first glance. He was the oldest of the three at nineteen, and the prime candidate of their group for the Jonin exams. He was widely regarded in the village as one of the top Chuunin and in the underbelly of the local bars he was a ten to one bet to be part of the Jonin class of his generation. He was tall and had a stern, focused look to him. He looked slightly older than his age would indicate, coupled with his disciplined demeanor gave him a very mature look. His jet black Uchiha hair was tied back in a ponytail, his bangs falling to the sides to give light to his eyes.

"I bet you these guys just drank too much sake in the forest and all passed out. Let's just wait here outside the village gates for them to stumble back home to their families in shame." Mizuki joked.

"That's not funny Mizu! What if you were the one stumbling around wallowing home to your mother?!" Senna snapped back at her teammate.

"My mother's dead, Senna. Remember?" Mizuki retorted with a bit of sharpness from his tongue. Realizing that his comrade could sense the pain behind his words, because she was nosey like that, he quickly covered his tracks. "Not like it matters anyway. Such is the nature of my clan, it makes us who we are. That's why my father was such an asset in the last Great War."

"Enough." Kyo muttered. "Our mission is to locate the lost squad of Chuunin from the Forest of Death that is to be used for the Jonin exams tomorrow. It doesn't matter if they're just a bunch of drunks, if they got eaten by a giant snake, or if they're just lost like fools. Our mission is to simply locate them, not wait here for them to locate us." His word was final among their squad. He was the undisputed leader of their team, even if Mizuki harbored a resentment that only Senna could feel. And Senna herself never thought anything of that resentment, as it was human nature to feel such things, and she had grown to accept those natural human flaws as all Akizakura women did. Just as they all learned to accept that their beauty attracted men for all the wrong reasons, and yet she couldn't help but fall for Kyo, his leadership and level-headedness were naturally attractive qualities. And the way he could hide his emotion from the world and pretend like everything was fine mystified the girl who felt everything. She was the only one who knew the depth of his character, the only living soul that truly knew just how conflicted he truly was inside. And she knew that deep down, Kyo believed in the good in people's hearts because of her. She knew it was more than just her pretty face, she was his light. And he was her enigma.

So the trio departed into the Forest of Death. They searched for signs of the missing squad everywhere, but found no trace. Kyo's Sharingan found nothing of importance, which was odd to him. Even with Senna's impeccable tracking, she could sense nothing. Not a clue was left for them to follow. It was as if their targets had vanished off the face of the earth.

"This is pointless!!" Mizuki finally broke, succumbing to his boredom and arrogance. "I'm telling you, they obviously were never even here! They went to the bar that's just outside of town, got so wasted that they blacked out, and probably took a few girls down to the inn next door and are holed up their nursing their hangovers and laughing it up about how we're out here looking for them!" He kicked at the grass in a childish manner.

"I told you. We search until we have something of merit to bring back to sensei. We don't go back empty handed." Kyo asserted.

"And who died and made you captain of the ANBU huh?! What makes you so fucking important that you decide what the three of us are gonna do all the time?!" Mizuki spat, his irritability reaching a peak. He knew that Senna could feel his resentment, so there was no use holding it back at this point.

"Mizu stop it!!! You know Kyo's right! He only has the best intentions for ALL of us!" Senna interjected, trying to prevent the situation from escalating any further. She could feel Kyo growing impatient with their younger comrades arrogance, and it was her self-imposed role amongst them to diffuse these situations.

Mizuki paused for a moment as he looked at Senna's eyes. In that moment she felt his longing for her to look at him in the way that she looked at Kyo. He quickly recoiled, realizing that she knew this. His jealousy reached a peak that it could no longer be kept hidden. He spat upon the ground they stood on. "You WOULD say that, jumping at the chance to defend your little boyfriend like that. You do LOVE him after all!" He said it in a matter-of-fact tone that made it seem as if love were something ugly to be ashamed of. After all, his clan were taught never to grow attached to others, even family. He never knew the love of another human. Such was the way he was raised. He was a weapon, born and raised.

"Mizu that's not fair!! I love you too, it's just-" Senna started to explain but the right words escaped her. She was caught in a storm of emotion between the three of them.

"ITS JUST WHAT, SENNA?! You don't love me like you love him, you're IN love with him! And he knows it too!! You both know it, I'm just the third wheel on these stupid missions. And this ones just as bullshit as the rest!" Senna's face turned red the moment Mizuki spilled the truth that everyone had already known for a while. He didn't know what else to say, he just stared at Kyo with true hatred born from his resentment toward their not-so-hidden love for each other. "You and those FUCKING eyes of yours!!"

Kyo just let it play out. He observed the two emotional members of his team go back and forth. But deep down, if Mizuki took one more step over the line toward Senna, he would have spoken up sooner. Truth be told, Mizuki could direct all the hatred and jealousy he wanted toward Kyo. The Uchiha was used to people either looking down on him for being gifted or envying his skill. But when he snapped at Senna, well, that was something unforgivable to Kyo. Against his better judgment, he simply said this. "Maybe it would be better if you just went home. If this mission is so pointless to you, maybe you should just leave it to us to complete it."

"Yeah right, and have you bitch to sensei later about how I deserted you two and jeopardized the mission?! I'll find the missing squad on my own, I don't need either of you! You two lovebirds can sit here and fuck each other's brains out while I do all the work!" Before either of his friends could say anything in response, Mizuki was marching off, deeper into the Forest of Death.

"Wait Mizu!!! Sensei specifically told us not to separate from each other in here!! This place is dangerous even for a Chuunin!" Senna called after him, but to no avail. Mizuki continued to storm off, deeper into the forest. She took a step to run after him, but Kyo's hand fell on her shoulder, holding her back.

"Don't. Don't bother. He won't listen no matter how far you probe into his psyche and try to reason with him. You know he's too stubborn to listen." said Kyo. "Besides, you're the best tracker of our entire generation. We might lose sight of him, but you'll be able to find him even if he storms off for miles." He reasoned.

Senna gave Kyo a telling look that showed him her concern. She had a bad feeling about the whole situation, and normally an Akizakura never turns away from their gut feelings. But she was still young, and all the emotions being thrown around clouded her judgment. She could barely figure out how she really felt. Was she really in love with Kyo? If so, why did she feel so guilty over it? All she wanted was for her friends to get along, and now she felt like the cause of their conflict. "I guess you're right.. even so, sensei warned us not to take this lightly.. I'm worried about him Kyo, he's our friend regardless of what he says.."

The concern in her voice was genuine, and it hit Kyo hard. He shook it off and reasserted his point to himself. He had to justify it somehow. "The kid is a walking poison bomb. Anything he touches dies. I think he'll do just fine. Let's just keep searching for these missing Shinobi so we can go home already." His own impatience was beginning to show. Senna pouted in response. Kyo saw this and turned away showing no emotion, he was great at hiding what he felt outwardly, but Senna knew what he was feeling. He thought her pouting face was adorable. So she giggled at him, and he knew exactly why. "Quit it." He groaned, turning back to look at her as he rolled his eyes. He had no choice but to smirk and laugh at her. He dropped the cold, steely demeanor he had grown so accustomed to carrying around. Mizuki was gone so he had no one to put on a show for but himself, because no matter how hard he tried, there was no fooling Senna, she innately knew the truth on matters of the heart. And that's why he was so drawn to her. That it didn't matter how hard he tried, he couldn't lie to her. He couldn't hide his true self from her, and that was both terrifying and fascinating to him at the same time. He thought all this over as he looked at her and couldn't keep the thought of how much he really did love her from crossing his mind. She looked back at him with the same passion, and they both accepted a fact that between the both of them had been known for a long time but both were too shy to admit to each other for some time now. They were raised Shinobi and would die Shinobi, they were tools of war and would remain such until the day they died. They were never taught how to love, and their feelings were still in that awkward youth stage where they didn't know what to do with it. It took Mizuki's angry ramblings to even push it out of them. And in truth, if it hadn't been for their spiteful comrade, they may have kept their lips sealed from each other for quite some time. But at that moment they couldn't, they moved in toward each other for that fateful moment. It seemed destined at this point, why had they not gave in to their feelings sooner? It felt so right for that split second, until-

"MIZUKI!!" Senna yelled. Her eyes were wide with fear. The moment was gone, their lips had not yet touched, just a hair's length away. Kyo looked utterly taken off guard, and it didn't take long for her to explain why. "His chakra just disappeared! It completely vanished out of nowhere!! We need to find him!"

They darted off together into the forest. Kyo was much faster than her, but after seeing the look in her eye, he merely kept up with her instead of going after his friend. Some would argue that it was his duty to go as fast as he could to find his teammate. Others would say he was doing the right thing by sticking together. The truth is, she was his one weakness. It wasn't a matter of what was right or wrong as the unofficial leader, he cared about her more than he cared even about the village itself. She would be his demise one day.

They arrived where Senna last picked up Mizuki's chakra. What they saw left both of them speechless. Two dead bodies, each belonging to members of the missing squad. The third was nowhere to be found, and neither was Mizuki. Senna was frantically looking around, trying to use her ability to locate their friend. Kyo was doing the same, his Sharingan scanning the forest for anything.

"This doesn't make sense!!" Senna exclaimed after several moments of searching. "His chakra can't just disappear like that!! He always has a bright purple aura that's thick with energy! I can always tell when he's coming from hundreds of yards away! His clan are so distinct in their presence, and yet I can't feel him anywhere!" Tears welled up in her eyes and ran down the valleys of her cheeks.

"It doesn't make sense at all... we have to go deeper and find him. We'll bring him back at any cost!" Kyo broke his calm demeanor once again, as the weight of the situation fell on him. He was their leader, whether official or not. He was the oldest, the one who took the weight of the world on his shoulders. There was no way he could go back to their sensei without Mizuki. He took a step forward, about to dash deeper into the forest.

At that moment Senna froze in place. Her eyes fixated ahead on where Kyo was about to dash off toward. She was paralyzed by fear, overcome by a great feeling of despair and evil intentions. Kyo turned back to see why she wasn't going to leave with him. Before he could ask what was wrong, she gasped for air, as if she was choking on the evil she felt around her. "...we need to leave" she whispered, still in shock and barely able to speak. Kyo opened his mouth to protest, but she knew exactly what he wanted to say. "NOW KYO!!!" Senna shrieked, her voice cracking as she did so with the kind of fear that Kyo had never heard from another Shinobi. He couldn't refuse her, not when she truly sounded as if they were going to die. His gut told him to flee as well, and yet he still felt guilty about making this decision when they still hadn't learned the fate of their friend.

Kyo grabbed Senna, scooping her into his arms and darting the opposite way. If she truly felt something to unnerve her the way it did, he was sure it was something horrible. And whatever could make their friend disappear like that and kill a squad of three other Chuunin would surely do the same to them, despite how confident Kyo was in his own ability.

Senna was silent the entire way back to Konoha. She didn't look Kyo in the eyes once the entire way back, though he knew this was not his fault, it was because whatever she felt had traumatized her temporarily, whatever it was was so malicious that she had never encountered something like it before. He was simply glad she was safe, and yet the thought of Mizuki and what may have befallen him in that forest without them there, and possibly because of them, still haunted them both.

They arrived back home and went immediately to their sensei's home, and told him of Mizuki's absence, but before they could explain anything, their sensei explained that the Hokage himself was to be informed of the results of their mission, and he was eagerly awaiting their return.

Kyo and Senna made their way as fast as possible to the Hokage's manor, and entered his office. "Hokage-sama, we are here to report the results of our mission to find the lost squad in the Forest of Death." However being one man short, the Hokage would already have his answer. He would not be pleased with the news they brought, as it would only serve to worsen the suspicions of what caused the disappearance in the first place. There was only one man with the capability to produce the malicious intention of such magnitude to pierce the heart of an Akizakura and paralyze Shinobi with that kind of fear...

Kyo watched the Hokage closely. During their few interactions he always cautiously studied the leader of their village, adorning his Hokage garb. ~This is the man who leads our village.. the man they say can be in two places at once..~ Kyo's gaze flittered over to Shinko over in the shadows before back to the Hokage. Senna stood a step behind Kyo, absentmindedly staring at the ground. She was only half-present in the room with them, the loss of Mizuki hitting her hard. She still could not feel his presence anywhere, even with her Kekkei Genkai. This loss was significant to her, Mizuki had been through a lot with her and Kyo, and maybe, just maybe, if she wasn't so invested in Kyo than Mizuki wouldn't have stormed off and he would still be there with them.

"..." Kyo could not bring himself to admit failure. He didn't take disappointment well, and it shamed him to return from a mission without a comrade, even if they did complete the mission. "We completed the mission.." he began with a tone of reluctance. "..two of the three bodies of the missing squad were found in the Forest of Death. They were murdered by another Shinobi judging by their wounds, not an animal or an accident. Despite finding them, during the mission one of our squad ran off on his own and before we knew it, he was gone. Our sensory-nin here, Senna, is of the Akizakura clan. Her sensory abilities are beyond measure. And yet, she tells me our comrades chakra just vanished without a trace. There was no trail to follow, Hokage-sama." Kyo explained. He hesitated for a brief moment before finishing his report. "If it were up to me, I would have stayed to find out comrade, however Senna picked up on a killing intent stronger than she had ever felt before... it scared her to the point of paralysis and so I made the call to return her to safety and report back what we learned." The guilt was evident in his next statement. "Hokage-sama... Words do not describe how sorry we are for being unable to successfully bring back our comrade with us.. and so, I will personally offer myself to go and look for him alone. I believe myself more than capable to handle this situation." Kyo's face shifted to a stern resolve. He obviously resented himself for leaving Mizuki out there and had to make amends for that, no matter how foolish it was of a decision.

"No Kyo, you can't!! You didn't feel what I felt! You'll die if you go out there!" Senna broke free from the chains of self pity as she heard the love of her life proclaim his foolish call to arms in order to save their comrade that may or may not even still be breathing. She looked over to Gisho with pleading eyes that begged for mercy. "Hokage-Sama you can't let him go! You can't let anyone in there, not tonight, not tomorrow for the exams, not until you figure out what's in that forest!! It's pure evil, I swear!" She pleaded with him, tears welling in her eyes. The love she had for Kyo was plain and obvious. She just lost a good friend, she knew he was dead, she wouldn't toy with the idea that he survived, not after what she felt. She only hoped the Hokage would listen and call off the Jonin exams and refuse Kyo's offer before someone else fell the same fate as Mizuki.

Normally a young Chuunin would be nervous with the towering Hokage addressing them, but not Senna. The young girl felt the Hokage's warmth and his own empathy for their situation matching hers. As he rested his hand upon her shoulder she felt at ease, even more so after he assured Kyo that he would not be going out into that forest alone. Gisho spoke kindly of the Akizakura, and even spoke of Namine. "Yes sir, I believe you're speaking of my mother. You trained her yourself when she was even younger than me. She tells me quite a bit about you."

Kyo on the other hand did not receive the Hokage's message as well as his comrade did. Despite this, he respectfully allowed the Hokage to finish and bowed his head when he was done speaking. "Yes, Hokage-sama." He did well to keep his emotions from reaching his face even though he resented the Hokage's decision. And with that Kyo took one last look at the Gisho before turning his back and walking out the door, not waiting for Senna to follow.

Senna, sensing Kyo's discontent for Gisho's reaction to his report, immediately turned and followed him out of the office with yet another concerned look. Once she followed him outside he was already almost twenty feet ahead of her and marching off, and not in the direction of his home. "You can't be serious right now?!" She yelled as she ran toward him, placing her hand on his shoulder and forcing him to turn and face her when he did not respond. "I'm not stupid Kyo, I don't know what you think you're doing but you're a fool to try and go back there right now!!" She spat at him.

Kyo just looked at her with his usual cold, emotionless expression. It wasn't like him to force this side of himself on her, because he knew she could always see through it. "This is not the job for some nameless squad of Shinobi that don't have a connection to or a care in the world for Mizuki. This is my cross to bare and I, and I alone, will be the one to bare it. If someone is going to go into that forest and die looking for our comrade, it will be me." He spoke solemnly and with abandon for any emotion that might have played a factor in talking himself out of going. He may have spoke like he was ready to die for this cause, but truth be told his overconfidence in his abilities led him to believe that he could actually save his friend if he were still alive somewhere.

Senna's eyes widened at Kyo's short-sightedness. For someone with eyes like his, he sure had a hard time seeing the big picture sometimes. "Well that's just so fucking noble of of you, isn't it Kyo Uchiha?! The genius boy dying a martyr for his comrade before he ever became anything bigger than himself! Well fuck you, Kyo!" She snapped at him, her eyes welling up with tears as she turned to storm away and let him go on his foolish rampage into certain death.

Kyo winced as she had hurt his ego, but in the process she released him from the strings of self pity that had been guiding him toward what would have been his demise. His guard dropped immediately as she turned to leave. His face softened, mouth opening slightly to begin to respond as he placed his hand on her shoulder to prevent her from leaving.

Before Kyo could retort to her words, Senna spun around with tears streaming down her face, smacking his hand off of her shoulder with force. This caught Kyo well off guard, taken aback by her brash actions. He knew her to get emotional with him even if she was normally level headed, but this was a passion seldom seen from her.

"If you go and get yourself killed for no fucking reason, who's gonna be here to take care of me?!" Her face was soaked with tears at this point. Any words that Kyo may have had were gone at this point. He was speechless to the reality of her words. His mouth was left hanging open slightly like a fool, and after a what seemed like a long moment of silence, of her looking to him anticipating his reaction, he now knew the gravity of the situation. He gathered himself up, his resolve hardening his expression and he looked her in the eyes. "I will always take care of you." He kissed her with a fiery passion that she had never seen from him, and after an eternity had passed all in a single moment, they parted lips and he held her under the moonlight in perfect serenity.

~

The sun kissed Senna's eyes as she awoke in Kyo's arms beneath a tree not far from the Hokage's office. She moved her hand to her forehead to shade herself from the light, and judged the time of day by the sun's position. She looked over to her lover and took in his innocent, sleeping face. ~He's so peaceful.. I want this moment to last forever... Why do we fight so hard to keep things the way they are?~ She allowed the moment to linger for just a little while longer, solemnly expressing how grateful she was for him.

Not a moment later she was shaking him by the collar of his shirt and screaming in his face. "Hey idiot you realize we're gonna be late for the stupid exams right?!" She pulled him back and forth with force to shake any notion of going back to sleep right out of him.

Kyo flailed back and forth as she swung him around like a children's doll, a spot of drool wagging around comically as his peaceful slumber was ever-so-gracefully stricken from him. He wiped his eyes and looked over to her with his coy little smirk and the charm that she grew to know so well. "Good morning to you too." He stood up and gathered himself, giving her a helping hand to her feet as well. "Sleep well?" He asked, giving complete abandon to the notion of being late for such an important event in their lives. He simply dusted the dirt off of his clothing and began a slow trot toward where the exam was being held.

As he helped her up she fell silent, a total 180 from how she had awoken him. "But.. we're late.." she whispered to herself as he made no motion to hurry to make sure they arrived on time to represent Konoha. She saw in him a complete disregard for the rules for her own sake. She knew fully well that he was enjoying every last second of serenity they had together before it would all be broken by the trials of war, or rather a condensed and kindergarten version of war supervised by the higher ups of all the villages. But make no mistake, this was war even in its most premature of forms, even if death was not the expectation, these were fully grown Shinobi ready to enter the highest levels of their respective villages. This was a true test of their character.

Hime Yuki

It was wonderfully sunny and remarkably busy in the streets of Konoha today, people minding their own business whilst also sticking their noses in about anything they overheard as the Jonin exams were a hot topic, so much so in fact that all the hopeful chunins going up for it this time round were the talk of the village.

One such hopeful was none other than Hime Yuki, master of all things cold and icey and the brightest smile for miles around... Or at least that's how she saw herself, a shining testament to the power of the Yuki clan like her mother once was! The girl herself was rushing down the street towards the Konoha stadium to prepare for her exam, skating on a thin patch of ice beneath her feet, just about darting between tourists and locals alike whilst the crowd was still thin and letting some laughter escape her until she came to a stop outside the stadium entrance.

"Hime Yuki, making her grand entrance!" She called out as she strode in through the open doors, looking exceedingly proud in having arrived on time for the exam, moreso for finding her way to the stadium without having to stop to ask for directions. Not impressive feats for someone who lives in Konohagakure, but impressive for Hime as she often tended to get lost in the streets of Konoha, no matter how used to the village she was.

The Hokage was already here, which brought a greater smile to the Yuki's face as she enthusiastically waved at him. "Heeeeeeeeey, Hokage! Are you ready for the exams?" She chimed with high energy, high volume and low regard for the ear drums of those nearby.

---

Koma Hitsugi

What a tiring trip it had been travelling to Konohagakure from Iwagakure with the rest of the potential Jonins, it was a good thing that she'd arrived early and had some time to rest and check out a few of the sights in the village before it was due time to head to the Exam Stadium and prepare for the Jonin exams.

Due to arriving early, Koma had also arrived before most of the other Iwagakure attendees. This was for many reasons, but her primary one was to get away from the bizarre troupe of people that she could at least call allies. She didn't know them by anything more than name, but the way each of them carried themselves just put her way off from wanting to get to know them. At least Konoha looked nice, lots of trees and pleasant greenery to observe and relax amongst when she finally found a quiet spot in which to sit and watch the village hustle and bustle along.

The aesthetic of the village helped soothe Koma's nerves over this whole exam ordeal, the young woman quietly wondering about that to herself as time passed by slowly. It was only when the expected time of the Iwagakure contingent's arrival was upon her that she rose from her seated position and made her way to the stadium after asking a few friendly enough faces for directions. She'd not thought about scouting out the location of the stadium beforehand so she had to rely on the locals for that much at least, whilst avoiding those who were trying to sell her all manner of things, such as souvenirs, snacks and tools that she really didn't need.

At the entrance to the stadium, Koma found herself hesitating about walking in, she hadn't put much thought into what kind of exam it would be, but if it were anything like the chunin exams, she would likely have to fight someone and be judged on her ability in combat.

This was going to be a problem.

There were already several others present in the centre of the stadium, so she thankfully wasn't the first one there, so she slowly entered and gave a formal bow to those she met there. "K-Koma Hitsugi, chunin of Iwagakure. It's a... Uhh... pleasure to meet you."

Ai looked around her with a sense of wonder. Sure the Hidden Stone had trees, but not like this. They were everywhere, and the place, it was so green. It was so nauseating to look at for the first time. Ai was having trouble taking it all in, not that it would stop her from trying. Ever since she'd started living, Ai had promised to make every day worth it. Travelling was the best.

Stopping to pick a few flowers, she called back to the rest of the caravan making to the Leaf.

"So, what exactly do you figure they'll have us do? I'm a little afraid of the Uchiha and Senju clans here. If anything's team based, you can count on me, but I have the sinking suspicion seeing as this is a jonin exams we're all going to be on our own."

Putting an iris in her hair, matching its color, Ai returned to the group, still thinking on the exam. She sunk her hands in her bag of tags. She might as well make some more as they traveled. Unlike most ninja, Ai literally was only as good as her tools. The gate wasn't that far off.

"I really hope I don't have to fight any of you, but if I have to, no hard feelings right? I'll even take you all out to the Ichiraku place they were talking about. It sounds great."

Papers took just a second, and soon she found herself at the stadium. As she passed the streets, she couldn't help but look for the infamous ramen stand. The architect was interesting to say the least. Still, the sights never seemed to cease. Ai was glad she'd come.

Inside the stadium, she looked to see people just as interesting as the scenery. She was quick to find Koma bowing.

"Hey, Koma, there you are. Wondered where you had gotten too. Oh, sorry, forgot to bow. I'm Ai Kabe, of Iwagakure. I'm looking forward to competing with you. ♪And seeing what special skills you have.♪ Not every day I get to see ninja out of Iwagakure. Of course, don't think we won't give you any trouble."

“Be thorough. Be diligent. Be exceptional.” The words of his father echoed in Sakana's head, but did not offer any additional pressure or stress on the boy's mental well being. They floated, as if they were leaves in the wind, scattering themselves throughout the corners of his brain to stay there forever. They were the same words that his father said to him every morning, and so to those who would've thought that today was any different, and he would offer more supporting words for the special event, he would be wrong. His parents had caught onto Sakana's views on fate long ago and had ever since respected them - he believed that whatever happened today would be fate, and nothing could stop it. Additional encouraging words were... not required. Offered little in terms of actual gains. It would have been symbolic at best.

Being a Konohagakure citizen, the stadium was a known location to him - in fact he knew it all too well from the events that they held there - and as such he allowed himself to sleep in a little longer. Some over-excited chunin had decided to go training before the big event to get ready and warmed up already, but to Sakana this seemed like a stupid idea. The only thing that that would do was raise the chances of an injury that would put you out of commission for the duration of the exams. Instead, he woke up at a reasonable hour, went into the kitchen and made tea for himself. Following that was a soft, easy going breakfast. He took his time drinking his tea and eating his breakfast, sitting by the long dinner table that lined the wall next to the window, allowing him to overlook the masses that passed by his house on the way to the stadium. There were a lot of shinobi - but a lot of civilians too. He glanced over the many faces that passed him by, finding none that were so strange that they stood out. This was a good thing - shinobi that stuck out were usually easy to trace and, therefore, easy targets. After all, what is a ninja, if not sneaky?

When the time came, he left the house. It was then that his father delivered his words. “Be thorough. Be diligent. Be exceptional.” Strong words, coming from a Uragiri clansman. They were not exactly known as formidable shinobi and his clan held a better reputation for being craftsman than they were quick with a sword, accurate with a shuriken or deadly with a kunai. Sakana was one of the few that were above average - but it wasn't a big margin, and he wasn't a genius, nor was he well known in the village. Most people just knew him by looks - how could they not? His eyes stood out.

Although the largest portion of the crowd was moving through the streets, Sakana decided it wasn't worth the effort and, upon exiting the house, merely jumped up effortlessly like he'd done it a hundred times - he had done it a hundred times - and jumped off towards the stadium, avoiding the large crowds. It surprised him somewhat that there weren't many others using the rooftops as an easy highway of sorts, but he supposed many of the visitors from other villages were interested in seeing everything they could about Konohagakure. He couldn't fault them - he couldn't care less about how Konohagakure looked, but new places were always a sight to behold, and even someone that was largely stoic about most things, even Sakana himself, could appreciate some sights that were different from what he was used to. He still remembered his first time in Sunagakure - it looked every bit the part of a desert city. Interesting and impressive but it became fact of life after a week spent there in the name of some diplomatic mission.

A soft thud and a puff of dust were all that alarmed the rest to his landing outside the stadium, though it wasn't exactly spectacular or strange to see a shinobi using the rooftops as a means of travel. Like the others, he entered the stadium in one of front doors while the spectators would most likely move to the seats through another door.

As he joined the crowd of chunin, he found himself wondering where his team was. As far as he was aware they were all selected to partake, but they hadn't explicitly made plans to meet up together and go here together. In fact, Sakana had more or less assumed that the exam would be performed alone anyway, so there was nothing gained from meeting up. He pushed the thoughts away, however, as he looked over the crowd. A lot of foreigners. “Ksk,” he slissed between his teeth, shaking his head slightly. Foreigners meant kekkei genkai. Something about bloodline limits made him queasy. It just wasn't.. natural. They were like freaks of nature.

Had it not been for her dear cousin, Rumia would be kicking back in her trashy apartment complex with her father's television echoing in the background. The hoarded pile of junk and dysfunctional lifestyle made recognition of any form of mail a rarity within the ginger's household. Good thing Kyoko was a thing. The discovering of such an opportunity had been taken with little to no interest from the peculiar hooligan. It'd only be when reminded of a Jonin's salary that the lass' drive would be kicked into high gear. This would be better than working in the public sector.

The trek to Konohagakure would be almost impromptu on Rumia's part. No warning to her father, though she'd bet on whether he'd notice or not, and leaving her pals to hang for a few days, this specimen was not only reckless in the battlefield. Her whole life was just one big, unassuming adventure.

A few congregated together, but they were all squares. No, she'd be with Kyoko, taking her own path and avoiding any potential conversation with the other attendees of her village. Nothing too anti-social, the delinquent had just enough insight when it came to interaction to deduce that compatibility was a rarity among the other conscripted. Even if they were similar social baskets. That and beer wouldn't have to be shared.

Then came the hidden leaf. A sight Rumia would barely admire. Sight seeing wasn't much to this pseudo-pragmatist. Such a colorful individual simply could not bother to savour the beauty of a new environment, and tell the tale to the more sedentary of her friends. It would be extremely 'gay' anyway. Though there was one thing she was looking for: A pub. Or whatever was the equivalent in the leaf. A place where both tobacco and alcohol could be purchased. Casual alcoholic drinks anyway, she wasn't that down the rabbit hole just yet.

Kyoko was free to do whatever, Rumia just wanted to have a chug before they'd be engaged in this redundant exam. She wouldn't even know what 'redundant' would mean, but it seemed to be repeated a whole lot by one of her neighbors. A few chats with a barman and a couple of purchases later, and our ginger protagonist would finally come to notice the slightly flashy Konoha citizen conspicuously land before the Standium. She had a good view, given the pub was quite the tourist trap for foreigners wanting to get shitfaced while watching a match.

"Goodness, ain't you just the sweetest thang."

Lil' Hime's joy radiated so much that it would even capture the Iwa thug's attention as she'd eventually step into the stadium. The thick accent of a more secluded group of people from the Earth Nation was not restrained by any means. At least they wouldn't have too much trouble keeping up with how she'd stretch certain words. It was followed by a wink at their general direction combined with a shit-eating smirk.

Beer bottle in hand, she'd chug a good hundred centiliters once her presence known. They could all take notice of her casual attire, with only a couples of pouches bound to her mini shorts' belt. Sandals were rather generic, but it'd ber her ski-blue T-shirt with a plain, yellow smiley-face on its center. They'd expose her tattoos on her right arm: A portion of what seemed to be a scaled tail wrapped over her upper arm while her forearm had an unusual set of Kanji, near her wrist. Rather generic, but the writing seemed to be of a dialect, and hard to interpret without actually knowing it.

Eight AM, on the dot and ready. About two hours before anybody was even expected to show up… Mind you, setting an example is hard to do. But as Kurin Senju had already woken up at seven AM, brushed his hair, and gotten all dressed, he might as well show up early. 
“I’ll be back, stop fretting grandmother.” Kurin muttered, standing at the doorway to the Senju household. Before him, blocking the way was his grandmother, if that wasn’t obvious. She was half his size, skinny and covered in more wrinkles than leopards have spots. But, not even Kurin, sturdy as an oak tree, was in her strength category. He’d seen the photos, one in particular of her as a pretty young lady suplexing a bear. Though her claims of having wrestled with one of the Raikage’s was probably the breaking point on realism. 
"Kurin, your Grandfather and I know this is important to you.” Grandmother began. “BUT! You are my grandson, and my lovely son’s son! So, if you get a scratch on those cheeks, or if you get a scar, or ANYTHING ELSE! I will never forgive you, or the ninja who did it to you!” That old woman was a viper, and the way she pointed a finger right in Kurin’s face made it clear… That was a promise. 
“Yes Grandmother.” Kurin sighed, and leaned in to give his grandmother a kiss on the cheek. “Now, may I leave? I need to be early to help set an example.”

So, Kurin stood there at the head of the crowd. 
"Greetings, and welcome to Konoha!” He grinned from ear to ear, giving a bow to each of the stone ninja. Some older. Most older, and the rare one or two that may have been younger. But otherwise, the was Kurin setting an example.
“Seriously Kurin, so busy?” A speaker said, announcing their presence behind the senju. He turned, and couldn’t help but smile softly. There was Chiyo, one of the students in the grade higher. Nice enough girl, pleasant, smart, and always in need of help with directions. Well, you can’t be the best in everything.
“What can I say, a strong greeting can foster great relationships!” Kurin declared, patting his chest proudly. “After all, this is why Konoha hosts these events. A display of trust and strength between our villages. After all, a strong understandin-” He paused mid speech, eyes having drifted across the crowd. And he noticed something very… Very unbecoming.
Chiyo followed Kurin’s gaze, and sighed softly. “I see you finally noticed her. I didn’t even think alchohol was allowed at these events.”
“They’re not…” Kurin muttered, eyes narrowed as he walked through the crowd. Slipping past fellow chunnin, all watching the Hokage the best they could. Eventually, Kurin stood next to Rumia, the obvious stand out amongst the professional crowd. Oh, and there was Hime! But Kurin had a mission.

"Excuse me, miss.” Kurin said, giving a tiny bow to the unsophisticated lady. “I should inform you that alcohol can be disruptive at gatherings, and as former captain of the student body at Konoha academy, it is my duty to make sure you stop, and maintain a formal composure.” Hands crossed behind his back, making him the very model of the reasonable authority figure he so aimed to invoke. 

After all, what else does one say to a possibly drunk ninja?

Date was not looking forward to the exams today. He really just wanted to sit in his moms room at the hospital all day, or got to work, but that was not an option. His father made it clear that in exchange for paying for her funds this month he has to take and pass the Jonin Exams. He hated that man, and everyone in his clan knew that behind his smile lived a darkness that waited, waited for the man to finally succumb to his illness and die. Head of his clan or not, he was still Date's father and was a piece of shit one at that.

Date was know to be happy and cheerful, overall a good man and teammate, but really he hated people. The only reasons he smiled was because its the last thing his mom told him to do before she was hurt so he does, but its not like she said the smiles had to be real. With this in mind he made sure to smile at all the nurses on his way out of the hospital and even took the long way to the stadium making sure to show his smile to every person he knew as he passed by. Effectively showing up a little latter to the stadium.

When he got there, he could automatically pick certain faces out of a crowd. So he leaned against a wall an looked around. "Kurin, Hime, Kyo and his bae, its just gonna be party today huh." Date thought himself with a sly smile. He did not care much for any of the Stone shinobi, they where to take the exam like the rest, so like the rest of us what they said did not matter. Date walked into the crowd and just began walking around saying pleasant hellos here and there to new faces and old, waiting for the Hokage to start string the pot.

Shizuka Ichimi

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"EEEERRRRRRR ERRRRRRRRR ERRRRRRRR” The alarm blared making sure Shizuka would wake up early enough in order to prepare for the big day. His blanket shot up as almost a gust of wind had just propelled it to the ceiling. Well that is of course what happened. Shizuka shot straight up disoriented from his deep slumber being disturbed by this cursed magical red box. He did quite have a fetish for all things red. Maybe a little too much of a fetish…His hair had severe cow lick from each side of his head. Restless sleeper he probably violently turned all night. His eyes slowly rolled and smacked open cracking the crust left in his eyes sprinkled on by that careless sandman, it seemed to follow him all the way from Sunagakure, curse him! Shizuka brought one arm up and wiped his mouth that had a thick layer of salvia down the edge of his mouth. That box of boom kept blaring at him with the time clearly outlined, 7:00 am as his blanket elegantly fell back down towards Shizuka crushed his alarm clock as the irritating beep fizzled out into a slow demonic gurgle.

Before the blanket could make land fall Shizuka whisked himself from out of the bed so nimbly. He lived alone as he did for the last four years so he had a routine down pact without worry of his parents or roommates. However in his excitement he skipped a few steps in his daily routine. In a loud yawn and an equally satisfying stretch, Shizuka accidentally let out a gust of wind which forced its way through the window shutters outwards slapping onto the side of the house. Older women gasped, younger women giggled, and everyone else shouted. Shizuka confused suddenly was well aware what had transpired, he had no pants on. Shrugging he closed the shutters and got ready in a breeze. His infamous tracksuit, well only really infamous to himself, perhaps the village was donned. He got his flashy sandals on and secured his scabbard and katana. He had sharpened it on weigh stone the night before to make sure he was fully prepared to go on his adventure.

Shizuka grabbed a quick bite to eat, well he actually had it in his mouth before he hopped into the air and spun his arms beneath him to create a spinning ball of air. Shizuka raced towards the arena knowing the area quite well, he probably could have flown but he really wanted to finish his toaster strudel. As he whipped through the streets cutting in and out of crowds of people whether they were tourist or regulars he made his way to the arena gates, that wasn’t without the occasional expletive he received and angry threats that could be heard from the exams stage. Shizuka saw a few chunin gathered around the stage waiting for the Hokage’s next words. Shizuka only caught the end of it, but he’s seen the old man before so there was nothing new for him to be excited about. Although he was very curious as to why one of them seemed to be drinking at this time of day, maybe it was a medical problem. Anyways Shizuka raced in and jumped off his ball which exploded outwards towards the chunin in front of him.

The gust was strong enough to lift any loose clothing and unsteady someone who was not properly planted into the ground. Shizuka in an exasperated shout waved wildy, “Hey guys, I hope I’m not too late! The old man would have my head for this, although he’d probably tell my parents about this. But I haven’t heard from them in a while so I guess I’m okay. But then what if I get kicked out before I can compete? Hmmmm bummer.” Shizuka contemplated almost completely forgetting about the crowd in front of him, not even taking in that he knew two of the people there. Shizuka then saw the worst horror possible, the fourth calamity of the world, his strudel was on the floor and it had passed the 10 second rule. Shizuka screamed in pain and sorrow his arms quickly rising to grab his hair as he fell to his knees and dry heaved. “Please let us have a moment of silence for my toaster strudel, he was a good strudel.” Shizuka said before getting up and looking at the chunin before him, “My names Shizuka Ichimi, what’s your names?!” a grin from ear to ear appeared while he scratched the back of his head.

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Gokiburi "Cockroach"

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A Few Years Ago

The earth has an ecosystem for every environment, each species no matter how revolting or useless is needed to maintain the peace. Gokiburi was the lowest of the low the scum of the ninja world, and he had the appearance to prove it. Gokiburi was a decrepit man, some might not even call him a man but ‘it’ or ‘monster’ whatever the case was he wasn’t loved, by anyone. The disgusting creature some survived the great wars and extinction eras that had ever existed throughout the ninja world. It’s been so long Gokiburi had forgotten the name he was give during birth. He has forgotten a lot of things which was rather the norm for him. The vile creature had only gone by Gokiburi know since he was the embodiment of a cockroach.

Doing as he normally does, Gokiburi watched from the sidelines waiting for the winner’s side to emerge and the wars end to scout for corpses. Not only was he a cockroach but he was a grave robber, any corpse he thought worthy enough he waited for the latest possible moment to scavenge and collect the most sinister and powerful individuals for his collection. Over the years it had grown so vast he had to move from location to location to a base big enough to hold and preserve each of the bodies he had found. Although through the centuries Gokiburi had not hit the jackpot like he did just now, the greatest weapon he would ever discover, SEIJURO NANDATE grimacing with his horrid scowl Gokiburi rubbed his hands together while laughing manically as the rain began to fall and patter as it hit the floor. Thunder rumbled and lighting stretched across the night sky as flashed of light illuminated the once great puppet masters body that was now in tattered pieces.

The cockroach had loaded him and only two puppets since he had no space for the others which had been permanently decommissioned save for the two he found, into a wheel barrel which had been rusted and coated with blood on the inside. Letting out a sickening whistle though his broken teeth and black gums the grave digger returned to his lair finally finding shelter from the storm outside. And so the process began. The cockroach had experimented on everything from the dead to himself to living people he had captured during the war. Gokiburi had loaded seijuro onto his steel table and began stitching. He hobbled from one corner of the room to another gathering his most intact and healthy specimens perfect for a match to Seijuro’s original body. This would be his host body for now, later he could reconstruct himself with his own brilliance, Gokiburi was simply the tool for him to use, and he had finally found his life’s work and purpose. Piece by piece was stitched into Seijuro’s lifeless body until he was a multicolored ragdoll.

With the preparations complete Gokiburi was ready for the final step, his own hiden jutsu perfected during the years of his wretched existence. Gokiburi had ripped open the chest of Seijuro leaving a gapping cavity of maggots and worms wriggling about. Gokiburi lifted himself onto the table before taking his scalpel and slitting both of wrist allowing his blood to flow down into the open cavitiy of Seijuro’s husk. His blood was black and thick coming out slowly and pooling up into almost that of a tar like consistency. After his wrists had healed themselves Gokiburi jumped down and sutured up Seijuro’s chest. Rolling him over back into the wheel barrel, the cockroach returned outside in the storm that had picked up. Working through the night Gokiburi had finally dug a grave large enough for Seijuro and viciously dumped his body inside before pouring the dirt back inside.
The sun had reared its head out the next day slowly waking up Gokiburi before he could look down to the grave of Seijuro. Standing up he walked towards the grave and bent over to look down. Suddenly a hand pierced through the gravel and gripped Gokiburi’s throat in a vice like grip. His eyes popped out of his head as his trachea was being crushed, he could barely form a word. Seijuro rose from his grave, the only thing visible was the light of his eyes, but it wasn’t light, it was fire.

Yesterday

It was the anniversary of the resurrection of his master Seijuro and he had assigned him another critical project. Cockroach was happy to oblige his loving master for he saved his own life that he could have easily taken the night of his revival. Cockroach had massaged his throat still having the imprint of his master’s hands around his throat, he frolicked ahead before he twisted his ankle. Seijuro had gone out to take some sort of business around konoha, funnily enough Gokiburi was in the vicinity. He arrived at the shrine dedicated to the nine tails. Gokiburi smiled in glee as he began tearing cold earth asunder. “Ahh what do we have here Jaakuna Aka? We’ve been waiting for you kek kek” Gokiburi laughing heinously. Just as he did those years before Gokiburi imitated the exact process he had accomplished with Seijuro and made his way back to his lair which proceeded with Jaakuna’s body falling into the earth with a loud thud.

Gokiburi waited and watched as the day ended and the next began. He was smart this time around and just sat patiently far enough away and waited. Gravel moved and a body rose like clockwork, Gokiburi hopped out of his seat cheering in success. His elation for the news to deliver to his master washed over him in waves. “So you’re awake now?”

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The word peace. Often misunderstood; or seen through a misconception. In the shinobi world, it is frequently said that peace is only achieved through war. Why? The question plagues the very existence of Usagi Orihara, one of those various shinobi that inhabit the world. This one, in particular, is not a very well known one neither a great, powerfully gifted shinobi. Usagi is a simple woman with a simple mind and an insatiable lust for answers that the world itself can't give her. What is the true meaning of peace? Is it individual, where one's mind and their peace is enough? Is it political, where the great leaders of the world apply it within their villages? Or is it worldly, where peace must exist as one for every living being?



The clinking sound of steel hitting steel exploded as Usagi's blacksmithing hammer came crashing down on the thin layer of steel she held with her left gloved hand. Sweat dripped from her forehead and she breathed heavily but that didn't stop her from raising her hand and bringing yet another blow, shaping the steel slowly into something: A tool of war. What else were swords used for, if not a tool of war? Killing? Destruction? Idly, the woman's eyes glanced upon her own sword, the Peaceful Rabbit. It was hanging by the blacksmithing store's back door, tied by an elegantly made leather cord. She exhaled a deep breath as the hammer collided against the steel again.

Her hands were calloused due to this very work. Hours spent at the forge shaping the finest weapons all for the shinobi of Konohagakure to spend their hard earned money on. Her muscles tense and her sweaty form was a sight to see, truly; she was a strong woman. Not in a bulging manner but the muscles were clearly visible on her arms. The expression on her face was a mixture of tiredness and content; this was her time. Whenever she worked at the forge, she had time to think of her personal inquiries, try to find answers in that troubled mind of hers.



And despite the questions, it was that time once again. This... was war; at least, not publicly declared war where the shinobi fought for their lives and failure meant death. No. This was a test, both for amusement and recognition. The chunin competition was based on being recognized, moving further into the ranks of their respective villages. For this reason, they would give everything they got. Usagi pondered why she fought, why she desired to become a jounin? Why she trained every night until she could no longer bear the exhaustion just so she could become stronger?

There was no answer. So, what motivation was behind this woman? She never quite wanted to fight. The idea of harming someone simply to prove herself fitting for a jounin role wasn't rolling all that great within her. The idea of being potentially harmed wasn't, either. But still, there was a stinging sensation that propelled her forward, that made her put extra work on Tetsuo's shoulder so she could leave the blacksmithing shop earlier and walk through the busy streets of Konoha - even overhearing a boy scolding a drinking female - into the open gates where the exam would be held. Usagi didn't look very formal; she was wearing an open black jacket with a dark red top underneath, revealing her stomach and neck, loose blue pants tucked inside black sandals and fingerless leather gloves. Her short hair was left loose, with some strands falling over her eyes but nothing problematic for her sight.

The Hokage was already here and more and more shinobi poured in by the seconds. Usagi could recognize some of them, yes, but she decided to keep mostly to herself and wait what would follow.

---

Sakana was stood by himself, watching the crowd move around. His arms were crossed, shutting him off from the rest of the crowd by means of body language - a habit he'd never gotten out of - preventing anyone from looking at him and getting any ideas about approaching him. It was something that his team had gotten used to - this serious demeanour, and although Sakana was far from a cruel or mean person, he wasn't exactly a nice person either, never really going out of his way to chat or do friendly things. That's just who he was.

He glanced back when he heard some noise behind him, spotting some green-skinned girl with pink-ish hair. She wasn't hurting anyone, however that didn't stop the local self-proclaimed class-president, Kurin Senju, from appearing out of nowhere to give the girl what Sakana could only see as 'a stern talking to'. An attempt at one, anyway. Despite Kurin's attempt at looking like a proper authority, it was hard to feel impressed by the display, and Sakana was quick to turn away again, not finding any reason to occupy themselves with the spectacle. Even if alcohol was forbidden - why would it be? - it hardly seemed conductive to proper village relations to immediately berate every foreign shinobi for any transgression of these rules... especially when the Konoha shinobi were just as good at skirting around the rules or breaking them. It seemed, Sakana thought, that the Konohagakure shinobi were just better at hiding it.

It drew his thoughts back to the chunin exam - cheating had been the norm then, since it was all about using your head and skillsets to the best of your ability. Sakana had no specific skillset, but back then he'd been able to figure out the puzzles that the proctor put them through quickly enough. But, like all Uragiri, it was just quick enough to finish above average. He was a nothing compared to some of the naturally gifted shinobi - or those with kekkei genkai. He felt a feeling of slight anger well up inside of him when he thought of those freaks of nature, those with genetic changes that seemed to give them a leg up in life without having to work for it.

The feeling quickly subsided with new arrivals. Some black haired dude, who seemed content to make a fool of him by yelling some dumb stuff about a strudel. It seemed like he was trying to get everyone's attention by acting like a big enough fool to the point where someone had to address him - either to calm down or mock him. Either of the two would have similar outcomes, Sakana ventured a guess, although his attention would quickly shift. He didn't recognize Shizuka at that time, which was perhaps for the better.

From the corner of his eye he noticed a newer entry, someone he recognized as miss Usagi Orihara. One of the more tolerable people in the village as far as Sakana was concerned, as the woman kept to herself mostly, which seemed to coincide rather well with Sakana's own personality. Without drawing too much attention to himself, as far as that was possible for someone with his peculiar features, he retreated back towards the door and walked around the crowd, only to re-appear next to Usagi. His arms were still crossed, and he looked forwards stoically, expecting Usagi to notice his presence without even having to look at him. “It's a good day,” he said somewhat casually, uninterested in the spectacles going on around them. “Good days tend to bring out the clowns and the insane in Konohagakure.” Asking her 'don't you think?' would've seemed appropriate, but the question didn't follow. He had stated it matter of factly, as if he was convinced it was a simple truth of nature that insane and clownish people came out during good days.

He then kept quiet, perhaps awkwardly so to some, but entirely natural to him. For one, because you didn't always need conversation to understand other people. And for two, because there was little he could say to Usagi - they weren't exactly friends, but didn't seem to be enemies either. Any observation he made about the people around them or the event itself was an observation that Usagi herself could make just as easily, and he didn't question her ability as a shinobi enough to think she was incapable of that.

Some of the others that were present, however, seemed to embody the spirit of partying and being a nuisance more than that of a shinobi.

---

The busy flocks of chunin were quite noisy for Usagi to enjoy. She preferred the silence and solitude over a crowd, but she needed to endure this if she was to partake in the jounin exams. There were quite a few loud shinobi around and Usagi assumed that in their eyes, this competition was a feast. A party for them to enjoy and show off their hard earned abilities.. or lucky-born skills from their kekkei genkai. The Hyuga, the Uchiha, the Senju - many others, of course, but those three stand out due to their unbelievable prowess from birth. Dojutsu is such a selective thing, yet so powerful. Usagi hailed from a simple family with hardly any shinobi skills. Everything she learned was due to her own effort - perhaps this was her drive after all. To prove the world that even a lowborn commoner can be something if they train and dedicate hard enough.

And if there was someone who proved this the same way Usagi did, it had to be Uragiri Sakana. As he expected, Usagi didn't have to turn and see him directly to know he had approached her. To officially announce his presence, Sakana began stating that it was a good day. Usagi would roll her eyes, but that'd be a rude gesture, so she simply nodded her head while - similarly to him - blankly staring forward. Then, Sakana stated that good days bring the clowns and insane of Konoha to which Usagi replied after turning her head slightly to look at him from the corner of her eyes.

"... Clowns tend to make people laugh. Insanity is something out of control," If Sakana looked at Usagi right now, she had a sly smirk. Was she teasing him?"I say good days tend to bring out a variety of people and they are just different from the likes of you or me." With that last bit, Usagi simply referred to the fact that both her and Sakana were often very quiet and reserved to themselves. Yet, she had the tickling sensation that the two of them were extremely different in many other things. She wasn't particularly friends with Sakana but that was probably because they never had the time, but living in the same villages often means knowing this or that about someone. Especially those in the same line of work as you, a shinobi.

---

Sakana did not turn to face her - didn't notice the smirk either. Her reaction was somewhat humorous but did not receive a smile or any response at all. That's naive, Sakana thought to himself. “Perhaps they are easily amused,” he began, shooting a glance at the hokage, waiting for the speech to begin. If it continued like this, they'd be here all day. “Controlled insanity is controlled chaos. In the grand scheme of fate, that's all we are. Controlled chaos. It seems chaotic, but there is a pattern if you move away far enough and spectate from far away. Just take a step back, and you'll see the threads running everywhere in our history. But if you're here.. in our shoes.. there is no pattern. Only fear of tomorrow and regret for yesterday. It's the curse of shinobi.” Slowly he let his eyes droop off of the hokage's figure and instead looked to the right, where Usagi was. He waited a moment and then looked back to the front, not really looking at anything specific more so than observing the entire spectacle. A broad overview, an unfocused gaze. For a moment it seemed like Sakana would walk away, as if he were bored by the conversation, until he suddenly spoke up again after a long intentional pause.

“Bad days bring out people too. Are they the same as you and me?” He made no move, did not even flex a single muscle as he waited there. He was extremely calm for someone that was about to undertake the jonin exam. It was especially strange as he was two years Usagi's junior - a woman who by all intents and purposes was going to be a young jonin if she made the exam at 18. In fact, closer inspection would reveal that Sakana could very well have been the youngest chunin that was taking the exams.

By all means it would've been natural to be nervous, but not a single drop of sweat lined his face, not a single muscle was tensed. Those familiar with Sakana's creed - and there were few that were, besides his team members, sensei, and his parents - would understand. Sakana's fate had been sealed, as had the other chunin's fate been. There was no point in worry. Everything that was meant to happen would happen. Again he was silent, pausing momentarily, allowing Usagi to interject, respond or ponder his statement and question. Perhaps she'd wonder whether Sakana was simply trying to sound smart or wise. It certainly wouldn't be the first time anyone would think that. “Maybe this is just a day then, neither good nor bad.”

Nothing… Nothing… Nothing… Nothing. Nothing matters at all. Until a spark, a touch. What is that? A hand? No, hands are soft. This is soft too, but in a rough way. Too many hands? No, cold. Like dirt. Uncaring dirt. Why dirt? Suddenly, pain! Why pain!? It’s the dirt! It’s crushing! It’s uncomfortable! Climb out of the dirt! Hands scrapped the earth, pulling it aside. Digging. Up? Must be up! Just dig! Crawling, climb! Can’t breath! Need air!

The cockroach was lucky to have been watching. Had he been there when a claw broke the surface of the dirt, he’d be dead. A hand, long clawed like fingernails bursting out. Waving at the air, slashing and twisting! A head came next, air rushing into his lungs, eyes wide and full of fire. Dirt rolled from his hair, clung to his skin as if to hold the body down. Begging him to return to his grave. But he was blind, deaf, dead to world except for that sensation of touch. A hand pressed against his chest, feeling the air rush into his lungs.

Alive! What happened last? Seijuro! A killing blow, but it was mutual. A blade in his chest, life dripping between his fingers. And yet, he was here. Where was here? Did they bury him? Ha, what a prank that would be. Walking into Konoha after being declared dead. The fox sage al- Wait… Sight was returning. His ears drumming as sound drifted in.
“So you’re awake now?” That voice seemed excited.
”I am, but what did I awake to?” Jaakuna Aka whispered softly, eyes drifting around the cave. His insides in agony for just a moment before he leaned forward, and vomited. A thick liquid splashed to the ground, and his nose returned just in time to catch the scent. Embalming. He was dead, they’d preserved his body… Gross.

NOW
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Two hours ago… That was how long it took to get dressed. That and catch up on modern times. The cockroach kept it simple. Twenty years, dug up and given life again for a reason. The big concern had been food, as Jaakuna had managed to eat at least two whole hams. Coming back to life did a number on the body. As he pulled the meat from his third ham bone, the fox sage had neared his destination. Konoha, the outskirts anyway. He went off the main roads, couldn’t draw attention. Orders not to. And for some reason, he couldn’t say no. Being undead did that to you, most likely.

Jaakuna landed on a sturdy branch, feeling the wood thud under his touch. ”Should have known.” Jaakuna frowned, eyes focused on his benefactor. The man responsible for his second life. ”Was hell to lax in security when it came to Seijuro Nandate? Or was ripping out your heart too lax on my part?”

Had it not been for her dear cousin, Kyoka would have remained in Iwagakure further establishing a mediocre life, cycling between the honest services for people and the more unethical service for those same people. In a way, that was the way it was meant to be for a Haizenberuku. Nobody in the family had ever aspired to be anything more than a drug peddler because there wasn't anything else they could be. It had been a tradition for Haizen's to flunk out of school due to stupidity, bad behavior or just straight laziness. The family would always take them back though as many hands made for lighter work but in a twisted sort of way, the family was tight, bonding over the putrid chemical smells of experiments.

Kyoka was an anomaly, an unintended product from the family. She had a surprising brilliance, or at least a fast learner, that helped her through school even scoring rather high among her classmates. So when news eventually reached her nomadic family, they celebrated and even though the Haizenberukus celebrate even the most trivial of events, they really went all out for Kyoka's graduation to Chuunin. As far as she knew, she was one of four in the family's history to have made it to Chuunin rank. None had ever made it Jonin as all previous Haizens quit to relapse back into the family business which meant Kyoka's move to try the Jonin test was unprecedented, and of course, celebrated.

Slightly hunched in a slightly nervous posture, Kyoka was virtually her cousin, Rumia's, shadow. Compared to her cousin, Kyoka looked a bit more serious in her attire but she still looked wildly out of place. A large white coat was practically hiding the small framed Kyoka underneath with its ragged coattails dragging behind and its white hood flipped up, covering Kyoka's head. The coat was open revealing what was Kyoka's original Chuunin outfit, a navy blue vest with a lighter blue stripe running down the center. A hint of a hazard green, peaking just above the collar of the vest was a turtlenecked sweater that had its sleeves running down to Kyoka's hands where her fingers her poking out of holes from the size-too-large sweater. The sweater was so large that it concealed the Chuunin's waist but the black leggings Kyoka was wearing covered her from the waist all the way down to her shins where the leggings vanished underneath the navy blue boots that had seen better days. Tying Kyoka's outfit all into one package was her belt that had several pockets, strapped ceramic cylinders, dangling equipment, and most importantly, her headband with the sigil of the Hidden Rock Village dangled freely on her left hip. If Kyoka was going for anything, she definitely had the mad scientist thing going for her, missing only the goggles to conceal those mad catlike eyes.

Seeing another Hidden Village was sort of historic for Kyoka's family as they usually never drifted too far from their paying customers. The whole village was likely a huge cultural experience and Kyoka was taking in the new sights but not quite of the sights of the usual tourist. Her shifty catlike eyes darted from native to native, sizing each individual up. Eyes only lingering for as long as Kyoka's mind and anatomy entertained quick fantasies concerning only the lewdest of encounters. Nobody was spared in sight. The fat, the old, the young, the sickly, and even the cripple, all were interesting specimens that each provided their own unique twist in Kyoka's mind.

The excitement of these new people was working Kyoka up into a hushed heat. Her cheeks flushed red and her mouth salivated that if Kyoka had lost focus long enough, she'd drool. Her body wiggled every once and while with a fresh, unexpected thought that would push a muffled giggle from the giddy girl's lips. Just how wild could the people of Konoha get? Kyoka hoped they wouldn't disappoint.

Arrival to the stadium had prompted a change that Kyoka had expected. Her beloved cousin ran off to seek her own sin and rather than follow, Kyoka decided to let herself cool off slightly from all the internal excitement and alcohol would only accelerate Kyoka to her climax and it was too early for that.

Given a moment of peace, Kyoka relaxed just enough to notice her cousin return just in time for the two of them to notice that sweet little angel, gleam with her grand entrance. "Ain't she just darlin', cuz! I reckon we be polite and introduce ourselves. Imma Kyoka dis'ya here, my cuuzin Rumia!" Kyoka licked her lips lustfully as her cheeks reddened in a blush. Kyoka had a fairly similar accent to her cousin, as it turned out.

Kyoka didn't get herself worked up for long as a new arrival showed up asking her dear cousin to remove her one vice. That was unspeakable and even though Kyoka found herself melting before this hunk of a man, she had to defend her cousin. "Formal composure, nuuttin, dis here my cuuzin and she can do whatever the likes she wants!" Kyoka said definitely, stepping toward the man and for a moment appearing tense out of defense before her shoulders dropped and a smile cracked on her face. "Don't suppose you ain't the type for a little rump in da hay?! I'da' love to break that little boy scout in ya, whadda say hun?" Kyoka said with a lustful glare from under her hood, reaching forward to stroke the man's arm softly.

Stitch by stitch, piece by piece, little by little, the vessel was created for the one and only Seijuro Nandate. Almost twenty years ago he had been buried.. two generations of ninja had been born since, and they knew not the true horror of his actions. Only the stories of those who had lived through the terror of his existence were passed down to remind them of an evil that they had hoped to God was but an ugly nightmare never to be relived. IF ONLY...

The soil reeked of corpses and blood, staining the air. Rain had softened the ground as it began to pound even harder the closer Gokiburi approached the shallow grave. As he bent down to check the dirt, a cockroach scurried off of the mound of dirt as its master bent down. A mysterious hooded figure stood off in the distance and watched the events unfold.

A crash of lightning struck less than a quarter mile away, the ensuing thunder shook the very air as the hand of the most notorious Shinobi to ever walk the land tore through the earth and wrapped its cold, dead fingers around Gokiburi's vile throat, crushing his trachea with enough force to send the message of dominance through to him, whereas if he truly wanted to he could have snapped his neck then and there, not like it would have killed the cockroach anyway. The brief illumination from the lightning showed a devilish grin across the face of the hooded figure in the background.

"AAAAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!"

His face emerged from the dirt with eyes lit on fire, his other hand erupting from the ground and lifting his body from the earth with force. As he rose to life from the depths of Hell itself, a black mass of shadows swirled around his being. Blood red chains from the earth surrounded his body, wrapped around his arms, legs, torso, throat, and one main chain lodged into his chest, anchoring his heart to the depths of Hell itself.

He tossed Gokiburi to the side with violent force, as if he were nothing more than a rag doll. His arms twitched as he fought against the force of his restraints, which were already trying to drag him back to the grave. He looked down at his chest as he grabbed the chain coming from his human heart, his grip tightening around the chain as the ground gave way. He sunk several inches back into the dirt. The shadows arose around him with furious anger. He was not supposed to be here. The Heavens knew this to be true: Seijuro Nandate's soul was not meant for the living.

He jerked his head up toward the mysterious figure. The fire in his his eyes bore down upon the man. "Right here... do it. DO IT NOW!!!" Seijuro commanded as he shook the chain connected to his heart. For a moment the stranger did nothing, and Seijuro's living heart skipped a beat as for a split second he considered the fact that this man would let him plunge back into Hell.

Gazing down at the dark twisted soul of Seijuro, the stranger's luminscent eyes full of dark glee, he waited. For a moment he watched as the chains dragged Seijuro, uncaring of the man's words. As his chest was about to slip below the earth, he fell to a knee and slammed his palm onto Seijuro's chest, fingers gripping the chain.

An aura of chakra surrounded the stranger and his cloak billowed back before the bristling sound of crystal forming filled the air. The light blinded everyone, but the stranger and Seijuro for a moment, and then all was still. The chains gave one last tug at Seijuro's soul, and then crumbled into crystal fragments.

The stranger lifted Seijuro from the writhing portal as it slowly closed, extricating him from the grasp of Naraka itself. The look on his face was one of pure adulation as he reveled in his ability to defy the very laws that held the world together.

“Itan-sha Hōrei(_{異端者法令} Heretic's Decree),” the young man said and then the portal closed.

Seijuro stood tall as he looked upon the man who had broken his seal with great curiosity. He eyed the man up and down for a moment, sizing him up. After a moment of silence he grinned like the madman he was. "I can only imagine what Gokiburi promised you in return for this. Speaking of that little roach..." First he looked down at his body, a mass of body parts stripped together, the only true part of himself was the core that contained his heart, a true Shinobi Frankenstein. He flexed his arms, testing his grip before cracking his neck.

Turning to the cockroach responsible for his revival, he motioned toward the flesh he was composed of. "You know for a fact this will never do. Tell me it was recovered." The cockroach motioned to the hideout behind them. Seijuro turned his back to the two and motioned toward the door. He made it two steps before bending over and throwing up all over the ground. "It's been so long since I inhabited flesh.. so weak and full of flaws..." He gathered himself up and entered the hideout.

There was a long steel table, the body of the Third Tsuchikage turned into a puppet was carefully laid out on display. Seijuro looked back to Gokiburi. He gave him a telling look as if to say THIS is all you could bring me?! He looked up to the wall behind the table, and looming in the shadows was a second puppet, and the fire in Seijuro's eyes came to life once again.

"AHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!!"

The maniacal puppet master gazed upon his own masterpiece, his former shell of a self. The human puppet carapace of Seijuro Nandate loomed over him. He carefully retrieved his vessel and laid it down on an adjacent table. And so it began.. his flesh would be no more, and he would return to his former glory...



The bodies of two deceased Shinobi lay in the woods, almost a day old each. Three young Chuunin wandered through the woods in search of them. A third body would have joined the first two, but it had been removed to become fodder for Jaakuna's revival. Seijuro had been lying in wait, a trap for whomever went to discover the fallen Leaf Shinobi he had slain. And so he was right, three young Chuunin grew closer and closer. He overheard its of an argument as one of them stormed off. He stalked his prey, a Dokugami clan member, as the child came upon the murderous scene. A rustle in the trees. The sound of a sickle protruding from Seijuro's wrist. That was all Mizuki heard before his death. Blood gushed from the child's neck as his life was taken from him without a sound.

Moments later the other two showed up. Seijuro was eyeing them up and down before he froze in place. An Uchiha... what luck... two Kekkei Genkai for the taking from one haul... He thought to himself as he eyed up Kyo. He scanned the girl that was with him as he prepared to strike again. He dared not move as he laid eyes on Senna. Memories of Saya and Namine and his childhood flooded his thoughts as pure hatred arose within him. His Killing Intent poured out of him like a flood of boiling anger, and the girl sensed it right away. The two young Shinobi fled on the spot, a vicious grin creeping across Seijuro's face. He could have killed them both then and there, even if the Uchiha looked quite strong. He knew at that moment that this girl had to be the granddaughter of Saya Akizakura. She was a spitting image. This meant that her mother survived as well, and the puppet master devised a plan to draw his prey to him.



A hooded figure with a tattered cloak entered the scene of the Jonin Exams, eyeing up the contestants from the various villages. He noticed several Iwagakure Shinobi that stood out to him amongst the familiar faces of the Leaf ninja. The figure hung to the back of the crowd where they blended in with the rest of the Shinobi, doing nothing of note to stand out from anyone else. There were several Iwagakure Shinobi already causing a scene, drunkenly harassing a diligent member of the Senju clan. Even the two ninja trying to keep to themselves were made note of. The boy who flew in on a ball of air was quite the scene as well. The cloaked one held its hood over its face as the gust of wind from the ball ruffled its tattered cloak. All in all, nothing escaped the gaze of this hooded figure.



Kyo and Senna arrived just in time it seemed. The Hokage was emphatically anticipating the arrival of all the Shinobi to participate in the exam. And yes, while it was quite the sight to see, Kyo felt a certain uneasiness about the atmosphere of the exam. It wasn't the drunken Shinobi from Iwagakure, it wasn't the two Iwa-nin casually sizing them all up from the sideline. No. It was something else entirely. Something just felt off about this day that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Senna looked up toward Kyo as they walked together into the stadium. She barely paid attention to where she was walking, her mind was focused on how Kyo was feeling. She could feel his unease and couldn't help but have it run off on her a little bit. She wondered what he was really thinking, what his true thoughts were.

Just as she got carried away in her own thoughts, she brushed up against a hooded, cloaked figure. "Oh, sorry, I just-" she hesitated as she looked at the cloaked figure in passing. Kyo put his arm on her shoulder and ushered her onward into the crowd. She paused, for a moment the entire world was silent as she focused on this man. Nothingness. Not a thought, nor a feeling, nor the sense of anything emanated from this figure. Just a complete void of anything. It reminded her for a brief moment of the feeling she got when Mizuki disappeared without a trace in the forest.

The moment was lost on her as her and Kyo made their way to the center of the crowd. The Uchiha silently acknowledge the presence of one of his clansmen, Date, as he made his way through the crowd. Kyo had spotted an acquaintance of his, Shizuka Ichimi, bothering some of the Iwagakure contestants. Kyo wasn't one to directly involve himself in these matters, so for the moment he sat back, idly awaiting the Hokage's next announcement.



Kai was not late, he had been observing the entire time. He stood off to the side of the crowd on the outskirts, easily noticeable by anyone doing the same as he was. His face was stern and unmoving, barely even blinking as he watched the crowd as a whole. He made no effort to hide his presence from anyone, nor did he make any attempt to engage another in conversation.

The drunken Shinobi from Iwagakure and her kin were preying on the naive Senju of his generation. Another one of his generation, whom he recognized as Shizuka, made his flashy entrance on his ball of wind. The ensuing gust ruffled Kai's ghostly white hair and his matching attire. Even by this, he was unmoved and simply gazed onward.

Two other Shinobi were observing the whole escapade of the exams unfold just as he was, though they were making small commentary to each other about the event. Another Iwa-nin observed his drunken comrades as well, seemingly judging them. There were a pair of Uchiha amongst the crowd, one of whom was accompanied by an attractive young girl at his side. A few others of note were scattered about the crowd, but the final one of note was the grim-reaper looking character that was doing his best to blend into the crowd. It was he that Kai made the biggest note of, despite his relative lack of presence.