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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by DClassified
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DClassified Kung Fro Killa

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@KZombi3 @BlueTommy


"A good warrior sharpens his sword. A greater warrior sharpens his mind."

These words of his father's wisdom clung to his mind, as did many things that the man had taught him. However, with recent events, these specfic ones came to the forefront. He made it an assurity that the written exams were to be the least of his concerns. In the world they lived in, the pen was no mightier than the sword. The words on that paper were merely rules, reminders, recommendations.

This was the real test. His eyes stared into the legendary Forest of Death, unshaken by the daunting task. While others may have laughed at the '69' joke that their proctor decided to indulge, Yosuke's mind was elsewhere. He was thinking about what he might face in there.

Most notably, his peers with whom he was to be going to war against. Who his team would run into, how to best counter the ones whose abilities he knew of. The end result was not in question, team 7 would pass. The matter was, doing it with Asami alive and Hirameki with most of his respective pieces.

Yosuke's headbush swayed in the breeze, his arms crossed beside his friends. His eyes remained on the forest though, as they got their death threats and quips in. Honestly, he was more concerned about these two killing each other before anyone in this forest could. He had faith in them though, that they'd put their minor issues aside to succeed.

As expected, Hirameki was the first to get talking. His shennanigans and planning was rather common, with varying degrees of success in the past. So far he managed to state the obvious, that they'd need a strategy before going in. The juvenile swordsman nearly rolled his eyes at that. However, the strategy presented was passable, and Yosuke nodded in some agreement.

"Almost 'purfect'," Yo mimicked her use of the word, finally looking at them.

"But, remember. Our priority is to get the scrolls, and then to the tower. That means that if taking the scroll and running is the best option. Don't let pride get in the way of what we worked for." He added to the plam, eyeing the wooden token of his clan that was looped around his bicep.

"Some battles aren't worth fighting."
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Roach
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Roach retired

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ON HIS WAY TOWARDS IZA, SQUAD 1, AND THE GOONS

Abandoned by his team in unfriendly territory – territory called the Forest of the Death no less – should be something to feel scared about. Or, if not scared (because he was a fearless ninja of Konoha and only civilians felt fear) then at least rightfully, understandably apprehensive of the dangers. Around every tree there could be an enemy combatant. In every bush, an enemy combatant. Every fallen log? Enemy combatant.

But the dangers that could lie ahead of him weren't what Mori was thinking about. In fact, he thought about nothing at all as he alighted to the top branches of the trees to minimize risk and maximize sight lines. He was as the leaf on the still pond: serene.

He had a job to do, and that was to make sure his teammates got to the finish line alive, but more importantly, with the scrolls. Since Karu had theirs he couldn't safeguard the one they started with. If he lost it, he lost it. And there was a greater than fifty percent chance he would lose it, knowing the big dumb hero instinct in his friend overpowered any sliver of wisdom––

Serene, Mori interrupted, stamping down on the annoyance that bubbled up inside him like the fizz in a can of juice. There was no use in making unnecessary predictions, and he could only control the present. And right now, he could only watch and observe.

Down on the forest floor below, a party of three Suna-nin gathered by a fallen opponent, rifling through the unconscious-or-dead ninja's belongings. When they found a scroll, it was unfortunately the same colour as the one Karu held, and evidently the same one as their team's. For a moment, it looked as if the ninja was going to leave it there, but at the last second he passed it off to his teammate in the back, who stowed it away in a bag filled with blank scrolls and left behind an obvious decoy on the body.

Now there was an idea.

When the trio left, conversing in whispers too low to overhear (unlike some people he knew) Mori dropped from the tree he was crouched in, swooped up the decoy and then scampered back into the safety of the canopy in one smooth motion. Beneath his fingers, the paper felt cheap and the seal was only the correct shade if one was colourblind, as if they had been hastily constructed from preexisting supplies.

Nevertheless, he was sure some rube could be fooled by it. Once he slid it into his backpack, he began to move again. Maybe there was even space in it to hide an exploding tag – but that would have to wait until Team 3 was reunited.

Iza had flounced off far ahead of them in the opposite direction to their other teammate, and it was all Mori could do to keep up after his temporary detour. One tree at a time, careful and cautious, expecting an ambush around every corner. His connection to the Princess stretched with the added distance between himself and Karu.

When the trees began to thin out, He returned to the forest floor, following trampled twigs and footprints in the moss. One set of bootprints, then three more in varying sizes. There was no way to know for sure whether or not it was his teammate, but with an educated guess knowing what she was like, he was convinced enough to follow them further.

Drops of red in the undergrowth, and the quiet sounds of a scuffle ahead.

Mori doubled his pace.
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Hey Im Jordan
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Hey Im Jordan Surpass Your Limits!

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“You know, Masuyo, you didn’t have to address the children, that isn’t something we typically do. I thought you had proctors for just that reason?” Ikeda Junko, the Mizukage questioned with a glance toward the Hokage. The Five Kage were gathered together in an observatory room, alone and without their attendants. In a time of peace like this, the Five Kage were friends, more than they were peers. The Five Kage had all served in the last Ninja War and were united in their pursuit of a long, and decidedly uneventful time of peace.

“Maybe not, but… I couldn’t help myself. It’s not every day you get to see your child in the chūnin exams, Junko. Please forgive me.” Masuyo said, offering an apologetic smile to Junko. She knew it wasn’t the norm, but she hadn’t been trying to show the others up. Though the appearance was as official as any other she made as Hokage, she had been less ‘Lady Hokage,’ and more ‘proud mother.’

The others couldn’t deny it either, they’d seen her personally swell with pride when, somehow, Hikaru had fumbled his way through the initial exam, and found his way into the forest. Now watching the proceedings with her fellow Kage, Masuyo was in a good mood.

Junko looked at the other Kage, “are you three going to weigh in, or…?” There was no response. There rarely was — in situations like this, Masuyo and Junko were easily the most talkative, with only the Kazekage being as chatty as they were… when he wasn’t eating, which he was currently preoccupied with. Rolling her eyes as she turned her head back to Masuyo, Junko spoke again. “Oh very well. You’re forgiven.”

There was a quiet pause for a few moments, with the Four Kage watching the monitors — the Kazekage was still focused on the more important thing in the room: the catering table. Before long, the Tsuchikage spoke up, “do the children of the Leaf always act like this, Masuyo? There was one pair who was late… there was nearly a fight before the exams began… Perhaps it’s just this youngest generation. Are you sure they’re ready?” Akiyama Shinsuke questioned in the Hokage’s direction.

Masuyo turned to look back at Shinsuke and shrugged her shoulders. “I wouldn’t say they’re always like this… but maybe… look at Team 7!” She protested, pointing at the screen where her older son’s team was, with Yosuke speaking. “You see? Listen to him. ‘Don’t let pride get in the way of what we worked for. Some battles aren’t worth fighting.” Masuyo quoted, making a mental note to ensure she thanked Kenshin later.

The Tsuchikage’s response was to raise a finger and point at the Hokage’s son’s team, who ha dall three split up on their own — with one of them already getting in a fight on her own. Masuyo sighed, and gave up. It was the Raikage, Haito Amano, who spoke up next, coming to the rescue of Kaminari Masuyo, one of his longtime best friends. “I like it. I think it keeps this interested. Let’s wait and see how the forest unfolds before judging the Konoha kids, alright, Shin? Besides, they’re kind of like the children of the Cloud…” The last part was added almost regretfully.

“Thank you… I guess.”

There was a loud belly laugh from the other side of the room, as the Kazekage finally joined the conversation. Bounding over, the massive man still had food in both hands — an onigiri in one hand, and an anpan in the other — Rikuto Watanabe was taking turns eating a bite of each of them. When he spoke, his loud and booming voice filled the room. Easily the most approachable of the Kage, if he wasn’t wearing the headpiece, people weren’t likely to guess he was a powerful shinobi, let alone a Kage level one.

“Come on, Shin! Let’s not argue while we’re all here for an event such as this! Konoha hasn’t hosted the chūnin exams since the end of the war. Have you tried the food? You should! The fruit sandos are fantastic!” The Kazekage even spoke with his mouthful, almost like he didn’t even care about his image, or the company he was keeping. “Don’t worry, the Children of the Stone will get their chance to show their stuff! All of them will. We’ve got the finals to go yet.” He laughed again, and beamed at the other Kage, as happy as ever.

“The Kazekage has a point. The finals are still up for grabs, any one of the villages could have the best showing here. That's still the point, right? To be the best? We may be in peacetimes, but... Kumogakure is still going to have the best performance. You can bet on that."
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Fabricant451
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Fabricant451 Queen of Hearts

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Konahagakure Mahjong Parlor
High Stakes Lounge


"Riichi."

The dimly lit back room of the mahjong parlor, already an establishment with a less than stellar reputation, was awash in a hazy wall of dark gray smoke. The air was thick with the stuff, suffocating, an affront to the eyes, the nose, and especially the lungs. Yet for the four gathered around the table, none of them seemed to mind or even acknowledge the atmosphere. For them, the only thing that mattered were the tiles and the considerable amount of money each game cost.

At the west end of the table was the man who called 'riichi'. An aged man with a thin beard and a brow so furrowed it was amazing he could see at all. The wrinkles on his face told a story that his cane completed. Every reach he made for a tile was with a hand that was more bone than skin. Once the owner of a sandy red head of hair, now there were only liver spots. His tanned complexion marked him as a man from the Land of Wind, home of Sunagakure.

"You forgot something."

The man opposite man from the Land of Wind occupied the east end of the table. While younger than the man seated across from him, his glory days of youth were still well past. He, at least, had aged semi-gracefully. Hardly any wrinkles, what hair he had was down to his beard and was naturally grey, and the most telling thing about him were his glasses. Dark skin suggested his origins in the Land of Lightning, home of Kumogakure.

"Of course, of course. You never let me forget." The man from the Wind country placed a heavy stack of ryo coins on the table. At a glance, there were easily fifty coins top to bottom, placed in the center, joining two other stacks of coins surrounded as they were by bills.

"Gotta keep you honest. Last time we met, you stiffed the lot of us." The man from Lightning's tone suggested humor but no one was laughing. Not with these amounts at play. "When are you going to stop using coins, old man. They're as much a burden as your son."

"You know how he is. Traditional." The man at the north end of the table was the only one who cracked a brief smile at the mention of burdens and useless sons. He could relate, though at least his son had the good sense to get himself killed in the last war. The Tsuchikage at the time couldn't even be bothered to recall then name of the man who had taken an attack meant for them. The man was, in his day, an imposing figure of hardiness, but now he walked with a bad back and at a hunch. Still, his face showed his life experiences in every pore and every seam; even the ivory white hair growing around his ears told its own story. The man at the north end was clearly a man from the Land of Earth, home of Iwagakure.

"Tradition is what got us here."

"What got us here was connection."

"Speak for yourself. I'm only here for the women. Something about these country hicks, they raise them better."

As if on cue, a serving girl entered the room with a tray of sake and four cups. As soon as she stepped foot in the room, she let out a hacking cough, turned her head to cough more, and promptly apologized before setting the drinks down and departing for cleaner air. "To tradition, then."

The sake cups were passed around the table and a toast was readied by the trio. "What's the matter? The host is too good to toast?" All eyes fell to the man at the southern end of the table.

The man at the southern end of the table looked as if he was on death's door. Sunken, blank eyes, a thin mustache and thinner beard, he looked as if a strong breeze would knock him over, and yet his movements were the most graceful, his fingers the most nimble, and his voice the clearest. He was truly a man from the Land of Fire, home to Konohagakure.

"Tradition is a funny thing... "Tradition is a funny thing. Whenever these exams come around, it's tradition that we all meet, gamble away more money than we deserve to have, and watch with eager, giddy anticipation as children beat the ever loving blood out of each other to raucous applause. It's like human chattel fighting for a scrap from the table. Is that what tradition is worth? Is that the tradition we should be celebrating?"

The three others at the table stared at the Fire Country native as if he was speaking in tongues. A silence as heavy as the wall of smoke filled the room until one by one the other three set their sake glasses down. "Oy oy, what's gotten into you? You wanna talk about what we deserve, we worked hard to get where we are. You lucked out because your brother is the daimyo!"

"And your son..." "is the only reason you took a political job away from Iwagakure. You didn't earn anything, and you do the memory of your son dirty. The four of us are no better than the people who gamble on the exams. We just hide our justifications behind the excuse of telling our respective daimyos if the ninja villages deserve additional funding. Do you think if the ones taking the exam knew the truth that they would be so keen? Perhaps just because something is tradition doesn't make it correct. After all, why should only villages in the Great Countries be seen as viable? Because of...tradition?"

A fist slammed onto the mahjong table, knocking over the stacks of ryo coins and some of the tiles in front of the men sitting there - except for the tiles in front of the man of Fire. His tiles remained in place.

"What the hell do you know? Huh? This is the way of the world. This is how things are. It's easy to talk mess but you've profited just as we have."

"All I know is... "tradition. Traditionally I lose these games of ours. Tsumo." Using tiles that fell over into the right pile, the man of Fire completed his hand and revealed himself as the winner. The other three raised their voices in unison while the money slid from the center of the table to the man of Fire's side.

Next to the man from Fire was a dark curtain, all but invisible in the dim haze. A hand, healthy, young, with slender, beautiful fingers, reached out from behind the curtain to slide stacks of money to the other side. On the other side of the curtain, the same hands were holding a long pipe that was billowing smoke throughout the back room. A lone figure sat, smoking a pipe in one hand while listening well to the conversation going on just on the other side of the curtain. A pair of lips took a drag from the pipe and blew more smoke out just before they began to silently mouth words. Words that then came out of the mouth of the man at the southern end of the table. Words that were not that man's, but the words of the mysterious smoking figure.

"I'm merely suggesting that perhaps it's time for...something new. Why should generations of the past decide the course of the present and the future? What has tradition gotten us? Rich? A dead son? A wife who doesn't love you? Personally...I'm tired of tradition. I want to see something...new."

Just as the words were finished being echoed by the man playing mahjong, a man in a chuunin vest and with the headband of the Leaf entered the curtained area, dropping down to both knees in deference.

"My Lord, the second stage of the exam has begun. Ours are in place."

The one who was called 'Lord' took an extended drag from the pipe as their lips curled into a delightfully devious smile. When the words came, they were the words of the 'Lord' alone, echoed by no one.

"Now we can truly begin."

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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by KZOMBI3
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KZOMBI3 ｔｈｕｇｇｙ－ｌｅｗｄ－ｄｅｒｅ

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Mentions: @Fiber@Infinite Cosmos@sly13@Roach


Izayoi rounded on the newest intruders breaking their way into the clearing without regard. If she weren't already wounded, physically, the look sent her way via those piercing blues would have done enough damage to bring her to her knees. The pain and distrust conveyed through Tetsu's gaze was enough to have Iza step forward, arm somewhat extended out towards him; palms still spattered in blood. She was vaguely aware of the glare shot her way from the other two members of Squad one but she couldn't have been bothered to acknowledge them head on. This, whatever was going on between her and Tetsu, was way more important and took precedence in her mind. At least for the time being.

As she took that half step it was no surprise that she caught sight of the tightening of the muscles in his jaw and at his shoulders. Tetsu was strictly on the defensive. If she thought back far enough, however, Iza hardly could remember a time when he wasn't guarding something or another. Though back then, a lot of the protecting was for her. Against anything that would try to come between them. It was such a tender and fond piece of history they shared together that would always have a special place within her mind. Corners of her eyes welling up with tears. She blinked them away, wishing them to hold back and refrain from falling. At least until she was out of the clear.

"Tetsu, I'm sorry..." It tapered off to a whisper and she worried that it would come off insincere. Hindsight would have informed her that regardless of how or what she said, it all would have seemed insincere. 'You did just trick them all and make off with their scroll, effectively screwing them in the exam and messed with their heads; literally.' She mentally flinched at the implications her own subconscious was warning her about.

A quick swipe of her tongue to her lower lip and she was pulling it between her teeth to chew on it lightly. Though they weren't alone; Iza felt as though they were. Time seemed to seep slowly from the empty space between them, seemed to drip, like molasses from the leaves of the trees surrounding them on all sides. And though she wanted to reach out and just touch him, bring him into her - even though he was a good few inches taller than she was, Iza would have still brought him to her and held him close, she resisted. All in order to make him see, make him feel, that she was so contrite in her manipulation of him and whatever feelings he may have had for her. The silence of the surrounding forest was dwarfed by the commotion emanating from Kotetsu and Eiji's battle of the fists. The blows emitted miniature sonic booms at they collided with one another. Flips and feints being tossed about as if it were an elegantly choreographed dance one would see for entertainment. But it made no difference to Iza as to what they were doing to one another - though she was biased and hoped for Kotetsu to be swift in his victory - as her attention failed to waver from the male before her.

She tried to speak once more, if nothing else than to get it out in the open and for him to have some kind of idea as to her internal struggle. However, the words are lost on her as she's attacked from behind. Having been too preoccupied with Tetsu and her ridiculous crush she allowed herself to be the victim. From the corner of her rapid blurring vision she was able to catch sight of the demonic mask belonging to the self proclaimed leader of the opposing team. With a kunai embedded in her right shoulder, she falls forward into Tetsu who aptly reached out to keep her from falling onto her face. However, with the past few hours still ever present in the forefront of his mind he's skeptical and prevents her lips from coming in contact with his own. For fear of being placed under another genjutsu. She really couldn't blame him. She deserved that.

In almost an instant she's able to come to her senses, finding herself laid carefully on the forest floor of the clearing. She couldn't have been out for more than a few minutes; at most, seeing as how she was now alone. The others finding company in their enemies, for the moment. Taking this as her only opportunity to make it out alive she bolted. The pain she experienced from her own stupidity shot up her spine nestling itself at the base of her skull, but she pressed on continuing through the foliage trying to get anywhere away from the clearing. Light filtered through the canopy above casting dancing tendrils of shadows upon the ground. She took a quick glance behind her and blanched, nearly kicking herself at how careless she was being. What was she thinking tracking her blood everywhere? Might as well create an explosion to lead everyone right to her!?

Releasing a groan she took a seat at the base of an ancient oak, nestled between the hallowing of the trunk in order to provide some kind of cover to her backside. Tears were now flowing freely as she sat there in the shadows; the sweat sticking to her body cooling down in the shade of the tall trees, adding a chill to her heated body. The blood that was once caked on her person had become less viscous and began to run into her eyes, vision shifting in and out once more that day and she had half a mind to believe that it would happen at least once more before the day was done. The constant ache of her shoulder was gnawing at her, a shocking sensation following soon after she attempted to remove the blade from her flesh. "I'd just bleed out more, enticing more assholes to finish me off." She grumbled before resting her head against the edge of the burrow she resided in. "At least I got the scroll..." she reached down to pat at the pouch around her waist where she stowed the Heaven scroll. However all her fingers found was an empty pouch, a large tear in the fabric - enough for a scroll to slip through.

A growl resonated deep within the small girl's chest. All forms of pain temporarily removed from her psyche as she furiously began to punch at the bark around her, stomping the ground from her seated position. A thorough fit, that was well warranted with the situation she found herself in. Frustrated, annoyed, disappointed and worse? Alone. Izayoi sniffed and rubbed her tears away in a furious fashion, having no one to blame but herself she steeled her annoyance, promising herself that she would make the trek towards where she left Mori and Karu earlier. "I could really use you guys right about now... you would know what to say..."

As if the cosmos heard her, a rustling in the treetops above her rustled silently and to anyone not trained in the shinobi arts would have thought it to have just been the breeze blowing the branches into one another. To her, she knew better. Even more so when that familiar mop of chestnut peaked around the corner of the hovel and connected his gaze with her. It wasn't completely gone, but the doubt and self loathing that had seeped it's way into her subconscious was pushed back and Iza smiled widely at her best friend, "Speak of the Devil."
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by KZOMBI3
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KZOMBI3 ｔｈｕｇｇｙ－ｌｅｗｄ－ｄｅｒｅ

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Mention: @DClassified | @BlueTommy | new player



"A good warrior sharpens his sword. A greater warrior sharpens his mind." Asami muttered like a mantra as she continued through the forest, pouncing gracefully from one branch to the other with such balance and agility that she seemed to have barely come in contact with the bark before she was bounding on to the next. Kuroo maintained pace with her, always just a half step behind. Though that couldn't be said for her traveling squad counterparts. Hirameki, ever the one to get distracted by something of little importance - at least to the Nekomata girl - and Yosuke, taking his time regardless of a given situation. Asami rolled her eyes though she had to applaud the young swordsman; his sluggishness was in no way attributed to laziness or inexperience but more so in the way of assessing his surroundings. A more strategic approach to the environment. A honed skill that Asami prided herself with picking up. 'Meki, she feared, didn't.

They were battered and bruised, and would have come out of their skirmish with fewer hits however, 'Meki's initial plan of distraction went poorly and they were made. A quick dispatch of the squad from the Land of Water; Kirigakure. A swift defeat for the opposing team... one of the few Squad 7 has ever had to deliver. One of them, their life force ended. It had to be done. 'It was either them or us. Yeah... exactly...' It still didn't sit right within the group. But they were in it together. They needed to keep it together; not just for themselves or as a team as a whole, but for the village. This is why they were partaking in these exams right? To prove that they deserve the title of shinobi. To assure the other villages that the Hidden Leaf isn't to be fucked with? Right?

'At what cost? Our humanity?' Such thoughts would fall on deaf ears, so she keeps them to herself. Persuading that line of thinking to the furthest recesses of her mind. Steeling herself away from the emotions of it all. It's a job. It had to be done. They would have done the same to us if they had the chance. Anything and everything to keep pressing forward. Asami assured her own conscious that it was necessary, for all of them. What good does it do them to show weakness and doubt now?

It wasn't long before the rust pigment of the forest tower was breaching through the lush greens that engulfed her and her team. It was six floors or more, based alone on the appearance of the building, with it's slatted, curved roofing and odd rooms jutting from all different angles it was a wonder how it was even able to stand - from an architectural perspective. A large balcony situated at the top of the tower, a faded green from being exposed to excessive sunlight, day in and day out, beckoned Asami and sub-sequentially Kuroo too. A perfect spot to lounge under the sun's rays and recharge.

However all thoughts of just relaxing as they wait for the next portion of the exams were thrown to the wind. Because as they approached the base of the tower they soon came to realize that they weren't the first to arrive. There before them stood three teams, two of them belonging to the Leaf and the other seemed to have hailed from Otogakure; Sound. Odd that they would have made it so far when they showed little to no impressive feats earlier on within the exams. Something about the cheerful demeanor of one of the members, a female with golden eyes; trained on Asami like a bird of prey, made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Kuroo must have felt it as well for her stood in front of her, back arched, teeth bared in a hiss meant to intimidate and protect.

"Ohh~! What a precious, cute kitty~! Can I pet 'im?!" The woman, clearly unfazed that Kuroo was in attack mode, bounded towards the young girl and her pet. Completely ignoring the protests from the other members of both their teams.

"I don't think it would be wise..." Asami assured the woman, whom she noticed now that she was closer, was a bit older than the rest of the shinobi from the Leaf that were participating in the exams. Another tick to her list of uneasy things about this team. A quick smirk graced the woman's features as she hoisted herself back up into a straighter position. The feathers and bells adorning her person swayed with the movement and in the slight breeze that filtered through the area, providing the relatively quiet space with the sounds of jingles. It would have been relaxing and a welcomed sound had Asami been spread out under the sun's rays and beneath the tinkling of the chimes at her home. But, she was not there in her safe space and thus, everything within her screamed to be on guard.

The bluenette's smirk was quickly replaced with a pout before anyone could take notice. Well, anyone not skilled in people watching such as the Nekomata kunoichi. In the end it didn't matter, not really, if anyone were to catch her... she wasn't truly hiding. Just... biding her time until she was called upon. Something within her bubbled with excitement and as she turned on her heel and bounced away she made sure to throw a casual, friendly comment back behind her to her competition.

To say that Asami was baffled would be the understatement of the year. She was completely thrown off, however she didn't have much time to dwell on the conflicted feelings as a commotion dragged her attention towards the scene unfolding there at the tower's entrance. Satoru and Jiren were at it again, having begun to taunt the other, fixating themselves into their respective fighting stances, spitting threats and curses in each other's directions. Asami scoffed at the scene, nearly forgetting the Sound Ninjas entirely. Almost. It was a tad bit difficult when her furry companion would monitor and glare at the nin from wherever he was, though as far as Asami was concerned she would just take them on when the time came. If she thought about the uneasy feeling that settled into her bones, she could just write it off as the same feelings she got when she encountered any of the other "enemies" that surrounded her. And that even included the teams from her own village. 'It's probably nothing. Just post jitters from the previous encounter with an unfamiliar squad from a different village. Nothing to fixate on... ' She paused in her inner debate, heading towards the fence line, a few branches from fallen trees scattered about, basking in the warm glow of the sun. Asami hoisted herself up and savoring the warmth it provided.

She would do well to heed the apprehensive twisting in her gut, urging her to not take such a laissez faire approach to all of this. But, at the moment, absorbing the glow in an attempt to relieve the tension in her crimson spattered muscles, she couldn't be the furthest from bothered. She could clearly recall the wise words of her teammate, playing on repeat as if on a broken record, "Some battles aren't worth fighting."
Hidden 4 yrs ago → 4 yrs ago Post by AlteredTundra
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AlteredTundra

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As the trio went deeper into the Forest of Death, mostly avoiding the natural wildlife that dwelled in the forest, Ren couldn’t deny that his mind wasn’t solely on just making sure he kept up with his sibling teammates. He couldn’t deny that, while Mai and Kai traveled on his left, zipping through the trees, Jiren kept tightening his grip on his two swords.

Every inch of his silver mane was dancing like the leaves left in their wake with anticipation, with excitement, burning with the Leaf’s fire on the off-chance he might be able to get his blades deep into that Senju that dared press him in a confrontation. Izayoi, too, though she wasn’t at the top of his priority list. Their fight was left unfinished because of the exam starting. He wasn’t able to sink his blades into Satoru's body. He wasn’t able to declare absolute victory because he let the blonde Senju get inside his head. He allowed his words to penetrate his icy walls and let his emotions get the better of him.

Jiren wasn’t going to let that happen again. As much as Mai was against it and as much as he should know that seeking confrontation would cloud his mind of what was most important - something that Mai specifically expressed multiple times to him and Kai - there was no way that the young genin could let this slide. He wouldn’t be able to rest until he felt the sweet release of victory over Satoru Senju.

But he knew that would have to wait.

“We’ve got company,” Jiren announced to Mai and Kai.

He started to unsheathe his two kodachi swords. Halfway out, Jiren positioned his body to the side, centering chakra at the base of his shoes, making sure he stuck the landing. He twisted his body and poured wind chakra into both of his swords, lighting them up with a rapidly rotating wind chakra. He swung both of them downward. “Peacock Whirlwind!” He announced as two gusts of wind had flowed out his blades and were hurled at the three Amegakure genin who had made the error in judgment of following Squad 4.

The gust of wind, though powerful, was evaded and this forced a half-smile to form on Jiren’s face. “I was hoping they would put up a fight. Need to work the rust off my blades.” Jiren glanced at his two squadmates. “I know you said you didn’t want a fight, Mai, but these posers obviously don’t know who we are and that’s the greatest sign of disrespect they could show us. There is no way we can let them walk away unharmed. They need to learn respect.”
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Bee
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Bee cheer up baby

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Quiet chattering and footsteps filled the air in the forest, as a group slowly made their way down the path ahead of them, their kunais drawn. "You see them?" One person called out, scanning to see if they could find any sign of movement. "I got nothing." The squad continued on, stepping with a cautious pace as they hunted down the members of Squad 10. They were a much older squad, well on the trail of Squad 10 to see if they had the scroll they were looking for, and thin out the competition in the event that they didn't have the scroll. Either way, their presence spelled danger for Squad 10. A man in a bandana stopped, before looking around and holding up a fist, signaling for the squad to gather. Searching for Squad 10 as a squad themselves wasn't going to work. Everyone knew it.

"We should split up." One member said, looking at the others as they nodded in agreement, "We know they're kids. What's the worst they can do against us?" The squad members had eventually dispersed, heading off in each cardinal direction to see if they could find signs of Squad 10 anywhere. Their tracking skills were better than those of Squad 10's, which meant that the smallest letup would spell their end quite quickly. Usagi Haruna was perched on top of a tree branch, watching below with a kunai held up tightly against her chest. The girl had figured being on top was a much more favorable position than being down there and being within reach of those that were hunting her down.

Soon enough, she could hear the gentle sounds of footsteps on the grass, causing Usagi to go into full defensive mode as her senses heightened, ready to listen. The footsteps got louder and louder, the presence of a hostile becoming ever so closer and more present as Usagi glanced down, seeing a figure walk up and scan the area. Why did he have to stop here in particular? Much to Usagi's dismay, the presumably hostile woman just so happened to stop here, right underneath Usagi. Usagi's breathing slowed down, as she looked around to weigh her options. She couldn't escape right now. Moving to a different location would've given her own location away and spelled her death. However, she also couldn't jump on someone right now. Usagi could feel that right now wasn't the best time to pounce on someone.

However, her hand would soon have to be forced. The woman knelt down, picking up a snapped twig that Usagi had left as she figured out where to go. Usagi could feel her heart sink all the way down to her foot, and leave through the soles of her shoes, as well as feel the gears turning in that woman's brain. It didn't take long for Usagi to realize that the hostile had finally put two and two together. Usagi had no choice at this point. She shifted her weight forward, prepping herself to leap off the branch and onto the person below her. Taking a deep breath, Usagi then launched herself off the branch. The girl below her only turned around to see Usagi falling down, a kunai in her hands and ready to take a falling stab at the girl, in hopes that it would neutralize her once and for all.

Shortly before that...


"I wish this scroll was easier to find." Usagi sighed. Squad 10 had been engrossed in their journey to find the counterpart scroll in order to advance to the second stage of the trials. It hadn't been an easy journey whatsoever, and the squad had their fair share of close encounters already. All things considered, however, they weren't in bad shape at all. They had managed to keep themselves safe and out of harm's way for the most part. All they squads they had encountered so far were hostile, leaving them a bit wary of other groups of people. Such was the nature of the second stage of the Chunin Exams. They weren't going to trust anyone, especially those who they were familiar with.

Squad 10 had eventually found themselves near a large clearing, underneath a large tree. That had prompted Usagi to make a suggestion. "Why don't we take a quick break?" Usagi asked, as she leaned against the tree. "This is a good spot. Concealed, and we don't have to worry about someone coming through that field." Usagi shrugged. Usagi wasn't entirely sure how Makoto and Suzuhime had felt about the prospect of taking a small break, but Usagi had still considered it a valid suggestion at the very least. She didn't mind forgoing the break, but she sure as hell wouldn't mind taking one if the squad had agreed.

However, there wasn't much time for them to really decide. Before Usagi could even move onto her next thought, a small, tan colored ball rolled up next to them, before exploding into a cloud of smoke, followed by a fireball narrowly missing Usagi. "AH- Run!" There was no time to decide where to go and where to meet up. Squad 10 had to disperse immediately if they wanted to live and make it out alive. They would worry about everything else later.
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by sly13
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sly13

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Tetsu stood over the now collapsed Iza. he had initially gone to grab her as she fell but whether it was from fear of another genjutsu or from something else he couldn't tell. For some reason it still pained him to see Iza like this but he had no choice at the moment and could let himself become distracted from his team's objective any longer. Taking one last glance at Iza Tetsu moved to take a step over her presumably unconscious form as his sand moved down to retrieve his team's scroll from her belt. “Iza if you can hear me I would suggest you leave while we're busy.” This was his final warning before his full attention was placed on the masked figure across the field from him.
As Tetsu stood with arms crossed over his chest his face seemed to be as emotionless as ever there was a hidden anger deep within his eyes as his gaze settled on his opponent. This look of murderous intent only amplified by the new black rings that had appeared around Tetsu's eyes once his sand began to hover around his own body ready to strike his foe and form a barrier from any attack.

Koji’s voice was deep, with sound loud enough that even those far out of sight could hear it. He laughed, one of those performative, trying-too-hard laughs rather than anything genuine. “Ha, I see you have a concern over that girl, what a foolish and quotidian thought to occupy one’s mind with, such can only be expected from basic and unenlightened. If you are such a tellurian creature then defeating you will not be worthy of discussing alongside my other esteemed accomplishments, for it will be over in the merest flash, as quick and inconsequential as a single grain of sand falling in the great hourglass of history”

For all the mans boasting, Tetsu seemed to be unfazed as he kept his same emotionless expression staring straight through Koji. underneath his gaze however Tetsu was slowly losing his temper with his opponent. Maybe if he believed for a second that Koji could back up the talk then Tetsu may have been exceeded to test his power against a worthy opponent. As it stood however Tetsu could tell the man was bluffing perhaps trying to gain a psychological advantage over his opponent to make up for his lack of skills. “You talk too much. For your sake I really hope you can back up that bravado.” As soon as the last word escaped his lips the Iron sand that was once hovering next to Tetsu lashed out in lightning speed headed straight for Koji.

What went on inside Koji’s head was anyone’s guess. It was hard to tell if he was a bluffer, trying to play a psychological game or if he was just an idiot. Whatever the case, he spent a lot more time talking about fighting than fighting. He came out with less bruises from talking than when he tried to fight. He said “Oh insolent one do not doubt that I possess -” and then his words stopped as iron sand flew into his face. That was when he learned that tough talk could lead to outcomes far worse than just a punch in the face.

Tetsu looked across the field as he saw Koji’s form go flying as a result of the sand. As the sand returned to its original position near his person tetsu looked on with annoyance starting to crack through his face. Never moving from his starting position Tetsu silently and motinesly commands the sand to move towards the now prone Koji slowly wrapping around the boy's body. Lifting the body into the air leaving only the face of the boy revealed. “Iron Coffin.” Tetsu called out as the sand solidified in its position. [color=black]“You should have spent more time training rather than wasting my time. Now where's your scroll.” Tetsu asked slightly, closing his fist which was now outstretched towards Koji causing the sand to constrict ever so slightly. “And I suggest you don't waste any more of my time.”

The hit made Koji go delirious. He woke up again as the sand began to crush, causing a bit of panic. He started speaking, slurring his words and it sounding muffled from the iron sand seeping into his mask “Mit….Mitsuhide….our…..concealed….the myriad….scrolls…..only he knows…..must search them all...our stroke of genius….” Only some of the words were intelligible. Koji then tried to laugh but all he could manage was a gasping, hacking sound, coughing up sand and trying to breathe.

To his credit Koji did one thing that few others had managed to do, he had caused a twitch to appear across Tetsu’s face at his answer about the scroll. Unfortunately Koji had no idea that this was never a good sign for the person who caused it. Tetsu closed his fist ever so slightly more leaving the poor boy stuck in the air in what was presumably great pain. As the Iron constricted even more the mask Koji was once wearing shattered under the pressure revealing his face.

A kunai stabbed into the back of the iron coffin. It was a heavy, thudding blow that landed with the full weight of it’s wielder behind it, one Kotetsu Kanehara. He had made jumping stab as the coffin began to form and rise, then held on tight as it lodged into the coffin and he rose off the ground along with it. With his free hand he punched at it, making the sand loosen up and deform. When a gap formed Kotetsu jabbed his hand into it, tensing his muscles and feeling the sand try to compress again as his strength and tenacity broke it’s integrity. He said “Hey, Tetsu, what’s the matter with you? Knock it off, he told us what he knows. This scroll ain’t worth killing nobody over.”

Tetsu blinked for a second when he heard Kotetsu yell from behind the iron coffin. Seemingly snapping him out of his trance, Tetsu relaxed his hand fully, letting Koji hit the ground. Once the sand began to return to its place inside Tetsu’s container his gaze settled on Kotetsu. Slowly beginning to walk towards him Tetsu began to speak once again. “This is the world of shinobi Kotetsu, it’s us vs them.”

When he was on the ground again Kotetsu wiped the sand off of his clothes. He saw Koji on the ground, unconscious, and decided not to look too closely at the damage. Kotetsu said. “Is this what being a Shinobi’s about? If it’s all about acting like everyone who isn’t with you oughta be crushed like a bug you find nibbling on your crops, then being a shinobi ain’t much of anything to be proud of.” He looked at the ground, kicking some of the grains left around. He said “Would anyone want to be a shinobi if we didn’t act like the whole world revolves around them? That’s why they make a good living, why people die trying to be like them. Sometimes I wonder why I’m trying to be one, and the only thing can come up with is that it’d be pretty damn hard for me to find anything else I could do as well as this.”

Tetsu continued to stare at his brother for a moment almost as if he was gauging what was coming out of the boy's mouth. “This is the life we live as Shinobi Kotetsu. Were weapons for our villages, used to ensure its safety and its protection. We are responsible for the safety of our own village and must be ready to carry out that task at any cost.” Tetsu paused looking down at the limp Koji. “The strong of this world survive while the weak are left behind begging for mercy that they are rarely shown. That's why we can't afford to be weak both in power and heart.” Tetsu finished before turning his back and walking off towards Satoru.
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Hidden 4 yrs ago → 4 yrs ago Post by Roach
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Roach retired

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@Bee, @Bluetommy, @Hey Im Jordan

Suzuhime's breath came in short, quick pants, ripping through her chest like a whirlwind. There was no time to catch it. The other ninja had longer legs than she did, so she had to run thrice as fast just to stay out of his reach. He was older, so she had to be smarter. She broke the branches she was standing on with a spike of too-much chakra as she jumped just to make him find another path up to her, but they were in a forest with no shortage of alternate routes.

'Use the environment to create breathing space.'

She was doing what Samuru-sensei said to do, and it wasn't working. Or it was working, but not well enough to save her. It bought her thirty seconds at best to descend, duck behind a tree and take inventory of the situation. The senbon-launcher attached to her wrist broke in the last flurry of blows before she alighted into the trees. Her wrist ached like it was broken, too, but right now the senbon-launcher was of more tactical importance: she needed it to make sure nothing else broke.

She bit at the smashed mechanism with her teeth, trying to get it to please open up so that she could at least access a few extra senbon, or the vial of poison stored inside. It did not yield. It must have been the spring inside that had snapped, because she couldn't access it through the front, either. Nothing would come out, and no-one could get access to it – least of all Suzuhime.

A manic thought struck her on a wave of panicked laughter. If only she could have fit the scroll inside it. Then they'd be golden. She had a lot of those. If only she hadn't agreed vociferously to take a rest when they hadn't scouted out the area for traps.

If only someone else had responsibility for the scroll. Instead, she kept the scroll in the pouch on her hip. Her supply of kunai was running low. She paused in her assessment to throw one of her last ones at a rustling bush where she thought he might have been coming for her, then forced her legs to keep going.

Help me, she thought. Usagi, Makoto, anyone, please help me. But she had seen Usagi and Makoto dart in opposite directions back in the clearing, a good distraction. The chances of them catching up before she was caught were infinitesimally small – she didn't have to do the kind of calculations required in the written exam to know that.

And a small traitorous voice said that they would have to contend with their own opponents before they could help with hers, and victory wasn't guaranteed for any of them.

The ninja leapt in front of her from above, and she had to skid to a halt before she ran straight into him. His headband said he was from Mist, but she hadn't seen that before. She forced her hands into a series of seals. Ram, boar, ox.

"Hand it over, brat, and we won't do any permanent damage."

Dog.

As he made a grab for her, blade glinting, she twisted into the final one. Snake. The Body Replacement Technique absorbed the blow but left her off-balance and disoriented somewhere to the left of them. The Mist-nin was coming for her, and there was nowhere else to run.

'Use stealth. If the enemy can't see you he can't hit you.'

Samuru-sensei, there's nowhere to hide, either. What else have you got for me?

Suzuhime brought her hands up once more to attempt a last ditch effort of her clan's secret technique. The Mind-Body Switch. It shouldn't have been used when there was no allies around to protect her body if she missed or otherwise failed, but it was all she had left up her sleeve. Her forefingers and thumbs met, and––

And the ninja advanced upon her too quickly for her to summon the necessary chakra. She had to roll out of the way to avoid his first kunai, deflecting the second with the hard metal of the senbon-launcher, even as the force behind it jostled fractured bone. It was enough for her to let out an instinctual yelp loud enough to unsettle the birds above. His hand shot out and grabbed her other wrist, the one that was far more useful at present, and yanked her into the air.

"Your team's scroll. Where is it?"

'Do your best to not die.'

"I don't – have it," she lied. Better to die than live with the shame of losing her team's scroll. They'd never forgive her. She'd never forgive herself.
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Hey Im Jordan
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Hey Im Jordan Surpass Your Limits!

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Starring: Kaminari Hikaru and Princess Nurunuru
Mentions: @Roach

For something called the forest of death, Hikaru had yet to run into anything interesting.

At the very least, he’d expected some monsters to fight. He’d heard stories of this place from both his elder brother, and he’d been excited! He’d thought there was going to run into a giant snake, or like at least a fox or something… Were Mori and Iza having more success than he was?

Karu’s plan had been to do it all himself. Find another squad, beat them up, and take the scroll away. He wanted to make his parents proud, make his sensei proud… but instead, Karu was just hopping from tree to tree and blindly hoping something interesting would happen to him. He’d even brought the slug princess along in case he needed help!

Weren’t there like, hundreds of other genin in here? Then why wasn’t anyone showing up to challenge him to one on one combat?! Or, why wasn’t he running into a team so he could try and use stealth techniques to get past them? He was so unlucky! Others were probably having… so much fun, and he wasn’t even getting a chance to be a hero.

Even more than that, he was hardly getting a chance to be a shinobi.

Karu paused, perched atop a rather tall tree in what he approximated to be the center of the forest (he was, of course, dead wrong) and decided to take a moment to catch his breath, and tune his senses to his surroundings. For the first time in a while, Hikaru paused and listened. He was desperate, okay? He had to do what he needed to do, and sometimes what he needed to do Katsumi-sensei would have recommended. He put his hands together and focused his chakra as he closed his eyes.

With a moment of clarity, Karu was able to reach out through nature, and sense his fellow shinobi. To sense his opponents that were surely present somewhere in the forest, Karu had to reach out with his chakra and see what he could feel-

“Young sir Kaminari, you’re aware you aren’t a sensory type, right?”

Hikaru cracked one eye open, and used it to look over at Princess Nurunuru, the slug summon he’d ‘borrowed’ from Mori (really, Mori had insisted Karu take her along), and said. “Well, I mean, I’ve never really tried… Not like, with all my effort.” Yes he had. “So I was hoping I’d be able to pull something off…” He trailed off, opening his other eye and giving up on the fruitless endeavor. “I wanna do something! This forest sucks. Kenshin promised there’d be a lot of fights and moments where I’d be toeing the edge of certain death, but there’s nothing going on! It’s even quiet, and peaceful, I’d even say beautiful which is nice because I really like the forest usually, y’know, but I thought the Forest of Death — DEATH, Princess! — would have somethin’ goin’ on, y’know? But there’s nothin’!” Hikaru boldly claimed with a disappointed sigh.

“Allow me to assist, young sir Kaminari.”

Hikaru immediately lit up. He always was a bit of a slingshot with his emotions, going up and down at blinding speeds. “Oh, really? Could you? That’d be great!” He had to stop himself from clapping his hands together in excitement. He was happy now, waiting for Nurunuru to do her part and guide him where he needed to go.

“Oh… oh, my. I can feel one of your classmates — Suzuhime —” The Princess said the name with some annoyance. While she was doing her job, and assisting young sir Kaminari with what he wanted, she wasn’t going to do it happily if it involved competition. “— but her chakra feels weak… there’s another one there, as well. To the left.”

Karu had a mixed rush of emotions from that. On the one hand, there was finally something he could do. On the other hand, one of his friends (all of his classmates were his friends) was in danger. Karu took the Princess off of his shoulder, and cupped her in both of his hands, “Thank you. Can you show me the way?” She gestured with her eyestalk, and Karu lifted her up and put a kiss on the top of her head. “Let’s go, okay?” He tucked her back on his shoulder, and an astute observer might have noticed she seemed to be blushing. Kaminari Hikaru was not an astute observer.

“V-very well, young sir Kaminari.”

With that out of the way, Karu was rushing down the tree top and toward the fight…

A few moments later


Hikaru was far from good at being stealthy. A future ANBU Black Ops member, he was not, but he was a member of the Kaminari clan. With a few exceptions, they were hardly known for being anything other than loud and proud. “You’re nearly there.” Hikaru nodded. He knew that. He could see them now, and he could certainly hear them, or at least Suzuhime’s scream…

"I don't – have it.”


Under his breath, wanting to maintain as much of an element of surprise as he could, Hikaru had to call out the names of his moves. If he didn’t, then the power wouldn’t be there; his dad had taught him that, after all. “Kaminari Wind Tunnel Burst Technique…” Immediately, the wind started to pick up around him, and he had to turn his collar slightly to make sure the slug Princess didn’t get launched off of him. Hikaru was moving faster now, and he launched himself off of the tree and toward the enemy shinobi that was holding Suzuhime by the wrist.

With leaves being caught in the swirling wind around him, Hikaru called out his next move. This time, he saw no reason to be quiet. “Karu… SLIDING RUSH!” Unleashing a barrage of kicks at the enemy, Karu targeted the face and the arm that was holding Suzuhime. Successfully knocking Suzuhime out of the enemy’s hands, and pushing him back to create some space.

As he stood between Suzuhime and the enemy, Hikaru was feeling fired up, and he couldn’t keep the grin from his face. He was finally getting to do something. He shook his limbs out and bounced from side to side. How long could he keep the Wind Tunnel open? He figured now was as good a time as any to find out. “You look pretty tough… why don’t you fight me… if you’re ready to lose!” Hikaru’s voice was as cheerful as ever. He was finally, finally getting to put his skills to the test.

He turned to look down at Suzuhime, “hey! Are you okay? Relax, alright? I got this.” The smile on his face never left. It was time to fight! Turning back to face the enemy, Hikaru muttered to himself, “time to go till I drop.”
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