Makoto Kirisame
The mist was heavy. The watery smell of wet, slush grass stood out above everything else. Especially with the mist turning everything to white.
It chilled the air and strangely alluded to a haunting silence. The three of them couldn't see a thing. The three of them were in a forest, on an isolated island, without a single civilian around for aid. The thick mist wasn't their only weakness. Each and everyone of the three Genin hadn't slept exactly 24 hours before this experiment began and hadn't eaten for a full two days before it started. They were each tired and starving. Each of the three of them swore that they wouldn't utilize their ninjutsu, for any purposes, else they would all fail. If they were killed during this test they failed, naturally. If they failed they'd end up doing the worst sorts of physical training that their Sensei could invent. Likely they would all be more than familiar with the sort of horrific training that their Sensei could force them to undergo. Their Sensei was the sort to demand they climb up a mountain, without the use of their hands, after they'd spent an entire hour of non-stop running and all the while wearing an additional 10 lb weight. That wasn't the worst either. The days in which they were to practice physical training were the days the trio would be sore for days. No matter how well they tried to train and condition themselves they'd never be prepared for the excruciating exercises their Sensei invented for them.
They'd each be familiar with this sort of situation. This was a different sort of exercise that they'd each underwent individually before under the guidance of their Sensei. He wasn't sending them into this task blind, ironically, as they'd each have a good grasp on the task. They each needed to navigate through the fog and make it five hours without injury or trouble. The catch was that there were dozens of different traps and contraptions all over the island and, unfortunately for the three, their Sensei was allowed to use his ninjutsu freely.
They couldn't stay in one place, else risk an attack from him, and they couldn't run through the island frantically, else accidentally step in a bear-trap or have a spear launched through their chests. They had to quickly, yet carefully, navigate around the island. They had to pick up on traps and be able to avoid them or disarm them. They also had to be keen on differences in the air, as even the most subtle difference could mean they'd fail. Their instructor could fill the air with toxic gases that they wouldn't smell or taste or he could tear them apart with his powerful ninjutsu in a blink. They had to carry themselves with constant suspicion and, as any ninja would, mentally prepare for dozen of outcomes.
Even with their various precautions, they would have suffered the ire of many traps. Not a single one would have managed to come out unscathed. Over the long 5 hours they would have had to continuously keep moving and, by doing so, they slipped trap after trap. Sometimes they were to ignore something, as it was clearly a trap, other times things were legitimate, like a free offer of water or medical supplies. It was up to them to decide when to take something and when to leave it based on their ability to comprehend a situation and make proper deductions based on presented information. Needless to say, it was hard. Traps that were plates of food were likely difficult to resist and sometimes the strong desire to lay down and rest tugged at them more strongly than what was normal. In the end, a great deal of this exercise was perseverance and analyzing the surroundings. A mistake could lead to severe repercussions. Lightly touching a tree could cause it to explode or simply standing in one place too long could cause a flurry of kunai to be launched at them and, all the worse, was their Sensei's ability to carry himself with stealth in the Mist. They'd have difficulty knowing he was coming, especially without their ninjutsu, until he was already attacking them. This thick mist served as a double aid to him in obscuring their vision and overpowering his scent.
Ren Shiroyuki
Maki Kirisame
Aki Moruma
These were the names of the three unfortunate Genin to be faced with such a difficult training exercise.
The fortunate thing was that the three of them only had 10 minutes left. Keeping track of time in situations like this was required, so at least one of them would realize that there was only 10 minutes left. However, the three would also know that their Sensei, Makoto Kirisame, would pull out all stops towards the end of the test. This training exercise was specifically tailored to remind the three the importance of vigilance, precaution, wisdom and insight was for a ninja. Those three things were more important than even strength. They needed to realize to depend on each other, for courage and information, else they'd surely be punished or their allies would fall into a trap left by their Sensei. This was a team effort. Anyone that tried to play hero or tried to take on everything on their own would have been challenged and defeated by their Sensei personally and they all would have failed.
The three of them were finally at the the home stretch however.
Just 10 more minutes and they'd be able to eat and sleep all they wanted.
